Celebrations, Everyday Life

15 Great Advent Calendars to Coundown to Christmas 2015

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15 Great Advent Calendars to Countdown to Christmas 2015

I grew up counting down to Christmas with the basic $1 chocolate Advent Calendar each holiday season. I loved opening the little cardboard flaps and discovering what design was on my little square of chocolate each day, and it was always hard to resist the urge to skip ahead.  It was also the one time of year we were allowed chocolate at breakfast so it was that much more of a treat.

As Advent Calendars have grown in popularity, there seem to be a lot more options available these days.  The chocolate versions are still widely available but I have also come up with some other fun options to consider this holiday season. Continue reading “15 Great Advent Calendars to Coundown to Christmas 2015” →

Big Hands, Celebrations

A DIY Princess Anna Costume for Mommy

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Frozen DIY Anna Costume for Mommy

I thought my daughter’s Frozen obsession would have subsided by now, but she will be joining the hoards of other little Elsa’s this Halloween.  Also joining in will be our large hound dog, thanks to this Elsa dog dress we came across at Petsmart.

Petsmart Elsa Costume for Dogs Continue reading “A DIY Princess Anna Costume for Mommy” →

Big Hands, Celebrations

DIY Inside Out Sadness Costume

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Inside Out Sadness Halloween Costume

I just recently took the kids to see the movie Inside Out and we all loved it.  With her bobbed hair and glasses, I realized that I kind of resemble the character Sadness and it would be super easy to dress up as her for Halloween.

Continue reading “DIY Inside Out Sadness Costume” →

Big Hands, Celebrations, Crafts

5 Little Pumpkins Printable Treat Topper

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5 Little Pumpkins Printable Treat Topper

I love holidays because it gives me an excuse to get creative and come up with fun treats for my kids to share with their classmates and friends.

For Halloween this year, I wanted to do something special for my daughter’s preschool class.  I came across this Five Little Pumpkins Sitting On a Gate Halloween Printable from Balancing Home and loved the idea so much I decided to take a shot at designing my own topper featuring the 5 Little Pumpkins poem. Continue reading “5 Little Pumpkins Printable Treat Topper” →

Celebrations, Crafts

Candy Corn Juice Boxes using Duck Tape

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Candy Corn Juice Boxes made with Duck Tape

I thought I had signed up to bring a sweet treat for my son’s Kindergarten class Halloween party.  I was all geared up to bring individual servings of spooky worms and dirt, until I decided to actually double check the sign-up sheet.  Sure enough, there was my name, in my own writing, next to the “juice”.

I am not sure what I was thinking the day I signed up, as I’d much rather try my hand at making a fun baked treat then bring in juice boxes.  Juice boxes aren’t inherently exciting, so I knew I gave myself the challenge of coming up with a fun way to make them Halloween themed.

Continue reading “Candy Corn Juice Boxes using Duck Tape” →

Crafts, Little Hands

Fun with Pumpkin Playdough

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Fun with Homemade Pumpkin Playdough

Last week I made some delicious pumpkin dinner rolls for Thanksgiving dinner and ended up with a lot of pumpkin puree left over to use up.  I made these delicious Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Squares and decided to use the final bit for a batch of this yummy smelling Pumpkin Spice Playdough. Continue reading “Fun with Pumpkin Playdough” →

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Signs of the Times

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Judging by the looks of my Facebook feed this past week, it would seem that Pinterest has now made cute chalkboard signs a requirement for all first day of school photos.  There were very few back to school photos I saw that didn’t have some type of chalkboard-inspired print or hand-lettered sign as a prop.

I loved seeing the many variations and was truly impressed by the planning and creativity  that went into everyone’s back to school photos.  Growing up, my mom simply snapped a quick first day picture of my siblings and I just before we were headed out the door to school.  Our props were nothing more then our overstuffed backpacks.

First Day of School Chalkboard Sign Continue reading “Signs of the Times” →

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Discovering Dino’s at Jurassic Forest

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One of my favorite daytrips from Edmonton is to the Jurassic Forest in Gibbons, Alberta.  It is quick and easy to get to from the city and is great for both the young and the young at heart.  I mean, who doesn’t love seeing giant robotic dinosaurs?

SONY DSC

It had been a couple years since we last visited Jurassic Forest, and when I saw they had added on a dinosaur themed mini golf course for this year, I knew it had to be added on to this years Summer Bucket List.

Continue reading “Discovering Dino’s at Jurassic Forest” →

Gift Ideas

DIY Ice Cream Sundae Hostess Gift

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DIY Ice Cream Sundae Hostess Gift l DolledUpDesign

I shared my latest Star Wars themed Ice Cream Social with you last week, and today I am sharing an idea for a gift sized ice cream sundae bar.  My basket full of ice cream toppings makes the perfect hostess gift or is a fun idea for the next time you are asked to bring dessert for a small gathering.

Continue reading “DIY Ice Cream Sundae Hostess Gift” →