Valentine's Day Fun Ideas

If you are having problems coming up with cute (and quick!) ideas for Valentine's Day - - here's some previous posts of mine that may help you out with that (:

Valentine's Day Kiss Search

A morning or evening of fun activities - the great kiss search - and some easy, but delicious recipe ideas.

Crayon hearts for kiddos

Valentine's Day Heart garlands are easy to make, display, and use as a quick surprise!

Heart shaped grape tomatoes can kick up lunch time

What ideas do you have for Valentine's Day fun?

More later! (:

Quality Halloween Costumes on the Cheap by Kate Frankenberg

{Image from Google Images}

You guys KNOW I just LOVE Halloween.... Like I say each and every year, Halloween is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the holiday season and I am always ready to get the holidays started!

Just in time for Halloween (only about 20 days away!!), I am pleased to introduce you to Kate Frankenberg from MyCabbage and  Off the Grid Chicago. She is sharing some quick and easy tips for inexpensive costume ideas. This is perfect for everyone out there who is looking to save money (without looking like it!!) or for anyone who has procrastinated and (still!!!) isn't sure what the plan is - you know who you are (wink! wink!). Thanks  so much for stopping by, Kate!!

Read on for some of her great ideas....

Quality Halloween costumes on the cheap

If you are anything like me, on October 29 you are scrambling to pull a Halloween costume together at the last minute. This bad habit usually lands me at the local Halloween pop-up-shop shifting through $60-$100 dollar picked over costumes leaving me unsatisfied with both my costume and the dent made in my Halloween budget. With a little planning and budgeting, it doesn’t have to be this way!

Handmade

Nothing is cheaper than making your own costumes for you and the family with some cardboard, scissors, paint and a little creativity.  Felt iron on material is also a quick and easy way to make something out of nothing. If you have a creative idea and are a little bit crafty, using these materials will make it easy to execute. One year my friends and I got together and dressed up as “Rock, Paper, Scissors” (definitely not a costume you would find at the store!). If you don’t have a craft bone in your body, check out crafting websites like Etsy where you can buy other handmade costumes or pieces of costumes that you can assemble on your own.

Raid your friend’s closets

One man’s trash is truly another mans treasure. Bring your costume collection from previous years over to your friends’ houses and do a “costume swap”. Their kids probably have outgrown a few of their costumes and yours have too. This is a perfect way to feel like you have a “fresh” set of costumes without spending a dime.

Rent-a-costume

Sometimes you need a costume that is just out of this world. I, for one, am sick of owning a bunch of costumes that you can only wear once because they are so memorable. Instead of making big purchases on those costumes, find a your local costume rental shop. They have high quality costumes that you can rent for under $100 dollars. Get their quick though; the good costumes always are rented out the fastest.

Thrifting

Make sure you check out your local Goodwill for Halloween costumes on the cheap. The fun of going to the thrift store is that it is kind of like a crab shoot, you never know if you are going to find a hidden gem or just the costume you were looking for at the right price! Don’t be afraid to get creative and “edit” a few items if you find elements of your costume idea that might work. An added bonus: when you purchase from Goodwill you are providing jobs to those who are at a disadvantage!

Hopefully these few tips will help you have a very scary Halloween without breaking the bank.

Kate Frankenberg is a passionately curious writer, DePauw University graduate, and digital marketing professional. By day you can find Kate marketing all things MyCabbage, a simple way to keep all your daily deals, gift cards and coupons in one place and share with your friends so you can plan something together. By night you can find her working as a volunteer Marketing Chair for the Junior Council of Lurie Children’s Hospital and writing for her website, a blog about Chicago startups, nonprofits, and outstanding individuals.

4th of July Headband Craft

I wanted to make something with my little one that she could wear to get ready for the 4th of July - I found this on the Parents Magazine website - it was perfect and easy, and best of all, she could help me with it!!!

What You Need:

• Blue Felt
• White (Sticker-Backed) Felt
• 2 Buttons
• Headband
• Glue gun

What to do:

• Make a template using thin cardboard (I used this explanation to get the star just right)
• Pin the template to blue felt and cut out two stars
• Trim the template down slightly (about 1/8") and then pin to white felt and cut out two (smaller) stars
• Remove sticker backing from white felt and stick to blue felt
• Using a glue gun, glue stars onto headband (in any way that you like)
• Glue-gun on buttons to the middle of the stars
• Let dry
• Celebrate!!!

