lizard & ladybug

Fun Find at Oriental Trading

2013-11-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

You know when you find a place where you LOVE to shop?? A place that always has what you're looking for, even if you don't know you're looking for it??? Oriental Trading is that place for me!

This past Summer, I was given the opportunity to review any products I chose! What The What???

I was so SO excited. Our neighborhood block party was coming up and I knew I wanted some fun things for the kids.

I searched the site and had a 'mile-long' list of items I wanted!!

I chose the Inflatable Mini Beach Ball Assortment.

The weather was TERRIBLE that day, so there are no pictures (boo) but the kids had a GREAT time playing with the mini beach balls (yay)

We still have several of them & the kids were just playing with them the other day! They are a great quality and the perfect size for little hands!

I ordered this cute set for the lizard & ladybug's classes to celebrate the "100th Day of School"

Oriental Trading is my first stop when I'm shopping for party supplies, crafts, etc... and even better??

It's FREE SHIPPING (until midnight) on any purchase!!

"This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. I was provided the sample free of charge by the company or PR agency and I provided my honest opinion. No other type of compensation was received for this review."

Halloween play date

2013-11-01T16:43:00.004-04:00

I had the great opportunity from Chinet to use items from their new Bakeware collection. These awesome dishes can go right in the oven and then to the table! Perfect for those nights when you'd rather not have lots of dishes (which is every night for me).

My BIG plan was to have several hot dishes ready for Halloween night. The weather in Florida didn't care about that plan. It's been pretty hot lately, so I decided to have a play date and use my Chinet Bakeware dishes as serving ware. They worked perfectly!!!

Here are a few pictures from our very informal get together.

Of course, I had to have sweets. Super simple! Store bought cookies, icing and candy eyes/m&ms made perfect Mummy & mini-Mummy cookies!

I found some really cute pumpkin shaped cheese crunchies from Target.

The small oval Chinet Bakeware dish was the perfect size for these snacks!

Target also had orange & black tortilla chips that I just had to get.

And all the kids love queso..

so a jar of store bought cheese dip topped with an olive spider made another spider-ific snack.

The large oval Chinet Bakeware dish held a TON of chips!!

We also had hot dogs for the kids..no pictures of those because they were eaten pretty quickly :)

I did use one of the square Chinet Bakeware dishes for the hot dogs.

The Bakeware comes with a clear plastic lid, so the dogs would have stayed warm*

*if they had lasted that long :)

The kids played ball outside and had a good time drawing with chalk.

The kids each got goodie bags filled with candy, glow bracelets and a spiky ball.

And just to make sure the grown ups weren't left out, I whipped up a batch of sangria.

I was lucky to work with Chinet and I can't wait to use the rest of the Bakeware I have!!

Have you tried any of their new products? I'd love to hear what you think of them!

And if you're looking for entertaining ideas, recipes and even crafts,

check out MyChinet.com

Summer Recipe Blog Hop

2013-08-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'm joining a Summer Recipe Blog Hop

with some of my fave bloggers!!

I'm sharing my super simple summer 'recipe'..I should really call it an obsession.

Pineapple Blueberry Salad

Take some of this

and add some of these

I added a few graham crackers for good measure..but that's totally up to you :)

Sit back and enjoy the deliciousness!

I have eaten this combo pretty much the entire summer!

Want more Summer Recipes from your favorite bloggers???

Check them out here!

Peaches and Cream Spritzer by www.theflairexchange.com

Cotton Candy Shooters by www.mypaperpinwheel.com

Grasshopper Ice Cream Brownie Sundae for adults by www.dandpcelebrations.com

Strawberry Sundae for adults by www.spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com

Summer Sip- Spiked Crystal Light by www.trulychicinspirations.com

4th of July {flashback}

2013-07-03T07:58:00.000-04:00

I have been pretty busy with life...baseball, summer, baseball and more baseball. I haven't done too much 4th of July 'crafting' this year but we are planning to have our neighborhood bike parade tomorrow, followed by our family cook-out, followed by baseball practice :)

I thought I'd share our 4th from last year.

enjoy!

