~Six Months Until Christmas!~

Christmas is my favorite holiday and as of today it is six months away.  This makes me excited but also a little anxious.  You may think six months is a long time but really before you know it the holiday season will be here.  Seems like every year the Christmas season starts a little earlier than the last.  I’ve see Christmas items come out as early as Halloween.  Either way it doesn’t matter because this year I will be READY!  Ok, every year I say this but I really want this to be my goal this year.  Typically I shop year round.  I already have more gifts stashed away this year than I have in the previous years so I’m feeling good about having shopping done early.

Me with all my ornaments, yes I have a lot and each year I collect more! For those of you that live in Washington you know so far our spring and summer has been pretty glum...  It’s almost July and we have maybe had a handful of sunny days in the 70’s with no rain and blue skies.  So you might think I’m crazy for talking about winter with our summer being so lacking but I’m looking at the “bright” side.

Our Christmas tree last year.  This year it will be bigger!

My kitty Stamper.  He loves Christmas too!

Let the Christmas Count Down Begin!

Recipe Monday: Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn is one of my favorite “game day” snacks.  This salty and sweet snack goes great with baseball and soccer season.  It’s a great snack for kids and adults alike.  I tried this recipe out because I love buying kettle corn when we go see the Sounders play.  For those who aren’t from Seattle the Sounders are Seattle’s awesome Major League Soccer Team!  We are season ticket holders and have been since the first season.  We just started the third season.  It’s great to go to games however it’s not so great paying stadium prices for food and drinks.  Even though you can’t bring beer in to the stadium you can bring bottled beverages (still sealed) and food.  I decided to try out this kettle corn recipe since I’m always buying it at the stadium at $5 per bag.  After purchasing all the ingredients for this recipe I spent about $5 and can make kettle corn for each home game plus some!  I just saved a ton of money.  Here is the recipe if you are interested in making your own game day snack.

Prep Time: 5 minutes  |  Cook Time: 15 minutes | Yields about 5 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the sugar and popcorn. Cover, and shake the pot constantly to keep the sugar from burning. Once the popping has slowed to once every 2 to 3 seconds, remove the pot from the heat and continue to shake for a few minutes until the popping has stopped. Pour into a large bowl, and allow to cool, stirring occasionally to break up large clumps.

*Note:  I like to add some sea salt to my popcorn once finished.  After the popcorn cools down fill a bag full and pack it up to take to the game. 

For a direct link to this recipe click HERE.

Tulip Treasury

I love tulips…but not as much as the previous owners of our home did.  Last year we closed on the house the end of April and the tulips had already sprouted and bloomed.  Here is a picture of me last year with the yellow tulips.  Once the yellow tulips were done blooming and slowly started to die red tulips started to come up.  This past weekend I decided to de-clump the tulips and disperse them throughout our garden beds for more color.  There are so many to move!  Our goal is to re-landscape the area I am standing in but I don’t want the tulips to get ruined.  Needless to say I still have lots more to move.  I thought putting together a tulip treasury would be fitting.  Here are some of my favorite tulip items made by Etsy sellers.   

This Sterling Silver Tulip Charm Pendant is hand cut.  What a special necklace to buy for a gift or for yourself.  You can find this necklace for purchase at Erin Bowe’s Etsy Shop. 

Need a cake stand?  Check out this amazing Tulip Garden Pedestal Cake/Dessert Stand from Isabella Designs on Etsy.  This gorgeous cake stand was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings.

My favorite color is purple so naturally this Perfect Purple Tulip Photograph caught my eye.  Like this photo?  Take a look at Shutterbug Creations Etsy Shop for more beautiful flower photos.

This Tulip Cat Collar screams spring!  Buy this cute color for your little kitty today from Bigpaw Collars Etsy Shop.

Recipe Monday: Crumb-Coated Chicken Thighs

I was looking for an easy recipe to cook dinner the other day and came across this one on All Recipes.  Not only was it super easy to make but I had all the ingredients on hand. 

