Bubbly Nature Creations

Will it Float?

2012-02-14T16:02:00.012-06:00

This is a fun activity that you can do with your kids that requires no special equipment whatsoever!!! Just fill your sink up with water and have your kids find various items (that you don't mind getting wet) and plop them in. You can then proceed to tell them about density and why certain things float and why others sink.

This stick is not very dense so it floats!

You can't see it in there, but they also threw a rock that was very dense!!! :) They had so much fun with this experiment!!!

Go out, play and have a Happy Day!!! :)

Project Party Weekend Wrap Up!!!

2012-02-13T13:25:00.006-06:00

Valentine's Day is almost here... Here are some easy last minute ideas from the Project Party!!!

Chocolate Spoons from Ode to Inspiration!

Valentine's Day Marshmallows from Late to Create!

Kiss My Pie from 52 Mantels!

Strawberry Hearts from The Generous Earth!

Thanks for linking up at the party everyone!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Happy Creating!

Grab a button if I featured you!

Easy Valentine's Decor Ideas and Project Party Weekend!!!

2012-02-10T00:00:00.032-06:00

Happy Valentine's Weekend! It's Project Party Time!!!

I have some wonderful and SUPER easy decor ideas that you can whip up just in time...

This is my heart wreath. The bottom is a felt heart topped with half-bent mini cupcake liners that I glued on with Elmer's Super Strength Glue stick. Then I made a bow and stapled it on (so I can reuse it later). Then I put some more cupcake liners on to make a flower in the middle. SO cute!!!

These are just mason jars with super cute striped straws from Etsy and wrapped with baker's twine using the tutorial here.

Next were some bigger quart sized Mason Jars filled with some more straws. Then I filled a vase full of Marshmallows. I also have several colors (ok almost all the colors) of Fiestaware. I picked out 4 colors that matched my theme and then put the paper plates on top!

Next up is one of the simplest, but one of my favorites... I used a simple candle holder and put a square plate from Walmart on top of it. I taped lace around the plate to give it some extra flare. I think it turned out beautiful!!!

These little wintry birds were easily turned into "love birds" by placing red roses around them!

One of my favorite finishing touches is the backdrop and banner that I put up. I found the "faux wood" from Mardel and I made the banner from scrapbook paper and ribbon!

I think it all turned out wonderful!!!

Happy Creating!
Don't miss out on this great Smarties giveaway here

Now it's your turn!! Show off your projects here!!!
If you join the party I would also love it if you became a follower of BNC! Feel free to grab this code to share with your blog readers too!!!

Memories: Cabbage Patch Kids! #CBias

2012-02-08T01:14:00.013-06:00

source
Remember Cabbage Patch Kids? If not then either you are too young, didn't grow up in the US, or were very sheltered... lol!

Here is my recollection of that Oh so 80's memory:

It was Christmas of 1984... I was three, I was cute, and I was the ~~favorite~~ only child. When my parents asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year I told them ALL I wanted was a Cabbage Patch Doll and a pink toothbrush. How very innocent of me! The pink toothbrush my parents could handle, but the Cabbage Patch Doll was like wishing on a star. They were selling out of them at every store and when the stores did get a shipment they disappeared as quick as lightning! That didn't stop my parents and their friends from trying. After all it was for their three year old little angel...LOL!

Here is a video that depicts some of the craziness surrounding these dolls...

My mom and my Aunt Bess stood in every line at every store that was said to have a shipment. She entered contests and did all she could to find one of the coveted dolls. My mom found out that Montgomery Ward had a shipment that came in. She went and stood in line for about 40 minutes. 4 people could enter the store at a time (to avoid a mad dash). She said they didn't let her choose from the whole stock but there were a few they let her pick from. She was able to get a little "Preemie" Cabbage Patch Doll that day!

(((I am the one on the left with "Darla" and girl next to me is my friend Sarah with her CPK doll that matched her beautiful red hair! Our CPK dolls are also sporting matching shirts that matched our own shirts)))

She couldn't wait until Christmas for me to get the doll, so I actually got to have my Cabbage Patch Kid before Christmas! Her name was Darla and she was SOOO cute. She had a little bit of yellow yarn hair on the top of her head, a little baby pink bow and a cute little pacifier that popped in an out of her mouth. I LOVED her. I didn't just love her that year, but she is still a memory I will never forget. There is more to this story though...

