If you haven't noticed, this week's all about Mexican themed party ideas  and fiesta fun! And today I'm delighted to be joining the one and only Clinton Kelly , TV personality, author, editor and general stylist-crush-of-mine... for a Makeover Your Margarita Challenge !!

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Tic Tac® brand. I received compensation to write this post through the Tic Tac Pack Program; however, all opinions expressed are my own.  When I say "mint", what's the first thing that pops in your head? For me, it's freshness. And chocolate. I'm a foodie at heart, what can I say?! So when I saw the  Tic Tac® brand's NEW Spearmint Mix flavor , I thought it would be a cool idea to see if I could make some yummy inspired recipes for a mint inspired party!

Happy Easter, sweet friends!! If you're reading this, means you've taken 5 minutes off to enjoy all that chocolate in peace, am I right?! ;) And you're in for another MEGA treat, 'cause we're giving away a copy of Party Pinching  's NEW Book " Party with Sweet Treats " - Oh yeah, the Easter Bunny rocks!!

As promised in my last post, today I'm sharing a recipe for your Easter Brunch today that's super easy, quick and delicious! The beauty is that it can be made the night before , and baked just before brunch on Sunday. Perfect served cold too for Spring and summer picnics!

St. Patrick's Day is 'round the corner, and what better appetizer than a creamy houmous, to soak up the lashings of Guinness ?!  This is a favorite dip in our house, and makes a welcome appearance on many cocktail parties because it's super easy and quick to make, quite healthy, you can make it a day in advance, and tastes DIVINE!  My husband has been know to "drink" the stuff. Neat! So I always make sure I make plenty. And I have a little secret for making it super creamy too!

March's arrived and St Patrick's day is only a couple of weeks away, so we've got our leprechaun party hats on 'round here! And for me, it's the ideal (excuse) occasion to treat myself to a yummy Irish Coffee. Whether for a party or just because, as it's the perfectly warming cocktail for this time of year too, and super simple to make.

Following on from yesterday's Santa inspired post, I thought I'd share the DIY for the cupcakes I made to match my  Christmas Candyland desserts table . I used sugar paste f ondant and printable toppers to decorate the cupcakes.  It's not rocket science - more like playing with modelling clay! :)

If you follow me on Instagram , you'd have seen a few sneak peeks of these cute Santa cake pops , and today I'm sharing the easy step-by-step tutorial. My seven year old daughter helped me with these ( you can see her little hands in the photos, bless ) and they are perfect to entertain little ones over the Holiday period.  

Being in charge of Thanksgiving dinner can seem like a daunting task. Even for the most discerning hostess. Between cooking the perfect turkey, the gravy, the stuffing, or setting the perfect table...the to-do list can seem endless! But the key is to prep as much as you can in advance. And ask for help! So in the spirit of sharing, I've compiled a collection of recipes to help you on your way  - Including several turkey recipe ideas, sides, condiments, desserts and treats  (making my mouth water already...).

The weekend is upon us, and there's nothing I love more than to plan some funky meals to enjoy with my family and friends .  Recently, I watched a science documentary, featuring several studies that showed that a diet heavily based on red meat is not really the best thing for us. Ever since, we've been making a conscious effort to cook more and more meatless dishes at home. But I have to say, our repertoire wasn't great. I mean, sometimes you've gotta go beyond chicken and fish to keep your taste buds guessing, right?!

Don't know about you, but after school snacks are one of my fave meals of the day. For me it's the time to catch up with the kiddos after a long day, and find out what they've been up to at school. So they also need to be fun. And of course healthy. And not fill them up too much so they don't eat dinner.  Quite a few boxes to tick for a humble snack, huh?! So prepping is essential. And I've selected some funky recipes to help make after school snack life a breeze. 

Photo source Because yesterday we were talking bar styling , then naturally today's post had to include drinks and recipes. After all, no self-respecting party bar is complete without pretty libations?!  Here are some of my faves, handpicked for their awesome taste but also good look s, 'cause we all know we eat (or drink) with our eyes first. I'm particularly digging all the recipes that contain some sort of herb: thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary ...to make use of my garden bounty this summer! Looks super funky too!!

I know some of you are already preparing for back to school, and if lunch box food poses a dilemma, then fear not! 'Cause  I have handpicked a selection of fun, healthy and totally scrumptious lunchbox recipes that are also easy to make and totally portable.  The kids can totally help too in the prepping of some of these recipes, which all adds to the fun, right?! ;)

Marshmallows are perfect for any occasion. It's a well known fact (trust). So when the fabulously creative Meaghan from The Decorated Cookie  sent me this patriot red, white and blue Marshmallow recipe for Bird's Party Magazine , I knew she was onto a winner! They look awesome, don't they?! Plus, are super quick and easy to make, and you could even set up a Marshmallow Bar at your 4th of July Party  with all the ingredients, and get guests having fun making their own pops -  A sweet treat that doubles as party activity too?! Score!! ;)

These easy treats are perfect on any dessert table, but they also make fun party favors too!  The idea comes from Brazil, and the popular chocolate fudge called Brigadeiro . Traditionally, Brigadeiro are rolled little balls of chocolate fudge (much like a chocolate truffle), but using spoons in this way, not only makes it even cuter to serve, but also super easy and quick to make too. 

Onward with our Wold Cup Party ideas, today I'm sharing another of my fave Brazilian recipes: Coxinha de Galinha . Coxinha come from the name for 'little thigh' in Portuguese, because these little morsels look just like...well, little chicken thighs. They are really popular, and present in most Brazilian parties and celebration buffets, so we couldn't have a Brazilian inspired World Cup party without them. Even Nigella has her own recipe for these! 

Any dessert becomes instantly more appealing when it comes in a  "pop" portable version, don't you think?  We all know and love the good ol' S'mores, and with outdoor season is truly upon us; these Nutella S'more Pie Pops will sure to dazzle at your al fresco desserts tables, camping party or summer soirees!

Did you watch the World Cup opening match yesterday? Nail biting, right?  Well, with a few days of match-watching, celebrating and cheering for our favorite soccer / football teams; there's nothing better to get in the tropical spirit of things than with a  refreshing Brazilian drink! We all know and love the Caipirinhas ( try this cool twist ) , but have you heard about another popular cocktail called ' Batida '? The name literally means 'beaten' and derives from the fact that all the ingredients are well; beaten or blitzed in a  blender. Now, you can't get easier than that for a cocktail, right?! :)

The football or soccer World Cup kicks off tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate, party and watch the games then with some traditional Brazilian recipes, snacks and appetizers ?!  They'd be cool for February's Mardi Gras or Carnaval also. These little pão de queijo (little cheese breads rolls) are typically served at breakfast or at afternoon snack, but these bite-sized morsels are also perfect appetizer to accompany a nice cold beer!! Tried and tested ;)

Father's Day is coming up, and if you need some last minute ideas I have rounded up some past and new posts from the blog to help make the searching easier ;)  There are DIY and handmade gifts, recipes and cute printables, card or party embellishments to choose from.