DIY Embellished Mini Pumpkins

I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many pumpkins in the fall, real or decorative.  Pumpkins on the porch, pumpkins on the kitchen counter, pumpkins on a book shelf, you get the idea.  And I love the look of traditional orange pumpkins, but I thought why not jazz some up a little bit?  The best part is, you just toss them at the end of the season so you can do different looks year after year.  This little project was super easy and fun to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon while watching some football, too!

What you need:

Mini Pumpkins

- I had a hard time finding these at the grocery store ( I got my larger pumpkin for the porch at Trader Joes) so I actually got them from the school where my mom works.  At only $1, you really couldn't beat the deal!  I'm sure you could find them at a pumpkin patch also.

Craft Supplies

- You can really get creative here.  I chose to do one glitter pumpkin and two painted, but you could adorn your pumpkins with anything from buttons to jewels to flowers.  Make sure you have the proper brushes/applicators as well, and a space to work where you don't mind if it gets a little messy.  Read - glitter goes EVERYWHERE.

The rest is pretty much self explanatory - just go to town decorating your pumpkins!  Here are some helpful hints that might make the process a little easier:

Wipe your pumpkins off with a damp paper towel before you start. 

You want to remove all of the dirt and make sure you have a smooth, clean surface to work with.

If applying glitter, work in small wedge sections in a circular direction around the pumpkin. 

Apply Mod Podge, sprinkle on the glitter, tap off the excess, and continue doing this until you have covered the entire pumpkin.  I also went ahead and covered the stem.  If you opt to do this, make sure the rest of the pumpkin is completely dry before you handle it.  Otherwise, you'll have chunks of glitter peel off onto your hands, and it's a PITA to remove.

If painting your pumpkins, use two coats for the base color and allow it to completely dry before doing the next. 

I'm so used to painting on wood for my Etsy shop, where the paint dries in a matter of a few minutes.  With this project, you have to be a little more patient.  If you try to paint another coat before the first is dry, you'll just end up with paint sliding around and not actually covering evenly.

Happy decorating!

xoxo,

Amanda 

Mason Jar Meals for the Working Girl

A while back, I was introduced to the mason jar salad idea by a co-worker who prepares them regularly.  I did it for a few weeks, but only had a couple of recipes that I really liked so naturally I ended up getting burnt out on them.  I loved the idea of being able to have your meals ready to go, though, and I didn't mind sacrificing some time on the weekend to make life during the week a little less hectic.  Now that I'm in my new apartment with an open kitchen to the living room, I really don't mind because I can easily cook and have the TV on for distraction.  It makes all the slicing and dicing a little more enjoyable.

After a very busy and draining week last week, I decided that I really wanted to get back into meal prepping.  I was also craving a salad that I had on my trip to Minnesota, and that was the spark that ignited the fire in me to really do this.  I found the salad on the restaurant's menu online and made my list.  I took my motivation with me to the grocery store and got everything I needed to prep breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner for the work week.

Now granted, this was my first attempt to prep everything at once, but I still wanted to share what I learned from this first go-around.  And hopefully each week the process will become more and more streamlined and the idea of meal prepping won't be so daunting.   

1. Wide-mouth mason jars work best. 

Back when I first did the salads for lunch, I used some regular ones and it probably took me twice as long just because I had to be careful when adding ingredients so they didn't go everywhere.  This time, I sprang for a case of wide-mouth jars and used the extras for freezing some leftover chicken tortilla soup.  You can also buy individual mason jars at Hobby Lobby if you'd rather just get enough for meals.

2. Make a list. 

I really cannot stress this enough.  You have to go into the grocery with a plan of what to get, or you'll wander the store for way too long back and forth as you remember things you need for a particular recipe.  I like to make my list in order of breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that I don't leave anything off.

3. Opt for snacks that don't need to be prepped. 

This week it's bananas for me, but apples or grapes would work just as well.  The idea is to have something you can just grab and throw in your lunch bag on the way out the door.  It cuts down on time spent in the kitchen, too.

4. Adapt things you already eat for mason jar prep. 

I've been taking yogurt, fruit and granola each day for breakfast, but I was getting it together every morning before work.  This was at least an extra five minutes in the morning that could have been spent on something else or even getting out the door five minutes sooner.  Now that I have the mason jars, I prepped five yogurt/fruit combos and just brought the bag of granola with me to work to add each morning.

5. Choose recipes that usually make plenty of leftovers. 

I didn't necessarily portion each meal out for dinner ahead of time since I eat dinner at home, but I did go head and prep the full amount of the main protein (chicken) and sides (potatoes and veggies) in separate large containers so that each night I just have to dish some out and heat it up.

I am so excited to give meal prepping a go with mason jars and try new recipes each week!  Seeing a fridge full of beautiful, colorful jars of fresh food makes it so rewarding.  What are some of your favorite recipes for mason jars?

xoxo,

Amanda         

...It's October 3rd

First of all, I'm going to give a virtual high-five to anyone who knows what this is about just by the title alone.  And for those of you wondering what the heck I am talking about, it's October 3rd, aka Mean Girls Day of course!  A day that's

so fetch

.  A day when I won't get strange looks for quoting a movie with every other sentence (because yes, I quote it in daily life).  So put on some pink, hold back the word vomit, and get ready for some grool quotes that are my personal favorites from the movie.

"On Wednesdays we wear pink."

This is the probably one of the most iconic quotes, no explanation needed.   Just do it already!

"Get in loser, we're going shopping."

I say this to my sister all the time when I drag her to the mall with me.  She loves it.

"You wanna do something fun?  Wanna go to Taco Bell?"

Yet another quote perfect for my life.  Although, I'd probably replace Taco Bell with Chipotle nowadays...

"I saw Cady Heron wearing Army pants and flip flops, so I bought Army pants and flip flops."

This gives a whole new meaning to keeping up with the Jones' (or Kardashians if that's your thang).

"I can't go out...*cough, cough*...I'm sick."

"Boo, you whore."

Let's be honest, we've all been there.  Sometimes staying in with junk food and sweats just sounds so much better than going out.

"She doesn't even go here."

Such a perfect quote to make an awkward moment even more awkward.

"The limit does not exist!"

For all of those light bulb moments, and also to describe the number of times it is socially acceptable to quote Mean Girls.

And not only is it Mean Girls day, but it's also Friday!  Share your favorite quotes from the movie below!

xoxo,

Amanda