Entertaining 2

Witches Night Out Halloween Party

October 2, 2019 By Chandice Probst | 1 Comment | Updated October 3, 2019

This witches night out Halloween party was full of spooky fun! You can easily re-create it for your favorite girlfriends for a memorable night.

Witches Night Out

This witches night out Halloween party was so much fun! As the hostess I especially loved that it required very little effort on my part.

Truly every group of gals deserves a witches night out Halloween party and we are going to show you just how to do it…

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when hosting a witches night out Halloween party:

Host at a time when your decorations will already be out
No need for a full meal, a few delicious Halloween Mocktails and the BEST gluten-free Halloween treats will do
Encourage costumes! We had classic witches, maleficent and even a white witch.

Choose one themed treat that will really POP! These vintage looking pumpkins as well as old Halloween prints on edible paper from Enchanted Cookie Boutique were so cute and absolutely delicious!

Witch food

Since it was a evening witches night out Halloween party, a full meal wasn't necessary. I was able to focus on four delicious mocktails and some snacks.

I chose a big witches cauldron full of popcorn. We also had a bunch of fun little Halloween candies to mix in for a sweet and savory snack.

The Loralee Lewis witches popcorn boxes were a darling accompaniment to this bar. They matched the cute invitations from her line as well.

Witchy Party Invitations

There is nothing quite like getting a letter or printed invitation in the mail. For a special gathering or party like this, I highly recommend a beautiful invitation.

It will really set the precedence for everything else to come. Your friends will be so excited!

For this witches night out Halloween party, I really wanted the mocktails to be the star. I first chose this delicious dark sangria from Eden over at Sugar and Charm.

I simply replaced the regular wine with a non-alcoholic red and it was my favorite drink of the night! The plums, black grapes and blackberries made for a very eerie drink.

Next up was this ghostly smoking white Russian. It’s similar to our Christmas White Russian mocktail but with a spooky twist. It is great served with our white no-bake ghost cookies or spider chocolate chip cookies.

In addition to these two drinks, we also made up a pumpkin punch and classic apple cider. I served each drink in a different cup and styled it in its own space for some pizzazz!

Our crockpot apple cider is so easy to make and will surely be a crowd pleaser. The warm flavors of nutmeg and cloves immediately make you think of fall.

How to make pumpkin punch

Our pumpkin punch was a simple concoction on the stove top. It couldn’t be made easier to make and is so festive.

Whisk together 1 cup apple cider, 1 cup orange juice a little bit of orange zest, and a half a cup of puréed pumpkin in a pan on the stove over medium to low heat
Add a couple tablespoons of simple syrup and some mulling spices in a cheesecloth and continue cooking

I definitely think we accomplished our goal of having the mocktails be the shining star of the evening.
No matter what you choose to serve or how you choose to serve it, a witches night out Halloween party is sure to be a hit!

If you like this, be sure to check out these...

Spooky Ghost Shepherds Pie

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Photos by Amie Pendle

This post was originally published on October 2, 2017. It has been updated with more information and links as of October 2, 2019.

Farm to Table Dinner Party & Honey Ginger Salmon Cups

July 22, 2019 By Chandice Probst | 2 Comments | Updated May 7, 2025

We had so much fun at this farm to table dinner party! It is an easy way to gather your friends and family around amazing food.

Thanks to BRIANNAS Fine Salad Dressings for sponsoring this post and party. We love their products!

What does farm to table mean?

For me personally, buying local as much as possible and bringing it right to my table is what farm to table means.

However, on a more broad spectrum, knowing where our food comes from is the start of the farm to table movement. Doing our best to eat food produced locally and dining out at indigenous local restaurants that do the same really puts the practice into action.

While not everything that we eat and enjoy can be locally grown and produced, there are wonderful brands out there that we can support. BRIANNAS Fine Salad Dressings new organic dressings are some wonderful additions to your farm to table dinner!

The five new organic flavors include Rich Poppy Seed, Real French Vinaigrette, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Honey Ginger Vinaigrette and Mango Vinaigrette. You can trust the same great taste you've loved and trusted BRIANNAS to deliver over the past 37 years in their new organic dressings.

I love using them over local salad greens. It's also great to drizzle over recipes like our Whole30 gluten-free crab cakes and oaty gluten-free chicken nuggets.

For me, a party is never complete without a themed cookie. This farm to table dinner party called for a more untraditional cookie and Enchanted Cookie Boutique couldn't have delivered a better tray of them!

I told her I was thinking a cookie veggie platter with a 3D dip and she got right on it! They were almost as unbelievable as our charcuterie and cheese board cookies for my sisters Bohemian wedding.

I mean, just look how cute those radishes, cucumbers and cauliflower florets are...

Why is farm to table important?

After living through the 70's and 80's full of processed foods and easy microwave meals, I feel like our country really started getting concerned with what's in our food.

More restaurants started popping up that use local and sustainable ingredients. Using these things in our own homes and supporting restaurants who do it also will help our local farmers thrive and ensure that we KNOW better what's in our food.

For our farm to table dinner, we kept decor simple. In doing this, it lets the food shine! I love when the food doubles as the prettiness of the table itself.

