I thought it would be a good idea to roundup some great summertime desserts and also share my very favorite warm weather dessert. Have y'all ever made a fruit pizza? It is simply one of my very favorite desserts in general. It's especially great for warm weather because it's not too heavy. Best part? It's SO easy to make! I have seen others make it and use the traditional sugar cookies as the crust, topping it with nothing more than vanilla icing from the grocery. But y'all! The specialty spread (and it's only three ingredients) we make to go on top of the sugar cookies is phenomenal! You can top it with strawberries and blueberries for a patriotic creation or simply top it with your favorite fruits (I love to do kiwi, strawberry, bananas and pineapple). You can make it in no time (I just recommend allowing it to set in the fridge for a few hours before serving).
Fruit Pizza
What You'll Need (I always double it, and what's listed below are the ingredients doubled. Simple half them if you don't want to double.):
Two Rolls of Sugar Cookie Dough
Two 8 oz. Bars of Cream Cheese
8 oz. Tub of Cool Whip
16. oz Confectioners Sugar (whole box)
Step One:
Slice rolls of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet (I do not recommend using foil. It was my only option when we made it at the beach in the photos above. Simply grease the cookie sheet well before laying out the cookie dough). Once the dough is on the cookie sheet, use your knuckles to press the dough together. Bake until golden (usually about 11 minutes).
Step Two:
Mix cream cheese, cool whip and confectioners sugar together with a hand mixer. Once cookie layer is mostly cooled, spread mixture on top. Place in refrigerator (can even do steps one and two the night before).
Step Three:
Decorate Pizza with your favorite fruits! Someone also also mentioned adding chocolate chips on top is yummy! You could also add bananas to the patriotic variation. Enjoy :)
Here are a few others I found on Pinterest that are perfectly patriotic and great for summertime :)
Oreo Pie(see recipe here. Also could decorate with strawberries and blueberries for a patriotic touch)
Deviled Strawberries(Great dessert or sweet snack! Would be so cute on a charcuterie board too)
Hi friends! I was doing a little bit of browsing and noticed there are some pieces I've been eyeing and also a handful of finds I've already shared with y'all that are on sale for the long weekend. I was browsing some of the new arrivals on one of my favorite stores to see they're all 40-70% off this weekend. I decided to share a little roundup on here with y'all to share these awesome deals in more detail. I'll link each piece underneath the photos :)
(From left to right): 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8
Target clothing and swim is 30% off this weekend! This CUTE ruffle ribbed tank is on sale for only $10 and comes in several colors. I want it in every color now. It runs TTS.
These sweet dresses are another recent find that I purchased for me and Madeline. They're even cuter in person! We're taking them with us to the beach. The womens is on sale for $20 this weekend, and the girls style is on sale for $19.
Hi friends! We recently went to our friend's farm (one of Madeline's very favorite places especially), and it's also one of my favorite places for photography and to just...be. It's quiet, it's beautiful, it's a place you can really allow your mind to rest. I've been meaning to share all of our photos we did in the wild flowers. These are honestly some of my favorite photos ever! I've also been working on a little message to share, that I hope will encourage you all as well. This idea came to my heart as I was editing these photos, and it had me thinking on one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It's no question that the weight of our world feels especially heavy right now, honestly more than every before. But I hope what I'm sharing can bring you some encouragement today and allow yourself to know, it's ok to step away.
As I mentioned, we love coming out to our friends farm! It's beautiful open land, and you can catch some of the most beautiful sunsets. The only sounds you can hear are the wind catching the trees, the sounds of animals out in the country, etc. Madeline loves to sit in the swing hanging from a tree branch. She especially loves to visit with the horses on the land. When we went this past time, there were these beautiful wild flowers to enjoy. However each fall, our church has a big fall festival here! It's also one of Madeline's favorite times to go out to the farm. But at this event, it's a completely different setting. There's skeet shooting, a little train ride, a giant pit of corn kids can play in, zip lining, hay rides and more. It's always so much fun! But going out to the farm for this event seems totally different from the times I'll take Madeline to visit. The festival is loud, exciting, lots of activities and fun, kids running around, all the things! When we visit individually, it's quiet, you can focus in on things you wouldn't normally do when distracted by other things, allow your mind to rest. And it hit me, sometimes that's exactly what our hearts need.
I love all the fun things we do with family and friends. I love getting to do activities with Madeline. I love having things to do. But the older I get, the more I realize we need that quiet time, we need those moments to step away. We need to allow ourselves that time to rest and unplug from things that tend to clutter our minds. My sweet aunt has always told me, allow yourself to feel. "Feel your feelings but invite God into them." It's something I've held close to my heart. In the business of life, it's easy to push our feelings aside and honestly feel like we don't have the time to feel, as bad as that sounds. But I have really found it to be true. This hasn't only been something I've been working through, but I have also been teaching Madeline the importance of this as well. It's taught me to be more intentional about setting aside quiet time to just step away. My quiet time in the morning where I can read my devotional, God's Word and pray has become one of my favorite parts of my day. It's where I can recharge my heart and prepare it for the business of what the day brings. And I think it's so important to allow ourselves this time, time to just step away. It's ok to have this. It's important to have this.
