Healthy Slice of Life: Autumn Spiced Almonds

My friend Brittany has an incredible healthy living blog, A Healthy Slice of Life.  I look forward to reading her posts each night as they are delivered to my inbox.  She has a great outlook on eating and exercising right, helpful tips, and tasty recipes (including great freezer ready meals for my expectant mom friends out there).  Best of all, she is funny, honest, balanced, and completely transparent about her own life.  Please check it out!

 In addition to her blog, she also has a one month-old precious baby girl.  With the new addition on the way, Brittany incorporated a lot of information on her blog about pregnancy, specifically about eating right and preparing for a little bundle of joy, that was both insightful and entertaining.  Isn't Hailey precious?

Anyway, the reason I bring up Brittany and her blog....

Yesterday, she made my day...TWICE.  First, she gave me a call out in her blog.  Being the avid reader that I am, this alone made me smile.  You see, on Friday I posted a status update to Facebook touting the amazingness of the new Planter's Pumpkin Spice Almonds my mother bought me as a treat.  I am a sucker for all things pumpkin...pumpkin cranberry bread, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin pie, toasted pumpkin seeds...  Nothing says fall like a little pumpkin! 

Anyway, Brittany saw the post.  She "liked" it.  (Duh.)   And then in true Brittany-style, she showed  her readers how to MAKE them at home.  Here is a sneak peak at the making of Autumn Spiced Almonds from a Healthy Slice of Life.  For the full recipe, visit Brittany's site.  I can't wait to try these for myself this weekend!

Giraffe Baby Shower: Welcome Everett!

This little guy (my precious nephew) surprised everyone by showing up 5 weeks early on December 2, 2010. Apparently, he is not one to miss a party--- his baby shower (or rather, my sister-in-law Paige's baby shower) was scheduled for that weekend on December 6. Since Everett needed to spend a couple of weeks in the NICU developing stronger lungs, the hostesses went ahead with the shower to give mom a nice distraction.
Everett's shower was inspired by his soon-to-be black, white, and yellow giraffe nursery. Paige picked out some killer fabrics for my mom to sew into bedding, curtains, and cushion covers for the rocker.
Guests were welcomed to the shower at Josie's gorgeous home with this door sign created by my mom. She was inspired by a picture she had seen on Etsy and my brother's love of books. She picked up some inexpensive books from the thrift store, a canvas, and a jar of decopage. I love how it turned out.
For the tablecloth, we used some of the fabric that was destined to be used for curtains. (We were able to capitalize on EV's early arrival!) Patty, Kim, Josie, and myself were able to put together a delicious menu of lunch foods...if I do say so myself.

I am normally against silly baby shower games, but I loved this idea from Josie. She wrapped a box and filled it with 20 small "diaper bag items". I created submission sheets on card stock to distribute to guests upon their arrival. Guests filled out the sheet with their guesses throughout the party. Prior to opening gifts, Josie pulled out the items one-by-one from the box. The guest with the highest number right won a $10 Starbucks card. Who doesn't love a good prize?
For decor, we simply hung a clothesline with onesies and giraffe print outs. Patty and Kim made tissue paper puffs in yellow, black, and white to hang from the light fixtures.
The hostesses and Paige -- celebrating a successful shower just days after Everett's surprise arrival!
For a party favor, I made giraffe-shaped sugar cookies using a cookie cutter I found for $1 at Sur la Table. (Love that store.) My mom and grandma helped me ice and package them the night before!