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A long time...

I am so sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything on my blog.  What can I say, life got in the way.  I have been busy researching for my new company.  I have always wanted to do this, but never felt as though it was the right time.  Well, I am not getting any younger and life will always throw you curve balls, so I am diving in and starting my own company.  As many of you know I have the website, "All Snuggled Up", which is a fun "craft" outlet for me, but it's not a passion of mine by any means.  With that said, I wanted to let you all know that I am going to continue my blog, because my blog pretty much speaks to my passion, but be advised that my post's may be a bit spaced out in terms of "time".  Once I have everything nailed down for my new company you better believe that I will post it on my blog first!  Be ready, I am going to announce it next month!!! Can anyone guess what it is going to be?

Speak your Mind

Alright, as you know from time to time, I will put a poll on my blog to find out what you, the reader, would like to know more about.  Last month the "winning" poll was to know more about kids birthday parties. So to honor that, I will be doing theme kid parties all month.  However, as you see to your left I have another poll to find out what party theme has the most interest. Speak your mind and vote today!

Rags to Riches

Okay, so I am jumping the gun a little, but I am getting the itch to decorate my daughter's bedroom- she's 4 months! We always kept that room as the "nursery" and kept it generic since we never wanted to find out what we were having. Now that we are done having kids, the wall's in her room beckon to me like Michel Angelo and the Sistine Chapel. 

Those who know me also know that I LOVE a good deal, it's the thrill of the hunt, and I found a great piece this weekend for only $4.  Here is my Rags to Riches find:

                                                                        Before:

After:

 I don't think the picture does it justice, but it turned out great! I added a few more green ribbon's to the frame and it looks awesome!  All I did was take scrapbook paper that have the colors of her room in it, traced out the frame on the paper, sprayed Elmer's adhesive glue to the frame, attached the paper, and put mod podge on top to give it a finished look.  After I hang it in the bedroom I will take another picture so you can see how it all came together!

Angela Conventry Photography

Creative. Fun. Energetic. Comfortable. Patient. Professional.....the list could go on and on.  Angela is one of a kind. She has been our family photographer for almost 3 years now.  She has done 2 of my kids newborn pictures, which people just rave about, she has done our family photo, and is going to be doing another one for us, and she has also done a personal photo shoot of myself as well.  Angela is so patient when it comes to her photo sessions.  She amazes me how relaxed she is, and how she listens to her client's wishes.  She is flexible and professional.  And when I say that she is patient, she is also understanding, which I experienced first hand when my newborn had an "accident" during one of her photo shoots!  I was so embarrassed and all Angela said was, "no worries, it's to be expected with newborns". Wow!

I have referred so many people to Angela because I know they will not be disappointed. 

Angela is the Owner/Photographer of Angela Coventry Photography. She is

located in Auburn Hills, MI and is available in studio and on location

throughout Oakland County - Metro Detroit - Southeast Michigan.

The pictures that you see here are of my daughter's newborn sessions thru the years. Melt.

You HAVE to check out her website and blog site, you are going to be impressed!

http://www.dezinepoint.com/index.htm

http://angelacoventry.com/

No one has permission to use these photo's for anything. They are the trademark and property of Angela Coventry Photography

New Photographer to check out

Introducing Emily Hutson Photography:

 

I am really happy to introduce Emily to you.   She is not only a great photographer, but a wonderful friend.  What I like about Emily Hutson Photography is that she truly enjoys all different kinds of photo sessions.  Emily is currently in the process of opening an in-home studio and will offer a bunch of promotions in the next month.  Once everything

is underway, I will be sure to update you all and give you all the new promotions! In the meantime, check out her blog/website at

http://www.emilyhutson.com

You won’t be disappointed!

, here are some samples of a session she just did.

Kids Bowling Theme Party

Alright, within the past 2 weeks we have been invited to 2 different bowling parties.  My 4 year old daughter went to one of the bowling parties already and totally loved it!  When we got the second invite for the boys next door’s birthday party, her eyes lit up with excitement.  It has inspired me to do a little post on throwing kids Bowling Themed Birthday Party!

This first part is for parties actually being held at a bowling alley, it can be expensive, so I will also have idea’s how to have a home bowling party on a budget! Let’s get started:

1.       Contact a local bowling alley at least 2-3 months in advance to secure at least 4 lanes (5 kids on each lane).  Find out what is included in the package price and if you can bring in your own cake.  Most bowling alley parties run about $11.95-15 per person.  My suggestion is to call a couple of bowling alleys and find the lowest price and start to ask for deals.

2.       You should not have to worry about the food since the package price should include food, find out if its pizza or if it’s different items the guests can choose at the concession stand.

