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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

BOO BOX

It's no secret that we love Halloween around here! The first weekend of every October my sisters and I would kick off our favorite month with a visit to the haunted house and a pumpkin brew. The pumpkin patch, zoo boo, and our annual Halloween parties always followed. However, many states now separate us so it's time to make a new tradition.

To continue sharing our love of all things Halloween I made two BOO boxes that are going out tomorrow with my nieces and nephews names on them just in time for October 1st!

This year I simply spray painted the inside of the boxes black and used glow in the dark spray paint to write BOO. I then added glow in the dark spider web and a bunch of Halloween goodies from Target Dollar Spot. Glow in the dark necklaces, stickers, a coloring book, monster band aids, gel clings, bath goodies, and Halloween Oreos. I can't wait for them to open these soon and I already have next years box planned!

Have a fun and spooky filled kick off to October this weekend!!

For more of my party ideas, home decorating, favorite recipes, twin activities x 2, and all things
"Mrs.Party Planner" please check me out on facebook and "like" the page. New blog posts will appear in your news feed.You can also follow me on www.bloglovin.com, on Instagram and Pinterest

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

DIY Health and Beauty Recipes (that work)

If you are anything like me, you don't want to waste your time and money buying and trying various products. Thank you consumer reviews. Yes, I am one of those people that reads reviews on everything and for the most part, bases my decision to buy or visit on them. All of the following DIY recipes are ones I use on a consistent basis because they work! And the best part? The ingredients are either already in your cupboard, or can easily be picked up at the grocery store. Many of my friends and family have requested these recipes and all agree, they are keepers! So here you go...

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. However, I have used these recipes for awhile now and have done my own research on the products and encourage you to do the same. Please consult your doctor if pregnant.
Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar and all these items are available in the grocery store or Target

If you feel a cold coming on, already caught a bug, or just want a nice cup of tea, you need to try this immune boosting tea. Many studies have shown that drinking tea can do wonders for your health. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has been around for ages and has ample usability, one of the most important being that it contains probiotic compounds (the vinegar itself is not a probiotic but the pectin in apples promotes healthy digestion) that can encourage the growth of good intestinal bacteria. However, I would never drink ACV straight as its very acidic and could harm your teeth after continued use. Always dilute with water and again, all you need is a capful. Honey and cinnamon are also two ingredients that have been used for centuries as healing agents in many cultures. These two ingredients together are said to have many health benefits including boosting your immune system and are helpful in clearing the sinuses.

I have made this concoction for years now and swear by it! No, it is not a cure all by any means. But I have personally warded off colds, my husband says it soothes his throat and helps with his sinuses when sick, and friends also use this.  

Immune System Boosting Tea:
*green tea or your favorite flavor of tea
*a capful of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
*spoonful of organic honey (I use and prefer the organic Greek honey hasapis but you cannot currently order this online)
*dash of cinnamon

DIY Teeth Whitener: 
This I found on Pinterest a few years ago but have no idea who to give the credit too. The pinner said her dentist told her this trick. And let me tell you, it's the best one yet! This is my most requested DIY beauty recipe once people see my results. And of course it doesn't cost a quarter of what other teeth whitening products or procedures do.

In a small bowl or cup, mix in
*1 teaspoon of baking soda
*1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide
*half a teaspoon of water
*a little toothpaste (I use a enough to cover my brush)
 Brush 2 minutes and you will see instant results! Use once a week until you get desired results and then once a month afterward.

DIY Clarifying Shampoo and Rinse:
This amazing hair and scalp revitalizer came from Nastassia over at The Healthy Life. Between hair products and hard water I had been finding a lot of yucky build up on my scalp. But before I went out and purchased some expensive clarifying shampoo I wanted to give this a try. And guess what?! It worked. All the build up was gone. Mix the baking soda shampoo and ACV rinse ahead of time and bring both into the shower. 

First use the baking soda shampoo-
*1 Tablespoon of baking soda
*1 cup of warm water 
*mix together in a squeeze bottle (I use ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles I found at Dollar Tree) and apply
*let sit for 5 minutes (honestly I let it sit for as long as it takes to shave my legs) and rinse with warm water

Now for the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse-
*1 Tablespoon of ACV
*1 cup of warm water
*mix together in squeeze bottle and apply
*let sit for 5 minutes and rinse with COLD water (this seals the cuticle and helps keep in the moisture)

I now do this once a month and have not had any build up. Give it a try and let me know what you think?

