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Cool 4th of July Desserts

June 27, 2011 16 Comments
I always enjoy checking out new food ideas for 4th of July. They are so festive, fun, and patriotic! A few weeks ago I shared some Patriotic Desserts in honor of Memorial Day.  And this week I’ve gathered together some fun and cool treats that you can prepare for 4th of July. Hope you enjoy!

Red, White, & Blue Ice Pops from My Recipes

Ice Cream Sandwich Pops from Living Locurto

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes from Love From The Oven

Red, White, & Blue Ice Cream The Idea Room

Red, White, & Blue Parfaits from Martha Stewart

Linking up at these parties.

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Filed Under: Misc Holidays, party ideas, Patriotic, recipes

Ann’s Bridal Bargains Giveaway

June 14, 2011 17 Comments
“Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married.”
I’m really excited about this week’s giveaway! It is for a $100 gift certificate to Ann’s Bridal Bargains, an online retailer of wedding essentials and supplies.  They have everything you need, whether you’re throwing a bridal shower for a friend or loved one or walking down the aisle yourself.
They have wedding napkins in just about every color and design you can imagine.
They also have a variety of decor, including aisle runners and table centerpieces.
And they have everything you need for the perfect reception, including cake toppers and serving sets.

And since cupcakes are my favorite, I was really excited to see these adorable wedding cupcakes picks.  Aren’t these the cutest?

And they also have all the “little things” that make your wedding complete like favors, invitations, and programs.

But since I’m already married, I had to see if there was anything at the site for us married gals.  And I was pleased to find these adorable initial necklaces.  If I was eligible to win this giveaway, I’d definitely want one of these!

And I also liked these wedding albums.  We had a TON of pictures printed from our wedding, so I know that you can’t ever have too many photo albums!

Win it!  One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a $100 Gift Certificate to Ann’s Bridal Bargains.
How to enter: You must be a follower of Simply Sweet Home, and use the Rafflecopter form to tell us something that you’d like from Ann’s Bridal Bargains. 

(Note: I’m testing  Rafflecopter this week.  So no need to leave comments, however, comments are always welcome! If you have any problems using the Rafflecopter application, feel free to submit your entries via the comments section, or email me for assistance! Thanks!)


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Filed Under: Giveaways, party ideas, shopping

The Sweetest Easter Tablescapes

April 7, 2011 5 Comments
I think I’ve got Easter Fever!  I had so much fun sharing all the great Easter wreaths last week, that I couldn’t wait to share some Easter tables that I found!  These photos are so cheery!  And everything is so cute!  It really makes me wish I was going to an Easter party!

See what I mean?  Don’t you want to go to this party? I Do!  Evertything is so cute—even the carrot centerpeice! Just adorable!  This is fromWants and Wishes.
Loved this!  It’s so whimsical and pretty! I love the soft pastels, and I love both of these egg trees.  You can see the tutorial at Torie Jayne.

Okay! Believe it or not, this isn’t a real tablescape! Surpise!  It’s actually dollhouse size!  But it was so cute I had to include it, and I think it would be great inspiration for a life size table. Check it out at Hummingbird Miniatures.

So many beautiful things here!  It’s Always a Party at the Parkers is a site that I found long time ago and forgot about.  I don’t know how I forgot because they sell some totally unforgettable party supplies!  And after you check out the party table, you can pick some free printables.

This one’s actually an Easter Brunch Table.  Isn’t that a cute concept?  Check out The Party Dress to see what is being served up.

I love the simplicity of this, and the tree with the birds is gorgeous.  I’m not sure of the original source, but this and other tablescapes are being featured at 79 Ideas.

For more cute Easter ideas, check out my Easter board.

This post is sponsored by Petite Rouge. Are you looking for the perfect finishing touch? Petite Rouge has it. Simple, elegant blossoms to brighten up any outfit. Dainty enough for your smallest princess. Sophisticated enough for your growing girls. Clip on a headband or wear alone. 
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Filed Under: decorating, Easter, party ideas

Baby Shower Photos and Ideas

March 24, 2011 6 Comments
Last month I attended a baby shower for my niece.  She actually gave birth on March 10, so now we have a new nephew named Abel.  The party was very nice, so I just had to share some of the pictures with you.  Hopefully they will inspire you!

