{Guest Blogger} Sweet Things and a Sweet Giveaway

November 15, 2010

Congratulations to JC's loft for winning the Sweet Things Giveaway!

Please email us at thesavvymomsguide@yahoo.com with your contact information.

Are you ready for a "Sweet" Post and an even Sweeter Giveaway?

We are certain you will fall in love with Sweet Things Kids just as much as we have. Nicole is talented beyond words. Enjoy spending time getting to know her and getting lost in her creations.

Hello all, my name is Nicole and I run a small business called Sweet Things! Amy and Bri kindly asked me to do a guest blog post on their Savvy site to introduce myself to their followers and leave you with a SWEET tip! So here it goes…

Growing up I am sure that none of my friends or family would have thought to say Nicole and “girly” in the same sentence, but here I am shortly after turning 30 and I have created my own little “girly” business, Sweet Things. When I had my first daughter back in 2007, I was convinced that she would be a tom boy, and I was right. She loves cars and bugs and can’t be bothered with tutus and frill!

Then little N came along and everything changed. She is now 22 months and into everything girly! So the mission was on: make affordable dress up costumes for my girly girl!

When starting the venture one of my biggest inspirations was, the one and only Gwen Stefani. I LOVE her! She is a sexy mommy and business woman, with amazing style. One of my favorite videos of hers is “What You Waiting For”. Her Alice in Wonderland interpretation made me start sketching and creating my first costume!

Well, once Tim Burrton’s “Alice in Wonderland” movie broke it big at the box office, I was off and running on my Alice creation. After several attempts I think the final product turned out perfect!

After that I was creating new costumes daily! Next came costumes inspired by Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse, Dorothy, Fairies, Bumble Bees, Jessie and LOTS more. I am up to 15 creations and working on more all the time!

I don’t only make costumes. I also make everyday and special event tutus, pillowcase dresses, hair accessories, birthday hats and COMING SOON trendy kids clothes! I really try hard to make my designs unique and affordable for EVERY mommy (and daddy for that matter J)! Next year I plan on creating some more edgy kid costumes, clothes and adult costumes!

I am so lucky to be able to do what I LOVE in creating SWEET creations for your SWEET kids. I am also fortunate to have a supportive husband who will give his opinion on tulle color and shirt designs even though he would rather be watching the Dolphins, and I could never forget my two little ladies who put life into perspective and make every day SWEET!

“I'm just a girl in the world...
That's all that you'll let me be!”

So I guess I run with it!!

SWEET Tip:

How to make your little girl into a ROCK STAR on a budget! It’s easy to make a cute dress up costume from home!

What you will need:

An old pair of tube socks

An old mens collared shirt

Markers

Glitter

Kid friendly paint

Blue eye liner

Ribbon

Empty paper towel roll

Glue

Scissors

Pieces of 8 ½ x 11 paper

Flashlight

You favorite No Doubt or Gwen Stefani Music!

Set up your men’s dress shirt, tube socks, and empty paper towel roll on a table outside with the glue, glitter, markers and kid friendly paint and let them be creative. Make stars with the markers and circles with the glitter and let them make it colorful and unique! Inspire them to be their own designer by joining in! When the socks are dry cut small holes in the top for your little ones fingers.

During nap time let the items dry and start on the top of the microphone. Take the 81/2 x11inch sheet of paper and ball it up. Then dip it into glue and cover it with different colors of glitter! Make sure to leave one small piece of your paper with no glue or glitter so when it is drying you can leave it on that side and it won’t stick! Once it is dry glue it to the decorated paper towel roll with the undecorated side down.

Time for dress up:

Put your child in their shirts and put the tube socks on their arms. Wrap a ribbon around their waist. You can add some leggings or tights if your little one wants. Put there hair up in a teased pony tail and add some glitter. Take your Blue Eye liner and draw some stars on their cheeks! Give your little ones their microphones and set up the music and let them go to town! Shine flashlights on them to make them feel like they are on stage! (Mosh pitting not recommended for children under 8 hehe)

Anyone can be a designer! Just let the ROCK STAR in you come out!!

We told you you would love her..... And guess what she is giving away an adorable Cupcake Apron and Yummy Chocolate Chip cupcakes in a jar!!!!

3 ways to Enter to Win.

1) Head over to Sweet Things Kids and tell us your favorite Design! Here

2) Become fans of The Savvy Moms Guide and Sweet Things on Facebook. Leave your Savvy Smiles on their pages!

