Halloween Candy Bars

October 16, 2015October 16, 2015

Halloween has to be one of the most fun-loving holiday’s we have! I thought I would come up with a project to do with my kids that reflects that! And because it’s Halloween, there needs to be sugar involved in said project… Soooo, I took sugar wafer cookies (yum), chocolate (yum), and candy (more yum) and I put them all together in one super yummy festive treat!

All you need to do is pick up a couple of packages of sugar wafers (I got three flavors), two kinds of melting chocolate (or colorful melts if you like), and a selection of candy. My kids LOVE m&m’s so those had to be there, then to make it extra Halloweeny, some candy corn of course and the rest were just random selections that suited my fancy!

This no-bake treat is inexpensive, easy and fun, let me show you how I did it…

Here are all the ingredients I used... You can swap any of this out, get creative, taylor it to your tastes!

Here are all the ingredients I used… You can swap any of this out, get creative, tailor it to your tastes!

I chose bittersweet chocolate because it helps to off set some of the sweetness.

I chose vanilla melts for the contrast in color.

Three different types of sugar wafers… the classic vanilla, chocolate and strawberry… but there are lots of different flavors out there, again, get creative!

I used sweetened coconut flakes, you could use unsweetened or even toasted if you want to cut some of the sugar.

Candy corn is a non-negotiable if you are making these for Halloween! Even if they are just on a few, it really helps to doll them up… Now, if you are making these for let’s say Christmas or Easter, you might use candy canes or peeps!

I chose mini m&m’s because their cute little size fit with the wafers, also, because they are small, we could get more color… and as I already mentioned, this is a family favorite!

I picked up a cookies and cream candy bar and chopped it up… My kids love Oreo yogurt and so I knew they would just love this one!

I reserved some of the vanilla chips for decoration.

I also picked up some peanut butter cups, um, yum… obviously if you are making these to bring into a school or somewhere there might be a peanut allergy, I would leave these out.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment. You want to place on something mobile so you are able to move your bars to a cool place to set up.

Place your vanilla melts in a microwave safe bowl and heat for one minute to start, then stir as well as you can.

Place in the microwave again for 10-15 seconds at a time, stir after each time… until you come to this level of melt. Then allow any random bits to melt with the rest of the meltiness.

just plop each sugar wafer into the pool one at a time. With the vanilla chips, I start with the vanilla so that if some crumbs fall in, it doesn’t sour the batch.

Gently coat and allow to drip so you don’t get over coverage.

Once they are coated, place on your tray.

Some vanilla crumbs did get in, but they really aren’t seen, so I continue with the strawberry.

While still warm, start sprinkling on candy.

Get creative, let the kids have at it, there is no wrong way to do this!

Once you are done with the vanilla chips, move on to the chocolate… I like to do one at a time because it only stays warm enough to coat for a short time. So, pop this in the microwave for one minute and this is what it looks like after that minute. Mix as well as you can and pop it in for an additional 10 seconds at a time until you get to the next level…

Once you are mostly melty, mix and allow the rest to naturally melt… You don’t want to over heat, then you end up with burned chocolate, no fun!

The real chocolate will be much more liquidy, making for a more even coating.

Again, just have at it with the candy.

I had some left over chocolate, so I used it to further doll up my vanilla bars.

Halloween Candy Bars

Serves: 16

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

8 oz. vanilla chips melted, plus more for decorating

16 sugar wafer cookies

1/4 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup candy corn

1 Cookies and Cream candy bar, chopped

2 peanut butter cups, chopped

1/8 cup mini m&m’s candies

(use any candy you like)

Directions:

Cover a cookie sheet in parchment or wax paper, set aside.
Melt chocolate or vanilla chips (one at a time).
Dip and cover each sugar wafer, gently.
Decorate with candy.
Set on tray to cool and set up.

Pumpkin Spice Bedazzled Jacket

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015

Kid’s are expensive! From the moment they are born all they do is grow. At first they are in a size for literally days, then a couple of weeks… thank the good Lord that at least my kid’s are finally getting a few months out of a size at this point. But, it is still not cheap to buy a whole new wardrobe every few months! Hence the hand me down.

Big brothers and sisters have been handing clothes down since the beginning of time. If you have kids that are the same sex, you are golden. But, what happens if you have a boy and then a girl or visa-versa? What happens is, it’s time to get creative and transform some of those clothes! Hey, if you can save a buck, why not save it!

