Tag: holidays

7 Ways To Be A Funny Valentine

On By Rosina MottaIn celebration, gifts, holidays, humor, Valentine's Day10 Comments

When you have a fun or quirky main squeeze, the overly mushy cards and sentiments can be off putting. Not to say there isnt a time when those ‘cant live without you’ cards wouldn’t be appropriate. Its just that there are times when you want to be lighthearted and prefer whimsy over deep emotion. I have collected a few images that would go well with a hug, a smooch and a laugh. Hope you enjoy!

Cool Mom Picks nailed it with the Wine theme.

Wine

Hearts And Laserbeams shared a super cute and yes, cheesy, sentiment.

Gouda

Can you see yourself sharing this with your love? Get it? See? Well Mother’s Niche provided this clever option.

Eyes

Mashable posted this adorable image that was originally taken from an Etsy account.

Type

Another great Etsy card that has you saying Tomatoes in your head. Admit it. You did.

Tomatoes

How cute is this dino humor from BlogLovin?

Hug

Custom Made keeps it simple and downright sweet with this greeting.

Olive

5 Ways To Have A Family Valentines Day

On By Rosina MottaIn DIY, family, hacks, holidays, Valentine's Day3 Comments

Ahh love. The holiday we celebrate chocolate, flowers & jewelry with our main squeeze is just around the corner. Between gift giving, dinner reservations and showering each other with amor, we may forget that its not just about the two people with hearts & stars in their eyes. For those with children, its about celebrating the family unit. Not everyone can get away for time alone and frankly, some may prefer to include their kids in celebrating Valentine’s Day. I have compiled 5 ways to have a family inclusive holiday with ideas on how to make it fun & creative.

Babble shared 14 Valentine’s food hacks that are just sweet and fun to share with the family. Imagine the fun of dipping marshmallows in chocolate together, or cutting the heart shaped fruit for dessert skewers.

Food Hacks

One Creative Mommy took it to another level with a hair tutorial. We take such care in how we look on holidays, so its a no brainer to spend that extra time to have your kids looking festive too.

Valentines Hair

If your kids are little ones, imagine the cuteness overload in making these thumbprint Valentine’s cards shared by Love Bugs? Making them is part of the fun. Framing them as a keepsake is priceless.

Love Bugs

Whether going to a park, setting up camp in your living room or heading to your own backyard oasis, these picnic hacks are so fun to share with the family. I kinda want those cup salads now.

picnic hack

Turning your home into a sea of Valentine’s festivity shouldn’t cost a boat load of money. I came across these floral hacks that can be put together quickly and on a budget. You dont have to spend a lot. Just head to the dollar store for a couple vases, some colored beads and add some flowers. Love it!

Flower Hacks

5 Candy Free Valentine Gifts

On By Rosina MottaIn DIY, gifts, holidays, printables, Valentine's Day10 Comments

Ahh Valentine’s Day. You can smell the sugar wafting in the air. You dont even need to be in a store…its everywhere. It begs the question…why candy? Why is candy the main gift to give out on Valentine’s Day? Well…besides flowers and jewelry of course.

Think about it for a minute. You are at work and everyone has candy. Handing it out, in a bowl on their desk, or even opening that 5 pound box from their love. You cant escape it in the workplace. What about schools? Kids probably dont get as much candy while at school right? Pshhh…yeah right! If you aren’t imagining the rolls of smarties taped to those mini Valentine’s cards handed out to everyone in class, you are lying to yourself. It happens.

Acknowledge it…there is no denying it’s everywhere!

It got me to thinking of the alternative gifts and Valentine’s related items to share at work and school. I Googled, I Pinned and I have ideas for you. Still cute, sweet and hopefully dentist & insulin free.

Temecula Blogs shared these adorable fruit pouch ideas with the cute gift tags. They have a handful of other ideas too.

temecula blogs

Polka Dot Chair inspired me with these options for the colleague that would appreciate the beauty product related gift. Perhaps ‘You’re the balm’ on the tag?

Polka Dot Chair

Crazy Little Projects has a unisex gift idea for both the workplace and classroom. Who doesn’t love popcorn? And that card on top…cuteness!

Crazy Little Projects

Here Comes The Sun offers a whimsical and let’s face it, a fun gift idea. If given to classmates, maybe at the end of the day so you dont have a bubble fest in the classroom!

Here Comes The Sun

Frugal Coupon Living may be sharing a snack idea, but its not candy. Its those addicting little goldfish crackers. I doubt I could wait long before tearing into the package. But that card…how creative!

Frugal Coupon Living

Are you planning on handing out candy free gifts to your colleagues or kid’s classmates? If so, please share your ideas or links to your blog posts.

Guest Post ~ Women With Gifts

On By Rosina MottaIn blogging, family, holidays, life1 Comment

I was afforded an opportunity to share a guest post on a wonderful blog and it was published today. I encourage everyone to visit Women With Gifts and you can read my guest post here.

image

RAOK – Random Acts of Kindness

On By Rosina MottaIn giving back, holidays, lifeLeave a comment

We have all heard the term Random Act Of Kindness. Some of us have been on the receiving end and others have been in a position to perform them. Without a doubt, they change all involved. Its what humanity is all about. Helping out our fellow man.

