Simplistically Living

Grinch Heart Wreath

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The Grinch is making his way into homes everywhere this year. Between the new movie and adorable recipes and crafts like this Grinch Heart Wreath, you will have a green filled home before you know it.

When it comes to holiday crafting, I like fun and unique things. I like to take traditional holiday decorations and turn them into something new and exciting to look at it. Things that are perfect for gift giving.

In this case, I took a traditional holiday decoration (a wreath) and put a fun spin on it. This grinch wreath reminds me of the fur of The Grinch with a big heart displayed in the middle.

Take this craft idea and make a craft night out of it. Get the ladies or kiddos together and make some fun DIY decor that even Mr. Grinch would be impressed with.

Supplies Needed to Make a Grinch Heart Wreath:

How to Make a Grinch Heart Wreath:

Twist a pipe cleaner into a heart shape.  As you can see, I thought I had red ones at home, but I didn’t.  If you don’t have a red one, you can wrap the yarn around the pipe cleaner to turn it red, but it is much easier to just start with a red one!  

Once your heart is created (or wrapped), criss cross the red yarn back and forth all around the heart to fill it in.  Tie the end to the pipe cleaner to complete it.

Now, lay your embroidery hoop flat on your counter.  Set the heart to where you want. I wanted mine slightly off-centered but you can do it however you’d like.  

Using the green yarn, tie one end to the embroidery hoop and one end to the edge of the heart.

Tie three more green pieces of yarn on each side of the heart to kind of anchor it in place.  

Start weaving a piece of green yarn from the hoop, weaving it through the edge of the heart and back around the embroidery hoop until the green has filled in all of the space.

Take a long piece of green yarn, and wrap around the edges of the embroidery hoop to cover the wood.  

You should now have a Grinch Heart Wreath entirely made and ready for displaying! You can even tie an extra piece of yard to the top for hanging or use nails to hang on the wall. 

Grinch Heart Wreath

A DIY Grinch Heart Wreath

Materials

  • Red Pipe Cleaner
  • Red Yarn
  • Green Yarn
  • Embroidery Hoop

Instructions

  1. Twist a pipe cleaner into a heart shape. As you can see, I thought I had red ones at home, but I didn’t. If you don’t have a red one, you can wrap the yarn around the pipe cleaner to turn it red, but it is much easier to just start with a red one! 
  2. Once your heart is created (or wrapped), criss cross the red yarn back and forth all around the heart to fill it in. Tie the end to the pipe cleaner to complete it.
  3. Now, lay your embroidery hoop flat on your counter. Set the heart to where you want. I wanted mine slightly off-centered but you can do it however you’d like. 
  4. Using the green yarn, tie one end to the embroidery hoop and one end to the edge of the heart.
  5. Tie three more green pieces of yarn on each side of the heart to kind of anchor it in place.  
  6. Start weaving a piece of green yarn from the hoop, weaving it through the edge of the heart and back around the embroidery hoop until the green has filled in all of the space.
  7. Take a long piece of green yarn, and wrap around the edges of the embroidery hoop to cover the wood. 
  8. You should now have a Grinch Heart Wreath entirely made and ready for displaying! You can even tie an extra piece of yard to the top for hanging or use nails to hang on the wall. 
© Brittanie
Category: Crafting Corner

Ways to Save Money During The Holidays

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The holidays are pretty much here and if you’re in denial, just think that Black Friday is only a few weeks away.

Yup, the biggest holiday shopping season of the year is near. With that being said, you don’t have to go bankrupt buying gifts for everyone on your shopping list. Instead, let’s talk about Ways to Save Money During The Holidays and avoid unwanted debt.

save money during holidays

Ways to Save Money During The Holidays

Saving money during the holidays seems almost impossible.

After all, how exactly are you supposed to save money while shopping for everyone in your family, your neighbors, best friends, the mail carrier, etc. etc. 

The task of saving seems daunting but don’t stress – there are some surefire ways you can get all of that holiday shopping done and still save money.

#1: Make a list and check it twice.

