Category: holiday

gift guide under $40

It’s the time of year where you are running around like a crazy person trying to remember every school party, work gathering, and hostess gift you were supposed to go to, bring, and write a thank you note about. There is so much going on and because of that, if you are like me, you are going to get that doorbell ring from someone you completely forgot to grab a gift for during your last Target, Anthro, mall, let’s be real- entire metroplex trip.

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I’m going to give you guys a little tip that our mom taught us – always have some gifts wrapped, labeled with what is in them, and stashed in a closet for those unexpected gift givers that show up! This way, you are never caught off guard or stressed-at least about this part of the holidays.

Here are some of our picks for stash & grab gifts under $40 for adults:

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1 Reversible Prep & Serve Board | 2 Capri Blue Iridescent Jar Candle | 3 Celestial Coaster Set

4 Sweet Salutation Travel Mug | 5 Slivered Geode Coaster 6 Anthro Measuring Spoons

7 Hammered Copper Mug | 8 Stance Socks | 9 Levtex Faux Shearling Throw

10 Orbit Key Finder | 11 Organic Herb Garden Kit Set of 2  | 12 Holiday Garden Seed Kit

13 Kate Spade New York 2017 Agenda Book | 14 Polar Bear Snow Tube

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happy holiday shopping!

xox

aj

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pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins

Like many festive folks, you may have visited a pumpkin patch or two in October.  We did!  And now that Halloween has passed we’re wondering.. what should we do with all those pumpkins?!  Read on for decorating ideas and some recipes!  But first, where’d those pumpkins come from?

Ash’s pumpkin patch visit 

I checked out the Great Peter Pumpkin Patch on one of the rainiest weekends Nor Cal has seen in a while.  And, yes! – that’s the ‘jane trench‘ I’m wearing along with the ‘everyday leggings’ (coming soon!), ‘ruche long sleeve tee‘, and Hunter ‘Tour’ packable rain boots (previously mentioned here).

Aj’s pumpkin patch visit

My visit was more of kid-centered visit. We went to a darling pumpkin patch farm with animals, pumpkins, and a real corn maze – Hall’s Pumpkin Farm & Corn Maze. The littles loved being able to just pick grass and feed the animals – as well as running around like crazy trying to find our way out of the corn maze! Do you see those cute boots I was wearing!? Those are coming to the store SOON!! And that perfect green color tee I’m sporting? Yep, our ‘premium tee- evergreen‘. Kiddo’s outfits are from here and here. The husband’s? Ya, I didn’t think you asked. *eyeroll* he did not dress cute for the occasion.

 

Now, what we’re doing with all those pumpkins…

Decorating ideas

pumpkin-welcome

Pumpkins fit the season through Thanksgiving (at least the ones that weren’t carved up), so let them hang out!  Put them on the front porch, use some in a table centerpiece, paint them white and gold for a more contemporary/modern feel – so many options!  Here is some inspiration that we found –

White pumpkins from Livingly;  gold confetti pumpkins also from Livingly; and a beautiful pumpkin centerpiece from the Stone Gable blog.

Recipes

Nothing says fall like pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING. Here is one of our favorites:

Pumpkin Double Layer Cheesecake Bars

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 2-5 tbsp (to taste) white sugar

Filling

  • 4 packages, 8oz each, cream cheese- room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs- room temperature
  • 1 8oz can of canned pumpkin
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Homemade whipped cream

  • whipping cream
  • sugar
  • vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper- leaving a little over hanging on the sides.

In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Mix to combine- Then press the crumb mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. You can use the bottom of a cup to really press down on the crust to make sure it’s pressed firmly together.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat with a paddle attachment until light, fluffy, and smooth. You don’t want any lumps! This is why it is key for everything to be at room temperature.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time- until blended. Spoon half of this mixture over the crust and spread evenly. To the remaining mixture add the canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Use a wire whisk to stir until smooth. Then, carefully spoon this over the other layer in the pan.

Bake the cheesecake in the oven for 50 minutes. Then- just turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar so that the cheesecake can slowly cool down- about 1 hour, maybe more.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting into bars! A little tip- run your knife under warm water and dry it off between cuts so you get smooth, clean cut bars! Top with homemade whipped cream (or store bought!) and sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice for a festive touch. Then- try not to eat them all before you share with others. You’ve been warned.

