Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

Happy new year! May 2015 bring you joy, love and most importantly, health. I want to thank all of you. I love being able to share my adventures and it always makes me so happy to read all of your comments.

Isn't it crazy how quickly time flies by? It seems like only yesterday I was putting away all the Christmas decorations and here I am again... Craaaazy I tell you.

2014 was an awesome year. At work, I had the chance of learning new skills as part of an amazing new team. I am so thankful for having the opportunity to meet them and work with them. I also started organizing my blog a bit more, which I'm very excited about. I still haven't reached my goal, or figured it all out yet, but I'm on the right track. Most importantly though, I gave birth to our second boy. He is an absolute joy to be around. He is always smiling and cuddly.

I've been enjoying decorating my home. Everything has been such a blur since we purchased our first house that I really haven't had a chance until now. We repainted the bedrooms and made a cloud stencil wall in our son's bedroom. I also made a super cute decorative cork mobile and a geometric embroidered painting to put in his room. I have a lot more of those kinds of projects lined up for 2015 so stay tuned!

I've also developed a new love for nail polish. It's a fun thing to do to relax, and doesn't take much time if you have the right tools. Some of my favorite nail art designs from this year are my gold and white leopard nail art, bare daisies nail art and square nail art. I have so many ideas for the new year, and am super excited to try new techniques.

I've also been busy in the kitchen. After finding out that my son is allergic to eggs, I made it a point to cook everything at home so that he wouldn't miss out on anything. From fancy desserts to delicious snack and meals. Some of my favorite recipes from this year are my 5 minute homemade chocolate pudding, the egg free vanilla cupcakes and these easy cucumber cream cheese bites.

I also shared some random seasonal projects like this Halloween apothecary and this acorn mobile. I also started making homemade beauty and skincare products like this homemade natural lip balm and I plan on making more this year so stay tuned!

“What are some of your highlights of 2014?”

Last Minute Christmas Party Favors

A week or so ago I hosted a family Christmas gathering. Something small, just to see everyone before the holiday madness. I wanted to send everyone home with a little gift but I thought about it too late and had to come up with something last minute.

I found these super cute advent calendar mini bags at IKEA and ended up using them as party favor bags.

I wrapped up some of my gingerbread cookies and added one in each bag.

Then I filled some mini plastic bags with a single portion of my homemade hot chocolate mix (I'll be sharing the recipe soon so make sure to check back later!), labeled them with pretty handwritten tags and added those too.

I also added a few mini chocolates and a little candy cane. Nothing fancy, but I totally enjoyed the homemade touch.

“What kind of little trinkets would you like to receive in party favors?”

Make Your Own Cookie Gift Wrap Using Wax Paper

It just isn't Christmas without yummy gingerbread cookies.

I had so much fun coming up with my own gingerbread cookie recipe that I made a few extra batches to give away as party favors for Christmas. I didn't want to put naked cookies in bags because that's just boring. Any chance I have to get creative, I accept the challenge!

I didn't have any fancy bags or boxes so I came up with something super cute using wax paper, markers and ribbon.

MATERIALS

Wax paper
Permanent markers
Scissors
Baker's twine

STEPS

1. Cut the wax paper into squares.

2. Draw a simple pattern (or whatever your heart desires) on the wax paper using permanent markers.

3. Flip the decorated paper upside down and place your cookie upside down onto it.

4. Fold the paper to wrap the cookie.

5. Add a pretty string or ribbon.

There you have it! Such a quick and simple way to dress homemade cookies for a cute gift. You could use this for colleagues, friends or even your neighbors. Hope you enjoy wrapping up your home baked goods! :D

“Do you have any fun way to wrap up single cookies?”