Mayberry Miniature Coffee Shop Building

I've been given 2 more 1/24 scale buildings to put together. At first, my daughter wanted to help. But then it became all my own project. At least for the first building, which is an over-crowded coffee shop. Check out the progress and completed project! 

This was a miniature kit bought at Hobby Lobby. It is the DIY Dollhouse Miniature Coffee House set from Mayberry Street. This particular one was clearanced, so you might not find it on the shelf at your local store anymore. However, I found the exact same one on Temu. Actually, there was more than one listing for it. Not having a Temu experience, I'm not sure if they list multiple times when one is on a temporary sale maybe? So HERE is the other listing I saw.

I'm not usually a huge fan of sets with such tiny proportions, but they can have some fun aspects to them. And of course, my daughter likes having them displayed on a shelf in her room. It is starting to look like a mini city scene in there. 

The Mayberry kits are unique and beautiful if you like miniatures. However, they are also difficult to put together. Not just for the tiny features, though that certainly plays a roll. They are also difficult because of the instructions. Which are in picture form. Pictures with the item numbers near to show you what piece is where. Each kit comes with paper items that have to be cut and shaped into the details for the building. They have scissors included to help you. There are the glues for paper and for the plastics, a ruler, maybe an exacto knife, the solid wood pieces and usually some beads. There is a page with all the included parts and an instruction manual that is supposed to walk you through step-by-step.

My husband had to help me with some of the more confusing pieces. He likes to make jokes while we work. Like here, when pretending to use some of the pieces like chopsticks! 

I had to do this construction in segments. Some of the walls needed to fully dry so they wouldn't move around while I was adding other things. I think this also works to slow your pace and prolong your crafting time.

This kit grew on me as I progressed through it. Though I think some of it was too 'busy' and knew that if I kept it for myself, I was going to have to give it a twist to save my own sanity.

This little pastry cabinet was adorable. While I was putting together the main shelves, my husband helped me put together the donuts that went in it. I ended up gluing it into its corner to prevent it from falling out during movement.

Helpful hint: Don't be afraid to start several pieces and let the glue dry while doing other things. As Mom, I have plenty of other tasks to work on while this process is happening in the background.

My daughter asked me not to glue everything as I was working through it. She said she wanted to be able to move things and play with it. Here is where I must note that this is NOT meant to be played with. It is something to put together and then put on a shelf. Like a collectible that you build yourself. But when you have kids, they want everything to be a toy that can be enjoyed beyond visually.

There were times I was afraid I would have to hold a piece in place while the glue dried. But my husband would come by with this neat idea that never occurred to me. Voila! Hands free, time free. I love his engineering mind.

I was quite happy to have finally gotten the second floor in place. This one I did have to hold for a few minutes to let the glue set enough. I suppose I could have laid it on its back to set better, but I had a bunch of stuff that I had no where to put... so... yeah. The doors were awkward. I get that they are supposed to be the fold open kind, but attaching them took some finesse.

Now, we can see the final details. I decided that I would build the last piece of furniture and install the sign. My husband hung the lights. But any more plants or paper details will fall on my daughter to decide if she wants them or not. And if she does, she has to make them herself. 

And the finished project is...

Well, here we are! What do you think? Is this the kind of coffee shop you want to stop in and grab a cup from? Maybe even take your friend with you?

Well, I'll soon begin the next one. It has more rooms! I'll let you know how it goes.

4 Uses For an Air Mattress You Might Not Have Considered

I was recently chosen to host a Bestway Air Bed party through Tryazon. I have tried other things from Bestway, like a pool. But an air mattress is a new one for me. Now, when I say air bed, what is the first thing that comes to mind for you? 

Is it camping? That usually is for me. But then... that is extremely limiting to their usefulness. Let's dive into some other uses for an air mattress and then I'll show you some of the fun we had with our new one. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product in exchange for reviewing and hosting a party. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions shared are strictly that of my guests or myself.*

Use Numero Uno!

