When you have kids in tow, Valentine's Day festivities take on a whole new meaning (I think parents reading this will nod at this point), and the phrase three's a crowd springs to mind? :) Because of that fact, I've often shared family-friendly Valentine's Day party ideas, recipes and crafts here on the blog. But this year, since my kiddos are a little older; I fancy a little dinner date with my husband!
Valentine's Day is 'round the corner, and if you need a delicious, easy to make and oh-so-pretty cocktail to serve at your party, or to your best gals, then this post is for you! I've been into hibiscus cocktails since last summer, as I just love the pretty colors and floral notes it gives to any drink. So naturally, I turned to hibiscus to add a touch of " je ne sais quoi " to my classic Margarita cocktail recipe!
January just makes me want get cozy and warm. And for me, there's no better way to celebrate any occasion in winter than with a big bowl of steaming hot soup! So it got me thinking that a soup party buffet would make a fabulous, and soup-er 😁 easy way to entertain this season! My family lives on soup in winter, so I set up this cozy winter soup party tablescape with a buffet fit for hosting family, friends and kids at home!
This post is sponsored by the National Peanut Board . I received compensation, but all opinions and content are my own. When the weather turns colder, I reach for the hot chocolate. Are you the same? It's the perfect, comforting drink and one of the perks of winter for me! In fact, it's a tradition this time of year in our house to have a hot chocolate station set up with mugs, toppings and fun treats in our kitchen, ready for when the craving for a mug of hot cocoa hits. And this year, I've upped the ante on my go-to hot chocolate recipe, with peanut butter!
Christmas is when I bake the most. Every weekend, it's a new cookie recipe I like to try. And these days, I find myself reaching for my gluten free brownie cookies over and over again! These brownie cookies are fudgy in the center and slightly crisp on the edges. They pack a huge chocolate flavor and have that umami note that make it my (and my family's) favorite cookies EVER! I love brownies. And cookies. So the idea of combining both brownies AND cookies into an easy-to-make recipe, is for me, the embodiment of Holiday baking 😉
Cheese boards and cheese platters have been trending now for a couple of years, and I'm not surprised. They're a no-bake, quick and easy to assemble appetizer that packs the wow factor for any party! For my Thanksgiving celebrations , you probably saw that I served my cheese board with fruits and seasonal produce for a "harvest" bounty sort of feel. But for my Christmas cheese platter, I wanted a simpler appetizer that was also very festive and even easier to assemble than my traditional, full-on cheese board.
These Scandinavian inspired Christmas gnomes have been trending on Pinterest for a couple of years and I'm still obsessed with how adorable they look! Being the crafter that I am, I couldn't resist making my own this Christmas, and today I'm sharing my super easy, inexpensive, NO-SEW Christmas gnomes + the FREE templates I designed to make the whole project a lot easier for us all! 😉
If you're looking for a super easy, mega tasty cocktail to whip up in no time at all , then Irish Cream Liqueur (Baileys) is IT! I've been making this recipe for years now during the Christmas Holidays. Mainly to keep in the fridge ready for guests (or a cheeky night cap...), but also to give away as yummy gifts!
'Tis the season to craft and be jolly, so today I bring you a super pretty idea to create some cute ornaments for your Christmas tree on a budget. Yes, we're recycling some supplies and using printables, so NO fancy cutting machine in sight to make these pretty Rae Dunn inspired Christmas tree ornaments !
According to Wikipedia, " Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment. " This meaning is exactly what I was lookin for when I styled this table. This feeling of effortless comfort and coziness that our Scandinavian friends are so good at re-creating, is something that really appeals to me at this time of year!
This year, Christmas at ours will be a little more chilled out and relaxed, so my décor will also be a reflection of that. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, and after a tough year, I don't want to stress over elaborate décor. So I took my inspiration from nature to start the decorating process, with the styling of my mantel in a neutral farmhouse style . The DIY projects for this décor style are also inexpensive and super easy. Again, reflecting the peaceful and natural atmosphere I want to create at home.
Some of my favorite ways to spend quality time with my kids during the holiday period, is to craft and to bake together. And this year, more than any other, the focus will truly be on family and faith! So rather than share lavish party ideas here on the blog, I've been creating some content that's suppose to nurture those feelings of home, togetherness and of slowing down to focus on what Christmas is truly about. Starting with this tiered DIY Christmas village advent calendar . It's a fun, easy craft project that your can do with the kids, and bring it out year after year as a family keepsake!
