Lifestyle Archives | The Sassy Southern

Wild ONE Safari First Birthday Party

DIY Crafts Lifestyle Motherhood Party Planning

September 8, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

My sweet guy turned one this summer and I still can’t believe it. How is he already ONE?!?! As I was thinking of a theme for his first birthday party, I kept going back to his sweet safari decor in his nursery. So naturally, Jack’s Wild One made total sense!

Balloon Arch

I am really into balloon walls and arches these days. My rockstar of a husband is my muscle behind these projects and he is seriously such a trooper for inflating and hanging all of these balloons! You can buy balloon kits on Amazon or pick out your own balloons. If you are going to do a balloon arch, I highly recommend purchasing a balloon pump!

Greenery Backdrop and Wild One Balloons

I purchased these greenery panels from tableclothsfactory.com, spray painted them, and attached them with zip ties to create the size I wanted for my backdrop. Honestly, it was completely worth the money and effort to have this look. It made the perfect backdrop for the decor and photos. However, if you aren’t wanting to spend a little less time and money, check out these adorable and very realistic greenery backdrops!

I found these adorable WILD ONE balloons in copper on Etsy! I absolutely LOVED the color!

Monthly Milestone Banner

I LOVE these sweet banners! It is so fun to see how much my sweet guy has changed in just 12 months! I made this banner with my Cricut, but you can also purchase these on Etsy. Also, if you don’t have a Cricut Maker, but love making crafts, I highly recommend the investment. I saved SO much money on this party by making my own decor! I was also able to customize everything and create exactly what I was envisioning for the party.

Giant Balloon ONE

I first saw this idea on Pinterest (of course) and immediately texted it to my Jeremy, my rockstar of a husband. We bought two pieces of the 40 x 60 foam board from Hobby Lobby. I printed out the style of 1 I liked and Jeremy measured the foam board and cut it with an Exacto Knife. We then used hot glue to attach the sides of the one. Thankfully, the foam board bends really easily so that you can shape the letter. It is such a great statement piece and makes for a great photoshoot!

Sally The Giraffe

We just love Sally! My parents bought this as a “welcome home” gift when we brought Jack home from the hospital. She lives in Jack’s nursery, but was happy to be part of the decor for the party. You can purchase your own plush giraffe by Melissa and Doug on Amazon!

Safari Highchair Garland and One Banner

This was honestly so easy to make! I purchased ribbon and tied it on string to create the hassle garland. I created the ONE banner on my Cricut Maker machine and attached it to the garland. This was one of my favorite pieces for the party!

Safari Themed Cake and Smash Cake

I just adore this cake design from Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery in Arlington, Texas! For all my local DFW friends, I highly recommend this bakery! I sent them ideas of what I wanted and they created this perfect cake and smash cake! I made the Wild One cake topper with, yes you guessed it, my Cricut Maker!

Safari Tassel Garland

For this garland, I created and printed the safari animals on my Cricut Maker and made the tassels out of tissue paper.

Jack’s Wild One Safari Birthday Plates and Napkins

These adorable custom first birthday safari plates and napkins are on Zazzle. If you don’t need them customized, check out this super cute party pack!

Safari Themed Wild One Birthday Cookies

For all my DFW friends, The Velvet Crumb created these gorgeous cookies! I highly recommend!

First Birthday Milestone Sign

I designed this in Canva and had it printed at our local print shop for about $40. It made such a fun statement piece for the party!

Time Capsule Activity and Sign

I think this is such a fun and sweet activity for a first birthday party! Since Jack won’t remember the actual party, this is such a fun way to show him how many people were at his party to celebrate him and who love and support him! I made the sign in Canva and had it printed at a local print shop.

ONE Balloons With Tassel Garland

I purchased these balloons from Party City and added tassels (the same one form the tissue paper tassel garland) down the string of the balloons. They were SO cute!

Safari Stuffed Animals “Adopt Me”

This was such a fun activity for the kiddos to “adopt” a safari friend! I found these adorable safari stuffed animal party favors on Amazon for SUCH a great price!

Safari Party Headbands

These safari party headbands were so fun for the kiddos AND the adults! They looked so cute in all of our photos and added a really fun interactive and whimsical element to the party.

Wild One Safari Water Bottle Labels

This is such an easy and inexpensive touch to help keep the theme going throughout the party. I purchased this cute design on Etsy and used labels to print them at home.

Safari Animal Cookie Jar Party Favors

I found these cute jars at Marshalls and filled them with Safari animal crackers I found at Costco. I made the thank you tags on Canva and printed them on my printer at home.

Lion Veggie Plate

I had SO much fun planning and decorating for this party! I hope this post brings inspiration for an extra fun and Wild ONE for your little one!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Lifestyle Motherhood Recipes

May 8, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

It’s almost Mother’s Day! This year is especially exciting for me as this is my first official Mother’s Day with my sweet guy! He was in my tummy last year, but I really had no idea how much my world was going to change once he graced us with his presence. There is really no other feeling like being a mom. It isn’t always perfect and it isn’t always easy, but it is a joy like no other and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I know I’m biased, but I have the world’s greatest mom. So this day has always been so special to me. I now also have the world’s greatest mother-in-law and step mother-in-law, so Mother’s Day is one of the best days of the year to celebrate the many mommas in my life who love and sacrifice so much for their kiddos.

Mother’s Day always centers around three main things in our family: Quality time, delicious food, and a creative and meaningful gift these mommas wouldn’t buy for themselves!

There is something about a bundt cake that says Mother’s Day to me. Bundt cakes are classic and lovely, just like a mom. And you don’t have to be a professional baker to make a bundt cake beautiful and delicious! My first bundt cake pan came from my momma and my Nina (my grandmother) makes the most delicious bundt cakes!

One of my new favorite bundt cake recipes is this Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake. It is super easy and you don’t have to have the entire baking aisle in your pantry. It only requires a few ingredients to make you look like Martha Stewart at your Mother’s Day family gathering!

Gather those ingredients and let’s bake!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

1 yellow box cake
3 eggs
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of water
2 cups of blueberries – I used frozen wild blueberries, but fresh will work too!
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon zest

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:

1/4 cup powdered sugar
1-3 tbsp. lemon juice

Vanilla Glaze Frosting Ingredients:

2 cups of powdered sugar
1/4 cups of milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. lemon juice

Ready, Set, Bake!

Heat oven to 350• F. Prepare the box cake as directed on the box.

Mix the lemon juice and lemon zest into the cake.

Gently fold the blueberries in to the cake and distribute them evenly throughout the bowl.