_________________________________

Watermelon 5k (I'm the one with the pink laces)

The ladybug & lizard at the finish line..with sno cones, watermelon and painted face :)

last minute centerpiece

the kids thought this was the best idea EVER!

super easy treats

festive (and delicious) dessert

you know I had to do it :)

favors

goofballs

bike parade time

parade watchers (they may or may not have all been from our picnic)

certificates of participation

relaxing. don't hate on the self-pedi!!

I hope you all had a great holiday!

Silly Splatter Shamrock Shindig (finally)

2013-03-29T07:55:00.003-04:00

I know it's almost Easter

BUT I wanted to share the fun party we had to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

a little background: I've wanted to have a messy art party for the longest time.

It just so happened that St. Patrick's Day was coming up

- tada -

the Silly Splatter Shamrock Shindig was born!

I whipped up a simple invitation on Word and emailed it all the lizard & ladybug's friends.

Tacky?? Maybe, but it got the job done & it was free :)

The actual party plan was pretty simple.

Get some paint. Mix it with water. Find things for the kids to paint with and on.

Add kids and go!

To satisfy my need to 'create' a party, I got some white tees and goggles for the kids.

And, of course, hung them on our fence with rainbow colored clothespins :)

Before the kids started playing, I made sure to have plenty of fun snacks for them.

skittles, lucky charms and rolos

candy dipped Oreos

rainbow licorice and sour strips

cupcakes (printables from Amanda's Parties To Go)

and some Shamrock Soda (idea & printables from The Crafting Chicks)

Now onto the fun part!!!

Here's how it was all set up:

2 big canvas drop cloths were taped to our brick wall

(ignore the fact the bricks need pressure washing)

a small dollop of paint and fill with water = paint spray!

A big table held blank canvases, foam brushes and ice cube trays filled with paint.

buckets filled with paint water & sponge balls.

Nuff said!

And they're off!!

it was like this most of the day!!

all the artwork :)

Kiara, of Keaton Photography, took all of these pictures
and was able to get one group shot :)

I think (hope) they all had a good time!

I saved the goggles and tees so we can do it all over again....sometime soon!!!

(photo props from Eye Candy Event Details)

Pot O' Gold game (freebie)

2013-03-08T07:44:00.002-05:00

I came up with this game last year & it was a big hit.

Here's the original post - I hope you enjoy it!

_____________________________________

My game is inspired by the Turkey Feathers game by The Idea Room.

The lizard & ladybug had such a blast
playing the simple dice & clothespin game over Thanksgiving.

I wanted to make a St. Patrick's Day version.

I already had the painted clothespins so a rainbow seemed like a no-brainer.

I found a free pot of gold graphic and created this fun little game.

The rules are pretty simple.

Each player gets a card (click HERE for card & instructions) and 6 clothespins.

Each player rolls a dice (or die, if you're proper).

Add a clothespin to the corresponding number.

The first one with a Rainbow wins.

the ink in my printer is a little wonky...but you get the idea.

I'd love to know if you like this game & if you use it, I'd love to hear how the kiddos like it!

ShamROCKS idea & freebie

2013-03-05T07:21:00.003-05:00

While browsing the candy aisle, I spotted some green apple Pop Rocks (3/$1).

An idea was born!

It's so simple!!

take these

add one of these

(click HERE for the tags)

and you have

a cute and festive (and cost effective) treat for St. Patrick's Day!

Enjoy!

Mega Bloks Barbie Party

2013-02-27T16:21:00.004-05:00

I was given the great opportunity to host a Mega Bloks party

featuring Mega Bloks Barbie Luxury Mansion!

You know the ladybug was excited :)

Here is just a sampling of the toys I was given:

*this is my dream pool, btw*

Build 'n Style Ice Cream Cart & Build 'n Style Fashion Stand

The ladybug and her friends had a great time playing with all of the Mega Bloks Barbie swag.

Mega Bloks was so generous..

they even sent enough sets for everyone to take home!!

Not only does the ladybug love playing with Mega Bloks because they are just her size..

they give her the chance to use her imagination!

She's becoming quite the fashionista :)

Do you have Mega Bloks Barbie toys in your house?? What do you think of them?

