FREE PRINTABLE: 'Fancy Pants' Dollar Store Glitter Pen Valentines

I don't know about you, but I thought this one was pretty funny! Seriously... I crack myself up! ;)

One night I got it in my mind that I wanted to design some free printable valentines so I sat down and I designed all eight of them in one night. So here you go - the last valentine of the year. I had so much fun designing these and putting them together!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE

I got my glitter glue sticks from the dollar store. 

You can buy them in-store or online! 10 for $1!!

 

Attach the glitter glue sticks with hot glue - it will peel right off!

FREE PRINTABLE: Gem Magnet Valentine

So... I feel I might have gone overboard on the valentines this year.

hmmm. Oh well - here is another one! ;)

This valentine can be printed and used without the magnet or you can craft the magnet to make it just a bit more special! It is quite possibly the easiest DIY ever!

Supplies:

Where to buy (click for links):

glass tiles  /  modge podge  /  paper punch  /  magnets

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE

FREE PRINTABLE: 'You're A Hoot' Mini Owl Eraser Valentine

Happy Monday! I have been a bit busy with freelance work and the five million other things I currently have on my plate, but I am trying to get all my free printable valentines posted for you all a good week or so before Valentine's Day! :)

I got these ADORABLE little mini owl erasers in the dollar section at Target. 60 for a buck! Now that makes for affordable valentines! I found them a few weeks ago, so they might be hard to find. If you plan on making these, I would call Target and ask if they are available in their dollar section and if not, ask if they plan on getting any more in. I hope they continue to restock. They are just too perfect to valentines!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE PRINTABLE

ENJOY! XOXO

FREE PRINTABLE: Apple Valentine

You know, for the fruit-giving/anti-candy valentines!

Cut out the leaves and attach with a stick pin! :)

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE DOWNLOAD

FREE VALENTINE PRINTABLE: Starbust or Star Lollipop

I am just a valentine designing machine over here!

I grabbed these cute star lollipops from the dollar section at target,

but you could use starbursts or any other star treat! :)

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE

Attach the candy with hot glue - it will peel right off! :)

FREE PRINTABLE: You Make Me So Chappy Valentine

I found this cute ChapStick from dollar section at Target so I made a valentine for it! You can use any chapstick you want though! Lip Smackers would also be super cute!

I used this 3" paper punch from Consumer Crafts. It adds a little extra pizzazz to the valentines and it sure does make the project go fast! :)

Simply print, punch out the valentines, and attach the ChapStick with some hot glue. It will easily peel right off.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE

FROZEN YOGURT BARK

Happy Monday!

So here is the story about this frozen yogurt Bark recipe - I had a giant container of Stonyfield vanilla yogurt that was about to expire, so I figured I better figure out how to use it without making smoothies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. :)

So here is how you do it:

1. Pour yogurt (greek, regular, whatever you have) on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

2. Sprinkle on topings
IDEAS:
Berries (dried or regular) – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, etc.
Nuts – pistachios, pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.
Other ideas – cinnamon, shredded coconut, granola, dark chocolate, honey, etc.

3. Freeze

4. Once frozen, break apart and freeze in an air-tight container. 

Are you a fan of fast and easy? (ok, that is kind of a stupid question.)

You have to try THESE BLENDER MUFFINS I made last night. YUM!!!!!!!

FREE PRINTABLE: Glow Star Valentine Set

I told you I had a whole ton of these to share, so here is number two of the free valentine printables! I got the glow stars from the dollar section at Target, but you can buy them pretty much anywhere. I made four valentines out of one pack of stars - so that's only 25 cents per valentine! The bags I used were 4"x9", but as long as the bags you use are 4" in width, you should be good to go! 4" is a common size, so they should be easy to find. I had these ones just laying around the house. I believe they were from Michael's years ago.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE GLOW STAR VALENTINE SET

How to:

And here are the ones I got from target in the dollar section:

FREE PRINTABLE: Mini Gel Pen Love Letter Valentines

I know it seems a bit early for a Valentine's Day post, but I have a whole ton of these FREE printable valentines to share, so I figured I better start now. :) I have worked up quite a few designs with items from the dollar section at Target and the Dollar Store. Valentine's Day is about a month away, so over the next few weeks I will be posting fun (and FREE) valentines designs!

So here we go with the first one...
I got a 6-pack of these adorable mini gel pens from the dollar section at Target for, you guessed it, a dollar! They have them right now, so go get 'em! If you need several packs, I would suggest calling ahead to see if they can hold a few for you or see when their next shipment is and if they can then hold you some. Unfortunately, they do not sell them online. :(

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE FILE

Just cut them out and hot glue on the pens. (The glue will peel right off the pens.)

COCONUT RAISIN BRAN CEREAL (PALEO)

Cereal - I loooooooove it. I could eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ellis and Logan love it too. We are just a bunch of cereal eating monsters over here.

