Father's Day 2015

I wracked my brain over and over about what to do for my husband this year for Father's Day.  And then I thought, okay now I have WAY too many options, so I'd like to share :)

Here's 4 options for you - and you have time for ALL of these before Father's Day, Sunday June 21st! 

1. DIY Projects you can do LAST MINUTE! 
   Yes, completely last minute projects for all of us that are busy just trying to get through the day and then suddenly realize…oops I need a gift!  Here’s a few to inspire you!
   From a photo mug to personalized hand and foot prints. 
   *Remember, when you are doing hand or feet prints, tickle the back sides of the baby’s hand or foot to get them to open them up for you!
   Check out these DIY Gifts here
   
2. Some favorites from sellers on Etsy
   I believe all of these shops are stocked and ready for YOU to get a gift for your dad or husband in time for Father’s Day!
   One of my favorites from these sellers is“This is what an awesome DAD looks like tee”.  Even more fun… the Train Play Mat T-Shirt.  Want something a little different? What about a wooden watch or some delicious popcorn seasonings?  Or get him a beard grooming kit (I’m a sucker for my husband when he has a nice soft beard…I know you may want your man freshly shaved – no judgment!)
   Enjoy my list here!
   
   
   
3. Or get them something customized from me!
   I hand stamp guitar picks (which can be used or turned into a keychain), money clips, fishing lures, and collar stays.
   I’m just asking all orders be in by Wednesday, June 10^th so I have time to make your man something uniquely special from your heart! Check out the options by clicking HERE

4. Lastly, for a SUPER cool gift that comes Man Crates.  They come packed up with no extra fluff.  It is an awesome box with great products and a crowbar to open it...how cool is that!?

I hope you enjoyed this collaboration! I can’t wait to see what you do for your dad or husband this Father’s Day!  Tag me @LivelyHappenings to let me know!  I may have to snatch up your ideas as well!

Cookies for Santa!

This holiday season is going to be especially wonderful with the addition of our little girl!  She's not quite sure who Santa is yet at this point, though she did get to meet him!

I wanted to gift her caregivers something sweet for the holidays, and remembered how much I LOVED making cookies in a jar a few years ago for some friends and family!  They are seriously THE BEST cookies I've ever had.  I REALLY love them and get compliments any time they are gifted!  I hope the daycare girls love them as much as I do!

They turned out beautiful!  I created labels for them and printed them on some of the brown cardstock I had here at home. 

You can use these and print them yourself too!  Select the link itself to get the downloadable and printable version!

• Mason Jar Lid Toppers

• Santa Faces for Back of Tags

• Instructions for Tags

For the tags, I printed one side with Santa and the other side with the recipe. I use bakers twine to attach the tags and the bags of pecans to the jar.


Here's the full recipe I used for the cookies (originally on Bakerella - Cowgirl Cookies)

These are the ingredients you need to add in this specific layer into a large mason jar (1Quart size)

• 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooking oats
• 3/4 cup m&ms
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

***If the nuts don't fit, do not fret!  You can do like I did and add them on the side in a little Ziploc bag!  I sometimes don't pack it down enough, so I add a little extra sugar to fill space.

These are the ingredients you're recipient will need to add once they've gotten their gift!

• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

I always make myself a batch while I'm putting these together!  I just mix all my dry ingredients, add my wet ingredients and roll them into little balls.  From there I freeze all but a few on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen, plop them all into a large Ziploc bag so you can enjoy just one or two at a time.  They just take a few extra minutes to bake up in the oven!

To make them for yourself while packing some up in mason jars for gifts, after you've mixed your ingredients and made your cookie balls, heat the oven to 350 and bake for 8-10 min.  Enjoy!

Now go make some delicious cookies or put some together in cute mason jars for your friends and family!

Now when Santa comes, don't forget carrots for the reindeer ;)

QUESTION FOR YOU!
What are your favorite Christmas Cookies?

Just Keep Nesting...

Just Keep Nesting. Just Keep Nesting. Nesting. Nesting. Nesting.

