DIY Glitter-Kissed Sparkling Party Glasses

December 15, 2015December 15, 2015 - Mama Leave a comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WaterMadeExciting #CollectiveBias

Make your own sparkling champagne glasses for your next party-- 3 great ideas for adding a little whimsy to your glass (and helping guests tell their glasses apart!) Sparkle the glass, add your favorite sparkling drink, and you're party-ready to ring in the new year. #WaterMadeExciting [ad]

I love a little glitter. Okay, I love a lot of glitter… there’s never enough sparkle in life, is there? With Christmas parties in full swing and New Years’ Eve coming up, I had to come up with a way to really make my party plans sparkle. And today, I’m sharing three of those ideas with you, plus some ideas to add a little extra pep to your sparkling water this season!

How To Give the Gift of Relaxation for Christmas

December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 - Mama 2 Comments

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Prismacolor, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #relaxandcolor http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Feeling stressed? Have a friend who needs to relax? Give the gift of relaxation this Christmas-- this is the perfect gift or care package that really works perfectly for helping someone cheer up. With an adult coloring book, perfect colored pencils, and other really great ideas for the perfect Relaxation gift basket! #relaxandcolor #coloringwithMichaels #Pmedia #ad

Relaxation is getting harder and harder to come by, isn’t it? I wouldn’t trade the life I have for the world, but sometimes at the end of the day, before I can close my eyes to sleep, I just need to take some time to… well, unwind. That’s a lot of why I’ve wholeheartedly jumped onto the adult coloring book craze– for me, it’s about a creative outlet where I just take a few minutes each night to color, relax, and breathe before I doze off. At first it started with colored pencils and a coloring book, but now I’ve added warm fuzzy socks, some nice chocolate, lit candles, and sipped some tea, and I have to say, it’s made for a much calmer me. But here’s the deal– it’s Christmastime, the season of giving, and I knew that I couldn’t keep this relaxation to myself. I had to put together the perfect gift of relaxation for my best friend.

Minions BananaBerry Dump Cake (With BananaBerry “Ice Cream”)

December 7, 2015January 3, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MinionsAtTarget #CollectiveBias

Bee-do-bee-do-bee-do… In case you didn’t know it yet, your favorite yellow little creatures are coming out on DVD tomorrow, and I know we’ve already pre-ordered the Minions movie. That meant making the perfect dessert for our Minions watch party, and trust me, you’re going to love this one. Take a break from holiday stress and make these delightful minion mini cakes for your family to enjoy during the movie!

10 Christmas Gifts for Kids (That Aren’t More Toys!)

November 23, 2015 - Mama Leave a comment

Last Christmas, as I loaded up some of the toys my son was no longer playing with to get rid of, I finally stepped on the LEGO that broke the camel’s back… With toys tucked in every corner, I simply couldn’t take adding another one to the house at Christmas time. Zach has a tendency to get toys throughout the year, of course, and our over-stuffed toy bins were clear indicators that he wasn’t exactly hurting for toys. So, I made a decision: No. More. Toys. We weren’t getting rid of the toys he loved, and we certainly weren’t eliminating toys from the house, but instead, my entire family agreed that we would make a conscious effort to purchase a little more creatively for Christmas, and that meant not buying any new toys.

Inside Out Emotions Cupcakes (That Your Kids Can Make!)

November 20, 2015January 3, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

These Inside Out cupcakes are so easy to make that kids of any age can do it! Using store-bought ingredients, it's perfect for little ones to make these treats inspired by Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and even Bing Bong from the Inside Out Movie!

We are still having a blast with Inside Out here, and since my son is a huge fan of being in the kitchen, we decided to make some awesome Inside Out Emotions cupcakes together! It’s so simple to do that almost any age can make Inside Out cupcakes of their very own, inspired by your favorite characters, like Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and even Bing Bong!

Bing Bong Blasters: Cotton Candy Mocktails

November 18, 2015January 3, 2017 - Mama 2 Comments

Do you love Inside Out? These Bing Bong Blasters are inspired by the beloved Imaginary Friend, and are made with cotton candy, just like Bing Bong! Check out these awesome cotton candy mocktails that are perfect for any age.

Who’s your friend that likes to play? Who’s rocket makes you yell hooray?

BING BONG! I have to tell you, Bing Bong is one of my absolute favorite characters from Inside Out. He’s just so witty, and I won’t give any spoilers, but he clearly loves Riley and wants her to be okay, too. And that’s why I had to create a perfect mocktail that is great for sipping while you watch the movie, or for enjoying at Inside Out birthday parties, or really, anytime you need a special treat. Plus, since Bing Bong is part cotton candy, it has a nice portion of that in it, too!

DIY Inside Out Memory Spheres

November 16, 2015November 18, 2015 - Mama 3 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InsideOutEmotions #CollectiveBias

Learn to discuss tough emotions-- like anger, sadness, and fear-- with your children. These DIY memory spheres from the Inside Out movie are a craft that gets kids talking! #InsideOutEmotions #ad

Emotions are tough. Seriously, they can be really hard to navigate, especially when you’re young and don’t always have the words to share how you’re feeling. But then, Inside Out showed up and gave kids examples of what those emotion words felt like. Plus, it was a super adorable movie– cute enough that we decided to see it like 4 times in theatres! So as soon as I found out it was available at Walmart, we ran to the store right away to pick up our copy.

How to Create a Winter Preparedness Box for Home or School

November 13, 2015 - Mama 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PreparedWithCVS #CollectiveBias

Winter is upon us, and with all the

Winter really hasn’t even started yet, and already, the kiddo and I have had to take a little time off of work and school because we weren’t feeling our best. It seems like anytime you’re at school, work, or even home, when winter hits, it seems like it’s the season to feel a little more… under the weather. Sometimes it’s all of the warm air circulating inside closed windows that just keeps the germs in, and sometimes it’s the number of hugs you’re exchanging at those family holiday parties, but because of all of that, it helps to have a plan to keep you at your best, and to help you bounce back fast when you aren’t. That’s why I’m all for a winter preparedness kit that will help keep things going this winter!

How a Highway Turkey United My Hometown

November 11, 2015 - Mama 1 Comment

It all started with a turkey. Just a simple, wild turkey who loved to hang out by the side of the highway just north of my hometown. He was there for about a year before someone made that first post in a community group for ladies in my town… “Hey, has anyone else seen that turkey on the highway?”

How to Host a Brunch (Without Ruining Your Meal Plan)

November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 - Mama 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. I was sponsored to write this post on behalf of Weight Watchers®. All opinions are mine alone. #SmarterTreats #CollectiveBias

Yes, you CAN host a holiday celebration without blowing your meal plan. Seriously. It's the season of eating, but that doesn't mean we have to miss out if we're on a diet. This is the perfect way to throw a *lighter* brunch for all of your family and friends during the holiday season! #SmarterTreats #ad

The other day on Facebook, I was talking to a friend about how it seems that we used to only worry about summer bikini bodies. But now, summer bikini bodies start early so we can be ready for our kids’ spring break in March, stay fit all the way through summer, keep a lean body for Halloween costumes (which are mostly skin-tight, even for moms), and then of course, trying to still look good on Valentine’s Day. It becomes a never-ending cycle, and gone are the days about slacking off on a healthy lifestyle during the Holiday Season, or Season of Eating… luckily, you can still celebrate without giving up on your eating goals, because some of the best party food will fit perfectly in your meal plan… seriously! There is such a thing as a brunch that doesn’t break the Points Bank…

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