(((this is my second Cabbage Patch Kid above being tucked in- notice all the other "vintage" items in my room too..lol)))

Remember earlier that my mom entered a contest? A few days after getting Darla she got a call that she had won a Cabbage Patch Kid. So I actually got two Cabbage Patch dolls that Christmas. The second one was a little boy doll named Joshua. You can see in the photo above that I loved him too! "aww"

(((This pic is of me and a miniature Cabbage Patch Kid)))

I collected many Cabbage Patch dolls throughout my childhood. I had the "Pin Up" doll with house, the miniature figurines, carriage, stroller, carrier and I also remember a Cabbage Patch Cat that we had! You could say I was crazy for Cabbage Patch Kids!

source
Did you know that they still sell Cabbage Patch Kids? If you go to the website you can see that they have so many varieties of Cabbage Patch Kids available... even ones that look just like the ones from the 80's! I went to Toys R Us the other day to see what I could find there. We found several and I let the girls choose the ones that they wanted. (((Sing with me now "I don't wanna grow up... I'm a Toy's R Us Kid..." :))))

They all picked the little "Cabbage Patch Cuties". They have the same Cabbage Patch Kid face and that wonderful smell (you know like baby powder). The cuties were much smaller than the originals and are all wearing dress up animal outfits! They also had some CPK dolls there that were throw backs to the originals! Check out the Vintage ones at Toys R Us.

They were so happy to get these dolls!!!

It just warms my heart to see my littles loving on their Cabbage Patch Kids. REALLY brings back lot of memories, and they love it when I tell them stories about Darla and Joshua.

This is "Baby Love". She loves to kiss on her new CPK doll.

Nighty Night!!!

Now they are off for a stroll. How FUN!!!

I've really had fun walking down memory lane with you all!!! Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid growing up?

What are some memories that you had with Cabbage Patch Kids? Share them here!!!

Also you can check out Cabbage Patch Kids at these places:

CPK on Facebook

CPK on Twitter

also see my google + post

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own!

Pin It

Smarties GIVEAWAY!!! #IAmaSmartie #Cbias

2012-02-07T15:12:00.007-06:00

Do you love Smarties Candy? Here is your chance to enter to win 6 packages of Smarties Candies!!!

The giveaway prize will include:
1 Theater box Smarties,
1 bag Original Smarties,
1 bag Tropical Smarties,
1 bag X-Treme Sour Smarties,
1 bag Smarties in a Pouch,
and1 bag Smarties Love Hearts!!!

Now you may be asking, "What will I do with all those Smarties?" Do you remember what I made for Valentine's Day using Smarties?

found here

Here are some other crafty things you can make with Smarties:

found here

found here
Just enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own!

Guest posting today at Hope in Every Season!

2012-02-07T10:00:00.006-06:00

I am guest posting today over at "Hope in Every Season"! Go over there and check out the tutorial and stay a while to check out Sarah's awesome blog!!!

Project Party Weekend Wrap Up!

2012-02-06T13:02:00.004-06:00

Time for the Project Party Weekend Wrap Up!

Whether you call them Bunting, Banners, Pennants, or signs these lovely projects are sure to please!!!

Jumbo Scrabble Tiles from In His Grip...!

Valentine's Bunting Flag Banner from Anyone Can Decorate!!!

Milk Jug Love from Remade Simple!!!

Granny Triangles from Rainbow Bunting!

You know I can't leave you all without a recipe... in this case it's a juicy meatloaf!

Meatloaf for the Onion Haters from "Craft a Spell"!

Don't forget dessert...

Try this White Hot Chocolate from The Seven Year Cottage!

Happy Creating!

Thanks for linking up everyone! Feel free to grab a button if I featured you!

Light up a Life with Energizer Care Kits for Kids! #EnergizerCFK #CBias #ChampionsForKids

2012-02-04T02:40:00.004-06:00

Giving... Let's do this together! Will you join me?

via

What better way to spend the month of LOVE than by giving to those in need?

I think of giving as a celebration of life and love. Maybe we won't celebrate it with a big party or anything like that, but instead we can celebrate it in our hearts. Doesn't it feel great to give?

I was recently introduced to Champions for Kids which is helping mobilize millions of people across America and beyond to be a force for good in their communities. The goal is to mobilize 20 million people by 2020!

