{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

A Whoot of Thanks

November 1, 2010

November is a time of Giving Thanks. We have so much to be thankful for this year and wanted this Play Date to be nothing more than a "Whoot of Thanks". We try and instill in our kids that each day is a day to give thanks. And "Welcome" hearts that are Thankful!

For the "Whoot of Thanks" Play Date theme, our inspirations came from a collaboration of fall, Thanksgiving, and Owls. We wanted to feature natural elements such as woods, moss and leaves to compliment this inspiration. In planning we knew we needed to create a unique outdoor play date that was whimsical yet natural. We started by contacting Anders Ruff Custom Designs to create the printable collection around our “Whoot of Thanks” theme. We then provided them our patterns and colors which included oranges, browns, reds, and greens.

All design elements for each play date are usually purchased or created in a “Savvy” way. When it comes to the dollar bins at Target or our local Dollar Store we try and see more than just the value of an item.The tree stumps that were made into toad stools were covered in plastic tablecloths which came from the Target dollar bins along with scrapbook paper that was laminated with a leaf for the kids to use as placemats.The table the kids sat at was also made with 3 hay barrels and a piece of plywood covered with a piece of burlap. With the left over burlap we made pennants to hang our “Whoot of Thanks” banner from.

We wanted to keep with the natural feeling and create owls made from pine cones that also served as décor for the table. This idea came to life with the help of a tutorial from Bristol Moms. We then added our own Savvy touches.

For each play date we like to incorporate a snack that is kid created with easy to make steps. In this case we turned to Amy Locurto of Living Locurto who came up with an “Owl Smore” recipe that made this possible.

The moss boxes were created from left over scrap 2X4’s and pieces of sheet moss purchased from the Dollar Tree. These were perfect for showcasing our “Whoot Corn” popcorn cones made from scrapbook paper, and as a platform for the “Cheese Pies” to be displayed on. Our centerpiece, our version of a "thankful tree", was also created with the natural elements of our own backyard. We simply placed a tree branch into a tree stump and dressed it with our Anders Ruff printables and colorful leaves.

We alway include a healthy snack that compliments the theme or season. For this play date we selected a full meal for the kids to enjoy. First, an adorable turkey made from fruit, cheese and vegetables. And second “Cheese Pies” made from biscuits and cheese baked on a stick. These choices made the meal kid friendly, nutritious and delicious.

We encourage and support reading. So every Play Date has a story that pertains to the Holiday or Theme. For our "Whoot of Thanks" we chose Twas the Night before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. A fun read that made the kiddos laugh... A Lot!

We usually end the play date with something sweet for the kids to remember the day. Kolby Kakes edible creations baked the yummiest cupcakes, cake balls and owl cookie pops that coordinated with the colors and theme perfectly. She is a Baking genius.

The day was captured by the one and only Christine Racz of Racz Photography. She did an amazing job capturing all elements of the day. Including the Priceless faces of the kids.

We hope you enjoyed our Play Party......We give a "Whoot of Thanks" for YOU!!!

Smiles~

Amy & Bri

{Feature Friday} Vintage Cars

October 29, 2010

Today's Feature Friday comes from Stephanie of Spaceships and Laser Beams. This "How Savvy are They" Dessert table is a true Classic. Stephanie really captured every detail in her styling of this table for their Vintage Car Collection. She fondly named this tablescape a "life preserver for the mommy who is pulled in all directions."

All of the cakes and cupcakes were created by The Cake Box . The beautiful photography was done by barebonephoto and the printables are by Spaceships and Laser Beams . Janelle, a member of the Spaceships and Laser Beams team designed this classic collection.

This beautiful table is a reminder that Savvy Styling must be sensible. Stephanie purchased the mini cheese cakes, chocolates, drinks and even the apple slices all from a local grocery store. She says "I think it's realistic for the time constraints faced by many moms who work outside the home. And it's appropriate for a small, in home gathering". We would agree.

Here are some Savvy Things about this Collection and Spaceships and Laser Beams

Spaceships & Laser Beams is an Etsy collective of friends. They sell DIY printable party supplies just for boys. Their belief is that there is so much amazing stuff out there for little girls but the selection is very limited for boys. They like to say "Consider us a no princess zone."

The Vintage Car Collection, like all collections, was created by a professional graphic designer

All of the beautiful illustrations are 100% original and drawn by hand, they won't be found anywhere else

Each piece in the Vintage Car Collection can be purchased individually or as part of a Party Kit

Spaceships & Laser Beams believe that happy childhoods are about making every day feel special, 5% of all sales goes to the YMCA Strong Kids campaign -- to help young boys grow in to strong young men

Visit their etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/spaceshipslaserbeams or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/spaceshipsandlaserbeams

Smiles~
Amy & Bri

So this is how you do it!!!!

October 27, 2010

I never thought a week after having my son I would be sitting here blogging. All of the emotions I have been feeling and the questions I have had about becoming a mom for the second time have been overwhelming, to say the least! I have to say all the worrying the past 9 months have been put to rest. I could not love this experience more. I feel complete, in every sense of the word. Now, a week and a day into this journey as a Mom of two I wanted to share my "Ah Ha Moment" as Oprah would say!!!!

So yesterday was my first morning alone since being home from the hospital. I have been fortunate enough to have friends and family helping me out day and night and have greatly appreciated it all. It was now my turn to try out the role as a Mommy of two. As I was getting my 3 year old up and ready for school, things were going great. I started to make breakfast, pick out her outfit and pack up the diaper bag for the day. But then, it happened. Baby A was ready to feed. How was I going to get everything done in order to get out of the house and be at school on time? Before I knew it I was walking around the house breastfeeding with one hand and getting my 3 year old dressed and ready for school with the other. I stopped and realized, 'Oh, so this is how you do it!'. That question, 'How do you do it with two kids?' was asked many, many times throughout my pregnancy and the response I heard the most was, 'You just do it'. So in my silly little "Ah Ha Moment", I did just that.

Smiles~

Amy