3.       Send invites out at least 3 weeks in advance, you can make your own or check out this really cool site.

4.       Make bowling shirts for each kid, complete with their names on the front and on the back, put something as simple as “Jake’s Striking Birthday Bash”

5.       Most of the time at bowling alleys they will give the birthday child a bowling pin to be signed by guests, wishing the child a happy birthday.  If not, you can buy your own here for $8.95 and put a picture of your child on the pin using some mod podge glue and then have guests sign it.

6.       Decorations, use lots of balloons, and check out this site to help make decorating easier.

7.       Cake: you must go with a bowling ball, bowling pin or a combo of both.  Here are some suggestions:     Bowling Lane Cake, Bowling Pin Cake, Bowling Cake.

Bowling Party at home on a budget:

1.       Send out invites at least 3 weeks in advance. You can either buy store bought invites or make your own.  Here is a super cute suggestion I found online:

[Your child’s name]’s birthday party is right up your alley!
The king pin is turning [age]
Strike the date [give party date]
Spare the time [give party time]
Bowl on over to [give party address]
Get in the frame and RSVP to [your phone number]

2.       Pick up this super fun giant bowling set from either Amazon or Toys R Us. If you are having an outdoor party, use a large enough piece of plywood and paint a “bowling lane” onto the plywood and set the pins up!

3.       Décor: You can buy 2 of the bowling sets mentioned above and use them as décor on the tables.

4.       Make bowling shirts for each kid, complete with their names on the front and on the back, put something as simple as “Jake’s Striking Birthday Bash”

5.       Put a picture of your child on a bowling pin using some mod podge glue and then have guests sign it.

6.       Use this site for added décor if you wish.

7.       Food: Think of food that is served at a bowling alley:

*Bowling Alley Pizza: Have pizza in various flavors.*Hotdogs*Nachos*Hamburgers*Ice Cream

8.       Cake: you must go with a bowling ball, bowling pin or a combo of both.  Here are some suggestions:

a.       Bowling Lane Cake

b.      Bowling Pin Cake

c.       Bowling Cake

St. Patty's Day Dinner

Glazed Corned Beef - I got this receipe off of All Recpieces.com - love, love this site! Enjoy!

Prep Time:
2 Hrs 45 Min

Cook Time:
25 Min

Ready In:
3 Hrs 10 Min

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 celery rib, sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

Directions

1. Place corned beef and contents of seasoning packet in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Add onion and celery. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Drain and discard liquid and vegetables. Place beef on a rack in a shallow roasting pan; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Brush over beef. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Footnotes

• TEST KITCHEN TIP Slice corned beef against the grain for the most tender slices of meat.

Oscar Time = Party Time!

 

Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 27th and get ready to have an over-the-top Oscar party with all your friends!  Here is a few tips on how to have a fun, budget-friendly, over-the-top Oscar Party.

1. Use Evite to send out some Oscar Themed awesome e-invitations for free!
2. Roll out the red carpet - or some red fabric, if you do not have either of these, try cutting out some large stars from cardboard and then using glue and glitter, write the names of those
   
   actors/actress's that are nominated for an award.  Place the stars on the ground like in Hollywood or get small wooded dowels (Michael's or Joann's for $0.59) and place them in ground every few feet as signs directing guests up to the door.
3. Use large ostrich feathers in a tall glass vase and light the vase with battery operated Christmas lights.  Hide the battery box by dressing up the outside bottom of the vase with either black, gold, or red satin fabric.
4. Place small Oscar statues around tables, and use small mirror's with votive candles on top to create glamorous lighting.
5. Use any movie decor items you might have around the house or visit this site if you choose to purchase some.

And now the Food:

The simplest way is to create a small appetizer table and place popcorn, nuts, and mints around the tables and bar areas.  Here are some appetizer ideas:

1. Classic Shrimp Cocktail and Sauce
2. Cheese and Crackers
3. Veggies and Dip
4. Pretzel Rods dipped in chocolate and sprinkled in candy
5. Cut out Rice Crispy treats with a Star cookie cutter and place a Popsicle stick in the bottom of them and then add a red or gold bow to it.
6. Remember it's OKAY to ask guests to bring a small dish to pass to help keep costs low

Games:

1. Oscar Bingo
2. Bet on each category
3. Have a little movie trivia

And don't forget to have your guests arrive in their finest attire! Break out those gowns and tuxes or suit's and have a night to remember!

Best Picture:	Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone
Actor in a Leading Role:	Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Colin Firth, James Franco
Actress in a Leading Role:	Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams
Directing:	Black Swan, The Fighter, The King's Speech, The Social Network, True Grit

Tips on Planning

I know it's been awhile since I last posted, I am sorry, things have been a bit crazy around around here. We had 3 parties within 3 days and now that the weekend is over, I feel as though I can breath again!

Now onto some quick tips for kids birthday parties.  Although my kids birthdays are not for another 5,7 and 8 months away - I have already started planning. 

