Countdown to Christmas :: Printable Advent Calendar

The excitement of opening an Advent Calendar surprise is something that never fades away.  The anticipation is still super fresh in my mind.  This year, I thought it would be fun to make my very own "Countdown to Christmas" Advent Calendar.  Here's how I created this fun and easy project.

Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar Supplies:

• Chalkboard & chalk
  (You could use a bulletin board or a picture frame wrapped in wrapping paper instead.)
• Push pins, tacks, or tape
• Bakers' twine or string
• Mini paper bags
• Tiny clothespins (I had no clue these came in such an ity-bity size...love them!)
• Ghirardelli chocolates (Caramel is our favorite flavor, but any little surprises will do.)
• Printable Advent Calendar Numbers, designed by yours truly (just $2.50), cut into squares

Press push pins into the back side of your chalkboard or frame at even intervals to create five rows across. Thread bakers' twine or string around the chalkboard looping around each push pin to hold securely and tie ends.  Alternately, you could tape the twine or string onto the back of your chalkboard, but I'm not sure this would hold as securely.

Fill your mini paper bags with chocolates or other surprises, and fold the top of the bag over.  With the folded side facing the back, place a printable advent calendar number on top of the bag, and secure into place on your frame with a tiny clothespin.  I found the mini paper bags, chocolates, and tiny clothespins at Michael's...gotta love one-stop shopping!

Use chalk to personalize your Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar.  I drew little holly leaves to coordinate with the design on the Printable Advent Calendar Numbers and put our family name at the bottom.

Starting on December 1, let the fun begin!  Since it's just me and my husband at our house, we take turns opening a number every day.  I get even numbers; he gets odds.  Then if family comes to visit, we usually let them open the last few numbers leading up to Christmas.  It's fun to share the joy!

If you'd like to order the Printable Advent Calendar Numbers, they are available for instant download for just $2.50. You'll receive an email within a minute or two of purchase with instructions for downloading them.

What are some of the holiday traditions at your house?

Eerie & Cheery Halloween Party Ideas

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to decorate for. I get so excited every Halloween to see all of the little trick-or-treaters knocking on my door and what costumes they've chosen that year.  Because of this, I really prefer to decorate with a cheery, kid-friendly Halloween style. That's why I was so thrilled to collaborate with Party City on an Eery and Cheery Halloween Party for some little friends this year.

Party City has a fabulous selection of kids costumes from the latest cartoon and superheros characters to updated classics, like the adorable Frankenstein, Skeleton, Candy Corn Witch, Black Cat, and Vampire costumes you see in these fantastic shots captured by Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer. If you ever need family photos or a special event photographed in the North Alabama area, Sarah is the best.

Plus, Party City really has everything you need to get a party going from big decorations to little details like this small ornate picture frame featuring one of my mini "Happy Halloween" candy bar wrappers. And, you know me...I love details! Plus, they've got a great selection of candy for any type of celebration, especially if you love to color coordinate your treats like I do. Party City even has lots of elegant, shimmery plastic serving pieces that would be lovely enough to use for Thanksgiving.

I love creating a fun focal point for my parties with a touch of unexpected. I used five black tissue paper fans from Party City to create a dramatic backdrop for my Printable "Trick or Treat" party banner.  In front of that, I used two coordinating 12 ft tissue paper garland to create a unique up-side-down pumpkin chandelier for the party. These tissue paper fans and garland give you a lot of bang for your buck and are super easy to work with!

What's a spooky Halloween party without some sweets? Party City has all of the candy you need for Halloween, too. You've probably seen me use Party City's solid gumballs for parties in the past.  They are such a fabulous way to add a pop of color, and you should see how excited the kids get to reach inside a candy jar of these.  That's why these gumballs are a must-have for any of my kids' parties.  I also got some candy corn, ghost Peeps, and cute black candy sticks there, too. Even though the candy sticks are black, they have a super yummy grape flavor and don't leave your mouth dyed black, which I love for keeping the kids cute and clean in their costumes.

The main attraction of the menu were definitely the fabulous cookies designed by Lindsey Agree of Tickled Pink Cookie Boutique.  They were so stunning in person with a sparkly finish and intricate details. Not only did they perfectly coordinate with the eerie and cheery Halloween Printables, but they also tasted AMAZING with a hint of almond extract that made them absolutely irresistible. Lindsey was fantastic to work with, too.  I sent her some inspiration images, and she came up with these coordinating cookies that couldn't have been more perfect on this shimmery plastic tray from Party City.  Lindsey books up fast, so if you'd like to get some holiday cookies, place your order now.  Sarah Brewer and I have already booked her for our Christmas cookies...yes, they are that good!  Lindsey ships, too.

We had lots of easy Halloween snacks at the party, too, such as Ghost S'Mores, Candy Corn Popcorn Balls, Mini Chocolate Bars, Little Debbie Cupcakes, Witch's Potion Punch, and Cutie Clementines for a healthy treat.

