5 Ways To Get Festive For The Holidays

I just can't get my head around the fact next week, the month-long Holiday adventure of December kicks off!

HOW?

Wasn't it just, August?

I am so not ready!

If, like me, you are freaking out and need to get your festive-on and fast, below are a few fun ways to get festive for the holidays!

1. Be Unconventional

Think: The hottest Christmas trend of 2017, the pineapple Christmas tree! (I swear I'm not kidding!) Head over to Pinterest on your lunch break (Or bored and want to look busy) and look for inspiration. Make the theme all your own! Screw the stockings and garland, go for Pineapples and sunnies!

2. Buy out the dollar store

Decking the Halls doesn't have to break the bank. Stop at the Dollar Tree after work and go wild on ten bucks.

First Time Dad Tip: When you get home, coat the walls with adhesive spray, throw the decorations in the middle of the floor and fire up the leaf blower. #GoodTimes

First Time Mom Disclaimer: We cannot and will not be held accountable if your dumb enough to try it. #Dumbassery

3. Don't feel like going through the work hanging lights? In less than thirty seconds you can light your house up like Clark Griswald with a Christmas Light Projector

Remember when we were kids and most decorations were made of foil or we had to string a thousand peices of popcorn to make our own garland? Not. Any. More. Shove this sucker in your yard, plug it in and done!

(This one is $23 on Amazon with $5 off coupon)

4. Test out new recipes for holiday treats.

Kick the cookies up a notch. Raise the bar on brownies. Plan now so you blow everyone away at the holiday party or cookie exchange.

This year I'm trying these Christmas Tree Brownies! 

5. Craft something with the Kiddos!

Spend the frigid weekend inside making a winter wonderland!




Check out my Homemade Holidays Pinterest Board for a ridiculous amount of winter and holiday crafts, cooking, homemade gifts and decoration ideas!

Five Tips For Tear-Free Family Travel (Parents included!)

After dragging my son around the world and back, I feel pretty solid about sharing a few tips for meltdown free family travel. So, if you're dreading heading to grandmas for the Holidays, or even trading bitter temperatures for warm sands, I can help make the trip not suck, because regardless of the mode of transportation or destination, one thing remains the same, the kids are coming and you need to prepare. 

1. Pack as light as possible. Between the gadgets, toys, clothes, blankets, bedtime bears and favorite pillows, it's easy to over pack. Very easy. Combat this by making a list of essentials for each family member, and stick to it. It's not like you're leaving for good, it's a week! 

Road Trip Tip: Check to make sure the headlights and taillights are working. Give em' a wipe while you're at it. Double check tires' air pressure and tread and look for nails or debris that could be potentially dangerous. You may want to invest in an air freshener too!

2. Snack Attack. Whether it's a hungry kid or a chatty kid, snacks will come in very handy.  Skip the traditional sandwiches for bento box lunches to keep kids busy.  Also, have a bribe treat. The go-to to your kid won't turn down. Like a scooby-snack. This is your miracle worker. Don't leave home without it.

Road trip snack TIP: Freeze small bottles of water and use them in the cooler instead of ice. The frozen bottles will keep things cold and the cooler from filling with melted ice that sloshes back and forth with every turn, begging to pour out all over the floor of the car.

3. Floors Are For Feet Only. Let's face it, the floors can be valuable real estate when traveling, but not so great for the person losing the foot space. Free up the foot space by hanging bags on the back seat. Backpacks fit nicely over the 'shoulders' of the seat or secured by the headrest. When in flight, slip things over the back of the tray table to free floor space.

4. Check Your Tech. Before embarking on any trip, check your tech; replace the batteries in your camera, charge everything, and bring a car charger. Pack all tech stuff in the same bag. When it comes to a crying kid over a dying tablet, the last thing you'll want to do is search four bags to find it. 

5. Set expectations very low. With all the planning, comes high expectations. Kill them. Now. Expect everything to go wrong. Make sure the children think they are on their way to hell and it will take hours to get there. The lower the expectations and understanding that shit happens, the happier everyone will be. 

