{f}ive times the fun

NEW LOCATION!

2014-09-03T07:51:00.001-07:00

After months of work {with an awesome team} we are finally moving locations! You can find us at our new {and improved} space in the blogosphere at five-times-fun.com …. please check it out and let us know what you think! And as always… WHY HAVE ANYTHING LESS THAN FIVE TIMES THE FUN?!

LillyGeneLetters on Etsy

2014-07-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you love handcrafted things but just don't seem to have the patience or ability to create them I have a super easy fix! As back to school is rapidly approaching many of us college bound students are searching for a little pop of color to brighten our drab concrete dorm walls. I decided to brighten my walls by creating some decorative frames {post coming soon}, but if that isn't for you I have another great idea.

My friend Ms. Hannah Gene Martin has recently started up an Etsy account {under the name LillyGeneLetters} and she hand paints letters in Lilly Pulitzer inspired patterns!

With these super cute customizable letters you can mix and match these fun Lilly patterns for a fraction of the price! LillyGeneLetters sells each letter for $10.99 {plus shipping} and you can select your letter and the pattern you want {First Impression, Chiquita Bonita, Sunkissed}.

These letters are perfect for dorm rooms, nurseries or just wall decorations! Mix and match three of the letters to create a cute and colorful monogram display. The possibilities are endless on what you could do with these super fun and bright Lilly Pulitzer inspired letters.

DIY Sharpie Mug

2014-07-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

After seeing several projects on Pinterest, I decided to try the sharpie method of customizing coffee mugs! I am using my mugs in my dorm room this fall {more posts about my dorm decor to come!} but you can make a simple dollar store mug into a great gift or party favor or just a cute present for yourself! Here is the super easy way to make your own DIY Sharpie Mug!

Things you'll need... a coffee mug, sharpies {any color works but they must be OIL BASED} and an oven set to 425F.

** Note: I have done quite a bit of research on these Sharpie Mugs and a lot of people suggest using DecoArt glass paint markers which are specific for this type of DIY, but if you don't mind hand washing sharpies work just as well and are a lot cheaper!**

If you are really good at free handing just simply, draw on the surface of your mug and bake it for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Once the 30 minutes is up turn off your oven BUT leave the mugs inside to cool down {this will reduce the risk of cracking!}. Allow them to cool completely before washing or using.

If free handing is not your thing then here are some simple ways to make printable transfers without all the extra cost. Print out a pattern, letter, shape whatever you want and take a pencil and shade the back of it.

{I used eyeliner because some posts I've seen say to use it but eyeliner or a pencil both work}

Tape your pattern, letter shape etc. to the mug and trace around the edges.

This is what your mug will look like with stencil transfer

Then take your Sharpies and go to town with the coloring in!

Pop them into the oven for 30 mins and let your creation finalize!

As you can see the colors changed quite a lot! The blue color changed to an olive green tone but the others stayed pretty similar. I did not know the colors would change as I was doing this DIY so I guess its a kind of guess and see what you get!

After completing my super cute mugs I decided to toss them into the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning... and thankfully the design held up! But just to be 100% on the safe side I would recommend hand washing your mugs!

Southwestern Quinoa and Black Bean Casserole

2014-07-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here I go again with my love of all things Quinoaaaaa! This Mexican style dish is amazing and life changingly good! This casserole is flavor explosion of just the right amount of spice combined with crunch. It is perfect for attacking your friends and family with quinoa without them even knowing it. We all have those people in our lives who wont try the kin-o-wa since it is different and they already know they hate it {cough. Charlie Badger. cough}. The dish is loaded with Mexican flavors that make anyones mouth water just upon smelling it!
So enough with the description here is the delicious recipe...

