A-lure-ing Table Setting

Last weekend we celebrated my grandfather's 80th birthday.  You know it's always so hard to decorate for guys without being too cutesy.  So we created place settings using fishing lure and twine as napkin rings, which we tied around green dishtowels (just watch out for the hook!)

The dishtowels were the party favors for the girls, and the fishing lure were the party favors for the boys - so per couple the guy got two lures and the girl got two towels. 

 Simple, cute, and you get favors and napkin rings.

Hope you're having a great day.

xoxo

jessica

*Inspired Homemaking* - Graduation Party Ideas

Well, I've got graduation on the brain (3 weeks!) so today I have a roundup of links about graduation parties.  I tried to find stuff that would be good for guys or girls - most stuff is so girly it's hard to plan a party for a guy.  Anyway - enjoy!

Hello - are these not party genius?

Very cute cupcake toppers.

Your future is "bright" - great for a gift or a favor!

Check them out here.

This graduation lei is awesome - sure to be appreciated by any graduate (or the graduate's wife ;)

This would be so cute for me or Charlotte to wear to the event.

I love this necklace.  Gainesville will always have a special place in my heart.

I'm getting in the graduation mood!  Are any of you planning a graduation party this year?

xoxo

jessica

*Inspired Homemaking* - Wrapping Edition

I really enjoy wrapping gifts.  A beautifully wrapped gift creates anticipation for the present within, and you just feel special when someone has taken the time to wrap a present in a unique way.  So I have some links for you with free printable gift tags and various wrapping ideas to inspire you (and me)!

The Black Apple 

has created these gorgeous gift tags, free for you!

This is a great way to use up felt scraps and avoid the cost of buying ribbon - more money for gifts!

More super cute gift tags at Mushy

Rachel at Heart of Light uses felt to make custom reusable bags for any shape or size gift.

Check out these gorgeous gift tags at

Creature Comforts

Beautiful wrapping inspiration and downloadable gift tags at Style Me Pretty

Aren't those great?! 
How about you- any good wrapping tips or links for us?

jessica

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

One of the favorite flavor combination's of the season - now in a bite-sized cupcake version!  

This is an easy recipe and a sure hit at any holiday party.  

Here's what you will need:

Devil's Food Cake mix

eggs

oil

water

small, bite-sized peppermint patties

mini cupcake liners

mini cupcake pan

Step1:  Follow the directions on the cake box and mix all ingredients together.

Step 2:  Place the cupcake liners in the pan and fill to 1/4" below the edge of the liner.

Step 3:  Bake in the oven.  While they are baking, unwrap all of the peppermint patties.

3-4 minutes before the cupcakes should be done, open the oven and place one patty on top of each cupcake.  Let it continue baking for 3-4 more minutes - enough to melt the patties slightly so that they stick to the cupcake.

Step 4:  Let them cool, then remove from pan.

The best part - no time-consuming, messy frosting!  

Just garnish with little candy canes, or crushed peppermint.

Enjoy!

jessica

Healthier Snacking

You know, by now, that we love football.  A large portion of our Saturdays is devoted to watching it.  AND we like to eat "football food" while we watch.  You know-foods that don't require utensils, like burgers, wings, chips and dip.  We really like to make onion dip and eat it with pretzels.  Usually I make it with reduced fat sour cream - which sounds like a healthy choice to me.  However, in an attempt to be even healthier Ryan and I tried substituting Plain Greek Yogurt for the usual sour cream.  It passed the taste test with flying colors -there was a little more tang, but we liked it over all.  We did add 1 1/2 packets of onion soup mix to compensate for the tanginess.  Anyway here is the really exciting part - the nutritional comparison.  I calculated this for 16 oz. of reduced fat sour cream vs. 16 oz of nonfat plain greek yogurt.

REDUCED FAT SOUR CREAM                                                      NONFAT GREEK YOGURT
Calories: 675                                                                                      Calories: 275  
Fat: 52.5                                                                                              Fat: 0
Sat. fat: 37.5                                                                                       Sat. fat.: 0
Carbs: 30                                                                                            Carbs: 18
Protein: 15                                                                                          Protein: 40

WOW! Can you believe that?!?  We were shocked.  So give it a try next time you're making dip - that way you can have that extra brownie for dessert ;)

Fancy Football Food - Figs!

This is a simple and elegant appetizer that really compliments any party - we just happened to be having a football party yesterday.  It is delicious, quick to make and BONUS - very healthy (lots of iron) AND gluten free.  AND figs are in season right now so they should be affordable.  Wow.  You have no excuse not to make this. 
Here's how to do it-
You will need:
Figs
Goat Cheese (or your favorite cheese)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

(yes I am in FL right now and I got to buy groceries at Publix.  I love you Publix.  

I miss you when I am in TN...doesn't everyone just love Publix?!?)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cut the stems off of the figs.  

Then cut them in half - laying them cut side up in a pan.

Aren't they pretty?

Next, drizzle Olive Oil over the figs, then sprinkle salt and pepper over them.

Next, put the cheese on top.  Kind of snuggle it into the center of the figs.

Bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350.  

Easy, right?  Try them this week and let me know what you think!

jessica

Enchanted Animal Hide and Seek

Here are the printables from the game we played at the birthday party - it's also a great game to be played inside on a rainy day.  Simply print out the large animals and cut them out.  I had fun embellishing mine with glitter...but that's not necessary of course.  Then print out the page of small animals.  While your little one is sleeping (or watching Super Why) you can hide the animals all over the house or outside depending on the weather.  I just attached them to branches and bushes using clothespins.

This is NOT an original idea - this lovely lady came up with it as a bird watching game - you can go here to download that version.  Have fun!

Enchanted Forest Party - Charlotte Turns 2

Hello! I hope you all had a lovely weekend!  Ours was fantastic - the party was great.  

We had beautiful weather (which was such a blessing because our AC stopped working and so we had to have the entire party outside).  Here are all the pics - later in the week, I will post a few DIY's from the party.  Enjoy!

We began by coloring our butterflies and caterpillars for the toadstool craft.

After we finished that project, we made some music!

The next activity was an Enchanted Animal Hide and Seek.  

 I had printed several pictures of animals and hidden them all around the yard.  The girls had a sheet of paper with small pics of all the animals, and when they found one, they had to circle it on their paper.  We walked up to the apple trees first.

When we reached the apple trees, we all sat down for a story - 

read by Charlotte's Momma J.

Then we continued our search for enchanted animals as we walked toward the wishing well.

We read another story there, and then each of the girls got to make a wish and throw magic wishing dust (sanding sugar) into the well.

Then it was time to eat!  All of the girls ate in the screened in porch under the magical fairy tent.

They had strawberries, "snail sandwiches" (pbj tortilla spirals), bunny snacks, and strawberry  milk.

(yeah...my mom made that amazing toadstool - more on that later)

The mommy and daddy food (and cupcakes) was over on the deck.

 We had strawberries, snail sandwiches ( cream cheese, spinach, and turkey), and "schroomy" cheese and crackers.

Then it was time for toadstool cupcakes!

 YUMMY!

It's good to be two.

Presents...

and then all of the girls made their party favors - 

they had bags in their little buckets that they filled up with candy from the candy bar.

When the bags were full, we clipped them in the middle with a clothespin, 

to make them look like butterflies.

 It truly was an enchanting day.