Free Printable Bird Gift Tags

Free Printable Gift Tags

Fun printable gift tags for your events!

See more of my free printables HERE

How cute would these be for a baby shower, or house warming, or other celebration.

TO PRINT:

 Right click on the gift tags and select open image in a new window and then print from the browsers drop down menu. Or you can right click and select save to your computer and then print as normal.

These are best printed on card stock.

Making your home feel like a 'Bed and Breakfast'

What makes a Bed and Breakfast so attractive? It is the decor, the food, the amenities, all of the above? Is it the fact that you are on vacation and relaxed?  Of course (at least for most of us) your home is not a Bed and Breakfast there is work, responsibility, and cleaning to keep you busy. But why not create small moments, small places where you remember to sit and have a conversation or read a magazine; small luxuries here and there. Here are some tips for creating a bed and breakfast attitude around your home:

• Make muffins or a breakfast casserole you can pop into the oven at dinner time the night before for breakfast the next morning. Here is a site with tons of b&b recipes. 
• Have a 'quite time' in the evening. Turn out all the lights, light candles, play soft music, and talk about the day. 
• Set a pretty basket full of scented bath soaps or salts and beautiful lotions next to the sink or bathtub.
• Set a garden table for breakfasts, snacks, or lunch.
• Arrange a little side table with flowers and a book to remember to take time for yourself.
• Put a few drops of essential oils on the underside of bed or couch pillows. 
• Put together a game basket. 
• Have English Tea in the afternoon.
• Update the bedroom comforter to something lavishly beautiful.
• Put a large bouquet of fresh flowers in a common area.
• Set up an 'outdoor living' room.
• Place a bench in the garden and take time to watch the grass grow.
• Add lots of blooming potted plants to your porch or entry way.
• Have a campfire at night using outdoor fireplace.
• And ask your loved ones what would make the morning rush nicer for them, maybe just having the windows open in the summer first thing in the morning would add a little joy to their day. It only takes just a little preparation to make a lovely memory for your family and provide you with a little time to relax and reflect. 
• Share your suggestions, what small thing do you do to create a wonderful atmosphere?

4th of July cupcake w/ free printable wrappers

Blueberry cupcakes for the 4th of July!

Add caption

For the cupcakes:

I started with a regular yellow cake mix and added a handful of blueberries to bake into each.

Frosted with buttercream from 1 part butter, and 4 parts powdered sugar, thinned with a little water, and  'cornflower blue' wiltons gel food coloring. (I highly recommend using gel food coloring for frostings). I used a large star tip to apply the frosting. Waited for them to cool and then added some fun wrappers I made up.

To print the cupcake wrappers: Click on the photo below to expand it, and then right click print or select 'file' and 'print'. To avoid moisture from the cupcake seeping through you will want to print these on card stock or other thicker paper. (Personal use).



4th of July Tablescape

A picnic basket filled to the brim with stars and stripes seemed a fun way to decorate for this holiday.

My petal plates reminded me of stars. They are set on our blue everyday plates.

Some mismatched stars and stripes napkins. (above and below)

Little flag garland as a table runner.

And just for show some cute little coasters for the glassware.

Happy 4th of July!

Father's Day Breakfast Tray

A fun black and white breakfast tray for Father's day with a cute shirt and tie napkin fold.

We start with a shot of espresso, which is always a must when waking dad up early.

Added some flowers from the garden.

A photo of our kiddos in their 'we love dad' shirts from last father's day.

The breakfast food we will bring in and set up on a separate wooden tv tray next to the bed.

And a fun fathers day shirt and tie napkin fold:

To fold this napkin:

See the step by step instructions:

CookFromTheHeart

Dad T-Shirts

Easy no sew T-shirts for Father's day.

I was inspired by THIS post at A Girl With A Gluegun. Go look and come back, I'll wait. 

I changed it a little to make it even simpler.

I love dressing my children in holiday clothing, but think it is wasteful to buy clothing that they will probably only wear that one day. With this idea you can buy one in-expensive t-shirt and redecorate it until they grow out of it.

I started by printing out some letters which I then traced onto an old pair of black jeans.

I left a little bit of material on the edges to fold under.

Pinned and ironed on highest setting.

Removed pins and used hot glue all around the underside edges and glued to shirt.

And here they are!

The wiggly little bunch of them :)

We are ready for Father's day.

After Father's day is over the letters are coming off and some flags are next.

14 Tips For Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner.

A few tips if you have the honor of hosting Thanksgiving this year:

1. Take the time to plan your menu. A good menu before you go shopping keeps you from running back out to the stores before they close Thanksgiving night.
2. Make sure to add to your shopping list extra eggs, butter, flour, sugar, and anything else you may need for baking.
3. The average Thanksgiving meal for 10  costs around $45. (According to CNBC for 2009)
4. Plan your time too. How long does each dish take to make?
   
