Inspiration Sunday: Let it Snowmen

I love decorating with snowmen. My mom loves them, and so do I. They are just such a friendly, seasonal thing. They embody the pure fun you have when playing in the snow. Honestly, who doesn't love a good snowman? Well, here are ten fun snowman themed crafts I found that you can do at home, no snow at all! This way you can admire snowmen whether it's 50 degrees, or 5!

Snowman made out of stacked circles. A great new perspective from
Life Is What You Make It.

A "melted snowman" ornament made from Elmer's glue.
From Holiday Kids Crafts.

Make a snow man from undecorated wreaths!

This adorable primitive snowman is make from
wooden blocks and can be found on Etsy.com.

Talk about an easy snowman! Using a variety
of nuts and a single washer, you can make this adorable
snowman ornament.

A twine-ball snowman. Great for the craft room.
From Better Homes & Gardens.
Also, see my yarn snowman here DIY.

A popsicle snowman. Delightful!
From Kid's Activities.

Snowman from two stacked pots. Simple!
From All Kids.

Powdered doughnut snowmen. A yummy Christmas morning treat?
From Creative Gift & Party Ideas.

Ice cream snowman! How fun!

Inspiration Sunday: Buttons

I recently decided to start collecting buttons so that I can all kinds of things with them! As always, I am constantly collecting ideas on Pinterest. Today I will share with you the wonderful things I would love to do using buttons!

Let's start with a great thing to do to make sure your buttons are the right color. Learn how to dye your buttons!

Found here, at what I believe to be a French Marie Claire inspired site?

A buttons charm bracelet!
This particular bracelet is sold, but you can find similar ones
at the same Etsy store.

For sale on Etsy, but really could make
with buttons, thread, and some raw silk stretched
over something.

Beautiful idea to add something special to a flower
arrangement! Found at GabbaGabbaGorgeous.

A button bowl. How awesome is this? I couldn't find the actual
DIY, so if you can claim credit for this please let me know
and I will be MORE than happy to give it to you! :)

A button tree made out of styrofoam cone, buttons,
and straight pins. From Better Homes & Gardens.

Make Christmas (or any kind of) cards!
So clever.

A button bouquet. Adorable. Just, so, adorable.

Use buttons to wrap packages! Another great idea
from Martha Stewart.

Someone posted this picture of a lovely pumpkin
onto Pinterest. What a simple, mess free way
to decorate a pumpkin!

Inspiration Sunday: Candy Canes

Candy canes are a holiday classic, even a staple to some. Growing up we always put them on our Christmas tree (of course half of them would be gone by Christmas day), and my mom would put a bundle of them in a Santa Claus mug on the kitchen counter perfect for stirring your hot chocolate with. I love them!

Candy canes are definitely a prominent piece of holiday decor. But these days you can do so much more with candy canes! They are not just for trimming the tree anymore! So here are some terrific ideas I have collected of creative new ways to use your candy canes. Enjoy!

A jar full of candy canes with a festive bow
set out for all your holiday visitors to indulge!

Candy cane sleighs, perfect for treats for adults and kids
alike. Great for holiday parties, or wrapped up and
stuffed in a stocking.

Create candy cane reindeer using some yarn, googly eyes,
ribbon, a bell, and pom-poms! Great craft for little kids.

Make your own wool candy canes for decoration:
ornaments, package toppers, stocking stuffers.
DIY instructions at FeltCafe.

I LOVE using candy canes as gift toppers,
especially the giant ones for BIG packages.

A ring of candy canes wrapped
around a simple vase with some ribbon. Perfect!

Three candy canes tied together for each place setting.

Tie some candy canes around a
plain pillar candle to make it a Christmas candle!

Candy cane punch! Sounds wonderful for a Christmas party.
Recipe at TasteOfHome.

Make candy cane sugar cookies using a little bit of food coloring.

Set candy canes of wax paper and fill them with fudge or chocolate.
Terrific for portioning out peppermint bark!

Crush up your candy canes and use them as a candy topper
on your favorite chocolate cake recipe!

Inspiration Sunday: Yarn, yarn, yarn (and no knitting!)

Lately I have been contemplating taking up knitting. Right now my budget is super slim, but once I am financially able I plan on diving in and buying myself needles, yarn, a book, the whole shebang. So what's this week's inspiration? Why, yarn of course.

Yarn letters, yarn wreaths, yarn bottles. I have seen them all over Pinterest. Think of all the things you could wrap with yarn...

"The original yarn letters" on Etsy.com

Yarn covered beer bottles. Try wine bottles, mason jars, anything!

Yarn covered wreaths with felt flowers

Cover a lampshade with yarn!

Make yarn bowls, yarn "lanterns," yarn...tree covers?

Yarn bowls. Click above link to get the DIY. Use the same
adhesive to make the lanterns below...

