Let's Mingle Blog

Easy Entertaining for Everyday Celebrations

Archives for January 2016

Cupid’s Arrow Shirley Temples

Jan 29 2016 by 1 Comment

Cupid's Arrow Shirley TemplesIt might still be January (for a few more days), but love is definitely in the air! The floral shops are full of brightly colored pink and red bouquets, boxes of chocolates and candy hearts are lining the aisles at the grocery stores, and reservations at the top restaurants are already booking up. For me and the hubs, Valentine’s day is the perfect night to spend in, ordering pizza, wearing sweats, and watching netflix. Does that make us old?

Whether you plan to spend Valentine’s Day in or out this year, there are still some fun and simple ways you can celebrate the holiday without going broke or spending a lot of time planning.

Today’s post is great for the kids, a fun v-day party, or even for adults who don’t plan on drinking over the holidays. These non-alcoholic Cupid’s Arrow Shirley Temples are easy to make, yummy, and too cute!

Cupid's Arrow Shirley Temples

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Crockpot Salsa Chicken Sliders

Jan 26 2016 by 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias

Crockpot Chicken SlidersNow that the finals are over and we know which teams we’ll be cheering on, it’s time to prep the menu and dive into all of the game day party prep!

I know I’ve talked about it on the blog before, but I like to share ways to keep entertaining EASY. Who wants to spend an entire day prepping stuff in the kitchen? Not me. So today, I’m sharing a super simple recipe that is oh, so yummy and will score you major points with the football fans in your life!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken SlidersThese crockpot salsa chicken sliders are a breeze to make and you can prep an entire baking sheet full of them at one time, which is great for a large game day party! Plus, with the benefit of using a crock pot, you can fix it and forget it…at least for a few hours 😉

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Sandwich Gift Wrapping

Jan 20 2016 by Leave a Comment

Sandwich Gift WrappingSandwich Gift WrappingThe big game is coming up, snacks are all the rage (but, really, when are they not?!) and Superbowl parties are about to take over our Sunday. If you’re heading to a game day party this year, score a touchdown with a host or hostess gift wrapped in game day perfection.

Today’s DIY is a cinch to put together and wins, hands down, in the cute category. Plus, who wouldn’t be obsessed receiving a gift packaged like this? (If they’re not, they don’t deserve it…am I right?)

Get ready to win the gifting game with sandwich gift wrapping!

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Philly Cheese-Steak Nachos

Jan 18 2016 by 2 Comments

Philly Cheese-Steak NachosAnother playoff weekend is over and we are that much closer to finding out who’s headed to the Superbowl this year. The hubs is the only one left with his team still in the running, but with a house full of football fans, I’m already starting to think about what to serve for our game day menu. As much as the Superbowl is known for football and the actual game, it’s also known for parties and food!

I like to pick options that are festive and fun, but that won’t take too much time to put together either.  It’s not fun to spend the entire day in the kitchen and miss out on the game, or commercials. 😉

If you’re planning to serve a crowd this year, today’s recipe is for you!  I’m stealing some inspiration from a famous Philadelphia sandwich and making some Philly cheese-steak nachos!

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Penalty Flag Favors

Jan 11 2016 by Leave a Comment

Penalty Flag FavorsThe big game is less than a month away and you might be one of the few that is still anxiously waiting to see if your favorite team will make it in or not. You might also be one of the few that isn’t waiting for anything other than the delicious snacks and fun parties that comes along with game day. Whichever you happen to be, today’s post is perfect for your football get together with friends in the next few weeks.

If you’re hosting a party soon, thinking of all of the details can be daunting, but I’m here to help with fun and super easy penalty flag favors that are sure to appeal to the fans at your event and are also a breeze to put together!

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Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate

Jan 8 2016 by Leave a Comment

Frozen Caramel Hot ChocolateGooey caramel, rich hot chocolate, light whipped cream, and snow. Wait, snow?

Ok, maybe not snow, (I added that for effect), but ice. Definitely ice.

Not exactly a combination that you’d put together normally, but for today’s post, it’s the perfect, delicious blend needed to create a yummy cup full of frozen caramel hot chocolate!

You might not think that winter is the best time to serve a frosty beverage, but there really isn’t ever a bad time. Put on some mittens and live it up a little. YOLO.  And worst case, the snow outside can keep your mug cold. 😉

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Birthday Calendar Printable

Jan 6 2016 by 2 Comments

Birthday Calendar PrintableThere are a lot of things I want to do in 2016 and a lot of goals I want to meet. Whether or not you are someone that sets “resolutions” or goals for a new year, I still think it’s important to challenge yourself to try new things, break bad habits, or to make improvements to your daily lives, regardless of it being the beginning of a new year or not.

One of the things that I always try to do is to create little highlights in other people’s days. It can be as simple as sending a little note or putting together a care package, just because, to send their way. I’ve found that it can really cheer someone up when they’re having a bad day or when they just need a little pick me up. Plus, it couldn’t be more simple to do!

This year, one of the ways I’m going to go this is to send a birthday card to my friends and family in the mail. Yes, the ACTUAL mail. Not a birthday message on Facebook, not a text message, an actual card that is sent by way of USPS. Crazy, right? (Yes, that is sarcasm at it’s finest).

The days of sending sail mail are definitely behind us and I don’t want to lose out on the highlights that an actual piece of mail can bring. When our mailboxes are usually stuffed with ads, bills, and catalogs, it’s nice to get something else in the mail that you actually want to receive.

I’ve partnered up with Tiny Prints and we’d love to challenge you guys to do the same with the ‘Birthday Card Initiative’ this year for the people in your lives too!

It’s definitely an easy thing to do and I’m making it even easier for you to track all of your upcoming birthdays with a free birthday calendar printable that you can download and print too!

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Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

Jan 4 2016 by Leave a Comment

Chocolate Cherry Ice CreamI love the feeling of a new year. It just seems to ooze the possibility of a new start, a clean slate, a fresh beginning. Everyone is back on the same playing field. Well, everyone that is just barely starting to get back into the habit of something new, that is. For all of you that have just kept doing what you’ve been doing all along and are now sitting back and laughing at the rest of us struggle to get through a full class at Cardio Barre, you don’t count. And yes, I may be speaking from personal experience.

Either way, anything that helps to spark a positive change, is a-ok in my book. I am trying to get back into a healthy workout and eating regimine and really want to get some things organized around my house. I feel like my entire life is in pure choas when things don’t have a set place to go and when I can’t find what I need when I need it. Yep, 2016 is going to be a year of progression for me. Health and wellness progress and organization and home project progress. Are you guys trying to make some changes in your lives this year? If so, what are you trying to accomplish in 2016?

Chocolate Cherry Ice CreamIf your goal is to eat more ice cream, then today’s post will totally help you achieve that goal! I’m sharing an easy recipe for chocolate cherry ice cream and let me just say, that it really is THAT GOOD.

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