Wordless Wednessday

 

 



How Santa Gets In Without A Fireplace

Not unlike many others, my family and I live in a home without a fireplace. We don't miss it one little bit. The exception to that statement was last week when my beautiful 4 year old daughter had a bit of a meltdown when she realized that the chimney was the entry point for Santa.

In her mind without a fireplace there could be no Santa. No Santa? No presents.

I promised her we would leave the door unlocked so Santa could use the front door and all was once again right with her world. Until bedtime, when she was clearly rethinking the whole thing. As a natural worries she decided that if the door was unlocked for Santa, what was to stop a bad guy from also entering and stealing all those gifts left earlier by the big man?

You see, not only is Roo a worrier she's also famous for being a drama princess, daughter of a self confessed drama queen. So you see, she comes by it honestly.

"Ok honey, we'll figure it out tomorrow, I promise." Once again she seemed appeased at my answer and off to bed she went.

I started Googling and found that you can buy special Santa Keys like this one. Well ok, but it's now too late for me to order and frankly by the time I pay for it and shipping it's going to be an outrageous price that I'm not willing to fork out. That's when the wheels of my crafty brain begin with a squeaky start. I know I've seen cool keys like this before in frames at the dollar store.

I knew it was going to become a neat mother daughter project. Simple and sweet not to mention inexpensive! I found our perfect key, and some holiday ribbon. A thin band of glue around a decorative section then Roo sprinkled glitter to give it just a touch of sparkle! We tied the ribbon into a hanging bow and we were all set! Here is a close up of the detail.



Can you tell she was totally impressed with herself after knowing we'd be safe with Santa having a key. Frankly it never dawned on her that the "bad guy" could also use the key, but we'll cross that bridge if the need arises. Fingers crossed it doesn't because I truly have no further plans.

This is what it looks like on our door! Cute, festive and best of all it didn't cost me a small fortune!

If you are like us, and lack a fireplace you can make your very own Santa Key! How does Santa get into your house? Roo and I would love to hear!

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

 

Every year I take part in a cookie exchange. I have a love hate relationship with it to be honest. I love getting all my holiday goodies by spending only one day actually in the kitchen, but I dread actually finding a recipe that is affordable, not labor intensive and most importantly; delicious!

 

Every year it starts off the same way. I spend ages scouring the Internet for something I haven't yet made. It has to appeal to my family because they will be my guinea pigs. This year I found a cake mix recipe that sounded pretty good but nothing about it said "Christmas cookies" so I altered it to suit my needs.

 

It began as a simple chocolate crinkle cookie and ended ans a mint chocolate crinkle cookie. I really enjoyed them as did my family. In fact my son (Aussie-15) asked me if I would bake him a couple dozen to take to his friends the next night. It passed the teenage test but then they are human trash compactors. The real test was in how they would be received at the cookie exchange.  From the comments of people who I witnessed eating one, it seems they were a great choice.

 



The ingredients were very simple!



Perhaps I shouldn't admit this, but the recipe was so easy my four year

old (Roo) was able to do it on her own. Only asking for help once the

dough got too stiff for her little arms to stir!



Learn from my ignorance. I actually enlisted my daughter to help me smash them by hand.

What a mess! I can safely tell you that I have since learned that you can buy

crushed candy canes seasonally at bulk food stores.





This was a HUGE mistake. In theory it was a fun idea, but once we began

we realized it hurt, and it was messy!



The finished cookies, Festive and yummy!

Ingredients:

1 Box of Devils Food Cake
1/4 Cup Oil
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Crushed Candy Canes
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F
Mix crushed candy can and powdered sugar together in a medium bowl
In a separate large mixing bowl mix eggs and oil together
add cake mix to egg/oil mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, forming a stiff dough.
Roll into 1.5" balls
Dredge balls in the candy cane/powdered sugar mixture.
Place balls about 2" apart on a cookie sheet

Bake Time: 12 minutes.
Yield: 36 Cookies

Do you participate in a cookie exchange?