Here’s the thing, if you go in blind shopping you will ALWAYS overspend. Go into shopping this holiday season with a game plan. Make a list of everyone you are buying for, how much you want to spend, and any gift ideas you have for that person.

Doing so, will help you avoid overspending or buying unnecessary gifts. Stick to the list!!

#2. Set a budget.

I briefly talked about it above but you want to set an overall budget for holiday spending and most importantly, stick to it.

The holidays is a time when it’s easy to justify overspending because after all, they are great deals, right? While that may be true, you never want to end the year with insane amount of debt just because something was “cheap” or inexpensive during the holidays.

Set a budget and avoid going over that amount. You can readjust your budget as needed but always know your spending limit.

#3: Take advantage of retail sales.

We all know that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the entire year. Why? Because these are the days when retailers lower prices and offer insane discounts and incentives for shopping with them.

These days are a great time to take advantage of sales but did you know that retailers typically offer Black Friday prices even before Black Friday? It’s true!

Take your list and spend a few minutes each day online at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon browsing their sites for items on your list. You’d be surprised how often you’ll find a Black Friday price early!

#4: When it doubt, use the internet to find discounts.

The internet is a beautiful and useful tool and sometimes we forget how to use it properly.

At any given time, you can search for the best deal on those hot holiday gifts by visiting sites you know offer discount codes and do all the hard work for you.

For example, Sello is a site where you can discover fresh products, connect with new merchants and find the hottest discount codes with the Sello marketplace. This not only saves you money, but it saves you time. Time during the holidays already seems scarce so utilizing tools like Sello can help you get holiday shopping done while saving time and money!

#5: Save the receipts!

Okay, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve personally purchased a gift thinking I got the best deal on it only to find that same item on an even better deal a week later. That is where your receipts will come in handy!

Most retailers offer a 30-day return policy where you can return an item and repurchase it. Some even allow you to bring back your receipt for a price adjustment as long as it’s within that time period. Both will save you money and save your sanity during the holidays.

Pro tip: Create a holiday envelope where you store all your receipts in a safe place just in case they are needed!

I hope some of these tips will help you save money during the holidays. As always, comment below if you have any additional ideas!

Everything You Need to Know About Starting Solid Baby Food

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A new baby brings new adventures and even if you’ve been a parent before, each milestone in your baby’s life is exciting and unique.

One milestone I’ve always looked forward to is the solid feeding stage. If you’re nearing this stage (or just want to be prepared) here is Everything You Need to Know About Starting Solid Baby Food.

Everything You Need to Know About Starting Solid Baby Food

Starting solid baby food is an exciting time in your baby’s life. I like to think of it as the first sign of independence.

This is a time when you get to introduce your baby to new foods and watch them enjoy the taste of something else besides milk or formula for the first time.

Think about it, anytime you’ve ever tried something new for the first time, it was exciting and a rush at first even if you didn’t end up liking it in the end. Imagine how that feels for your baby.

With all of that in mind, let’s get to talking about what you need to know when starting solid baby food and answer those burning questions you may have.

When should I start introducing solid baby food?

Knowing the signs of when your baby is ready for solid food is important as you never want to introduce solid foods too early.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies can start solid foods from 4 – 6 months of age but also should be showing signs such as:

  • Being able to sit upright and hold up their head
  • Showing interest in the food you are eating
  • Showing signs of being hungry even after drinking breastmilk or formula

If your baby is of age and showing those signs, it may be a good time to start introducing solid baby food.

What solid baby food should I start with?

I remember when I had my first baby and it came time to start solid baby food, my biggest fear was not knowing what to start with. I knew it had to be easy to digest and items that were less likely to cause choking or an allergic reaction especially since food allergies run in our family.

Here is a good rule of thumb for knowing which foods to feed and when:

  • 4-8 months: single-grain cereals and pureed veggies, fruits, and meats. Things like cooked baby cereal and solid baby food.
  • 6-8 months: single-ingredient finger foods that are easy to smash. Think of things like mashed potatoes or green peas.
  • 9-12 months: chopped, ground or mashed foods. Things like rice and very small pieces of ground meat.

