Coffee Dessert

If you are looking for a new recipe to try for your family gatherings this holiday season well then look no further.  This delicious delight quickly became a family favorite when my mother-in-law made it just a few years after we were married. When my husband's brother and sister- in- law come to visit from Wisconsin, this dessert is on their food wish list for Mom to make.  It is not uncommon to find someone eating it for breakfast.  After all it has coffee in the ingredients list. And with brownies and candy bars you just can't go wrong.

Here is the details for your preparation:
1 pkg brownie mix prepared in a 9x13 pan
1 3/4 cups cold milk
2 pkgs white chocolate instant pudding (the small boxes)
1/4 cup warm water
4 tsp instant coffee granules
2 cups cool whip
3 Heath Bars

Make the brownies according to the package and let cool.  Whisk pudding into milk until it thickens. Dissolve coffee in the warm water and add to the pudding.  Mix well then fold in the cool whip.
Cut brownies into 1 inch cubes, chop candy bar. Now layer 1/3 brownie cubes, 1/3 pudding mixture, 1/3 chopped candy bar.  Repeat.  Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

It's a crowd pleaser that they will be asking to repeat in the years to follow.  What are your favorite holiday treats to make for your families during this season?

Gifts for Baby

Christmas gifts for babies are my favorite.  My little guy will be 10 months old for his first Christmas, and below is what I am planning on getting him.  Yes, it is all from Ikea.  I have a slight obsession with the store to begin with, and I have been known to linger in the toy area for an hour or more.  The toys are great for boys and girls, and lots of them are wooden (which I personally love). The toys we have purchased from Ikea have held up great to a lot of wear and tear (hello, babysitting with 5 kids 6 and under).

What are you favorite toys for little ones?

Gifts for Baby by amyfeuer on Polyvore

IKEA Ekorre
ikea.com

IKEA MULA Bead roller coaster
ikea.com

LEKA Play book
ikea.com

IKEA MULA Stacking rings, multicolor, beech
ikea.com

IKEA MULA Toy hammering block, multicolor
ikea.com

IKEA MULA Shape sorter, multicolor
ikea.com

IKEA MULA Stack &nest cups
ikea.com

SMÅKRYP
ikea.com

Macaroni Art

Ok.  The title is a little misleading.  This should actually be called "fettuccine art".  Because that is what I used.  I was surfing pinterest/blogs and I came across an image and an idea that I wanted to try.  I decided to combine the two and put them on my ever-evolving chalkboard.

I used this tutorial and this image as inspiration.

Following the tutorial (but using what I had on hand), I cut out some feathers from a cereal box and glued on fettuccine pieces.

I then grabbed some purple, green and gold paint and slapped it on.

I wanted to use some fancy washi tape to put them up on the chalkboard but couldn't find it.  So I used some black electrical tape.  Nothing but the best in my craft room!  But I think it works.  I then drew the phrase "give thanks" on the board.  Finally, I asked my family to shout out what they were thankful for and I wrote the words up there, too.

It was a fast project and now I feel a bit festive for Thanksgiving.  Usually my favorite things don't take a lot of time.  And when thanksgiving is over, it won't take any time at all to erase this and make it festive for the next holiday.  What is after Thanksgiving anyway?  Can anyone remind me?  ha. ha.  :)

Counting Your Blessings

 

 

I know a lot of people want to get out their Christmas decorations shortly after Halloween is over, but I love to take the time and enjoy the Thanksgiving season first.  Last year, I started asking my daughter, who was 3 at the time, what she was thankful for each day of November.  We started on November 1st and finished up after Thanksgiving as we were finally putting out Christmas decorations.  It has officially become one of our family 'traditions', so I thought I would share it with you all in case you were interested in counting your blessings with your little ones too in a fun and unique way. You can also see Bekah's fun idea HERE for a gratitude jar.

 

At the end of October, I took some construction paper and cut out some 'leaves' in different fall colors.  Each day, I ask my daughter to tell me one thing she is thankful for and then I write it on the leaf and add it to our blessing 'garland' on our mantle held up by a simple clothespin hanging on twine.  You could do this on a poster board, string them with ribbon.  The possibilities are endless.  It is fun to hear their responses each day and to plant the seed of taking the time to remember what we are thankful for always. 

 

 

 

At the time I prepared this post, we were on day 10.  It is fun to see the mantel populate with leaves of thankfulness as the days pass by and we approach Thanksgiving Day. 

 

 

 

What are some fun ways you count your blessings this time of the year with your kids?