This cute corduroy jacket was my son’s and it was great for him last year, but he has well out grown it now… So, I broke out the hot glue gun, some ribbon and my handy-dandy new Bedazzler and had fun transforming a pretty basic boy’s jacket into a super cute and sassy Pumpkin Spice fall jacket for my baby girl! And I think it came out rather cute! I get complimented on it everywhere we go!

Last weekend it was time for our annual hay ride and pumpkin picking, so she donned it and I grabbed some shots for you all to see… Take a look at how I did it!

Here is Lucas’ jacket pre-make over.

I start by using my bedazzler machine to add some sparkle to the collar.

Two plain studs and one jewel (orange).

Here is the pocket pre-sparkle.

I start with some ribbon right over the pockets. I chose to secure it with hot glue because it’s a jacket and doesn’t require a ton of washing… But, were it a shirt or pants, I would have chosen a strong fabric glue.

I repeat the same pattern from the collar on the pockets.

Isn’t it cute?

Add a touch of ribbon to the INSIDE of the cuff. you want to add a bit of girliness by flipping up the cuffs.

I even Bedazzled an “A” on the back for “Alaina”

Pumpkin Spice Bedazzled Jacket

Jacket

Pumpkin colored 5/8″ gross grain ribbon

Bedazzler

Bedazzler jewels

Bedazzler studs

hot glue gun and sticks

Batman Pencil Case

September 15, 2015September 15, 2015

My son is starting to really love super heroes! I think his new blooming love is super cute. So when it was time to find him a pencil case to put in his new Superman backpack, I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t find one I liked. Naturally I decided to make him one myself. After thinking about it a bit, I decided to keep it very simple.

In less than a half hour’s time my son and my godson both had Batman Pencil Cases to carry not only their pencils, but crayons, markers, erasers and much more! I must add, we are using this case as a pencil case, but it can totally be used as a snack bag or a lego travel case, a superhero party gift bag, a matchbox car carrier or a little girl’s pocketbook if you add a ribbon! Some felt sheets, some glue, a zipper, a sewing machine and scissors made for a super cute super hero pencil case.

Check out how I did it!

I pulled up an image of the batman symbol on google images and traced right on my computer being sure the symbol was about 7″ long. Then I pinned the paper right to the yellow felt and cut out the outter oval first.

Fold the pinned fabric and paper.

Start cutting the middle to allow for cutting out the traced design from the inside.

Once the Batman symbol is cut out of the yellow felt, set aside and work on the case itself.

Use a 9″ zipper.

Pin the zipper down to the edge. Be sure to face the zipper in like so.

Sew midway in to the zipper edge. You will want to use a good heavy duty thread, like a quilting thread.

Once one side is sewn, pin to the next piece of felt.

Open the zipper and sew along the middle again.

Once both sides are sewn on, turn the zipper and sew the zipper horizontally to secure.

Once the zipper is properly sewn on, turn the fabric right side out and sew the remaining three sides. You will want to keep about 1″ from the edge all the way around. You want to start and end from start of zipper and end of zipper.

You will have excess fabric.

Cut off excess fabric around the three sewn sides.

You will have just a small trim all the way around.

Use a good fabric glue.

Because felt is the fabric here, be sure to put plenty of glue on the back of the Batman piece.

Secure the Batman symbol onto the fabric and press firmly.

Materials needed:

2 black felt sheets
1 yellow felt sheet
9″ black zipper
fabric glue
quilting thread
scissors
sewing machine

A Gift for Teacher – Sunflowers with a Pencil Bow Clip

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015

My 3-year-old son is heading to preschool today! Maybe if I say that a few more dozen times it will sink in… but, probably not! I can’t believe my baby is going to school. Sure the call it PRE school, but I am putting a back pack full of pencils and crayons on his back and dropping him off at the same school where I spent 6 years of my life being educated. It’s school. Wow, yep, it’s not going to sink in.

On Tuesday, we went in with him to his orientation. We sat in tiny little chairs and listened as the teachers told us about the rules, the do’s and don’t’s, the schedule and some of what our child will be learning on a day-to-day basis. Lucas will be a new student and his teacher was just hired and will be new to the school as well! So, we thought we ought to bring her a little welcome gift to brighten up her new classroom a bit. Nothing too crazy, just a pretty bunch of sunflowers tied up in some tissue paper and ribbon and as a special little accent, we made her a Pencil Bow Clip to finish it off… She can obviously use it as a hair bow should she choose, but it can also be used for a number of other teachery things too!

I thought it came out so cute that I decided to make a couple for my daughter as well… Let me show you how I did it!

Here are my materials: yellow sparkly ribbon, tan ribbon and black ribbon, a clip, some frey check, a glue gun and some scissors.

