Wordless Wednesday…Bubbles
6
Come Show Some Love
So today I am co-hosting the “Showing Some Love Hump Day” blog hop that is every week over at Modern Hippie Momma. Please take the time to link up and meet some new folks!
HELLO & WELCOME!
Introducing the official headquarters of showing some LOVE to your fellow Bloggers every
Wednesday a.k.a. “Hump Day“!
Okay, not really the “headquarters” but still…
Let’s Party!
This blog hop was born in true ”hippie fashion“ with the idea of giving, sharing and spreading LOVE in mind.
There seems to be so much dark in the world (especially on the news) lately so why don’t we band together to help spread more of the peace, LOVE & beauty in the world in the world?
Let’s stand together and shine our bright lights of positive energy and overcome all of the darkness!
Submissions will be open for 3 days, starting every Tuesday at 5am & ending every Thursday at 11pm.
Please see below for the simple rules. 
- ‘Share the LOVE‘ by (1) Sharing a post you LOVE, new or old AND (2) Visit other’s blogs to show them some LOVE.
- Follow your hostess… which is ME! :)
- Follow our LOVELY co-hostesses:
and
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Leave a comment if you’d like them to follow you too!
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- Show some LOVE to our AWESOME Bloggess of Honor…
Congrats, Meg!
~GRAB YOUR TIARA~
~GRAB YOUR TIARA~
<div align="center"><a href="http://modernhippiemomma.blogspot.com/" title="Modern Hippie Momma"><img src="http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u640/Amanda_Autumn_Nipper/igotmytiaraat_zps278dc114.jpg" alt="Modern Hippie Momma" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
*Want to be our Bloggess of Honor??
Be sure to follow ALL of the rules and come back next time to see if YOU get randomly selected!*
- Share this blog hop on your Social Outlets to help it GROW so we can ALL GROW!
- Display our peace sign badge on your side bar and/or blog post to encourage others to Show Some LOVE with us! Also so you know where to come back next time.
- Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY(s) of your choice before you leave!
That’s it! So what are you waiting for?!
Ready, Set,
GO!
*Multiple Giveaways!*
Um…. Starbucks, Target, Old Navy and Amazon…yeah, you might want to enter this giveaway.
We are talking over $150 worth of prizes!
As a bonus, you get to meet some amazing ladies.
To enter the GIVEAWAY(s) of your choice, simply subscribe to the appropriate blogs via…
EMAIL, FACEBOOK and TWITTER.
Winners will be chosen randomly.
GOOD LUCK!
These lovely ladies are giving away….
Nicole from Pharr Away | $15 Starbucks Giftcard
Amber from Classy Ever After | $10 Forever 21 Gift Card
Carissa from Lillies & Silk | $25 Old Navy Gift Card
Chelsea from Olive & Ivy | $15 Design Credit to Olive & Ivy Design
Amanda from Modern Hippie Momma | Love Bug Ad Space
Quana from Accidental Military Wife | $25 Amazon Gift Card
Lanaya from Raising Reagan | Premier Ad Space & $10 Amazon Gift Card
Ariana from Shopaholic Undercover | $25 Target Gift Card
Shanay from My Unique Girlz | Crochet Handband
(please contact us at [email protected] or visit our Sponsor Page if you’d like to be a one of our lovely co-hosts we love & adore so much) 
S’mores on the Grill
So we are planning a week-long family camping trip at the end of June. This will be Hattie’s first time camping. Before she was born, we would go once or twice a year. I actually love to camp, and I think that Hattie will love it. It will be a very long week if she doesn’t like it.
We have been talking about going camping with her for a while. She got a sleeping bag and a play tent for Christmas. I have shown her pictures of camping gear, and I think she is starting to get it.
Last night we made s’mores on the back deck. Hattie has had them before, but I usually just make them in the microwave. That really isn’t the same thing. The Husband lit one of the burners on the grill, and we toasted the marshmallows over that little flame. Hattie loved it, and we tried to explain to her that we will cook our food over a fire when we go camping.
So I love a s’more, and I love to have the marshmallow really toasted or burnt. To me nothing is better than a charred marshmallow with some melted chocolate. I came across this amazing recipe for s’more ice cream that I am dying to try. You actually toast the marshmallows before you add them to the ice cream. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.
Check me out:
The Real Thing with the Cloake Family
Recipes and Rambling with The Tumbleweed Contessa
A 1st Birthday Party at my House
So a few weeks ago my BFF had her little girl’s first birthday party at my house. I love to have parties at my house, and this one was very special. Here are a few things I need to tell you so it will be easier to follow this post:
BFF= Jess
BFF’s Husband= Tommy
BFF’s Little Girl= Anna Mae
Jess used to live here, but she lives in Georgia now. She still has family here. So she wanted to have a party here so her family would be able to come.
