30-Minute Martha

Family Dessert with Friends: Keeping It Simple!

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:32:20 +0000

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

Wanna know what that bingo thingy is doing on this post? Well, the other week we had the most fantabulous holiday dessert and game night with friends, and I’m going to tell you all about it!

We’ve been wanting to have a housewarming since we moved into our new home in June (I know, I know…). And I love having an open-house-type event around the holidays, so I figured we’d tie them together and host a drop-in family game/dessert night the weekend after Thanksgiving. Most of our friends were back in town by Sunday evening, and no one wants to cook after Turkey Day, so the timing was perfect.

Instead of having a big spread, I just made a few quick and easy desserts that people could munch on while milling around. I bought some festive holiday napkins and plastic cups (no glass!). Then we pulled out the bingo game, Pictionary, Slamwich, and a few other crowd favorites.

All in all, we had about 20 people attend, and it was so much fun to relax after a crazy week of holidays and traveling. The kids moved from game to game, all the snacks were eaten, and everyone was smiling. What more could you want from a family get-together?

This just goes to show you that entertaining doesn’t have to be over-the-top crazy. Sure, it’s sometimes fun to pull out all the stops and whip up gourmet goodies and pull out the fine china. But it’s just as fun (and less stressful) to keep things easy. When life is crazy-nutso, focus on what really matters: Having fun with your friends and family. Pick a few favorite dessert recipes, plan some easy entertainment or activity, and clean your kitchen and bathroom. The rest of the house is optional.

P.S. Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Sunday Holiday Card Savings

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:31:36 +0000

Yeah, believe it or not, it’s about time to start thinking about your holiday greeting cards. I’ll be making mine, but not all of them… And for those of you who are ordering bulk (which is totally okay…), here are some recent deals that have crossed my email box…

First, from Cardstore.com, for TODAY (Sunday) only:

All Cards 70% Off, includes Free Stamp at Cardstore.com. Use Code CSSAVE702. Valid on Sunday, November 6th only.

Need a little more time? From Vistaprint (ends 11/10):

(This is a fantastic bargain, but be warned… they will try to sell you everything under the sun as you check out!)

More holiday card promotions, this time from TinyPrints. Loving the thick matte quality of their printing! Check out the current deals by clicking on the banner below (free card samples, up to 25 percent off, and more!):

Now, go order some cards!

Halloween Candy Overload

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:07:42 +0000

Wondering what to do with leftover Halloween candy? Read on!

According to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a typical bag of Halloween candy is equal to three cups of sugar.

ACK!

Now, I’m all for enjoying treats — including chocolate and candy — in moderation. But I know that there’s no way on earth that our household needs 9 cups of sugar (three kids, yah?), not counting all that leftover candy we bought to hand out. So, I’ve come up with ways to use the leftover Halloween candy:

1. Throw it out. Yeah, I know all about “waste not, want not.” I get it, I really do. But some candy isn’t worth eating. We go through and toss anything with no wrapper, anything obviously nasty or melted, or anything that looks like it dates from 1972.

2. Cash it in. Many doctors and dentists offer cash for candy post-Halloween. Want to know where you can take it? Google “Halloween Candy Buy Back 2011″ and you’ll get a list of spots. (Add your city into the search for more specific results.)

3. Send it to troops. Operation Gratitude will accept candy between 10/1 and 10/5. Their address is:

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard

17730 Victory Boulevard

Van Nuys, CA 91406

attn: Rich Hernandez

4. Donate it to a local youth group. I often take our leftover candy to our church’s teen group. They usually consider themselves “too cool” to trick-or-treat, so they aren’t facing the same overconsumption that younger kids are. High school youth groups may also be happy to take it off your hands!

5. Freeze it. Pop it in the freezer and use it for holiday cooking (which is coming all too soon…).

6. Pack a shoebox. Our family has participated in Samaritan’s Purse for several years. They encourage the inclusion of hard candy, mints, and other travel-friendly sweets as the shoeboxes journey to underprivileged kids world-wide. We’ll be setting aside specific candy for this purpose.

If you have more ideas for creative uses for leftover Halloween candy, please leave a comment! I’d love to hear.

Easy Halloween Craft Ideas Round-Up

Easy Halloween Craft Ideas Round-Up

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:45:14 +0000

I’m a Halloween-o-holic!

Here are just a few quick Halloween crafts I’ve found around the web… the SPIDER web! Heehee!

First, here’s a spooky Haunted Halloween wreath I created for my ScrapHappy family (they got a step-by-step tutorial, but I think you can get the gist from this image:

Next, these free printables for Halloween subway art from All Things Simple are so cute and graphic. I already printed the white-on-orange for our house:

We’re totally making these for Cal’s first-grade Halloween party at school in a few weeks (yeah, I’m room mom – again). They’re via CraftaholicsAnonymous:

Here’s another must-do for the class’s party, this one via GardenofPraise:

And if we were allowed to have food in the schools at parties, we’d be doing these (from Parents):

Lots of fun goodies! If you want to receive more great ideas like this, you can follow me on Pinterest.

P.S. If you want to scoop up spooky supplies, head over to Michaels! Click on the ad below to get the latest deals.

Free “Save Time and Money” eBook

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:02:54 +0000

While at a marketing conference earlier this summer, I was so lucky to meet a handful of fantastic female bloggers who share my passion for bringing useful, entertaining information to their readers. Out of that chance meeting came the old, ‘Let’s put on a show!’ But instead of a show, we’ve pulled together some of our best information on frugal living, saving time, and creating a healthier, more satisfying life. And now we’re offering it to you… free!

This ebook is delivered digitally and includes information on topics such as:

Saving money by couponing
Using a menu plan
Making time to connect with your friends
What to do when you’re so overwhelmed you don’t know what to do (my contribution!)

If you’d like a copy, all you need to do is sign up for the 30-Minute Martha email list using the box in the upper right corner of this page or this link here. I’ll be sending the download link later today to anyone who’s subscribed. (If you are reading this after Wednesday, 10/5/11, no worries! You’ll get a copy as soon as you sign up for the email list!).

I think you’ll find it well worth a quick read. At 28 pages, you’ll be able to skim through quickly and get some great hints and ideas.

P.S. We’re planning to make this available on Kindle as well, so stay tuned if you’re a Kindle lover!