Where are all my teacher friends at? Another holiday has arrived, its Valentine’s Day! This is where we do our best to bring the cheer and deck out our rooms, and our outfits. So, let’s get to it! In order to come up with my 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February, I have dug through my closet and found a few tried and true pieces and have added a few new ones as well. Remember, it doesn’t have to be brand new to be refreshed and fun for our kids during the crazy week of Valentine’s Day.

1. Layered sweater, button up, and some accessories

First outfit of the 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February, layers! What’s old and what’s new? The sweater and shirt are old; the headband is the only thing that’s new!

Some of these pieces are older so I have links to the exact striped shirt and headband, and a close version of the sweater. The layered look still works!

2. Chunky sweater and a pleated midi skirt

Would you believe me if I said for the next outfit in the lineup of 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February is 1-4 seasons old? Here it is, a Target skirt, and a chunky Bohme sweater. Add some sweet bow earrings in gold and you are set!

Skirt was originally from Target; this is a great dupe on Amazon! The sweater was last season at Bohme.

3. Gotta have some red on Valentine’s Day!

This gorgeous red sweater is a new piece! The red is perfect for this time of year and the style couldn’t be better! Both pieces are from Bohme. Can you tell I love this store?

Sweater and pants linked here! Also, a similar headband and tank.

4. That sweet skirt with the oversized puff sleeves comes in at number 4 in our top 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February

Not into the bold colors and just want a small pop of color, fit number 4 of the 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February keeps it simple and sweet.

Headband is new! Treated myself to a little Valentine’s Day present at Target today. Skirt, and shirt dupes.

5. That oversized blazer for the final 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February

How do you skip on this bright pink, oversized blazer? Well, you don’t have to!

Similar style linked here!

Saving the best for last, the accessories

Didn’t get a close up of the earrings adding that final flair to each of the 5 Must Have Teacher Fits for February? Well, I saved the best for last, check them out below!

Bohme Bows, Small gold bows, SUGARFIX set, red headband.

To wrap things up, I hope you have gotten a little inspiration for your own week of February Fits to make this holiday magical and happy and full of love! For a more comfortable look this winter season, check out my other posts here at Lulu and Cam. Happy Shopping!

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Always stressing and searching for a simple yet delicious treat to share with friends and family? This is an easy go to treat my family, and I make each year. We hand it out to neighbors and coworkers most often. If you have a good relationship with your kid’s teachers, then this homemade treat is usually a hit for them as well. Keep reading for how to make my White Christmas Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn.

Getting Started

To begin, let’s start with supplies needed, it’s a pretty short list and if you do not have exactly the same tools a lot of other options work as well. One reason I love this recipe is for how flexible it can be both to make but also to customize to your liking.

Supplies

• 2 Large Mixing Bowls
• 1-2 silicone spatulas
• double boiler, or glass bowl (microwave safe)
• glass or plastic measuring cup with pour spout
• wax paper
• air popper
• holiday treat bags
• ribbon
• tags

Ingredients

• 1 c. White Popcorn kernels (or pre-popped white corn)
• 1.5 lb. Vanilla Guitard Chocolate Appeals (I buy mine at Gygi if you are in Utah)
• .25 lb. Dark Chocolate Appeals (Also a Gygi product)
• 1/2 bag mini marshmallows
• 1/2 c. Vegetable oil
• Optional: holiday sprinkles, crushed candy canes to top

How to Make White Christmas Chocolate Popcorn

Step 1: Popping and Melting

First, using the air popper, pop 1 cup of popcorn kernels into a large mixing bowl. Next, I shake my bowl a bit after to get un-popped kernels to go to the bottom, then hand scoop the good pieces into the next bowl. This is tedious; however, nothing is worse than crunching down on a hard kernel.

*Note: This is where two bowls is helpful

While the popcorn pops, I get the white chocolate started as well on the double boiler. Fill the bottom pan half full of water, set to medium/high heat. I put about 1.25 lbs. in per batch. Stir in between checking on popcorn. Add 1-2 tbsp. of oil to help smooth chocolate.

