Category: Holidays

Hint of Halloween!

September 26
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We are officially into my favorite season…fall!  I just love this time of year so much!  It’s a season that hangs onto summer during the day but gives us touch of that crisp, cool air at night.  It offers bountiful harvests of apples and pumpkins and splashes the countryside with vivid color bursting from the trees!  We indulge on baked goods and hot apple cider, participate in tailgates, and bundle up on stadium seats!  Then there’s also that fun little thing called HALLOWEEN!  But unfortunately, all these wonderful opportunities of the season also make it seem to go way too fast!  And since I love this season so much, I just want to enjoy each and every second of it!  With so many school activities and autumn events making life hectic, I decided a couple of years ago to start my holiday decorating at the end of September.  I know this may not sit well with some…even I really would prefer to wait until October 1 to haul the holiday boxes from the attic!  But, to keep my sanity AND fully enjoy the decorations of the season I’ve begun to add some hints of Halloween to our home.  And as the boys get older, I don’t feel the need to decorate with EVERY holiday item we own…I’ve learned over the years that just because we’ve got it doesn’t mean I HAVE to use it!  Each year I can pare it down a bit, pick some current favorites from the storage bins, and on occasion add something new…but keep it simple and fresh!  Today I’d like to share with you how I used old and new items on my mantle to start the holiday season off with a colorful bang!

October is just around the corner…

Hooray for the Red, White & Blue!

July 1
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I normally take most Fridays off during the summer, but today I’d like to share some simple treats for the holiday!  It’s always fun to serve up some red, white, and blue goodies to put everyone in a festive mood…no matter how busy your 4th of July schedule may be!  Have a peek at the sweets we dished out to some active kids…easy, yummy, inexpensive, and definitely patriotic!  I hope you can find some inspiration for your stars and stripes weekend!

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Chew on Some Red, White, & Blue!

June 29
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Even though my family doesn’t have the time to entertain big for the 4th this year, I still have some opportunities to create some fun and festive food for our little family celebration AND a year-end baseball party pot-luck!  Since both will happen over the holiday weekend, it’s the perfect timing for some patriotic creations!  Check out some recipes and easy ideas to create delicious sweets and sides to dish out at your celebrations!  Have some fun in the kitchen with…

patriotic preparations!

Festive Favorites!

June 27
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The Fourth of July really snuck up on me…I can hardly believe that it’s only one week away!  It seems like just yesterday I was gathering up my patriotic goodies for Memorial Day weekend and here it is time to break out the red, white, and blue once again!  This week I’ll be sharing some fun products, recipes, and holiday ideas that my family will be enjoying over the long and festive weekend ahead!  And even though we still have a final baseball tournament to attend, I have some really easy 4th of July celebrations planned to squeeze in between games!  Today it’s all about simple items to create a party atmosphere…even if there’s no official “party”!  Have a peek at some favorites…

faves to make a festive 4th!

Red, White, and Boom!

June 15
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I was out shopping yesterday…not the fun kind of shopping but ordinary, necessity type shopping.  But while I was out trudging I spied a really cute idea and the inspiration for a holiday craft was born!  So instead of heading home, I detoured to the craft store to grab a couple inexpensive supplies so I could try and recreate this adorable idea for a patriotic centerpiece!  And you may be wondering what it was that I saw that got me so inspired?…oversized firecrackers!  I thought this fun stick of dynamite might make a festive decoration for our Fourth of July celebration…and I knew I could make one for a fraction of the price tag on the ones in the shop!  I love DIY projects that are easy, inexpensive, and relatively quick to create…especially for those holidays that seem to come and go before you blink an eye!  But patriotic celebrations kick-start all the summer fun and I just can’t help myself from decorating the patio with some red, white, & blue!  So let me share this festive DIY…there’s plenty of time to grab some supplies and have some~

firecracker fun!

It’s Time for a Fiesta!

