Drink and Utensil Holder

Use your old tin cans to make this fun drink and utensil holder for guests at your next party.

 Supplies:

Tin can, emptied and cleaned

Glue Dots®

Patriotic party printable from Hostess With The Mostess

Step 1. Print and cut out the patriotic party printable from Hostess With The Mostess.

Step 2. Use Glue Dots® secure printable to tin can

Step 3. Fill with napkins, utensils and your favorite drink.

I wrote this blog post while participating on the Glue Dots® Design Team.

Rhodes Baked Hot Dogs on a Stick

I am guest posting over at the Rhodes Blog today. 

I am sharing a recipe for Baked Hot Dogs on a Stick. Come over and check them out.

They are super easy to make, so easy that I let Brody help me make them.

They are really yummy!

Olympics Party Favors

What's an Olympics party without favors? Here are some ideas to fill your party bags. 

Gold medals, multicultural flag pencils, temporary tattoos

Sparklers, Gold candy, Little Olympian shirt

 What party favor would you give out at an Olympics party?

It's Just Another Stylin' Sunday

Brody is always excited to wear this retro yellow suit.

How to Make a Pulled Pork Sandwich Revisited

 I love a good pulled pork sandwich, they taste great and are way easy to make.
Here are my step by step instructions so you can enjoy them too. 

The shoulder cuts are the best choice for making pulled pork. Often, you'll find different names for these cuts including; Pork Shoulder, Pork Butt, Pork Butt Eye Roast, Boston Butt, Picnic Shoulder, Pork Chuck and many others. They all come from the same portion of the pig so don't panic if you don't see what you are looking for.

My husband's (the butcher) personal favorite is the Boneless Pork Butt Eye Roast. It is small enough for a great meal and big enough for just the right amount of leftovers.

 

Season both sides.

I like to use Spade L Ranch Pork chop & rib seasoning.

 

Cook in a covered crock pot on high for one hour. 

Crock pot cooking is usually synonymous with having to add moisture to its contents. The Pork Butt is one of a handful of exceptions. They are loaded with marbling and won't dry out.

Continue cooking on low for 6-7 hours.

Total cooking time 7-8 hours.

 Take two forks and gently pull meat apart.
There will be some left over juices, you can drain it if you like.

 From here you can either go ahead and mix in bbq sauce or eat it plain.
I like to keep it plain and add the bbq sauce once it's on the sandwich, so I can use it for other meals later. Plus, the beauty of pork is in its great flavor. It goes with just about anything. Salads, burritos, over rice etc.

DIY Photo Booth Bench by guest blogger Bridgey Widgey

Hey everyone, I am so excited to be guest posting over at What Dee Dee Wants. My name is Bridget and I am a event stylist and blogger behind Bridgey Widgey. I don't know what it is about a paper straws and pendant flags that gets me all excited, but hey, I guess I am easy to please :) On my blog, I talk about fashion, my life, crafts, and I have lots of tutorials on how to recreate my parties. 


Today I am going to share with you a tutorial on a cute photo booth station that I used for a lemonade stand. You know if you saw this stand driving by you would have to stop. Your kids will be so excited when they have a line at their next lemonade station :) Also it can double for  photo booth. Now this is what I am talking about! I love two for ones.I also love photo booths at parties, there is something about a photo booth that brings out the best in people. I love to see the candied photos of people that may otherwise be shy. Now in order to get some fun shots, you can't just have a camera and people, you need a cute set up!

Let's get started...

You Need:

A bench (purchased here)

2 wooden dowels

2 small screw eyes (purchased at home depot)

duct tape

bakers twine

paper

Step1, 2, and 3: Get your bench, prime, and then paint it. Easy enough right?

Step 4: Screw in the screw eyes into your dowel and tie your bakers twin through each loop to create the banner.

Step 5: Duct tape your dowels to the back of the bench. I didn't nail gun it in because I wanted to keep my options endless, and be able to change it up for another party.

Neon green duct tape... I am high class huh? Also don't mind my dowels are different. Last minute I decided to add the paper medallions and I needed the height of the original dowel that was suppose to be behind the bench.

Now go grab a glass of lemonade and come to my blog to enter to win 25 dollar gift certificate from The Wood Connection to recreate this entire look, even the paper pinwheels. PLUS, I am also giving away a free mini photo shoot using this lemonade stand. Click here to enter.... 

you know you want to :)

Because if you don't you will feel like this...

Summer Reading List

Summer time means a lot of reading for me. I love reading by the pool (even it it is a kiddie pool) or while Brody is running through the sprinklers. I have flown through quite a few books already this summer. What about you?

I thought I would share some books I really like in case you're looking for some books to add to your summer reading list.

1. The Perks of Being a Wall Flower by Stephan Chbosky
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
6. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
8. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
9. The Island by Victoria Hislop
10. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
11. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
12. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
13. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
14. The Liar's Club by Mary Karr
15. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs


What books are on your summer reading list?

It's Just Another Stylin' Sunday

Happy Father's Day Travis!

Zedena Lu Nautical Jewelry

Summer is upon us, and with it always arrives the year’s assortment of summer fashion trends. While trends are wonderful and exciting and interesting to read about in magazines (and occasionally shop for, when you have the extra time lying about), nothing ever seems to beat the woman who can carry off a more timeless, classic style.