Quick Tip: If you are using frozen blueberries, make sure they are thawed before adding them to the cake. You can add the frozen blueberries to a sauté pan on low heat to help defrost. This will bring out some of their juices, so make sure to strain some of the juice before adding the blueberries to the cake. Otherwise the cake will have too much liquid from the berries.

Add the cake batter to a lightly greased bundt pan and bake for 38-42 minutes as directed on the box.

For the lemon glaze, add the powdered sugar to a small bowl and add the lemon juice one tbsp. at a time until you have the desired taste and consistency. If the glaze is too thick, you can add a little bit of water to thin out the glaze.

For the vanilla frosting, combine all ingredients together and mix with a stand mixer or hand mixer until combined.

Once the cake is finished baking, allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Place a plate or cake stand on top of the bundt pan and carefully flip the pan over to release the cake onto the plate or cake stand.

Use a toothpick to poke small holes on top of the cake and pour or brush the lemon glaze on top of the cake. The glaze will soak into the cake giving it extra lemony deliciousness and an extra moist cake! Depending on how much lemon flavor you like will depend on how much of the glaze you use. I like to use about half on the cake and save the other half to serve with the cake for those who want extra glaze!

Slowly pour the vanilla frosting on top of the cake allowing it to naturally fall down the grooves of the bundt cake. Like the glaze, the amount is completely up to you! I liked to use just enough to coat the top and make it pretty! I serve the rest of the frosting on the side of the cake for those who like a little cake with their frosting. I’m definitely talking about my momma here.

For extra garnish, zest part of a lemon on top of the cake. Enjoy!

I hope this cake brings joy to everyone at your table! How did it turn out? I would love to see your beautiful cakes! Leave me a comment below or send me a picture on Pinterest here! I hope you have a beautiful Mother’s Day!

Boy’s Safari Nursery Theme: Blues, Whites, and Grays

Home Decor Lifestyle Motherhood

May 6, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Decorating our nursery has been the most fun I’ve had decorating our home. When we found out we were having a baby boy at our gender reveal party we were SO excited! But I quickly realized I was going to be a BOY mom! I had all these ideas and plans for a girl’s nursery, but what did I want to do for my precious guy?

I immediately started looking all over Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. I started shopping online for ideas from some of my favorite brands and stores. I saw so many cute ideas. How was I supposed to choose? I finally narrowed it down between two styles. A natural look with white, green, and a touch of gold or white, gray, and navy blue. I knew either way I liked having neutral colors with one main color pop. My husband preferred the navy blue color palette so that made my decision easy!

I couldn’t find one specific nursery “set” that I just loved so I started piecing things together to create our perfect nursery. While this took a lot of time, it was definitely worth it! Now we have a nursery that we love and is uniquely ours! Buy Buy Baby, Wayfair, HomeGoods, Target, Pottery Barn, Hobby Lobby, and Etsy helped us complete our perfect nursery for our sweet guy.

Nursery Furniture

The first thing we picked out was our nursery furniture. This took a LOT of searching, but we finally both agreed on the Soho Baby Hampton Nursery Furniture in Stonewash from Buy Buy Baby. You can purchase individual pieces or the entire set. We decided to purchase the entire set because we really liked each piece.

The crib is a 4-in-1 convertible crib so it grows with baby and has three adjustable mattress heights! I love the neutral color of the crib, but I wanted some fun sheets with a pop of color. We have some plain navy sheets and white sheets, but these aden® by aden + anais® Denim Wash Cotton Muslin Fitted Crib Sheet in Blue are my favorite! Jack loves to look at the arrows as he falls asleep.

The dresser has so many drawers for storage and makes for the perfect changing table! Just add the changing topper and you are all set! Everything you need for diaper changes, night time, and outfit changes are easily accessible with so much storage space! Our Colgate changing pad is comfy for Jack and super easy to clean! It looks so cute on our changing table with this Kushies changing pad cover! All of the drawers catch right before they close to help prevent little fingers getting caught!

Speaking of changing pads, thank goodness for our Bubula Diaper Pail! It’s airtight lid keeps those unpleasant smells trapped inside to keep your baby’s nursery smelling fresh and clean! We liked the gray color for our nursery but they have so many color options to choose from. It also holds a LOT of diapers so you don’t have to worry about changing out the bag every day. And speaking of the bag, you can use any trash bag so you won’t be spending extra money on specialty bags.

The chifferobe just completes the room and offers so much storage! The drawers are perfect for clothes, socks, and accessories and the shelves are great for toys and books. We absolutely love it! All of the Soho Hampton Nursery Furniture comes with hardware to attach it to the wall to prevent the furniture from tipping over.

Nursery Necessities

A must for any baby nursery is a sound machine. We selected the HoMedics MyBaby Portable Sound Machine in white. With 6 different baby sounds, volume control, and a timer, this is perfect for any room or situation. It doesn’t take up a lot of space in the nursery and is so easy to move from room to room or for travel. It is also a really great price!

I’ll be honest. Jack did not sleep in his nursery until he outgrew his bassinet in our room. I loved having him right there next to me where I could see him and put my hand on his chest to feel him breathing in the middle of the night. I know all of you mommas can relate. When he was too big for his bassinet, I was so anxious about having him in his nursery. Deep down I knew he was totally safe, but I was still nervous.

We received the Owlet Smart Cam Baby Monitor as a baby gift and heard wonderful things about it. I researched SO many monitors and decided this was the best choice for us. I can not rave about it enough! The design keeps it from being a total eyesoar in the nursery and they provide covers for the wire going down the wall. This is specifically a safety feature to keep baby from being able to pull on the wire but as a bonus, it helps it blend into the wall more and not have an ugly wire hanging down!

I love having the app on my phone and the sound and camera quality is amazing! I LOVE the zoom feature and that I can do other things on my phone while still hearing it in the background. You can also purchase the smart sock with the camera to track baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels.

Every nursery needs a comfy rocking chair and ottoman to prop your feet on while nursing and rocking baby to sleep. I wanted something comfy and pretty. This Harper Nursery Glider swivel Rocker Chair and Ottoman in flax is perfect. It is so comfortable and looks so great in the nursery. I have spent many days and nights snuggling my sweet guy in this chair.

Nursery Decor

Y’all. How much do you love this Melissa and Doug plush giraffe?! My parents bought this to have at our front door when we brought Jack home from the hospital. Her name is Sally and Jack absolutely loves her! We like to pet her and have little chats. This giraffe brings so much fun and whimsy to the room.

