How to: Throw a Great Girls Night

As I have mentioned before, there are a group of guys in my neighborhood that are in a fantasy football league and get together every Monday to watch Monday Night Football.  The wives always talk about  getting together but it hardly ever happens.  I decided to stop talking about it and organize a fun night for the ladies.

Instead of sending a standard text or email I used the app Red Stamp to create this fun invite that I was able to text everyone.

  

We had plenty of wine for the night but I also put out Limoncello and Prosecco to make a yummy cocktail.  Pour a splash of Limoncello into a champagne glass and fill remainder of glass with Prosecco for a delicious drink.

I love to entertain but I tend to take on too much and always make too much food.  Instead of over doing it, I decided to keep it simple but still impressive.  I love a good cheese plate so I stocked up on yummy cheese and fun items to accompany it.  I also had out 5 different crackers so people could make as many combinations as they pleased.  It was a big hit!

 Instead of making a dessert (that I know no one would eat and I would end up eating all of it the next day) I put out some bowls of candy and chocolate.  Perfect to pick at!

We had a great night snacking and chatting.  Most of us are Nashville fans too so we all watched the premier together.  Love me some Deacon!!!  Can't wait for the next girls night!

Back to Baking

I have been severely slacking in the baking department the past few months.  I try to limit the amount my oven is on in the summer, plus I have no will power so even though I may say I am making treats for my boys there is no way I can walk past a plate of cookies or cake with out breaking off a piece and I just did not need that kind of temptation.  This week I decided it was time to try out some new recipes.  I had some peaches around and I was afraid they were going to go bad so I decided to look up a peach muffin recipe.  I stumbled upon this Roasted Peach Muffin with Cinnamon Streusel recipe over at Healthy. Delicious.  I gave it a try with a few modifications and the muffins came out delicious!  

I swapped out 1 cup of the all purpose flour for 1 cup of whole wheat flour (not for nutritious value but because I was lazy and I ran out of the all purpose flour) and I switched the quantity of the brown sugar and white sugar in the topping.  This also was not premeditated.  I read the recipe wrong and figured how bad could it be!  I also added more cinnamon to my topping just because I like it!

These muffins were kid approved....my 2 1/2 year old said "Dese muffins are dood..Hanks Ma"

Since the oven was on, I decided to make a quick treat for the hubby.  I went on my Pinterest recipe board and came across this quick and easy cake cookie recipe from ImaLazymom.  These could not have been easier to make and perfect for when you have a little helper.  I added a TBSP of water and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract to the batter.  They got the thumbs up from the hubby.  He just brought a plate of them of them with him to watch football with the guys. (Again, I can NOT have this stuff in the house.)  I would totally recommend these if you need a quick dessert to bring to someones house or a something for the kids.  

August Birchbox Review

I look forward to my Birchbox every month.  I have said it before but it is like Christmas once a month.  For August, Birchbox teamed up with Ann Taylor to give a guide to fall's best beauty trends as well as a coupon for 20% one item or 30% multiples items at Ann Taylor.

Also included in the box were the following items:

Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+: I used this in place of a tinted moisturizer or foundation.  I really liked this product.  I gave this beauty balm the true test and tried it out when my face had broken out like I was back in high school.  I was impressed by the coverage and it did not feel heavy which is always my fear with products like these.

Jasmine Seven™ Wipes:  These wipes are perfect for when you are out and about.  Last weekend I had spent the whole day walking around NYC with some girl friends and we were going to go out at night.  While we were getting ready for our night out, I used the wipes to freshen up my feet because they were feeling a little grimy.  I was happy I got these in my box but don't think I would purchase them again.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in KITTY:  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this lipstick.  I usually go for a gloss because I feel like colored lipstick looks weird on me but this stuff is great.  When I originally saw the color I didn't think I would like it but once applied it is a really pretty pink with a little bit of shimmer.  It also did not feel cakey like some lipsticks can be, it was nice and moisturizing.

It's a 10® Miracle Leave-In Product:  I had tried out this product before because my sister received it in a few months ago in a box.  I am a big fan so I was pretty excited when I saw that I had gotten a bottle for myself.  My hair felt very soft and had a nice shine after using.

TanTowel® Classic Formula Self-Tan Towelettes Half Body:  These towelettes are great.  I hate moisturizer.  I use it because I know I should but I hate the way it feels while I am waiting for it to dry.  I also do not go tanning at all so the TanTowel is a great compromise for me.  I was able to achieve a nice color without looking streaky and I did not have to wait too long to let the color dry.


I was very happy with this months Birchbox and I was excited to try out some things I would never have bought myself (Jasmine Seven Wipes & TanTowel).  Click this link for your own Birchbox subscription: http://birch.ly/17xH1n1.


* All opinions are my own.  I am a paying Birchbox subscriber and have not been provided any of the products for free.

Painted Wooden Bangles

Last year I had big plans for a bunch of wooden bracelets I had bought but when they arrived I lost my inspiration.  They sat in my closet for a year until recently I had an idea and got to work.  I pulled out my various paints, brushes and sponges, went out to Michaels for stencils and quickly got to work.

I painted all the bracelets with a few coats of a primary color and then decorated them in different ways. I tried out these Martha Stewart adhesive stencils which were perfect for the rounded bracelets.

And here are the results....

Martha Stewart Metallic Paint in Rose Chrome

Primary  -Martha Stewart Satin Paint in Beetle Black 

Top Coat - Martha Stewart Glitter Paint in Florentine Gold on top)

Exterior - Martha Stewart Pearl Paint in Twilight 

Interior - Martha Stewart Satin Paint in Beetle Black

(I had found this feather scrapbook paper and thought it would be cute to Mod Podge the feathers onto the bracelet.  I also added a little glitter paint to highlight the feather)

Primary - Martha Stewart Metallic Paint in Rose Copper 

Stencil - Martha Stewart Satin Paint in Beetle Black 

Primary - American Paint in Citron Green

Stencil - Martha Stewart Metallic Paint in Rose Chrome

Primary - Martha Stewart High Gloss Paint in Beach Glass

Top Coat - Martha Stewart Glitter Paint in Night Sky

                  Martha Stewart Glitter Paint in Antique Silver

                  Martha Stewart Glitter Paint in Florentine Gold

Exterior - Martha Stewart Pearl Paint in Twilight 

Interior - Martha Stewart High Gloss Paint in Beach Glass

Primary - Martha Stewart High Gloss Paint in Beach Glass

Design - Sharpie Paint Pen in Gold

I love the way they came out and can't wait to make a few more.  I already have a list of people who want one of their own.