Amazon: Reusable Iced Beverage Tumblers 6 Pack $11.99! ($1.99/Cup)

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Get ready for those yummy iced coffee drinks this summer with a set of 6 BPA free 16oz Reusable Iced Beverage Tumbler with Straws!  They’re just $11.95 for the set or $1.99 per cup, and  ship free with Prime or SSS over $25.

 

teacherappreciationtumbler

 

And here’s a nifty idea for you if you’re looking for an end of the year teacher gift!  Consider putting together a cup with some packets of Crystal Light along with a cute note that says “For a De’light’ful teacher”.    It’s a wonderful, unique and inexpensive gift idea!

Visit Glue Dots for the full instructions.

Note: As with all Amazon prices, the price on this offer can change at any time. These prices are valid as of April 22th at 8:10pm EST.   

If this applies, and you need some suggestions for inexpensive items to reach the $25 threshold for Super Saver Shipping, take a look at all of the recently posted Amazon deals.

Amazon Program Information Refresher 

Understanding these Amazon programs can be confusing, so I though it might be nice to break them down a bit for you.

Some items are available through the Subscribe & Save program.  What that means is that you select shipments at regular intervals (every 1-6 months) and you’ll receive the item at the 5% discounted price when you subscribe to 4 items or less.  Subscribe to 5 or more items, and you’ll receive a 15% discount on each of your subscription items.  Additionally, all subscriptions ship free.  If you don’t want to bother with regular shipments (the prices do fluctuate), sign up to receive the shipment you want and cancel (with no penalty) when you’ve received your order.  You can cancel via the Your Account dropdown menu tab “Your Subscribe & Save Items.”  Canceling is very easy to do.

Alternatively, all items can be shipped free with Amazon Prime as well. You can sign up for a free trial membership and cancel before you are charged the annual fee, if you choose.

I am a member of the Amazon Mom program.  Starting January 24, 2012, the maximum discount available on any purchase is 20%.  This comes from the exclusive discount of 15% on select items (diapers, wipes, etc.) on top of  a revised 5% Subscribe and Save discount vs. 15% for other purchased items i.e. grocery, etc.  There are often coupons that are stackable with these discounts as well.  Also, when you join Amazon Mom, you have the added bonus of Amazon Prime free Two-Day shipping for the first three months continued only by purchasing an Amazon Prime membership after the trial period ($79).

Amazon Student is free for, well, college students by providing a school and major.  You get AmazonPrime free shipping for six months and free release date delivery on video games, DVD’s, books and more.  You must have a .edu email address to confirm.

Seasonal Spotlight: Napkin Easter Bunnies!

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I love pretty decorating ideas as much as the next person, but the only thing Martha and I have in common is that our first names start with the letter ‘M’.    That said, I’ll attempt simple things, and this is something I think I can manage with a little practice.  With that in mind, I thought you might  like to take a look, too.

Chinet has a nifty tutorial for making Napkin Easter Bunnies.  In addition, when you join Club Chinet, you’ll receive a coupon via email for $1 off any Chinet product.

I’ll be picking up the supplies this week, and I’ll post my napkins for you to see when I get them done.

Walmart: Holiday Flameless Metallic LED Tea Light 24 pk $6 + Free Ship To Store! Decorating Ideas & Tips!

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CaptureThis is a great deal.  Trust me.  If you’re wondering why, I’m just about to explain.  First, Walmart has marked down their Holiday Flameless Metallic LED Tea Light Candle 24pk to just $6, and they come in green, gold, and red.   These will ship free to your local Walmart store, too.

Now, to explain WHY I’m posting these?

Summer is coming.  These are perfect for evening tablescapes, and they’re safe lighting options with children around.  I did this last summer and it was just beautiful – and SO easy.  I picked up a 100 ct package of balloons at Dollar Tree, slightly inflated them, ahem, myself, and covered the LED tea light candle with them.

These are also easy, inexpensive, and elegant decorations for a wedding reception or just to have around the house!

You’ll need:
Balloons (inflated)
Lace Doilies
Wallpaper Glue

Dip lace doilies in wallpaper glue and wrap them around the balloon.  When they’re dry, pop the balloon and add a tea light candle.

