Holiday Must-Makes = Christmas Cake Pops

Anjelika Temple
Dec 16, 2014

Though cake pops are still a relatively recent dessert craze, they’ve quickly become a staple sweet when it comes to birthdays, weddings and, naturally, the holidays. We teamed up with Michaels to create a batch of totally festive confections to bring to all your holiday parties. And with the right buckets, boxes and baskets you can create a fun display on your dessert table or give these cake pops as party-perfect hostess gifts. Cake pop points are clearly the new brownie points ;)

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You can get everything you need to decorate and package these cake pops at Michaels, so be sure to make a trip before the holiday madness launches into full swing.

Ingredients for the pops:
– cake mix

– water, oil and eggs (as per your cake mix)

– 1 jar of frosting

– cake pop or lollipop sticks

Ingredients for decorating:
– Wilton Color Mist (gold, red, white)

– Wilton Silver, White, Blue, Red and White Sprinkles

– Wilton Decorating Bags

– Wilton Blue Candy Melts

– Wilton Red Candy Melts

– Wilton Bright White Candy Melts

– Wilton Gold, Silver, Red and Blue Pearl and Color Dust

– Wilton Edible Silver and Gold Stars

Materials for packaging:
– gold bucket

– white boxes

– red paper baskets/crates

– glitter tape

– paint pens

– red crinkle paper

– gift tags

– floral foam (for standing up cake pops)

Instructions:

1. Bake cake according to package directions.

2. Let cool completely; crumble and mix thoroughly with a jar of frosting.

3. Roll dough into quarter-sized balls.

4. Melt a small amount of white candy melts. Dip ends of lollipop sticks in melts and then stick halfway into cake balls. Freeze for one hour.

5. Melt remaining candy melts and dip frozen balls in one at a time to cover completely. Dip pop in sprinkles or leave plain and stick pops into floral foam to dry.

6. Melt more candy melts and place in a pastry bag fitted with a small round attachment. Use candy melts and sprinkles to add creative designs to each pop. Go nuts!

7. Optional: Package them up as edible gifts, create creative displays on your dessert table using buckets, boxes and baskets.

Let’s get started!

Bake cake according to package directions. We went with a box of white cake mix with oil, eggs and water. You could easily try one of our skinny alternatives though.

Once your cake has baked and cooled completely, use a fork to crumble it up.

Then drop in an entire jar of frosting and mix thoroughly. Roll your new dough into quarter-sized balls.

Now, melt a small amount of white candy melts. Dip ends of lollipop sticks in melts and then stick halfway into cake balls.

Freeze your pops for one hour.

Now comes the fun part. Time to start decorating!

Start by dipping some of your pops in white candy melts.

Add icing, sprinkles, pearl dust and more.

Then melt another bowl of candy melts in any color you like. Put them in a piping bag and decorate your pops. When you’re using candy melts in a piping bag, you must act quickly or the melts will start to harden.

You can also dip the whole pop in your candy melts and add sprinkles.

Then, we went with a big blue bowl of candy melts to add a little wintery hue to this holiday scene.

Voila!

Now, time to package them up.

We used paint pens to write on this gold bucket. Then add floral foam to the bottom of the bucket and stick your cake pops into it. Top with crinkle paper to cover the foam, and your pops are ready to gift.

For this box we used washi tape to trick it out.

And for the basket we created Santa’s belly. How jolly is that?

To get everyone we know into the Christmas cake pop spirit, we invited our favorite makers, bloggers and friends to Brit HQ to make their very own cake pops.

Folks got super creative with their designs, and the Michaels team provided ample inspiration. So fun!

What are your favorite holiday desserts? What about edible gifts? Talk to us in the comments below.

5 Pro Tips for Surviving The Small Business Lulls

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program
verizon small business program

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward.


In this segment, Paige Wiese, founder & CEO of Tree Ring Digital in Denver, CO, walks us through some of the ways she encourages clients to double down on marketing when business is slow. Paige built her business as a solopreneur graphic designer to a team of 15, helping clients with SEO, online ads, and social media management. Here’s her Take 5, plus more tips for surviving the business lulls below!

What's a recent small win for you and your business?

Paige: A recent small win has been just seeing business pick up again. I am seeing businesses start to engage with their marketing efforts and really trying to get to the root of why their website might be underperforming. We look at what they can be doing to see their money actually go to a place that it should be going.

What's a big piece of advice that you give to your clients?

Paige: A lot of them want to back off anytime there's a little bit of scarcity. I really think that's the time to double down, whether it be your digital presence, your website, or just adjusting how you're spending your money. But instead of just saying, ‘Hey, we're going to stop [investing in marketing],’ ask ‘How do we double down in the correct way and make sure we're seeing measurable results out of it?’ I do it myself anytime business is a little slow. I think we have to either change or we need to be doubling down. A lot of clients come to us when the pipeline is already dry and money is tight and they’re hoping for a quick fix. Marketing, unfortunately, isn't a quick fix.