One way that they suggest to help out is by Making Winter Survival Kits for kids. For the last few years in Oklahoma we have been hit hard by winter storms leaving us stranded in our own homes for many days. Many times we have been without power!!! It is so important for everyone to be prepared. Just look at all the snow we had last year!!!

Did You Know?

- Over 9 million children suffer from non-fatal injuries each year, and accidents are

the leading cause of death for children. Additionally, dangerous weather events

cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year.

-70% of power outages in the U.S. are weather related. Numerous power failures

are caused by natural weather phenomena such as lightening, rain, snow, ice, wind,

and even dust.

-The Center of Disease Control recommends having a kit ready in preparation for

any emergency that may arise. They recommend the kit include food, water, flash

light, extra batteries, medications, first aid kit, sanitation and personal hygiene

items, copies of personal documents, and other necessities.

That is why I am making Winter Survival Kits to help the kids at the Day Spring Villa in our community. Day Spring is a shelter for women and their children who have been battered or are homeless. The women and children in this shelter often do not have these essential items to care for their kids in an emergency. I hope that by providing them with these kits it will show them that we truly care about them.

From the Day Spring Website:

"We will work tirelessly to become the official voice of battered and homeless women and children by communicating the impact of our organization on the communities we serve."

Together, one project at a time, we can help kids go from this:

via

To this:

via

Things that I am including in my care kit:

Warm socks, hat and mittens/ gloves

small blanket

Bottled Water

Dried fruit, nuts, granola, tea, Swiss Miss

Flashlight and batteries

First Aid kit

hand wipes

tissues

extra batteries

a note of encouragement

stuffed animal or anything to make a kid feel more at home

Any other suggestions on what to include in these kits???

via
This Sunday I will be talking to our church about helping me in gathering supplies for these kits. I have already contacted the Day Spring Villa and they told me that they could always use these supplies! I am so excited to get them started !!!

So tell me...
What are some areas in your own community that could use help like this? Places that you could donate your kits:
Shelters
Religious organizations
Goodwill/ Salvation Army
Schools
other organizations
Are the kids in your community safety prepared? Why not make some kits of your own and share the LOVE?
Let me know how you are planning to get involved...
Together we can help change kids lives in our communities!

via

Join us for a Twitter Party and possibly win a Walmart giftcard!

#EnergizerCFK #CBias

Thursday, February 9th, at 8:00 pm EST

RSVP here @ Christy's Sparkly Blog!

We will be giving away (2) $25, (1) $50, and (1) $100 Walmart Gift Cards!!!

Also check these links out:

Champions for Kids Website

Energizer's Website

Energizer’s Positive Energy Website

Champions4Kids on Twitter

Energizer on Twitter

Champions for Kids on Facebook

Energizer on Facebook

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own! #EnergizerCFK #CBias #ChampionsForKids

Project Party Weekend and Printable 1 Corinthians 13 Subway Art!

2012-02-03T01:02:00.007-06:00

It's Project Party Weekend

and only 12 days until Valentine's Day!!!

I have been busy decorating this week- how about you?

What better way to celebrate Valentine's than reciting one of the best verses about love? Print this out as a reminder of what true love is.

(please do not post the printable on your own site, but you may use the other pics here and link back to this page.)

Don't you just "love" it??? :)

Be sure to come back throughout the week because I will show you more about my Valentine's decor ideas... up next are the pretty little hearts that are in the first pic!

Happy Creating!!!

What have you been up to? Link up your projects here!!! :)

Pin It

International Delight Iced Coffee Klatch #Cbias #IcedCoffee

2012-01-31T04:38:00.008-06:00

You know I like Iced Coffee right? If you have followed this blog for any length of time you know that!!! :) When I found out that International Delight has pre-made Iced Coffee, in 3 different flavors, I knew I had to try them.

This Iced Coffee is so awesome (and addicting) I knew that I had to share the love! One of the best things is that the I.D. Iced Coffee tastes just like the Iced Coffee from a coffee shop, but for only a fraction of the price! Read on to see what my friends had to say....

Here is the line up.. Vanilla, Mocha and Original. The favorite of most everyone is the Mocha- which is my favorite too. It has a nice smooth coffee/ chocolate taste! My friend Vanessa said that her favorite was the Original. She said that she likes the fact that she could add her own flavors and make it exactly like her favorite coffeehouse drink. Another friend said that she usually dislikes Vanilla flavored drinks, but she really likes the Vanilla International Delight Iced Coffee. I also noticed that they paid attention to quality by making it with 100% premium Arabica beans.