Another tip:  We used a couple of LED tea lights in our Christmas village this year.  A couple of bulbs went out in the electric lights we have and this was an easy lighting replacement.  Plus, it saves electricity!

Or you can just plan ahead!  Orange Tissue Paper, Mod Podge, Mason Jars, LED Tea Lights, and Black Construction Paper make cute homemade *pumpkins*!

Note: I found all of these nifty ideas on Pinterest.  Search for LED Tea Lights to find even more!

Amazon: Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie Recipes! (Free Kindle Download)

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Pumpkin Pie.  Something tells me those two words are going to be thrown around a LOT in the next four days.  Don’t ask how I know.  I’m just gifted that way.  ;)

While it lasts, Amazon is offering Luscious Linda’s Easy Recipes Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie Recipes as a free download for your Kindle or other reading device.

Note: As with all Amazon prices, the price on this Kindle offer can change at any time. This price is valid as of November 18 at 10:40pm EST. And even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can read these books using your computer or other mobile devices by downloading the appropriate app. You’ll see a *Free Reading App* tab in the bar across the top of the Amazon page.

 

 

Halloween: DVD Deals! Most $5 and Under Shipped!

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Halloween is just around the corner.  We cleaned up the yard today and put out even more decorations.  The kids are so thoroughly taken with all things ghoulish and goblin-y that I thought a roundup of seasonally appropriate viewing was in order.  Here are some fabulous finds for you.  Most are $5 and under.   Igor is $4.99 and ships free with Amazon Prime or Super Saver Shipping with orders over $25.

R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly is $4.99 with Amazon Prime or Super Saver Shipping over $25.

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (Full Frame) is $5 at Walmart with free site to store shipping.

Monster House (Widescreen) is $5 at Walmart with free site to store shipping.

Goosebumps: One Day At HorrorLand (Full Frame) is $5 at Walmart with free Site to Store shipping.

Beetlejuice (20th Anniversary Edition) (Deluxe Edition) (Widescreen) is just $5 at Walmart with free site to store shipping.

The Little Vampire (Full Frame, Widescreen)is $5 at Walmart with free site to store shipping.

Goosebumps: Monster Blood is $5 at Walmart with free site to store shipping.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Scare-Riffic Double Feature is $5.64 with Amazon Prime or Super Saver Shipping over $25.

Coraline is $5.99 shipped with Amazon Prime or Super Saver Shipping over $25.

Hocus Pocus is just $6.99 shipped at Best Buy! Thanks, Kelly!

 

Heroes Of Horror Collection is $13 at Walmart with free site to store shipping.  There are 6 DVD’s in this set.  I absolutely love this.  I grew up watching these movies on Saturday afternoons.  In fact, I just watched the original House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price a few days ago.

Thanks, It’s a Fabulous Life!

For Fun: Inexpensive Halloween Decorations and Fun Projects For Kids!

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I love the holidays.  We start decorating just after celebrating the kids birthday’s on Labor Day weekend.  No kidding.  It has become  a ritual around here.  The fall and Halloween decorations are up for, oh say, around two months.  The first week of November is spent taking down all of the Fall decorations in favor of Christmas decorations.  Believe it or not, this cycle continues through Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter.  After all, there isn’t much else to do besides stare at fine crystalline snow during that time of year in Michigan, so we make the best of it indoors.

Now, I love to decorate, but I don’t like spending a lot of time giving mine a more unique spin.  I do, however, somewhat detest having my tablescape look like I picked it up at the dollar store.  Thank goodness it’s really easy to punch things up a notch or two with a bit of creativity and minimal effort and cost.

To kick things off, I love a classically carved pumpkin face as much as the next person.  But the next time you stop by your local Dollar Tree, take a look in their Halloween section for bags of mice to make a unique Mouse Motel pumpkin.  My Dollar Tree has bags of 10 mice, but they’re a bit too small for a large pumpkin.  They’re perfect for two small pumpkins though.  They also have bags of 5 larger mice that are ideal for a larger one.

 

Who doesn’t love a decoration and keepsake in one?  I never miss a chance to preserve little footprints or handprints ~ even on my windows.  A couple of days ago, I looked out the big family room window and saw a tiny handprint in the corner.  For a moment I thought, “I should clean that.”  But I was having one of those “Melancholy Mitchell” days, as I call them, and talked myself out of it.  After all, my days of handprints on the windows are numbered.  I’ve decided that I’m just going to leave it there for a few more days, so I can enjoy it.  I plan to hurry and get these little footprint ghosts done this week, so it won’t crush me too much when I do finally clean them away.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, handprints make cute spiders.  We use black paint on orange construction paper for those.