1. As stated above, camping is usually the first thing someone thinks of when asked about an air bed. So maybe this one has been considered by you. They make the experience more comfortable. They are portable. And with the one I got from Bestway, easy to set up! This one does require power, but with so many camp sites having power access, I don't see that a problem. AND! It inflates within 3 minutes. But camping isn't something I'm particularly fond of. In my adult life, I have gone camping twice. And both times we ended up having to go home by 6AM. Weather played a part the first time. The second time, we were all so miserable, cold and for one of us - wet, that we gave up trying to make it work. So, let's shelve camping for now and check out the next reason having an air mattress on hand is a great idea. 

What is Number Two?

2. Sleepovers are not just for kids. Do you ever have a guest who needs a place to sleep? We don't have a guest room, so that usually means that person is on the couch or on an air bed in the living room. But you don't want them to be uncomfortable. So looking for one that adds to their comfort, is important. This model that I was sent comes with a raised bump to act as a built-in pillow. So you won't need to worry about having extra pillows on hand. 

Third Option is a Winner.

3. This third option was the one we chose to go with. Have you ever considered using an air bed for movie night?? Inflate a couple, and then relax! We did this for a Mario movie night. The kids loved it! It added plenty of space for everyone to recline. This can work inside or out, as well. Set up a projector and chill under the stars in style. 

For our movie party, we made Mario Oreo cupcakes. I also made homemade pizzas and bread sticks.

My daughters even decorated the living room with Mario characters. It was a lot of fun! 

                         Did you ever think to use it....

For a prepping item? After all, stuff hits the fan and you have to bug out, what will you sleep on? Don't think I haven't thought about a simple sleeping bag. I have. But! I'm a wimp. I want a little comfort. Something that lifts me off the floor. So I think one of these babies needs to be a part of prepper life.

Additional Features You Should Know about....

I told you this one need access to an electrical outlet. The cord can be tucked into a compartment on it. It has a built-in pump that can inflate the entire mattress in just under 3 minutes. How do I know this? I recorded it! Check out this video to see what I mean. 

There is the pillow bump. No need to have extra pillows on hand. Less to pack for outings as well. 

How about a nifty bag to store and carry it in? This is how we store it. In the bag on a shelf with our previous air mattress. 

If you purchase one of these for yourself from the Bestway website, they currently only have the 18" which are $72.99 each. But Walmart has the 12" version we had here for $29.94. 

Can you think of another use? Leave me a comment below! I'd love to know.

Spice or No Spice?

I was recently sent some Heinz ketchup products to test out. I'm not really a fan of ketchup in general. I like it on certain grilled foods, but that is about all. However, after trying these three things, I'm thinking my fries might have a new best friend.

*Disclaimer: I was sent these products in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions expressed here are from me or my family.*

So there are 3 products here. As the picture of the box they came in shows, they build in heat. We started at the lowest rung on the ladder, upon my request. I wanted to slowly work up and see how the spice would sit with me. 

First up!

The first one is the Chipotle Ketchup. My sister-in-law doesn't do spice. No heat in her food. Her taste is far to sensitive and her stomach can't handle it. All this to say - she thought this was amazingly spicy for her. On the flip side though, my husband said he barely recognized the taste of chipotle in the background. To be perfectly, I didn't taste it all! It tasted like ketchup to me. Then again, I was raised eating jalapenos from the jar by the spoonfuls... so... there is that to consider. 

Second flavor is...

Now, we have the Jalapeno Ketchup. I LOVED this one! You taste the jalapeno right away. However, it builds lightly and doesn't linger too long on your tongue. What does this mean? That I can eat a good amount of it and not ruin the experience of savoring the food I'm eating it with. This one went really good with the fries, but I would love to try it on a burger too. If I'm eating ketchup, this is the one I want! My husband agreed 100% on the description for this one. 

I found that Walmart had this one for $3.98. 

And now for the finale!

Okay guys, this is it. The Habanero Ketchup flavor. This one packs a punch immediately! You get the full habanero taste with your first bite. The heat can be intense for anyone who isn't good with hot foods. It also lingers and builds. So as you eat more, the hotness meter just goes up. This one is more for your heat-lovers, for those macho moments with the boys, or for just straight up wanna feel the burn on my food! For everyday eating, this isn't something I'd do. I kinda like enjoying the flavor of foods that I eat with my condiments, but that is just me. 

