Free Printable Shine Bright Valentine with 3D Heart Glasses

I love creating colorful cards for Valentine’s Day that can be printed off to use for classroom Valentines, as a printable gift tag for my own kids, or a help busy teachers can use. So many different ways to use the It’s also an easy way to make Valentines and can even be a fun craft project to do with my kids. But I figure why just keep the free printables for myself when I can share? So that’s why I pass all the adorable Valentine ideas on for you!

Get more free printable Valentine cards HERE. There’s even some free printables from the magical world of Harry Potter and Wicked if that’s your thing!

Follow along for more free printable Valentines and other fun ideas!

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Free Valentine’s Day Printables

With so many different allergies, candy Valentines just don’t work these days for the classrooms. But that doesn’t mean that Valentine’s cards can’t still have a personal touch with a non-sweet treat attached. For just a little extra cost, you can create a great non-candy option simply by adding a little trinket to each Valentine. It’s a unique and fun Valentine that kids will love giving out as much as those receiving! Most of these printable tags also work perfectly fine on their own if you’d rather not have the extra expense of adding on a small gift.

I really love how the free printable shine bright Valentine with 3D heart glasses turned out. It can be stand alone as just a card too, but the glasses really add that next level fun. Plus, at less than 85 cents a card… it’s a real deal!

Shine Bright Free Printable Valentine’s Day Cards

 This simple yet adorable card pairs perfectly with a pair of 3D diffraction glasses. These unique glasses create holographic images when looking through at lights. 

What you’ll do:

Save the free download as PDF or PNG file.

Print off on either 4×6 or 5×7 photos at Walgreens. 

Attach 3D heart glasses to the Valentine card using a little bit of clear tape or different colors of washi tape. 

I found these 3D diffraction glasses that are perfect for this Valentine! You can order your own HERE. The lens on these paper glasses create holographic images by transforming lights into magical floating hearts.

And the 3d diffraction glasses do this:

It’s that easy to create a unique Valentine card that kids will love giving and receiving! You don’t have to use the 3D diffraction glasses for the Valentines either. There are so many different fun and shiny things that will work perfectly with this free printable shine bright Valentine. Get creative!

Such a fun and bright gift tag!

Other shiny items that you can pair with these free printable Valentines:

Mini flashlight

Glow stick

Heart sunglasses

Finger lights

Fiber optic wands

Shutter shades glasses

Disco ball bubble wand

More Printable Valentines Cards

Looking for other non-candy Valentines? I have several ideas right here on the blog!

Maze Valentines

Baby Yoda Glow Stick Valentine

Harry Potter Valentines

Wicked Valentines

Valentine Gloves Card

Zipper Bracelet Valentines

Lip Balm Valentine

Pop Fidget Valentine

So many little gift options that can be added to free Valentines! The perfect way to say Happy Valentine’s Day!

The post Free Printable Shine Bright Valentine with 3D Heart Glasses appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

Free Printable Wicked Valentines in Pink and Green

I love creating printable Valentines each year. It has allowed my kids to always take unique Valentine cards to give out at the classroom party and give me the opportunity for a fun creative outlet. If you’ve been following along for a while, you know this. Each year brings a new free printable card! This year, I have a few cute card designs up my sleeve. But first, one that’s Wicked themed!

Get more free printable Valentine cards HERE. There’s even some free printables from the magical world of Harry Potter if that’s your thing!

Wicked: For Good

The beloved musical has taken on a whole different role with the new movie(s). Hollywood added it’s own unique look into the world of Oz. Everyone’s favorite songs from the Broadway musical went beyond the stage and onto the big screen. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reprised their roles in the most recent Wicked movie, playing the roles of everyone’s favorite defying gravity duo. Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West were the best of friends and the perfect match. Also the perfect theme for this year’s free printable Valentine cards. Wicked fans will love these free printable Wicked Valentines. Perfectly pink and green, which goes good together!

Follow along for more free printable Valentines and other fun ideas!

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Free Printable Wicked Valentine’s Day Cards

Here are some fun free printable Wicked Valentines that are sure to be a hit! These “Pink goes good with green” printables are perfect for classroom Valentines. The vibrant colors really pop. Or should I say popular!

What you’ll do:

Save the PDF or PNG file.