Here is the recipe if you are interested in making some quick and easy chicken!  I imagine you could use any piece of the chicken but I followed the recipe and used thighs.  Make sure to remove the skin prior to coating!  This way you can eat the yummy topping unless you can afford the calories/fat in eating the skin.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35-45 minutes |  Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 (5 ounce) chicken thighs, skin removed

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F.

For a direct link to this recipe click HERE. 

Kindle Addiction

I have always loved to read.  To me reading is relaxing.  You can use your imagination unlike watching TV.  Before my Kindle I used to go to Half Price Books and stock up on books.  I would trade books with family and friends.  I never kept books on a shelf unless it’s a book I absolutely love like my Dewey book.  Typically it would take me a few weeks to finish an average size novel, maybe 350 to 500 pages.  Now I’m reading books at lightning speed!  Well, maybe not that fast but you know what I mean.   

Last Christmas my husband bought me my Kindle and it really has changed the way I read books.  I read more often than I ever did before.  Since Christmas last year I have read 6 books in 3 months.  That’s a record for me!   The convenience of such a small device definitely adds to my Kindle reading addiction.  I like to read before bed and holding a Kindle is so much easier and more comfortable than a paperback book with my Mighty Bright Book Light attached to it.  I have the Kindle cover with light now and love it!  The best part about it is that the LED light runs off the Kindle battery.  It does drain the battery a little faster but not by much…no more buying AAA batteries for my Mighty Bright Book Light.  Kindle goes green in more ways than one!      

The best part about the Kindle is that it is user friendly and the books are competitively priced.  The abundance of free books is impressive.  I have just reached 100 books and I’d say that 90 of those are free!  If you are on Facebook you should definitely become a “fan” of the Kindle Page and my new favorite Pixel of Ink.

I see one issue with my Kindle addiction…it is competing with my crafting addiction!  I guess having choices is good!  Happy Reading!

Traditional Greeting Cards vs. Electronic Greetings

Checking the mail is not any fun when all you see is junk mail, credit card applications, catalogs and bills!  Every now and then you may be interested in a piece of junk mail or the occasional coupon but typically it all goes in the shredder never to be seen again.  Mail is a necessary evil.  We will never stop receiving it.  You can complete an opt out form, you can sign up for e-bills, you can call creditors and tell them to stop sending you credit card applications but it will continue to be delivered. 

Why not brighten someone’s day by sending a greeting card?  Personally I love going through the mail to look for coupons and grocery ads…but nothing makes me more happy then seeing a hand addressed envelope!   

Traditional Greeting cards are tangible.  They show the recipient that you took time to choose a card, personalize it, address it and put it in the outgoing mail box.  E-Cards come in an array of colors, themes, can be animated and play music, and are sent within minutes with little to no time spent.  E-Cards are immediate but tend to be more casual and their place in the professional world can be questionable.  You might find greeting cards proudly displayed on the mantle above the fireplace but the chances of someone printing out their E-Card to display is slim.

To me it’s personal preference.  Whether you send a traditional greeting or an E-Card it’s the thought that counts.  Being a greeting card maker of course I’ll tell you that the traditional card outweighs the electronic version.  I have to say that when I am the recipient of a tangible greeting card nothing means more.

I pledge to keep on designing, personalizing, hand addressing, and stamping traditional greeting cards to send to my family and friends.  It’s a great feeling to hear the gratitude in their voice after opening the card.  So much better than getting a reply message in my email saying thank you.

Make Cake Balls Instead of Cookies For Valentine’s Day!

Looking for a fun Valentine’s Day baking project?  Try making these amazing Cake Balls!  These are easy to make and fun to decorate.  Perfect fun for kids and a great alternative to making cut out sugar cookies that are a lot of work to make. 

Prep Time:
40 Min

Cook Time:
30 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr 10 Min

Original Recipe Yield 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting
• 1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

Directions

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended.
2. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

*Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com*