Jelly-Fish

Jelly Fish: They wrap their tentacles around you.  hey entrap you. Strangle you. AND then they STING, leaving a painful burn and sometimes, their tentacles even leave permanent scars. Doesn't this sound like some people in life? Do yourself a favor.  Don't swim with them.  There are enough people in life who will LOVE you and CHEER you on.  People who put you down and tear you down are just jealous and insecure! Don't let their ugliness cause you to react like a shark.  Swim away! Swim far, far away!   

After posting the below image, found on pinterest, on my Lovely_Lips account, a friend responded "YES". I then responded, very spontaneously with the ABOVE comment and decided to make a jpeg out of it.  LOL!  It is so fitting in so many ways!  Choose your circle WISELY.  

Five "Guys" Thanks You!

Thanking those who care for you children, all throughout the year, is so important.  Teachers have a tough job and sadly, it's probably more often than not, that their primary role is interrupted by disrespectful, disobedient, and disruptive behavior.  I love showering my children's teachers so much that I have a "label" on the right hand side of my blog that is titled, "Apples For Teachers". Be sure to check it out.  

One of the hardest parts, for me, about giving to these servants is that I hate duplicating gift ideas.  Coming up with original gifts can sometimes be tricky.  On Tuesday, I realized, I had several other gifts to purchase for people we love at Fort Lewis Elementary School: the custodial staff and the bus driver. As I drove around town, I looked at all the venues to see if anything would spark my interest or creative juices.  As soon as I headed towards our local "FIVE GUYS ~ Burgers and Fries", the light bulb went off.  "Oh my gosh, I've got it! We have five people in our family.  Using the word "Five", in the restaurant Five Guys, will help create a clever gift for those who serve our family of 5!" 

I ran in, grabbed (3) $15 gift cards, and asked if it would be okay to snag (3) cups and (3) brown paper bags.  When I got home, I stuffed the bottom of the brown bags with peanuts, that I had left over from Ty's 10th birthday party. 

Inside the large plastic cups, I inserted a Five Guy's menu, more peanuts, and a gift card.

Every fountain drink requires a straw, right?  Bingo! I grabbed those, too, at the condiment table.  

If you decide to copy this idea, you will have to cut the straw literally in half, in order for the straw to fit because the peanuts get in the way!

Place the cup onto the peanuts that remain at the bottom of the brown paper bag!

Here's where the creativity fits in... I uploaded the Five Guys logo and change/added some things to reflect our family.

So cute right?

Then...I hot glued real peanuts to the bag.

I was so thrilled with the way this gift turned out.  I told Darren, "I didn't even check pinterest, after deciding and creating this idea, until AFTER I finished packaging the gift card up first. I was so worried that this cute idea, which I thought I created, would already be on pinterest."  Haha. I did finally check pinterest and I didn't see ANY gift ideas for Five Guys Burgers! Yay!!!!!!!! 

Trick Or Treat, Brush Your Teeth!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love pinterest, but I am finding that because everyone is using pinterest, everyone has the same ideas lately for weddings, photographs, parties, house decorating, baking, etc.  It's like no idea is original.  So what do I love even better than using pinterest?  I'll tell you.... CREATING my own ideas to PUT ON PINTEREST. That's what happened with this adorable idea below.  While I was shopping for candy, as well as, designing goody bags, for our trick or treaters and the kids' classmates, it dawned on me that everyone accumulates an insane amount of candy.  I wanted to pass out something fun, yet practical. I spotted these "Jokes and Gags" teeth, aka bubba teeth, at both the Dollar Tree and Five Below.  Perfect!!! 2 for $1.00.  Originally, I was just going to stop there, as to send the message, "Be careful how much candy you eat... you may wind up with teeth like these."  

When you take the teeth out of the package, you will find the teeth sitting in a "dental tray".  LOL!  I desired to keep the teeth stored in the "tray", so I cut the tray in half, making two trays.  

I wanted to take the idea further, so I spotted a four pack of toothbrushes at the Dollar Tree.  4 for $1.00.  What a steal!!!! I decided to incorporate BOTH the bubba teeth and the toothbrushes into a combination "gift".  I LOVED this pack of tooth brushes for several reasons.  (1) they are affordable.  (2) they are sized for children.  (3) they are colorful.  and (4) each tooth brush comes in  it's own iindividual, perforated seal.  Look closely.  

But still, something was missing.  Hmmmm.... I've got it, a riddle!!!

I purchased a cute set of Halloween clipart, trick or treating friends, on Etsy.  The shop was called CeliaLauDesigns. Then, I created my own label and came up with my own riddle to be read to the tune of the well known "song", 

"Trick or treat

Smell My Feet

Give Me Something Good To Eat!

If you don't, I don't care,

I'll pull down your underwear." 

My riddle or "song" read...

"Trick or treat,

Brush your teeth,

After eating all your sweets!

If you don't and you dare,

You will need some dental care!!!"

If you like this label and would like to use it, just send me an email! I will send it your way!!!

So basically all you need is the following:

Tooth Brushes (.25 cents each)

Bubba Teeth (.50 cents each)

Cellophane Bags (.5 cents each)

A Cute Riddle (essentially could be free)

Grand Total: $.80 per "treat".

This is also an adorable idea for a children's dentist off to do at Halloween time!!!

