A lot of really great summer fun takes place poolside. Who hasn’t played “Marco Polo” or tossed the beach ball around with the kiddos? It’s also a great place to soak up the sunshine with good friends, cocktail in hand! Since more fun is well, more fun, I’m always looking for creative ways to enhance our poolside experiences, and I’ve found some things I would really love to share with you! This collection of DIY pool games, activities, and outdoor décor ideas are just perfect for adding a little something extra to an already fun activity. From waterproof playing cards to sleek stainless steel torches, these pool finds will help keep the fun going all summer long.

Whether I am ordering nuts, buying a gift, renting linens for a party, or making sure my grammar is correct, I have a list of go-to websites bookmarked for when I need them! Here are a few of my faves. What are your go-to websites?

Graduation is a time in life to reflect on achievements and look forward to a future brimming with possibilities. My kids are not quite there yet but I imagine that when they graduate, I will be beaming with pride on the outside, and fighting back mother’s tears on the inside! Since I will probably be a little distracted, it’s a good thing I’ve worked on some fun graduation party ideas now! From easy, bite-sized menu options to delightful decorations, I hope you find the inspiration you are looking for to celebrate the grad in your life.

1. get out from behind the grill. Slow-cooked, mouth-watering beef from the Crock Pot + a display of various toppings = a delicious pulled beef slider bar sure to delight and satisfy your guests!

2. dress up your treats. Whether store bought or from scratch, cupcakes are fun and easy for any gathering. Make them even more fun by dressing up your tempting treats with these fun DIY cupcake topper and wrapper printables designed to show the class of 2013 some big love.

3. skip the soda. Why pay a fortune for sugary store bought beverages when you can easily make your own healthy flavored waters? These three surprisingly simple recipes are bursting with the flavor of naturally infused fruits, veggies, and herbs–and they look amazing too! This is an easy way to serve refreshments at any gathering.

4. a graduation cap–for your bottles!  Add some unexpected whimsy to your graduation party décor with this easy-to-create template. Make these adorable and colorful bottle toppers for your condiments or beverages. These graduation cap toppers are a small detail your guests will love!

5. everyone gets a diploma! It’s all in the details, as they say, and this is one detail that will surely make your guests smile. Wrap utensils in this printable diploma template and tie with ribbon for adorable napkin wraps that are easy on the wallet too!

6. fresh, flavorful, and low carb too! Beautifully dainty and just plain delicious, these chicken salad cucumber rolls are the perfect go-to appetizers for a graduation party, or any gathering for that matter.

7. say cheese! Add a playful twist to your graduation memories with photos of your guests using these fun photo props. These are super simple to make with our free printables; young and old alike will be delighted to pose for their close up.

8. lose the utensils for this all-american favorite. Your graduation party guests will love eating these mac and cheese bites with their hands–and you’ll love the easy clean up! I added some toasted panko, bacon, and parsley for a hint of gourmet.

Live the moment,

Nothing made me closer to my mother than becoming a mother myself. It was as though I suddenly reached a whole new level of admiration for this incredible woman I had loved all my life! I enjoy making special things for my mom on Mother’s Day to show her how much I love and appreciate her. I kept her in mind this year while working on Mother’s Day ideas to share with all of you and the results are some wonderful DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas that make a personal and special gift sure to bring a smile to your mom’s face too.

I just got back from my trip home to Missouri where we filmed me and my mom cooking in the kitchen where I grew up. I took my whole team, my Director of Photography and my hairstylist, Mark, that I have been friends with for close to 20 years.

I was a little nervous at first because I wasn’t certain how the trip would go. I have members of my team from all over the U.S. and while Webb City, Missouri is a slice out of the all-American pie, there really isn’t much to do in this tiny little town. And to top it off, the forecast called for pouring rain the entire time we were to be there.