You can use pretty trays, cake stands or even a vintage food scales like we did with our rolls here. This elevates the presentation.

Farm to table party favors

I like party favors that can really be used once taken home. That's why I went with these cute grocery lists with fresh rosemary and honey sticks tied to them.

I also did cute linen bags that said, "From one foodie to another", filled with BRIANNAS new organic dressings. This is an especially great take home gift because guests tasted and loved the dishes featuring them already!

What should you serve at your dinner party?

I always like serving local fruits and vegetables first and foremost. These heirloom tomatoes are topped with aged balsamic drizzle, sea salt and served with fresh basil. I also put a round of Boursin in the middle to enjoy with them. These red cabbage honey ginger salmon cups are going to be a new favorite summer meal. This salad is surprisingly easy to make yet it comes out so fancy, especially when served in cabbage cups with marinated honey ginger salmon on top.

Both presentation and taste are a 10! You can find the full recipe using BRIANNAS Organic Honey Ginger Vinaigrette below.

Something with more sustenance that will fill bellies like rolls is always a good idea in my mind. You can buy them from your local bakery or give our gluten-free crescent rolls a go. They are buttery, fluffy and unforgettable!

A pie is always a great idea for dessert. You can go all out and make it from scratch or go semi-homemade buying the crust and filling it with your favorite ingredients.

My mom's famous banana black bottom pie is my absolute favorite and it can easily be made with a store bought chocolate cookie crust to save on time.

Summer Mocktails

You guys know that I love serving a signature mocktail at any gathering I host. For this dinner, I decided that a non-alcoholic drink with all fruit popsicles would be most fitting since we had so many kids.

We went super easy by pouring Martinellis new blush juice. You could easily make this same mocktail using our blackberry lemonade with sage or grapefruit mocktail with rosemary and honey.
I recommend putting the popsicle in right before serving then pouring the drink over it. They melt quickly in the summer heat but it adds some extra sweetness that the kids love.

Farm to table experience for kids

I wanted to bring the farm to table mentality to life for our kids and our friends kids. Building a fresh farm stand complete with fruits and vegetables made for both a fun experience and a vibrant display!

My friends little girl the cutest vintage basket to go "shopping" with and we gave all the other kids darling linen totes for them to fill. I even had cute little baskets filled with summer fresh cherries and strawberries for easy eating while they were shopping at the little farmers market. They loved them!

Sayings like Oh Kale Yeah and Turnip the Beet made for darling farmers market totes!

What is the farm to school program?

According to Wikipedia, Farm to School is a program in the United States through which schools buy and feature locally produced, farm-fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans on their menus...

Farmers are also able to participate in programs designed to educate kids about local food and agriculture.

I absolutely love the idea of getting our kids educated early on the importance of eating local foods and supporting our local farmers.

So is farm to table organic?

According to Redwoodbark.org, organic produce is the basis for farm to table restaurants, providing market incentives for farms around the US to produce larger ranges of products that includeorganic offerings.

I love that our friends at BRIANNAS value the organic movement and have expanded their line for the first time in decades to include organic dressings.

There really is nothing quite like enjoying fresh food with friends and family. I hope this party helps you see how easy it is to recreate a farm to table dinner for your own loved ones.
Be sure to checkout BRIANNAS store locator to see where you can grab a bottle of their fantastic new organic dressings locally. You guys are going to love them as much as we do!

If you love this recipe, you are going to love these also...

Best Cucumber Salad

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Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Honey Ginger Salmon and Cabbage Cups

These red cabbage honey ginger salmon cups are going to be a new favorite summer meal! This salad is surprisingly easy to make yet it comes out so fancy, especially when served in cabbage cups with marinated honey ginger salmon on top. Both presentation and taste are a 10!

Prep Time50

Cook Time20

Total Time1 10

Course: Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy cabbage salad, honey ginger salmon, red cabbage salad, salmon,

Servings: filled cabbage cups

Author: Chandice Probst

Cost: $7

Ingredients

4 (5 oz.) salmon filets
1 ½ (12 oz.) bottles BRIANNAS Honey Ginger Vinaigrette
1 (16 oz.) package nitrate-free, gluten-free bacon (I like Beelers)
1 head purple cabbage, chopped into thin strips
1 head purple cabbage
½ C Feta cheese
½ C raw walnuts, chopped
3 Tbls. gluten-free balsamic vinegar
Real Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place salmon filets in a dish and top with one full bottle of BRIANNAS Organic Honey Ginger Vinaigrette
Make sure the filets are covered in vinaigrette and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but up to 6 hours
When you are ready to cook everything, start by removing salmon from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large frying pan until crisp
Transfer bacon to a plate to cool
Remove HALF (only HALF) of the bacon grease from the panAdd cabbage to the bacon grease and cook until slightly tender (It should still be a bright purple. If you overcook it you will lose the vibrant color and be left with a dull purple cabbage)
Meanwhile, place salmon filets on a silicone mat lined baking sheet with a small spoonful of marinade and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cooked through and flaking easily
Add balsamic vinegar, chopped bacon and as many walnuts as you prefer to the cooked red cabbage and toss lightly
Gently remove cabbage leaves and use two to make one serving dish, repeat until you have four double cups serving bowls
Evenly distribute red cabbage salad to the salad cups and and top with Feta cheese, a sprinkling of sea salt and hot honey ginger salmon

4th of July Food, Fruit Salad and Party

June 18, 2019 By Chandice Probst | 15 Comments | Updated May 6, 2025

Making 4th of July food is easier than you think. We have the BEST red, white and blue fruit salad with a secret ingredient!

