Spring Planting |

With the snow melted I am going to need to start cleaning out the flower beds soon.

It also means I need to figure out what I want to plant and when/where I should plant it.

We are very lucky that the woman who lived in our home last planted beautiful gardens. Every season something new blooms making it so that the garden is always colourful.

These are the few types of flowers that I would like to add this year:

Zinnias

Hydrangeas

Sunflowers

These are the flowers / plants we have in our flower beds so far:

Tulips

Lilac

White and Purple Iris

Chickens and Hens

Orange Rose Bush

Solomon's Seal

Hostas

Mums

Sweet Easter Treat Ideas |

I posted the other day about Easter Items that I made last year and today I searched 'Easter Treats' hoping to find something new to make this year to take home for Easter.

I found a number of cute ideas that I thought I would share!

I came across this idea and thought it was a really cute way of displaying your Easter egg shaped sugar cookies. It would look so cute on the Easter table with the other food and would also act as part of the decor (until all the cookies were eaten of course).

This idea looks SOOO Yummy! It is 'Easter Bark' using multiple colours of chocolate swirled together with mini eggs and other Easter treats throw into the bark. Recipe HERE.

This is a cute and simple Idea - Rice Krispies molded into Easter Egg Shapes and then decorated! Recipe HERE.

Sweet little Peeps in Chow Mein Noodle Nests sitting on their Mini Eggs! Recipe HERE.

I thought at first that these nests were like 'Haystacks' one of my favourite cookies. But it turns out they are made of coco and shredded wheat. Recipe HERE.

They look cute in Cupcake wrappers too!

They would look cute in these 'Spring Grasses' Easter Cupcake wrappers - sold HERE.

Or these really neat Nest Cupcake Wrappers. Sold HERE.These are a cute craft for kids. Ice Cream Cones made into Easter baskets filled with jelly beans with a licorice handle! Recipe HERE.

Baby Shower Planning | Fishing Theme

This summer I will be helping to decorate for a friend's baby shower.

She is having a little boy and since her husband and her love fishing I decided to use that as the theme of the shower.

The two actually met at the camping grounds where they grew up on their summer vacations fishing, and their honeymoon was at a lakeside cottage where they fished as well. So hopefully this theme will not only be cute and fun but also meaningful for the couple.

Here are some of my ideas below for those thinking of doing a similar theme!

- DECOR -

Blue, Green and Yellow are the colours for the shower - half of the tables will be blue and half green with yellow streamers for the accent.

I found blue plates and yellow napkins and I found a way to fold napkins to make them look like fish (watch the video below to see how to fold the napkins to look like fish)
This way I don't have to use 'tropical fish' napkins (as that is all I was able to find when serching for 'fish napkins') but now they will still fit the theme and be a really cute featuring sitting on everyone's plates.

I just finished making the centerpieces. They are tall vases with pebbles in the bottom (from Dollarama) and I glue ribbon around the top of the vases and tied twine around them as well. I will be putting a goldfish in each of the centerpieces and the green vases will go on the blue tables and the blue vases will go on the green tables.

I am going to try to get burlap to make squares to go underneath the centerpieces on each table.


I found this cute tissue paper confetti at Metro and will sprinkle it around the centerpieces along with a few pebbles sprinkled around as well.


I got a few packs of these 'Bathtub' fish toys from Dollarama to use as decor on the table and might even float one or two in the punch bowl.


I got a magnetic fishing pole and I have a big orange drink bucket that I will fill with water to create a 'Fishing for Advice' game to play at the shower. A few ladies will use the pole to pick up a fish and each colour of fish will have a corresponding question that asks the lady to give 'baby advice' to the new mom.I am also going to be making a banner that will be a fishing rod and then down the line I am going to spell the baby's name, and maybe have a fish on the end of the line as well.
The banner will hang above the gift table.

- FOOD -

My friend from Mill Street Cakes will be making the cake/cupcake stand and I came across this cute idea to use sand pails as the tier separators - so she is going to copy this idea when making her stand. The cupcakes will match the colour scheme and will have blue icing and yellow and green fondant fish cutouts on top of each cupcake. She also has come cute ideas for the top of the cake - should turn out SWEET!

I want to make a blue jello in a trifle dish and stick Swedish fish in it to make it look like a pond.

I thought of using sand pails as 'goody dishes' and want to put Goldfish Crackers in one pail and Swedish Fish in the other, then guests can scoop out their goodies using the shovels.

I also thought it would be cute to have a few 'Bait Cans' around with gummy worms coming out of them! I am going to make them by simply using a tin can with the label peeled of it and then use a label or a piece of tape to write 'Bait' or 'Can O' Worms' on them.

I am also going to recomend a 'Blue Punch' so that we can float the bathtub fish in it and make it look like a pond/lake. HERE is a really yummy blue punch recipe.


It would also be really cute to have Fish Shaped Sandwiches (using a cookie cutter to cut them out). You could even use Tuna and Salmon for some of the sandwiches to go along with the theme.

Cabbage Roll Soup |

You have heard of 'Lazy Cabbage Rolls' but this dinner idea takes 'lazy' to a whole new level.

