Yes, we are big Elf on the Shelf fans at our house. We started the tradition last year and had so much fun. We didn't focus so much on the "you better not be naughty, the elf is watching you" as much as thinking of funny ways to set him up each night. He also isn't really getting into shenanigans as much as just playing around the house. Plus, I couldn't justify letting the elf come into our house to do all kinds of naughty things, but tell my daughter she has to be nice or he'll tattle on her to Santa. Why can't we just have fun with it?
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Friday, November 29, 2013
27 Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
DIY Jingle Sign
I absolutely love decorating for Christmas. My color scheme I decorate with is not your traditional colors. I love using pinks, greens, purples, blues, and silvers. And lots of glitter (surprise, surprise, right?). I just love the way everything sparkles in the soft Christmas tree lights and it all looks so magical!
I needed a little more wall art for my Christmas decor, so I painted over an old sign I made years ago into something I'm just in love with!! The original sign was a dark barn red, and the vinyl on it was horrid. So, I peeled off the old vinyl and gave the board a good sanding.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Hello Kitty Let's Play Clothing & KuKee App
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and KuKee, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #helllokittyletsplay http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO
As I have mentioned in earlier posts and projects, we have a big Hello Kitty fan in our house. So when we saw Macy's Hello Kitty Let's Play clothing line, I knew she would love it. We're going to save them for her birthday, but any of the clothes would make a great holiday gift for any little Hello Kitty fan!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Disney FROZEN Toys & Books
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.
Disney's new movie, FROZEN, is about to hit theaters on November 27th. Being huge Disney fans, we can't wait to see it!! If you haven't heard about the movie, it's about Anna and her sister, Elsa, the Snow Queen. Anna teams up with mountain man, Kristoff to find Elsa and save their kingdom from eternal winter. Along the way, they encounter mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, and magic at every turn.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
40 Fudge Recipes
2. 3 Ingredient Mint Chocolate Fudge from Artsy-Fartsy Mama
3. Snickers Fudge from Somewhere in the Middle
4. Pumpkin Spice Fudge from Hip2Save
5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge from Buns In My Oven
6. No Bake Reese's Fudge from Six Sisters' Stuff
7. Butterfinger Fudge from Crazy for Crust
8. Strawberry Shortcake Fudge from Parent Pretty
9. Peppermint Mocha Fudge from Home Cooking Memories
10. Root Beer Float Fudge from Shugary Sweets
11. Chocolate Cookies n’ Cream Fudge from The Teenage Taste
12. Gingerbread Chocolate Fudge from Pint Sized Baker
13. Buttermilk Fudge from Thibeault's Table
14. Bubblegum Fudge from The Domestic Rebel
15. Cinnabon Fudge from Shugary Sweets
16. Eggnog Fudge from Chocolate, Chocolate and More
17. Brown Sugar Fudge from Farm Flavor
18. Banana Cream Fudge from Inside BruCrew Life
19. Samoa Fudge from Shugary Sweets
20. Pumpkin Chai Fudge from Premeditated Leftovers
21. Strawberry Pecan Fudge from Dear Crissy
22. White Chocolate Reese's Fudge from Lil' Luna
23. Peanut Butter Fudge from Bakerella
24. Cotton Candy Fudge from Hoosier Homemade
25. White Chocolate Cinnamon Fudge from Something Swanky
26. Nutella Caramel Pretzel Fudge from Lemons for Lulu
27. Cookies 'n Cream Fudge from Artsy-Fartsy Mama
28. Gingerbread Oreo Fudge from Chef in Training
29. Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge from Sweet 2 Eat Baking
30. Magic Bar Fudge from Cookies & Cups
31. Marbled Orange Fudge from Taste of Home
32. Layered Mint Fudge from Just a Pinch
33. Toasted Marshmallow Fudge from Morsels & Musings
34. Red Velvet Fudge from I Am Baker
35. Rolo Chocolate Microwave Fudge from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
36. Triple Chocolate Nutella Fudge from Chocolate-Covered Katie
37. Chocolate Covered Cherry Pie Fudge from Sugar Loco
38. Key Lime Pie Fudge from Sugar Cooking
39. Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge from My Recipes
40. Neapolitan Fudge from Inside BruCrew Life
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Thanksgiving Favor Boxes
We are having a small Thanksgiving this year, so I wanted to make some favor boxes for everyone. Sounds simple enough, but with a little help from Silhouette, I think they turned out extraordinary! They also took less than 20 minutes to make, which really helps when there's so much to do around the holidays.