Gratitude Jar

Our kids have been learning about gratitude at church this month and each week they send a "God Time" paper home that has four small devotions on them. With each devotion there is a project or activity that goes with it.  Last week they read one based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This was so great for me to read not just for my kids. Sometimes being a Mom comes with constant interruption and too often the silly things that don't go my way end up stealing my joy. I tend to get into these"Negative Nancy" moods, no offense to anyone named Nancy out there.  I fixate on all the things that went wrong in the day or not the way I intended them to. Sometimes my kids behavior even seems to dictate my mood.  I don't have to let it control me,it's really a choice.  My parents have always told us growing up if we said "that made me mad or she/he made me mad" they reminded us that so and so didn't make you angry- you chose to be angry. This devotion was a huge reminder that I need to CHOOSE to be thankful and change my attitude no matter what random and inconvenient thing may happen during my day. Even when my child dumps the entire jug of orange juice on my freshly shampooed carpet (don't ask why he had the entire jug in a carpeted area to begin with). I need to say thanks for the fact that we have orange juice so readily available nearby and we have carpet to pad our feet. I need to remind myself daily of these things we seem to take for granted. The activity with this devotion was to make a thankfulness jar.

I chose a  coffee mate creamer container and spray painted it a fall gold color.  Then painted the lid a complimentary burgundy red.  I found some really nice shaped chalkboard labels at Michael's and glued it to the front.  With a chalk pen, this was a new tool I just discovered and was pretty stoked about, I wrote "We're thankful for..." on the label per my son's request. I would have just been generic and wrote "Gratitude jar" but my oldest son told me to write the latter because it has an ellipsis and he likes those.  I didn't even know what those three dots were called. Someone has been paying attention in school!  Now when I am having one of my "Nancy" moments I can remember to add a paper with a note of thanksgiving to the jar because there really is always something to be thankful for. At dinner I might have everyone contribute a note of thanksgiving about their day.  At the end of the month we will take all the papers out and read them aloud.  This jar is something that should stay up all year round not just during this holiday season, don't ya think?

Crochet Headband with ruffle flowers

If you see me this week, I will probably be crocheting.  Or possibly running to the store for more supplies to crochet something.  Rachel and I are doing a craft fair this weekend, and I am so excited!

One of the items I will have at the craft fair is this headband with ruffled flowers.  If you know how to crochet (or you want to learn) this is a super simple item to make.  The entire piece requires just one stitch.

These little headbands are great for using up smaller amounts of yarn, and they can be whipped up very quickly.

All you need is some worsted weight yarn and two hooks Size I and Size G (if you want to get fancy grab a J as well).

If you find your work is a little tight on the side you chain, start with a J hook and chain 55-65 (it will depend on the size of your head--with an I hook 62 seems to be the perfect size when I make them).
Connect your last chain to your beginning chain being careful not to twist.  Half Double Crochet in each stitch and keep making rows until you get to the width you are looking for (9 rows for the headband shown).  Tie off your yarn, and sew in your tails, and get ready to make some ruffle flowers.

The Half Double Crochet (HDC) is used for the flowers as well, but this time we are doing it in rounds.  I used a Size G hook for the flowers.
Chain 2
Rnd 1:  10 HDC in the 2nd chain.  Slip Stitch in the first HDC (10 HDC)
Rnd 2:  Ch 2,  2 HDC in same stitch.  *3 HDC in next stitch* repeat all the way around (30 HDC)
Rnd 3:  Ch 2,  2 HDC in same stitch.  *3 HDC in next stitch* repeat all the way around (90 HDC)
Rnd 4:  Ch 2,  2 HDC in same stitch.  *3 HDC in next stitch* repeat all the way around (270 HDC)

Tie off the flower, and then make 2 more.  Connect the flowers to your headband and you are finished.

Happy Crocheting :)

A Fall Wreath

My front door wreath has looked the same way for a solid two years and I was ready for a new look.  When I saw this tutorial on making a garland out of scraps, I knew that I wanted to give it a try and I was hoping that it wouldn't take long.  I wasn't disappointed.  My wreath makeover took about 10-15 minutes and I couldn't be happier with it.

Scrappy garland plus a brown cardstock welcome banner.  It makes me smile and couldn't be simpler.

Have you done any simple upgrades to your front door recently?  Or have you left it as is for a couple of years like I had?

Displaying Your Child's Artwork

 

I love all of the fun crafts and pictures my little ones create and color, but displaying them can be a challenge.  After a few months of my refrigerator being overrun by pictures with them consistently falling off, I decided to come up with another option.  We have a long hallway that runs from our kitchen to our garage that is limited on ideas for décor.  It was the perfect place for my idea.  I purchased a vinyl quote on Etsy and placed it on the wall.  Below, I screwed in four screws and tied twine around each one and using clothespins, I proudly hang my children's most recent artwork. Another option would be to use the fun picture hangers from Ikea if you have one nearby.  I can look at it while cooking in the kitchen or my way out to the garage. 

 

My view--it is a beautiful one. :)

 

What are some fun ways you display your children's artwork?