And, what's a Belly Feathers Party without a party favor? I couldn't resist sending the kids home with a little something cute from a party. These adorable chevron bags came from Hey Yo Yo, and I added a little Halloween flair by attaching the mini candy bar wrappers from my Halloween Printables collection to the front.  You can have so much fun with printables by using the items in unexpected ways like this.  Inside the bag, I added a fun little trumpet flute whistle from Party City that was STEAL at only 35 cents, along with a package of Little Debbie Orange Peanut Butter crackers that perfectly coordinated with the party's color scheme.  Plus, the kids got to load up their bags with as many Halloween sweets as they wanted...there were a lot of questions about those gumballs and candy sticks, let me tell you!

This party has too many details to share in just one post, so stay tuned all month long to learn more about the Party City costumes, Halloween treats, decorations, easy craft how-tos, and more. For a larger list of my favorite Halloween party items from Party City, check out this Halloween - Party City Favorites board on Pinterest.

Sources:
Party City - candy, costumes, frame, paper fans, streamers, orange serving platter, favor whitsles
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer - photography
Tickeled Pink Cookie Boutique - cookies
Hey Yo Yo - Straws, monster mix cups, treat bags
Belly Feathers - Halloween Party Printables and event styling

Free Summer Printable Files for Memorial Day, 4th of July & Labor Day

In case you missed them earlier this summer, here are some free Summer Holiday Printables I designed just for fun.  Included in the summer printable file are two sizes of graphics and ideas for how to use them on all the major summer holidays: Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.

Hope you enjoy! Download the Summer Printable PDF file now.

The Best Freezer-to-Table No Bake Dessert for Summer Delizza Cream Puffs & Mini Eclairs

Memorial Day starts the summer cookout season. From here until the fall, most of our weekends will be spent around the grill with good food and great friends. This time of year, it's especially nice to have some extra yummy treats stashed away for spontaneous gatherings and last-minute barbeques. That's why I absolutely love Delizza Desserts. I can keep a couple boxes of their cream puffs and mini eclairs in the freezer, and just pop them out 30 minutes before I need them...so easy and so super yummy. They really are the Best Summer No-Bake Dessert!

In the summer, I also love to keep a stack of bandanas around for fun napkins. They really brighten up the table at a cook out and give it a little extra panache. The cloth bandanas are super casual and little fancy at the same time...kind of like Delizza Desserts - easy and elegant. That's why it seemed perfect to decorate my Delizza Desserts boxes with a bandanas, so they're always barbeque ready whenever I need them.  Of course, I couldn't stop there, I had to design some cute printables for the extra special summer cookout holidays - Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.

Freezer-to-Table No Bake Dessert for Summer 
Supplies: 

• Delizza Desserts Cream Puffs or Mini Eclairs, two boxes for a bountiful display 
• One bandana
• Elastic, 2 feet
• Safety pin

Create a 2-3 inch overlapping fold in the center of your your bandana.

Turn and create another 2-3 inch overlapping fold in the center of your bandana on the opposite side to create a smaller square.

Place your box of Delizza Desserts in the center of the folded bandana, so that the flat sides of the box are centered on the points of the bandana.

Tightly wrap your length of elastic around the top center of the box, creating an inch of overlap. Secure elastic with a safety pin.  Make sure the elastic band is tight around the box and remove.

Gather the points of the bandana to the center of the Delizza Desserts box lid.

While carefully holding in place, lift the box up and place on top of your elastic band. The safety pin should be centered on one of the sides of the box.

Slowly slide the elastic band up around all four sides of the box to hold the bandana in place.  (This is how I store my box in the freezer until I need it.)

Fold the sides of the bandana down to completely cover the elastic band.  Pop the lid off and enjoy! 

For a really full box, I like to add the contents of a second Delizza Desserts box.  It's fun to mix in two different types like the cream puffs and mini eclairs for extra variety like I did in my photos. Plus, that gives a little something for everyone.

Isn't this so super cute?!  For the the big summer holidays like Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day, you can use these summer printables to create a fun sign to pop into the box.

A couple months ago when Delizza Desserts approached me about trying their products and blogging about them.  I was super excited because I love serving their cream puffs at baby showers and parties all winter long.  They're a really easy way to expand a menu and add an elegant touch.  I had never even thought about how perfect they'd be for summer parties, though. They're cool and refreshing (at least they are if you can't wait for them to completely thaw like me...so yummy!), and they keep you from having to cook in a hot kitchen.

I'm really excited to have Delizza Desserts as a new no-bake dessert in my entertaining arsenal for the summer, and I hope you will, too.  In fact, I've got two chances for you to win a Delizza Dessert item of your choice.

How to Enter to Win:

1. Head over to Delizza's website at www.delizza.us, and check out all their yummy flavors.  
2. Then stop by my Facebook page, and post a comment to tell me which Delizza Dessert is your favorite or the one you plan to try if you win.  Leave your comment on my Facebook page by midnight central on June 7th.

I'll draw two winners on June 8th to receive a coupon by mail redeemable for a free Delizza Dessert.  If you win, I'll message you to get your mailing address.  Good luck and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Candy Acorns for Thanksgiving

These Candy Acorns are as yummy as they are cute! Butterscotch and toasted pecans make a delightful flavor combination...I can't even begin to describe how good these are!  These acorns are sure to make the perfect decoration for your Thanksgiving treats and fall gatherings.

