Low Stress Low Cost Birthday Party

Birthdays have always been special to me because growing up my mom made them that way. We would pick a theme and off she’d go! Every other year I got a big party with lots of my friends and on the off years I got to pick 1 friend and an activity.

One of my most memorable parties was a Murder Mystery theme. As each guest arrived they were greeted at the front to create their “file” with fingerprints, detective name, etc. We played fun mystery games and had to figure out clues to find my hidden cake. I really love that my mom created these wonderful birthday memories for me. So now that I have a child of my own I’m passing on the tradition.

As much as I love throwing a good party, planning it can cause a lot of stress and end up costing more than you wanted to spend. So for my son’s 2nd birthday My goal was to keep it low stress and low cost. I’m happy to report it was successful! So here are some of the ways I accomplished that.

He is obsessed with Baby Shark right now so that was our theme. First, we took a trip to the party store to see what they had.

Tip #1-
Only buy what you’ll need

I knew the adults didn’t care if they drank out of a baby shark cup so I only bought enough for the kids attending the party. The adults got the regular old red solo cups that I already had stocked away in my pantry. Same with the favors.
I bought enough special themed plates for each person to have one and then used plain paper plates I already had as back up.

Party ware

Tip #2
Dollar Tree

I wanted a fun ocean backdrop to hang so I perused the Dollar Tree and grabbed a blue plastic table cloth, some colored poster board, tissue paper pom poms, streamers, & balloons. I was pleasantly surprised to see they have added quite a bit to the party section there! I won’t be winning any awards on this, but it was just to add a little fun to the decor and my son loved it 🙂 You can get much more creative if you want to!

Baby Shark Scenery

Tip #3
Make party time between meals

One of the big stress relievers was I chose to do the party between meals so I was only providing snacks and dessert. The pressure to feed everyone enough food for an entire meal was off! We had mini sandwiches (hawaiin rolls w/ turkey & cheese), goldfish, pirate booty, fruit, cucumbers, sea salt chocolates, gummy sharks, and of course cake & ice cream.

Tip #4
Costco

Hawaiin rolls at Costco are so cheap! And you get a lot! Pirate Booty and Goldfish are a great price in bulk as well. Select Costcos do cakes that feed 50 people for under $20. I chose to get our cake from a favorite local bakery BUT Costco cakes are also delicious and we’ve used them in the past.

Tip #5
Stickers

I bought a baby shark sticker book and used the stickers for decorations and games. Cutting out colored card stock I labeled the food with fun ocean themed names and then added a sticker. You can see examples in my food pictures above. I also used the stickers to create a simple Baby Shark Scavenger Hunt. And when the kids found each character I gave them stickers to help mark them off so they knew which ones were left.

Tip #6
Fun but simple extra touches

I love Etsy. They have so many cute, unique, and specialized items! I didn’t want to go overboard with spending so I chose just a couple things for special party touches. One was the cake topper. So so cute! It was personalized too which made it extra special. The other purchase I made was matching family shirts. I had a mommy shark shirt, my husband a daddy shark shirt, and our little guy a baby shark shirt.

Other party details:

• Shark Ice Cubes – put gummy sharks into ice cube molds for drinks
• Pail & Shovel – purchased at Dollar Tree to use as snack holders
• Ball Pit – blow up pool + ball pit balls + slide = so much fun!
  
  

Tip #7
Pare down the guest list

Start your list off with the family you’ll be inviting. Both sets of grandparents live near by so they of course were on the list. Then we knew the cousins were going to be in town so they would be attending. After the family, I would recommend choosing 2-3 families that your child is close with. Who do they spend most of their time with when it comes to friends? When the list gets long, the cost for the party goes up. OR you can do the party for your child’s friends only and have a small family celebration separately.

Hope this helps you have a party you can actually enjoy!!! Also, if you have any good tips, leave a comment below.

Money Saving Tips

I’m always wishing I was better at saving money because there’s always something catching my eye and I think “Oh it’s only $20. I’ll go ahead and get it.” But all those $20’s add up quickly!

We’re currently saving up for our down payment on a new house. I have a goal in mind and to reach it I really have to get better at saying no and cutting costs. I’ve read many blogs on saving money and some things are helpful while others are not so much. Here’s a list of ideas that I have personally found helpful!