 

 

I rarely use the word “perfection.”  Whenever I hear it used to describe something, I’m instantly throttled back in time to an episode of Friends.  If you’re familiar, it’s the one with Chandler and Jill Goodacre in the ‘vestibule.’  ”Gum would be perfection”, Chandler said.  Love Chandler.  Love these candle holders.  Mason Jar + Dried Leaves + Mod Podge = Perfect…ion.

I have leaves pressed and drying now that they’re starting to change and fall, so I can do this in the next couple of weeks.  My son decided he didn’t want to wait, so we went to Dollar Tree and picked up a tall vase and a package of 100 silk leaves.  They’re very thin, so they work well with the Mod Podge.

This is his vase:

As you know, he’s 8, so this is a completely kid friendly project.  He only needed a little bit of help smoothing out the leaves.  Beyond that, he did this entirely by himself.

And if this isn’t the easiest, cutest, kid, nut allergy, and class friendly snack, I don’t know what is!  Pretzel sticks, marshmallows and vanilla candy coating make the best *Bones*.  We usually use Hershey’s White Chocolate chips because they’re nut allergy friendly.

Seasonal Spotlight: Bunny Food! (Popcorn Snack)

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Photo Credit: Cooking Classy

 

Whenever I have company for a holiday celebration, I always like to have some kind of homemade gift for our guests to take home.  Generally, that’s some kind of cookie or individual cake, but my tasmanian devils often preclude me from just taking a shower!  Obviously, finding time to bake something gets moved so far down the list of priorities that I’d have to walk down the street three houses to find its place.  Nevertheless, it is important to me, so I have to find a way to make it work.

My answer?  Bunny Food aka Bunny Bait.

I made a variation of this for Halloween with candy corn and black & orange sprinkles.  Candy corn.  Do I need to say more?  Nah, didn’t think so.

For Easter, I’ll be whipping up this nut free confection on Saturday and making pretty take home bags tied with pink satin ribbon for my guests.    It’s so easy to pull together.  If you’re pressed for time and would like to do something special, give this a try.  The supplies are very inexpensive….well, for us anyway.  ;)

Bunny Food (Nut-Free)

Ingredients:
2 Bag Orville Redenbacher Tender Popcorn (microwave)
1 – 12oz Hershey’s White Chocolate Chips* (*see bottom of post)
OR 2 – 6oz packages of  Bakers White Chocolate*
1 & 1/2 cup Pretzel Pieces (coarsely broken whole pretzels)
2 – 5oz bag Easter Sixlets*
Pastel nonpareils or jimmies/sprinkles

Directions:

  • Line a 13×18 jelly roll pan with wax paper.  If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can just use a cookie sheet.
  • Pop popcorn according to package directions and pour into large bowl removing all unpopped kernels.  Add pretzel pieces.
  • If you’re using Baker’s White Chocolate, cut it into smaller pieces before melting to hasten the process.
  • From here, I generally melt either the chips or chunked chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each cycle, until almost melted.  Small unmelted pieces throughout are fine.  They will melt with the residual heat in the bowl.
  • Drizzle half of the melted chocolate over the popcorn/pretzel mixture and fold it into the popcorn until coated.
  • Add Sixlets and fold again.
  • Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the popcorn and fold until the popcorn is fully coated.  Don’t over mix because you don’t want the color coating on the Sixlets to start running.
  • Pour evenly onto jelly roll pan in a single layer.
  • Coat evenly with Easter sprinkles.
  • Allow to cool and harden.  Break into pieces.

*Note: This recipe is nut free for my son, but you can use Easter M&M’s in yours if you don’t have sensitivities in your home.  Also, feel free to swap out the white chocolate chips for candy melts.

Recipe adapted Cooking Classy

Party Fun – Kids: Balloon Flip Flops!

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If it’s warm, I’m in party prep mode….even if it’s March.  Since my children nearly share a birthday, literally August 31st and September 1st, we have a dual birthday party that gets more elaborate by the minute, ahem, not year.  Jeez, that sounds bad, doesn’t it?  Please don’t confuse elaborate with expensive because the cornerstone of everything I plan is cost!