If you make this, please leave me a comment and let me know - - I would love to see it!!
And check here to see places where I generally link up!!!
Cheers!
More later (:

Grilling - Vegan Style Kebabs

I love, love, love holidays!! But, 4th of July is one of my favorites by far. I think it's partly that it's in the summer, partly that it's about parties, and partly that it's usually celebrated outside - all day!! :) And, even though I don't eat meat, I love to grill! Grilling brings intensity to certain flavors, like these smoky and spicy Kebabs (which will be too hot for your little ones unless you omit the chipotle pepper). I got this recipe from the Meatout Monday campaign website (Of course, it's slightly modified...). Their website is full of good, healthy, filling meals that can easily replace meat-filled meals - - even for people who claim that they could "never be vegetarian" or "love meat too much". When I grill these kebabs up, I always make extra for the lunch the next day. And although I love to share good vegetarian food with people, these are HARD for me to give up!! :)

What are you grilling up for your 4th?

Chipotle Grilled Tofu Kebabs

Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, cut into (3/4") cubes
bamboo skewers

Spicy Chipotle Sauce:
3 Tbs. non-dairy margarine (try Earth Balance)
3 Tbs. garlic clove, peeled & minced
½ cup yellow onion, diced
2 Tbs. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
2 tsp. maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar
5 Tbs. ketchup
1 Tbs. soy sauce (optional)
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
* You can substitute with 4-6 sliced portobello mushrooms, 1 package of unbreaded soy chicken strips, or at least 1 eggplant, cut into strips & pre-roasted for about 10 minutes.

Directions:

Soak bamboo skewers (if using a gas grill; our grill is electric, so I skipped this step).

Take one cube of tofu and "thread" two skewers through it (the two skewers make it more stable so the tofu doesn't slip off while grilling). Continue threading skewers and tofu until skewer is full and move to next set of skewers. Continue until all the tofu has been used up.

Make the sauce by melting margarine in a non-stick pan over medium high heat; add garlic and onions, stirring frequently until golden; add chipotle chilies, agave nectar or maple syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, and cider vinegar; stir well and cook for 5 minutes until sauce is thick and sticky.
Brush kebabs liberally with spicy chipotle sauce; grill (or saute) over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side or until crisp with grill marks on both sides (be careful not to burn); brush with more sauce if desired and serve hot.

Do you have any special traditions that you use to celebrate our country's freedom?

I'm linking up here:
The Saturday Evening Pot
Savory Sunday
Market Yourself Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Creative Bloggers Party
Just Another Meatless Monday
Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday
Vegan Mondays at the Veggie Converter
Tuesday Linky Parties
Thursday Linky Parties
Mique's Pity Party

POST UPDATE (7/11/11): Thanks so much to Rebecca Jean at Midnight Maniac! This recipe was a featured submission in her weekly linky party!! Yayyaayayay!!! Check out the other features, too!

Happy 4th of July!!
More later!! :)

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Last Minute Easter Craft

One great last minute Easter craft: My little one was bored today so to occupy her for awhile we did the Easter Bunny Shoe Topper craft from Family Fun Magazine. So simple, so easy, and I didn't even have to leave the house for supplies! Yay!

Take one piece of craft felt and cut out two 3 x 5 inch rectangles. Using pinking shears, cut out a bunny face 'profile' to use as your base. Using another color of felt, cut out shapes to make the inside of the ears. Use craft glue and glue on googly eyes; Cut two slits (horizontally, about 1/2" long and about 1/2" apart) to make the nose; Pull a piece of ribbon through the slits (with the excess ribbon coming out of the back of the bunny face) to create the nose; Glue on two small pom-poms for the bunny cheeks; Add the smile and whiskers with a black sharpie.

Tie on to shoelaces or shoes (Velcro straps in our case!). And let your little one emulate the Easter Bunny's hopping. :)

Happy Easter!!! :)

More later!  :)

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Valentine's Day 2011

Happy V-Day!!
Spent some time last night with Miss NoNo finding places to hide kisses for Daddy.  :)  We "hid" them in:

• his underwear, sock, and t-shirt drawers
• in his shoes
• in his lunch bag
• by the front door
• in the dryer
• in his bathroom drawer
• on his nightstand
• in the refrigerator: in the fruit drawer, in the eggs, next to the milk, and on top of his pre-made (for lunch) sandwich
• and one on top of the trash can

You would have thought that the kisses were for Miss NoNo herself as excited as she was!! Mr. NoNo told me later that she kept telling him, "there is something for you hidden somewhere, but I can't tell you where because it won't be as much fun". This morning, the excitement overwhelmed her, I guess. She kept telling Mr. NoNo - you need to look in the eggs now, don't forget to look in the eggs. Hahahaha.

I also made a little "basket" for Miss M - two preschool activity books, Disney Princess pens, window markers, and a squeezable applesauce container that she can put in her lunch one day this week! She didn't see it before I left for work. But, after the chocolate high (from school) slows down, I'm sure she will be telling me all about it!!!

