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The book is filled with delightfully nostalgic photos and recreations of signature recipes and crafts from each of the first ladies such as Hilary Clinton's Chocolate Chip Cookies or Nancy's Reagan's Monkey Bread (below, with an updated twist in a muffin tin).



Interested in finding more books like Christmas With The First Ladies? You can interact with Publisher Insight Editions on Twitter and Facebook.


A bit about the publisher: "INSIGHT EDITIONS is an illustrated book publisher focused on creating superlative books on photography, music, and popular culture. Lavishly produced and visually stimulating, every volume from Insight is dedicated to the skillful interplay of word and image. The books produced are unique works that combine the highest quality print production values with the time-honored traditions of publishing and rich subject matter. Elegant and informative, books from Insight showcase the best of art and photography in exquisite presentations of the bookmaker's craft."


*This is a sponsored post. And is advertorial in nature like when an athlete endorses deodorant only much classier. My opinions are my own and I loved reading this book. You can read my full disclosure policy here.  All photos in this post are copyrighted. 


I have been especially anticipating Christmas this year. I am readily excited to create and share in those unique-to-us holiday memories. Do you have a favorite recipe or decoration that makes the season exrtra magical?

Being a blogger has it's blessings. I have been able to partner with some pretty wonderful people, brands, and organizations. GMC is one of those great partnerships. Back in August I participated in a wonderful farm-to-table project where we donated supplies to local school to start their own gardens. Last night I had the privilege of chatting with Carter Oosterhouse and Eric Stromer of HGTV fame.

Carter, Eric, and Sam Tablot have partnered with GMC to bring you GMC Trade Secrets; a website dedicated to showcasing simple DIY and how to videos on cooking, home decor, and home improvement. I have really enjoyed browsing through the videos. Being an advocate for the farmer's market, I loved this video from Sam on tips for shopping at outdoor farmer's markets.



And Carter shared with me that half the videos were filmed at his Traverse City, Michigan home a week before his wedding! Carter also shared with me about his non-profit organization Carter's Kids. They build playgrounds across the country for communities in need.

Here's a great video from Carter on making your own mason jar citronella candles. I never knew how easy it is!



GMC generously allowed me to test drive the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid while travelling to Los Angeles. .  It was so nice to get chance to test drive the car in an everyday setting. Before travelling to L.A. I took the car on a few errands. While learning to maneuver the largeness of the Yukon was a challenge, the ride was incredible. I could barely tell it was on! The in-dash navigation system and hands free calling Bluetooth technology in the steering wheel made my hour plus drive to Los Angeles a breeze!

If you've long thought of GMC as a truck company, I challenge you to take a test drive and see for yourself how GMC is making their trucks, SUV's and crossovers for all lifestyles, not just truck lovers.

*Disclosure: I was given a car to test-drive for 24 hours, dinner and a hotel stay for 1 night. I was not expected to write a blog post and was not paid to share about GMC. My opinions are my own. I genuinely enjoy GMC cars.

It was the summer of 2008. I was searching online for something. I can't remember exactly what it was. Maybe it was a recipe, or craft activity. I can't remember. I had 2 small children, I could barely remember my own name! Whatever it was, it led me to a kids craft blog that I absolutely adored. Kiddio.org. I remember thinking to myself: I could do what she's doing. I could start blog. I could turn my passion for kids and creativity and writing into something online. So I began scouring blogs. Any blog about moms, parenting, crafts, kids and food.

Then I happened upon an interview by Janice and Susan of 5 Minutes For Mom of Michelle of Scribbit. That one interviewsealed the deal for me. Michelle's perspective gave me wings. So, I decided spread my wings and see if I could fly. Since that summer almost 3 years ago to to the day, I cultivated a career for myself and have been able to stay home with my kids. I get to help families make mealtime fun! My journey to being Muffin Tin Mom has been filled with a lot of hard work, but it has been so worth it.

To add to my fulfillment I am a part of a great group of local women who all support each other on their blogging journey. I count myself fortunate to be among them. Collectively, we support each other and local businesses along the way. My favorite little cupcake shop is a local business that I have been able to support though not only my patronage, but also through social media avenues like Facebook and Twitter. And our local farmer's market? That's like local business heaven!

So now, Intuit is helping small businessesachieve their dreams by awarding $25,000 each month to a local business! $25,000!


So I’m curious to know: What dream business would you love to start? A Blog? Cupcake shop? I want to know! By replying you will be entered to win an iPad 2!  (Yep, you read that right.)

