Monday, November 29, 2010

Holiday Boutique Is Here!

50 Amazing Shops
with
50 Fabulous Discounts


I'm so excited to once again take part in the Ucreate Holiday Boutique!
It's a great place to find some incredible handmade gifts from amazing & talented artists.


Friday, November 26, 2010

Free Holiday Card Templates

Download these gorgeous card templates from Florabella for FREE! Perfect for the holidays, but they can also be used year round. All the front of cards can be used like frames. Get the templates HERE and start creating!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Toddler Turkey Hand Tee

Here's a modern twist to the Thanksgiving hand turkey! My daughter and I made this last year and we had so much fun I wanted to share it again!

Gobble ~ Gobble!
(Look at that sweet little face! I can't believe how much she's grown in one year!)

We followed the tutorial from Treasures For Tots as our guide. Using fabric scraps, ribbons & buttons, w made the whole thing in less than one hour & the best part... No sewing involved (woot)!

Hope you & your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Starbucks: BOGO Free Holiday Drinks

Starting Thursday, November 18 all holiday drinks at Starbucks are Buy 1, Get 1 FREE! The offer is good daily between 2pm - 5pm and runs through November 21st. I'm so hooked on Venti Peppermint Mocha's that I usually buy 2 at a time, so this is a great deal!

Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Gingerbread Latter, Eggnog Latte, Caramel Brulee Frappuccino, or Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.
What's your favorite drink?

Also Starbucks has an upcoming "12 Day of Sharing" promo. Just text 12DAYS to 29943 to sign up. You'll receive one offer per day starting on December 1st (standard text messaging rates apply). I can't wait to see what they offer.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Thanksgiving Black-Bottom Pumpkin Tart

Ready for a dressed up version of a Thanksgiving classic? The chocolate cookie crust is the perfect compliment to the pumpkin filling. YUM!


Ingredients:
  • CRUST:
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafers (about 30)
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • FILLING:
  • 1 15-oz. can 100 percent pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • pinch of salt


Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F; line a baking sheet with foil. Make crust: Combine wafers, cocoa powder and sugar in a food processor. Process until finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add butter and pulse until mixture just clumps together. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press firmly onto bottom and sides to form a crust. Place on lined baking sheet and bake until slightly firm to the touch and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack; reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

2. Make filling: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; whisk until blended. Place baking sheet with crust on oven rack and ladle just enough filling into crust to come up to the rim. (Do not overfill.) Bake until a knife inserted into center of tart comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Give Thanks!

Want to bless someone with a little gift for Thanksgiving?
Now you can give thanks with these simple favor tags - perfect for teacher, neighbor & hostess gifts! Download the FREE printables from It Is What It Is HERE.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Personalized Photo Ornaments - $1.99 Shipped

Looking for a fun personalized gift? ArtsCow is offering Personalized Photo Ornaments for $1.99 with FREE Shipping when you use code ORNTS2010 at checkout. After doing a little research I learned the ornaments are ceramic and had very positive reviews.
I ordered 4 & my total was just $7.96. The offer is valid on single-sided personalized ornaments only. They are shipped from overseas, so I suggest ordering them soon to make sure they arrive in time for Christmas.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Give A Hoot For The Holidays

How cute are these little guys? Every Christmas, I buy an ornament that reminds me of something special for that year. This year seems to be the year of the owl for me, so I'm going to make one (or two, or ten) of these adorable woodland friends. Aside from tree ornaments, these would be fun party favors, gift tags, etc.
Get the tutorial & details from Juicy Bits HERE!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Hip Holiday Cards

Christmas is just around the corner (44 days to be exact!). Now that I'm a parent, one of the joys of the holiday is sending Christmas cards to friends & family with an updated photo of our little gal. But I tend to stress myself out by trying to make each card fun & fabulous. Choosing the perfect photos can be a challenge. This year I'm going a different route (attempting to make my life easier) and using my favorite online printing store, Shutterfly. I'm going to use them for my holiday photo cards, Christmas party invites & holiday gift tags. I love one-stop shopping especially when I can do it my pajamas! Plus they have a great selection and their prices are reasonable. I am also a big fan of the quality of their cards – not to mention their prints and photo books…

Here are a few of my favorites:




If you aren’t already signed up with Shutterfly, sign up now and get 50 4x6 FREE prints. Then be sure to check out their latest holiday cards – in addition to Christmas cards – they offer Hanukkah, New Year’s, thank you cards and more!

Are you blogger? You can receive 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Just click HERE for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season!

So are you a procrastinator or have you already started your holiday cards?

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Free Flip Flops with Orbit Gum Purchase

Here's a fun new promo! Get a FREE pair of Tropical Flip Flops when you purchase Orbit gum! All you need to do is go HERE and click on the “Redeem Now” link, then enter the lot code number (on the side of the Orbit gum package). Finally, choose your design, size and fill out your mailing info. Now just wait 10-12 weeks for your flip flops to arrive!

This promo is sure to go fast, so don't wait!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Popcorn Paper Bag Turkey

This Thanksgiving add this adorable treat to the kids table. So cute & clever! Our preschool has a little turkey day feast & this is perfect for my daughter to bring. What kid wouldn't love this?!
Head over to One Charming Party to get the directions on how to make this adorable popcorn paper bag turkey!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sustainable Party In A Box

This is awesome! Do you have a large grassy field or vacant lot? Yes? Then have a sustainable party with one of these solar powered pop up mobile venues disguised as a shipping container. In about 20 minutes (and with smooth moves like a transformer), the container opens up to reveal clean modern lines, a chic bar, bamboo dance floor, adjustable awnings and much more. I sooo want to have a party with one of these! Get more info here