Road trip tip: Whether you're traveling with a child or not, invest in a box of baby wipes. The pre-moistened wipes clean messy faces and surfaces in a pinch, and without stinky harsh chemicals! Not to mention, those little wipes will be a lifesaver at those grimy roadside and airport bathrooms that haven't seen an attendant in at least a decade.

10 Children's Gifts That Decimate a Parent's Patience In 5 Minutes Or Less #GiftGuide

Whether you're new at buying children's gifts, or if pissing off a parent is on your list of things to do this holiday season, then keep reading, because the following types of toys Decimate a Parent's Patience In 5 Minutes Or Less.



1. Toys that make annoying noises. Think: Firetruck with 50 flashing lights that blares "FIRE FIRE" and then belts out a 30-second siren. Kid's have an inherent thing that drives them to smash the button repeatedly for two hours straight.

Fun Fact: There is a special place in hell for toy manufacturers of those toys. It's on the corner of Whatswrongwithyou Ave. & Needsaslap St.

2. Toys with sensors that go off when you walk by. This reaches beyond toys. ANYTHING that makes noises when you walk by. Parents will never be able to sneak out of their child's room again thanks to it. Or worse, at 2am the cat slinks by and wakes the whole damn house.

3. Toys that are part of a set or collection.  Once you open the floodgates, parents can kiss that college fund and nest egg goodbye. To a child, four zillion Hotwheels is still nowhere near enough. And what kind of a Thomas the Train set is any fun with two tracks and a train? It's a never-ending battle.

4. Toys that require assembly of more than three parts and/or stickers to apply. Have you ever tried to assemble a toy that requires 22 steps with a toddler "helping"? Three pages into the instructions, nothing makes sense anymore and the stickers are stuck to the TV.

You'd think that if a manufacturer has gone to all the trouble of assembling, marketing, and packaging the thing, why on earth wouldn't they have applied the damn stickers too? -Said every parent.

5.  Toys that can be easily disassembled into two hundred tiny pieces. This will inevitably happen in the back seat of mom's car. All accompanying stickers are immediately stuck to the car window.

6. A toddler bed. I don't care if it looks like Dora the Explorer or a Race Car, kids will not fall for it. It's a waste of time and money that will fail parents. Parent Tip: Transition from crib to a bed no smaller than a twin so you have somewhere to sleep when your kid crawls into bed with you and takes over. Every night. Forever.

7.  Toys that are really candy in disguise. One word: Gremlin

8. Toys on wheels the kid doesn't stand a chance of operating without plenty of blood, sweat and tears from the parents.  Make no mistake about it, if you buy a tricycle, scooter or bike before a child is ready, backs will break from having to bend down to push it CONSTANTLY, then drag it home when the kid has had enough.

9. Annoying books. Before you purchase a children's book read through it first, then ask yourself if you could stand to read it at least ten times a day for two months straight. Because that's what parents have to do with their child's favorite book. Add in buttons, bells and whistles... The struggle is real.

10. Tiny toys. The smaller the toy, the more pain it inflicts when stepped on. Think: Lego.

                              

These 12 Tweaks On Turkey Day Favorites Will Win Your #Thanksgiving

 BRING ON THE TURKEY!

I love love love Thanksgiving. It's one of the only, if not only, holidays that keeps the focus on family, friends, giving and thankfulness. I look forward to the glorious day every year. My family is relatively small, so we plan to spend the day together. We cook as a family, we fight as a family, we drink as a family, we play football as a family. It's absolutely brilliant. Dysfunction and all! 

In honor of celebrating my favorite meal of the entire year, I've been looking everywhere for fun twists on Thanksgiving Day Favorites. Here at 12 that might make it on my table this year! 

Rosemary Bread Cornucopia from Lilly Shop

I LOVE THIS!

Send those snack-y guests packing with a breadstick and bowl of Roasted Sweet Potato Soup from Simply Recipes. TIP: Prepare the night before!

Goat Cheese and Carmalized Onion Mashed Potatoes

I'm trying these potatoes this year. 
Leave it to me to find a way to get Goat Cheese on the table.
Lawd I love that creamy goodness!

Don't forget the Kiddie Crowd Pleaser, Carrots!  
This recipe for Honey Glazed Baby Carrots from Damn Delicious is spot on!