*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Intuit’s Love A Local Businesscompetition. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs August 10 to September 1, 2011. A random winner will be announced by September 6, 2011. Official Contest Rules

It can be hard to know if your child is getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables each day. That's one of the many reasons I love Muffin Tin Meals, the individual compartments can be filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

One mom has created a fun and engaging tool to get kids to eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies each day. Kia Robertson is a mom and founder of Today I Ate A Rainbow!™. Kia champions the idea that parents have the power to instill healthy eating patterns in their kids.

From the website:
"We believe that parents have the power and ability to set healthy eating habits. All it takes is some knowledge, useful tools and lots of fun!

“Today I Ate A Rainbow!™” is an interactive nutritional chart that makes eating fruits and vegetables fun for your children! This tool will allow your children to easily track the fruits and vegetables they eat throughout the day."

I love that it is a proactive approach that teaches children to keep track or the healthy habits themselves.

Included in the kit:
The colourful Today I Ate A Rainbow!™ chart
Bright cartoon magnets
The Rainbow Bunch book

Color coded shopping list


The kids loved getting to choose their color magnets and put them on the chart after each meal (I am realizing we need more fruits and veggies at breakfast time). The chart lists fruit and vegetable suggestions in each color category. The kids were quick to find their favorites and point out foods they'd like to eat more of.

You will most definitely want to watch the first episode of The Rainbow Kitchen featuring  Kia and her adorable animated daughter who you can tell loves fresh veggies and fruits. They make kale chips look not only delicious to eat, but fun to make.

If you have ever made bread, you know that kneading the dough is a vital step in the process. The harder you knead the dough, the better  the texture.  I have been thinking about this concept - baking bread - and how it applies to life.

In the hands of the Baker, dough is kneaded, shaped, molded, given time to rest and rise and finally sent into the heat of the oven. Without all those steps however, without the kneading, and shaping, and the application of heat - the loaf of bread will never turn out right, It will just be a flat, lifeless, burnt and crusty mess. Sometimes, I can feel deeply worked over, flipped upside down and all around by life. But in the end, I find that it's a necessary  part of my process.

But when it's right, a good loaf of bread is full of flavor and ready to be shared. This rightness, this process that turns out a delicious product, is what Panera Bread is all about. They have a whole section of their website devoted to sharing their passion for bread called The Baker's Table.




And the more I have been researching Panera Bread for this post, the more respect I have for this company. They tell a story with their baking. They savor and celebrate the process as much as the product. Panera Bread's commitment to fresh ingredients and incorporating healthier choices to their menu is something I appreciate, respect and admire and both consumer and advocate.

For more on Panera Bread, including where to find your nearest location, be sure to visit www.panerabread.com

One of my favorite parts when learning about bread baking is when they talk about in the "Fresh Ingredients" video about the baker setting aside the dough to rest and rise for a day. When was the last time you took a day to "rest and rise"?


 I was compensated by Panera for this post, which makes it advertorial content and not a review. But I think Panera is a company worth promoting and putting my influence behind and can't recommend it enough. I am among a group of bloggers who are taking part in a 3 month promotion for Panera Bread and will be getting to share more delicious goodness with you.

I can't get enough of it. I smile as I put it on each morning. And if you follow Muffin Tn Meals on facebook, you will know that I have been gushing about this necklace for some time and was so excited when Muffin Tin Dad surprised gifted me with for my birthday.


If you love Muffin Tin Monday as much as I do, I know you will want one of these for yourself. Recently,  I shared with Tambra of Luxe Adornments about MTM and how I thought my readers would love her exceptional jewelry as I do. Well, I am pleased to announce and welcome Luxe Adornments as a sponsor to Muffin Tin Mom! You'll see their spot on my sidebar now and I hope you will check them out.


Luxe Adornments has so many other gorgeous pieces of jewelry. You should know that all of their pieces are handcrafted and yet are affordable enough you won't break the bank. Their tagline of "Little luxuries for everyday life." is so true! I love that I can transition through my day - from play dates to dinner dates wearing these pieces without sacrificing on style.



Luxe Adornments doesn't forget those fine finishing touches and attention to detail. Each piece is delicately wrapped in beautiful packaging that is perfect for gift giving or receiving on Valentine's Day or any occasion!

It was the year 1999.