Living in the Inland Empire of Southern California, I am not far from where the source of RAOK’s have taken on a new level of giving. John Gordon and his family started a facebook page that has ballooned up to over 37,000 members. Take a peek at just how amazing this group is and what they are doing for the community.

To start, all members are introduced to what RAOK is all about.

This is a community where ALL members are strongly encouraged to interact with one another and share your stories of your acts! It can be something as simple as holding a door open for someone, complimenting someones outfit, or buying someone a cup of coffee. When you take the time to break the mold and go out of your way for someone to brighten their day, you have just made a difference to someone. Some people may say that they feel it is “bragging” or “tooting your own horn” by posting your stories to social media of helping a random stranger or someone in need. Well guess what? What happens when you read a feel good story of a person who helps a family in need to fill their empty cupboards with groceries, or a nurse that spends the final moments of life with a hospice patient that has no family in sight to be with them as they take that journey to the other side?………..That’s right, it fills you with the warmth and desire to go out there and do good for someone else. There’s no better feeling than doing something for someone else that can never repay you. This is our goal here at RAOK, to spread the love and brighten the day of someone else. Even a complete stranger.

The scale of their events is incredible…it takes time and planning that you can only envision once you have experienced it for yourself. They packed and handed out thousands of backpacks for kids when the school year began. They hosted a free community Trunk Or Treat for Halloween. They outdid themselves providing meals during their Thanksgiving Food Drive & Giveaway. Christmas is no different, as they hosted a Toy Drop Off.

As a group they are beyond phenomenal, but the members are incredible beams of light that spread throughout the county. Members often post their RAOK’s to the timeline and its so absolutely inspiring. I encourage you to check out their page here and join in spreading the love.

raok

Drink Menu for the Holidays

On By Rosina MottaIn drinks, holidays2 Comments

As a person who enjoys the occasional cocktail, I am always looking for new and fun drinks to share with family and friends. Not to say I dont enjoy straight tequila shots…I absolutely do but they are not always the go to drink.

For example, at Christmas I want to serve a signature drink and supplement with other options on hand. Last year I mixed a new combo that was a hit. adult cream soda

I mixed some apple cider and cinnamon roll vodka that tasted like an adult cream soda. It sneaks up on you because it goes down soooo smooth.

I want to expand the menu this year and I have some top contenders. The first in no particular order is Fuego. Its from Eats American Grill and looks like a perfect addition to a cold weather holiday.

fuego eats american grill

Next is a refreshing take on the muddled favorite…a cucumber mojito. Its light and crisp, a great match for the heavier meals around the holidays. Diet Hood knows what makes a great cocktail!cucumber diet hood

This one is probably the most beautiful of all my contenders. A raspberry serrano sangria. I mean look at the beautiful holiday colors. I found this one at Tree Hugger.

raspberry serrano sangria

For a sweet drink option like the one I served last year, I would go for the apple pie punch. The Cookie Rookie shared what I consider a great after dinner cocktail. I mean look at how yummy this looks!

apple pie punch the cookie rookie

The last one on my contender list isn’t as scary for the lightweight as it sounds. Its actually a smooth rum drink with more juice than alcohol. The Painkiller is a delicious drink from Islands and I can see myself making this year round.

Painkiller islands

Do you have a signature cocktail served at holiday dinners? Share your faves!

Time, Talent & Treasure

On By Rosina MottaIn christmas, giving back, lifeLeave a comment

How many of you have heard the term Time, Talent or Treasure? It is used often among Catholics however, it is also a common term used when people want to pay it forward or participate in a random act of kindness. Giving back takes many forms so I wanted to share some ways to share your own time, talent & treasure.

Your time shared can be anything from volunteering your time at a nursing home, church, hospital or community center. Giving of your time to just be with someone or help them out with a task could be the highlight of their day.

Your talent can be anything from music & art or your skills whether work or hobby based. For example, if your neighbor’s garage has chipping paint you could offer to re-paint it for them. If construction is your trade and you know of someone on the community that needs repair work done, you could pitch in to help.

Your treasure isn’t simply cash. Although money is helpful, treasure means you can donate items from your home. Clean out your closet, donate kitchenware, offer up linens. You never know how much it will mean to give your extra tablecloth to someone who doesn’t have one.

This holiday season, share the love and give of your time, talent or treasure.

TTT

Are you ready for the holidays?

On By Rosina MottaIn holidays, homeLeave a comment

I don’t know about you, but I am not ready for the holidays. It always feels like as we get closer to the end of the year, it snowballs. No pun intended. (Ok maybe a little)

As I prep for a holiday meal, decor and a few gifts, time is getting away from me and I need to step it up. That’s where you come in! I need some inspiration. I need fellow bloggers to share their must have’s for the holidays. Whether you follow a specific religion, are more spiritual or just enjoy this time of year, I am interested in learning what makes it special for you.

Do you have a go-to meal that you share with your family year after year? Is there a tradition you remember from your childhood? Has that tradition carried through til now? Do you have a piece of decor or special ornaments that you use each season? Even the smallest of things that make your holidays special…that is what I would love to learn.

If you care to share in the comments, by all means please do. Especially if its a recipe we could all enjoy! If you prefer to message me privately, you can DM me on my twitter profile @mrsmotta.

I know you have something to share…inspire me!

christmas stock pic