Becca's Favorite Things

Leprechuan Hunt!!! (Free Printables)

2013-03-05T12:59:00.002-08:00

I've recently been preparing a leprechaun hunt for my son and his cousins. This has been a yearly tradition that my sister started when our oldest nephew was young. 15 years later - I'm continuing the tradition with my own son. HERE, I've included some FREE printables for you to use as clues for a leprechuan hunt of your own. These are 4x6 Jpeg files. I've done them this way so that they can easily be uploaded and printed at your store of choice (or at home). See, I have this thing about wasting expensive ink on my printer... and costco photo prints are so cheap.

I have to admit.. Some of the rhymes may not flow as well as I would like - but, hey... I don't think the 5-year-olds will notice. ;) I've included 2 different versions of clue #1. This is so that you may do the hunt before or on St. Patrick's Day.

Clue #1 may be left inside your house, wherever you desire..

Clue #2 should be left on the back door of your house.

Clue #3 should be pinned to a tree outside.

Clue #4 - (Obviously) on the front door... :) On the porch or inside the front door, also leave a box of Lucky Charms.

Clue #5 - Add green food coloring to some milk. Tape clue #5 to the bottom of the jug.

Clue #6 - Leave a comb on the bathroom counter. Leave clue #6 opposite the mirror so it can be seen in the mirror's reflection. Another fun idea I saw on a blog last year (which I can't remember the name of) - Add a couple drops of green food coloring to the toilet water. Use green poster paint to make footprints on the toilet seat.

This is my mom's toilet I "decorated" last year for the hunt. I actually used green food coloring on my hands for the footprints, since it's all I had. It wiped off the toilet seat easily... not so much, my hands. ;)

Finally, cut out tiny green footprints from construction paper and leave a trail of them to your final destination. Here, you can leave a pot of gold chocolate coins or other special treats for the kids to find. I hope this has been of some help. Enjoy! :)

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B9DLOp_FD-r-eFhUNnJHN2hYRU0/edit?usp=sharing

Oscar Night Preparations 2013

2013-01-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Time to start preparing for my Oscar party! The 85th Acadamy Awards air on February 24th on ABC 7 eastern, 4 pacific. It's been a tradition for the past few years to invite over friends to enjoy the show with us (my husband and me). We roll out the red carpet, make cocktails and hors d'ouevres, and guess on who the winners will be. In years past, I've been able to find printable ballots on different websites and blogs. This year, I've had no such luck. And, since no Oscar party is complete without ballots for guests to fill out, I designed my own.
Even better - I've decided to share them with YOU! ;) I realize I put them on four pages. Hey - there are a lot of categories. I wanted to at least include most of them. I plan on printing them double-sided on two sheets of paper. Waste not want not! You can do the same, or just decide that not all of the categories are important enough to waste paper on. So, here they are:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9DLOp_FD-r-aklFUlZkekt6ZUk/edit https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9DLOp_FD-r-REtrYS1LbWtBcW8/edit https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9DLOp_FD-r-cE05Z2h1RDRaXzA/edit https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9DLOp_FD-r-VF9iNUZXczV3Q00/edit

You're Welcome!!

Dexter Premier Party 2012

2012-10-01T18:23:00.001-07:00

Every year my husband and I attend a Dexter premier party at our friend's house. In case you've never heard of the television show before (Where have you BEEN the past 6 years?), I'll quickly summarize it for you. Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter forensic analyst for the Miami Police Department. With the exception of a couple people, none of the other characters know that by night Dexter is also a serial killer. The T.V. show is filled with flashbacks which reveal that Dexter's obsession with blood and supposed "need" to kill date back to his childhood. We also know from the flashbacks that Dexter's adoptive father knew about these tendencies and taught him a set of "rules" to abide by. Dexter has lived by these rules (mostly) - By never getting caught, never telling anyone, and by only harming people who have committed horrific crimes, themselves (many of Dexter's victims are also serial killers).
Obsessed with blood as he is, Dexter keeps blood samples on slides which he collects by slicing each victim's cheek. And knowledgeable in forensics as he is, he takes certain steps (such as covering the entire area with plastic sheeting, tying down the victims to a "kill table" with plastic wrap, putting the bodies in black trash bags, and dumping the wrapped bodies deep in the ocean) to ensure that his killings go unnoticed. The only reason I reveal these gruesome details to you is so that you will better understand these positively disgusting cookies I made. :)