I was saying goodbye to college. Goodbye to my little life as I knew it living in Santa Barbara. Goodbye to friends. Goodbye to the little hole-in-wall coffee place where I studied for final exams.  Goodbye to my favorite thinking spot inside the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Goodbye to the best piece of Peanut Butter Pie I have ever tasted. And goodbye to that little known "bread company" where I could get freshly baked bread by the slice or loaf.

For me, Panera Bread reminds me of that little bread company (that incidentally is no longer there in SB). I walk in and it feels inviting to me, almost as if to say: "Come, sit, eat, stay awhile." With their Bakery-Cafes I can have that fresh baked bread I longed for, sliced and wrapped around delicious sandwich eats. I can choose to take home a warm cinnamon raisin loaf with my family or enjoy it over a hot dark roast cup of coffee and free Wi-fi (they were one of the first national eateries to offer it).







I also love that Panera has healthy and yet hearty options for kids. From their Horizon Organic Milk to their new "better for you" menu options like the Strawberry Granola Parfait: wholesome recipe created by Panera's head baker Tom Gumpel for his daughter Olivia with maple pecan granola, organic yogurt, fresh strawberries.

Have you ever been to Panera Bread? What's your favorite thing to get?

I was given a gift card to go and sample items of my choosing off the Panera Bread menu and share with you why I love Panera. I was also compensated for this post, which makes it advertorial content and not a review. Either way, I still think Panera rocks and can't recommend it enough. I am among a group of bloggers who will be taking part in a 3 month promotion for Panera Bread and will be getting to share more delicious goodness with you.

Here is my peppermint bark in progress...







This blog post is advertisement and promotion for Smart and Final. All opinions are still my own and do not reflect that of Smart & Final. A very special thank you to Smart & Final for gifting me with a $50 gift card to get everything I needed for less and to make the season a little brighter for those in need! Thank you S & F!

Today is Muffin Tin Monday and it is the weekly blog carnival that has kids all over the world jumping for joy. I remember the expression my daughter gave me when I first put food in a muffin tin for her. I will never forget that little sparkle that I saw. I still see it every time I serve a Muffin Tin Meal. It's not for every child, but we love it.



Crinkle Cut Carrots, Diced Apples, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, Red Licorice Pieces, Colby Jack Cheese Stars, Chocolate Chips

I was graciously given a package of assorted cheeses by Smart and Final (they heard about my obsession with their cupcake mix ;) and am part of the SF Smarties team for Smart and Final. It has been awhile since I had tasted Colby Jack. It is so soft and delicious. Smart and Final would like you to know they are having a promotion on their First Street brand of cheeses right now, so check 'em out if you live in NV, AZ,CA and more.

Now It's your turn. Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal this week? I would love to see it! You can add your blog post, facebook photo (shout out to all the FB fan pagers!), or other photo sharing website by clicking on the blue "add your link" button, just remember to include a link back to muffintinmom.com somewhere on the page. :) Can't wait!

*Coming up this week on Muffin TIn Mom: Guest Posts by No Time For Flashcards, Confessions of A Homeschooler and Katie's Nesting Spot. SOme serious awesomeness happening this week!

Next week's MTM theme is HALLOWEEN.

It feels like just yesterday that my daughter, now 6 (and a half, she'd like you to know) was born. I remember being so tired that last trimester and for a brief few weeks I was laid up on bed rest. I had seen these grocery trucks driving by and heard about Vons.com and that you could order groceries online and have them delivered to your house. This sounded like the perfect option for me, as the thought of strolling down aisles of my local Vons grocery store for that week's sustinence seemd like a very daunting task at 8 months pregnant (I had cankles, people!)

I remember being so relieved when the man in the nice polo shirt showed up on my doorstep with arms full of groceries. I didn't have to set foot outside the house and I could rest my feet (erm, cankles) on a propped up pillow in peace.

As my daughter grew older and we added one more to make us a family of four, I looked forward to those lazy strolls down the aisles of my local grocery store, all by myself. I would pour over every item that slightly piqued my interest in hopes of prolonging my "alone time".

These days, I am thinking it would be nice to spend that time crafting, creating, spending time with Muffin Tin Dad or to catch up on blog reading.

So when I revisited Vons.com  recently (whose family of grocery stores include Vons, Safeway, Pavillions to find out if Vons.com serves your area visit the Vons.com FAQ page ) I was thrilled to see my old friend still there, ready to help me shop in the comfort of my own home (and my favorite black yoga pants).

Ordering your groceries online isn't difficult. In fact, Vons.com makes it easy with just a few clicks of the mouse.

