Dazzling Destination: Jenkins Arboretum

This is one of our favorite quick break spots! The four of us went to Jenkins Arboretum for a fast Saturday morning outing. The simple, little park is a perfect vacation from busy schedules and stress. You can walk on the various trails to make it down a hill to a fabulous pond! It's a great place to enjoy nature and the company of your favorite people. 

*We were too busy enjoy the weather that we didn't really take that many photos! Here's what we do have:

 ~Aren't they adorable?!~

 ~Look who found it's way on to Dad's sleeve!"

Darling DIY: Homemade Tinted Moisturizer

We wanted to share this simple and BRILLIANT makeup trick with all of you: homemade tinted moisturizer! And using only the things you have at home. This is SOOO simple that we guarantee you'll say "why didn't I think of that?!" within seconds. 

All you have to do it mix a little bit of your liquid foundation with your favorite moisturizer to have your own perfect shade tinted moisturizer! It really works great! Leaves your skin soft and smooth and flawless! 

 ~Approximate ratio of lotion to foundation: 10:1. You don't want it to be TOO pigmented.~

~"Single-Use" Tinted moisturizer if you just want to test it out first!~

Dishy Delights: Frozen Chocolate Bananas

Have you ever found yourself watching TV at midnight and suddenly craving something sweet? Our quick little idea SAVED us a couple days ago! We whipped up a batch of frozen bananas covered with chocolate; and it's so simple: sliced bananas with melted chocolate drizzled on top and frozen for 30 minutes or so. It's pretty healthy, too- with bananas and just a little bit of chocolate (instead of reaching for the whole bag of chocolate chips). We used milk and white chocolate on top, and it was delicious! This easy little snack isn't just for the midnight munchies; you can make it anytime! 

~These were secretly inspired by the show "Arrested Development"'s infamous Bluth's Frozen Banana Stand! If you haven't seen the show, we highly recommend it! It's HILARIOUS!~

Darling DIY: Happiness Board

Here's a sweet, quick DIY: a Happiness Board! This DIY is a cute little wall piece is interactive for the whole family. Anyone can change the message, and it will sure bring smile to the rest of the family's faces when they see what's been written. It also reminds you and your loved ones your sweet moments and events, big and small, that make your life a little happier. 

We're planning on making a "We're thankful for..." soon, in time for Thanksgiving! 

Supplies: Picture frame, lined paper, white board marker and some ribbon

Steps: 1) Place paper inside of frame (you may have to cut it to fit), 2) Attach one end of the ribbon to he back of frame and tie the other end around the marker, 3) Place frame on highly visible wall (our's is right in the middle of our kitchen)

What's been on  our board this past week: 

Dishy Delights: Butternut Squash and Parmesan Spaghetti and Pumpkin Mousse + a FUN family costume party

Hello, Darlings! We're back! We've had a pretty busy few weeks, but we're happy to bring you a whole bunch of fun things we did/ate/saw in that time. First up is a belated Halloween post! Obviously 21 and 18 is not to old for Halloween, so we continued our family tradition for the Second Annual Mehta Family Halloween Costume Party! The tradition consists of a meal cooked by us and a costume contest. We always decide the theme of the costume a couple weeks before and the only rule is that it must be homemade. Right before dinner, we all have a big reveal to each other, and it's always FULL of laughs! 

This year we made butternut squash and parmesan cheese spaghetti (an adaptation of this recipe, cannot wait to try more from this website!)  and a super quick and super easy pumpkin mousse. The theme of our costume party was "Favorite Literary Characters"! Here's the recap:

Dad: Daku Mansingh (A notorious Indian bandit who terrorized and had epic adventures across India in both history and fiction. Nice job, Dad, picking the bad guy.)

Mom: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Suffice to say, we both DIED when we saw our mother transformed into our, and possibly every female on the planet's, favorite  brooding, passionate (and very wealthy, at $10,000 pounds a year!) gentleman from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Complete with riding boots..and sideburns. :-) 

Anika: Susan "Stargirl" Caraway, from Jerry Spinelli's "Stargirl", is a one-of-a-kind heroine. A 15 year old girl who believes in exactly who she is and won't every let anyone change her. She marches into Mica High School (and into protagonist Leo Borlock's life) carrying her sunflower tote bag, talking to  her pet rat Cinnamon, and loudly strumming her ukulele. *If you haven't read this book, we HIGHLY recommend it! It is one of the most poignant novels about non-conformity and staying true to who you are. Stargirl's outlook on life is nothing short of inspiring. 

Sonali: Monsieur Hercule Poirot sleuths around Agatha Christie's iconic mystery novels. He is a quirky and sometimes delicate Belgians whose brilliant observational skills are matched only by his perfectionism. He is always calm and collected knowing his intellect an protect him from danger. He is easily distinguished by his rotund stature, 3-piece suit, monocle, and gold pocket watch. *Christie's books are wonderful for seasoned mystery readers and well as those new to the genre. We recommend Murder on the Orient and Evil Under the Sun! 

Okay, enough of the reading! On to the fun! 