Tonight, I am making a special VDay dinner: Homemade (!) gnocchi with red sauce, a simple salad, mushroom crostini (as an appetizer while dinner finishes) and rosemary apple turnovers for dessert!!! Yum! My plan is to have the tarts cooking while we eat dinner and then pull them out and serve after a little bit. (The turnovers are a treat for Mr. NoNo who had something like that at a restaurant last month and was still talking about it a couple of days later!)
I will share the pics and the recipes later this week!!!

This was the most fun I have had on Valentine's Day in years!!
More later!! :)

White Christmas

..in NY for Christmas.... The snow is falling, its about 25 degrees everyday, and my little one is having so much fun playing with the cousins she rarely sees! There are cookies and candy and lots (and lots!) of presents! Ahhhhh... I love Christmas, but I must say that I love a white Christmas even more. We have been sledding and playing in the snow everyday - it's so much fun.

And, of course, I brought my camera with me...but I forgot the cord to connect it to my computer! So I have all these great pics, but I will have to share them and add them once I get back home!

More later! :)

Christmas to-do list

Ohhhhhh - the joy!!!
I am DONE with my Christmas cards! I just finished them up right now.  :) Yay!

I still have to make cookies.....hmmmm....don't know how many of THOSE will actually get done this year....Thank goodness for my mom - she made LOTS of cookies this year...I will be passing those along. Which actually works out good since my mom is a much better baker than me! And...since it was almost 90 degrees today, it's hard to get in the mood to bake when my kitchen is warm before I even get started... (excuses? excuses? hahahaha)

I also have all my shopping done and everything that needs to be mailed out is gone! It feels good to have almost everything done so early!!!

I can spend this next week (mostly) just relaxing, kicking back and getting back to my usual schedule.

How are your Christmas plans coming? Still have lots on your to-do list?

See my bloghop list on the lower right sidebar....That's where I am hopping on Monday morning. Thanks for following!!

More later! :)

Yay! I'm Ba-a-a-a-ack!!!!

I had some personal things to take care of and had to take some time "off" from blogging to get things handled here at home. But, now I am back - - and I am soooo happy about it!!!

Here's what we have been doing since I have been away:

We made a cool bento for Miss No-No the day before Thanksgiving:

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went up to see my cousins who have RVs and rented campsites to hang out at all week. It was so much fun to just relax and have a nice time. Miss No-No got to play with my cousin's daughter (who is about a year older than her) and they were inseparable the whole time! It worked out so well, and I had so much fun, we have already rented a space there for next year. I am renting an RV for us tomorrow so that we can reserve it for that weekend. Which means.....1 - we will be there with my cousins next year, 2 - Miss No-No will get to spend some more quality time with her cousin Ava, 3 - Miss No-No and Mr. No-No will get to have fun camping in an RV for the first time, and 4 - we will be having Thanksgiving dinner at a campsite!!! hahahahaha! That will be a fun change!!!

We went to a birthday party for one of Miss No-No's friends. This place was crazy!!! It's this big warehouse that's divided into a couple of rooms. And in each of the rooms they have these HUGE bounce houses!! In the first room, there was a small obstacle course, and then a very big obstacle course. There was also a covered "house" that was like a little basketball court inside (complete with hoops and balls). The second room had another, bigger obstacle course, a small boxing ring with huge boxing gloves and headgear, and then this unbelievable slide - you had to climb up on to this small trampoline and then up through this lattice style maze (straight up) probably about 30 feet and then go down this huge slide (Miss No-No didn't even try to go through that last one!). She had so much fun. I went in some of the houses with her, but I think that a couple of the dads there had more fun than the kids - because some of those guys were into EVERYTHING - hahahhaa!! Afterwards, all the kids went into another room where they had pizza, fruit, and cake. ...and then the present-opening-event began!!! :)

She loved it! She told us that next time she has a birthday, she wants to have it there!!! And I can totally understand why! :)

And, we just spent some time relaxing, being a family together, and being VERY thankful for the love and goodness that is so awesome in our lives!!!

More later! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful (relaxing!) Thanksgiving Day!! It's a day for gratitude and appreciation - - not a day for toooo much hard work! We already do that everyday anyways!!! (lol)
With that in mind, I have some things that I am thankful for:

• My helpful, happy husband who I love so much
• My interesting, inquisitive, intelligent daughter who makes me laugh and smile everyday
• My good family and friends that stand beside me no matter what
• My good job that helps me pay all the extra bills in our house  and
• My daughter's great school that makes her smart and interested in learning

I hope everyone can think of a TON of everyday things that they are thankful for too!

Relax and enjoy!!

More later!!! :)