Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider Recipe
Today would be a great day to enjoy a caramel apple cider just like from Starbucks! Here’s the simple recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup $9.95 for a 1-liter bottle (that’s A LOT of syrup) or you can make your own by creating a simple syrup of 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Simmer in a small saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved. Use 3 tablespoons of this as well.
- 12oz of Treetop Premium apple juice (or any premium apple juice)
- Caramel syrup
- Whipped cream
Directions:
- Add 3 tablespoons of cinnamon syrup into your mug
- Add 12oz of apple juice, mix and warm
- Top with whipped cream
- Drizzle with caramel syrup
- Enjoy!
Thanks to Our Little Coop for the recipe!
Handmade Puzzle Wreath Picture Frame
If you’re like us, we have tons of random puzzle pieces all over. If you’re not, then go to your thrift shop and get a 100 piece puzzle for $1 or so. Either way, this is a fun and thrifty gift that the kids can make, and when you fill with a picture, the grandparents will love for years to come!
What You’ll Need:
- paint brush
- glue
- red pom poms
- red ribbon
- a small round picture frame (craft store or dollar store)
- puzzle pieces
- green craft paint
- newspaper or something else to protect your work surface
Directions:
- Lay your puzzle pieces on the protected surface, and paint one side of each of your puzzle pieces green. Allow the puzzle pieces to dry. Double check that they are painted well enough to be opaque. If not, then put on another layer and let dry.
- Start gluing the puzzle pieces around the frame. Glue a single layer and allow that layer to dry completely before adding more layers. Add more puzzle pieces until the frame is completely covered and green.
- Once the puzzle pieces are dry, glue red pom poms around the frame, then tie a bow with red ribbon and glue it to the top of the frame to make it look like a wreath. Put chosen picture inside and gift. That’s it!
DIY Nail Polish Ornaments
If you love the newest and prettiest nail polish colors AND love Christmas ornaments, this is an easy and gorgeous project you’ll love!
What You’ll Need:
- Multiple nail polishes (you’ll use at least 1/10 to 1/4 of a bottle of each)
- Cotton swabs
- Clear glass Christmas ornaments (from a craft store)
Directions:
- Be sure that you choose nail polishes with metallic textures that are not too thin or too thick. (The ones that work the best and are the prettiest are glitter polishes with a thin and opaque finish)
- Take the metal cap off the ornament and poor in a little bit of the nail polish. Start with a small amount and you can always add more if needed.
- Swirl the nail polish around the ornament with a cotton swab, twirling the ornament as you go. You’ll want to bend the swab for the hard to reach places.
- When you’ve coated the ornament with the swab, swirl the ornament around and around to make sure you get all of the extra polish drips and help it dry.
- Once you’re sure the polish is dry, place the metal cap back on, and it’s ready to hang on your tree!
Thanks to Beautylish for the awesome directions!
Recipe: Grinch Kabobs for Kids
Looking for a healthy treat for Christmas time instead of the usual cookies and other sweets? Here’s an adorable idea using fruit to make Grinch kabobs!
What You’ll Need:
- Toothpicks
- Green grapes
- Sliced bananas
- Sliced strawberry ends (to look like Santa’s hat)
- Mini marshmallows
Directions:
- Stack toothpicks starting with a green grape (stem side through the toothpick), then a slice of a banana, the slice of a strawberry (pointy end last), then a mini marshmallow (looks like the puffy end of Santa’s hat).
- Eat fairly soon after or the bananas will go bad quickly!
Homemade Candy Cane Sugar Scrub
If you’re looking to make easy and inexpensive gifts for your loved ones this year, this Peppermint Candy Cane Sugar Scrub “recipe” is perfect. It smells so good and it is a lot like the expensive department store brands.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup almond or coconut oil
- Peppermint essential oil
- Raspberry juice or red food coloring
- Jar or container to hold it
- 2 bowls
- A piece of printer paper
Directions:
- Slowly pour the almond or coconut oil into the sugar until the consistency is soft and not too oily. It may take less than the amount of you have set aside, to watch for consistency.
- Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to the mixture and stir together.
- Separate the mixture into 2 bowls of equal amounts.
- Add the food coloring or juice to 1 of the bowls of mixture.
- Roll the printing paper into a funnel (a regular funnel is too small for the mixture to flow through) and pour the colored mixture. Press down with spoon.
- Repeat with white, then colored, etc. until it is used up and creates a candy cane effect.
- Put on the cap and decorate with a bow!
- Go here for the label if you’d like to use it for your bottle or jar.
Thank you SO MUCH to The Idea Room for this tutorial. SUCH a great and healthy idea.