Best Of Pinterest: Top 6 Most Adorable Spring Treat Recipes and DIY Ideas

1.) What an adorable little vignette! Crate Paper's post shows us how to decorate for Spring in a shabby chic style, with lots of DIY ideas. So, get out your floral scrapbooking papers, and some sheet music, and get ready to make your space ready for the Easter Bunny to arrive!

Find It On Pinterest, Here.

2.) Next, why not celebrate with friends and family by decorating some good old fashioned Easter Egg decorating? Stick to soft, pastel colors and provide lots of coordinating candy fir guests. Sugar And Charm shares all the details, so check out their post for more details.

Find It On Pinterest, Here.

3.) Have you ever herd of Spiked Peeps? Well, Sugar & Charm shows you how to make them from scratch! The colors they used are marvelous, and why not add a bit of booze to this fun day? 

Find It On Pinterest, Here.

4.) Tell Love & Party provides this adorable and festive bunting DIY with unexpected mixes of colors, prints, and patterns. The addition of the Easter Eggs is also quite cute. And, even a bit of fringe! Who doesn't love mint fringe? 

Find It On Pinterest, Here.

5.) Looking for a wearable and fun DIY project for Easter? This one from Bespoke Bride is perfect! Boho Bunny, if you will. Starting with a traditional headband, add some wired, lace ears and a floral crown, and you have a beautiful accessory for just about any age. 

Find It On Pinterest, Here.

6.) Love the looks of specked eggs? Then, these beautiful Speckled Cupcakes by Urban Bakes are just what you need to make. The colors are perfect, and you can learn how to make the little speckled detail on her blog. 

Find It On Pinterest, Here

PIN IT FOR LATER

Change Your Home, Change Your Life with Color: What's Your Color Story? (Moll Anderson Book Launch) And Sea Glass Drink Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LiveColor #WhatsYourcolorStory #RevivingTurquoise #CollectiveBias

What's your favorite color?

What's Your Favorite color? I had the chance to explore my favorite color family, turquoise, in this post, inspired by an amazing new book, that will be available at Target soon called, Change Change Your Home, Change Your Life with Color: What's Your Color Story? by Moll Anderson. Get Your Copy On March 14th!

Have you ever heard that, whatever color you tend to gravitate towards, and love to surround yourself with can positively impact not just our surroundings, but our mood, behavior, and emotions?

The book will be available to the public on March 14, 2017. Moll Anderson is an insightful author, designer, and philanthropist (among many other things), and as I read through her book, I was taken back to my days in college as an art and design major. Color Theory was one of my very favorite topics, and I am so fortunate to be able to use my keen eye for color and design in my daily work as a blogger, curator, and photographer. I am so excited to share the news that I will be posting a Before and After style post of my room on March 16th. It needed a pop of color, and it looks absolutely incredible. Can't wait to show you the end result soon.

For now, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek at her book, and share a cocktail recipe!

"Our feelings about color are deeply rooted and emotionally based on our personal lives, and the powerful effect of color is most evident in our homes, where it impacts our moods, behaviors, and emotions. Understanding why you love and dislike certain colors is key to exploring your own personal color story, opening you up to embracing the colors that will renew, revamp, and revitalize your home and life". - an excerpt from Anderson's book.

I also became incredibly inspired by the color coordinated photo collages throughout the book, so I made my own! Being near the turquoise ocean and seafoam everything in the Florida Keys recently, which inspired my color choices for this post as well. Here are some of the images I shot while there.

Above, you see one page from her book, which will show you what you can expect from each color section. I had so much fun browsing the book, and its sections are in rainbow order - even better! 

SEA GLASS COCKTAIL RECIPE

To make this delicious cocktail, mix pineapple juice, blue curacao, white rum, a bit of simple syrup, and pour over ice. Garnish with a few pineapple leaves and a splash of fresh lime. I thought this tasted incredible. Moll Anderson provides a cocktail in EVERY COLOR in her new book (even a Black Martini that features bleu cheese! And, a gorgeous hibiscus cocktail that looks out of this world good).

In addition to creating a number of delicious cocktails, here are just a few of Moll's achievements:

"Moll Anderson is an accomplished author, television and radio host, inspirational interior designer, life stylist, and advocate for women and children globally. 

