Gift Giving
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I just finished leaving the book Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls. This series was one of my favorites growing up as a kid. The girls loved it so much that they begged to start reading the second book in the series right away.
The book is about a little girl named Laura Ingalls who grew up to write the Little House books. She lived in a snug little log house deep in the woods of Wisconsin in the late 1870s with her Pa, Ma, older sister Mary, and baby sister Carrie.
This is the first book of the series and a great one to read to your kids. We have an older version of the book (from when I was a kid), but the story is exactly the same. They even have a picture every few pages that the girls enjoyed looking at as we read together.
Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix
Brina helped me make three different types of chex mix for a party earlier this week and they were a huge hit! 🙂 The three recipes were Caramel Party Mix (Gluten Free Snack), Puppy Chow, and the new one Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix. I have been making the Puppy Chow since I was a kid and the Caramel one for a few years now (thanks to a sweet friend who shared it with me), but I adapted the Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix from Six Sisters Stuff which was a hit and great addition to our recipe collection.
Funfetti Cake Batter Chex Mix
- 6 cups Rice or Corn Chex Cereal (store brands work well too)
- 12 oz Vanilla Almond Bark
- 2 cups Funfetti Cake Mix
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable Shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon Sprinkles
Pour cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Mix the funfetti cake mix and powdered sugar in a large ziplock bag and set aside.Melt Almond Bark according to package directions. Once melted add vegetable shortening to thin so it coats the chex better. Pour the melted almond bark over the chex cereal. Mix gently with a large spatula until the cereal is coated.Pour the coated chex cereal into the bag with the funfetti cake and powdered sugar mixture and gently shake to evenly coat the snack. Scoop into a bowl, put a few sprinkles over the top and serve.- 2 sticks of Butter
- 2 cups of Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup of Kairo Syrup
- 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
- 1 box of Corn (or Rice) Chex Cereal (you can use store brands too)
Put the whole box of cereal in a microwavable bowl. Bring the butter, brown sugar, and kairo syrup to a boil. Boil for one minute. Make sure to stir constantly when boiling so it doesn’t burn. After boiling for 1 minute add the baking soda. Pour the mixture over the box of Corn (or Rice) cereal. Microwave everything 1 1/2 minutes, take it out, stir, and microwave again. Do this step 3 times. It will evenly distribute the mixture and coat the cereal. Lay the mix out on wax paper or the counter and let set.
Optional: You can add pretzels, pecans, almonds, cranberries or whatever you want to the mix. (If you want it to remain gluten free do not add pretzel as pictured above, however, you can add nuts if they do not have any nut allergies)
Puppy Chow
- 9 cups of Rice or Corn Chex cereal (store brands work well too)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pour 9 cups of rice (or corn) cereal into a bowl set aside. Put the powdered sugar into a Ziploc bag and set aside.Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter on medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, add vanilla and stir well.Pour over Rice Chex cereal and stir with a rubber spatula until Chex is evenly coated. Add chex mixture to bag and shake bag gently until the powdered sugar is evenly distributed over all the mix.November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 21)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Note: Thanksgiving week I had to group a couple items together into one day since we had a full schedule and we were seeing some of the people we want to thank on the same day. Although in the list they will be separate. Thanks!
Day 21
Who: Classmates
The girls spend several hours a day at school so they have had a lot of time to get to know the people in their class. Thankfully the both enjoy school and their classmates are also their friends. As a way to say “thanks” for being my friend today they took cupcakes to school to share with their classmates.
Day 20
Who: Tutor
As you have seen from previous days we have a little one that has some challenges due to dyslexia, therefore, we have been going to a tutor. Her tutor is awesome! She takes the time to not only work with her one-on-one and give us ways that we can help here as well but she finds ways to motivate her. Our kids love animals and she takes the time to share about her pets too. Some days we even have enough time for the girls to give her horses a treat. They always love getting a chance to spend a few extra minutes with animals. Today, we gave our tutor a bag of carrots and a thank you note. After lessons today we brought some carrots out so the horses could have a treat.
Day 19
Who: School Teachers
Since they only have a couple days of school this week with the Thanksgiving Holiday the girls delivered their Thanksgiving gifts to their teachers today (Monday). The girls took thank you cards and some sweet treats to give to their teachers today.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 20)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Note: Thanksgiving week I had to group a couple items together into one day since we had a full schedule and we were seeing some of the people we want to thank on the same day. Although in the list they will be separate. Thanks!