Of course what coffee klatch would be complete without some pretty straws and glasses?

Fresh whipped cream, caramel, chocolate sauce and sprinkles for those that like it fancied up!

mmm... Mocha!!!

We were having so much fun taking pics of each other drinking the Iced Coffee!!! Maybe a little caffeine high too?

We all agreed that there was no bitterness in this Iced Coffee... it was also the perfect sweetness and strength.

One thing my friend Sheri would love to see is a "skinny version" of the Mocha flavor! Even without a "skinny version" this iced coffee has less calories than most coffeehouse drinks.

We all had a great time catching up with each other while we enjoyed our Creamy Iced Coffee!

The kids drank up some Chocolate milk while the adults stuck to the Coffee!

By the looks of this cheesy smile... my daughter may have snuck in some Iced Coffee for herself... LOL

You know its a good party when you see a chocolate face!

We all agreed that the International Delight Iced Coffee is simply awesome! It's the perfect alternative to expensive coffeehouse coffee and there is enough to enjoy it everyday! It makes this girl very happy! :)

To see my Google + post click here!

Go check out International Delight at these places:

Website : http://internationaldelight.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/indelight
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/InternationalDelight

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own!

Project Party Weekend Wrap Up!!!

2012-01-30T00:50:00.001-06:00

I hope you had a great weekend! I had a wonderful weekend except I scratched my cornea (you know on my eye) OUCH! Luckily the cornea is one of the quickest sites on the body to heal... so I feel much better today! :) I did have a weird thought about going blind since I had no idea what was going on... I am so thankful that I can see.. anyways... onto the party!!!

So many great ideas!!! I picked these 4 that really caught my eye... before the cornea indecent. :/

What a cutie in this Victorian Valentine outfit!!! From Nancy's Couture. I love the vintage looking ruffles and heart!

I just think this little Felt Log With Carved Initials is as cute as can be from Salt Tree!

Look at these Vintage Laundry Art frames from Tales of a Trophy Wife. I love this idea!

Now for some Double Decker Valentine's Cookies from Shaken Together... YUMMY!!!

Thanks for linking up this weekend!!! If I have feature you feel free to grab this featured button!!!

It happened...

2012-01-28T22:11:00.002-06:00

I had to upgrade my Photobucket account to Pro!!! I want to thank each and every one of you because that means that my little ole blog is getting lots of views which makes me smile! :) So if you saw a random note from Photobucket that said my buttons/ pictures have had too many views that is why. It should be working now!!! Thanks y'all! :)

Have a happy day!

Project Party Weekend and DIY Lace Phone Case!!!

2012-01-27T00:00:00.008-06:00

I love the look of my new phone case!!! I had this case in mind while shopping for my "new" iphone 3g. Of course I couldn't find a case with lace printed on it... so I made my own. It is really easy and the results are beautiful!

Lace Phone Case
UPDATE: My phone case only lasted 2 days... so unless you have a better way to paint this don't expect the results to last... suggestions?

what you will need:

plain color hard plastic phone case (I used white) this will be he "lace" color

spray paint in color of choice

optional rhinestones and super glue

tape

wide lace trim or lace fabric
fine grit sand paper if your phone is super glossy

Directions: First scruff up the phone case a little with the sandpaper so the paint will stick.

Cut the lace a little bigger than the case. Wrap it around the backside of the case and tape very tightly. When you turn it around it should look like the pic below.

You will spray paint over this side over the lace- be careful not to spray too heavily- you want a thin layer of paint. Take the lace off pretty quickly after spraying. Spray the front of the case if you want the same color on that side... do not handle the front side after painting until thoroughly dry.

From here I just added some Rhinestones with super glue and I was done! Super stylish! Also i didn't plan on it, but the black stones on the back sort of protect the cover when i lay it down... If you don't like the raised rhinestones... look for sequins.

I love lace!!!

Happy Creating!
also if you missed my invitation earlier about the "Teach Me" series... go Here to learn more!

Pin It

Now it is your turn... Let's see all those wonderful ideas of yours!

Grab this button so everyone can know where the party is at!!!

More great ideas from the Project Party!!!

2012-01-26T11:41:00.001-06:00

There were so many great projects at the party last weekend I wanted to share some more with you all!!!

I love this Headband from Natural Nester! Go check out her matching scarf too!!!

Check out this cute Candy Airplane Craft from Love, Laughter and Decor!