Moll’s career has been filled with many professional achievements, including winning an Emmy for her work as an entertainment reporter; being chosen as one of Donna Karan’s Women Who Inspire; and as a three-time recipient of the Gracie Awards, twice (2013, 2014) for Outstanding Host Lifestyle program for The Moll Anderson Show and (2015) for Outstanding On-Air Talent: Lifestyle/Health Program, as a contributor on The Doctors – Stage 29 Productions. The Gracies™ recognize outstanding programing created by women and about women, as well as individuals who make exemplary contributions to the industry".

I am so honored to have been chosen to share this fun post about Moll's new book! What color will you decide to incorporate into your home and lifestyle next? Let me know in the comments below.

Shake up your night with 7UP® from Hy-Vee® and enter a Pinterest contest! (With Two Recipes)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of 7UP ®. The opinions and text are all mine. #7UPGRADE #Contest

Remember that sherbet punch you had at ever party of your childhood? It's so tasty, so I was inspired to make an adult version, inspired by good times and 7UP®, available at Hy-Vee®! Three simple ingredients and a little bit of adorable garnish make these drinks adorable and perfect for a special occasion, a get together, social night with friends, or even Valentine's Day and Galentine's Day Festivities! What is your favorite festive drink for the holiday? 

I took these goblets (plastic or glass works great), and dipped them in melted white chocolate. Before that cools and hardens, dip them in red sprinkles. I mixed colored sugar with other red, ball-shaped sprinkles for a neat mixed texture. This added SO much to my pretty drinks!

After you have your glasses looking pretty, simply scoop a few spoonfulls spoonful of raspberry or rainbow sherbet into each glass. Simply add in some 7UP and optional vodka, and you have yourself a delicious, fun drink recipe! This tasted SO GOOD that I almost finished both glasses, haha! Garnishing them with flowers made them so cute!

o   You must be 21 years of age or older to enter

o   Runs from 2/12/17 - 3/11/17 (bloggers are eligible for entry as well!)

o   Open to residents of IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, MS, NE, SD, WI

o   Create a Pin Board titled, "#MY7UPUPGRADE"

o   Pin at least 10 inspirational images or articles that you'd like to use for your next social night. At least 5 of those pins must include 7UP in the image or article.

o   All pins must include #MY7UPUPGRADE #Contest in the text

o   Register your board at www.7UP.com/Hy-Vee

o   You'll be entered to win a $1,000 Hy-Vee gift card to host your next social night!

o   All qualified entrants will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on creativity and best aligning with the 7UP brand.

Click Here for additional inspiration, Pinterest contest details and Hy-Vee coupon savings.

Coupon details: (Buy any TWO 6-pack 7.5 oz. cans or 8-pack 12 oz. bottles and get the third FREE (offer valid 2/12/17-3/11/17)

HERE IS THE SECOND RECIPE:

All you need is a few simple ingredients for these tasty Adult Snow Cones!

1-2 Cans each of 7UP and Cherry 7UP

Boiling Water

1 Large Box Each of 2 Colors of flavored gelatin (we used strawberry and lime)

1 Bottle Vanilla Vodka

{That's it!}

1.) Boil 2 Cups water

2.) In 2 separate containers (1 for each color), add 1 C. boiling water to one container, and 1 C. boiling water to the other. 

3.) Add 2 Cups original 7UP to one container, and 2 C. Cherry 7 UP to the other.

4.) Mix in 3oz. Lime flavored gelatin to the container with the original flavor 7UP, and add 3 oz Strawberry flavored gelatin to the container with the Cherry 7UP. 

5.) Add 1 C. Vanilla Vodka to each container, and stir each color until fully combined and not "gritty" anymore.

5.) Freeze overnight (or for at least 4 hours). Once frozen, scoop into cute glasses with a large spoon, and top with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry for added garnish. Enjoy!

After you are sure they're frozen, top with whipped cream, and serve in a cute glass. Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Snack Mix Recipe

Looking for something sweet, salty, and crunchy to make for St. Patrick's Day?

Here's a tasty idea, that incorporates yummy green shamrock marshmallows, pretzels, cereal, all covered in white chocolate and green sprinkles!