This year, San Diego-based jewelry line Zedena Lu offers up its Bel Mare collection, a line of nautically-themed jewelry boasting shapes that include sailboats (because we’ve always wanted to be able to say we had a boat, right?), seahorses, dolphins and other aquatic inspirations.

With pendants colored in hues of golds, whites and blues, these pieces pair perfectly with your other classic staples, like a breezy white button-up blouse, your favorite blue jeans or, for special occasions, summer’s version of the LWD: the little white dress. In fact, we’re picturing that LWD now with this Bel Mare Speckled Enamel Seahorse:

Here’s a bit of what you don’t know: Every piece produced by Zedena Lu is handmade by San Diego designer Melissa Williams Netherton, and it’s Melissa’s love of working with enamel that led to these nautical necklaces. Other Zedena Lu collections include styles pulling from both Western and Eastern cultures, and visitors to the site are always pleased to find that they can also have Zedena Lu create a customized piece of jewelry.

Another classic that a classic lady can’t do without is the vintage crystal look, which appears in the line’s Filigrana collection. This assortment of necklaces and earrings is centered around the natural beauty of colored stones, including Genuine Swarovski Crystals, which are flanked in intricate metal designs. Take, for example this: Stella Peacock necklace, which can be worn either forward or backward:

This Swarovski crystal, surrounded by filigree brass, can be ordered in 18", 24" or 30" hand antiqued brass ladder chain. But more importantly, it’s gorgeous and sparkly and begs to be ogled. If that sounds like we’ve just described a supermodel, well – need we say anymore?

Zedena Lu designs may be viewed online at www.zedenalu.com.

This is a sponsored post

Olympics Kids Crafts and Activities

Brody and I are really excited for the Olympics! We even hosted our own little preschool Olympics last week. We made Olympic flags, played our own Olympic games and decorated cookie Olympic rings. I will be sharing some of these things with you soon.

If you are excited about the Olympics then take a few minutes and make your own little Olympian shirt. Brody loves his!
All you need is a printer, iron on transfer paper, a shirt and an iron.

 Download the little Olympian shirt template here 
and make your own iron on transfer shirt. 

Watch for more Olympics kids crafts, activities and games coming soon. 

Linked up here.

Please Help

I usually don't post stuff like this but I just really want to help spread the word. 
My twelve year old niece told me about Millie, a six year old girl who has been diagnosed with leukemia two times.
As she told me about Millie and her story I started crying and I haven't stop thinking about her since.  I can't help but think about the heart ache her family is going through and how it could happen to any of us.

To help raise money for little Millie

 

Join Millie's Princess Run

because cancer is a royal pain! 

June 30th 

Sugar House Park

There is even a 2K for the kids

More information here

If you can't make it to Millie's Princess Run please spread the word or consider making a donation.
Read about Millie's story here.

Summer Beauty Must Haves

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/


Now that summer is here we are spending a lot of time outdoors. Which means we are loading up on sunscreen, it's the one thing I make sure to wear everyday. I never forget it. Sunscreen should be part of everyone's beauty routine every day. Do you wear sunscreen daily?

I really like Olay Complete for an every day sunscreen and moisturizer. Of course if I am planning on spending more time outside or at the swimming pool I reach for something with more sun protection. My sunscreen protection can vary but I always make sure Brody has on 50 SPF like Banana Boat Kids Broad Spectrum Sunblock. 

I am also a big fan of sunscreen sticks. It's easy to carry in my purse and I can reapply to Brody's cheeks and nose really fast. He doesn't like stopping his fun to put on sunscreen so I have to be able to apply it quickly and sunscreen sticks do the trick.

I can be prone to dry lips so I like to keep something on hand for that. Softlips Lip Protectant is great because it has a 20 SPF. If you get cold sores it's important to have SPF in your chapstick to help prevent getting cold sores.

Summer also means taking care of my feet and making sure my toes are painted. I love giving myself little pedicures. Here are some of my favorite nail care products.

1) Cuticle nippers these are perfect for clipping those nasty hangnails.
2) Nail polish I love Essie nail polish, it's one of my favorite brands.
3) Nail buffer next time you paint your nails try buffing your nails first (just use the first 2 sides) it will help them look smooth and free of ridges.

4) Nail clippers
5) Manicure sticks also known as an orange stick or cuticle pusher.
6) Emery boards I like to keep an emery board on hand, it keeps me from biting my nails.

Well, there you have some of my summer beauty must haves.

What are your summer beauty must haves?

Summer Ideas

Check out some of these posts from summers past.



 



Turn a small swimsuit into a cute two piece swimsuit.
Did your daughter have a growth spurt and her swimsuit is too short now? Don't throw it away, turn it into a two piece swimsuit. See how here. 

 



Take the kids on an aquatic bug hunt.
Try something new this summer and go aquatic bug hunting with this tutorial from Delia Creates.

Make a book to catalog all the fun things you do this summer.
Two Penny Blue shares a tutorial how to make the book and free downloads. Tutorial and printables here.




 


Go on a shape scavenger hunt.
This is perfect game for preschoolers  and can be played indoors or outdoors.
The Mother Huddle shares a free shape scavenger hunt printable to help you play.

Have some fun with PVC pipe. 
Kids will love this PVC pipe target that Simple Simon & Co made. They also have a few other PVC pipe games to play too.
I love the PVC pipe water mayhem.