I also love this "Stuck on You" Valentine's Day Card from A List Maker's Life!

Grab a button if I featured you!

Teach Me YOUR Skills! New Feature @ Bubbly Nature Creations!!!

2012-01-25T03:59:00.000-06:00

I have a special offer for any of my blogging friends that have a special skill that they could share. Do you knit or crochet? Are you a pro at sewing? Do you know how to cook up gourmet foods? Or ANYTHING else that you think would be helpful or fun for homemaking... I have a wonderful opportunity for you... post your email below or Email me bubblynature@gmail.com

I am doing a special series where I will be learning and sharing the knowledge from many great bloggers about things like: "Organization 101", "How to take great photos", "Sewing for beginners", "Tricks in the Kitchen" and "How to Crochet" etc. I will be putting all the tutorials to the test! I will attempt to master whatever skill it is that the guest bloggers post and my readers will get to share in the experiences too!!!

So if you are itching to learn a new skill this year stay tuned and we can learn together!!!

Strawberry "Pop Rocks" Fudge

2012-01-24T12:01:00.003-06:00

Pop Rocks are another favorite candy of mine that reminds me of being a kid!!! This fudge is so good!!! When you bite into it you can really taste the strawberry... then as you start to chew it you get a little fizzle in your mouth from the Pop Rocks! I poured my fudge into cookie cutters so that I can give them away as gifts too!!!

This recipe couldn't be any easier... 3 ingredients!!! Woot!

Strawberry "Pop Rocks" Fudge

What you will need:
1 container strawberry frosting/ icing
6 oz. Bakers White Chocolate
4 packages of strawberry Pop Rocks
4 heart shaped cookie cutters (mine are from Walmart)
****makes 4 cookie cutter's worth of fudge

Simply melt the fudge in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Mine only took 1 1/2 minutes to melt... watch it to make sure it doesn't burn and stir after every 30 seconds. Once it has melted put in 1/2 of the container of frosting/ icing and mix together. Once it is mixed pour in 2 packages of the Pop Rocks and mix well. Pour this mixture into the cookie cutters and smooth out the tops... then sprinkle remaining Pop Rocks on top of that. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until it is firm. Now you are finished!!!

Awesome!!! Totally Rad... :P

I can really only eat about 2 bites of this at a time because it is SOOO rich, but I do that with any fudge. I really love the flavor and fun of this!!!

Pin It

Happy Creating!

Project Party Weekend Wrap Up... "Love is in the Air!"

2012-01-23T14:55:00.000-06:00

It's time for the Project Party Weekend Wrap Up!!! This week I am featuring some amazing Valentine's Day themed projects... Check em out!!!

Valentine Cookies from Claire Justine OXOX!

Love inspired printables from 52 Mantels!

Valentine's Day Garland from A Pumpkin and a Princess!

Valentine's Clothespin Wreath from Superflous!!!

Valentine's Day Wreath from Craft a Spell!

Valentine's Wreath from Becoming Martha!!!

Thanks everyone for linking up!!! There were so many great crafts that I will be posting more this week... so come back soon!!!
Grab a button if I featured you!

Project Party Weekend!!! and a Happy Birthday To My Honey!

2012-01-20T00:00:00.001-06:00

Have you been getting your craft on this week? Well I know that I certainly have!!! I think I am about crafted out for now... but my hubby on the other hand whipped up his own er. craft? Well I will call it a man craft...LOL

Edible Barbed Wire Necklace

Look... it's good to eat too! LOL

I guess you have figured out that he was just playin around with the Twizzlers the other day, but I think that it could go for a cool boy Valentine's gift. It was just too cute not to share with y'all! :)
Plus I wanted to share with everyone that it's his BIRTHDAY today!!!
So glad that I have had the privileged of spending 9 birthdays with him!!! Praying that God will give us many many more together!!!

.......................................................................................................................

If you want to see my crafts from this past week check these out!

Birthday Craft Cake

Smarties Mini Parfaits

Smarties Filled Glasses

So what have you come up with recently? I would love to see them!!!

Birthday Craft Cake!!! #CBias Elmer's Walmart #GluenGlitter

2012-01-19T21:57:00.004-06:00

Isn't this the cutest birthday gift ever? My oldest daughter's best friend is turning 7 and like any girl that age she loves art... so we whipped up this adorable Birthday Craft Cake for her. I let my daughter help pick everything out and even help decorate it. I know her friend will be totally in awe with it!!!

