12 Ideas for Cinco de Mayo Party

Are you ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican culture on May 5th? If you are planning a Mexican soiree or a fun Cinco de Mayo party with your friends, here are my 12 ideas to make your night a success. I created my Cinco de Mayo menu with fresh ingredients and infused the party and even the dessert with Sauza tequila, who sponsored this Cinco de Mayo post.

Cinco de Mayo Menu Ideas

1. Mango Salsa
Give your salsa a new twist and give mango salsa a try this mango salsa recipe, perfect for your Cinco de Mayo party.

2. Guacamole
You can’t go wrong with guacamole. The best tip: never buy ready made stuff, nor those spice packages, but always make your guacamole from scratch.
Guacamole recipe really is easy: 2-3 avocados, chopped onion and a tomato, minced garlic and half of jalapeno, fresh lime juice and cilantro, salt to the taste.

3. Southwestern Chicken Soup
I know what you are thinking… soup doesn’t sound like a springtime food, but this chicken soup is perfect party food that you can make the previous day and it just tastes the better the next day. Try my Southwestern Tortilla soup recipe and stay tuned for my chicken soup recipe.

4. Margarita Lime No-Bake Cheese Cake
My easy Margarita lime cheese cake is no-bake cheese cake, which you can also make already the day before. Fresh limes and tequila give this easy cheese cake a new twist.

Cinco de Mayo Drink Ideas

5. Tequila Shot Bar
As simple as it can be – add a self-serve tequila shot bar with shot glasses, lemons and salt. Even if you are not expecting a wild drinking party adding a tequila shot bar is a simple way to decorate. I turned an old soda bottle crate sideways and used it as the shelves.

6. Sauza-Ritas
Instead of being a bartender and making individual margaritas, mix a pitcher of Sauza-Ritas, a mixture of light beer and tequila is perfect for any kind of party crowd.

7. Lime Sangria
Make a pitcher of Lime Sangria for refreshing dinner drink.

Get the Lime Sangria and Sauza-Rita recipes here.

Cinco de Mayo Party Decorating Ideas

8. Cactus as party flowers
Instead of buying cut flowers that only last a week or two, buy cactus plants and use them in your party table center pieces and party decor. If you are lucky – you will use these same decorations next year too and enjoy them the entire year around.

9. Lime & lemons as centerpiece
Bowl of limes and lemons is an easy and fast centerpiece idea. The best? You can eat them after the party.

10. DIY Piñata
Give your party piñata a little more personality than just buying one from the party supply store, and make one yourself. Use a medium-sized cardboard box and decoupage it with colorful napkins or silk paper. Make your piñata to match your party decor by decoupaging it with the same napkins as you will use in your party table if you are using paper napkins.

We used a glass carrying crate from IKEA in our homemade piñata and added Cinco de Mayo text with felt letters on the side. The carrying case needed a top, but already had a handle for easy hanging.

11. Horizontal stripes
When we think of Mexican fabrics, we immediately think of the striped Serapes in the colors of the rainbow. If you have a Serape blanket, now is the time to hang it up on your wall for your party. If not, no worries. Use almost any multi-colored striped fabric horizontally. The horizontal stripes immediately give the Serape vibe.

12. Soup cans as vases
Washed out soup cans work perfectly as party flower vases or for utensils. You can also paint the soup cans or decoupage them with paper. This time I wrapped the cans with matching striped fabric to complete the party table look.

This post is sponsored by Sauza Tequila.

Have you met the Sauza lifeguard…? He’s equally talented in the saving of lives and the ways of love. And best of all? He’s ready to pour you a Sauza-rita, and listen as you pour out your feelings. This perfect man is perfectly prepared to help make your ladies night unforgettably fun – with Sauza Blue, of course. Check us out at http://facebook.com/SauzaMargaritas.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sauza® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sauza®.

It’s time for Springtime

When buying new home decor pieces for spring, I wanted to challenge myself to buy versatile pieces that I could use throughout my home in various ways.

When I laid eyes upon this white accent table from Target, I knew I had to have it in my home. Right away my mind was brimming with ideas on how to style it!

My first inclination was to style it as a bar cart. I simply love the idea of a bar cart in a modern home, complete with cocktail glasses and assorted liqueurs. To my arrangement, I’d add striped straws, a bowl of nuts and some fun napkins.

I also saw this accent piece in a bedroom, as a vanity of sorts. It would make such a chic display for perfume bottles, hair spray and whatever other girlish accessories you might want to show off.

