13th Birthday Party~ Zebra Themed!

While Mariah's birthday was on Saturday, we ended up pushing the party ahead to Friday night. We've had her parties on Saturdays before and it's always a toss up on if guests will show or not. This year I am happy to report, every guest came, except for 1. While it was a great party, I am still exhausted from all of the energy 10 teenagers bring to a celebration!

Mariah is into zebra stuff lately, so I knew the decorations had to be black and white. We started out making these paper pom poms using black and white tissue paper. I got the inspiration from the tutorial here, on Imperfectly Beautiful.

 

She is also a fan of purple, and I wanted to add just a little bit of color to the decor, but finding a purple zebra striped Happy Birthday banner locally was hard. So, I bought a multi colored one and mod podged purple zebra scrapbook paper over it. It was a nice quick fix!

     yes, it's a little off center, but this got hung when tired laziness started to kick in :)

We found some zebra themed goodie bags at Hobby Lobby, as well as some purple zebra ribbon to dress the bags up with. 

We also made sure to wrap up the treats with a bit of zebra themed scrapbook paper.

And if you are a regular reader of this blog, you will see that no party I now throw will not be complete without cotton candy. Tied shut with the remaining goodie bag zebra bow ribbon, of course!

We decided to pass on a zebra cake, since the new thing taking up all of my child's free time lately is One Direction. We ended up having a family member make this fabulous cake for her. This was truly the highlight of her party amongst all the teenaged girls in attendance. The only problem being there are 5 boys in the band, they fought over which boys face they were going to eat. Oh yes, the joys of being the mother to a teenaged girl! Insert big, fat rolly eyes here!

Overall, the party was a huge success! We did hit a snag in party games when all of our plans were ruined by the threat of rain. I'll let you know what we came up with in tomorrows post.

Pea of Sweetness 1K Fan Giveaway

I want to take a minute to congratulate Pea of Sweetness on her blog success, as well as reaching 1000 Facebook fans! In honor of her achievements, she is hosting a wonderful giveaway with over $140 in prizes!

It's here! The Pea of Sweetness 1K fan Giveaway to celebrate 1,ooo Facebook fans! (And that number is steadily climbing to almost 2,000! Wow!) As a big THANK-YOU for all of the support and to everyone that made this possible, Pea of Sweetness is teaming up with some great blogs, including the owner/blogger Emilee's health and fitness based sister site 1 Fit 2 Serve!

One lucky winner will receive a prize pack valued at over $140!

• A 7 pack of Inspirin from Forever Green - Antioxidants, Essential Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, their secret Virtual Massage blend, all in a convenient single-serving Whole Food Delivery! Lose the stress, ease the pain! All natural!
  
  
• One bottle of NeriumAD age-defying treatment-Finally, a product that provides the satisfaction of real results with the confidence of real science. NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment is a night cream developed from the patent-pending extract of the Nerium oleanderplant. NeriumAD contains the most effective age-defying ingredients, chosen for both their individual and synergistic benefits. These premium ingredients are blended at optimum levels to nourish your skin and provide real results.Third-party clinical trials show that NeriumAD dramatically reduces the appearance of: 
• • Fine Lines and Wrinkles
  • Hyperpigmentation
  • Uneven Skin Texture
  • Enlarged Pores
  • Aging or Sun-Damaged Skin
  •  
  Some of you may be young and feel like you don't need this! So why enter? Take good care of your skin now, and you'll be grateful you did! Not only that you'll be surprised how it makes you skin feel - you can cut down on the ADDITIONAL products that you use! Better yet? How about having 3 kids within 4 years = stretch marks! Check out Emilee's 90 Day "Before" and "After" of those stretch marks! Visit Emilee's Nerium Facebook Page for more "Before and After" pictures

 

• And included in the prize pack is a $20 Gift Certificate for Pea of Sweetness that you can use however you want! Use it to get a custom made product from Pea of Sweetness or on any of the businesses independently represented by the owner/blogger Emilee Roberts!

There's more! There will be an ADDITIONAL winner! The 2nd place winner will receive a prize sponsored by Pea of Sweetness's health and fitness based sister site 1 Fit 2 Serve. The 2nd place winner will receive a one-week supply of Chocolate Shakeology - the healthiest meal of the day. It's full of super foods from around the world! It's full of so many vitamins and minerals for optimal health and NO artificial ingredients!! The winner will also receive plenty of great recipes!


 

From Emilee (Pea of Sweetness): I just want to say THANK YOU again for all the wonderful support as Pea of Sweetness progressed over the past few years from a crafting/sewing business focusing on cloth diapers, to my being a mom of 3 young kids just trying to find ways to additionally help support the family while my husband battled cancer twice (and sewing was not an option due to the time commitment and being a full-time caretaker - hence the introduction of direct sales businesses) and still being able to be home with the kids so I could homeschool, to now being a website that brings content ranging from parenting, parenting special needs children, pets, health and fitness, homeschool, eco-friendly/natural living, military life, business, and reviews and giveaways! What a blast it has been to take on new adventures and get back to old ones (I plan on firing up the sewing machine again as well as my Silhouette Cameo I got this year!). My fans have been invaluable to my progress. If you've been around for a while - THANK YOU SO MUCH, if you're new (or not yet a fan) - Welcome! I look forward to connecting! Good luck in this giveaway! :)

Giveaway!!