We put all kinds of arts and crafts supplies into our "cake" including some of the incredible line of Elmer's Craft Bond supplies. I just love their selection of scrapbook/ crafting items. At Walmart you can find it by the scrapbooking supplies!

One of my favorite items is the Elmer's Craft Bond Extra Strength Glue Sticks... these really hold up well!

What you will need to make the Birthday Craft Cake:

Elmer's Craft Bond Extra Strength Glue Sticks 4 pack

Elmer's Craft Bond Permanent Tape Runner (which will be the "candle")

Elmer's Craft Bond Foam Mounting Tape

1 pack of 10 Elmer's Glitter Glue Paint Pens (found in office/ school supplies section of Walmart)

various rhinestone jewels (if you want them)

48 pack crayons

One package of 20 count fine tip markers

One 30- pack kids paint brushes (mine were by Plaid)

One 3- pack of plastic containers found in Walmart dollar bin near the craft section)

2 wooden stamps (I found mine at Walmart for 98 cents)

2 skewers or chopsticks

One 3- pack Crayola paint pots
1 large package of craft foam circle sheets

Construction paper of various colors

tissue paper (I used pink)

ribbon (see pink ribbon and cupcake ribbon)

cookie tin (like the ones at Christmas)

Duct tape

regular tape

clear packing tape

scissors

10 rubber bands

Optional* any other supplies you might want to put in the bottom of the tin

Instructions:

Make sure to duct tape each layer on top of the other layer!!!

Duct tape the number on top of the rolled up paper inside of the Elmer's Glitter Glue Paint Pens. The skewers/ chopsticks should fit right in the top plastic container.

................................................................................................................

I think it turned out absolutely amazing!!!

Now you have a wonderful birthday present to give to someone that loves to create!!!

Happy Creating!

Pin It

Click here to see my Google+ post

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

Smarties Valentine's Day Treats! #Cbias #IAmaSmartie

2012-01-17T22:03:00.002-06:00

Growing up my mom always made Valentine's Day a big deal. One reason was because my sister was born on a V-day... the other reason is because she just loved any reason to dote on her girls! I am no different. Now that I have 3 little girls of my own I love making memories with them just like my mom did with me.

My mom would always have several gifts with candy wrapped and waiting for us when we got up on Valentine's day... one of the things that I remember being in there were the Smarties Love Hearts!!! I just love Smarties... they are the perfect blend between sour and sweet! The white ones are my absolute favorite, but they are all great! Smarties are certainly one of my favorite candy treats and I wanted to share with you two ways you can serve them this Valentine's Day.

Isn't this adorable? I went for the "nerdy glasses" for this one. "snort" :) They are super easy to make... and the best part is inside each heart is filled with Smarties! I know my kiddos are going to love these!

What you will need:

1 roll of Smarties Love Hearts

Construction/ scrapbook paper: I used 1 sheet pink and 1 sheet black

masking tape

black marker

printer

tape

sewing machine or stapler

First print this Smarties roll out: Just save to your computer then open and print.

Next make 4 hearts about 3 inches wide of the pink for the "pouches" and 2 slightly bigger hearts (about 3 1/4 inches) black for the glasses (you can see I started out with red then switched it to black... either one looks fine- I just prefer black!)

Sew 2 pink hearts together at a time leaving space to fill it with Smarties. I used about 5 Smarties Love Hearts for each pouch. Sew up the open hole as best that you can or just tape it up.

Next take your other two hearts and cut a heart shaped hole in the middle so that when laid on top of the pouches you can see the pouches peeking through.

Now put a piece of construction paper between the two hearts and tape it together. Then take your masking tape and wrap it around middle. Next eyeball the two ear pieces... they should resemble candy canes. Then tape them to the back and fold them around.

Now cut out the Smarties print out and write the words Be A on the first heart and then tape the Smarties below that. Then on the other heart write Be My Valentine! Now you are finished!!!

Wait though... I am not done!!! You don't want to miss out on these tasties:

Not only do these mini parfaits have Smarties sprinkled on top... but they have a secret. That is not strawberry yogurt... it is Smarties flavored yogurt! I think its appropriate that "parfait" means "perfect" in french because these are just that!

