This year my baby sister is graduating High School. Tear, Tear, Sniffle, Sniffle. She is the last of 4 girls, so to say that we have a celebration planned is an understatement. My dad said the other day he had seen less work go into wedding receptions, and I believe he is right. We have spent countless hours listening to what our grad wants, looking for ideas and planning. I’m worn out by this party, and it is still 2 weeks away! So, before I ban the words “Graduation Party” from my house, I thought I would share with you some of the ideas I have found.

Gifts:

Money Lei: Honeysuckle on the Vine

June to June Student Planner {Free Printable}: Say Not Sweet Anne

Homemade Graduation Gift- A Collage With a Twist: Dormify

Homemade Graduation Gifts: Celebrations

25 Handmade Graduation Gifts {Printables and tutorials}: Everything Etsy

High School Graduation Gifts on a Budget: Organized Island

Graduation Album: Scrapbooks etc

Food:

The Ultimate Guide to Cafe Rio Copy Cat Recipes {for large parties}: Clarks Condensed

Graduation Cupcakes: Domestic Charm

Sports Graduation Party Ideas: The NY Melrose Family

Graduation Finger Food: Punchbowl

Dollar Store Candy Bar: Say Not Sweet Anne

Graduation Cap Recipes: Taste of Home

7 Graduation Party Menu Ideas: You Queen

Graduation Party Food and Drinks:  eHow

Decorations:

Graduation Open House: Party Pinching

Make Your Own Guest Book: College Prep

Scrappy Ribbon Garland: Whitney Caroline Designs

DIY Tutorial: Yarn Chandeliers: Hostess with the Mostess Blog

Graduation Ideas and free 2013 Printables:  Bird’s Party

Mini  Topiary Tree: Signature Balloons

Tissue Paper PomPoms: Kids Birthday Party Ideas

Ribbon Lanterns: Martha Stewart

And More:

Just in case you are a list person, like me here is a great resource.

Free Printable Graduation Party Planning Checklist: Party411

This one was just to cute to resist. What a wonderful way to include the child of a collage graduate.

DIY Graduation Cap and Gown for Baby or Toddler: Clarks Condensed

Need more inspiration? Follow my Graduation Ideas board on Pinterest.

I know I joked about how much work this party has been, but it is all worth it. We couldn’t be more proud of our graduate. Ruth, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You deserve every bit of what this party took to plan.

And a special congratulations to my BFF of the blogging world, Mariely, who is graduating from college this June. Wish I could be there girl!

The post 25 Graduation Ideas: Gifts, Food and Decoration appeared first on Life After Laundry.

Today I am guest posting for the first time over at Clarks Condensed. I will be explaining how to make Homemade Reusable Dryer Sheets.  So, please stop by and say hello. I’m a little nervous.

The post I’m Guest Posting at Clarks Condensed appeared first on Life After Laundry.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting some of my blogging friends these last few weeks of guest post. I am so thankful for the help and relief these ladies have brought. Life as been quit chaotic and having them stop by and share a little something with us has been such a blessing.

Today I would like you to meet Jessi from the Doctorate Housewife. She is stopping by to share some of her DIY knowledge with us, but check out her blog for more on food, life and fitness too.

Hi Everybody. My name is Jessi and I blog over at Doctorate Housewife. I’m honored to be guest posting for Brenna here on Life After Laundry. I love her mix of crafts, DIY, and food. It’s everything you need really. My blog has a similar eclectic style. You see, I finished my doctorate, got married, and then Hubby and I started renovating our little nest. It made more sense for me to stay home to manage the renovations then to go out and find a job, and so I became a Doctorate Housewife. The blog is the story of my adventures in cooking, DIY, and fitness – with a little social science thrown in for fun. If that sounds like your cup of tea, I’d love it if you’d come visit. Just click on the picture below =) Today I’ve got an easy DIY project for you. It all started when Hubby realized that he is allergic to dust mites. Dust mites are ugly little microscopic bugs and they’re EVERYWHERE! Don’t fret though, if you’re not allergic, you’ll never notice. If on the other hand, you are allergic, life becomes more complicated. One of the things you can do to ease the suffering is to eliminate all sources of dust, especially in the bedroom. That means no carpets, no curtains, and no open flat spaces. The carpet part was easy – we didn’t have one to start. The curtain part was ok with me – I never liked our bedroom curtains anyway and I have spartan tastes. The flat spaces, on the other hand, was a bigger challenge. We’d gone for open bedside tables, which we use all the time. Enter the need for a bit of DIY =) I didn’t want to buy new bedside tables when ours worked perfectly well, but I didn’t want to end up with some ugly fix either. Happily for me I could match the wood by stealing a shelf from another old Ikea piece – our TV table. I was moving the shelf anyway (it used to have a VCR on it and since it’s just kinda been in the way) to make room for the printer. Now all I needed was a handle and some hinges and I could make a door to close up the open bedside tables and make them more allergy friendly. Luckily a trip to the hardware store yielded a knob that matched almost exactly. Time for the sawing and drilling =) It must be said I’m no expert in either of those areas. A lot of my DIY adventures are lessons in trial and error. So here’s a couple of lessons from a beginner:

1. Always measure twice, cut once (it really does simplify your life). Preparation is key!

2. Always drill a hole one size smaller than your screw. Yes this is drilling 101, but if you don’t have the right drill bit and are tempted to fudge it… don’t, just don’t. Trust me, you’ll end up playing with glue and it’ll never be quite right.