I would have to say we have done a pretty decent job of cutting out processed foods in our home, but cereal just kind of stuck around. I have developed a bad habit of eating a bowl of cereal EVERY night before I go to bed and sometimes even in the middle of the night. (hello! nursing mom over here! I am always hungry, oh, and always up in the middle of the night... multiple times... like three times last night to be exact. ugg)

Anyways, I was determined to come up with a better solution, or I guess a substitute for our cereal addiction. Someone a while back (when I had tried eating paleo for like a day and it didn't stick what.so.ever) told me about toasting coconut flakes in place of cereal, so I gave it a go!

I loved it! Don't get me wrong, it isn't exactly like eating a bowl of raisin bran, but it sure is close! I eat mine with good ol' cow's milk, but you can eat it with nut milk if you are choosing to eat paleo. Not only is it good, it is SUPER easy to make.

Ingredients:
- Thick Cut Coconut Flakes
- Cinnamon
- Nuts (optional -I used slivered almonds)
- Raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat the over to 325°
2. Spread out your coconut flakes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts
4. Bake for about 6 minutes, mixing every two minutes. Make sure you watch them closely b/c they can burn fast. You will want to take them out when they are a toasty brown color.
5.Let cool
6. When cooled, transfer them to a sealed jar or container
7. Pour some in a bowl, add your raisins and milk of choice (coconut or almond milk if sticking with a paleo diet)

Enjoy!

SUPERFOOD SALAD (with salad base from Costco!)

I started making this salad this past summer and have continued to make it on a regular basis ever since. I used to make it with baby spinach base (which is fine and works just as well) until our little dinner party with Debbie. Debbie introduced me to the Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad from Costco. The Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad Kit includes broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, chicory and comes with a packet of dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds and poppyseed dressing! I love it because it is super crunchy!

Want an idea for a super fast dinner? Buy this salad from Costco, mix it all up with the packet of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, add some pieces of rotisserie chicken (also from Costco) and avocado, top with the packet of dressing (or any dressing) and you have dinner. I do this all the time. :)

Ok, now back to this salad. For this salad I discard the dressing and packet of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds (though you could totally add them if you want), add in a few other things and make my own dressing.

For the Salad:

- Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad from Costco (or baby spinach or mixed greens)

- Cut up Avocado

- Fresh Blueberries

- Crumbled goat cheese (just a little - you do not need a lot)

- Cashews (I use unsalted and I buy a big canister of them from Costco)

For the poppyseed dressing:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup apple vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon poppy seed
- 1/4 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion which gave it the pink color)
- 1 cup canola salad oil
Stick it all in your blender and blend!

Enjoy!

PRODUCT REVIEW: eShakti

*! DISCLAIMER !* - I am NOT a fashion blogger. To be a fashion blogger I would have to have some sort of personal style - which, especially at the moment, i.do.not.  :) I barely do my hair and make up in the morning, much less put something cute on. I have hope to have style someday. Really, I DO!

Now that I have denied being any kind of fashionista, I can go ahead with the post. A company called eShakti contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me to review one of their dresses. I had never heard of this company and was pleasantly surprised when I looked at their website and saw clothing I actually really liked. Needless to say, I said I would LOVE to try out a dress!

This company is not your average run of the mill clothing company. They have a niche - a reason why you will want to buy from them vs. another online clothing company. They are more than just stylish clothing. They specialize in clothing that fits EVERY size woman. They carry size 0 to 36W. Not only do they carry a wide range of sizes, but you can customize their garments just the way you want them for only $7.50 extra!!! Yes, for real. You can pick your skirt length, neckline, sleeve type and even further customize your item (like having the option to take pockets out) or have it made EXACTLY to your measurements. Yes, for only $7.50 extra! The garments are made to your height, size and style and delivered to you in 14 days. MIND BLOWN.

So below is me in the dress I picked out. Ignore the awkward poses (I have no idea how to pose for this type of thing) and terrible gloomy day.

The day might have been gloomy, but the dress was fabulous. I got so many compliments on it when I wore to Christmas mass and to work on our holiday company meeting day. It is a perfect holiday dress for me b/c it isn't too dressy. It is an awesome flannel type material. I love the detailing on the top and it fits me like a glove! I was super impressed by how well it was made. It is fully lined and the skirt is nice and full. Happy camper right here! Thank you eShakti for making me stylish... even it was just for a day or two! :)

They are having a great sale right now, now head on over to eShakti and check it out.

Below is an example of all of the options when ordering.

And here is where you can put in your EXACT size:

And here are a few of my favorite dresses on their site right now. So many of the dresses would be perfect for bridesmaid dresses!

I also love how the site shows ACTAUL women wearing their clothing. See below!