Chic Birthday Party Decorations

Spring is a very popular time of year for birthdays amongst my group of friends (and myself included).  Since it has been a while since my last look at birthday decor and celebration ideas (see here), I thought I would share a few of my latest finds that have really upped my birthday celebrating game.  These birthday party extras are both sophisticated and fun, making these items perfect for celebrating almost anyone at any age!

For the Cake

Whether you are baking a cake from scratch or buying super fancy cupcakes (which I am definitely guilty of doing on occasion due to time constraints), no birthday is complete without candles and the traditional happy birthday song!  Once I hit my teenage years, I was over having my birthday candles reflect my age, primarily because it overwhelmed the cake and distracted from the cake's pretty aesthetic (I also didn't need to be reminded of my ever-increasing age).

I prefer to have either a few candles or even a single candle on my cake.  While nothing beats the traditional mini birthday candles sold in most grocery stores, since I tend to opt for few candles I want to make sure that they are special.  Recently, I have discovered Target's Gold Birthday Candles and TOPS Malibu's Big Golden Star Sparkler Wand and absolutely adore these candle options!  The added metallic glitz from these candles makes for a unique and chic addition to any birthday cake.  *To really take the presentation over the top, light the candles with these adorable birthday matches.  

Wrapping Birthday Presents

It can be challenging to find a gift wrap print that is appropriate for an array of gift recipient types (ex. age, gender, relation to you).  Often I find myself housing a ridiculously extensive collection of wrapping papers because I have bought papers based on a single recipient instead of finding a paper that could work for many.  Fortunately, I had my "Ah-ha!" moment a few months ago and have been obsessed ever since!  

Caspari's "Party Animal" line of paper products is a current favorite of mine when it comes to gift wrap, wine bags and gift enclosures.  The sophisticated wild animals decorated in whimsical birthday flare, makes this line of high quality gift wrap ideal to use on both adults and kids.  Caspari has also extended this line to paper tabletop products, which are equally fabulous and another birthday entertaining favorite of mine!

Party On!

If I am going to host a birthday party, then I am going to do it right.  Meaning, I'm  pulling out all of the stops (birthday party essentials), like party hats and confetti! 

Traditional party hats are a thing of the past in my opinion.  They are just too bulky and basic.  Ever since my discovery of the mini santa party hats around Christmas time, I have been totally in love with the concept of jaunty mini party hats worn stylishly tilted to one side of your head.  These Meri Meri Mini Party Hats (pictured below), paired with these super fun and reusable Confetti Pops (pictured above) are fun twists on traditional birthday party accessories that will give any party a fresh and festive vibe.  

Cocktail Time

In addition to outfitting my birthday parties with Caspari's Party Animal paper products, I also love using these "YAY!" Cocktail Napkins.  Not only do they scream FUN, but they are also a pleasantly unexpected/refreshing change from the traditional "Happy Birthday" and "Celebrate!" signage typically printed on birthday party paper products.   

Refreshing my birthday party repertoire with these chic and whimsical additions has me chomping at the bit to host my first birthday celebration of the season.  Simple updates to your party accessories can make all of the difference when it comes to putting together a fun and festive event.  I have always been a fan of birthdays because in my opinion, they are perfect opportunities to single out and celebrate those special people in your life.  

Two Unique Ways to Make Oatmeal

I know that not everyone may feel that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," but I absolutely adore breakfast.  I kid you not, I go to sleep excited to wake up and greet my day with a delicious cup of coffee paired with some scrumptious morning meal. 

There are so many options for breakfast, eggs, toast, omelets, waffles, etc… but for years I have been a loyal fan of good old fashioned oatmeal.  In my opinion nothing is more satisfying than a hot bowl of delicious oats topped with an array of nutritious seeds and other accoutrements.  The standard oatmeal prep is a great way to create a delicious and satisfying breakfast, but there are also many ways to think outside of the box when it comes to oatmeal prep.  For today's post I wanted to share two oatmeal recipes that I am currently loving.  Here are two takes on oatmeal that you really must try - one sweet and one savory, both are very healthy and packed with tons of flavor!

Savory Oatmeal Egg Bowl

Ingredients

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• Toasted Flax Seeds
• 1-2 Eggs
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Fresh Chopped Chives
• Smokey Spanish Paprika
• Avocado
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Cook 1/2c of Rolled Oats per the instructions detailed on the package (microwave or stovetop)
2. In a skillet, cook 1 - 2 eggs over easy
3. Transfer cooked oats to a breakfast bowl and mix in 1 Tbs of toasted flax seed, plus a dash of both salt and fresh cracked pepper
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of Oatmeal, then add egg(s) on top of cheese
5. Garnish with salt, pepper, smokey spanish paprika, freshly chopped chives and a few slices of avocado

**Adapted from this Martha Stewart Recipe

If you are looking for a sweeter oatmeal recipe that is healthy and can feed a crowd, this Oatmeal Souffle recipe from the Sprouted Kitchen is absolutely fabulous.  See below for more details:

Sprouted Kitchen's Oatmeal Souffle

For the complete recipe, click here

**Note- I used a deep soufflé dish instead of the shallow gratin dish used in the recipe.  If you opt to use a deeper dish like the one I used to make this recipe, you may need to add a few additional minutes to the cook time.  