I was able to set up an account (or in my case, re set up). Browse items by category or by aisle, shop any time day or night, schedule my groceries to be delivered as early as the next day (sometimes in less than 24 hrs) and pay for them all in a few simple steps.

Things I loved:

• Shop at anytime, day or night. Seriously. I completed my order at midnight and had it in my hands at 1pm the next day.
• Shopping by aisle. I could find items quickly, just like my local store 
• Free shipping on my first order, and delivery as low as $6.95
• Savings offered via the Vons Club Card are automatically included.
• Saves your purchase history for a simplified online shopping experience the next time around
• Order party platters from the Deli/Signature Cafe for your next birthday party, monday night football, or family get together and have it delivered right to your home!
• Have the choice of accepting other brands or sizes in case the one you chose is not available

In the future, I 'd love to see the ability to use gift cards.

You don't have to be on bed rest or be home bound to enjoy all the benefits that Vons.com has to offer. However, I think Vons.com would be perfect for:

• Expecting moms on bed rest
• Working Parents
• Stay-at-home parents with preschoolers and toddlers 
• Those without a car
• Senior Adults who are unable to go out
• Busy professionals
• Fantastic way to surprise a needy family with some much needed groceries

Would I shop Vons.com  again? Yes, absolutely.


The folks at Vons.com have graciously given me a promotional code to share with you: MUFFIN
Using the code MUFFIN at check out provides you with not only FREE SHIPPING but $7 off your first order of $50 at Vons.com

What about you? Would you use Home Grocery Delivery? Do grocers in your state offer something similar?

*Disclosure, I was given 2 Gift Cards in order to shop at Vons.com and share with you my experience. My opinions are my own and objective.

 The folks at Jumpstart and Knowledge Adventure are at it again, with the brand new Wii game entitled Get Moving Family Fitness: Sports Edition starring Brooke Burke. While the Jumpstart brand is renowned for their devotion to making educational games for kids, they decided to tackle another important topic: staying fit, active, and healthy.

The game is a fantastic way for families who love the Wii to spend time together and get active, all while having fun. With an emphasis on sports, the first installment of Get Moving, will have you and your family enjoying everything from baseball to ice skating.

Here are some quick facts about the game to know before you buy.

• The price point is $29.99
• It has an ESRB rating of "E" for Everyone.
• It hit shelves on June 15th and can be found anywhere Wii games are sold.

Here are some points of interest:

• You can design your own character (known as a "Jumpee") to race and play
• You can build customized routines for extra challenge and set each game to easy, medium or difficult
• There is a single or multi-player option
• You can choose your game location -play underwater, on a farm, in Egypt or 8 other fun locations
• features important tips on staying healthy

Thanks to the folks at Jumpstart/Knowledge Adventure, our family recently had an opportunity to sit down stand up and play a rousing session of Get Moving Family Fitness. We had a blast!

• It's similar to Wii Fit and Wii Sports, in that it has game content that focuses on a wide range of sports, fitness and balance games. However, it has all of Jumpstart's unique style and yet has kids in mind.
• The baseball, volleyball and pinball balance game were our favorites.
• We loved that you can "practice" separate skills within a sport (i.e. -both catching and hitting in baseball and serving and spotting in volleyball)
• As a parent, I love that it promotes an active healthy lifestyle and engages the players on an interactive level (instead of passive consumption).

• The Wii remote seemed to be very sensitive to player use. This might prove difficult for the younger aged children below six years. (We experienced a little cry fest during our first time playing).
• As a parent, I'd love to see more positive affirmation when you hit the ball, score a point etc. Sometimes, the baseball game felt a little quiet, or when the kids would miss, Brooke's voice would come on saying "too far". 

In a nutshell: Out of the 3 the Wii Jumpstart titles I have reviewed, I think this one is our favorite and all the quirks aside, my kids love it. Here's a little video of them playing.




Simply leave a comment telling me one way you and your family stay (or would like to stay) active both indoors and out. That's it. Yep, That's it. No extra entries this time. :) Good luck, and I hope you win!
YOU MUST LEAVE ME A WAY TO CONTACT YOU IN YOUR COMMENT!


*Disclosure: I received 1 copy of the game to review  and one to give away on this blog, all opinions are my own and unbiased. All images are property of Knowledge Adventure.

When Muffin Tin Boy broke his elbow last week I knew I wanted to do something for him that would make having a cast a little bit easier to bear. Sharing it with family paid off! My brother-in-law discovered this amazing company! I knew when I saw it that this would be just the thing.


Their mission is to provide "happy healing" to those who are mending a broken bone.Casttoo was created by the talented and adventurous Jessica Smith who herself had a broken bone from a bicycling accident and decided to share her passion for happy healing with the rest of us. She is accompanied by a rockin' staff that are all committed to the bringing a little more joy to bone break recovery.


Casttoo's are for everyone and easy to apply with a little heat. They come in a wide variety of options including asian dragons, rainbows, fairies, flowers, sports, unicorns, flames and you can even have a custom Casttoo made of the x-ray of your break!

The pricing is moderate and increases depending on the size of the Casttoo you want. Muffin Tin Boy received the small asian dragon (around $20). Totally worth the smile on his face from ear to ear when he saw it.

Their clever sizing chart made it easy to decide what size who fit a 5 year old boy...



And with step by step instructions that came with the Casttoo and available online, we were set!

Here's ours (He had his cast re-wrapped in blue):
**Disclosure: MT Boy and I did receive a Casttoo free of charge in order to write this review.

I think I may have found a great way to get myself going on the desire to use %100 cloth resuable bags. And I have the lovely ladies at Moms Going Green to thank for sharing it with me!

I have made a microwave mug cake before, but Stacey J. Miller's 101 Microwave Mug Cakes recipe book proves there are so many more options out there than chocolate! She has come up with a comprehensive list of recipes for the popular microwave mug cake. We made the orange vanilla variety again tonight and it was just as delicious as the first time we tried out the recipe. Seriously, ladies....piping hot cake in a matter of minutes? Soooo worth it. Stacey and her book have even been featured on Rachel Ray! Be sure to click over to the Microwave Mug Cake site for more info about her book. Click on the video below to see my abridged recipe testing (I had to cut the video down a bit, I was after all working with children). There are some pretty funny moments as I make the cake with my 4 and 6 year old. They LOVED the cake. Pay particular attention to end when Muffin Tin Boy is trying come up with the words to describe how wonderful the cake tastes...

101 Microwave Mug Cakes Review from vistamommy on Vimeo.

That's right friends! I found these wooden magnetic letters and numbers at my local Dollar Tree. I have been rather obsessed as of late with all things dollar store and today's find did not disappoint. Hurry though, they won't be there for long!

A few important things to note:

• I used comparable photo papers The HP Advanced 4x6 Photo Paper and the Kodak Premium 4x6 Photo Paper - both glossy 
• Kodak has contacted me personally (via twitter) about this, mentioning that their Ultra Premium Paper does not produce these results. That might be true, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of their low ink costs?
• The HP paper I used isn't even their best paper, which says something about the quality of it's paper.
• The results from this video are kind of hard to see because the youtube download is kind of grainy.
• The reliability of HP's products really make a difference here, in my opinion.
• I will ALWAYS be buying Advanced/Premium Photo Paper from now on.
• The right printer + the right ink + the photo paper makes all the difference.

I missed posting last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so this week, I will present two posts on the HP Virtual Focus Group.

This week I want to showcase the scanning and copying  features of the HP C6380 and the Kodak ESP7. I have had the opportunity to use the scanner several times over the last 5 weeks. Our family mostly scans signed documents, old family photos and children's artwork.

Below is an adorable photo of my late mother when she was 2 years old. The first one is scanned using the HP c6380

The second photo was scanned using the Kodak ESP7


Clearly, there is a difference here folks. In the first photo, you can even see the tear marks as if it were the original. I chose this photo so you could see the clarity and detail each scanner does or does not pick up.

Later, when I copied my daughter's artwork, it was the Kodak that won out on clarity. The top right is the original. Below it, the HP copy and left of the original is the Kodak. The coloring is slightly off on the kodak, but the photo makes it difficult to see.


Also of note is the user interface for the scanning process....the Kodak does not allow for direct scanning to your computer. You must first scan it to a memory card and then download that to the computer. The HP scans directly to the computer. I found that to be a tedious step and if I had the choice, I would choose to scan via the HP.

**UPDATE** - I was contacted by Susan of Kodak (@KodakPrinters on Twitter) and she kindly talked to me about the Kodak, and I realized that the printer was offline when I tried to scan to the computer. Silly me, it was my fault. I should have investigated a little further.

I was able to later scan another photo directly to the computer and it was a very easy process....Thanks to Susan and Kodak for making the effort to reach out a fix this.