Showing posts with label party

Tis the season to say yes by serving readymade appetizers

in , , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, November 29, 2017
The happiest time of the year is upon us and I am ready to enjoy all the magic filled events I can with family and friends.  This is the time of year to say yes to party invitations, whether it’s a bonfire (our personal favorite thing to host), a cozy potluck, or an afternoon filled with rooting on the home team either at home or tailgating. You really should say yes more to this kind of fellowship, even if it’s a spur of the moment invite. Don’t worry about what to bring! Tis the season to serve up smiles with readymade appetizers like the delicious party trays from HORMEL GATHERINGS.



#ad #hormel partytray readymade appetizers


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Summer party side dishes made easy with Suddenly Salad

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, June 30, 2016

Invitations to summer events, potlucks and neighborhood block parties seem to show up weekly now that summer is here, and each time you receive an invitation, do you automatically think What will I bring? Sometimes the invitations are spur of the moment and you may not have time to cook something from scratch, but don’t fret! Your next summer party side dish can be made easily with a box or two of Suddenly Salad on hand. Thanks to today’s sponsor, Publix and Suddenly Salad, I’m going to have a #SuddenlySaladSummer filled with great food, fun, family and friends! All opinions are my own. 




Suddenly Salad pasta goes pairs perfectly with hot dogs #Summer



Even though I love cooking from scratch, when it comes to the laid-back flow of summer living, I’m more than happy to serve up semi-homemade sides from time to time. I grew up watching my mom say yes to summer family invitations because she kept a supply of side dish ready staples in our pantry and one of her favorites was the classic Suddenly Salad pasta salad. She would jazz it up with cucumbers and a healthy amount of Italian dressing and it was always a crowd pleaser.  



I loved learning helpful entertaining and cooking tips from my mom, and thinking of her making this side dish reminded me of a tip on seeding cucumbers before serving that will take your summer salads to a whole new level of tasty goodness.  



Cucumbers are wonderful in pasta salads


How to De-seed a Cucumber:

Simply peel cucumber, slice it in half width-wise and then slice those pieces in half, lengthwise. Next, hold slice of cucumber vertically, take a teaspoon, and gently spoon out seeds by working down the length of the cucumber slice. Voila! No more pesky seeds! Not only does this make your salad more appetizing, removing the seeds makes cucumbers easier to digest.



Side dishes made easy with #SuddenlySaladSummer



Following in my mom’s footsteps, I try to keep my pantry stocked with side dish staples too, and thankfully, we can get $0.75 off (with the purchase of 3 Suddenly Salads) in July when shopping at Publix or your favorite retailer!  If you have a Publix loyalty card already, you know it’s so easy to load savings onto your card and have them ready when you checkout. Now, everydaysaver.com it's easy to grab the coupons and use them anywhere you shop. 


Click here to grab your coupon now!



This week I decided to try two different Suddenly Salad pasta salads ‒ Creamy Italian and Caesar.  My family was excited to try the Caesar first so I whipped it up for dinner in record time. It was an instant hit served with hot dogs.




Add a spring of Rosemary to Caesar Suddenly Salad



I decided to make my Caesar side dish original, not creamy, so I added oil and water and tucked a sprig of fresh rosemary in the bowl for an added touch of flavor and color. If your family likes a creamy pasta salad, you can simply add a ½ cup of mayo and a teaspoon or two of milk and this tasty #SuddenlySaladSummer is transformed into a creamy summer party dish you’ll be proud to serve. 
Win It:

Thanks to today’s sponsors, one lucky reader will win $15.00 PayPal cash transfer.  You’ll be able to stock your pantry with several types of Suddenly Salads! Entering is easy- just go to the Suddenly Salad site by clicking HERE, then come back and tell me in comments which recipe you want to try and which Suddenly Salad product you’ll need to buy to make it. That’s it! You'll be enter to win. 


Terms: Important, please read!

  • No purchase is necessary to enter. Open to United States residents 18+. Must have a valid email address AND PayPal account to enter. 
  • Must leave a thoughtful comment about Everydaysaver.com ( like which coupons would you use and why) with same valid email address to for entry to count.  
  • My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. 
  • Giveaway will run until 12 am 7/12/16 and winners will be randomly selected via Random.org using emails in comments.  
  • Winners will be notified by email used in comments and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  
  • This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel.