3) Suggest The Savvy Moms Guide and Sweet Things Kids to your Friends and Family and share that you did here!

Smiles~

Amy & Bri

{Guest Blogger} A Delicious Apple Crisp

Hello, Savvy Friends!

I’m Jennifer, from the party website Passion-for-Parties.com, and I’m thrilled to be your guest blogger today! ☺

In the spirit of Fall and Thanksgiving, I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite dessert recipes.

One that is so warm and cozy that you won’t want to spend another Fall or Thanksgiving without it…

Warm, Sweet, Delicious Apple Crisp

A good apple crisp starts with good apples.

Firm apples with a hint of tartness work best for baking. Granny Smith, Jonathan, and Fuji are all good choices.

For this crisp, I used Granny Smith.

Here’s what else you’ll need for this yummy treat...

…with the addition of butter…I forgot to put it out for the picture! ☺

Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients, peel, core, and slice your apples.

I LOVE my Pampered Chef Peeler, Corer, Slicer for this job!

Place all of your apple slices into a bowl, then drizzle them with fresh lemon juice to prevent browning.

(I like to squeeze with the peel side down so the lemon seeds don’t drop into the bowl).

Combine some brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, pour it over the apples and mix until the apples are good and coated. Don't they look yummy already?!!

Butter a baking dish and pour the apples in.

Now it’s time to make that yummy, crispy topping that gives this dessert its name!

Combine flour, sugar and oats in a small bowl. Cut in some cold butter until the mixture is good and

crumbly. Mix in some nuts for a little extra crunch, if you want. Mmmm, so good!

Sprinkle the mixture on top of the apples…

...bake...

...and ENJOY!

Sooo incredibly delicious!

Here’s the full recipe:

You’ll Need:

• 3 pounds (6 to 7 medium) apples (Granny Smith, Jonathan or Fuji work best)

• One fresh lemon

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup rolled oats

• 4 (1/2 stick) cold butter

• 1/2 cup pecan pieces

• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

• Caramel ice cream topping (optional)



Instructions:

1. Peel, core and slice the apples and place them in a large bowl. Cut a fresh lemon in half and drizzle fresh juice over the apples to prevent them from browning.

2. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl and pour over the apples. Mix well until the apples are nicely coated with the spice mixture.

3. In another bowl combine flour, sugar and oats. Cut the butter into small pieces and use a pastry cutter, butter knives or forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until its crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts for extra crunch, if you’d like.

4. Butter a baking dish, then pour in the apple mixture. Sprinkle with the crumbly flour mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel ice cream topping, if desired.



A big thanks to the Savvy Girls for allowing me to share this with you. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do! ☺



Happy Fall to all, and if you’re ever in need of fun party ideas, recipes, and more, please pay me a visit over at Passion-for-Parties.com.



Happy Celebrating!

Jennifer

{Guest Blogger} A Celebration Shoppe Giveaway

November 8, 2010.

We are beyond thrilled to have Kim as our Guest Blog today. We found Kim through our "How Savvy are you" feature of Ava's Princess Party. Kim was so kind and complimentary and even featured the party on her own Blog.

She is Amazing and Inspiring. So much so that Martha Stewart's Dreamers Into Doer's just named her Doer of the week.

Please Welcome Kim!

Hi! My name is Kim Byers and I’m the owner and creative director of The Celebration Shoppe. I’m so excited that Amy and Bri asked me to be a guest blogger while Amy’s enjoying some time off with her new little bundle. And what kind of guest would I be if I didn’t come bearing gifts?!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I thought I would share my new Harvest collection (50% off in the shoppe right now!). It could be perfect for your “kid’s table” this Thanksgiving! I know I’ll personally be using it at my house!

These are just a few of the items in the printables collection, so stop in the shoppe for all the details!

“To say Thanks for having me, I am giving away my Harvest printable collection to one lucky winner.”

3 Ways to Enter to Win

1) Head over to The Celebration Shoppe and tell us your favorite collection! Make sure you check out the newest Mod Candy Cane collection sneak peek while you’re there. It will be available in the shoppe later this week and the printable collection will be 40% off through Saturday!


2) Become fans of The Savvy Moms Guide and The Celebration Shoppe on Facebook. Leave your Savvy Smiles on their pages!

3) Suggest The Savvy Moms Guide and The Celebration Shoppe to your Friends and Family and share that you did here!


Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
Winner will be chosen on Friday, November 12, 2010 at 10:00pm (PST). Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Winner will be chosen using random.org

Kim

{Guest Blog & Spotlight} Kolby Kakes Edible Creations

November 4, 2010

Hello Savvy followers! I am honored and excited to be a guest blogger this week!

The Savvy Mom’s Guide has provided us all with amazing tips, ideas and deals for over two months now, and I am ecstatic to be affiliated with them as their ‘resident baker’ and an appreciative follower.

Having recently started up Kolby Kakes, my passion for baking is ever growing. As a young girl, my mom allowed me to help her whenever she was baking or cooking. As an adolescent, she gave me the freedom to experiment (and make messes) in the kitchen. Now as an adult, with a full time job and family of my own, baking remains my passion.

After receiving flattering amounts of requests from friends, family and strangers for my baked goods (particularly cake balls!), I started Kolby Kakes. I enjoy creating treats that will coordinate with the color scheme or theme of any event, much like those designed for The Savvy Mom’s Guide play dates. My signature items, cake balls which have rightfully been named Kolby Kakes, are enjoyed at any type of function thinkable.

I love being able to create unique yet edible touches that make a function a little more personal and special. Kolby Kakes also supports charities and non-profit organizations within the community. In recent months, we have supported The Girls Scouts of America, Women’s Fellowship Neighborhood Church, and are happy to support additional local causes.

In partnership with The Savvy Mom’s Guide and Sweet Things, Kolby Kakes is a proud sponsor of 1st Annual Cupcake Camp IE. A fundraiser supporting breast cancer which will be taking place this Sunday November 7th at The Mission Inn in Riverside, Ca. At this event, Kolby Kakes will introduce a new feature item, The Sweet Geraldine cupcake. This special creation is dedicated to my dear Aunt ‘Gerry’ who lost her battle with breast cancer over 8 years ago. To learn more about this event, check out the following link: www.cupcakecampie.wordpress.com
We are so excited to be apart of such a great cause and would love to see you there!

With the holidays right around the corner, here is a recipe and a tip for holiday baking: Easy

Sugar Cookie Recipe:
2/3 C butter, softened
¾ C Sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP milk
1 egg
2 C flour

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add sugar, salt and baking powder. Beat in vanilla, milk and egg scraping sides of bowl. Carefully add flour. If desired, chill dough for 20 minutes. Cut dough with cookie cutters and bake at 375o for 8 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.

Baking Tip:
When rolling sugar cookies, I don’t like to use flour because it makes a mess and also takes away from the flavor of the cookie. Instead, I place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment paper and roll flat with a rolling pin. Place on a cookie sheet or other flat surface, and chill for 10-15 minutes before making desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Smiles~

Jamie

{Guest Blog & Giveaway} Rosebud Lips Headband

And We have a WINNER!!!!

Congratulations to Shelley.

She said....

How Did I not know about this shop?! It is over the top adorable. I am in love with The Ella Rosebud Headband. So So cute. Thanks for introducing it to me!

Please email your contact information to thesavvymomsguide@yahoo.com. And Thank You for entering. Smiles~

First of all, I’m honored to be a guest on The Savvy Moms Guide! Thank you.

I am Lauren the creator of Rosebud Lips . I am just having a blast creating things that make women feel beautiful.

Here’s a little bit about myself and my vision.

I'm 27, and a dreamer. I am a stay at home mommy in The Woodlands, TX, and love to do what I do. I have always been creative, and learned to sew at a young age. I was taught by my grandmother (Nana) and my mom (Tama). I have always loved fashion, and at a young age moved to New York City. I had the opportunity to intern for designer Cynthia Rowley, which was an amazing experience.


To tell you why I became a designer would have to be because of my sweet memories of being a little girl (about 4) and dancing around in my Nana's silk bed sheets (my cape), adorned with her costume jewelry. I felt like a princess. My Nana has collected jewelry from my family generations back, and I felt like each piece had a story. This inspired me to use antiques in my pieces. I love textures, antiques, fabric and jewelry. Together, these form my concepts for my collection-- Making every woman feel beautiful.

I started the company in 2009, shortly after my mom passed away from Cancer. She was my best friend, and my biggest supporter. She was an artist herself, and she told me to follow my dreams and be creative. This motivated me to leave the marketing/PR world that I worked in for over 5 years. She has changed the course of my life, and I'm so excited for what the future holds.