And it's not only my quiet time in the morning that I find this important. As I was talking about taking Madeline out to the farm, just us, I think it's so important to set these times aside with our kids, our families. It's in these quiet moments of stepping away that I truly believe God reveals things to us...precious treasures. It may be something God is revealing about our own hearts that we need to work through. It may be a hint of encouragement He lays on your heart, that becomes the light you need for that very next step. Or even more powerful, it may be a lesson God lays on our hearts to share with our children. There have been many times, whether out at our friends farm, walking down the beach, seeing a beautiful scenery with Madeline that has opened the door for me to share her the wonders of our amazing Creator, a verse that pertains to what we're seeing, etc. It's allowed me ways to poor truth into her, which is such a vital aspect of my parenting journey and raising her to be a God-fearing, filled-with-the-love-of-Jesus, young lady.
It's amazing to think on what power our words have. Have you ever thought about how our words have the power to make an impact that can last for years to come? I think on the powerful truths my parents poured into me when I was younger that are still with me today. I think on the mentioned above words my aunt shared with me, that I shared with y'all. And of course the powerful lessons God has laid on my heart, especially through some of the roughest seasons of my life. And these things I can then share with Madeline, praying she will hold them close to her heart and share them with her future children. Our words have power, they're treasures. And what's even more beautiful, they have the ability to be stored in "jars" for years to come. Let me share one of my very favorite verses with y'all. I absolutely love 2 Corinthians 4.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7 ~
There are two really interesting things I want to bring out here. When I first read this verse, the phrase "jars of clay" stood out to me. I read into the notes of my Bible and found out that clay jars were used for necessary household functions as they were affordable. Through everyday use, they were easily broken, but at the same time easy to repair and replaced if needed. Going through everyday life, easily broken, frail...I can't help but think of myself as human. In my notes, it says that Paul was referring to himself here. The verse before this one speaks of the Lord's light. God as Creator spoke light into existence. We can also look at light from another perspective, as God shines His light into our hearts. Just as I was talking about the lessons from my parents, the words from my aunt, the time I spend in God's Word...God's light, this treasure, is what is stored in my heart. "Treasure (stored) in jars of clay."
I also wanted to look a little more into the idea of clay in this verse. Being used for pottery, clay can be stored for long periods of time. I also read that long ago, Chinese potters would store clay in jars for their next generation to use. As long as a little water was added, it would be ready for use once again. How cool is that?! Just as I was saying our words have power, pouring these treasures stored in our hearts into our children (our precious treasures) have the power to make an impact on generations to come. It's truly so beautiful to think about.
I want to leave y'all with one more verse today in 2 Corinthians 4.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
I wanted to end with this verse today, because I want to tell you something. If you've found yourself in a super hard season right now. If you're feeling the weight of your personal life also caught in the heavy weight of the world around us, please know that God has a far greater purpose than anything you could ever imagine. He is not done with your story and you will one day be able to look back and use your story to bless others, all while sharing those treasures of His light you've stored in your heart. There are some parts of my life where I'm not there yet, but there are others where I can already see ways God has used hardships for so much good. But I believe this with all of my heart. And the best part? The treasures He revealed to me, to help accompany me through the dark times, I've stored in my heart to be able to share as lessons with Madeline. And use to encourage others who I may cross paths with as well. We must fix our eyes on this eternal truth.
No matter what you're facing, whether it's the business/heaviness life can bring our way or a difficult season you're walking in, allow yourself to step away. Feel all your feelings and invite God in. Give yourself those quiet moments where you can work through your thoughts and find God's whispers within. Then store them up in your heart, as treasures in jars of clay. Never underestimate the power of sharing them with others, especially your children. Because being a light for others, and this light we pour into them, is what our world so needs right now.
I so hope this could bring some encouragement to your hearts today, friends! Sending love to you all.
Hi friends! I'm so excited to finally be sharing a full rundown of Madeline's Encanto Birthday Party. Ever since she saw the movie for the first time, she had been asking for an Encanto themed birthday party :) We were hooked on the movie the very first time we saw it! The album plays in our car on repeat and just like so many of y'all, we know all the words. As Encanto is built on the idea of family, so it's been fun and pretty entertaining to related the Madrigal family to ours haha. This theme was SO fun to plan, and Madeline said it was the best birthday party ever, which of course warms my heart and made every second of this planning so worth it. The entire theme was so bright and happy, just like her and her personality. She and all her little friends had so much fun. It was really neat to incorporate lots of the movie surprises throughout the party, in the decor, the food, the favors and more.