Anywho… while I was in there I decided I’d add an extra shelf for better storage, much like I did in this project. Who doesn’t want more storage space?! I had a couple of extra pieces of MDF in the basement. I cut one to the right size, bought the little tacks and pulled out my measuring tape, level, and drill. Time to make more holes =p For my first real project in woodworking, I’m pretty pleased with it. They look cute and they do the job. What do you think? Thanks for reading and don’t forget to come visit me =)

Thank you so much, Jessi, I’m so glad to have you here today. I love how some of the best projects come from just trying to make do with what we have. Your project is a great reminder to stop and look around to see what you might have laying around that can be used. DIY and Saving money, sounds like a plan to me.

The post Guest Post from the Doctorate Housewife appeared first on Life After Laundry.

Do you remember the felt flowers I showed you  how to make a couple months ago? Well, Emma from Emmalilyallsorts has used them in her adorable Yarn Door Wreath. Check out her blog to see how she makes this beautiful wreath. I’m sure you will be inspired.

The post Felt Flowers for a DIY Yarn Wreath appeared first on Life After Laundry.

It’s blog hop time again! Thank you so much to all of those who linked up to the Nice to Meet You {Blog Hop} last week.

Let’s get started…


Do you want to find more blogs to read? Do you want to meet fellow bloggers? I do! That’s why my friend Mariely and I created Nice to Meet You {Blog Hop}. Let’s make some connections with people who likes blogging, just like us!

• Grab the Blog Hop button and add it to your blog.

Mariely @ Sensational Creations
Blog/ Bloglovin/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Instagram

Leslie @ My Fashion Forward Blog
Blog/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Google +

• Link up your blog (home page).
• Be sure to visit other blogs, leave comments and/or follow. Remember: this Blog Hop is to get to know fellow bloggers. Play nice
• You can invite fellow bloggers to join the party!

**New followers: please leave a comment with a link to your blog so we can follow you back. Tell us from where you are following us (for example Bloglovin) so we can return the favor. Thanks!
 
“Bloggers are your community… not your competition!” -Jamielyn Nye

The post Nice to Meet You {Blog Hop} #25 appeared first on Life After Laundry.

Today is a special day for Life After Laundry, I’m holding my first GIVEAWAY! And to make it even better I’m sharing the day with some of my best blogging friends. We have teamed up to bring you a box filled with $75 of Pick Your Plum goodies.

Have you heard of Pick Your Plum? You can find great deals on their site every day! They have lots of supplies for all sorts of hobbies and interest, and their products are so cute, you can’t help but dream up ways to create with them.

I know you are excited about this giveaway box filled full of crafting, fashion, baking, and home decor swag! But, first I want you all to meet the lovely group of bloggers who put this together.

Take a look at what you could get in the Pick Your Plum box!!

Don’t miss the chance of getting awesome products from Pick Your Plum! Enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for entering! Good luck!!

The post Pick Your Plum Giveaway appeared first on Life After Laundry.

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Happy Mother’s Day! I don’t know how other moms are, but I use every birthday, holiday and anniversary as an excuses to get new things for my favorite hobbies. Usually I ask for something related to sewing. I mean I would take fabric over flowers any day.

In case you have the same philosophy, Craftsy is having a wonderful Mother’s Day sale. So, if you are pretty sure your family still hasn’t gotten anything together for your special day, maybe you can save them by asking for a few new crafty things.

Affiliate Links

The post Happy Mother’s Day and Craftsy Sale appeared first on Life After Laundry.

I don’t how your May is looking, but ours is packed full with parties and celebrations. With Mother’s Day, Birthdays and Graduations this month one thing is for sure, We will be eating a lot! So, just in case you have a month of filled with eating events here are some ideas.

Appetizers and Meal Ideas:

Spinach Dip: Je suis alimentageuse

The Best Mild Salsa: Somewhat Simple

Wonton Lasagna: The Talking Kitchen

 Simple Jalapeno Dip: Organized Island

Apple Chips: Sweet Twist of Blogging

Avocado Feta Salad: Lemons for Lulu

Buffalo Chicken Dip: Persnickety Plates

Crescent Sausage Bites: The Kitchen is my Playground

Cranberry Apple Brie Bites: The Doctorate Housewife

White Queso Dip {No Velveeta Needed}: Buns my the Oven

Caprese Bites with Balsamic Drizzle: Dainty Chef

Antipasto Pasta Salad: Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

{My Favorite} Potato Salad: Persnickety Plates

Strawberry Tomato Bruschetta: Lemons for Lulu

Honey Mustard Glazed Chicks in a Blanket: Chef In Training

Bread Salad with Grapes and Blue Cheese: Food Done Light

Copycat Willow Tree Chicken Salad: A Family Feast

Cream Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms: My Own Blog Review

Baked Buffalo Wings: Six Sisters’ Stuff

Italian Black Bean Salsa: My Own Blog Review

Swedish Meatballs: My Own Blog Review

Dessert Ideas:

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes: Organized Island

Mini Fruit Tart: Hezzi- D’s Books and Cooks

Nutella Dip: What’s Cooking, Love?