As usual, I failed to take pictures of the process of making them. I promise I will try harder the next time!
I have to admit, everything seemed to be going wrong at first when making these cookies.. and by time I got around to icing the final details it was about 9:00 at night and I was exhausted! I cut some corners - making the icing on the details too thin, and it spread. But, I think they turned out not too shabby, all considering. :)

Here's what I did:
I started out with my all time favorite sugar cookie recipe (which I will post at a later date). I cut them into gingerbread-man shapes. When finished, they were topped with royal icing (also a recipe I need to post). I didn't have many food colorings to work with so I combined a drop of orange and a drop of brown. That seemed to work out decent enough. For the body parts - I cut the cookies into pieces after baking them. My reasoning behind this was that I didn't want to risk not baking them evenly since the pieces were going to be all different sizes. But in retrospect, it may have been a better idea to cut them into pieces BEFORE baking them. Cutting them afterwards turned out to be a big, crumbly mess! To help seal in the crumbs and to also add to the gory affect, I dipped the ends in red candy melts. You may buy these in the baking section of any craft store. You may also add 2 or three green colored candy melts to the red in order to make the color a little more convincing. I also stuck some bone-shaped sprinkles into the wet chocolate, which made them 100% more AWESOME! ;) After the gingerbread body parts were all dry and set, I placed them in black plastic which was cut from a black plastic table cloth (found at the party store). I tied them with yellow embroidery floss.

For the tables:
Dip a whole graham cracker in chocolate or white chocolate. Dip four pretzel rods into chocolate. Don't bother dipping them all the way to the end, since the ends will later be discarded (eaten) anyway. Once these have all set, gently saw the ends off the pretzel rods so that they are the same length. Dip the very ends of trimmed pretzel rods into chocolate and stick onto graham crackers. Be sure to let them set thoroughly before flipping the table over. In order to stay true to the television show, I wrapped each gingerbread man onto the table with a small piece of plastic wrap. I also flung some red melted chocolate onto white plates in order to "Dexterize" them a little more. :)

Here are a few more photos. Have a fabulous day!!!

Popcorn Cupcake Wrappers: Free Download

2012-03-27T15:31:00.004-07:00

Click HERE for a FREE DOWNLOAD of the popcorn cupcake wrappers!

Sorry it's taken so long to get it up here. Enjoy!

Popcorn Cupcakes!

2012-02-27T15:50:00.010-08:00

It's become somewhat of a tradition at my house to invite friends over each year to watch the Oscars. Of course, it wouldn't be an Oscar party without a red carpet and lots of yummy treats! I made these fun little treats in celebration of the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

The great thing about these cupcakes is that anyone can make them. There is very little skill involved; one would almost have to make an effort for them to NOT turn out cute. The downside is - I found them to be fairly time consuming. Do not attempt these if you are in a hurry!

So, how were these cupcakes made?

First of all, I have to admit, they weren't my original idea (I wish they were!) I found the idea on another blog. The ones I saw online used cupcake wrappers cut out of red and white striped scrapbook paper. Since I didn't have any on hand, and was unable to find any at the craft store near my house, I decided to make my own. I designed the cupcake wrappers on photoshop and printed them at home off my computer. They were then taped to the outside of the plain, white liners I baked the cupcakes in. Note: I found it easier to tape the wrappers around the cupcakes before decorating them. Please check back in about a week or two for a FREE DOWNLOAD of the cupcake wrappers I designed! (The dimensions need a little adjustment, otherwise I would post the link right now)

To decorate these cupcakes...

Frost with your favorite buttercream frosting. I added a touch of yellow food coloring and Wilton brand butter flavoring to make the frosting extra buttery. Use a generous amount of frosting on top - enough to stick the "popcorn" to.

About the popcorn...

Okay, it's not actual popcorn on top. They are actually mini-marshmallows, cut in half, with the ends squished back together. This is the most time-consuming part of the whole process. I recommend doing this while the cupcakes are baking and cooling. You can put the finished "Popcorn" kernals in an airtight bag until the cupcakes are ready to decorate. It takes a lot of marshmallows! I used about 1 1/3 bag just to make 24 cupcakes. Place the "popcorn" on top of the buttercream icing.

The final step...

Mix a couple drops of yellow food coloring with some vodka. Use a food-safe brush to paint coloring over the top of the marshmallows to create that buttery look.

Enjoy!

Valentine - I like you "Bots and bots"!