Good luck and happy summer!

 Winner selected!!!

 Congratulations to Julie Wood! Your comment number was randomly selected as the winner via Random.org! An email has been sent to you! 
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Tips on hosting an Epic tween birthday party #Disneyside

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, February 20, 2015
On a recent mild Saturday afternoon, a group of happy tweens arrived at our home to help my daughter celebrate her 12th birthday.  They were full of energy and giggles right from the start!

The hostess ready to greet her guests #Disneyside #celebration


The birthday “Princess” was ready to greet her guests and make them feel welcome. For twenty minutes, we met girls and parents and exchanged pleasantries as one should. All went according to plan. That would be the last time I could say that with any real confidence! The great thing about tweens is their spontaneity!  So my first tip to hosting an epic tween birthday party is: Plan to not follow your plan exactly.


Show your #Disneyside #celebration MyWAHMPlan.com
My next tip is to pick a theme that has a lot of wiggle room. While my daughter liked the “idea” of a Disney Villain style party, she didn’t want it to be over the top with decorations.  We went with simple purple, green, gray and black pieces and accessories. The clear favorite was the villain banner! Hello Ursula, Maleficent and Darth Vader!


#Disneyside Villain themed #party banner


After the girls had played outside for a while they came in ready for a snack. We had lots of on hand, but before I could get a photo to share- these girls descended upon the table with an appetite only a tween boy could rival! Which leads me to my next tween party tip: don’t take too many photos and never snap a picture of a girl with her mouth full of food! So, not cool Mom!

#Disneyside #party snack time MyWAHMPlan.com


After the girls hung out listening to music and taking selfies (yes, the irony isn’t lost on me) they went totally off plan and asked to do hair, nails and makeup instead of the crafts and games we had planned. Tip number 3: Roll with it, when at all possible. 


Here's my girls take on Maleficent nails.  We used black, green and purple nail polish- but you could use whatever darker colors you have on hand. I think they turned out nice!

#Maleficent style nails #Disneyside #Villains


Want to create your own Maleficent Villain style nails? Here’s a quick tutorial for you to follow.

Maleficent inspired nail art #Disneyside


After dinner, which included lots of pizza and veggies, the girls were ready to be frightened by playing flashlight tag! Living out in the country like we do, Mother Nature provided us with a very dark and mysterious landscape, perfect to frighten and amaze city dwellers! Maleficent would approve!


girls playing flashlight tag #Disneyside #tween party fun!


While down at our pond, these girls got themselves so scared, they ran back to the house and got us parents involved! It was a perfect, crisp, clear night on our land for flashlight tag. Even with all the flood lights on there was much screaming and laughter.


The hubby and myself have fun playing flashlight tag #Disneyside

I must confess- this older Princess had a lot of fun outside with her Prince.


Tip number 4: Let your tweens explore and push the boundaries just a bit. Their party is the perfect time to allow ghost stories and playing outside after dark (weather permitting) as long as you establish safety guidelines first. Parents, even if you don’t want to be seen- stay close where you can hear and see the kids. 


Later that evening, the girls decided to get to the games and crafts part of our party plan. The clear favorite was the jar painting craft!

Girls just want to have fun! #Disneyside craft time

They laughed and talked and joked and ate and laughed some more until it was movie time.

I cleaned up the happy mess as best I could and left the living room to them. Which leads me to tip number 5: let your child host, but set ground rules before guests arrive. Chat with your son or daughter about snacks and drinks allowed, which movies are approved for watching and what time the party must wind down so kids can go to sleep if you are hosting a sleepover party like we did.


As I was preparing breakfast the next morning, the girls naturally gravitated back to the craft area to finish up their jars before pick up time arrived. That's when I knew this craft project was a winner! 

morning craft time #Disneyside MyWAHMPlan.com


Even though this was a bit of a messy endeavor, I think all the jars turned out as pretty and as individual as the girls who painted them.


painted keepsake jar #Disneyside party craft


My last tip on throwing an epic tween birthday party, one in which your child and their friends tell you how much fun they had and how Epic! the party was. It's simple- sprinkle your party liberally with laughter and a healthy dose of pixie dust style patience and you too can pull off a great tween party!