First, I opened Silhouette Studio and arranged two Pillow Box templates on an 8.5x11 inch paper (box measures 3.5" wide when folded) and cut the boxes out of white cardstock on the Cameo. Fold along the perforated lines and glue the edge with a glue stick.
Next, I typed up "Gobble Gobble" and arranged it to cut in one piece by playing with the line and character spacing. I cut the Gobble design on the Cameo out of Gold Premium Adhesive Vinyl.
Attach the Gobble to the pillow box on the left half of the box. Then, wrap some gold glitter tape all the way around the right half of the box. Add some candy or other favors to the box and close the edges (they shouldn't need tape, but you can add some if you want).
Place on your Thanksgiving table and enjoy!
If you're feeling lucky, you can enter to WIN a SILHOUETTE CAMEO!
**THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED**
I received the vinyl that is used in this post from Silhouette America. All opinions are my own.
Monday, November 18, 2013
3 Ingredient Cookie Sundae Pie
This is a sponsored post as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network and the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. As always, all opinions are my own.
Planning a recipe for holiday parties can get overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of parties to go to and not a whole lot of time to dedicate to making something from scratch. One thing I have learned is that the frozen food and refrigerated dairy sections of the grocery store are full of items that can make cooking for the holidays easier than ever (you can pretend you made it all from scratch...your secret is safe with me)!!
With just three ingredients from the frozen and refrigerated section, I put together a wonderful dessert that the whole family loved! I think it might be my new go-to recipe for our holiday parties.
Ingredients:
32 oz chocolate chip cookie dough
1.5 quart vanilla ice cream (though any flavor would be delicious)
8 oz whipped topping
Optional: other ice cream toppings you love on a sundae
Both the ice cream and the whipped topping can be found in the frozen food section, while the cookie dough is in the refrigerated section.
Directions:
- Lightly spray a 10 inch springform pan with nonstick spray and press the cookie dough into the pan. Bake at 325º for 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Once cookie has cooled, let the ice cream soften (but not melt), and scoop it into the pan. Spread evenly over the cookie, then place back in the freezer to harden the ice cream up again.
- Once the ice cream is frozen, top with refrigerated whipped topping. If ice cream is melting, refreeze for about 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan ring and run a sharp knife under hot water. Cut pie into slices, and serve immediately. Top with any of your favorite sundae toppings.
*Tips: freezing the cookie may make it hard to cut. Be patient and it will thaw. You could also make the cookie in a separate springform pan, freeze the ice cream in another, then put together when ready to serve so that the cookie is at room temperature.
For more meal and dessert recipe inspiration, visit www.EasyHomeMeals.com, The Dish Diary Tumblr, and follow Easy Home Meals on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can also learn more about the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association at www.nfraweb.org.
This is a sponsored post as part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network and the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. As always, all opinions are my own.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
30 Thanksgiving Kids Crafts
I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving!! My daughter has been having so much fun learning about the holiday, and most of all crafting for the big day! There are so many creative Thanksgiving kids crafts out there, it was hard narrowing the list down to 30. So round up the kids, and have fun creating some fun Thanksgiving crafts!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Free Printable Thanksgiving Bingo
Playing Bingo at holiday parties has become a fun tradition for our family, and I had a lot of fun putting this Thanksgiving Bingo set together. With the game being mainly images, it's easy for kids of all ages to play. This would be a fun way to pass the time while the family is waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be ready!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Christmas Cheer Sign
This post is sponsored by Plaid Crafts and Martha Stewart Crafts. All opinions are my own.
