New Years Eve {Printable} Countdown Game

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All opinions are mine alone.

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Happy Monday! Did you survive the Christmas clean up this past weekend? Ha! That always seems like the worst part. You work for weeks getting ready for the BIG day and then all of the sudden it is over, and what's left is the aftermath. I do have to say that I enjoy seeing all that we are blessed with IN that aftermath though. It's all about perspective I guess, isn't it? Well, today I'm excited to share something with you that you can use THIS weekend with your friends and family to help you ring in the New Years together! A fun New Year's Eve Countdown Game that you can just print out and hang up. So so easy! Plus I've got yummy snacks to share like this Cracker Barrel Cheese Tray and ways to save over $13 with Kraft! So...don't go anywhere!

A Wall of Christmas {Decor}

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for the end of this week. If you have kiddos in school, you know how crazy these last two weeks have been...especially this one! I've been up since 5:30 this am working on last minute Christmas gifts my kids told me about last night! UGH! (My son told me last night he had a white elephant gift exchange in one class today and can he also take gifts to his teachers?) I think I have made about 20 teacher gifts now this week. Ha! Plus little gifts for my kids' friends and for classmates, and a teacher's bday, and and and...then you get all the class parties and more! I'm exhausted and so ready to sleep in! haha

One thing I did finish recently though was my "Wall of Christmas"! It's so fun with fun Christmas quotes. I love how it turned out and wanted to share.

It really was pretty easy and I love how it transforms our living room even more into the spirit of Christmas! I pretty much took boards and frames I already had and just gave them all an update! I also took a bunch of my fav pics of my kids in the snow and put them all in a frame. So fun!

Minion Lemon Bars Recipe #MinionMovieNight

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All opinions are mine alone. 

#MinionsMovieNight #CollectiveBias

How many of you remember my fun DIY sock minion I posted awhile back? (You can find it here.)  It's been a favorite at our house and also one of my top pinned posts. How can you NOT love those fun little yellow guys?! Well, I have a super fun and easy minion recipe for you today! 

Glue Dots Designer

Have you checked out Glue Dots blog yet? I am excited to be one of their designers this year and have been having fun with some of my projects for them. In fact, two of them are up right now! The Winter Wonderland card and Christmas in a Can. Remember my little Hogs and Kisses can I made here? 

It's been one of my most pinned posts and was so fun and easy to make. If you like that, you need to check out my Christmas in a Can post on the Glue Dots site too! So fun and you could make from things you already have around your house!

Glue Dots is always posting all kinds of tips and tricks and fun little projects to do on their blog and on their Glue Dots Fan Facebook page as well. So go check them out and let me know what you think of my projects for them!

What to do with your Thanksgiving and Christmas leftovers...Dinner Balls!

I absolutely love Thanksgiving dinner! BUT...the best part??? The leftovers! I love the cold tukey sandwich leftovers. I also love these new Thanksgiving Leftover Dinner Balls we started making with our leftovers! They are perfect for the day after...or the day after that! A great way to change it up with your leftovers! YUM!

They're really quite easy too AND you can customize them to your own liking! Add what you want from the leftovers that you have...

Turkey Treats Recipe

I've got a quick little post for you real quick before Thanksgiving. If you're looking for a fun little treat for the kids to make as they are waiting for dinner, OR if you want a cute little something to set beside each place setting at the table, I've got you covered today!

All you need is:

Boy Scout's DIY Paracord Neckerchief Slide

I've shared a few posts in the past where I have shared some fun cub scout projects I have made, but today I want to show you a super easy BOY scout project. My boys are getting older, and don't want the cutesy stuff, but this one they like! 

My boys seem to ALWAYS be losing their slides...whether they take them off at home and misplace them, or at a scouting activity or overnight campout. And the ones at the scout store add up fast!

Well, this is perfect for you to make a few or even as troop and very little cost!

Seasons of Life and My New Announcement!

Well, if you follow me on Facebook or on Instagram, these pictures will look familiar to you. AND it will explain why my posts have been a bit fewer and further in between lately. haha

As we took the picture above, the kids were wondering why there was an extra pumpkin, but my oldest daughter caught on really quick. haha

Creating More Memories, and Less Regrets #TreatYourFamily

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All opinions are mine alone.

#TreatYourFamily #CollectiveBias

I can't believe that the holidays are already right around the corner. Once we hit the end of October, it seems the rest of they year kicks into fast forward warp speed! One of my goals this year is to not let the enjoyment of being with family and friends get away from me during this time. It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life and your "have-to-do-this-today" lists, that sometimes we forget to focus on what matters most and where our real blessings are found.