Use leftovers to make a new dinner–
Let’s say you make chili for dinner one night. If you’re not a big fan of having leftovers, take the chili and make something new like Tamale Pie. You just have to add a couple new ingredients and you have a whole new meal!

Buy in Bulk–
I LOVE Costco. However, Costco is really good at getting you to spend a lot of money! They do in fact have some great prices on bulk items so if you go with a list in hand and stick to it, you should be okay! One thing to think about when at Costco is “Do I really need this in bulk? Or can I purchase less for less at the local grocery store?”
Here’s a list of Costco items I think are worth it:
1) Muffins
2) Bread
3) Hawaiin Rolls
4) Stick Butter
5) String Cheese
6) Greens – spinach, kale, lettuce
7) Rotisserie Chicken
8) Frozen Fruit
9) Nuts
10) Avocado Oil
11) Maple Syrup
12) Seasonings & Spices
13) Sheet Cakes – $17.99 to feed 50 people!!
14) Baby Wipes
Also! You’d be surprised at how many things you can freeze so if you know you cant eat it all in a timely fashion, you can freeze half for later.

Brew Your Own Iced Coffee–
I’m a big iced coffee fan and crave it every afternoon. And then I fight myself from getting in the car and going to Starbucks or Dutch Bros or Ziggy’s. It’s a fight not always won lol My sweet husband bought me my very own cold brew brewer from Amazon for $20 and now I can have it every afternoon without the guilt! I just add some vanilla syrup and half & half.

Make a List of Wants–
To help with my impulse buying I’ve started adding things I think I want to a list on my phone. At the end of the month if there’s extra money to spare, I go back to my list and pick out something. I’ll tell you a secret though, most of the time I realize I don’t need most of them.

Coupons/Store Brand
The thing with coupons is, they can actually cost you more money. So be careful and only use what you actually need. And check to see if the coupon price is cheaper than the store brand because sometimes it isn’t.

Use gift cards–
Dig through that purse and see if you’ve got any gift cards you forgot about!

Side Jobs–
Can you babysit? Dog sit? Bake cakes? Paint? Offer or look for services that will make you a little extra money.

Take Inventory–
I often forget what I’ve got and end up buying more without actually needing to. Or when it comes to meal planning, you can look through your deep freeze and in the back of the pantry. Try to use up what you’ve already got instead of making that trip to the store to spend more money.

Use a Pick Up Service–
Walking through the store you are bombarded with all kinds of goodies. And things go in the cart that you didn’t intend to purchase when you walked in. If you shop for your groceries online, you’re less likely to purchase the unnecessary items. You’re also able to see the total before hand so you don’t get surprised at check out. And bonus! You don’t have to get out of your car. You’re in, you’re out, Boom!

Difficult Times Call For Simple Measures

As Covid has us up, down, high, low, and everything in between, we can start to feel like our sanity is slipping away.

And though it seems like all our favorite things have been taken from us and been replaced with fear and cabin fever, I have put together a list (with help from family & friends) of life’s simple joys you can still enjoy!

>Take a hot, relaxing shower or bubble bath
>Eat warm cookies with milk
>Jam to your favorite songs
>Call or text someone you enjoy talking to
>Take a drive and treat yourself to a coffee, ice cream, or fun snack
(bonus if its nice out and you can roll the windows or sunroof down)
>Crawl into fresh, crisp sheets at night
>Have a movie night and snuggle with your family
>Curl up with a blanket, beverage, and read a new (or old) book
>Bake something new
>Look at funny memes or videos
(this usually helps me if I’m in a grumpy mood)
>Look through old pictures and reminisce
>Find a creative outlet
>Take a walk and listen to a podcast
(currently listening to The Office Ladies)
>Rewatch an old favorite show from the beginning
>Sit down and write notes, cards, or letters to loved ones
(The TouchNote app lets you create fun postcards and cards and then sends them for you)
>Play with your pets
>Color a picture
>Sit on the porch or patio on a nice day and soak up the sun
>Play a favorite game (Clue, Monopoly, Yahtzee, cards, etc)
>Take a scenic drive through the mountains
>Paint your nails
>Do something nice or special for someone in your life

What are some more of life’s simple joys? Comment below with your own favorites.

Bringing Home Baby

I have worked with kids infant on up for several years (since I was 18), so I had an idea of what kinds of things we would need when we had our own baby. But there’s just some things you only learn as a mom. So here is a list of things that were very helpful in the first few months with our little guy.