Day 20
Who: Tutor
As you have seen from previous days we have a little one that has some challenges due to dyslexia, therefore, we have been going to a tutor. Her tutor is awesome! She takes the time to not only work with her one-on-one and give us ways that we can help here as well but she finds ways to motivate her. Our kids love animals and she takes the time to share about her pets too. Some days we even have enough time for the girls to give her horses a treat. They always love getting a chance to spend a few extra minutes with animals. Today, we gave our tutor a bag of carrots and a thank you note. After lessons today we brought some carrots out so the horses could have a treat.
Day 19
Who: School Teachers
Since they only have a couple days of school this week with the Thanksgiving Holiday the girls delivered their Thanksgiving gifts to their teachers today (Monday). The girls took thank you cards and some sweet treats to give to their teachers today.
Day 18
Who: Awana Leaders
The girls go to Awana on Sunday evenings when Jake & I go to Community Group. Our church does the Awana program at our local school. Brina and Karlie are in the Sparks right now. They have been learning various verses, books of the bible and more recently. As a way to say thank you to their Sparks Leaders on Sunday we sent a thank you card and some goodies to give to their leaders.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Days 18 – 19)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 19
Who: School Teachers
Since they only have a couple days of school this week with the Thanksgiving Holiday the girls delivered their Thanksgiving gifts to their teachers today (Monday). The girls took thank you cards and some sweet treats to give to their teachers today.
Day 18
Who: Awana Leaders
The girls go to Awana on Sunday evenings when Jake & I go to Community Group. Our church does the Awana program at our local school. Brina and Karlie are in the Sparks right now. They have been learning various verses, books of the bible and more recently. As a way to say thank you to their Sparks Leaders on Sunday we sent a thank you card and some goodies to give to their leaders.
Day 17
Who: Neighbors
Over the last few years we noticed a big difference in our interactions with our neighbors once we started reaching out more. We try to stop by their homes to say “hi” and deliver goodies several times throughout the year. Brina and Karlie especially enjoy bringing vegetables from our garden or little gifts around the Holidays to share with the people who live on our block. The girls took time this morning (Saturday) walking from house to house delivering “Happy Thanksgiving” cards to each of our neighbors. They had a blast talking with the neighbors and delivering the notes. Hopefully the notes were a blessing to those who live on our street too. Thankful for our little street and the neighbors who live here.
Book: Giant Storybook Treasury by Richard Scarry
The girls love Richard Scarry’s Giant Storybook Treasury and can often be seen toting it into the van to read as we drive around town. Our family has spent some extra time in doctors office these past two weeks and the girls brought this book along for the adventure (to give you an idea of how long we were in the waiting room, we read the entire book and then some….).
The book contains 12 classic stories in one book. One of the best parts of the books is its great illustrations with colorful pictures of pigs, cats, foxes, and more. Some of the stories in this book:
- Mother Cat’s Busy Day
- The Firefighters’ Busy Day
- Miss Honey’s School Bus
- Mr. Gronklers Busy Day
The girls have enjoyed this book for a long time (even before they could read). If your looking for a fun and fascinating book this is a great one to check out.
CONGRATULATIONS to Our “Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas” Winner!
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“Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas”!
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I hope this ebook is a wonderful blessing in your life!
If you didn’t win you can still get a copy of the Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine which will be available for $0.99 for 1 more day ONLY (Tuesday, November 13 to Thursday, November 15, 2012) after that it will go up to $4.99.
Don’t forget to enter our Say Anything Family Game Giveaway too!
*Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced. Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.
Giveaway & Review: “Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas” ebook by Crystal Paine (24 HOURS ONLY)
Do you want to have a meaningful, memorable, relaxed Christmas this year? Do you really want to be able to savor and enjoy this season-not just rush through it feeling overwhelmed and behind? Are you tired of overspending every Christmas in attempt to feel close to your loved ones? I am excited to introduce you to Crystal Paine’s new ebook Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas. Crystal is the author of the popular Money Saving Mom blog and this is a positive and practical ebook that will encourage you to focus on the joy of Christmas while staying within the family budget!
24 HOURS ONLY 1 lucky reader will win a FREE copy of the Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine! ENTER NOW for a chance to win a copy of this great ebook (it only takes a couple seconds to leave a comment and be entered into the giveaway, please see all the giveaway details below)!