Step 2: Mixing

Second, add in half of the bag of marshmallows and mix loosely when the popcorn is done. Once white chocolate is melted, pour over the popcorn mixture in the bowl. Fold the chocolate by scooping spatula in a circular motion down and up, bringing any pooled chocolate off the bottom and folded onto the top pieces. You should not aggressively stir this, or it will break the popcorn pieces.

Coating the Popcorn with white chocolate

Step 3: Drying

Third step is layout a piece of wax paper, about 3 feet long on your countertop or whatever surface the popcorn can dry on for about an hour undisturbed. As shown below, pour out the popcorn mixture and spread into an even layer about 1.5 inches thick. I try not to have gaps between the popcorn, more like a giant slab of popcorn once it dries.

*Pictured below are 4 batches

Step 4: Top it Off

Last. once the white popcorn has dried, it’s time for the dark chocolate! Using the double boiler again, melt about a quarter of a pound of dark appeals. I add more oil to this mixture to thin it out for pouring. I use a glass measuring cup with a handle and spout, although you can use anything with a spout or even one of the tools used for adding chocolate drizzle to cakes like this one. Simply drip and drizzle chocolate across the slab of dry white popcorn, making it look like a tiger as my kids pointed out.

Drizzled dark chocolate topping

*I often have to stop to stir the chocolate again to make sure it doesn’t get too clumpy.

Step 5: Dry, Break, Bag and Enjoy!

Finally, once your dark chocolate has dried completely, break the popcorn into chunks. Mine are usually about 3-4 inches in size. Place into cellophane bags or any holiday container. Last but not least, top with a ribbon or bow and a tag and you have the prettiest, tastiest gift of the season to share!

To summarize, thank you for being here and reading How to Make White Christmas Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn. As you can see, anyone can make this treat by following the how to above, especially if you have most of the supplies on hand already. I hope you find this to be an easy and enjoyable treat for you and the family to enjoy this season. I am always looking to add new treats for the season myself. Leave a comment if you try and like this recipe. Happy Holidays!

For most tasty treats and savory recipes check out my Tortellini soup and Easy Holiday Cupcakes

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This year one of favorite activities as a family was our gingerbread house decorating party. My mom went all out to bring joy to the kids, as she always does. She found the cutest houses at Target and each kiddo got to choose their favorite to decorate. We made it a party with cousins, pizza and lots of icing and decorations.

This is the red barn, however if you are local to Utah, and you know the white barn in Park City, then you can see where my inspiration came from. It also saved me a step from adding and mixing in the red food coloring since all of the frosting comes white in each kit. Hint; you do not have to color any of the frosting if you do not want to! London’s Donut shop is the only one we colored, the rest came with color and white frosting, or we left it as it was.

Setting Things Up for Decorating

Pictured above are all of the kits my mom brought over for everyone to choose from. The extras are going to get raffled off to my sixth grade this class the week before holiday break. All the houses can be found here along with some that are not pictured.

I used one of my many reusable tablecloths. This protected my wood table, made cleanup easy, and added a holiday touch of color for this activity. Mine is from Walmart and can be found on amazon here and Walmart here.

Gingerbread House Hack

Hot glue! Yes! No one is meant to eat this craft project anyways. I feel like we waste so much of the frosting just to “glue” the pieces together. So, this year, we hot glued the houses. Then the kids decorated without worrying about knocking walls down or roof tops off as they worked.

Adding The Details

When it comes to decorating, anything goes!Some of the kids tried to copy the picture on their box, while others just went wild with what they liked. Have fun with it, create some fun memories and like us, we added a few houses to the store-bought gingerbread house in my Holiday Decorating post.

Use What You Have

I ended up getting my frosting bags out with the small tips so the kids could hold the frosting bags easier. I also dug into the sprinkles I have for other holiday projects. This was an easy way to allow the kids to feel like real bakers with their fancy supplies and additional decorations.

Tips and Tricks for Hosting Your Christmas Gingerbread House Party

To wrap things up, here are the things I am glad we did for our party to make it easier. Buy some cute kits that everyone can make their own and be excited about. Have a table cover and space where frosting and sprinkles won’t ruin anything. Grab your hot glue gun and extra decorating supplies if you already have them. Last, set your music to holiday hits and have fun!

