Love Is In The Air

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, so we have been working on class Valentine cards and teacher Valentine cards and I thought that I would share.

Elise is giving her Preschool and Church friends these Super Hero themed cards and bracelets. The cards are a free printable from It's Always Autumn and the bracelets were only $6 for 24 (with free shipping if you are a Prime member!) from Amazon.

And because Elise is a fuzzy sock fanatic, she is giving fuzzy sock slippers and chocolates to her Preschool and Church teachers. We paired them up with a free printable from Made To Be A Momma.

Inexpensive and easy for the win!

P.S. Elise's teacher sent home a note that they are making a Valentine's holder at school for all of their cards. Anybody else remember making those? I loved them!

Elise's Big Girl Room: The Vision

So, I have a confession...my 3 year old still sleeps in a crib...partly because it took me a lot of Craigslist scouring to find the antique bed that I wanted and partly (OK, mostly) because she is going to be my only baby and I want to keep her that way...#truth

Here is the plan for her big girl room:

• The antique spindle bed ($65 Craigslist score!) will be painted a nice white.
• The mid century modern night stand and chest of drawers that we have will get a gold dipped/white paint treatment (white upper, gold lower, similar to the pink chest pictured).
• The now beige walls are going Aqua Chiffon.
• The fluffy pink rug that we have will stay and be an anchor for the pink and aqua pillows that I will make. I am using vintage white matelassé bedding so that the pillows and wall/rug colors will really pop.
• A DIY tassel garland will add some fun to the end of the bed.
• We will add touches of pink, aqua, and gold with accessories and artwork.

I know that it will be beautiful and that my girl is so excited for blue walls ("blue is my favorite," she reminds on a daily basis), but I sure am going to miss the mornings when she yells out, "I need someone to get me out!"

Don't even get me started on the tears that will come when we actually sell the crib and changing table...

Long Weekend Love

We played in a snow shower,

made Cinnamon Sugar Snowflakes,

ate crazy Noodle Hot Dogs,

 



bowled with friends, and had a Tea Party marathon with Minnie.

No luck getting Scarlett to drink tea, though....

I love long weekends!

Great Gifts from the Target Dollar Spot

My love for Target is well documented and the Dollar Spot there sure did come through this year for cute, affordable Christmas gifts!

These cute car books (only $1) will go to the boys in Elise's Sunday School class.

And this spray chalk, which can be used on sidewalks or on snow (again only $1 each), is what she is giving to her preschool classmates.

These super cute mini Pillow Pets Dream Lites were on clearance ($1.48 each) and will make the girls in her Sunday School class super happy!

I snagged one of these Stackable Crayons to go in Elise's stocking, but you could pair it with a coloring book (they have those in the Dollar Spot, too!) for an inexpensive gift for a little one.

P.S. Target paid me nothing for this little gem of a love-fest, but if they want to, I am totally open and will take payment in Target gift cards!

Pumpkin Plans

I have had so much fun planning Elise's 3rd birthday party. We are having a pumpkin painting party and hayride. There will be girly doilies (even the piñata!), Elise's own pumpkin patch to share with her friends, and glitzy gold details (my girl loves sparkles!). I can't wait!

Elise's Summer Bucket List - 2015

 

 Learn to play a board game / Outdoor Tea Party / Potty Train / Colors & Shapes Sidewalk Chalk Game / Take a boat ride / Marble Painting / Make freezer jam / Vacation Bible School / Paintbag Writing / Make a bracelet with Mommy / Visit grandparents / Make Watermelon Pie / Miniature Golf / Pool Noodle Pom Pom Shooter / Go to a concert / Make homemade ice cream / Tie dye a shirt / Visit Gatlinburg, TN / Summer Reading Program at the library / Water park / Tiny Bubbles prints / Playdates with friends / Make homemade sidewalk chalk / Pool Noodle Marble Run / Make a movie necklace and see an outdoor movie / Camp out / Elsa's Frozen Hands / Make Gummy Bear popsicles / Make homemade pizza / Catch fireflies / Make Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs / Swim Lessons / Learn to spell "Elise"

 

Valentine, I'm Stuck On You

Elise loves stickers and M&M's, so we put together these little treats for her preschool and church friends for Valentine's Day.

I used cellophane bags from the candy making aisle and PicMonkey to make the bag toppers. Then we just picked some fun stickers from the party and stationary section at WalMart - you can get little booklets with several pages in them for only 97 cents.  We chose some Mickey Mouse, Sofia the First (for the girls), Cars (for the boys), Bubble Guppies, and some Valentine hearts. Each completed Valentine was just under 50 cents, so the price was right, too!

I love doing these crafty things for her friends and can't wait until she can be a bit more involved, though she does enjoy picking stickers and the actual giving. I saw so many kids on friends' Facebook and Instagram feeds making card boxes and I can't wait for that! Did you ever make those in school and set them on your desk for people to put Valentine cards in?

Easy Peasy Yogurt Bark

Elise is a bit of a grazer and is always wanting a snack, so I need healthy options for her. This is not so much a recipe as it is a method that you can customize as you like.

Easy Peasy Yogurt Bark

1 container of Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
toppings of your choice (we used chocolate chips, craisins and granola)

Combine yogurt and honey.

Spread on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with toppings.

Freeze.

Break into bite sized pieces.

Store in freezer.

Elise's Countdown to Christmas

While we don't "do" Santa or Elf on the Shelf, we still do plenty of things to make the Christmas season magical for Elise. This year, I made a Christmas Countdown calendar full of little treats and fun activities that we can do each day (its just some simple little numbered cups hot glued to a wrapped piece of foam board). She loves opening one each day and waiting for us to read what her fun is for that day.

