Um. Yeah's.

This recipe could also be called "Num Num Nummy Num's". :) I adore all things chocolate and peanut butter...I am also a sucker for a good 'ol rice krispie treat...here is the best of both of those worlds...and a bag of "po-tay-to chips"... Of course I could be over the moon for them because they were the first thing I ate since the apple I had pre-dentist appointment 9am this morning...it took until 2pm before I could taste again...let alone eat...

Don't be intimidated because it looks like a lot of steps or because of the word "fudge" 1)because it's not so complicated...2)it is well worth it. 3)your friends and family will thank you. :)

Rice Krispy Treats

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• - OR -
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispy Cereal (or any puffed rice cereal)

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Make Peanut Butter Fudge.Peanut Butter Fudge

• 1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound powdered sugar

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour over the Rice Krispy treats in the pan and spread evenly. Let cool in the fridge while you make the Chocolate Fudge.

Easy Chocolate Fudge

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, and vanilla,. Beat for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows melt and mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour over peanut butter fudge, spread evenly and place in the fridge to harden and cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces or smaller.

p.s. I got this recipe concoction HERE. :)

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And the WINNER of the Noodle and Lou print is Karen!! :) Karen, let me know you saw this then contact Jenn to claim your prize!! :)

AND...ALL holiday cards and tags (plus some other Christmas goodies) are all 50% off!! I am shipping pretty much daily so go grab some bargains up while you can. :)

And with that...I am off to take a nap...seriously..who knew a trip to the dentist could wear you out so much...and if you want to steal some cute Christmas gift ideas that you still have time to make...go visit Meg. :)

Hope your Monday is delish! :)

xoxo

Case in point...

After a particularly rough visit to Sam's club yesterday morning (thanks to every snotty person in town showing up to be rude and obnoxious to me)...I barely made it to the car without crying...as we are leaving the parking lot I notice a note tucked into the windshield wiper..."Oh GREAT!" I thought immediately..."Someone has hit the car and left their info for me...great...JUST great"...I get out, snatch the note and get back inside...I am already in tears at this point...I read the note...it says, in Norwegian..."Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...from another Norwegian". Now I am crying for a whole other reason...the man left his FULL name and phone number...along with his warm well wishes. (read two posts back if this makes no sense to you).

Also...I am 29 weeks as of yesterday...and slowing down with every ticking hour...I think baby is a runner...and unhappy with the arrangement of my internal organs...why else would he continually try to move them?

Hope your weekend is well and blessed and full of unexpected greetings. :)
xoxo

Favorite Things Giveaway! Week Seven Part Two-Noodle and Lou Studio

Part TWO of this weeks giveaway comes from Jenn at Noodle and Lou Studio. :) Jenn is just a jewel of a human being...every time I chat with her I just want to hug her! :) She just oozes sweetness and goodness. :) You would have to, to create goodies like the one above right?

Often in her shop you will find these darling little houses...but you have to be on your toes to get one...they go FAST...like, take too long to check out and they are GONE...fast...I happily have a set of three that live in my whimsical bathroom...

She also has a darling little blog where she lets us take a peek into her world of art and family. :) Go say hi! :)

Jenn has kindly offered up a copy of the print above to one lucky winner. :) This is one of my personal favorites...and would make a great gift for anyone on your list. :)

All you have to do to win is to leave a comment on this post...in that comment share what you can do TODAY to make someones day better (then go do it!). :)

Good luck to you...I'll draw a winner on Monday! :)

xoxo

PS. The winner of the Tulip Lady giveaway is Diane! :) Diane please let me know you saw this and then contact Vicki to claim your prize! :)

How I am de-stressing the holidays...

...I am successfully de-stressing the holidays...I really am. You can ask my husband...like I did this morning. :) The proof is in my daily and constant state of "ahhhhhh"...you know what I mean. Want to know how? I thought you might, so I thought I would share...mostly I am reminding myself that very little of what I do in a day to day is required of me. The times that I am stressed the most are the times when I put requirements on myself...all I HAVE to do daily is feed and clothe. I am choosing to see anything else as icing on the cake...lucky for me this method is proving to provide a lot of icing. I am also choosing to live by the motto that "it is the little things that matter"...I can either spend mad hours searching endlessly for THE perfect gift or I can pour my heart into something smaller and meaningful that would mean more in the end anyway. I have nothing to prove by spending more. I continue to live in a daily state of thanks...for Doug, his job and all its perks, for Moses and a healthy baby...for anemia being the only thing that shows up on blood work...for the sweet little baby Jesus. I am also remembering that all the things I really WANT to do, don't all have to be done today...instead I am spreading them all out...for example...I have a list of probably 15 or so people that I plan on sending packages to...so instead of stressing about sending them all out at once...I am just taking 2-3 each time I go to the post office...much nicer. :) Taking the time to talk about Jesus every day with Moses...even if it seems to be small...he is remembering...every day after breakfast he asks for Jesus aka his devotional...as I read it to him he sits quietly and listens and nods and when I am done says Amen...no joke. I love that boy. :) More than anything...I am remembering that the two people I love most in the world are the two I should be focusing on. I want them to have the merriest Christmas of all...and that requires not letting other things be more important. :) How are you de-stressing your holiday?