The refreshment table was simple yet elegant.  And there were a lot of great food choices.  There were cupcakes, nuts, potato chips, a cheese & cracker tray, shrimp, a fruits & veggies tray, cocktail weenies, and dip.
I also like that they decorated with the two twisted streamers.  I haven’t seen that in a long time, and I forgot how good it looks.  Yet it’s also easy to do and inexpensive, which is a real plus.

The cake was a stork cake, and this was homemade by someone on the other side of my niece’s family.  It was really cute and tasty!

I already shared this great punch with you last week.  If you missed it, here’s the recipe.

And as if the punch wasn’t cute enough, these tiny little pacifiers were inside the ice cubes!  Since I’m all about saving things as keepsakes, I fished mine out after I was finished with my punch. It now has a home in my China cabinet with all my other treasures.

And here’s another idea I love.  To decorate the tables, they just used a little confetti and some baby toys.  This is such a simple idea.  Yet it looks very elaborate and cute.  Plus, the mom-to-be can use all the stuff afterwards!
And this is a photo of the main table where my niece at.  Her name is Faith (if you can’t tell).
All in all, it was a great party.  We had a good time, and my niece got a ton of diapers and gifts for the new baby.  And Aunt Jerri even won a prize for bringing a package of diapers. Yay!
Hope you enjoyed the shower!  I’m linking this post up at these parties.

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Filed Under: Baby, party ideas

Lime Green Punch

March 14, 2011 24 Comments
I went to a baby shower for my niece a few weeks ago, and I thought this punch was just the cutest!  It has to be the first time I’ve ever used the word cute to describe a drink! 

And I really wish I had come up with this idea to throw the ducks in there, but alas! I did not! Oh well.  But at least I can credit for taking the picture!

And to top off this cuteness, the punch was also quite tasty!  I have to admit, when it comes to punch and other fruity drinks, I’m quite picky.  I either like it, or I hate it.  But this was really yummy, and it was so simple tasting that I think anyone would love it.  And I learned that’s also quite simple to make with only two ingredients! Yay!

Recipe for Lime Punch:

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon lime sherbet
1 (2 liter) Sprite or 7-up

Directions:  Spoon out sherbet into large punch bowl and pour sprite over it.  Mix and serve immediately.  Chill additional punch in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips:  While browsing different punch recipes, I saw different variations where they used a gallon of sherbet to one bottle of Sprite and even 2 bottles of Sprite to the half gallon  of sherbet.  So I’d suggest doing a trial run of this so you can play with and see how you like it best before serving it at a party.
Add Ins:  Cooks.com has lots of versions of this where they add in everything from frozen limeade and pineapple juice to vodka.  I also love the look of Paula Deen’s recipe, if you’re looking for something a little more “adult” yet non-alcholic.

I’m linking up at these parties.

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Filed Under: Baby, drinks, party ideas, Recipe of the Week

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these Fun Finds

February 23, 2011 1 Comment
Photo Credit – Hudsons Holiday

I just love looking around on etsy and have recently started creating my own treasuries.  I created a really fun treasury last week called Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It’s filled with adorable items that will help you celebrate the holiday:  cupcake toppers, cookies, banners, and fun decor!
Today I’m sharing just a few of the items from this treasury.
St. Patrick’s Day Wreath

St. Patrick’s Day Banner

Exquisite Fun St. Patrick’s Day Cookies

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Gift Tags

Looking for more? Check out the rest of the items in this treasury.

I’m linking up to these parties.

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Disclosure:  None of the shops featured in this post are paid sponsors. I hand selected all the items for this treasury on Etsy based on my own opinions. Photos are owned by the shop owners they are linked to.

