The pool is open. School is out. The barbecue grill has been uncovered. It’s time to plan a Summer Party!!
Anytime the word [plan] gets thrown in front of party, panic tends to ensue. But, planning a summer party can be low key, easy and still be a blast. I am sure you are shaking your head at this point and asking how. So let me break it down for you.
Warm Weather means that this party can officially be OUTSIDE. You can choral the troops and confine them to the backyard, the deck and if you are lucky maybe even the basement. This is a major selling point for me. Off the top, that means less clean up both before and after the party.
The other great thing about it being outdoors is THE GRILL. Cooking on the Grill probably takes you (wifey), out of the equation where the major cooking is concerned. If you are fortunate enough the grill is all hubby’s territory. You may discuss the menu with him but for the most part, your contribution can be all sides. Most of which, you can make ahead of time and stock the fridge, which means you are actually free to enjoy the festivities.
There’s no reason that all the expense should fall all on you. Ask Each Guest to Bring Something. You Can Leave it Up to Them, or Be Specific.
Lastly, remember that the heat will definitely leave everyone parched and seeking refreshment. So make sure to have refreshing cocktails & “Mock-tails”. Need Ideas Check Out My Pinterest Board Here. Beer for those beer drinkers, Ice Pops, Summer Fruits and Vegetables.
Throw in some Good Music and Some Cute Party Favors. And, you’ve just thrown the party of the Season, without breaking a sweat.
The goal of any Stay at Home or Work from Home Mom is to make it through the summer with her sanity in check, while still making memories with her little ones. That is just the reality of it, or at least it is for this Mom. My girls are both at the age where they are showing an interest in the kitchen and cooking. So, I came up with the bright idea to let them learn how to do a few more things around the kitchen.
So, I started looking around for recipes that met the following criteria: a) Easy b) Fast c) Required Very Few Ingredients d) Consisted of a Food they already Love.
While browsing Pinterest, I found the link to the recipe for Mini Personal Size Pizzas on Pillsbury.com here.
This was definitely, my kind of recipe. Four Ingredients, Two Steps, Ten Minutes Prep Time, 25 Minutes, Total Cook Time, and Eight Servings (which means there would be enough for me and Daddy too.)
Even though Our Pizzas were not as Aesthetically Pleasing as the Photo Shown on the Pillsbury Site. They tasted incredible and we had a lot of fun making them, even if the girl’s faces are all business here. They took their jobs seriously.
My Notes: I really let them do their thing. I gave them the instructions and then let them go at it. I think maybe, we could have used a little more Pizza Sauce and Cheese. We used Turkey Pepperoni instead of what the recipe called for, and we added some veggies to the mix. This was only our first go round. I trust that we will get better in time. I will let you know how our next attempt turns out.
What activities do you have planned for your little ones this summer?
As many Etsy Business Owners do, in the beginning I joined many Etsy Facebook Groups in the hopes of being able to advertise and meet like minded individuals. That did not really go as planned. What I did find, that I didn’t anticipate was a lot of complaining, and dare I say whining. There was a serious lack of accountability. Owning your own business is no easy feat. And, as with anything challenging, I think that it is pretty common to find folks blaming others for their failures and or short comings. So I suppose I should not have been surprised. Complaining is extremely contagious, it is really easy to jump on the murmuring bandwagon when things aren’t going your way. However, in the midst of all of that, I managed to find some Etsy Sellers who were really focused on building their brand, catering to their customers and advancing. For those few, I think there was a common core to their success. The whole experience prompted me to write this blog on Being Accountable for Both Your Success and Your Failure as an Etsy Shop Owner.
“You can’t accept praise for your success, but not bear blame for your failure.” — Sheree Thomas
a. It is up to you to make sure that your listings read as they should. Just as you can’t read your customers minds, they can not read yours. Leaving things open to interpretation, leaves them open to be INTERPRETED. S-P-E-L-L it out. If your digital item prints best at 11’x14′, say that. If you are willing to make changes to custom invitations, be sure to indicate how. For example, I am only willing to change the background color and the font size. I am willing to make 3 revisions. My pillows only come in these sizes. And, so on and so forth.
b. If you make a mistake CLAIM IT. (Read about my Shipping Fumble Here). If you did everything you could to ensure proper delivery and some how something broke. You may want to consider giving the customer a refund (partial or full). It could be the difference between a return customer and a bad review. Things happen unfortunately (Murphy’s law). Sometimes you may just have to EAT IT. I know that is no easy thing to do, especially when you are counting on the money.
