Last minute Christmas party favors

A week or so ago I hosted a family Christmas gathering. Something small, just to see everyone before the holiday madness. I wanted to send everyone home with a little gift but I thought about it too late and had to come up with something last minute.

I found these super cute advent calendar mini bags at IKEA and ended up using them as party favor bags.

I wrapped up some of my gingerbread cookies and added one in each bag.

Then I filled some mini plastic bags with a single portion of my homemade hot chocolate mix (I'll be sharing the recipe soon so make sure to check back later!), labeled them with pretty handwritten tags and added those too.

I also added a few mini chocolates and a little candy cane. Nothing fancy, but I totally enjoyed the homemade touch.

What kind of little trinkets would you like to receive in party favors?

Make your own cookie gift wrap using wax paper

It just isn't Christmas without yummy gingerbread cookies.

I had so much fun coming up with my own gingerbread cookie recipe that I made a few extra batches to give away as party favors for Christmas. I didn't want to put naked cookies in bags because that's just boring. Any chance I have to get creative, I accept the challenge!

I didn't have any fancy bags or boxes so I came up with something super cute using wax paper, markers and ribbon.

MATERIALS:
Wax paper
Permanent markers
Scissors
Baker's twine



1. Cut the wax paper into squares.
2. Draw a simple pattern (or whatever your heart desires) on the wax paper using permanent markers.
3. Flip the decorated paper upside down and place your cookie upside down onto it.
4. Fold the paper to wrap the cookie.
5. Add a pretty string or ribbon.



There you have it! Such a quick and simple way to dress homemade cookies for a cute gift. You could use this for colleagues, friends or even your neighbors. Hope you enjoy wrapping up your home baked goods! :D

Do you have any fun way to wrap up single cookies?

Cucumber cream cheese bites

I'm all about fast, delicious and healthy bites when it comes to party food. For M's second birthday I wanted to make a veggie platter, but it was just too boring for me. So I decided to turn the veggies into simple and original bites sized snacks! Meet the cucumber cream cheese bites. c:

The best thing though is that you don't even have to prepare them ahead of time. All you have to do is slice up some cucumber and put everything in a platter with a knife to spread the cream cheese and let your guests make their own! You could even get creative and offer different toppings. It's almost like a cracker bar but with cucumbers instead. (:

INGREDIENTS
Cucumber
Cream cheese
Dried cranberries


Seriously though, these are delicious. Do you have any quick snacks that you prepare for guests at special events?



On another note, I started to think about Christmas gifts. I know, kind of early, but I'm always late, and this year I promised myself I'd be early! As I was writing this post, I found out that Blurb is offering Canadians an exclusive 25% off photo books until October 31 (using code CANADA25). So I thought I'd turn my recipes into a book and give them away as presents. Good idea no?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Blurb. All opinions are my own.

Halloween apothecary

I am so unbelievably psyched right now (and a little ahead, but I just couldn't wait!). I've been thinking about this project for EVER and it's finally done. Isn't it just cool? Magic potions guys. MAGIC! Anyone want to fly? Fall in love? Well...you're in for a treat because today, it's all possible! Just don't drink the poison ok?

I've been collecting all sorts of different glass bottles. Ketchup bottles, essence bottles, oil dispensers, maple syrup jars, soya sauce bottles, fizzy water bottles... even alcohol bottles (that others give me because I don't drink).

With a sprinkle of Fairy Dust and a Unicorn's Tear, let me present to you my new favorite Halloween decoration, the Apothecary, magical potions included! Right now I'm using it as a table center but come Halloween, this baby's going to be next to my big cauldron full of candy.

I love Halloween. It's the only time of the year where you can get crazy creative and have no one judge you. Always wanted to be a princess? No problem. Prefer being a naughty nurse. You got it. Secretly think you're a spy? Live it out! Personally, I'd love to dress up Steampunk with a big pouffy dress.

What's your favorite Halloween costume?



MATERIALS:
Glass bottles
Water
Food dye
Glitter
Beads
...and anything else you'd like to put in your bottles




TOOLS:
Paper
Tags
Baker's twine
Scissors
Pen
Tape



1. The first thing you want to do is fill your bottles and jars. I filled mine with beads, dried flowers, glitter and of course, colored water. I left some empty as well, just for decor.



2. Next you want to identify your bottles. You wouldn't want to confuse the Poison with the Love Potion! I used tags for some, and for others I used props.



For the poison I added a skull on top of the jar. I got a whole bunch at the dollar store for a buck.



I added a simple tag with pretty lettering for the fairy dust. Glitter!! Don't you just love glitter?



And for the the flying potion I added some wings!



So there you have it. A super cute and fun Apothecary! This Halloween DIY is super easy so even kids could jump in and decorate a few bottles. You could use a few plastic ones if you're concerned they might break them. You could even paint them. Be creative! :)



What kind of decor will you be making this Halloween?

Mini s'mores on a stick

Remember all that left over chocolate from Easter that we froze? Well, I just found a new use for it; gotta use it all up right?

We have a newborn at home, and I really wanted to go camping this year, like, really really. But, um, I don't particularly think it's a good idea to sleep outdoors at 15 Celsius with a 1 month old. So, I had to find a way to bring camping to us! Ding! (That's the sound of the light bulb that went off in my head) Backyard camping!!! We can enjoy the same things, and go to sleep indoors when it gets too cold. I know what you're thinking: "But it's not really camping without s'mores!" My answer: "S'mores on a stick; problem solved." I'm so proud of myself right now.

Have you ever camped in your backyard? What kind of activities would you do to make it just like real camping?

By the way, this is my first official try at food styling (or creating a mess, whatever you want to call it), what do you think? Win or lose?