The 4th of July is my favorite summer holiday. We are sharing some of our favorite patriotic treats with you guys including a delicious no bake dessert, our 4th of July charcuterie board and some easy semi-homemade ones too.

This 4th of July backyard bash and fruit salad are sure to put your party guests in the patriotic spirit! We have everything you want in red, white and blue including snow cone sugar cookies, pop rock cupcakes and even yard yahtzee! || This Vivacious Life #july4th #4thofjuly #partyideas #summerparties #thisvivaciouslife

4th of July Food

The best part of a fourth of July party is the patriotic food. Red, white & blue treats like these we served at our 4th of July backyard bash will leave your guests feeling even more patriotic.

You can make any treat more festive with simple red, white & blue sprinkles like we did with these gluten-free Rice Krispies. They are a must for little hands that can just grab them and go.

4th of July Food, Fruit Salad and Backyard Bash

What do people eat on July 4th?

Eating classic barbecue foods on the 4th of July is an American tradition people generally enjoy with the whole family. Traditional 4th of July foods like gluten-free burgers and hot dogs, potato salad, corn on the cob and baked beans are staples of most 4th of July celebrations.

For Independence Day dessert, apple pie and ice cream are the American classic but these gluten-free apple pie with caramel in mason jars are so much cuter! They are also a breeze to clean up.

I really like dressing up family favorites like Rice Krispie treats and sugar cookies. You can do it semi-homemade or go all out and make them yourselves.

You may be asking yourself, what should I bring to a 4th of July Potluck?

Really, any dish is great to keep in theme with 4th of July food but I do recommend our red cabbage salad. I also love serving up one our 4th of July mocktails especially our blue lagoon mocktail which can double as blue desserts when served up with ice cream!

4th of July Sugar Cookies

When it comes to putting together a 4th of July backyard bash, red, white & blue treats and eats are at the top of the list. We decided to create a menu of easy 4th of July desserts that everyone will love.

Whenever I style a party the first thing I think of is the cookie that will go perfectly with the theme. My friend Shanan over at enchanted cookie boutique is truly an artist want to comes to her work.

Her cookies taste as delicious as they look which is something I've had a hard time finding in beautifully decorated cookies. I thought red, white and blue snowcones are so fun and summer and definitely remind me of the 4th of July.

So naturally, I knew I needed then made in cookie form for this party. She makes them gluten-free which I love, that way I can indulge with all the other party guests.

Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad

This red, white and blue fruit salad is made with fresh, juicy summer berries. There's also a special ingredient in this salad that pulls it all together and elevates it to a new level of delicious...

Melted popsicles are the secret ingredient that everybody loved in this fruit salad! They are great because it adds more juiciness and sweet flavor without the dairy or other top allergens.

We've used popsicles in our mocktails before but I think this fruit salad is my new favorite recipe EASY summer recipe!

4th of July Cupcakes

Simple gluten-free vanilla cupcakes are great topped with white cream cheese frosting and red and blue pop rocks. They are like little firecrackers in the mouth. The kids will especially love them!

They definitely make fun little 4th of July food accents that take very little effort on your part.

Patriotic Decor

For me, no celebration is complete without gorgeous, fresh florals. This beautiful arrangement is popping with patriotic colors in the form of roses & lilies. And don't forget the American flag!

In a beautiful blue vase these made the perfect centerpiece to our rustic picnic table. It is simple enough to recreate on your own as well.

Backyard Bash Entertainment

For this 4th of July backyard bash I decided to keep it simple with a giant game of yard Yahtzee. We played this last year at our summer block party and everyone loved it. I knew the kids would enjoy it again.

I also got extra pop rocks for the kids to enjoy and boy did they ever! My little lady tried them for the first time and thought they were so funny. It was so cute to see!

I found red, white and blue star confetti push pops at target for only a dollar each. I also found one dollar patriotic sunglasses for the kids and couldn't resist picking them up.

4th of July Party Favors

The kiddos at our party loved these little favors. They were excited to take the glasses home. I also like giving out little hand held flags or packages of sparklers.

We made sure that our favorite American songs were playing throughout the party which brought life and fun to it as well. All in all, it was a very funny little gathering and something that can be re-created for your own 4th of July backyard bash.

Wishing you all a very happy 4th of July! And here is that delicious fruit salad recipe I was telling you about...

Photos: Amie Pendle

Gluten-Free Almond Cherry Cheesecake

Red, White and Blue Crab Spring Rolls

Print Recipe

4.82 from 16 votes

4th of July Food & Melted Popsicle Fruit Salad

Making 4th of July food is easier than you think. We have the BEST red, white and blue fruit salad with a secret ingredient!