What baby food brand is the best to start with?

With my first child I decided that I wanted to buy solid baby food as natural as possible without having to make homemade baby food (due to lack of time). After doing my research, I ultimately decided to go with Beech-Nut® Naturals™ (and still plan to with my 3rd baby) and here is why…

Beech-Nut® Naturals™ is inspired by homemade and is real food for babies. When I say “real food” I mean their baby food is made with real fruits and vegetables, just like you would use at home. 100% natural, nothing artificial and contains ingredients you can read and pronounce.

I don’t know about you, but knowing that my baby’s food is natural and doesn’t contain a bunch of added artificial fillers makes me feel like I am making the right choice for my baby.

The other thing I love about Beech-Nut® Naturals™ is they make choosing baby food easy. For example, stage 1 is from about 4 months of age and contains single ingredient solid food so you don’t have to wonder what is in it. Stage 2 is from about 6 months and contains two or more food ingredients. Both make choosing baby food easy!

You can find Beech-Nut® Naturals™ at your local grocery store or use the online store finder to find them near you.

Should I continue feeding my baby breastmilk or formula?

The quick answer to this is yes.

Your baby still needs the nutrition provided from the breastmilk or formula until 1 year of age when they can transition to whole milk.

Solid foods up to 1 year of age are more to get your baby introduced to new foods and textures rather than be meal replacements so keep this in mind for feedings.

What foods should I avoid?

I briefly touched on the allergy and choking aspect of introducing new foods to your baby and while that is a cause for concern and can be scary, knowing the common allergens and common foods that can cause choking is going to be a good place to start.

A general rule of thumb of foods to avoid are:

  • Honey
  • Cow’s Milk (until 1 year of age)
  • Nuts
  • Popcorn
  • Whole Grapes
  • Peanut Butter
  • Cinnamon

Also, avoid anything you know may run in your family as an allergen. My son ended up being allergic to peanuts which is not only a very common allergen, but also runs in our family as being an allergy.

As always, when in doubt ask your pediatrician.

Starting your baby on solid food is an exciting time and knowing exactly what, how and when to feed them is the best way to ensure a successful introduction to new foods.

Disclosure: I was compensated by Beech-Nut® for this post. However, the opinions expressed remain my own.

Chocolate Christmas Tree

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Rockin’ around the Christmas tree.. or should I say, the Chocolate Christmas Tree. Yessssssss that sounds so much better!

This Chocolate Christmas Tree is anything but boring.

Tasty 

Cute to look at √

Easy to make √

It will make adorable little sweet appetizers for any holiday gathering and your kids will enjoy helping you make these too!

What You Need to Make Chocolate Christmas Tree Treats:

How to Make Chocolate Christmas Tree Treats:

  1. Unwrap a snack sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and place it upside down on a flat surface.
  2. Apply a bit of black icing to the top of the snack sized candy cup.
  3. Unwrap a regular sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and place it upside down on top of the snack sized peanut butter cup.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 to create a second layer of candy. Remember to apply black icing between the layers to hold them together.
  5. Place one more upside down snack sized Peanut Butter Cup on top of the two layers of candy.
  6. Apply some icing to the top of the snack sized cup, and press a miniature Peanut Butter Cup on top of it.
  7. Fill the top of the miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with white icing.
  8. Place a star-shaped sprinkle on top of the white icing.
  9. Put the candy Christmas trees into the freezer to set the icing that is holding the layers together. Remove them after about 10 minutes.
  10. Use Decorator gel icing to create a garland around the layers of the candy Christmas tree.
  11. Hold the candy tree over a paper plate, and apply some holiday colored sprinkles to the wet gel icing garland.
  12. Return the candy trees to the freezer to set for another 5-10 minutes, and serve.

chocolate christmas tree

You can pre-make these and refrigerate them prior to a holiday party. You can even allow them to dry and then put them in some plastic wrapping for gift giving.