Well, I think this weekend, I may have nested some more!  I organized more of the little one's room, adding a few more small containers into her drawers to keep all those little things tidier.  Who knew it would be so hard to keep little bibs separated from little shorts?!

I've also been crafting a TON!  I've been a bit obsessed with little baby knotted top hats and little baby headbands for a while now.  I even bought Braelyn a hat back in November of last year, before we even were pregnant because I was already getting my friend one...yea that's not too unusual for me...I've had a hooded duck towel and a baby carrier from a second hand store for a few years longer than that...I'm pretty bad about that kind of stuff!

So, I wanted Braelyn to have a cute little hat to wear in the hospital, but when I looked on Etsy, there were just so many cute options, that my cart kept piling up with things until I was WELL over budget.  So, even thought I do indeed hate to sew, I decided I'd just make her some.  I saw cute fabric when I had been in JoAnns and thought, I'll look again and maybe just maybe make her a hat or two...

Well...about an hour later, I finally left JoAnns with EIGHT different jersey knit fabrics.  Yes, EIGHT! 

I planned to make the following:

• Baby Top Knotted Hats
• Baby Girl Headbands
• Nursing Cover Up

For my baby top knotted hats and the headbands, I bought 1/3 yard of soft, stretchy, fun, colorful, jersey knit fabrics.

For the nursing cover ups, I needed a yard.  I bought two different fabrics and added on an extra 1/3 yard so Braelyn could have coordinating hat and headband...yes...I'm crazy and I'm nesting.

With my 1/3 yards of colors, I set out to make hats and headbands.  After making Braelyn some, I realized I'd have enough to make some more to sell and/or give to friends.  If you cut carefully, you can make 2 hats and 2 -3 headbands in each cut of fabric!!!

TUTORIALS I USED

• Baby Top Knotted Hats
• Tutorial found HERE!
• Baby Girl Headbands
• Tutorial found HERE!
• And this one HERE :)
• Nursing Cover
• Tutorial found HERE
• on this one, where the neck opening is, I sewed 13 inches, but that made the opening still too large for me, so I sewed mind 17 inches so I didn't feel like the shawl would keep coming off.

Want even more things to do while nesting?!

In addition to the jersey fabric for the hats, headbands and nursing covers...I also was CRAZY enough to buy SIX different cotton fabrics and make these lovely little circle skirts.

The tutorial for the circle skirts can be found HERE!

These took very little time, and all I needed to buy was those fabric squares from JoAnns.  I already had the stretchy elastic at home since I use it in my Etsy shop, but if you don't have it, not to worry, JoAnns sells some of that as well :)

Don't want to make your own?! 

So maybe you don't like to sew, or you don't have the time or even the machine...or you just don't want all that extra fabric and to be a crazy sewing lady for a weekend...not to worry, I've got you covered!!!  I have already sold a few of these via Instagram/Facebook promotions, but there's three more collections up for grabs and they are seriously a STEAL when you consider most would cost $15+ for a hat on Etsy alone! 

Why am I selling them cheaper right now?  Well I'm not charging for "time spent" like I normally do when I make things.  I made the price much much cheaper than if I were to put it on Etsy to sell just because!  So if you want to snatch up one of these that's left, email me:  LivelyHappenings@gmail.com

Cost is listed + $3 for US Shipping, $7 for Canada, and $12 elsewhere (yes, I'll give you back $ if shipping is less!)

The ones available still are as follows:

Mommy And Me Dots

Owls for Baby

Pink Chevron

Brewing a Baby Shower!

Last weekend, I was thrown a beautiful and fun baby shower from my friends, Natalie and Hope!

First, Hope and Natalie brainstormed to make the CUTEST invites for us!  We wanted it to seem more like a casual lake day than a baby shower since it was a couples shower.  Hope is an artist and used her mad skills to make these bad boys!  I LOVE how they turned out!  Natalie suggested the book instead of a card, and I loved it!  Baby Bratton has some great books already!  I cannot wait to read to her!

