Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY, Party Planning

The Best Thing About Fall? Football!

Easy Football Gift Basket

Okay, okay. I’m starting to accept this thing you all call Fall. I’ll deal with it for one reason, and one reason only. And that reason is not the Pumpkin Spiced Lattes that I mentioned yesterday. That one reason is most definitely: Football.

By now you know that I hail from Green Bay, Wisconsin. And if you don’t, you’re clearly not paying close enough attention, now are you? Being born and raised in the biggest football town in the country (self-proclaimed; if it’s not first, it is most definitely in the top three) has made me appreciate football. And if it wasn’t that, it would be the fact that if I wasn’t into football, I would seriously disappoint my parents. And since I’ve already done that a time or two in my teens (okay…maybe in my twenties too), we don’t have time for any more disappointments. Especially since the last major disappointment had something to do with me marrying a Bears fan. I moved all the way to California, just to bring home one of our biggest rivals. Good thing he has such a great personality. And good looks. Everything helps.

Easy Football Gift Basket Dollar Store IngredientsSo in honor of the upcoming season (the one, in which the Green Bay Packers will take the Lombardi trophy back home to GB), I put my green and gold on and hit the stores. I ended up with a little football gift basket. You know, for all the parties I plan on being invited to. I think if they see this basket, they’ll definitely extend the invitation. And if not, I’ll add jello shots. Who would turn me down with jello shots?

What to put in a football gift basket

The Dollar Tree is my first stop, because they always have the in-season items I want (no plug there, right?). But really. A football serving bowl, football napkins, football plates, and football party tape?! Hello, SOLD. I bought it all. I also bought the potato skins, chocolate, and the beer mugs there as well. I mean, as I told you before, I cannot walk out without ten items.

Easy Football Gift Basket IdeasI would say I am fully prepared for another amazing football season. And since the Superbowl will be held in our area this season, I am really hoping that the Packers make it that far! I think it’s a very realistic dream.

DIY

Ding Dong Ditch!

Ding Dong Ditch your Neighbors with this cute treat  I cannot believe how fast summer came and went. All this talk about Pumpkin Spice Lattes is making me sick. I am not a fall/winter type of gal. I will take my summers year-round thank you very much. I can’t very well be expected to read next to the pool in 40 degree weather, now can I? Who needs a PSL when you can have a cocktail next to the pool? I need to move to an island; the sooner the better. Until then, I will continue bringing smiles to the world. Or maybe just my condo complex. Okay, maybe just to Lucy.

I made these Ding Dong Ditch treats last year, and decided to re-vamp the tag a little. You can print the new tag here.

Lucy Loves Ding-DongsAs you can see, Lucy clearly enjoyed the photography session today. In Brendan’s words, “She is such a gorgeous beast.” She eyed those Ding Dongs as if they were a can of freshly opened tuna.

You've Been Ding Dong Ditched Ding-dong ditch your neighbors*No Cats Were Harmed in the Photography of the Ding Dongs*

Travel

Evelyn Takes the Bay Area

San Francisco, California, Golden Gate BridgeIn case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been a little MIA lately. I just thought I’d let you know, since you probably didn’t actually notice. My mom noticed, so I guess that’s all that counts right? Right.

So where have I been? Traveling the world? I wish. Really, I’ve just been bumming around the Bay Area again. We had house guests for a while, which is typically the only reason I go bumming around the Bay Area. The traffic in and out of San Francisco is a good reminder of why we don’t make trips up there that often. Unless I’m getting ready to try out a new cheeseburger place in the city, my heart is just not in the trip.

San Francisco California, Toddler on the BeachI promise I’ll get back to crafting again soon, but until then, I thought I’d share a little visual tour of our weekend. Mostly through the eyes of my cousin’s daughter Evelyn. Who is the most beautiful five year old I’ve ever seen. That, and the random toddler in the photo above. The photo was just too good not to share!

San Francisco, California Golden Gate Bridge.My favorite photo of the entire weekend is below (to see it in color, check out Instagram –  you’ve got to see her beautiful eyes). Maybe I’ll get real ambitious and enter it in a photography contest. What do you think?

San Francisco, California Golden Gate Bridge

We found a cool playground in the middle of Chinatown, in San Francisco. It turned out to be pretty fun for Evelyn, who was a pro at the monkey bars. I, however, pulled every muscle in my body attempting to cross them. This mysterious ‘getting old’ thing really blows. I used to be a borderline Olympic athlete when it came to the monkey bars.

San Francisco, California, Chinatown playgroundChinatown, San Francisco California Card GamesWe had to make a pit-stop at CREAM (ice cream sandwiches). Clearly, she didn’t enjoy her sandwich at all. I don’t even think she left one bite uneaten.

Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches.Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches

We took Evelyn to Santa Cruz, where she had a blast in the waves. Being from Wisconsin doesn’t leave you with a lot of ocean experience. She was a natural.

Santa Cruz, California

On the last day, we took her to Big Basin State Park, to see the redwoods. She was more excited to practice her “balance beams” with the fallen trees than seeing the in tact ones. Apparently she’s practicing her gymnastics to take the Olympic athlete title away from me.

Big Basin State Park, RedwoodsI think Evelyn (and her mom) had a pretty eventful weekend. They saw almost everything there is to see in this area and then some. So tell me, which photo is your favorite?

DIY

DIY Floral Backdrop

DIY Floral BackdropLadies and gentlemen, I deserve an award. Many of them actually. I have accomplished something that I wasn’t sure was possible, I have done the unthinkable.

I have gone into the dollar store…and only bought one thing! Yes. That’s right. I did what you all dream of doing.

Does it count that my one thing was actually a three pack?

DIY Floral Backdrop Ingredients

I have been seeing some floral backdrops online lately, and kept thinking the dollar store was the place to go. After cruising the faux floral section, I realized it might cost me a lot of money to do a small area. Then I cruised the summer section (I definitely was not looking for anything for myself). That’s when I found the leis. 

DIY Floral Backdrop

They were perfect! I bought a three pack, went home, and whipped out my glue gun. I glued those little suckers (flowers. I mean flowers) all over a piece of 12×12 cardboard. I added glitter for my own piece of mine. Everything is better when it glitters, right?

I made a small version, so I could use it for ‘photoshoots’ for my blog. But you could make this as big as you want, you just won’t win the award for only buying one dollar store item. That’s a good thing too, because I want some time to enjoy my award before I pass it on.

DIY Floral Backdrop