Cinco de Mayo Mini Party Hats -for Kids and/or Barbie

I picked up a pack of these Mini Sombreros at Dollar Tree. They are intended for people, but I thought they'd be fun for dolls too. Obviously oversized for Barbie, but a party is a party, and silly fun is always in style:@) Simply add a cotton ball or two to the inside to help it fit Barbie and Ken. It looks like the dolls went to their favorite restaurant for a bite to eat to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Gorgeous scenery and a nice casual atmosphere... 

Ut oh...

Is Ken reaching for the hot sauce,

or one of Barbie's Churros???

Barbie likes Churros...

Whew, looks like the hot sauce after all…

A man after my own heart:@)

The hats:

They have elastic so the kids can wear them.

Another option are these mini sombreros in the party section at Walmart. These are cute, colorful hats as is, but it's always fun to do a little embellishing with items from our craft stash... The easiest, and most impressive, decoration is to hot glue a some pom-pom trim around the brim. 

But anything goes, glitter, beads, rhinestones, stickers, ribbon or sewing trim. I used lots of blingy rhinestones on Barbie's hat.

What I started with:

Maybe have some for the girls and some for their dolls😉

Would be great for 18" dolls too.

Grab it when you see it, and 

Have a Happy Day:@)

Two Ingredient Sugar Free Jello Fluff or Whips -Retro Recipe

This Sugar Free Jello Fluff or Whips Recipe has been around forever and was on my to-try list for a long time. As we're looking forward to warmer weather (hello...  Mother Nature???) I thought it was time to whip some up. This is a light and creamy dessert or snack, and honestly, a pretty one too:@) I like the foamy fluffy tops. Choose any flavor of sugar free Jello, and maybe even a make a couple colors for a Mother's Day Brunch. The only other ingredient we need is non-fat plain Greek yogurt, it will add a little tang. This is a diabetic friendly, low carb, low Weight Watchers points, treat. Ma tried this with me and we both give it a thumbs up. Don't hesitate to give it a try folks, I think it will appeal to most. 

A great way to use up that last yogurt that may be flirting with the expiration date:@)

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Sugar Free Jello Fluff or Whips

Four serving size sugar free Jello, any flavor

3/4 C boiling water

1 C ice water, add ice, fill to equal 1 C

8 oz yogurt

1. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. 
2. Add ice water to Jello, stir.
3. Add yogurt and Jello to blender, blend on high for 30 seconds.
4. Pour into glasses or bowl. Makes 4 servings.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Nora Fleming Minis for Any Occasion (Literally...)

To cap off Baseball Week I wanted to share a collectible that's new to me... Have you heard of Nora Fleming Minis? The idea is, you pick a base, anything from a serving dish, to a paper towel holder, to a charcuterie board, and then add the mini. Mini's are small figural pieces that commemorate any occasion, every holiday, and just about every day... I scrolled through the Amazon page, and counted roughly 22 bases and 136 minis to chose from. You can go to Amazon or find her web page here. Now, I'm not saying this is an inexpensive gift, but it is certainly one that can be added to over time:@) There is even a scalloped edge square that's blank so you can write whatever message you'd like on it.

How it works:

More examples:

And I'll leave you with...

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Just sharing a fun idea,

Have a Happy Day:@)

Baseball! Candle Ribbon Wrap, Krispie Cookies & Phillies Pinterest Board

I started a new Phillies Baseball Fun Pinterest Board, so this week's posts have had a bit of a baseball and tailgating theme... The next, no-brainer, idea for decorating the candle on my tiered tray, Wrap a Flameless Candle in Icon or Logo Ribbon. You only need about 10" of ribbon to cover a 4" wide pillar candle. I secured the ribbon closed with glue dots. And of course, this doesn't need to be sports theme'd, any pretty ribbon would be nice. Dollar Tree usually has a display of seasonal choices, as well as the glue dots:@) Planning a wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, etc? You could have custom ribbon printed up. But please, only use flameless candles or wrap it around glass jars...

Need a little snack that travels well...

May I suggest these Krispie Mmmm's Cookies.

Good stuff folks:@)

And finally,

You can see Barbie's trip to the ballpark HERE.

Let's start humming the song now...

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⚾Make something just for fun, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Inspirational Friday

 

Have a Great Weekend:@)

Baseball Marshmallows -Take me out to the ball game...