I also like to find really fun activities that won’t involve tears, and are reusable as well as cost efficient.  Well, this easy project more than fits the bill.  If you were here last year, you’ll recall that I put together some take home gift bags from Dollar Tree and that all of the included items were purchased there.  And because I split multi-packs of hair bands, clips and some other items, I was really able to stretch my dollars in some areas,  and still had some nice individual items (bag, sunglasses and flip flops) as well.

 

Now that the kiddies are getting a little older, our projects can (finally) become a little more advanced.  Tying knots is an easy task for an 8 year old.  Doing it repeatedly and in a pattern makes it a little more complex, but do-able, so it retains a healthy level of confidence upon completion.  With that in mind, if you’ve got a fun pool or summer birthday party coming up or just a sleepover, give this Balloon Flip Flop craft a try!

Photo Credit: One She Two She

 

Balloon Flip Flops

From Dollar Tree or your local dollar store, you’ll need:
Flip Flops in assorted sizes and colors
Primary Color Balloons – 100ct
Pastel Balloons 100ct

For either the pastel or primary colors, you may want to decide on a pattern to repeat like pink, green, blue, yellow, purple, etc.  You don’t have to do this because randomly chosen colors look equally as nice as a pattern.  You know I’m neurotic, so that’s my answer for you.   Hah!

And while this costs a bit more, you may want to buy some solid color balloons and do something like 6 yellow and 6 blue or something like that….perhaps for older girls who want school colors?  It’s really up to you, the attendees, and the nature of the party.  There really is no wrong way to do this.

Double knot each balloon along the sides of the flip flop thong.  In the end, you’ll need approximately 50 balloons to complete each side.  Obviously, this will vary considerably with size.   This average will help you decide how many balloons to purchase though.

Above all else, have fun, and send me your nifty pictures!  I’d love to see your creations!

Adapted very slightly from One She Two She

Seasonal Spotlight: Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs!

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When I think of Easter candy, I think of Cadbury Creme Eggs.  In my youth, I ate far too many of those.  Ready for a shock?  I have no cavities.  Knock. on. wood.  I know, I can’t explain it either.

Well, Cadbury Creme Eggs are one thing.  Nut allergies are another.  Yeah, that throws a wrench into most holiday candy staples, but we roll with it.  So, whaddya think?  Wanna roll with me?  I thought so.

Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs are surprisingly simple to make.  If you’ve ever made your own Chocolate Covered Cherries or any fondant-like filling, you’ll recognize the similarity.  This is exactly the same…only with yellow food coloring.

Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Yellow food coloring (I use Spectrum Gel Coloring in Egg Yellow.  The color is perfect.)
1 – 12oz bag Hershey’s Chocolate Chips

Directions: 

  • Cream butter, corn syrup, vanilla until smooth.
  • Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar and beat on medium low until well mixed.
  • Separate 1/3 of mixture into a small bowl and tint it yellow (one drop is sufficient).
  • Once the color is evenly distributed, refrigerate both bowls for at least an hour, but not much longer or the mixtures will begin to dry and crumble. Listen. to. me.  
  • Roll the yellow mixture into small balls and place on parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet.
  • Freeze 15 minutes until firm.
  • Remove them from the freezer, coat evenly with white mixture, and form into a small egg shape.  Keep in mind you’ll be covering these with chocolate, so plan your shape accordingly.
  • Freeze shell-less eggs for 30-45 minutes.
  • After 45 minutes, melt the chips in a bowl in the microwave on high  for 30 seconds.  Stir the chips around in the bowl.  I find that those on the bottom seem to melt FIRST, so it’s best to give them a spin.  Microwave on high again for another 30 seconds.  Stir.  Continue to microwave on high in 15 second bursts until they’re mostly melted.  At this point, there should be enough residual heat to finish melting them completely.
  • I use a fork to hold and dip my eggs to coat them, allow the excess to drip, and place them on a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Of course, you can use a candy rack if you have one.
  • When you’re done coating all  of them, use the remaining chocolate to drizzle pretty zigzag lines on the top of the eggs with a fork.
  • Refrigerate until set or speed the process by freezing.