Hope you got a good understanding of these three Heinz products! Which one would you want to try? I'd love it if you would leave me a comment below and tell me. Have a great day!

From Tiny House to Building a Mansion!

My kids are away in Florida, enjoying cool breezes and plenty of pool time. I'd love to say I'm getting caught up on important projects. But... I'm not really. I work on things little by little, but I have also been getting more of something else done. Sleeping. Not the best sleep, but I'll take what I can get! 

Despite my extra sleep, I haven't been totally lazy all this time. On the contrary. I'm working on a miniature coffee set, trying to get my little free library built, and I built a mansion! 

Hahaha! Seriously though, I did build the Kidcraft Majestic Mansion. My mother ordered it for the girls' Christmas present. And I figured that there was no time like the present to get it put together. Hiding it would be hard regardless and my husband won't have much time off of work for the holidays. So chances were good that I was going to have to do it myself anyhow. 

Plus, I had to open the damaged box to make sure that nothing inside was also damaged. There was a really large hold in one side that concerned me. But as it turns out, they are really good at packaging these pieces inside! There was enough Styrofoam to keep everything in place. Smaller pieces were also inside little boxes. Each board piece was wrapped in a foam cushion. The only piece that I found broken was the last thing I had to put together - the bed. Yes, this comes with furniture too. And even then, all I had to do was glue it or just screw it back together.

This was a massive undertaking. From start to completion, it took me about 4 hours. There were times that I required my husbands assistance. Whether because I needed extra hands, or because I didn't have enough strength in my own hands to get something fastened well enough. I was really happy that some of the screws had colored tops. This makes them blend in more with the building. Adds to that realistic look, you know? 

At one point, my husband came up with this idea to hold these pieces together while we grabbed the last piece to slide in place. Every time we tried attaching them, they kept spreading too far apart. Again, not a one person job!

This is where I had the main frame of the house done. So many cute rooms. The elevator was the first thing you build. That was another one of those moments of needing extra hands. 

I think they don't include a photo of the finished product in the instruction manual on purpose. For the sole reason that you would feel overwhelmed. I had finished that main portion above and looked over to see how many pieces were left, thinking that I was almost done! Nope... Maybe only halfway finished. I still had the roof, I had the side addition, and then I had furniture. Some of the furniture requires assembly.

The little garage doors open up. The elevator goes up and down. My husband made a joke about the elevator not reaching the nursery. No stairs, no elevator, no entrance? My thing to him was, why is the nursery in the attic to begin with?! Cute as it is... 

Some helpful hints: I had to look it up online to get photos of a completed one so that I knew how some of the pieces were supposed to work. In the diagram, it didn't look right. I also needed my technical brained husband to interpret some of it. And yes, I even put some pieces on incorrectly and had to re-do them. Like the roofing. Curved edges have to face down and out. And the middle section required me holding it tightly in place while my husband installed as the wood was slightly warping? We had a struggle with that one. You will also need to have a Phillips head screwdriver. They do provide the Allen wrenches. The wood is solid, or of good quality for a toy. 

Some of the furniture included is made of plastic. Most of it was wood. Pre-built and even had some material attached to make it more realistic. 

My mini-me is giving you size comparisons from here on out. She is your average Barbie size. Much of the furniture included is too small these kinds of dolls.

Some work just fine, though. And I think the ones that didn't will be great for smaller dolls. Like Skipper, Miraculous, Chelsea - you get the picture, right? My daughters have lots of those kind of dolls too. So I'm sure they will make it all work.

And I'm quite certain they will have some modifications in mind to make it more personal. Be it in new wallpaper, flooring or even in painting the wood! I know one thing is sure. They are going to love having another house to play with! Their other one has too many tenants currently occupying it.

Yes, my husband has asked me about serving an eviction notice soon. I am putting it through the legal system - aka my head - for further consideration. Though the new thought has been that when the Tiny House becomes vacant again, it might serve as a playroom for all of us.