Southwestern Quiona and Black Bean Casserole

serves: 9

Ingredients

3 large cloves garlic, minced {low-key... I bought pre-minced cloves because I can.}

1 onion minced {now I wish onions came minced because I cried for a long time doing this}

2 jalepeños, seeds and ribs removed, minced {TOTALLY OPTIONAL.. mine does not have jalepeños in it because I'm a baby when it comes to spice}

1 tablespoon oil

4 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

4 bell peppers, diced {I used red and yellowwww}

1 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese {really however much you would like}

Directions

1. Black Beans. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onions {possibly jalepeños} for 4 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in broth and black beans and bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick, not watery. {if there is a lot of water let the mixture cook out on low heat for another few minutes}

One of the times I made the back beans I only made half the black beans and added refried beans! It was sooo delicious :)

2. Quinoa. In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toss and toast the cooked quinoa with the cayenne, chili powder and cumin. 1-2 minutes.

3. Peppers. In the same dry skillet over medium-high heat, place the diced peppers and do NOT stir. {not stiring allows the peppers to get a brown roasted look on the outside} Don't over cook the peppers because they will, at the end, become soggy if over cooked.

4. Assemble. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Spoon black bean mixture into a baking dish. Top with Quinoa, Bell Peppers and Cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 mins, or until the top layer of cheese is golden and bubbly.

5. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, on tacos, salad or as a side!

ENJOY

Steppin' Up in the World

2014-07-10T12:05:00.001-07:00

We are now on Bloglovin' thanks to a friend who gave us some insight into the blogosphere! By creating an account on Bloglovin you can follow all of your favorite blogs with ease {follow us, follow us!}

"http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12523477/?claim=b28de5e6qwh"
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Pocket Tees

2014-07-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey there readers. If you follow us on instagram {@fivetimesfun} I hope that you will have noticed a few of our posts about Pocket Tees. Well we think we have left you in suspense for quite enough time now. Without further adieu we would like to introduce you to....

Five Times Fun's Pocket Tees. Now For Sale!

We have discussed fabric, t-shirts, sizes, every little detail possible to have come up with these perfect pocket tees created and customized just for you! So here is Charlie being the best boyfriend ever and modeling some of our tanks and tees for you!

Tanks - $10.00

Short Sleeves -$12.00

Long Sleeves - $15.00

Please let us know if you are interested in purchasing a Pocket Tee by emailing Taylor5921@aol.com or commenting below. We can not wait to create Pocket Tees just for you :)

Cotton Anniversary

2014-07-08T12:34:00.002-07:00

June 30th just seems like any other day to most people, but to Charlie and I {and in a strange coincidence, my parents} it is our anniversary! It is crazzzyyy that we have been dating for two years now. What?? I guess time really does fly when you're having fun! In anticipation of our anniversary coming up I have been racking my brain thinking and searching for cute gift ideas for Charlie. And after many days of planning and thinking I finally came up with the perfect present for himmmm :)

COTTON!

Now I'm sure many of you are wondering... hmmm, what the heck is cotton? Well before you jump site and start thinking I'm crazy, just wait, hold up and let me explain myself.

As I'm sure many of you are aware, anniversaries usually have a traditional anniversary gift that goes along with the year.

and if you look at 2nd anniversary you will see that cotton is the traditional gift. So there is my hidden logic behind this strange gift idea.

What I decided to do with this cotton was to give Charlie a present for each letter, sort of like an acronym.

Each gift correlates with a letter.

C is for Comfy Boxers.

Tommy Hilfigure

O is for One Pack of Socks

Polo Ralph Lauren

T is for Tickets to an FSU Football Game.

T is for T-shirt.

Vineyard Vines.

O is for One and Only.

N is for Next Year's Adventures.

:) I hope this helped you think of anniversary present ideas for yourself and a loved one! I thought this was super cute and a fun way to celebrate with Charlie.

4th of July: Fun

2014-07-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

As July 4th is rapidly approaching us Five Times the Funners decided to give y'all a little taste of everything! We will show you some great foods to serve at your 4th of July party, red white and blue themed clothing for the festivities, and some awesome crafts to make all this come together perfectly! So lets goooooo:

Fun

wether your fun is crafting or playing we've got ideas for both!

patriotic themed mason jars

cornhole is a great game to play at a barbecue or the beach! If you're having people over to celebrate, pull out the cornhole set and to make it more 4th themed, make or buy american flag bean bags or paint the cornhole board!

