Cheap Valentine's Day Party Ideas

 Heyo! So have I mentioned how much I ♥ Valentine's Day?! Well it's coming right up and this year I am hosting my "second annual" GALentine's Day! 

This is just when all my girlfriends come over and enjoy treats, pink wine, and great company.  Remember all of those healthy treats I shared? Yeah no-not last year.  Here's some things I did for the party last year-it was so much fun!  And literally Pretty [&] Cheap.  

see what I did there ;)

Melted Almond Bark was legit my best friend. It's only $2.50 at Walmart.

 Oreos! I love the little heart sprinkles (also from Walmart).  These were SO easy to make! Just dip and sprinkle :)

*Can you tell those are Walmart brand Oreos?  When you're dipping them in delicious almond bark, who cares? :) #savingmoney

 Pretzels! Just dipped 'em and added sprinkles. Would be so fun to do with kiddos!

 Also, pink wafers.  Any chance to add pink-obviously. 

*rolls eyes at self

I put everything in adorable heart bowls that I got for $1 at the Dollar Store!

 This precious candy heart box was $1 at the Target Buck Stop-score!! 

Obviously had to fill it with candy hearts (my fave!!!)

I just put the long pretzels in one of our (conveniently) red cups.  That cup went into a bowl filled with even more pretzels.  

 

Which I made like this: Step 1) spread them out on a cookie sheet

 Step 2) Slice almond bark and into the oven. Literally no work. Done.  

Here's what our table looked like:

 [napkins from the Dollar Store]

 I love this shot! The adorable wreath around the bowl is from the Dollar Store as well.  

Honestly, this party was SO much fun to host!  We had a blast and I spent maybe $20, including the adorable decorations, which I'll be using again this year.  

I can't wait for Friday's party!  What are your plans? :)

♥, courtney

How to: Sleep In!

Well hello! Happy Tuesday everyone! :)

Since we're still just getting to know each other, let me tell you a little bit about myself...

Now I don't know about you, but I like to sleep. I like to sleep in, I like to take naps, I like to just lay in bed cuddly all day long dozing in and out with a cup of tea and candles burning [ok now I'm getting sleepy!].  HOWEVER, dear readers, do you think I ever get to actually DO those things? NO WAY!!

Last time I told you that my fiance and I have very different schedules...the only way I can see him is if I stay up late, which makes for a groggy morning for me.  Since we have been living this way for quite a while, I've come up with tricks so I can savor every second of precious sleep in the morning. 

1) I plan and lay out my outfits for the week on Sunday night.  Including accessories, hair style, makeup and shoes.

I use this fun little dry-erase board I found at the Target buck stop. 

It's meant to be a "to-do" list, but I use it to plan my outfits for each day.  I could have easily made a table like this myself but this one was the exact colors I wanted for my closet and it was only $1!     

As you can see, I keep track of three things using this board:

a) Any big work events for that day. 

Maybe I have an important presentation I need to dress up extra nice for, or maybe I will be seeing a young patient and can't wear dangly earrings.  This is a quick reference of those things so I can plan accordingly.

b) Weather. 

I live in the midwest and here, the weather is SO unpredictable.  Hot one day, snowy the next, rain in the am, sunny by noon. It's can get frustrating!  I can't tell you how many times I have worn a sweater when it's 80° because I just didn't know.  Every Sunday night I look up the 5 day forecast and record what the predicted weather will be so I can dress appropriately and never get caught in a storm without my rainboots!

c) My outift.

[DUH!]  I write down every detail of my outfit-shoes, pants, top[s], jewelry, makeup and hairstyle.  [More about my hair style planning later!!]  

The night before, I simply pull out the outfit and hang it on the back of my closet door to be worn the next day!

Since I love you oh so much, here you go!

Print this litle guy out and organize your week! Click HERE to get it full sized :) Laminate it OR slip it into a plastic sleeve protector to make is re-usable!!  

2) TIMERS!
I am one of those people that uses their cell phone as an alarm.  But I don't just have an alarm set to get me out of bed, I have alarms set to keep me on schedule in the morning!

I designate a set time that each action of my morning needs to be finished by and have an alarm set to remind me "YOU SHOULD BE DONE WITH YOUR MAKEUP BY NOW!"  This has really helped me prevent dawdling or getting distracted in the morning.  I know that sometimes things come up, but this is an excellent guideline for me personally.     

3) Keys, phone, wallet? CHECK!
Another thing that really helps me is our mini drop station right by the front door.  It's just an old wooden mirror with hooks my sister had from college.  Fresh coat of paint and it really makes a statement right by our front door for $0!

This is where we keep our keys, wallets, and anything else we might need for the day.  It's always all in one place so when I'm heading out, I can just grab and go!
   
4) I plan all my meals and snacks for the week and prepare the night before...
Not only does this help with my grocery shopping, it helps me get out the door super speedy in the a.m. Each night, I simply look at my list and prepare the meal and snack I've planned.  I usually keep lunches really simple, so it doesn't take too much of my evening to prepare.

I pack the night before and have a special spot in the fridge to keep my lunch box so in the morning I can just [say it with me...] grab it and go!

5) ...including breakfast. 
Every Sunday I prepare 5 days worth of breakfasts, containerize them and store them in my fridge.  I could do this the night before, like my lunch, but since I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, it's easiest for me to do it all at once.   

In the morning, I can just grab one and go!

6) COFFEE! COFFEE! COFFEE!
We even splurged [splurge meaning it was like $15] on a coffee maker [similar here] with a timer so I can prepare and set it the night before, and wake up to freshly made coffee!  

[I'm still working on my coffee station...stay tuned!]

Some other tips:

• I have a "go to" outfit, in case of emergencies!  What if the shirt I'm planning to wear suddenly has a hole in it? Or the skirt I was counting on is suddenly too big [I WISH!] I keep a full outfit, that I know works for me, tucked away in the back of my closet for instances just like this.  I also change it every season.

• [If possible] Keep some snacks at work.  Some days, my stomach is bigger than my eyes and about 2 hours after lunch, my tummy's a'rumblin.  To spare the expense [and hassle] of going to buy something, I keep some granola bars, crackers, and almonds on hand in my desk drawer.  

• Plan your kitchen accordingly.  Have all breakfast foods in the most convenient location and a coffee station is great!  I'm working on mine right now!

• Master your makeup.  Know what looks best and don't try any funny business when you're in a hurry!  Purple eyeshadow with bright green liner-save that experiment for another time ladies!

• Plan, Plan, Plan, Plan, Plan!

So, there you have it! Sure I might lose some of Sunday to planning out my week, but it doesn't take much time and I'd much rather sleep in! How about you? Any morning people out there? Have any tricks you can share??

xo,

courtney