Patriotic decor is always so cute and festive!!!! I really do wish we had more opportunities to red, white & blue things up! Such a pretty color scheme if you ask me!!!

These rolling pins are the perfect addition to your patriotic decorating! So easy to make & is at pretty cool when people ask you where you purchased something and you can say it’s a one of a kind since it was made by you?! 

Supplies

• Mini Wood Rolling Pins (Hobby Lobby)
• Scrapbook Paper (Hobby Lobby)
• Mod Podge (Dollar Tree)

Tools

• Pen
• Scissors
• Foam Paint Brush

Step 1: 
Measure how much paper is needed to cover the rolling pin. These rolling pins were 4” long and also needed 4” of paper to cover all the way around, including a 1/4” overlap.

Step 2: 
Flip the scrapbook paper over and draw out your measurements. Mine was a simple 4”x4” square. Then cut your scrapbook paper along your drawn lines.

Step 3: 
Use a sponge brush to add a light layer of Mod Podge to the back of the paper. Line up the scrapbook paper with the edges of the rolling pin and slowly roll the paper around the rolling pin until covered. The Mod Podge will adhere to the wood quickly. Where the ends of the scrapbook paper overlap, add additional Mod Podge on top to seal the paper ends together.

Enjoy!!!

Ahhhh it has been awhile since I’ve gotten a bit crafty! This month has been crazy busy. When I share recipes, at least I’m getting a meal for the fam out of it! 2 for one! Crafts? That’s a me time thing and I finally had a little bit of that last weekend & made the cutest Recycled Can Planter EVER!

Christmas crafts!!!! Literally a favorite of mine!! And finally!!! I can start crafting with my little Princess and the activities can be glam and not some paper plate, slime, toddler concoction!!!

The first craft on my 2020 to-do list was a snow globe candle holder made out of a wine glass!!! Wine and candles are two of my favorite things, so this was right up my alley!

Supplies 
Wine Glass
Green Flocked Bottle Brush Tree
Iridescent Faux Snow
Batting
Wood Slice
White Chalk Paint


Tools
Sponge Paint Brush
Mod Podge
E6000 Glue
Q-tip

Step 1 
Cover the wine glass with faux snow. Using a sponge paint brush, cover the base of the wine glass with Mod Podge. Pour the faux snow on top to cover, then shake off the excess. 

Next, paint the stem with Mod Podge. Hold your glass sideways and pour the faux snow over it while rotating the glass to cover all sides. 

Lastly, stand the wine glass upside down and paint bowl area around the stem and include a few dips down the bowl to mimic snow falling down the glass. Pour faux snow over the upside down glass to cover the Mod Podge. Shake off any excess snow. 

Steps 2 
Paint the top and edges of the wood slice with white chalk paint. Let dry (approximately 10 minutes). 

Step 3 
Use a dab of E6000 Glue on the bottom of the mini bottle brush tree and place it in the center of the wood slice. 

Step 4 
Pull apart a small bunch of batting material. Add 3 small dabs of glue to the wood slice and arrange the batting material to cover the area around the bottle brush tree. Sprinkle the batting with a few pinches of faux snow. 

Step 5 
Add glue to the rim of your wine glass. I used a q-tip to easily cover the rim of the glass with glue. Turn the wine glass upside down and place it on to the wood slice. Remove any batting material that sticks out from under the glass by pulling it or you could probably use scissors to snip any excess strands. 

Tips
Hot Glue can be substituted for the E6000 Glue. Hot Glue will adhere faster where as the E6000 glue allows you to move items for a few minutes to make sure everything is in the right place. 

The faux snow will flake off if touching it often. You can seal it with a spray on acrylic sealer or adding another coat of Mod Podge. If using Mod Podge, wear a pair of latex gloves and dab the Mod Podge over the faux snow with your finger. I tried using the sponge paint brush and it took off more faux snow than it sealed. I ended up just dabbing Mod Poge over it with my fingers, but it was time consuming so I only sealed a small portion. I would suggest trying a spray acrylic sealer. 