One of my favorite Christmas movies is "Elf". If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to put it on your list. It have many memorable quotes, one that I really love is "The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear"! It is just perfect for using for holiday decor, don't you think?
I decided to put the quote on a wooden board using Martha Stewart Craft supplies. I also used a new technique that I'm pretty thrilled about. You can get the Martha Stewart Crafts line in-store at Michaels or in Plaid’s online store.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Paper Roll Turkeys
We've been working on getting things ready for Thanksgiving, mostly decorating. My daughter has been watching me make all kinds of projects, and wanted to do one for herself. We had a lot of fun doing this project - so much so that we now have a whole rafter of turkeys taking over! (Yes, we learned a lot making these turkeys... Just FYI: a group of turkeys is called a "rafter" and the red dangly part is a "wattle"!) Fun + education is always a win at our house.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
20+ Pie Recipes
2. Coconut Cream Pie by A Spicy Perspective
3. Mini Cherry Pies by Adventuress Heart
4. Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream Pie by Six Sisters' Stuff
5. Triple-Chocolate Pumpkin Pie by Love & Olive Oil
6. Butterscotch Pecan Pie by Creative Carmella
7. Nutty Caramel Apple Pie by Misc Finds 4 U
8. Eggnog Ice Cream Pie by Let's Dish
9. {Almost} Turtle Cheesecake by Dessert Now, Dinner Later
10. Peanut Butter Pie by Betcha Can't Eat Just One
11. Perfect Pumpkin Pie by A Creative Chelle
12. Double Chocolate Chip Pie by Formula Mom
14. Candy Apple Pie by Mel's Kitchen Cafe
15. Perfectly Peppermint Pie by Life with the Crust Cut Off
16. Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with Vanilla Sauce by This Silly Girl's Life
17. Mini S'mores Pies by Lil' Luna
18. Maple Pumpkin Pie by Recipe Girl
19. Cherry Pie by Gimme Some Oven
20. Blueberry Cream Pie by The Baker Chick
21. Perfect Peach Pie by Natasha's Kitchen
22. The Ultimate Vanilla Lovers Pudding Pie by Frugal Foodie Mama
23. Coconut Flan Pie by A Few Short Cuts
24. White Chocolate Pudding Pie by Break It, Make It, or Bake It
What's your favorite kind of pie??
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Fairy Garden
When this fairy garden kit arrived in the mail to play with, we were so excited! My daughter loves everything fairies right now, and I just knew she would have so much fun with this project. She had a lot of fun helping me put it together, and has even more fun playing with it the past few days.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Gobble Word Set
Now that Halloween is behind us, it's time to take down those cobwebs (both real and fake), and put up some fall and Thanksgiving decorations!! I love all the fall colors, and I'm not quite ready to decorate for Christmas yet.
I have a few Thanksgiving decorations (you can see the whole collection in the tutorials tab), but my mantel looked a little naked after taking down my Halloween decor. "Thanks" to Wood Creations, I now have one spectacular piece of Thanksgiving spirit on display!
I ordered the Gobble Word Set from Wood Creations ($18.99), and it got here quickly and was wrapped up so nice! Everything was cut out for me, and very few of the pieces needed minimal sanding to prepare to be painted. I also received some coordinating scrapbook paper to use on the project.
The part that took me the longest was deciding on what colors each letter needed to be. Paint all the letters with the colors of your choice (I found the perfect colors in my DecoArt paint collection). The turkey is painted all brown except for his legs, which are yellow. He also has a section on the top part of his head where the hat should go, so I painted it black.
I decided on one of the "B"s, the "L", and the feathers to be covered in scrapbook paper, so I also painted them brown to blend in with the paper. Tip: I highly recommend tracing any letters or pieces you will be covering with scrapbook paper before painting. Sometimes you get pencil marks on the letters, so you might as well cover them up with paint!