See more tips for surviving business lulls below!

What's an unexpected business challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?

Paige: I think one of the bigger challenges that we've run into has been more on the employee side, some of the retention or the hiccups that come along the way and then just learning from them. So how can we be a better, stronger company coming out of this and how do we use it as a growing opportunity?

How has the Verizon Small Business program helped propel your business forward?

Paige: I learned about the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). It's a free resource that’s self-paced and very digestible. The variety of topics it covers is a large gamut for any size business. The Selling with Storytelling course, especially, was really valuable to me, just really getting your messaging out there. I laugh that I sometimes enjoy the marketing ones a little bit more just because it is a refresher or another take on how we do this.

Thanks Paige!

Here Are More B+C Tips For Surviving The Small Business Lulls

Photo by Kampus Production

  1. Refine Your Strategy
    • Review your business plan and goals. Are you on track? What can be improved?
    • Analyze customer feedback and sales data to spot trends and areas where you can grow.
  2. Boost Your Marketing Efforts
    • Refresh your website or social media profiles. Verizon Small Business Digital Ready’s free Put Your Website to Work course will help you get started with best practices for building your business website.
    • Create engaging content through blogs, videos, and newsletters. Verizon’s free Creating Compelling Content course can help you create consistent, quality content for your target customers.
    • Offer promotions or limited-time discounts to attract new customers.
  3. Invest in Learning
    • Take an online course related to your industry, like Verizon’s free Planning for the Unexpected course for building resiliency in your business.
    • Stay updated on industry trends and innovations.
    • Engage with customers too. Send personalized emails to loyal customers or clients. Ask for reviews!
  4. Improve Your Processes
    • Streamline operations or explore new tools to increase your efficiency.
    • Organize your workspace and declutter your digital files.
  5. Self-Care and Rest
    • Take advantage of the slower pace to recharge. A refreshed mindset is exactly what you need to bring forth fresh ideas!

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Tree Ring Digital.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces.

digital ready programgraphic designsmall business ownersmall business tipssocial mediasponsoredsmall business

12 "Wacky" Daylight Saving Facts (& How to Make the Transition Easier)

Only two states in the United States don't observe daylight saving time, observing standard time year-round: Arizona and Hawaii. After all, they argue, these states already get plenty of sun. The other 48 states – AKA the rest of us – will spring forward our clocks by one hour on Sunday, March 9, at least for now. It's been reported that it's on the table for abolishing. While it's my favorite time of year (who doesn't love the longer days?), it comes with some not so good health news. Let's get into what you can expect this daylight saving time!

Here are 12 wacky facts you may not know about daylight saving time.

Canva Studio

1. Most of us are saying it wrong.

The correct term is actually "daylight saving time" — singular, not plural. Despite common usage, "saving" is used as an adjective describing the act of conserving daylight, not a plural noun.

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2. The time change has been linked to more hospital visits.

The American Heart Association found that the time change showed an increase in cases of heart attack and stroke. A scientific study found a rise in cases of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), a condition that resulted in irregular heartbeats with symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, and fatigue. The increase was more prevalent among women and occurred only during the spring daylight saving time shift, not with the fall clock change.

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3. There are more car accidents during this time.

Losing an hour of sleep can also impact your road safety. A study found that the spring daylight saving time transition increases the risk of fatal traffic accidents in the U.S. by 6 percent.

Andrea Piacquadio

4. DST can increase your cortisol and stress levels.

Losing sleep and disrupting your body’s natural rhythm can do more than just leave you feeling groggy — it can actually spike your cortisol levels, the hormone linked to stress. Research shows that sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment can trigger an increase in cortisol, along with inflammatory markers and cytokine imbalances. Since cortisol and inflammatory proteins are released in response to stress, chronic elevations could contribute to long-term health issues.

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5. We're at higher risk of depression.

Many people report mood disturbances during this time, but for those with bipolar disorder, the effects can be particularly destabilizing. For instance, a 2020 study found that the change impacts mood disorders, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. An Australian study revealed a significant increase in male suicide rates in the weeks following the start of daylight saving time, compared to both the weeks after the return to standard time and the rest of the year.

Pixabay

6. Benjamin Franklin first suggested the concept.

He didn’t technically invent daylight saving time (as some have reported), but he did conceive the idea a century before it was credited to George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand artist who formally proposed it in an 1895 paper. Benjamin Franklin observed that if people in France adjusted their schedules to sleep when it was dark and wake with the sunrise, they could save hundreds of francs on candles — making artificial lighting less necessary.