I originally saw these cuties on the cover of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine. The steps outlined in the magazine made the process of creating these Candy Acorns a bit frustrating, so I streamlined the process. Now, they're super simple and joy to make.

Candy Acorns Recipe
40    pecan halves, toasted
1      cup butterscotch morsels, melted
½     cup  finely ground pecans, toasted

With a small amount of melted butterscotch, attach flat sides of 2 pecan halves to make a whole.  Place on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

Dip  ⅔ lengthwise of each whole pecan into melted butterscotch and set on waxed paper.  Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

Dip uncoated ⅓ of pecan into melted butterscotch, and roll in finely ground pecans.  You may want to use your fingers to push the ground pecans into a uniform shape for your acorn tops.

 Set on waxed paper, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Enjoy!

These candy acorns are so easy and delicious!  I can't wait to decorate my pumpkin pie with these for Thanksgiving.

Cinco de Mayo Margarita Recipe

When I think of Cinco de Mayo, I think of MARGARITAS! You'll find me sipping one on May 5th for sure.

Photo by Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs

My husband and I noticed that our favorite Mexican restaurant adds orange juice in their margarita mix, which takes the edge off the too-tart mix most places serve. For our Cinco de Mayo Margarita Party, we crafted our own margarita recipe to make use of this secret ingredient.

Pruitt House Margaritas

One Part
Tequila, Triple Sec, Sour Mix

Two Parts
Orange Juice

Three Parts
Margarita Mix

I like drink recipes that use parts, so you can easily scale the recipe up or down to fill a single glass or an entire drink dispenser like we did for our party.

After trying many brands of ingredients that were economical for a large party, our favorites for this recipe were

• Margaritaville Silver Tequilla
• Master of Mixes Sour Mix
• Tropicana No-Pulp Orange Juice
• Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix

If you missed any of my Cinco de Mayo Margarita Party Pics, be sure to check them out.

Photo by Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs

Happy Cinco de Mayo! 

Easy Fried Ice Cream Recipe

I've been known to order Fried Ice Cream as my entree at Mexican restaurants...just ask my husband. I LOVE the combo of creamy ice cream and crunchy coating, so I knew I wanted to have this on my Cinco de Mayo Margarita Party menu.

Photo by Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs

I thought it would something really unique to have outside of a restaurant, and once I figured out the right combo of ingredients, I realized how easy it is to make.

Photo by Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs

You can make the fried ice cream 8-10 hours before your party, and it will be super yummy when you pull it out of the freezer. If you leave them in the freezer much longer, the crunchy coating will get soggy.

After many trial-and-error attempts, here's my super easy take on this Mexican treat! Mmmm!

Betsy's Easy No-Fry Fried Ice Cream

3-4     cups vanilla ice cream
    1    cup corn flakes, crushed
    1    tablespoon honey
    1    pinch cinnamon

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Scoop vanilla ice cream into four baseball-sized balls onto a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to harden ice cream balls.

Pour corn flakes into a gallon-sized, zip-top bag and seal, removing excess air. Use a rolling pin to crush corn flakes.

Add honey and cinnamon to bag and stir.

Remove one ice cream ball from the freezer at a time, and roll it in the bag of crumbs to coat completely. It will start to melt from the warmth of your hands, so quickly return it to the freezer to harden again before serving. Coating will stay crunchy for 8-10 hours in the freezer.

Makes 4 servings.

Download the 3x5 Recipe Card

Let me know if you try it out!

DIY Mexican Paper Flags: Easy Papel Picado Alternative

When I was planning my Cinco de Mayo Margarita Party, I immediately decided I wanted Mexican Paper Flags, also known as papel picado. If you've ever seen photos of these flags hanging over streets in Mexico, you know how festive they look. However, these can be kind of pricy to purchase, as they should be considering the intricate designs cut into the tissue paper by hand.

Photo by Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs

My easy alternative was inspired by a DIY Bunting Tutorial on Project Wedding. I love the clean lines! You can leave your flags blank or stamp a pretty design on them like I did.

How to Make Mexican Paper Flags

Supplies Needed

• Tissue paper in multiple colors
• Lever-style paper trimmer or scissors
• Rubber stamp (optional)
• Ink (optional)
• Glue stick
• Twine

1. Cut multiple sheets of tissue at once into 8x6" strips using a lever paper trimmer or scissors. Fold in half to create 4x6" flags.
   
   
2. Using a rubber stamp and ink, stamp a design onto your folded flags. I stamped a flower in the upper left corner of all my orange flags, in the center of all my yellow flags, and in the bottom right of all my green flags for variety.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Unfold one of the flags, and run a glue stick around the four edges of the inside of the bottom half.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Place a length of twine in the fold of the flag, and fold in half to adhere the flags edges together. I used Divine Twine in Lemon by Whisker Graphics.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Leaving 2-3" section of twine from the edge of this flag, adhere the next flag onto the twine. Repeat with desired amount of flags.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Hang and enjoy!

If you missed the photos from my Cinco de Mayo Margarita Party, be sure to check them out!

I'd love to see photos if you make your own Mexican Paper Flags!