Ooh, yum, this is good! Read on to learn how fun and easy it was to make, and let me know, in the comments below, if you wind up creating something like this of your own. Enjoy :)

1 Bag of White Chocolate Chips

1 Part Lucky Shamrock Cereal 

1 Part Square Pretzels

1 Part Rice or Corn Check Cereal

Lime Green + Regular Green Sprinkles

This was SO easy to create, and it tastes SO good! What a fun and festive treat to make for St. Patty's Day or really any day :) I was originally looking for traditional "Lucky" Cereal, but was really excited to find the one with green shamrocks in it instead. Here's how you make it!

1.) In a medium bowl, add equal parts of shamrock cereal, check cereal, and pretzels. Mix to combine, then pour onto a baking sheet.

2.) Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave for around 45 seconds on high, stir, then melt again after stirring for another 15 or so seconds. That last little burst of heat really did the trick, and these morsels melted smoothly and were so easy to work with.

3.) Pour the white chocolate evenly over the cereal mixture, and stir with two large spoons - one spoon just made a mess :) 

4.) Cover with sprinkles, and since it cooled pretty quickly, I was able to disperse into small bowls right after mixing and adding my sprinkles! This would be so cute for a party or to have around the house this St. Patty's Day! 

PIN IT FOR LATER...

Making The Perfect Latte At Home With International Delight

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.

All opinions are mine alone. #LatteMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

Are you a latte lover? International Delight® has a cool new product hitting store shelves right now. We want you to show your readers how the International Delight® One-Touch Latte™ works in 3 easy steps after purchasing it at Walmart. One Touch Latte™ is a spray can that turns any cup of coffee into a latte in 3 easy steps!

You will be so pleased to know you can get coffee shop style drinks, right at home! You do not need any fancy equipment, which I absolutely LOVE!!! I have been wondering how in the world to make something like this at home for quite some time now, and when the opportunity came around for me to try out these new International Delight® One-Touch Latte™, I was eager to try it for myself - and from word of mouth, several of my friends and family members ran out to get some for themselves.

Simply use this new frothing coffee creamer from International Delight®, and you have a latte, in seconds. Wow, this tastes absolutely delightful! I cannot believe my tastebuds, I actually had to make myself a second cup! YUM!!!

You deserve something as tasty as this, you hard-working Wonder Woman, you!

I created a graphic to show you the three step process, and how cool it is. My eyes lit up when I made my first cup of coffee, then added the One Touch Latte™ to my glass. It’s super neat, and sprays out with a lot of force to create froth and tasty, creamy, yummy flavors of either Vanilla, Caramel, or Mocha. I had to get all three flavors, and Vanilla seems to be my favorite among my friends and I. Here is a video, to show you how fun and easy these are to use at home, making mornings and afternoons WAY more fun.

It sweetens, it creams, it flavors, ... IT FROTHS! FOR REAL. Just shake it, press, and—ta da!—it transforms your everyday coffee into a foam-topped latte! In 3 simple steps, you have a coffeehouse-style latte in seconds.

Just point and press to transform your home-brewed coffee. Now you can start every morning with a creamy, flavorful latte made by your favorite barista–you! Available in Vanilla, Caramel and Mocha.

STEPS INCLUDE:

Step 1: Fill cup 2/3 with coffee to leave room for froth.

Step 2: Shake the One Touch Latte™ can.

Step 3: Press and hold the can above coffee for 5-7 seconds and enjoy!

I found these products at Walmart in the refrigerated section of the store near where I normally find my other favorite coffee creamers from International Delight®.

Yay! I was so happy to find all three flavors at my local Walmart. Always fun when that happens.

It’s also fun to treat your guests to something this delicious! Why not share some unique coffee creations with your company while they visit, over a morning chat, or while catching up on the news of the day. The available flavors include: Vanilla, Caramel, and Mocha! They’re all absolutely wonderful :) You can get 7 uses out of one can, and are an amazing value for a delicious at-home latte.
I really hope you enjoy this amazing, new way to make lattes at home! International Delight never ceases to amaze me with their delicious coffee creamers and their wonderful flavors. Do you think you will be trying this fun, new frothing coffee creamer? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, below.

Nutrisystem - Tasty, Healthy Food!

