Style, Recipes, Travel, Crafts & Household Tips
Looking for a cute easy DIY gift for the kids. Check out this DIY Gift of Reindeer Hot Chocolate! This gift requires just a few ingredients and supplies which makes it very easy to make. It so simple to make that kids can easily make them themselves for friends. Just add ingredients and a tag and you are good to go with a simple but oh so cute gift! [Read more…]
Looking for a fun kid-friendly easy drink for Halloween? This Halloween Apple Cider Punch recipe or Cranberry cider is perfect. There are just three ingredients – cranberry juice, sparkling apple cider and grenadine. You can make these up very quickly in individual portions. Having the cranberry apple cider is individual portion is great for kids. You could also use a punch bowl if desired and have cranberry apple cider punch.
We made these drinks in mason jars with black lids with straw holes. I love that you can change the look of the mason jars with different lids, straws and vinyl decorations. (Lots of vinyl info here) The mason jars make this a fun Halloween drink but you could change the colored top and straws and vinyl decorations and this sparkling apple cider punch could be made for many holidays or celebrations.
With kids (or even adults) it is nice to have a lid so there are no spills during your Halloween party or event. In no time at all, you can mix up this punch and have a fancy and fun Halloween beverage.
If you want to make this Halloween drink for adults, you could spike the recipe with your favorite alcohol. Both vodka and rum would pair nicely with this recipe depending on your taste preference.
4 Cups Cranberry Juice
4 cups Sparkling apple cider
4 Tbsp Grenadine
Ice
Looking for more ideas for a Halloween party or for Halloween treats? Check out these easy recipes.
Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats
Looking for the best candied pecans recipe? This easy sugared pecans recipe is a simple and tasty way to make candied nuts.
Cinnamon pecans or sugar coated pecans are a yummy sweet treat, especially around the holidays. I also love candied pecans for salad. It just brings a simple salad up a notch is taste and style. If you are looking for a simple DIY homemade food gift, you could package this sugar coated pecans in a mini mason jar or treat bag and tie with ribbon.
This recipe for candied pecans with brown sugar is so simple to make and requires just a few ingredients. If you are wondering how do you make candied pecans, this recipe shows just how easy it is to make sugared pecans on the stovetop.
You do need to make sure you watch and stir the glazed pecans nuts carefully as you are cooking them in the pan. You don’t want them to burn.
4 cups pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
Add your brown sugar, butter, water, cinnamon and salt to a large sauté pan.
Mix your ingredients over medium-low heat and mix in your pecans.
Cook and toss for 15 minutes.
Pour onto a sheet on parchment paper to cool and enjoy your cinnamon roasted pecans.
I love how this simple recipe is just perfect for the holidays.
Looking for more Holiday recipes?
Easy Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies Recipe
Hot Chocolate Rudolph Reindeer Gifts Recipe
Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats
This no-bake energy bites recipe is super simple to make and makes a great snack for kids and adults. It is made with just a few simple whole ingredients that are great even on the go. These oatmeal energy bites are best though stored in the refrigerator.
Even though they do have chocolate, they are still more healthy energy balls than those with processed ingredients.
You can see the full printable recipe for the chocolate date balls below.
1 cup pitted dates
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup instant oats
2 teaspoons coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Chop up 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and set aside.
Add dates to a food processor and blend until they become smooth paste/dough.
Add in the cocoa powder and coconut milk, pulse until combined.
Dump the date mixture into a large bowl, add the instant oasts and the pinch of salt.
Knead with the back of a spoon until combined.
Roll the mixture into small bite-sized balls.
Then roll each ball in the chopped chocolate chips.
Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Looking for more no-bake treats?
Check out this no-bake pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe.
These chocolate date balls are so easy to make and are a great snack. This double chocolate energy balls recipe is great for adults and kids.
Add dates to a food processor and blend until they become smooth paste/dough.
Add in the cocoa powder and coconut milk, pulse until combined.
Dump the date mixture into a large bowl, add the instant oasts and the pinch of salt.
Knead with the back of a spoon until combined.
Roll the mixture into small bite-sized balls.
Then roll each ball in the chopped chocolate chips.
Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats
These easy no-bake pumpkin cookies made with oatmeal and pumpkin are a perfect fall treat. Makes approximately 1.5 dozen cookies.
Allow to cool completely and ENJOY!!
Looking for a yummy fall treat? Check out this Cinnamon Easy Baked Apple Chips Recipe.
One of favorite fall family activities is to go apple picking. We are lucky to live near some nice orchards. We usually come home with a ton of apples. Since this is more apples than we can easily eat, I am always on the look-out for great apple recipes like this.
