Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween Treat {last minute}

Need a last minute, quick and easy Halloween treat? Here you go, Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Cups!


 I had these at a Halloween party this weekend and decided to make my own for tonight. 

Here's what you'll need:

- 1 box peanut butter cookie mix {or you can make your own if you're feeling up to it}
- 24 mini Reeses peanut butter cups
- mini muffin tin
- mini muffin liners {optional}
- candy corn

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375
- Prepare cookies according to package
- Line cupcake tin with liners
- Take approx. 1T peanut butter cookie mix and roll into a ball. Press down in middle {to make a sort of cup} and put into liner. Continue with rest of cookie dough {my package made exactly 24}.
- Insert one mini Reeses into in each cookie {into the cup like opening you created}.
- Bake 6-7 minutes until cookies are done.
- Before allowing to completely cool, top each with one candy corn. 




Enjoy!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Pumpkin Patch

The holidays are much more fun now that there is a little one around {not like she is going to remember but it's still fun}. We went to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago and again this past weekend. She loved it!

Sleeping on the way there:





Already rolling her eyes at her mother:





The beginning of the melt down {too many pumpkins!!}.





Happy Halloween Weekend!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Pinterest Projects

I actually went back and looked at my "Projects to do" pinboard the other day and there are so many cute projects that I want to do. 

Knock-off Z-Gallerie Subway Art




Hypertufa Pots

Pinned Image




Ruler Growth Chart

Pinned Image


And one that I actually completed. Here's my inspiration:

Pinned Image


And my completed project. The before:


Definitely could have been in my great-grandma's house. I purchased it at a local antique store for about $10. 

And after I did my paint-by-number:


A little brighter than the original. 





Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Holiday Style Quiz

Today is October 26th, the little one is officially 10 months, and Christmas is less than two months away! I was browsing the Nate Berkus website and found this funny holiday decorating quiz. Are you a traditional holiday decorator? Nostalgic? Over the top?


1. When wrapping your holiday presents, what do you use to wrap them?

A. Glittery paper with multiple bows and multi-colored ribbon

B. Plain brown paper with a holiday bow and a hanging dreidel

C. Scraps of old paper and old bows you’ve saved

2. It’s time to put our cookies for Santa…what do you put on his plate?

A. A Festive Santa Cookie (with all the trimmings!)

B. Black and White Cookies 

C. Homemade Chocolate Chip cookies


3. When shopping for holiday gifts, what’s your shopping style?

A. You’re first in line at the stores at 5AM on Black Friday 

B. You order stuff online and also make many trips to the mall 

C. You shop throughout the year


4. It’s holiday party time! What are you wearing?

A. Holiday sweater and pants, Santa hat and ornament earrings 

B. Basic black skirt with a bright sequined top 

C. A festive holiday plaid skirt with hostess apron


5. It’s time for some holiday romance…what’s your style?

A. Rent a champagne fountain and spell “I love you” in Christmas lights

B. Give your partner a nice back rub and then pick a fight

C. Wait for a moment under the mistletoe and make your move



IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY "As"You are an OVER-THE-TOP DESIGN personality.

Your motto for holiday decorating? MORE is more! From more trees and lights to statues and ornaments, you deck the halls (and any free space available) with holiday decorations.

IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY "Bs"You are a HOLIDAY SPLIT personality.

You like to mix it up during the holidays - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, old stuff and new stuff - you mix it all together and hope it looks good!

IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY "Cs"You are a NOSTALGIC/TRADITIONAL personality.

You love your grandma's ornaments and keeping up with holiday traditions you've known since you were a kid.

I won't pull out any holiday decor until the first week of December but it did get me a little more in the holiday spirit. And as for me, apparently I'm a HOLIDAY SPLIT personality. Go figure. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Halloween Treats

Look at these cute Halloween treats! Hopefully I'll have time to make some of them to take to a couple of the parties we have this weekend. I still need to put together the finishing touches to our costumes, how is it already the 24th!!!

{Click on image for source and recipe}


Sweet Monster Cupcakes














Monday, October 24, 2011

Play Rooms

I vividly remember my playroom from when I was little. My sisters and I spent countless hours playing barbies, "house", "school", dolls, etc...I remember the shelves along one wall with all our toys. 

I was looking online at party-kitchens for the little one for Christmas and came across playrooms I would have died for. I mean I loved our playroom but these are quite a step up from what I grew up with!