Cookie Cake {and Recipe} in a Pizza Box!

Is it a pizza? NOPE! It's a cookie cake IN a pizza box!

I have made my own cookie cakes for years now and like the way they taste so much better when they are homemade. And they are really so easy! So today,  I wanted to share my favorite recipe I use for cookie cakes AND show you a fun way to deliver them...in an inside out pizza box!

Spooktacular Halloween Card {Stampendous Blog Hop with Glue Dots}

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was spent taking a walk through a colorful fall environment with some crisp weather! Don't we all wish for that right now?! With a hint of the smell of an apple orchard nearby, right? haha I wish that's all I did this past weekend. 

I did have a bit of fun indoors though and got to do some stamping and papercrafting! And now today, I'm excited to be part of a Blog Hop this week with Stampendous and Glue Dots® and show you all the fun I had and so many others too!

 It has been way too long since I have stamped, when it used to seem that I was stamping or papercrafting weekly if not more! It always takes me a a few minutes to get back into it, and then I am hooked!

BUT guess what, not only do I get to show you the fun we're all having with this blog hop this week, but there's a giveaway as well! Check it out!

Spooky Spider Tricks and Decor

Happy Almost Friday! haha

I don't know about you, but there are a couple people in my family that absolutely hate spiders. haha Me? I don't like snakes. Spiders, I can handle. lol Well, I decided to have a little fun this year and cut out several different spiders in vinyl and strategically placed them around our house for a little fun. It IS the time of year for TRICK or treating, right? haha

DIY Large Harvest Sign Board

I love to upcycle and repurpose and I love fall decor! Earlier this week, I had another post where I got to upcycle some things I had around the house, AND I have one more for you today too! BUT this time it's bright orange and out on my front porch with my fall porch decor. AND I am lovin it! Hee hee

I wanted a larger sign to put outside with my autumn porch decor and was looking around as to what might work and I spotted this board from a dresser drawer my husband took apart. One side had the groove where the drawer slid in, but the other side was Perfect! No need to buy anything!

DIY Luminaries/Lanterns with Recycled Materials You Already Have at Home!

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All opinions are mine alone. 

#BringingInnovation#CollectiveBias

What do you do with those Christmas tree lights that only have half of the lights working on them? Throw them out? Well, don't! I've got a fun little DIY project you can use them for today! 

DIY Luminaries or Lanterns

I love DIY projects! It's fun to create! BUT...normally I have to go out and get a bunch of supplies to make them. This one however, I bet you have nearly everything you need already in your home! PLUS, this DIY project can also double as a little science lesson for your kids. It's simple, safe, and fun! AND all made from recycled materials!

This is what you'll need to get started:

Button Spider Halloween Kids Craft AND Cheesy Popcorn Snack Hack

I help out at my daughter's preschool co-op on Tuesdays, so we're off to preschool this morning. BUT first, I wanted to show you a couple of fun little crafts I have done with my littles recently.

One of them, the Button Spider I even have a short little tutorial for you today, but first...

Do you remember my string art pumpkin from last week? My five year old wanted to make one for her kindergarten teacher and did amazing with it. I helped draw the heart and helped with the thumbtacks and she took it from there! She did great with the string. I love that you can do it methodically OR with no rhyme or reason and it still turns out adorable!

So much fun for any age to make AND receive!

Ok!...back to our fun kids craft and cheesy popcorn snack hack!

DIY Mini Pumpkin Sweet Treats {with Orange Tulle}

#pumpkin #pumpkinlove #fallfun #falltreats #pumpkinsweets 

#diy #tutorial #pumpkintreats #candypumpkins

I said it before, and I'll say it again...I love anything pumpkin! haha Maybe it's the bright pretty colors? Who knows, but I have a fun little DIY pumpkin treat to share with you today!

But first, I wanted to tell you how excited I am to be the newest Glue Dots Design team member. My first project for them is up on their blog today here. So head over there and check out the super easy and fun craft tutorial I have there to make a DIY Autumn Leaf Canvas. It's gorgeous and full of those warm, call colors that you will love!

Okay, back to these oober cute and easy little Orange tulle pumpkins. They are adorable and great to make for a few friends, teachers, co-workers, or even a whole classroom!

Here's what you'll need to get started:

Using your Silhouette to create DIY Vinyl Nail Art

First off, let me preface this post with...these are not my best ever pics. Trying to take pictures of your own hands, by yourself, is not the easiest. haha

Have you ever tried some of the nail art decals out there? I have and some seem to not stay on very long at all and others that cost more do. They're all fun though! Some of them are actually made from vinyl that you heat up before applying. I started thinking about this, and thought why not try and make my own?!