~Self constructed turban! Whoa. Impressed, Mr. Mansingh~

 ~Mr. Darcy is STILL brooding.~

 ~Mr. Darcy working in the kitchen?! That Elizabeth is a lucky girl!~

To DD readers: While, we were thankfully not affected by Hurricane Sandy, our thoughts go out to everyone who was. If you can, please donate to the relief efforts, at the American Red Cross.  

Darling DIY: Button-Down to Skirt

 We LOVE commandeering our dad's old things! Last week, we made these bracelets out of his ties. Here is our latest attempt with the sewing machine: we turned his old button-down shirts into a cute little skirt. It actually required just a simple straight stitch on the sewing machine. The special supply with thick elastic for the waist band. We were pleasantly surprise at how it turned out. Here's the little secret: the waist band is a little messy, but pair it with a wide belt and VOILA! no one will ever know you're just an amateur on the sewing machine.

Supplies: Button-down shirt, elastic, needle/thread or sewing machine, measure tape.

Steps: 1) Lay the shirt out flat and cut a straight line across at the armpits (you're cutting the top and the sleeves off); 2) Measure your waist and cut a piece of elastic to that size; 3) Lay the fully stretched out piece of elastic across the top (make sure the shirt is unbuttoned and laying open and flat) and pin the elastic down; 4) Sew two seams (one on the top edge of the elastic and one on the bottom) to attach the elastic; 5) Button your (now) skirt and put it on; 6) Show off your awesome DIY skirt! 

Dazzling Destination: Fall Foliage

A little post about our quick trip to the park to enjoy the GORGEOUS colors of fall! We very highly recommend heading to your local park with a hot pumpkin spice latte, a cozy sweater, and the people you love for a magical experience. The colors of the leaves are breathtaking, not to mention the crinkled leaves under your feet. It'll be a refreshing break from a hectic day. 

Dishy Delights: Strawberry Cheesecake Pudding Pops

We always crave something cold and sweet during the lingering warm days from summer. We were having a particularly bad bout of cravings when we rummaged through our pantry. We founds some ingredients and made these strawberry cheesecake pudding pops! And my, were they delicious! You can make the pudding pop base with any flavor of instant pudding and then add in whatever mix-ins you have laying around in your kitchen! Next up is something chocolate-y....yum! 

Ingredients: 1 package instant cheesecake pudding mix, 1 tub of cool whip/whipped topping (we used fat-free, making this dessert almost NON-fat!), fresh strawberries, plastic cups, cookie sticks

Steps: 1) Let the cool whip thaw for a few mins until its soft; 2) Mix pudding mix into cool whip until thick and blended; 3) Mix in chopped strawberries; 4) Pour into cups, add sticks and freeze (if the sticks fall over, freeze for a few mins (about 10) and then add them); 5) ENJOY!

(Makes 4 HUGE and very solid pops)

Darling DIY: Homemade Stamp Shirt

We saw this technique on line, and we just had to try it! It turned out quirky, graphic, and fun! Your graphic print shirt is a GREAT and unique staple to have in your wardrobe. You can wear it alone or pair it with a cute colorful cardigan or even wear it under a summer dress so just the printed sleeves peek out- so many possibilities! And you can really make it your own: the print, the color... Don't worry about imperfections, that's what makes it so whimsical and cool! 

Supplies: plain shirt (a light color works best), acrylic paint, a paint brush, craft foam, exacto knife, newspaper, and LOTS AND LOTS of napkins (this one gets dirty!).

Steps: 1) Pick out a silhouette design you want to do (we picked this simple camera); 2) Print or draw on a piece of paper and cut it out with the exacto; 3) Trace your stencil onto the craft foam and cut out your stamp; 4) Paint the stamp and press on to the shirt ***MAKE SURE YOU PUT NEWSPAPER BETWEEN THE LAYERS OF THE SHIRT!***(repeat, repeat, repeat until your shirt is covered);  5) Touch up your edges; 6) Wear and proudly show off your creation! 

`~Cute polka dots on the back to cover up mistakes from paint seeping through~

Dazzling Destination: Linvilla Orchards

Oh, how we love the fall! The leaves are changing, the weather has a romantic chill (one of our FAVORITE parts of the season), and everyone is just filled with happiness and love. One of our favorite family activities is to go fruit picking! It's such a fun bonding experience and we get to gorge ourselves with delicious fresh fruit. Last weekend, the weather was GORGEOUS and we decided to go on a family outing APPLE PICKING. Apples are one of the fruits that all four of us love, so it was perfect. We went to a local orchard, Linvilla Orchards, that we've been going to for many years. If you live in the Philadelphia area, we definitely recommend taking your family there before the apple picking ends in mid-November. 

Though its a "local" farm, we were speechless at the rows and rows and rows and row (you get the idea) of apples! And mind you, each row has trees and trees and trees, and each tree has apples and apples and apples....yeah. They give you these cute boxes and wagons to carry your bounty in! Our dad is a picking PRO, and while the three ladies were busying munching- he had picked 13 pounds! We had such a good time, and we're still enjoying the delicious, crisp, and juicy apples! 

 ~Our mama was in LOVE! She kept on dreamily saying, "Nature's bounty..." the whole day!~

 ~And the snacking begins...~

 ~A fun contraption for those high-up apples. We turned this into a game/contest of who could get the most!~

~The pro with his large bag!~