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Halloween Magic Mama Printables

September 25, 2022

Halloween made easy for all you busy mamas!

I used to be somewhat of a Halloween grinch,

but since having kids, and marrying a Halloween fan,

I now consider myself a fan of the holiday too!

I love easy gifts, so I included these cute teacher tags,

plus one of our favorite traditions!

We love “booing” our neighbors

and these “You’ve Been Booed” printables are so easy and fun!

Plus a Halloween scavenger hunt,

the cutest Halloween art prints

and a DIY haunted house craft too!

Everything can be printed at home on cardstock

or send to your local printer (like Staples!)

Grab your Magic Mama Printables for just $1!

Use Code ✨MAGIC✨ at Checkout

Fall Magic Mama Printables

August 24, 2022

I’m so excited about this month’s printables for all you busy mamas!

School is back in, schedules are getting busy and the air is getting cooler.

Okay, we’re wishing the air was cooler here. It’s really still quite warm.

We know how busy life gets, so I designed this pack to bring a little *fall magic* into your everyday moments.

Cozy up and hang our patterned banner.

Invited friends and family over for a caramel apple bar.

And bring kindness into your home with our kindness chain.

Everything can be printed at home

or sent to your local print shop (like Staples!)

Mail a few postcards.

And deliver caramel apple kits.

And don’t forget to fill out our Autumn Bucket List!

Grab your Magic Mama Printables for just $1!

Use Code Magic at Checkout

Gourmet S’mores Bar + Printables!

August 3, 2020

National S’mores Day is this month and we’re getting ready to celebrate with this gourmet s’mores bar! You can download all these printables to party, too!

One of my FAVORITE desserts in the whole entire world is S’MORES. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia, the crunch of the graham cracker with the slightly melted chocolate, or the ooey-gooey marshmallow goodness, but it ranks HIGH on my summer dessert list. If not #1.

We’ve started getting creative with our s’mores creations – and let me tell you – I haven’t tried a combo I haven’t liked! If you need an excuse for a s’more – National S’mores Day is coming up on August 10. I created a bunch of fun printables so you can host your own gourmet s’mores bar too – like a menu of some of our favorite s’more combos!

Here’s some of our very favorite s’mores creations – from classic to peppermint and my favorite – chocolate peanut butter! Warning: photos may cause excessive drooling or intense cravings. 😉

You can grab all your s’mores printables right here!

The bundle includes printables with black chalkboard background, or if you’re printing at home, white background to save on ink! Enjoy!

Unicorn Birthday Party

May 10, 2020

When Addie turned four, all she wanted was a unicorn birthday party. I had so much fun finding all the perfect unicorn decorations and making a unicorn cake for her! She was so excited and happy all day long She has grown up so much these last few years and it was so fun seeing her so brave and confident with her friends there. Here’s a few of the party details:

Mother’s Day Printables

April 28, 2020

Mother’s Day printables are HERE!

This Mother’s Day could be a little weird? Like, are we getting together with family yet? Are we still at home? Who knows! Soooo, I designed this pack with moms, near and far, in mind!

As always there are quite a few art prints and cards (for moms! stepmoms! and grandmas!) plus, everything you need for a fun day at home – or – wait for it – sending “Mother’s Day in a BOX!”

If you’re far away from family this year, you can print out and send these printables in a box! For Mother’s Day! Use our cute shipping label, cards, and embellishments to dress up your package (and add some chocolate or spa day essentials for an extra magic touch!)

You can download ALL these printables for only $5!

DOWNLOAD NOW

Happy Mother’s Day!

xo, Alexa

Ellie’s Camping Birthday Party

April 26, 2020

When Ellie turned 7, she requested a camping birthday party! She loves exploring and camping (just like her aunt Erin) and we had so much fun brainstorming ideas together and prepping for her party! Read more

Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

April 1, 2020

When Addie turned THREE, she requested a Minnie Mouse party! We love Disneyland so this was such a fun party – for all of us! Here’s all the details and links for Addie’s three year old Minnie Mouse party!

Summertime Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

August 5, 2019

I’m so excited to share one of my all time favorite cheesecake recipes! It’s perfect for summertime and super simple to make.

A few weeks ago, I remembered that I offered to host an event at my house…that night! 🙂 I needed to throw together a quick treat and as soon as I thought of these cheesecakes, I couldn’t not think about them. Pregnant cravings, yes? 🙂

These individual cheesecakes are perfect for parties and events – and they’re delicious too. You don’t even have to worry about a homemade crust – the secret is Nilla Wafers! 🙂 (Though if you’re partial to graham cracker crusts, go right ahead!) I’ve made these since high school and they still hit the spot!

Individual Cherry Cheesecakes

24 vanilla wafers
(2) 8 oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cherry pie filling

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with tinfoil cupcake liners (24 total). Add a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner and set aside.

2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in vanilla.

3. Evenly divide batter in each cup. Bake for 15 minutes. Edges and top of cheesecakes should be “set.”

4. Let cheesecakes cool for 10 minutes, then transfer into container with lid. Chill in fridge for 2+ hours. Once chilled, top with cherry pie filling and cool until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Revlon One Step Hair Dryer Honest Review

July 16, 2019

I’ve been eyeing the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer for months now and finally decided to bite the bullet and try it out. I’ve been using it consistently for about a month and here’s my honest review of the Revlon One Step Dryer!