Here is what we have included on our list:

1. Sweet treat (Christmas candy bracelet)
2. Give money to the Salvation Army bell ringer
3. Go find a Minnie Mouse surprise in your room (Ornament)
4. Watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and have cocoa with marshmallows
5. Make a cereal garland and decorate an outside tree for the birds
6. Go see a Christmas parade
7. Go see the Christmas lights at Tanglewood
8. Wear a new Christmas necklace to a party
9. Buy a toy for a child in need
10. Sing Christmas carols at the nursing homes
11. Sweet treat (Christmas Jelly Beans)
12. Wear Pajamas to school and visit with Santa
13. Decorate the windows with Christmas clings
14. Hear Mimi sing in Handel's "Messiah"
15. Make gifts for church and preschool friends (Play-doh Tree Kits)
16. Take a Christmas fun bath (Red balloons and green glow sticks)
17. Sweet treat (M&M's)
18. Make wrapping paper with paint and cookie cutters
19. Treat (Fuzzy Christmas socks)
20. Play with your new Cheerios Christmas Play Book
21. Go see a Christmas play
22. Celebrate Christmas with MaMaw and PaPaw
23. Decorate a sugar cookie house
24. Open your Christmas Eve box (Christmas pajamas and a Christmas book)
25. It's Christmas!

Avalanche!

We had a church bake sale this past weekend and I was determined to go all no bake, since I am right in the middle of planning for Elise's birthday party this weekend.

I made this Sugar Cookie Chex Mix and these Avalanche Bars. I love peanut butter and white chocolate and these were so good, like a crispier rice krispy treat, since you don't actually melt the marshmallows.

Give them a try! What's on your fall "To Bake" (or no bake!) list?

Quality Kitchen Time

I am in serious need of some therapeutic kitchen time! Here is what is on my cooking/baking wish list right now:

Caramelized Baked Chicken Wings

Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad

Cheesecake Nutella Twists

Apple Pie Bubble Up

What's on your "To Cook/Bake" list?

Not Just For Cupcakes...

I had the privilege of helping my Sunday School class host a wedding reception for a class member this past weekend. The bride was super flexible and told us her color was lavender and to do whatever we wanted. She painted mason jars in 2 shades of purple to use as centerpieces for the guest tables, and that was our starting point. I love centerpieces, so I signed up to tackle that. I used her jars with bunches of baby's breath and lavender stock, flanked by smaller jars with purple glass gems and floating tealights, for the guest tables.

 

I wanted to continue with the mason jars theme for the main food table centerpiece. I used a cupcake stand that I already had (it holds 23 cupcakes), some small votive holders, and $20 worth of flowers from Trader Joe's to create it. I placed the jars, they were the smallest size of mason jar, 4oz, I believe, in the stand on the bottom tier. Then I alternated those same jars with votive holders for the next tier, since those holders are a bit closer together, and votive holders on the top 2 tiers. I added water and then just randomly placed flowers until I had something I was pleased with.  I have no idea why I have never thought to use the cupcake stand this way!

 

 

Congratulations to the happy couple!



You Have To Make This!

I have to apologize in advance to Jill because she is working like a beast to get birthday bikini ready (and she will absolutely make her goal!)...so Jill, I still love you the most, but stop reading...everybody else? Go make It's Always Autumn's S'mores Pizza now! It is that ding dang good. We savored it along with perfect weather, dinner on the grill, berry picking, great friends, and fireworks on the 4th.

And because I know you need something to get you over this hump day, here are a few pics of my little firecracker on the 4th!

While She Naps...

I'm working on sewing summer clothes for her, planning her 2nd birthday party (read losing brain cells to Pinterest), turning this Mexico souvenir T-shirt into a romper for a sweet baby boy, painting beads for a geometric necklace, creating faux Scrabble art, and catching up (read printing and sorting through 6 months worth of photos, mementos, and journal notes) on my Project Life scrapbook for 2014.

Do you have any extra down time in the summer? How do you spend it?

Elise's Summer Bucket List - 2014

 

Lemonade & Sunshine

Just in case you still need a little something for your child's teacher, here's a quick one. Get a pretty glass of your choice, add some lemonade mix, and a cute tag (free printable here) and you are done! Elise delivered these to her Pre-School teachers on her last day in the Infant room yesterday...on to the Toddler class in the fall.

On a side note, just like on the first day of Pre-School, we documented the last day with a photo...she can slow down any time now...

Easter Menu - Help!

As I mentioned last week, I'm planning our first Easter dinner at home this year. I'm working to narrow down a menu. So far, I know we will be having ham (I've never cooked a big old chunk of meat - any tips?) I'm definitely thinking boneless, spiral sliced with a yummy glaze. Do you have any brand of ham that you swear by? Is it wrong that I'm more excited about using the leftover ham in my favorite Funeral Rolls the next day than I am about having the actual ham on Easter?

And you can't have ham without having macaroni and cheese...well, you can, but why would you want to? This is my favorite go to recipe for macaroni and cheese, and I think that I will be able to put it all together ahead of time and bake just before serving, which will help.

I'll also add green beans and maybe this Strawberry Fluff Salad, since I think Elise will like it. I may sub cheesecake flavored pudding for a richer flavor. Do you have any other fruit or fluff salad that you usually serve for holiday meals?

Of course some bread, since that is the way to the Rev's heart...the man loves a crescent roll...and his little girl LOVES helping roll them up. Bread is usually her dinner duty, she is an expert biscuit placer!

And of course, we will need dessert, and I'm coming up blank....WOW ME! I need yummy, but with little fuss, what have you got? And what are you eating for Easter?