Rosary Cupcake Display

We decided to do this "Rosary Cupcakes" because it was our Dad's Birthday, and Our Lady of the Rosary feast day earlier this month.

Our mom thought it would be a nice for my sister and I to show you guys what we did, so here it is! 
It's a good way to celebrate and tastes so YUMMY! :)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
55 mini cupcakes
8 regular sized cupcakes
frosting (two colors)


1. Make 55 MINI Cupcakes.
2. Make 8 Normal Cupcakes.
3. Decorate Cupcakes!
4. Display like a ROSARY! :)

Enjoy this Special Rosary just for you! :)

Baby Wipes

Two months ago my husband and I had our first baby, a wonderful, healthy baby girl. :) Now, if you have had (or have) a newborn, you know that you go through a TON of diapers and wet ones. My husband had went out and bought three big containers of wet ones and we used them up in practically no time flat! 

So...I decided to look up a “recipe" for wet wipes and I love them! They don't save you a ton on cash, (they do a little bit) but it's wonderful knowing exactly what is being applied to your little one's skin. ;) Below are the ingredients. I've made them a couple times now and changed the original recipe a little bit.  I've found that the changes I made works better.  You may need to adjust things for your recipe, too! :) I made this recipe for two containers of wet wipes. 

*NOTE: This recipe makes 2 containers of wet wipes.

What you'll need:

2 Wet Ones containers

1 roll Viva paper towels

Divide the following ingredients in half so you can make 2 containers:

4 Cups Water

2 Tbsp Baby soap (your choice)

4 Tbsp coconut oil

6-10 drops essential oil, optional

You are going to have to buy two commercial containers of wet wipes before this little project due to the fact that you will be using the containers.  Otherwise, you could find a jar or other container that they would fit in, if you'd prefer.

1. Before you start the “hard work" of this, put the water in a pan and let that start to boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn off the burner and remove from heat.

2. Let the water cool to room temperature before adding the ingredients. (This step will help keep the wipes fresh and not become moldy.)

3. Now for the hardest part of all - cutting the roll of paper towels in half. (I found out after I did this that you should probably NOT use a serrated knife for this step.  It shreds it a little - as I found out!)

4. Once that is all finished, wipe off the excess paper towel pieces and put each half into a container so that they are "standing up".

Hopefully, if you use a knife that isn't serrated you won't have as big of a mess as I did. Haha :-)

5. Dividing the liquid ingredients, combine 2 cups of the boiled and cooled water in a small bowl.  Add 1 Tbsp of baby soap and 2 Tbsp of coconut oil.
If you are adding essential oils, add 3-5 drops.  
Mix until coconut oil is dissolved.
(Be sure not to stir too much otherwise it will become very sudsy.)

6. Next, pour the mixture over the paper towels.
Press the top of the paper towels down a bit.

**Repeat steps 5 & 6 for the other container.

7. Close the lids and flip the containers upside down.
Leave them upside down for about 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Flip the containers back upright and remove the cardboard pieces inside the paper towels.

9. Pull the first wet wipe from the center (where you pulled out the cardboard) and push it a little through the top of the lid.

And there you have it! :)

Popsicle Stick Puzzles

If you are looking for a fun and creative craft, look no further!  After spending an evening at a "Paint Night" party with my cousins and aunt, I was still in the mood to paint. :)   

When I realized we needed to come up with a craft to do at work the next day, my eye landed on an ice cream bucket filled with these craft sticks.  I remembered seeing popsicle stick puzzles all over pinterest, so we decided to go with it!  Rather than pasting a photo over the sticks we decided to pull out our selection of acrylic paints instead.

1. First we arranged the amount of sticks we wanted to use snugly together, then carefully taped them with some masking tape.

2. Then we flipped them over to have the clean slate for our "art."

3. Next, we painted them!

4. They dried pretty quickly so we separated them once we were done painting so that they wouldn't be stuck together when fully dried.

5.  When the puzzle is completely dry, you mix up the sticks and put it together!

Here are the puzzles we made (& named!), from left to right:

Alaskan White Out

Summer Breeze

Autumn Bliss

Japanese Sunset

Four Seasons

Japanese Cherry Blossom

Love Birds

Apple Orchard

***To make it fun, we took a picture of each puzzle then printed a color copy of it.  We stored each puzzle with the picture so that we would know what we were trying to achieve when playing with these puzzles! So much fun! :)

Laundry Stain Buster

My sister asked me a couple months ago why I make things myself rather than buying them. (Such as our body wash, laundry detergent, etc.)  It got me thinking about why I take the time to make all these items.