I decided to use it to showcase my jewelry.  I love having my necklaces and bracelets displayed where I can see them. It’s so easy to forget what I have when it’s tucked away in a jewelry box.

The second piece of decor I bought for my home this spring was a set of three moroccan mirrors, pictured on the left. I love their unique design and their versatility. Since they come in a set of three, they can be arranged a number of different ways. I love mirrors because they reflect light and add another dimension to any room.

Both items are from Target’s new Threshold line, which is gorgeously modern and classic at the same time. I truly do love all the items featured in the collection! To see more of their new line, you can watch (and shop!) the video below:

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.

Welcome our new writer Caitlin Covington of Southern Curls & Pearls

It’s Time for Springtime

My debut post for Skimbaco couldn’t be more fitting for the beautiful spring weather we’ve been experiencing lately in South Carolina. With the arrival of sunshine and blooming flowers each year, I always start getting excited for Easter. For me, Easter evokes memories of flowery sundresses, colorful plastic eggs and my grandmother’s Sunday brunch. What could be better than time with family and a belly full of sweet potato casserole and deviled eggs? I can think of only one thing: Gramma’s table settings!

Although no table settings could ever match the sentimentality of Gramma’s antiques, they can be equally as beautiful. This spring I had the opportunity to set my own Easter table, courtesy of Target.

When I saw these baby blue scalloped dishes, I knew I wanted them for my Sunday table. (After all, Carolina blue is my favorite color – go Tar Heels!) I ended up pairing these blue dishes with a set of gorgeous floral melamine plates and bowls. The great thing about these dishes is that the possibilities are endless! You can mix and match to your heart’s content. I also love that the floral plates are made out of melamine – they are dishwasher safe and virtually unbreakable. Perfect for those who can be clutzy sometimes, like me!

To incorporate Easter into this table setting, I also picked up some crinkle grass and Cadbury mini eggs from Target to create a “nest.”

And with all the bright tableware in Target right now, I’m not lying when I say that I was really tempted to bring home every single item they had in the store. Luckily I had some self-control and managed not to buy everything. Unfortunately, my willpower isn’t so strong when I’m around these Cadbury chocolate eggs. See the bowl full of chocolate eggs, above? Well, these barely lasted three days in my house. Oops!

Inexpensive Easter table setting inspired by Gramma

To purchase these items, just click the links below. After perusing their dining section for an hour and a half, I’m confident Target has everything you need to set an Easter table. Even Gramma would be proud!

Scalloped Dinnerware Set in Aqua

Roped Vasaio Floral Dinnerware

Paneled Ribbed Goblets

Small Yellow Sandblasted Vase

Add fresh flowers and your Easter table is set!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.

This post is brought to you by Breville.

Secrets to super easy Holiday Entertaining

I like big parties and I can not lie: sometimes I tend to overdo it, and when I do, I am stressed, overwhelmed and hope that people would just leave!
There I said it. Isn’t it horrible?

The best parties are the ones where I call my husband at lunch time “hey, invite everyone over, let’s have a little party tonight.” Of course it’s not the most polite way to invite guests over, but with the live-in-the-moment invitations also come zero expectations of a party well-planned and the emphasis is always on having fun, like ANY party should be. Whether you are hosting a very well planned party, or an impromptu Holiday soiree, read these tips how to make it a success with a very little effort. For example I created this quick Holiday afternoon coffee pictured in an hour, including the baking time.

1. Know your party tip resources.
Also known as “join Pinterest”. I share everything I love on Pinterest, and find everything needed for hosting great parties. I have one board for party food and cocktails, another one where there are several of my friends too collecting the best cocktails, another one for party decorating, and one just for table settings. When I want to host a party – I typically immediately know which board to go to get the recipes or ideas needed. If you like it old school – have a binder with recipe and idea cutouts from your favorite magazines, or have a well-stocked cookbook library.

2. Learn to use what you have.
Hosting parties can be expensive, especially if you include the decorating as well. Learn to use what you have in hand, and learn to make easy centerpieces, like using edible things as part of the decorating (candy in bowls, fruit on a tray..). Choose a theme or color scheme and stick to it, and making it pretty in 15 minutes or less is easy.

For my afternoon coffee I used two large candle holders as my centerpiece but instead of candles I used Christmas ornaments inside them to give it a quick festive look. I chose blue, white and silver as my decorating colors and mixed old and new dishes that fit the color scheme. It’s OK to mix modern design and vintage finds!