The second I saw this elephant play mat I knew I had to have it. It is so soft and now that Jack is older, he loves playing with the elephant while getting in his tummy time. It is also really easy to clean which is always a plus.

Jack LOVES this elephant rocker from Pottery Barn. My parents bought this for him for Christmas and it is just so cute! It has also been a great way to let him practice balancing. He loves to rock on his Ellie!

As I was selecting decor for the nursery, I knew I wanted a focal point with Jack’s name. I found this stunning wooden baby name sign on Etsy and instantly fell in love! This particular shop is no longer on Etsy, but I would encourage you to look around and find something custom to fit your design!

Personalizing your nursery is a MUST! If you are currently pregnant, I highly recommend scheduling a newborn photography session! For all of my DFW friends, Kelsey Ray Photography is AMAZING! We were in awe watching her during our session and I could not be happier with our photos. Our canvas newborn wall hangings are my favorite things in our nursery.

I love clean and sophisticated. I would show my husband all of my ideas and while he loved it, he would keep reminding me that this is a nursery. It needs some fun and whimsy. It isn’t an adult bedroom. I knew I wanted it to be whimsical, but not juvenile. I found these ADORABLE animal prints on Etsy from Prostoroom and fell in love! I loved that the color fit my design palette and had that whimsical bubble in Navy. I had these printed at a local print shop and put them in frames from Target. I had a specific look in mind and couldn’t find the right frames for the right price. Target had these frames with a different print for a really great price! So we took out the original print, painted the frames, and put in our adorable animal prints!

I absolutely love our frame wall! This wall started the week we announced we were pregnant. My sweet mother-in-law bought the Hello Little Love and For This Child I Have Prayed wall hangings from Hobby Lobby. At the time, we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl, but she thought they were pretty gender neutral and would be perfect. She was SO RIGHT! We absolutely love them. The animal photos on the right are photos from Jeremy’s (my hunky husband) Mimi and were hanging in his bathroom when he was a little boy.

I had SO much fun designing this nursery and it brings me so much joy every single day. I hope it brought some inspiration to you for your future little! I would love to see your nursery reveals! Leave me a link in the comments below!

How To Make A Taco Cake

DIY Crafts Lifestyle Party Planning Recipes

April 28, 2020

Who doesn’t love tacos? Taco night is definitely a weekly staple in our household. Last year, one of our best friends was having a taco themed birthday party. His wife was planning all the details and mentioned wanting to have a taco cake. I immediately volunteered to make the taco cake because it sounded like a really fun challenge. I had never made a taco cake before, but I figured it couldn’t be that hard, right? Thanks to this amazing tutorial from Studio DIY, it was honestly a piece of cake! Ha! But I definitely learned a couple of things during this process.

The cake batter I made was enough for two 8-inch round cakes so my husband decided to make one too so that we could have a little bake-off! It was so fun y’all. We took the taco cakes to our friend’s party and had everyone vote on the best looking taco cake. So I HAVE to ask y’all, which one is your favorite?

Side Note: See the terrible grease showing on the cardboard from the buttercream? I definitely learned my lesson. See my quick tip below Step 1 to see how to prevent this rookie mistake. Face palm for sure. SO embarrassing. Lesson learned.

Okay now that you have already made your mental vote, I will tell you that my hunky husband won the votes at our friend’s party. We both took one different creative liberty while decorating that made our cakes stand out. As I was mixing the yellow buttercream for my taco shell, I left some specs of white in the mix to make it look more like a corn taco shell. Jeremy decided to add some of the crushed Oreos to the frosting on his shell to make it look more realistic.

While I was so annoyed I didn’t win, it was honestly so fun and we had two cakes to enjoy! We even had a request to make another taco cake for another friend’s birthday the following week! And not that I’m bitter or anything, but my husband is a dentist so he is required to have steady hands while working with hand tools on a daily basis. Again, not bitter or anything! =P I’m honestly so proud.

Date Night!

For a fun date night, enjoy these super easy chicken tacos for dinner and have a taco cake decorating competition for a fun activity and dessert!

Are you ready to make your own taco cake? Gather all of your supplies and let’s get to decorating!

Taco Cake Supplies and Ingredients:

1 8-inch round baked cake
1 Batch of Buttercream (Check out one of my go to recipes from Paula Dean)
- I started with 1 batch of buttercream, but depending on your recipe, you may need to make half of a second batch to make sure you have enough.
Red Food Coloring
Green Food Coloring
Yellow Food Coloring
Brown Food Coloring
Orange Food Coloring
Crushed Oreos
3 Tbsp. Meringue Powder
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
5 – 7 Tablespoons Warm Water

Step 1:

Cut your 8-Inch round cake in half. Spread buttercream on the bottom of each cake half and sandwich them together. This will act as your filling so be generous! Spread a little bit of buttercream on the flat edge of your sandwiched cake and place the flat edge on your cake stand. You should now have the shape of a taco on your cake stand.

Quick Tip: As you can see, I made the rookie mistake of using a round cardboard cake board as my base to decorate. Since my cake is not round, you see SO much cardboard and it just looks terrible! And once you start decorating, there is no moving the cake without absolute disaster! This is why I recommend first placing it on the cake stand you plan to serve the cake on.

Another Quick Tip: The birthday boy requested a strawberry cake, so of course that is what he received. However, the strawberry cake did make it look like raw taco meat when we cut into the cake. Ha! SO if you don’t have a cake flavor preference, a chocolate cake would be the most appetizing visual in my opinion.

Step 2:

Cover the cake in a thin layer of the buttercream frosting and place it is the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. This is known as your crumb coat to prevent crumbs from getting into your final layer of buttercream.

Step 3:

While the crumb coat chills, make your buttercream and icing paste colors.

Buttercream:

¼ cup brown buttercream.

¼ cup green buttercream

Color the remaining buttercream yellow

Icing Paste:

Mix the meringue powder with 5 tablespoons of water to form the icing paste for the cheese and tomato toppings. You want it to be thick, but thin enough for you to pipe. Just add a tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency. I personally needed 6 tablespoons of warm water.

Step 4:

Remove the cake from the fridge and cover the cake in the yellow buttercream until the cake looks like a yellow taco shell!

Quick Tip: Use a knife or frosting spatula to smooth the top of the taco and help create a groove for your toppings. See how the picture above doesn’t quite look like a taco? Keep working with your knife or spatula until you have more defined edges on top. I worked on this step until I was pleased with the top.

Step 5:

Place your brown buttercream in a piping bag and cut a small whole at the bottom of the bag. Fill each side of the taco with the brown frosting about ¼ of the way up each side of the taco. Carefully coat the brown frosting with the crushed oreo pieces to make the “ground beef” for the taco.