I was curious to see how these Baseball Marshmallows would turn out, and I think they're kinda cute. In a perfect world, I would have had a red food writer marker, but I didn't. So I added a couple drops of red food coloring to a small bowl and painted the laces on with a paint brush. Once they dry they can be added to a serving bowl, or mixed in with some peanuts, and maybe even some Cracker Jack:@) This is just a neat little idea to add some fun to your ballgame, whether tailgating or enjoying it at home. Or maybe a little something extra for a baseball theme'd birthday party...

*The food writer pens would be best though. I also suggest Googling a baseball, the laces are in more of a V shape... I used the Chocolate Stuffed Marshmallows from Dollar Tree.

⚾Make something just for fun, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

How to Make No-Sew Barbie Tops from Ribbon -Lots of Options...

I wanted to share an idea for a simple Barbie doll top. All that's required is about 6" of ribbon, some velcro and a hot glue gun. A couple folds in the back create darts and add a little shape. These tops kinda remind me of a tube top, although not as form fitting. I also like that straps are optional. Embellishments... If you have some cute trim, pom-poms, zig-zag, ruffle, etc, you could add it to the bottom. I had just enough silly 4" fringe left in my stash to make this one tunic length, yet sill look cool and breezy for a summer baseball game:@)

These tops were made with 1 1/2" wide ribbon:

✂What I did:

Standard Barbie = 6" of ribbon, Curvy Barbie = 6 1/4" of ribbon.

Fold the cut ends over 1/4" and hot glue in place.

Fold two glued ends in half, and glue together.

Place middle of ribbon over doll's bust. If you turn the folded ends up you'll see that it creates a dart on each side creating shape.

Glue velcro to each side of back.

Add straps and embellishments.

Three more variations:

Use short ruffled ribbon for off shoulder look. 5/8" ribbon with necklace as bathing suit top, and I've added a sheer ribbon capelet to the last one.

5/8" ribbon simply tied in front,

or wired ribbon scrunched up...

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Barbie says, yep, 

all it takes is a little ribbon for a cute top! 

Have a Happy Day:@)

Garlic and Thyme Marinade for Beef & Broiler Grilling

I couldn't wait to do some grilling out and decided to treat myself to shish-ka-bobs... The thyme in the raised bed was beautiful and in need of a little trimming, so I tried this Garlic & Thyme Marinade for Beef. This is a good one folks, although it will be thick, so be sure to massage it into all of the meat:@) I could taste every ingredient, and it was nice to use my home grown thyme. Please give yourself lots of time for marinating, the longer the better for a big burst of flavor, even when meat is cut to kabob size. Did I fire up the grill? Unfortunately Mother Nature literally rained on my parade and added in gusting winds as an explanation point. So the cooking method was on to Plan B... 

As for broiler grilling, it works well, but we do need to be prepared for some smoke in the house. I heated the broiler to 525 degrees and placed the rack into the highest position (as close to the broiler as possible). My kabobs went onto a heavy duty sheet pan. I would loosely use these times: About 3 minutes each turn, turning the kabobs three times for rare. About 3 minutes each turn, turning the kabobs about four times for medium/well. My best tip: You might want to have a piece of meat on the pointed end of a few kabobs to easily pull off to check for desired doneness.

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Garlic & Thyme Marinade for Beef-from Beef It's What's for Dinner

1/4 C olive oil

3 Tblsp red wine vinegar

3 Tblsp chopped fresh thyme -or- 1 Tblsp dried thyme

2 Tblsp sweet or smoked paprika

3 tsp minced fresh garlic

1/4 tsp ground red(?) pepper-I used black pepper

1. Add marinade ingredients to zip top bag.
2. Salt and pepper your beef, add it to bag. 
3. Marinate for at least 6 hours in refrigerator, turning occasionally, you can marinate overnight. 
4. Grill as desired.

Eat well and Have a Happy Day:@)

QVC Free Shipping Today Only!

Popping in quickly to mention that QVC has free shipping today 4/14/24. So if you've been thinking about any of the Lock-N-Lock Appetizer or Snack Trays I've mentioned for parties and tailgating, today is a good day to get one:@) There are round and square, colors are limited (but they do still have red for the Phillies, summer holidays, and Christmas). Additionally, it looks like L-N-L is an extra 20% off on top of free shipping... Yep, that's a good deal folks. We're just beginning to see warmer weather, let's be prepared for outdoor activities and entertaining!

Grab it when you see it, and

Have a Happy Day:@)