have a berry wonderful flag day

little miss A and I were busy in the kitchen this morning doing yet another craft/activity out of the July issue of Family Fun magazine! These are so easy and look so cute! I have to say that it takes a lot for me to just let little miss A do her own thing and not have my strawberries look like the ones in the magazine. At least I was able to do these three before I let her do her own.

I would love to do some next time with star sprinkles!

celebrate independence

I saw this cute idea in the Family Fun magazine for July and had to create one of my own. I LOVE this magazine and get so many ideas from it. However, this month’s issue was LOADED with fun things to do. I made a list and me and Little Miss A are going to do them all… hopefully before Little Miss B gets here next week! So I guess you could say that it is wishful thinking :)

This was SO EASY! In the magazine, they just have the garland glued to a Styrofoam circle. I felt it a little too juvenile… maybe it was the photo of the garland. So I tried to find something to fit my tastes and I found what I needed at Hobby Lobby! Most dangerous store ever!

We took a wreath frame, wrapped some fun garland around the frame and hot glued it in place. (it took us two 9’ strands) and glued in a cute Fourth of July pick. This was a great activity for my daughter to do and she felt so proud of her creation.

It cost me about $8.00 to make. But what was fun was actually getting A’s opinion on the garland and the pick and letting her help me. So nice!

a little late but i couldn’t ruin the surprise

i was finally able to give my hubby his valentine’s gift! this means that i can post what my mom, sis-in-law and i did a couple of weeks ago! we think these are the new “roses” for anniversaries and gifts because you get chocolate and “flowers” in one! we had a wonderful time making these and hope they inspire you!

 

on the menu - valentine’s whoopie pies from Family Fun Mag

my mom and i made these this week… it is a good thing that they were for people or we would have made ourselves sick! we got the recipe from Family Fun Magazine.

 

Ingredients

• CAKES
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup softened butter

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• FILLING
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow crème
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Red food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.

3. In a large bowl with a hand mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until evenly blended, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, increase the speed to high, and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute more.

4. Pour half the fl our mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture and continue beating until just blended. Add the remaining fl our mixture and beat again.

5. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place a heaping tablespoon of batter on a prepared cookie sheet. Add more mounds of batter, evenly spacing them, until there are nine on each sheet. Slightly fl atten each mound with a spoon.

6. Bake the cakes one sheet at a time for 10 minutes (they should be moist and spongy). Let them cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Reline the sheets and scoop, shape, and bake the remaining batter.

7. Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat all the fi lling ingredients except the coloring in a medium bowl until evenly blended, about 2 minutes. If you want to give the fi lling a Valentine hue, fold in drops of red food coloring until the desired tint is reached.

8. To make each pie, spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of a cake, then gently press another cake on top.

valentine’s day decor

I am here at my parents’ home for a week or two while my sweet hubby is out of town. My mom and I have been crafting it up this week to prepare her house for Valentine’s Day. She has had some cute ideas and I have loved helping her find/design and make these things. Check them out!

 

 

christmas crafts – easy and way out!

So I love Christmas, but this year has been different for me. I felt that I needed to start my Christmas present shopping/making early (like this summer)… how grateful that I followed that inspiration since I then got sick! Thus, I haven’t been able to do do very many Christmassy things that I normally look forward to. So I am showing one that I think I will (or could) do and ones that I would in another stage of life :)

The first is what I will do with my tens of thousands of stray magazines in my house!

Melanie from My Craft Projects shows how to make these:

I like her idea of spray painting them… I was thinking a light coating of gold would be fun and festive. This I could definitely do whilst sitting on the couch.

Next is from one of my favorite inspirational blogs Sewing in No Mans Land. I just love how chic and classy all Kelly’s ideas are… and her Evie is just to die for!

Anyway, she is doing crafts for the 12 days of Christmas- I so think she is truly inspired in her creative side. No tole painting here :)

Here is her Three French Hen’s idea--- she went with the French

Here is her Four Calling Birds and her Evie!

I will definitely be paying attention to her next days of Christmas!

simple, luxurious christmas gifts

These sugar scrubs are so easy to make and are wonderful! I tried mine out today and it was so nice. I got out of the shower and didn’t have to put moisturizer on my legs and arms because this helped lock in moisture so much! They would be so cute in a set with a CD of your favorite relaxation songs and a small candle. Perfect, easy, much appreciated gift! And cost friendly too! I bet you have most of the supplies already! Plus there are so many ways to change it up- add processed oatmeal, other spices, use raw sugar… they are FAIL PROOF!

White Glimmer Sugar Scrub

Ingredients
1 cup - Pure Cane Sugar
4-6 oz - olive oil
4 drops - essential oil (I love using orange and vanilla)
1 8oz. - glass container with lid
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Using a spatula, transfer mix into the container and secure lid. Contents will settle, mix before using. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten on your skin.

Warm Brown Sugar Scrub

Ingredients
1/2 cup - Dark or Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup - Pure Cane Sugar
¾ cup - olive oil
2 tsp. - cinnamon, powdered
1 8oz. - glass container with lid
4-5 drops - essential oils
In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Be sure to break up any lumps from the brown sugar or from the spices. Spoon into the glass container and secure with lid. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten on your skin. 

my christmas wish list

Usually I have my list done and am stalking people for their list. But this year, I am the one behind. Then things are simple this year. I am noticing that I feel that as long as my family is taken care of, I am happy. (oo… sounding like my mom… but I FINALLY understand what she felt!) Here are some of the things on my list…

Cute headbands and hair clips from Forever 21

- Frilly, feathery, beaded, rhinestoned- the more outrageous you think they are for you, the better for me

Simplified Hymn Book

Cheetos that are just for me (um Prego craving?)

Remote for my camera

Brother Innov-is 40 Sewing machine (around $400 new)

this thing has AMAZING ratings on consumer reports

Jewelry

- Chunky, sparkly, fun, big

Some other things that would be nice- a massage, some really nice makeup to cover my prego acne laden face, my hair to be fixed (another story), laser hair removal, my bedding to be finished, a vacation, energy, and patience.

What is on your list? Maybe you could spark my mind of something that I would love to have-