2012-02-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

This year, for Valentine's day, I made robot cookies. After seeing some super-adorable cellophane robot bags at Target, I needed an excuse to create something robot-shaped to fill them with! :)

For years, I have made these same sugar cookies... But, never before have I frosted them with royal icing. I'll admit that the thought of doing so sort of scared me. I've always been such a fan of buttercream frosting on sugar cookies. It's all about the taste for me. However, there are some advantages of using royal icing instead of buttercream. For one - they're much easier to transport. I've made much effort in the past trying to figure out new ways to package and transport buttercream-frosted sugar cookies. Truth is, I never really have found a great way to package them without them turning into a giant, goopy, ugly mess. In the end, I've always resorted to giant, pink boxes. This means that the cookies take up a lot of room! In comparison, cookies with royal icing can be packaged in almost any way imaginable. This makes them ideal for small gifts, favors, and valentines.

It should be noted that this was my first time EVER working with royal icing. Everything I've learned about the subject so far, I've found online. One resource I found especially helpful was http://sweetopia.net. This website is loaded with helpful tips ad tricks for baking. In fact, the royal icing recipe I decided to try was found at: http://sweetopia.net/2012/01/royal-icing-recipe-free-illustrated-recipe/. The recipe worked well, but in my experience, it requires more water than is called for. Work with it a little bit until you reach the desired consistency. You may use a thicker icing to outline, and a runnier icing to fill. I opted to go with something in between, to both fill and outline. Doing it this way, it may be necessary to shake the cookie gently to allow the icing to spread a little. It is also important to allow the bottom layer to dry completely before icing details over the top. I used regular disposable piping bags, but next time I think I will try plastic squeeze bottles. I hear that they are easier to work with and are easier to control.

To get the shimmer-effect, use sparkle or pearl dust mixed with a drop or two of the alcohol of your choice. I used vodka. Some people use everclear. The higher the alcohol content, the better so the icing won't melt. Don't worry - the alcohol evaporates! Once the icing on the cookie is completely dry, brush over the top with the sparkle/pearl dust - vodka mixture, using a food-safe brush. NOTE: I got lazy and decided to brush over the cookie after it was entirely iced (details and all). I would NOT recommend this. Instead, brush the pearl dust on just after the first main coat of icing has dried - THEN add the icing details. This works better, because you don't want the colors to smear. Also, the dust tends to puddle along the detailed areas.

Homemade gifts: Thinking Outside the Box

2010-12-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

When it comes to homemade gifts, what do you make for the men in your life? It's a tricky question, but with a little creativity you're sure to think of something he'll really treasure. The trick is to think outside the box. What are his hobbies and interests?

First off, I have to admit, I stole this idea from etsy.com. My husband and I were online and we saw the cutest little TMNT figurines... but they were a little out of our price range... I could tell my husband really wanted them. He's been collecting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for years now and has a room that's just full of all kinds of toys. I thought to myself... why can't I do that? So, I did. They would have been stocking stuffers if my hubby hadn't found them early, lol.

They're made out of polymer clay and the process is pretty self explanatory. Just mold into desired shapes and bake according to package directions. A couple of other tips: Use wire to attatch pieces together (ei. to attatch head to body). This way, you aren't smashing the parts in the process. Also, you may use tin foil to "bulk out" the figurine. I rolled bits of tin foil and wrapped the clay around it for body parts. Not only does it save on the cost of clay, but it also helps the clay cook through and harden.

The figurines cost me about $10 total to make. Online I could have bought similar figurines for about $88.

To make the sets seem more complete, I packaged them in metal tins which slightly resembled miniature time capsules. I literally did a photo shoot of each figurine and designed packaging on photoshop... Complete with names, statistics and all.

Cookie press: 101

2010-11-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

Since money is tight this year, I've decided I'll be doing a lot of baking for family Christmas gifts. I recently made these spritz cookies with the help of my nifty little cookie press. So much fun! :) And, despite what others might tell you, you really don't need to spend much money on a decent cookie press. I bought mine (Wilton brand) for $13.00 (on sale, originally $15) and it works beautifully.

Anyway, I'll be honest.... spritz cookies by themselves aren't that amazing. Sure, they're cute, but kind of plain tasting in general. But, add a little chocolate and... voila! You've got some amazing looking and tasting cookies. Wrap them in a small box or decorative tin as a Christmas gift, and your neighbors will be sure you got them from a bakery.

Decorating tips:

Dip one end in chocolate and then in sprinkles or chopped nuts

Dip bottom only

Dab a skewer in chocolate and then decorate small details on flower shapes, etc.