3. Have a well-stocked kitchen.
While yes.. learn to use what you have, but also have a well-stocked kitchen and know how to use what you have. Let’s say you never use a specific kitchen gadget you have, but choose a recipe for your party that requires using the gadget, chances are you will need extra time just to learn to use the gadget. I recommend having simple white dinnerware and serving dishes that you can use in any themed party and easily mix with colors. I don’t believe in disposable plates or cups, but I do stock different colored paper napkins to easily set a colorful table. Entertaining is so much easier when you have the basics.

4. Have a well-stocked pantry
You probably have a few favorite party recipes, or have favorite Holiday time treats you like to offer for guests? Keep ingredients stocked for the entire Holiday season so you don’t have to worry about the basics when you plan your party. My basics during the Holidays are gingerbread cookies, chocolate pralines, assorted nuts and mulled wine, or what we call glögi in Finland, also ready to be warmed up and kept in a thermos for guests. I typically like keeping the spiced wine in the thermos when entertaining and brew the coffee nice and fresh. In addition you can never go wrong with crackers & cheese, and having a few puffy pastry sheets in the freezer for fast treats like the Toblerone Pastries.

5. Add music.
Holiday music has a mysterious way to put anyone into Holiday cheer, make sure you have some Holiday music that makes everyone in your party feel cheery whether it’s smooth Holiday jazz, or jingle bells, add some music to your party. To get you started… check out the Skimbaco Holiday Mix on Spotify.

Breville has released new, time saving products such as the YouBrew, just in time for the holidays! Create your perfect cup or pot of coffee instantly and easily with the Breville YouBrew. Check out their website for more information on this product and other great gift ideas.

And don’t forget to reply below for two chances to win your choice of amazing Breville products either for yourself or as a gift to a loved one: YouBrew, Tea Maker and Smart Oven products ($250 ARV)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Breville. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules

Easy & Cheap 4th of July Party Ideas

When it comes to some seasonal celebrations like 4th of July – I like to keep it simple and also not spend too much money on seasonal decorations. My favorites are homemade crafts, like paper lanterns, and painted soup cans, and using flowers and food in decorating so you can consume it and you don’t have to have a lot of storage to keep things for the next patriotic celebration. I also like collecting simple white dinnerware and serving ware because that’s easy to mix and match with any colored decorating theme. Also when it comes to buying star-shaped dishes or decorating items, I opt for simple ones that can also be used during Christmas and around the year and don’t scream the American flag. There is also nothing wrong opting out from the stripes – and going with more general polka dots for example to still get the right color scheme but get serving ware that fits other decorating themes as well.

When it comes to 4th of July food – I love recipes using fresh blueberries and strawberries, like the traditional flag cake. Instead of spending the money on party decorations that only last for one party, buy better quality fresh foods for your party instead. Even if the food is simple, but made with fresh, good, ingredients, your party will be remembered as special and not “just another 4th of July BBQ”. For example I make my potato salad without mayo and with new potatoes, and it always gets compliments for being a little bit fresher option to your traditional one. It’s all in the fresh herbs, and fresh ingredients and you can find it all from your local farmer’s market.

Easy 4th of July Party Picks

I collected a few great 4th of July party ideas that won’t break a bank, and are super easy to make. I also included samples of dishware that is perfect also for outdoor entertaining. The By Sandra Lee collection at Kmart has several inexpensive pieces that you can buy for your party now and save for parties for years to come. You will and up spending a little bit more money now than buying plastic or paper plates, but the impact for your party decorating will be huge – and you will have plates for years to come. Real ceramic plates beat plastic ones even outdoors when it comes taking your party to the next level. And when you buy simple white serving and dinnerware, you can use them for any themed party later on.

Hope you enjoy my 4th of July party picks below!

1. Red, blue and white strawberries are yummy, and also easy to make!

2. The By Sandra Lee condiment set ($14.99) is inexpensive and will make your table top look much better than any plastic serving dishes.

3. These patriotic DIY Paper lanterns will top the party decorations and won’t bust your budget.

4. Get the free printable BBQ invitation template from Paper and Pigtail’s Party and print your own invitations without sacrificing style.

5. The By Sandra Lee porclein server and bamboo cutting board ($14.99) give you again great bang for your buck. Use it for serving and cutting in style and let your old cutting boards stay in the kitchen.