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fruit salad recipe, gluten free fruit salad, summer fruit salad recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Chandice Probst

Cost: $5

Ingredients

1 pint strawberries sliced
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
1-2 popsicles
3 T white pearl sprinkles
Optional: fresh mint

Instructions

Place popsicles in a big bowl and leave on the counter for 30 minutes
Add the washed blueberries and raspberries to the bowl along with the sliced strawberries
Mix together until the berries are coated in the melted frozen bites
Sprinkle the fruit mixture with pearl sprinkles and fresh mint if desired
Enjoy cold on a hot summer day!

Nutrition

Originally published June 27, 2017. I have since updated it with new verbiage, ideas and headings.

One Love Party First Birthday

February 15, 2019 By Chandice Probst | Leave a Comment | Updated June 21, 2019

We couldn't resist putting together this one love party for our little mans first birthday. It was quite simple but was a good time for all. Our little guys especially loved his little one love book.

This one love party for our little mans first birthday was quite simple but was a good time for all. It was full of laid back fun and sweet themed treats! || This Vivacious Life #firstbirthday #kidsbirthday #partyideas #kidsparties #thisvivaciouslife

One Love Party for 1st Birthday

I wanted to put together this one love party because it was a sweet and simple theme that would make for a casual good time. I mean, who wouldn't want to sit around cuddling a little cutie, eating cookies and listening to Bob Marley right?

For our kids 1st birthdays, lots of our family joins us. It is always a fun event but we do want it to be laid back fun. Nothing could be more laid back than a day full of reggae and a chill little guy.

What do you need for a one love party?

While these things aren't all necessary, they are fun ways to make your one love party more fun and festive.

One love themed party cookies
Red, yellow and green flowers
One love board book
A one love sign
Hippie hemp seed and yogurt bar
One love baby shirt
Rasta hat

Be sure to find time to do a reading of the one love board book. It will be as entertaining for the adults as for the children if you choose the right person.

My brother was our reader and he had us all laughing with his monotone and matter-of-fact voice. Little man enjoyed the reading as well.

It's also good to take time to get LOTS of pictures of your little birthday guy or gal. They are only small once and a first birthday is definitely a day to remember.

We loved having little Mr. wear his tiny one love shirt and give us a sweet little smile.

No party of ours would be complete without some of Enchanted Cookie Boutiques amazing edible creations. Her cookies always tie in our whole theme so well!

I mean really though, how dang cute are those mama, daddy and baby one love bird cookies that we designed together! These cookies were months in the making.

Remember when she did our little ladies two legit to quit birthday party cookies? Those are still a huge hit around here and in her kitchen.

She's also done Hatchimal party cookies, 4th of July snow cones with shimmer sugar and even charcuterie and cheeseboard cookies for my sisters wedding. Wow, were they ornate!

Since we did three little bird cookies, we also took some inspiration from more than just one love by Bob Marley. One of the lines in Three Little Birds by is, "Woke up this morning, smiled with the rising sun..."

So, I knew I wanted to do a breakfast themed party. This also seemed more casual for our laid back theme.

I kept things simple with a hemp seed yogurt (I just had to do it because my hubby didn't think brownies would be very funny...don't worry, they would have been "regular" brownies) and fruit bar.

I made sure our three fruits were Jamaican colors in the yellow bananas, green grapes and red raspberries. The juice was a sparkling apple juice to make the breakfast a bit more celebratory.

Decor was kept to a minimal. I had my sweet friend from Carved in Memory make this custom sign from my handwriting for our my little guy and our main piece.

She is so incredibly talented! She literally took my hand written one love from a piece of paper I put it on then took a picture and text her and created this. It is so special to me because I wrote it for my little guy.

They do so many unique and special pieces that I highly recommend checking out. Whether for a mothers day gift or birthday, your recipient is certain to cherish it forever.

We actually have it sitting in my office next to my two legit to quit sign that we used for little ladies party.

To me, they are decor with meaning...

Well, I hope you got some new ideas are are excited about throwing your very own one love party!

Galentine's Party & Strawberry Basil Margarita Mocktail

February 7, 2019 By Chandice Probst | 3 Comments | Updated February 3, 2022

Galentine's parties are so much fun because they are a beautiful but laid back way to get your gal pals together in February. Plus, you can all enjoy a refreshing mocktail as well!

Bouquet of flowers in a face vase on a pink tablecloth

Thank you to Red Apple Lipstick for sponsoring this post. I use their products every single day.

If you need to host before actual holiday though, that's ok too. Getting your girls together anytime during the month can count as a Galentine's gathering.

Serve up our Valentines charcuterie board and some Valentine's mocktails for an extra cute menu!

So when is Galentine's Day?

Galentine's Day is officially February 13th, just one day before the big day of love.

Galentine's tables cape with flowers and dishes

According to Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, "Oh it's only the best day of the year. Every February 13th my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It's like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas."

While you can serve anything, I recommend your favorite brunch items. Or maybe some vegan chocolate sauce drizzled dessert nachos and Valentines mocktails.

Heart waffles with strawberries and blackberries

You only need a few things to make your Galentine's Day gathering great. Delicious food and drinks, good company, some flowers and a fun little party favor.