Revlon One Step Pros & Cons

Pros:

I stink at using a round brush, so the Revlon One Step makes it SO much easier for me to get volume in my hair!
Leaves my hair silky smooth AND I don’t have to use a straightener afterwards.
Reduces the time it takes to dry/style my hair (cut my time in half – now only 10-15 minutes!)
Lightweight and not as bulky as a hair dryer.
Super easy to pack for traveling!
It’s a decent price! Cheaper than a nice straightener and about as much as a nice hair dryer.

Cons:

There is a learning curve! The first few times I used it, my hair was smooth and straight, but really flat. I finally got that volume after practicing a few times.
It gets really HOT. I’m usually on the cool setting and then use the low, hot when styling the ends really quick. If I use it on high, my face and hair gets too hot!

Overall: 100% worth every penny! I would recommend this product to all my friends. And I really think that every mom needs this! I’m excited that I have this to use after baby comes – maybe I’ll actually do my hair with a newborn 😉

Where to Buy: You can find this hair dryer at Ulta, Target (that’s where I got mine!), and Amazon. (Just make sure if you’re ordering online that it specially calls out the Revlon brand. I originally ordered one online from Walmart that was a knock-off!)

How to use the Revlon One Step:

I’m no hair stylist, so this is the every-girl’s guide to using the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer. 🙂

After showering, I towel dry my hair and use the bathpack hair brush (similar to a wet brush) to brush through my hair. I then add a few spritzes of R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray and a little R+Co Trophy Shine and Texture Spray. The first few times I didn’t use any product, but it really makes a difference for volume using these two! (Take $10 off at R+Co with code O6p4)
I section off my hair and start drying the bottom layer using the Revlon tool. The best way to dry it is to start at the top and make a “C.” You don’t want to pull straight down or you’ll lose volume!
After the bottom layer is completely dry, I pull down another section and continue drying until my whole head is finished!
I go over the ends one last time with the Revlon tool on “low.” This gets the ends of my hair just right!

I’m so happy with my purchase – the Revlon One Step has seriously been a game changer while getting ready in the morning and I was pretty skeptical beforehand! Let me know if you try it, too! xo

Family Travel Photography Tips

June 21, 2019

It’s summer – which means it’s time for family vacations! I thought I’d share some of my favorite tips for taking better family travel photos. We have three young kids and can’t always get them to “stand still and smile.” I’ve learned some tricks along the way to capture those magical travel moments!

WHAT TO BRING

Here’s a list of my favorite equipment to bring with me on vacation! Because we have 3 (almost 4) kiddos, I try to keep it on the lighter side since we’re already packing so much! 🙂

Camera – betcha couldn’t guess that one! I prefer to bring my “real camera” on vacation (yes, even to the beach!) Nothing beats those clean, crisp shots. But, if you have a nice camera on your phone, that works too! You can read about my favorite camera equipment HERE. If you’re just starting out I recommend a Canon Rebel and this $100 game-changer lens.

Tripod – if you want to get a few family shots and don’t have anyone else there to shoot for you, bring a tripod! You can get a tripod for your phone or tripod for DSLR camera and a remote. We’ve taken many family photos this way!

Photo Presets – This isn’t necessarily something to pack, but it’s great to have on your phone or computer in advance! Adding just a little editing to your photos will really make them pop! My favorite way to edit my photos are with presets – one click and you’re done. My favorite presets are the Jess Kettle presets – and you can get them for your phone or your computer. They work on photos from both your phone and your camera and add a nice, cohesive look to your pictures.

HOW TO GET THE BEST SHOTS

A few of my favorite tips and tricks for taking travel photos with kiddos!

Prep ahead of time – Or in other words, warn your family when picture times are. 🙂 I’ll typically have my camera on hand for candid shots during our trip, but if we’re planning for some family pictures at sunset, I have to make sure everyone knows beforehand what to expect. Typically for more “posed” or structured photo times, I’ll also bring along a bribe or treat. 🙂

Give your kids direction – When I ask my kids to stand still and say “cheese!” I always end up with fake smiles and wacky poses. Instead, invite your kids to run as fast as they can through the waves or collect as many leaves as they can find and toss them in the air. You could also tell them to whisper a secret in their sibling’s ear or look at each other and see who can laugh the loudest!

Tell a story – Every vacation has a story and I love taking photos to document it all. Try to think of your photos as a story – grab a few detail shots (like the baby cousins holding hands at nap!) and maybe a wide angle photo that shows the whole picture. Don’t forget about capturing different emotions as well. Kids grumpy after a long day at Disneyland? Snap a photo of that, too! You’ll laugh looking back at all the photos and emotions you captured during your trip.

Get in the photo – Hand your camera over to your spouse, your kids, or a stranger and make sure you’re in some of the shots, too! Don’t worry too much about your salty beach hair or how you look in your swimsuit. Your kids will just be happy to see YOU when they look back at your family travel photos.

Put the camera away – What?! I’m telling you to put the camera away? Yes! Take a few shots and then put it away. Shot not working out? Try again later. Turns out the worst pictures I take on our trips are when I’m trying to force my kids to stand still and smile. Ha! My kids respond better to the camera when it’s not out ALL day long. 🙂

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