Tonya Staab

Easy Monster Eye Cupcakes

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Oriental Trading Company.

I like to keep things real around here, so just so you know these are store-bought cupcakes, I totally scraped all of the frosting off the top and ate it for dinner and then re-frosted the cupcakes in fun colors because I was home alone and couldn't be bothered baking. There I said it. Also, frosting is delicious for dinner.

These are quick and easy to make, especially if you buy store-bought cupcakes, but you will need to whip up your own icing colors, which again, I used a store-bought icing and food dye.

How To Make A Mousetrap Car

I thought helping the twins' with math would be my downfall, but you guys, 8th-grade science! Last week the kids came home with a project for their science classes. They had to make a mousetrap car that would move over 4 meters.

They drew plans, they modified those plans, and then last weekend I set about helping them construct their car (they decided to work on this project together, and because they are in separate classes at school they were allowed to do this). I wanted them to do the work but wanted to help them where possible, so we all sat down together and watched YouTube video after YouTube video, we found tutorials on Instructibles, and we started building car number 1. Fail. We trashed it. We started on car number 2. It was about 8 pm Sunday night when we finished it and they had to turn in their prototype the next day for evaluation and to see what they could do to improve it. The car simply spun in circles or flipped over, it wouldn't move in a straight line. So again, Monday after they brought it home from school we trashed it. 

Now, before sharing these instructions, I'm not a science teacher, I don't pretend to play one on-line, I'm just a parent who was trying to help my kids with their project and this is simply what worked for us. If you have any suggestions for readers on how to make the car even better I would love for you to leave those in the comments, feel free to leave links to your own mousetrap car projects that worked too.

 

So we left it for a day to get over our frustration before tackling it again Tuesday night. We decided to start completely from scratch. Flynn's teacher had suggested using larger wheels; we'd initially tried using juice and milk bottle caps because they wanted the projects to use as many recycled items as possible. But, I headed to the store and splurged on blank CD's and we started again.

Ginger Peach Turmeric Iced Sweet Tea

I was never much of a sweet tea drinker before meeting Mike. I'd honestly never really thought to try it. I was addicted to ginger ale for the longest time (two to three glasses a day), but then switched to ICE water (which I still drink daily now), but when Mike and I were doing the culinary trail throughout the Kentucky State Parks, at one of our stops we enjoyed a delicious peach iced tea with bourbon. WOW! It was so amazing that on our way home that day we stopped off at the liquor store and picked up bottles of peach iced tea, peach bourbon, and lemon juice and it's become one of our favorite drinks to enjoy at home ever since. 

So then I started buying bottles of peach tea for home. Jayden has always loved the mango iced tea, so we switch it up between the two now. 

But, it's quite easy to make your own peach iced tea at home too. You might remember the afternoon tea blog post I shared recently, well I decided to whip up some iced tea using that Bigelow Ginger Peach Turmeric Herbal Tea and it was DELICIOUS!

This is so simple to make, but you can adjust the recipe below to suit you. Some people like their sweet tea a little sweeter, others, not so much. I think I'm somewhere in the middle so don't add as much sugar as some sweet tea recipes call for.

Make and Takes: Multi-Strand Beaded Bracelets

Those who know me well, know of my obsession with bracelets. I don't wear much jewelry, but I almost always wear a little arm candy. Normally it's just a few different pieces stacked up to match my outfit that I mix and match. 

I'm over at Make and Takes showing you how to make your own multi-strand beaded bracelets at home. Don't forget to grab coupons for your local craft store to stock up on supplies first because these are the perfect project you could sell on Etsy and at local farmer's markets too. 

There are SO many possibilities with these. Go crazy with beads of different colors and sizes paired with cord, suede, and more. 

If you are looking for a more kid-friendly version too, don't forget to check out our friendship bracelets over at Harper Kids. 

 

A Dead and Breakfast Inn Halloween Mantel

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Oriental Trading Company.

It's not too early to start putting up Halloween decorations, is it? If it's wrong, then I don't want to be right. 

We haven't decorated outside, but you better believe I've got our mantel done already. This year we've gone with a Dead and Breakfast Inn theme, complete with donuts. Of course!

Tea, donuts, and a fire-breathing dragon 'skeleton' to start a fire to keep you cozy are the perfect additions to this fun Halloween theme. 

I shop at Oriental Trading a lot for holidays, parties, and seasonal decor, and for TODAY ONLY, yes, Friday the 13th, they are offering up to 50% off skeletons and free shipping using the CODE: SQUAD19.

How To Host A Simple Afternoon Tea Party at Home

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

Growing up in Australia some of our family traditions were adopted from Britain, and this includes afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is more of a low-key at-home version of high tea which you may know from fancy hotels and restaurants - which is very different from the actual definition of high tea, but it's what most people know of being served in a higher-end environment - often for girls days out, Mother's Day, bridal showers and baby showers. It often consists of tiny finger sandwiches, bite-sized desserts, pastries, and of course, tea. We basically grew up having five small meals a day, breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and then dinner.

My mum would place out an assortment of biscuits or cake, fresh fruit, tea, and sometimes pastries, and although we don't sit around the table to have it like I did growing up, my kids still love coming in from school every afternoon and asking what's for afternoon tea.

Here are some of the things you can incorporate into your own afternoon tea (or high tea) at home.