Detox Bath:
Whether you are suffering from a cold/flu or just need to De-stress a detox bath is very relaxing. You can Google this and find a variation of recipes. I have always used the most simple one. I honestly don't know if this actually draws out toxins and balances your bodies ph level as many claim it does, but I do know that it takes the stress away. Plus, who doesn't love a hot, relaxing bath. Now the real question is if I should drink a glass of wine with this bath?! :)

 *Run a hot bath (as hot as you can handle)
*throw in a handful of Epsom salts
*1/2 cup of baking soda
*optional: essential oils
Soak for at least 15 minutes

Do you have any DIY health or beauty tricks you swear by and would like to share? I would love to hear them and give them a try!


For more of my party ideas, home decorating, favorite recipes, twin activities x 2, and all things
"Mrs.Party Planner" please check me out on facebook and "like" the page. New blog posts will appear in your news feed.You can also follow me on www.bloglovin.com, on Instagram and Pinterest

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Under the Sea Mermaid Party


Get ready to dive into the sea for my little mermaids' third birthday! I absolutely love this theme because of the endless amount of cute ideas you can use. In my early party planning days, I did an Under the Sea party for my first set of twins when they turned two, you can check out that party here.

This particular party took place just after summer so the pool was not an option, however, I found other ways to help keep these mermaids and their friends occupied...

The mermaids greeted their guests while standing under a colorful sea creature balloon arch that opened up to a "sea" full of fun. We found the perfect dolphin bounce house from the same local party supply company that made this adorable balloon arch. A sandbox, water table, and child friendly sea creature scavenger hunt was also part of the outdoor fun.

The mermaid costumes are from Chasing Fireflies

This was the highlight of the girls weekend and a splurge since it was our last party before moving out of state.

While bright and bold colors popped up outside on the lawn, the party indoors was more subtle with shades of blue, purple, and green. I made the backdrop out of vinyl tablecloths from Dollar Tree mixed in with sparkly mesh ribbon. I used this picture so you can see how the tablecloths are cut and then braided a few times together at the top.
 

 Jellyfish floated in the air...

Paper lanterns, streamers, ribbon, and hot glue is all it took to make these jellyfish
Pictures of the girls from birth to the present were displayed on a fishing net

The kids' table offered each mermaid a crown, starfish wand, and treasure box full of chocolate gold coins and jewelry.
I purchased the Aeriel crowns from Party City and simply hot glued lavender barrettes (found on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics) and the small starfish (also from JoAnn Fabrics).
The treasure boxes were purchased from Oriental Trading and I spray painted them gold. The large starfish on the wands were bought from Amazon. I hot glued them on a wooden dowel, then added ribbon and a sparkly gem.


 
adult table decor

The food table consisted of crabwiches (chicken salad filled croissants), octopus dip, fruit cups, sand dollars (potato chips), shells and cheese (homemade macaroni and cheese) ocean water, and an amazing edible starfish and shells dessert spread. My mom and author of the amazing blog What Happens At Grandmas helped out by making these starfish she adapted from Hungry Happenings. She used sugar cookies, icing and crushed up Graham crackers for these starfish. I made the shells using Wilton white chocolate and molds purchased from JoAnn Fabrics. The sand is simply crumbled vanilla cake mix and the mini buckets and sand tools are from Oriental Trading.

Chicken Salad Crabwiches
  

Octopus ranch dip and veggies

Ocean Water aka Blue Hawaiian Punch
Another contribution from my mom was the supplies to make these adorable aquariums.We found the idea on Pinterest. Aquarium rocks, sea weed, shells, plastic fish and sea creatures were carefully selected by each party guest for their own aquarium before we filled the plastic jar with filtered water, glitter, and blue food coloring.



We had a few good hours of fun with lots of bouncing, playing, cake, and presents. Each party goer also took home a "fish in a bag soap". I followed the directions provided by Jessica and Mandy at Little Birdie Secrets. However, if you plan on making these I would suggest adding a large glass of wine and lots of patience to the recipe. It took me plenty of trials before I was able to make anything that slightly resembled theirs.


And what kind of under the sea birthday party would it be without a real fish?! Meet "Fishy" the girls' new pet!


And as usual, most of my parties would not happen without assistance from my wonderful family. As mentioned earlier my mom made the desserts and facilitated the aquarium making while my sister took some great pictures of the party details and party itself! My brother in law and husband helped with the set up and clean up. Thank you everyone!!! This is one of my sisters and her adorable family at the party.

For more of my party ideas, home decorating, favorite recipes, twin activities x 2, and all things
"Mrs.Party Planner" please check me out on facebook and "like" the page. New blog posts will appear in your news feed.You can also follow me on www.bloglovin.com or on Instagram @ mrspartyplanner.