Friday, October 21, 2011

Favorite Things- All over the place

There have been a few things lately that I've fallen in LOVE with, no rhyme or reason I just think they are fabulous. Here's a few of them:

Chevron Bitty Bags
Bitty Bags from Whisker Graphics. I'm using them for the big ONE year birthday {they are looking so cute I can't wait to share}. They are also the perfect size for a gift card. You could wrap them so cute. I was totally inspired by this picture:



They have a bunch of other cute stuff. See what they have here. 


Look how cute these headbands are:

DSC_1188_2

They happen to be made by my much more creative best friend, Brittany. I want to go buy felt today and make some. Although we seem to be in a "no bow" phase right now. You can see the tutorial here.

I'm a big fan of Italian, and Mario Batali just opened up this restaurant in our area:



Look at the fabulous menu here. My family are kind of pizza snobs {my dad has his own starter that is over 10 years old} and this pizza is definitely up to par. 


Grandma watched the little one one night this past weekend and the husband and I did a spontaneous date night here:




If you were curious, even if you show up at 7:30 at night you still pay the $80. 




How's that for some random favorites! Happy Weekend!



Thursday, October 20, 2011

My 1st attempt at chalk paint

I have been wanting to paint a side table in my family room for a VERY long time. It had a nice lacquer finish that was saying "sand me". And it was the sanding that was keeping me from wanting to paint. And then yesterday, while reading my friend Brittany's blog, I was informed of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint {apparently ASCP for the hip folk}. So I googled and searched and soon knew this was going to be my paint solution. 

I searched some more and on her website there was a list of stockists and one happen to be not too far from my house. So the little one and I drove down and bought what we needed. It also helped that the lady in the shop had used the paint numerous times and had examples of many of the colors in her shop. She gave me pointers on how to do it and I left feeling confident. You can visit Truly Tattered's blog here


The goods:

1) Clear Soft Wax
2) Chalk Paint in Paris Grey
3) Dark Soft Wax
4) Two brushes

**Note this paint is not cheap, it was $130 when I walked out the door. But from what I've read it is worth it and after completing the project I would definitely agree. 



The before:



The After:

Yes there is a baby gate in the background and a baby book on the table. Welcome to my life. 


A few things to note:

1) You use very little paint. I did two coats of the Paris Grey and I used about a 1/2 inch of paint in the can. 

2) You have to work quickly with the wax. I would paint some on a small area with a brush and wipe it right after with an old t-shirt rag. 

3) I was initially afraid of the Dark Wax, and after using it on a spot I knew wouldn't get too much attention I gained confidence and learned it was actually quite easy to use. 

4) There are endless options of what your finished project could look like. No dark wax, lots of dark wax, mixing colors, etc... the options are endless. 

5) It dries very quickly. I only had nap time to complete this project and I can say from start to finish it took me approx. 2 hours. 

6) They were right, no sanding or priming necessary. Which to me made it worth every penny!

Now to that book case I need to paint....



I've linked this to Miss Mustard Seeds Furniture Friday. See her blog here:


Miss Mustard Seed's Creative Blog

And others great furniture posts here:


Furniture Feature Fridays

How often do you clean?

My mom watches my little one every Tuesday for a couple of hours so I can run errands, go to the dentist, etc.... When I came home a couple of weeks ago she was cleaning my coffee maker, running vinegar through it over and over. And it was clean when she was done and the coffee tastes a lot better. But I soon realized that was only the 2nd time in 3 years {!!} that I had cleaned my coffee maker. 

So I googled "how often should you clean your coffee maker", apparently at least once a month! So I searched some more, and here's what I've found. 

Coffee Maker- At least once a month

Sheets- Every two weeks {there are a LOT of differing opinions}

Microwave- weekly

Toilets- weekly

Countertops- Daily

Windows- monthly

TV- weekly

Shower- weekly

Dust- weekly

Appliances- monthly

Ceiling fans- monthly


Now I LOVE and clean house and really can't function without one so I'm pretty good with most of the timelines above {husband definitely considers it OCD}. But with "Hurricane Morgan" stopping by every afternoon some things get put on the back burner now that I have a child. 





Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Tiny Prints and Costco

Did you know that Costco members get 20% off their orders at Tiny Prints? I wish I knew this a couple of years ago! Just go to Costco's photo website and scroll all the way down to the bottom. Or you can just click here

They have so many cute invites, note cards and thank you's! I know I still have a little more than 2 months before the little one turns the big ONE, but I feel like I need to start planning now before the holidays come. 

