The Toy Box Years: Another Use for Bakeware!

The Creators of the Toy Box Years

The creators of the Toy Box Years are my two beautiful daughters and wonderful, handsome soldier husband.

"Nani" (our oldest) is a 11 year old 6th grader who loves Taylor Swift, ballet, books, fashion designing and sewing. Ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and it changes daily to anything from "an artist" to "a teacher" to "a singer/dancer". Nani is also currently fighting a battle against brain cancer -- recently diagnosed in June 2016.

"Nudgie" (our youngest) is a very smiley, very happy, very giggly, very spirited 8 year old 3rd Grader who's favorite toys are anything that gives mommy an anxiety attack - ladders, stepstools, the climbing wall at the playground. Like her sister, she has a love of reading and coloring, loves gymnastics and still provides mommy lots of snuggle time!

"My Marine" is my high school sweetheart. We've been married over 20 years and met when we were 17. (You do the math....) His favorite toys are Blackhawk helicopters, the lawnmower, our steam cleaner, and microbrew beer bottles. My husband is also my hero in that he proudly serves his country as a Blackhawk crew chief (hence his favorite toy!). And need I say that there is nothing hotter than my man in uniform!

All About Me......

Once upon a time I had a career and worked in the corporate world. Once upon a time, I dreamed about leaving that all behind to follow my true calling -- being a wife and mommy.

The first part of my calling was fulfilled in 1995 when I married my Marine (now soldier) and my love. Little did I know that being a military wife would change me in so many ways and that because of that, I would have an extended family all over the world from Japan, to California, to North Carolina.

The second part of my calling took a little doing, but I finally achieved that dream in 2004 with the birth of our first child, followed 4 years later by her baby sister.

So now, when someone asks me what I do for a living - I simply smile and say proudly that I'm following my calling - I'm a mommy and a wife -- and I couldn't be HAPPIER -- I'm living in the Toy Box Years!!

Just around the time I started Tot School with Nudgie, I found this great blog from Michelle over at the Muffin Tin Mom. She has this great concept of serving meals/snacks in muffin tins. What a GREAT idea! I never, in a million years, would have ever thought of that!

Well, the other day, she asked on her FB book if there were any stores near us that sold Wilton products. I responded to her and she asked me to write about some of my favorite Wilton products and why I liked them.

First, I had never done a muffin tin meal at all. But after reading Michelle's blog, I thought I'd give it a try with Nani first. For lunch. After picking her up from Kindergarten. You would have thought I had given her the world!

So, I served her lunch in Wilton's Wilton's silicon mini leaf and pumpkin mold. I actually got mine last summer at a clearance rack at Hobby Lobby
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You would have thought that I invented chocolate! She loved it so much! And every day she has been asking for lunch in the "pumpkin" pan! I personally love this pan for making mini pumpkin breads! I have been finding the silicon bakeware easier and easier to use!

Another score from Hobby Lobby were these adorable silly critters silicone cupcake baking cups, also from Wilton. I picked up ours at another clearance sale at Hobby Lobby. There were only two sets left, so I bought both sets -- one for Nudgie and one for Nani.

In fact, we used them again today for the movie-themed Muffin Tin Monday. (Ok, so I'm a day behind!) Our theme was the Disney Princess movies. I made her "glass slipper sandwiches", Snow White apples, "Under the Sea" yogurt, and "Beauty & the Beast" juice. I loved seeing her eyes light up when she saw this waiting for her when she came home from school!

I love browsing the baking sections of the craft stores. You just never know what you're going to find! I do have a wish list built up -- and some of the items I'd love to add to our collections some day are this:

Bear Silicon Baking Cups:

Flower Silicon Baking Cups:

And, of course, anything from the Disney Princess or Tinkerbell bakeware collection!

(If anyone has any connections with Wilton, I'm happy to do a product review for them! Please? Pretty please? LOL!)

So what are some of your favorite baking "accessories"?

8 comments:

Ash September 15, 2010 at 12:12 AM: that's an awesome idea!

wilton - can you pls let this wonderful mummy do a review?

~ash's mum
Christy Killoran September 15, 2010 at 5:46 AM: We do this too. We have the Wilton bear cups and some flower cups (ours aren't the nice Wilton flower cups though - we found them in the dollar spot at Target). I love the shoe sandwiches!
B September 15, 2010 at 9:59 AM: Super cute idea - and I love the bear cups! I'm going to have to search for some of these in my area!
Julia September 15, 2010 at 12:39 PM: Those are so cute! I have been dying for some silicone bakeware ;)
maryanne @ mama smiles September 16, 2010 at 2:28 PM: My kids love muffin tin meals, and especially when they are served in those Wilton's silicon molds =)
Aleksandra Nearing September 17, 2010 at 9:48 AM: How cute - and how creative! I love those cupcake holders.
MollyinMinn September 17, 2010 at 2:01 PM: Oh my, those are so cute. I had never seen them before. Thanks for bringing them to my attention!
Personalized Sketches and Sentiments September 17, 2010 at 10:34 PM: Oh my goodness...these are so cute! And so is your little one modeling how well they work :o) Hm...will have to keep my eyes open for some of these (for our future grandbabies! haha)

I've never baked in the silicone muffin pans...how do they do?

Blessings & Aloha!
Just wanted to stop by and say hello! I finally made it to me 100th post, so I wanted to let you know that I have several giveaways related to the art that I do.