The name Rosebud Lips was actually the nickname that she gave me when I was little, then my little girl (her grand daughter). My other passion is to support The Mercy Project. Please know that each item that is sold through my shop directly benefits Mercy Ministries of America. They provide hope and healing to generations of desperate young women who are seeking freedom from life-controlling problems such as: drug and alcohol addictions; depression; eating disorders; unplanned pregnancy; physical and sexual abuse; self-harm. Go to www.mercyministries.org for more information.

We love Lauren, her mission to support other women, and of course Her Designs.

In honor of the Camp Cupcake Inland Empire Event that we are participating in this Sunday for the Fight Against Breast Cancer we are giving away a Breast Cancer Awareness Headband!

3 Ways to Enter to Win

1) Head over to Rosebud Lips and tell us your favorite Design here!

2) Become fans of The Savvy Moms Guide and Rosebud Lips on Facebook. Leave your Savvy Smiles on their pages!

3) Suggest The Savvy Moms Guide to your Friends and Family and share that you did here!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 10:00pm (PST). Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Winner will be chosen using random.org

Smiles~

Amy & Bri

{Guest Blogger} No Sew Fleece Blanket Tutorial

October 24, 2010

It's that time of year again; time for the warm summer days to give way to the cool, crisp days of autumn. Time for flip flops and tank tops to be replaced by warm boots and chunky sweaters. And time to grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and cuddle up under a cozy fleece blanket.

Over the past few years, my family and I received no sew fleece blankets from our crafty family members and we use these blankets throughout the year. This year, I decided to learn how to make the no sew fleece blanket and add it to my gift giving repertoire.
No sew fleece blankets are simple to assemble and can easily be made in an afternoon (or less time, depending on how fast you can knot!).

Here is how I put together a no sew fleece blanket:

Materials

• A coupon to your local fabric store so you get the best deal on the fleece!
• 2 yards of patterned fleece
• 2 yards of solid colored fleece, complimenting the pattern
• Straight pins (optional, but very helpful)
• Cardboard or cardstock to act as a template
• Scissors
• Measuring tape

(**These measurements are for the standard sized blanket. If you choose to make a blanket for a smaller child, I would recommend using a yard and a quarter of fleece.)

Begin by trimming the edges of your fleece. As you will notice below, my fleece had a strip of writing along the edge that I did not want showing up on my completed project.

Next, lay the two pieces of fleece on top of each other, being mindful that the wrong sides of the fleece are back to back. Generally there is a color and texture difference between the right and wrong sides of fleece. Once you have the fleece together, I recommend pinning two sides of the blanket together, paying close attention that your fleece is even on those sides. Follow up by pinning the last two sides together. I happened to have extra fleece on the last side I pinned, so I trimmed down that side. Be sure that each side is evenly matched up prior to trimming just in case; otherwise, you may cut useable fabric!

Measure out a 4 inch by 4 inch square from one corner of the blanket and cut out.

I like to use the corner I just cut out as a template to cut out the remaining three corners of the blanket.

Once the four corners are cut out, use your cardstock or cardboard and cut out a 1 inch wide by 4 inch long template. You will use this template to cut strips all the way around the blanket, starting from the corners. As you cut the strips, move the straight pins up above your cuts so that the blanket stays together better.

Once you have finished cutting the strips, it's time to start tying knots. Tie the top and bottom pieces of the fleece in a double knot. The best way to do so is using a square knot. You will want the solid color strip to end up on top so it contrasts with the pattern of the blanket and visa versa.

That's it! You've finished a no sew fleece blanket.

I love these blankets. Our family uses them to add extra warmth to our standard bedding. I have also used these blankets to throw down on the ground at home as a play area for my daughter when she was a baby or outside at the park when we picnic. And now I get to use them as presents for family and friends. The purple and print blanket featured above was put together as a Christmas gift. I included the star blanket, pictured below, in a gift for a friend's baby shower.

The best part of this craft is that the variety of fleece choices found at your local craft store continues to grow, from holiday prints for Christmas and Valentine's Day to licenced fleece in your favorite sports team or cartoon character. Which means you can give these blankets for any occasion to kids of all ages. Better yet, put together a craft night with your friends and make a few blankets to donate to charity.

It's getting cold outside; why not warm someone's heart with a fleece blanket!

Amy j is a long time friend of Savvy Moms' Amy & Bri. Married to her high school sweetheart, Amy j has the great pleasure of staying home with her 4 year old daughter while teaching online college courses