So, here is my first attempt at DIY Nail Art Decals.

haha I think they came out super fun!

DIY Vinyl Nail Art Using your Silhouette Machine

First I started by creating my own designs in my Silhouette Designer Studio program on my computer. I stuck to some pretty simple designs:

Free Printable: Comparison is the thief of Joy

I spent this past weekend listening to leaders from my church at Worldwide General Conference. I love coming back from these weekends uplifted and inspired to do better, to be better...to try harder.

I have several new quotes that I favorited from this past weekend, but I had to start off with this past favorite one of mine today.

DIY Easy 10 Minute Pumpkin Decorating {with Thumb Tacks and Push Pins}

Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!I love pumpkins! 

I love all of the recipes that use pumpkin this time of year. I love taking pictures in pumpkin patches. I love the happy color of pumpkins. I love it all!

So this past week, I decided to decorate a few of the pumpkins out on my front porch a little differently and I had so much fun! I love the way they came out and add a bit more charm to it all! And it only took me 10 minutes or less! So so easy that any of you can do it!

Materials:

All you'll need is some pumpkins, thumb tacks, string and some paint pens or vinyl for a bit more decoration if you want.

Tye Dyed Ghosts and Ghouls {Recipe}

Happy October!

I am loving that the fall colors are starting to show in my neck of the woods! That calls for some fall fun in the kitchen, don't you think? So today, to celebrate the vibrant colors of fall, I've got something super fun for you and full of color!

Tye Dyed Ghosts and Ghouls!

haha Aren't they too fun?! My kids LOVED them AND they were super fast and easy too! 

So, here's what you'll need to make them:

Reduce Water Bottles

A couple of years ago, I found these great water bottles at a great price and picked up a set of them. I was thinking about how great they were the other day, except we had lost most of the lids. I decided to check out their website and was happily amazed to find that they sold replacement lids at a great price with LOW shipping too! That brings me to today. If I love them so much and now love them even more for not making me buy brand new water bottles when I was just missing the lids...I just had to share!

I actually picked them up from Woot. (Great website that I love, but don't get me started! lol) But they are sold on Reduce Everyday. And like I said, they are great!

DIY Diaper Wreath Tutorial {with Diaper Rosettes}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 

All opinions are mine alone. 

#GameTimeClean #CollectiveBias 

I enjoyed taking the day off yesterday with my kiddos at home from school. I love when they're home (even though my house looks like a tornado went through it on these days), and honestly miss the summer days when they are all here all day EVERYDAY. BUT...at the same time, sometimes that structure is good when they are back at school and I can get the house picked back up, can run my errands, and can make some fun little gifts and projects like this cute Diaper and Rosette Wreath!

Last week I told you about the Grand Opening at a new Walmart Neighborhood Market near me at 808 W Walnut Street in Rogers, AR. I made sure I stopped in on the day that they opened. They had all kinds of fun samples and people there welcoming the community. I love that you can order online, and then go pick up (in a carline) at this store and am excited to give it a try!

One thing I needed to pick up while I was at the Grand Opening of this Walmart Neighborhood Market was a package of Huggies Diapers- Snug and Dry Ultra Super Pack. 

(Keep reading to see how I transformed this box of Huggies diapers into a cute Diaper and Rosette Wreath.)

My Top 10+ Fall Posts

Happy Thursday! Are you as ready for Friday as I am?! My son that got injured this past weekend, and now has a concussion, has consumed my week and now he has the doctor's orders to stay home from school. A good thing (for his brain) and a bad thing as far as stressing about how much he is missing and getting behind on in school.

So...to cheer me up AND to celebrate the beginning of fall, today I've got a round up of my past and best 10+ fall projects! I don't know what it is about fall, but just knowing that it's here, has me smiling!

So many fun things to do in the fall!

From baking these yummy cookies...

Fun Finds at Magnolia Market

Happy Middle of the Week! So far no more injuries at our house. haha Thank goodness!

So, one of my favorite shows IF I ever get a chance to actually sit down and watch it is Fixer Upper. I have watched it since about the beginning. I love so many things about it...JoJo's style, the fun relationship between her and Chip, seeing how they include their whole family into they daily lives, even at work...I could go on and on,

So...this past summer when we were traveling, I talked my husband into stopping by Magnolia Market, as we were driving through Waco, TX. I had looked up info on the shop already and it was pretty much what I expected. Lots of fun items to use in your home decor collections. Some more than I would pay, but oh so cute and so much inspiration. 

