10 great snacks that are positively pink!

To continue this week’s pink theme, today we have some fabulous pink snacks! Coming up with delicious, healthy, and easy snacks for the little ones in your life is a constant process so today we have 10 great recipes to share. While most snacks should focus on being healthy (as well as tasty) we did include a couple of sweet treats – good candidates for a special dessert!

PB & Raspberry Pop

Ingredients

1/2 C smooth peanut butter

1 C plain low-fat yogurt

1 C reduced-fat milk

2-4 T honey, divided

2 t vanilla extract

1 – 1/2 C raspberries

2 C raspberry juice

1/4 C sesame seeds or crushed peanuts (optional

See here for directions to turn these ingredients into this yummy treat!

Hummus & Dippers

Hummus is a great snack for kids and adults alike. Made from pureed chickpeas, it also contains Vitamin B6 and iron. For a “pink” twist, add some red food coloring for a festive hue. Serve with sliced up cucumbers and carrots, triangles of wholewheat pitas, and pink goldfish crackers!

Fruit Smoothies

Ingredients

8 oz. vanilla non-fat yogurt

1 C frozen strawberries or peaches

1/4 C orange juice

Optional: 1 banana, sliced. Lemon juice to taste. Directions: In blender, whip all ingredients together. Serve immediately in glasses.

Trail Mix

The beauty of trail mix is that you can use practically any dry ingredients mixed together depending on your family’s preferences. Here are some suggestions for a pink-tinted trail mix:

Strawberry Yogurt Burst Cheerios, dried cranberries, golden raisins, pretzels, pink M&M’s, nuts (almonds or peanuts are my favorites), granola or small crackers.

Pink Polka-dot Waffle Sticks

Ingredients

Whole grain waffles

Strawberry Cream Cheese, reduced fat

Blackberry or raspberry jelly

Directions: Cut cooked waffles into strips and spread with cream cheese. Add small dots of jelly along the length of the waffle. Serve and enjoy!

Yogurt Pops

Ingredients

2 C low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 C assorted berries (raspberries, strawberries – chopped, blackberries, blueberries)

6 pretzel rods or baked snack crackers

Directions: In a large bowl gently stir together the yogurt and fruit. Spoon into 4-ounce ice-pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups. Cover molds or cups with foil; use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the foil and insert cut side of pretzel rod or snack stick. Freeze until firm. Remove foil and mold or cup before serving. Makes 6 pops. Recipe from Parents.com.

Watermelon Cooler Slushy

Ingredients

4 C cubed seedless watermelon

10 ice cubes

1/3 C lime juice

1/4 C sugar

1/8 t salt

Directions: Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve cold in glasses garnished with a small watermelon slice. From allrecipes.com.

Strawberry Angel Cookies

Ingredients

16 oz. package Angel Food cake mix

3/4 C strawberry jam or jelly

3 T mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

See here for baking directions from smuckers.com!

Strawberry Cream Freeze

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup cold milk

1 (3.4 ounce) package JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 1/2 cups thawed Whipped Topping

20 vanilla wafers, coarsely broken

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup strawberry ice cream topping

Directions: Make the filling: Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat 2 minutes. Stir in COOL WHIP, wafers and berries. Swirl in ice cream topping.

To serve, MINI PIES: Spoon filling into 12 cupcake liners. Freeze 4 hours. Remove paper linings. Garnish desserts with additional berries, if desired. Makes 12 servings. WAFFLE BOWLS: Freeze filling 6 hours or until firm. Let stand 15 min. before scooping into waffle bowls. Makes 8 servings. From allrecipes.com.

Jello Gummy Cups

Ingredients

4 boxes of raspberry or strawberry jello

Assorted pink & red gummy candies

Directions: Prepare jello mix according to package directions. Pour into clear plastic cups. Chill for 20 – 30 minutes. Press gummy candies into jello and return to refrigerator to chill for additional 3-4 hours.