1.  It's cheaper.  More often than nought, I take the time to do it because I believe that the amount of money we save by "DIYing" is worth the time it takes to make it.  Once I find a recipe that I like, it really doesn't take all that long and I can usually work on more than one thing at a time.

2.  I have to buy less often.  When I make something myself, it's generally "bulk-sized", so we have to restock fewer times. Since it's also cheaper to make it at home, we are, again, saving money.

3. It's healthier.  Most of my DIY items aren't made of all natural, organic ingredients, but there are some that are truly healthier than commercial products.  It may seem a little counterproductive for me to make chemical-free lotion bars, then turn around and slather my face with chemical-laden make-up, but I believe that even a small difference is still a difference.  I know we don't live as healthy as we should, but we do live healthier than we could. :)

4.  They work better.  Yes, I know this doesn't apply for all things homemade, but you would be surprised at how many things DO work better.  If I decide that a product works about the same whether it's homemade or commercial, I try to look at the other reasons before deciding to continue making it.  Is it cheaper?  Is it healthier?  Is it worth it?  For example... my homemade laundry detergent.  We have been using this detergent religiously for over 3 years now.  I still love it!  And the cost difference is amazing!  So, yes, it's definitely worth it to take 10 minutes out of my day to mix up a batch of detergent once a year!

5.  I love it.  My last reason is my best answer to the question "Why do you do it?"

I love being able to make a product that actually works.  There is something about the "homey" feeling you get when you can create (or recreate) a product for your family to use.  Whether it's making some homemade makeup remover wipes or a denim pie iron bag to take camping, it makes you feel a little more domestic in this busy life.  I just simply enjoy it.

I have been in search of a stain remover for awhile.  When I came across a post about homemade "Shout" on the blog, One Good Thing By Jillee, I knew I had to try it.  We've used it on a couple of articles of clothing already and I was amazed at how well this worked!  I wet the fabric down a smidge, sprayed some of this on and rubbed it in.  Then, I let it rest for a couple of hours before tossing it in the wash.  Simply unbelievable.  Next time I will be making the full batch instead of a half. :)

What you need:

empty spray bottle

funnel

3 Tbsp. baking soda

1 c. warm water

1/3 c. ammonia

1/3 c. Dawn original dish soap (the blue kind)

Using the clean, dry funnel, pour the baking soda into the bottle.

Add the warm water and swirl until mixed well.

Add the ammonia and dish soap.

Shake to mix.

To use:

Shake well before each use.

Wet fabric slightly with water.

Spray Stain Buster directly on stain.

Rub into fabric.

Let rest at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Wash as normal.

(On really tough stains, I will sometimes spray and rub once more after it rests, just before I toss it in the washing machine.)

*Do not use with bleach!

(*You may want to test on an inconspicuous spot on the fabric.)

  This stain buster has worked wonders for our clothing! However, my husband has a pair of coral colored shorts where it removed the dye. Other than that, it has been awesome with our whites and colors alike! So if you are worried about ruining a piece of clothing, I would suggest doing a test run.  :)

I labeled mine using the label maker we got from my parents for Christmas last year.  Seriously one of my favorite gifts ever!  

Since there is ammonia in this, be sure not to mix with chlorine bleach!  I would suggest somehow noting this directly on the bottle.  If you don't have any labels of any sort, just write it directly on the bottle with a Sharpie.  :)

**Note: the baking soda does tend to settle after it rests, so be sure to shake it up well before each use.

Lotion Bars & Lip Balm

When I first heard of lotion bars, I thought they sounded...interesting, to say the least.  I wasn't sure if I would like using a solid bar as a moisturizer, but I figured I could handle giving it a try if it was healthier for our bodies.  I experimented a bit, making a few batches, and tweaking it along the way.

