Dare to Share #237

It is Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share!  

Okay I have to confess, it is actually Saturday as I am posting this.. It is slightly after midnight on the day of my really big birthday..  I just got home because I was at my friends house decorating for my birthday party that is now actually later today.  I am really excited to share with you all about the party over the next few days.   Since it is after midnight and I am exhausted after a really long day,  I am going to go right to the party.. 

You are welcome to share anything that you would like to share.  If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature your post will be featured on the blog, and social media. This party is also seen on Kandy Kreations for double the exposure.  Kim also chooses post to feature and on her blog and social media. 

Link up and HAVE FUN! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Pumpkin Idea Roundup (No Carve)

While I am busy this week working behind the scenes on my BIG BIRTHDAY Party, I thought it would be a good time to share some of my favorite no carve pumpkin ideas I have designed over the years.  While I used craft pumpkins to make mine, these ideas can be adapted to real pumpkins as well.   

Olaf was one of the last additions to the Pumpkin Gang, but one of my favorites. You can see how to make him here.

To make Bat and Spider Pumpkin all you need is some black paint and a few craft supplies 

Pumpkins can be cute like these Scarecrow and Crow Pumpkins

Add and extra eyeball or two and you have a not so scary Monster Pumpkin

A colorful boa makes the perfect head of hair for a Witch Pumpkin

It is easy to make a Mummy Pumpkin with dollar store gauze 

Vampire Pumpkin was the first member of the Pumpkin Gang 

Some paint, google eyes, and pushpins make a friendly Frankenpumpkin

Using some felt and feathers, you can make an Owl Pumpkin you can use past Halloween. 

Turn an uncarved pumpkin into a Thanksgiving Turkey Pumpkin

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Dare to Share #236

It's Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share!  

What a week.. It started out strong.  I went to one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people. It was my first time there in a few years, and now I really look forward to going back again next summer.  The week ended a little crazy.  Right now I am feeling a bit chilly as our thermostat has decided to totally stop working. Brrr..   Luckily it is not super cold right now, only for a few hours at night.  Yesterday my good friend's van totally died on the side of the ride.  I have been driving her where she needs to go today.  

We are also busy getting ready for the Big Birthday Party that is in a WEEK!  My costume arrived yesterday. It is getting real now.  

My co-host Kim from Kandy Kreations has several new Halloween themed posts.  Here is one you might not have seen before, how to make a Candy Corn Kissing Ball  

With the craziness of the last few days, I did not have a chance to pick a feature this week. I will be posting a few over the weekend.  

Now it is time for this week's party.  You are welcome to share anything that you would like to share.   If your post is chosen as a Dare to Share feature, it will be featured on the blog and social media.  This party is also seen on Kandy Kreations for double the exposure. Kim also chooses posts to feature on her blog and social media.  

Link up and HAVE FUN! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Dare to Share #235

It's Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share!! 

October is flying by. Only two weeks until my big birthday (need to get working on that party!) and Halloween.  I am kind of bummed that my kids are too old to ask me to make costumes anymore, but with everything going on this month, that is probably a blessing. 

If you live in the midwest, you may have heard of a special little town in Michigan called Frankenmuth, and one of it's most famous residents Dorothy Zender. She is well into her 90s and still cooking her amazing recipes. She shares many of them in her cookbook that I shared about in this post here earlier in the week.  

The Dare to Share feature I chose this week are these super cute Witch Marshmallows by Embellishments.

My co-host Kim from Kandy Kreations was in the path of Hurricane Matthew.  While everything is fine, she was without power for a few days. She was able to post this free Candy Corn Alphabet. Be sure to stop over and print yours. 

Now it is time for this week's party  You are welcome to share anything that you would like to share. If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature, your post will be promoted on the blog and social media.  This party is also seen on Kandy Kreations for double the exposure.  Kim also chooses posts to feature on her blog and social media.  

Link up and HAVE FUN! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Witch Marshmallows - Dare to Share Feature

Halloween is getting closer, and is just a little over two weeks away.  Soon we will be attending parties and trick or treating. I love fun, cute party treats that are easy to make like these Witch Marshmallows by  Embellishments to take to Halloween festivities.  Stop on over to Embellishments to see how to make some Witch Marshmallows of your own.  

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The Dorothy Zehnder Cookbook, A Great Gift Idea.

Disclosure: I will be receiving a copy of this cookbook for sharing about it.  All opinions in this post are 100% mine.  

One of my favorite places to visit in Michigan is Frankenmuth.  It is a quaint little German town that makes you feel like you stepped back in time in another country.  One thing that Frankenmuth is known for is the amazing food, and Dorothy Zehnder is a big reason for that. She has been been cooking her  special recipes at the Bavarian Inn for many years, and has been busy in the kitchen well into her 90s.  She will be celebrating her 95th birthday this December 1st.   Her second cookbook, Dorothy Zehnder, From My Kitchen to Yours is a collection of many of her signature recipes that have not been revealed before now. 