Chocolate Christmas Tree

Ingredients

  • Regular sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • Snack sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • White Decorator’s Icing
  • Black Decorator’s Icing
  • White Decorating Gel
  • Holiday sprinkles
  • Star shaped sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Unwrap a snack sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and place it upside down on a flat surface.
  2. Apply a bit of black icing to the top of the snack sized candy cup.
  3. Unwrap a regular sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and place it upside down on top of the snack sized peanut butter cup.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 to create a second layer of candy. Remember to apply black icing between the layers to hold them together.
  5. Place one more upside down snack sized Peanut Butter Cup on top of the two layers of candy.
  6. Apply some icing to the top of the snack sized cup, and press a miniature Peanut Butter Cup on top of it.
  7. Fill the top of the miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with white icing.
  8. Place a star-shaped sprinkle on top of the white icing.
  9. Put the candy Christmas trees into the freezer to set the icing that is holding the layers together. Remove them after about 10 minutes.
  10. Use Decorator gel icing to create a garland around the layers of the candy Christmas tree.
  11. Hold the candy tree over a paper plate, and apply some holiday colored sprinkles to the wet gel icing garland.
  12. Return the candy trees to the freezer to set for another 5-10 minutes, and serve.
© Brittanie
Category: Featured

Grinch Soap

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As the holidays near, now is the perfect time to start crafting up some fun DIY gifts like this totally awesome Grinch Soap!

grinch soap

I just love how this soap turned out.

Inspired by The Grinch himself, we wanted to make a Grinch Soap that was cute and encouraged even the meanest of people to wash themselves during the holidays – HA.

But really, can a Grinch gift get any better than this?

I didn’t think so…

What You’ll Need to Make Grinch Soap:

How to Make Grinch Soap:

First, start by cutting your soap base into small pieces. Depending on how many of these you want to make, that will determine the amount of soap you use. Using the soap base I linked to above, we used 1 square of that container.

Next, place the small pieces into your microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Continue doing this until the soap is entirely melted. Be careful not to burn the soap.

Now, add a block of your soap colorant and stir until it fully melts into the hot soap base. This will take a few minutes.

Add 2-3 drops of your essential oil and stir.

Now, carefully pour your melted soap into the square silicone mold. Once poured, do not move the mold or it will cause air bubbles and the soap will harden unevenly.

Spray the top of the soap with the rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles that may have surfaced.

Allow the soap to harden in the mold for several hours (preferably overnight).

Once the soap is hardened, remove the soap from the mold by gently pushing on the backside of the mold to break the airlock.

Next, take your grinch template and cut out one of the shapes. Cut your soap into 4 equal pieces then place the paper template on top of one of the pieces of soap. Use your x-acto knife to cut around the outside of the grinch template so you are left with the shape of grinch’s face.

All that is left is to add the details of the face. Using the black food gel, add a small amount of it onto the back of the yellow candy eyes and heart sprinkle and place them onto the front of the soap. Finish the details by drawing on the face of grinch and allow to dry.

You want to allow this to dry for 24-72 hours before you plan on wrapping them for gifts or the details will smear.

You can use this soap immediately or save later for gift giving. Just be sure to wrap the soap and keep it away from any moisture once it’s completed.

Grinch Soap

Grinch Soap

Materials

  • White Melt & Pour Soap Base
  • Bright Green Soap Colorant (we used the soap bar kind you can also use neon food coloring)
  • Essential Oil (we used Clove)
  • Yellow Candy Eyes
  • Black Food Gel
  • Red Heart Sprinkles
  • Soap Cutter
  • Grinch Face Template (we made one for you)
  • Microwave Safe Measuring Cup
  • Square Silicone Mold
  • Cutting Board
  • Rubbing Alcohol in Spray Bottle
  • X-acto Knife

Instructions

First, start by cutting your soap base into small pieces. Depending on how many of these you want to make, that will determine the amount of soap you use. Using the soap base I linked to above, we used 1 square of that container.

Next, place the small pieces into your microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Continue doing this until the soap is entirely melted. Be careful not to burn the soap.

Now, add a block of your soap colorant and stir until it fully melts into the hot soap base. This will take a few minutes.

Add 2-3 drops of your essential oil and stir.

