Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

YUMMY!!! I am addicted to ripping new recipes out of magazines and this Cooking Light recipe for Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis was AMAZING!! Even, my 2 year old was munching it down. This has easily become a new favorite around my house!

{Photo Courtesy of Cooking Light}


Of course, I changed things up a bit to make it more mom friendly and save some time! Meals have to be quick preparation and cooking at our house! Here my tips:




  • Instead of the fresh bread crumbs that needed to be sauteed, I used Publix brand Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Worked like a charm!


  • The recipe called for cubes of white cheddar cheese. I exchanged that for regular shredded mild cheddar cheese.


  • I forgot the fresh parsley (imagine that!), so I used dried parsley.

This recipe would be easy to prepare the night before and pop in the refirgerator. Then, all you have to do is stick them in the oven when you get home! Next time, I am also going to use ground turkey for a healthier option.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Witching Favors!!

Remember the Martha Stewart witch broom favors? I saw something similar in the Family Fun Magazine, which sparked my memory of an AMAZING Amy Atlas dessert table using these adorable favors!!
{Photo from Martha Stewart}

Well, here is my spin on the Family Fun version!!!
(I am glad Cate's friends are too young to read this blog! I am always giving away a sneak peek at her treats. I will have to be more sneaky when she gets older. :) )

Witch Broom Favors!!

Of course, I added a personalized Pluff Mudd Studio Witch Halloween Party Circle!

Materials:
brown paper lunch bags
party favors (Since Cate's school is a healthy zone, I used Play Doh, spider rings, stickers, etc.)
raffia
ribbon
stick (I pulled a few from the woods. You can buy little sticks from the gardening section of any home improvement center.)
Cute Ribbon

Directions:
1. For each witch broom, use pinking shears or regular scissors to trip the top few inches of the brown paper bag.
2. Next, fill the bag halfway with treats.
3. Tie a piece of raffia around the bag about 2 or 3 inches down from the top of the bag.
4. Cut a hand full of raffia strands, so that they are the same length as the bag.
5. Use an additional piece of raffia to tie the pieces onto the bag. (I only put mine on the front of the bag, but you can do it all the way around.)
6. Add a personalized Witch Party Circle with a cute coordinating ribbon!!

I can not wait to see how excited her friends at school will be to get their special treat!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Recipes with Candy Corn

I LOVE candy corn!!! I get so excited for October because I can not wait to run and buy candy corn. I think it may also be that candy corn means the beginning of Fall, football, Halloween, etc.


Here are a few of my favorite recipes using candy corn!!

Candy Corn Fudge


This delicious recipe was featured over at Women's Day. I love the salty pretzels with the sweet chocolate. (I am not a big fan of the cherries, so I left those out.)


Photo Credit: Tara Donne/ Woman's Day

Candy Corn Cookie Bark
I highly recommend this sweet treat from Your Homebased Mom!!! It is really easy to make and looks really festive too!!! (One of her readers commented that she used 2 bags of white chocloate chips instead of the almond bark. I did the same thing and it worked well.) WARNING: These are really sweet and addictive!


By the way, Your Homebased Mom is an AWESOME new web-site that I stumbled on. You should hop over and add her to your favorites!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

New Pluff Mudd Halloween Printables

YAY! I just added several new Halloween printables! Hop over to the Pluff Mudd shop to check them out! You can use them as favor tags, treat bag decorations, scrapbooking, etc.



Val, from Crafty Go Lucky, really jazzed this "Boo Y'all!" tag up! Very cute! I used these these tags to attach to my favorite candy corn cookie bark for the neighbors. :) I think I may also give some goodies to Cate's teachers.


I can not wait to show you the adorable witch broom favors and party circles!


Check back for the tutorial!!!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Halloween Lunch Box Notes: FREEBIE

I love stashing some sweet little notes in my loved ones lunch boxes, so I wanted to come up with something to put a smile on their face! I created these adorable Halloween lunch box notes with little jokes. I thought they were really cute. Val, from Crafty Go Lucky, was very sweet to send me this photo with her lunch box note.



Download your Pluff Mudd Studio lunch box notes for Free here!
Leave us a comment about how you will use your little jokes. :)

Next up, cute favors with Pluff Mudd Studio Halloween printables! Check back to see!!!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Tater'n Sass Giveaway!