If you ever have the chance to visit to Frankenmuth, you really should go. After stopping for a world famous chicken dinner, there a many wonderful specialty shops to check out. 

There are many photo ops around town. Here my daughter his posing with the toy soldier outside the Bavarian Inn.   

If you are downtown at the right time, you can see the Glockenspiel clock 

Another view of the Bavarian Inn and Lodge on the main street in town

Seeing all of these pictures again, and talking about the amazing food is making me want to go visit again. We always have a good time there. 

With the holidays coming up soon, now is the perfect time to start thinking about gifts.   If you are unable to visit Frankenmuth in person, you can order Dorothy's Zehnders  cookbook online at the Bavarian Inn online store and bring a little bit of Frankenmuth to your table.  

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Dare to Share #234

It's Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share..  

There was a lot going on this week here with one of my kids, so I did not have time to post on the  blog. Everything is going to be okay, but it did take some time, and caused a bit of stress.  I may share more at a later time, but for now we are just go straight to the party.  

You are welcome to share anything you want to share. If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature your post will be featured on the blog and on social media  This party is also seen on Kandy Kreations for double the exposure. Kim also chooses posts to feature on her blog and social media.  

Link up and HAVE FUN!! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Dare to Share #233

It is Friday night, and you know what that means..  

It is time to Dare to Share!! 

It has been a crazy week at our house this week.  The kids have been sick, my son had his senior pictures, and this morning, I woke up not feeling well either.  I also have been volunteering. Earlier this week one of my small groups shucked corn at the food bank, and tomorrow my other one will help fill shoeboxes for Christmas.  

On top of all the school events, I am also in the middle of planning a really "BIG" birthday party. It is in one month, and we have some really fun plans. 

There were so many fantastic links at this past week's Dare to Share party.  I have a few more in mind that I want to feature.  Today I chose Easy Apple Pie Trail Mix by Frugal Foodie Mama. It looks really good, and it is great to take on the go  (which we are at my house a lot)  

My co-host Kim from Kandy Kreations shared a lot of great posts this week  One of my favorites are these Mario Seeds Bag Topper Printable.  They would make fun favors bags at a video game party  

Now it is time for this week's party.  You are welcome to share anything that you would like to share.  If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature your post will be featured on the blog, and on social media.  This party is also seen on Kandy Kreations for double the exposure. Kim also chooses posts from the party to feature on her blog and social media. 

Link up and HAVE FUN! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Easy Apple Pie Trail Mix - Dare to Share Feature

So are you an apple person or a pumpkin spice person.  I like them both.  Early in the fall season I tend to chose more apple flavor, and pumpkin later in October and November. What I really liked about this Easy Apple Pie Trail Mix by Frugal Foodie Mama is that is a great snack to take on the run.  I am always on the go with my kids, and having a sweet snack like this on hand  when hungry, would save me a few runs for fries  through the fast food drive thru. Stop over to Frugal Food Mama to get the directions on how to make your own.  

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It is time for a "BIG" Birthday Halloween PARTY!

In exactly one month I am having a "BIG" birthday and a party. I love planing birthday parties, but I do admit this one freaks me out a little. (it is a number, I have trouble saying out loud)   Since my birthday is two days before Halloween, we are planning  a Halloween themed Birthday Party for my special day.  

As the birthday girl who is having the big birthday, I want to dress as something special.  I LOVE the newest version of Cinderella, and I really want her gorgeous blue gown from the ball. Oriental Trading has one on their Halloween Costume Page.  They have hundreds of costumes of all kind for men, women, kids and  even your pets. I have not ordered my gown yet, but I will be soon, and I can't wait to wear it!. 

A couple of weeks ago, Oriental Trading  contacted me, and asked me if I would like to review some of their products. Talk about perfect timing! I have bought from the in the past, and I knew they had 1000s of items to choose from.  They sent me the products, and I received them within a couple of days. Since the party is not for a month, this review will be in two parts. Today I will share what I ordered, and later on I will show you how they were used at my party.  All opinions of these products are 100% my own.  

This party will have a little bit of a twist instead of the usual Halloween theme.  Since we can not have the party in a real castle like Cinderella did, we are decorating the party to have a castle feel with a little bit of Halloween thrown in.  The main colors are black, silver and Cinderella blue, with a just a little bit of orange thrown in. (mainly pumpkins and other Halloween decorations)  

These are going to be 3D glittery candelabra centerpieces, and they will go on the main table.  They were shipped flat, so they would not be damaged. 