And our baby Jesus abduction problem has been solved...I was searching high and low for this lovely Little People set...only to find it sold out everywhere I looked (I started at the Christian bookstore that had I have a 25% off coupon for)...I was even searching and calling stores near relatives to find it...I just about gave up...then my sister in law called me to say she happened to stumble upon one that just hit the shelves!!! :) The best part was that she got it for a recent sale price...making it as cheap as it was with my coupon!! :) We have it set up under the tree and Moses will just lay in front of it, his hands holding his head up and stare at it with this sweet look on his face...listening to it play "Away in a Manger" over and over. :) So, so sweet! :)

And here is a recent project...may seem random to you...unless you are Norwegian...then you will probably understand. :) All of Doug's family are from Norway...all four grandparents immigrated here when they were fairly young...and they are pretty proud of their heritage (all Norwegians seem to be---in a very good way). Doug's license plate says Norge and he has a Norway sticker on the back as well...these two things alone have caused people to either stop and ask us where we got them or to ask about the Norwegian heritage. Moses and I were leaving a Lowe's a few weeks ago and a sweet older couple was parked beside us...we got in our car, the older couple pulled out and were pretty much gone...then they pulled back into the spot beside us and excitedly rolled down the window to ask if we were Norwegian. I explained that it was my husbands family that was...which seemed to please this sweet couple and before they pulled away they said "Tell them we said Hi!". :)
Anyway...one of Doug's relatives had me make her a string of Norwegian flags a while back and now she has requested a set of Puerto Rican ones for her soon to be son-in-law. This time I am using different, more easy to work with materials...so I tried out a couple of Norwegian flags. :) I love them!! The red in the photo is not quite the color they are in real life...it's more a blue red than the orange red that shows...Let me know if any of you Norwegians out there need some of these cuties...

...they will find a happy spot among the other Norwegian items on our tree...like this one...

...and these. :) And now that I have probably bored you to tears...I am going to find something else to do...like write my Christmas letter. :)

I still want to hear how you are de-stressing your holiday...

xoxo

Who knew gift wrapping was an instinct?

The other day, on a whim, I decided that Moses may like gift wrapping...or at least be entertained enough watching to let me get some done...and I had a few things intended for Doug to wrap who I knew wouldn't mind a toddler wrapped gift...

I was surprised at how much he knew how to do...with no instruction. All I did was cut the paper to size and let him go at it...the gift in these photos was ALL his doing...I promise all I did was watch and hand him pieces of tape...

I showed him how we put a label on...then write the names on it...

After the first one his insisted that all of the gifts were to be marked "To:daddy ,From:Moses"

I think he did a good job for being just two...

Apparently the key is LOTS of tape. :) When I got the bag of bows out (which I bought only because I thought he would like them) he was trembling with excitement!!! Since we did this a few days ago he will entertain himself for hours using tissue paper to wrap and unwrap his toys...who knew a few cents of tissue paper could be so fun?

Hoping that you can find some joy and trembling in the little things today! :)
xoxo

Reasons to smile in December...

First off...this photo just makes me smile. :) Moses and I were making cookies yesterday afternoon...I turn around for a second, then turn back around to see him admiring himself in the reflection of the mixing bowl. Do you see how pleased he is to see himself? Michelle...does this remind you of anyone and a certain TV incident?
He mostly has a supervisory role when it comes to making cookies...he makes sure I add enough chocolate chips...

and that I don't let the cookies burn. :)

Here is what I consider the worlds best chocolate chip cookie recipe.
I will never make any other variation.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

One more reason to smile today...Doug, Moses and I went to the post office this morning after my doctors appointment (glucola day...blech!). Two people ahead of me in line there was a man with long white hair, long white beard and a white mustache. Sound familiar? So we are there, the line is moving along nicely...when suddenly Moses notices this man ahead of us. Out of the blue and loud enough for anyone within a few people of us in line to hear Moses says "Santa...SEE him!"...he may or may not have pointed. Without a word Doug leaves the line and walks away with Moses. I am left there holding back tears and laughter. :)

Hope you find ways to smile unexpectedly today! :)
xoxo

Favorite Things Giveaway! Week Seven Part One-The Tulip Lady

Part ONE of this weeks giveaway comes from Vicki at The Tulip Lady. :) She has kindly offered up a $15 credit for her shop plus free shipping!! Her shop is chock full of lovelies...any of which would make a great gift for mom, sister, grandma...