I love giving ladies something useful and feminine for Galentine's. That's why I almost always choose Red Apple Lipstick.

I get to give a favorite gift of mine and they are also thrilled because this high quality lipstick is the BEST! It is vegan and cruelty free plus the pigment rocks.

I love attaching this cute little Galentine's note with the NEW petal to the metal color or to the rallye balm. Perfect gift! Download it HERE.

Glass low ball cup with strawberry margarita mocktail

In my mind, no party is quite complete without a themed mocktail. I've made cranberry White Russians and Halloween mocktails as well.

Two women in white shirts eating breakfast

For this party, I wanted to go with a red strawberry flavored mocktail in honor of the new strawberry lips color of Red Apple Lipstick.

These strawberry basil margarita mocktails couldn't be easier to make and they are sure to be a crowd pleaser! Only a few simple ingredients and about 2 minutes to mocktail success. Get the full recipe below...

Pretty florals are always at the top of my list for any party as well. They add life and keep the party fresh.

Four girls doing a cheers at a table with flowers

I like to make my simple white flower arrangements under $15 as accents but for the big statement piece, I do recommend a florist. Kathy at By Bloomers always does a great job for me. I mean, how perfect is that face vase for this party!

Since this was a Galentine's brunch, I stuck to a traditional breakfast menu. Last year I got the BEST heart shaped waffle maker (here's another heart waffle maker that has good reviews) and couldn't resist using it again.

Heart waffles and berries on a white tray

It makes delicious thin heart shaped waffles that are perfectly crispy on the outside and deliciously soft on the inside. I love serving them up with more fresh strawberries to tie in well with our strawberry basil margarita mocktail.

Chocolate dipped strawberry cookies on a tray

We also served up a hash brown, sausage and egg scramble in the cutest pink cast iron skillet.

There were also chocolates on a heart plate which looked so festive. We also did lipstick and chocolate dipped strawberry sugar cookies from my friend Shanan at Enchanted Cookie Boutique.

How cute do these gals look? My friend Tauni showed up in this lip print sweatshirt without me even telling her what the party favor would be...so perfect!

How cute do these gals look? My friend Tauni showed up in this lip print sweatshirt without me even telling her what the party favor would be...so perfect!

Setting the table with a rose gold sequin table runner and some Valentines heart pillows also creates a great ambiance.

Red velvet and white fur Valentines pillows

More Galentine's Day Party Ideas

Have everyone bring their favorite things and do a Galentine's Favorite Things Party
Make it a Galentine's cookie decorating party
Skip brunch and make these dessert nachos with rich chocolate sauce

Have a girls chocolate tasting and have everyone bring their favorite chocolates
Do a breakfast for dinner Galentine's gathering

Do a Galentine's girls spa day
Have a makeup artist come do makeovers on your girlfriends

Women in white holding and drinking a red drink

Be sure to take a chance to cheers with your favorite gal pals and enjoy visiting. Everything else can be put together well but if you don't take time to enjoy it, then what's the point right?

This strawberry basil margarita mocktail is so easy to make and will definitely be a crowd pleaser! It takes less than 5 minutes to put together...

Blender filled with ice, fruit and basil

You can double this recipe for a larger party. This recipe is for four people so double it for eight or triple it for twelve.

I love serving this up with a pretty Valentines drink stirrer or straw. However you choose to serve it, I guarantee it will be a big hit!

Galentine's Day Ideas & Favorite Things Party

January 21, 2019 By Chandice Probst | 47 Comments | Updated May 7, 2025

Our Galentine's Day ideas will help you throw an awesome favorite things party! It is the perfect celebration for you and your girlfriends on February 13th.

I'm sure by now you've heard all the rage of Galentines Day, but we put together these Galentine's Day ideas to throw a favorite things party before it was a thing. We are so excited to show you more!

My husband and I loved Parks and Recreation so when the hilarious Leslie Knope (or Amy Poehler) introduced Galentine's Day, I welcomed it with open arms!

Galentines Day Favorite Things Party as featured on Hostess with the Mostess! Have you been wanting to create the perfect girls night in for Galentines Day? This party is so fun and easy to put together. From the sweets and cocoa bar, including ooey gooey red velvet cookies (recipe included), to a fries before guys bar, this party has it all. There is even a kiss "kard" making station for writing up something kind for your cutie. Each girl brings a few of their favorite things and everybody goes home with the same amount they brought. So fun! There is even a philanthropy aspect with blessing bags they made for the local homeless shelter. Get all the details and photos for this epic DIY party on glutenfreefrenzy.com.

Galentine's Day ideas can range from food to activities like we did here. They don't have to be too hard to put together either.

For our Galentine's Day party, we decided to do a simple cocoa bar on a bright red tablecloth. I sprinkled heart confetti on top to give it a festive look.

We then filled jars with marshmallows and little conversation hearts. I found some really pretty floral paper cups that looked so sweet.

On the table, I also included our ooey, gooey red velvet cookies, Valentines rice krispies and chocolate truffles. I just recommend little plastic scoops so it is easy for everyone to dish up themselves.

I also couldn't resist doing a fries before guys bar as french fries are my FAVE food! Well and gluten-free pizza and sugar cookies and tacos and...oh wait, we were talking about french fries.

