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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Winter Pastel Inspiration

Pastels normally elicit visions of Spring and Easter. But pastel colors can also work in the Winter. Give some of these Winter pastel ideas a try at for your next party.

Icy Blue Dessert Table


Pastel Candy Canes




Pastel Tableware

Winter Cookies
Source: flickr.com via Laura on Pinterest


Pastel Dessert Table Doughnuts


Pastel Christmas lights


Pastel Balloons in Varying Sizes
 

Source: brit.co via Patricia on Pinterest


Stumped on why pastels work so well in the Winter? If you look carefully, pastel colors can be found everywhere in nature during this time of year...

Wintery Scene

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Kids Party Inspiration-Polar Bear Theme

In the third installment of my Winter Party theme ideas I'm focusing on cute and cuddly Polar Bears! Check out all of the inspiration I found:

Cakes and Cookies and Cupcakes OH MY!

 
 
 
 
 
Keep em beary entertained with these fun crafts
 
 
 
 Beary Cool Decorations
 
 
 
What do polar bears eat?
 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Treat of The Week-Cowgirl Cookies

I got this amazing recipe from Bakerella. I actually made the "in a jar" version of theses cookies give away as Christmas presents last year. But the recipe is sooo good I decided to make some to put in a care package for my boyfriend's son who is going back to college this week (and for myself). They make amazing gifts in a jar or just as homemade cookies.


I keep a few a of these treat boxes around cause you never know when you might need to put together a quick gift. Line the inside with tissue paper and secure with a pretty ribbon.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Diet Suicide Victim

I’m participating in a biggest looser contest at my job where the winner takes home a $120 pot of money. That’s not really why I’m dieting, I’m always trying to lose weight, the money is just a nice incentive. But this afternoon, after my 280-calorie healthy choice lunch, I got the hankering for smoothing sweet (nothing new). Since I had to drop something off in the basement (which is where the snack machines are) I took my wallet with me and stopped by the snack machine on the way back to my office.

Now I know snack machines are usually not a dieter’s friend. But I’ve been tracking my food intake carefully and I knew I’d had a light caloric breakfast and lunch so I figured I could spare a sweet snack. Standing in front of the snack machine (Jeopardy tune playing in my head) it all came down to Peanut M&M’s or a honey bun. Hmmmm, decisions, decisions! Went for the honeybun…it’s been a long time since I had one. Got to my desk and about half way through the honey bun I look on the back at the nutritional info and daaaaayyyuuum! 590 freakin’ calories!!!! I mean c’mon!

It’s not like I didn’t know honey buns weren’t healthy but Geez Louise…I could’ve had a big mac and some fries (or even peanut M&Ms which by the way were $0.10 more than the jumbo calorie bomb I ate but that’s a whole other subject). Of course I didn’t see that it was a jumbo honey bun when I bought it; it looked regular sized to me (but maybe that’s just cause I’m greedy). Well, like I said, I was only half way done with it but after the initial shock I was so disappointed in myself already that I just scarfed down the rest of it along with my guilt. I kinda understand how bulimics feel because I wanted to get it out of me so badly…but I hate the feeling of vomiting, that plus I’m already overweight so no sense in starting yet another issue I will just have to overcome.  I just want to say:
Dear Mrs. Freshley’s Honey Bun people,
YOU SUCK!
Sincerely,
Diet Suicide Victim

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Pomp and Circumstance, Galas and Balls

Washington is a great place to be around inauguration time…especially if you like lots of pomp and circumstance. It’s a pretty big deal around here. The upcoming 57th Presidential Inauguration is drawing big crowds, although not the history-making event that drew 1.8 million people in 2009, still the city and surrounding areas are all abuzz with preparations for the event. Tickets have been sold out for weeks, good luck getting a hotel room for a reasonable price, city residents are putting rooms up for rent on craigslist for ridiculous sums of money, public transportation systems are preparing to operate for 22 hours on inauguration day and some museums along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route are even offering special packages for viewing the presidential inauguration…like I said, it’s a big deal.

At least 46 inaugural balls and galas will be held in honor of the Presidential Inauguration throughout the DC area in the next week! However, the official inaugural balls are usually by invitation only because they’re the only ones the President, Vice President and their families make an appearance at. President Barack Obama is drawing an A-list of performers for his inaugural festivities, and the massive official balls are expected to draw more than 40,000 revelers.



With so much talk of grand balls and galas I feel like I’m living in a Disney movie taking place in 17th Century France, lol. Well, this got me thinking…what exactly is the difference between a ball and a gala? From my party and event planning experience I know they are often used interchangeably. So I did some research and it turns out that there is a difference.