I'm going to share some photos from the party to give y'all a little run down, then I'll get to the details :) I'll talk more about each part of the party, and at the end of this post, I'll link each item + the vendors I used. Let's get started! I hope this post can give y'all some inspo!
The Decor:
If you've seen Encanto, you know it's so bright and colorful! With the family having different "gifts", there are so many fun ways to incorporate the theme. Butterflies with Mirabel, flowers from Isabella, food with Julieta, the weather with Pepa, animals with Antonio and more. With my parties I've done, I usually plan two main focal points: the food table and the favors table. With these, I'll usually plan for a backdrop (again, everything will be linked below), a balloon arch, themed food with some clever food labels to incorporate the theme, colorful plates, cups, utensils and napkins and more.
One of my little traditions with Madeline's parties is crafting these fun paper mache letters, usually displaying the age she's turning (or you could totally do a name). SEVEN was the biggest number yet haha, but I still found creative ways to craft them. If y'all want to see a video of these letters coming to life + the full decoration process, check out this reel on my IG :) But you can have so much fun with these, no matter the theme! I always start with some paint for a base coat then add on the decorations. You can use things such as ribbons, print out characters on card stock paper, felt, beads, and more. Even just taking a walk through your local craft store will get the ideas rolling and give you so much inspo. I'll link some of what I used to create these in the list below as well.
I also incorporated the Encanto theme into the decor through some balloon bouquets, the colors of the tablecloths, the fun door banner on the bathroom door, the flower arrangements with some colorful floral bouquets and more. Just with the paper mache letters, I printed out some of the characters on card stock paper and hot glue gunned them to the vases. I also added in these little butterflies to the arrangements to continue the Mirabel theme.
We also have a blank door that is always great for displaying another decor theme...Isabella! I used these tissue paper flowers, which ended up being such a fun, colorful touch to the theme! They're linked below, but just a heads up, they do take some time to put together! Plan accordingly :) The bright colors and touch they added was so worth it.
Party Favors:
The party favors are always such a highlight for the kids. My friend Meghan at The Sugared Moon Cookie Co. created these INCREDIBLE Encanto themed cookies for the party. I was BLOWN away by her creativity and talent with these. She didn't miss a detail. I'll again link her info in the list below :) The kids each got to take a cookie home. I also ordered these cute little Casita favor boxes for the kids to fill. They could add some of Felix's Fidgets, Pepa's Clouds (marshmallows) and Abuela's candles (lollipops).
Activities & Games:
We always rent a bounce house for the kids, which is by far the biggest hit! I had been wanting to rent one of these trendy white bounce houses. Last year we rented a generic one (and had a pretty disgusting experience with it), and these white ones require a good bit of cleaning after usage. It made me feel a lot better about the overall cleanlines haha.
I also always like to have a fun little activity for them. I usually place these on the tables in case they want to take a break from jumping. Have y'all seen these cute little peg characters on Etsy? I thought it would be fun to let the kids create them on their own. The supplies are linked in the product list below. They were a hit!
And for fun, we also had "Pin the rat on Bruno" (The kids LOVED this), Encanto Bingo and this super cute ring toss cactus (since Isabella finds she can grow a cacti). It served as both a drink cooler at the base and a ring toss game, which was super fun.
Food:
Last but certainly not least, the food! This is where you can really have fun in a party theme. We got pretty creative here! Not only did the kids find this super fun, but the adults did as well. I highly recommend using some food labels to bring these little food surprises to life. I'll link the incredible and oh-so talented food label maker, who I have used for every one of Madeline's parties, in the product list below :) The food was enjoyed by both adults and kids! Here's what we had:
"Coffee's for Grown-Ups" coffee punch
"Capybara Citrus Soak" water with sliced citrus (IYKYK)
"Julieta's Arepas" served with salsa
"Isabela's Grapes that Thrive on a Vine"
"Taco Bout Bruno" Mini tacos
"Dolores' Dip" Chips and Queso
"Mirabel's Butterflies" Check out this reel to see how I made these :)
"Antonio's Animal Crackers"
"Camilo's Shapeshifting Nuggets" (Because he shape-shifts and all haha)
And a local cake artist (again, her info will be linked below), designed this incredible cake!
Table Skirts (These are AWESOME and give you so much bang for your buck. They come with a set of velcro adhesives to secure it, which alone buying a set from a craft store costs almost as much as this kit. Best part is that you can machine wash them after and use again).
Chair Slip Covers (If you throw a lot of parties, these are great to invest in. So easy to place on chair + protects chairs. Also machine washable)
Whew! I think that's everything :) If I missed anything, please shoot me an email with any questions. And if you find any of these ideas helpful to use for your next party, please do tag me in your party fun @racheltimmerman.