I wanted to just pick up a couple little things to add to the kitchen I am trying to create for my future house. And this is what I decided on:

Simple, but so fun!

I love the pop of color between the light blue and the strawberries....

U is for Ukulele and V is for Vinyl!

#Silhouetterocks #SilhouetteAmerica #vinyl #ukulele 

I'm so excited to share with you a little bit of fun I had with a friend. Her oldest had a birthday recently and wanted a ukulele. BUT...with the fun personality he (AND his mother) has, she wanted to add something more to it for him. She asked me about putting vinyl on it, and I was like "Sure!" Let's go for it! (Hadn't tried it before, but was pretty sure it would adhere just fine. And why not try?! haha)

He had mentioned flames at one point, but is not really a rocker kind of kid...but is a great Boy Scout who likes camping, so we came up with the idea of putting a campfire on the front of it.

Didn't it turn out so fun?!

Walmart Neighborhood Market Grand Opening in MY area! {Rogers, AR}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 

All opinions are mine alone. 

#GameTimeClean #CollectiveBias 

Happy Monday everyone! I'm not sure about you, but I after my son got injured this past weekend in soccer, I was ready for the weekend to come to an end, and a new week to begin! Ha! I don't usually feel that way. I always think I need an extra day between Saturday and Sunday, but this time, this mama is ready for a new week, one withOUT any injuries and concussions. (Kids, take note! haha)

One thing I do at the beginning of every week is to make a weekly menu and list of items that we need. If we start the week off more organized, the week always goes smoother. (Unless of course you collide with someone else during a soccer game and land on your head. Ugh.)

So, here I am making a list of everything I need to pick up at the store for the week, and I wanted to share with you how excited I am about all the Walmart Neighborhood Markets that have been popping up.

 In fact, there's another one near me in Rogers, AR that is opening this week, and having a Grand Opening on September 23rd, in just TWO days! My kids LOVE going to the Grand Openings with me.

For the Love of Acorns [Collection}

I don't know what it is about acorns...but I love them! I always have! When I was little, I don't ever remember seeing them where I grew up. I always thought they were as big as a fist. haha Then in High School. my family moved and I remember walking home from school one day and seeing some on the ground under a tree next to the road. I was astonished that they were so small! haha BUT there's just something about them...love them!

Apparently. I am not the only one either, because I have found a whole slew of ways to DIY acorns into fun crafts, jewelry and more! So, this weekend, I wanted to share a few of the ones that I found that caught my attention!

"Be Kind. No exceptions." FREE Printable Word Art

Howdy! Howdy! I don't know about you, but somedays it's pretty easy to start feeling like the world we live in is not the one that we grew up in...or the one that our parents grew up in...OR the one we want our children to grow up in. 

I wish that everyone could respect each others differences and even see the beauty in them. I have felt sick to my stomach reading the headlines of so many things lately, especially when it comes to the way that the law enforcement in our country is being treated. I see mothers attacking the way that other women mother. I see teenagers that are bullies and hating on other kids. BUT, if you look around, you can still see good as well. I have always loved the quote: Be the Good, Believe There is Good in the World and have even put it up in my house in vinyl in more than one place:

(You can see other ways I have made this here.)

But today, I wanted to share with you a simple new printable I created. I have it up in my house and love the simple reminder that it is to me and to my family each day. That each of us can change the world, that it matters how we treat others, and that we each have value and deserve respect.

BE KIND.

No exceptions.

Because, really, there is no reason good enough to NOT be kind. 

Just as with my other printables, this one is free to print and use in your home for personal use. NOT to be used in any other way though or to be sold or used for commercial use. 

I have two different versions for you too. Choose whichever one you like best and print away!

Cub Scout Raingutter Regata Pencil Awards

Happy Monday everyone! I woke up a bit more refreshed than normal today, but maybe that's because I went to sleep earlier. You would think I would learn to do this more often. haha

Hope you all had a great weekend! I spent most of the day Saturday at an Emergency Preparation Fair in our area. My husband, who is a scoutmaster, was there teaching the Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge to some of our local Boy Scouts. If you're new to my blog, we are a big scouting family. My boys started as Tiger Cubs and are now both Boy Scouts, one working on his Eagle right now, and the other a Star Scout. We love it all! AND I still get to help with the Cubs in our area too! Which brings me to today's post...We recently had a Raingutter Regata in our local cub scout pack and I wanted to keep it simple, but still have a fun little reward for everyone that participated (nothing like the BIG Pinewood Derbym but still fun!). 