Make cookies ahead of time and freeze them. Remove from freezer and decorate with melted chocolate while they're still cold. This will help the chocolate set up faster.

Cookie Ornaments

2010-11-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

As we quickly approach Thanksgiving, our minds gear up for Christmas. Many of us have already begun Christmas shopping, and soon we'll be putting up our Christmas trees. Here, I've come up with a way to help you save money while involving your children in the decorating process.
At a local store they sell cookie-shaped ornaments starting at $2 a piece. Not bad... but when you're decorating a 6'-8' tree, that can really add up. Sure, the store bought versions are cute enough - but making them is just as simple as cutting out cookies and it's easily as fun.
To make a similar ornament you'll spend less than half the store price, you'll have shared in a fun memory with your children, and you'll end up with more than just ornaments - you'll end up with some sentimental keepsakes from your little ones.
You'll need:

Polymer clay such as Sculpey. A large package of Terra-cotta colored clay, plus various other colors for decorating.

Water-based varnish.. found near the acrylic paints in any craft store. Be sure that it is water-based, otherwise, colors will spread!

To Make:

Simply roll the terra-cotta colored clay out with a rolling pin, as if you were making cookies. This clay softens as you play with it, so be patient. I would also recommend not making them too thick, as this might affect how well they set-up. Cut out shapes with a cookie-cutter and decorate with various colors of clay. Punch a hole near the top with a drinking staw. Some other tools I found to be useful were: kitchen scissors, toothpicks, and a pizza cutter. Use your imagination and have fun! Follow package directions for baking the finished ornaments. Once they've cooled you may brush with a clear varnish for a glossier look.

Colorful Cream cheese Cupcakes

2010-11-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

September 2nd was my son, Lincoln's, first birthday.

We had a very colorful, Sesame Street themed party for him. One of the highlights of the party were these cupcakes I made. I originally saw the idea for them on a local t.v. show and thought they looked like so much fun I had to try them. Here is the link to the video clip and blog with the recipe: http://www.mindikamoments.com/2009/09/rainbow-bright.html

Personally, I used Betty Crocker cake mixes, which worked out great. The cream cheese in the recipe makes the batter thicker, so the colors won't blend. You can find gel food coloring at just about any craft store near the baking supplies. It's also available at Walmart near the party/wedding/cake decorating supplies. Once you've made the batter, simply divide it into separate bowls and add the food coloring. Then, you can either spoon it into the cupcake wrappers, or pipe it out of sandwich sized ziplock bags. Another variation which I've tried is to make a chocolate-vanilla marble cake with the same recipe. Follow the recipe once with a white cake mix and once with a chocolate, then marble the two together. Of course this is a double recipe, so you'll end up with oodles of cupcakes... but it's also very good and moist.

For the frosting, I just followed the standard Wilton buttercream recipe and piped it onto the cupcakes. To get a multi-colored affect, I brushed the decorating bag with gel food coloring before piping it out. It's an easy trick that gives these fun little treats a nice finishing touch.

One more tip...

Cupcake toppers can get pretty expensive, especially if you're catering to a large group. So, I made my own. I found round sesame street stickers and simply stuck two of them, back to back, to the end of a toothpick... voila! Cupcake topper. :)

My Favorite Things

2010-11-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you about my blog.
The purpose of it is to share my favorite craft ideas, recipes, and other tips that I have found to be useful or fun as a stay-at-home mom.
Over the past year or so, I've started to realize that being a mom is a very multi-faceted role. Through the eyes of your young child, you're everything to them. When they're hurt, you're their nurse. When they're hungry, you're their cook. When they need to talk, you're their listening ear. When there's no one else to play with, you're their playmate. When it's their birthday, you're their event planner. Anyway, you get the idea...
Needless to say, with so many roles to fill it's important for parents to have resources to turn to for help. I've often turned to parenting books and magazines, cook books, blogs, my own parents, and mother-in-law for help. And from these resources I've picked up some pretty good tips and ideas to make the stay-at-home life more fun, simple, and enjoyable. That's where this blog comes in to play. I'd like to share some of my favorite things that I've learned on my journey as a parent. Being a stay-at-home mom doesn't have to be all work, no play. It should be fun! And when you enjoy what you're doing, it shows. My hope is that my blog can inspire others with new ideas to live better, dream bigger, and have fun.
Yeah.... that last part wasn't cheesy or anything, was it?? (Insert sarcasm)