Now, carefully pour your melted soap into the square silicone mold. Once poured, do not move the mold or it will cause air bubbles and the soap will harden unevenly.

Spray the top of the soap with the rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles that may have surfaced.

Allow the soap to harden in the mold for several hours (preferably overnight).

Once the soap is hardened, remove the soap from the mold by gently pushing on the backside of the mold to break the airlock.

Next, take your grinch template and cut out one of the shapes. Cut your soap into 4 equal pieces then place the paper template on top of one of the pieces of soap. Use your x-acto knife to cut around the outside of the grinch template so you are left with the shape of grinch’s face.

All that is left is to add the details of the face. Using the black food gel, add a small amount of it onto the back of the yellow candy eyes and heart sprinkle and place them onto the front of the soap. Finish the details by drawing on the face of grinch and allow to dry.

You want to allow this to dry for 24-72 hours before you plan on wrapping them for gifts or the details will smear.

You can use this soap immediately or save later for gift giving. Just be sure to wrap the soap and keep it away from any moisture once it’s completed.

Notes

Make sure you never use fragrance oils intended for candle making they are not skin safe.

© Brittanie
Category: Crafting Corner
grinch soap

DIY Spooky Halloween Mantel

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Around our home we do spooky rather than cute at Halloween. This year was no exception. We opted for a Spooky Halloween Mantel that turned out awesomely haunted and was super simple to put together.

halloween mantel

We often get asked if our scary decorations scare our young kids and we are always quick to respond: No!

Our kids love Halloween and all things scary. I truly think the key has been introducing those scary things to them at any early age. In fact, our oldest son loved zombies when he was just 3 years old.

So, year after year we add to our overall Halloween decor inside and out to make sure it’s the most terrifying Halloween yet.

This year, we decided to decorate our mantel with all things creepy from skulls to spiders to a haunting ghost. We even added some really cool lighting to make the ghost look like he was glowing.

If you’re wanting to recreate a look similar to this, here is what you’ll need to make a Spooky Halloween Mantel:

  • Philips Hue Go Portable Light
  • A Hangable Ghost
  • Plastic Spiders (we used push pins to place these on the wall)
  • Foam Headstones
  • Battery Operated Candles
  • Plastic Skulls
  • Cloth Web
  • Fake Fall Leaves
  • Anything else you want to add to spook up your mantel!

The best part about this halloween mantel idea is that it is super simple to throw together. In less than a half hour, we had a haunted mantel that expressed our love for all things scary.

Aside from it being simple to do, I fell in love with the lighting aspect. It was actually my husband’s idea to have the ghost hanging with the Philips Hue Go light under it to help it illuminate and glow especially at night.

We played around with the light and tried several different colors. First, we tried the soft white.

Which ended up looking like this:

Pretty neat, huh?

Then we gave orange a shot… that ended up looking a lot like the soft white above with a little more of an orange tint.

But, our overall favorite was the blue light…

It gave off such a cool colored glow and ended up looking like this:

Awww I love how it turned out! It truly looks so spooky and cool at night.

As I mentioned, we used the  Philips Hue Go which can be used in addition to the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance starter kit we talked about a few weeks back.

The Go is the most versatile light. When plugged into a power outlet, use it to paint your walls with colored or white light. Unplug it from the power outlet and Philips Hue Go becomes a portable centerpiece you can carry to bring the best light for your activities. Powered by a rechargeable internal battery, it can last up to 3 hours making it perfect for decorating and lighting at your Halloween party.

Also in portable mode, the Philips Hue Go can be fully controlled with your smart device. The built-in smart battery management guarantees maximum usage. Although Philips Hue Go is not waterproof, it is designed to withstand high humidity.

You can learn more about the Philips Hue Go and how to use the Hue smart lighting system to take your Halloween to the next level here.

I cannot wait to see what spooky Halloween mantel you put together!

Discourse: This post was sponsored by Philips Hue via Momtrends Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Philips Hue or Momtrends Media.