Jess and Tommy did a fantastic job with the decorations and the planning of the party. I only helped “execute it”. This party was all them. I wanted to share some pictures of the decor and pictures of the party.
There really wasn’t a “theme” for the party, but they used bright primary colors and the number “1″. Tommy designed the invitation to the party using a picture that he had taken of Anna Mae in her first birthday outfit holding a “1″.
They also matted the same picture and had all of the guests sign it at her party.
They also used the same picture to create a tag that hung from the party hat chocolate sucker favors that Jess and I made.
I love to hang things from the balcony that overlooks my foyer. For Hattie’s second birthday, I hung Dora dolls from the balcony. Last year, I had La La Loopsy doll cut outs hanging on fishing line with swivels. I am just obsessed with hanging things from the balcony.
So Jess and Tommy took Anna Mae’s picture each month with a sticker that Tommy designed. They used those pictures to hang from the balcony. They attached a picture to each side of super cute paper. Then, they hung the picture with fishing line and a swivel. So there were 12 separate cards hanging from the balcony with 24 pictures all together. They tied a small bow on each line just to add some color.
Anna Mae’s outfit was a blue and white seer sucker bubble with red rick rack. It was the cutest thing ever! Jess and Tommy made a birthday hat for her that matched her outfit. According to Jess, this was the most engineered birthday hat ever. They made it using a cereal box and red rick rack.
Jess and Tommy made the cutest Happy Birthday bunting that hung behind Anna Mae’s birthday chair. It was beyond cute. Before and after each word, they used a picture of just Anna Mae making a funny face. So the picture was just a black and white cut out of her face with a little party hat on top. The pictures will explain it better than I can!
The smash cake was from a local bakery, and it had a “1″ on it with the same primary colors. There were cupcakes for all of the guests. For Hattie’s first birthday party, my Dad made a three-tiered wooden cupcake stand. So Jess used that stand to display the cupcakes. The cupcakes were on the second and third tiers, and on the top-tier was the “1″ that Anna Mae held in the picture that was used for the invitation. The cupcake stand is so great because it is white, and you can add colored ribbon around the edges. So Tommy hot glued a different ribbon on each tier. Once the party was over, I just peeled off the ribbon.
Jess made some red tissue flowers that hung on the stair rail behind the gift table. She also used them on either side of the cupcake stand. I had an orange chevron paper table runner that we put over a white linen table-cloth on the dining room table. There were also bunches of solid color and polka dot balloons around the dining room.
The party was during lunch time so there was a spread of sandwiches, salads and fruit. We also had a beverage tub of bottled waters and soda. I made my sweet tea that was served from a glass beverage dispenser. Of course, I got a lot of compliments on my sweet tea. This girl knows how to make tea!
The party was absolutely beautiful, but Anna Mae got a bit overwhelmed. I do believe that is very common with first birthday parties. After a meltdown and a nap, she was ready to party! I ended up spreading a plastic table-cloth on the floor of the living room, and that is where Anna Mae smashed her cake. That girl savored every bite of her cake and smashed it good!
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, ANNA MAE!!
Check me out:
The Real Thing with the Cloake Family
Recipes and Rambling with The Tumbleweed Contessa
Link Up, Y’all
So I am very excited to be co hosting “Like Me On Facebook Wednesdays”. Every Wednesday the girls from Nap Time Review and Consider Me Inspired host a facebook hop! This is a great opportunity to meet some new folks, make new friends and get some publicity for your blog on facebook.
Link Up, Y’all!!
Welcome to Like Me on Facebook
We would LOVE for you to be our next Co-Host?
3 Months Ad Space up for grabs for every co-host spot in MAY!
Just A Little Something- 3 months
100 x 100 Available now. Small ads will be rotated during the length of your ad time. Sidebar only. Just a little something to get some extra exposure! Your ad will be live for 3 whole months on The Naptime Review!
Influenced- 3 months
200 x 200 Available now. ~ Sidebar Spot. Guest Post option. *Ads will be rotated for maximum exposure. Ad will be live for 3 months on Consider Me Inspired.
Share the Love on Mother’s Day
So first I want to say, “Happy Mother’s Day, Y’all!” I hope that every Mama, Grandma, Aunt, Sister, Friend and Godmother have a fabulous day! I know that I am planning on being spoiled by my little family, and I am going to enjoy every second of it! I really think we should have a Mother’s Day at least once a month. Who do I need to discuss this idea with?
Today I am co hosting the Share the Love Blog Hop that is hosted once a month by Serenity You and Sew Much Crafting. So please link up and share the love on the greatest day of the year!
Share the Love Blog Hop is here!! Yeah!!