6. Use a Star Cookie Cutter to make watermelon stars. Healthy, good, and great patriotic look for 4th of July parties. You can also freeze these and use them to keep punch cool.

1. My cocktail choice for the 4th of July is the Exclusiv Bomb Pop for 4th of July.

2. The By Sandra Lee 16pc square porclein dinner ware set ($80.99) is inexpensive for a dinnerware set – but will look like million bucks in outdoor settings.

3. The carnations Coke crate flag is probably my favorite idea for 4th of July table centerpiece. You can find a crate from a flea market or antique store and find carnations from most grocery stores. Inexpensive but very dramatic.

4. I love the Set of 4 Linen Sawyer Navy Napkins by Ralph Lauren ($23.99) to bring sophistication and Americana to your 4th of July table setting. Invest in good linens that you can use for years to come – linens always makes a big impact on your table setting.

5. The Chicken Leg Griller & Jalapeno Roaster ($21.95) for easy grilling – grill 17 chicken legs or stuffed jalopenos at once. Hands on one the coolest grilling accessories I’ve seen this year.

6. These polka dot ceramic mixing bowls ($27.99) look great as serving bowls and bring a bit patriotic colors to your party table.

Want more? Chat with us on Twitter

#BySandraLee Twitter Party with Kmart – join us for the 1 hour Twitter party, we’ll be giving away products from the Sandra By Sandra Lee collection and Sandra Lee will be LIVE tweeting along to give some of her favorite tips and recipes for summer entertaining.

DATE: Wednesday, June 20th
TIME: 9-10 p.m. EST
LOCATION: Twitter #BySandraLee
HOSTS: @partybluprints @KmartHome with TV Host, Celebrity Chef and Author, Sandra Lee LIVE tweeting at @BySandraLee

In addition to the hosts, be sure to follow co-hosts: @centsiblelife, @coryanneettiene, @dawnsandomeno, @stacieinatlanta, @tonyastaab and @katjapresnal

PRIZES, RSVP and OFFICIAL RULES see Party Bluprints Blog.

Our Thanksgiving Home Shopping Guide is here, click through to see the entire shopping guide!

I collected several products and ideas how to decorate your home for Thanksgiving and beyond this holiday season. I like buying products that work beyond just one holiday or day of a year, so most of the products work already now for your fall home, and many of the products work well both for Thanksgiving and for Christmas decorating or table setting.

For example when you pick a tablecloth in a solid color or in a print like the Marimekko’s Lepo Tablecloth (pictured above) you can easily dress the bold color up with table runners and place mats that match Thanksgiving and then freshen the tablecloth with a new runner and place mats for Christmas.

I like simple classic stemware and white dinnerware (like pictured below) that takes you from a Holiday to the next one and makes entertaining easy, however, try combining your dinnerware with colorful glassware, like the Villeroy & Boch Boston Goblets (in different colors, pictured above) . Check out Villeroy & Boch Stemware Sale for the Boston drinkware and see all of the discounts on crystal wine glasses, scotch and whiskey glasses and decanters. Order by November 15th in time for Thanksgiving and get free shipping, by using a code VBFREESHIP.

See the Skimbaco Thanksgiving Home Shopping Guide for more ideas for your Thanksgiving home decorating and table setting.

It’s Emmy time! The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards are broadcasted on 8ET/5PT on Fox on on Sunday, September 18th. Check out who all got Emmy nominations, and invite your friends over for a fun night of television. Party experts Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali of Party Bluprints teamed up with Sauza tequila to create you a perfect Emmy viewing party. Get the recipes, cocktails and tips for your easy yet fabulous Emmy home viewing party at Party Bluprints Blog.

Here is my favorite cocktail and a comedy TV show nomination…

Lady Lemonade for Liz Lemon of 30 Rock

This tangy lemon margarita is a perfect to celebrate Tina Fey and her character Liz Lemon in the Emmy nominated comedy, 30 Rock. The best – you can make it in a pitcher for easy serving.

Ingredients:

10 oz. Sauza® Gold Tequila
3 oz. DeKuyper® Triple Sec
24 oz. Lemonade
8 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda
Garnish: Lemon Wedge

Combine the ingredients without ice and shake vigorously. Then just pour the mixture into a glass, garnish and enjoy. Makes 8 Servings

DINING AREA AT THE PATIO

The patio is very large and I surrounded it with tiki torches and added a lot of flowers to bring the garden already to the back porch. The fabrics and pillows made the deck to look like an additional room, and the homeowners use it daily during the summer time. I wanted to make it functional for everyday use, but also give it a little something to dress is up for entertaining. Hosting impromptu backyard BBQ parties are easy when you have everything in hand for setting the table. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes when this was all done and how amazing it looked. I couldn’t believe how little I spent money and that everything was from Kmart!

