How To Rock Your 4th (of July) On Any Budget + D.I.Y. Straw Wreath Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DoingThe99 #99YourFourth #CollectiveBias

I simply cannot believe 2017 is half over, particularly because the second half of the year always flies by thanks to the numerous holidays and vacations on the calendar.

I have to admit I'm still getting the hang of having a house versus a condo. All of the holidays prior to this year were limited to HOA regulations and limited space- this year we not only have room (and freedom) to spread out and decorate but ample space to entertain as well. Of course, as anyone who has recently up-sized knows, our household finances grew in the opposite direction. Decorating on a budget is a must when larger investments such as appliances and lawn care take a priority. Of course I don't mind much celebrating any holiday is a a breeze thanks to my local 99 Cents Only Store, and sticking to a budget throughout the year only means more excuses to stop in and shop!

You see my local 99 isn't some leftover bargain store- it's a place where I can go to get amazing deals on name brand products our family uses every day. Even better, I can really explore project concepts, new decor, and new products thanks to their incredible prices- and the inventory changes every time I stop in, so there's always something new to discover. Right when you enter our local 99 there's usually a long aisle of seasonal products. That's my first stop, because the hottest, newest, items are going to be featured front and center. If you spot something you'd like don't hesitate, it won't be around later at those prices!

Living back in the condo I gave up a lot of my crafting ways due to lack of space. Our dining room table was in our kitchen and set up as a photo studio. I sometimes had to lay baking sheets out on the couch. It was a mess.

Now, in our house, we live closer than ever to the 99 and I'm always bringing home random things which catch my eye. You never know when crafting genius will strike! My favorite way to craft is through objects that will have a use beyond whatever project I cook up. For example, to celebrate the 4th of July, I recently set my mind on creating a wreath out of paper straws. I didn't stress how many packs of straws to buy because they were only $1- and we can always use the spares to drink from! Here's what I used for my Patriotic Straw Wreath, every single thing can currently be purchased at my local 99!

Small Clear Plastic Plant Liner Tray

Approximately 16 Packs (of 8) Paper Straws

2-3 Bunches Fabric Flowers

Hot Glue Gun

Hot Glue Sticks

Scissors

Thin Ribbon/String to Hang

This simple patriotic wreath can be made by anyone old enough to handle a hot glue gun (or let little hands help with the straws and an adult handle the glue gun) and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Our 99 had 2 different prints of red and blue straws- stripes and stars. Since I knew I wanted to make 1/4 blue, like our flag, I had to buy extra straws to ensure I had more than enough red, as the packages came 50/50 red and blue. In all I used about 150 straws, but you might want extra if you choose to layer them.

Start by taking your scissors and poking a hole in the center of a plant tray liner. Using the hole/slash created run your scissors' blade through the center and cut a line outward to about 2" from the edge. Turn your scissors and cut around, in a circle, as to cut a hole in the middle. This hollow tray/liner will serve as your wreath template.

Next prepare your straws. I chose to cut them in 3 uniform sizes, in order to help maintain a pattern during placement. You can cut your straws however you like, paying no attention to size or uniformity, if you would like a more wild look.

Place a line of glue on a straw and position it on the tray. Don't stress over whether your straw ends hang into the center- we'll be covering that up at the end, anyhow. Do pay attention to the orientation and spacing of your straws. In order to make an even, round, shape you will have gaps on your first layer- this is fine. Once you have a base layer all the way around go ahead and use your leftover straws to fill in the gaps and add depth.

*Don't place the glue directly on the plastic tray- Applying the glue directly to the tray may cause the plastic to warp.

Lastly you'll want to remove your fabric flowers from their face stems. In most cases the 'buds' should easily pop right off. In the event the stems are glued to the flowers gently snip them apart at the base. I chose to use white daisies for my center, though you could use patriotic ribbon, flags, or anything which fits your personal style.

If desired you may wish to trim some of your straw ends for symmetry, though it is not necessary. I, personally prefer the 'handmade' look.

Using the same technique you used to first punch a hole in the liner earlier gently slice a 1/2" notch on the inside of the tray's upper edge. Feed a thin piece of ribbon or string through this to create a hook to hang from.

This was only my second go at making a wreath, my first being the infamous Minions wreath, so I was pretty tickled with how it turned out. It's very lightweight but sits pretty flat against the door and doesn't move around when going in any out of the house. It would also be a nice decoration indoors, of course!

One of the things I love most about shopping at the 99 is the variety of items you will find to fill your cart with. Where else can you get a brand new hot glue gun, with glue sticks, for just $1.99? We now have one in the garage for projects, and in the craft room. You simply can't beat it! And, just a few aisles over we browsed flip flops, hot/cold sports bandages, and plastic cups for entertaining. Honestly, I don't ever do dishes when we entertain anymore because there's such an amazing variety of disposable cookware and serving-ware at the 99.

Speaking of entertaining- You'll find more than flags, flowers, and banners for the 4th of July at the 99. Did you know there's an entire fresh produce department at your local 99? We picked up some gorgeous strawberries and blueberries last week and whipped up this genius American Flag Fruit Platter in minutes! Yes, we even got the yogurt covered pretzels at the 99, too!

So there you have it, my secret to entertaining and decorating on a budget for the 4th of July. I'll admit, most of our celebrations were/are this month, so we won't be doing anything crazy for the actual 4th. However, my father's parents are definitively patriotic with a military background, and I earned some extra 'awesome granddaughter' points for my efforts this past weekend. Now, tell me, do you have plans for the 4th of July? How can 99 Cents Only Stores help make your 4th a success? Looking for more inspiration- follow the 99 on Facebook and Instagram!