Originally, a formal ball was always private, by invitation-only, and usually also restricted by social class. Gala events on the other hand, are festive and open to the public, although it is generally restricted to those who buy a ticket. Today however, many balls have become ticketed events open to the public, rather than invitation-only. Modern usage additionally associates most gala events with marketing or fundraising for charity.

Regardless of what you call them, they’re basically a prom for grownups. And just like prom I think everyone should experience at least one in their lifetime!
 

Friday, January 11, 2013

Kids Party Inspiration-Snowman Theme

Time for part 2 of my Winter-themed party ideas. I'm dedicating the month of January to sharing some of my favorite cold weather party inspirations. This feature is all about Snowmen. Check out all of the cool Snowman-themed Party I've scoured the web to find:

DECOR
From Top Left: Snowman ChandelierWinter Wonderland tableSnowman GarlandSnowman Fridge, Snowman Chair Cover, Snowman Ornament Centerpiece.

FOOD
 
I was amazed by the variety of healthy snowman-themed food options out there!
 
 
TREATS
 
 
INVITATIONS
 
 
CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES
 
 
I hope you found some inspiring snowman ideas for your next Winter shindig. If you have a snowman project you'd like to share leave your link in the comments below.


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Coupon Organization

Have you made resolutions to be smarter about money matters in 2013? I know I have. One of the little habits I want to adopt is using coupons to save money on groceries. But one thing I’ve learned about New Year’s resolutions is that you gotta start small and keep it manageable otherwise your enthusiasm and good intentions tend to fizzle out before Valentine’s Day.
While I don’t want to become a serious couponer, I do want to find a way to stay motivated to clip, organize and remember my coupons at the store. I think if I had an effective organization system for coupons, I would be much more likely to use them before they expire and be able to find what I need quickly at checkout. So I started looking up information about couponing and thought I'd share some pretty nifty coupon organizers I came across.

Here is a coupon organizer that clips to your grocery cart for super easy access. It comes in different colors and patterns.

The Couponizer features a handy coupon stacker which helps make organizing coupons fast and easy.
 
Now this looks like a serious coupon organizer. Labels, color coding, pockets, calculator…the works! 


This Coupon Clutch is really a 2″ three ring coupon binder in disguise to look like a designer tote.

These colorful organization labels by InktreePress are great to help keep everything neat, and best of all they’re free!
 
Do you have good couponing tips or know of any great couponing blogs. Share your links.
Looking forward to saving money in 2013!


Monday, January 7, 2013

Treat of the Week-Flan

Flan is a very popular caramel custard dessert that is eaten throughout Latin America. Each country has their little variation of the dessert but usually contains some type of sweetened or condensed milk, sugar and sometimes eggs. I cheated a little with my flan and just used the Goya instant mix, but I do have a yummy Cuban recipe that I want to share with you. I got this recipe from 3 Guys from Miami; their version has a secret ingredient, lemon rind!
 Photo via 3 Guys From Miami

Before you begin you should know for this dessert we use a technique called a “baño de Maria” or "bain marie" as it’s known in French cuisine.  It’s basically a water bath or a double broiler technique which allows the food to heat slower and not cook too fast and prevents air bubbles. I say this at the beginning because it could determine what type of mold you use for your flan. The technique basically involves placing your flan mold inside another larger container filled with hot water. So make sure you have a container large enough to fit your flan mold. I use a large aluminum pan (like the ones you use for turkey), fill it with water about 2 inches deep.  The 3 Guys recipe uses individual ovenproof custard cups for their flan mold, although you can use any heat resistant mold (preferably aluminum—the sturdy kind not the disposable kind). I pour my flan mixture into a round aluminum cake mold, and set it inside the larger turkey pan with the water (you can use a heat proof plate or a small cooling rack help stabilize the mold in the water). Once you get this down the rest is easy.
Photo via Foodielady
 
INGREDIENTS:
 
1 lemon rind, carefully pared
1 cup milk
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 cup sugar (for the caramel)
8 whole eggs
1 cup sugar (for the custard)
2 cups heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Carefully remove the outer rind from a lemon. Don't cut too deep or you'll cut into the pulp! You just want the outer, mostly yellow layer!
Scald the milk by bringing it quickly to a boil with the lemon rind and cinnamon stick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove lemon rind and cinnamon stick after the milk cools.
Now for the caramel (which is the trickiest party I think). Heat 3/4 cup sugar in the bottom of a metallic pan at medium-low heat until it begins to melt. The sugar will turn into a thick syrup with a dark brown color. The key is to let it melt it gradually and stir it constantly to prevent burning!