 

xox

Ash & Aj

 

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glitz, glam, & velvet

Halloween is over and November is here- which means holiday music is already playing in the Starbucks line and Christmas decor is at Hobby Lobby! So, what I do to scratch that Christmas itch without dragging out my tree too earlier is… shop for all the holiday gatherings and parties I will be attending! Now is a great time to do it before everything is sold out. You’ll also grab a look that won’t be crazy popular during December that everyone will also end up wearing.

Asos is a favorite of mine for holiday wear. They have great, unique pieces that are reasonably priced so I don’t feel bad about maybe wearing it a handful of times. Here are my picks from their new party line.

First things first- it’s the holidays!

That means bust out the glitz, glam, sparkle, and velvet! Don’t be shy! You can get away with anything this time of year.

Dresses:

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1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

7 | 8 | 9

#3 –  runs small. size up. #4- runs large. size down.

Tops:

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1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

7 | 8 | 9

Pants/Skirts:

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1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

7 | 8 | 9

Shoes/Accessories:

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1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

7 | 8 | 9

happy shopping!

xox

aj

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spooky treats

Those that know me, know I love to throw a party! Especially a halloween one! Today I am going to show you some of my go-to halloween party food items. Easy, fast, and super cute!

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Monster cake, poison apples, mummy jalapeño poppers, ‘witch’s brew’ root beer, sugar cookie candy corns, popcorn hands, magic wands, cheetoh pumpkins and spider web cupcakes- oh my! All of these are so simple and fast to make- which is needed when you are throwing a party.

I typically shy away from your “normal” holiday colors. I’m a sucker for purple, black, and green for halloween.

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For instructions on each of these fun party foods- see below!

Mummy Jalapeno poppers

10 jalapeno peppers- slice in half length wise. {I left the stems on and seeds in for an extra kick!}
8 ounces cream cheese- room temperature
8 ounces jack cheese- shredded
1 scallion- finely chopped
2 t. Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
2 eggs- beaten
1 Package candy eyeballs {I purchased mine at Michaels- you can find them at walmart, amazon, target, etc}

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, jack cheese, scallion and salt together. Roll out the crescent rolls and separate into 4 rectangles- not the pre-cut triangles- with a perforation in the middle of each. Press your fingers into the perforations to seal them. You don’t want them splitting along the pre-cut areas. Cut each rectangle into 10 long pieces lengthwise.

Fill each jalepeño half with the cheese mixture. Wrap each jalapeño half with the dough, leaving a space for the eyes. On some I used a couple pieces of the crescent strips. Brush with egg mixture and place on baking sheet.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, and slightly golden brown, remove from the oven and press the eyes onto them where you left an opening along the top. Serve while hot!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

2 Sticks Butter, softened
1 c. Sugar
1 Egg
2 T. Lemon Juice
2 t. Lemon Zest
1/8 t. Salt
3 c. Flour
1/2 t. Baking Soda
Purple Food coloring
Green Food coloring
Granulated sugar to sprinkle on top

Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda, beat until well mixed. Divide dough into thirds. Press one-third of the white dough evenly into the bottom of a loaf pan that you have lined with foil, wax, or parchment paper. Place another one-third of the dough into a bowl and add purple food coloring to it. Once it is mixed evenly, press the purple dough evenly over white dough. In another bowl, add the rest of the dough and the green food coloring. Press the green evenly over the purple dough. Cover and refrigerate until firm (2 hours or overnight is best). Once chilled, flip over your loaf pan and unwrap your dough. Flip it back over and get ready to cut! Cut loaf crosswise into 1/4-inch slices using a sharp knife, trimming edges to make even, if necessary. Cut each slice into wedges.

Place 1-inch apart onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Place cookies straight into a bowl with sugar and coat. Place coated cookies on a baking rack to cool.