Over the past month, I have been helping to promote the Nutrisystem Plan, and the food tastes great! Learn More Here.

Ready For Warmer Weather with my amazingly tasty foods from Nutrisystem! Throughout the past month, I’ve gotten to try SO many amazing foods (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and everything in between). I’ve learned a lot about portion size and had no trouble adjusting to eating better, because their foods taste so good. Weight loss made easy thanks to Nutrisystem - save NOW and lose up to 13 lbs and 7 inches in the first month. #ad

Learn More Here

Pinterest Party Inspirations ~ Mermaid Life Party

Vacationing here in Florida makes me appreciate Mermaid Life so much! It's so nice being near the ocean, coral reefs, lots of beautiful boats, and imagining what a mermaid would want for her party :) So, I found some amazing ideas on Pinterest that would work for a woman or girl or just about any age, to help inspire her next party, whether it be a birthday, graduation, retirement, or just about any excuse to get together with friends and celebrate the mermaid life. Click on the photos of links throughout the post to visit the sources, and of course gain even more inspiration.

1.) The Cutest Mermaid Party Award definitely goes to Garvin & Co, for her daughter's Mermaid Inspired Party! Read the whole post here, and be amazed at how much attention she pays to every little detail, from party tablescape, to balloon backdrop, mermaid costumes, and of course, the cutest Mermaid food EVER! I love her whole blog, actually, it's so inspiring - her life looks like so much fun! Also, check out her stunning Instagram page for lots of lifestyle photos that are out of this world beautiful. 

2.) Use Madeline Molds To Make Popsicles! (found on Pinterest here). You could of course go with more tropical themed flavors, like pineapple, mango, coconut, and anything else your heart desires! In fact, you could even make these vegan by using a base of coconut milk, or simply puree fruit, add lemon juice and simple syrup, and freeze them. If you're looking for lots of popsicle recipes, I have a whole Pinterest Board dedicated to Popsicle Recipes, containing over 450 recipes. 

3.) DIY Mermaid Salt Scrub Party Favors - these salt scrubs are everywhere here in the Florida Keys. They're reminiscent of the salty sea, and can be made in a variety of beautiful, pastel, sea-inspired colors. They would also make amazing party favors for your beautiful mermaid attendees! Here is one idea, below, from Love Vividly (another incredibly adorable blog), which would leave your skin feeling as soft and as smooth as a mermaid! Aren't the colors incredibly perfect?

4.) I also thought that this DIY Mermaid Crown would be fun to create as a party activity! Learn how to Turn A Dollar Store Crown Into A Mermaid Tiara!!! You can simply embellish those dollar store crowns with starfish, seashells, slitter, paint, vintage jewelry, glitter, and shimmery paints. 

5.) Oh my goodness, this jellyfish decor is the best thing ever! While the exact instructions are not given in the post, I would imagine you could start with a paper lantern, paint it teal/aqua, cover it with tulle, then hang coordinating ribbons, yarns, and tinsel from the bottom to create the jellyfish tendrils. They created three colors like lilac purple, pale blue, and aqua.  

And, this name sign is amazing! Start with those paper mache letters, paint them a sea themed color, add glitter (of course), and adorn with some shells and netting. Too cute!

6.) Mermaid Desserts! With a little bit of imagination, you can take almost all of your desserts into the Mermaid Life theme! Below, Sweets With Love shares her photo of these little mermaid tail and seashell topped cookies or donuts! You could use candy molds to create the shapes, then paint them with edible colors in pastels and shimmery gold. Include some edible glitter too, why not?!

7.) Another featured party that would make any mermaid happy would be this one, also featured here, that uses shades of coral, aqua, and sunshine yellow. Each and every details is absolutely perfect, right down to the gold sequin table cloth and shimmering cake pop sticks. 

And, these candies are perfect!

8.) This Barbie Mermaid themed party, from TomKatStudios is beyond amazing! These cute Oyster Pearl Cookies are perfect. The pearl portion could be a gumball, and finding some shell cookie cutters would be easy, too.