5. Do as much as you can the day before, or if you work, two evenings before. Many things such as pies, breads, vegetables, stuffing, will keep just fine in the fridge for two days and then only need reheated on Thanksgiving. This allows you to relax and enjoy your company on the holiday.
6. Ask your visitors to bring a special dish. This cuts down on your work, saves money, and adds to the conversation. And visitors usually love to bring a dish.
7. Thaw that Turkey! The general rule for thawing in the refrigerator is 1 day for every 5 pounds. So a 10 pound turkey should be put in the fridge 2 days in advance. A 25 pound Turkey should be put in 5 days in advance. And if your are brining the Turkey it will need to be even earlier. 
8. Turkeys are wonderful brined.
9. Have Thanksgiving just before your regular dinner time instead of noon or 2pm. This gives you the time you need to prepare a feast but still allows enough time to clean up afterwards.
10.  Make sure you have something to cook the turkey in and a serving platter. 
11. Think about decorations. Does the table cloth need ironed? Do you have a centerpiece? Candles?
12. Buy or make ice.
13. Have something for children to do. A small craft, board games, movies (like Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or Pollyanna)
14. Keep your Thanksgiving menu and recipes from year to year. 

Interesting Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Browsing around for new delicious turkey recipe ideas I came across some delicious, amazing, and even silly turkey ideas from wonderful blogs!

California turkey and vino

 A suntanned turkey (sillyness!)

Caribbean style turkey 

Thanksgiving turkey and bacon flavored gravy 

Cider braised turkey and garlicky creamed spinach

Thanksgiving chili tequila apricot glazed turkey 

Smoky Paprika-Bacon Roasted Turkey

& 

A whole blog devoted to turkey recipes!

Click each to see more about them.

Pop-Up School Valentines

A fun tradition. We started doing this at the request of my oldest son who wanted homemade cards to take to school on Valentines day. This cute little pop-up card is made using scrap book paper, some thick paper, ribbon, and glue. Because it is made up of scraps it lends well to adaptations.

First start with a 2.5 inch by 5 inch piece of card stock, or other thick paper, even a thin bit of cardboard will work. Fold it in half.

On the folded edge make two 1 inch cuts.

Open the paper and fold in the middle section in to create a "stand".

And then close again to crease the folds.

Add a scrap of paper to the outside to hide the hole from the stand.

Add the word Valentine with a black pen. Use all caps and add dots to all of ends. Mark out your word with pencil first.

Cut a heart. About 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch.

Glue the heart to the stand. Make sure the point of the heart is above the bottom crease for the stand.

Add ribbon, or twine etc. by loosely tying it around both the heart and the stand.

Add a personal message above and below the heart

such as:

Happy Valentines Day (above),

and With love from... (below).

Punch a small hole in the bottom of the card and add ribbon to tie it shut.

My boys chose more masculine colors for their cards and they did not perfectly cut out or glue on anything, but that is part of the charm of these little cards. And the time spent making them also makes joyful memories. :)

Gingerbread House Cake

There are no words for how much I love these little Graham cracker gingerbread houses! This one sits upon a wedding cake I made a couple of years ago for a very adorable couple. These cracker houses make cute cake toppers. They can be used also as decorations or as gifts. Regular Graham crackers stuck together with a mixture of pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and water and candy to decorate is all it takes to create them.

To make the "glue" frosting I use Wilton's Royal icing recipe which can be found here or at  wiltons.com

You can also substitute the meringue powder in that recipe with a product called 'just whites' or another called 'simply whites' or any other pasteurized egg whites. I also add just a little vanilla.

Not a cake decorator? Just top your cake with lots of fluffy white frosting so it looks like snow, add your gingerbread house and decorate with a candy. Very simple, very fun!

Giving at Christmas time

Giving at Christmas time is one of the best ways to show others love. Ultimately the money you give will be used and gone. The things you buy to give, worn out and thrown away. But what remains has value far greater than the money spent. You show someone that you care, you give love, you create memories that never leave. There are many ways to give at Christmas. For some giving is easy, they give from their abundance and do not miss what they have given away. For some giving needs to be planned but is not terribly hard to do. For some giving is difficult. The thought of 1 dollar going anywhere but where it is most suited is stressful. And some need all the help others can offer. If you are in this last category, receive with joy! We are taught it is good to give, but often never taught that we bless others by receiving with joy the gifts they give us. I believe most people touch on each category at least once in their lives.

