celebration supply bin

Months ago I shared a few stories on Instagram of my bin of “Celebration Supplies”. Yes, that’s exactly how my bin is labeled, because I’m prepared to celebrate on a moment’s notice!  While I don’t actually throw parties at the drop of a hat, I do create birthday boxes, special treat & holiday festivities at the drop of a hat.  I dip into this bin at LEAST once a month, depending on the month.

Some of the items are leftovers from parties, or things I have bought on sale or things I have just grabbed on a regular shopping trip that I think are cool & would be a good addition to my bin.

So let’s dig into what’s actually in my bin, in order for you to be able to start creating your own stash!

1. Silverware   I have accumulated a few different colors, and they’re fun to pull out for holiday meal celebrations within our family. i.e. St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines Day, birthdays

2. Garland    If you don’t have a garland or two like this in your stash, add one immediately!  I made this one, and have a few other ones that I pull out for every birthday, or even end of the school year celebrations.
3. Plates     These are also a must for delivering treats to friends & neighbors, or setting fun place settings for holidays. (See silverware for ideas!)
4. Dollar Store Decor    This is one of my favorite places to grab things to add to my stash.  They have REALLY stepped up their game (.99 store is my go-to).  Small foil balloon numbers, DIY tassel garland, cake toppers, etc.
5. Balloons    This seems like an obvious addition, right? You can also blow them up partially and use them to decorate presents, treats & even top birthday cakes.
6. Confetti    I definitely don’t use this all the time, because..yikes. But something to have for REAL special celebrations!
7. Honeycombs    I bought a big pack of mini ones off Amazon that are great to pull out for a specific color theme.  The dollar store also has some & you can also buy REALLY big ones online as well. Cheap, easy and completely reusable for all kinds of celebrations.
8.  Party Hats    Like confetti, this one should be a little further down on your list to add to your bin, but still a fun thing to have for kid’s birthday celebrations.

9. Treat Containers & Bags         These are probably the items I have to replenish the most.  I buy these at Walmart because they do have a good selection for a good price, but Michaels & Hobby Lobby allow you to use coupons, so just pick a spot & get you some!  Treats for neighbors, teachers, holiday treats for school staff, the list goes on.  Grab some cute bakers twine or ribbon to tie them up!

10. Tablecloths    These are great for more than just parties, but come in handy when have family over for dinner or throwing over a pop-up table to make for easy clean up. 

11. Straws    Once again, great for holiday celebrations and also for girls night in or putting out in your kitchen to add as part of your holiday decor. 

12. Napkins     I grab these often in the Target dollar spot!  So grab your napkins, paper plates, straws & silverware at set out for a festive holiday-themed breakfast for your family that will make your kids feel so special and excited!

13. Streamers    I keep at least a few colors on hand because I use them to create a curtain on our kids’ doors for their birthday morning.  I’ve learned that if I don’t just keep some in my bin, I’m having to run to the store late at night or face a disappointed child in the morning!

14. Mini Piñatas     .99 store for the win! I have used these for end of the year teacher gifts/ teacher appreciation treats & they are always a huge hit!  See THIS post for details.

So...what else is in my bin? Mini popcorn containers, photo booth props, a balloon pump, balloon garland tape, and just a WHOLE lot of all these items!  These things have saved my butt more times than I can count and have just made things a whole lot easier on me.  You don’t need to go out and grab ALL these items at once, I definitely did not.  Just start grabbing things when you see them, or save leftovers and you’ll thank yourself later!  Because those holidays & birthdays come every single year, friends.  Happy Celebrating!

carrot & oat muffins

My two biggest struggles when it comes to feeding my kids is breakfast & packing lunch.

Breakfast is always hit or miss, especially for my little one...and a filling breakfast makes a big difference on how our morning goes!

Lunch is a whole other struggle...luckily my older son is pretty easy-going, but that doesn’t mean I want to send him to school with the same pre-packaged food everyday, either.

That’s why I love these muffins so much.  They’re a (kid) crowd pleaser no matter the age or time of day.  The biggest bonus of these muffins? CARROTS.  A veggie I don’t have to force feed my children?!  SIGN ME UP.

• These are pretty easy to mix together, I use my silicone muffin molds & they pop out beautifully. (They’re amazing and I don’t know what took me so long to get them, so if you don’t have them you need to just pull the trigger and get some!  ...SERIOUSLY)
•  I usually make 12 regular size muffins & about 16 mini muffins.  I like getting both sizes out of one batch of this.
• Don’t over mix your batter once you add in your dry ingredients! Once they’re combined, stop and use a cookie scoop to fill your molds.

Adapted from Yellow Bliss Road

friday favorites 2/7

ONE:  Billie Razors     I hate women’s razors.  You know what razors are good? Men’s razors.  You know what not super moisturizing when shaving your legs? Men’s razors.  See the problem?  These razors solve both those problems at a way more reasonable prize.

TWO:  Bioderma Micellar Water     I got this as a sample and loved it so much.  I thought my face was clean after washing it.  OH BOY was I wrong! I even use this in the morning before I go running because apparently my face gets dirty when I sleep?! Gross.