Since only a couple of people were needed for the shoot, I sent most of them on a team-building exercise—this idea was Cari’s, my CBO, and it was brilliant. They were given a car, $40 and four hours to put together a tablescape for our dinner that evening. They were charged with finding a centerpiece, table runner, napkins, napkin treatment and place cards for the table but could not go over their allocated funds.

Much to my surprise, they not only managed the task beautifully (in the pouring rain, remember), but they did so spending only about $20—half of what I had given them!

The table was gorgeous. An old piece of scrap metal served as the runner, shelf paper as placemats, pieces of a pillowcase were ripped into the napkins, and coffee filters were scrunched into “flowers” as the napkin treatment. And the best part of it all was the centerpiece. They used an old vase from Goodwill and wrapped twine around it for a rustic look where it housed clipped branches of a blooming dogwood tree—Missouri’s state flower. There was such creativity and it was a perfect team-building experience. Way to go team CherylStyle!

So while the production team and I (with my Mom) gathered footage for my “going home” story, the other members of my team were enjoying a beautiful spring, albeit rainy, day in the Midwest. There was no need at all to be nervous. Everyone loved the experience. But the best part of all was once everyone returned back to our house, we all had dinner together. The CherylStyle team and my family (about 32 people) filled the living room. We laughed, told stories and played charades. The day (and night) was a huge success.

I come from a beautiful place with beautiful people who graciously open their hearts and home to strangers. I guess you can say, CherylStyle is MissouriStyle—a place to embrace what truly matters—the experience we have around the table.

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My goal when entertaining is to relax and have fun with my friends and family! I like to keep things simple, memorable, and stress free–three things I had in mind while creating these festive cinco de mayo party ideas! Simple and delicious recipes, unique and refreshing cocktails, and colorful table decor will help you to set the tone for a fun fiesta everyone will be talking about!

There is nothing sweeter than celebrating the birth of a new baby. Now that my kids are teenagers, there are no signs of anything baby at our house anymore, so when I have a chance to throw a baby shower I’m super excited! This spring, I put together a boy baby shower full of tips and ideas to help create a truly unique and special day for Mom-to-be.

I love to read, nonfiction, that is. (Well, let’s just say I only read a few historical fiction books on occasion.) And like many of you, I have 3 or 4 books going at any given time. It’s easy to keep all the books straight when the subjects are varied and the writing styles are different. It’s even easier for me these days now that I can “carry” around these 3 to 4 books with me at all times on my iPad mini. Below is a snippet of why these particular titles are of interest to me. Hope you find them interesting as well.

1. Sheryl Sandberg has reinvigorated dinner table conversations across the world about women in the workplace in her fascinating book, Lean In. Her down-to-earth confessions about “how being described as ‘bossy’ or ‘controlling’ as a young girl made her cringe” really resonates with me. It made me reflect…girls are bossy and boys are assertive. Women are bitches and men are tough leaders. Women have to juggle while men just work. I admire her fearlessness to tackle this topic. Sheryl is on my list of people I’d love to meet!

2. My historical fiction indulgence is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. I am captivated by the story of how intermingled the church and the monarchies were in the Middle Ages, scratching each others backs, deceiving one another and desperately fighting over the same control of the lands. Rich in history and fact, the tale of a stonemason and his quest to build a magnificent cathedral is a book I’m finding terribly hard to put down. Ken Follet aficionados will not be disappointed by this radical genre shift. Pillars of the Earth is a thrill ride for anyone who is a fan of history.

I have a motley crew at home–Doodles, Foxy and Annie (a goldendoodle, corgi, and cava-poo respectively) and they are beloved members of the Najafi family. Each pup has a unique, special personality and my kiddos love to spoil them every chance they get. And there are so many ways to spoil them including cushy dog beds, homemade treats, brightly covered chew toys and fanciful food bowls. It is evident that if you want to treat your pet like royalty, whatever you are looking for is only a click away.