Filed Under: decorating, Misc Holidays, party ideas, shopping

Pink Party for Cancer Awareness

November 8, 2010 3 Comments
I was very excited about the opportunity to host a get together from Pssst and General Mills.  As you all know, October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and there were many promotions on television and online to help raise awareness and raise money for Susan G. Komen For the Cure.
A lot of great companies were also involved, including General Mills and Yoplait Yogurt.  For every pink lid you send by December 31, 2010, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, now up to $1.6 million. And they guarantee a donation of at least $500,000.  For more information, please visit Save Lids to Save Lives.
I was invited to host a get together where I would serve Yoplait yogurt, collect pink lids to send in for the Save Lids to Save Lives campaign, and raise everyone’s awareness of breast cancer and breast health.
I haven’t  personally had any close family members diagnosed with breast cancer, but I have had family members and friends, including my late grandmother, who were diagnosed with other types of cancers.  And I also became aware of just how prevalant cancer is when my husband was working for an insurance company that specialized in cancer policies.  Everyone that he talked to had at least one person in their immediate family who had been affected by cancer.  So it’s a cause that I feel very strongly about.
For the get together, I was given a hostess kit which included the following items:
-a $15 Visa giftcard, to purchase Yoplait Yogurt for the party.
-a stack of coupons for Yoplait Yogurt
-a stack of breast health information sheets
-a self-exam shower hanger
-a pink bookmark
-and a copy of Promise Me by Nancy G. Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure
For the party decor, I mostly used items I already had on hand, including some pink Christmas balls, which I placed inside of some cloudy pink glasses.  I also had some pink and red heart napkins left from Valentine’s Day, and I placed the spoons inside a Valentine’s mug.  Additionally I used some white plates featuring pink flowers.  And I had some pink trim on hand, so I just cut out several pieces to make ribbons for the table.  (I also had some pink silk flowers which I meant to add to the table, but I completely forgot about them….oops!)

And keeping with the pink theme, I served some pink creamy salsa dip, pink candies, and some pink cookies from Pillsbury, along side the pink Yoplait yogurt (of course!).

Today in addition to sharing my party with you, I’m also sharing some of the information that was provided by Susan G. Komen for the Cure for the party.
-All women are at risk of breast cancer.  Being a women is the number one risk factor, and your breast cancer risk increases as you get older.  Most women who get cancer have no other risk factors.  Men can also get breast cancer, but it is 100 times more common in women.  Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women today.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Recommend that You:

  • Talk to your family to learn about your family helath history.
  • Talk to your provided about your personal riks of breast cancer.
  • Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you if you are at a higher risk.
  • Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 if you are at average risk.
  • Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at 20, and every year starting at 40.
  • Know how your breasts look and feel and report any changes to your health care provider right away.
  • Make healthy lifestyle choices that may reduce your risk of breast cancer.

I’m linking up this week at linky parties.

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Disclosure: Host kit, including information and a $15 gift card were provided by Yoplait and General Mills through Pssst & MyGetTogether.

Filed Under: decorating, party ideas

Taco Salad

July 5, 2010 12 Comments
One of my favorite meals to eat at home is tacos.  I just go the easy route and purchase a taco kit.  Sometimes I get Taco Bell brand, and other times I get Old El Paso.  But I also buy taco seasoning alone for potential new recipes I may find, and I almost always keep corn chips on hand, which makes taco salad a very convenient meal for us.
The taco salad pictured here today was actually put together by my husband.  Hubby doesn’t cook at all.  Sometimes when I’m not feeling well, he’ll put together some tuna salad or something like that for us. But I’ve never seen him make an actual recipe.  But he did wait tables for several years, some of which was at a real upscale place, and he discovered he had a natural talent for plate presentations.  In fact, at one of the resturants where he worked, he put together a lot of the plates for their menu photos.
So the other day when we had taco salad, I decided to take a couple of pics of his handy work.  We started with Blue Tortilla Chips. (We usually get white, but we were shopping at Aldi, and they didn’t have white.)  Next came the meat mixuture, followed by lettuce, salsa, cheese, and finally sour cream. Yum!

Making a Taco Salad Buffet – By the way, if you’re ever having a lot of of people over for dinner, a taco salad buffet would be perfect choice. It’s fast, convenient, and fairly cheap compared to other meal choices.  And I never met anyone who didn’t like Mexican food, so it’s sure to be loved by all!  All you’d really have to cook is your meat and some refried beans.  And then you’d just have to prepare some toppings for the buffet, such as lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, cheese, and condiments.  Very easy!

