Raspberry Dream for Under 50 Calories

I love Swig. For those of you who don't know what Swig is, I'll explain. It started down in St. George in a little yellow shack by the college. They mix non-alcoholic drinks, and they mix them good. They have a myriad of different concoctions. My personal favorite is the Raspberry Dream. It is a mix of Dr. Pepper, coconut cream, and raspberry puree. It is so sweet, smooth, and refreshing. I feel a little guilty spending $2 every time I go just for a drink. (Let's be honest, I spent more than that because I can't go without getting a cookie.) I decided to start making my own at home.

I just mix 1 tablespoon of raspberry syrup and 1 tablespoon of coconut cream with a can of Dr. Pepper. It is quite delightful, and much cheaper. Also, it's under 50 calories!

How to Make Flag Cupcake Toppers

I make some delicious Funfetti cupcakes for a carnival themed dinner, and I wanted an easy cupcake topper to help tie them into the theme. Here's what I came up with:

These were super simple to make. All it took was some washi tape and toothpicks.

First, measure out a 1.5" long strip of washi tape.

Then, fold the tape in half over the top of the toothpick.

Finally, cut out a small triangle from the edge of the tape.

Ta-da! You have mini flags to put in your cupcakes. Easy, huh!

Hey, let’s look into each other’s eyes and say “I wish I were you” at exactly the same time — maybe we’ll pull a “Freaky Friday.”

Today was a crazy day. I'm on the Relief Society Activities Committee in my ward, and tonight was our birthday dinner. We decided to do a carnival theme, and base it on friendship. It turned out really cute! My busy day came from having to make the cupcakes. I ended up making over 100 cupcakes because my first batch struggled. Yeah, ONE HUNDRED.

This cute girl was so helpful though. She just sat and played while mamma worked. She also was really good when we had to run back to the store to get more cupcake materials.

My favorite part was how she entertained herself while I got myself ready for the activity. I had no idea my purse was so fun.

I love that she rolled away from all of her other toys just to play with it. I didn't mind though. It kept her busy for almost a half hour straight. Why do I even buy toys?

If you want to see how I made the cupcake toppers check out this post.

4 Ways to Make Guests Feel Welcome in Your Home

Summertime is coming up, and that usually is code for visitors.  We've all been guests in someone's home, and we can all agree that some homes seem more inviting than others.  What can you do to make your home more comfortable for your guests? A good starting point is to think of things that made you feel comfortable in homes you've stayed in.  Here are some things I've come up with to make my house a home for my family and friends:

1. Have linens and extra toilet paper in an area that is easily accessible to guests. 

When you show your guests their room point out where they can find the towels and such. Have some bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths for them to use. Also, have a place that they can hang their towel to dry.

2. Have extra toiletries on hand.

Point these out to your guests as well. If you aren't sure about what toiletries to have on hand, think of things that you need when you are getting ready for bed. It is so frustrating when you forget them because you don't want to go to the store late at night. At Target and Walmart they have a ton of travel-sized items at super cheap prices!

3. Keep the bathroom well stocked with disposable items.

Have cotton balls, Q-tips, tissues, and even some hand lotion in a spot that guests can easily see. These are items that are usually forgotten when you pack, and its nice to have some around.

4. Keep your shower stocked.

Have some shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash readily available. Most guests bring their own, but this way they don't have to deal with the finicky travel-sized bottles. What are some ways that you make your guests feel welcome in your home?

How to Recover Your Chair Cushion

Jeremy and I went to a yard sale and scored this beauty:

I was so excited to find such a cute chair.  The seat of the chair was not is great shape though, so I decided to cover it. Here's how I did it.  It was crazy simple!

At Walmart they sell a pack of foam that works perfect for chair cushions.  I put the seat of the chair on the foam and cut the foam to size.

After, I draped the adorable fabric on top of the foam and the seat of the chair.

I turned it all upside down and stapled away, making sure that I pulled the fabric tight as I went.

Here's the finished project.  It took me about a total of 15 minutes.  Talk about a great/easy project!

Strawberry Colada Cupcakes

Today I realized that I  hadn't done my visiting teaching for the month of March, and seeing as today is February 28th I figured I probably should do something about that quick.  I whipped up a batch of cupcakes, frosted them, and made Jeremy walk around with me to drop them off.  What a sweet man he is.  The recipe I used was from yourcupofcake.com again.  I seriously love her cupcakes.  Today's concoction was Strawberry Colada Cupcakes:

Strawberry Colada Cupcakes

Coconut Cake:

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 Cup oil

1 C. coconut milk

1/3 C. sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp. coconut extract

Strawberry Buttercream:

1 C. butter, softened

4-5 C. powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp. strawberry jam or preserve

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Shredded Coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine eggs, oils, coconut milk, sour cream, vanilla extract and coconut extract.

4. Add cake mix and stir until smooth.

5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

6. Buttercream: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add in powdered sugar until thick. Add strawberry jam 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the right flavoring. Taste to test :) Mix in vanilla extract.

7. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes.

8. Sprinkle with coconut.

How to Spruce Up a Secretary

This secretary was one of my recent fun projects. I saw a picture of a secretary with a colorful inside on Pinterest, and I loved the idea. I also love the idea of opening up the secretary for a fun way to display decor. Jeremy and I found this piece of furniture at a thrift store for $15. Talk about a steal of a deal. It's a fun throwback piece that adds a pop of color to the room.