Start by measuring your clip and how much ribbon you will need for your clip to cover it fully… My clip is just about 2″ long… so I need 7 1/2″ of ribbon to cover the clip inside and out.

Then, before you cut your next piece of ribbon, tie a bow with it and figure just how much you will need allowing for cutting off the ends with the additional ribbon added on later.

Turns out, I needed 12″ of ribbon for mine.

to make the bow, you will want to tie it ‘bunny ears’ style like so.

To make your pencil tip, you will want your tan ribbon and your black ribbon fused together using glue. Be sure to make the edges are a bit jagged… this will help with the effect of the pencil being sharpened.

Glue the black and tan pieces onto the yellow tip of one side of your ribbon like so.

Now cut the tip into the point of a pencil.

Here is what you are left with… the edges will still tend to fray if you don’t use some Fray Check, even with the glue.

Apply Fray Check to the edges or any cut ribbon.

On the other end, you will want to create an eraser. To do that you will want a small piece of black ribbon glued onto the end of the yellow ribbon, then a slightly smaller tan ribbon on top of that. Trim the two corners and then apply Fray Check.

Here are the materials needed to package up the bouquet: two pieces of colorful tissue paper, a plastic baggie to contain the moisture of the flower stems, a ribbon to secure the flowers and our Pencil Hair Bow.

Just place flowers in the plastic baggie, wrap in tissue and secure with ribbon… then add in the bow.

He was so excited to have a gift to give his new teacher!

Pencil Bow Clip Materials:

1 – 2″ hair clip

1 piece of 12″ yellow sparkly ribbon

1 piece of 7 1/2″ yellow sparkly ribbon

1 piece of 1/2″ black ribbon, cut in half

1 piece of 1/2″ tan ribbon, cut 1/4 and 3/4

hot glue

Fray Check

Flower boquet Materials:

6 sun flowers

1 plastic baggie

2 pieces tissue paper

1 2′ piece of ribbon

Rainbow Popcorn

June 19, 2015June 19, 2015

A good friend of mine had an “UP” themed birthday party for her little girl recently. To highlight the theme she had rainbows, balloons and colors galore! I decided to bring along my contribution to her party by whipping up a batch of this super colorful Rainbow Popcorn!

Not only is this popcorn colorful, but each color has a different flavor because to color the popcorn I used none other than a rainbow array of Jell-O. You could adapt this, of course, to any theme you would like… If you are doing a ‘Lemonade Stand’ birthday party, then just use the yellow… If you are planning a ‘Smurf’ theme, then just the blue… the possibilities are endless. This is a great activity for kids to help with too! It’s not complicated at all.

Here are all the ingredients you will need.

Prepare 12 cups of plain popcorn. I did it over the stove with kernels… You might also want to try a plain bag of microwave popcorn… well several bags. Then place 5 cups of popcorn into a large bowl.

Pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk into a small sauce pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Mix well to distribute color.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you’ll get a burned pan like you see here.

Pour the thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Mix in until it coats all the popcorn evenly.

I prefer parchment paper, but if you don’t have parchment, you can line your cookie sheet with foil like you see here and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Mix in each color separately.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened… about 10 minutes.

Pour each colors thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 mins.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

Break up all the popcorn… Place in serving bowl and toss!

Recipe for Rainbow Popcorn:

(serves 24)

30 cups prepared plain popcorn

3 cans sweetened condensed milk

6 boxes of Jell-O, in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

Directions:

Turn oven to 175°F. Prepare 6 cookie sheets (or alternate as you go along) with either parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare fresh popcorn. In a small sauce pan, pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk. Then pour in half a packet of your chosen jello into the milk. Heat over a burner turned to low for about 10 minutes until thickened. Stir often.

Place about 5 cups of popcorn in a large bowl. Pour thickened milk mixture over popcorn and immediately stir together with a wooden spoon. Place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F. Allow to cool about 20-25 minutes, then break up pieces and place into an extra-large serving bowl.

Repeat with each color. Mix all cooled colors together. Enjoy!

*this is a Gluten-free recipe.

(Recipe variation… this popcorn has an intense Jell-O flavor, which kids love… but if you wish to tone it down a bit, use only 1/4 packet of Jell-O per mixture and add 4 drops of the matching food color to boost the coloring, for adults you could also sprinkle with kosher or sea salt just after baking to balance the flavor)

***This recipe is an adaptation of the Eagle Brand Condensed Milk recipe.

Ruffles and Bows Romper Set

May 23, 2015May 24, 2015

I was probably the furthest thing from girly when I was growing up. On any given summer day, you could find me building forts and making mud pies out in the yard. My friends and I would ride bikes all day and play cops and robbers. You might even call me a good old-fashioned Tom-boy! I didn’t start to come into my “girliness” until I was an adolescent. Even so, from the moment I learned I would be having a baby girl, I couldn’t help but think about all the precious little girl clothes and toys and frilly things.