Quickly remove from heat and pour into each one of your individual custard cups (or whatever mold you’re using). Tilt back and forth to cover the bottom and sides of the dish. The syrup will harden as it cools to form a thick shell. During the baking process, this shell magically transforms itself into a delicious dark caramel syrup.
 
For the custard, beat the eggs and 1 cup sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until thoroughly mixed and frothy; stir in the warm milk and the cream. Pour into the caramel-lined mold(s) and set it into a baño de Maria (a.k.a. water bath, a.k.a. double broiler).
Bake for 1 ½ hrs or until a knife comes out of center clean. Remove the flan mold from the baño de Maria and let it cool in the dish. It can be eaten warm but I like mine cold so I let refrigerate after it cools.
 
Before serving, loosen sides with a knife and flip onto your serving dish. Dust with a little cinnamon or nutmeg (optional). 
 


Saturday, January 5, 2013

A Warm and Cozy Start to the New Year

Anyone that knows me is aware that Winter is my least favorite time of year. I’m a Summer baby all the way. Even though our Washington, DC Winters are considered mild to many, I’m pretty miserable right about now. Anyway, I’m trying to be positive and turn my lemons into lemonade (frozen lemonade).

Since I love to stay warm and cozy, I thought wouldn’t it be a great idea to give the house a mini Winter makeover with cozy housewares? Here are some fun pieces I really liked in bright colors that remind me of warmer days.

This bright and cheery pillow is perfect to liven up a dreary couch or a bed.
 
These little nesting bowls are so cute .
 
What about these little citrus felt coasters? They remind me of warmer days to come.

Check out this amazing Bommel Pouf rug!

What a beautiful cable knit pattern for this teapot!
 
Perhaps I’m the last person on earth who didn’t know what an “apple cozy” was, but now that I know I totally want one. Who knew apples got cold? lol
 

These knitted vases give me a cozy feeling.
Source: 2modern.com via 2Modern on Pinterest


Wow, this crochet lampshade is gor-ge-ous!
 

And last but not least an adorable mom coffee cozy.

Source: etsy.com via SZEMEM on Pinterest


I’m not a knitter and I don’t crochet or sew (yet) but I can surely appreciate these beautiful objects. Do you have cozy house project you’d like to share?

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Kids Party Inspiration-Penguin Theme

There are so many fun Winter themed party ideas, it’s hard to choose just one. So I decided to dedicate January to sharing some of my favorites. The first features our feathered friends from the South Pole, Penguins! Check out all of the cool Penguin Party ideas below:

I love the pop of yellow they added to this otherwise hum-drum black and white color scheme.

This pink and purple penguin party is perfectly suited for a little chilly princess.

This
Winter Onederland is a bright and cheerful idea for a Onederful girl or boy.

I love all of the DIY elements in this adorable
penguin party theme.


Let everyone know about your fabulous penguin party with invitations like these:








 

Love the chevron pattern on this one by AllisonKizerDesigns.

This
Waddle, Waddle design can be used for Birthdays, Baby Showers or Baby Announcements.

These invitations by
inglishdigidesign comes in lots of colors to match your color scheme.
 


You can make your own igloo cake like this one from Martha Stewart










Check out this adorable little edible penguin.

I love the snow globe topper on this
elegant two-tiered cake.

This simple sheet cake is probably an easy DIY project for anyone to make.

The expressions on the faces of the little penguins on this
cake are too funny.



Check out all of the other penguin themed goodies you can serve at your party








Adults will appreciate these penguin poppers and they look awesome!

Everyone will go gaga over these tasty black-and-white tuxedo
penguin pops.

Gourmet Mom On The Go has many neat ideas for penguin inspired food.

More fun with
jello.

Have you ever seen
penguin pasta?

Here is a quick simple idea using
Oreo cookies.
 


Make your party table look fabulous with coordinated printables and tableware










Add a pop of color with this bright and cheerful printableparty package.

I’m really feeling this sophisticated black and white tuxedo design.

This designs by chickabug and sweetpeaparty can be personalized.

 

There are so many other party decor elements you can use to accent your penguin theme



 
SerendipityPartyShop has lots of color coordinated party decor options.

A
penguin table runner.

Creative DIY penguin decor using
plastic soda bottles.

Penguin balloon idea.

P
enguin beach balls.





 

Don't forget to entertain your guests with some of these creative penguin-inspired games

What kid wouldn’t love a cool igloo fort?

Get free
printable penguin finger puppets patterns here.
Little ones should have no problem creating this
paper platepenguin craft.



Finally give your guests something memorable to take home









Oriental trading has lots of penguin favor options.

PersonalizedPenguin Lotion Favors.


Do you have creative penguin party ideas? Share your links.

 

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