Bird/Butterfly/Bee Watering Station & Taco Stands -Dollar Tree Alert!

Popping in with two fun holiday, or any day, finds... Dollar Tree has these small (what they are calling) bird feeders or birdbaths. Right upfront, they are too small and shallow for most birds. ~But~ they are perfect for butterflies and bees:@) Love this idea! And it would be a nice little $5 extra gift for Mother's Day. We just had three mid-80 degree days and I could already see the birds and bees, everything, looking for water. 

They come in two colors with a metallic paint that changes a bit in different sunlight. 20" high, 9" round, and it holds about 1/3 C water. The raised petals will give the butterflies a place to land and drink.

And just in time for a weekend of Cinco de Mayo fun, my Dollar Tree loaded up on red and yellow taco stands:@) We all love tacos, and many folks make a nice easy, kid friendly, Taco Tuesday meal every week. These were in with the Mexican foods, they may also be in the kitchenware section of the store.

A helpful item at a pretty good price:@)

Grab it when you see it, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Large Flower Charcuterie Board

I'm still channeling my inner charcuterie self... This Large Flower Charcuterie Board is a nice easy idea that would be fun for Mother's Day or any spring/summer event. The idea is to start with a small round bowl of dip or dressing as the flower's center, and simply build the flower petals with slices of carrots and peppers. I used my Homemade Honey Mustard Dip for the center. Only difference, I used yellow mustard instead of Dijon for the color. The pretty asparagus is from Dollar Tree (and great with the mustard dip), I just had to try a jar:@) I was expecting it to be super mushy, but it still has ~some~ body to it and can be picked up with fingers. Just be sure to gently drain it well on paper towels. Candied whole pecans add a little earthiness and a sweet note, soft pretzel nuggets would be another good choice with the dip. Wa-la, that's how easy it was! 

The asparagus:

It's ok to play with our food every once in a while folks:@)

Try something just for fun and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Barbie's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

Barbie loves a party and wanted to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! The dolls pushed the furniture back against the wall, turned up the music and did a little salsa dancing... She believes you never need a reason to get dressed up (although holidays do help:@) As for Ken, he's digging the alter ego his mustache is providing and has never been smoother on the dance floor...

After a couple hours of dancing, Barbie and Ken sit down for dinner and a drink. Barbie's wondering how much of that taco will end up in his mustache😄

Only to be followed by...

Yep, more dancing:@)

Barbie says es una fiesta!!!

DIY project links below:

Flag Banner/Bunting=Yarn and triangles cut from magazine pages.

Necklace ~ Maracas ~ Guitar ~ Ribbon Top ~ Taco ~ Vest

A better look at Ken's vest...

The chihuahua was a button:@)

Free No-Sew Pattern here.

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We wish you all a festive Cinco de Mayo:@)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting -Two Ingredient Frosting

The strawberry cream cheese spread kept catching my eye at the store, and I knew I'd have to come up with at least one thing to make with it... This Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting couldn't be easier, and everyone gave it a big thumbs up:@) I happened to whip up a brownie mix, but the frosting would be good with anything, and there is enough to easily cover a 9x13 pan. It only calls for two ingredients and about two minutes of your time. Gotta love that! It's sweet and fluffy, and you will taste the strawberries. You can adjust the sweetness as desired, and I love that we save a few calories by not adding butter. Don't hesitate to give this quick frosting a try folks, I think you'll like it. 

The icing will be pinker in person:

The cream cheese spread I used:

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Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz tub Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread, softened

1/4 to 1/2 C powdered sugar-I used 1/4 C

1. Using electric beater, mix cream cheese to soften, then mix in sugar until light and fluffy. Taste and adjust sweetness-you know your crowd...

