VINTAGE DESSERT TABLE

The big feast day is tomorrow! I'm finalizing my menu and trying to find a craft or printable activity to keep my girls busy during the day.  It will only be us this year, which frankly I don't mind.  I'm looking forward to staying in my pj's a little while longer while watching the parade and not having to worry about the house being completely clean. I will be taking the rest of the week off.  But, although I won't have an official blog post, I always pop in to Facebook and Twitter to share some good stuff I find around blogland.  In the meantime, I am going to leave you with these lovely images of a vintage dessert table taken and submitted by BeautifulU Photo. Great inspiration for Thanksgiving!  I especially love the "Build Your Own Pavlova" station.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and know that I am hugely grateful for all of you that take the time to read and check in with Home Confetti. You're the reason I keep posting!

DIY CONFETTI BOWS

When you're shopping for a gift, are you already thinking about how you're going to wrap it?  What cute bows you might use?  How can you beat this festive DIY confetti bow from Prudent Baby?  This would even be cute for a Little Man themed birthday party.  Find the full tutorial here.

MY FAVORITE STUFFING: CRANBERRY PECAN STUFFING

If you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner this week, no doubt you're in the midst of finalizing your menu for the big day.  One of the stars on the table is always the stuffing.  I thought I'd share the stuffing recipe I always make and is always a hit with guests.  It's this Cranberry-Pecan stuffing that was actually a reader contest winner in Rachel Ray magazine.  The cranberries add a nice twist and it doesn't come out overly mushy, like some stuffing recipes do.  You can find the full recipe here.

TOTALLY FUN PARTY ACTIVITY: JUST DANCE KIDS 2014

We already own JUST DANCE 2 and love it!  So when Ubisoft sent me the new JUST DANCE KIDS 2014 video game for Wii to review my girls tore it open and immediately wanted to play it!

OVERVIEW: For those of you who may not be familiar with the product, it's a fun video game that lets kids follow dance steps to popular tunes, using colorful graphics. It's a great way to get kids and parents up and moving! We were sent JUST DANCE KIDS 2014 which is targeted to the under age 10 set, plus parents.

THE MUSIC:  There are over 30 fun songs to choose from. For the really young kids there are songs from Yo Gabba Gabba and The Wiggles.  My girls are 7 and they jumped for joy when they saw Victoria Justice, One Direction and Selena Gomez on the list! The songs are all kid-friendly and I didn't have to worry about any inappropriate lyrics. You have the option to turn the lyrics on and off, so kids can sing along as they dance.  For our first time, we opted to keep the lyrics off so we could just concentrate on following the dance moves.  I always get a chuckle when I see the music chosen for parents.  Included are songs like "Shout" and "Do You Love Me?" Yes, we like those songs, but even parents love the current pop tunes, and frankly, those are the ones I personally enjoy.

THE DANCING:  The dances are led by actual kids, set in different backdrops.  For the most part, Renee and Siena were able to keep up with the dance steps, and I assume the more difficult songs will get easier the more they use it.  The degree of difficulty is given for each song. However, the girls went by their favorite songs over how hard the moves might be.  The graphics are very clear and fun to watch.

OUR FAVORITE FEATURES:  Having twins (or two siblings) the duets were ideal!  That's when there are actually two figures on the screen doing complementary dance moves. Renee and Siena loved that option, and they could track their own individual scores.  There are even songs with 3 dance figures.  We have multiple remotes so I was even able to jump in and enjoy a couple of songs along with the girls!  And I hate to admit, I was a bit out of breath by the end of it!  I also liked the option of being able to set our own play list so we didn't have to stop and choose a song each time we were done with one.

GREAT PARTY ACTIVITY:  If you have the room, and you don't care about keeping score, this is a really fun activity to have at a rock star party!  Or any party where you want to get the kids moving.  Renee and Siena have already enjoyed it on play dates, too.

PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT: JUST DANCE KIDS 2014 would make such a great gift!  It's now available on Amazon and Game Stop. As we head into the colder weather, it's a great motivator to get the kids moving, since outside play will be limited. And it's great exercise for moms, too!  I certainly plan to jump in when I can, and get some quality fun time with the kids–or just do it on my own! ;)

Check out the Ubisoft blog and the Just Dance Facebook page to find more information about all the games in the Just Dance family!

Happy dancing!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

THANKSGIVING TABLE DECOR

Thanksgiving is exactly one week away! Are you hosting this year?  It will just be our immediate family this year, so I'll be keeping things pretty simple. But, if you're looking to do something special or different with your Thanksgiving table, here are a few ideas:

COLORFUL RUSTIC TABLE FROM THAT'S WHAT (CHE) SAID
Love the bright colors and the cute napkin rings. A nice change from the traditional orange and browns we usually see at this time of year.

SHIMMERY FALL TABLE FROM KEVIN & AMANDA
If you're more of a glam girl, this table is easy to replicate by mod podging fine glitter onto vases and craft pumpkins.  The decor will certainly carry over through Christmas.

SILHOUETTE THANKSGIVING KIDS TABLE FROM MIRABELLE CREATIONS
I have to admit, I was never a huge fan of silhouettes, but they totally work here. The silhouettes give the decor a historical/nostalgic feel, and of course they look so cute as child pilgrims.  The black and white color palette is also indicative of the simple pilgrim style and is a nice departure from all the cutesy characters we usually see for kids tables. The printables are available at Mirabelle Creations.