So yeah, I thought it would be a fun time to practice the calligraphy I have been working on for the sign. Not perfect but perfectly imperfect if you know what I mean. It is always fun to try new things and develop new talents.

I was SO inspired by Jenny Cookies (one of my very fave party stylists) and her annual favorite things holiday party. My favorite holiday happens to be Valentines Day so I thought it would be fun to tie in the favorite things party with Galentine's Day!

Our Galentine's Day ideas also include doing a favorite things gift exchange with your gal pals. Each girl brings a few of their favorite things and everybody goes home with the same amount they brought. So fun!

To do this, simply ask each girl to please bring 3 of TWO of their favorite things valued at $5. So for example, I did three holiday lotions and three little notebooks with suckers tied on top.

Have everyone draw numbers and then have 3 groups of about 4 girls who take turns going up to pick something. Repeat this six times and everyone goes home with a little bag filled with a variety of the girls favorite things.

You can also do a kiss card making station like we did with my fave, Red Apple Lipstick products. You just write up something sweet for your cutie then add a kiss. The real lipstick print adds a romantic touch.

While most of our Galentine's Day ideas include fun and food, I also want to share this fun way to give back to others. Nothing like sharing the love so close to Valentines!

Be a philanthropist and gather your gals pals together to make blessing bags for your local homeless shelter.

In order to encourage the girls to bring items for our blessing bags, I told them each item was a ticket to enter the party prize of my favorite things: 1 Six Pack Fitness Renee Tote ($169.99 value) perfect for meal prep/travel and an everyday purse or diaper bag, an assortment of lipsticks, glosses, mascara & eyeliners from Red Apple Lipstick ($200+ value) and LIVE Soda Kombucha coupons ($25 value).

The girls loved it!! So much in fact that competition got a bit crazy. We had one girl bring over 500 items!

We were able to make 30 blessing bags for the homeless shelter as well as a few extra. They were perfect for the girls to keep in their car in case they passed someone in need while out driving.

Be sure to go get the recipe for our ooey, gooey red velvet cookies too. They were so delicious that we ate the whole batch that day!

These ooey, gooey red velvet cookies are moist, soft and so delicious they will make your valentine swoon!

Will you be throwing a Galentines Day party this year? We would love to hear your ideas as well as memories from any girls party and/or favorite things parties.

We may just go pin them to our Valentines or Galentines Day Pinterest board for more inspiration. So be sure to leave a link below too!

LIVE Soda Kombucha is one of my very favorite things so I knew I had to serve it as the beverage of the day to our guests. The cola flavor is my favorite but they have other great flavors like rootbeer, dreamy orange, living lemon and more.

If you need more gluten-free Valentines recipes, we've rounded up some of our favorite ones from the best bloggers across the web.

Party photography by Paige Hurst Photography

If you like this party, you will love these as well...

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This vintage Valentines tea party was full of classy florals, antique china and delicious gluten-free goodies including savory crab cheesecakes. Get the recipe and all the details at thisvivaciouslife.com.

Vintage Valentines Tea Party and Savory Crab Cheesecakes

This Galentines day favorite things party is full of festive Valentines day fun! It's the perfect girls night in.

Galentines Day Favorite Things Party #2

*This post contains affiliate links. This simply means that I receive a portion of any purchases made using my links. It doesn’t cost you anything extra but it does help me pay for site maintenance costs. All opinions in this post are mine and mine alone.

This post was originally published in 2016.

Halloween Brunch Mom n' Me Style

September 19, 2018 By Chandice Probst | 3 Comments | Updated May 10, 2019

This Halloween brunch is such a fun way to enjoy time with your little ones and your girlfriends at the same time.

A mom n' me Halloween brunch is a more casual way to enjoy Halloween while the older kids are in school.

I love getting together with my girlfriends and this Halloween brunch is a great way to do that without the stress of having to find a sitter for our little ones. It is casual enough that kids can play and have fun. Plus, moms can visit and enjoy the sounds and flavors of the season. For this Halloween mom n' me brunch, you need to create a delicious menu. I like to infuse fall flavors into the menu to keep it in keeping with season. Our gluten-free pecan pie bread pudding was at the top of my list for menu planning.

These ghost sandwiches from our spooky sandwich bar Halloween party would have been perfect too...next time!

I just love how decadent and delicious it is but it's also so easy to make! I also put together a breakfast charcuterie and cheese board. Choosing dark fruits like figs, blackberries and grapes all placed on a black wood board, creates that eerie Halloween look. Add some boiled eggs for that extra breakfast feel.

You can also add plastic spiders for an extra creepy look. Our pumpkin fudge pretzel dip is a lovely addition to your charcuterie board especially when served with gluten-free Glutino pretzels for dipping. This is a great dish for little hands.

The pretzels are so good nobody would ever know they are gluten-free either. In addition to these dishes, we also served up our no-bake gluten-free ghost cookies. The kiddos especially love these! They also love our gluten-free witches finger cookies...
For drinks, I love just serving an easy orange and black bottled soda that fits well with the decor. Speaking of decor, pick up some black and white blankets, plus some deep purple and orange pillows for the couch. A black cobweb table cloth will also really add a fantastic Halloween touch to your serving table.