Quick and easy cabbage roll soup tastes just like the real thing but takes much less time and effort - here is how I made mine:


- Fire Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup Base

- Beef Broth

- 1lb of ground beef

- 1 Large can of diced tomatoes

- 1 bag of chopped cabbage/coleslaw

- 1 cup of cooked rice

- Parmesan cheese


How to make the soup:

- Cook the rice according to package directions

- Brown the beef

- Over medium heat mix together the beef broth and the pepper/tomato soup base.

- Add the can of diced tomatoes and half the pack of cabbage/coleslaw to the soup base.

- Bring to a boil.

- Once it has come to a boil turn it down to low heat and add the cooked meat and rice.

- Simmer on low for 10-15mins.

- Serve in bowls and sprinkle 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.

This soup is an easy and quick dinner to cook and is even "Husband Approved" being that is it yummy, healthy and filling!

Helmet Head |

As the weather has been warming up I am getting excited about being able to bike on the awesome trails in the park, along the river and through the city!

However, I have been dreading having to wear a helmet, but I may have found an awesome solution to the classic case of Helmet Hatred!!!

I was just watching TV (The show 'Cash and Cari') and Cari was wearing the cutest helment ever!

So I did some 'research' online and found that the helmet manufacturer of the helmet she was wearing is a company called 'Yakkay' and there are two Toronto location that sell their helmets: Curbside Cycle and 4th Floor Distribution.

They are SO cute - but also carry a hefty price tag ranging from $160-$175. You can even purchase additional 'covers/style' to change the look of your helmet.

Pretty neat - but I was hoping to get a used bike for $50-$75 let alone paying double that for a helmet!!!

So it looks like I will still be wearing a dorky plastic helmet with a purple and pink flame pattern on it and an 'areo-dynamic' shape costing $20.00 from Walmart - for a little while longer at least - Maybe I can ask for a Yakkay helmet for a Birthday/Christmas gift??

Here are just a few of the options they have available:

The Green Party |

Now before you think this post is going to be about the political "Green Party", (and if you know me personally you know I am NOT a political buff at all) rest assured this post IS about HOME Decor and is BIRTHDAY PARTY related.

I am planning a 26th Birthday for my husband that is going to be a backyard family BBQ and I decided to make the theme 'GREEN'!

Since this spring/summer is going to get super busy for me with work, and since all of the outdoor/patio items are already coming out in the stores, I decided to put together my plan and gather my items now so that the party is all ready to go!

Here are some of the things I will be using / making to make the party fun, fresh and GREEN!

- The DECOR -

I got 5 different sized green lanterns at JYSK - I am going to hang them in the trees with the Globe lights from our wedding

I got green and brown bamboo placements from Dollarama

Green Striped Napkins

I am going to make green party flags from scrapbook paper to hang around the deck

I may get balloons and if I do I will get green, brown and white groupings

I am going to get Green Paper Straws - Available on ETSY HERE

Straw Flags - I am making my own 'straw flags' with the name of each person at the party on them. Not only does it give their straws/glasses a custom flare, making them feel special, but it also eliminates the need for extra glasses or to wash glasses as everyone will remember which drink/glass is theirs!

Mason Jar Glasses - I ordered 1/2 pint mason jar glasses from Candlesandsupplies.com for only .45 cents each! I will sit the straws with the name tag flags in each glass and set them all out on a tray.

A few of my mason jars on a mint green tin tray I got. You could even punch a hole or use a drill bit to make a hole in the top of the mason jar lid to stick the straw through. This would be a great thing to do for a kids party so that they didn't spill their drink.

DIY Party Tray - I made this party tray to match the party's decor - check out my post HERE on how I made the tray.


Green checkered table cloth and green plastic plates (Dollaramma) and a cute green cutlery set and 'Home and Garden' tin to hold the cutlery at Liquidation World

- The FOOD -

Green Lime Serbet, Lemmonade & Pineapple Punch - Recipe HERE
I am going to put the punch in my glass drink dispenser with Lime slices in it.

Green bean and potato salad - Recipe HERE

I am going to make a fruit salad out of ALL green Fruits (kiwi, green melons, green grapes and slices of Granny Smith apples)

I am going to have a platter of all green vegetables (Celery, baby cucumbers, green peppers, sugar peas and broccoli)

My Parent got me a retro cotton candy machine for my birthday - and you can use Kool Aid to tint the cotton candy to any colour - so I am doing to make green cotton candy!


I got these cute green and white food covers at Dollarama to cover all the trays.

I got this cute ketchup and mustard BBQ set and these hotdog holders and this outdoor napkin holder from Dollarama to use at the party! It will add to the BBQ theme.


- The CAKE -

My husband does not like Sweets so I am going to make him a 'Watermellon Fruit Cake' - Recipe HERE

I was going to simply give out waffle cone ice cream cones - BUT I came across these adorable BBQ theme cupcakes - So I just might make these for the rest of the guests who DO LIKE SWEETS because they are just too cute!

- Wish List -

I would love to get a couple green plastic Muskoka chairs. My mom got some a few years ago for under $20 from Canadian Tire I believe. So I am hoping there will be more this year!


I found this vintage green 'Hi-Bol' game that I thought would be fun for the party. We could set it up on the deck and people could play while dinner was cooking. It is like 'Skeet Ball' and it just looks so neat!

We will also be having a bocce ball tournoment!


I Hope our party doesn't make you GREEN with envy :D