*Mommy Parties & Mega Bloks sponsored this post.

Kool Valentine drinks (plus LOTS of freebies)

2013-02-05T07:40:00.000-05:00

Today, I thought I'd share some fun Robot Valentines I made a few years back.
They were a big hit at the time & I'm thinking they would be a big HIT this year!!
Lots of freebies too :)

Here's the original post:
_______________________________

You know when you see an idea and think 'THAT IS BRILLIANT'??

Well, that's the idea I saw last week.

Kalleen from At Second Street was guest posting at Tatertots and Jello.

She posted this totally adorable idea for "LOVE juice"

along with a great tutorial (and freebies).

I couldn't stop thinking about it the whole day.

I'm all for sweets for just about any occasion - especially Valentine's Day

BUT I liked Kalleen's idea so much, I decided to make it my own.

Remember the robot Valentine's I made a while back?

I decided to use the images to make "KOOL" drinks for the lizard's class.

(not the best picture)

Pretty simple.

Water, Kool Aid singles (or any similar brand), straws, pipe cleaners & labels
(avery file folder labels #48366).

If you can't find the labels, you could print on regular paper and use double-stick tape.

Here are the Kool Aid labels
(there are 30 on a sheet)

I also made some 'sweet' ones

There are also coordinating tags
designed for use with a 2" punch (there are 12 on a page)

I would love to know if you use these...

And just because....

Here is Valentine's Day tic tac toe

(perfect size for m&ms, conversation hearts, kisses etc...)

There are 4 games to a sheet.

These would make great classroom treats too.

Valentine countdown activity (plus freebie)

2013-02-01T07:43:00.002-05:00

Happy February 1st!!

A few years ago, I made a fun scavenger-hunt type of countdown for the lizard & ladybug. I thought I'd share it again with all of you.

I hope you try it :)

______________________________

Here's what I used:

pipe cleaners (cut in half), clear treat bags and numbered heart tags

The idea is to hide their treat and have them find it.

My kids love hide and seek so this is great for them.

Plus, it may give me 5 minutes peace :)

We are starting off with lollipops (heart shaped to be exact)

If you wanted to do something like this yourself...

but don't have the pipe cleaners and/or clear bags.

Use some ribbon and plastic snack bags.

Or twisty ties and saran wrap.

I just think it's a fun treat for the kids

and it gives them something to look forward to each day!

Oh and if you need heart tags..here you go!

days 1-6, days 7-12, days 13-14 & blanks

Happy February 1st!

Have a great day (freebie)

2013-01-18T13:42:00.002-05:00

I'm a BIG fan of Random Acts of Kindness.

Something as simple as bringing a neighbor's newspaper to their door

(we have our delivered at the end of the driveways)

or paying for a stranger's coffee at your local coffee shop.

If you're inspired to spread some kindness with small gifts,

I have some cute tags for you to use.

They are sweet in their simplicity.

Plus, I'm a sucker for any & all things chalkboard.

These are perfect little lunchbox notes for the kids too :)

Click HERE for a sheet of 8 tags.

Enjoy!

NYE inspiration (circa 2010)

2012-12-27T08:08:00.001-05:00

New Year's is right around the corner.

I'm working on a New Year's Day lunch for the family.

I wanted to share our NYE, during the day, party from a few years back.

Enjoy!

______________________________________

Here are some of the highlights.

The table before the 'real' food.

I had a branch (already painted from Halloween) that I added black and white poms to (thanks to Kristy - The Purple Pug for that idea). I used a cake stand to hold the paper fortune cookies we made (got that idea from Home Confetti).

Oreos baked inside brownies = Black and White brownies

My 'countdown' cupcakes. I used black card stock and metallic pen.

Dipped a marshmallow in clear sprinkles (for the sparkly effect)

and added it all to a lollipop stick.

The cupcakes are Funfetti (of course)!

Champagne 'bubbles' (donut holes) - thanks to Kim - Party Frosting!

I used my New Year's printable (attached to card stock & a dowel) as centerpieces.

They are standing in jars of black eyed peas:)

A can of Rotel and black eyed peas became our 'lucky' salsa.