For a fun variation: Use blue raspberry jello mix and fish/shark gummies for an under-sea treat!

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nursery inspiration: pink, pink, pink!

Although we’ve come a long way from the age-old ‘pink for girls, blue for boys’ philosophy of nursery design, it doesn’t mean we should abandon it all together! I think today, one of the biggest challenges in designing a more traditional pink or blue nursery is to find innovative ways to make the colors feel fresh and new. Today my nursery inspiration comes from a love of all things pink – a beautiful little girl’s nursery in a traditional color with an extra chic vibe!

I love the idea of using wall decals as artwork. Many of them are so good that they look painted on! The cherry blossom branch with birds seen here is from the etsy shop surfaceinspired ($65). Also, picking a color for the walls like this deep stormy gray is a perfect anchor to all of the pink and white in the room.

Bella Notte (crib bedding) specializes in what they call ‘easy care luxury linens’, assuring that the care of this gorgeous set isn’t a job in itself. The Bella Notte set featured is a bit of a splurge ($99 – $350) but all of the luxe handmade details make it more than drool-worthy!

Above: ‘Sweep’ Armchair from West Elm $499. Bright Steps Furniture ‘Megan’ 4-in-1 crib in Cherry $190. Cherry Blossom Burnout window panels from West Elm $31 – $43. Malm 6-drawer dresser in white from IKEA $179 (perfect to add a changing station on top).

And lastly… a few sweet pink details to add a little character.

Personalized name blocks $3.50 per block from etsy seller Sweet Olivia Designs. Handmade stuffed giraffe $23 from MiLu Couture. Audrey Hepburn cameo pillow $50 from Regan’s Brain.

Be sure to check back later this week for:

looks we love: pretty in pink

and lots more pink fun!!

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think pink: vintage and handmade

This week’s posts will all be themed around my favorite color: pink! Today I’m sharing a little love for some fabulous vintage and handmade finds… all in my favorite shade! Consider it a little early Valentine’s inspiration…

This beautiful vintage boho 1970’s dress is from etsy seller aiseirigh ($80).

Below: Audrey Hepburn cameo pillow ($50). Hand crocheted flower headband ($12). Zuzii ‘Joli’ petal shoes ($26.50). Vintage baby girl pink elephant sweater from Miskabelly Vintage ($10).

Below: Vintage 1950s pink toy sink ($38). Vintage Hazel Atlas ‘Little Hostess’ childrens dish set ($120).

And just a little sweet treat to leave you with: 16 Tickled Pink handmade strawberry marshmallows from Fusion Sweets  ($8.99).

Coming later this week:

nursery inspiration: pink, pink, pink

looks we love: pretty in pink

and more!!!

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happy birthday zulily!

Happy birthday to zulily.com who is celebrating their fabulous first year!!! If you you’re a fan of Gilt Groupe, you’re sure to love Zulily as well. Sporting a similar format, zulily.com offers fabulous well-below retail sale events from hundreds of brands exclusively for baby, kids, busy mamas and mamas-to-be. To celebrate their one year birthday, in addition to fabulous give-aways to their fans through both Twitter and Facebook, they have added a couple of party-themed sale events for today. Here are a few of my favorite items. Hurry over to pick them up before they sell out!

Heart to Heart Decor: fairy dust party favors $21.99. tulle pom pom decoration $11.99.

tag Party Decor: party animal bib $9.99. ribbon table runner $14.99.

And a few other fab favorites of mine on zulily right now…

Mud Pie crab crawler bodysuit $7.99. Primigi boys ‘Brad’ loafer $59.99. Primigi girls ‘Andes’ maryjane $39.99. Vive la Fete orange gingham smocked aligator dress $34.99.

Head over to zulily for many more fantastic finds… happy shopping!