You can get started reading Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine for only $0.99 for the next 3 days only (November 13 – 15, 2012)!
Who is This Book For?
Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas is for you if:
- You end every Christmas season frazzled, with a cold, and in need of a nap.
- You dread the day after Thanksgiving and every day following up and until New Year’s Day.
- You want your house to look beautiful for Christmas, but instead it’s a mess!
- You end up overwhelming yourself by spending too much time on Christmas crafting and baking
Why I love this book:
I LOVE the Christmas Holidays and celebrating with my family! Somehow with the busy activities, shopping, gift wrapping, delivering, programs, and everything else the “to do” list gets longer and before long I am exhausted. Not to mention some years our budget has been stretched a little bit too much. I like that Crystal encourages people to kept it simple and stay within your family budget.
After reading Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas I think it will help inspire you to make positive steps in the direction of a Simple Christmas as well. My husband and I have already discussed our Christmas budget (and sticking to it) and several other items already. I am looking forward to spending some time together to go over more of the topics I read about in Crystal’s book. I know many of you will enjoy this ebook and find it to be a wonderful resource especially with the upcoming Christmas season! Here’s just a few topics covered in this book:
- How to organize your Christmas list
- How to make & stick to a Christmas budget
- Holiday freezer cooking
- Simple and inexpensive homemade gifts
- How to get and keep your home clean & organized
- Printable worksheets for your Holiday planning
- And Many More great tips to help you have a fun Christmas Holiday with your family.
24 Hour Giveaway Details
As a way to say thank you to my readers and to share Crystal Paine’s ebook I am hosting a giveaway! 1 WINNER will receive a free copy of Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine!
Enter the Giveaway (up to 4 entries per person)!
- Sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email
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- BONUS – you can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing your favorite part of the Christmas Holidays.
All comments must be made by Wednesday, November 14, 2012 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.
I encourage you to check out more information on Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine if you are interested in finding ways to help you to tackle all those Holiday projects and events! This ebook book may give you the just right dose of motivation to get you on track for a simple and relaxing Christmas season! What are you waiting for…….get a copy and start reading today!
The Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook by Crystal Paine is currently available for $0.99 for the next 3 days ONLY (Tuesday, November 13 to Thursday, November 15, 2012) after that it will go up to $4.99.
I was given this ebook for free to write an informed review. The ebook, specific product information, and pictures were provided by Crystal Paine, however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I was not paid to write this post. A special thanks to Crystal Paine for providing me a copy of her Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas ebook to review as well as one to giveaway to my readers!
Teacher “Thank You” Gifts
Thank You goodies for the girls teachers!
For Thanksgiving the girls always enjoy bringing in a “thank you” note and a little surprise for their teacher. Here is one where they put M&M’s in a mason jar, added a ribbon on top, and a little note. The note said:
Mrs. __________,
We are a thankful for a Magnificent & Marvelous teacher this year!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Brina & Karlie
If you are looking for a simple and easy thank you gift for a teacher, friend, neighbor, or family member this is a great one to try!
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 6)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 6
Who: Siblings
Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For…..” cards to our siblings and sent texts to several of them. Even though I had my fair share of sibling disputes with my brothers growing up I love them dearly and am so very thankful for them. I am thankful for my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws too, they are awesome! I am very blessed with wonderful siblings (and their spouses) and appreciate them so much!
Additional Activity: The girls and I spent a couple hours today cleaning and organizing our church’s food pantry. It was a great time of working together, talking about the many amazing blessings we have in our lives, and why it is important to share what we have with others (i.e. giving food to people within our local community). The girls worked hard and cheerfully. I couldn’t have gotten it done as quickly if they hadn’t pitched in and helped. The best part was as we were leaving a lady walked up to us and wanted to know if we had any food. I was able to pull some items from the pantry and share them with her. The girls were excited that we were able to help someone. Although we never know the full situation or the intent of an individuals heart many people within our own community are struggling. I am thankful for moments when the girls can experience situations like these because it really does make a positive impact on the lives of our children.
Day 5
Who: Parents
Mailed out thank you notes to our parents and called them to talk for a few minutes. I am thankful for the godly parents in my life. Although, they are human like myself they are loving and kind. I have been blessed with great parents.
Day 4
Who: Pastors
Dropped off thank you notes at the church office on the way into service.
Myeshia U.