Monster Cake

1 of your favorite cake box mixes or your favorite homemade batter
Homemade frosting or store bought!
1 package Oreos
1 package Oreos Minis
Regular chocolate chips
1 Box of Junior Mints

Mix, bake, layer, and frost your cake! Any flavor or colors you like! Once assembled- you can make your monster eyes. Separate all your Oreos and place them in pairs. Then, take some leftover frosting and attach the chocolate chips to the mini Oreos, and the junior mints to the regular Oreos. Once finished, use a little frosting on the back of each cookie to attach them sporadically all over the cake! Super simple and sure to be a hit!

Poison Apples

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups water
1/2 cups light corn syrup
black gel food coloring
6 {or 12 small} green apples. Make sure they are not waxed!

 

Grease a piece of baking paper and place on a tray/baking sheet. Insert a skewer/popsicle stick/etc in all the apples and set aside.

In a medium pot, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and food colouring and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. It should feel smooth. When the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat up and keep the sides of the pot clean with a pastry brush dipped into clean water to prevent it from crystalizing. Bring the mixture to a boil until a candy thermometer reaches 150°c/310°F, or hard crack stage.

Carefully dip the apples into the hot candy mixture and place on the wax paper to set and cool. Enjoy your poison apples! Not just for a party but, you could tie a ribbon to the stick and hand them out to friends as a fun treat!

Spider Web Cupcakes

1 box of your favorite cake mix
Homemade {or store bought} frosting & food coloring if you are wanting a color
1 Package Chocolate almond bark
Wax paper
Cupcake liners

Mix and bake cake mix according to directions- in regular size cupcake tins with liners. While they are baking, print out you favorite spider web template from here. You can print a few copies, or just slide it around, whichever you prefer. Place it underneath wax paper. Now, melt your chocolate almond bark according the package directions. Once melted, pour it into a plastic baggie and cut off one of the tips of the baggie- very very small cut! You are just wanting to make a tiny hole. Then, carefully trace your template on the wax paper. Repeat. Let them cool to harden.

Once your cupcakes are cooled, frost them and before the frosting hardens up a bit, carefully push one of your spiderwebs into the frosting. Voila!

Witches Brew Root Beer

2 oz bottle of root beer extract
2 cups sugar
1 gallon of water
Dry ice

Fill your container with 1 gallon of warm water- you want it warm because it will help the sugar dissolve. It also makes the dry ice more effective!

Add the root beer extract and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Add the dry ice {do not touch it with your bare hands!} 10-15min prior to serving. You will need to let the dry ice do it’s thing for at least 10 minutes to cool and carbonate the root beer. Drink up!

Popcorn Hands

1 box unwaxed plastic, clear gloves
Homemade or store bought popcorn
1 bag of candy corn
ribbon
**optional: spider rings

Fill each finger of the gloves with a candy corn. Then stuff popcorn into the glove until full. Once full to your liking, tie off with a ribbon! Feel free to add a spider ring to one of the fingers for an extra spooky touch! Great for kid school parties!

Witches Hats

1 Package Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies
1 Package Hershey’s chocolate kisses
Homemade frosting or a tube of store bought in whatever color you prefer!

Lay out the fudge stripe cookies upside down on the counter/platter. Squeeze  small amount of frosting in the center and press on a hershey’s kiss candy {unwrapped}. Let set- and you’re finished! How simple was that!?

Magic Wands

1 Package of pretzel rods
2 Packages of white or chocolate almond bark (depending on if you are going to add food coloring)
Food coloring in the colors of your choosing.

Melt the almond bark according to the package directions- In mine above, I used the chocolate almond bark- pour it in to a tall cup. Next, dip your pretzel rods into the mixture and lay on parchment/wax paper to cool.

Then, melt the white chocolate (to be like the ones above) and separate into two bowls and add the food colorings of your choice. Once mixed, put the chocolates in to two separate plastic baggies. Cut diagonally across one of the bottom corners and drizzle the chocolate over the pretzel rods. Repeat with the other color(s). Let cool to harden!

Orange Pumpkins/Ghostly Bananas

Cutie Oranges
Bananas
Regular and mini chocolate chips
Black Sharpie

Draw a pumpkin face on each cutie orange with the sharpie.

Peel the bananas and cut them in half. Then place mini chocolate chips for the eyes, and a regular size chocolate chip for the mouth. Finished. So simple! Perfect for kid school parties!

 

Happy partying!

 

xox

aj

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