I love all of the dainty sweet pieces she has but the three shown here are my favorites by far...

Something about simple is so elegant. :)

So what can you do to win? Simply comment on this post, sharing a favorite Christmas memory from anytime in your life. :) I'll choose the winner on Friday and then we will start all over again with a NEW giveaway. :)

open me first...

So since, if I could, I would send each and every one of you lovely readers a box filled to the brim with Christmas goodness...baked in my own oven, with my own two hands but can't...I thought and I thought and decided to offer you something else you could use...something that will make you feel elated at the deal you got and not bummed that you ate that many chocolate chip cookies...and I thought I would offer it now...not on December 20th when it is too late to use...I have yet to have a sale THIS big and I am going to offer it exclusively to my readers for the first couple of days. :) Yay for you for being SO great and so encouraging! :)

To take advantage of this fabulous deal just write "I'm a blog reader" in the notes to seller when you check out. :) This is good for everything...dolls, owls, towels, ornaments, etc.

PLUS each and every order will get a free set of tags of my choosing!! :)

(25% off does not include shipping---please check out as normal and wait for a revised invoice).

Just my little way of saying thank you...because you should always say thank you!

xoxo

Lately...

...there has been lots of this...I have been trying to purpose myself to not miss the little things...like how Moses gets a magical look on his face when he sees something Christmasey and fun...or sitting with him to watch the Christmas classics on TV...or listening to Moses sing Frosty the Snowman or Happy Birthday to Jesus...

...or taking every cuddle I can get from this little boy...and my wonderful husband...really listening to the words to Oh Holy Night (has the world ever felt quite so weary and in need of a thrill of hope?)...taking the time to do this little craft with Moses, just because I did it when I was little...

...enjoying my cup of coffee in the morning...and greeting my husband happily when he gets home from work...going with the flow...especially with Moses potty training himself...not only will he ask to go at home but now he asks to go when we are out and about too...making the assembling of Christmas (gifts, wrapping, baking, parties) a JOY and not a chore...

Just in general trying to live in a state of constant thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for...I am so blessed that it is often baffling to me...what did I ever do to deserve such a great life? Well...I guess I know that answer...nothing (nothing good at least)...but be in need of a Savior...one who looks past my stupidity and dumb decisions and takes my sins and cast them into the sea like a pebble...who reminds me this time of year and always to..."Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to ALL people". Does it get any better than that?


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Winners of the Mixed Media Mama giveaway are Courtney, April and Sara Luke. Let me know you saw this ladies then contact Chrissie to claim your prize. :)

How to Make Pretty Glitter Ball Ornaments...

We made some of these at MOPS the other day. Just what my tree needed.
To make these you will need...

...some clear glass Christmas balls...

...some ribbon (anything you like), some spray adhesive and
ANY kind/color of glitter that makes you happy...

...this helps...

...so do these...

...start by removing the tops...ever so gently...

...put the opening of the bulb directly against the adhesive nozzle...at a slight angle...make tiny little squirts at 4-5 intervals...(squirt glue, rotate bulb a little, squirt, rotate...about 4-5 times)...

...pour roughly a half to three quarters of a teaspoon of glitter into the bulb...place finger or something else over the hole to plug it up and shake, shake, shake until the entire inside of the bulb is coated in glitter...

...recap the ball and add some ribbon for hanging...

...Ta Da!...You're welcome...now go make some for you! :)
I think these would also make great Christmas gifts, too! :)

Have a Holly Jolly Day!! xoxo

All things Christmas...

Earlier this week we decorated our brand new fake tree...it still feels a little wrong to me...and still doesn't SMELL like Christmas but I am pleased that we bought an artificial one...

We started the night with peppermint hot chocolate...Moses was in bed asleep already...it's so fun to see him come down the morning after we have decorated. :)

We have fun decorations like these...completely toddler proof. :)

Did I mention my love for red birds?
Tree number one...

...covered in fun ornaments like this one...

...and these. :)
Tree number two...covered in all of my red birds. :)

Here is our mantle...I covered lights with the fake snow fluff you buy for Christmas villages. Makes the mantle warm and cozy like. :)

Moses helped decorate trees number three and number four. :)

and this little guy was mine when I was little...Moses loves to play with him. :)

Let's see yours now! :) Leave a link in the comments to your decked out Christmasey home. :)

Want a fun and SIMPLE tutorial for making darling glitter ornaments? Come back Sunday or Monday at the latest. :) You will need....clear glass ornaments, glitter in various colors, spray glue and ribbon. I promise you can make these. :) See you then!

xoxo