For those of you with munchkins who are looking for a craft/activity for the day here is an idea from JugglingWithKids. Take pipe cleaners and twist them, then unfold the ends to make a firework type shape. dip the pipecleaners into paint, dab onto paper, apply glitter and Tadaaaaa! you have some super cool fire work paintings made by your very own kiddos:)

4th of July: Food

2014-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

Food

Here are some super easy quick ways to give your 4th of July BBQ or party the little red, white and blue spirit it needs!

This first treat is an adaption of our previous post "Pretzel Buttons". For those of you who haven't seen that post we attached a link to it and we will also show you quickly{and very briefly} what to do :)

When you are at the store shopping for ingredients be sure to pick up 4th of July themed M&Ms and Hershey Hugs! The more themed the betterrrrrrr :) Do the recipe just like normal. Preheat the oven 200F. Line a cookie sheet with pretzels. Place the Hershey Hugs onto the pretzels. Bake 4-5 mins then remove from the oven. Take your M&Ms and smush them down onto the pretzels. Place the Pretzel Buttons into the freezer to cool. Tada yummy little treats!

The second treat is chocolate covered strawberries. Who doesn't love some sweet strawberries with chocolately goodness? Take your strawberries and wash and clean them. Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and use the "chocolate" setting on your microwave {if you don't have that setting just watch the chocolate so it doesn't burn} Hold the strawberries by their stems and dip them into the chocolate. Now here is where you can get creative. Either dip your still warm chocolate strawberries in blue sprinkles or you can let the chocolate cool and then apply zigzags and stripes to it with red or blue chocolate/icing.

And of course, you can't celebrate a totally American holiday without Apple Pie! We made a post called "Mini Apple Pies" which explain exactly what you would need for this yummy American treat!

If you are looking for an even easier way to get the red white and blue theme, serve licorice, yogurt covered pretzels and blueberries. Or any other colored treats! Those were just some quick and easy ways to make your BBQ or 4th party a little more 4th themed :) Hope this helped you get in the spirit!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls

2014-06-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

While us SoFlo girls were off exploring the Mediterranean, my boyfriend Charlie rolled his ankle during a basketball game and possibly broke it :o Obviously, he was pretty upset after so I decided to make him smile by making a "broken ankle blues" kit with some of his favorite treats, which includes some of my freshly baked gooooods! So, with the help of one of my bestest friends Janie, we found the perfect recipe for some Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls from Sally's Baking Addiction. Just a little moment to chit-chat about the amazing Sally: her website is a little piece of sprinkled "fun and adventure" and her recipes are tooo dieee forrrr! She even has a cookbook, one of my dreamssss! So before I go all girl-crush on Ms. Sally and take up this whole post talking about her... Check out her website! Right Here :) I couldn't not share this yummy recipe with you! So without further adeau here is the worlds most delicious chocolate chip cookie ballllssss.

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed. Next mix in the egg and vanilla, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the dry ingredients and then on a low speed mix into the wet ingredients. The dough should be pretty thick! Add in the chocolate chips and continue mixing the dough {I went overboard on the chocolate chips. True Life Im A Choco-holic}. Cover the dough for with tin foil and allow to chill.

2. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and allow to cool to room temperature. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside

3. The dough, once chilled, will be a little crumbly but once you work the dough it will come together. Roll the dough into little individual balls and set onto the baking sheet {if you want cookies don't make the balls so high and allow room to spread, if you want little balls make the balls higher and you can fit more on a baking sheet} Bake for 6-9 minutes depending on how doughy you want them.

4. EAT THEM ALL!

and there ya go some delicious little chocolate chip cookie balls! so delicious :)

sweet summertime

2014-06-22T11:41:00.004-07:00

Some highlights from our Mediterranean Cruise for mummies birthday. Lots of posts to come with FOOD, shopping, vino, and bunches of more {f}un.... enjoy!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

2014-05-04T11:58:00.002-07:00

Here are some Mother's Day Gifts ideas we have found! Click on the picture and it will take you straight to the link to purchase. There are an array of price ranges, so there should be something for everyone! Let us know if you have other ideas!