My daughter has always loved all her little dolls and stuffed animals. She is now starting to mimic Mommy and Daddy in showing her dollies affection and really starting to love them. So when she received an American Girl Doll for her birthday, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Yes, I said “I couldn’t have been”! My daughter is just a year old, she doesn’t know to be excited for all the cute little matching clothes and the cafe and hair salon, so I have decided to be excited for her! Those little matching clothes can get rather pricey though!

I found this incredible fabric the last time I was at the craft store and fell in love with it! I mean any fabric that you don’t have to hem is definitely something worthy of my attention! I, like just about any parent of a toddler, absolutely adore one piece rompers! My son wore one piece rompers for two years (they stop making them after 24 mos. 🙁 ) With the idea of a one piece romper and this super “Ruffled Stretch Knit” fabric, a design was born.

Here are a couple more photos of the outfits and then we will start the super easy tutorial:

You will want to start by measuring your girl and your doll. measure from shoulder to midway down her thigh and around her waist and then the inseam.

Start with a Stretch Ruffled Knit fabric in whatever shade you like. Measure your child’s waste and add two inches to allow for both the seam allowance and comfort.

Do this at the top.

And the bottom.

Now pin all the way down… but, before you do, be sure all of your ruffles are facing the same way

You will also want to ensure that all of your rows match up pretty exactly. As it is stretchy material, this can be a bit tricky.

Now do the same to the dolly size fabric and cut both out after pinning.

Sew a zig zag allowing for a 3/8″ seam. I do this because I like to double up the seam and the zig zag is to allow for the stretch of the fabric.

zig zag (I am using a contrasting color thread so you can see what I am doing better, you will wan to match your color)

Now, fold the sewn fabric in half stopping at the seam to find the middle. This is where you cut just an 2-3 inches depending on the measurements you took of your child and of the doll.

This is what you should have. I like to baste here.

This is basted and I have started to reinforce the top where the cut ends… This reinforcement will stop any tearing that may occur.

Next cut ribbons to tie up at the shoulder. Be sure to add an inch or two to the back ribbons to accommodate for her back (as it should hang a bit lower than the front)

Attach the front ribbons about an inch further in than you have done for the back. This will help to prevent the frock from falling off her shoulders.

Be sure to do this under a ruffle and reinforce it really really well. I like a two spot reinforcement.

You will want to use a bit of Frey Check at the ends of all ribbons you use in this project. If you don’t have Frey Check, you could use a bit of fabric glue.

All you need to do is run the edge of your ribbon through the liquid. I only use enough to coat the very edge of the ribbon.

Now onto the super bow I attached right to the front. Just wrap a bit of ribbon (5/8″) around your 4 fingers and tie off with another ribbon and spread.

At this point you can attach the bow really well in the center and then it’s a good idea to tac the ribbon down around the edges.

And there ya have it.

Here is what the back looks like.

Materials:

Ruffled Stretch Knit fabric

Matching thread

5/8″ ribbon (I used two different coordinating prints)

sewing machine

scissors

measuring tape

Frey Check

Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version

May 3, 2015May 19, 2015

My special “Breakfast in Bed” Series continues today with “Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version”. This series is designed in preparation for Mother’s Day or any time that you want to spoil that special someone with that extra effort.

Beds across the nation will be warmed up with the love of children to their mother’s showing them just how much they are loved and appreciated by that extra effort to take care of Mom as she takes care of them each and every day. Today’s installment features a fancy kicked up breakfast. Some of it can be prepared ahead of time, but some elements are meant to be done the morning of. And unlike my first installment, Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version where most everything was disposable, this version takes a bit more effort because after breakfast there will be dishes to do and we don’t want to leave that to Mom!

So, again if you are Mom and you are reading this, now is the time to hand the computer or tablet over to your significant other or older child (as there are way too many breakables involved here for a youngster) and turn away. I will now be addressing the Preparer.

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Some of the elements here such as the Chocolate Covered Strawberries and the Codfish Cakes can be made a day in advance. Then other elements, such as the Tea, the OJ and the Southwest Veggie Omelet need to be prepared the morning of. Although, you should definitely refrigerate your oranges for the OJ, otherwise you will have warm OJ.