The pasta was festive because I used bowties and curly noodles. haha

A little bubbly. I punched 2" circles of silver card stock then used a 1" punch.

The glasses ~~cheapo plastic~~ came apart so I could add the 'bling'.

I can't have people leave without something.

Some reNEWing hand scrub for the girls, chocolate bars for the guys

and some snazzy sunglasses (since we were whooping it up during the day)

The kids LOVED counting down and yelling 'HAPPY NEW YEAR'.

They loved it even more when the saw their bubbly :)

Kiddie Cocktails (cherry Caprisuns with a few cherries)
______________________________________

What are your plans for New Year's Eve?
Are you a big party person
OR
a stay at home in your pjs person?

a little gift for you

2012-12-24T07:26:00.001-05:00

Do your little ones get lots of books this time of year?

Mine do!

I love how much they enjoy reading!

The ladybug likes to take her books to school for show and tell.

She tends to take several each week.

Instead of scribbling her name on the inside cover with a Sharpie,

I made these simple & cute book plates.

(there are six different colors/patterns)

To make it really simple, print them on sticker paper or full sheet label paper :)

if you'd like the bookplates - click HERE

Enjoy!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

super quick last minute (non-candy) Christmas treats + freebie

2012-12-20T07:31:00.001-05:00

Don't ask me why but this silly little idea has been in my head the last few days.

With all the terribly sad news this last week, I thought something light-hearted is just what I needed.

I hope it will give you a chuckle too.

Also, let me make it clear...candy is usually my first choice for treats, of any kind.

I wanted to come up with something fun for people who, for whatever reason, don't do sweets.

1.Grab a bag

2.Grab some goldfish*

{or Swedish fish if you do want candy}

3.Grab a tag here.

Enjoy!

sending love and support

2012-12-16T12:16:00.001-05:00

Reindeer Nose treats (and freebie)

2012-12-06T07:38:00.002-05:00

If your younguns are having class parties

(and you're allowed to bring in treats), here's a fun one the kids will love!!!

Reindeer Noses

cute, right?

Here's what I used.

Red gumballs would be perfect for this too.

Even brown and red m&m's would be cute!

There are lots of options.

I just happened to see these while I was browsing the candy aisle.

What?? You don't browse the candy aisle?

I used some 4x6 bags (I got mine from Michaels).

Whipped up this cute bag topper....

and now have a sweet little treat for the lizard & ladybug's classes.

Here's a link to the bag topper!!

Enjoy!!

Sweet gift tags (freebie)

2012-12-05T08:43:00.002-05:00

Every year, my mom has a holiday party.

It's always a great time with family, friends & lots of food.

My mom likes to have a theme each year too (now you know where I get it).

This year, she's picked 'peppermint'.

Basically reds and whites and everything mint :)

For favors, she decided everyone would get a muslin bag

to fill with different varieties of peppermint candy.

*I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!!

She ordered the bags from Cotton Bag Company.

I came up with a simple print for each bag.

Microsoft Word & Iron-on paper = these cuties! {only ~25 more to make}

I thought I'd share the print with all of you.

You could use them as gift tags for all kinds of things.

Any type of candy, cookie or cake gift (homemade or store bought).

click here for a sheet of 6 tags.

Enjoy!!

2 kid-friendly Turkey Day treats

2012-11-20T07:15:00.001-05:00

Still looking for kid-friendly Thanksgiving treats??

Here are a few goodies I made for our Little Turkey playdate last year.

Marshmallows dipped in candy melts

Juice boxes fancied up with colored paper.

Super simple!

2 simple ideas that add a little something special to your kids table!

I'm Thankful for You hand scrub

2012-11-19T07:14:00.001-05:00

The title says it all!

I made several of these for the lizard & ladybug's teachers.

2 ingredients and you've got a homemade scrub which, I think, makes a perfect gift.

I'm a big fan of scrubs. Hand scrubs, foot scrubs, body scrubs...you get the idea.

They make me feel like I'm doing something special for myself,

even if it is just scrubbing off dead skin.

