Severed Hand Cheese Ball Recipe – Halloween Appetizer

This scary-looking severed hand cheese ball appetizer is perfect for Halloween! You can’t beat creamy cheese with prosciutto. Serve this creepy hand with some crunchy crackers, and it will be the hit of the party!

Severed Hand Cheese Ball with Prosciutto and Crackers. Halloween hand cheese ball end.

Severed Hand Cheese Ball Recipe

The holiday season is about to begin, and that means all the appetizers! If I could, I’d eat appetizers for all of my meals. When it comes to party snacks, I like to go all out, and any apps I make tend to have a theme. So that’s why, for Halloween, I stepped up my creativity to Continue reading


6 Quick Tips to Protect Outdoor Furniture in the Winter

DisclosureLowe’s Home Improvement provided me with free products in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

6 Quick Tips to Protect Outdoor Furniture in the Winter

Are you looking for some ideas to get your patio ready for Winter? Then these tips are for you. The lifespan of any furniture left outside in our wet Oregon weather will drastically shorten, if not protected. My husband and I spent time and money building up our outdoor living space and we’d like to keep it nice. Continue reading


Back to School Infused Water Recipes for Kids with Primo Water

No more staying up late and sleeping in for my girls. We are going to bed at a reasonable time and, sadly, waking up at 6 AM because school is back in session. It’s going to be rough, but I’m ready to get my kids back into a routine. Get your kids to drink more water during the day with my Back to School Infused Water Recipes, with Primo® water.

Primo hTRIO Water Dispenser against wall with artwork.Primo hTRIO Water Dispenser information pamphlet.

Green Living with Primo

My family and I love to recycle and compost as much of our waste as we can. It takes about 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to break down, and I want to do what I can to ensure my daughters have a healthy planet to live on in the future. Reusable is so important.

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It’s almost time for Feast 2019!

Hello Portland Friends! Did you know it’s almost time for Feast 2019 again? What’s Feast, you ask? It’s the most magical time of the year. It’s a movement that celebrates the food and beverage community here in Portland, OR. Chefs from around the globe gather here to share their tasty creations with us, lucky people.

Feast 2019 noodles

Some cool events with tickets available:

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Categories: announcement, portland


How To Make a Home Fire Escape Plan with First Alert

Disclosure: Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. Plan, practice, and repeat your escape plan with First Alert!

How to Make a Home Fire Escape Plan for Your Family

I am embarrassed to say that my family and I did not have an emergency escape plan until this past week, and I’m not alone because only 43% of families have a fire escape plan, while 33% have not even discussed fire safety with their families. With two young girls, this had been on my to-do list for far too long, and I’m happy to say we finally put a plan together.

How To Make a Home Fire Escape Plan with First AlertFirst Alert tabletop CO alarm on tabletop. Box of first alert fire safety items.

When I told my oldest daughter we were going to make a home fire escape plan, she got a little nervous. No one likes talking about the worst that can happen, but I explained to her how important it is. Just because we make a plan does not mean there will be a fire, but we will be prepared and ready. I don’t intend to scare all of you with this post, my hope this will inspire you to create a plan with your family. Continue reading


DIY Faux Floating Bathroom Shelves + Potty Training Round two

Thank you Angel Soft® for sponsoring this post. Ditch the spray and switch to Angel Soft® with Fresh Lavender-Scented Tube.

Potty training is generally a dreaded experience for most parents. Attempting to potty train in a messy and unorganized bathroom: even worse. Thankfully, our DIY Faux Floating Bathroom Shelves have improved our situation, and we have the perfect spot to store our Angel Soft® with Fresh Lavender-Scented Tube toilet paper.

DIY Faux Floating Bathroom Shelves - corner view of shelves in bathroom. View of DIY shelves on by door. Close up of DIY shelves with framed artwork of ship.

Potty Training Round Two

Potty training has begun, again, in The Paper Mama home. Because I had successfully potty trained my first daughter, Ruari, in two weeks, six years earlier, I had naively assumed this would be easy. Oh, I was so wrong. We started the process with my 3-year-old, Willa, in October 2018 and, nine months later, we are still working on it. The girls have very different personalities, so I shouldn’t have been surprised by the differences with their potty training. Although this task has been lengthy and, at times, frustrating, our Willa has made some progress. For the most part, she makes it to the toilet during the daytime and only needs diapers when she sleeps, but she still has her accidents (there was a sofa incident last week). Continue reading


Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Crumble Pops Recipe

Disclosure: My Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Crumble Pops Recipe is brought to you by Oregon Fruit Products. All opinions are my own.

Three Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Crumble Pops stacked on a plate. Close up of crumble of the bottom of a frozen popsicle. Aerial view of Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Crumble Pops on a baking sheet. Close up of crumble on a frozen popsicle treat.

My kids love dessert and, if they could, they would eat it all day every day. That’s not an option, but they do get to pick treats out if they eat all of their veggies (yes, I bribe them). Last week, instead of the typical store-bought item, I made something special for the girls. With the help of Oregon Fruit Products, Continue reading

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Categories: food, Sweets