Look how cute these note cards are:

Thank You Cards Rainbow Blossoms - Front : White

and these Christmas Cards:

Flat Holiday Photo Cards Joyful Highlights - Front : White

Christmas Cards Love & Cheer - Front : Siren

Christmas Cards Bright Patterns - Front : Goldenrod

or these birthday invitations:

Birthday Party Invitations Colorful Confetti - Front : White

Birthday Party Invitations It's My Birthday - Front : White

Birthday Party Invitations Single Candle - Front : Watermelon

all images via tinyprints

Members also get 20% off at Wedding Paper Divas for any of you planning a wedding. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A Real OC Housewife

I made a late night run to our local CVS pharmacy to grab a digital ear thermometer as I have quickly found that a 9 month old is not okay with you sticking something under her arm, let alone somewhere else! And who did I run into, but Gretchen and Slade from Bravo's Real OC Housewives. 



But then it got me thinking, how is she a housewife??? Not married and no kids. Just a thought. 

In case you were curious here is the Webster's official definition of a housewife:

: a married woman in charge of a household

 Oh, and just so you know the ear thermometer from CVS didn't work either so I had to go back and return that one and just ended up ordering one through Amazon instead. Oh the joys of motherhood. 

Monday, October 17, 2011

I tried it...

If you are on Pinterest, I'm sure you have seen this:

Pinned Image

That's it. A box of yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin. My sister made them and said they were delicious. I was a bit skeptical but decided to give them a try. I also added ingredient no. 3, pumpkin pie spice. I wanted a bit more pumpkin flavor. And to be completely honest, they were a bit dense and the dough was really thick. Next time I think I'm going to stick with the eggs and oil. They'd be even better with some thick cream cheese frosting and if I'm going to splurge with the frosting why not go ahead and add the eggs and oil!

Friday, October 14, 2011

25 Ways to Tie a Scarf

I don't think I appreciated the scarf until a few years ago. Here in Southern California they are actually quite practical. It can be too hot for a coat but add a scarf and you are perfectly warm. I now have quite a few and with it being fall have just pulled them back out.  I saw this video here and thought it was too good not to share. I've emailed it to many friends and family and they all loved it. 



If you wait until the video is finished playing you can actually go back and click on the individual scarf and she will give slower step-by-step instructions. I'm currently a fan of the waterfall but can't wait to try some more out!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fall Decor

I know I have said earlier I am not a huge fan of Halloween but I like to have some fall decor around the house this time of year. Plus, if I add "fall" decor I can keep it up until Thanksgiving. Here are a few touches around the house:


Paper mache candy corns {got them as a gift almost 8 years ago, no idea where they are from but I still like them}.


Added a few gourds to a basket on my console table {$1 each at WalMart, last year}.


Pumpkin candles from Pottery Barn {got them on sale for $10?? a few years ago}. They have similar one's on sale here


And a few mini pumpkins put in a bowl on the coffee table {picked up at local grocery store for $0.50/each}.

It's hard to do, but always buy holiday decorations on sale after the holidays are over. Come December, no one wants a pumpkin candle anymore. 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Our outdoor furniture solution

We have been blessed with a very large outside covered patio that we love. We love to entertain and it is a great place to have people gather. When we first moved a couple months ago we were on the hunt for some new patio furniture. We wanted a big table in order for a bunch of friends to sit and eat together. We searched high and low and anything that we really liked was really expensive. We finally found a great option, picnic tables. They were inexpensive, a little rustic and included seating {because chairs sure do add up!}.

They started as unfinished picnic tables. We picked them up from Lowes for $89/each. 
Zoomed: Garden Treasures Rectangular Southern Yellow Pine Picnic Table

We wanted a durable finish and decided to use a wood stain. It soaked into the wood and dried nicely. It took two coats to get enough coverage. We used Olympic Maximum wood stain in Wedgewood. 




And here's the finished product at my husband's birthday:






Monday, October 10, 2011

Accent Pillows

I purchased some new grey couches that I am absolutely in love with. I'm still technically waiting on the actual loveseat I ordered {long story, but I received a slipcovered loveseat vs an upholstered}. I should be getting it in November. I found a bright floral pillow that I really liked and it had so many different colors I thought it would be an easy way to add various colors to the room. So last week I finally took the time to hunt for some additional accent pillows to add to the couch and loveseat. All I can say is it is HARD to find good pillows at a good price! I searched ALL over {Home Goods, Target, boutique shops around town, etc...}. I finally listened to my mom, who suggested a while ago that I check out a store called Room Service. They have a LOT of pillows all in fun bright colors. I went and bought three that I thought were great. Well, I thought they were great and the husband did not. So this weekend I went and returned two of the three. So I'm back to square one on my accent pillow search.