Kate Spade "mom said so" Bangle

Tory Burch frames

Essential makeup brushes! {use the code "MDAY14" for 10% off}

For a less expensive option, you could bake or cook her a meal! We have many recipes on the blog you can check out, here are a few of our favorites {with links to the recipe!}.

Macaroons

Mini Apple Pies

Mason Jar Cake

Three quick beauty tools

2014-04-17T15:32:00.002-07:00

Favorite beauty finds…

Just a few beauty products that will change your life…

1. MAC longwear paint pot eye shadow primer:

My favorite shade is painterly but if you have a more yellow skin tone, soft ochre is probably closer to your tone. This primer can be used on a daily basis to keep your eye shadow from creasing, sweating, or bleeding into one color. I am not kidding when I say this stuff is GLUE. If you fall asleep in it, roll around, and go for a swim… your eye shadow will still be in place. This primer is $20 {seems a little steep} but I have used it daily for a year and it looks unused. I have also been hard pressed to find one that works as well as this one.

2. Mary-Lou Manizer

This is the best highlighter I have found. For those of you who haven't noticed… I LOVE MAKEUP TUTORIALS {no joke, i love them}. I have tried out many highlighters {including MAC, Bobbi Brown, and all sorts of drug stores} and the Mary-Lou Manizer is my absolute favorite. I use it as a highlighter for my cheeks, to make my lips bigger by applying it to my cupids bow, and as an eye shadow. The first time I ordered the product I was very disappointed because it was broken, the company was very gracious and sent me another and it too was broken. When I finally got one sent to me that was in one piece, I was hesitant to try it but it was well worth the wait. Also, the company let me keep the first two for free.. so I have enough highlighter for the rest of my life {hooray!}.

3. Mini hair straightener

This mini straightener is a life saver if you have baby hairs {like me}. The straightener I linked above is about $30 but you can find others for much cheaper if you are looking in the right places. I chose this one for the adorable travel case and it seems to be of better quality. I do not personally have this one because I bought mine such a long time ago, but this seems very similar to mine.

Macaroons

2014-04-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday!

If any of y'all saw our instagram post this is what we told you to stay tuned for! While in Paris during Christmas, I was impressed by all the little french pastry shops and I prommmmised myself I would look into attempting to bake some of the things I saw!

So here is one of my attempts: Macaroons.

I have been working on the recipe awhile to perfect it and I think I have finally done it {all my friends have loved getting the macaroons for lunch!}.

So here is my recipe for yummy yummmy macaroons!

Ingredients:

Icing Sugar 1/2 Cup

Almond Flour 6 tbsp + 2 2/3 tsp

Egg White 1

Granulated Sugar 4 1/4 tsp

Frosting {your choice!}

Method:

1. Beat the egg white stiff. A stiff egg white means that when you hold the bowl upside down, the egg while will not fall out. {pretty cool! it almost looks like icing}

2. Add granulated sugar and beat again until stiff and glossy. {basically till the sugar is all the way mixed in}

3. Add almond flour and icing sugar and beat again

4. Preheat the oven to 280 degrees F.

5. Pipe small circles of the dough onto parchment paper and let sit for 30 minutes {the tops will be crusted slightly} {sometimes I just skip the sitting, it doesn't really matter that much!}

6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the tops of the macaroons bounce up when touched lightly with a fork

7. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before pealing off the parchment paper

8. Once cooled, frost with frosting. Fill each cookie with frosting and then sandwich with other cookie.

Some people like to add food coloring to the dough and it always adds a nice touch in my opinion.

SO go get your French on and go make some delicious macaroons! :) mmmmmmmm so yummy.

Darby Smart

2014-03-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

While scrolling through Pinterest one day I came across an extremely fun and simple craft by Lovely Indeed. It was a leather key chain tassel! Being the avid pinterester that I am, I immediately repined the pin to my ".:Crafts:." board and clicked on the link. I was then redirected to Chelsea's adorable blog, Lovely Indeed, where I learned how to make a simple leather key chain tassel. While reading through the post, I kept seeing references to another website called "Darby Smart". So I decided to investigate and thank goodness I did!

