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.