What are your favorite holiday treats?



Win a Dress From Olivia Rose

Who doesn't love seeing their little girl all dressed up and playing princess? I am no different. After raising a boy for so many years I am really enjoying all the girliness that comes along with my daughter. She plays dress up constantly.The trouble I have is that once she's dressed up she doesn't want to take off her costumes if we have to go out. Nothing more embarrassing that being at No Frills doing groceries with a mini-bride. Yikes!

Wouldn't it be nice if the outfit they chose was something that people would think was just part of their outfit? That's exactly what happened to us when we had to pop to the doctors unexpectedly and Roo refused to take off her tutu. My only saving grace was that it was her new tutu from Olivia Rose. It's not a flimsy, cheaply thrown together tutu. It's really beautiful, the materials are of great quality and it looks very high quality. We have the black one that is topped with satin. So all I did was pop a pair of pants under it and she was good to go. No one looked at her as if she was in costume but rather they complimented her on her cute outfit!

She gets a lot of compliments on her fashion sense but wearing this tutu brought more than usual. She was really quite proud. Of course she's been wearing it non stop since she got it.

I think I need to plan her holiday outfit around it, since I can assume its the new wardrobe staple!

 

 

 

 

Since we love the outstanding quality and customer service  from Olivia Rose we thought we'd share it with YOU! Their products or very hot right now, being featured in the Oh Baby! Holiday gift Guide 2012. They were even at the Golden Globes Gifting Suite! Which means the biggest celeb kids are wearing Olivia Rose! Your kids can too!

Do you have a little girl in your life who would love a new beautiful dress?

We are thrilled to be pairing with Olivia Rose to giving this adorable original satin ruffle dress!!

 

Perfect for any little girl and occasion! The winner will get to choose from red or green!

Giveaway Rules:

• All you have to do to enter is go visit Olivia Rose and leave me a comment below to let me know what you like!
• Be sure to leave your email address if you are not a registered or I won;t be able to contact you if you win. 
• Contest will be open until Sunday Dec 9th 9:00pm
• Open to Residents of Canada (excluding Quebec)
• Winner will be announced on Dec 10th

Good Luck!!

 

Elf On The Shelf

I'd like you to meet Ziffie. Ziffie is the elf that graced our home though the holiday season last year. He was not the scary elf that watched over my children waiting for them to do wrong so he could rush back to Santa to rat on them. I'm of the belief that this is a mean way to introduce the elf on the shelf to my youngest. I didn't want her to be afraid and I didn't want to use hm as a weapon against her for being a little girl. She's rarely "bad", but frequently mischievous. Sometimes her listening skill leave much to be desired but for the most part she is very well behaved little girl.

We wanted her to experience the fin side of the Elf that people are going nuts over. The joy of getting up each morning to search the house for him. We wanted the squeals of delight as she finds him in the middle of some silly, parent created elf shenanigans. For us that was as exciting for us as it was for her. Sometimes we'd spend ages dreaming up a scenario to place him in and other times it was a rushed together idea. Regardless of the time spent on each days tableau was always enjoyed by our little girl.

Our 15 year old also found it moderately entertaining. He even helped out with some of the more modern ideas. Thanks to Aussie, Ziffie has a facebook page complete with photos of his antics.

This year we look forward to his arrival and are still working on a clever way for him to arrive. Once we have it all planned out and done I'll share it with you. In the mean time I'll leave you with some photos from some of last years Elf adventures in our house.

 

 

 

 

 

Well those are a few Ziffie's adventures at our house. I'll be doing a weekly recap of his adventures this year as well so pop back in to see them!

 

Do you have an elf on the shelf?

 

What's the craziest thing you've seen an elf do?

 

 

 

Scaling Back Christmas Spending

It's that time of year. You know, the time of year when we sit around the fireplace roasting chestnuts, enjoying spiced cider and singing Christmas carols until late in the evening. Then with our hearts filled with comfort and joy we head to bed in our comfy pj's for a long winters nap. While the snow gently falls blanketing the earth in white sparkles for us to wake up to.