Darby Smart has quickly turned into my favorite website! For those of you who have yet to discover the magical world of Darby please continue reading....

Darby Smart puts "today's fashion and home trends at your fingertips." They achieve this by turning DIY projects into DIY kits. "With a Darby Smart kit, you can make and share your own style."

So basically you can log onto the website, search for pretty much any craft you want and have the DIY instructions and materials send to your doorstep in a few days! Pretty much the best thing to ever happen to crafting.

So on my first trip to the Darby Smart website I purchased the Leather Tassel Keychain a 30 minute Do-It-Yourself Project for only $17.00 with free shipping and free returns. With your first visit to the website you receive a $10.00 coupon on any purchase, so this craft turned into a $7.00 one!

The project included: Genuine Leather in Camel, E6000 Glue, 2 Gold Key Rings, 2 Mini Binder Clips, and DIY Instructions.

The keychain was quick and easy to make and a great accessory for my boring keys! I loved recieving my "Internet Rehab" in the mail and the package made me smile!

I am now obsessed with Darby Smart and we hope to be {someday! fingers crossed} featured on Darby Smart as designers ....So go check it out!

Spaghetti Squash

2014-03-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Im sure most of you have noticed the increasing number of recipes being added to FiveTimesFun! Cooking and baking are definitely two of my favorite activities and to make sure I don't blow up from all this cooking, I've started looking into healthy eating alternatives. One of my favorite favorite foods to eat is spaghetti. Pasta of any kind is my guilty pleasure. I LOVE PASTA! sooo as bikini season rapidly approaches it is time to avoid white breads and pastas! So sad.

I have found a super yummy and delicious alternative to eating pasta... Spaghetti Squash!

Spaghetti Squash is a yellow fruit and it can be baked, boiled, steamed or microwaved. It contains many nutrietnts, including folic acid, potassium, Vitamin A, and beta carotene. This squash is low in calories-- about 42 calories per cup! The flesh is similar to most other squash but once cooked the flesh falls away from the fruit in ribbons similar to spaghetti.

Spaghetti Squash is super easy to cook and can be substituted in any pasta dish as the pasta! Here is our favorite spaghetti squash recipe...

Ingredients:

1 small spaghetti squash

extra-virgin olive oil

salt and peper

1 pound thin asparagus, steamed tender

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1/2 cup part-skim ricott cheese

1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

Preparation:

Halve the squash.

Microwave on high for 20-30 minutes {I always do 25 minutes! but microwave for as long as you want, until it is fork-tender} Discard the seeds. Scape the squash out with fork {it should come out easily and look like spaghetti ribbons}

Place the squash into a bowl. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Keep It Warm!

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Slice asparagus into small pieces and sauté with garlic and rosemary until tender {around 1-2 minutes}

Stir ricotta into the squash. Then, sauté until hot and creamy and top with pine nuts {and maybe a little parmesan cheese if you wish!}

There is your delicious creamy spaghetti squash with asparagus and rosemary. I've changed this recipe up a little bit by adding tomatoes {sun dried or cherry} or by adding a rosemary chicken. All alternatives are great!

Let us know what you think :) and submit any recipes you have! We would love to feature some recipes right here on Five Times the Fun!

Baked Parmesan Kale Chips

2014-03-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

In honor of this leafy green holiday I decided to share a super yummy leafy green recipe with all of you! Here is a recipe I found from SkinnyTaste for Baked Parmesan Kale Chips that I can't stop eating and the best part is that kale is super super healthy for you!! Incase you haven't learned the pros of this nommy green veggie here are some key facts:

Kale

low fat
low calorida
low carb
gluten free
vegetarian
antioxidant rich

So without further adue here is the delicious recipe to make these naturally delicious chips.

Baked Parmesan Kale Chips

Servings: 6 Serving Size: 1/6th Old Points: 1 Points +: 1

Calories: 50.2 Fat: 2.8g Protein: 3.6g Carb: 3.4g Fiber: 1.1g Sugar: 0.7g Sodium: 126mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (12 oz after removed from stems)
1 tsp olive oil (spray)
a sprinkle of sea salt
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with oil

Wash and dry the kale. Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite sized pieces.