Since the emergence of specialty stores and pet boutiques, gizmos, gadgets and contraptions have come a long way. National Pet Day is next week so I thought I’d share some fun accessories to spoil your furry friends. I tried not to be too biased being a dog lover, so I threw in some things for you cat lovers too! ☺

I was recently featured on SheKnows, alongside Kris Schoels of  Young Married Chic. Together we covered tips and tricks on how to Host an Amazing Easter Celebration. Check out the article and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

For preparing healthy snacks on the go, fun treats for the classroom, or even just a simple fix for drippy pancake batter all over the kitchen, I hope you find a tool that’s useful to you☺.

1. I always encourage my kiddos to eat their veggies, but with this  vegetable shredder from Yanko Design, they might not even know the veggies exist. Shredded zucchini, potatoes or cucumbers are so much more fun to eat!

2. Spell out well wishes with stamped letter cookies. These cutouts are great to use for personalized treats, classroom birthday snacks, or practicing the alphabet. The impressions from the stamps are deep enough to frost easily and they leave professional looking designs.

3. We consume a lot of bananas in my house. They go on cereal, toast and peanut butter, in smoothies and on ice cream sundaes. With the Chef’n Bananza Slicer, I can get all the banana I need in uniform slices!

4. I don’t love a ton of salad dressing on my greens; the contents of your salad should speak for themselves! With this Tabletop Oil Mister, you can infuse olive oil with your favorite herbs and lightly mist salads and veggies with complementary flavors.

5. Freshly minced herbs are so yummy to taste but such a pain to chop! Problem solved with the Microplane Herb Mill. Perfect for baked potato toppings, seasoning meats or adding a flavorful garnish to soup.

6. I often take my breakfast to go in the form of a smoothie. With the Oster MyBlend Blender, I can whip up my favorite ingredients and swap the blender blade for a drinking lid and there’s very little cleanup!

7. Make perfect pancakes without the mess! The Chicago Metallic Batter Dispenser easily dispenses the ideal amount of batter onto the griddle or into the pan with no messy drips.

8. I drink a ton of water, and I’m always tying to encourage my kids to do the same. When they complain about having to drink water, I use the Aqua Zinger Flavored Water Maker instead of flavor packets and fitness water.

Live the moment,

I’m all about putting a fun, irreverent twist on springtime celebrations. As a working mom, my number one goal is to make sure my family enjoys a unique and memorable occasion–even if I don’t have time for elaborate preparations. Serving dessert that looks like a bunny rabbit’s dream, or crafting Easter eggs from buttons and twine, all give impetus to laughter and love in the home.

Nix the notion of having to “do it all”. Just pick one thing you love and make it memorable. From seedling centerpieces, Nutella nests, deviled egg chicks, and veggie desserts, I hope you find that some of our Easter spirit inspires you.

1. Ditch the dye. Alternative ideas for Easter egg decorating.

2. Bring the outdoors to your tabletop. Paper maché eggs with fresh alyssum and preserved moss.

3. Easter’s tweetings. Deviled egg hatchlings with carrots and capers.

4. A view from the bird’s nest. All Bran and Nutella Easter egg nests with mini Cadbury eggs.

5. French provincial gets centerpiece chic. Free range and freshly hatched seedlings for your Easter celebration.

6. A garden-variety basket for Easter treats. How to craft a natural-looking Easter basket with an egg carton, twine and treasures from nature.