Um, who are you kidding. That paints a lovely picture, but it sure isn't the reality for many of us these days. It's more like working overtime to scrape together the money for the overindulgent gifts the kids are asking for. Pulling on winter gear to head out in to the mucky, slushy streets to hit up the mall filled with rage fuelled shoppers to get the items you can't really afford in an effort to be the perfect parents to your tech savvy kids. Then you come home whip together a meal to feed your starving family, get them into bed so you can sit breaking your back, wrapping the kiddies presents for hours on end.

Sure we squeeze in some great family time and see people we haven't seen much through the year. We enjoy seeing our kids as the light up when opening that top request on their "must-have" list. But when all is said and done the holidays are long and exhausting, by the time they are over you need a vacation to recover, the problem is after the money you've just shovelled out you have no money left for a vacation!

In the last few weeks I've taken a good hard look at my finances and while I am please to say I am in a better place this year than l was last year. That just means we're not under a mountain of debt. It means that we are managing to keep the bills paid as best we can and are no longer adding to our debt each month. Being off work for 3 years was a huge setback but one that was necessary for me, medically speaking. Despite that, my husband and I nearly killed ourselves coming up with the money to place a check mark beside all the items on their lists. We will NOT be doing that this year.

This year things are changing.

Recently someone in my circle mentioned this method for looking at Christmas shopping. Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. I can't remember who told me about this, and for that I am sorry, but I thank them from the bottom of my heart for mentioning it to me. It was like a switch flipped on inside my head that allowed me to see a way out of the stress we put on ourselves each year. Call it my "aha! moment" if you will. It's an Oprah-created-cliche, yes, but for me that's what it was.

I will we explaining to my children (mostly Aussie- 15) that this is the way we are doing things this year so he must think very deeply about what he wants to put on that list. He may ask for 4 items and each must must fill only one category. It will be hard. I know Roo-4 will not notice in the slightest, but Aussie is going to feel it and it's going to sting, he's the one who has had 15 Christmases of getting EVERY SINGLE ITEM on his list, no matter how extravagant. I pray he understands and acts accordingly. Even if he doesn't the decision has been made.

Mama and the Hubs are scaling back, way, way back. It's to save our sanity, which might have been lost for good if we had to go through Christmas the way we have been in the past few years.

Something you want,

Something you need,

Something to wear,

and something to read

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this new cost cutting mantra?

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Cake

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

 

 



I originally came across this recipe via Pinterest here: Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake. Trust me when I tell you it's as good as it looks! This was my go to cake all summer long. I made it over and over again. Even had requests for it. My and my Roo became experts baking this sweet and tangy summery cake! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tb. lemon juice, divided
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
• 12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan (10-15 cup pan.) Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

 



My Family and I

Just thought I'd share a rare look at my family and I from last week.

This one is Roo, "Hubs", and I

This is really rare. Aussie does not generally allow me to post

Photos of him, but he gave permission this time. 

These people are my whole entire world.

Journalling

Last Christmas I was given a gift by a woman I don't know terribly well, though I wish that wasn't the case. Despite that fact she seemed to know just what would easy my troubles at a time I was very low. For no other reason that pure unselfish kindness, she and her familysent my family a gift filled with many comforts. We appreciated them more than I could have expressed. When we opened the items I actually wept. It was if this woman had been living in my brain. For me the stand out item was a beautiful pink embossed journal and a pen with gorgeous smooth pink ink. I still had cancer and was experiencing a great deal of physical pain. While I've been blogging for many years I had never really taken pen to paper in that way before. I was certain that I would never journal since I blog, but I quickly came to realize that while suffering insomnia, that journal became my new best friend. Instead of going to bed with a brain full of worries, I was taking some time to disconnect from everything electronic and just write out what was troubling me. The deep stuff. Things most likely to not make it to my blog. I also began using it as a way to record my daily successes and goals for the next day even if they were as small as pushing myself to leave my house.