Put the kale onto the baking sheet and spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake the kale for about 10-12 minutes. Make sure to turn and move them around as they shrink to make sure the whole leaf crisps up evenly.

Top with shredded parmesan cheese and bake them an additional 5-6 minutes, keeping a close eye until the edges are crisp but not burnt.

Home Depot Kids Craft

2014-02-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

While babysitting on the lovely first day of February, I was struggling to come up with activities to do with Caroline {10} and Charley {8}. After going to their youth league basketball game we were driving home when we saw a sign outside of Home Depot saying "Kids Crafts" so, being the craft lover I am, I dragged the two munchkins along to discover what craft I could do!

Well, much to my disappointment, the craft was just for kids and I was considered their "adult supervisor". The kids were give pieces of wood carved into the shape of a car, 3 long nails, 2 short nails, wheels and a hammer and were told to construct a race car. After construction, they painted their cars and applied stickers. Well I was {and still am} extremely jealous!! The craft was sooooo cool!! I loved it and so did the kiddos.

I discovered that this was not just a random kids craft day at Home Depot, they actually do it the first Saturday of every month. If you have some kiddos in your life this is a great weekend activity for kids of all ages.

So as March first rapidly approaches and you're beginning to think of ideas for this weekend. Go To Home Depot!!! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Pesto Quinoa

2014-02-16T07:31:00.001-08:00

To keep up with my New Year's resolution, I have been experimenting with healthy food alternatives and I thought I would share with you my new favorite recipe, Pesto Quinoa! For those of you who have yet to discover the magical world of quinoa I'll give you a little background.

Quinoa is a grain crop that is high in protein, lacks gluten and is a superfood. It is super super high in protein and a great source of dietary fiber, iron and calcium. Quinoa is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. It provides all 9 essential amino acids and it is almost always organic. Quinoa is pretty much amazing and delicious. So if all of that sounds good to you, here is a delicious Pesto Quinoa dish to try! Our other Quinoa recipe is at the bottom of the post. Thanks for tuning in.

What you'll need:

- simply balanced rainbow quinoa {of any brand, simply balanced comes in a perfect sized baggie so I always use that}

-1/4 cup of Pesto

-1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese

-tomatoes, red bell peppers, really whatever kind of veggie you would like

Get to iittt!

In a pot, combine 1 and 3/4 cups of water with the whole bag of simply balanced rainbow quinoa. Bring the mixture to boil and then place a lid on top and let the quinoa and water simmer for 10-15 minutes. More or less time may be required, you'll know that quinoa is cooked all the way once it soaks up all the water.

Next, combine 1/4 cup of pesto 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and your veggie {I used tomatoes} to the quinoa. Mix all together and serve!

Its a super super easy dish to make and it can ether be served as a main or a side. Whatever you feel like! So run to your local super market and get to cooking some yummy Pesto Quinoa!!

be sure to check out our other Quinoa recipe!

http://fivetimesfun.blogspot.com/2013/06/warm-quinoa-salad-with-edamame-basil.html?m=1

2014-02-12T04:27:00.001-08:00

Spring Pastels

2014-02-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Now that it is {finally} almost spring, there are lots of pastels coming out and I want them all!

We always said we love fashion all the way from J.Crew and pearls to Nasty Gal and studs, so here are our favorite spring pastels from a variety of brands {at a variety of prices}!

Gap:

THESE SHOES!

Nasty Gal:

Tobi

Free People:

Assorted Accessories!

And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed our favorite pastels so far this season.

Cake Pops

2014-02-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

If any of you are like me you can not live without Starbucks cake pops. They are magical, fluffy and super cute! And I am also a big fan of finding creative ways to bake {ie. mason jars}. So as Valentines Day approaches, I decided to try it out and make my own cake pops!