Chocolate Cherry Cheese Tart: Food Done Light

Cookie Dough Brownie Bites: The Pink Flour

Chocolate Bliss Cake: Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Beverage Ideas:

Chick-fil-a Lemonade: High Heels and Grills

Cranberry Lime Party Punch: Smashed Peas and Carrots

Easy Party Punch: The Frugal Girls

The post 30 Party Food Ideas: For Any Occasion appeared first on Life After Laundry.

Today is the little misters 3rd Birthday! So, while we spend the day making memories and spending quality time together as a family, Lisa from Je suis alimentageuse is here to share a recipe using one of my sons favorite ingredients, Bananas. 

Oh hello! My name is Lisa and I’m the blogger behind Je suis alimentageuse. Brenna has kindly let me do a guest post for her so I’m going to share these banana cupcakes with you. So many of my recipes on my blog stem from me trying to use up leftovers in my kitchen, and oddly enough, bananas are commonly found in excess.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m super picky about my bananas. When I eat bananas, I prefer them to be either perfectly yellow, or slightly tinged green. The second there’s a brown spot, they’re almost too sweet for me. That’s when I need to turn on the oven.

These cupcakes use up three over-ripened bananas, and they may look complicated because of the weight measurements, but they’re really not that bad. The recipe I adapted this from was super specific about weight, so I didn’t alter the measurements too much.

The end result is a lovely, moist cupcake with deep chocolaty flavour and a luscious banana cream cheese icing that’s not too sweet on top. If you make these cupcakes, only make the frosting at most an hour or two before you are serving these because the banana purée tends to brown, which is not very attractive in the icing. It still tastes delicious brown, but it might look a little off.

Recipe Adapted from The Delicious Appreciations of Pick Yin

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

(Banana Fudge Cupcakes)

• 105 grams all-purpose flour
• 150 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 50 grams unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 100 millilitres buttermilk (I used milk + 1 tsp of vinegar)
• 130 grams banana puree (I used 2 bananas)
• 1 egg
• 80 millilitres hot coffee (I used strong instant coffee)

(Banana Cream Cheese Frosting)

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 brick of cream cheese (4 oz/250 g)
• 1½ cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 overripe banana, mashed

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg until pale and frothy.
2. Add banana purée (2 bananas), buttermilk, coffee, vanilla, sugar and oil and mix until incorporated.
3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt until incorporated. You should have a fairly runny batter. That’s okay.
4. Spoon the batter into a cupcake tin lined with paper liners.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke it into the middle of a cupcake.
6. Let cool on a wire rack.
7. Meanwhile, purée your last banana until it is super super smooth. If there are any chunks, your frosting will look unappetizing.
8. Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
9. Add the banana purée and icing sugar. Feel free to add a little more icing sugar if you find the frosting a little runny.
10. Add vanilla and mix.
11. Transfer to a piping bag, and pipe little clouds of dreamy banana cream cheese frosting on your ever-so-light fluffy cupcakes.

Thanks Brenna for letting me guest post, and thank YOU for reading. Please come visit me at my blog, Je suis alimentageuse. Keep in touch!

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Thank you so much for stopping by, Lisa. I know my son will enjoy these Banana Fudge Cupcakes so much. They will be the perfect birthday treat.

The post Je suis alimentageuse: Banana Fudge Cupcakes with Banana Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Life After Laundry.

It’s blog hop time again! Thank you so much to all of those who has linked up on Nice to Meet You {Blog Hop}.

Let’s get started…

Do you want to find more blogs to read? Do you want to meet fellow bloggers? I do! That’s why my friend Mariely and I created Nice to Meet You {Blog Hop}. Let’s make some connections with people who likes blogging, just like us!

• Grab the Blog Hop button and add it to your blog.

Mariely @ Sensational Creations
Blog/ Bloglovin/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Instagram

Katie @ Clarks Condensed
Blog/ Bloglovin/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Google +

• Link up your blog (home page).
• Be sure to visit other blogs, leave comments and/or follow. Remember: this Blog Hop is to get to know fellow bloggers. Play nice
• You can invite fellow bloggers to join the party!

**New followers: please leave a comment with a link to your blog so we can follow you back. Tell us from where you are following us (for example Bloglovin) so we can return the favor. Thanks!

“Bloggers are your community… not your competition!” -Jamielyn Nye

The post Nice to Meet You {Blog Hop appeared first on Life After Laundry.