Place your green buttercream into a piping bag and use the Wilton 366 Leaf Tip to pipe the lettuce on the top of the cake. You will cover the remaining yellow top of the taco cake with the lettuce buttercream.

Quick Tip: Practice using the leaf tip on a paper towel before you pipe the buttercream lettuce on top of the cake.

Step 6:

Divide the icing paste into two bowls and color one red and one orange. Add each icing color to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe small lines onto parchment paper to make the shredded cheese. For the tomatoes, pipe tiny squares to resemble diced tomatoes. Let the toppings sit until set enough to remove with a knife or small spatula. I waited about 10 minutes.

Place the shredded cheese and tomatoes on top of the cake to finalize your beautiful and delicious taco cake!

I would LOVE to see your finished taco cakes! Please leave me a link to your post below. If you want a little more inspiration, check out this Nailed It! themed emoji cake decoration competition I had one my friends last year!

Have you made an awesome cake? I would love to see your finished cakes! Happy decorating, friends!

Dinner Party Theme: Nailed It! Cake Competition

Lifestyle Party Planning

April 20, 2020

In honor of the FOURTH season of Nailed It! debuting on Netflix, I thought I would share a super fun dinner party night we had with our friends last year! A Nailed It! cake decorating contest!

Please note, this was definitely before quarantine, so while you can’t do this in person with a large group of friends right now, you can do this with your quarantine crew, or even try it virtually!

Some of my very best friends in the whole wide world have been my besties since we were in 2nd grade. Thankfully, all of our now husbands are friends too (did they have a choice?) and we just know our children will be besties for life. We will find any excuse to hang out and it usually involves food! We all LOVE watching baking shows together and we especially love Nailed It!, so we decided to have our very own Nailed It! competition!

We set very strict rules and guidelines (not really) and had our husbands judge the final winner. Our husbands are also super fun and took this very seriously. They had a grading rubric, sat at the kitchen table in hushed conversations while we waited patiently in the other room, and they even walked in from outside while playing the music to The Great British Baking Show. Totally wrong show but we loved the dedication.

Honestly, we all surprised ourselves with how well the cakes turned out and they were all so tasty! Full disclosure, we gave ourselves four hours to bake and create our masterpieces, so we definitely had more time than the contestants on Nailed It!. Here are the guidelines we used for our competition.

The Baking and Cake Decorating Guidelines

Bake and decorate an emoji cake.
Use a box cake or make it from scratch, but contestant will receive bonus points for a cake completely from scratch.
Contestant must make the buttercream, but they can use store bought fondant.
Contestant must include a filling in your cake.
Contestant has four hours from start to finish.

We had initially planned to make our cakes, frostings, and fillings in our own kitchens and then decorate and assemble together. However, one of our friends gave a super vague reason as to why she needed to do hers completely at home and just bring it over before dinner. Are you thinking we have a cheater on our hands? Because the rest of us all thought the same thing. We were convinced she was going to use way more than four hours, but we let it slide and agreed.

When she arrived for dinner, her cake was completely covered and she didn’t want to take it out until we finished dinner. We had all of our cakes lined up on the island ready for the judging. Finally, she lines all of us up in front of the island and reveals her secret cake. When she pulled the cover off, we all started screaming. Instead of making a fish emoji cake like she told us initially, she made the pregnant mommy emoji. She was pregnant! And not just pregnant, pregnant with TWINS that we would all later find out were actually TRIPLETS! Yes, TRIPLETS! This was such a fun surprise and made our night.

The Judging

Based on the super fun surprise pregnancy announcement, how could her cake not win?! It really was so great! But our husbands knowing all of us very well, decided to award each cake something special. But let’s be honest, pregnancy announcement cake trumps all other cakes! While I enjoyed all of the cakes, I was so proud of my unicorn cake! It was a four tiered white chocolate raspberry cake with white chocolate buttercream, a raspberry filling and a sprinkle center!

This was such a fun and inexpensive group activity and made for a great dinner party with oh so many yummy cakes! Have you had a baking or cooking competition? I would love to see your results! For more fun cake decorating ideas, check out my taco cake post!

FREE Printable Wine Labels

DIY Crafts Lifestyle Party Planning

February 18, 2018

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Happy National Drink Wine Day! As many of you already know, I love custom wine labels! They make for a very personalized and thoughtful gift and they are great for parties! One of my favorite ways to use personalized wine labels is by gifting a bride a groom a year of firsts with a wedding milestone wine basket! We received this at our wedding and we had SO much fun enjoying the different bottles of wine for each new milestone in our marriage! I also love to give a Mommy Milestones wine basket at baby showers for the mommy-to-be and daddy-to-be to enjoy after the baby is born!

Free Printable Wine Labels

While custom wine labels are perfect for these types of occasions, you might want to dress up a wine label without having to order custom labels! Well thanks to FTD by Design, you can wow your party crowd with a custom bottle of wine in just a few minutes! All you need is a printer, double-sided tape, and a bottle of wine! It was super easy and it turned out beautifully!

Visit FTD by Design’s blog post for their super easy instructions and to download their 6 free printable wine bottle labels for special occasions! They are all so adorable, but I think my favorite label has to be the Sip Sip Hooray! It’s hard to read that and not want to cheer! You can apply them directly to the bottle, or print the hanging label that you can easily hang on the bottle! You will never want to show up to a birthday party, dinner party, or family gathering without these show-stopping wine labels dressing up your delicious bottle of wine! If you love these gorgeous Mikasa Cheers Red Wine Glasses as much as I do, they are very affordable and are perfect for a romantic dinner or a party! Cheers!

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Luxury Beach Vacation at the All-Inclusive Sandals Ochi Jamaica

Lifestyle Travel

February 11, 2018

I love the beach. I love vacation. When you combine the two with an all-inclusive resort in beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica, you pretty much have found paradise. This is not the first time we have stayed at a Sandals resort and I promise you it will not be the last! In case you missed my post about our honeymoon in the Bahamas at Sandals Royal Bahamian, check it out here!

We had such an amazing time with Sandals for our honeymoon; we decided there really wasn’t a better way to celebrate our first anniversary than in a different country at a different Sandals resort! Two of our friends were married a few months before us and they stayed at Sandals Ochi for their honeymoon and absolutely loved it! My parents have also vacationed in Ocho Rios on two different occasions and they absolutely loved the culture and the beautiful scenery! So, our decision to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in Jamaica was a no-brainer and we are oh so happy we did!