Andy Feliciotti

7. There's already buzz to make DST permanent.

The Sunshine Protection Act is a proposed U.S. law aiming to make daylight saving time permanent, eliminating the need to change clocks twice a year.

Anna Shvets

8. Farmers actually fought against it.

Contrary to popular belief, farmers have never supported daylight saving time. In fact, they opposed its implementation and, in 1919, an agricultural lobby even pushed for its repeal.

Max Vakhtbovycn

9. We may actually consume more energy because of it.

While many believe daylight saving time conserves energy, research suggests it may actually do the opposite. A University of California-Santa Barbara study indicated that daylight saving time might increase consumption. A 2017 study in the International Association for Energy Economics Journal further supports this idea, noting that longer daylight hours can lead to more air conditioning in summer and heating in cooler months.

Federico Respini

10. Daylight saving time was extended in 2007.

First started in Germany, the U.S. adopted daylight saving time in 1918 and standardized it across the country with the passage of the 1966 Uniform Time Act, which gave the federal government oversight over the time change. It originally called for the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. President George W. Bush’s Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended it from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, starting in 2007.

Bhargava Marripati

11. About 70 countries observe daylight saving time.

Countries like Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and those in the European Union observe daylight saving time either nationwide or in select regions. Meanwhile, most African and Asian nations — including India, China, and Japan — opt out of the time change entirely.

Kaylah Matthews

12. You can beat the clock.

Despite the health risks and safety concerns of daylight saving time, you can take steps to combat fatigue and adjust within a week. Here are B+C's 5 Best Ways to Beat Daylight Saving Time Fatigue.

Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more health and wellness news!

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5 Reasons Why Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs Love Selling on Whatnot

Whatnot
live selling platform

There are so many ways you can reach customers today, from online marketplaces to social media platforms, websites and beyond. But which is right for you? To keep up with the fast-paced world of online selling, you want to explore ways to stand out in your market and create new revenue streams. A unique way that’s proven to be fun and actually effective for many small businesses? Live selling.

What exactly is live selling? Think of it as your own online show, where you invite new and loyal customers to chat and join in a livestreamed auction of whatever you’re selling. Entrepreneurs sell everything from trading cards, comic books, and memorabilia to fashion, beauty, electronics, and even live plants on Whatnot’s livestream platform. They share product details in real-time, chatting directly with potential buyers, and selling to the highest bidder.

Here are five reasons why small business owners are loving Whatnot to build their business, grow their online community, and connect with their customers.

1. Create new revenue streams

As a small business owner, you want to look for additional ways to boost your income or diversify your revenue streams. With Whatnot, you can tap into the rapidly growing livestream shopping market and boost your bottom line. In fact, according to Whatnot’s State of Livestream Selling Report, 66 percent of Whatnot sellers earn more than $10,000 per month through livestream selling, and one in four sellers report making over $300,000 each year! That’s a pretty sweet side hustle, andyou may even find it’s your favorite way to sell.

2. Build your community

Whatnot isn’t just a sales platform; it’s a space where you can build a strong community. Through livestream selling, you can connect with customers in real-time, build meaningful relationships, and host dynamic auctions or flash sales – turning sales into engaging experiences that drive loyalty and repeat business.

3. Reach a wider audience

Finding the right customers is critical, and your odds are better when you can reach a broader audience instantly. Whatnot’s interactive format lets you share your product or service with millions of users. Livestreaming offers a way to reach potential customers who may not have discovered your business through traditional channels.

4. Make selling and buying more fun!

Whatnot takes e-commerce to the next level by making sales more interactive and fun. Livestream selling turns ordinary sales into exciting events, with real-time auctions, flash sales, and engaging chats. This approach not only boosts sales but also creates memorable experiences that keep customers coming back for more.

5. Stay competitive

By offering a platform that blends community and commerce, Whatnot empowers small business owners to scale faster, adapt to market changes, and stay competitive. The sense of community is an element that makes the sale less transactional and more relational. And that’s good for business!

Learn how to become a seller on Whatnot today – it’s a total game changer!

businessbusiness advicebusiness tipscareerentrepreneurlive sellingmoneyside hustlesponsoredwhatnotworksmall business

You Probably Just Missed The First Clip Of 'The Bear' Season 4

TV viewers are feasting thanks to Hulu. Not only are we getting five seasons of Only Murders in the Building in five years, but we've also gotten a new season of The Bear every year since 2022.

If you watched the Oscars, you were probably tuned into the best dressed stars and Emma Stone's great BFF moment (and maybe even caught moments between Hollywood's new It couple Andrew Garfield & Monica Barbaro) but there's one thing you might have missed: the first footage of Ayo Edebiri in The Bear season 4!

Here's a breakdown of that clip from The Bear season 4 starring Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss Bachrach.