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nursery trends for 2011

Along with the long lists of resolutions and goals, a new year brings us new trends in design. The fabulous looks that grace the runways don’t limit their influence only to the world of fashion. They make the short leap to inspiring interiors from commercial to home and even down to the nursery of baby that is, as of yet, just a twinkle in it’s parents’ eyes.  The start of a new year (though arguably just a continuation of the last) gives us the illusion of starting anew, a clean break, a clean slate  – a chance to look back next year at this point and feel a sense of accomplishment for all the moments that were 2011.

That in mind, here are some starting points for your inspired designs; both influences continued from years past and some new takes on ideas for the year to come.

vintage and boho chic

re-purposed and re-finished items. handmade.  vintage and thrifted finds. layered flooring. natural materials. family heirlooms. light, bright colors. mixed patterns.

For more vintage nursery inspiration check out the Bleubird Vintage blog here for a darling nursery tour and my post on a Vintage Luxe nursery!

stripes & bold patterns

vertical stripes. horizontal stripes. painted, striped ceiling. bedding mixing contrasting patterns. plaid. polka dots. paisley. damask.

green & eco-friendly

At one point considered a trend, now more or less an industry standard in most design and decorating. Forget faux this year – make the move toward natural woods and metals, lots of texture. Opt for organic cotton or bamboo bedding, look for eco-friendly paints and finishes.

bold colors

pink (honeysuckle). tangerine. teal. magenta. brights mixed with lots of gray, black, and white. pops of color in monochromatic designs. bold patterns and beautiful lines, elegant details.

This year, gray is the new beige. Find it in new richer tones combined with unexpected, highly saturated colors. Try mixing vintage textiles with modern, clean furniture. Pair a beautiful 19th century family heirloom with a thrifted or vintage piece from the 60s and 70s. Use multiple patterns together that share a unifying color. Give new life to beautiful natural wood tones with a mirrored accent piece. Take an ‘anything goes’ approach, however be sure to edit! Happy decorating…

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gilt picks for mama and baby

If you’re like me, you love checking Gilt Groupe nearly daily for the hope of finding some fabulous treasures at prices well below retail. Today I thought I’d share some of my top picks for mama and baby currently on Gilt.com!

Dowtown Groove striped jumpsuit (Gilt $18, retail $39). Handpainted owl stool by Kindergarten Plus (Gilt $24, retail $40). Dwell Studio three piece chocolate dot oval crib set (Gilt $108, retail $310). Wallcandy chalkboard animal decals (Gilt $28, retail $56).

Hunter Original Short Boot (Gilt $59, retail $115). Paige Premium Denim Maternity Boyfriend Jean (Gilt $56, retail $187). Tocca long sleeve floral dress (Gilt $119, retail $275). Boho Charm Jelly Bracelets by Viv & Ingrid and Jules Smith (Gilt $16, retail $35).

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styling the bump: a dozen swim looks we love

Whether you’re spending your summer days at the beach or poolside, or perhaps you’ve got a warm-weather babymoon planned you’ll most certainly need a fabulous swim look that works with your rapidly growing bump. Here are a few of my favorites to cool off in the warm weather with style!

1. Red & White gingham 2-piece available at Motherhood Maternity, in stores. 2. Gray & White polka dot twist front tankini $79 from Destination Maternity and A Pea in the Pod.

3. Blue & White tie dye two-piece $34.98 at Motherhood Maternity. 4. Isabella Oliver blue ruched tankini $99. Available in 3 colors from Isabella Oliver.

5. Maternal America ‘Jenni’ tankini $98 from Tummy Style. 6. Belabumbum ring bikini $99.

7. Liz Lange for Target one-piece halter $34.99. 8. Black deep V one-piece from Old Navy $29.94.

9. Maternal America Coco O-ring Tankini $98 from Tummy Style. 10. Tribal print strapless two-piece.

11. Tommy Bahama leopard print tunic cover-up $126 at Nordstrom. 12. Prego Maternity polka dot bikini $59 from Tummy Style.

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