Print off the cards: I like to print off as photos from Walgreens. This card can be printed on either 4×6 or 5×7 depending on the size you’d like your Valentines to be.

Add pink and green bracelets: I found these adorable bracelets HERE.

So cute right?! Perfect for the them with hearts and crowns.

Perfect Wicked Valentine Cards

The perfect Wicked cards for Valentine’s Day! I seriously love how they turned out and the bracelets work great as a non-candy option for giving out Valentines. The perfect mix of pink and green.

Get a different style Wicked Valentine card free printable HERE.

Other Trinkets

Not a fan of the Wicked bracelets? Totally okay! There are lots of other pink and green candy (or non-candy) items that will still work well with these free printable Valentine cards. I might actually need to get a few different options for the boys in the classroom!

Other small trinket items or treats that would work with these free printable Wicked movie Valentines:

Pink candy

Green candy

Glinda’s magic wand

Broomstick pencils

Magic wand pencils

Broomsticks and pink star pens

Pink and green ribbon wands

All of the above are also perfect for a fun movie night and great Wicked party ideas!

Looking for some more Wicked fun?

Wicked activity pages and Wicked coloring pages are on the blog HERE!

The post Free Printable Wicked Valentines in Pink and Green appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

Toddler Christmas Party Ideas Filled with Holiday Fun

The Christmas season is the most magical time of year! If you are looking for some unique toddler Christmas Party ideas then you’ve come to the right place! Jolly good times are ahead for spreading holiday joy that even the older children will get a kick out of. From unbreakable ornaments to kid-friendly nativity sets to advent calendars perfect for tiny hands, there are plenty of ideas to include in your party fun.

Follow along for more fun ideas for the entire!

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Creating Lasting Memories

Christmas through the eyes of a child is just extra special. There are so many ways to bring the spirit of the season into your home Here are just a few of my favorites that are the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season and get toddlers involved in the festivities.

Toddler Nativity Set

The Fisher-Price Little People nativity set is fun for toddlers to play with and decorate for Christmas at the same time.

Where to buy it:

Available from Amazon HERE.

Available from Target HERE.

Available from Walmart HERE. *BEST PRICE ALERT*

Toddler Advent Calendar

The Step2 My First Advent Calendar

Where to buy it:

Available from Amazon HERE.

Available from Target HERE.

Available from Kohl’s HERE. *BEST PRICE ALERT*

Toddler Christmas Tree

The Step2 My First Christmas Tree

Where to buy it:

Available from Amazon HERE. *BEST PRICE ALERT*

Available from Target HERE.

Available from Kohl’s HERE.

More Toddler Christmas Party Ideas

Here are some more toddler Christmas party activities and ideas for the party:

Christmas music. Christmas parties always need some holiday tunes for a dance party.

​ Craft stations.

Hot chocolate bar. Just don’t make the hot chocolate too hot!

White elephant gift exchanges. A small gift that kids pick out themselves from the dollar store.

Christmas cookie decorating. Be sure to place out all different colored frostings.

​Snowman building competition. If there’s a now on the ground of course! Or you can build with white pom-poms.

​Scavenger hunt with candy canes. Hide the festive holiday candy around the room and have kids go on a candy cane hunt.

​Gingerbread house building. In advance, adults can use glue guns to assemble the houses.

Christmas cards. Have kids create their own cards to give out to family and friends.

​Snowflake craft activity. Decorate paper snowflakes and turn the entire room into a winter wonderland.

​There are just so many Christmas activity ideas that can be used for a toddler party!

Christmas Cookies Perfect for the Party

Looking for some delicious Christmas cookies? Find some recipes HERE.

And here’s a recipe for some gingerbread cookies to use for making and decorating those gingerbread men cookie cut-outs.

The post Toddler Christmas Party Ideas Filled with Holiday Fun appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

How to Decorate a Lamp Post for Fall

I love everything about fall. The bright colors of the fall leaves as they change before falling, apple cider, hayrides, outdoor fall decorations, bonfires, outdoor movie nights, a crispness in the air, and so much more. It signifies the end of summer and a marvelous time of year. But the last thing I want to think about is the lamp post out in the front of my house because it does not scream decorative. Not at all.