Parmesan & Herb Encrusted Salmon Recipe

Since we are still in the midst of National Heart Health Month, I thought it would be great to share a very easy and heart healthy recipe with you all today.   Parmesan & Herb Encrusted Salmon is a dish that I discovered a few years ago and have been a huge fan of this dish ever since!  In addition to the nutritional benefits of this dish, I also love that you can make the parmesan and herb mixture ahead of time, and then use it throughout the week to cook single or multiple servings (*the parmesan & herb mixture is enough for 8 filets).  Here is how I make this delicious, easy and healthy protein: 

Ingredients

• 5oz Container Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Dill
• Fresh Oregano
• Fresh Italian Flat Leave Parsley
• Salmon Filet (1-8)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
2. Lightly pat salmon filets dry and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Then set aside.
3. In a mini food processor (or in a bowl with a pair of kitchen sheers) combine enough herbs to yield approximately 2Tbs of Chopped Parsley, 2Tbs Chopped Dill and 2Tbs Chopped Oregano.  
4. Pulse a few times in the mini food processor to ensure that all herbs are sufficiently chopped and combined. 
5. Add one 5oz Container of Grated Parmesan Cheese to the herb mixture and pulse a few times until all ingredients are well incorporated. 
6. Top each salmon filet with approximately 2-3 Tbs of the cheese and herb mixture, making sure to gently press the mixture into the salmon filet with your fingers.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.  **Easy trick to test for doneness- If you gently press your finger onto the top of the salmon filet, it should easily flake apart.

All About Flowers

So we all know that I have a bit of a flower habit.  Okay, so that is actually the understatement of the year….I have a MAJOR flower habit.  I really just cannot get enough of them!  There is just something about adding flowers to a space in my home that immediately transforms it from a house to a home.  They are just a very lovely and welcoming addition.  So for today's post, I wanted to address a few of my best flower strategies for purchasing, arranging and maintaining fresh blooms.  

The Cost of Flowers

One question/comment I seem to constantly hear from people is: "Flowers are so expensive!  How can you afford to constantly support this habit?"  Well the truth is that flowers can be very affordable if you are strategic about what you buy and where you buy your flowers.  My #1 go-to flower store is Trader Joes.  Without a doubt, I consistently find the best selection of beautiful blooms ranging from a bouquet of roses for $4.99 to 10 Ranunculus Stems for $5.69!  There really isn't another floral retailer in my immediate area that can compete with these prices.  Well, that is with the exception of my second favorite flower retailer…Costco!  A gorgeous bouquet of the most exquisite garden roses can be purchased at Costco for a mere $9.99!  I mean that is practically unheard of when it comes to finding a dozen flawless garden roses.  

If you are in the market for flowers that are inexpensive, low maintenance and will last for weeks, I would suggest any of the following: 

• Alstroemeria ($3.99/bunch at Trader Joe's)
• Carnations (50 cents/stem at Sam's Club)
• Hydrangeas ($5.99/3 stems at Trader Joe's -- See this post for my Hydrangea Tips)
• Sunflowers ($3.99/bunch at Trader Joe's)

Flower Vases

As my love for fresh flowers has continued to grow over the years, I have started to gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of using the right vase for each type of flower.  I tend to favor using whatever flowers are in season at the moment, which means that I am needing to use vases that can accommodate a variety of flowers in order to ensure that the blooms look their best when displayed.  

For instance, when I am arranging ranunculus, I like to use a vase with a smaller opening.  Reason being, ranunculus tend to have heavy heads and weak stems, so the added support of the narrow vase opening provides additional strength needed to help the flower stand straight, which will also aid in prolonging its lifespan.  In addition, when I am arranging flowers with very voluminous blooms (like hydrangeas) or those flowers with the potential to open into larger blooms (like roses), I opt for a vase that has a wider opening to provide the flowers with ample space to accommodate the blooms. Here are a few of my favorite vases at the moment: 

• Tiffany & Co. Weave Vase
• Glass Cylinder Vase
• CB2 Joyce Bud Vase
• Tiffany & Co. Windham Vase
• CB2 3-Piece Hat Trick Vase Set

Arranging Flowers

While I tend to stay monochromatic when it comes to arranging flowers for my home, I know that there are many of you who probably enjoy mixed bouquets.  While there really isn't a whole lot to arranging a monochromatic bouquet, a mixed bouquet can be rather complex. 

This past Christmas, my mother in law gave me the most fabulous book called "The Flower Recipe."  This book really does take the guesswork out of flower arranging by providing you with a breakdown of exactly what you will need to create each of the 100 arrangements featured in this book, as well as step by step tutorial for recreating each piece.  If you are interested in learning about the art of arranging flowers, I highly recommend checking out this book.  