One easy way to use up some of those apples is to make baked apple chips. These work great for a snack or to send in with school lunches. The apples are baked so a bit more healthy. We added some cinnamon and sugar though to make them a sweet treat! Your whole family will love them.
Be sure to pin this baked apple chips in the oven recipe to keep on hand.
You need just 3 ingredients to make these dried apple chips in the oven. I love that the recipe is so simple and makes the best apple chips in oven.
4 apples (our favorites are Gala and Honeycrisp)
2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
zip lock bag
If you want healthy apple chips, you could reduce or omit the sugar. I would still add cinnamon for a bit more flavor.
When the final hour is complete, turn off the oven leaving the apple slices inside overnight.
Place apple slices in a single layer on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
When the final hour is complete, turn off the oven leaving the apple slices inside overnight.
Don’t forget to sign up for our emails so you are notified of our next simple and tasty recipe (plus lots of other fun stuff!).
Want more easy and tasty recipes?
Check out these fall recipes.
Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats
Looking for an easy back to school treat? Be sure to check out this Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars Recipe. These PB&J bars are simple to make from scratch with just a few ingredients including, of course, everyone’s favorite….. peanut butter and jelly! We love that these easy peanut butter bars include your favorite jam or jelly. These chewy peanut butter bars are a satisfying after school treat or could be packed for lunch. [Read more…]
I was so excited when my Silhouette Mystery Box arrived on my doorstep. As I have mentioned before, my Silhouette Cameo cutting machine is my favorite crafting gadget and Silhouette America just started offering mystery boxes. Starting in September, you can purchase both small and a large mystery boxes from Silhouette America. This is a great way to try lots of fun products at a discount. The small boxes are $49.99 and they include over $100 worth of products and the larger boxes are $99.99 and they include over $200 worth of products. Use coupon code: BARGAIN to take advantage of these savings.
My small mystery box contained two neat starter kits-the Chalkboard Starter Kit and the Glass Etching Starter Kit. It also contained a Sticker Sampler Pack (which included those scratch off sheets like you can find on the lotto tickets!), Printable Adhesive Kraft Paper, Foil Transfer Sheets, Leatherette Sheets and Glitter Sketch Pens. This was quite the haul of fun products!
I have never tried the Silhouette Leatherette Sheets, so I decided to try out a project. My kids have all sorts of gadgets and cords, so I decided to make my daughter a cute personalized cord keeper, better known as a cord taco to keep her phone charging cord neat and tidy.
To make this project, I used the Silhouette Leatherette sheets, which came in a package of three (Gold, Pearl and Black), some snaps from the craft store, a snap setting pieces and a rubber mallot that I had on hand. I also personalized my cord keeper and used heat transfer vinyl for this, a teflon sheet and my trusty iron.
I made my own file in the Silhouette Studio Software, on my computer. It was a super simple 4 inch circle. I drew two small holes for the peg of the snaps a little less than a half-inch from the top and bottom. Let me give you a great tip so you don’t waste your leatherette sheets! After making my own file, I cut my design using some scrap cardstock to make sure my snap holes were placed in the correct spot and that the size was right. I did have to make an adjustment and I was able to do that without wasting my leatherette sheets.
I used the faux leather paper setting in my Silhouette Studio software to cut my cord keeper and I was amazed how cleanly it cut the leatherette sheets. When choosing a blade to cut the leatherette, one tip is to keep a different blade for each type of media that you cut and your blades will last longer. I used the blade reserved for fabric projects to cut the leatherette sheet. I label them with a white pen for fabric, vinyl, paper, etc. To finish off your simple project, follow the directions to attach the snap that you purchased from the craft store. I used my rubber mallet and small setting tool to attach them to the cord keeper. If you want to personalize your cord keeper, you can cut a name or sentiment from heat transfer vinyl. Keep in mind that the leatherette sheets will melt if you use too much heat. Be sure to use a teflon sheet or parchment paper in between your project and the iron. Press with your iron for a few quick seconds at a time to press your heat transfer vinyl onto your project. The personalization is optional, but a really fun touch! As soon as I finished this cord keeper for my daughter, my two boys requested one as well!
Use Coupon Code: BARGAIN
Looking for an easy healthy salsa recipe? Here is my favorite. It is so so easy to make but tastes incredible. The fresh flavors blend together so well. You can use this salsa as a dip with chips but it is also fantastic on tacos or an other Mexican inspired meal. You are going to love this so much that you will never want to buy store bought salsa again. It really can’t compare. [Read more…]
Looking for an easy patriotic dessert for a Fourth of July or Memorial day party? Check out these cute marshmallow pops that will be a hit at your next event.