You can keep them in the refrigerator for firm filling or at room temperature for more traditional runny filling.

*Recipe adapted from instructables.

Seasonal Spotlight: Last Minute St. Patrick’s Day Fun & Recipes!

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Easy and inexpensive.  You know that’s my favorite combination.   Since I’m deep in the throes of plotting and planning my St. Patrick’s Day attack and time is not on my side, I’ve got to wrap things up quickly.  Maybe you’re in the same boat or are thinking, “Hmmm, I should do something fun for St. Patrick’s Day.”  Well, I’ve got a few inexpensive last minute ideas for you!

First, at the heart of all good leprechaun lures is a leprechaun friendly snack.  This prevents them from taking bites out of, oh say,  apples in a bowl on the table.  In case you were wondering, they do this whether or not I leave snacks.  Nevertheless, I will quickly whip these Sour Leprechaun Candies up in my vain attempt to prevent this nasty habit of his.

By the way, a drop of green food coloring in the bitten area of an apple proves it’s a leprechaun.  Everyone knows they have green saliva.  ;)

Photo Credit: Sweet Treats & More

Sour Leprechaun Candy
1 – 1lb Green Grapes
1 – package of Jello Gelatin – Lime or Melon Fusion

Directions:

  • Rinse the grapes, but do not dry them.  They need to be moist for the jello to adhere to them.
  • Pour 1/2 Jell-O into a ziploc bag.  You can eyeball this.
  • Drop 1/2 of grapes into the ziploc bag.  Close and shake to coat grapes.
  • Remove grapes and repeat with remaining Jell-O and grapes.

*Recipe adapted from Sweet Treats & More.

My son, on the other hand, is completely engrossed in perfecting his leprechaun trap  - a saved shoebox covered in green construction paper with a *door* cut in the lid.  This photo (above) is the one taken of my buddy’s creation last year.  Since the new, upgraded version is not yet complete, it isn’t suitable for the blog.  Yep, that’s what he told me.

Note: If you don’t have shoe boxes lying around, use an instant oatmeal box or something else you have on hand.  You can prop the door open with a pretzel stick or toothpick.  Be creative!  My kids like to put money in the box, Rolo’s – things that are attractive to leprechauns, of course!
 
I should tell you that a few weeks ago, I had lofty visions of creating all sorts of green goodies – a rainbow cake with a built in trap.

Photo Credit: Not Martha

 

red velvet cake balls with cream cheese frosting….

Photo Credit: Bakerella

Clearly, I never did get around to either of these things, but here are a few more that I am planning to put together.

Photo Credit: Taylor Fam Recipes

A very easy, festive, and healthy treat for Leprechauns and kiddies alike.   I think I’ll modify it a bit and use banana wheels to replace the marshmallows…for obvious reasons.

In addition to our rainbow fruit tray, we’ll munch on easy english muffin pizzas with sauce, cheese and perfect green pepper shamrocks for lunch.

Dinner is….what else?  Corned beef and cabbage!  I’ll have some really great leftover recipes for you to think about tomorrow!

Finally,  I would never deprive my children of a seasonal sweet treat,  and Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect way to attract those gold lovin’ gnomes AND make my kiddies smile.

Photo Credit: Betty Crocker

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies*

1 Cup Butter, Softened
1 & 1/2 Cups White Sugar
1 Egg
1/4-1/2 tsp Mint Extract (to taste)
6-8 drops Green Food Coloring
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 & 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Andes Mint Cookie Chips
1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chunks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl or your semi-cheap Kitchen Aid mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.  Add the egg, mint extract and food coloring.  Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture.  Once incorporated, add the mint chips and chocolate chunks, folding to incorporate throughout.

Bake 8-10 minutes in a preheated oven or until slightly golden around the edges.  Allow to cool before removing to rack.

*To save time, you can use a prepackaged sugar cookie mix.  Simply reduce the butter amount to 1/2 cup.   You can also just make chocolate chip cookies and tint them green.  You really don’t need all the minty bells and whistles to impress children.  They think green is neat  all by itself.

You may want to consider putting these cookies together tonight, so you can leave a glass of milk for that nasty little creature.  While your little ones are sleeping, you can dump/drink some of the milk and tint the remainder green.  That way, your kids will know FOR SURE that the leprechaun drank some!

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