Y’all aren’t seeing things. I legit feel like I’m cheating on Bath & Body Works right now! I went to Aldi and purchased candles!!! That’s right. My Bath & Body Works obsessed self purchased a different candle!!!! With Bath & Body Works stores being closed. Zero coupons in my inbox and shipping being ridiculously high on the website. I check daily hoping for either a flash free shipping sale or at least a shipping price drop! But no. $24 a candle and $10 shipping. $35 plus tax for a candle? No thank you. Just can’t bring myself to do that regardless of how big of a Bath & Body Works addict I am.

So I took the advice of all of you Aldi nerds that comment on my IG stories constantly and headed to Aldi to see if their candles really are the Bath & Body Works dupes y’all claim them to be!

This is the candle I was most excited to light! Rumor has it that it’s a dupe for the Lavender Bath & Body Works candle with all the macarons on the glass. I actually have the macaron candle. Empty! But I still had it in my possession since I’m a hoarder to sorta compare the scents! Safe to say they smelled pretty similar! I see why people are calling it a dupe! Wish I had enough of the Bath & Body Works Candle left to do a scent test with both lit since they smell so similar unlit!

Literally will make your home smell like mangos! I actually left to run to the liquor store the other day to stock the wine fridge. Don’t worry! Hubby and the kiddo were home to make sure the house didn’t burn down. Came home and my house smelled amazing!!! I was literally shocked a $3.99 candle had that much scent power! Out of all 4 candles purchased, this was the strongest scented candle. If you have a home full of stinky furbabies needing to get to the groomers when the apocalypse ends like myself. Get this candle lol....

If floral scents are your thing, you will enjoy this candle! Florals are actually not a favorite of mine at all. I prefer fruity & musk scents, so I personally was not a fan of this candle. I do think it’s totally adorable looks-wise and I will probably be saving this baby to burn on Mother’s Day while I sip champagne all day.

I was the least excited to smell this candle since I assumed it would be floral galore. I couldn’t do a smell test in store since it’s a law to wear masks in store here in NY. Got home and was shocked it was very musky! Not floral at all! Aldi nerds on Facebook were comparing it to Chanel. While I wouldn’t go that far, it does smell like perfume. Only drawback was this was probably the least powerful scent wise. Such a shame since it did smell good! There is always one candle in every haul though regardless where I shop that isn’t very strong scent-wise and this was that candle.

Are Aldi candles actually Bath & Body Works dupes?! I would have to say they are pretty damn close! I was shocked that a $3.99 candle can make my house smell amazing. If I spot a candle with a catchy name or looks like it would smell delicious, I will definitely toss one in my cart! Definitely a great option for those not wanting to cough up those dollar bills for Bath & Body Work Candles or refuse to pay outrageous shipping like myself! So happy I decided to give them a try since they are definitely doing the trick and holding me over until my beloved Bath & Body Works stores reopen!

Keep your kids nice and entertained on those unplanned snow days with Echo Dot Kids Edition and FreeTime on Alexa. Kids have access to age-appropriate music! That’s right, unlike Mommy & Daddy’s devices, Echo Dot Kids Edition is filtered with FreeTime on Alexa that lets parents select which services and skills kids can use, turn off voice purchasing, and more. Parents can also block explicit song lyrics with Amazon Music, and use Household Communications for announcements, calling, messaging and drop-in within the home.WooHoo!!! You can also find features like educational Q&A, a Magic Word, and kid-friendly suggestions when kids are bored on those snow days. Parents can also manage their kids’ experience on Parent Dashboard—same as FreeTime on other devices! I swear after one day of having an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition in your home, you will be asking yourself how you ever went without one! Especially on those snow days. Such a game changer!