THREE:  TimeTree Calendar App     My husband and I both use this app, he has an iPhone and I have an Android.  I love how customizable it is and that it instantly updates when he adds/changes an event and vice versa.  We have colors designated for both of us, each of children, all of us, bills, holidays, and whatever else you might need. Oh and it’s FREE.

FOUR:  PureProtein Lemon Cake Bar     These are new and if you like lemons and eat protein bars GET YOURSELF SOME OF THESE.  I’m not over exaggerating when I say that in all caps.

kid’s color sort diy

Did you think I was done with felt balls and color DIYs?!

My last one was geared towards older kids, and this one is perfect for the real little ones. I was able to complete this one with things that I had on hand, and if you don’t have a million pieces of felt in your stash...you’re much more Marie Kondo than I am.

But seriously, this one is easy and if anything, another excuse to buy or put to use those Hello Maypole felt balls!

These 6 count muffin tins were from the Dollar Store, felt was originally from Hobby Lobby & felt balls from my Hello Maypole hoarding bin,  I just pulled out which colors I wanted to use and matched them to my felt.  

You could stick to the basic ROYGBIV rainbow, but I added in a few “in between” colors, as well as black and white.  You can really do whatever you want or have on hand to work with.

Start by creating a pattern, trace the bottom of the tin and cut it out on paper.  Then using that pattern, cut out all your felt.

Here you have the option to glue your felt into the bottom of the tin, or if you’re using your actual baking tins, just pop them in the bottom and let your little one go for it!

Not gluing them in the bottom would also give you the option to change out the colors of your felt or mix them around out of color order to keep their brains firing!

Again, another easy way to incorporate learning and your craft stash.  Fun for EVERYONE!

friday favorites 1/24

1. FitMe Loose Powder    I like this more than the Laura Mercier setting powder...it keeps my makeup in place, smooths my skin and doesn’t give me “cake face”.

2. JustIngredients Organic Face Serum    This has become my holy grail face product since I started using it in October.  You only use a few drops, so it lasts for a really long time!  This was the product I got the most messages about when I shared it, saying how much THEY loved it too.

3. Silicone Loofah    Far more sanitary and lasts longer than a regular loofah & works just as well.  

4. CRZ Workout/Running/Sports Pants     I have always struggled to find a workout pant that can go from running to working out.  My thighs and waistline aren’t proportional so if it fits in one place, it won’t fit in the other, or will ride down or blah blah a million other things that people with stick legs don’t worry about.  BUT THESE.  I actually wear a small (normally a medium in other pants), because I love the compression they give, they feel like butter and I never have to adjust them in whatever it I’m doing.  Can you tell I’m passionate about a good workout pant?!

tips for working out at home

I’ve never had a gym membership and have just worked out at home and run outside. I will admit, it’s hard to get out and run in the cold or about half the year in Arizona when it’s 90 degrees. And those are the moments when I start itching for a gym membership. But working out at home has been successful for me, but it definitely takes some commitment and dedication to make the time and focus on getting a good workout in at home.  

Most days I go for a run in the morning, do a workout during nap time, then hurry and get ready for the day during nap time too. Usually I’m not “ready for the day” until 1 in the afternoon, but this what works for ME.  Find what works for you.

Here are some tips (that I shared on instagram) with a little more detail and explanation.

• dress like you’re actually going to the gym

If you feel BAD-A, you’ll work out like a BAD-A.  Get on that sports bra, pull out those compression pants and PUT ON THE SHOES.  You’re working out, dress like it.

• find time to do without kids climbing on top of you

Do it before the kids wake up, do it while they’re eating breakfast, or watching a show, during nap time or after bedtime.  Stopping in between reps or exercises is going to slow your momentum and make your workout last 2 hours instead of 30 minutes.  This time is for you to focus on yourself. 

• always finish strong

Once you’ve decided what your workout will be, whatever it is, finish it all the way through!  Just because no one’s around, it’s up to you to hold yourself accountable. You get as much out of these workouts as you put into them.

• schedule it in/add to to your to-dos

“But I don’t have time to workout!”  You find the time when you MAKE the time.  Make it something you have to get done, add it to your to-do list, schedule it into your day.  If it’s important, you’ll find a way.

• stop making excuses & get it done!

Being at home makes it easy for you to get distracted by all the other things you could be doing, but remember, if it’s important to you, you’ll focus in on it and get it done.  All those other things will still be there 30 minutes or an hour from now and you’ll never regret getting a workout in...but you will regret not doing it.

Counting with Felt Balls

Here’s yet another fun kids activity with a free printable!

This one is to help those little ones start counting and understanding numbers.  

I used to work as a kindergarten aide and I learned exactly what each kinder should really know coming into kindergarten, and while numbers are definitely a huge focus, it makes all the difference for those kids who come in with a knowledge and understanding of number basics.

This activity is a great introduction to what each number looks like and to help understand what the amount of those numbers looks like. I only made 1-10 of these printables because 11-20 is introduced later in the year, and because this is a great jumping off point into numbers.

DOWNLOAD the full page sheets here. Cut them apart into fourths, or leave as whole sheets.