I make Honey Glazed Baby Carrots Every Year. Actually, multiple times a year. So easy and so good.

Fresh Healthy Green Bean Casserole from Gimme Some Oven, is definitely worth checking out.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon 
This is my go-to recipe. LOVE IT

Two Words, 

STUFFIN MUFFINS!

I LOVE this idea!
You can use any stuffing recipe you want, just bake into muffin tins.
Everyone will get crispy stuffing,

Just the two of you? Try this Cranberry Hazelnut Turkey Wellington 

Of course, it can be done... Crockpot Turkey. Never had it, but Practical Stewardship says it's the way to go!

Because. Bacon.

Bacon Wrapped Turkey is easier than it looks.

Cranberry Jalapeño Relish with Orange

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!
My Brother-in-Law made it a few years ago and I have begged for it at every holiday since.
 OH. SO. GOOD.

Make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes the day before, then douse in whip cream and serve with coffee after dinner!

I'm making these!

Are you a traditional turkey and sides kind of person, or do you like things to have a wild twist too?

For more Tasty Thanksgiving Turkeys, sides and tasty treats, check out my super stuffed Thanksgiving Pinterest Board.

Make THIS For Your Halloween Party... #SoGross #SoYum #Halloween

Below are some of the most amazing Halloween treats I have ever seen.  And I'm not talking about hot dogs that look like fingers. Been there. Done that.

No doubt a few will be gracing my Halloween Party table... (For the recipe, click the name under the photo)

LOVE these yummy and super easy to make, edible pumpkin candy bowls.

This Halloween inspired cake is SO easy and So cool. Halloween Tie-Die Bunt Cake.

I positively LOVE these. The Ultimate witch's hat cupcakes!

Super simple Cheese puff pumpkin giveaway bags

Pumpkin patch cupcake poppers. 

So easy, the kids can make them...Monster Marshmallow pops.

This is so gross, it's good. Ear wax (caramel) marshmallows

SO CREEPY!!!  Skeleton Cheese Skull

Halloween Bark. Yes, Please!

Spider PB&J!
I love Healthy Halloween-inspired treats.

This Monster Meatloaf is so gross. 
I'm totally feeding it to my family.

Genius. 

I LOVE this Coffin Bread Bowl.

Mmmmmm. Homemade gummy worms.

What's your favorite? Have you ever tried any?

For more Halloween inspiration from costumes to decorations to more eats and treats, check out my Halloween Pinterest Boards.

19 DIY FAMILY Halloween Costumes Everyone Will Love!

Whether you're a seamstress or all thumbs when it comes to sewing (Like me!), the following 19 family Halloween costumes, anyone can make! 

PRO TIPS For HALLOWEEN Hair + Makeup For You And The Kiddos!

Whether you're going for super scary, super cute or super slutty, these Pro Tips For Party Perfect Halloween Hair + Makeup are super easy to pull off.

HALLOWEEN MAKEUP

These makeup ideas are so cool and so easy!

Use Fishnets as a stencil for perfect Mermaid Scales

For a closed, big mouth Cheshire Cat look, use your natural line as a guide. 

For an open mouth, use your upper lip line and chin as a guide!

For cartoon eyes, use white to draw a large outline under your lower lash, finish the look with fake eyelashes.

Use liquid eyeliner to make precise lines, that last! There are so many colors available today, the possibilities are endless.

For the crazy eye look, without wearing irritating contacts, incorporate design on eyelids. Hold closed for photos and shock factor.

Make sure the makeup you use is safe for little faces. Crappy makeup can end a Halloween before it starts.

Now that the basics are out of the way, here are a few tutorials that look complicated, but are so easy to recreate!

First: Double Vision

Oooohhhhh Cheetah! 

 A Skeleton perfect for boys and girls! 

Spoooooooky

Need a look that you can go from work to party, fast? 

HALLOWEEN HAIR

These Halloween hairstyles will scare, mystify and even melt a few hearts.

Create a ponytail, then wrap a mummy, spider, doll... you get the point.

Turn your child's hair into a spooky spiderweb

 Mmmmm Cupcakes! 

 Tie strips of tulle to a plastic headband for homemade Troll Hair! 

Don't forget the boys!