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Those who know me know I have a hundred things going on at once especially during the holidays. So, if I can make my Christmas decorating simple and cost effective as well then, I am all for it! How do you go all out and keep it simple? Read more for some holiday inspiration and ideas you can do on your own without the hassle and stress.

I focus first on the tree and fireplace. I have done many different looks over the years. Whether I go all out or just hang two pieces of garland and am happy. I have wanted a more classic look lately and have not been as over the top. The pictures above show our newest tree, the flocked tree from a few years ago, and the kid’s tree that is up in the loft space.

Keeping it Simple, Rule 1

Each tree has its own personality, and my kids love to help decorate them all. When I changed from the flocked tree, I kept the same decorations minus the ribbons tied in bows. This is One way I have kept my decorating simple for Christmas. Reuse decorations! They look refreshed when I changed from the flocked tree to a green one and I love how it turned out.

Don’t Forget the Kid’s Tree

My kids’ tree has the fun stuff, the ornaments they collect year after year along with the ornaments they make at school. We also add twinkle lights and rainbow lights. I let them choose where all things go, and it turns out pretty cute and whimsical.

Simple Christmas Fireplace Decorating

My next big focus is the fireplace mantle. Some years I have been very creative like the pictures below. I layered multiple garlands and added in the eucalyptus stems to add texture and fullness.

This year I went for a quicker and more simple approach. I was able to snag some of my favorite garland from Crate&Barrel before they were sold out. I love this faux cedar garland! To begin, draped the pre-lit one because it is fuller, and topped it with the unlit garland. I used cord command hooks again to attach them in three places, two on the right side, then one on the left corner to create the draping affect. By adding some bacterized fairly lights to the unlit garland, they can both sparkle.

Easy to Place Christmas Decorating Pieces

I use the same pieces each year, move them to new places, and add one or two pieces as a time. Building my collections of little house, trees and other small pieces allows me to create magical spaces, without spending tons of money each year on all new items.

Can you find our Elf? for more ideas on where to place them this season without all of the stress, check out this post for our latest elf shenanigans.

Stairwells and Railings

For whatever reason, railings are always the toughest part of my decorating. I have used the same garland for almost ten years, adding new layers or lights here and there. This garland is regular faux pine, layered with faux cedar, eucalyptus branches and fairy lights added. I wired it together with floral wire and attach it to the railings with reusable rubber ties. I have never had any damage from this specific tie and they can be used year after year.

All the Little Extras

Finding small areas to add simple decorating spots varies just like everything else. What is your preference? Do you like what you did the year before? Did it feel too cluttered or cheerful? I keep my faux pine wreaths each year so I can hang them on a command hook from cabinets, pantry doors, or even curtain rods around the house. I keep the red velvet ribbon as well, so it doesn’t have to be replaced yearly. Most of the small decorations are found at Target, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Jo Ann’s. and other shops that have great holiday pieces that can go with any theme.

Adding New Pieces

As mentioned above, I add a few new pieces to my holiday decor each year. These are my tops pics of this season for hosting, and everyday holiday comfort around the house.

How Do You Keep the Holidays Simple?

Thank you for joining me as I share my favorite ways to keep it simple and budget friendly each holiday season. I would love if you dropped a comment on what you think or other ideas you love and incorporate each season!

This post contains affiliate links where commission may be earned.

All decorations, pillows, garlands pictured in this post can be found in my LTK shop with links for easy shopping. For more Holidays finds and favorites, visit my Like To Know shop

Want to make your Elf on the Shelf a hit this season without the stress? There are many quick and easy Elf on the Shelf ideas you can execute using things already around your house. I hear many different perspectives from friends and other adults on how they feel about hiding their elf during the holiday season. Typically, I am on the side of simple when it comes to going above and beyond making holidays special. Part of the magic is going the extra mile and participating in the fun of the season with our elf, but I definitely do not want to worry about it daily or get frustrated over the process.

