Diaper Wreath

I recently threw my niece a baby shower. For one of the decorations, that also doubled as a gift, I made a diaper wreath. It hung very nicely on the front door to welcome all the guests.

Start with a foam wreath. I used a foam tube and taped the ends together. You can find how to make it here.

You'll also need a package of clear rubber bands...

...and diapers. I believe the wreath I made had about 16 diapers. I like to buy diapers in a size 1 or 2. I never buy newborn. I was expecting my 2nd child, my son, to be about 7 lbs. when he was born. He ended up being almost 9 lbs!!! He also couldn't fit into any newborn diapers. So, just in case the same thing happens to other new moms, I never give newborn diapers.

First, stick a diaper around the wreath.

Secure the diaper with a clear rubber band.

Continue to place diapers all the way around the wreath.

Tie a ribbon over the clear rubber band. I like to use ribbon that coordinates with the nursery or baby shower theme.

Repeat the above steps with a second layer of diapers. You can make the wreath look as full as you like.

Finally, I like to tie the baby's initial to the center. You can find cheap wooden or metal letters at any craft store. You can also tie various toys or baby items around the wreath.

Hang the diaper wreath anywhere you like. It's a great gift for any mom-to-be.

Owl Favors

My mother-in-law and I recently threw a baby shower for my niece. It was owl-themed and was lots of fun to plan. I found a cute owl favor on Pinterest and decided to make it for the shower.

These are the supplies that are needed: a pint sized Mason jar, 2 large light blue felt circles, 2 medium white felt circles, a brown felt triangle, 1 white feather, and a hot glue gun.

Glue the white circles onto the blue circles. Notice that the circles aren't perfect.

Hot glue the googly eyes onto the white circles. Hot glue the triangle onto the back of the circles.

Hot glue the feather about halfway down the back of the triangle.

Then, hot glue the face onto the jar. Finally, we filled the jars with white-dipped pretzels and they're ready to pass out to the guests.

So easy and so cute!

Linking up here:

Pumpkin Cupcakes

If you're like me, you are completely addicted to Pinterest. If you're not on Pinterest, what's wrong with you? Haha, just kidding (sort of). I could easily spend hours on that site and pin everything I see. I started looking at some of my boards and realized that I haven't tried to make, bake, cook, or create a majority of the things that I've pinned. I have done some of the projects, but not nearly the same amount that I've pinned. (If you have no clue what I'm talking about, join Pinterest!)

So, I've challenged myself to get out my glue gun or baking pans and start trying some new stuff. I started with my dessert board "Bake Me" and I scrolled all the way to the bottom and picked out one of the first things I pinned. I gathered the ingredients and spent the afternoon preparing a very delicious dessert.

Here are the scrumptious Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing. They are soooo good and were very easy to make. I even broke out my fancy tips for the icing. Since there is cream cheese in the icing, be sure to keep the cupcakes refrigerated. I also had a bunch of icing left over so I stuck it in the freezer to save for a spice cake or pumpkin loaf.

So I challenge you to not just pin, but create. You may just be pleasantly surprised at how good you are at making, baking, cooking, or creating something new.

Pop's Taco Soup

Pop is not my grandpa, but he is someone's grandpa. He and his wife (affectionately called Nan) let everyone call them by their nicknames, whether you are related or not. I work with Nan and she brought this taco soup for a spread that we had one time at work. After trying it, I immediately asked for the recipe. She told me that Pop is the one that makes it, but it's so easy to make. She was right. This is the best soup I've had and you pretty much just dump everything together.

Here are the ingredients:

Chop a bell pepper and onion and brown it with 1 lb. of ground beef. I do this in a skillet and then transfer to a dutch oven. Or you can just do everything in the dutch oven.

Add 1 packet of taco seasoning and 1/2 packet of dry ranch mix to the meat. Mix well.

Now, you're going to dump the rest of ingredients: 1 can of rotel, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of corn, and 1 can of pinto beans. Do not drain any of the cans. Stir together. Add salt and pepper if needed. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

It is ready to serve.

Add your favorite toppings to the soup: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla strips, cilantro, etc.

This makes plenty for my family of 4 with a little leftover. You can easily double the recipe if you're making it for a bunch of people. It can also be made in a slow cooker. It is the greatest soup ever and you won't be disappointed. There is a little kick to it, but it is delicious!

Spaghetti Sauce

I've been looking for a good homemade spaghetti sauce. It's probably my family's favorite meal. So, I turned to my favorite cook, Pioneer Woman, and tried her recipe. It's tasty, delicious, and of course, very easy to make. I didn't make the meatballs, just the sauce, but you do what suits your family.

Saute one diced onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic in just a little bit of olive oil in a dutch oven.

Pour in one 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes and one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes. Add 1 tsp. of sugar. Then for flavor, add salt, pepper, parsley, and italian seasoning to taste. Mix well. Cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat.

Pour sauce over cooked spaghetti. Voila!!!

1 diced onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

olive oil

28 oz. whole tomatoes

28 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. sugar

Salt, pepper, parsley, italian seasoning to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a dutch oven. Add both cans of tomatoes and sugar. Add seasonings to taste and mix well. Cook at medium heat for 20 minutes.