I came out with lotion bars that my husband and I both love!  The bars are in a solid state, but when you rub them between your hands, they warm just enough to coat your skin, creating a moisturizing barrier.  Because of the oil & wax, they do feel a little greasy at first. However, after a few minutes, it's all soaked in and your hands (or whatever you're moisturizing!) is so soft!  Another great thing about these lotion bars is that it doesn't wash away the second you wash your hands.  It seems like I can apply regular lotion to my hands all day long, but as soon as I wash my hands (which is a lot), it's all gone and needs to be applied again.  Not with these lotion bars!  I can use these bars, wash my hands, and the water just beads up, protecting my skin from drying out quickly.  Love this stuff!

You have the option of not adding any essential oils, but I will tell you that the smell of cocoa butter is fairly strong when you do that.  Personally, I love customizing the bars and having a variety of types & scents to choose from.  I have a selection of essential oil blends, so I chose a few and made various types of lotion bars.  These are just a few that I did:

*Muscle Relief (for my husband's back/shoulder pain)

*Tea Tree/Lavender (for healing)

*Goodnight Blend (for a restful sleep)

When I was making these bars, I decided to try the mixture as a lip balm, too.  It was great!  I actually love how it feels when you apply it, giving that moisture barrier, but not feeling heavy or sticky.  Just keep in mind you will want to use essential oils that are safe for your face.  I'm not that educated with EOs so I would suggest doing some research yourself rather than me giving you advice. :)

You can buy the empty lip balm containers on Amazon, as well as any shape of silicone molds for your bars.

I used a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients, which worked perfectly, but if you don't have a scale, measure it out as best as you can.  Just keep in mind, the more coconut oil, the softer the bars will be, and the more beeswax, the firmer they will be.  It worked best for me to have equal amounts of the three ingredients.  1:1:1 Ratio

Ingredients

20 g. organic cocoa butter, raw, unrefined

20 g. organic beeswax

20 g. organic coconut oil, cold-pressed, unrefined

essential oils, optional

1. Measure out your ingredients.

2. In a double boiler (or a glass bowl set over a sauce pan of water-just don't let the water touch the bottom of the bowl), heat over medium-high heat.

3. Let it heat and melt down, stirring occasionally.

*If you are putting the same essential oils in the entire batch, you can stir them in as soon as it's all melted.

*Since I made different types, I poured it into my molds (I used silicone cupcake liners) and dropped the different essential oils in each one, then stirred them up.  It's important to work quickly.  It sets up fast!

*With the leftover mixture, I just put the essential oil directly in the bowl, then used a clean, glass medicine dropper to fill the lip balm containers.

4. Once it's completely melted, remove from heat and pour it into your molds (see notes above about adding essential oils).  If you find that the mixture is setting too quickly, return it to the heat and melt again.

5. Leave them on the counter and let them cool completely until firm.

6. Once set, you can pop the bars out and store them in containers or use them right away!

My hubby and I have one on each side of the bed to use before we go to sleep.  I also apply mine throughout the day if needed, but he prefers to only use it at night so he doesn't have to deal with the greasiness.  He gets a little irked when his hands don't feel clean, so even though these lotion bars soak in quickly, he can't stand the feeling of it on his hands.  He says if he uses it at night, the greasiness is gone by the time he wakes up so he doesn't have to worry about it. :)

If you want my advice...try them.  Even if you don't like "greasiness", I think you will be pleasantly surprised on how great these lotion bars are.  You really only have to deal with the greasy feel for a couple minutes, and the benefits of how great these bars work make those minutes totally worth it! 

They are awesome for any dry spots.  Hands, elbows, knees, even your feet!  

Perfect timing since the flip-flops are back again! :)

Simple & Rustic Wedding Decor

I'm sorry.  This isn't going to much of a post; however, I wanted to share some of the decorations we used at Luke and Laura's wedding.  I thought they were simple, yet adorable. 

These decorations have made me look twice at an empty jar or that "chalkboard" paper you find in the craft store.  

After using so few items to put these together, it gives me encouragement to do something crafty for my home. I think I shall go parooz Pinterest for some ideas! :)

 

                                  

Party Snack Table

     

As mentioned in my past post, we had been celebrating our little sister's wedding at the beginning of this month.  Wow, I can't believe she will soon be married a month!  Crazy how time flies; although, I do love Halloween so I am kind of looking forward to the end of this month. ;)  Side tracked...anyway...