Everyone has something about their home that they don’t like. My thing is our front lantern post. I’m referring to it as that type of outdoor light because back in the day it was a gas lit lantern. At least that’s how all the original neighborhood lights were and some neighbors still have the original! Then someone converted the one in front of our home to electric. Without. A. Permit. When we went to purchase our home, the light pole out front was not up to code. What did the previous owner’s do? They had an electrician cut the power to the light, cap it off, and now we have a lamp post that’s an eyesore and not usable for its purpose. We really just need to replace it already, but there’s always another project ahead of that. One day… For now, it’s easy to hide the lamp post behind holiday decorations!

Follow along for more fun craft and DIY ideas!

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Easy Way to Decorate a Lamp Post for Fall

This is by far the easiest way you will make your front yard festive and it’s a great way to decorate a lamp post that needs some love!

What you’ll do:

Color scheme. Decide on which color scheme you want to go with the rest of your decorations. The color scheme can honestly be whatever you want. 

Dried cornstalks. You can often find these for purchase at your local Home Depot, nursery, apple orchard, pumpkin farm, or online.

Decorative ears of Indian Corn. I love using the multicolor corn or ears with deep purple and red hues. The color really pops against the off-white dried stalks!

Ribbon or twine. Get as colorful or as simple as you’d like. It’s to attach the corn stalks to the lamp post.

Place the dried corn stalks upright in front of the lamp post. Tie a piece of ribbon or twine around and knot at the back of the lamp post. Add decorative Indian Corn and more ribbon if you prefer, like a big bow on the front.

Add some pumpkins and gourds!

Such an easy way to decorate a lamp post for fall!

Also a great way to cover up an eyesore of a lamp post. Ha!

I just simply love how it turned out.

Now I have to think of what to do for another upcoming holiday? How should I decorate the yard light for Christmas? So many options. I’m thinking maybe string lights or garland on an angle from the top to create a Christmas tree! Stay tuned…

I hope you enjoyed this easy and fun way to decorate a lamp post for fall! Find some great store-bought decorations for fall HERE.

Happy Fall Y’all!

Get more ideas for fall on the blog HERE.

The post How to Decorate a Lamp Post for Fall appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

DIY Stranger Things Max Costume for Halloween

I would imagine that most of this year’s Halloween parties will be full Hawkins mode with spooky Halloween displays and costumes featuring all the favorite characters from the television show. My daughter’s favorite character on the sci-fi Netflix series is Max Mayfield. While we were watching the show with our older kids, my husband and I commented on how our older daughter has ‘Mad Max’ hair. She has the perfect beach waves even though she’s blonde instead of a red head like Max. When talking about Halloween costumes, she immediately asked if I could make her one of Max’s colorful outfits. So then I had to make it happen.

Follow along for more fun craft and DIY ideas!

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DIY Halloween Costumes

I love making my kids Halloween costumes. It’s fun to do and I enjoy using my creative to create the perfect look. See the unicorn costume and Harry Potter Basilisk costume I created in previous years. My mom always made my Halloween costumes back in the 1980’s and I think it’s a talent I got from her. Although I think she’s much more talented than I am. It was fun to haul out the sewing machine that only comes out a few times a year, mainly for Halloween time!

DIY Maxine Mayfield Costume

Max’s Blue Jacket

For starters I had to figure out how to create Max’s iconic blue hoodie. Sure I could have just purchased a knock-off or a replica, but where is the fun in that? I found a blue zip up fleece for a reasonable price HERE. (There’s an even better deal on a hoodie version HERE.)

From there I got some yellow bias tape and white bias tape. I figured this would be the best way to sew the stripes onto the blue jacket and it worked marvelously! I pinned the bias tape to the jacket and then sewed around.

Red Baseball Tee

I picked up this red baseball t-shirt HERE and then used a DTF (direct-to-film) grid pattern to heat press to the shirt.

What else you’ll need to complete the DIY Stranger Things Max costume:

80’s jeans: My daughter already had some high-waisted jeans in her closet, thanks to the mom jeans being back in style, but you can find all sorts of great high waisted jeans HERE.

Red shoes: If you already have a pair of red Converse (or vintage red Vans like Max wore) then those will work perfectly for this costume. This knock-off pair of red shoes HERE are what I got to complete my daughter’s costume. Also at a good price.

I’d say that it all came together nicely!

Stranger Things Group Halloween Costume Ideas

A fun group costume would be to go as the Lenora Hills roller-rink crew wearing lots of neon colors and bold looks from the 80’s. 