Whatevs :)

Here's what I used:

Soap (moisturizing soap from Bath & Body Works).

Sugar - regular sugar from the grocery store

small mason jars

knife

Cute tags (get yours here)

Fill your jar almost full of sugar.

Pour soap on top of the sugar until it's almost covered

Use your knife to mix the soap into the sugar.

{A knife seems to work the best, in my opinion.}

**This step is 'a little of this, a little of that'.

You will need to adjust the soap to sugar ratio to your liking.

Once it's mixed. Put a lid on it and add a tag.

of course, you could add ribbons or fabric scraps or yarn or...

whatever you'd like to make it cute!

Here's the deal:

1 regular bottle of soap made 5 jars of scrub, which makes this a very affordable gift.

There are TONS of different types of soap but I prefer the 'moisturizing' kind.

Also, there are TONS of soap fragrances so you could make this scrub year-round.

A fun flowery scent for Valentine's Day, a citrus-y one for Summer etc...

There's nothing I love more than an quick, simple, versatile & affordable gift!

I hope you love it too!!!

Happy Monday!

Thankful Turkeys {flashback}

2012-11-08T07:17:00.002-05:00

Here is a simple, cute and fun way to decorate for Thanksgiving..
{this is a re-post from November 2010}

Welcome to another edition of Turkey Thursday...

here & here are the other ones

(in case you missed them).

Here are my supplies.

jugs (spray painted some from McDonalds), paper, ribbon. glue gun & googly eyes

This is pretty straight forward. Have your kids (or you can do it for them) write what they are thankful for on strips of paper.

I decided NOT to cut feather shapes but feel free.

Once you have all of your 'feathers' - glue them on.

yes..the ladybug is thankful for the 'couch' :)

Pumpkin Spice Stuffing bites (& a giveaway)

2012-11-02T07:39:00.004-04:00

Now that Halloween is over, I'm starting to think about Thanksgiving.

I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving = FOOD in our family (and lots of it).

I was recently given the opportunity to create a Thanksgiving veggie side dish
using Country Crock Pumpkin Spice spread.
Veggies help complete a well-rounded, better-for-you Thanksgiving meal,
and Country Crock helps make them even more delicious.
I chose to make stuffing because, at Thanksgiving, stuffing is one of our veggies.

{Let me tell you, I could eat this stuff straight out of the tub!!!}

There are so many different variations of stuffing.
Every family has their traditional Thanksgiving favorite.
For my side dish, I chose to add a few fun ingredients to simple cornbread stuffing.

Any type of stuffing would work with this recipe.

I chose store bought for convenience.

Once the stuffing was mixed with the water and Country Crock Pumpkin Spice spread, I added in a handful of cranberries and almonds.

Now the fun part, use a tablespoon or so of mix to fill a mini muffin pan.
I put these into a 350 degree oven until the tops were a little crispy.
(and so they would hold their shape).

I love how they are the perfect little bites of yumminess!
The Country Crock Pumpkin Spice spread gives them such a great hint of pumpkin spice. The flavor works really well with the cranberries and almonds too.

I plan on using the Country Crock Pumpkin Spice spread
when I make mashed sweet potatoes too :)

A few more great side dishes can be found at The Crock Country Chronicle In The Kitchen.

Also, visit crockcountry.com for veggie tips, recipes and more

Now the fun part for you!!

I have a Thanksgiving Kit to giveaway to one of you lucky ducks

(or should I say turkeys -haha)

the kit includes:

Harvest Pumpkin Tiny Taper Holders, Set of 4

Italian Scalloped Bakers, 10" x 6"

13” Wire Baker Rack

Tell me your all time FAVE Thanksgiving side dish!

A winner will be picked November 10th.

GO!

Thank you to Country Crock for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Eerie & Cheery Collection winner!!

2012-10-22T07:55:00.001-04:00

Congrats to Mayra, who commented...

Mayra Rivera said...

I'd love this collection for my trunk o treat on halloween evening for the neighborhood! Love your bags too...giving those away? =)

and 'cause I'm cool like that, I'll send you the bags too :)

Just shoot me an email with your mailing address and I'll get the treat bags to you ASAP!!!