Every month Share the Love blog hop will be on both Serenity You and Sew Much Crafting along with the co-hosts
Rules:
1. Please follow your hosts @ number 1 & 2 and The co-hosts at number 3 – 10. And any others that you like.
2. Please leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you are a new follower and found them on ‘share the love blog hop’
3. Link up your blog’s Home page
4. Copy and paste the code at the bottom into a new post on your blog (optional)
5. Have fun!!
I am scheduling co-hosts now. June is already full,
so if you would like to be a co-host in July email me at [email protected]
{HOSTS}
Natasha @ Serenity You
Danielle @ Sew Much Crafting
And here are this Months Co-Hosts
So come get your linkin on!!
Please use the hashtag #ShareTheLoveBlogHop when posting on twitter
Blog
Bloglovin
Google+
Got Time For A Lunch Quickie?
So I just made myself a super delicious and healthy lunch. I usually don’t have my “own lunch”. I usually pick at whatever Hattie’s having for lunch, or graze on something from the fridge. Today I decided to make my own lunch, sit down and eat it.
I had some leftover grilled eggplant hanging out in the fridge from dinner the other night. I made some quinoa yesterday that I never got around to eating. So I decided to add in some other fresh veggies, fresh mozzarella cheese and some balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It turned out super colorful and very light. We are going to the beach this afternoon so this was the perfect thing to eat before squeezing myself into a swimsuit. I really wish they made moo moo swim dresses. That would be amazing!
Grilled Eggplant Caprese Quinoa
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 slices grilled eggplant, sliced into chunks
1 container cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1/2 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
fresh ground pepper
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve.
HAPPY FRIDAY, Y’ALL!
Check me out:
The Real Thing with the Cloake Family
Thank You Teachers and Thank You Viggle
So this week is National Teacher’s Appreciation week. I wanted to do something nice for Hattie’s three teachers, but I didn’t know what to do. So I went on Pinterest and found some ideas. The ideas that I really liked had to do with coffee and Starbucks cards. Who doesn’t love a Starbucks?
Side Bar
A few months ago I saw a commercial for the app Viggle. Have you ever heard of it? Well, you earn points by watching TV. Then you cash in the points for rewards. Shut the front door…I can get paid to watch tv?! So The Husband and I have been Viggling like crazy. All you do if hold up your smart phone to the tv, and Viggle detects it. You earn one point for every minute you watch. You can also earn points by watching certain commercials, checking into certain shows and playing along live with a tv show. It is really fun, and we are both addicted.
The Husband has more points that I do. A lot of the extra bonus points come from sporting events. So we used some of his points to buy three $5 Starbucks gift cards for Hattie’s teachers.
Starbucks gift card from Viggle
I found some insulated coffee mugs at the Walmart that were on sale for $4 each. On a piece of green polka dot card stock, I wrote: Thank you a Latte for all that you do! Then, I taped the gift card to it. I made up a gift bag with the coffee mug, and the Starbucks card for each teacher. I used craft gift bags, letter stickers, tissue paper and ribbon for the bags.
So I hope that Hattie’s teachers like the gifts as much as I liked putting them together. I really wasn’t trying to be a cheap skate, but I was ecstatic to find such great deals. But, I do love cute and cheap!
HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, Y’ALL!
Check me out:
The Real Thing with the Cloake Family
Recipes and Rambling with The Tumbleweed Contessa
Wordless Wednesday…Mama’s Cocaine
Tiny Dancers Are TuTu Cute
So my little Hattie takes dance lessons. This is her second year, and she absolutely loves it! Little girls in pink leotards make my heart smile. I started taking dance lessons when I was three, and I continued for about thirteen years. I am so pumped that Hattie likes dance class so much.
For whatever reason, leotards are hard to find and are super expensive. I haven’t quite figured out why, but swimsuits are the exact same way. I have been able to find just basic pink or black leotards for a decent price. But, the super fancy ones are out of my price range.
So I have come up with two ways to make the basic leotards look fancy pants!
1. Monogram
I love a monogram! I think that monograms make everything look cute and more expensive! So I have a lady with an embroidery machine on speed dial. One of these days, I am gonna make The Husband buy me my own. He would save so much money.
2. Iron Ons
As much as I love my monogram lady, she can get expensive. I have found some cheap iron on letters at the Walmart. They aren’t quite the same as an embroidered letter, but I think they still look cute.
I found a really cute jeweled ballet shoes iron on at AC Moore. It was super easy to iron on a plain pink leotard. Hattie wears it with her silver tutu! Can you say “tu-tu” cute?!
So I have to admit that I love getting compliments on Hattie’s dance class wardrobe. All of the little girls always look so cute and sweet. By looking at them, you would never know that they run around that dance studio like “midget monkeys on acid”!
Check me out:
The Real Thing with the Cloake Family
Recipes and Rambling with The Tumbleweed Contessa