Looking for more Halloween costume inspiration? Here’s a mix of outfit ideas: 

Eleven pink dress

Robin Scoops Ahoy uniform

Lucas basketball uniform

​Hawkins High Cheerleader costume

HHS basketball letterman jacket – Or put the look together HERE.

Jim Hopper costume – One-stop shop for his entire look. Even a pair of aviators!

Eddie Munson costume – Complete with the jean vest.

Endless Halloween costume inspo and so many fan-favorite looks!

Stranger Things Graphic T-Shirts

From Eddie’s Hellfire Club t-shirt to summer camp t-shirt there’s a tee for every fan of Stranger Things!

Hellfire Club tee

Dustin’s Camp Know Where tee

Classic Logo Stranger Things shirt

Hawkins High School tiger shirt

More than the DIY Stranger Things Max costume…

See more Stranger Things Halloween costumes HERE.

Get some fun Stranger Things merch HERE. 

The final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things begins on November 26th! Are you ready for it?

The post DIY Stranger Things Max Costume for Halloween appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

Simple No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Great Day St. Louis is all decked out for spooky season and I headed in studio to do a segment on was to decorate pumpkins without carving. For this craft, I decided to kept it simple so that it’s something anyone can do. I prepped ahead of time by creating some pumpkins at home, to show on-air live television as already being done, but I also took in some blank canvas pumpkins to demonstrate on the show.

See the complete show segment HERE.

It’s always fun to hang out with KMOV News 4 Laura Hettiger!

Laura and I started out talking about how no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas are great because when it comes to pumpkin carving, it’s not just about the mess. Carving a jack-o-lantern face can also be dangerous. Kids and knives just do not mix well together. I for one get a little nervous using a carving knife. One slip and the night of pumpkin carving fun turns into a visit to the emergency room for stitches.

The pumpkin decorating ideas that I shared on Great Day St. Louis are simple enough for anyone to be able to do. Most of the options are a great activity for younger children and require limited adult supervision. Also perfect for a school Halloween party! The following pumpkin decorating ideas are also for the most part no sharp objects and so much fun to create together as a family. 

Follow along for more fun craft and DIY ideas!

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How to Decorate Pumpkins Without Carving

Try out a mess-free way to decorate a pumpkin with these no carve ideas!

There are so many fun way to decorate pumpkins without carving.

What you’ll need to achieve all the no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas:

Pumpkins – You can use any type of real pumpkins (faux pumpkin or plastic pumpkins, if you prefer) like mini pumpkins, white pumpkins, o Even gourds will work for these creative ways of decorating! 

Glue dots 

Plastic Spiders

Paper bats

Googly eyes

Pom poms

Faux gem stones 

Artificial leaves

Ribbon – You could even use rope or twine to create twine pumpkins instead of ribbon. Or alternate using both!

Sewing stick pins

Black paint 

White spray paint

Paint brush

Decorating Pumpkins Using Glue Dots

​What you’ll do: Affix small decorative items to a pumpkin with glue dots. From bright color pom poms to artificial leaves to googly eyes to sparkly gems to bats and spiders, using glue dots is a mess free way to decorate a pumpkin. Plus, glue dots are a great way to avoid using a hot glue gun that can burn little hands. Fall décor just got a whole lot easier glue dots! 

My most favorite crafting item is glue dots! So simple to use and no mess.

Black and White Modern Look Pumpkin

What you’ll do: Spray the entire pumpkin with the white spray paint.

Once the pumpkin is dry, use a paint push and black paint to add some stripes following the lines of the pumpkin.

The end result is a pumpkin that look both modern and designer!

Sequin Pumpkin

What you’ll do: Place a sequin on the pumpkin and then press a stick pin through the hole of the sequin and into the pumpkin. There’s no rhyme or reason. You can make decorative patterns and use different color sequins to really bling it out.

I love how this no-carve pumpkin decorating ended up turning out!

Ribbon Pumpkin

What you’ll do: Take a piece of ribbon and attach to the top of a pumpkin by pressing a stick pin through the ribbon and into the pumpkin. Bring the ribbon down to the bottom of the pumpkin and press another stick pin in.

It’s so easy to make with all of the above no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas!

Happy Decorating!

Looking for how to carve pumpkin ideas? Get a free printable dinosaur template on the blog HERE.