Flowers can most definitely be an affordable decorative addition to any room in your home.     The options available really can fit any budget and using the right type of vase for your floral arrangement can make all the difference.  If you have any questions regarding topics covered in today's post, you are more than welcome to send me an email.  I always love to hear from you all!

Dog Care Essentials

One major part of my life (after my husband of course) is my dog, Dolly.  Dolly is a 4 year old English Bulldog, that we absolutely adore and as I have mentioned in my bio, is admittedly spoiled rotten.  Over this past weekend it dawned on me that I haven't really taken the time to write about the one subject I have learned a great deal about over the past four years- dog care!  There are so many aspects to caring for a pet, but for today's post I wanted to focus on sharing a few of my favorite products.  These items play a huge role in the everyday care of Miss Dolly and have helped to keep both Dolly and my home, healthy, happy and in overall great shape.  While this isn't a list of every essential pet care item, these are certainly items at the top of my "Must-have" list and you can rest assured that there will be plenty of future pet care posts coming to the blog featuring more of my favorite products and pet care tips.   

Furminator

Do you remember those dated rake pet brushes (the ones you would have to use outside because pet hair would always go flying with each brush stroke)?  While the rake brush did remove dead hair from your pet, they were awfully messy and I'm not sure how effective they actually were.  Enter the FURminator!....

When we first adopted Dolly, I spent a lot of time researching proper dog grooming practices.  During my search I came across this one youtube video on dog grooming that featured the FURminator.  After watching the video I was sold and immediately had to have this fantastic grooming tool.  The FURminator is a grooming brush that collects dead hair from your cat or dog with each brush stroke.  The FURminator can potentially reduce shedding by up to 90 percent and if nothing else, it certainly reduces shedding more than any other grooming tool on the market.  The FURminator is offered in a variety of sizes and styles based on the size and hair length of your pet.  I absolutely adore this tool and have found it to be extremely effective with reducing shedding and keeping my dog's coat super soft. 

Douxo Maintenance Shampoo

Everyone who meets Dolly always comments on how soft her coat feels.  I am constantly asked to divulge the specifics of Dolly's grooming routine.  Well here it is- we bathe her once a week, FURminate her weekly and use Douxo Maintenance Shampoo. This shampoo is actually a 2-in-1 (shampoo plus conditioner) gentle cleanser that preserves the lipidic film in a dog's coat, while still nourishing, hydrating and cleansing the dogs coat.  In addition, this shampoo is hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, making it an ideal shampoo for almost any type of dog.  

Nail Clippers & Styptic Powder

Nail care is very important aspect of pet grooming that needs to be maintained even as frequently as monthly depending on the breed.  For the first three years of Dolly's life, we would clip her nails ourselves (*note- do not clip your pets nails until you receive proper training from a vet).  She has white nails so it was easy to identify the location of the quick and avoid having any adverse experiences (my preferred nail clippers are here and here).  Every time we clipped her nails we always made sure to have a jar of Styptic Powder (blood clotting) on hand in case we accidentally clipped a quick.  Luckily this only happened once in three years of clipping, but thank goodness we had that powder on hand.  Around age 4, Dolly started rebelling against our monthly nail clipping sessions so we now take her to a local groomers at a cost of $18/clipping.  She is in and out of there in 5-10 minutes and happy as a clam every time.  So honestly, I say it is money well spent!

Rain Coat

Regardless of the weather conditions, a dog still has to go to the bathroom.  Hurricane Sandy, Snowstorm Jonas, etc… Dolly still had to go outside to alleviate herself.  While a little snow on my dog isn't the worst thing in the world, a rain soaked dog is not fun.  Not only does the rain give her that malodorous stench of wet dog, but then she comes inside my nice clean house and shakes off the rain….EVERYWHERE!  To minimize the effects of rain on Dolly while out for her "business time," we have invested in a raincoat (and OMG what a lifesaver!).  I found this adorable rubber ducky poncho at Unleashed by PETCO for $12.99.  Unfortunately Dolly is too thick for the size that fits her length and too short for the size that fits her girth.   To remedy this situation since the coat was just so darn cute, I purchased the size that fit her girth and then had it hemmed for $8.  I know that sounds ridiculous to have a dog's raincoat altered.  However, for a grand total of $20.99, I have a raincoat that fits my dog perfectly and keeps her dry when it rains.  Totally worth it! 

Toys

Dogs enjoy chewing.  Some more than others and the degree of chewing power ranges.  As you may have probably guessed, Dolly is a very active and powerful chewer.  As a puppy, she went through many plush toys and even developed a habit for door stoppers and electrical wires (it was exhausting and had me constantly on edge worrying about her safety).  What we found over time was that the more difficult projects (very hard toys) kept her occupied the longest and away from chewing on things she shouldn't.  I have to be honest, I have purchased too many toys for Dolly over the years (and am way too embarrassed to show you her ridiculous toy bin).  However, through my extensive toy research I have found that the best/safest toys on the market for dogs would have to be the Nylabones and Naturally Shed Antlers.  These toys cost more than the average toy, but they last exponentially longer.  Giving dogs plenty of projects (high quality toys) will keep them entertained and out of mischief.