INGREDIENTS:
Mini marshmallows
Chocolate
Graham cookie crumbs


1. Melt the chocolate. If you use the microwave, make sure you do it in small intervals. Heat for a few seconds, take it out, stir, repeat until melted. If you try to melt it all in one go it might burn.


2. Put the mini marshmallows on toothpicks.


3. Dip the mini marshmallows in the melted chocolate then in the graham cookie crumbs.


4. Leave out to dry and enjoy!


These little s'mores are such a tease, seriously, they just leave you wanting more (I haven't decided if that's good or bad yet...). Oh, and I may or may not have eaten all of the leftover chocolate as a fondue.

DIY: Wire birthday crown

This tutorial is a bit overdue since it's the crown I made for my son's second birthday; which was over a month ago... but so much has happened since then that I'm sure you'll forgive me.

Like any mother out there my goal is to do everything I possibly can for my children; this of course includes birthdays. I'm not one for huge parties but I do love to decorate and plan celebrations. I don't usually do anything fancy, but I do tend to get creative, so I decided to start documenting some of these projects hoping to inspire others to use every excuse possible to have some fun with colors and textures!

Have you ever made a birthday crown? What kind of materials did you use?

On my son's first birthday I used felt to make his crown. It was really pretty but didn't hold too well. This time I decided to try something a little sturdier. I had wire lying around which I was planning to use to make a wire wrapped stone pendant (still haven't gotten around to it, ah!), so I decided to use some and try and make a wire crown.

This project was inspired by the wire art of Five From The Ground.

MATERIALS:
Wire
Round pliers
Cutters
Glue gun


1. Measure the head circumference of the person who will be wearing the crown and cut a piece of wire that's a bit longer. Form a circle as shown in the picture below then wrap the ends with the round pliers to attach it.


2. Cut 9 small strands of wire (approximately 3 inches long); you can cut more if you want more points to your crown. Bend them into triangles using your round pliers. Bend both ends of each triangle to attach to the crown.


3. Secure the wire triangles onto the circle you created earlier by pressing on the curled ends then further secure using glue.


Place on the head of the king or queen. :)

This is by far the favorite crown I've made so far. It's totally cute and my son loved it. It did look a bit uncomfortable since the building medium is hard, but this can easily be fixed by using a softer (thinner) wire. Enjoy!

5 homemade Mother's Day gift ideas

Nothing says Mother's Day gift better than something homemade don't you think? I mean, there's always flowers, chocolates, even a card, but making something especially for her shows that you truly care.



I always think baking something is a good idea, I usually go for either cupcakes or cookies. My favorite recipe is the extra rich mini chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting shown above.



You could also try this super quick homemade chocolate pudding mix.



I also really love this homemade lotion. It's the only moisturizer I use on myself and my family.



Then there's this natural lip balm for some super soft lips.



You could also opt for something on the decorative side with these pot holders made with some dollar store terra cotta pots and acrylic pain.

DIY: Easy doily garland

I've been in a festive mood lately. With my sister's wedding coming up and my son's 2nd birthday soon after...so I've been making garlands! I also took this opportunity to add to my home decorating project by making a doily garland for my son's bedroom.

I still have a few different kinds I'd like to make. So many different creative ways to make them...you can play with color, texture (feathers, glitter), tools (glue, thread, punches, scissors), materials (paper, plastic, felt, cloth, tissue paper) and accessories (beads, crystals, leaves, straws, sticks).

Anyway, enough with the dreaming and on with the tutorial. Here's how I made the doily garland.

MATERIALS:
Doilies
Ribbon
Kraft paper


I bought the doilies for $1.50 at the grocery store and the ribbon at the dollar store. The kraft paper I bought at Michael's.

TOOLS:
Glass (to trace a circle)
Pencil
Scissors


1. Cut the doilies in half.
2. Trace circles on the kraft paper and cut then in half as well.


3. Lightly glue your kraft paper half circles to your doily half circles.


4. Sew all your pieces together onto the ribbon, or glue them.


You're all done! I find it adds a festive touch to a room or any special occasion. This is a super easy project and it's quick too. If you're ever stuck inside on a cold rainy day, this is definitely a project for you. :)

Have you made any garlands for your home?

DIY: Circular cupcake toppers

These are the cupcake toppers I made for my son's first birthday last year. I was looking for something easy to start with in terms of cake decorations. I didn't have any special cutters or punches so I decided to go with circles. Anyone can find a circular shape in their home to use as a tracing model right? I actually used a couple of shooter glasses (gasp! - I have no idea where they came from, seriously).

Even though my little munchkin didn't end up eating any of the cake I made (good thing too because he ended up being allergic to eggs... !), I originally thought cupcakes would be a better option for a baby because they can destroy their portion (yep, that's pretty much what babies do to cakes) without touching everyone else's (an option I will choose again this year - egg free of course).

MATERIALS:
2-3 pieces of 12x12 card-stock (of different style/color)
Toothpicks


TOOLS:
Scissors
Modpodge & Paint brush (glue works too)
Pencil & Eraser
Marker
Models (I used two shot glasses)


1. Trace your models on the cardboard using the pencil. I did 3 different sizes each on a different color of card-stock to add depth.
2. Cut all the circles. Yes, it would be much faster if you had punches, but I didn't, so it took me longer but was cheaper! :P


3. Assemble all the circles as shown below. Write the desired text on the inner circle (in my case I wrote 1 for my son's first birthday) and glue to a toothpick.


4. Rinse and repeat.


...and here's the assembled product! Totally cute right? Took forever but I had so much fun! Plus it gave my husband and I a chance to talk without being distracted by our computers and phones. Lol. Life before technology!