While we were preparing for Laura and Luke's reception, they expressed they would really like to keep it simple.  We ended up having the dinner in the basement of the church so we decided to have snacks at the dance. (Mom always said, "Feed people at a party and they will have fun!" ;)   It ended up working very well.  I thought I would share a few ideas we used.  Feel free to expand on these ideas.  We would love to hear what you come up with!

                                                                

Lemonade for the kids.  There were, uh, other beverages for the adults. ;)

We had a couple days of baking bars and cookies--15 pans! We luckily had a few left over. 

Our amazing Grandpa makes the best popcorn!  He made 20 bags to bring to the celebration.  Did I mention he's amazing!

  You can never go wrong with chips...salsa or nacho cheese!

Parties are fun! The choices we used for this particular night made it easy to keep stocked, making the night very enjoyable!

Burlap & Lace Wedding Cake

I would like to apologize for the lack of posts over the last couple of weeks.  We had been preparing for our little sister, Laura's, wedding.  (Which, by the way, during this preparation, we found some cute ideas we will be sharing. :)

Sitting at the airport, about to return home to Tennessee, I realized we neglected to inform you that it was going to be a busy month and therefore be lacking posts.  This made me I feel bad that we weren't at least sharing something.  Soooo...I decided to share a picture of the cake I made for my sister and new brother's wedding.  So as I sat at my gate, feeling sad to leave my family, I wrote this quick post.  (However, due to my faulty app on my phone, I didn't end up posting that day...sheesh.  Feeling even more neglected, aren't you! :)

Baking your own wedding cake was a lot of fun, but as noted in our information page, I come from a large family. It was a bit chaotic and a bit stressful with the amount of people we had to keep out of the kitchen, but in the end it worked out great.  Also, a huge THANK YOU to my sisters that ended up helping me, Lucy and Olivia---huge hugs! Thanks to you too Momma. ;) 

I feel very honored that we were able to make the the "face smashing" dessert. 

Now that the festivities are over and normalcy (what is that even?!) can set in, the regular posts will be shared.  

Congratulations Luke and Laura!  We love you bunches!

Bleach Pen T-Shirts

My sister's wedding is getting closer and time is flying by! I posted the Bridal Shower Ideas for you guys, but I think you might like this one a bit more. :)

Bleach pen t-shirts are ridiculously easy and you can make them for anything! To support a team, for parties, a family reunion, or even for your kids when you go to the fair or the zoo. They are fun to make, especially when you get creative and just have fun with it! 

I made this t-shirt for my sister to wear at her bachelorette party (she paired it with a cute scarf to dress up the tee) and she can wear it the morning of their wedding to get her hair done.

I just used a black cotton t-shirt from Walmart that I got for $3.00 and I think the bleach pen was around $3.00 as well, so it's even a cheap project! I only used a small amount of the bleach pen so I can make more tees, too!

**I would suggest testing the fabric of one t-shirt before doing a big project to make sure you like how it looks.

GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES:

*dark colored cotton t-shirt

*Clorox bleach pen

*stiff piece of cardboard

Step 1: Insert the cardboard into the t-shirt so it's sandwiched between the front and back.

(This is an important step. You don't want the bleach to bleed through to the other side.)

Step 2: Smooth the fabric out.

Step 3: Draw your design.

Step 4: Let it set for 45-60 minutes, or until you're satisfied with the color of the edges.

Step 5: Rinse well, and then wash in recommended cycle for your t-shirt.

That's it....have fun with it! :)

How to: Pack Your Shoes

In a past post, I told you about my husband and I taking a last minute trip.  That was when our 'spontaneous getaway bag' started.  Since then, we randomly decide we are taking off and heading to a hotel near Nashville.  In fact, we just did that very thing a couple weekends ago.  We really enjoy doing this.  Because this has become a regular excursion, we have come across many little items to throw in said bag.

  

On this last trip, I was thrilled to see a shower cap.  I'm a little strange but, hey, it wasn't just q-tips and lotion.  I get excited about the small things.  

I was checking out Pinterest yesterday and came across this great idea.  It wasn't actually what I had in mind when my face lit up seeing the cute shower cap box, but a great idea, nonetheless.  

This idea is going to be so handy when I'm packing for our 'mini vacations'.  Also, I will be traveling for my sister's wedding soon.  Who knows how many pair of shoes a girl will need for a week like that!