Tip #1. - Plan Early - this way when you are out doing your regular shopping, do a quick "run through" of the store. Check all clearance aisle, end caps, and in the back of the store.  You can find GREAT deals and really stretch your budget this way.  Look at everything from plates, napkins, and balloons, to craft projects for the kids, games and invitations.

Tip #2. - Dollar Store - Here you can find great deals for your little one's party, it's amazing what you can find and if you are crafty, the possibilities are endless!  For those of you in the Macomb, Mi area, check out the Dollar Castle next to Hobby Lobby on the corner of Schoehner and Hall Rd. GREAT STORE! MANY selections!

Tip #3. - Sale, Sale, Sale - My rule of thumb, if it's not on sale, I don't buy it! It goes back to planing early. If you have a general idea of what your theme is going to be, you can start looking at things in the stores and keep checking to see if they go on sale or clearance.  It's amazing how much you can save! Plus, if you become familiar with your local stores, especially small local stores, you can ask them to call you when things go on sale or when they get new items in!

 

Tip #4 - Online Stores - There are so many great websites to check out and unique items you can obtain on line that will be sure to set your party out from all the others!  Get familiar with sites like Vista Prints, they have free products give aways, which you only have to pay for shipping.  They have everything from invites to save the date and thank you cards. I already have my invites for my daughters 3rd birthday and it's not until July! But Vista Prints had what I wanted for free, so I snagged them up while I could!  Oriental Trading is another great site to get items on a budget.

Tip #5 - Shop your House - So many times I buy things because they are on clearance and then shelf them.  So check to see what you have before you go shopping, sometimes, it's amazing what you will find!

Let's Think Summer...

I love this table cloth idea, it's so simple and so much fun!  It's from the Aesthetic Nest and what I love about this idea is that you can get your kids involved by simply having them help pick out the colors.  If you want to dress it up a bit, think about adding some fringe to the bottom or perhaps just a bright colored ribbon...get creative and have fun!

Too Cute not to Share

So I had a couple of minutes to actually sit down today and scroll through some emails and blogs I follow - I saw this and just had to share with all of you. It comes from the ladys over at the crafting chicks blog.  I hope you all enjoy this super cute cake/candy stand, it's simple, easy and cheap, just the way I like it!

Valentine's Mailbox

While picking up my daughter from school the other day, I was informed we needed to make some sort of Valentines mailbox for our child to take to school for their Valentines Party and it needed to be large enough to fit even the biggest valentine! So I began to think what we could make that would be large enough for big homemade valentines and small enough for her to carry without much effort.  Here is what we came up with:

This idea came from Artists Helping Children with a few modifications that I made.  First, I did not make the mail slit on the front of the box ( it may not be big enough for some of the homemade valentines), instead, I only made the flap on the top of the box and secured it closed with 2 Velcro dots under the buttons I sewed on the ribbon.  We called our craft time, "Our Pre-Valentines Day Party" and we finished the night by baking heart shaped cookies!
Total time to do this project = 15 mins - start to finish, watching my daughter get excited as we created her masterpiece and display her foam hearts to stuck on = priceless!

Just Because...

Let's face it, sometimes we like to celebrate nothing, just to have an excuse to celebrate something!  For those of you who have little girls or neices, how about celebrating with a Tea Party? I once heard from a well respected author that "playing" Tea Party is so much more than just playing, it's a teachable time spent with your children.  It teaches them manner's, ediquice, posture, and for little girls, it teachs them how to be a proper little girl and for boys, how to respect girls -( i.e- puling out their chair).   All of which is a lost art, plus it can be a lot of fun for both child and parent, not to mention memories in the making.  So pull up a chair and let's talk about throwing the best Tea Party Ever!!!

For this week, let’s look at having a “pretend” tea party, this will be Part 1 of 2.

First gather all of your kids play kitchen food, tea set (if your child has one) and dress up!  Get in your Sunday best or let your child put on their dress up clothes and get glammed up!  Show your child how to set a table (this will come in handy later when you need your child to help set the dinner table) and the proper way to ask for something at the dinner table.  Be sure they use their “Please” and “Thank You”.  Be creative and have them invite some little friends over (if you choose), make fun invites on construction paper and limit to about 30mins.  If you are having fun, then allow the tea party to go longer, but don’t let it go too long and allow the kids to be bored.  Make this a weekly party, get to know your kids and allow your inner child to come out and party too!

Winter Neighborhood Block Party

Are you serious? That's what I thought when I first heard the idea of having a neighborhood block party - IN THE WINTER!!! Don't get my wrong, the snow can look all nice and pretty...from the inside of my house though!  However, after giving it some thought, I think this could be a lot of fun!  Plus, it's a good way to break up the gray long days of winter!
(to view this entire blog, click the link below)
http://notimeonadime.blogspot.com/p/winter-neighborhood-block-party.html

Let's talk Valentines Day

I know, I know, you're thinking, " Valentines days? What? Christmas just ended!"