*Disclaimer: If this idea is on pinterest, I personally have NOT seen the idea!

Nothing would have made this idea or post better except to have EVERY classmate wearing the teeth and smiling "bright" for the camera.  LOL!  We didn't let the kids open their tooth brushes and teeth at school! We were afraid of them sharing their "teeth" with each other.  Ewe!

Thanksgiving Turkey Brownies

These brownies are just perfect for those lil'turkies in your life!

Supplies needed:  Brownie Mix and Frosting.

Candy Eyes. 

 Candy Corns.

 Reese's Cups.

 Reese's Pieces.

Directions:

Bake brownies as directed. After the brownies are fully, and I mean FULLY, cooled, use a biscuit cutter to carve each brownie into a circle.  FROST.  Decorate in this order, candy corns, reese's cup, candy eyes, and reese's pieces.  I used a very small amount of frosting to adhere the eyes and noses on. Simple. Cute. Affordable. Fun! Truly effortless.

Gobble till you wobble!

Funfetti Cake Cheese Ball

I made this Funfetti Cake Cheese Ball recipe last night, for the kids at small group. The Harris boys enjoyed it immensely and SO DID I!!!!!  It was like eating raw funfetti cookie dough only better because EVERYTHING tastes better when you add cream cheese and butter to it :)

I think this would be a beautiful addition to a birthday party menu or a playdate.  The sprinkles are so enticing to people of all ages.

I am excited to try the chocolate cheese ball rolled in peanut butter chips.  Mmmmmm!

Pinterest Inspired!

LOVE pinterest!  Who doesn't?  You can get ideas for anything and everything off of there. You can also learn a lot about someone by seeing exactly what they consistently pin.  One of my favorite things to pin are those hilarious e-cards or wisdom-filled scripture quotes, but good recipes and decorating ideas, I believe, are my top pins.  I just recently started pinning just a FEW outfits that I love.  I typically am the one who buys the outfit right off of the mannequin.  I love the way stylists put things together and I just don't have an eye like that.  So... when I saw this pin I thought, this is SUPER CUTE.  I gotta have it.  I went shopping a few days before my trip with "D".  I was unable to find anything on my own, so out of desperation, I logged on to pinterest on my iphone and recalled my new "style me" board that I created.  I was gently reminded of that outfit.  I search almost a full 1.5 hours to find it or something close enough.  I think I actually like my find a tad better.  :)

I don't recommend shopping this way all the time.  You would think, "This is going to be a cinch.  I know what I want, now I just have to go find it!" But it doesn't really work out that perfectly.  LOL!  AND once I have my mind set on something, there's no turning back.  I was getting so desperate, I was trying on children's clothing at GAP kids.

Eggplant Pizza For Dinner Tonight!

(UPDATE: I MADE THIS, WE ATE IT, AND IT WAS TO DIE FOR.)

Wait... isn't tonight Wednesday?  Don't the Bollings always eat out on Wednesday?!?!  Yes, we do, it's just easier with church, but I'm finding that I'm more content with something YUMMY and homemade.  As long as I have the ingredients in my cupboard and a fantastic recipe, I'd much rather cook, but typically, it's poor planning, on my part, and a good paying job, thanks  Big D God, that forces us/allows us to eat out.  I'm switching a few things up in our home, including possibly eating in more!!! Some of this change is due to a HORRIFIC eating out experience this past weekend, ahem, thanks Cheddars!.  Whoops, did I just leak the venue.  Anyhoo...Who's got time to complain, I have some cooking to get done :)

What's on tonight's dinner menu? Julia Child's Famous Eggplant Pizzas

I'm almost done cooking it!  I got a head start while the twins are napping and Ty is at school.  The house smells delicious!  I can't wait for dinner.  Beats our groundhog Wednesday dinner at Quiznos.  I think I am going to make a fresh salad and possibly some grilled chicken on the side.  Hubby has to have protein with every meal.

Bon Appetit!!!

Glow In The Dark Bath

Three weeks ago, yikes am I really that far behind on blogging, I surprised the kids with a pack of glow sticks each. I told them that at bath time they were going to take a bath, in the dark. Using their glow sticks, they made bath time even MORE fun than it normally is.  I will say, a glow in the dark bath is extremely hard to photograph, as you will see below. 

 My three cuties!!!

 Fill up the bath with loads of bubbles.

 "Snap" the glow sticks in half, to "ignite" them.

Throw them in the tub!!! Shut the bathroom lights out and walaaa!

This bath fun made such an impression on them (especially the twins) that they have not stopped talking about it. You can usually find a pack of glow sticks in the $1 section at Target or Michael's.  The Dollar Tree also sells them.

A Sweet Surprise!

Aunt Morgi came for a second time, during Christmas break, to eat dinner on Christmas night with us. She brought a "sweet" surprise/gift. A box filled with ingredients to make an ice cream Sunday.  I thought it was so special and much greater than any store bought gift.

The sweets included: sprinkles, caramel, waffle bowls, ice cream cones, pop rocks, cookies, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and lollipops!!!!

The kids showed their thankfulness by giving back a little of their own sweetness: hugs and kisses.

After dinner, the kids made their ice cream Sundays!!! Thank you Aunt Morgi!!!!  We love you!!!