YAY! It's giveaway time!!! Amy, from Tater'N Sass, is offering one of their adorable simply sewn baby leggings, crayon rolls, or coffee koozie to one lucky Pluff Mudd Follower!! (Winner can choose their favorite)

Check out some of the cute items goodies in her Etsy shop!! My little girl would love a crayon roll and I am crazy about the coffee koozies!!

These little leggings are precious! Perfect to keep their cute legs warm and still have easy access for diaper changing!!




HERE'S HOW TO ENTER TO WIN........

There are lots of chances to win this giveaway!
You can enter lots of times by doing any of the following
or....
You can do just ONE entry!
Just remember the more times you enter, the more chances to win.

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each action that you complete, so you have a better chance of winning! The more entries increases your odds!!! PLEASE LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENTS, SO I CAN CONTACT THE WINNER!!!!
Good Luck!!

1. Visit Tater 'N Sass and leave a comment with your favorite simply sewn item.
2. Become a Facebook fan of Tater 'N Sass and let them know Pluff Mudd Studio sent you!
& leave your e-mail address here with a comment here that you are a fan (or already are!)
4. Become a blog follower of Pluff Mudd Studio & leave a comment here that you are a follower (or already are!)
5. Post about this giveaway on your own Blog, Facebook Page and/or Tweet about it & comment here with the links! (up to 3 entries for posting)

Winner will be chosen October 9th at 11:00pm (EST).
Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US residents only.
Winner will be chosen using random.org

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Here is another very cute mermaid party from Corrie over at Teacups and Trucks! The orange and teal color scheme is precious!!! I always get a lot of inspiration from her fabulous parties and hope you do too!

The mermaid banner is available in the P.M.S. shop!


These mermaid food labels were custom designed by P.M.S. too! I loved the idea of "pearls" which were yogurt covered raisins.

Cute centerpieces!


The fishing poles were the favors and had a ticket to the Charleston aquarium 4D movie! Great party favor. The favor tags are available in the shop!

Thanks for sharing this cute party Corrie!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Schultüte and Tutorial

I am always on the hunt for cute back to school ideas for the kids. Have you ever heard of a Schultüte? (I had to ask my dad, who speaks German, how to pronounce this like 10 times!!!) You are going to LOVE this adorable idea and tutorial!!!

A Schultüte, school cone, is a tradition in Germany where parents give their children a paper cone filled with treats and school supplies to celebrate the first day of school. (I actually think it is specifically for first grade, but I think it could be for any year!) I think this is a great way to ease some of the anxiety and get excited for the beginning of school!

Here is a VERY EASY tutorial, so you can make your own!!

Supplies for a Schultüte:
poster board
scissors
glue stick
heavy tape, I used packing tape
Decorations: I used cute polka dot wrapping paper to cover the poster board and stamped letters, but it could be decorated with paint, crayons, paper, stickers, whatever you think your child might like.
* tissue paper
* ribbon
* treats to fill the cone (school supplies, toys, candy, etc.)

1. Cut your poster board into a large traingle.
2. Cut the wrapping paper a little larger than the triangle. (I traced my poster board and just cut it a little larger.)

3. Wrap the poster board into a cone shape and tape with clear packing tape.
4. Wrap the decorative paper around the cone and tape.
5. With a glue stick or tape, put some glue all around the outside of the cone, about one inch from the top. Then holding the cone straight between your legs, attach the tissue paper to the outside of the cone. Be sure to start at the seam of the cone. This will keep the front pretty! :)
6. (Optional) Glue a piece of ribbon around the seam of the tissue paper to dress it up! I added a little orange ruffle to Cate's cone. I stamped letters to spell Cate's name.
7. Fill the cone with lots of goodies! I put in crayons, pencils, cookies, a new hair bow, markers, etc.)
8. Either push down the tissue paper into the cone or tie it closed with a ribbon. My tissue paper was large, so could push it down and "puff" it like a gift bag. You can also use a ribbon to tie it shut.

YAY! Your kids will LOVE it! I can not wait to post a picture of Cate and her friend Jack with their school cones!!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Pixie Handmade Jewelry Winner!!!