DECOR:

Hope and Natalie were going with the woodland theme, which is what will be Braelyn's nursery/our guest room.  Hope gathered lots of lush evergreens and pinecones to put in large mason jars. Natalie got cute little woodland animals and they put them alongside this lush moss.  

She was originally going to paint them gold, but then we all liked the natural colors of the animals.

Natalie also made the cute sign that was behind us as we opened all Braelyn's presents.  Making the cutest backdrop for our shower photos!

FOOD:

To keep it casual, we had some amazing food Hope and Natalie prepped ahead of time all laid out for the guests on the patio table.  The day of, we just had to mix the fruit, salad, warm up the mac n cheese, warm up the bread, and have Dane (Hope's hubby) grill the chicken she had seasoned up.

• Massive Fruit bowl - approx 1 cantaloupe, 1 big bin of strawberries cut, 1 big bin of blueberries, and honeydew.
• Bread loaves from the bakers simply warmed and served along side honey butter.  The honey butter was made by Hope and she mixed up regular butter (like the stick kind) and creamed honey to taste
• Chips to keep it easy
• Homemade mac-n-cheese prepped ahead of time
• Salad made of greens mixed, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, feta, and homemade dressing (my favorite dressing is a thick balsamic with a little olive oil and some seasonings - I sometimes even just use salt and pepper for that seasoning!)
• Chicken on the bone, simply seasoned with a mix of spices and then grilled to perfection
• Dessert was the BOMB!  Hope and Natalie cut and sugared strawberries in advance as well as made little sweet biscuits.  Hope then made homemade cream and day off she layered these together in cute 8oz mason jars!

DRINKS:
For our drinks, we had organic lemonade, un-sweet tea, and sweet tea which Natalie properly labeled "Sweet as Braelyn" in recognition of the little guest of honor!  Oh and there was a bucket of beer, which I of course stayed away from even though I oh so badly crave beer during pregnancy...why is that!?

ACTIVITIES:
I wanted the shower to really feel more casual, like a lake day.  So rather than playing a bunch of shower games, we had croquet to play in the yard.  I meant to bring the redneck golf to play as well, but my pregnant memory failed me..wah wah! We also were going to bring cornhole, so that's another great suggestion for doing a casual shower like ours!

I mean come on...you really don't need much else when you have this:

If you want some suggestions on other more shower themed games, here's some of my favorites:

• My Water Broke - freeze tiny babies in ice cubes, first one to thaw out has to scream "My Water Broke"
• Chug the Bottle - we played this at the Baseball Themed shower I helped host for my friend Emily, and instead of baby bottles, I used juice boxes
• The smelly diaper - so this one grosses me out, but is still sorta fun!  It's when you melt candies down inside something that resembles a diaper, or I guess you could use real diapers, but that's a waste of $ in my opinion.  So then the guests have to guess the candy by smell or even taste if they want!

The house where we had this shower is my father's.  Sadly he and his girlfriend were out of town when we planned this shower.  With our busy schedule and this being 6+ hours away from where Neal and I live, we had limited times we could do the shower.  However, him and Kim were so sweet and had set up a banner and provided some cute little candy packages for the guests party favors!

That's a wrap up of the shower details.  We really were so lucky to have some amazing friends host and wonderful family and friends to attend!  Neal and I couldn't be more excited about our little girl, Braelyn Abigail Bratton!

Now here's some of my favorite pictures from the pressie opening and of our friends/family who came to support us!

Bath Toys!

This card from my brother and his wife was great!  It had a ton of # as they like to tease me about my social media hastags ie:  #LakeDay #BabyShower etc :)  Thanks guys!  Love you!

Em is so cute!

 The host and her husband to be!! I HEART you two!         This is my big brother :) Love you!

my cousin's little girl is ADORABLE!

One of my oldest besties, KB!

Daddy to be rocking w/ his little girl's itty bitty socks!

iPeed onesie from KB! TOO PERFECT!

My hubby!

My good family friend, Penny and my Aunty Jo!

Some of the Chix of '06!!! Natalie, Kelly, me, Martha, Emily!

The hostess and her mom!

Another one with Kellie and the beautiful lake backdrop!

That's a wrap!!!