the INSPIRED creative ONE: January 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

Super Bowl Party Ideas!

Lets face it, a Super bowl party isn't a party without all the food! So I put together a post of all of my favorite ideas to host the perfect party this year!

(Below each photo is a link to the website! They all have more amazing ideas!)

Frozen Football Recipe

I make this cake every year using the wilton football cake pan! If you don't have one, you can always make a football shaped cake out of a rectangle sheet cake!

Pigskin-Sandwiches

free football printables!

Football covered strawberries!

All of the above ideas (HERE)

Super bowl cupcakes!

Football Rice Krispie treats!

Football burger!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Hello readers! Just informing you I decided to start ANOTHER blog (as if I didn't have enough on my plate as it is) called {fifty five below}! Its dedicated to being fashionable on a budget and every single outfit is $55.00 or under! This is definitely a challenge but its also an adventure! It makes shopping a lot more enjoyable knowing I'm trying to score things as cheap as possible instead of dreading the fact I only have a certain amount of money to spend. Go check it out and let me know what you think! Follow along and you'll get the opportunity to participate in all the great giveaways I will be having! (The first giveaway will be announced this Saturday!) Don't miss out!!

www.fiftyfivebelow.blogspot.com

(here are some different styles you'll see on the blog)

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Valentines Day Decorating / Tutorials

I absolutely love Valentines Day, a day to celebrate with the person you love and make each other feel special! I am extra excited this year because I have 2 more little loves I get to spoil! I don't think i've ever really decorated for Valentines Day and I got to thinking last night, why the heck haven't I?! So I went out on a quest today with a $20 bill and some ideas in my head and this is what I came up with!

Tissue paper balls

Love everything about these. They can fill up a large space and only cost cents to make! To get the tutorial on how to make these go (HERE)

x0x0 Frames

I have a zillion frames that are sitting in storage so I thought I would put them to use! I bought 4 sheets of Valentine paper and printed large x's and 0's on each one!

Valentine print

Go (HERE) to print off your very own copy!

Heart garland

These are just so dang cute and easy! They took me a little longer to do because my right hand is broken and that made it hard to use scissors! ;) Go (HERE) for a tutorial!

(the only difference here is I strung them through the sides not through the top/bottoms!)

Candy filled baby jars

Using some of the million baby food jars I have, I filled them with Valentine candy and topped them with small tissue paper flowers!

Hope these gave you some ideas!

Friday, January 4, 2013

New Beggining

I once heard the quote "Life happens once you step outside your comfort zone." This really got me thinking what exactly my comfort zone was. I decided it was being home in some comfy pajamas, playing on the floor with my baby twins, watching movies, eating treats (chocolate, ice cream, chips, popcorn, you name it!) and basically not getting up and doing much of anything the entire day. Stepping outside of my comfort zone would be to never have a lazy day again! No more snacking all hours of the day on fattening treats, lounging around in my pj's and sitting on the couch for hours watching tv. It would be waking up early when I didn't get as much sleep as I hoped so I can get a good workout in, making sure to eat CLEAN healthy meals every 2-3 hours, drinking more water then seems physically possible. And the biggest step outside of my comfort zone would be to share my journey with other people. Showing unflattering photos of what my body once was is not the easiest thing to do! It's pretty embarrassing actually, but I am so grateful for other people who do it so I felt obligated to share how worth it it really is to step outside of your comfort zone, whatever it is!

The difference between THIS time, and all my other times i've started a diet/workout regimen, was this time I went in with the mindset that if I truly wanted to lose the extra weight this had to be a LIFETIME change. Not just a week or a month or a few months, but forever. The other times I had started a diet I would go to the store and look at all the food I "couldn't" eat. I would constantly think "oooh I can't WAIT until this stupid diet is over! I'm gonna eat that whole tub of ice cream once it is!" A mindset like that will not get you results. And if it does, it wont be long term. After one week of eating clean I went for my first time to the grocery store. Never once did I look at treats and yummy goodies like I couldn't have them, (And trust me when I say the shelves were STOCKED in goodies- It usually is at Christmas time) but when I saw something that looked quite appetizing I instead realized that this was a choice I made. I can eat whatever I want! No one is telling me what I can and cant eat. I'm the one that chose to eat clean. When thinking this way, It didn't seem so appealing anymore. I would rather have a great body any day of the week.

December 4th January 4th

My 1 month fitness journey!! I am NO WHERE CLOSE to being finished! I wanted to post these before I reach my goal so you can join me on my fitness journey. Lets do this together!! Im not giving up! I started eating clean at what I would consider the hardest time of year, DECEMBER! with my Birthday/Christmas goodies etc! It is hard sometimes, but the results make the sacrifices not seem like sacrifices at all. If your going through a fitness journey too, please comment, I want to hear your story and see your success! Nothing else motivates me more then others success stories! If it wasn't for them, I would never have found the strength to keep going! I will continue to post progress pictures any time I see changes, so keep your eye out! :)

(To get my workout/diet regimen go (HERE))

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Valentines Day Ideas!

Do not be fooled! These are NOT chocolates! They're cute little cupcakes inside of a chocolate box! I made these for my husband last valentines day and they were a huge hit! (For everyone that saw them on Facebook as well!) It's really simple so I wont go into a lot of detail, all you need is everything you see here in the photo. The "chocolates" are actually chocolate dipped marshmallows. The cupcakes are the mini ones not regular sized. The hardest part is getting chocolate on the marshmallows. Use "Wilton light chocolate" pieces you will find in the baking section. First cut the marshmallows in half. If they will be displayed facing up, cut them in half horizontally. If they will be facing sideways, cut them in half that way. I dipped mine with my fingers and set in the fridge for a bit! If you have more questions feel free to ask!

Hot Chocolate with a heart stamped out of it!

Fancy Sugar Cookies

"I Love You More Than..." Sugar Cookies

Darling "Cherry" Suckers!

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate Recipe (HERE)

Instead of frosting the chocolate cupcakes, cut hearts out of each one and pipe pink frosting into the center! Afterwards sprinkle powdered sugar on top and serve with pink milk!

Lots of ideas here!

Pink heart shaped sugar cookies! Pipe some dabs of frosting down to get the strawberries or raspberries to stick, then pipe frosting in between all the crevices and along the tops of them. Then set the top sugar cookie on top!