How to Cut Cable Without Missing Your Favorite Shows

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Cable is old news, literally. Cutting cable in our house has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. And, I’m here to tell you just How to Cut Cable Without Missing Your Favorite Shows because I know that’s your biggest concern.

cut cable

There are basically reasons most people finally decide to part with cable.

  1. It is too expensive.
  2. It doesn’t give your monies worth.

With those two reasons in mind, it’s easy to see why most eventually move away from cable but the big question remains: “How will I watch all my favorite shows?”

cut the cable cord

Often times, even if someone wants to cut the cord to cable, what keeps them from doing so is the promise they get to watch their favorite movies and TV shows.

Well, I am here to tell you to stop living in fear. The first step is to cut the cord to cable.

Seriously, the BEST thing you can do right now is call your cable service provider and cancel. Sure, they may end up offering you a “better deal” to get you to stay but don’t fall for that tactic. In the long run, you will save even more with what I am about to tell you.

By now I am assuming you’ve cancelled your cable service provider and I am so proud of you! Now, what?

Now, you’ve got to head to your local Best Buy (or shop online) and pick up the Google Chromecast Streaming Media Player.

The Google Chromecast Streaming Media Player is designed to make the most of the apps and entertainment already on your phone. Shows, movies, live TV, YouTube, photos and more. It’s all just a tap away from all of your family’s devices and can be displayed right onto your tv.

How it works:

Plug Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV and to power and stream your favorite entertainment right from your phone with just a tap. Watch shows, listen to playlists, and more. And while streaming, you can still use your phone as you normally do.

Never miss your favorite shows

Enjoy TV shows, movies, videos, songs, games, sports and more from over 2000 apps like Netflix, YouTube, YouTube TV, and HBO NOW. That means you’ll never miss your favorite shows even without having cable!

Start streaming with just your voice

Just say what you want to watch from compatible apps and control your TV hands-free, with Chromecast and Google Home working seamlessly together.²

“Ok Google, play Stranger Things from Netflix on my living room TV.” ¹

How cool is that?

The best part: price!

You can expand your home entertainment without buying a new TV. It’s so affordable you can get one for every TV in the house.

When I say affordable I really mean it. The Google Chromecast Streaming Media Player is just $35.00! That is a fraction of the cost of cable and it’s a one-time fee other than your streaming service monthly fees. Crazy, right?

You can learn more about the Google Chromecase Steaming Media Player here.

Disclosure: I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

How to Throw an Epic Halloween Party

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I don’t know about you but one holiday we never skip on is Halloween. From decorations to parties, we go all out for Halloween.

With Halloween right around the corner, we are here to help you Throw an Epic Halloween Party!

How to Throw an Epic Halloween Party

When someone is throwing a party it’s typically assumed it’s going to be expensive. After all, you are covering expenses from decorations to food and everything in between.

However, I am going to tell you that you do not have to spend a fortune to have an epic halloween party.

Here are some tips for making your Halloween party a success:

#1: Make a Budget

The first thing you need to do when throwing a Halloween party is decide what your overall budget is. Doing this ahead of time is going to help you avoid overspending. Remember, you don’t need a large budget to throw an epic party. There are so many ways to save on everything you’ll need so just choose an amount you feel comfortable spending and stick to it. Things you’ll want to factor into the budget include:

  • Food
  • Decorations
  • Party Games
  • Alcoholic Beverages (if serving)
  • Prizes for Costume Contest (optional)
  • Activities for Kids (if allowing kids to come)

#2. Choose a theme. 

Part of what makes a Halloween party is the overall theme. Choosing a theme will help you stick to your budget as well as you won’t be blindly buying party items.

Choose a theme that is scary, fun or a combination of both. This year we chose Nightmare Before Christmas as the theme of our baby shower/Halloween party and it was a huge hit. Partially because this year also marked the 25th anniversary for the show.

We sort of went all out for this party and I couldn’t have been happier with the final results!

#3: Shop online.

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to planning a Halloween party is to shop online. Why you ask? I say this for several reasons:

  • Online is convenient since you can buy without leaving your home.
  • You can typically save more by shopping online (I’ve always found online retailers to offer same items for cheaper than my local party/Halloween stores).
  • You find unique items online that you can’t find in-store.

