These no bake peanut butter balls are ALL over Pinterest right now. After drooling over them for a few weeks I had to dive in and try them out! Needless to say, in three days, I've made five batches! My hubby loves them and they are a super easy fast snack for people on the go!

For the past week, I have been altering the recipe and using various nut butters and other ingredients. The almond butter tastes very strong so I settled with half almond butter and half peanut butter. I also used dark chocolate chips. All in all, my suggestion is to stick with what works- and Maggie at Smashed Peas and Carrots has this recipe down to a science!

Here are a few tips and tricks before you get started
1. Double the recipe!
2. Wet your hands when rolling these into balls (keeps the pb from sticking to you)
3. They go great with coffee in the morning
3. Did I say double the recipe? :)

No-Bake Energy Bites 

(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!

Easy Kid Closet Dividers

Who doesn't love to organize? And better yet... who doesn't love a super fast and easy way to organize?! The kids can even help with this project!

Here is a tutorial on how to create closet organizers with very few steps and very little clean up!

Materials: foam sheets, a cd, and number stickers 

1. Gather your materials

2. Trace out your circle.  

3. Cut out the shape. I just guessed on the size of the middle circle. I used a votive candle holder and pressed it in the center. It left a slight dent in the foam and didn't get any marker on it! 

3. Stick stickers in place (or use your circuit to cut out numbers and glue them in place). You could also let the older kiddos decorate these now that you've cut them out! 

4. Start organizing those closets! 

DIY Magnetic Board

How to make your own magnetic board:

*Cute and easy!

What you need:

-A cookie sheet

-Fabric

-Hot glue

1) Get a cookie sheet.  Make sure your cookie sheet is magnetic!!  

2) Choose a fabric you like and cut it so each side is about 2-3 inches longer than your cookie sheet.

3) Stretch the fabric tightly across the cookie sheet.  

4) Turn the cookie sheet over (so you're looking at the back) and hot glue the top and the bottom to hold the fabric in place.

4) Tightly fold the corners of the fabric.

5) Hot glue the corners and the sides of the fabric.

6) Turn it over and admire your adorable magnetic board!  I also added a couple fabric flowers I made (I'll share a tutorial for those another day).

*I use my magnetic board in my craft area.

Enjoy!

The Truth About Etching Glass

I'm a total sucker for Pinterest. I see ideas and I'm immediatly convinced I can make just about anything one way or another. I saw a pin the other day from a glass etching blog tutorial, read the instructions, and told Elaine we needed to test it out asap! It was this glass baking dish with the couples last name! I have a ton of weddings to attend this summer and thought...what bride doesn't LOVE seeing her new last name plastered on everything she owns?!

Here is the TRUTH about etching glass... let's just say we like learning the hard way!

Let's start the tutorial with what NOT to do...
1. Do NOT start with your favorite glassware items. PLEASE I BEG OF YOU... DO A TEST RUN FIRST!
2. Do NOT get lazy and try to skip the step where you double up the contact paper
3. Do NOT rush the process and leave the cream on for less than 10 minutes
4. Do NOT leave the cream on for too long either...it will eat through the contact paper and makes your project look nasty
5. I would NOT buy expensive vinyl for your first go round on this like some tutorials suggest. I used contact paper and ended up throwing a lot of scraps away because I didn't like the size, shape, etc.
6. Do NOT use a super sticky cutting pad on the cricut. You will get a headache trying to peel the contact paper off!

If you're like me and you hate reading directions... this photo is for you!

If you want to know how to do it the right way (the first time)... these are the directions for you!

How to Etch Glass

NOT LIKE THIS!!! 

1. Place the contact paper facing up on the cutter and cut your image out using the cricut-

2. Peel off your letters and leave the negative on the cutting board.

 3. Take another sheet of contact paper and slowly place it overtop the negative of your image (make sure not to pull the whole thing off, but rather adhere the one side and slide it off as you stick in onto the image to prevent lots of bubbles).

4. Pull both layers off the cutting board.

5. Peel the back layer of the contact paper off (again slowly) as you position it onto your glassware. It should stick to your surface.

6. Now remove the top layer of contact paper. Do this process carefully as to not rip the bottom layer. I noticed that the small pieces inside the letters a, e, and o got stuck on the top layer of contact paper. As you come to these letters, just use your fingernail to pull them off and place them back where they need to be. Smooth out the bubbles away from the edges. 

7. Use a plastic knife to spread on the etching cream. I used Armour Etch from Michaels. Let sit for 10 minutes (watch out for drips). 