So, I came up with these fun little Raingutter Regata Pencils to give to each boy after the race. 

And they are super easy and inexpensive too! I picked up some Scout pencils at our local Scout Supply store. Then I gathered my materials together. Here's what you'll need:

Cinnamon Apple...in a pot! {Teacher Gift or Fall Candy Bowl}

#teachergift #apple #fall #backtoschool #teacherappreciation #endofschool #firstdayofschool #cinnamonapples #gifts #diygifts #gluedots

I'm ready to say Happy Fall Ya'll! But we're not quite there yet. haha

We started back to school last week here and I wanted to share with you a super duper simple easy peasy! teacher gift that you can use right now OR anytime of year. Seriously! It can't get any easier than this! AND it's multifunctional for the teacher!

It's a Cinnamon Apple...in a pot! So so easy and yet, they can use it later to take home and plant something in or put their pens and pencils in...whatever they want! I even thought of dolling it up a bit more by putting the teacher's name on the front or a big A+. BUT decided that I liked the simplicity of it being just a big red apple this time. :)

So, here is your list of supplies needed to make this gem:

5 Tiered Individual Cookie Cakes

I know I've been out lately, but I am excited to show you everything I have been doing in that time and MORE! Today I just wanted to share with you a really simple fun little snack that is adorable and perfect for parties, birthdays, lunches, and even after school snacks. It's an individual sized 5 tiered cookie cake!

MIA

I've been a little MIA over the last couple weeks spending time with family and gearing up for Back to School with my kiddos, but I'm still here and still on FB and Instagram, so head over there and I'll be posting again soon! Hope you're summer is finishing up grand!

Cupcakes Topped with {Fruit by the Foot} ROSES Tutorial

#diyroses #diy #tutorial #rose #cupcakeroses #recipe #cupcakes #fruitbythefootrose #yummy

I'm excited to share these super fun and even pretty roses I made and put on top of some cupcakes today! They're impressive and don't take long at all to make! AND...you'll never guess what they're made with! NOT fondant! ;)

Here are the supplies/ingredients and steps to make these quick little cupcakes that impress everyone!

Summer Fun with Cousin Swaps! {DIY Water Bottles}

We've been having fun with ALL girls in our house the last couple weeks. We have cousins visiting and our boys are gone visiting other cousins elsewhere. We've had craft days and outtings, and swimming, and lots and lots of karoke, and basically lots of girl fun.Such a different dynamic in our house and my poor hubby has been so outnumbered. Ha!

But, I wanted to share with you one little thing we did as a DIY craft one afternoon. We picked up some water bottles and decided to personalize them so that they could each have a little something to remember this summer together. PLUS, they have worked great here at home and on outtings to help keep everyone hydrated in the summer heat! (And it has eliminated the number of cups used in our house too! WIN! haha)

We decided to just put Cousin Swap on the bottles, and the year mainly, but had to add some names and a fun sun for the summer fun we are having. We kept the design simple, and love the way it came out! They each helped to apply the vinyl to the bottles too. 

Toadally Awesome! {Frog or Toad Kids Craft}

How is your summer going? Ours has been so much fun! We've gone camping, and hiking, and been a small road trip to a family wedding and now we have cousins staying wit us for a bit! So we decided to make it even more fun with these TOADally awesome rock crafts today! 

They're so simple to make....and even more fun sitting out in your garden or in your house next to some plants. PLUS they're great to play with too!

Check them out and see how easy they are to make!

All you really need is some little rocks, some adhesive (I used double sided foam tape and glue dots.), googly eyes, and some paper cut outs of toad (or frog shapes). (Painting the rocks is optional.) They take just minutes to make and kids love love LOVE them!

Princesses for the Day

A few weeks ago, we had the chance to go and meet some Princesses at the Park. I love love loved this idea! I love that some local teens were happy to put this on for the kids. So much fun and such a treat for my girls!

My girls were a little shy at first, but loved meeting Jasmine, Belle, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Anna, and Rapunzel.  Not to mention that Eric, Prince Charming, and Eugene (or Flynn Rider) made an appearance too! 

DIY Car or Home Air Freshener

Hellllloooo Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! They always go by too fast, don't they?

Well today, I'm excited to share with you one of the simplest DIY projects that I love! It's my own DIY Car freshener or home air freshener.

It's really simple, so I'm going to get right to the specifics for you!

I start with a little chipboard. Any shape will work. I just picked this little flower that I had one hand to show you today. It's about 3 inches in diameter.