Let me start by saying Sandals Ochi is HUGE and gives you the best of both worlds. There are two parts to the resort; the hillside, which makes you feel like you are in the middle of a beautiful rainforest, and the ocean side with crystal clear water. We decided to book a butler village suite on the hillside. It is a one-bedroom suite with a semi-private pool and a butler. Yes, a BUTLER! I’ll be honest, we were both a little hesitant at the idea, but we decided you only celebrate your 1^st wedding anniversary once, so why not?

Sandals Ochi Hillside — Hillside at Sandals

When we booked, they had us fill out a questionnaire with our preferences for our stay; our favorite food, drinks, allergies, etc. The closest airport is in Montego Bay, so it was about a 2-hour drive from the airport, but it is totally worth it and Sandals makes sure you are comfortable from the moment you get through customs! We immediately stepped into a Sandals lounge where they take your luggage and offer you a drink and snack while you wait to leave. From there, you take a Sandals chartered bus to the resort. It was so organized and we felt instantly taken care of.

Once we arrived at the resort, we were greeted with a cool towel and a delicious cocktail! One of our butlers, (we had 2!) met us in the butlers’ lounge and drove us on a private golf cart to our beautiful suite! We were given a cell phone to call our butlers at any time and they had already chilled a bottle of champagne, prepared a snack plate, and covered our bed in rose petals with a beautiful anniversary card. The view from our pool and back patio was absolutely stunning! As much as I loved the view, I did really wish we were on the beach.

When I booked, I didn’t realize how far the butler villas were from the beach. Like I mentioned before, there is the hillside of the resort and the ocean side. While it is still one resort, you do either have to have your butler drive you from hillside to ocean side or take one of their very convenient shuttles that runs every 10 minutes. While I LOVED the beauty of hillside, I really wanted to be on the beach. As much as I hated to cause any issues, I thought, it never hurts to ask! So, we asked our sweet butlers if there was ANY way we could move to the ocean side. Amazingly enough, our butlers and Sandals made it happen instantly! They told us to go to the pool, have a drink, and they would come and get us when our stuff was settled in on the ocean side. We were STUNNED! They were so accommodating and completely understood the confusion when we were booking. This was hands down the best customer service experience EVER!

The Rooms

The rooms are beautiful and have every convenience and want you could possibly think of; including a full mini bar with alcohol that is stocked daily. The bed was so comfortable and there was plenty of room to store all of your belongings. The room also had an AMAZING air conditioner. Trust me, you will be so thankful for this! Room service was absolutely delicious and our butlers always had a sweet note, flowers, and new towel animal on our bed when we came back to the room each night. The resort also offers a daily newspaper called Footprints that gives you a full itinerary of events for that day and specific information on all of the restaurants including dress code and their hours for the day.

The Sweetest Butlers in the World

We LOVED our butlers. They were so so thoughtful and quickly learned our favorite things. We would come back to our room with a hot bubble bath with rose petals and champagne, a fresh fruit and cheese plate to enjoy before our dinner reservations, and the sweetest notes! One morning, we had an excursion booked, so one of our butlers brought us smoothies and breakfast in bed before our excursion to make sure we had plenty of energy! They made all of our dinner reservations for us, escorted us to dinner, and would always have the best tables reserved covered in candles and flowers. They really made our week perfect. If we were out on the beach, they would call and ask if they could bring us lunch or a cocktail. We seriously lived like kings and queens.

The Food and Drinks

There are a total of 16 restaurants and 11 bars throughout the resort and they are all amazing! I will admit, there were a couple of occasions where we had our first dinner at 5 and then a second dinner at 9. One night, the hubs couldn’t decide which entre he wanted for dinner, so our waiter suggested he order both. We both laughed and he said, I’m serious! So we ordered both. There are so many snack shacks, pizza parlors, and bars all over for a quick snack or cocktail. One of the pools has a brick oven pizza place by the bar. We would order a pizza, hop in the pool and grab a drink at the swim-up bar while we waited for our pizza. Once it was ready, they would deliver it to us in the pool and we could just eat it on a pool float! Oh, I would also like to recommend you order a Bob Marley and a Miami Vice during your visit. Oh, and a Blue Hawaiian! Those are all oh so yummy!

The Excursions

Dunn's River Falls Jamaica — We hiked up Dunn’s River Falls!

While we were in Jamaica we booked two excursions through Sandals, Blue Hole and Dunn’s River Falls. Sandals has an excursions desk and the staff is wonderful with helping you arrange the perfect excursion. They just add it to your room and you pay at the end of your trip. My parents had done the Dunn’s River Falls excursion on their last trip to Jamaica and said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it really was! Basically, you along with a group and your guide hike up a waterfall! It was absolutely amazing! While it was challenging, these guides know what they are doing! We saw kids as young as 5 to grandmas and grandpas hiking up. It was absolutely amazing! I HIGHLY recommend!

We also did the Blue Hole excursion and went tubing down the river through the beautiful jungle. There really is no possible way to describe Blue Hole and give it complete justice. You start the journey by hiking up little waterfalls and jumping into Jamaica’s beautiful blue holes in the Jamaican jungle! The water is crystal clear and the views are just breathtaking. I believe the highest jump we did was 20 feet, but that was optional. However, we did the jump and it was AMAZING and I highly recommend it!

*Note: I would highly recommend doing an excursion through Sandals. We felt safe the entire time we were in Jamaica, but we were advised to stick with the resort. They had a lot of security and our drivers always stayed with us for every excursion. Also, if you are afraid of heights, I do not recommend either excursion above.

The Resort

Sandals Ocho Rios — White Chocolate Party

Sandals Ochi has everything in the world. Their entertainment department is absolutely amazing! They had a different show every night, themed parties like a chocolate party by their hillside pool with the most delicious chocolate bar and the coolest performances, they had movie nights on the lawn with giant beds, popcorn, drinks and a fun romantic comedy. They also have The Rabbit Hole which is a speakeasy with amazing performances and a fabulous piano bar! Their entertainment crew for the beach and the pools are so fun and constantly have games and contests for those who want something to do.

The Rabbits Hole SpeakEasy Jamaica — The Rabbit Hole

Events at Sandals Ocho Rios — Movie night on the lawn!

The spa is also amazing! I had a 90-minute massage and a foot scrub and massage and it was heavenly! You can also arrange private massages on the beach or in a cabana over the water. It is so relaxing. They also have an activities center where you can check out paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, snorkeling equipment, and more water excursions! They also have a shipwreck snorkeling excursion that is only $25 per person!