c. There are a lot of Etsy Shop Owners who are willing to help NEWBIES. But, if you ask for a critique then be prepared to hear it. Don’t lose your sh….. ahem Marbles when you hear something you don’t like. And, if people give you advice, and you do not take it and continue to complain about your lack of sales. Then….. sigh… And just to save you the trouble, most constructive critiqueswill go something like this:
1. Better Pictures and Lighting Are Needed
2. Your Products Need Better Descriptions (Detail, Detail, Detail)
3. You May Be Under Selling Your Product or Over Selling (Check Your Price Point)
4. Tags (Pick the Best Tags for Your Products) –Check Out These Etsy Tips Found here on Indiemade.com
5. Learn All You Can About Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Check Out this Free Beginner’s Guide to SEO found here on Moz.com.
“What comes easy, won’t LAST and what lasts won’t come EASY.”
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAD A KNACK FOR THE CREATIVE?
In 2003, I became a certified wedding and event planner, but it was not until I took a Merchandising course, that I realized my love for all things creative. Making this career move, has really made me think outside of the box. It has caused me to create my famous “Panty Bouquet,” in addition to the single panty roses and panty cupcakes. Most popular for bachelorette parties and bridal showers. My knack for the creative allows me to create new and innovative ideas that compliment traditional pieces.
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY?
Creative Elegance is an event styling company. Event styling consists of beautiful stylings of bouquets, center pieces, décor and more! Some may call me a miracle worker because I can turn your wedding from cheap to chic! We also love to personalize every bit of your wedding from your invitations to personalized printables. Creative Elegance styles events such as children’s parties, Sweet Sixteens’, Bridal Parties and so much more! Creative Elegance is now offering Home Staging Services, as well. You can now benefit from the luxury of having the Creative Elegance touch inside your home whether you’re buying – selling – moving or staying!
WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC DO YOU CATER TO?
I am proud to say that Creative Elegance doesn’t have a set demographic. Creative Elegance caters to all ages. We do themed children’s parties, girls night out parties, baptisms and christenings, baby showers, weddings, to name a few. Creative Elegance boasts of being able to bring a playful and whimsical side that will ensure that your children’s parties are a hit, and the modern, classic and mature side to fulfill your wedding expectations.
TO DATE WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE EVENT AND WHY?
To date, my favorite event has been A “Sweet Six”. It was a modern twist on the sweet sixteen or the classic sixth birthday. We had slideshows, a mini dance recital, dancing, music and mini-activity stations. Trends show that children’s parties are getting bigger and bigger. The Sweet Six was the perfect size. It allowed there to be a This event had a quaint and playful feel. The guests of honor wore tutu dresses designed by Creative Elegance. And featured a candy table/bar that the kids could enjoy. The menu consisted of modern, yet sophisticated kid friendly food. It gave Creative Elegance freedom for creativity. It is definitely a new signature in the Creative Elegance vault.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU THIS YEAR, THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE?
My brand is expanding, and we are now offering new products and services, some of which are: custom/bridal TuTu Skirts, printed Bridal Tanks & Tees and gum ball necklaces/bracelets for kids events. Creative Elegance is now venturing into the staging industry both residential and commercial. In addition to all these amazing services, look out for future collaborations with two other amazing event planners in Toronto (Heavenz Décor & Ki-Events), together we have formed an organization calledCAKEvents. CAKEvents is an organization that focuses on the youths and brides on a budget, as well giving back to our community.
IF YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE ADVICE TO SOMEONE WITH A FLAIR FOR THE CREATIVE LIKE YOURSELF, THAT WAS JUST STARTING OUT WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The advice I would give to an upcoming individual with that creative flair is to be true to themselves, and to live their truth. Let your individuality shine through and do not compromise yourself to “fit in”. You are creative, you were meant to STAND OUT.
CREATIVE ELEGANCE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW:
They can and will exceed your expectations, regardless of your age, event or specifications. Creative Elegance has over 10 years of experience and knowledge in the event planning industry. We are based in Toronto, Canada and welcomes the opportunity to work with you to make your event a memorable and satisfying experience.
** I truly enjoyed interviewing Cassandra and being able to pick her mind and find out what makes her such a force in the Toronto Event Planning Industry. She has a fresh perspective on Event Styling and a Definite Passion for what she does. If you are in the Toronto Area, seek her out. She gets the Stage Presents Stamp of Approval!!
You can find Cassandra and Creative Elegance all over the web at:
Today, we are launching a new segment of Our Blog – called “Daddy Bakes”. I am super excited and not just because it means yummy desserts for me. But, because it was no easy task to get my Hubby to agree to it. He often tries his hand at different recipes and they are always a SCORE. So I am elated to be able to share this with you.