1.Infant Lounger

We loved this thing! And he slept in it a lot the first few weeks. It says not to let them sleep in it in case they roll over, but since he wasn’t going to be rolling over the first few weeks, I knew it would be okay.

2.Hot Water For Bottles

So we already had this coffee pot/hot water combo thing and it turned out to be AMAZING for making and heating up bottles/breast milk.
It makes the water hot really fast when you push the button so if it was a bit too hot I would put a little in the bottle and then fill the rest with cold filtered water from the fridge and it would be perfectly luke-warm.
If I needed to get formula or breast milk warmed up I would fill a cup with the hot water and let the bottle sit in it until warm enough.

3.Bassinet

We used the bassinet that goes in bed with you for the first few weeks and then switched him over to the bed side one. I was a nervous wreck the first few weeks about SIDS so having him right next to me in bed made me feel better. Then when I felt more comfortable, he went to the other one. Do what makes YOU feel most comfortable. Don’t let people tell you where they should be sleeping at a certain age. You know your child and what’s going to stress you out the least.

4.Owlet Sock

This was another thing that helped me be less stressed. I don’t think I would have slept at all without the comfort of it.
It’s a little “sock” that you wrap around their foot. It monitors their oxygen levels and heart rate. You download the app and it will tell you what their vitals are. If something is not right, it will immediately alert you.
It also comes with a camera so when they move to the crib, you can see always see them and hear them. It comes with 3 different sock sizes to accommodate their growing feet.

5.Carrier

I have 3 different carriers and have used them all. The Boba wrap was great! But as he started to grow, I liked this carrier. It also comes with a hip seat which everyone in my family loves because it saves your hip, your arms, and your back! The carrier is for both front facing and in facing.

*Update: It can also be used as a back carrier!

6.Bouncer

This has been a hit with all the kids I’ve taken care of, as well as my own. Babies love to bounce! Mine learned that he can kick his legs to make it bounce by himself and entertains himself for 20-30 minutes lol Its great!

7.Bibs

Drool and spit up have been a constant for us so bibs are a must! Or I’m changing his clothes A LOT. These Yoofoss bibs are absorbent, good quality, and cute. I like the solid colors best for outfit coordinating.

8.Pacifier Clips

We gave our kid the good old pacifier right away because I didn’t want him to be a thumb sucker. Get back to me on that choice in a few years when we’re trying to wean him off LOL
But, if you’re doing pacifiers these clips are a must! They will fall out of their mouths at the most inconvenient times. Liiiiiike, when you’re walking up the stairs and it pops out, tumbles all the way down the stairs, and then your kid starts crying.
Yeah. Life saver.

If you have any items to add, leave it in the comments!

A Faith Without Happy Endings

As I lay here with the sun barely peeking over the horizon and my little miracle baby sleeping soundly on my side, I find tears wetting my eyes.
God has been faithful to me again and again. There have been days it hurt to hope. It felt so foolish. And yet I clung to little pieces of it because I knew God would show up somehow.

I am reading a book called Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors. She is an incredible woman who moved to Uganda at the age of 19 to run a ministry and has now adopted 13 girls. She says:

“In the wounding he has changed us, renamed us. He redefined redemption and beauty for me not as a happy ending, but as His presence with me, regardless of the ending.”

I had a happy ending in mind for my infertility but as hard as I tried, it wasn’t happening. I screamed and begged God to please give it to me. My heart ached. I didn’t know I could withstand such hurt.
I can look back now and see him there with me. See the people he placed in my path at the right times. See some of the orchestrating that can only be done by God.
I stretched and grew as a person, in my relationship with him, and in my relationships with others. But there were times I couldn’t even bring myself to talk to Him. And a very wise woman and counselor told me “it’s okay. You don’t have to right now.” So I didn’t. I acknowledged He was there and I put one foot in front of the other, but I didn’t have anything to say to Him for a while. And I believe he was okay with that. He continued to love me and to put my story together.

My earthly father became less apart of my life when I turned 12. Him and my mother divorced and we moved to Colorado. I remember feeling then like my world was crumbling. Something I never imagined could happen to my family. Up until that point I’d had a good childhood. I had always felt loved, supported, and stable. I grew up going to church and learning Jesus loved me. My parents created a safe and loving home. But people have free will, the world is full of lies and mistakes, and sooner or later we all experience disappointment. I am where I am in life because of good choices and bad choices. Some my own, some from other people. Before he suddenly died at the age of 54, we did find peace in our relationship.