@rottentomatoes Ayo Edebiri in our first look at #TheBear Season 4. #rottentomatoes#tv#tvshow#tvtok#firstlook#hulu#fx#teaser#ayoedebiri#jeremyallenwhite♬ original sound - Rotten Tomatoes

A commercial during the Oscars surprised us with a new clip from The Bear season 4. It's pretty straightforward, but it finally addresses something I've known from the very beginning: the staff of The Bear restaurant are a family, y'all!!

"Sometimes I feel like your work family is part of your family family," Sydney says, while clips Richie, Marcus, Luca, and Sydney's dad play in the background. After all that drama at the end of season 3, not to mention the fact that Sydney accidentally stumbled upon a new job opportunity, this definitely looks like a job interview to me.

Maybe Sydney does go through with the interview for a new restaurant, but when she learns they don't approach staff life the same way, she realizes that, despite its (many) flaws, The Bear is her true family. We haven't even gotten a full episode and I'm making myself emotional!

One question I've had from the very beginning of the series is whether we'll see Sydney and Carmy couple up. And actors Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White finallyaddressed the rumorsduring season 3's press conference.

“There was no talk in the rooms about any romantic implications,” Jeremy said. “[Carmy's] not the best communicator, but he will often make a sort of grand gesture like that to try and communicate to Syd or the kitchen or whomever."

“He’s got a lot going on in his mind all the time, and people aren’t always aware of exactly what’s going on," he continued. "You’ll see, obviously, how that affects Carmen and Syd’s relationship, but I think Carmen’s trying to welcome her in a little bit was the point of the partnership agreement.”

“Carmy is somebody that I think she’s really looked up to, but now is sort of in the thick of doing business with,” Ayo added. “It’s, I think, a lot more chaotic than she might have idealized before they really started working together.”

Check out The 8 Best TV Shows To Watch On Hulu This Month for more amazing shows to stream once you've rewatched all of The Bear.

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7 Spring 2025 Beauty Trends To Glow All Season

City Beauty
beauty products

Spring 2025 beauty is all about bold yet wearable, polished yet playful looks. From the return of the lip liner to fresh, nature-inspired nail and eye colors, this season’s trends blend nostalgia with modern minimalism. Expect soft, dramatic eyes, skincare-infused makeup, and lip liner that enhances without overpowering. These trends are all about embracing your natural features in an elevated, beautiful way so you glow, and look your best, all season.

Here are spring 2025 beauty trends to try this season.

City Lips® Defining Liner

Liner Revival

The lip liner trend for spring 2025 embraces bold definition with a fresh, modern twist. This season, it's about pairing rosy nudes with soft, lighter lip colors and rich, warm tones with deep browns and cherry reds for a sculpted, high-impact look. City Lips Defining Liner is our favorite new lip liner. It prevents color fading, smudging, and feathering, so you can keep your look intact all day or night! It’s available in two pretty shades: Blush, a soft, rosy nude that pairs beautifully with pink hues and lighter lip colors, and Willow, a rich, warm-toned nude that complements brown tones and deeper shades.

City Beauty

Multitasking Makeup

The trend toward skincare-infused makeup is making your beauty routine work harder with nourishing ingredients. City Lips Defining Liner features vitamin E, helping to keep the lip line smooth while subtly enhancing its shape for a fuller, more defined look. For the ultimate plump and polish, pair the pigmented liner with City Lips Plumping Gloss — a duo that gives you a naturally voluminous pout, plus extra hydration.

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Pastel Pop

From butter yellow to sage green, this season’s nail trends are embracing soft, yet statement-making hues that bring a fresh pop of color. Alongside these chic shades, almond-shaped nails are offering a sleek, elegant look that flatters your mani aesthetic.

Monserrat Tosca | Dupe

'90s Nostalgia

A softer, smudged take on the classic cat-eye is making waves, with eyeliner staging a bold comeback in full, effortless sweeps. Blue eyeshadow is also back and better. Expect a nod to cool-toned, ’90s grunge eyes, a trend that lends itself to easy, minimalist lines, like a single, clean swipe of liner, proving that less can truly be more.

Claire Craig | Dupe

Lobs, Bobs & Natural Manes

Haircut season is in full swing, and lighter, fuss-free bobs at all above-shoulder lengths, plus natural curls, are making their way in and out of salons for spring. We couldn't be happier for the low-maintenance 'dos!

Katie Mansfield | Dupe

Satin Skin

This understated look highlights healthy, natural skin with a soft-matte finish — radiant, yet never flat or overly glossy.

City Beauty

Glossy lips, instead, shine this season. Upgrade your lip routine this spring with City Beauty’s new City Lips Defining Liner and lip glosses for a refreshed look.

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