Things to Know Before You Go

One of the best things about selecting an all-inclusive resort is not having to worry about spending a dime while you are there! Everything is included; well for the most part of course. They will ask for a credit card when you check-in where they will put a hold of $250. This will also be used if you decided to book any excursions, purchase things at the gift shop, or book a spa appointment during your stay. Once you arrive, I highly recommed take a tour of the resort. They will go over everything you need to know to have the best possible trip.

To Tip or Not to Tip

My husband had a hard time with this during our first Sandals visit. He kept trying to tip the gentlemen who helped us with our bags and he politely told him that he was not allowed to accept the tip. Sandals doesn’t allow tipping at all, so that is one thing you don’t need to worry about. However, if you do decide to have a butler’s package, they do allow you to tip your butler at the end of your stay since they do so much more. We tipped both of ours as we were checking out.

In case you couldn’t tell, we absolutely loved our entire stay with Sandals and we have already booked our next trip with Sandals in another tropical location! I can’t wait to share our next adventure with you!

Have you been to Jamaica or stayed with Sandals before? I would love to hear about your trip!

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The Best Christmas Songs Playlist For The Holiday Season

Lifestyle

December 3, 2017

Y’all. This is my time! I know I say that in almost every Christmas post I write, but I just love this season so much! Of course, the beautiful Christmas lights, parties, and delicious treats are wonderful, but remembering what Christmas truly represents just brings joy to my heart. Jesus truly is the reason for the season and it just brings a special anointing to this time of year. One of my favorite things about this time of year is the joyful Christmas songs playing everywhere!

If it wouldn’t drive my husband completely nuts, I would totally start listening in July. From the traditional Christmas carols and hymns to the funny and current Christmas songs, I just can’t get enough! I love having Christmas music playing while I’m baking, decorating, or when I’m driving around looking at Christmas lights! Here are 67 of my favorite Christmas songs! I hope you enjoy!

Christmas Songs Playlist

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays – ‘NSYNC
Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Pentatonix
I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Michael Buble
Here We Come a-Caroling/ We Wish You a Merry Christmas – Perry Como
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – Gayla Peevey
O Holy Night – Celine Dion
Joy To The World – Whitney Houston
Silent Night – Jordan Smith
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry
Ring The Bells – Travis Cottrell featuring Natalie Grant
Carol of the Bells – Pentatonix
This Christmas – Christina Aguilera
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Frank Sinatra
Santa Clause Is Coming To Town – The Jackson 5
Where Are You Christmas – Faith Hill
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
Frosty The Snowman – Ella Fitzgerald
What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft
Sleigh Ride – Andy Williams
The 12 Days Of Christmas – Straight No Chaser
Santa Clause Is Comin’ To Town – Bruce Springsteen
All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
O Come All Ye Faithful – Nat King Cole
Jingle Bells – Michael Buble featuring The Puppini Sisters
Here With Us – Joy Williams
Christmas Time Is Here – Vince Guaraldi Trio
What Child Is This? Josh Groban
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Sarah McLachlan
I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Frank Sinatra
Breath Of Heaven (Mary’s Song) – Amy Grant
Please Come Home for Christmas – Kelly Clarkson
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
Step Into Christmas – Elton John
The Chipmunk Song – Alvin & The Chipmunks
Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer – Gene Autry
A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
Deck the Halls – Nat King Cole
Grown-Up Christmas List – Amy Grant
Kiss Me at Midnight – ‘NSYNC
O Holy Night – A Cappella – ‘NSYNC
The First Noel – ‘NSYNC
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
The Nutcracker – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer – Elmo & Patsy
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Barenaked Ladies featuring Sarah McLachlan
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause – The Ronettes
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Frank Sinatra
Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie
The Man With All The Toys – The Beach Boys
Hot Chocolate – Tom Hanks
Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem – Burl Ives
Snoopy’s Christmas – The Royal Guardsmen
Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes
This Gift – 98°
Underneath The Tree – Kelly Clarkson
Blue Christmas – Kelly Clarkson
My Favorite Things – Kelly Clarkson
Believe – Josh Groban
The Polar Express – Tom Hanks
We Wish You A Merry Christmas – John Denver and The Muppets
Christmas Canon – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Do You Hear What I Hear? – Bing Crosby
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams

Are you ready to start listening? Listen to my Christmas Cheer playlist over on Spotify to listen to these Christmas songs!

Do you have a favorite Christmas song or maybe a specific version of a Christmas song? I would love to hear it! Let me know in the comments below! Merry Christmas!

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10 Awesome White Elephant Gift Ideas Under $30

Lifestyle

November 28, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide - White Elephant Christmas Party

This post may contain affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

We all have this struggle every year. Whether you are hosting a White Elephant gift exchange (I do every year) or you are attending one, there is always the struggle of what to buy! The older I get, I feel like the gifts are actually for real. When I was younger, people would bring these crazy silly gifts. One year, I won a random vase that someone found in their garage. It circulated our White Elephant gift exchange for three years! I’m honestly not sure where it is now.

However, I have always wanted to give a real gift that someone will love! That is part of the fun, right? But, how do you find a truly awesome gift that meets the price limit? I have found 10 awesome White Elephant gift ideas under $30 that I would personally love to receive.

KitchenAid 4 oz. Coffee Grinder – $24.99

For the coffee lovers in your group, this coffee grinder is perfect! If you want to go the extra mile, grab a bag of coffee beans and a coffee mug to make it a little gift set! I promise this gift will be stolen the maximum amount of times!

Refinery Mixology Set – $14.99

I love the vintage design on this mixology set! This is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys a tasty cocktail!

Cards Against Humanity – $25.00

This is such a great adult party game! Who knows, maybe the winner will be kind enough to break it out at the party!

Women’s Plush Slippers – $15.99

I have a White Elephant gift exchange with my group girls every year and I’m always looking for something they would love, but wouldn’t buy for themselves. These gorgeous and super comfy slippers are the perfect gift! In fact, I might be ordering a pair for myself this year…

S’ip by S’well 15 oz Stainless Steel Portable Water Bottle – $19.99

This is a great gift for anyone! It is perfect to keep with you at the office or while you are running errands! This is also the perfect gift for any essential oil lovers so that they can add their favorite oils to their water throughout the day!

Mr. Beer American Lager Craft Beer Making Kit – $29.99

How cool is this beer kit? Any beer lover would love to show off their skills this Christmas by making their own beer!

Plaid Faux Mohair Throw – $17.99

I LOVE throws! In fact, my husband has asked if we could stop buying them for just a bit! We have so many. I would be thrilled to open this gift at my White Elephant party this year!