I know there must be a few Alexa newbies out there and I know exactly what you’re asking yourself. What the heck is this Amazon FreeTime Unlimited that you speak of? FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa is how you keep your child entertained since it includes over 1000 Audible kids’ books, kid-friendly, ad-free radio stations and playlists, character alarms, and premium Alexa skills that kids will love.

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa is also available on Echo devices starting at $2.99 per month. And, families that already subscribe to FreeTime Unlimited on Fire tablets or Android devices can enjoy FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa content at no additional cost. So if your kids have those popular Fire Tablets like my daughter, hook your Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition for free!

• “Alexa, Fart” That’s right. You read that correctly! Your kid’s love for Alexa may reach unprecedented heights when they discover the perfect command to give her: “Ask for a fart. The laughs are sure to be plenty.

There is no denying it. We are an amazon family! Prime is our favorite way to shop & Alexa helps hubby and run our empires smoothly, especially during the holidays! Honesty, it’s hard to remember a time Alexa wasn’t there to help save the day & make our holiday season extra festive!

With all of us having type A personalities, we were one of the very first families we knew to welcome Alexa into our home. Since interacting with Alexa is as simple as asking a question. Just ask her to play music, read the news, control your smart home, tell a joke, and more, you best believe our collection of devices just kept growing and growing! Whether you are at home or on the go, Alexa is designed to make your life easier by letting you voice-control your world.

​When we found out about Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition, I might have gotten a tad bit excited! Families just like ours have loved using Alexa in their households so Amazon wanted to provide a kid-friendly, kid-centric Alexa experience with parental controls! My daughter loves playing with our devices and now she can have one of her very own! No more stealing mommy’s Alexa to play Santa Shark over and over, she can ask her very own Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition instead!!!

Help your kids get into the holiday spirit through brand new holiday-themed content on Echo Dot Kids Edition and FreeTime on Alexa. Kids have access to age-appropriate music! That’s right, unlike Mommy & Daddy’s devices, Echo Dot Kids Edition is filtered with FreeTime on Alexa that lets parents select which services and skills kids can use, turn off voice purchasing, and more. Parents can also block explicit song lyrics with Amazon Music, and use Household Communications for announcements, calling, messaging and drop-in within the home. WooHoo!!! You can also find kid friendly Q&A, Audible audiobooks, Alexa skills, character alarms and more. I swear after one day of having an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition in your home, you will be asking yourself how you ever went without one!

For all of you Alexa newbies, I know what you’re asking yourself. What the heck is this FreeTime Unlimited that you speak of? FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa is how you keep your child entertained since it includes over 300 Audible kids’ books, ad-free radio stations and playlists, character alarms, and premium Alexa skills that kids will love.

FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa is also available on Echo devices starting at $2.99 per month. And, families that already subscribe to FreeTime Unlimited on Fire tablets or Android devices can enjoy FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa content at no additional cost. So if your kids have those popular Fire Tablets like my daughter, hook your Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition for free!

I don’t know about the weather in your neck of the woods, but here in WNY, it’s about to go from sunshine to blizzards shortly! I hate to go outdoors once those temperatures dip below 60 degrees, so once those temperatures drop, I’m all about that indoor entertainment. Just call me Hermit Courtney while I binge watch my favorite shows, stream the latest movies and watch my favorite YouTube stars kill it while avoiding that snow! So you best believe when I discovered Google Chromecast, I was quite intrigued.

Ahhhhhh LEGOLAND!!!!!! Literally one of my daughters favorite places!!! We always joke that when she grows up, she’s going to be an engineer due to her obsession with building things. So you best believe every time we are in the state of Florida, a trip to LEGOLAND is already scheduled and in the books!

Since my daughter seems to be a LEGO Connoisseur these days, I figured I would give y’all our tips on getting the most out of your trip to LEGOLAND Florida!

If you are traveling during a warmer month, I would recommend making LEGOLAND a 2 day experience. LEGOLAND has an awesome water park, so our favorite way to do LEGOLAND is main park the first day, then the next day water park and whatever rides we may have ran out of time to check out on day one!