Pain is not enjoyable. It is something we all try desperately to avoid. However it is inevitable in a world with sin. And it’s  hard to understand why things happen the way they do. Another quote from Katie’s book stood out to me.

“A faith that trusts him only when the ending is good is a fickle faith. A faith that trusts him regardless of the outcome is real.”

He doesn’t promise happy endings here on this earth. He doesn’t promise a life of material gain and success. He promises His presence with us through every joy and every loss. And the joy is so much sweeter when you know the pain of loss.

Well, Girl ~ A Book Review

There are so many quotes I would love to share with you. But I think it would be way better if you just read the book and experienced it yourself. So I’ll hold back and only share a few!

“Guilt is being sorry for something you have done. Shame is being sorry for who you are.”

Shame keeps us wanting and the enemy uses it to keep us stuck. Oh the freedom you can have in Jesus! He chooses to dwell in you! Do not be ashamed of who you are. If you are always focused on what you should be, you’ll never look up at the One who died for you and made you who are.

One of the things Jami talks about in her book is how we’re always “starting over”. If we fudge on our diet we tell ourselves we’ll start over on Monday.  And then we throw caution to the wind and eat whatever we want the rest of the week because “we’ll start over on Monday”. We tend to do the same with God. If we mess up we distance ourselves from him with the “I’ll start over on Monday” mentality. But we don’t need to do that! We don’t need to stop and start with God. He is constant and His love is constant.

We’re never completely happy with our weight, with our appearance, or with our wellness. Whether we’re perfectly thin and “healthy” or overweight and unhealthy, He loves you just the same. No more, no less.

While this is not what I would call a step by step weight loss program, it does provide you with a new way of thinking and feeling. And that in turn can be what you need to get over the yo yo dieting and loathing cycle.

“But while we are never separated from the love of God, if you add even a touch of the law, you are no longer experiencing grace. Grace is everything.”

Jami has a way of helping you to visualize and deeply feel the love God has for you. I found tears streaming down my face as I realized how much I was missing this. We’re so hard on ourselves. Saying things we would never imagine uttering to someone else. Jesus doesn’t think these things about me or you. 

“If there were any scenario where He wasn’t utterly crazy about you, He would have spared His beloved Jesus the agony of death on a cross.”

Boom! What a realization. I felt it down to my toes!

I believe you’ll find joy, humor, and peace when you read Jami’s new book. As Jami always says- Jesus be all over you friend!!!

*You can order this book through amazon, kindle, barnes and Noble, and most other book retailers.

 

 

Fun With Chalk for All Ages

Trying to get the kids outside to enjoy the weather? As they get older free drawing with chalk doesn’t always sound as appealing to them. But here are a few game ideas that will get them on board with chalk fun!

• Candyland – Draw large squares big enough for standing on to make a Candyland board. Let the kids help too! Make each square a different color from the one it’s attached to and don’t forget the special candy squares. There’s the gumdrops, lollipops, peanut brittle, and more. We pick 3 or 4 to use. We also add 1 or 2 shortcuts. You can download a die to your phone or just roll a real one.
  
  

  

  

  

  
• Target Board – Draw a target circle with multiple rings and values. Then use a bean bag or whatever you can find to toss from a designated distance.

 

• Musical Shapes or Colors – Draw shapes or circles of color in a large circle, play music, and have the kids walk around. Stop the music periodically and call out a color or shape. The kids have to find it and run to it.

 

• Draw bike or scooter lanes – Make winding paths for the kids’ bikes or scooters to follow.

 

• Chalk Painting – You can make your own chalk paint by crushing up chalk and mixing with water. Then have the kids use paint brushes and rollers to paint the driveway/sidewalks with.
                    

 

• 2 square or 4 square – Draw 4 (or 2) connecting squares and have players bounce a rubber ball (kickball) from their square to another person’s square. The ball must stay inside the lines and only bounce once inside their square.

Hide from Grime, Movie Time!(Streaming Recommendations)

Hey everyone! It’s an interesting time in the world to say the least! As most of us are home all day now, I thought it would be helpful to give you a list of movie and show recommendations from the different streaming services.