Now that you know my reasoning, I want to share that this year I shopped with Birthday in a Box to find all of my Baby Shower/Halloween party decorations and supplies.

They have an entire section of Halloween party ideas. Even if you are a teacher wanting to throw a fun classroom Halloween party, they have resources for that too! Just look how cute some of these ideas are:

So while you are looking to throw an epic Halloween party, utilize these tips and make sure you check out Birthday in a Box for all your party needs. They also have a sister store called Costume Superstore you can shop while you’re there too!

Jack Skellington Soap Rings

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It’s almost Halloween and nearing when our baby is born. With all that is happening, we wanted to make some super spooky Jack Skellington Soap Rings that served as a fun party favor at our baby shower. And, they turned out awesome!

jack skellington soap

What’s This?

What’s This?

It’s Soap Rings in the shape of Jack’s face…

What’s This?

Now that I have that song stuck in your head, I am sure you are so excited to make these super cool looking Jack Skellington Soap Rings, right?

There are a few basics you need to know when making these…

  1. The soap gets really hot so if you are having your little ones help you, please make sure to assist them pouring the melted soap so they don’t get burned.
  2. These soaps can be used immediately after they have hardened.
  3. This recipe calls for skin-safe fragrance oil. You can use essential oil instead just ensure it’s skin-safe and not the kind you purchase by the candles.

jack skellington soap

What You’ll Need to Make Jack Skellington Soap Rings:

How to Make Jack Skellington Soap Rings:

First, start by cutting your soap. You want to make the soap into cube shape so it melts evenly in the microwave. Place the cut soap into your microwave safe measuring cup.

Now, place your silicone mold onto a hard surface. I like to place mine on the top of the cutting board. You don’t want the silicone mold moved after you pour the soap or it will cause the soap to harden unevenly.

Next, heat the soap in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Do this until the soap is melted entirely. Be careful not to burn the soap.

Add a few drops of your fragrance oil and stir well. You truly only need a drop or two as fragrance oils tend to be a bit potent.

Add your spider rings into each cavity of the mold. Note: The spiders may be too big for the molds so you can clip off the ends of the spider legs to help them fit into the mold.

Now, carefully pour the melted soap into each mold covering the spiders entirely.

Spray the tops of the soaps with the rubbing alcohol so you remove any bubbles that float to the surface.

Allow the mold to sit untouched for several hours and then you can press gently onto the back of the mold and release the soaps.

The last thing to do is wrap your soaps. You want to make sure they are entirely covered from the air so the soap stays good and is free from humidity.

Soaps can be used immediately or stored for several months.

Jack Skellington Soap Rings

Jack Skellington Soap Rings

Materials

  • Jack Skellington Silicone Mold
  • White Melt & Pour Glycerin Soap
  • Pumpkin Scented Fragrance Oil (skin safe)
  • Plastic Spider Rings
  • Microwave Safe Measuring Cup
  • Soap Cutter or Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Rubbing Alcohol in Spray Bottle

Instructions

  1. First, start by cutting your soap. You want to make the soap into cube shape so it melts evenly in the microwave. Place the cut soap into your microwave safe measuring cup.
  2. Now, place your silicone mold onto a hard surface. I like to place mine on the top of the cutting board. You don’t want the silicone mold moved after you pour the soap or it will cause the soap to harden unevenly.
  3. Next, heat the soap in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Do this until the soap is melted entirely. Be careful not to burn the soap.
  4. Add a few drops of your fragrance oil and stir well. You truly only need a drop or two as fragrance oils tend to be a bit potent.
  5. Add your spider rings into each cavity of the mold. Note: The spiders may be too big for the molds so you can clip off the ends of the spider legs to help them fit into the mold.
  6. Now, carefully pour the melted soap into each mold covering the spiders entirely.
  7. Spray the tops of the soaps with the rubbing alcohol so you remove any bubbles that float to the surface.
  8. Allow the mold to sit untouched for several hours and then you can press gently onto the back of the mold and release the soaps.
  9. The last thing to do is wrap your soaps. You want to make sure they are entirely covered from the air so the soap stays good and is free from humidity.
  10. Soaps can be used immediately or stored for several months.
© Brittanie
Project Type: DIY / Category: Crafting Corner

Graco UNO2DUO Travel System Review

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Our baby girl will be making her debut in just a few short weeks. So, naturally we are preparing for her arrival in every way we can. For starters, we checked out the Graco UNO2DUO Travel System to see if it’d make the cut for our new baby!