What you will need:

7 rolls of Smarties Love Hearts

1 cup Vanilla Yogurt (sweetened)

whipped cream in the can

red or pink food coloring

8-10 plastic "shooters" which I found at Party City

6 strawberries chopped

coffee grinder

hammer or mallet

Ziploc bag

piping bag/ coupler and any medium sized decorators tip (this is not necessary, but very helpful for filling the cups)

First take 6 of the rolls of smarties and break them up in a Ziploc bag with a hammer or mallet... be careful where you do this step! Once they are broken up into smallish pieces take half of them and run them through a coffee grinder and grind until powdery.

Mix the powdered Smarties with the yogurt and food coloring. Put the yogurt mix into a piping bag fitted with a tip and then pipe the yogurt into the bottom about a 1/4 inch up. Then put a layer of strawberries followed by a layer of whipped cream. Repeat until you get to the top then sprinkle on some crushed Smarties. Finish it off with a bit of whipped cream and one whole Smarties Love Heart!

These are so delectable!!!

Happy Creating!!!

Pin It

You can see my google+ post here

*****This shop has been compensated as a part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.******

My Memories Suite Giveaway Winner!!!

2012-01-16T18:27:00.001-06:00

The winner of the My Memories Free Software Giveaway is:

#6 Sarah @ Becoming Martha

She says:

I totally want to win and for the first time in my life wished I had twitter so I got two more entries :)

Thanks to everyone that entered and if you want to buy the software the Memories code provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the My Memories store - $20 value!

For discount use code: STMMMS87783

Project Party Weekend Wrap Up!

2012-01-16T13:02:00.000-06:00

It's time for the Project Party Weekend Wrap up!!! What a great party we had this week!!! Here are some highlights...

I absolutely love this Winter Wreath

from A Pumpkin and a Princess!!!

I had to include this lovely Tassel Belt

from Creative Chaos!!!

Oh, this looks delectable: Basil Oil & Fig Balsamic Brushetta

from 52 Mantels!!!

Check out this super cool Valentine Coupon Mini Clipboard

from It's a Crafty Life!!!

You can grab a button if I featured you!

Fitness Goals for the New Year with Fitness Magazine #Cbias

2012-01-15T00:01:00.006-06:00

Let's face it... Crafting, cooking and blogging are not exactly known for their muscle producing abilities. I have to be very intentional about exercise and eating healthy all the time!!!
I am sure that some of you remember when I blogged about my health goals from last year. I am proud to say that I successfully lost 20 pounds over the course of the year with a healthy diet and exercise. My goal this year is to lose another 20 pounds and make healthy living an everyday part of my lifestyle. I am making my health a priority so that I can be a healthy wife for my hubby and a healthy mother to my 3 active girls!
Something that I have discovered recently that has inspired me is Fitness Magazine. It is full of great exercises that keep my routine fresh so that I don't get bored! I have included a video of some of the exercises that I found in the January issue just to show you how awesome, effective and easy that they are!!!

I will keep you all updated as well as provide healthy living blog posts to even out all the yummy treats that I have been making lately. I am learning that balance is the key and making a lot of small changes over time helps the most.

Oh and how about this dress that I blogged about wanting to wear last year?
I was able to wear it for our Christmas pictures!!! Woo Hoo!!!

I hope that together we can help and encourage each other this year! If you want to go over and check out Fitness Magazine it is only $5.99 to subscribe for the whole year!!!

Happy Creating and Healthy Living for 2012 and beyond!!!

This shop has been compensated as a part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #Cbias. All opinions are my own!

Project Party Weekend AND My Memories Suite Giveaway (enter to win)!!!

2012-01-13T00:00:00.002-06:00

It's time again for Project Party Weekend!!!

This week I also have something very special to give away to one of my readers!!! It's the My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software!!! My Memories gave me the software to try and I am very impressed with how easy it is. Everything is included to make your own digital scrapbook and you can go online to their store and print them out into a book to enjoy at home! Amazing!

Let me show you what it can do...

You can create your own pages or the easy way (like I did) and use one of their pre-made templates to create your scrapbook. As you can see it looks a lot like photoshop and is SO easy to use. One of the things that I noticed first was that it recognized all the fonts that I had already downloaded into my computer... that was a BIG plus for me!

Look what else you can create with it... Here is a calendar that I made!

The very best part is that they are offering all my readers a special discount!!! The Memories code provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the My Memories store - $20 value!

For discount use code: STMMMS87783

for the GIVEAWAY!!!