Have a great Monday!!

{diy} Halloween treat bags & a giveaway

2012-10-15T07:54:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm sharing a simple DIY idea that turned out so SO cute!

I have a feeling I'm going to be making LOTS of these little bags in the future.

Betsy of Belly Feathers contacted me a while back to see if I'd be interested in playing around with her new Eerie & Cheery Halloween collection.

Of course I said YES!!

I knew immediately what I wanted to do.

I had these cute 3x5 cotton bags

(purchased from here)

that I wanted to use as Halloween treat bags for the ladybug's preschool class.

I printed the cupcake toppers from Betsy's collection on iron-on transfer paper.

*make sure you reverse the image!!!!

see how the images are the right way :)

{I had to print an extra time, since I forgot to flip it}

Cut out the square. Follow the instructions of your iron-on paper...and TA DA!!!

I am in love with these bags!! I can't wait to make some for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's...you get the idea!!!

Click here to see the ENTIRE collection (and tons of inspiration).

And 'like' Belly Feathers on Facebook too, if you're not already a fan.

And even better???

I'm going to give the entire Eerie &Cheery Collection to a lucky winner!

Leave me a comment telling me how you would use this collection.

I'll pick a winner this Friday (October 19th at 8pm est).

Mega Bloks Lil Princess

2012-10-14T14:58:00.002-04:00

A while back, I was given the opportunity, by Mommy Parties, to host a party for the ladybug to share Mega Bloks Lil Princess goodies.

Long story short, the toys where a HIT!!!

Here is just a small sampling of the goodies I got share.

The ladybug LOVES the Mega Bloks® Lil' Princess 3-Story Enchanted Castle.

She hasn't stopped playing with it since we opened the box!!

A big Thank You to Mommy Parties for the chance to share these great toys!

Are you kids fans of Mega Bloks???

Meet my {spider} family. Easy DIY!

2012-10-12T07:30:00.001-04:00

Here's a simple Halloween project that's fun for the whole family :)

Here are the supplies:

plus pipe cleaners and googly eyes

The skewer (pictured above) was used to hold the ball while I sprayed it.

Once the paint dries, which is pretty quickly, you can add the pipe cleaner legs.

The lizard & ladybug chose their colors :) Mine has silver legs!!

Now time for the eyes!

I used a glue gun to attach the eyes.

And here's our spider family...

Next week, I have a fun Halloween giveaway!!!

Have a great weekend!!

lizard & ladybug

Fun Find at Oriental Trading

Halloween play date

Summer Recipe Blog Hop

4th of July {flashback}

Silly Splatter Shamrock Shindig (finally)

Pot O' Gold game (freebie)

ShamROCKS idea & freebie

Mega Bloks Barbie Party

Kool Valentine drinks (plus LOTS of freebies)

Valentine countdown activity (plus freebie)

Happy February 1st!!

A few years ago, I made a fun scavenger-hunt type of countdown for the lizard & ladybug. I thought I'd share it again with all of you.

I hope you try it :)

______________________________

Here's what I used:

pipe cleaners (cut in half), clear treat bags and numbered heart tags

If you wanted to do something like this yourself...

but don't have the pipe cleaners and/or clear bags.

Use some ribbon and plastic snack bags.

Or twisty ties and saran wrap.

I just think it's a fun treat for the kids

and it gives them something to look forward to each day!

**Oh and if you need heart tags..here you go!**

days 1-6, days 7-12, days 13-14 & blanks

Happy February 1st!

Have a great day (freebie)

NYE inspiration (circa 2010)

a little gift for you

super quick last minute (non-candy) Christmas treats + freebie

sending love and support

Reindeer Nose treats (and freebie)

Sweet gift tags (freebie)

2 kid-friendly Turkey Day treats

I'm Thankful for You hand scrub

Thankful Turkeys {flashback}

Pumpkin Spice Stuffing bites (& a giveaway)

Eerie & Cheery Collection winner!!

{diy} Halloween treat bags & a giveaway

Mega Bloks Lil Princess

Meet my {spider} family. Easy DIY!

Oh and if you need heart tags..here you go!