NATURAL GOLD TABLE SETTING FROM A PLACE FOR US
Along the same lines of a more subtle palette, I love this table setting with its natural elements. The addition of the cotton is a fun and different natural element to bring to the decor–and will probably be very much a conversation piece! The gold accents give it a holiday sparkle.

What are you planning for your Thanksgiving table?

FREE PRINTABLE SANTA ADVENT CALENDAR

I really love advent calendars–so much so that I've dedicated a Pinterest board to them.  It's a fun way to ease the anticipation of Christmas and come up with different ways to enjoy the season by featuring activities over candy.  Here's a really cute advent calendar from pysselbolaget that uses toilet paper rolls and free printables they provide.  Their adorable Santa designs make a great setting on your mantle or table.  Find the free downloads and tutorial here.

FLEECE THROW GIFT IDEA + FREE PRINTABLE GIFT TAGS

Last year, after the holidays, I found these fleece throws on clearance at Walmart.  I literally paid just over $1 for each one.  I snatched about 10 of them, knowing they would make a good teacher, staff or neighbor gift this year. Walmart is carrying them again this year for about $5 each if you're interested in getting them.  They have really cute patterns, and who couldn't use another blanket?!

Well, I pulled them out of storage and designed a couple of gift tags to go along with them that I am offering to you as a FREE DOWNLOAD! I'm not sure which one I'm using--it will all depend who we give them to.  But, I do love this gift idea, because it is totally useful and will probably be more welcomed than another tray of cookies! Click the link below after the photo for your free download.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD

Sharing with:
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VINTAGE MUSTACHE PARTY

I mustache you a question: Have you seen a cuter party?!  Mustache themed parties are still popular, but I love the 40's vintage feel of this one–from the crates, fonts and colors used in the decor.  All the mustache printables throughout the party really gave me a chuckle!  It was all done for a a cute little man turning 2. The hostess did a great job having activities that all could enjoy, including mustache temporary tattoos and photo props. And I love how the guests were encouraged to share party photos on Instagram. A huge thanks to Hildebrandt Photography in Virginia for capturing and submitting all the fun details.

MINI PILGRIM HAT PINATA

I can't believe we're halfway through November and I haven't posted anything Thanksgiving related yet!  (On Facebook and Twitter I have, but not here on the blog.)  Since we're away from family, we don't have a huge Thanksgiving, so I always try to find at least one fun thing for the girls to make their setting a little special and maybe even help to occupy their time.  This mini pilgrim hat pinata from jacks & kate might do the trick this year!  So cute, and definitely different than what we might have done in the past.  Made with a nut cup, find the full tutorial here.

Have a great weekend!

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY: HANDWRITTEN LOVE PLAQUE

In the midst of toasters and china, it's always special to give a new couple a handmade, personal gift.  I love this handwritten LOVE plaque that was featured as part of a wedding on Ruffled. The words can be quick tidbits about the couple or words from their wedding song.  If you don't have a steady hand, you can recreate this using a handwriting font and frame it.  Find the full feature here.

DIY CORK LEAF TRIVETS

There is something about the color and texture of cork that is indicative of fall.  Here's a great project from Live Laugh Rowe to use for any fall entertaining. These cork leaf trivets would even make a great hostess or neighbor gift for the holidays.  Find the full tutorial here.

12 COUPLES OF CHRISTMAS

Last week I shared my family's holiday card from last year.  But, today I've got some really great inspiration for you! Check out this fun and wonderful photo shoot from Alex Mo Photography in California. Inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas, Alex Mo captured each couple's unique personalities while paying tribute to the holiday classic. Wouldn't this be a great idea for a holiday card??  Either choose one line from the song, or do all of them as an accordion folded card.  Love it!  And if you don't remember the words, I've included what each number is after the photos. Cheers!

The 12 Days of Christmas:

A Partridge in a pear tree

2 Turtle Doves

3 French Hens

4 Calling Birds

5 Golden Rings

6 Geese A-laying

7 Swans A-swimming

8 Maids A-milking

9 Ladies Dancing

10 Lords A-leaping

11 Pipers Piping

12 Drummers Drumming

OUR 2012 HOLIDAY CARD

I just ordered our Christmas cards.  Yea-cross that off the list! We actually had a day when we got just enough snow to cover the trees and grass. So, before it melted away I frantically dressed the girls and got a photo outside with some snow on the ground.  I think it was a record time for us in getting ourselves dressed and out the door!  So, getting that done reminded me that I never shared our Christmas card last year.  We did the "Naughty and Nice" thing which got a lot of chuckles from everyone, especially those who know my girls pretty well! It also seemed like a popular theme last year.  I saw quite a few bloggers with the same card.  I'll share this year's card once I send it out.  Don't want to spoil the surprise!

What are you planning for your holidays cards?  Do you do a family portrait? A letter recapping the year?  Would love for you to share!

LOVELY GRAY AND YELLOW BABY SHOWER

If it's cloudy and chilly where you are, this lovely yellow and gray baby shower will certainly warm you up! Styled by Party Envy by Charlene, the desserts were consistent with the decor's color palette, and I love how she infused a safari theme into it as well.  Guests had fun with shower activities, like making a onesie for the expected baby boy, Deacon.  Enjoy the beautiful details, captured by Ashley Anne Photography.