Show and Tell

I absolutely LOVE Show and Tell. Over the years I have met with friends for lunch once a month. We take turns hosting the lunch and whoever else attends brings something to share with the other friends. You really should try it. Our finds have included recipes, crafts, vacation spots, good deals at thriftstores, book recommendations and the list goes on. So, I thought I would share a great find with you today.

Not long ago Michaels stopped carrying BAKERS TWINE. So, I started looking all over and it was so expensive for the tiniest little bit, so, I started looking around the WEB and found Divine Twine. I love it and have been using it for everything lately. The colors are beautiful and Whitney is so sweet and her packaging is adorable. She will be selling pink in June. Can't wait. Thank you Whitney!

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Polka Dots and Sweet Peas

 

Okay. I think I am done with Sweet Peas. Sorry.

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Let's Picnic! {Part One} oops! Forgot to re-post after corrections were made!

 

 

 

 

With Spring comes the anticipation of picnics. Lots of them. Wheather it be dining on the bleachers at a ball game or a Sunday afternoon picnic with friends at a park. Packing a picnic can be a great alternative to purchasing pricey, un-healthy food at your favorite local drive-through.

My friend Penny asked me if I had any ideas for easy "pack up and go meals" to eat at the ball park. I thought that since I had been talking about taking meals this week, this would be the perfect time to "chat" about portable lunches/dinners. I am sure you have way more ideas than me , so...be sure to add your ideas and thoughts that work for you.

As mentioned before, I keep a stash of basic containers on hand because the LAST thing I want to do when I get home is to clean a bunch of containers-with the exception of a few glass containers and occasional utensils that can be loaded into the dishwasher.

Depending on what we are having, I pack everything into a sturdy bag or a portable cooler on wheels {COSTCO usually carries these every Spring}.

Everything is packed so it doesn't spill or stain. Be sure to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.

Everybody gets their own container with their "main dish" or their sandwich, unless it is potluck-style where there is a picnic table to put out a large container for everyone to help themselves.

Sometimes I label the containers with the individuals name. This is helpful for those who are picky. Instead of specifying no mayo, no pickles, no meat etc. :)

I used to have such a hard time not having dinner all together at home @ 5:00 sharp every evening. It just threw me for a loop! Once I stopped pouting and decided I could make it fun, it has just been THAT...lots of exciting meals away from home and lots of memories with friends and family.

Here are some menu ideas:

drink
Caesar salad with leftover BBQ chicken-box container
dressing-condiment container
rolls with butter-cookie bag
brownie-cookie bag



drink
cornbread muffin-cookie bag
tortilla chips-cookie bag
applesauce with cinnamon sugar-glass container



drink
chopped salad-box container
dressing-condiment container
focaccia bread-cookie bag



drink
tunafish sandwiches-cookie bag
pita chips-cookie bag
monster cookies-cookie bag



ginger ale
Asian rice/noodle bowl-large Chinese take-out box
molasses cookies



drink
pasta salad-large Chinese take-out box
mini focaccia loaves-cookie bag
mini cupcakes-mini Chinese take-out box



Italian Sodas-disposable cup with lid and straw in drink carrier
Turkey wraps in Lovash-wrapped in wax paper and put in box container
chips-cookie bag
apple slices-cookie bag



BBQ beef sandwiches-wrapped in wax paper and put into box container
potato salad-mini Chinese take out
carrot/celery sticks-small cup with lid
ranch dressing-condiment container
oatmeal cookies-cookie bag



strawberry lemonade-disposable cup with lid and straw
taco salad-box container
salsa and sour cream-condiment container
pineapple slices

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Little SWEET Pea {part two}

The arrival of a new baby usually means the planning of a baby shower!

There are celebrations to celebrate just about everything, but I can't think of any celebration as SWEET and exciting as the arrival of a new baby.

There is so much anticipation and joy. Some showers are planned after the birth which means that the baby gets to be passed around and adored which is even more fun.

My friend Kim and I had so much fun planning this pea pod shower a couple of years ago. {THANK YOU, Kim for the A.DOR.ABLE photo}

The color scheme was what we based the menu and shower on to pull it all together. Our theme was "SWEET PEA"...from there the planning was easy.

The shower was pretty much stress free. All of the details were done in advance. The only thing that was not done ahead of time was the punch and that doesn't really count because all it took was opening a carton of lime sherbet and adding 7 UP to it! Easy PEAsy (HA!). The cupcakes, the "sentiment" cake and pea pod pecan tassies were made in advance and then frozen.

The chicken salads were made the day before along with the cheese slices.

It is definitely a good idea to keep things simple...food and decorations...so that when your friends arrive, you are able to enjoy the special occasion you are celebrating!

Here are some ideas:

* Get a date on the calendar
* Figure out your colors~I like to choose two colors and I ALWAYS use white as the background. It makes everything look classy and it is way more economical to always have the basics...dishes etc in white so that you can reuse them.
* Pick a theme. For example: Peter Rabbit, circus, firetrucks etc. If you can't think of a theme, stick with colors for your "theme" and it will look B.EAU.TEE.FUL.
* Decide on what time of day or evening you will be gathering. This will help you to decide on your menu.
* Start collecting inexpensive glass luncheon plates and cups and white dishes. Hit garage sales, flea markets or your Gramma's attic. This will eventually save on the cost of expensive paper products. (I started collecting mine 20 years ago!)

What is your favorite idea for planning a shower?

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Little SWEET Pea {part one}

 

One of the best gifts for new parents is sometimes the most practical. A simple way to create a special evening for them is to take a meal. It is a great idea to have that be your gift to the new family. Not only is it meaningful, but it will be fun for you to spoil them.

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Frugal Finds

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Step Two



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Step Four



Sooo, we remodeled our home almost two years ago and we had an electrician pre-wire for two lights over the island. That was all fine and dandy until someone in our family decided to move the island over a couple of feet!

We were not going to spend more money to have the electrician come out and re-wire, so we had been "toying" around with a couple of ideas. Since I am constantly changing things around, we decided that whatever we did, we wanted it to be temporary.

This last week while we were at IKEA, my hubby spotted these lights and he said, "We are getting these!" I did not like the modern look, but he talked me into it. We brought them home and I started getting out my paper scraps and ribbons. It was a lot of fun to see what was possible with leftover crafts.

These solar lights are great because they can be put anywhere and hung from anything...they could even be used outside for a party...above a baby changing table...for late night diaper changes, a child's fort...be it in a closet under the steps or outside {They sure beat the old tap lights!}

If you like the modern look, it comes with a cord with two S hooks. All you need to do is hang it up.

If you want to have some fun with it, the sky is the limit. I am making a couple of them for baby gifts...can't wait.

The cost for one of them is $19.99, I think.



WORKBOOK:

Use paper punch to cut out "scallops". I punched out 11.

Since the light is solar-powered and doesn't put off heat{or not much}I taped the overlapping circles with tape.

I traced a STAMPING UP bird punch...thank you Penny! I cut out two of them so they would be on each side of the string.

I took a long ribbon and attached it to the light and then hung it from the hook in the ceiling.

To finish it off, I tied bows and taped them above the scallops in equal intervals

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