More than just no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas…

Get more Halloween ideas HERE.

The post Simple No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Ideas appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

DIY Pumpkin Solar Lights for Halloween Yard Decor

At our house we love DIY projects. Often times For instance, a path light for Halloween decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. Make several to line an entire walkway or scatter throughout the yard. It really is so easy to make your own solar pumpkin lantern!

Follow along for more fun craft and DIY ideas!

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How to make a Solar Jack-o-Lantern

​With some plastic pumpkins, solar panel path lights, and power tools, you can create the Halloween look on a budget!

What you’ll need:

Pumpkin buckets (8.5 inch)

Cordless drill

Spade drill bit (1 inch)

Metal flat file

Solar pathway lights

What you’ll do:

​Turn the plastic pumpkin upside and use a spade drill bit to cut a hole in the center of bottom.

Add small holes around the bottom of the pumpkin. (This helps with drainage of water if there’s a heavy rain that breaches the pumpkin light.)

File the rough edges around the main hole in the bottom of the pumpkin.

Detach the solar light from its stake. Then place the solar light stake through center hole on bottom of pumpkin.

Reattach solar light to the stake on the inside of the pumpkin.

Attach top of solar light and lower into the plastic pumpkin.

Place in the yard or along a walkway.

It’s that easy to make DIY pumpkin solar lights! I hope you enjoy decorating your front yard with these Halloween pumpkin lantern solar lights that my husband made. Yes, my husband made them. Some people have an Instagram husband, I have a blog husband. And he’s pretty great!

I sure do love that these easy DIY jack-o’-lantern sidewalk lights don’t need to be plugged in. Could you imagine having so many power cords running here, there and everywhere all over the yard? The kids would so trip over the cords while playing out front. These DIY pumpkin solar lights simply charge up all day and then glow at night. That’s the power of solar!

Other types of Halloween yard decor:

Giant Spider Web

Large Hanging Flying Bats

Foam Tombstones

Black Cat Yard Signs

5 FT Ghost Decorations

Looking for other fun Halloween decorating ideas! I have quite a few on the blog HERE.

The post DIY Pumpkin Solar Lights for Halloween Yard Decor appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

DIY Pumpkin Vase Easy to Make Floral Fall Decor

Fall is officially here and that means it’s time to start decorating for the season! Typically the colors of fall are more on the warm, rich hues, but there’s nothing that says you can’t bring a bit of vibrant color into your fall decor. Especially when it comes to fresh flowers! Flower arrangements are not just for spring and summer anymore. With flowers being grown worldwide and shipped in, the months of September, October and November are no longer just about flowers in fall colors. But of course you can always fill you own pumpkin with the fall mum florals! Mums in reds, purples and yellows are indeed some of my favorites.

Follow along for more craft ideas!

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Real Pumpkin Vase

There are different creative ways to fill a pumpkin cozy fall vibes. While you can always use a craft pumpkin and even artificial flowers for this project, I love the look of fresh flowers in the real pumpkin. Plus, why use a fake pumpkin when you can use a real one? Pumpkins are totally in season and a fun way to decorate around the home.

How to make a fresh pumpkin vase:

Floral arrangements are not just for spring and summer! Bring fresh flowers into your fall decorating with this cute DIY pumpkin vase!

First things first. Remove the top of the pumpkin, carve out the inside, and fill with water. (And don’t forget to save the pumpkin seeds for roasting the oven!) The color of pumpkins you use doesn’t matter. You can use an orange pumpkin or a white pumpkin to match your overall decor aesthetic and the look that you are going for.

Then…

Add flowers to the top of the pumpkin. I used cut flowers that were from my neighbor who is a florist. I love how her flowers make me feel like a professional because it’s everything needed to create a beautiful bouquet. Ha! This DIY pumpkin vase can also display fall mums, store bought flowers, or even faux flowers.

Spray paint some flowers black to create a Halloween pumpkin vase!

Easy to make DIY Pumpkin Vase

It’s that easy to create a beautiful DIY pumpkin vase for fall decorating! I absolutely loved how this one turned out. So much so that I want to make more. Just need to get myself some more pumpkins and fresh flowers to decorate with all over my home.

Happy fall decorating!