I am always on the lookout for easy recipes that look cute and are tasty. These patriotic marshmallow pops are just that. You need just a few ingredients and they can be made quickly. They are super cute and fun though and would be great at any Fourth of July party.
Jumbo marshmallows
Blue candy melts
Red candy melts
White sugar pearls
Decorating bag
Lollipop sticks
The ingredient measurements and printable recipe are at the end of this article.
Gather up your ingredients and two small microwave-safe bowls. These marshmallow pops are so easy that kids can easily help you make them. Younger kids could add the marshmallows to the sticks and even dip the ends in the melted candy melts. Tweens and teens could easily make these whole marshmallow pops themselves.
These holiday marshmallow pops are decorated for Fourth of July. However, you can use the same instructions with different color candy melts for birthday parties, baby showers, Christmas and more. You are only limited by your imagination.
The first step is to stick 3 jumbo marshmallows onto the end of each lollipop stick. Next, in two small microwave-safe bowls, heat 2 cups of each blue and red candy melts on 50% power for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
Scoop your melted red candy melts in a decorating bag and cut a small tip off the end.
Dip the end of your marshmallow pop into the melted blue candy melts, making sure to cover the top marshmallow in the melted blue candy. Be sure to shake any excess candy melts off and place onto a piece of parchment paper.
You will then sprinkle some white candy pearls onto the melted blue candy melts.
Use your decorating bag to drizzle the red melted candy melts in stripes onto the other 2 marshmallows. Once complete, carefully transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.
Enjoy a tasty and easy patriotic dessert!
Looking for more patriotic treat and dessert recipes?
Easy Fourth of July Dessert – Berry Tarts
Red, White and Blue Jello Stars
See the full Marshmallow pop recipe below.
These cute marshmallow pops are perfect for a Fourth of July party.
Here is the wonderful and easy 4th of July dessert recipe.
The fresh berries are perfect for any red, white and blue theme including Memorial Day and Fourth of July. These are so tasty though that they would be great for any get-together or party. This recipe requires just a few simple ingredients but still looks quite fancy. You can whip this up in no time at all and be out having fun in the sun with your friends. This would be easy to bring to a potluck as well. Be sure to scroll down for the full printable recipe. [Read more…]
Are you looking for a simple way to make Father’s Day special for the Dads in your life? Then check out these adorable free Father’s Day printables that make a great homemade Father’s Day Gift. We include both necktie-shaped bottle tags and cupcake toppers. I included four different tags. Some are more elegant and some are more playful and you can choose which ones fit the Dads in your life. These are so easy to make that even the kids could help cut these out or help assemble them making them a great father’s day gift from kids. Plus, you probably already have most of the supplies to complete this project at home! [Read more…]
These teacher appreciation flowers with printable tag make an easy teacher appreciation gift.
Giving a teacher flowers is a simple and lovely gift that can be given during teacher appreciation week or as a year-end teacher gift. This teacher gift requires just a few materials and is easy to assemble with our printable tag.
You can download the printable tag for the flowers for teachers below. Each tag says “Teacher, Thank you for helping me BLOOM this school year!” The download includes 4 tags for the flowers so you can give them to multiple teachers. This is great if you happen to be in charge of teacher appreciation week and need Teacher Appreciation Week gift ideas for many teachers. You couls also use them for each teacher if you have multiple children. It is easier to just buy multiples and make this cute gift for a bunch of teachers.
Bloom Teacher Appreciation Flowers Gift Tag
1. Use scissors to cut along the dotted lines on each printable tag.
2. Use the hole punch to create a hole in the top left corner of the tag. Use the space along the
bottom of the tag (or the back) to write a short note or sign your name.
3. Cut a piece of ribbon and place both ends through the back of the tag creating a loop. Place the
loop over a jar or vase of fresh flowers, and pull the ends through the front of the tag tightly. Tie
a ribbon to complete the attachment.
This is quite an inexpensive teacher appreciation gift idea but still looks beautiful. What teacher would not love having fresh flowers in their classroom or to bring home.
Best Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas
DIY Teacher Cup Gift – with free “tea-rific” teacher printable gift tag
More Teacher Gift ideas here (Even though these are Christmas Gift Ideas, many work for teacher appreciation or year-end teacher gifts)
This Sausage Asparagus Skillet Recipe with Quinoa is so quick and easy to prepare and an easy family favorite meal.