Florals are always a party of my parties because they add life and beauty. This time I chose oranges and whites with some deep purple flowers as well. I got them all from my local grocery store then put them together.

My awesome photographer suggested I had black eyes and a ghost mouth to the big white one and it turned out sooo cute and festive. Need more tips for arranging flowers on a budget? Check out our simple white flower arrangements we made for $15 each!

Halloween Mom n' Me Brunch Party and Get Together | halloween party ideas | fall party ideas | halloween fun | celebrating halloween with friends | fun halloween ideas || This Vivacious Life #halloween #brunch #halloweenparty #partyideas #fallideas #thisvivaciouslife

This Halloween mom n' me brunch is a fun and festive way to celebrate the holidays with friends and your little ones. It's a fun Halloween party!

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Pumpkin Fudge Pretzel Dip (Gluten-Free)

Our pumpkin fudge pretzel dip is a lovely addition to your charcuterie board especially when served with gluten-free Glutino pretzels for dipping. This is a great dish for little hands.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten free haloween dip, gluten free pumpkin fudge dip, pumpkin fudge dip

Servings: servings

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Chandice Probst

Ingredients

3 C brown sugar
¾ C butter melted
⅔ C evaporated milk
½ C pumpkin canned or fresh pureed
2 T raw honey
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 12 oz. package white chocolate chips
1 C gluten-free Glutino pretzels crushed
1 7 ounce jar marshmallow cream

Instructions

Stir together brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, honey and spices over medium heat
Cook and continue stirring constantly for about 12 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow cream and pretzels
Pour into your serving dish and let cool to room temperature
Serve with more gluten-free Glutino pretzels

Nutrition

If you like these Halloween ideas, be sure to try some of these...

No Bake Gluten-Free Ghost Cookies

Gluten-Free Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

Edible Witches Finger Cookies (Gluten-Free)

*Thanks to Glutino for sponsoring this post. I was provided with monetary and product compensation. All opinions are my own.

This post was originally published August 30, 2017.

BEST Charcuterie Board

August 1, 2018 By Chandice Probst | 2 Comments | Updated November 21, 2022

When it comes to the BEST charcuterie board, Eden from Sugar and Charm leads the pack in design. Above you can see her gorgeous setup for a fall charcuterie party.

I absolutely love her low table with giant aztec pillows. The white velvet pumpkins and matte pink plates go perfectly with her classic charcuterie board. Get all the details for exactly how to put your own together over on her site.

We have our cute charcuterie cones that are perfect for charcuterie on-the-go. I love serving these at parties so our guests can socialize and not worry about going back and forth to the snack table.

Our Mexican charcuterie board is full of Mexican flavors and a variety of items you will absolutely love. It will be filled with your favorite dishes and finger foods that make the perfect snack board.

Not all entertaining food boards have to be savory. I love this sweet dessert charcuterie that Eden created for her outdoor Mother's Day picnic. The gorgeous rosette apple tarts are by far my favorite. They are so beautiful and a treat anyone would love!

You can use gluten-free treats and desserts if needed. You can find so many delicious things to include on it like these gluten-free fried cake donuts or the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookies from Erin at Meaningful Eats.

Plus, fresh fruit and nuts are a great gluten-free option as well.

Get our free charcuterie board shopping list printable HERE

Gluten-Free Charcuterie and Cheeseboard Perfect for Entertaining | gluten free entertaining tips | how to entertain gluten free | gluten free appetizer ideas | gluten free charcuterie tips | how to create gluten free charcuterie | gluten free cheeseboard | gluten free snack recipes || This Vivacious Life

I wanted to create a delicious and beautiful gluten-free cheese and charcuterie board so this is one I recommend. Cheese, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts and even dolma or stuffed grape leaves are a great option here. I also love to add gluten-free toast or crackers.

Fresh herbs or edible flowers take even the BEST charcuterie board up a notch. Rosemary is usually the one I like to use but sage and lavender work great as well.

Or go BIG and make a grazing table for a crowd! Courtney from Pizzazzerie put together a very masculine charcuterie board for Father's day. I love all the deep dark colors from the chocolate and bold accents in green.

BEST Charcuterie Board Ideas for any Occasion or Gathering | charcuterie ideas | entertaining tips | how to make a charcuterie board | charcuterie board display || This Vivacious Life #entertaining #partyideas #charcuterie #charcuterieboard #thisvivaciouslife

I think it's great how Courtney married sweet chocolate with savory cheeses and meats for the ultimate entertaining cheeseboard. Fresh fruit and herbs add life to this board as well. Not all of the BEST charcuterie boards have to be long and one level. You could create this two tiered charcuterie like Kaitlin from The Every Hostess did. I love the marble and gold serving tower she chose.

If you like these, be sure to check out some more fun entertaining ideas like these...

Gluten-Free Cheese and Charcuterie Board

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Savory Crab Cheesecakes

Pool Party Ideas

July 6, 2018 By Chandice Probst | 2 Comments | Updated September 25, 2019

We've rounded up some of our pool party ideas for you. Now you can throw the ultimate summer fun bash!Pool parties are the perfect summer get together so you will love these pool party ideas! The best part is that the activity of swimming is built right into the theme.