DIY Pumpkin Vase Centerpiece Idea

I’m obviously using my fall DIY pumpkin vase as a shelf decoration in our library room, but the vase can most definitely be placed on a dining table as a fall centerpiece. Also the perfect way to decorated your Thanksgiving fall table!

More Fall Crafts

Looking for more fall craft ideas? I have a lot to choose from on the blog here. Or how about more DIY vase crafts? Here’s a list of different DIY vases that you’ll have to try!

DIY Vase Ideas

Washi Tape Vase

Mason Jar Vase

Burlap Ribbon Vase

Peel and Stick Wall Tile Vase

String Vase

So many options out there to choose from and all call incorporate fall materials for the season!

The post DIY Pumpkin Vase Easy to Make Floral Fall Decor appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Brownie Mix Cookies Recipe

What can I say? I love a good cookie and gluten free brownie cookies have quickly become a favorite. Utilizing brownie mix to make cookies is such an easy recipe. Unlike traditional cookie dough, the brownie mix creates the perfectly chocolatey rich flavor cookie with gooey center. 

When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I questioned what life would be like missing out on all the delicious baked goods. I’m a fan of all the bakery things, donuts, bread, cake, pies, cupcakes, and most of all cookies! Thankfully there are a lot of gluten free options out these days. Including gluten free flour that is all purpose, with all the different types of flours mix together. There’s even gluten free brownie mix!

Follow along for more delicious cookie recipes!

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Gluten Free Brownie Mix Crinkle Cookies

This brownie cookie recipe has been adapted from a common brownie mix crinkle cookie method to make it gluten free! The key difference is to, before chilling the dough, add a little extra gluten free flour. This will get the dough consistency just right and create a cookie with a chewy texture!

Yields: 24-30 cookies 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Chill time: 1-2 hours (or overnight for best results) 

Baking time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 boxed brownie mix that’s gluten free
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
• 1/4 cup water (or milk, for richer cookies)
• 1/2 cup gluten free all-purpose flour blend (preferably one with xanthan gum, or add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t have it)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for first coating)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (for second and generous coating)

Instructions:

Gluten free brownie mix and gluten free flour: In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten free flour to the gluten free brownie mix.

Add more ingredients: Add eggs, vegetable oil (or melted butter), and milk. Mix until a thick, dough forms. The dough will be a little bit sticky. You can always add more gluten free flour if you would like the dough to be less sticky.

Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. Chilling is necessary for helping to firm up the gluten free dough, making it easier to roll and preventing excessive spreading during baking. This in turn helps to create tho signature crinkles that’s in the name. For even better results, you can chill it overnight.

Set aside one bowl of granulated sugar and one bowl of powdered sugar: Place 1/2 cup white sugar in one cereal sized bowl (works great for this because it’s not very deep) and then 1 cup powdered sugar into another bowl that is also shallow.

Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Make cookie dough balls: Using a medium cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out some dough. Then, using both hands, quickly roll the cookie dough into a ball. Don’t stress if they aren’t perfectly round since the cookie will flatten out on the cookie sheet while baking.

Roll the dough balls into both sugars: First, roll a dough ball in the granulated sugar, ensuring it’s lightly coated. Then, immediately and generously roll the dough ball in the powdered sugar, ensuring it’s completely covered. The more powdered sugar, the more pronounced the crinkles will be.

Cookie sheet: Place the coated cookie balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops have developed distinct crinkles. The centers may still be soft.

Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes and then using a spatula, transfer to a cooling rack. The wire rack will help the cookies to cool faster and also firm up as they cool.

Enjoy your delicious gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies! Truly the perfect cookie!

Additional Tips You Can Try:

Chill time is key. Don’t skip or shorten the chilling time. Gluten-free doughs tend to spread more, and chilling helps them hold their shape and develop those beautiful crinkles.

Double coat in sugar. The double coating (granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar) helps achieve a more prominent crinkle effect. The granulated sugar helps draw moisture from the dough, and the powdered sugar provides the stark white contrast for the “cracked” look.

Avoid overbaking. These cookies are best when they’re soft and fudgy in the center, like a brownie. Overbaking can make them dry.

Adjust flour. Different gluten-free brownie mixes and flour blends can vary in absorption. If your dough is still too sticky to roll after chilling, add a little more gluten-free flour (1 tablespoon at a time) until it’s manageable.