These are obviously my own opinions of what is good but as you scroll through the hundreds of options, it’s sometimes nice to have suggestions. I have it broken down into movies and shows and then which streaming service you’ll find it on.

But first some humor because how else are we going to get through this? lol

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Movies:

Netflix

• The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
  -Takes place shortly after WW11. A book club on the island of Guernsey writes letters to a London female author. She is so inspired by their story that she travels to visit them and ends up creating memorable relationships. (romance & drama)
• Julie & Julia
  -A young woman who admires Julia Child decides to spice up her uneventful life by cooking up every recipe in Julia’s classic cookbook. (comedy & drama)
• Tootsie
  -A young male actor can’t get work so he decides to dress up as an older woman named Dorothy. Dorothy gets a gig on a popular show and things get sticky as she tries to keep her real identity a secret. (comedy & drama)
• How To Be A Latin Lover
  -An aging latin man gets the boot from his sugar mama. He ends up living with his sister and her son who he hasn’t spoken to in a very long time. He tries to pull out all the stops to find a new female financial supporter so he can go back to living his lavish life. (comedy)
• Ryan Hamilton Happy Face
  -A stand up comedian who doesn’t need to cuss or be dirty to be funny. He shares stories from his small hometown in Idaho, life in New York, gym memberships, and hot air ballooning. (comedy)
• Always Be My Maybe
  -Reunited after 15 years, famous chef Sasha and hometown musician Marcus feel the old sparks of attraction. However, they struggle to adapt to each other’s worlds. (romance, drama, & comedy)
• The Hundred Foot Journey
  -A chef and his family leave India to open a restaurant in France. A highly rated restaurant just across the street causes there to be conflict between the 2 restaurant owners. A funny and heartwarming story conspires. (drama & comedy)

Hulu

• Under the Tuscan Sun
  -A recently divorced writer impulsively buys an Italian villa and embarks on a life changing adventure (romance drama)
• Dog Days
  -This movie follows the lives of multiple dog owners and their fluffy friends. When their paths cross, their lives change in unexpected ways. (comedy)
• Overboard 2018
  -Based on the original 1987 version, a single and hardworking mom of three and a selfish, spoiled, wealthy playboy end up in each other’s lives after he loses his memory from falling off his yacht.
• A Simple Favor
  -This mysterious film features 2 young moms. Stephanie is a quirky vlogger and Emily is a posh career woman. After forming a unique friendship Emily disappears without a trace. Stephanie uncovers some interesting and disturbing things about the friend she thought she knew. A weird story but very intriguing -not for children. (drama, mystery, & comedy)
• Instant Family
  -Inspired by a true story, Pete and Ellie end up fostering 3 siblings at once and must learn the ropes of parenthood as quickly as possible. (comedy & drama)
• A Quiet Place
  -In this suspenseful thriller, a family must survive in silence to avoid alien creatures that hunt by sound.

  Amazon Prime

• The Spy Who Dumped Me
  -After being dumped by her boyfriend who she finds out is a spy, a woman and her best friend become entangled in a hilarious conspiracy. Some strong language-not for children. (comedy)
• The Birdcage
  -A flamboyant gay couple, Armand & Albert, who own a drag club have raised a straight son who is now getting married. He wants to bring his fiancee and her family to meet them but doesn’t want them to know the truth. Armand and Albert pretend to be straight, resulting in a hilarious performance. Some strong language-not for children. (comedy)
• A Quiet Place
  -In this suspenseful thriller, a family must survive in silence to avoid alien creatures that hunt by sound.
• Overboard 2018
  -Based on the original 1987 version, a single and hardworking mom of three and a selfish, spoiled, wealthy playboy end up in each other’s lives after he loses his memory from falling off his yacht.
• A Simple Favor
  -This mysterious film features 2 young moms. Stephanie, a quirky vlogger and Emily, a posh career woman. After forming a unique friendship Emily disappears without a trace. Stephanie uncovers some interesting and disturbing things about the friend she thought she knew. A weird story but very intriguing -not for children. (drama, mystery, & comedy)
• Instant Family
  -Inspired by a true story, Pete and Ellie end up fostering 3 siblings at once and must learn the ropes of parenthood as quickly as possible. (comedy & drama)