Pixie Dust for goodie bags #Disneyside



Disney wants you to show your #Disneyside by being happy and sharing what you love about Disney! Showing your Disneyside will look different for every family and that’s what makes life fun.


#Disneyside #birthday party fun


If you’d like to throw your own #Disneyside at home celebration, head on over to DisneySide Celebrations and check out all the amazing themes, tips, activities and recipes they have. I'm betting you'll be able to pull of an epic party too!



Please share in comments: What is your favorite Disney Villain character and why?


Disclosure: My thanks to Disneyside for providing us with a box of Villain worthy goodies to use how we chose to show our Disneyside. No compensation was given or wanted. We are happy to show our Disneyside as often as possible.

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Easy kids birthday party craft using upcycled packing paper

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, October 02, 2014

From time to time my husband receives supplies for his cabinet business wrapped in long sheets of white packing paper.  He knows better than to recycle this paper (or any packing paper really) before asking me if I want it for craft and D.I.Y. projects.

This thrifty do it your self-er usually says yes!  Sometimes I get brown paper, sometimes I get tissue paper, but my favorite of all is the perfectly white pieces of packing paper.  I roll them up and squirrel them away for special occasions.

Inspiration struck when we were planning my tweens birthday party. Anybody who has ever hosted a birthday party/sleepover knows these wonderful tweens can power through activities almost as quickly as they can hoover a bag of Doritos. Almost. 

So a Mom’s got to be on her A game or she will hear the dreaded “I’m bored” or “what else can we do?” words. Not good when one is celebrating a birthday. So my daughter and I jammed packed their schedule, but my ace in the hole was letting them write on the table!


easy birthday party craft for tweens #upcycled paper
Doesn’t this paper just beg to be drawn and written on? Even our cat couldn’t resist it.


 Craft Set Up:


Setting this craft up was easy-peasy.  First, we placed a festive plastic table cloth on our dining room table. Then rolled out the white packing paper and taped it down on the ends and sides. Don’t worry if your upcycled paper has a hole or two in it, just tape over it. Next, set out your writing supplies. We had a bucket full of markers and a pencil case full of colored pencils and pens. There may have been a few crayons in the mix as well.


bucket of markers for craft time


You are good to go! Once all the guests arrive, let the birthday child announce that they can write on the table and be ready with your camera for their reactions! The girls attending my daughter’s party practically knocked each other over to get to the table to start. 

Out of respect for privacy, I won’t share their happy faces here, but I will show you the end product.


happy craft table


As you can see, these girls LOVED this craft. They came back to it again and again. They wrote and laughed and talked their way through dinner and dessert here. They came back after playing flashlight tag and they sat here again doodling while eating their breakfast and waiting to be picked up. 

The best part for me was seeing their faces. Once the party guests had gone home, my daughter and I saved a portion of the paper with special birthday messages on it. 


Finding free packing paper ideas:

If you haven’t started recycling the packing supplies that come in with your products, now is a great time to start with the holidays rapidly approaching. You can also ask your family members to save longer sheets of packing paper for you.  You could even ask a local business if they receive boxes with packing paper. I’m sure they would be happy to give you some as most businesses just recycle it.  

However you come by your paper, I hope you and your kids will get a chance to write on the table soon! 


Please share in comments: Do you set up craft/activity stations at your kids birthday parties? If yes, what kinds?
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Today isn’t the Luau

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, May 16, 2014

That’s what my 5th grade daughter said to me as soon as I picked up the phone rather frantically this morning. I say frantically because I was driving to the school to volunteer at the Luau when her phone call came in.


Seeing it was the school calling at this time of morning makes a Mom’s mind jump into sick or hurt kid mode. But no- it was my sweet daughter saving her over tired Mom from showing up at the wrong event on the wrong day.

After I thanked her and hung up, I started laughing as I turned around to head back home.  I found it quite funny that Mrs. Planner me, Mrs. “I’ve got this handled” me was heading to school to be keep my “appointment” with the 5th grade classes who would need me to guide them in all things crafty at my table from 10 am to 11am. It said so on my planner. 


scheduling
A portion of my planning tools

I even had my daughter convinced that it must be a combo event-  a field day and Luau party day because it was on my planner and on the family calendar and since I am very rarely wrong on scheduling and even more rarely miss an appointment, we believed me.