This giveaway is open to the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. You must be 18 or older to enter. It begins June 2nd and will end June 20th. Prizes will be redeemed directly with Emilee Roberts at Pea of Sweetness.

Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. The more entries you have…the more of a chance you have to WIN! Winners will have 48 hours to respond before another will be drawn. Good luck!!

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Disclaimer- This giveaway is sponsored by Pea of Sweetness blog. Theresa's Mixed Nuts is not responsible for winner selection or shipment of prize. 

Letter To My Daughter

Dear Daughter,

It is hard to believe that tomorrow you will be a teenager. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating your birth. Now look at you, almost a grown lady. This is such an exciting time in your life, but also the most difficult years to navigate. While I know that sometimes you think I know nothing, I would like to share a little advice with you that I hope makes getting through these teen years just a bit easier.


Don't be afraid to be silly. Life is much better with laughter.
Be kind, but don't let anyone walk all over you.
Give more. It makes you feel good to help others.
Don't cuss. It will make you look ugly.
Those popular girls don't want to be your friend? It's their loss. I promise that in 5 years when you graduate, you won't give them a second thought.
It's no fun when your crush doesn't like you back, but when you are 30 and run into them, you will wonder what the appeal was back then. Then you will be thankful for unanswered prayers because you really dodged a bullet with that one!
Don't be afraid to say no.
If you don't think that I am ruining your life at some point because I don't let you do what you want, then I am not doing my job right.
Go to school dances, even if you don't have a date.
Take risks and try new things every chance you get.
Be nice to your sister. She will be your best friend someday.
Its ok to make mistakes. Just own the ones you do make. Nobody likes a coward.
Not everyone will like you. That's ok too.
Make decisions that you feel good about, even if they are hard and others don't agree with them. As long as you do what you feel is right, you will sleep just fine.
Smile more. It makes your face glow.
Always, always, always remember that you are loved.

Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mom

                                yes, I stole this from your facebook page :)

Life's A Beach Summer Giveaway!

It's hard to believe that summer is here already! Not that I am complaining, but it does seem like we just celebrated the new year! As a member of the Mom's Do it Better community, I have an extra special treat for you, ... ready for it? We're giving away some amazing prizes to help you get summer started with a splash! If you are anything like me and love being outdoors and enjoying all the warm weather activities summer has to offer, you are not going to want to miss your chance at entering for these fantastic prizes!

This giveaway event is open to US & Canada residents. Here's what we have lined up for you:

Grand Prize:

• Step 2 - My Clubhouse - Step 2 offers a huge variety of toys for preschoolers and toddlers. Their toys are designed to build imaginations and enrich the family's celebration of childhood.
• Del Sol Goody Pack - Fun and cute color changing clothes, accessories and make-up
• 2pc At Home Tanner from ShowerTan

But don't worry, we have other prize packs for you, to give you even more chance to win some great things!

Prize Pack 1:

• Berry Dog - Bubble Gum Bikini - gorgeous swimsuits in a variety of styles
• Trukid - 3 Sunscreens and Body Lotion - Enjoy the beach with your family and know they're protected with sunscreens from Trukid
• 2pc At Home Tanner from ShowerTan

Prize Pack 2:

• miss lucy’s monograms - Monogrammed Collapsible INSULATED Picnic Cooler - miss lucy's monograms offers tons of personalized products for everyone.
• Ame & LuLu - Jumbo Beach Bag $96.00 Value - Perfect for holding all of your beach necessities.
• 2pc At Home Tanner from ShowerTan

Prize Pack 3:

• Essential Swimwear - $50 GC - Essential Swimwear offers reasonable prices and options to mix and match tops and bottoms for a custom suit.
• OOFOS footwear - Choice of Thong or Slide $39.99 Value - These shoes are so comfortable you'll forget you're even wearing them!
• 2pc At Home Tanner from ShowerTan

Ready to enter? Use the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

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Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp

I have never been a fan of seafood. My husband, on the other hand, loves it. Thankfully, I do like shrimp, so when he gets a craving for seafood, this is my go to recipe. The shrimp come out with a crispy coating that's just delicious!

Ingredients:

1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup beer (any)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups flaky coconut
24 shrimp
oil for frying

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup of flour, beer, and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup of flour and coconut in separate bowls.

Hold shrimp by tail, then dredge through flour. Shake off excess. Dip in beer batter mixture. Shake off excess. Roll shrimp in coconut. Place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a deep fryer. Fry shrimp in batches. Fry for 2 - 3 minutes on each side, or until shrimp starts turning golden brown. Remove shrimp, and let oil drain on paper towels.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

*If you don't have a deep fryer, I used to use a heavy 3 qt saucepan with hot oil that fried them just fine.

Over! Flash Giveaway! $25 Fandango!

Who's ready for a flash giveaway? Here is your chance to win a $25 egift card to Fandango! This event is hosted by Madame Deals and Slop Swap in conjunction with the Louis Vuitton Giveaway! This is a 1 day only giveaway, so make sure you get your entries in now!



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