As the holidays approach, many of us become overwhelmed feeling as if we need to keep up with “Martha.”

Even though all her suggestions denote, “It’s a good thing,” it’s never good if it leaves us stressed, discouraged or feeling as if we can’t measure up in the creativity department. I love to surround myself with women who help bring out my creative side by sharing their inexpensive and easy solutions, still celebrating the magic of doing something extra special without leaving me as a “Domestic Diva Dropout.” I want to Be More and Do Less!

pumpkin cakeOne of my best friends, Rebecca, did just that for me yesterday when she graced our snack table with this perfect pumpkin creation. I could give you an amazing pumpkin cake recipe (which could be a follow up post if you need it), but that defeats the purpose of this post. Of course, my first choice is to mix up an amazing homemade batter, but let’s give each other permission to do something special, and use a store bought cake mix (gasp, but free to me with coupons) if you’re short on time.

Using the beauty of a simple bundt cake pan, which you can find at most yard sales or any store, spend your precious minutes whipping up this “looks like it took five hours cake,” in minutes (well, minus the bake time, of course).

She used a basic cream cheese frosting recipe for the pumpkin, and added a very small amount of concentrated food coloring (from a craft store). You may use basic food coloring, but will need to add a bit more sugar to account for the extra liquid.

pumpkin stem using cone

Isn’t her idea of using an ice cream cone genius? She “painted” the cone with melted green chocolate wafers (AC Moore or Michaels).  You could use frosting, but it would need to be stiffened a little more than the cake frosting.

So how does that fit into my “31 Days to More with Less” theme? Give yourself permission to DO less during the holidays. People will not scorn and whisper if you just don’t have time to whip up that five layer German Chocolate Cake with hand crushed vanilla beans, and specialty chocolate flown in for the occasion. It’s about sharing the sweets together that make it memorable.

BE MORE: Do less!

31daysmore125 31 Days to More with Less: How Much Do You Want It?
Click here for my previous 31 Days to More with Less posts.

My 31 Day girlfriends: Chatting at the Sky, Nesting Place, My First Kitchen, Life With My 3 Boybarians, Reluctant Entertainer, TheInspired Room, Remodeling This Life