There are many ways to give: 

Money usually is the simplest but, you can also give of your time, or by giving your possessions, or by giving your joy. 

Nursing homes are always welcoming of joyful people to read to or sing to their residents. Call ahead to find out the best times and any policies. 

You can give of your talents. If you sing, play an instrument, or have a similar talent, finding a holiday venue to share them brings holiday cheer. 

Volunteer in you community, church, or school. 

Often baking is useful for events, fundraisers, or just to cheer a neighbor.

Visiting people you love is an important way to give. We do not take the time in this busy world to visit like we should. 

Does your neighbor or a family member have a need? Sometimes just saying 'is there anything you need' can make a difference. 

Many schools and churches have giving trees. Giving trees are where those that have needs leave a paper ornament with details of their gift wishes and those who would like to give take the ornament and do their best to fulfill the needs. 

Food and toy drives this time of year are in full swing and that just takes cleaning out the pantry, decluttering, or picking up a thing or two when shopping. 

Getting rid of our clutter and donating it to charity is always a good thing, or you can offer it up free on Craigs list or local Facebook group. 

Do you know an elderly person who no longer drives? Driving them somewhere, or running an errand for them can be a huge help. 

And of course there is the person ringing that annoying bell outside of every store right now. My children love them for some reason. And when I see the joy in my children's eyes at the thought of giving, the handful of change in my pocket doesn't stand a chance.

Historic Thanksgiving & My Recipe: The Three Sisters

It is strongly believed that "The Three Sisters" were prevalent in the first Thanksgiving feast.  These 'three sisters' are squash, corn (maize) and beans.  Native Americans would build a mound, sometimes placing a fish in this mound to fertilize the soil, and plant several corn seeds close together in the center of the mound. After the corn grew about 6 inches, beans and squash seeds were planted around the maize. These three crops benefited each other, the corn provided a structure for the beans to climb, the beans provided nitrogen to the soil helping other plants to grow,  and the squash spread along the ground blocking the sunlight, preventing weeds, and helping the soil retain moisture. They compliment each other nutritionally as well; Beans and corn eaten together provide a balanced diet. Tribes in the southwest often included a "forth sister" known as the Rocky Mountain bee plant, which attracted beast to help pollinate the beans and squash. This practice of planting beneficial plants together today is called companion planting.

The Three Sisters are featured on the back of this 2009 coin.

My family has a tradition of serving a Three Sisters Recipe at Thanksgiving.

It is a simple recipe:
Layer baked squash,
cooked or canned beans
and corn in a baking dish and heat until everything is warm.

And that is it! The flavors are wonderful together! And because it comes with the companion gardening story, it is always a hit at Thanksgiving dinners.

I love using cast iron frying pans pans, they can be used as a baking dish in the oven as well as on the stove top. For a rustic recipe such as this, it adds just a little charm.

Mulled Apple Cider {Recipe}

Mulled Apple Cider is a favorite family tradition. 

Around Thanksgiving and again at Christmas I make a large pot of this cider 

to simmer on the stove.

And homemade cider it makes such a wonderful presentation for holiday guests.

Mulled Cider Recipe: 
For every gallon of apple juice I add the following

• 1 lemon and/or orange sliced
• A handful or two of fresh cranberries (optional, and mostly for decoration)
• A shake or two of ground nutmeg and ground cloves 
• 3-5 cinnamon sticks (do not substitute for ground cinnamon as it clumps together when heated in water)
• 2 cored and halved apples (these also are for decoration, but my kids love eating them when the cider is gone)

After adding everything, heat the cider till warm, (carefully) adjust nutmeg and cloves to taste, turn pot to simmer and enjoy!

Cute Little Ghosts - Craft

Made with plaster of paris these little ghosties are sure to add a little scare to Halloween.

Supplies: Gauze, as in the kind you probably need to replace in your first aid kit anyway. Plaster of Paris, found commonly in craft and/or hardware stores. Tin foil, paper plates, a sharpie, rubber gloves, and (optional) some kids. :)

Mix up the plaster according to the directions on package. I added some white elmer's school glue in place of some of the water to make the plaster a little stronger. Cover the gauze completely with plaster on all sides. (yes, this is messy! hence the rubber gloves.)

Drape gauze over a wadded up bit of tin foil. Do not wrap the gauze too tightly around the tinfoil or you will not be able to remove the foil when the ghost is dry. (speaking from experience here).

Remove foil when ghost is hardened, but before completely dry. And watch that the ghost doesn't stick to the paper plate. Once dry add cute little faces:

My middleschooler's adorable ghost.

My preschooler's (with lots of help from mom) ghostie.

...boo!

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