I love pool parties because they are vibrant and fun! We hope these pool party ideas totally inspire you to get out there and throw a backyard bash too! These are some of my favorite pool parties from some of my favorite party bloggers. Plus, I've shared my top three favorite tips as well.

This first one above is from one of the most talented hostesses around. Eden from Sugar and Charm hosted this summer solstice citrus pool party and it couldn't have turned out more charming! Get all the details HERE and don't miss her beautiful punch bowl ideas.
Jenny Keller is Jenny Cookies is my favorite hostess. She always has the cutest ideas! I love that for this pool party she went larger than life with all of these fun pool inflatables. The best party is that they are so big that other party decor can be minimal.

She had a darling ice cream bar and fun favorite things gift exchange at this pool party as well. You guys are going to love it! Check out all the details HERE. I just love when any party incorporates a beautiful drink station like this one from our friend Ashley at Sugar and Cloth. The white fence like bar brings that clean, fresh color to the party and makes you think of being outdoors even more.

Get all details for this fun party HERE including her gorgeous balloon garland. When I threw this ice cream pool party, I wanted it to be colorful and full of life. The big inflatables definitely helped us achieve this goal! Here are a few we love...

And if you want to see more ideas from our ice cream pool party, we've got a bunch for you including a recipe for mini pineapple upside down cakes to serve. Because it's hot outside, a gorgeous drink station with fresh florals like the one Kate from The Everyday Hostess did here would be perfect. We love the soft colors of this set up and know guests would as well. Get all the details for this and her summer soirée HERE.

The every talented Courtney of Pizzazzerie has the cutest ideas for a vibrant summer beach inspired pool party. I love that she used citrus as her centerpiece making it both beautiful and functional. It also gives such a fresh feel to the table. Get all the details for this gathering HERE.
An ice cream bar is always a great dessert option for any pool party. We set up a simple one that ended up being a real hit. Changing up the glasses you serve ice cream in can make it seem much more appropriate for a party. Get all the details for our ice cream bar HERE. If you don't want to set up an entire ice cream bar, making some ice cream sandwiches ahead of time can be another great dessert option. We made these GF vegan ice cream sandwich chocolate chip cookies and you guys, they are seriously some of the best I've ever had!

Even if you aren't vegan or gluten-free, you will love them!However you choose to throw your pool party, remember that it can be kept very simple with these simple tips:

Use giant inflatables as decor and the pool activity
Keep refreshments simple with an ice cream bar or ice cream sandwiches
Bright, vibrant colors make for a very exciting pool party

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Hatchimals Birthday Party

May 23, 2018 By Chandice Probst | Leave a Comment | Updated March 11, 2020

This Hatchimals birthday party is complete with plenty of ideas. It is sure to have your little one so excited about their special day!

Hatchimals Birthday Party

I knew I had to create a "Hatchy Birthday" Hatchimals birthday party for my little guy who absolutely loves these furry little creatures to make his day even more amazing!

In my little guys words exactly, here's what he thought of his Hatchimal birthday party...

I thought the party was good because there were little Hatchimal eggs. I loved my cake and my friends and the cookies! They were cute! I liked the games. My party was the best! I got a Hatchimal nursery and the parrot Hatchimal. We played don't drop the Hatchimal and hatch the Hatchimal. For hatch the Hatchimal, when you get tagged you turn into the egg. People tag you and you hatch. I liked don't drop the Hatchimal because it was fun and everyone was running around and playing.

Hatchimals Birthday Cake

The cake was made at our local Harmons store and was so cute yet such a simple sheet cake. We put a little Hatchimal pack per person displayed by the cake. I also put one of his Hatchimals on the table and some mini eggs on the cake for more depth.

You could easily put all your themed present near the cake to amp it up or even use a Hatchimals wrapping paper as a table runner under the cake.

More Hatchimals birthday party ideas

To make this Hatchimals party amazing, try to keep things along the theme. For our snacks, we decided to have our friend Shanan of Enchanted Cookie Boutique make these Hatchimal eggs and creatures.

At first when I called her to ask to make them for us, she said, "Um, what is a Hatchimal." I sent her some pictures and she quickly got to it. I loved that she could make them more blue and green for boys or pink and purple for girls too!

She never disappoints so I wasn't worried one bit about how they would turn out. She made us these Two Legit to Quit cookies that still get orders for her every month from people seeing them here and reaching out. Shanan is truly so talented!

In addition to the cookies, we also put Cadbury mini eggs into popcorn for an easy and festive Hatchimals birthday party snack.

Hatchimals Party Activities

My son requested his party at the park so I kept decorations to a minimal. Really, his treats and cake were most of the decor and setup.

The games were totally made up and so easy. The kids loved playing don't hatch the egg (just a twist on freeze tag) and don't drop the Hatchimal (a spoon relay race where we put an egg on a plastic spoon).

If you liked this party, be sure to check these out...

Two Legit to Quit Party

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*This post was updated June 2019 with more photos, headers and information from the party.

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