Room temperature eggs. Using room temperature eggs helps them incorporate better into the dough, leading to a smoother batter.

Storage. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.

Double the chocolate. Add ½ cup chocolate chips to the dough to make a double chocolate version!

Look at all those delightful chocolate crinkles created by the confectioner’s sugar!

The post Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Brownie Mix Cookies Recipe appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.

Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta with Chicken

This recipe is coming to you from a blog from the past! For anyone new here, once upon a time I had another blog. Two other blogs actually. And both blogs date way back. As in I’m an OG in the mom blog world. In 2008, I started my San Antonio Smiths blog to keep up with friends and family. It was just a little Blogspot account and not self hosted. These were the days when you had to be in college to have a Facebook account and way before Instagram. All of my friends from the college days had Blogspots to keep in contact with each other. Everyone had a blog roll that would alert us when someone made a new post and we would check in every few days to leave comments on the blogs. For the most part, our blogs consisted of short posts that contained pictures with captions of our daily life. It was very much Instagram before Instagram. And now you know where the idea for Instagram came from. It was take from mom bloggers. Ha!

From there I noticed that other stay at home moms were starting blogs to actually earn an income. My mother-in-law made a comment that she likes reading my blog and that I was a good writer so I was like, “Hey, I can do this as a way to work from home, too!” And that’s how Dandy Giveaway was born. It started out as a giveaway blog where companies would send me a product for my son, like Little Tikes sending a toy or ride-on car, and then send an additional of to a winner of a giveaway that I hosted on the blog. I had sidebar space available for businesses to pay for an ad, before ad networks even existed! I didn’t make a ton of money at first but it was fun and the blog evolved over time into more than just giveaways.

A few years went by and I found myself busier and busier with my growing family. I needed some help if I was going to keep the blog growing. Contributors started writing on my blog as a way that they could earn free products from companies or get paid for doing sponsored posts. One of these contributors, Camille, would post some really great craft ideas and recipes. She’s also super talented in both theatre and artwork. These days she performs on stage in New York and runs a shop on Etsy creating custom illustrated prints. You can find Camille’s Paint Shoppe HERE. And… the follow recipe is one that Camille created and posted on Dandy Giveaway!

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Pasta. It’s what’s for dinner.

This time of year is really busy around here. Back to school and all the places we need to be for the various activities my kids are involved in. That means I’m always on the hunt for the perfect dinner recipes that will have us sitting around the table together Pasta is a great way to make that happen.

Different types of pasta are by far my favorite recipes to make for dinner. And if it’s a creamy sauce, then I’ll most definitely be making it for the family! Spinach artichoke is also a favorite dip at our house. With simple ingredients, Camille’s recipe tastes just like the classic dip combined with pasta. This delicious pasta has a great flavor and the best part is, it’s just so easy to make!

Easy to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

Ingredients: 

1 small onion

1 can (6.5 oz) quartered and marinated artichoke hearts

2 large chicken breast

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 T. minced garlic

1 box frozen spinach (or fresh spinach if you prefer), thawed and squeeze out excess moisture

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

​16 oz. sour cream

1 box medium shells (or penne pasta if you prefer)

​1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional)

Directions:

Cut up chicken, artichokes, and onion and set aside.

Boil the pasta shells in a large pot of water per the directions on the box. Then divide the drained pasta into two round baking dishes.

While the pasta is cooking, sauté the chicken, garlic, and onions in a large skillet.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, artichoke hearts, mayo, and sour cream.

Combine everything (minus the pasta) with 2 cups shredded mozzarella into large mixing bowl and stir together with a large spoon.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over both dishes and spread to cover the pasta.

Cook at 375 for 15 minutes, then sprinkle on 2 cups of parmesan cheese. (Top with panko breadcrumbs if you prefer.) Return to oven to bake until the cheese is bubbling.

Spinach artichoke dip pasta is so delicious and easy to make!

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Leftovers for Dinner

This recipe also tastes great the next day! Simply refrigerate the leftover pasta dish and then heat up again in either the oven or microwave.  

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipes

Like this spinach artichoke dip pasta recipe and looking for an original spinach dip recipe? Or other unique artichoke dip? Here are a few that you have to try!

Jalapeno Artichoke Dip

3-Ingredient Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Get more great recipes on the blog HERE!

The post Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta with Chicken appeared first on Seeing Dandy Blog.