Graco UNO2DUO Travel System Review

I want to first start by saying that we have used Graco products before with our kids and never have been disappointed. However, it has been about 4 years since we’ve used an infant car seat or stroller for that matter so we had some high expectations.

Some things we have really wanted in a travel system are:

  • Affordable
  • Durable
  • Compact enough to travel with
  • Provides enough storage (because you know you take a million baby things with you every time you go somewhere)
  • Is easy to assemble and use
  • Is safe

Seems easy enough to nail everything on that list, right? HA!

So, here is goes…

Price Point

Let’s first touch on price point. The Graco UNO2DUO Travel System is priced at $449.99. This includes:

  • Graco SnugRide® SnugLock™ 35 Click Connect™ Infant Car Seat
  • Reclining seat converts to cozy infant bassinet or pram
  • Stroller
  • Car Seat Base

Not a bad price point for a car seat AND a stroller. Most decent car seats or strollers alone cost around $200.00 so I am comfortable with the price point for both.

Not to mention, this travel system can actually be used 18 different ways! Yes, 18! That means it lasts for years to come! You can read more about all the different ways to use it here.

Durability

The next thing on our list is durability. Durability to me means it has to be something that will last us a few years (aside from the infant car seat) and be okay through all the messes, spills, distress and everything that life a new baby brings.

For something to be durable, it has to be made well and actually feel like it’s made well right down to the fabric.

This stroller is made extremely well. It is heavy enough that you know it’s great quality but not too heavy that it’s hard to lift up into your car or SUV. It has a smooth ride and every piece fits snuggly into each other. Example: the rear seat clicks perfectly into the holsters.

You can also easily clean the travel system using mild soap and water. The car seat can be machine washed which is something I love!

It truly feels like it is a well-made product that will provide us years of service.

Is it compact?

It’s near impossible to find a stroller/travel system that will fold entirely flat especially when we all want the storage and bells and whistles that we need these days.

However, I will say that we had no trouble fitting this travel system into the back of our SUV. The front tray can also be removed so it doesn’t stick up as much making it perfect for more compact

cars. This will also be great for taking with us when we travel.

Also, it is SUPER easy to fold down. It’s literally a one-hand fold.

Storage

I think this is one of my favorite features about this travel system: it has so much storage!

It can easily carry a baby, a toddler in the back, hold a diaper bag and then some on the bottom. Plus, it has cup holders on each side of the stroller. One is more of a phone holder and the other is a drink holder.

There is a tray attached to the front so as your baby grows, you can place a bottle, sippy cup and even snacks on the tray.

Assembly

Assembly on the travel system is easier than you think. Most of the larger pieces already come pre-assembled so the biggest thing you need to worry about is properly installing the infant car seat into your car.

Follow the easy-to-follow instructions and you’re ready to go!

Safety Features

Ready for the big one? Safety features!

As with any car seat or stroller you want to do your research before you buy. You want to make sure it’s a quality brand that has tested their products to ensure they are safe for your baby.

Graco runs their products through their own crash test facility and has a dedicated testing team that tests their products.

As I mentioned, we’ve used Graco products over the years with our boys (they are now 8 and 4) and I know it’s a brand we can trust and feel comfortable using for years to come with our daughter.

You can read all about the Graco Safety Standards here.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this travel system is highly recommended. It has everything we need at an affordable price. We love that it includes all of what we need to travel with our baby whether that be by car or a stroll through the park.

You can check out all the information on the Graco UNO2DUO Travel System Here.

Disclosure: We received this product for review in exchange for our honest thoughts and opinions. Those expressed remain 100% my own.

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Brittanie Pyper is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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