Elf and Decor

Use your Decorations for Quick and Easy Ideas

Yes, I have woken up at 2 am and realized I didn’t move it for the next day, who hasn’t? Other than those short-lived moments of panic, it takes just a few minutes to set them up each night, or morning if you are up before your kiddos. I have young kids, so I tend to set them up high and in more out of reach places. My elves do not get into mischief or make messes like some I have seen. Our elves like to hang out on the decorations or get trapped in places. Keep reading to see my simple ideas to keep your elf hiding places stress free this season

Quick and Easy Elf OOTD

Using the elf costumes here and there add to the fun of it! My daughter has the ballerina dolls already, so even for Hulk if worked for him to dress up and play Sugarplum Fairy with the dolls. Adding in this element was a quick and easy Elf on the Shelf ideas and added a little pizazz.

Elves and Houses

Quick and Easy Elf on the Shelf Arrival Ideas

My elves arrive on December 1st and are always somewhere the kids can see them right away. Day one is not a hiding day, especially since Lulu elf joined the family this year and arrived with another book on display next to her.

Fast and Simple Works

It takes a few minutes is all to set them in, or on existing decorations and things throughout the house. Remember, easy and quick elf hiding spots is what this post is all about! I am not crafty and creating messes that my elves are responsible for. Maybe on the last day I will let them cause some mischief just to shake things up.

Around the House, or in a Classroom

One year my elf was in my classroom, and it seemed he was constantly being trapped! Either by tape on the wall or clock or caught in a container with the lid closed. Some of my home hiding spots reflect the good ole days from the classroom in that respect. The kids love it however and always wonder how they might escape to go see Santa that night.

Use Your Kid’s Toys as Props!

Posing the elves on my kid’s toys is one of their favorites. I try to use these spots on days where we are gone longer with school and work so there is let time, they are home and possibly playing around where the elf is posed at. The glitter reindeer acts like a sticky Velcro with their soft felt. They didn’t move at all! Remember, you are going for quick and easy Elf on the Shelf ideas that won’t cause you stress.

Wine Sweater

Kitchen Places

Around the kitchen works well since there a lot of things for them to set in or up again. Bonus, kids are not in that space often playing like their playroom and other areas of the house.

In the past, I have used pieces of Velcro. This has been much more successful than using tape of any kind. Some other quick and easy elf on the shelf positions include hooking their arms into items as well.

Never Underestimate Your Tree as Good Hiding

Anywhere they can sit on their own, stick to, or something they can set in such as the stocking is always a win! That way when we return from school there is not risk of my elves having fallen out of their place. I love using the Christmas trees throughout our house because those bendy branches make securing the elf easy.

Have Fun!

Above all, have fun and don’t let this cause any additional holiday stress. It is meant to bring a little extra joy and fun to your home for you and your kids this season. Let it be fun and spontaneous! I hope these quick and easy Elf on the Shelf ideas help to inspire you to create some magic with your own families this season.

This is hands down my favorite soup this season! I started with a classic I have enjoyed for the past few years, made a few changes and oh my goodness it is so good! Bonus, it can be done all in one pot if you want less cleanup. I used two pans total; however, I still have some tips for ways to make it easy clean up.

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Ready to begin?

This soup recipe makes 6-8 servings and will take about 30-40 minutes in all from start to finish. Using a pan like this or my exact pot pictured above makes the process quick and easy as well!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Spicy Sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)
• 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1/2 sweet yellow or white onion diced
• 1 bag frozen (or fresh) cheese filled tortellini
• 3 handfuls of spinach
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 4 tsp. (or 5 cloves) diced garlic
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes (5-6 oz.)
• Salt and pepper as needed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

Directions

1. Start by prepping your butternut squash. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, cut your squash into 1/2″ cubes, toss in olive oil and salt and pepper before spreading out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I have linked the pan and paper that makes cleanup a snap. Place pan in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the you can easily stab with a fork.

2. While the squash cooks, place your sausage in the Dutch Oven pot and cook through and break into crumbles. I use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage because it already has a lot of seasonings added such as chili flakes that add a little heat but not too much that my kids cannot enjoy it.