Here is my current state of affairs:


Two pillows that I really love on the couch. And yes that is a nice dish rag from washing the windows earlier in the day still on the coffee table. 


And here is the sad loveseat just wanting some pillows to sit on it. 

What to do...what to do???



Friday, October 7, 2011

My 1st experience with a CSA

Our friends are part of a CSA {community sponsored agriculture} program. They were out of town this week and asked if we wanted their weekly box. I was so excited. I've researched different CSAs in the area and always wondered if I would actually like getting one. You see, I like to plan my meals and with a "mystery box" of veggies and fruit each week it kind of messes up my meal planning.

They are part of Morningsong Farm, located in San Diego county. It is a fully sustainable, organic farm which I really like. It is $44.50 for a large box and $34.50 for a small box. They deliver to Temecula, and various locations in San Diego and Orange counties. Want to find out more about a CSA in your area, here is a link to various CSAs across the country. Here is what I got in the large box this week {more than a weeks worth of veggies}.

- Beets {6}
-Zucchini {6}
- Tomatoes {5}
- Sprouts {1 pkg}
- Lettuce {1 head butter lettuce}
-Mixed Greens {one lg. zip lock bag}
- Dandelion Greens {two large bunches}
-Limes {7}
-Peppers {6}
- Parsley {1 bunch}
- Purslane {1 pkg}

Look how yummy this stuff looks:


There was only one item I had never heard of, purslane. It is commonly found in salads. Here are some of the health benefits:
  • Fresh leaves contain surprisingly more Omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) than any other leafy vegetable plant. 100 grams of fresh purslane leaves provides about 350 mg of α-linolenic acid. Research studies shows that consumption of foods rich in ω-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and help prevent development of ADHD, autism, and other developmental differences in children.

  • It is an excellent source of Vitamin A, (1320 IU/100 g, provides 44% of RDA) one of the highest among green leafy vegetables. Vitamin A is a known powerful natural antioxidant and is essential for vision. This vitamin is also required to maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

  • Purslane is also a rich source of vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids, as well as dietary minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese.

    I'll be adding this to our nightly salad.


    The only other item that I hadn't really cooked with were the dandelion greens. Off to search for some recipes!



Thursday, October 6, 2011

Best Baby Teethers

My little one has finally had her first tooth break through about a week ago and the second came through just a couple of days after that. She handled them pretty well but I was on the hunt for some good teethers as she seemed to want to put everything in her mouth. There are so many out there. We have Sophie, vibrating grapes, frozen rings, etc.... They worked OK but she would rather just play with Sophie, the grapes were too large and the frozen rings too cold. I then found the perfect thing for her, a piece of watermelon rind. It had been in the fridge so it was just a little bit cold, she could actually bite down on it and I could cut it to the perfect size for her little mouth. I now have one happy girl!








Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Burlap Monogram {tutorial}

I had WAY too much burlap left over from when I did my burlap wrapped votives. I had no idea what to do with the left over fabric. Of course, I immediately searched "burlap" on Pinterest and was inspired by this photo:




Using the picture above as inspiration I made my own version. Here is how it turned out:


It was really quite simple to do. Here is what you'll need:
1. Printed letter of your choice in whichever font you wish
2. piece of card board for back, I used the lid of a shoe box which worked particularly well and gave it a little more depth than just a flat piece of cardboard
3. stapler
4. quilt batting cut about 3 inches larger than cardboard {on all sides}
5. burlap cut about 3 inches larger than cardboard {on all sides}
6. sharpie marker


Step 1: Staple batting around cardboard. I did two layers as my cardboard was hot pink and I didn't want any of that to come through but if yours is brown you should be good with one layer.
Step 2: Place printed monogram under burlap and trace along the outside of your printed letter. Make sure to center up the letter on the burlap so you have enough to wrap the burlap around your cardboard. You can measure or just eye-ball it.


Step 3: Color in the monogram with your marker. I went over it a couple of times to make sure it was nice and dark.
Step 4: Center and staple the burlap to your cardboard.
And your done!
This is seen on the Link Party at 320 Sycamore, projects under $10 in under 1 hour. See what other people have posted here.

This is also linked at A Little Tipsy: DIY under $5. Check it out here.
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