To enter the giveaway just post a comment... that is all!!! You can get 5 extra entries by doing the following and leaving a comment for each that you do:

1. Follow Bubbly Nature Creations and make a comment here that you did
2. Follow Bubbly Nature Creations on facebook and comment here about it
3. Follow Bubbly Nature Creations on Twitter and comment here about it
4. Tweet about this and make a comment here
5. write about this giveaway on facebook OR write a blog post about it and comment here

Contest ends at 12am CST on January 16th!!!
.....................................................................................................................................................................

It's also time to show me what you have been working on... Let me see your super creative ideas!!! :)

Football Party Food!!! #Cbias #Kraft Foods

2012-01-10T01:36:00.007-06:00

Did you enjoy the BCS College Football Championship? My favorite team OU wasn't there, but we watched the game because I just LOVE college football! To make the game more fun for our friends and family we picked sides... which one did I pick? LSU... :( Oh well... not all was lost because I was able to cook up some amazing recipes that I found on kraftrecipes.com

There were so many wonderful recipes on there that were easy to make and could be easily made ahead. Here are the 3 recipes that I chose!!!

These Boston Cream Pie Minis were so easy to make and I just added a bit of icing to make them look like footballs! How did they taste? Simply Amazing!!!

Boston Cream Pie Minis
recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods

1 Package Yellow Cake Mix (and ingredients to prepare on box)
1 Container Frosting
4 squares of Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip topping thawed and divided (see recipe)
1 package Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 Cup Milk

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 24 Cupcakes as directed on the box (grease and flour your muffin pan). Let cool and cut through the middle with a serrated knife.

-Beat pudding mix with milk and whisk for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup Cool Whip into the pudding; spoon 1 Tbsp. of mixture onto the bottom half of cupcakes. Cover with Cupcake tops.

-In a microwave safe bowl Microwave the rest of the Cool Whip and Bakers chocolate for 1- 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate is almost melted stirring after 1 minute. Stir until well blended. Let stand for 15 min. ; spread onto cupcakes, refrigerate 15 minutes.

-*optional football decor: With a piping tip or a ziplock bag cut at the end pipe lines on the top to look like a football.

Next on the list is the 5-layer Mexican Dip. Put the dip into clear plastic cups and it becomes individual sized (saw that idea on pinterest)!!! I really love all the flavors in this one!

5-Layer Mexican Dip

recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods

1 15.5 oz. can of Re-fried Black Beans

1 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 cup sour cream (Breakstone's and Knudsen are recommended on the Kraft site)

1 cup Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used 2 cups to make enough for the cups)

3 green onions sliced

1/3 cup sliced black olives (I used about 2/3 cups for the cups)

1-2 tomatoes chopped

-Making this is so easy... Just Mix the beans with the Chili Powder and Cumin and spread into the bottom of 10-12 cups (or if just making the dip in a 9 inch pie plate). Top with remaining layers and refrigerate for several hours! This is great make- ahead food!

Last on the list is the Kickoff Pizza. I again made these individual sized, but you can make one large pizza like they have on the Kraft Recipes website if you like too... These are super easy as well!

Kickoff Pizza

recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods

for minis:

makes about 6 servings

1 package Mini Pepperonis

1 package White Deli Slices Bread

1 jar pizza sauce

1 yellow pepper cut into very thin slices (for the football laces)

2 cups Kraft Mozzarella Cheese

For bigger pizza like on the Kraft website:

makes 4 servings

19 slices Oscar Meyer pepperonis

1 frozen cheese pizza

1 Kraft singles cut into strips (for the football laces)

-If making mini pizzas: separate the Deli slices and place on pan. Put sauce on first and cheese on top of that. For both versions arrange the pepperonis into a football shape on top of cheese. Put pepper or Kraft singles cheese on top of pepperonis for the lacing. Bake the pizza as directed on box... or for the minis cook at 400 for about 15 minutes. Let cool and serve.
..................................................................................................
Here is my display of food for the party!!! I had to make sure I had both Bama and LSU colors displayed. So how was it?

Everyone loved the food!!! We had so much fun getting together to watch the game!!! Here is a little collage of us at the party last night... Oh, and I got to hold one of the most precious newborns I have ever seen... Isn't she cute?

I would say this Football Party and the Food were a great hit!!!

Happy Creating!!!
If you want to see my Google + post click here

*****This shop has been compensated as a part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.******

Pin It