Pearl Milling Company Pancake Mix Review

I had no idea who the Pearl Miller Company was. Not until my husband told me, they used to be Aunt Jemima. I liked having Aunt Jemima. But after taste-testing the new Pearl Miller Company.... Won't be eating their products again. Okay, maybe I'll be tempted to try them for free through review opportunities. But I can't be tempted to spend my own money on them. Not after receiving the new Protein Buttermilk Complete mix for a review. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free in exchange for reviewing and sharing my opinions on it. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed.*

Okay... where to start on this one? I won't even go into the name change and rebranding. That alone is a hot mess. But this product... Cheese and crackers! 

First off, one pack makes roughly about 9 pancakes. When you are a family of 6, you are looking to get the best bang for your buck. This isn't it. I would need at least 2 packs, if not 3. I have 2 teenage black holes with hollow legs to feed. 9 pancakes won't cover half. I'm not talking making huge pancakes either. I have one of those Star Wars pancake makers that pop out 2 at a time. Those are smaller in size. I had to supplement with the bigger pancake mix box we usually buy to make enough. You get the picture now? Good. Let's move on to the taste and texture now. 

Taste was... no, let's talk texture while I debate the taste imagery in my head for a bit. Texture was gritty. Flat out. And no, it wasn't because I didn't mix it thoroughly. I know my cooking. This was just how these are. I suppose this is the protein part of the recipe? You can almost see it in the pictures. That whole wheat look was actually covering the texture. Then there was the thickness of it. Again, not in a good way. It was so thick, I almost choked on a bite. I had to wash it back with milk and then my appetite was done with these.

Alright... taste... taste... hmm. This one is hard to talk about it. How to describe it? It wasn't like it had a taste when you finally got over the texture.  Though if I remember correctly, my husband equated it to cardboard. You ever have something with that kind of taste? You feel like it would be better serving as packing material than as a food? I even drowned my plate in syrup to no avail. My kids each tried one and then begged to never eat them again. And that was before I'd even had a chance to try one yet! 

Kitchen note! 

Let's say you don't believe me. You even like this kind of thing. Kudos to you! Here is another note to help you in cooking them. The recipe on the packaging was way off in the amount of milk you should add to make it a right consistency on pancake batter. When I followed the recipe given, it was so thick that I almost couldn't get it from the spoon into the pan! So, I started adding a 1/4 cup of milk in between adding the batter into the pan. I think it needed a minimum of 1/2 a cup more just to make it slide off the spoon. And still, the pancakes were too thick to be truly enjoyed. So! Add a 1/2 cup to their recipe. If you want it more thinned out, I suggest adding another 1/4 cup at a time until you have it where you like it normally.  

Final say....

My family won't be touching anything else by the Pearl Miller Company unless it is for reviews like this one. I won't spend what little money we have on a product that ends up in the trash. As most of this one did. I was hard pressed to say anything nice about it, sadly. Which is usually my goal when testing something new. I want to be able to say one nice thing about it. I guess the closest thing I found was that some of the family cleared out their system because of this breakfast!

Celebrating Independence Day With Style and Great Flavors... Or Were They?

Time to fire up the grill and celebrate freedom! In America, we have Independence Day - a day to remember getting our independence from British rule. To celebrate it this year, my family had a cookout with my mother and sister-in-law in attendance. We were given the opportunity to also try some new products (new to us at least) by Beyond Meat. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent the products free of charge in exchange for hosting a party. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are mine or my party goers.*

Beyond Meat is an alternative option for those looking to get away from meat products without losing that meat-like texture or taste. 

Planning for the party!

Before all else, planning has to take place. I wanted to make sure that the food list was made and I knew what I might need ahead of time. Being that the Red, White & Blue theme is usual for such a holiday, I thought a refreshingly cool drink in a vibrant color should be included. So I found this recipe for a Virgin Blue Lagoon Mocktail. I loved the color! Sadly, I couldn't find the blue curacao syrup at a store near me. Next time I'll have to check the liquor store or order online ahead of time.

Beyond Meat provided the burgers and meatless sausages. So we took our free product coupons and went to find them. Locally, I found these at our HEB. They had more of a variety than I expected to see. We were told to serve burgers and sausages at our party, so I grabbed a 4 patty pack that were $7.98 each and a 2 patty pack of burgers that were $3.98, as well as the hot Italian links and the original links for $6.99 each. 