Next, my favorite part: get out the glitter and Mod Podge!! Place the wood piece over a scrap piece of paper and paint a medium coat of Mod Podge on the area you want to cover with glitter. Carefully pour a bunch of glitter over the wood piece and let sit for a few minutes, then carefully turn the piece over and tap off the excess glitter.
There are a couple of ways you can do this so your letters won't always be getting glitter everywhere. You can paint another coat of Mod Podge over top to seal the glitter, or I've also used a few coats of clear spray paint and it keeps everything in place. Another option is to mix some Mod Podge in a disposable cup, then paint the mix on your wood piece. Let dry completely and you're all set!
The turkey had the most steps of the whole set, and I am absolutely in love with this little guy. I used gold glitter on his beak and legs, the same red glitter as the "G" on his wattle (yes, that's really what it's called!) and some black glitter on his top hat that makes him look so dapper. Once all the pieces were dry, I attached them to the turkey body with some E6000.
Let everything dry completely, then put it up on a mantel to bring in the Thanksgiving holiday!
I'm so excited to announce that one lucky reader is going to win this Gobble Word Set, thanks to Wood Creations!! They have locations in both Utah and Idaho, but they can ship to anywhere!!
The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, November 12th! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Gobble Word Set was provided by Wood Creations for this review. All opinions and images are my own.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
18 Recipe Ideas for Leftover Halloween Candy
I don't know about you, but now that Halloween is over, we are left with a whole lot of candy in the house. Sure, you can hide the candy or (gasp!) throw it away, but why not get a little creative with it? Today I am sharing 18 delicious recipe ideas to put that leftover Halloween candy to good use!
2. Candy Corn Trail Mix by Nancy Creative
3. Ice Cream Milky Way Brownie Pie by Wonky Wonderful
4. Rolo Cookies by Artsy-Fartsy Mama
5. Baby Ruth Fudge by Simply Gloria
6. Reese’s Pieces No Bake Cheesecake by Frugal Fanatic
7. No-Bake Hershey's Chocolate Bar Pie by The Kitchen is My Playground
8. M&M Pretzel Nutella Banana Pops by Bite Delite
9. Snickers Cupcakes by The Domestic Rebel
10. Butterfinger Cookies by Your Cup of Cake
11. Reese’s Fudge by Crazy for Crust
12. 3 Musketeers Fudge Brownies by Cookies & Cups
13. S'more Cookies by Artsy-Fartsy Mama
14. Almond Joy Peanut Butter Cookie Bars by Crazy for Crust
15. Candy Bar Apple Dip by Crumbs and Chaos
16. Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars by Averie Cooks
17. Caramel Marshmallow M&M Brownies by Inside BruCrew Life
18. Snickers Caramel Cheesecake Cookies by Picky Palate
Saturday, November 2, 2013
M&M Pudding Cookies
It's no doubt that I love cookies. I'm always on the lookout for the perfect cookie recipe: soft, with a little crunch, and keeps that chewy texture for more than a day. I had no idea that just adding a little bit of pudding mix will help keep your cookies soft and fluffy, and, well, perfect! Big thanks to Picky Palate for testing out the recipe to make it so wonderful and for sharing her tips & tricks!
The original recipe calls for mini chocolate chips and mini M&Ms. My local grocery stores didn't have the mini M&M bags, but they did have them in the small plastic bottles in the candy bar section. I ended up buying 4 bottles and used them all. Luckily I had enough to try this out.
I also tried a batch with regular M&Ms and regular chocolate chips, and they were just as great. So, don't worry if your store doesn't carry the mini M&Ms! I probably wouldn't add as many chocolate chips if you are using regular M&Ms so you have a good cookie to chocolate ratio. Plus, it's a great way to use up those extra Halloween M&Ms!!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
3 Tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips, or 3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini M&Ms (3-4 bottles), or 3/4 cup regular M&Ms
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add egg and vanilla.
- Add flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix well until combined. Then add chocolate chips and M&Ms.
- Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and bake 10-12 minutes.
Adapted From: Picky Palate
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