3. Once the meat is cooked through, set onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain some of the grease off. I realize the are many ways to drain oil from meat, but this is easy when it comes to a heavy pot, but also this allows the pot to be free for other ingredients at this part of the process.

4. Add diced onion and a tsp of butter, cook 1-2 minutes on medium heat before adding two heaping teaspoons of diced garlic. cook another 1-2 minutes. Add in seasonings, paprika, fresh thyme and Italian seasoning.

5. Next add in your liquid, broth and water, and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste and the half of the can of diced tomatoes and roasted squash. Keep the soup at a medium boil and add in the bag of tortellini and return the sausage to the pot. This should cook until noodles are al dente for this particular soup as the noodles will continue to absorb the liquid over time.

6. When the noodles are cooked, add 2-3 handfuls of spinach (or more) and stir into the soup mix. Don’t worry, it will wilt down! Top with 3/4 cups of heavy cream and stir. Give the entire mixture a few more minutes to wilt the spinach and warm through before serving. Top soup with parmesan cheese and even some broken crostini’s if you have them for a little crunch and enjoy!

Put this soup on the menu with any side salad, cheese plate and Mummy Cupcakes for a delicious fall dinner or Halloween night meal. Pairs well with a red wine or seasonal cocktail too.

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Need a quick and easy Halloween treat this week for your family to enjoy between candy runs? Look no further, this recipe is quick and simple to follow for even the beginner bakes. Want the kids to join in and decorate their own as a part of the fun of the holiday? Even better. This cute design is hard to mess up, even for the littles.

Begin by mixing up the cupcakes mostly following the directions on the box. To make my cupcakes denser, I exchange the 1 cup of water for 1 cup of milk. I also add in one 3.2 oz. box of instant chocolate pudding to the mix. The oil and eggs stay the same. Why do I use a boxed cake mix? Saves time, and with a few modifications it turns out excellent cakes, cupcakes and more.

Next, spoon batter into the cupcake pan, I use this pan with 24 spots which allows me to knock out the entire batch being baked in about 16 minutes rather than double that time by doing two batches of 12.

Once baking, or once baked and set for cooling, set aside while you mix the frosting. I went with a basic buttercream and bonus, mummy wrappings are white, so no coloring needed. I begin by breaking up the butter in the mixer by itself and smoothing it before adding powdered sugar or any of the liquids. I alternate adding powdered sugar and milk or vanilla or almond extract until all of the powdered sugar is used up and the frosting is a smooth consistency. It should be soft to the touch, but not too wet or grainy. If it is, add some powdered sugar until it stiffens up a bit.

You will need a frosting bag and a small flat tip, here are a few of my favorite tools; bag, frosting tip, coupler. The candy eyes can also be found here. Apply a large amount of frosting with a mini ice cream scoop, then press a single OREO cookie on top. Small dots of frosting on top of the cookie will hold the eyes in place. Using the flat frosting tip, drag frosting back and forth to create the wrappings. Thats it! Easy mummy cupcakes for your Halloween get together and parties.

Cupcake Recipe

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (any flavor)
• 1 3.2 oz. instant chocolate pudding
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs

Frosting Recipe

• 1 cup salted butter (softened)
• 1 32 oz. bag of powdered sugar
• 2-3 cups of milk (or half and half)
• 2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Directions

Heat oven to 350 Degrees. Place cupcake liners into pan and set aside.

Mix the cake mix, pudding, eggs, oils and milk together until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pan and place in the oven, bake according to the box directions, I did mine for 16 minutes.

For the frosting, mix and smooth the softened butter before alternately adding the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add milk as needed (you may not need all of it) to keep the butter and sugar mixture smooth and not too grainy. Add the flavoring extract in in between the milk as well.

Once frosting is smooth, add scoops to the tops of cooled cupcakes, top with OREOs and candy eyes. Using flat tip and a bag full of frosting, drag frosting across the cookie without covering the eyes until they looked like wrappings from a mummy.

Enjoy!

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