Florida can be sunshine one minute and rainy the next. Thankfully LEGOLAND has indoor activities! If you spot rain on your weather app at a certain time, I would plan your day around that burst of rain. Save all indoor activities for when the rain hits.

On a budget?!? Have kids and a hubby that are bottomless pits?!? You will definitely want to take advantage of Fun Town Pizza & Pasta Buffet! All you can eat pizza, pasta and drinks for one low price!!!! Our favorite way to dine while roaming LEGOLAND Florida!

This is another budget tip!! When people spotted our LEGO house on social media our last stay, people assumed we were total ballers! Figured a LEGO house must cost a small fortune! While our stay was hosted by LEGOLAND, the actual price per night was CHEAPER than the LEGOLAND Resort Hotel. If you want to be Boujee and you’re on a budget, check out the LEGOLAND Beach Retreat!

That’s right! For rides like the LEGO Race Coaster, you can purchase a skip the line pass for a small fee! We actually didn’t know about this until our most recent trip. Total game changer now that I know about it!

As a special needs parent, I’m always looking at how places handle working with special needs children. LEGOLAND is AWESOME and offer an Assisted Access Pass!

• Collected from Guest Services
• NO documentation is required (Per ADA)
• Allows you to go to your first ride (any) and get on with no wait; then get a time to visit another ride (you will choose which one)
• You'll visit the second ride at that designated time (or within an hour of that time) and then get a time to visit another ride
• This is the process all day​

As a special needs mama, I can tell you that this really is a game changer when going to parks! LEGOLAND is one of the better parks I’ve been to with my daughter. Way better than the others in the C entral Florida area ;-) So if you can only choose one park, go to LEGOLAND so your kid can fully enjoy it!

1. Start Small - Think of one area in the house you want to get done first and don’t start anything else until you are finished with it. It doesn’t have to be that day, this could happen over multiple weekends if that’s what it takes to get it complete. Hey, you only need to do this twice a year so make sure it’s a job well done right! ​

2. Ask For Help- If you live with a spouse, or kids or heck even a roomate, make sure that you are able to get advice or even assign jobs to those that can assist you. This helps it go a lot smoother and efficient if everyone is willing to pitch in! WINNING

3. Gather Cleaning Supplies - Make sure you always have a good playlist when it comes to cleaning. This keep your motivation going when you’re really not wanting to get the job done. Also, make sure you have some easy prepared meals for those that are helping you out. This helps keep everything moving so you don’t have to take a break in the middle of cleaning to prepare for the meal. Another thing that helped was picking up a label maker and markets. This helps label everything that you have for trash or keeping.

5. Organize Your Items- Once you have everything ready to go, purchase bins, basekts, hangers and anything else you need to store the items! Keep your boxes and go through them. Clean anything that needs to be cleaned and discard what you don’t want. PUt all the bins, baskets and hangers away. You can’t put things into drawer or shelves because you’ll forget! If you need to store on the floor, set that aside until the floors are cleaned!

6. Finishing - The last few things you can do in each room is replace the linens that are freshly washed, vacuum the carpets, sweep the floors and give the proper floor treatments to the various floors you are working with. Also, make sure to put away any items that are still out and plug in or spray an air freshener in the room to give it that nice clean spring smell!

It’s finally that time of year again folks!!! Spring weather is finally trying to make its presence here in WNY, which can only mean we here at The Trophy WifeStyle are ready to get our travel on!!! Winter weather is just too unpredictable in these parts. You never know when the next blizzard will hit. So we tend to hibernate until the open roads are clear! Once Spring hits, it’s fair game and we try to travel as much as possible as a family.

Most of these trips are long weekend getaways, so we hate to overpack. Over stuffing the car is never fun! And that $25 luggage fee on flights really does bite. Long story short, the lighter our luggage and carry-on the better. That even means must have items like laptops.