simple celebrations: june 4-10

This week's simple celebrations:
4-Old Maid's Day
5-National Gingerbread Day
6-National Yo-Yo Day
7-National Family Recreation Day
8-Ice Cream USA Birthday
9-Donald Duck's Birthday
10-Where the Wild Things Are Day

simple celebrations: may 28-june 3

This week's simple celebrations:
May28-National Hamburger Day
29-Paper Clip Day
30-CD Birthday
31-Bicycle Race Day
June 1-Donut Day
2-Dinosaur Day
3-Egg Day

simple celebrations: may 21-27

This week's simple celebrations:
21-National Waitress Day
22-Toothpaste Tube Birthday
23-Penny Day
24-Scavenger Hunt Day
25-National Tap Dance Day
26-Cherry Dessert Day
27-National Grape Popsicle Day

mini chocolate trifles [recipe]

I've been loving mini things lately. Maybe it's because I hang out with a baby all day and I can't get enough of his mini fingers and toes and clothes. Anyways, I made these mini chocolate trifles for a baby shower and they were a big hit! They looked fancy, but were actually quite simple. Aren't we all about simple?

I used a recipe called Chocolate Divan that I got from my festive cousin. My contribution was making it into mini trifle.

Mini Chocolate Trifles
1 Devil's Food cake mix
3 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large box chocolate instant pudding
1 container cool whip
chocolate grated and/or chocolate kisses or fresh berries for the top

Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Bake cake in cupcake pans. Let the cupcakes cool. Blend softened cream cheese and 1 cup milk together. Once that is mixed well, add 2 cups milk and chocolate pudding mix. Mix with a whisk until it starts to set up.

To prepare mini trifles, cut each cupcake in half horizontally. Take the bottom and place it in small clear plastic cup. Spoon chocolate mixture on top. Then place top of cupcake on chocolate layer. (You could also add cool whip layer before top of cupcake to make it look prettier.) Then add another chocolate layer and finally a cool whip layer. Garnish with grated chocolate, chocolate kiss or berries. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Refrigerating them overnight is preferred.

*You could make any trifle using this method.  A berry one would be fun for summer!

paper pinwheels

Paper pinwheels are fun! And very simple to make.

I followed instructions from Martha Stewart and made some for a spring centerpiece.

All you need is patterned paper, wood skewers, and brads.