Happy Memorial Day! We hope everyone can spend relaxing time with family and friends this holiday weekend! Whether you traveled or stayed at home…we’d like to share a way to serve up a classic treat that everyone enjoys and is so easy to whip up in minutes! Stoke up the fire pit, grill, or even a bucket of candles…anything that will toast a marshmallow…
Even though Easter is late this year…it’s never too soon for you-know-who to start hoppin’ his way into your decor! Besides, this winter has been a rough one all around so signs of spring can’t come soon enough…and if it’s dragging its feet outside we can give it a nudge indoors! See how Peter Cotton tail hopped his way into my home leaving simple signs of Easter to lift our spirits until spring is here to stay…
Each St. Patrick’s Day morning our family finds that prankster leprechauns paid us a visit–playing holiday tricks while we slept! We’re greeted with open cupboard doors & drawers, chairs turned upside down or stacked on table tops, and a trail of glitter and confetti marking the path of those pesky visitors! This tradition has been a favorite of my kids…even as they grow, they still love to see what those crazy charaters will do next! An idea inspired by one of their teachers when she had the kids make leprechaun traps to catch those rascals when they came calling! But, alas, they stayed one step ahead turning the classroom upside down and not a single leprechaun getting captured! We kept this tradition at home and it’s really fun…with the exception of cleaning the confetti, but that’s what vacuums are for! The prize for enduring this pesky visit? Tiny gifts and trinkets left behind amongst the chaos–and the best consolation…gold coins hidden in the shoes of the children!
It’s always fun to have holiday traditions…one that we love is making Irish soda bread for a toasty warm breakfast on what is usually a cool St. Patrick’s Day morning! However, sometimes life can get in the way of traditions…I’m sure we can all agree that sometimes there just aren’t enough hours to do those extra things we love! So with that in mind, we came up with a fun holiday morning celebration that can be just as tasty as tradition and look equally special with a few easy touches! Who doesn’t love those twisty bread sticks that pop out of a can? Take a peek at a breakfast treat you can whip up in no time for a whimsical St. Paddy’s Day morning!
With St. Patrick’s Day approaching it’s always fun to think about all the green goodies you can dish out to your family and friends! Here’s a fun idea…equally great for a St. Paddy’s Day party or just an after school snack…either way, serve up this whimsical treat that’s decked out for the holiday!
It’s almost Mardi Gras! A time for celebrations & eating yummy, traditional treats–like king cakes and paczkis! Two of my family’s favorite treats and new traditions! Just in case you aren’t familiar with either–we’re going to focus on both today since there’s still time to indulge if you wish! I had never heard of a paczki (pronounced like “poonch key”) until we moved to Toledo–but they’re a mouth-watering pastry stuffed with fruit or cream fillings much like a doughnut. These pastries are not affiliated with Mardi Gras celebrations but are a Polish tradition of using up sugars and fats before Lent begins and are offered for a limited time prior to Fat Tuesday. Knowing we can get them only once a year makes them a much anticipated treat! So if you live in the Midwest, popular with Polish communities, get to your local bakery asap–you might be able to get in on the tasty fun before these treats are gone ’till next year!
Gold coins at the end of the rainbow can be seriously overrated…especially if you’re the type that loves to indulge in tiny cakes! So have the best of both worlds…little cakes in gold foil…a fitting St. Patrick’s Day treat that won’t break the bank! We love to celebrate all seasons with cupcakes…big or small! They’re so easy, everybody loves them and there’s countless ways to dress them up to fit any occasion! Take a peek at these tiny cakes…a yummy treat at the end of the rainbow!
Though our family only has threads of Irish blood in our veins…my youngest believes he’s a full fledged Irishman! No matter that only one side of the family has Irish descent–we’re 100% Irish at heart & celebrate the season in true form! And why not? It’s a whimsical holiday with fun traditions that everyone is welcome to participate in! So gather up the February hearts and start putting out the green and wishing for gold…a little luck o’ the Irish could be on its way!
The nice thing about decorating for holidays or any celebration is that you can be whimsical, have a little fun and enjoy it–it’s only temporary after all! One of our favorite ways to decorate at Giggle, and in each of our personal homes, is with paper! Whether it’s a banner, tissue poms & tassels, or simple garlands, paper is a lovely and very inexpensive way to get creative for your celebrations! Here’s an example of a simple Valentine garland made from craft paper & strung with twine–every bit as lovely as store-bought without the price tag! And when you make it yourself, it fits your style and personality just perfectly!
January 31st 2014 marks the start of the Chinese New Year! An ancient family celebration to honor elders and ancestors, rid bad spirits and welcome good fortune is now a popular party theme–whether you descend from those regions or just enjoy the idea of gathering with friends for an evening of festivity! Each year of the Chinese calendar is represented by an animal in 12 year cycles…2014 is the year of the horse…so you can have fun creating a celebration with traditional Chinese decorations as well as the animal representing the year! Make it a family affair and invite all ages to experience the excitement of something new!