 

 

...with balloons!

I don't even know where to begin, but I LOVE all of this color

Yarn for the holidays!

Small yarn balls, or small Styrofoam balls
covered in yarn, with burlap scarf, wire & buttons

Yarn ball turkey (or Styrofoam) with felt face features
and paper feathers for writing what everyone
is thankful for.

Wrap a Styrofoam cone with yarn
and add miniature ornaments

Use yarn as ribbon!
Perfect for knitters or crocheters, or little kids

Inspiration Sunday: Be Healthy!

Let's do a complete 180 from last Sunday, and try to be healthy, getting all of our vitamins!

We all have our comfort foods, our cooking staples, and the things we know we shouldn't eat as much of, but we do anyways. Though these things aren't horrible for you, they could be better. And here is how to make them a little bit better for you and your family.

Whole Wheat, Rice, and TriColor Pasta
I am so guilty of over-indulging on pasta. I could (and have) eaten pasta for every meal of the day. So here is something to think of the next time you cook pasta. Don't opt for the regular, try a whole wheat pasta (for tons more fiber) or even a rice pasta (less calories, more protein). My favorite way to sneak some veggies in is using a TriColor pasta (like rotini, or macaroni). This pasta will add tomatoes and spinach, so you don't have to worry (too much) if you skip your green veggie side dish.

Veggie Pasta Sauce
Whether you make your pasta sauce at home, or you buy jarred sauce, you can easily sneak some healthy into your pasta! Using a food processor or blender, blend down some veggies until they are pretty smooth and mix it in with your pasta sauce. Carrotts, zucchini, red bell peppers, squash, and broccoli all make great additions. This works for tomato sauces and cheese sauces, so just experiment and find the combinations you like!This is perfect for kids who refuse to eat there veggies too.

"Bread" Crumbs
If you are making meatballs or meatloaf, try using oat bran instead of your normal breadcrumbs. It adds more wholesome goodness, and holds a little more moisture. So if you are doing a baked chicken breast, this may not be ideal, but if you are mixing it in with something, this can be a big plus because it can help keep the things you eat from drying out while baking.

Remember to Add Fruit
You can jazz up a simple grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla with some fruit. I have read (but yet to try) that adding some tropical fruits (think Mangoes and Pineapples) to quesadilla can give it a sweet kick and makes it a great treat for kids and adults! Tomato is a fruit too and a slice or three is always welcome on a grilled cheese sandwich (heirloom tomatoes are the best). Apples and pears (I have heard) taste great on a grilled cheese too.

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey
I cannot stress enough how much healthier white meat Turkey is than beef. I know that Turkey is no where near as delicious to the red-meat lover like myself, BUT if you substitute one red-meat meal a week with turkey you can save that much fat.

Share your easy ways to make your food a little more healthy! Leave a comment below :)

Inspiration Sunday: Texas State Fair

Last weekend I took the train into Fair Park in Dallas and went to the State Fair for the second time in my entire life. I now understand one more reason why America is a "fat nation." According to my scale, I gained 6 pounds that day. I ate so many fried foods, I feel like I will be sweating peanut oil for the next week. And you wouldn't believe some of the fried things I didn't get (deep fried frozen margarita, fried salsa, and fried caviar are among the many).

Ever since, I have been thinking about what I could deep fry at home that might be as magnificent as the fried pumpkin pie I had. That's right, fried pumpkin pie. If you think it sounds gross, you are WRONG. It may be one of the best things I've ever eaten. Period. Here are some of the other ridiculous things I did eat while I was there:

• Fried pumpkin pie (eaten too quickly by everyone to get a picture)
• Fried s'mores
• Fried cookie dough (pictured right)
• Fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana
• Fried butter (pictured below. Sounds gross, but just imagine a hot, very buttery biscuit, that you can only eat half of because its so rich)
• Best "corny" dog ever

"Pose with your butter!"

My fiance Jason and I have already decided that we are attempting the pumpkin pie ourselves, but I am thinking apple pie would be fantastic too. And they have fried ice cream (which confuses me almost as much as the deep fried frozen margarita), so what about other fried cold delicacies? Custards, puddings.

I am interested in someone taking some sweet potato bites and deep frying them. Now that's a great thanksgiving sidedish. How about fried cranberry sauce, or stuffing? People already fry the turkey, so I say let's fry the whole meal!

What about breakfast foods? Those are such great comfort foods that people will eat any time of the day. Let's take some pancakes and fry them up! Delicious? Who knows!

I guess what I'm getting at is this: while I have ideas for fried foods, I am only so imaginative when it comes to food. I want to hear from YOU about what YOU like to fry, what you WISH people would fry, or what you would NEVER want to be friend. If I get some good ideas coming my way I'll try them and post them, even if they're disgusting sounding (brussel sprouts anyone?).