-Jerri

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Delicious Dishes is hosted by It’s a Blog Party
Tuesday Tastes is hosted by Crazy Jayz Place
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Tip Me Tuesday is hosted by Tip Junkie
Tackle it Tuesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom
Sharing Ideas Wednesday is hosted by The Trendy Treehouse
Friday Food is hosted by Mom Trends
Friday Foodie is hosted by Designs by Gollum
Finer Things Friday is hosted by Amy’s Finer Things
I’m Lovin It Fridays is hosted by Tidy Mom
Show off Your Stuff Thursday is hosted by Fireflies and Jellybeans

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, party ideas, Recipe of the Week

Sausage Balls

November 29, 2009 3 Comments

Here’s one my of my favorite party appetizers: Sausage Balls! I don’t really eat sausage very often myself, but I can’t ever get enough of these. They are so delicious, and they’re so easy to make with only 3 ingredients!

In addition to the carnivals I participate in each week, I’ll be posting a link to this post for the Holiday Food Fest at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free and for the Bloggy Progressive Dinner at Beauty and Bedlam. If you’re stopping by from one of those events, be sure to leave me a comment so I can go visit you. I can’t wait to see everyone’s appetizers!

Recipe for Sausage Balls

Ingredients:
1 heaping cup of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb of hot or mild sausage
2 cups bisquick

Directions: Combine and shape into 1-inch balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. (Can be frozen and baked as needed)

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I’m posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.
Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

-Jerri


Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, party ideas, Recipe of the Week

Purple Trail Review and Giveaway

August 5, 2009 1 Comment

Today I’m going to tell you about a great website where you can make custom ecards, invitations, and annoucements. It’s called Purple Trail. Whether you want to send birthday or shower invitations to your friends, an ecard to your honey, or announce an event that’s happening on your website to your mailing list, this is the site for you!

The site is very user friendly. If you can use the paint application on your computer, you can use this site. It also differs from other card sites you might have seen, because there are no advertisements on your cards and invites.

My favorite thing about the website is the customization available for cards. When you create your cards, you can choose from one of their awesome designs and simply add your message. Or you can add your own personal touch and flair to their design. And if you prefer, you can add your own clipart or personal photos for a complete personalized look. You can even add music and sound to your card!

Another thing I personally like about the site is that when you create a card or invite, you can choose whether you want your creation to be private or public. I like this because I tend to be a private person. However, when I was reviewing the site I decided to create an invitation for the Christmas Festival I’ll be hosting on my blog in December. (Yes, I’m aware that it’s August, but I wanted to experiment!) So when I created the invitation I chose to make it public, so now not only will I be able to send it to people on a mailing list, but it also has its own unique webpage for people to view. (What a great way to invite Twitter followers and people on other networks to the event!) You can go here if you want to check out the invitation I made.

You can go to Purple Trail today and sign up for a free account, and you’ll be making your own custom cards and invites in minutes. And once you’re a member, you can even upgrade your account to a Basic, Pro, or Premium account and take advantage of a whole bunch of extra features.

Today I’m giving away a Basic Plan worth $14.95 to one Simply Sweet Home reader. The Basic Plan includes animated themes, full export of your address book, scheduled send, payment collection module, a larger maximum number of invitations per month than the free plan, and more extras!

This Giveaway is Now Closed.


Additional Entries:

–One entry for following me publicly on blogger.

-One entry for joining my feedblitz mailing list, or 2 entries if you are already a member prior to this giveaway.

-One entry for subscribing in a reader.

-One entry for following or subscribing to my new business blog.

-One entry for following me on twitter.

-One entry for tweeting about this giveaway.

-One entry for becoming a fan of Simply Sweet Home on facebook.

-Two entries for writing about this giveaway on your blog and linking back to Simply Sweet Home.

(Just leave comments for each additional entry, and please leave a user name/link or something so that I can verify. Thanks!)

Other Rules:

-Don’t forget, if you don’t have a blog or a profile with a visible email address, please include your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win. (Can’t stress this enough!)


-Jerri


MckLinky Blog Hop

Filed Under: Giveaways, party ideas, planning, Sponsors
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