I even had Melissa lug a bag full of Bubbles and drink pouches on the bus with her this morning so they would be there, ready for the parents arriving early to set up for the Luau. 

Except that I was wrong and it’s not Luau day. 

It’s field day.  I didn’t volunteer to help on field day because it’s Friday and I always work on billing etc. for my husband’s business on Friday’s.

So why did I find myself half way to school, still air drying the back of my hair on a Friday morning?

I can come up with several plausible explanations-

  •  I am sleep deprived (says every parent on the planet trying to finish out the school year strong).
  •  I looked at the wrong planner/calendar/notepad/notebook/post it notes. (Which is true, I had the right info on the family calendar.)
  • Melissa thought it was Luau day too.


But in the end, I think this little “Oops” was much needed comic relief. The universes way of saying “Hey Linda, slow down and quit white knuckling yourself to the end of the school year”.  

Message received loud and clear Universe!


I took a look at my planner just now and surprisingly, happily, the only thing I have on my planner for Friday May 23rd is: Our Summer starts!

Whew- I think I’m going to make it after all!


Share with me in comments: Have you ever showed up at an event on the wrong day or time?  And when do your kids get out of school for summer?

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Showing our #Disneyside @Home Celebration Princess Style #spon

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Disclosure: I received free products to help facilitate my #Disneyside@Home Celebration party. All opinions are 100% my own.




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When I first got the email from Mom Central calling for hosts of a Disney Celebration in our home, I was excited because Disney characters hold a special place in my heart and most especially my daughters.  We LOVE Disney Princesses, every one of them. 

From Jasmine, Belle, Aurora, Ariel to Cinderella and Merida they each possess wonderful strength and spirit, hope, courage and a healthy dose of humor. All the wonderful traits we try to instill in my daughters.  

So quite naturally, our party theme was Princesses. Since our “princesses” fall into the tween and teen age groups, I got creative and decided the best way to let then show their fun side would be to let them be grown up versions of their favorite princess.

MyWAHMPlan.com



We played with Makeup and hairstyles.  We did a different kind of face painting by having the girls color in face print outs that makeup artists use. This was a huge hit!


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We listened to “Let it Go” from Frozen so many times, even I know most all the words now.
We had fun with all the cool goody bag treats Disney sent us that came in a very unique package- a cool American Tourist Luggage piece that will surely come in handy on our next family trip.


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The clear favorite goodie was this classic love poster.


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We had special princess Hot Chocolate, complete with Cinnamon sprinkles.

MyWAHMPlan.com


And lots of tasty sweets.

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Throughout the afternoon, lots of laughter and smiles and sharing happened, which was quite magical indeed.

I invite you to host your own Disneyside @ Home Celebration! The fun isn't just for princesses.  Just go to Disneyside Celebrations  to learn more, see great party themes, recipes and more.


Share with me in comments: What is your favorite Disney character or movie? My girls pick is Frozen right now!



Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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Kids are going to love NoizyBandz

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, March 07, 2013

I am always on the lookout for new gift ideas for my daughters and this one is a keeper. 
May I introduce:  NoizyBandz is the World's First Bandz That Play Music! 


kids,gifts
Courtesy:NoizyBandz.com

 Noizy Bandz Children's wristbands are musical, educational and a whole lot of fun! Watch your children light up as they hear the music and fun sounds coming from their wristbands that they control. 

First of its kind, expect more from your silicone bandz check out Noizy Bandz and hear the music at www.noizybandz.com Great for all ages and all occasions. Have a Birthday party give a musical Happy Birthday band instead of a card kids just go crazy for them. 



musical bands gifts for kids
Courtesy: NoizyBandz.com



 Click HERE  to grab your coupon code to save $1.00 off each band and get free shipping and then check them out at www.noizybandz.com.  


I think these would be a perfect party favor, or a nice add on to an Easter Basket.  


The smiley sunshine has caught my eye. Which one would you choose for your kids?









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