7. Plant a faux veggie garden. Chocolate dipped strawberries in Oreo crumbles and terra cotta pots.

8. Shepherd your flock. Marshmallow and Cheerios sheep treats for the entire family.

Live the moment,

salty sweet satisfaction–shamrock potato crisps with chocolate dipping sauce

You will always catch me salting my chocolates. Because I’m so enamored with the sweet and salty combination, I couldn’t wait to experiment with sea-salted potato crisps dipped in chocolate.

erin go braugh and celebrate with a potato vodka cocktail

Irish whiskey is too bold for some to sip comfortably. Instead, celebrate the year’s biggest Irish holiday with a potato vodka cocktail!

find yourself in potato bliss with these spud bites sprinkled with sea salt

Try a healthier alternative to cheesy potato skins. Potato bites sprinkled with the right amount of salt is the perfect combination with a pint of Irish brew.

treat the kids to their very own pot of gold

You may not have the luck of the irish, but our pot o’ gold jello is just as fun as finding a treasure at the end of a rainbow. This dessert is as delightful for adults as it is for the kids.

warm up the evening with hearty potato soup for your st. paddy’s feast

Mid-march, it’s still pretty nippy out. Get warm and dish up hearty twice baked potato soup in honor of the Irish. I love to top mine with cheddar cheese and scallions.

bring mr. potato head back to life. a fun st. patrick’s day activity for the kids!

My kiddos used to have so much fun creating their own versions of Mr. Potato Head. Create a fun twist on the idea using real potatoes and veggies, then bake them for dinner!

top of the morning hash brown nests with deviled eggs

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just a night out on the town. Kick off the day’s festivities with a hearty breakfast of hash brown nests and deviled eggs.

sláinte to good health–appropriate glasses for the appropriate beer

It’s so much fun to enjoy beers of all flavors from around the world. Just like red and white wines have particular glasses for serving, beer should be served in complimentary glasses to enhance your sipping experience. If you’ve never tried Guinness, I strongly urge you to do so. It has a surprisingly nutty flavor and smooth texture. I love Guinness floats with vanilla ice cream. I know, who knew, right?

Live the moment,

It’s January 15th, so how are you doing on all those grand New Year’s resolutions? Don’t worry if you’ve already cracked, you’re not alone. In fact, research says that nearly eight out of 10 people will give up on their resolutions within six months.

So this year, instead of a resolution to change, why not pledge to become a little better at something you already do well—a better wife, mother or friend to the people you love?

This year I’m making a commitment to adjust my sensibilities and make the people around me feel more loved not only among my friends and family, but in my professional life as well. It’s time for me to embrace the fact that CherylStyle is now bigger than I am personally, and let my talented staff have command of their individual spaces and roles.   I am going to get a little better at being a leader and role model.  That’s my goal.  No big changes, just a simple fine-tuned adjustment.

I really feel 2013 is going to be a pivotal year for me and my team.  So hold onto your hats, guys.  This year is going to rock!  Thanks for coming along on the ride.

Live the moment,

Found the great quote above, here.

Ok, I have to admit, I’ve got a bit of a problem.  On one hand, I am extremely disciplined with what I eat and try to avoid sugar.  But on the flip side, I LOVE, LOVE sweet and salty things together.  In fact, chocolate-covered almonds with sea salt is one of my all-time favorite things.

So here’s my dilemma: chocolate bars are everywhere and come in many varieties, but I cannot open one without eating the whole darn thing.  So I went in search of a sweet and salty box of chocolate bites.  However, I cannot find a box of sugar free, salted chocolate covered almonds anywhere!  I’ve scoured the web and I cannot find it.  Really?  I’m the first person in the world that wants this combination?!!

What’s a girl to do?  WELLLL, I got creative.  See’s Chocolates has a box of sugar free chocolate covered almonds.  And what I do is spritz the chocolates with water from a spray bottle to moisten the tops.  Then I sprinkle the chocolates with my yummy rock salt.  Voila!  In about 20 minutes they are dry, I have a perfect box of sugar free salted chocolate covered almonds!  But the yum doesn’t stop there…if you are a sweet-and-salty-aholic like I am, try adding rock salt to the top of fresh, baked chocolate chip cookies or brownies….delish!

Live the moment,

Disclaimer:  There’s just one caveat for eating sugar free products…Don’t eat more than three pieces at any given time if you don’t want your tummy to rebel against the sugar substitute!  You’ll thank me later!  Ha!