Well, if your like me and enjoy throwing parties, then you are thinking Valentines Day.  My good friend always host's a Valentines Day Breakfast for her kids and a few close friends.  She has 3 boys, and she invites all their little girlfriends over for a Brunch. Lucky for us we have 3 girls, which makes us a shoe in on the invite list! It's way too cute! 

Here are some ideas for a low key Valentines Day Party for your kids and their friends!
(click on the link below to read the entire blog)

http://notimeonadime.blogspot.com/p/lets-talk-valentines-day.html

I am Engaged.... Now What?!?!

First of all let me say CONGRATS to all of you who recently got engaged over the holidays.  It's always so exciting sharing your wonderful news.  With the busyness of the holidays and getting engaged, your mind might be exploding with all the things that need to be done.  First, just breath! Okay, now breath again...it's going to be fine, and fun! Let's begin!

http://notimeonadime.blogspot.com/p/view-entire-blog-post.html

WELCOME, EXPLORE, ENJOY...

Happy New Year!  I sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season spent with loved ones and friends.  During the holidays, time seems to fly by and before we know it, it's the New Year.  What have you decided to make a resolution about in 2011?  Perhaps it's to eat better, exercise more, spend quality time with family, enjoy the moment, let go of past hurts or embrace the future.  Perhaps it's to finally get organized, get out of debt, or to live a simpler life.  When I say "simpler" I do not mean boring!  I speak for myself when I talk about living simpler, enjoying the moment, spending time with my family.  Much too often I find myself totally exhausted at night from cleaning, running earns, taking the kids to school, cooking dinner, and trying to make it a healthy dinner at that. Then there are those of us that work outside the home and are   trying to juggle work, home, kids...I have been in both situations, a full time career outside the home, and a full time career inside the home.  Let's face it, for those people who think that being a "stay at home mom" is easy, obviously has never done it before, it is a full time, 24-7 job and you are lucky if you get to go to the bathroom by yourself!  There are pro's and con's to every situation!

I will be the first to say that it always looks better on the other side of the fence....the grass is always greener, right? Just remember, you make your own grass as green as you want it, it's all about your own perspective and what is important to you.  For me, that's living a simpler life and spending more time with my family.  As I mentioned before, at the end of the day, I am exhausted and after cleaning up from dinner and getting the kids to bed, I look around and it looks as though I spent my day on the couch doing nothing! The toys are all over the floor (again), the dirty cloths pile that seems to grow a mile a day no matter how many loads you do a day.....then you feel guilty for not spending time with your kids!  I began thinking....what if I didn't have so much "stuff" in my house? I would have less to clean, less to organize and I would be able to bless others with "stuff" I really don't need that someone else might.  Best of all, I would be able to spend more time with my kids and less exhausted by the end of the night so I could actually stay awake and watch a program with my husband.  What a concept right?

That's what this blog is all about.  Giving ideas to help simplify your life.  I don't claim to be some sort of professional on any one thing, but most of all, I hope this blog helps people save time, be creative, and have fun!  My good friend Christina and I have begun our own blogs, sharing our ideas, career and life experiences.  Christina is an interior designer who knows what it's like to have a house that needs function.  One of my favorite things about her designs and creative ideas, is her understanding of the "customer".  Christina is real, practical, and teaches people how to decorate with "champagne" taste on a beer budget.  She also has wonderful crafting ideas, decorating for the holidays, kids bedrooms and how to put all those art projects from your kids into the decor of your house.  Maybe it's a simple question as to what color to paint a room, or how to decorate for an outdoor reception!  Check out Christina's blog, you won't be disappointed.  As for me, one of my passion's is planning! Planning anything from kids birthday party's to, baby showers, bridal showers, anniversary party, weddings, neighborhood block party, 4th of July....the possibilities are endless.  It's a rush to be able to research where the best deal in town is to rent table and chairs, or a dance floor or how to make your own invitations, not to mention how to keep on budget!  After being a corporate event planner and then having a career in sales, I often was asked questions such as, " when should I send out my invitations?", "how can send a creative 'save-the-date' announcement?" or, "I need to stay on budget, how do I do that and still get everything I want?"  Let's face it, in this economy, everyone is watching their money and how they spend it, and I don't blame you a bit! Actually, I congratulate you on spending your money wisely. 

Together, Christina and I will give you tips on how to create a one-of-a-kind decor that fits your lifestyle and makes your house function smoothly, to throwing the best birthday party on town, all on a budget. 

We look forward to hearing your comments and trying to help you out with any topics you have questions on. Keep checking out our blogs to see what new topics we will cover.  I have provided a link to Christina's website to make it easy to follow her blog as well. 

With that, I say, "WELCOME, EXPLORE, ENJOY....."

http://www.homesweetliving.blogspot.com/

Stacy