8.  Rinse with water and peel off contact paper. Smile because you are awesome at etching! 

9. Go buy more glassware and repeat!

And there you have it folks! The do's and don'ts of glass etching. Also, a super big thank you to Make It Love It.com for the inspiration to etch like every single piece of glass in my home!

DIY Candy Bar

Weddings are supposed to be about the couple but, let's face it: you want your guests to have fun!

Here is a way to guarantee they leave your wedding with a smile (and a full belly):

1) Get a piece of fabric large enough to drape over the table you will be using.  We used a pretty large piece with lots of extra length. You might want to use a smaller piece or a table cloth if you want something more fitted.

2) Find buckets, jars, etc.  We used tin buckets and mason jars.  I've also seen some really cute candy bars with glass vases but we were going for a more laid-back, look.  Garden Ridge, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby are good places to look.  I also saw some pretty good deals online (especially if you order large quantities.)

3) Get some scoops or tongs!  We originally bought scoops but realized most of our candy was bigger and wrapped so tongs were a better choice.  We found both at Party City.

4) Find ribbon in a size that you like and wrap it around each tin.  We used tape hot glue to attach it.  
*Open bar + candy could be disastrous if proper measures aren't taken so make sure it's sturdy!! :)

5) Make some really cute labels!  This part was really fun.  We used the Cricut to cut some shapes but you could use a paper punch or trace the shapes you would like.  Then write/type/stamp the name of the candy.  Attach the label with more hot glue.

6) Find some bags to use.  We got ours here.  Good deals for a lot of bags!  Make labels for the bags.  We printed our names and the date and then punched the shapes.  Stickers would also look really cute.

7) Of course-GET CANDY!  We got a lot from Sams and some from this old fashioned candy store. 

8) Put it all together!  Then watch as your guests take a bag for themselves, their brother, and their childhood best friend.  Seriously-people love candy. :)

*Because the buckets were so similar in size we decided to use some boxes under the fabric to get a little variation in height.

What did your guests enjoy most about your wedding?

Wedding Details

When I go to a wedding I love to look at all the small details and personal touches (maybe it's a girl thing).  So, when we got married, it was all about the little things!

My mom sewed 18 beautiful pink tablecloths for the dinner tables.  There were about 5 different patterns but they were all PINK (sometimes the details are for the bride, not the couple!)

To make each centerpiece we used a wooden plate (found at Hobby Lobby and stained by my dad) and 3 mason jars wrapped in ribbon.  

The escort cards were flowers that our guests 'picked' as they came in the door.  Each table matched a different type of flower.  My aunt used her Cricut machine to cut them.  She was very tired of pink and green by the time our wedding was over!

We also had fans for the hot weather.  However, we REALLY needed umbrellas that day.  The fans made for a cute decoration:)

Each guest received a program and a menu (lots of work but so worth it).  

Our cupcakes were all pink and green with small flowers everywhere.  The adorable cake topper came from an Etsy shop.  She made it to look just like us!

It is a nice little keepsake from the day and is sitting out on a shelf in our house.  Honestly, how cute are the tiny people!?!

Finally-the guestbook table!  We had one small guestbook for the guests to write in and a beautiful fingerprint tree that my mom painted.  I smile every time I look at it hanging on our wall.  :)

There are a few other things I'd really like to share but I'll save them for another post!  Looking at these pictures reminds me of all the people that pitched in to make it perfect (or at least perfect in our eyes.)

In case your eyes are burning from too much pink and green-I'll leave you with an adorable bee!

    

Packing for Baby

Two days from now, we will be venturing around airports, lugging around way too many bags, making our way south with newest little one. This is our first travel adventure with her and I'm not quite sure what to expect.

I'm pretty much a control freak. I love love love planning, organizing and lists. I even like re-writing my list when I get to cross something off (there are more of us out there I know it!). So...what do I do to curb the anxiety of all the unknowns creeping up on me - why pack obsessively neat of course!

I would give you a step by step tutorial, but I'm pretty sure the photos are self explanatory. In each labeled bag you will find a onesie, shirt, pants, and socks. We're only going for 4 days, but you will find 8 outfits. I AM a first time mom so overpacking is a prerequisite. 

My other hope is this packing method will keep the suitcase tidy and we will prevent the "crap I can only find one of her socks" from happening.

So there you have it! My solution to not forgetting anything for baby and keeping her clothes neat and organized.  Oh, and don't forget the best part, Dad can actually dress her! We all know what can happen when dads are left in charge of picking out outfits... I don't need to elaborate!