Pretty Pink Girls Birthday Party On A Budget

We recently had a fun lil pink party over here!

Trying to keep costs down, I made the treats and decorations myself!

The lil darling didn't know how much I spent (or didn't rather), and I felt quite accomplished!

I made the cake from one box mix, and used the extra cake (cut off the layers to make them level) to make bon bons! I made my own frosting- leftovers of that went also into the bon bons.

Then, when I was done dipping them, I used the remaining chocolate to dip pretzels. Boy am I feeling thrifty! ;)

Then I stopped at the dollar store and grabbed supplies to make the cake decorations and the garland. I bought a $1 combo pack of tissue paper, and still had enough left to use to wrap her gifts!

Dollar store it was for the pink napkins and plates also! I got the cute lollipops from Micheals, they are only $0.49 each!

Everything else you see was all things that I had kicking around in my kitchen! 

I will share a tutorial on how to make the cake toppers, the garland, and the little sandwich cookies soon! :)

Thanks for reading! 

Sylvie

DIY Cough & Cold Remedy

Its that time of year again... we've all been battling viruses around here. When I had a sore throat and stuffy nose last wk, I made myself some of this tea (recipe was found here) and it really did help! 

I didn't measure any of the ingredients. If you are the type that likes to measure, use a large pinch of cloves, 1 tsp coconut oil, and 1 tsp honey.

Brew a mug of herbal tea (I used Lemon Ginger), and stir in the honey and cloves. Once the cloves have sunk to the bottom, add coconut oil to the top. Wait until the oil has melted, and enjoy! 

You can use whole cloves in your tea ball in place of the ground cloves... In fact, that would probably be an easier option! :)

I hope this helps you! I had relief from my symptoms for a couple hours! Yay!

Sylv

Low Sugar Dessert: Pretzel Salad Recipe

Are you ready to throw your New Year Diet away and dig into something sweet? 

Try making this pretzel salad, it will surely satisfy your sweet tooth, and is very low in sugar!

Ingredients:

1 29 oz Can of Crushed Pineapple, packed in juice

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Pkg Cream Cheese

4 Packets of Truvia Granules

1-2 Cups Crushed Pretzels

Strawberries For Topping

Directions:

Add vanilla extract to heavy cream, and beat on high speed until stiff peaks.  In a separate bowl,combine cream cheese and Truvia and beat on high speed for 5-6 min. Completely drain pineapple and fold into cream cheese mixture.  Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture. Serve immediately, topped with crushed pretzels and fresh strawberries! 

The only sugar you are eating in this recipe is natural sugars in the pineapple (be sure to buy it packed in 100% juice!), and a small amount in the pretzels on top (this varies, depending on the pretzels you buy)! 

If you are more worried about fats than sugars, you can substitute the cream and vanilla for Cool Whip Lite Topping!

If you are not worried about sugars, you can use 1/2 cup of white sugar instead of the Truvia! 

Enjoy!

Sylv

Valentine's Day Decor From Old Maps

Here is another cheap Valentine Decor idea! 

I used a simple glass frame from the thrift store, some card stock I had, and some maps from an old dictionary. You'll also need scissors and glue. 

Simply cut a piece of red card stock the fit your frame, cut a smaller rectangle of white card stock, and cut heart shapes from the maps. Glue the white rectangle into the center of the red rectangle. Evenly space out the hearts on the white piece and glue down. Super easy!

This would be fun to do using places you and your Valentine have been, places you'd like to go, or places that are important to you! :)

Have fun! -Sylvie

Wax Paper and Crayons Valentine Heart Decoration

These wax paper hearts are a cheap and fun decoration for Valentine's Day! 

Pretty much you just layer thick paper, then wax paper, then crayon shavings, then wax paper, and then thick paper again. Fold all the edges in to seal the shavings in (I tried to skip this step and ruined my ironing board!). Press with your iron on medium heat, with no steam.  Let cool, remove thick paper, and cut the wax paper into hearts! 

This idea came from Martha, you can find her tutorial here.

Have fun!

Sylvie

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Valentine Heart Cookies

Here is a fun little treat for you to make for your Valentine(s)! :) 

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Valentine Cookies

Ingredients...

1 1/4 Cups Flour

2 1/2 Tbsp Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

6 Tbsp Butter Flavored Shortening

1 1/2 Cups White Sugar

1 Egg

1 Egg Yolk

1 1/2 tsp White Vinegar

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1-2 tsp Red Food Coloring Gel

1 1/2 Cups White Chocolate Chips

Directions...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar on medium speed until very light colored and fluffy. Mix in the egg and egg yolk. Mix in vinegar, vanilla extract, and red gel until combined. (The mixture will darken once remaining ingredients are added.) In a seperate bowl combine all dry ingredients except the white chocolate chips. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Then add 1 cup of white chocolate chips, mixing until just combined. Using two spoons, place blobs (about 1/4 cup each) of dough onto a pan lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to carefully shape the dough into a heart,  without flattening them at all. Now press white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie- still trying not to flatten them. Bake 375 for 9- 10 min. Enjoy! 

This recipe was adapted from a Cooking Classy recipe found here.

Enjoy! :)

Sylvie

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