Continuing in the holiday color scheme, we grabbed some skewers and made fruit kabobs with strawberries, blueberries and bananas.

And then my husband really wanted a Peach Dump Cake for dessert. I had no idea there was something so simple, yet so delicious. Especially when we topped the warm cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

How did the meatless options stand up to our test?

My in-laws have meatless meals more often than we do. They have a little more experience in various brands. My husband is a total skeptic about meatless products. The following are reactions from those who tried them.  

For the burgers, there was a unanimous agreement that the texture was like that of the cheap burgers served in American public schools. Flat, with a question of what they found to make them with. The taste was good enough. My husband seasoned them just like he would with beef-made burgers. Not everyone was willing to have seconds on them, but everyone said they were good enough to finish a whole burger. When it came to cooking them on the grill, my husband had a hard time with them sticking to the grill. He said it would have been better to cook them a different way. 

Now we come to the sausages. All I really want to say is, no. But I have to keep going. Never again. Why not? Well, these were definitely not something that we could stomach. No, seriously. Two of my party goers couldn't even swallow their bites. Others were gagging. Words that were used to describe them included, "gritty", "chewy", and "lumpy". We couldn't get over the lumps in them. What on earth made them lumpy? We have no idea. But it was like chewing gristle. Some of my dinner guests had to cover their eyes when others were attempting to chew them as it made them sick to see the reactions of others. That is really saying something! And for the rest of the night, some of us were burping the smell of those sausages. Not a pleasant evening. The original ones had a really strong herb taste and smell. I'm thinking sage?? And the hot Italian ones... well, at first I thought the spice would make it bearable. But it didn't. As much as I tried, I couldn't stomach them. 

Important note: I need to add a note before I post... Stomach problems over night and into the next day were abundant. My guests reported upset stomach, stomach cramping, indigestion, heartburn, and even diarrhea after eating.

Bottom line is, these are made with more fruit and veggies product than I thought possible. The burgers were passable for some of us. The sausages.... well, there were no leftovers because the ones not eaten were tossed in the trash. 

Are the Mrs. Butterworth's EPIC Cinnabon Pancake Kits really EPIC?

Every once in a while, we see a new product on the shelf at the store that we want to try. Just because. It is our throw-caution-to-the-wind moments. Sometimes they work out and we discover something delicious. Other times fail and we never want to touch it again.

Recently, we went to Walmart and saw this pancake kit. Well, we had to try it... I mean, we love Cinnabon! So how could we not?! These products are put out by Mrs. Butterworth's. The pancake mix falls under their EPIC product line. No, not my word, that is the name of the line. They also have the syrup to go with it. 

Was it EPIC?

I was quite surprised, to be honest. I wasn't expecting them to taste so good. One kit made about 9 pancakes worth. And I'm not talking huge ones. I use my little Star Wars pancake maker. So it was a single meal, that I had to make regular pancakes to supplement. After all, I have to feed 2 teenage black holes who's hollow legs are never filled. The mix itself has chunks of cinnamon like a cinnamon roll usually has. Then you have a cinnamon syrup pack that can be swirled into the pancake as you cook it, or poured over the top after it is cooked. I preferred just adding it after cooking. Swirling it in the batter was proving difficult for me. Came out in clumps. Family still loved those pancakes too. Finally, you can pour on the cream cheese icing over the top!

These were really great. My family loved having them as a treat. This kind of thing would have to be just that. A treat. Considering that I have to purchase multiples to make enough to feed my crew, it is more cost effective for us to purchase a regular baking mix that I can make 2-3 dozen pancakes from. 

Taste was very spot on as far as a Cinnabon goes. Even the bottled syrup has a hint of the Cinnabon flavor. My kids were sad that we ran out so soon. However, they used the remaining cinnamon pack and cream cheese icing to add goodness to the regular pancakes afterwards. Makes me think that maybe we should make our own version soon....

Overall, I think this makes a delicious $10 dessert or addition to a breakfast meal for a family of our size. Not one we would do often, but enough to make fun memories with.