The Famous Sugar Cookie

I can't wait to get home and finish these bad boys!!  

They are going to be so cute once their done.  Yay!  

Pictures to follow...stay tuned!

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

I &hearts Sweets Tables!!

As a prelude to my upcoming wedding post, I wanted to dedicate a post to one of my favorite parts of our wedding reception...our Sweets Table!  I designed this table and aimed to keep it fun, light-hearted, whimsical and bring out the inner child in everyone.  Our guests loved the huge assortment of candy and filled up their goody bags to the brim with their favorite sweets.

A Sweets Table, whether filled with candy, delectable pastries, baked goods, ice cream (the ideas are endless!) is great for any special occasion: Wedding Reception, Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party, Baby Shower, a Birthday Party, Holiday Parties and more!  If you're hosting a party anytime soon, I'd love to create a Sweets Table for you!

{All images by James Woo Photography}

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Pumpkin Pie Bites

Oh how I L-O-V-E me some pumpkin pie!  And these mini pumpkin pies are to die for!!  Bakerella, the queen of cake pops, posted this fabulous recipe on her blog.  I can't help but share it with my fantastic readers.  I have received such wonderful compliments from you all - Thank you!!  You propel my inspiration and desire to continue by leaps and bounds.  I couldn't be more appreciative.

Enjoy this cute and simply sweet recipe.  

Roll out a refrigerated pie crust.  It comes 2 to a pack, so if you roll the crust a little bit thinner than it's packed, you'll have 24 pumpkin cut-outs.

Stuff the pie crust cut-outs into a mini muffin pan. 

Press the dough down, in and around each muffin cup.  Make sure the stem for the pumpkin remains sticking out.  It's a good idea to alternate muffin cups so the stems don't touch - you'll end up baking 2 batches this way.

Fill each pumpkin to the brim with pumpkin filling.

When you pull the mini pies out of the oven, they will be puffed up, but unfortunately gravity takes over and they will fall a bit.  No matter what, they are still so cute!!

Let the pies cool on a cooling rack.  

So easy and so perfect for Thanksgiving.  But, I lets be honest...who really wants to wait until then??  (Sound: Crickets)  I thought so, no one.  

Grab that chocolate and drizzle away!

Delicious!

Looking for something to use (and eat - wink!) right away?  Pipe little jack o' lantern faces on the mini pies.  I promise they will be devoured in a flash.

{Recipe & Images courtesy of Bakerella}

Have a wonderful day and remember, today is all we have.  Take advantage of it.

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Martha Stewart Does Halloween

{Fly Away Treat Bags}

This month's issue of Martha Stewart Living is chock-full of wonderful, inspirational ideas for Halloween parties, trick or treaters and spooky crafts to keep you in high-style through the month of October.  

Today, I'm showcasing some of her fabulous Halloween Treat Bags and Favors that you can DIY and will certainly impress your guests!  Click on the link below the picture for the scoop on the how-to...

{Skull Treat Box}

{Pumpkin Pouches}

{Halloween Crackers}

{Jack O'Lantern Muslin Treat Bags}

{Creepy Custom Treat Bags}

{Skull Potato Stamp Treat Bags}

{Images courtesy of Martha Stewart}

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

I Love You Grandpa

"All we have is today.  We are never promised a tomorrow."

This weekend, those words in which I live by came true.  My grandfather, Kenneth Bedell died on September 25th, 2010.  He was 93 years old.  

He was an amazing man full of life and full of love.  Words will never be able to express how much he means to me and how much I will miss him.  My only saving grace is knowing that he is in a better place now, looking down upon his family and watching over us.  

I love you Grandpa.

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

How to Make a Home Safe For an Elderly Person

Howcast.com has a useful how-to tutorial on making a home safe for an elderly person. Some of their ideas include replacing knobs and faucets with levers, non-skid carpets, install brighter lighting, and installing hand rails and grab bars in bathrooms. Although these precautions can do wonders for elderly safety, it is always important to understand when it may be time to get professional home care.

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon) and Hamilton.

Home Care Assistance Case Study: "Taking the Stairs"

CASE STUDY: TAKING THE STAIRS

SUMMARY

• Client A suffers from Parkinson’s Disease
• Struggled with mobility after returning from hospital
• Our lifestyle plan helped client regain motor skills
  

Client A is in his late 70′s and has always prided himself on being independent. As a journalist for most of his career, he was used to a fast-paced lifestyle that kept him on the go. When Home Care Assistance was asked to care for Client A by his concerned family, he was suffering from the challenging symptoms of mid-to-late stage Parkinson’s. A sudden trip to the emergency room for heart failure only made his Parkinson’s worse. To help his transition back home from the hospital, the Home Care Assistance Director of Nursing met with Client A’s wife, family, case managers, and social workers. Working with Client A’s close family, Home Care Assistance supervised the retrofitting of their own home and the installation of an electric stair lift to help with mobility. Seeing how his health had deteriorated during his hospital stay, Home Care Assistance was determined to give Client A some of his independence back. Settling him into his new home, the Director of Nursing developed an intensive program of diet and exercise, and, most importantly, a plan to help Client A get his life back, all based up on the unique Balanced Care Method of holistic care. Every day, when Client A would make a request for assistance with a movement related task, the aide would respectfully urge Client A to try to do it on his own. Gradually, with close supervision and help from the aide, Client A had a major victory: he did the laundry himself, and then, to delight and surprise his wife, did hers, too. It was a moment of joy for the entire household, as he began to regain some of his independence once again. Eventually, the wheelchair sat, unused, in the corner, while Client A walked confidently with his walker. When the Home Care Assistance Director of Nursing visited Client A’s home after the record snowfall of this past winter, she asked how his electric stair lift had survived the cold. He replied, confidently, that he didn’t know because he never used it. Indeed, he explained, the stair lift was no longer needed now that he could walk up and down stairs on his own. If not for Home Care Assistance, he said, he would still be in the wheelchair that now sat in the corner.

Click on our storefront to find out more about us!

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon) and Hamilton.