Start with your Mom’s favorite tray. This is mine. I bought it the last time I visited St. Michael. It is hand-made and adorned with hand crafted St. Michael’s signature blue and white tile. The scene depicted here is of the ‘Portas de Cidade” or Gates to the City. The Portas de Cidade is a famous landmark in Ponta Delgada, St. Michael’s capital city and is a source of great pride for all Azoreans.

Here is a mini tutorial on how to make delicious Chocolate Covered Strawberries from scratch:

Like I mentioned above, These can be done the night before, but they can also be done same day so long as you have a chilled area for them to set up quickly.

Start with some fresh strawberries. Wash and dry them thoroughly. Moisture is melted chocolate’s worst nightmare.

Next, pour half the contents of a chocolate chip bag into a microwave safe bowl.

Pop it in the microwave. Start off with one minute on high. Stir. Every 15 seconds, stir until you get the proper consistency.

When your chocolate still has this much texture to it, it should be ready to stir into melty goodness.

When your chocolate looks like this, you are ready for dipping!

Give each strawberry its own individual bath.

Be sure to have a plate or cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to receive the dipped strawberries so they may cool and firm up.

Once you have them all dipped and ready to so, get them to a cool place to chill.

Next, here is a mini tutorial on how to make fresh squeezed orange juice:

There is nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice. It is not like the kind in the carton. The nutritional value of the fresh squeezed is far superior to anything you might find at the supermarket.

Start with some beautifully ripened oranges. It is a good idea to refrigerate these over night, otherwise you will end up with warm OJ, not great.

I found that one large orange was enough to fill a juice glass. Obviously this depends on how large you can find the orange and how juicy they are. Cut them in half to start.

Here are three different methods to getting one delicious glass of OJ:

The first method of juicing is just to hand squeeze the orange into a glass. I find that this is the least efficient way as you will have a hard time squeezing out every drop.

The next method is a much more common method, using a juicer. This one has the little rim that catches seeds, nice! You will want to work the orange onto the juicer with a bit of elbow grease to get every last drop.

The third option is the squeeze juicer. This baby really gets every last drop out and prevents seeds from falling in the juice! I always find it funny how it almost seems like the orange is put in backwards, but it literally turns the fruit inside out.

This main plate features a Southwest Veggie Omelet and Codfish Cakes. Recipes and tutorials are detailed on their respective postings. Take a look, the omelet tutorial teaches how to make the perfect omelet and customize it to your tastes.

Although you may think of Codfish Cakes as a lunch or dinner item, it is especially good in the morning and with some eggs, so give it a try.

And last, but not least is the tea. I found this little gem while traveling in Utah. I fell in love with this hand-made beauty and started collecting personal tea pots ever since. If you are looking for a lovely gift for Mom, check out Golden Moon Tea, they have some great high quality teas and tea ware.

Supplies you will need:

* Pretty Tray

* Pretty plate

* Pretty napkin

* Crystal juice glass

* Personal Tea Pot

* 3″ glazed tile

* silverware

Food and drink:

* Southwest Veggie Omelet

* Codfish Cakes

* Fresh squeeze Orange Juice

* Chocolate Covered Strawberries

* Tea (don’t forget whatever your Mom takes in her tea, ie. sugar, milk, honey or lemon)

Have fun and remember to think about what your Mom loves and tailor her Breakfast in Bed to what she likes best! A nice handmade card goes a long way too!

Strawberry Hair Bow

April 21, 2015April 25, 2015

Little girls love hair bows! I wish fun things like this were around when I was a kid! Handmade hair bows are all the rage right now. This is something really fun to do with your daughter, granddaughter, niece or any little girl you have in your life this spring break or summer vacation!

Here’s how I did it:

Gather your supplies. You will need two plain clips, one length of polka-dotted pink ribbon, one length of green ribbon with a white stitch accent and one length of black sparkly ribbon.

Clips. I ordered these in bulk on-line… But any craft store will have them or something similar. I use these specifically because my daughter is a year and a half old and her hair is still baby fine and these hold great!

Next, measure your black ribbon. To do this open the clip and place the ribbon along the full length of the inside of the ribbon and allow for enough ribbon to run along both the top and the bottom of your clip and be sure it is able to come right around to the squeezy part of the clip.

You’ll want to run glue along the inside of the clip first. Then pop the ribbon in being sure not to close the clip until you have the ribbon in place or you will glue everything together, not fun. Then continue along the top and the bottom and finally at the end where the squeezy part is. Your entire clip should be encapsulated with ribbon at this point both inside and out.