Let's Mingle Blog - Page 36 of 37 - Easy Entertaining for Everyday Celebrations

DIY Balloon Garlands

Mar 18 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

There’s just something about balloons.

As much as I try to hate them or try to convince myself that they have past their prime, they always seem to do something that makes me fall for them all over again. (Yep, still talking about balloons here).

They add the perfect touch to a birthday party and seem to make photos so much more fun.

There are SO many fun ways to elevate (no pun intended) them and make them a bit more fancy or fun.

Today, I’m sharing a really easy and quick way to add a bit of personality to them by adding a DIY balloon garland! And the best part…? All you need to pull it off is a sewing machine!

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DIY Floral Wrap

Mar 16 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Spring is definitely in the air and I can’t say that I’m complaining.

I’ve already noticed the bulbs in my garden springing to life and these beauties that are stocking the grocery floral departments too.

With Easter only a few short weeks away, I wanted to share a SUPER easy way to upgrade those grocery store flowers and turn them into something pretty to bring as a host or hostess gift when you’re invited to brunch (my fave!) or dinner.

All you need are:

flowers (any variety works)
wrapping paper that you love
twine
small gift tag

First, cut your paper into a square. Ensure that you have enough paper to wrap the flowers, but also not too much that it covers your blooms or the bottoms of your stems. (You can make adjustments to your size as you start placing your flowers).

Turn your paper so that it resembles a diamond, with the tip of your paper towards the top. Place your flowers on top of your paper (make sure the stems are dry!) and arrange them so that you have a few varying layers. This can take a few tries before you get it just right.

Gently wrap the middle of the paper around the stems, tucking the inner corner under the stems.

Wrap the twine around the center of the paper wrap. Pull tight and secure with a bow.

Add your gift tag!

A DIY floral wrap is such a quick and easy way to give some fresh flowers even more of a wow factor and impress your host!

Homemade Hot Chocolate (& Printable Stencil)

Feb 5 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Homemade Hot Cholcoate and Mug Stencil

Normally, February in Utah is a bit more snowy and a bit more freezing, but lately we’ve been hitting temps in the low 60’s.

Utah seems to be having a climate crisis, but a mug full of piping hot chocolate is always ok in my book, regardless of the weather.

Jazz it up with a splash of Baileys and a cute topper and you’ve got a winner!

I combined 4 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream together and simmered on the stove until warm.

Next, I mixed in one 11.5 ounce bag of chocolate chips, stirring constantly until melted. I used gourmet milk chocolate baking chips, but you can use any type of chip you want. If you want a less sweet hot chocolate, only use 3/4 of the bag.

When it has all melted, it’s a smooth chocolatey dream.

Pick your favorite mug and pour! If you want to spike it, add 1 Tbsp. of Bailey’s Irish Cream in each mug and stir.

I used really tall mugs (yours might be smaller) and this amount filled up three of them perfectly.

Now, let’s get to the fun part…

How darling are these stencils from Peter Loves Jane?! You can download your own here.

I just cut them out with a pair of scissors, but you could easily use a Silhouette too.

Place the stencil over the top of your mug and dust with any type of powdered topping you like. I used cocoa powder (because who doesn’t want more chocolate) but you could use cinnamon too!

I love unexpected details and this one is too cute.

How could you pass up a mug that looked that good…? I know I couldn’t.

Strawberries & Cream Creme Brulee

Feb 3 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for the perfect dessert to serve for Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, or even just a Tuesday night, this little recipe is sure to a be a hit. And those heart shaped ramekins…? They sure do elevate the cuteness factor.

I got my ramekins here.

The recipe is simple to put together and can be done in about an hour and a half, from start to finish.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
5 Egg Yolks
6 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup of Diced Strawberries (plus some extra to garnish)
Sugar for Sprinkling

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Whip together sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until well blended.

Heat the cream until just slightly simmering (about 190 degrees) and very slowly pour into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking the entire time.

Fill the bottoms of the ramekins with strawberries.

Remove any excess foam off of the top of the custard mixture and pour into the ramekins until they are about 3/4 of the way full. (The strawberries will float a bit in the mixture).

Set the ramekins inside a non-stick baking pan and carefully pour water into the pan until it reaches about 1/2 up the sides of the ramekins.

Place onto a middle rack in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until they have set and are no longer “liquidy”.

Once done, chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle sugar over the tops of the chilled brulee. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar by moving the flame in a circular motion on the surface. (If you don’t have a kitchen torch handy, you can cheat a bit by placing the brulee into your oven on the “broil” setting to help get a crusty top using the sugar. Be sure to watch it carefully though, because it can get very hot, very quickly!).

Garnish with diced strawberries.

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This recipe will make about 6 heart shaped strawberry & cream creme brulee’s.

They didn’t last long at my house, so next time, I might need to make double!

Alt Summit Recap

Feb 2 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend Alt Summit for the first time.

Alt Winter 2015 Brooke Dennis

If you’ve never heard about it before, it’s a blogging/small business conference that takes place over 4 days and every single moment is jam packed!

I’m not sure why I’ve never attended before, considering it’s held at the Grand America hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, in my own state. I’ve definitely been missing out.