#LetsMakeSmores in 10 Minutes! Patriotic S'Mores Crispie Pinwheels Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LetsMakeSmores #CollectiveBias #sponsored

Momma Told Me: It's just a S'mores kind of day!

As you know Summer is here, though many of my friends in the Eastern states might beg to disagree, and it is time to plan cookouts, family reunions, and lazy afternoons seeking shade from the sun. In SoCal, it is pretty much Summer all year round. It's a rough life, I know. Sarcasm aside, I always envied my cousins living back East. Their homes had fire pits and their family vacations consisted of campaign, glow fly catching, and all the delicious grilled food one could eat. Sure, they might have to put up with a few "inches" of snow, but that's a small price for the excuse to enjoy a freshly toasted marshmallow wedged between Hershey's chocolate and graham crackers. I can almost smell the S'mores now!

Living in SoCal, our camping destination was the beach, and our local beaches have strict regulations about fire- absolutely no bonfires allowed. Now where's the fun in campaign under the stars, with the sound of the tide rolling in and out, without a freshly roasted weenie and some gooey S'mores? See, it WAS rough. But Momma knew how to compensate- she always had a way to get creative in the kitchen, and her love of S'mores was perhaps greater than all of us. I always knew it was going to be a great weekend when I got home from school and there was a pile of Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars, Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, an Honey Maid Graham Crackers sitting on the counter.

Whether you're snowed in, or the weather's too hot to start a fire, 10 Minute S'mores solutions can turn a hum drum evening into a memorable event. And, right now at your local Walmart, you can stock up on the 3 S'mores essentials so you're never caught on hand when a S'mores kind of day turns up. You'll find convenient 6 packs of Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars, individually wrapped, festive Red, White, and Blue Star shaped Jet-Puffed Marshmallows (and new square S'mores marshmallow varieties,) and Honey Maid graham cracker Squares, perfect for smushing, crunching, and grinding in your new favorite S'mores creations.

The great thing about S'mores is that you can make them any time, just as long as you have these 3 ingredients! With a little creativity you can make S'mores anywhere- they don't have to be literally sandwiches of gooey chocolate graham mallow heaven, they can be a quick S'mores dessert dip, simple cake pops, or Momma's S'mores Krispie Pinwheels. Yes, Momma was queen of crafty S'mores creations, and she could whip up a delicious treat in 10 minutes flat! Her secret was to melt the Jet-Puffed marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl with a little butter for 30 seconds on High. Once the marshmallows were melted down a world of possibilities opened up.

To create her S'mores Crispie Pinwheels she would then grind the Honey Maid graham cracker squares into an even consistency and stir it into the melted mallows, along with a few cups of crisped rice cereal. Next came the best part! Momma would tell me to hold my hands out over the sink as she sprayed them with cooking spray, then let me loose to smash the mixture, flat, into a prepared cookie sheet. If we had any extra mallow mixture leftover we'd spread a generous layer out over the bed of graham crispie, otherwise, there was usually a jar of Mallow Creme in the pantry!

Spreading the mallows was usually a tough job; the homemade butter Jet-Puffed mixture often poured over even, while Marshmallow Creme took a little finesse and elbow work. Then we would peel open 5 or 6 standard size Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars and lay the individual pieces out evenly across the sea of fluffy mallow. The oven was always preheated to a low 200F, and the cookie sheet went immediately into the oven for 2 minutes, exactly.

Hershey's Milk Chocolate has a low melting point, which is precisely why it's the perfect S'mores chocolate, so it never took too long to reach the final steps. Of course 2 minutes seems like an eternity when you're a child, so Momma and I would take turns stacking marshmallows to see who could get their tower the highest. The winner always got a pieces of Hershey's, so it was tough competition! Fun fact: Did you know that a piece of chocolate is referred to as a 'Pip,' and one square of breakable, melt-able, delicious, Hershey's bar is called this?

Once the cookie sheet had emerged from the oven it was time to spread the chocolate. Using a spatula mom would lightly drag through the rows of Hershey's pips and I would watch, peering over the counter with my step stool, in wonder as the chocolate and mallow created rivers of delicious S'mores flavor. Then came the final, most integral, part to the pinwheel assembly- the rolling. I was never trusted with this step because the cookie sheet itself was half my height, and I was NOT known for my coordination.

Carefully Momma would roll the crispie chocolate mallow sheet into itself until a giant log had formed. If the mallow and chocolate were still quite warm (usually because someone had forgotten about the oven in the midst of focusing on their marshmallow tower) Momma would let the sheet sit a few minutes before rolling. once rolled, inside the baking paper/foil, the roll would go directly into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Both Jet-Puffed Marshmallows and Hershey's set quite quickly in the chill of the freezer and our log would be ready to slice and serve in no time.

The language of S'mores is a universal one- few people don't burst into a smile when marshmallow is involved! These Smore's Crispie Pinwheels are great to make ahead and have on hand for any movie night, impromptu backyard grill, lazy afternoon by the pool, or trip to the park. The crunch of the graham crispie roll reminds me of biting into a graham cracker crust and the Hershey's Milk Chocolate- Marshmallow swirl softens to a playful texture after just a few minutes at room temperature. One batch made about 20 pinwheels- and it's a good thing this is such a quick recipe, because they didn't last long!

Be sure to check out the #LetsMakeSmores hub for even more great Indoors S'mores ideas and recipes!  What's your favorite twist or way to prepare S'mores?

What Daughter Says: Make any day a S'more day with simple indoor recipes with big fun and flavor!

S'mores Crispie Pinwheels

***Click here for printable S'mores Crispie Pinwheels recipe.