Here are the products from Kmart for the patio makeover:

Ellison 4-piece Patio Chairs And 2 Rockers $350.00
Ellison 66 in. Rectangular Patio Table $129.99
Country Living Collingwood 9 ft. Round Umbrella $199.99
Essential Garden Mosaic Iron Birdbath $39.99
Red and Tan Paisley Reversible Table Runner, two of them, $16.99/each
Jaclyn Smith Today Black Umbrella Round Candle Holder, $19.99
Tiki torches, $8.99/each
Several Jaclyn Smith Today Planters, in two different sizes; 8″ $9.99, 12″ $19.99
Jaclyn Smith Today Small Metal Lanterns on the side rail $12.99
Jaclyn Smith Today Filled Hurricane with Handle, several on the table & the floor $19.99
Jacklyn Red Zanzibar Sheet Set, Queen size, $39.99 (in addition I used some of the King size set already mentioned above).
Country Living Modern Countryside 18in X 18in Ruffled Decorative Pillows, $14.99/each
Jaclyn Smith Today Red Zanzibar Breakfast Decorative Pillows, $14.99/each

TOTAL PRICE: $977 without tax

Note: The Jaclyn Smith Today Black Umbrella Round Candle Holder is the only item that was poor quality of all of the items I purchased for the entire backyard makeover. One of the glass candle holders broke immediately and I was not able to use the screws included in the set to assemble it. But for under 20 bucks it makes a big statement on the table when the candles are lit.

I used two table runners and pillow cases to dress the table, and handmade napkins (get instructions here) to match and created a napkin holder vase that fit the Moroccan theme. The tin is simply made of recycled can and recycled Starbucks wrapping paper and some yarn and ribbon (get instructions for the can vase here).

Disclosure: I was compensated for my time to participate in the Kmart campaign. All of my opinions are my own.

Sun is shining, birds are singing – it’s not just time to get ready for bikini season but also to get your backyard ready for the summer. I have been working on a huge Outdoor Living feature at Skimbaco Home, and I would like to invite you to read tips, tricks and ideas how to get your backyard ready for summer, and also come and see next week how I completely transformed my friend’s backyard. I will of course share how I did, including some easy DIY tutorials.

I also kicked off another new feature at Skimbaco Home – every Friday I feature easy entertaining tips at home. I like to live in the moment and think the last minute parties thrown together with mentality “use what you have” are the best, but it means that you have to know how to use what you have and know a few shortcuts and easy tricks to make it fun. If you are ready to get your backyard party season started, hop on to my Skimbaco Home blog to read more.

Skimbaco Home will start featuring easy entertaining ideas and party decorating tips every Friday.

I personally love last minute entertaining and making something out of nothing. While I like planning big parties and inviting a lot of people as well, the best parties tend to be the ones that are last minute, and with “use what we have” mentality, when the focus is on having a good time instead of trying to make everything perfect. This is often also the greener way of doing things and I decided to start my weekly entertaining tip feature with green party tips to celebrate the Earth Day.

ECO-FRIENDLY INVITATIONS:

· Make invitations out of recycled paper or other recycled material.
· Send an email invite via Paperless Post.

GREEN PARTY FOOD TIPS:

· Use organic and locally sustained food.
· Serve finger foods to skip using plates and utensils, and use cloth napkins that can be washed and used again.
· Make dishes that don’t require the oven or electricity to prepare.
· Be creative with food, licorice ends can be cut off to make edible straws for the kids.

GREEN PARTY DECORATING:

· Use recycled soup cans as flower vases.
· Use what you have: use coffee table books and stack them as a centerpiece, add a small plant on the top.
· Potted plants and flowers are eco-friendlier than cut flowers. You can also buy small potted flowers and fill your party space and tables with them and then give them as party favors.

ECO-FRIENDLY PARTY FAVOR IDEAS:

· Have a recycled book exchange for the kids and adults, instead of favors.
· Decorate canvas shopping totes or brown bags with eco-friendly paint, old buttons, etc. as a party activity and a party favor bag.