Refinery Corkscrew Wine Pulley – $19.99

How classy is this wine opener? If you want to really wow your party crowd, throw in a bottle of wine with this White Elephant gift!

Whiskey Barrel – $14.99

I already purchased this whiskey barrel for our White Elephant gift exchange! Surprise! However, my husband is already considering keeping this for himself and grabbing something else for our party. To be continued on that decision, but this would definitely be a winner with the whiskey lovers at your party. You know there is always one.

Stemless Wine Glasses – Set of 2 – $13.99

How GORGEOUS are these stemless wine glasses? They are super classy and would be great for a male or female gift. Add a bottle of wine to your gift and people will be fighting over this one like crazy!

If you are looking for more gift ideas, check out my holiday gift guide for men and my holiday gift guide for the entertainer in your life! Do you host a gift exchange every year or do you attend one? What is your go-to White Elephant gift?

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My 2017 Liebster Award Nomination

Lifestyle

November 18, 2017

I am so honored and excited to be recognized as a new blogger by being nominated for the 2017 Liebster Award! So many thanks to Melissa from Life’s Twisted Tales for nominating me for this award! You should pop over to her blog and check out her amazing travel adventures! Her photos are stunning and her adventures will make you want to drop everything and jump on a plane! Her post about her wine tasting in Santorini is magical! Her love for life and travel is inspiring. Her blog is sure to add many new adventures to your bucket list! Thank you so much, Melissa, for nominating me for this award!

So, What Exactly Is A Liebster Award?

The Global Aussie outlines the award as a way for bloggers to recognize newer bloggers! This is a great way to recognize their hard work starting out as a blogger and to help them gain exposure. The award also helps connect and support the blogging community. In German, the term “Liebster” means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. You really can’t give a better compliment!

10 Random Facts About Me, The Sassy Southern!

I told my now husband to wait three months when he first asked me out on a date. Now please don’t think I’m rude. I really liked him, but he asked me out in March and I knew that if we started dating, my finals for that semester would go out the window! Thankfully for me, he was the man for me and waited. He found out from one of my friends what time my last final ended and showed up at TCU outside of my class and asked if he could please take me to lunch. I hadn’t slept the night before and I was in a giant t-shirt and Nike shorts, but of course, I wasn’t going to say no! While we were at lunch, he told me that he would pick me up for our real date that evening. Two dates in one day? I knew I had hit the jackpot!
I LOVE sweet tea. I know, southern girl loves sweet tea. Shocking! But it really is my favorite drink. In fact, when I was first coming up with names for my blog, Sweet Tea and Sass was on the list. However, I’m really glad I went with The Sassy Southern.
I am currently a dental school wife! My hunky husband is in his last year of dental school and I could not be more proud of him! This has been his dream since he was five years old. He graduates this year!
I was an only child for 10 years until my perfect baby brother was finally brought into my life! Y’all. I prayed specifically for a little brother for so many years and goodness did God deliver. He is seriously one of my best friends and the perfect brother. I am so thankful for him!
I lived in Ireland for 4 months! I had the privilege of studying abroad during my junior year of college with one of my best friends! We lived in Dublin and traveled Europe on the weekends! It was one of the coolest experiences of my life!

I am like a child at Christmas. I LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT! I am the person who is chomping at the bit to put up my Christmas decorations, I will wait in a 2-hour line to drive through a Christmas light display, and I welcome the traffic and crowds because to me, it is the joyful hustle and bustle of the holidays.
I bleed purple. For those who now think I’m a crazy person, let me explain. I graduated from TCU in Fort Worth Texas and I am so proud to be a Horned Frog. Go Frogs!
I had 9 bridesmaids and they are all my forever friends. I know a lot of people think it is impossible to have more than one or two best friends, but I have to disagree. Three of my bridesmaids have been my best friends since I was a baby, three have been my best friends since I was seven, two of my bridesmaids I met in college and they instantly became my people and forever friends, and one of my bridesmaids is my sister-in-law! All of these beautiful ladies have and continue to be a constant source of love and support in my life and I can’t imagine doing life without them.
I think I have the greatest family in the entire world. My immediate family, my extended family, and my in-laws and their extended families. I love all of them so much and they have all made a big impact on who I am today. I seriously hit the jackpot with my husband’s family. They have welcomed and loved me from day one and I am so grateful to be in their beautiful family.
I love murder mysteries and crime shows! Please don’t misunderstand, I don’t love that there is a reason that these shows exist, but seeing how detectives investigate and find answers is fascinating to me. It is like a big puzzle of clues. My husband and I are always looking for new podcasts and shows, so if you have any favorites, please let me know!

My Liebster Award Nominations Questions Answered

1. Where was your very first vacation?
My very first vacation was to Disney World when I was three years old! This counts, right? Thankfully, my mom was all about videoing every second of our vacation and we have a giant photo album from our entire trip! I still love flipping through those photos and watching videos from that trip. We went with some very close family friends and we all still reminisce about that trip to this day. My parents have always planned amazing vacations for our family and encouraged my brother and I to take every opportunity possible to explore this beautiful world. I think Disney World was the perfect first vacation.

2. Do you prefer to fly or take a road trip?
I think this really depends on where you are going! I love a good road trip, but I do love to fly. I have definitely done my fair share of both. I think if I had to pick only one, I would probably rather fly. While I do love the adventures you can find during a road trip, I also like having more time at my destination to relax, explore, and enjoy what that city has to offer.

3. If you could take only one more trip, where would you go?
Oh my goodness this is a tough one! I think I would have to say Greece. I have dreamed of going to Greece for years and if this was my last trip, I would probably want to spend a couple of months exploring Greece! Side note, I’m super thankful this is only hypothetical because there are so many more places I want to visit!

4. Have you ever visited a place just because you saw it in a book or movie? Where?
I don’t think I have ever visited somewhere only because I saw it in a movie or read it in a book. This has definitely confirmed my reasons for wanting to visit, but I don’t think it has been the only reason.

5. What is your favorite book or series?
If I have to pick just one, I would probably say Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. This is a book that I read every couple of years and I never get tired of reading it. It has romance, suspense, encouragement, and is a constant reminder of God’s love and faithfulness. I cry every time I read it and I love it!

6. If you could give someone $1,000,000 who would you give it to?
My mom and dad. Hands down. With no hesitation. They are two of the most loving and giving people and they deserve the world. They have sacrificed so much for my brother and me and they have always done it happily. I would LOVE to just give them 1,000,000 to live out any dream they have had, but sacrificed for our family. And knowing both of them, they would end up donating the majority of it to organizations and families in need before spending a penny on themselves.