  Disney +

• Three Men and a Baby
  -Roommates Peter, Michael, and Jack are all successful but unmarried men. Peter and Michael get the surprise of their life when a woman abandons a baby girl in front of their door. A letter reveals that Jack is the father, but he’s away traveling. They are forced to learn how to take care of her on their own but quickly find themselves falling in love with her. (comedy & drama)
• Three Men and a Little Lady
  -The sequel to Three Men and a Baby. Mary is now 6 years old and Sylvia, Mary’s mother, is feeling it’s time for her to move on and give Mary a normal life. When Sylvia breaks the news she’s moving to England to marry her director, it’s a shock for everyone.
• While You Were Sleeping
  -Lucy, a lonely transit worker pulls her longtime crush from the path of an oncoming train. While he’s in a coma, Lucy finds herself lying to his family about being his fiancee. Things get even more complicated when she finds herself falling for his brother. (romance & comedy)
• Turner & Hooch
  -Detective Turner, an uptight and tidy man, inherits an elder’s dog resulting in household chaos and destruction. But the dog might be able to help him solve a murder case. (comedy)
• Cool Runnings
  -Four Jamaicans dream of becoming olympic bobsledders, even though they’ve never even seen snow. With the help of their coach, a disgraced former champion, they set out to make their dream come true. (comedy)
• The Odd Life of Timothy Green
  -An unexpected surprise arrives on the doorstep of a couple who can’t have children of their own.  (comedy, fantasy, drama)
• The Three Musketeers
  -A man travels to Paris hoping to become a musketeer, one of the French King’s elite bodyguards. When he arrives he discovers that the corps have been disbanded. Fortunately, they refuse to lay their weapons down and continue to protect the king no matter the cost. He joins the rogues to expose a plot against the crown. (drama & romance)
• Lady and the Tramp (live version)
  – Based on the animated version. A house dog and stray embark on an adventure and come to understand the value of a home. (romance, comedy, drama)

  TV Shows

  Netflix

• Virgin River
  -A nurse practitioner moves to a remote place in northern California for a job with the town doctor. She’s trying to leave behind some painful memories but they seem to be following her. At first, things don’t go so well and she wants to leave. But she soon finds out there might be reasons to stay. (romance, drama, comedy)
• AJ & The Queen
  -Robert, also known as Ruby Red, is dreaming of opening his own drag queen club. Unfortunately he runs into a big problem and finds himself on the run with an abandoned child who just needs someone to show her the way. Some strong language-not for children. (comedy & drama)
• Call the Midwife
  -A moving, funny, colorful look at midwifery and family in the 1950’s East End London. It follows an eccentric, lovable community of nuns who are nurses at Nonnatus House.
• Hart of Dixie
  -Dr Zoe hart from New York, feels out of place trying to adjust to life in a small southern town. But the town has its charms she’ll soon find out. (comedy & drama)

  Hulu

• Bless This Mess
  -Newlyweds Rio and Mike decide to drop everything and move to Nebraska where Mike’s aunt has left him her farm. They quickly realize that becoming farmers isn’t as easy as they had hoped. (comedy)
• Life in Pieces
  -Following 4 smaller families belonging to one big family, they discover that special moments add up to what life’s all about. Similar to Modern Family. (comedy)
• Making It
  -A contest show for crafters! The best makers from around the country compete in a series of handmade projects they must complete in their own unique way. (lifestyle & culture)

  Amazon Prime

• Chuck
  -A 26 year old computer geek has his life thrown into disarray after his friend, a CIA agent, sends him an email that results in the world’s secrets becoming embedded in his mind. (comedy & drama)
• Parks & Recreation
  -Leslie Knope who works for her Indiana town’s Parks and Recreation department, is just trying to make her small town better. She runs into constant obstacles but builds friendships along the way. (comedy)
• Downton Abbey
  -This historical drama follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants in the family’s Edwardian country house. It begins in 1912 with the sinking of the Titanic. (drama & romance)

  Disney +

• Pick of the Litter
  -Follow an adorable group of 6 puppies on their quest to become guides for the Guide Dogs for the Blind. (documentary)
• Frank and Ollie
  -Find out the stories of famed Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston who have been best friends most of their life. (documentary)
• Be Our Chef
  -Angela Kinsey hosts this cooking competition between 2 families. The families cook up a themed Disney meal and a chef judges for a winner.
• Disney Insider
  -Watch the magic behind the scenes of Disney stories like Mulan, American Idol, & the Animation Vault.
• One Day at Disney
  -Discover the inspiring personal stories of the people behind the magic of Disney. Animal keepers, animators, and robotic engineers are just some of the amazing behind the scene stories.