Cake Pop Mix

Here is what you'll need:

1 batch cake mix {the brand, flavor, etc. doesn't matter!}

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioner's sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon milk {or more, as necessary}

Bake your cake according to the recipe on the box. Let the cake sit until cool {the cooler the better}. Once the cake is cool, begin crumbling it with a fork or fingers until it is in fine cumbs.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until smooth. Pour onto the cake crumbs and mix with a spoon or your fingers.

When the mix is completely done, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. You can leave the mix refrigerated for several days. I left mine in the fridge over night and it worked really well! The mixture needs to cool or else the balls won't hold their shape.

Making the Cake Pop Balls

Here is what you'll need:

Lollipop sticks (found at Michael's, JoAnn's, or other craft stores)

12 ounces chocolate chips

12 ounces white chocolate bark

Edible wax, optional

Colored sugars, candies, and other decorative sprinkles

How to make the balls

Take a bit of the cake mixture and roll it into a smooth ball. Stick a lollipop stick into the end of each ball and place onto a large baking sheet. Repeat until you've used up all the mixture. Put the baking sheet of balls into the freezer so that the balls harden.

How to decorate the cake pops

Melt chocolate or white chocolate in the microwave. Stir well. Dip each ball into the chocolate until covered. I find that putting icing in the microwave for 25seconds and storing the balls in that works best!

Dip in sugar, coconut, sprinkles, or anything else you'd like to decorate with. Place in the FREEZER to harden.

And tad aaa! you've made yummy yummy cake pops just like the ones at Starbucks. mmmmmmm so good!

Whether you are making cake pops for a loved one or just for fun, enjoy!

chocolate version

Groop Dealz Perfect for Valentines Day!

2014-02-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some budget-friendly Valentines day presents for friends, loved ones, or even yourself! These only last for a limited time so be quick!

Gold Valentine Heart Necklace $15
Personalized Initial Pendant $14
Professional Teeth Whitening System for Two! ONLY #13
Burlap Pillows $14
Set of 20 funny Valentines $15

groop dealz steals

2014-02-01T08:48:00.001-08:00

Here are some of our favorite "steals" from groopdealz this week! Check them out soon because the offer doesn't last long.

Patterned leggings only $10

Small heart key necklace only $3.00

20 funny Valentines $15

Adorable personalized nursery wall art $10

iPhone cases $13

the thigh gap

2014-02-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

Feet together… thighs apart. ugh. It used to be collar bones and hip bones and now... it's the thigh gap. If you haven't heard of or noticed the thigh gap before, you will now {sorry}.

A small space between your thighs is apparently the next best thing to clear skin, shiny hair, and a small waist. I think the thigh gap has become such a craze since leggings have become pants.

Now that some spring break diets have started {for some smart crazies}, how can we get that gap?!

{Id be cool with her abs, too}

Robyn Lawley is an Australian model {who is stunnnnning} but is on the opposite end of this spectrum. Her thighs "kiss" and she is proud of it. This curvy voluptuous model has an important message that everyone {thigh gap or not} should listen to. She said, "I want my thighs to be bigger and stronger. I want to run faster and swim longer. I suppose we all just want different things, but women have enough pressure as it is without the added burden of achieving a “thigh gap.” ... We have the power to change perceptions about body image—and we have the power to stop harmful trends like the “thigh gap."

1. Kim Kardashian

2. Beyonce

3. Hillary Duff

4. Jennifer Lopez

5. Jennifer Lawrence

6. Tyra Banks

7. Kate Winslet

8. Hayden Panettiere

What do these eight beautiful & in shape women have in common.. NO THIGH GAP! Not to beat a dead horse… but… you can be beautiful without the gap.

There are a few ways to help you achieve this highly coveted space between your legs but a lot of it {unfortunately} is left to genetics. Most often, you can't have a great a$$ and a thigh gap... it's only fair girls, you really shouldn't be able to have it all.

Iffffff, you still want to give the thigh gap a shot… here are some exercises we have collaborated that can help you achieve this look.

If you are giving the thigh gap a shot: good luck & may the odds be ever in your favor

If you are thinking "hell to the no!": MORE POWER TO YOU.