Enjoy an easy snack and 

Have a Happy Day:@)

Cinco de Mayo! Easy Fajita Marinade, Rice Side Dishes & Mexican Brownies

For today's ReView I thought I'd gather a few ideas to add to our Cinco de Mayo fun next weekend:@) As the cost of eating out keeps skyrocketing, how about trying something different at home... This Fajita Marinade was inexpensive, easy to put together, and very tasty. The chicken can be cooked on the stove, on a grill, or on your George Foreman grill. Good stuff folks!

What to have with it? Rice makes a great (and filling) side dish and I have three good recipes that fit our theme. All three can be served as is, or added to fajitas, burritos, or enchiladas, etc. And leftovers make a great lunch by adding a little protein. Restaurant Style Mexican Rice,  Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice), and  Southwestern Rice

And for dessert, Mexican Brownies. Simply doctor up a mix, easy and delicious!

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Happy Cinco de Mayo Planning:@)

Inspirational Friday

Have a Happy Weekend:@)

Cheddar and Jalapeno Popcorn (serving suggestion) -Aldi Alert!

Calling all jalapeno lovers... Aldi has a new seasonal flavor out called Cheddar and Jalapeno Popcorn, and it's a spicy one! I love me some heat, and on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put this at about a 6, maybe 7.  But I have a suggestion to tone it down just a tad if interested... The gold colored popcorn is Aldi's, the white popcorn is my homemade kettle corn. Yep, the addition of a little sweetness was just enough to mellow the 'peno and allow me to enjoy a bigger bowl. I'm all about the bigger bowl:@) Don't hesitate to grab a bag if you see it, good stuff folks.

The popcorn:

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Lighter Homemade Kettle Corn-One/Two servings:
1/4 C popcorn 
1 Tblsp vegetable oil 
1 Tblsp sugar 
Salt to taste

1. Add oil, sugar, and 3 kernels to 2-3 quart pan with lid, heat over medium heat. **Be very careful, melting sugar is very hot**
2. Once the corn begins to pop add the rest, add lid, and give pan a good shake.
3. Shake vigorously until popping slows down. Be careful to remove popcorn from pan before it burns.
4. Pour into bowl, add salt.
5. Carefully mix the two types of popcorn and allow to cool for a couple minutes.
6. Once it has completely cooled down, leftovers can be added back to the bag, or a Lock-N-Lock, for storage.

Enjoy a snack and Have a Happy Day:@)

Spin-Achos *Spinach Nachos & Early Spring Garden...

My spinach plants got big and needed a little trimming, so I thought I'd whip up a little snack. These Spin-Achos came together quickly and used just a few ingredients, all were items on-hand. I added sliced spinach and cheddar cheese to a bed of tortilla chips, then I asked, what could make it better? Bacon:@) Now, the bacon is truly optional, but highly recommended... I gave it a few seconds in the microwave, and topped them with a little drizzle of ranch dressing, some reserved crunchy bacon crumbles, and freshly chopped chives. Spinach and chives from the garden-yay!

I gave this a rough chop, about 1/2" wide. Want your spinach more wilted? Simply slice it thinner. My test batch was about 1/8" wide, and the spinach did cook more. Baby spinach will wilt faster than the mature curly leaves I used too. Another good addition would be some small diced fresh tomatoes.

My thyme has been replanted several times, this is the second year in its final home. Thyme has a tendency to grow tangled and maybe even get a little matted. I like to run my fingers through it in an upward motion, to free up the stems and give it a little lift. The best part about this, the stems are lighter and sway gently in the wind. I likey:@)

And finally, every September I buy one small 3" pot of pansies to add to the large planter on the patio. They are in bloom at the time, and depending upon how harsh winter is, may send up occasional flowers all winter. But by March and April they are spectacular! I always consider this $3 well spent:@)

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Spin-Achos with Optional Bacon

1. Lay a bed of tortilla chips on microwavable platter.
2. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced fresh spinach.
3. Add bacon to above if using.
4. Microwave for a few seconds, until the cheese melts. About 10-12 seconds.
5. Top with more bacon, a drizzle of ranch dressing, and some freshly minced chives.

Have a Happy Day:@)

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:@)