Hopefully these ideas have inspired you to create or host a Mermaid Party of your own! Enjoy :)

Best Bully Sticks - We Love These Dog Chews

Our two dogs are the most important aspects of our lives. We spend what seems like every waking hour keeping them happy and entertained (let me just say, they're lucky we both work from home!!). So, when BestBullySticks.com reached out to ask if we could share a review of their products AND a giveaway to one lucky reader, we were more than happy to test out some of these bully sticks and other goodies from their website. My pups were ecstatic when our package arrived via UPS from BestBullySticks.com. Even though these treats are packaged extremely well, the dogs seemed to know the package was for them. Porter was first to notice, so she was eager and more than happy to jump onto the couch and pose for a photo with her new delivery. 

When we received a big box of bully goodness from their website, and it kept our pups happy for quite a while. Since our (now 7 month old) Chocolate Labradoodle puppy and our Chocolate Lab are big chewers, and since we also love finding any chew or treat that will keep them happy for longer than literally one second, we find that Bully Sticks are some of their favorites. We tend to like them better than traditional rawhides, because rawhides are known to be bad for their digestion, so when we get the chance to give them Bully Sticks, we are all for it. I also can't believe how low the prices are from BestBullySticks.com, so if you're looking for a WAY better priced alternative to every pet store ever, look no further. 

Next, Cabbie, our Chocolate Lab took notice. She made sure she was involved in the "unboxxing" process, because she also new there was something good inside.

Once I opened the box from BestBullySticks.com, the dogs jumped up and wanted to know exactly what was inside. My goodness, they were excited!

Porter's attention span is pretty short since she is still just 7 months old, but Cabbie sat pretty to model the delicacies that she knew would soon be hers. She is such a good girl, I am SO lucky she behaves so well. 

I was astounded and thrilled to see just how many amazing products they sent us! Here is a list of what was inside our box:

6 inch odor free bully sticks

12 inch odor free bully sticks

Bully Flakes

Beef trachea grab bag

First, I started with the 6 inch bully sticks, and they are truly very low odor. If you opt for odor free bully sticks, the dogs still go bonkers for them, but they make your experience a lot less stinky, let me tell you! These are vey high quality bully sticks, and we thank BestBullySticks.com SO VERY MUCH for sending such amazing treats for the babies! We will be putting in a big order again very soon, because bully sticks are literally the only thing that keeps the pups (especially Porter) happy for an extended period of time. 

Even Bobby's mom's Double Dapple Doxie loved her 6 inch chew. It kept her occupied for quite some time! 

YUM!!! We love our treats from BestBullySticks.com! Thank you so much :)

Treating With Nutrish Treats From Rachel Ray + Road Tripping With Dogs Tips

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TreatingWithNutrish #NutrishPets #CollectiveBias

I found a new way to make my dogs behave better, haha! They absolutely LOVED these Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Dog Treats. Our two beautiful dogs had such a fun time helping me with this post, and planning and packing for our next road trip. I am excited to share some tips on Road Tripping With Dogs (and a puppy)! Our 8 year old Chocolate Lab has traveled nearly 60,000+ miles with us, and our recent road trip from southern Illinois to the Florida Keys was our Chocolate Labradoodle's first big road trip ever. Bringing these treats along with us helps immensely! They will do whatever we want when we temp them with treats, so I was so happy to incorporate these NUTRISH treats into our travels. 

HERE ARE THE AVAILABLE VARIETIES OF TREATS:

Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Deli Cuts
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Meatloaf Morsels
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Pawsta
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Savory Roasters
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Burger Bites

WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP WITH DOGS + A PUPPY:

1-2 Gallons of water

Dog Bed

Keep Collars on Dogs + Leashes Within Reach

Dog Treats

Dog Food In A Gallon Ziploc Bag 

Doggie Waste Bage

Dog Toys

Chewies Like Rawhides

I found these amazing treats at the Winn Dixie grocery store in Big Pine Key, FL. They had these two varieties, the Savory Roasters and the Deli Cuts. In fact, I've already gone back a second time to get more treats, the dogs love them SO much!!

Look for them where you purchase your family's groceries! 

NO artificial flavors or meat by-products!! This is extremely important to me.

Safely USA cooked with the world's best ingredients. 

Note: Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Treats are intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Please watch your dog to ensure Nutrish treats are thoroughly chewed before swallowing. Break into small pieces for smaller dogs.