It was a whirlwind, but I really tried to soak up every opportunity I was given, from meeting other bloggers or business owners, networking with brands, or just learning from the talented and successful panel of speakers that were scheduled each day.

Alt does such a fantastic job with having the sponsors so available and waiting to meet with bloggers to work with in the future. It’s really casual and not intimidating at all. I’m not sure where else you would have the ability to network with so many fantastic brands all in one place.

The day sessions were fantastic. So many different topics were covered and it was really hard to choose just one at a time. I learned a lot and it will probably take me the next year to implement everything!

The fun didn’t stop when the day sessions ended either. Each night there were events planned for all of us.

The first night, I had the opportunity to attend a dinner that was hosted by one of the sponsors of the conference. I chose to attend the Joann’s Craft dinner and I was so glad I did.

The PR team from Joann’s was AWESOME. Seriously, the best girls. I can’t wait to work with them more in the future.

Alt hosted a really fun Downton Abbey themed party the next night. Everyone was dressed to the nine’s and we might have even snuck off to the hotel lounge after the party ended for an after-party!

One of my favorite nights was the Mini Party night. A handful of different themed rooms, all unique and uber creative, with fun waiting in each one. We were able to hop from room to room to mingle, dance, and have a blast. The “Cactus Makes Perfect” room was my favorite. Cactus temporary tattoos, little magnets, and that signage…? I was in love.

Overall, the whole experience was AMAZING. I am still trying to soak everything in. I learned so much over those 4 days and really made unforgettable memories with some of my favorite people.

I’m sure I’ll still be working on my to-do list this time next year, but for now, I think I’ll focus on going through all of those business cards I received! (There are a TON).

I really can’t wait to attend the next one, catch up with new friends that I met at the conference, and create new memories.

If any of you have the opportunity to go, I would HIGHLY recommend it. It’s definitely an unforgettable experience. Maybe I’ll see you there next time! 🙂

Trending: Palm Springs Chic

Jan 29 2015 by Ashley 1 Comment

Pink Flamingo Cocktail Stir Sticks, Gold Letter Mylar Balloons, Pink Martini: Hey Eugene,

Palm Frond Pillow, Tropical Envelope Liners, Delicious Plates

We might not have snow at the moment, but I’m still craving warmer days, palm trees, and pink flamingo’s in my cocktails.

The California climate and I were made for each other and it seems, every December, I ask myself (and the hubs) why we chose to live in a state that gets so cold, snowy, and yucky in the winter months.

Here’s to hoping that we wise up and make a move sometime in the near future. Until then, I’ll just obsess over my western neighbor and grab a few of these guys to make my current situation a bit more sunny.

Hot Dog Toppings

Jan 28 2015 by Ashley 2 Comments

One of the reasons I love hot dogs…? They are so simple. It’s hard to mess them up.

And, yeah, you might not think of serving them at anything other than a bbq, but I’m sharing five fun ways to give them an instant upgrade and impress your guests for any event.

Taking a cue from a traditional sandwich in Philly, I paired some classic flavors to turn this dog into a Philly Cheese dog. Cut a slit down the center of your cooked dog and stuff with provolone cheese. Cover with hot sautéed peppers and onions for instant yum.

There’s nothing better than warm and creamy mac & cheese. I flipped the script a bit and instead of putting sliced dogs into my mac & cheese, I put the mac & cheese directly on my dog. Top with fresh cracked pepper and serve on a warm pretzel bun, and you’ve elevated the classic kids dish into something anyone will dig.

You don’t have to visit the islands or place a pizza order to get a little hawaiian flavor going on here. I paired a classic dog with fried Canadian bacon slices, crushed pineapple, and topped it all off with teriyaki sauce. The tropics are calling and this guy has answered.

Another sandwich lent it’s flavor profiles to this bad boy. Hot pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and hot mustard paired perfectly to make this Pastrami dog. I’m sure it would make any New Yorker proud.

Last but not least, and my favorite…the BLT. A bacon wrapped dog, covered in ranch coated iceberg lettuce (because what’s not better with ranch?), sliced cherry tomatoes, and bacon bits on top, just for good measure…of course. Does it get any better than this?

Whichever flavor you choose, these puppies will go fast and have your guests asking for seconds.

Easy DIY Foam Finger Stir Sticks

Jan 27 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Superbowl-Cocktail-Recipe-16

Did you catch these cute little guys making an appearance in yesterday’s cocktail post?

They kinda steal the show, right?

I picked up the adorable foam fingers from the Spritz party line at Target. They were meant to be finger puppets, but I had a better idea.

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They are beyond SIMPLE to put together and took all of 5 seconds.

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All you need:

Foam finger puppets
Wooden candy sticks (I picked mine up here).
Hot Glue
A cocktail

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The foam fingers come prepped with small little openings in the bottom.

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Add some hot glue around the top of your wooden candy stick.

Stick the top of the wooden candy skewer into the bottom of the foam finger. (I pressed the edges of the finger together a bit to prevent the glue from hitting the edges).

Press the foam finger around the wooden skewer ball top to adhere well.

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I told you…5 seconds. You only have to wait for your glue to heat up and then you’re done.

Super simple and oh, so adorable.

TOUCHDOWN!

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