Fourth of July Treats

Since the Fourth of July is right around the corner, I thought I'd share a couple of treats I've made in the past.

 Inspired by my Rainbow Slush, I made this Firecracker Slush last year. These are always a huge hit!

I have made this Snickers cake every year for several years now and everyone looks forward to it. Plus, it's super easy!

Unfortunately, this is all I seem to have on my blog that relates to the 4th! I guess I need to get to crafting, huh? What are your plans for the 4th?

Linked to: The Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table & Dreaming, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop at Homemaker on a Dime, Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Talent Tuesday at Vintage Wanna Bee, What We Wore, Read & Made at Rae Gun Ramblings, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Eclos Giveaway Winner

 

Thank you to everyone who entered the Eclos giveaway! The lucky winner is comment #11, Rebecca! Congratulations!!

Get Soaked This Summer With Old Navy Swimwear

I've mentioned before how much I love Old Navy & Crowdtap, and they are back at it again! This time I was given the opportunity to sample Old Navy swimwear. The timing was perfect because we were getting ready to go swimming & stay at CoCo Key Water Resort. I can say I tried on almost every type of suit they had. Everything pictured above.

This was cute, but didn't work on me. 

Tankinis are what I  usually go for. I love the navy polka dot one above! Didn't have my size though.

They had lots and lots of bikinis, as you cans see. Very cute stuff! But since having three kids, my body isn't really bikini ready. 

Some more tankinis & bikinis. Now as much as I love Old Navy, this sampling trip was difficult. I already hate shopping for a bathing suit (who doesn't?), and what I found while trying suits on didn't help. As cute as everything was, none of them were really made for anyone remotely well-endowed. I don't think any of the suits had underwire, which is a must for me. Even the one pieces with the control max feature were not supportive enough, or have enough coverage where it was needed. I wish stores would realize women need more support!

But I had to choose something, so I went with this tankini and matching bottom. Cute, right? 


If you'd like the chance to sample awesome goodies from Old Navy, sign up for Crowdtap here!

Garden Row Markers

Every year we have a garden, even though we tend to have issues with certain vegetables. Corn, onions, tomatoes... but we keep trying. We don't usually mark the rows, but last year I painted the names of the plants on sticks and stuck them in the ground. This year I decided to do something different. We have a huge stack of pavers out back, so I dug some out and grabbed some acrylic paint. 

The plan initially was to draw the vegetable on the paver, and then add the name. But I wanted the kids (well, Layla) to help, and that was a little tricky for her. 

Of course Morgan had to help, too. So we decided to just paint the entire top of the paver the color of the vegetable it would go with.

It took a little while with those small brushes, but we eventually got them all painted. 

Here they are!

Just for fun, I decided to make a rainbow colored one to go in our flower garden. 

Once they were dry, I painted on the name of the veggie. 

Once they were totally dry, I sprayed them with a few coats of  polyurethane to help protect them. Then I just placed them at the end of each row.

And the good thing about these is that they can be saved and reused, year after year. Did you plant anything this year?

Linked to: Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots & Jello, Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now, Sundae Scoop at I ♥ Naptime, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop at Homemaker on a Dime, Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Too Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife, Talent Tuesday at Vintage Wanna Bee, Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog, What We Wore, Made & Read at Rae Gun Ramblings, Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage, Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts, Look What I Made at Creations by Kara, Link Party #80 at Tea Rose Home, I'm Crafty Party at So You Think You're Crafty, Hookin Up With HoH at House of Hepworths, Friday Favs at Naptime Crafters, Project Party Weekend at Bubbly Nature Creations, Delicately Constructed Friday at delicateCONSTRUCTION, Weekend Link Party at LollyJane

#EclosBeauty Review & Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are so many skin care options out there, it's hard to know what to use, right? I know for me it's pretty overwhelming shopping the skin care aisle. That's why I was excited to get to try the éclos Skin Care product line. 

What makes Eclos so different? It features Apple Stem Cells extracted from a rare Swiss apple which have shown a great ability to stimulate skin stem cells, encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin. Plant extracts, vitamins and anti-oxidants combine with the Apple Stem Cell technology to help minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin.

Similar products used to only be available in high end boutiques, but now with Eclos it's affordable. The kit shown here is valued at $19.99.

I received this awesome kit to try, and included in my kit were: 

Facial Cleanser Skin Prep
Cellular Activator Face Serum
Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream
Restorative Eye Cream
Instant Radiance Facial Scrub
Skin Renewal Clay Mask
éclos Terry Cloth Head Band

Here I am before using Eclos.

The Facial Cleanser Skin Prep made my skin freel fresh and clean. I loved it! The Cellular Activator Face Serum, Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream & Restorative Eye Cream were great as well. Thick enough to feel like they were working, but not heavy and greasy. The Instant Radiance Facial Scrub made my skin feel so smooth and fresh! And the Skin Renewal Clay Mask made my skin feel brand new. The headband was great when using the mask and washing my face at the sink.

And after!

Overall I am very happy with all of these fabulous products! Now how would you like to win a set?

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what item from the kit you are most excited to try. (Mandatory)

2. Become a follower, or leave me a comment letting me know you already are! (Optional)

Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Giveaway will remain open until 6/27/12. Good luck!

Fabric Covered Photo Mats

 

 I have been slowly trying to update our living room, adding more photos and more color. This project was quick and easy, and took care of both. I always have spare frames on hand, and I also had a leftover photo mat in a boring beige.  So I gathered my supplies:

A frame, a mat, some fabric, a print (in this case, it's a card), scissors and iron-on adhesive. 

 Cut the fabric a little larger than your mat. 

 Iron on the adhesive according to package directions. 

  Then start folding over the edges and ironing, until they are all stuck down firmly. 

 Next cut out the center and repeat the last step. If you cut a straight line into each corner, it makes folding easier. 

Now your mat is covered!

 

Now add your photo or print and reassemble. Simple, quick and free!

Linked to: Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots & Jello