Looking for a healthy and easy meal? Check out this Sausage, Asparagus & Quinoa Meal Recipe. This meal is so simple to make but flavorful and sure to become a family favorite. We all love quinoa in my family and this is a great way to prepare it. My youngest requests it often.
Here are a few in process pictures but be sure to check out the full printable recipe below.
This easy recipe is perfect for busy nights but still healthy and flavorful. You really can’t go wrong. If you are looking for a new way to try quinoa and asparagus, you really can’t go wrong with this recipe.
Don’t forget to sign up for our emails so you are notified of our next simple and tasty recipe (plus lots of other fun stuff!).
Want more easy and tasty recipes? Here are a few of our favorites.
Quick and Easy Red Pepper Chicken Recipe
Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tostada Recipe
Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe
This year Teacher Appreciation week is May 6-12 2018. It is coming up soon so we thought we would share this cute and easy gift idea.
Are you scrambling to find affordable gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week? We have the perfect Teacher Appreciation Gift for you! I just love these double-walled cups and I made this one into an iced tea themed gift for around $5! I use these cups all summer long when I’m on the go and they wash up so nicely. You can fill them with water or any other beverage and I like that they are double-walled and don’t sweat. This one fits perfectly in the cup holder of my car too. This iced tea gift for teachers would make a great year-end gift too or if you have aids or other teaching staff to recognize these won’t break the bank. When I use this for a year end gift, I usually drop a Target gift card in the cup as well. This ships free if you spend $25 or have a Target Red Card. [Read more…]
Looking for cute and easy Easter Cupcakes? Try these super cute Carrot Garden Easter Cupcakes. The orange Mike & Ikes with edible Easter grass decorate the cupcake and look like a garden the Easter bunny would love! Kids and adults alike will enjoy eating these cute and tasty Easter cupcake decorations. Plus they are not too hard to make. Cute and easy…the perfect combination. [Read more…]
My entire family loves Easter and we always seem to acquire so many plastic Easter eggs after the holiday has come and gone. I always try to think of fun and creative ways to upcycle these boring plastic Easter eggs and this year I decided to do Chalkboard Easter Eggs. These are so easy to make and you and your kids can have so much fun decorating them with designs and cute, short sayings or designs! [Read more…]
Easy mint bath salts recipe with free printable. Makes a cute favor or gift.
With St. Patricks day coming up around the corner it’s such a great time to whip up some homemade gifts to give out to your loved ones. I made these Homemade DIY Mint Bath Salts as a present to myself and they turned out so cute I made a few more batches! I just love how relaxing scented bath salts can be. [Read more…]
Looking for an easy Easter treat? Then you will want to be sure to this Jelly Bean bark recipe. It has just two ingredients! Seriously, is so easy anyone could do it. So cute and so easy and just perfect for an Easter celebration. You could bag this up and give as homemade gifts as well. [Read more…]
I just love making these spa sock cupcakes and who doesn’t like warm fuzzy socks? I wrapped this sock cupcake for my daughter’s teacher for Valentine’s Day, but you can make these for any holiday or occasion. These cute treats make great, inexpensive gifts for your kids’ teachers, for friends, bridal or baby showers, or even inexpensive party favors for your tween or teen’s birthday party. They are quick and easy to put together and I just love how they look wrapped in cellophane and tied with a pretty ribbon. If you are using these as favors, these would also look adorable if they were set up on a tiered cake plate or on a cupcake tree. [Read more…]
This Valentine Day Sugar Cookie Recipe is so easy to make but turns out so stinking cute. Conversation hearts are quintessential Valentine’s day to me and I love how each sugar cookie bear has their own conversation heart. Other than the basics for the sugar cookie recipe all you need extra is the bear cookie cutter and the conversation hearts. Kids would love to help make these in the kitchen. Be sure to scroll down for the printable recipe.
1 ¼ Cup Flour
¾ Cup Sugar
½ Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
½ teas. Baking Powder
½ teas. Salt
½ teas. Vanilla
Conversation Candy Hearts
First Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Then in a medium size bowl, beat butter and sugar with mixer then add egg and vanilla. Mix until fluffy.
Next stir flour, baking powder, and salt together. Once mixed, add to wet mixture.Mix until dry ingredients are incorporated.
Take dough and roll into a ball and place on floured parchment paper. Take rolling pin and roll out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. If it’s sticking to rolling pin, add a little flour to top of dough
Cut out bears using the cookie cutter and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Place a conversation heart in the middle of the bear and bend its arms up to the heart. Then take a toothpick to poke the eyes and nose. Then place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges become golden brown.
