Sunday, December 18, 2011

5 Fun Things Friday

five fun things

1. The Mystery Cafe.


cafe

Thought this would make for a great date night with Tony :))


price of privilege

Our teens today are really struggling, this author seeks to help us understand why.

3. Thought these rubber bands would go well with my SMASHbooks. (The SMASH series currently has only two. Russell+Hazel on the other hand, have 14 different styles!)

Rubberbands_DotsAbstract_0

Check out THIS Recipe Binder Set (on sale now AND free shipping right now as well!):

RecipeBinderSet

How about THIS wedding organizer for a bride-to-be?

WeddingOrganizer_0

4. The ultimate curling iron: T3 SinglePass Whirl.

SinglePassWhirl_m

It's pretty spendy but you'll find a great deal on it HERE.

5. Wallaby Bag Company. Super cute cases for your smart phone, iPad, or Nook/Kindle.

nook

Happy Belated Friday!!!

post signature

Monday, December 12, 2011

my happy place

christmas at gertens

My family and I went to Gertens to soak in the holiday goodness yesterday afternoon. I could spend hours there just looking. Everything is so beautiful.

I noticed A LOT of people hanging out around the vintage decorations. Lots of older people. Spending a great deal of time in the area myself, I couldn't help but overhear stories of Christmas past. Simple, sweet, and handmade.

Speaking of Christmas past, I stumbled upon this sweet audio series on Amazon:

vol.1

vol.2

Click HERE and HERE for details!

Our theme for the journaling lesson at the December Faithbooking Crop was "Meaningful Family Traditions"; I heard several inspiring stories from the women there about traditions important to them and their families. [I'll be posting that lesson later this week.]

Speaking of traditions, our new Advent Activity Calendar has been a huge hit with the boys :)) I've been taking pictures along the way and will blog about it a little more in-depth at the end of the month.

I've got some work to catch up on (the stomach flu invaded our house on Friday); be back later!

post signature

Friday, December 9, 2011

5 Fun Things Friday

five fun things

1. This DIY project:



Baby's First Christmas Ornament... adorable!!!

2. The Tuesday early-bird discount on oil changes at Protech Automotive in Lakeville.

QuoteSign

Get your oil changed before 11:00 am and it's only $19.95 (plus tax)! You seriously can't beat that.

3. This beautiful ring on Etsy.



4. Elf on the Shelf. I know many of you have an elf as part of your Christmas tradition. I have never quite seen it marketed quite like this year! Pinterest is full of some absolutely ADORABLE ideas for things to do with your elf.





My boys would get THE HUGEST kick out of this, even at their ages.

5. Check out this cute crafty project:



Happy Friday!!!

post signature

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

I promised to share retreat recipes but want to post them with pics SOOOO they'll need to wait a bit. In the meantime, here's a recent one I whipped up to serve alongside a pot of soup.

cooked

Yes, blueberry muffins.

The recipe begins like any other by mixing the dry ingredients together.

dry

While you have the flour out, you'll want to mix a tablespoon or so with your blueberries in a separate bowl (this will prevent the batter from turning purple).

berries

In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

mixer

The add in the eggs and vanilla. (If you're feeling a little adventurous, you could also add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon zest.)

beaters

Mix well and then add your dry ingredients and milk, alternating between the two as you continue to mix by hand.

mixing wet & dry

Gently fold your blueberries into the batter. Using a spoon, fill prepared muffin pan with batter before mixing up the streusel ingredients.

topping

Nut-lovers could even add 1/4 cup of chopped pecans to the mix. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups.

raw

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

cooked

Let them cool a bit before using a butter knife or spreader to loosen and remove them from the muffin tin. The full recipe is below:

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. flour
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line 12-muffin cups (24 mini). Combine 2 c. flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt in medium bowl. In a small bowl, sprinkle 1-1/2 Tbsp. of flour over the blueberries and set aside. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 c. butter with 3/4 c. white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and stir in vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Combine 2 Tbsp. flour, 5 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon with 2 Tbsp. butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack.

They freeze very well and can be easily reheated in the microwave oven. Enjoy!

post signature

Sunday, December 4, 2011

just finishing up our retreat weekend...

crop room

I'll be posting recipes and a few other fun things from the retreat later this week. Be back soon!

post signature

Friday, December 2, 2011

5 Fun Things Friday :: Special Edition

five fun things

It's easy to get caught up in the shiny parts of Christmas - decorations, food, presents under the tree. While I firmly believe in reaching out to others THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, it is in this season opportunities abound. As I shared last February in this reality check, others are hurting and hungry in ways most of us will never grasp.

This week's edition of 5 Fun Things Friday will hopefully inspire you to reach out to someone who hurting this season. This is especially important if you are hurting yourself! As I mentioned in my February post:

Sometimes we can be so blinded by our own situation, we fail to see anyone else - or any other problems besides our own. Sometimes the antidote to our own pain, is reaching out to someone else in the midst of theirs.

Here's a list of ideas to help you get started:

1. Compassion International.

Compassion%20International

You simply must read THIS STORY to hear about the life and death of one sponsored child. This organization (and those of you who sponsor children) are amazing. To learn more about becoming a sponsor yourself, click HERE.

2. Union Gospel Mission. Reaching out to the poor, homeless, and addicted in our community. Click HERE for information on clothing donations and financial gifts. Click HERE for information on how to best help a homeless person you might encounter personally this season.

ugm

3. Dakota Woodlands. Helping homeless women and children here in the south metro. Click HERE for a list of current holiday needs.

dakota woodlands

4. People Serving People. Helping homeless families in our community. You'll find a number of serving opportunities HERE. A wish list of donation items to drop off HERE. Or you can make a tax-deductible cash donation HERE.

people-serving-people-logo


shield_logo

December 9th is the LAST DAY to adopt an angel through their partnership with JCPenney; you can order gifts online and send them to someone in need. Click HERE for details. You can also add a virtual kettle to your blog or website by clicking HERE.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)

Happy Friday!!!

post signature

Thursday, December 1, 2011

more sweetness

This is the first gift I ever received from my 14-year old son (he was three at the time). We were at a church craft fair and they had a "free" Christmas store for children. The teeny tiny entrance was cut out of cardboard and he went into the room without me. There he choose a gift and even had it wrapped! It nearly killed me having to wait until Christmas to see what the sweet little thing had chosen.

star of david

The Star of David

I love the many memories and stories these Christmas ornaments hold. I'll be sharing a few more of those memories (along with a related family tradition) next week!

post signature