As you probably noticed, this month we're celebrating all things apple. And you there's no better way to celebrate anything than with cake, am I right?! Apple and cinnamon together also embody everything "Fall" for me, and is one of my favorite flavor combinations ever! Add salted caramel to the mix...and you have me hooked. For life. So today I'm sharing with you my latest layer cake creation, which consists of a delicious, fluffy apple and cinnamon sponge cake filled with a gorgeous apple and cinnamon pie filling, frosted with a creamy cinnamon frosting, and topped off with a to-die-for salted caramel drip . You're welcome! 😁
To kick off our autumnal post series, I'm sharing a gorgeous al fresco Thanksgiving tablescape that I styled, along with a video to help inspire your own Thanksgiving celebrations! This autumn table decor has all the things we love and trending in the party scene right now: copper accents, pink hues and a touch of boho chic. What's not to love?! 😍
Halloween for my family has always been about the fun costumes, snuggling up on the sofa while watching movies, and eating candy. So although Halloween may look a little different this year, we'll still just see it as an excuse to snuggle up on the sofa to watch fun movies...and eat lots of candy! 😁 Hence these adorably cute, decorative Halloween throw pillows to make our sofas a little more cozy and a lot more BOO-tiful 👻
If you follow me on Instagram , you'd have probably seen this vegan chocolate mousse made on countless occasions in my stories. It's become my go-to recipe for chocolate mousse! Not only is this chocolate mousse SO quick and easy to make, but it's also vegan, tastes delicious and only requires TWO ingredients! One of the the ingredients is called Aquafaba, which is basically the liquid from a can of chickpeas. But before you turn you nose up at it, wait!
Fall temps call for comfort food, am I right? Hence this decadent Oreo cake! This chocolate Oreo layer cake is my daughter's all-time favorite cake and she requests it for every birthday, which I'm more than glad to oblige since it's oh-so delicious and super fun to make! If you like chocolate and Oreos (like us), than you really can't go wrong with this chocolate layer cake with Oreo buttercream and a chocolate ganache drip to finish things off! YUM!
We're ending our apple-themed month of posts here on the blog with a toast. An apple and cinnamon punch cocktail toast, to be precise. This cocktail embodies all things fall with its seasonal flavors and its amber good-looks. Not to mention that it's a super easy-to-make recipe that will take you beautifully all the way into Thanksgiving! You can make this cocktail in a shaker and play bartender in front of your guests, or simply make a big batch ahead of your party to serve a thirsty crowd. Both recipes given below for your pleasure. You're welcome! 😉
Halloween is nearly upon us, so I thought I'd round up some quick and easy recipes and food ideas to help you get the party started even if it's last minute! However you celebrate Halloween, these tasty ideas are really easy to pull off and even the kids can help! These snacks and treats are also great for a movie-watching marathon with the family on the couch- my personal favorite way to celebrate 😁
Ice cream season is here and we're all screaming for ice cream in our house! 😁 So I couldn't pass up the chance to turn one of my favorite cookies or biscuits into ice cream, hence this No-Churn Biscoff Cookie ice cream! I've discovered the Belgian Speculoos cookies or Biscoff as it's known in the US, when I moved to France, and I have been hooked ever since! And this super easy ice cream is the perfect way to use up your favorite cookies to whip up a delicious summer dessert in no time at all and without an ice cream machine!
Hey friends, today I bring you a super quick and easy DIY craft project where we'll be making 4th of July patriotic star wands ! These DIY 4th of July patriotic star wands can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, to make headbands, to make bubble wands and so much more! It makes for a super fun, last-minute craft activity for kids too and you only need a few inexpensive supplies to get this craft started!
Cherries are in season and I couldn't pass up the chance of making a delicious dessert with them, hence this NO-Bake cherry cheesecake that comes together in a flash and tastes SO delicious! We're so lucky to live in cherry country and have some wild cherries growing on our land, so my kids and I always love to go cherry picking this time of year (before the birds eat them all), and making dessert using cherries at the end of the day, is just the cherry on the "cake" so to speak! 😄
With weddings season upon us, and all matter of summer celebrations on the horizon, I decided to embark on creating some fun DIY custom text balloons using vinyl , and I loved it! Personalized text bubble balloons seem to be everywhere these days , and I love the idea of customizing giant latex balloons to make any party feel a little more special. There are number of ways that you can make giant balloons personal to your party theme, and adding your own custom text is the quickest and easiest way to create a bespoke look inexpensively for any event!
Strawberries are in season and there's nothing more refreshing and delicious to make with fresh strawberries than homemade strawberry lemonade ! I used some organic lemons in this recipe too, and it was so quick and easy to make! This strawberry lemonade is the perfect drink to serve on Mother's Day or for any summer celebration!
