Salted Chocolate and Caramel Popcorn

1 bag popped popcorn

2 ½ cups mini pretzels, broken into pieces

1 cup pecans

½ cup salted butter

1 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

½ cup light-corn syrup

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup milk chocolate chips

½ cup mini marshmallows

Put popcorn into a very large bowl.  Be sure to remove any un-popped kernels.  Add in crushed pretzels, marshmallows and pecans and gently fold mixture together, set aside.  In an large microwave safe bowl, melt butter, it should take about 50 seconds.  Stir in brown sugar, light corn syrup and salt.  Mix well.  Microwave mixture for 2 minutes, then stir and immediately return to microwave and cook 2 more minutes.  Remove from microwave, add in vanilla and baking soda and stir until frothy, about 10 seconds (don’t be tempted to dip your finger in and taste test, it is HOT).  Pour caramel over popcorn mixture and gently stir until evenly coated.  Pour caramel coated popcorn mixture onto a parchment or wax paper covered cookie sheet. Melt milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, on 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag or ziploc bag and cut the tip off and drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn. Place chocolate covered popcorn in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and break popcorn into pieces.  Store popcorn in an airtight container.

Recipe and Photo Source:  http://www.cookingclassy.blogspot.com/search/label/popcorn

Homemade Lip Gloss

1 cup petroleum jelly
1 pkg of kool-aid drink powder (Cherry or Strawberry)
labels printed out on sticker paper
scissors or 1 inch paper punch

1. put about 1 cup vaseline in a microwave safe bowl
2. heat the vaseline in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each heating. It took me about 7-8 minutes to melt each batch of vaseline. It will be liquid when it is fully melted. It will be very hot! Make sure you wear gloves or oven mitts and make sure children are being supervised.
3. take out of microwave and stir in kool-aid drink crystals until desired colour is reached - I used the whole package for each batch. Stir until the crystals are completely dissolved.
4. if starting to solidify you can heat again for another 30 seconds - skip this step if it is still liquidy
5. pour into your lip gloss containers and leave to solidify - a couple hours
6. repeat this whole process if making more flavours
7. print out labels on sticker paper
8. using either a 1 inch punch, or scissors, cut out the circle labels and attach to your lip gloss container
9. give to all your favourite people, but remember to save a few for yourself too!


Photo and Text Source: http://meetthedubiens.blogspot.com/2011/01/make-your-own-lip-gloss.html

Gift For Grandparents

This is an easy and adorable gift to make for the grandparents in your kid's lives.....Hands down!

Hand Print Heart

Source: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/85015608_Rf4rZUuS_b.jpg

Gift Idea: For Teachers

Here is a "scent"-sational way to give a gift!

"Hope you have a smooth year!"

Source: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/86081858_mYWSCk4Q_b.jpg

Wrapping Idea: For Cookies

Here is a an easy yet very cute way to "wrap" cookies to give away as a gift. Just wrap an empty Pringles container, fill with cookies and tip with a cute ribbon!

Source: http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/88040589_O6PxkRm2_b.jpg

Gift For Grandparents

A cute gift idea for Grandparents....

Gift Idea

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUguRBjvM-9kg_StMPCm6K8twJvHXdy7OXacKXwdaZOm9dcFAe5y3sesVcTJq6payddN9p35XkmCmvYRinYMCy70t6m5VF3j5mm0IauK5iPWTy05s1-4gaoyCuFR-okRaIGefUr4J5/s1600-h/IMG_0763.JPG

I scream, You scream... We all scream for ice cream! A Gift Idea...

Ice Cream Sundae Kit

To make the  ice cream sundae kit pick up some waffle cone bowls, sugar cones and assorted candies and sprinkles. Re-package everything in Ziploc with bright and summery labels. Then make some homemade chocolate sauce and put everything together in a little gift box.

Easy Chocolate Sauce Recipe
Source: http://mixingbowlkids.typepad.com/family_bites/2011/06/diy-ice-cream-sundae-kit.html

    1/2 cup heavy cream
    3 tablespoon of butter
    3 tablespoons corn syrup
    6 oz chocolate chips

Combine cream, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan and heat until the butter had melted and the sauce is almost boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until melted. Cool to lukewarm and spoon into glass jars.  Cover with a tight fitting lid and store in the fridge.  To use, remove from the fridge and let it sit out at room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving, or heat for 15 seconds in the microwave.

Source: http://mixingbowlkids.typepad.com/family_bites/2011/06/diy-ice-cream-sundae-kit.html

Team Gift Idea

 "Being your teammate rocks! Thanks for a a great season."

Source: http://puertabella.blogspot.com/

Words With Friends

My husband and I both like to play the game Words With Friends on our iPhone. We play each other, with family, with friends and with co-workers.

http://www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk/brigitte-herrod---scrabble-love-you-picture---black-frame-2968-p.asp

So, when I saw this find I knew it was a great gift idea for those times when you want to say a lot without spending a lot. I went to work making this for an anniversary gift to give to my husband.  It turned out really cute! He loves it and it was so easy and so inexpensive. I have already made another version of this to give to someone else in our family as a Valentine's Day gift in 2012.

To make one of these: you need a shadow box frame, a piece of scrapbook paper for the background and some Scrabble tiles (which they sell at craft stores, so you don't have to ruin your actual game)! I glued the scrapbook paper to the inside of the back of the shadow box frame. Then I hot glued the tiles into the words I wanted. Put the frame back together and your done!

The Anniversary Gift  -  Photo taken by Cami

Source: http://www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk/brigitte-herrod---scrabble-love-you-picture---black-frame-2968-p.asp