7. Why did you start your blog?
I have always loved to cook, decorate, and try new DIY and home décor projects. I started learning how many bloggers were making a living through their blog and I was so inspired. I remember telling my parents about this in college and how amazing it would be to make a living from blogging about things I love and do every day! I put the idea aside for a couple of years and then one day, my dad brought it back up and told me he thought I should go for it. He had read an article about a blogger who was making quite a bit of money each month from their blog doing something that they loved! He and my mom both really encouraged me to get started and I’m so glad that they did! They are constantly encouraging and supporting me through this new and exciting adventure! Working on my blog brings me so much joy and I have loved getting to know so many other talented and creative bloggers!

8. When do you find time to blog?
Late at night and on the weekends! I still have a full-time job, so nights and weekends are my time! I truly love doing it, so I will realize it is 2 AM and I should probably go to bed!

9. What do you do when you have writer’s block?
Walk away. Sometimes you need to just do life to help push through writer’s block. You never know what will inspire you and get those wheels turning!

10. What is your favorite post made by you, and why?
Oh this is a tough one! I would probably have to say my post, 10 Holiday Traditions for Your First Merry Married Christmas! Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year! I married the man of my dreams in 2016 and last Christmas was our first married Christmas. We had so much fun starting new traditions together as Mr. & Mrs. These traditions are great for anyone, really! Single, newlyweds, or married for 10 years, they are a great way to enjoy and celebrate the holidays!

11. Which actor should play you in the movie about your life, and why?
Reese Witherspoon. While I realize that she is blonde and I am a brunette, I have always LOVED her as an actress and I feel like we have very similar personalities. I have loved so many of her characters and I would be honored if she played me in a movie about my life!

My Liebster Award Nominees

Shayne and Ty – Shayne and Ty are high school sweethearts and now newlyweds! They are originally from Colorado but are currently living in Georgia. Follow their lifestyle blog to learn about wedding tips, travel ideas, and living life together in a new city as newlyweds! I always love reading their new posts and I LOVED their post about 3 true crime podcasts to listen to on your next road trip. My husband and I have already started listening to one and we are hooked! Head over to check out their latest posts. You will not be disappointed!

Us Living Life – You will definitely want to get to know Josh and his adorable family! The Woods family shares family-friendly tips and entertainment ideas over on their blog and they are full of laughs! I love how open and honest their blog posts are and they cover everything from travel, food, parenting, DIY to their hilarious family adventures. You will definitely want to head over and check them out!

The Caffeinated Bibliophile – If you are looking for a great book to read, Heidi is your girl! She loves reading, writing, coffee, and tea, and shares Christian historical fiction and general historical fiction. She also shares reviews on romance and mysteries! With each book review, she provides her suggestion for the best hot beverage to enjoy while reading that book! Pop over and find a new book to cuddle up with this holiday season!

She Roams About – If you love to travel, you will want to get to know Melissa from She Roams About! She shares about travel tips and her personal travel adventures, as well as delicious foods, and inspiring quotes and stories from her travel adventures! Pop over and check out her blog. I think you will really enjoy reading about her adventures!

The Salted Mint – You will love getting to know Allie from The Salted Mint! She is a photographer and graphic designer sharing her travel adventures, DIY projects, and beautiful photography! Her photos will honestly make your eyes happy! I really enjoy reading her blog and I think you will too!

Nominees should visit The Global Aussie site for official rules and guidelines. Everything you need to know is under the section, What to do if nominated for the Liebster Award. Make sure to include your answers to my nominee questions listed below in your post! I can’t wait to read them!

My Questions for 2017 Liebster Award Nominees

What is your favorite recipe to make and why?
If you could travel anywhere for FREE, where would you go and why?
5-Star Luxury Resort or Camping?
Coffee or Tea?
If you could give someone $1,000,000, whom would you give it to?
How many US States have you visited and which one did you like the most?
If you were given $10,000 to decorate your home, would you rather do it yourself or hire someone to do it?
Why did you decide to start a blog?
Would you rather read the book or watch the movie?
What is your favorite season of the year and why?
What is your favorite post made by you, and why?

One of My Favorite Bloggers

The very first blog I ever started following was Eat Yourself Skinny! Kelly is the talented chef behind the delicious, but healthier recipes you will find on her blog. Honestly, Eat Yourself Skinny really opened my eyes to the blogging world and inspired me to start blogging! Remember the blog I mentioned above that I first told my parents about? It was this one! I found myself constantly reading her posts and trying her delicious recipes! I have loved watching her blog grow over the years and it has truly been a source of inspiration as I start my blog journey. If you are a lover of food, but not so much the calories that so many yummy recipes come with, you will definitely want to check out her beautiful and delicious blog! I promise you will thank me! Thank you, Kelly, for sharing your delicious recipes with all of us!

Thank you again, Melissa, for the 2017 Liebster Award nomination! It is so encouraging to be recognized for the hard work I have put into my blog. This has truly become a passion for me and I love every minute of it!

Keep it sassy, but classy friends!

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Category: Lifestyle

Balloon Arch

Greenery Backdrop and Wild One Balloons

Monthly Milestone Banner

Giant Balloon ONE

Sally The Giraffe

Safari Highchair Garland and One Banner

Safari Themed Cake and Smash Cake

Safari Tassel Garland

Jack’s Wild One Safari Birthday Plates and Napkins

Safari Themed Wild One Birthday Cookies

First Birthday Milestone Sign

Time Capsule Activity and Sign

ONE Balloons With Tassel Garland

Safari Stuffed Animals “Adopt Me”

Safari Party Headbands

Wild One Safari Water Bottle Labels

Safari Animal Cookie Jar Party Favors

Lion Veggie Plate

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:

Vanilla Glaze Frosting Ingredients:

Ready, Set, Bake!

Nursery Furniture

Nursery Necessities

Nursery Decor

Date Night!

Taco Cake Supplies and Ingredients:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

The Baking and Cake Decorating Guidelines

The Judging

Free Printable Wine Labels

The Rooms

The Sweetest Butlers in the World

The Food and Drinks

The Excursions

The Resort

Things to Know Before You Go

To Tip or Not to Tip

Christmas Songs Playlist

So, What Exactly Is A Liebster Award?

10 Random Facts About Me, The Sassy Southern!

My Liebster Award Nominations Questions Answered

My Liebster Award Nominees

My Questions for 2017 Liebster Award Nominees

One of My Favorite Bloggers