Narrated by Mr.Stage Presents:
Last weekend, my wife and I enjoyed the pleasant sounds of a kid free weekend. Thank God for grandparents. After dinner, my wife suggested that we make a dessert instead of purchasing or eating something pre-made. We both hopped on the internet and after a few moments of searching and spinning our wheels, I suggested that we make some type of brownie and ice cream concoction that most restaurants serve. I came across a recipe for an Irish cream-topped brownie dessert on Pillsbury.com. I chose the recipe based on the extremely short prep time, although we did not have any of the ingredients at home. Thankfully Kroger is only 2 minutes away. Afer a quick trip to Kroger, I returned home, baked the brownies, prepared the topping, and refrigerated the Irish cream topped brownies. The recipe called for refrigerating the brownies for 2 hours but ours ended up being refrigerated overnight. I failed to mention that our little brownie project began around 11 pm, so the taste test had to wait until morning. Well, the brownies were well worth the wait. Most brownies taste the same but the topping is what sets this brownie apart…light and candy filled.
What more needs to be said. I give this recipe 5 out of 5 stars and I have listed a few things that I would do differently based on my personal preferences.
I would:
Follow the brownie directions on the box/package.
Use a brownie mix that creates a fudge center.
Use a Heath bar for the toffee candy topping.
Increase the Irish cream content in the topping as well as the brownie.
Mix the toffee candy into the topping.
Drizzle caramel over the topping.
They say you can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to. I am not sure how true that is. But, for Fun Friday this week, I decided to give you a Glimpse into the Avenues of my Soul(giggle). So I put my iPhone on Shuffle and recorded the first 10 songs that popped up.
1. Baby’s In Love (featuring Kid Ink) – Jamie Foxx
2. Backup Plan – Angie Stone
3. Best Friend Remix – Olivia & 50 Cent
4. Best of Me – Anthony Hamilton
5. Black Roses (featuring Claire Bowen) – Nashville Cast
6. Brave – Sara Bareilles
7. A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
8. Cost is Too High (Not to Love) – Adaline
9. Dreaming with a Broken Heart – John Mayer
10. She’s Got A Way – Billy Joel
That took some Bravery on my part. Enjoy the Official Video for Brave by Sara Bareilles
That was fun!! Ok, now that I spilled the beans. Time for you to Share the first 10 Songs that show up in Your iPhone Shuffle. I’d love to get to know you. Consider sharing using #toptenshuffle.
It’s Friday!! We made it …. The Weekend is here, and yes, I had my doubts….
If you follow us on Facebook, you know that I am always talking about how my favorite emails are the ones that start with Your Order has been Shipped. This American Flag scarf is my latest purchase. I live for a great scarf. I am always thinking ahead when it come to outfits. So when I saw this scarf over on Jane.com … I had to have it. I think it will be the perfect pop to a simple white or blue t shirt for the fourth of July festivities. Even if I am not sure what they are right now.
My next obsession is the Wireless Speaker that hubby bought me for my birthday. There is nothing I enjoy more than being able to play my music really loud and tune out the world. I still get texts from him asking if my music is loud enough. But, I think he gets it that sometimes I just need to escape…
I’m crushing hard on the awesome coasters that my Aunt sent me from Belize(she retired there). It feeds both my love of wood and my love of coasters. Even if I do have to remind myself that they are to protect my furniture and not just for show. I tend to get annoyed when cleaning up and I realize someone spilled something on them.
I live on my cell phone. So more likely than not the battery is low, which is why I have such a serious relationship with my iPhone charger. I always need my car charger to be up and running. On Saturday, my charger met its untimely death. Thankfully, it was under warranty so i went to Radio Shack to replace it. The Radio Shack closest to me is going out of business, so they couldn’t honor my Warranty. So, I had to travel way out of my way to get to the next closest one. They didn’t have the charger that I wanted, so they gave me a replacement that was supposedly an upgrade. When she told me that I immediately gave her the side eye, because I LOVED the charger that I had before. Sure enough the charger worked for the trip home and that was it. So, I have to return it, but in the mean time I ran into the Radio Shack closest to me, and not only did they have my charger it was 60% off. So I bought 2 one for now, and one for when I wear the other one out. And, just in case you just have to know what Charger I use it’s Made by Digital Energy found here. (The last ones I had were pink, so they come in pink too.)
Yes, I am still obsessed with the Hoop earrings that Hubby got me for Christmas. The reason – I can pull my hair back in a ponytail, apply lip gloss, a little bit of eyeliner, throw on my Hoop Earrings and a Scarf and my other wise Mom outfit just got transformed into something cute and stylish.