Be sure to store cookies in an airtight container for maximum freshness. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Be sure to check out more Valentine’s Day ideas.
Star Wars Printable Valentines
Pony Bag Toppers for Valentine’s Day
No Candy Crafty Valentine Ideas For Kids
We loved the new Star Wars movie and were inspired to make some printable star wars valentine cards that will be a HUGE hit with both boys and girls. These are so simple to print at home and have your child give them to their classmates. The Valentine’s include Rey, BB8, Finn and Chewbacca. [Read more…]
One thing I am focusing one this year is memory keeping. My girls are growing up so fast and I am sad that I don’t have items like this Valentine Quiz for Kids from when they were young. I am going to make them complete the quiz this year but wish I would have started when they were little.
If you are a room mom or teacher this would be a great activity for a classroom Valentine’s Day party. I am sure most parents would love to receive this.
Looking for an easy mocktail recipe for Valentine’s Day? This is so simple but is perfect for kids and adults and can make for a special Valentine’s meal or party. I love these cute Valentine straws that make any drink special. They come in a large pack but they don’t cost much more than a smaller pack and you can make any event just a bit more special with a fun straw. [Read more…]
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you will love our cute free EOS Valentine printable cards, made to hold those cool EOS lip balms. My tween loves to collect different EOS lip balms and these make fun Valentine’s Day treats for kids, tweens, teens or adults. These are so simple to make and we have created two different printable cards. One is Valentine’s Day themed and the other EOS Lip Balm card, you can use to give these fun lip balms as small gifts, all year long.
You can buy EOS lip balms just about everywhere. They sell them at Target, Walmart and at most drug stores for around $3-4. I have also found them on Amazon. I sometimes buy them with coupons at Ulta stores too. CVS and Walgreens carries the Beauty 360 brand, made by Revo, which is a similar size to the EOS lip balm brand. You can also buy the Revo brand at the Dollar Tree, under the name Chap Ice for just a dollar! It is about half the size, but at a better price. I have included smaller printable cards to fit the smaller Dollar Tree Chap Ice/Revo lip balms. If you are going to make 6, these packs are a great deal.
Looking for an easy healthy Christmas treat recipe? Grinch Kebobs are perfect. These work well for Christmas dinner appetizers or for class parties. This simple recipe is great for getting something healthy that kids will also love. These are so cute and you know kids will love them! [Read more…]
These adorable Rudolph Cookies are adorable, festive and so easy to make.
These Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies make a fun treat for kids (and adults) plus they are so easy to make that the kids can help. This recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and you may have most of them on hand already! See the full printable recipe below.
I love that these are peanut butter easy reindeer cookies. Many Christmas cookies are sugar cookies so these have a whole different taste profile.
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/3 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
48 Red M&M’s
96 mini Chocolate Chips
Mini Twist Pretzels
Cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
Slowly add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating until incorporated. Roll into 1/2-3/4″ balls and place on cookie sheet several inches apart. Sprinkle with sugar and gently make an indentation slightly off the center of each cookie. Bake 12-14 minutes.
After you bake the Christmas Reindeer cookies, it is time to decorate! This is my favorite part.
Don’t forget to sign up for our emails below so you are notified of our next simple and tasty recipe (plus lots of other fun stuff!).
Want more easy and tasty recipes for Christmas?
Reindeer Hot Chocolate – Easy DIY Gift
Need Gift ideas? So so many unique gift ideas for everyone on your list.
If you have an electronic cutting machine like a Silhouette, Cricut or Eclips machine, you will love crafting with printed or pattern vinyl sheets. Pattern vinyl looks great on projects alone or mixed and layered with a solid color vinyl for a fun look. I love to adding printed vinyl to my cups, keychains, shirts and it adds another dimension to my project. You can find pattern in vinyl in fun prints like polka dots, stripes, florals, camos, anchors, plaids and more. We made a few fun projects with pattern vinyl and included some resources to help you find pattern vinyl and other vinyl graphics supplies, plus some tips and tricks on how to use it.
To save these resources and tips for later, hover over the photo above and press the “P” button to pin it to your Pinterest Boards.
A friend gave me this sugar cookie and icing recipe a few years back when I mentioned that I was having a group of kids over for a cookie decorating party. I wanted cookies that would taste great, hold their shape, be firm enough to decorate, yet still soft enough to eat. I have been using this recipe for several years and it is my favorite. I have hosted cookie decorating parties at Christmastime for the last 5 years and I have been asked for this recipe over and over and so I thought I would share it here. I also am including a few tips below if you are having a cookie decorating party for kids or if you are decorating at home with kids. [Read more…]
