Monday, October 2, 2017

Spooky Mantle

We are in full blown Halloween mode over here! I love decorating my fireplace mantel...especially for the fall and winter holidays. 
Here's a look at my mantel decor this year. All products courtesy of Oriental Trading Co.
The lanterns are my favorite! They're really well made I'm going to get a lot of use out of them! 











Here's a list of everything I used:

All products courtesy of Oriental Trading Co. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Crockpot Chili!



Fall is my favorite time of the year. There's so much to look forward to. Cooler weather, pumpkins and football just to name a few.  In the spirit of fall, I thought I would share one of my favorite fall time go to recipes. Crockpot chili! It's super easy to make, and its great for weeknight dinners or having people over to watch the game! 

Ingredients: 
-1.5 lbs of ground meat. (I usually use turkey, but this recipe works well with beef and pork too)
-1/2 of a white onion chopped
-1 16oz can of diced tomatoes with the juice
-1 6oz can of tomato paste
-1 16oz can of kidney beans 
-2 cups of vegetable broth 
-1 Tbls. of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika & chili powder. (If you're wanting this chili really mild then I would only use 1/2 Tbls. of the pepper & chili powder.) 

Directions:
Throw it all in the crockpot, mix and turn on. It's that easy. 
It will be done in 2.5 hrs on high, then switch it to warm to serve. Or you can cook it on low all day. I've done it both ways and it's turned out great either way. 

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Desert Themed 2nd Birthday

I recently teamed up with Oriental Trading Co to create a desert themed spread for my sons 2nd Birthday. 

Here's what you'll need to create a desert themed spread of your own:






















All products c/o Oriental Trading Co,  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Adventures in strawberry picking!




Tanaka Farms recently had a late harvest of Strawberries so we were able to take part in one of their strawberry tours. I highly recommend it! The tour comes with a wagon ride around the farm, lots of free veggie samples, and a container to fill with strawberries you pick! My son was in his element. (3yrs and under are free but do not get a separate box of their own to fill) 



                                 

                                 


                                  

                                 














Friday, February 3, 2017

Alternative Valentines Day gifts for your little ones

Here are some of my favorite go to alternatives to candy for the little ones on Valentine's Day, because hey they're already sweet enough right?! :) 


Friday, January 27, 2017

Get outside and explore!

I've never been a believer in New Year's resolutions.  However as a Mom and business owner I often feel like I'm being pulled in many different directions at one time. Laundry, errands, play dates, making romantic time for my husband, cooking, cleaning, family functions, the blog just to name a few.  And with my husbands crazy work schedule it all seems to go by so fast. So one thing we've discovered as a family that helps us slow down and live in the moment, is simply to get outside and explore. We started last year making it a priority to go somewhere at least once a week, the beach, a park, the mountains (doesn't have to be a big trip) and just take it all in as a family. And so this year we have resolved to do more of the same. Get outside, explore, reconnect, relax and recharge.














Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Be Mine Valentine

I recently hosted a Valentines Day card making party for some of the neighborhood kids. All decorations and craft supplies are courtesy of Oriental Trading Co. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 


How gorgeous is this rose gold love balloon? You can find it here


For the tables centerpiece I used this unfinished wood flower box, and added the gold lettering using a gold sharpie marker.  The flowers are from my neighbors backyard & the mason jars that I used inside the box & on the shelves above you can find here.



Here is where to find the platesnapkins, cups, paper straws, tablecloth & burlap runner.



Personalized cups for everyone. Using these unfinished wood hearts the gold sharpie and a dab of glue.


My son is obsessed with stickers! What 18 month old isn't right?  These felt heart stickers are perfect for Valentine card making. To make the cards I used kraft paper that I cut in half and folded, and then
free handed some of my favorite Valentines Day sayings on the front of the cards using a white bistro chalk marker.








Conversation heart goodie bags for all the kids made with cellophane treat bags, conversation hearts and the same wood hearts and gold markers as above.




Thank you Oriental Trading Co. for all the fun decorations & craft supplies! The kids had a blast!