As I started to type out this list, I suppose almost all of these items are gifts from the Hubby. Sue me, I may be a bit spoiled. But, I adore this Mug because well… it’s Lenox, it’s Kate Spade, it has Black and White Stripes and …. it say’s S on it… What’s not to love.
I have always been that girl who want’s what she wants. My earliest memory of this was going shopping with my Mom, and I would set my mind on something that I saw within the first few minutes of shopping. And, she would try to show me this and that. But, nope, my mind had already been made up. I hope that my girls won’t be like that, because if they are I am sure I have some rough years ahead of me.
Hope this song will make you smile. It’s a Flash Back for all my One Tree Hill Fans, closeted or otherwise. And, if you are Tangled fan then I am sure you will recognize it as well.
Do you ever tire of eating and cooking the same thing week after week? This is one my biggest challenge in the kitchen. So, I have been reaching outside the box to try new recipes that I think the family will enjoy. Since today was Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would try out some traditional Mexican Cuisine. I got the recipe from Betty Crocker, so I am not sure just how traditional it is. But, last night I tried out Betty Crocker’s Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Recipe found here. In addition to this recipe being super easy and delicious, it was very inexpensive to make. It got both the Kids and the Hubby Seal of Approval, so its definitely going on my Tried and True List.
My Notes on this Recipe: For a family of four or more, consider doubling this recipe. Also, for my own personal preference I added sauteed onions and peppers to the mix, as well as to the top as garnishment. Also depending on how Spicy you like it. You can choose to go with a different enchilada sauce, I chose the Mild because I have small children at home.
And, then just because you can’t do Cinco de Mayo without Margaritas, we also tried out this recipe for a Strawberry Margarita “Mock-tail” Recipe that the whole family can participate in found here.
Photo Source: First Picture in this Collage was found here: The last three are my Pictures.
My Notes on this Recipe: This drink was very sweet to me. Of course, I am diabetic, so I pretty much consider everything too sweet. But, I would definitely cut down on the Orange Juice which is high in Sugar. I would only use 1/2 of the Frozen Limeade and you could always go with a Diet Lemon Lime Soda. I really enjoyed the little taste I had, so I will be working on a Diabetic Friendly version. So check back I will share that as soon as I can perfect it.
So there you have it, a Quick and Easy way to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home. I should add that the only ingredient needed to change the Strawberry Margarita recipe from a “Mock-tail” to a Cocktail is your choice of “Grown up Juice”, as we call it at our house. Fiesta… Fiesta!!
She lights up your world. And, you can’t imagine life without her. Help the kids show Mom just how special she is, with this Super Cute “Flowers for Mommy” Mother’s Day Printable.
To Download: Right Click and Save Image as to Download and or Print.
As a little girl one of my favorite past times was reading. I was always excited when my Mom announced a trip to the local library. So, it’s no big surprise that it was something I wanted to share with my own children. My oldest shared my love for reading very early on in life. But for my middle child, reading was a little harder. She has a significant Speech Delay, so we had to work harder with her. It was very important to me that we not frustrate her so much with the process, that it became a chore instead of a joy. So the whole family got in on the action.
My oldest would read to her when she was younger. We(hubby and I) would read to her, and we would let her read to us. We were patient with her and we let her take her time, which I admit was not always easy. As she progressed, we let her read to her little sister. This was quite the bonding experience for them. We always have a lot of discussion after reading, this was just as important to me, as the reading, because it was a way to determine how much she actually understood and comprehended.
One of the most important aspects of getting your little ones to enjoy reading is to keep their interest. So we let the kids pick out their own books. I shared with them some of my favorites from back in the day like “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret? by Judy Blume and the Sweet Valley High Books and for my youngest, “Curious George” and “Paddington Bear”. And, yes they have been around that long. And, to my surprise they fell in love with them too.
Keeping them reading during the school year is a breeze but during the summer it gets a little harder to compete with the park and the swimming pool. So every year we get involved in a Summer Reading Program. The great thing about the Summer Reading Programs is that you can find them at most local libraries. Most of them come with lots of added perks and bonuses for the kids such as coupons from local sponsors, special events, free books and a chance to win great prizes.
Here’s a link to one of my favorite programs the Collaborative Summer Library Program.
“TODAY A READER, TOMORROW A LEADER.” –MARGARET FULLER
You can open new worlds to your children, by simply sharing a book with them. Happy Reading!! What are your favorite children’s Books? What books were your kid’s favorites? Consider leaving a comment.
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