This gift has become my lifeline. As I draw near the end of the blank pages, their predecessors having been filled by my nightly unloads, I know I can't let this end. I'm begining to feel a  sense of loss knowing that this one is coming to an end. So I will be out looking for a journal for when this one is finally finished. This one gift has given me something no other gift has. Release. Release from stress, and release from a life of insomnia. I can't claim that I don't experience those things on occassion still, but the first week after I began journalling, I could see an immediate shift.

To you, the giver of this gift, I hope you realize your kindness changed me. I thank you for that.

Has technology made journalling a dying art?

Have you even given or received a gift that made a difference?

 

Roo Reviews: Back to School Fashions

Since back to school is almost here I wanted to decide what to wear. I love fashion, but back to school fashion is even more exciting for me because it's new! I have all kinds of really great things to wear. I could use your help! My mommy is going to post 3 pictures of outfits I really love. You get to vote for your favorite one and let me know which I should wear on my first day of school! Fun, right?!

The clothes came from Walmart, Old Navy and Target

So have a look and then my mom says you you can answer on the poll at the bottom of the post! We love feedback so if you have something extra to say you can find us on  Facebook or Twitter.

You can VOTE HERE

We really can't wait to see which one you pick!

Thanks for visiting my blog and taking part in the poll!

I've got a Beef!

In my house hubby does most of the grilling while I look after everything that cooks INSIDE the house. I must admit, I really enjoy cooking and I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about what I cook. Like many families our favorite splurge is on steaks. A while back I began following @CanadianBeef on twitter, and I realized I knew very little about cooking steaks. I mean, beef is beef is beef right? That's what I used to think and I would cook it up, serve it to my family and sometimes they would rave about it and other times they would nod politely with a mouth full of unchewed meat when I asked the same question I ask every night; "so... how is it?" On occasion, when I took my own bite I'd realize that it was terrible and immediately I would blame the beef, of course a joke would always follow along. "Oh man, that must have been one rough cow, he's awfully tough, huh?"

Meal time went on like this for years, then, thanks to some of their eye opening tweets I realized I might have been the one making the mistake all along. You see they have all kinds of great information and most of their tweets will send you to their site, http://www.beefinfo.org/, which is stuffed full of great Canadian Beef related information. It turns out that you need to choose your cut of meat based on how you plan to cook it. I was taking a trip to my local grocery store that supplies Canadian Beef look at what fit my budget and then cooking it however I happened to feel like preparing it. Sometimes dependent on my ingredients at home and other times time was the big factor.

Did you know that If you try to barbecue a simmering steak you are more likely to wind up with a really tough steak? I id, but just didn't realize what I was doing wrong. If you are like me, unsure of what cuts to chose I'll help you out.

If you are going to be grilling, here's what you should choose: T-bone, Porterhouse, Strip loin, Tenderloin, Tri-tip, Rib-eye, Bottom Sirloin These cuts will all make your family fall in love with your barbecued steaks.

However if you are going to marinate them go with these choices, they hold up well and take on the flavor very well: Sirloin tip, Inside Round, Eye of the Round, Outside Round, Flank, Sirloin tip

With Autumn arriving soon, you might be looking for the perfect recipe for simmering. Nothing better than a nice steak bubbling away in an amazing rich sauce. If that is the type of steak you seek make sure to use stewing beef cubes, blade, top blade, bottom blade boneless, brisket country style, they will make your meal delicious!

My family has been loving steak even more now that it's perfect every time! 

There is a lot more information and surprising facts about Canadian Beef. You should really take a minute to poke through their site, Or sign up for their Make it Beef Club newsletter.  I bet you'll get lost in all the "juicy details". Pardon the pun!

Why not take a bit of time and join me at the #LoveCDNbeef twitter party on Thursday September 13th. We'll be talking all things beef! It's starts at 8:30! See you there!

Disclosure: While the opinions and experiences are solely my own, I have been compensated for sharing it.