Sunday's Super Simple Solution: Edible Party Decorations

My faithful readers know that I try to avoid collecting stuff, but sometimes the holidays inspire us to splurge and a little decorating is in order. This can cause a dilemma - what do you DO with those decorations after the season is over? My recent solution is...edible decorations!

Every year, I host a Halloween party for my Ghoulfriends (girlfriends, for those of you who didn't catch that). This year I committed to myself that I would not buy anymore decorations that needed to be stored in my ever-decreasing storage room. I had lots of fun being creative. Here is what I came up with:

1. I found this great recipe for breadstick "bones" and my dad was kind enough to bake them for my party! I love that my dad is retired and willing to help me out!

2. I found these cool looking squash and gourds while we were picking out our pumpkins. After the celebrations were over the butternut squash became part of our dinner!


3. I found these fabulous Halloween themed wines at Cost Plus. If you aren't serving wine, you could decorate with a signature drink or a bright colored punch (check out this link for a super cute punch bowl idea).


4. Everyone loves dessert, and these awesome cupcakes came from our local bakery. They make all kinds of themed cupcakes these days. These little bite-sized treats were the hit of the party!

5. This idea was inspired by a "candy bar" that I saw at a wedding. The theme for my candy display was Halloween inspired colors and treats. I had brown and orange jelly beans, Halloween M & Ms, chocolate eyeballs, candy corn, and Hershey kisses. I also added plastic spiders and bugs to the mix. Each guest got to make a bag full of treats to take home.

The best part is that after the party was over there was hardly anything to pack up and put away.

What is your decoration storage solution?

7 Flu Fighting Foods

I have been hearing a lot in the media about "flu fighting foods," and I decided to try introducing a few into my daily routine. I am not a trained nutritionist, but it makes sense to me that food keeps us healthy and strengthens our defenses. I am trying to get a daily dose of these seven foods:

1. Strawberries - One cup of strawberries provides 160 percent of your daily recommended dose of Vitamin C. Studies show Vitamin C can decrease the intensity and duration of a cold by 80 percent. Other great sources of Vitamins C are red bell peppers and, of course, oranges.

2. Garlic - Sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to kill viruses. Fresh garlic has more immune-boosting potential than cooked, so add a clove of fresh minced garlic at the end of cooking. I have been adding garlic to everything, including garlic bread, spaghetti sauce, and soup.

3. Chicken noodle soup - Research has found that chicken soup has mild anti-inflammatory properties, which may help prevent colds and flu by decreasing mucus production and throat swelling and irritation.

4. Yogurt - Yogurt contains probiotics — good bacteria that line our intestines and defend our body against invading germs. My favorite is Greek yogurt, but since yogurt can have a lot of fat and suger I try to alternate with the low-fat and plain varieties.

5. Green tea - Green tea contains an immune-boosting chemical called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). I brew a small pot (about 3 cups) and bring it to work in my thermos. I enjoy the warm pick-me-up throughout the morning.

6. Mushrooms - Mushrooms possess two big weapons you need this flu season: selenium, which helps white blood cells produce cytokines that clear sickness, and beta glucan, an antimicrobial type of fiber, which helps activate “superhero” cells that find and destroy infections.

7. Salmon - I started adding salmon to my diet as a source of "good" cholestrol. Salmon is also a good source of Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D can make us more prone to respiratory infection. A 3.5-ounce serving of salmon provides 360 IU – some experts recommend as much as 800 to 1000 IU each day.

Other flu-fighting foods include dark chocolate (which is already a staple in my diet!), red bell peppers, almonds, brazil nuts, sweet potatoes, and oysters.

photo by boo_licious

Gratitude: Part IV

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have enjoyed this short little series on Gratitude.

How are YOU celebrating this Thanksgiving?

image from Stephanie

Gratitude: Part III

Last year, I posted 27 things for which I was thankful. This year, I came up with 30!


I am grateful for:

1. My two healthy feet (even though I did say I was thankful for my broken foot in a previous post)
2. A husband who is also a loving father
3. A family that lives nearby
4. A daughter who has a sense of humor
5. My incredible sister
6. A home
7. My four-legged son - Amigo
8. Medical techology that made it possible for my mom to have a kidney transplant
9. Access to education and knowledge
10. A fulfilling job
11. My girlfriends
12. The generosity of our friends and family
13. The beauty of the Central Coast
14. The local farmer's market
15. A good book
16. My car
17. Chase reward points
18. Fall weather
19. Pumpkin pie
20. Band-Aids
21. Blogging
22. Gmail
23. Online banking
24. Facebook
25. My laptop
26. Ugg boots
27. Smartwool socks
28. My Starbuck's gift card
29. My re-usable coffee cup
30. Sleep

What are you grateful for today?

image from Stephanie

Gratitude: Part II

This is a post from last year's series on Giving Thanks.

Last week, I was talking with a group of moms about accepting help from others. One mom shared that she had family who was extremely generous and always offering to help out, but she felt she was never able to repay the favor. All of us could think of a similar experience - someone has offered to watch the baby, bring over food, or run an errand, but you are hesitant to actually take them up on the offer. Whether it's wanting to do it all yourself, feeling guilty about not being able to repay the favor, or fear that it won't get done the way you would do it, sometimes we all have to accept a helping hand. And when you do, these moms offered some good advice for expressing your gratitude.

Three ways to show gratitude:

1. Simply state it. This sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes it's easier said than done. It can be hard accepting a favor, but many people are happy to help in return for a simple, "Thanks."

2. Pay it back. There are many ways to return a favor - it doesn't have to be a meal for a meal. If you make excellent pumpkin bread, consider giving a loaf as a thank you. Another way to pay it back is offer an open-ended invitation, "When you need something, please call me first." Other nice tokens of appreciation: flowers, a small piece of jewelry, or a gift card.

3. Pay it forward. This was most popular in the mom group. For example, we can't always give our parents as much as they have given us, but we can do the same for our children. And, in my case, I can't repay my sister for all the times she has helped me out, but I try to extend the generosity to those around me.

How do you express your gratitude?

image from Stephanie

Gratitude: Part I

Last year I posted a series on Giving Thanks. As we lead up to Thanksgiving, I want to revisit this series and add a few updated comments.


This year has been especially challenging, and I feel now more than ever that I have so much for which to be thankful. To name a few not so small reasons - family, health, and my job. I am grateful to be working at an amazing university with an outstanding group of students. The students I work with are dedicated to community service and improving the lives of others. So many of them are full time students with other co-curricular activities, and they still find time to dedicate dozens of hours each quarter to homeless, youth, environmental, and social justice issues.

Not only are these students generous with their time, but they are grateful for the opportunity to serve. I have heard a fair share of complaints about Generation Y (those under 30 years old), and I feel fortunate that I get to see the potential and positive outcomes that they hold for our future. In most aspects, they face many more challenges than those who have come before them - an uninviting job market, an environment in crisis, and an uncertain economy - yet, research has shown that this generation has the highest levels of volunteerism in the past 25 years and are civic-minded and socially conscious.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I will be posting and "re-posting" (from last year's series) about gratitute for the next few days .

For more about gratitude and happiness, check out these books.

image from Stephanie