May 4
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Tomorrow is the 5th of May–Cinco De Mayo!  I’d mentioned on Monday how busy the month of May can be…and it seems like there’s more than enough on everyone’s plate these days when it comes to every member of my family!  As the kids have gotten older it just seems commonplace to be super busy, something I’m SLOWLY getting used to!  None-the-less, I’m determined to have a Cinco De Mayo celebration and have been preparing my decorations for days now!  So I’m sharing the fiesta fun that will brighten our table tomorrow…and since everything was already prepared, I took a trial run so I could snap some pics before hand!  I hope you can find some inspiration from my holiday decor–have a peek at our

Cinco De Mayo celebration!

Pint-Sized Pinata

May 2
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I’m getting so excited for my little family soiree on the 5th!  And as I mentioned last week, the beginning of May is packed with events…May Day, Cinco De Mayo, and Mother’s Day, making it hard to find time for all three!  But this year I’m determined to do it even though I also have the job of heading up the decorating committee for our school’s After Prom Party the weekend following Mother’s Day!  When you’ve got tons on your calendar it helps to prepare as much as you can before hand!  I really try to complete as many of my decorations ahead of time regardless of my schedule…it makes for an almost stress free set-up!  So with all these events looming, I’ve been working a little ahead for just about all of them!  Today I want to share another easy centerpiece that will compliment my balloon chandelier that I made last week…and it’s still looking good!  My Cinco De Mayo table is going to be festively colorful so what better to sit in the center than a tiny pinata!

fill a pinata…without candy!

Set the Easter Table…

March 25
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Happy Good Friday everyone!  I can hardly believe that this is Easter weekend already…but the warmer temperatures have certainly disguised the fact that the holiday is early this year!  And since it’s been warm, I’m thrilled to now have my daffodils blooming a bit early too…which is a true indicator that it’s time to decorate my holiday table!  This is a task that I ALWAYS look forward to, and enjoy planning it almost as much as sitting around it!  So since the holiday is upon us, I’ll keep it short and sweet today…just focusing on a simple table to celebrate the joyous season!

gather ’round the table…

Egg “Pop”!

March 23
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As my kids have grown I’ve tried to tweek our celebrations to fit their ages and current interests.  I’ve always been a big proponent of allowing my boys to be KIDS for as long as possible…you only get to do it once!  And as they grow, as kids tend to do, I will never stop the celebrations, the after school snacks, the crafting and baking…I just need to change it up and grow it up without loosing the youthful whimsy!  Even though they occasionally tease me…they certainly seem to be enjoying it!  I don’t believe I’ve ever had to FORCE them eat a special treat or to search for a clue leading them to a hidden holiday gift!  I want them to keep all those special memories…and the fact is that the older they are, the more vividly they may remember them!  So, as long as they’re in the house they’ll have those opportunities to just be kids!  Of course, there’s no stopping the growing up part…but I can certainly keep some of that childlike enthusiasm alive along the way!  This brings me to today’s post–it’s almost time to hide those Easter eggs…a tradition that we still keep at our house!  We don’t hide them outside anymore and we make the hunt much harder every year that they get older…sometimes so difficult that we find a stray egg or two several weeks later!  So this year I was trying to come up with something a bit different…and I think they’ll have a blast with this one!  I’d like to share with you a cute idea that would really be fun for kids of ALL ages…

put some “kaboom” in your egg hunt!

Spring Cookie Crush!

March 21
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Isn’t it hard to believe that Easter is just a few days away already?  I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling rather rushed this holiday season with all these celebrations following each other so closely!  And even though it’s so fun to have all these opportunities for festivities and family gatherings, when you mix them in with the business of everyday life it can get a little hairy!  But I still refuse to pass up a reason to create something special for the holiday…it just needs to be easy!  So what’s easier and quicker than prepared cookie dough?!  I love to keep a pack or two in my freezer so I can whip up something sweet in a pinch and with far less mess to clean up!  I’m sure you all scroll through Pinterest like I do to find inspiration for just about anything, right?  Well, I spied these adorable cookies and have been wanting to create them…so i had a little fun in the kitchen making some sweet treats for the new season!  And wait ’til you see the cuties made with the extra dough!  With Easter around the corner and spring making it’s grand entrance yesterday…you may want to try these oh-so-simple and cute cookies for your celebrations!

celebrate spring with…cookies!