Congratulations to Amanda, Comment #11!! She is our lucky winner of these beautiful earrings from Pixie Handmade Jewelry!! TIffany has amazing jewelry and I am so glad I could share her shop with you! Be sure to go visit!




True Random Number Generator 11Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Thanks to everyone that participated! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways coming soon! If you have a product you would like to showcase or review, please e-mail me at pluffmuddstudio@gmail.com.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Back to School Gifts for the Teacher

Here is a round-up of some of my favorite ideas for back to school teacher gifts! I think bringing the teacher a small gift at the beginning of the school year sets the tone and lets the teacher now you CARE!!! I think it teachers our children that we appreciate and respect the teacher too! Plus, why not score an A+ for creativity!
I added in some of my time saving tips too!

Fortunate Your My Teacher!!
This idea is from the fabulous ladies over at eighteen25 via How Does She! Hop over to How Does She for the easy tutorial! Time-Saver Hint: Instead of making the fortune cookies, you can buy them at World Market! You can download those cute lables for FREE here!

Teacher Treat
This idea is also from eighteen25 and you can download the label free from here!
Time-Saver Hint: Skip shopping around for the special jar and tie the label on with a ribbon to a treat bag or already made container of treats!

Smooth Year

Isn't this adorable? Everyone loves Bath and Body Works lotion!! This cute idea and tutorial is by Oops, I Craft My Pants. Hop over to her blog to download the labels. Time-Saver Hint: Print on label paper to skip the Mod Podge.

Jar of Pencils


As a teacher, I know that you can NEVER have enough pencils, so I like the idea of a container filled with pencils from My Mix of Six. Time-Saver Hint: Don't have a way to cut vinyl? Grab a large vinyl letter already made from AC Moore or Michael's.

Alphabet Flowers


Every teacher LOVES flowers!!! These Alphabet Flowers from One Charming Party are the perfect addition for any classroom. Visit their amazing blog for the tutorial! Hint: PLEASE use plastic vases for safety!! Hit up your recycling bin for some great plastic jars!

I also think the good old teacher candy gram could easily be converted to a Back to School theme. Check out this candy gram from Simply Savy for an idea! Do you have an idea? Please share with us!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Giveaway: Pixie Handmade Jewelry

I LOVE when I stumble across a new fabulous Etsy shop and Pixie Handmade Jewelry is one of my new favorites! I fell in love with all the fun whimsical jewelry designed by Tiffany Runion Anderson. I spent lots of time browsing through the earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, and bridal collection to pick my favorites for this feature. The prices are VERY affordable too!!!

Best of all, Pixie Handmade Jewelry is a South Carolina based shop!! Ironically, when I got in touch with Tiffany, I found out she went to college with my husband and we had actually met in Charleston years ago! Small world!!

Here are a few pictures of my favorite pieces....


These are my ALL time favorite because I think they would coordinate with everything!
Hint Hint Chris....


Tiffany has generously offered one lucky Pluff Mudd Reader this FABULOUS pair of earrings!!!


HERE'S HOW TO ENTER TO WIN........

There are lots of chances to win this giveaway!
You can enter lots of times by doing any of the following
or....
You can do just ONE entry!
Just remember the more times you enter, the more chances to win.

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each action that you complete, so you have a better chance of winning! The more entries increases your odds!!! PLEASE LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENTS, SO I CAN CONTACT THE WINNER!!!!
Good Luck!!

1. Visit Pixie Handmade Jewelry and leave a comment with your favorite piece of jewelry.
2. Become a Facebook fan of Pixie Handmade Jewelry and let them know Pluff Mudd Studio sent you!
& leave your e-mail address here with a comment here that you are a fan (or already are!)
4. Become a blog follower of Pluff Mudd Studio & leave a comment here that you are a follower (or already are!)
5. Post about this giveaway on your own Blog, Facebook Page and/or Tweet about it & comment here with the links! (up to 3 entries for posting)

Winner will be chosen July 31st at 11:00pm (EST).
Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US residents only.
Winner will be chosen using random.org

Monday, July 25, 2011

Tips for Winning Giveaways!!

I noticed my "bloggie friend" Sara, from Simply Sara, seemed to be REALLY good at entering and winning giveaways! I thought we could ALL use some good tips to score some fabulous free goodies! She was very sweet to share her fantastic tips.......

Christina e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to guest post on her blog about some of my tips/suggestions as far as entering giveaways are concerned. I told her I would love to ofcourse!! I don’t know why, but here recently I have been hooked on entering giveaways. Never had entered many before, but all of a sudden I just started to, kind of random really. I had always thought I was pretty unlucky….but come to find out, I do great on these blog giveaways! I have won some pretty great items! Want to see? Here are a few pics...

Here are some great tips to follow:

*Make sure to read the giveaway directions “VERY CLOSELY”. Some giveaways have specific instructions. If you don’t follow them, your entries may not be counted.

*ALWAYS type your e-mail address at the bottom of each post, whether it is asked for or not. When you add your e-mail, it gives the host a way to contact you if you win. I have been the winner of two giveaways where the “First” Winner never came forward.

*When you see “Mandatory” entries and “Additional” entries, try to do as MANY entries as possible. Always take advantage of the additional chances to win! When you just do the mandatory entry, it enters you into the giveaway once, but when you ALSO do the additional entries, your chances are better!

*When you are asked to tweet about a specific giveaway, always give the link!!! Same goes for your Facebook posts. They want to see that you ACTUALLY shared a post about the giveaway, and when you give them a link, they can instantly see that!

Twitter: After you post on twitter, click on the far right button beside your twitter name (has an arrow pointing out of it) Then select “Copy Link to Tweet”. This will automatically copy the link, so all you need to do is go back to the giveaway, and paste it there!

Facebook: After you share the giveaway on your Facebook, look right beneath your post, and you will see the time stamp (ex. 3 second ago) Click on that and it will pull up “only the link you just posted” copy that link directly into the giveaway you are entering.

*This tip is great if you use Google Reader to read through the blogs you follow! I have a great technique I use here when I am entering giveaways. When I am reading through the blogs I follow and I see a giveaway I want to enter, I will “STAR” it in Google Reader. When I do this, I can go back to my “STARRED” items and see all the giveaways in one central location. Once I have entered a giveaway, I will “UNSTAR” it, so I know which ones I have entered already. If you are a giveaway stalker like myself, I strongly recommend using Google Reader!

*When you are entering giveaways, make sure you separate each of your posts. If a giveaway requests that you follow their blog and tweet about the giveaway, make 2 separate entries. (Unless they make a special request to just make 1 comment, I have seen that) Some giveaways use random.org to determine their winners. So if you have 3 posts instead of 1 post, your odds are WAYYYY better!

I hope these tips helped!! They always seem to work for me!!

You can follow Sara on Facebook too!

Speaking of giveaways... be sure to visit the blog tomorrow for an AMAZING giveaway!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Winner!! For Pete's Sake Pottery Giveaway!

Congratulations to Comment #9, Kim from Kim's Kandy Kreations said "I love the cheese trivet. That would be so fun to have at a party!" She is our lucky winner of the $25 gift certificate to For Pete's Sake Pottery!

With back to school right around the corner, I would LOVE this wreath!



True Random Number Generator

9Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Thanks to everyone that participated! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways coming soon! If you have a product you would like to showcase or review, please e-mail me at pluffmuddstudio@gmail.com.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Mason Jar Sippy Cups

LOVE these Mason Jar Sippy Cups from A Bit of Sunshine!
Hop over there for an easy tutorial!
Very stylish and perfect for any party!



Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Choo Choo! Train Party

I LOVE this adorable train party styled by Corrie, from Teacups and Trucks! I get so excited to see the printables in action! I am literally giddy when I open an e-mail with party photos using Pluff Mudd printables! Corrie used the Pluff Mudd train collection printables for this fabulous party! I love the color scheme and the decorations are precious!

Check out the printable banner in the Etsy shop!

Great DIY cupcake stand!

I think the train in the background holding some of the snacks is so cute!! The train party circles fit those mini-water bottles perfectly!

The CD's were favors for the guests and the playlist was awesome!!! I wish I was a guest at the party. :) Check out the Train CD favor labels in the Etsy shop! Great favor idea.

I think this is a great idea for centerpieces! I may have to borrow this one!

Love the train hats! They look like happy little conductors!

Isn't this a precious family?!?!

Thanks for sharing Corrie!!

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