Closet to Craft Room

Want a craft space but don’t have a whole room to dedicate to it? Or just don’t want it to take up more space that you don’t have? Convert a small sized closet into your work space!

My husband and I were sharing a room for our office/hobbies and it was feeling very crowded and chaotic! After some paint and an Ikea visit, we transformed the closet in that room to my craft space! And I LOVE it so much!

Here’s how the conversion went:

Closet Before

I wanted to paint the closet wall something very bright and fun! I chose this blue-ish aqua color.

Finished

 

The drawers, shelves, organizers, and counter top all came from Ikea. My husband installed a bright light in the ceiling above and then an outlet above the counter space. I can now plug in my hot glue gun easy peasy. You could also close the space off with curtains if you wanted to be able to hide it away. Hope this gives you some inspiration!

Cookie Decorating Tips

Mario Brothers, Mickey Halloween, and Coffee & Donuts

Christmas Cookies

A couple years ago I became interested in a cookie frosting technique called flooding. It makes your cookie look glossy, smooth, and flawless. As a baker this was something I really wanted to try! It started out as something fun to do for my own special occasions but ended in a small side business with a friend.

We started taking Mother’s Day orders and then the orders never stopped! I was so nervous in the beginning; stressing over every detail. It took us sometimes 16 hours to do 2 dozen cookies. I’m happy to report now that we’re more comfortable and confident, we have been able to cut that time in half 🙂

If you are interested in giving this fun cookie art a try, I have some tips to share with you!

Baking the Cookies

• You want a sugar cookie recipe that’s going to give you firm, thick cookies. You want them to keep their shape and be a good foundation for your icing art.

• Place raw cut out cookies in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before baking to help them keep their shape.

• Be careful of cutters that give you thin areas. For example if you had a margarita glass you wouldn’t want the stem to be too thin because then your cookie will break easily.

•Always make a couple extra cookies. You never know what will go wrong lol

• Always set your timer a little lower than what you think it will take to bake the cookies. Then check on them and increase time by 1 minute increments until they are slightly browned around the edges. This will cut down on burnt cookie accidents.

Icing Consistency

• When flooding you want the consistency around 8 seconds. This means when you drizzle the icing on top of itself, it should only take 8 seconds before it has melted back into the rest of the icing.

• For outlining and writing you want the icing stiff, but still soft. If it’s too stiff you’ll  have trouble getting the icing to flow smoothly.

• When using tips that make an imprint such as flowers and leaves, you want the icing very stiff or the imprint will lose its shape.

Decorating

• Immediately pop bubbles after flooding or it will leave holes in the icing. Use a toothpick if you don’t have the tool needed.

• When you need just white colored frosting add a couple drops of white instead of just leaving it colorless. It will give it a crisper look and help with color bleeding.

•If a color is too dark, just add some white food coloring to lighten it up to the desired color.

• Let flooded cookies dry overnight before adding writing or using edible markers to draw eyes, etc. Especially if the flooded color is darker than the writing color, it will bleed if not given enough time to dry. Also the icing will crack under the pressure when using edible markers so you want to make sure it’s nice and hard.

• Sometimes it takes time to find a comfortable position with your hand when using a decorating bag. If you find your hand is shaking or not able to be flexible, try different positions and use an extra cookie or napkin to practice.

• If you’re not great at doing fonts with icing, use an edible marker to write it first and then go over it with the icing. Try to use the same color marker as icing you’ll be writing with. If it’s a different color it’s more noticeable if your lines don’t line up exactly.

• See if you can use a cookie cutter you already have to make something new. This could save you from having to purchase or make a whole new cutter. For example in my Christmas cookies the Santa face was originally a bell.

Probems

Oil Spotting- this is when the moisture from your cookies soak through and create dark spots in your icing.

To try and prevent this I store my cookies on paper towels to soak up extra moisture. If oil spotting has occurred, the best solution is to let it continue happening so that the whole cookie just looks darker in color and you can’t tell there was spotting.

My final piece of advice is to just go for it! If you’re too scared to try things, you’ll never know if you can do it. And even if it comes out bad at first, you can always get better!

Happy Decorating!

If you’re just starting out, you can view this YouTube video of me flooding a wedding dress to give you a start: