Just recently, Carpe Diem was working out the logistics of Color POP joining the Carpe Diem team. With everything smooth sailing, today was the true opening day! Please look ahead to the wonderful adventures that we will all have. To learn more about Color POP, go to the Shop category and look around. All of the proceeds, though, do go to ALSF- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.  You are not only donating to a great, significant cause, but you are also getting a cute little crafting gift out of it! 

Crafting Lists are the new big thing next to Bucket Lists! Crafting Lists include all of the fun inspired crafts that you want to make sometime soon! To decorate your vibrant Crafting List, use either washi tape, homemade stickers, or doodles doodled by YOU!

The object of making a Crafting List is to spark a connection between you and crafts. Hopefully making your Crafting List, putting the pen to paper, will motivate YOU to become a more skilled, focused, inspirational crafter!

It was truly tough to decide who would be named Winner of the April Showers Photo Contest! All of the pictures were amazing, but the final winner is... Jamie H. with her picture of the Healthy Eating Very Berry Smoothie! We congratulate Jamie and all of those who entered! You will find the winning picture below!

If you are still longing for more contests, please keep looking for the June Summer Splash Contest!

Life is to short to be worrying about what we did yesterday, what we're going to do tomorrow, and how life will work out. You have to just trust yourself in knowing that it will all work out. I know that can be hard on some days, but just try and find that little small perk in your every-day, busy, hectic, crazy life, where you can relax and work it out. It might just be 3 seconds while your kids tie their shoes, or a whole week because you are on vacation. In the end, you just have to sit back, and think, why, how, what?

Once you do that, once you have somethings worked out, you're golden.

Hello Carpe Diem friends! I know that I haven't been posting in a very long time, but if you understood what I stated up in my intro paragraph, I know you understand. We might not be alike in our personality or in our looks, but Carpe Diem connects us and makes us a community. I am here to say "hello again" like Adele did in her once again, hit-single. I want to stress how excited I am to be back, blogging, writing, posting. Everything that is needed to make us a stronger community.

You will find that my new theme is continuous, just having genuinely, good fun! These are pure, original ideas made, tasted, and done by me! I hope you enjoy these activities as much as I do! Enjoy your busy life! I know I will!

The moist, rainy month of April is followed by the fun filled flower month of May! As we all dread the winter season, we do the same with the wet month of April. Well I have a solution. Carpe Diem is offering limited time April Showers crafts, recipes, activities, and contests! The Turtle Talks theme will be based on the current April Showers bash!

It all started with one small shower which grew into more, just like widespread fires. As soon as you know it, flowers are budding like crazy. This interesting combination is practically an opposite pair because one month you're inside, the next your out.

The first based project around the Rainy April Showers Theme is a contest! The contest steps are below along with the very easy rules.

April Showers Photo Contest:

1. The first thing you have to do is take a picture of yourself either in your rain gear, playing outside in the rain, or making/baking/doing one of Carpe Diem's recommendations!
2. Send the picture to me [email protected].
3. Wait until the final contest results are out!

If you win:  the winner gets a 5$ Starbucks Gift Card!!

Contest Rules: Spread the word to as many friends and family as possible!

Spring Break is one of the best times of the whole year being the one where the weather is nice, activities can be celebrated outside, and you get to be with your immediate family! I always feel like a lot of other gatherings are with your grandparents and aunts and uncles. This is just mom, dad, brother, and sister (four legged too!) The way that I celebrate this time of the year is going on vacation, and this year is one of the best ones yet. We are going to the Sunny State of California! This is my first time going so the preparation you see below is for beginners especially!

Even though it snowed today, we can all still enjoy Spring!
Share with us how you "Jump Into Spring" using
#CarpeDiemSpring2016
on my Instagram page: anna_carpe_diem

Take a ride into Spring time just by visiting your nearest local park or walking into town on a crisp day. There are more ways than one to achieve an enjoyable outing on a budding day! One of my most intimate ways is riding your bicycle! The pleasure of gliding by on your 2 wheeled ride in precious budding season! Bike riding is one of the most efficient ways being the one where you are not in closed by windows and doors, but get to take in the glorious days of Spring time while actually being outside! Furthermore, you have your process of getting to this place, but where may you be going? Follow the directions and websites below to truly enjoy the outdoors before the time slips away!

1. Your first task is to make a bucket list using the website below! This bucket list will be short term meaning you will only use this bucket list during Spring time. On your bucket list, you can include tasks that you would most certainly like to accomplish this Spring day or season. If you are stuck on ideas, click this link: http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/spring-activities for spring time fun ideas! When you are done making your bucket list, please move on to Step 2#. Click the link below to start your bucket list! http://www.bucketlist.net/make-a-bucketlist/?next=/lists/
2. Your next step is to choose at least 5 of the activities on your Spring Time Bucket List to accomplish today! This step might be hard when depending on the ever changing weather, but we can work around this challenge by just postponing this event.
3. Your last and final step is to just enjoy your Spring Time Days! If it suits your fancy, you can even check off the items that you have completed! Enjoy your days, there is a bunch more ahead!

Who knew that boxed doughnut mixes could be so good?! At Kitchen Kapers, Stonewall Kitchen has an Apple Cider Doughnut Mix that will blow you taste buds away! It comes with the mix and topping and you supply the wet ingredients. By the way, this mix makes 10-12 doughnuts. Below is the recipe with some pictures of how it went! Enjoy your apple cider doughnuts!

Doughnut Ingredients: (the ones that you have to supply)

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Doughnut Directions:

1. Grease and flour a doughnut pan.
2. Preheat oven to 400 (Fahrenheit).
3. Pour doughnut mix (Packet One) into a medium bowl, and add milk, egg, and melted butter. Beat well to combine.
4. Fill doughnut pan well- 1/2 full. I just used a spoon for this, but they recommended a large-tipped pastry bag.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Be careful not to keep them in too long or else they will burn easily.

Doughnut Topping Ingredients: (the one that you have to supply)

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Doughnut Topping Directions:

1. Pour topping mix (Packet Two) into a small bowl.
2. Remove doughnuts from pan while still warm.
3. Brush each side of doughnut with melted butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
4. Serve immediately.

Even though it is February, with the weather reaching 60 degrees today, I got inspired to make something fresh and colorful! With some inexpensive fabric banners and stickers from the dollar section in Target, something actually came out of it! The steps are super easy: piece together, stick, string, hang. It's as easy as that! Below are the pictures to an expensive garland that suits the fun Spring season perfectly!

If you just have SO MUCH clutter (like I do!!!), than this clutter-collector is perfect for you! This tray used to just be an old, white, rustic tray that was all dusted up in my closet, but no... you can transform your dust collector into a clutter collector. Change yours in just less than an 1 hour! So get out your Mod Podge and grab an old rustic tray! We are about to give it some life! Below are pictures and directions step-by-step to decoupage you tray! To read the directions, click on the photo! Happy thoughts and fun adventures with your new tray!