The following night, I baked another birthday cake, this time for a female friend’s birthday.  I made her a Luscious Chocolate Cake with Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting.  Here’s the cake ready for delivery…

These next two photos were not taken on a weekend but the photographed goodies were received on a weekend anyway, so I guess they still count as weekend snapshots.  Hahaha!

These are Blondies (Blonde Brownies) that my daughter gave her teachers for Valentine’s Day…

There are 14 pieces inside the Valentine-themed tubs.  And these are the little Valentine packages I sent my friends…

There are 8 pieces of Blondies in each box.

I was baking practically every night last week, one would think I was taking horse supplements instead of regular vitamins!  Hahaha!  I can take it easy this week, now that Valentine’s Day is over and it’s a few more weeks ’til another friend celebrates a birthday. 

Have a wonderful week ahead, y’all!

I made a football cake (my other Weekend Snapshot entry) and here’s my daughter who wanted a slice the moment I finished decorating it.

I wish y’all a wonderful week ahead! 

We checked out Ikea’s Winter yesterday afternoon with some friends and I’m proud to say that I was able to leave the huge store with very little damage to my (ok, hubby’s!) pocket.   After spending a good two-hours at Ikea, half of which was spent at the cafe, we all let the kids loose at a small playground just across the Ikea parking lot.

My little girl had a lot of fun, as usual, doing something she really loves….climbing!  (I have a feeling hubby and I just might get a little scolding after my Mom sees these pics!)

She got a little help from her dad every now and then and only when she asked for it.

Abby is so unlike me when it comes to these outdoorsy things.

She smiles triumphantly  for the camera after her successful climb!

It doesn’t seem too long ago that this little girl was wearing disposable diapers. Slow down just a wee bit, please, Time.

My 4-year old daughter is a ball of energy.  She leads a very active “lifestyle”, I suppose like most children her age.  I readily admit that she takes after her dad, who, as a little boy, couldn’t stay still for as little as a minute.

On the 2nd day of the New Year, a beautiful day, I might add, we spent some time in the park so THE princess can put her pent up energy to better use.  Hee hee.

She rode the bike Santa gave her.

She hung on bars  like a monkey.

She seems to be stretching in this pic.

She did some climbing, too!

More hanging!

More climbing and leaping.

And not to forget, running!

She had some fun on the swing, too.  But the photos I took are not so good.

I should follow my daughter’s example and start leading an active lifestyle, too. With proper diet and exercise, taking diet pills won’t cross anyone’s mind…or so I think.

I have another Weekend Snapshot entry:  Sweet and Sour Fish

Have a wonderful week ahead!

We kicked off what turned out to be another hectic but ultra fun weekend by heading to Downtown Austin to grant one of Abby’s long time wishes.  And that is to watch Playhouse Disney Live!  She sees the commercial for this show at the Disney Channel and since then, she hasn’t stopped asking that we go see it.  It’s not often that shows such as this make their way to Austin.  Usually, the favorite destinations of these productions are the cities of Dallas, San Antonio and Houston.  So when we learned that the Playhouse Disney Live On Tour will make an Austin stop, I went right ahead and bought the tickets online as early as September.

Hubby and I are thankful that we are able to give in to some of Abby’s wishes.  I watched shows like this when I was a child (Sesame Street was the popular show then!) and it’s only fair that our daughter gets her chance to see her favorite shows live “in the flesh”, too!

We got a couple of souvenirs, like the Handy Manny hardhat, which came with a bag of cotton candy.  Abby was more interested in the cotton candy so I took the liberty of wearing the hard hat.  I felt like an architect again.  Hee hee.

Pop quiz for parents of pre-schoolers:  Identify the Playhouse Disney characters that you see on stage in the next photo.

Characters from four popular Disney shows came together for this tour.  I would have loved to see Johnny and the Sprites on stage, too!  Maybe next time?

As I said, this was just a kick off to our fun-filled weekend.  We had another jampacked weekend that taking  fat burners (not that we take them!) were truly unnecessary. 

We got an interesting souvenir from the show, which you can see in my other WS entry: Snowcone in a Rocket Ship.

Have a great week ahead!  Christmas is almost here!

Abby and her classmates,  as well as girls and one boy from other centers got together last Saturday and performed about 3 numbers (per center) at a senior home. I’ll be posting more pictures and maybe some videos on my personal blog.

It was overly windy that day and the home’s staff served hot cocoa so guests can keep warm.  Abby got one, of course!  Hot cocoa happens to be one of her favorite warm beverages.

Abby, her classmates and all the participants did a great job.  They all looked beautiful in their Christmas-themed outfits.  I really hope they grow up to be fit and with a good body image, being the little dancers that they are.  If that will be so, Fentraphen will be farthest from their minds.

I have another Weekend Snapshot entry: Candy Trimmings

Y’all have a great week ahead!

It was just unfortunate when Abby blinked in her pic with Santa.  If the activity were anything like last year’s, we would have had another chance for a photo opp.  But we weren’t very lucky in that respect.

Breakfast was provided by Chick-fil-A.  Abby didn’t finish her sandwich because she couldn’t wait to get her hands on the play dough and cookie cutters.

These doughs were extra sticky.  Good thing I had wet wipes with me.  At home, Abby is constantly playing with dough but she can easily wash her hands because she’s just a few steps away from the kitchen sinks and the bathroom.

Abby had but a few seconds with Santa, but she was a happy camper nevertheless.

I hope your week started out wonderfully!  Cheers!

I know a few card games but what I’ve always been curious about is poker.  Last week, Hubby received a poker set as a birthday present from a dear friend .  He got to use his new toy last Thursday, after a hearty Thanksgiving dinner.  I sat down and observed the game.  Finally, I understood it.  But golly, it takes a long time before the game is over. And it takes a lot of strategizing, too!  Hubby let me take his place so I can have a better feel for the game.  Honestly, I had a lot of fun!

Those are Hubby’s chips in the background.  There was no betting, by the way.  Just pure fun.  Hee hee.

I learned some terminologies, too!  Like “Big Blind” and…

...”Little Blind”.  I love the purple little blind chip.  Hee hee.

Dealer or no dealer?

I can see why some people are addicted to the game.  If by chance you gamble for fun, be careful and just play within your means.  You don’t want commercial collection agencies to be breathing down your neck, do you?

I have another Weekend Snapshot entry, which is bound to make you hungry: Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie

Have a great week ahead!

After what seemed like forever, Hubby and I finally had the chance to go on a movie date, just he and I.

He’s such a good sport.  I didn’t have to drag him to see Twilight.  Hee hee.

After the movie, we had a very late lunch at Steak ‘n Shake, my other Weekend Snapshot entry.  We ate very heartily that taking Orovo seemed like a very good option.  But nah!

There’s still 46 minutes left before his birthday is over.  Happy birthday, Munchkin!

Have a great week ahead, y’all!

We were at a renaissance festival two weeks ago.  There was so much to see and taste and do yet, I personally think I can spend a good amount of time just people watching: for cast members in elaborate costumes and visitors who came in renaissance regalia as well.

Here are just some of the faces we saw at the festival:

Now do you believe me that people watching can be so much fun?!

I’ve got meditteranean food pics at my other Weekend Snapshot entry.

Have a great week ahead!