I am very excited with what we have planned for the photo booth.  We are going to wrap that stone wall backdrop around tall boxes to look like castle towers.  I am trying out the costume props (lips, glasses, and mustaches) and have them ready for the guests to use in their pictures. We are also going to have a few boas, crazy hats, and large wooden picture frames on hand.

Between the castle towers of the photo booth, we will be hanging the Cinderella Happy Birthday banner that has a place to put your age.  I also choose silver balloons, and a roll of silver ribbon. Not pictured is a large roll of black plastic to use for tablecloths, and other decor. The item in the middle with the arrow, is actually from their clearance supplies, but perfect for the Cinderella theme.  They are count down paper fans that have the arrows pointed to almost midnight. I picked out blue, silver and, Cinderella themed napkins that will be on the food and cake table.  

In the next few weeks I will be sharing a few of the more party ideas that we are using for the party. I have some ideas for dollar store pumpkins, party trays and treats. 

Are you looking for more Halloween ideas?   The Free-N-Fun Halloween site has a ton of great costume, treat and craft ideas that are for all ages and all kinds of parties.. There are several things on that site like the Monster Munch Popcorn, that I am thinking about using for my own party.  

 

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Dare to Share #232

It is Friday night, and you know what that means.. 

It is time to Dare to Share!  

Do you have fabulous friends?  Enter to win a Fabulous Friends Gift Pack from Hallmark. In this post I talked about some of my best friends and how much they mean to me. 

The Dare to Share Feature this week is this awesome Super Hero Party by Cute and Little. 

My co-host Kim from Kandy Kreations shared a Princess Bride Pennant Banner this week perfect for a Princess Bride movie night.  

Now it is time for this week's party. You are welcome to share anything that you would like to share.  If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature, your post will be featured on the blog and social media.  This party is also seen on Kandy Kreations for double the exposure. Kim also chooses posts from the part to feature on her blog and social media. 

Link up and HAVE FUN!  

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Superhero Party - Dare to Share Feature

As you all know I am love planning the at home kid's birthday parties. The birthday boy at this Superhero Party by Cute and Little recently had a party that he and his friends will always remember. You will definitely want to stop over to Cute and Little  and see this colorful party, from the cake, favors and one awesome pinata.  It almost makes me wish my kids were little again so we could have a Superhero party.  

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Hallmark Fabulous Friends Gifts and Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a Hallmark  Fabulous Friends collection to review.  All opinions in this post are 100% mine. 

Recently I received a box of fun mail. I opened the box to find items from the Fabulous Friends Collection from Hallmark.   I have been blessed with many wonderful friends, and I could not wait to go through the items and share them with the good friends in my life.  

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I belong to two life groups at my church.  You may wonder why I am in two, but I am sure you will understand when I say that there were so many wonderful people in both, I could not pick just one.  These two smiling women are Sheralee and Sherry. We recently went to lunch and spent hours just talking and encouraging each other.  I spent a lot of time with them this summer, and know I can count on them both.    

The gift I chose for them from this collection are these beautiful Signature Pineapple Cards. They are have pretty gold shimmer and are blank, so they are perfect for writing a personal note to a friend that means lot to you. 

This is my friend Ann. She has become like a sister to me in the past year  She lives very close by, so we have spent a lot of time walking and talking in the evenings. She has been through more than pretty much anyone I know, but yet still has joy.  She is one of the strongest people I know. The gift for her was easy to pick out.  I gave her the Never Quit (unless you want to) Journal.. She loves taking notes during church service, and I want her to remember I will always have her back. It is lined and just the right size to throw in her bag and take with her. 

Donna is my oldest friend. Not in age, (I am older than her by 10 months) but in how long we have been friends.  We meet in college many, many years ago. We were in each others weddings, pregnant at the same time, and have gone through life together.  She is also  like a sister to me.   I wish I could see her more often as we now live in different states.  

The perfect give for her from the collection would be the Crafters & Co Orange Amber Scented Soap. It has a really nice scent, and pretty label that would look good by  any sink. 

This is my friend Rhonda.  She has been on the blog with me before.  She is also like a sister to me  She is a couple of years older, and truly acts like my big sister always looking out for me.  We have been friends for many years now, and our kids have grown up together. 

She is a nurse and at times the days can be very stressful. I gave her this Keep Your Friends Close and your Wine Closer Frame to put in her kitchen.  When she looks at the frame she will remember she has good friends thinking about her.  

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The last item in the collection is this Pretty Witty Happy Pillow. It is bright, colorful, and has fun poms attached to each corner.  I currently have it sitting on my bed. When I look at it, it makes me feel happy, and reminds me how wonderfully blessed I am to have such great friends.  

You can win a Fabulous Friends Gift Collection of your very own, but entering below.  The giveaway will run through September 29. It is open to US only.  You must be 18 and older to enter.  The winner will be chosen by random, and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.. Good Luck!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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