Family Finances
Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas
This year we decided to spread the Holiday Cheer out at our house this year by doing the 12 Days of Christmas again. I did this last year and it was a huge hit. Christmas morning can be so busy and this allows an opportunity to spread the fun over 12 days instead of packing everything into one day. Starting December 13th the girls will be able to open one a day until Christmas. The cost was less than $20 total, including boxes and wrapping paper. Most of the gifts were bought on clearance over the past year. We did a joint stack for both of our girls, however, you can choose to do a stack for each person.
Here is what our 12 Days of Christmas includes:
- Day 1: Christmas Ornament for each girl (purchased last year after Christmas on clearance with rewards).
- Day 2: Two Music CD’s by Suzi Shelton (received CD’s from doing a review and giveaway)
- Day 3: DVD Veggie Tales (DVD was free, but paid a small fee for shipping)
- Day 4: Two Giant Candy Canes, one Princess and 1 Cars (purchased with rewards)
- Day 5: Two Christmas Coloring Books (purchased on clearance with rewards)
- Day 6: Christmas Craft, painting ornaments (purchased with rewards on clearance)
- Day 7: Christmas Flower and Snowman (purchased with rewards on clearance)
- Day 8: Christmas Book God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren (purchased when it was on sale with Swagbucks gift card)
- Day 9: Two Christmas Headbands (purchased with rewards on clearance)
- Day 10: Game (found on clearance at Kmart and used gift card)
- Day 11: Two Hooded Bath Towels (used a coupon and picked them up on Black Friday)
- Day 12: PJs for each to wear Christmas Eve (picked up on sale and used a coupon)
Other Ideas for 12 Days of Christmas:
- Hair Accessories
- Facial Cleansers or Make Up – if you have a teenager just starting to wear makeup or want to update your collection my Mary Kay contact is doing a 12 Day of Christmas set! If your husband is looking for something awesome to get you he may want to contact Ann too.
- Socks or Tights
- Chapstick
- Socks
- Gloves or Scarf
- Card Game
- Construction Paper
- Markers or Crayons
- Matchbox cars
- Small Toys
- Baby Doll Clothes
- Christmas Underwear
- The ideas are endless!
Karlie & Brina excited about their 12 Days of Christmas
I wrapped them in the original boxes or found ones around the house to put the items into. The Christmas paper was purchased on clearance and I used a coupon. Many of the items we purchased on clearance throughout the year and / or used CVS – ECBs and Walgreens – Register Rewards, Swagbucks Gift Cards or Coupons. I cannot remember the price for all the items but with the rewards it may have been under $10 out of pocket for the entire set of 12 gifts and some days had multiple items in them. We did a joint stack for our girls to save money, however, the items we picked match their individual interests (for example the craft with one being princess and the other being cars). When the girls walked into the room and saw the stack of gifts they were super excited.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of December 14 – 20, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Sugardale Bone In Hank Potion Ham – $1.17 per lb
Boneless Prime Rib – $4.99 per lb
Pork Boston Butt – $1.39 per lb
Pork Spare Ribs – $1.99 per lb
Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (41 to 50 count) – $4.99
Hickory Springs Bacon (12 oz) – $1.99
Farmington Pork Sausage, Mild or Hot (16 oz) – $1.99
John Morrell Cocktail Smokies (12 oz) – $1.99
Armour Meatballs, Original, Italian or Turkey (14 oz) – $1.99
Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb
Snow Crab Clusters – $6.99 per lb
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Colburn Farms Cream Cheese (8 oz) – $1.00
Buyers Best Hash Brown Patties (11 oz) – $1.00
Birds Eye Sweet Kernel Corn or Mix Vegetables (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/30/11)
$0.75 each after couponJeno’s Crisp & Tasty Pizza, Pepperoni or Combination (6 to 7 oz) – $1.00
Blue Bonnet Spread Quarters (16 oz) – $0.69
Minute Maid Pure Squeezed Orange Juice, Orginal or Calcium Plus (59 oz) – $2.99
Kraft Chunk Cheese, Assorted Varieties (8 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.35/2 coupon from pamphlet Kroger’s My Magazine “Giving Back Together” (Expires 1/29/12)
$1.32 each after couponWelch’s Fruit Juice Cocktail, Concord Grape or Passion Fruit (64 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Welch’s
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $0.99 each after couponCreamy Whip Whipped Topping (8 oz) – $0.99
Colburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.59
Wylwood Tator Puffs (32 oz) – $2.29
Snack-A-Tizers Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (8 oz) – $2.49
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (15 count) – $0.99
Take & Bake Pizza Pepperoni or Supreme (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99
Take & Bake Pizza Cheese (33 oz) – $5.49
Produce
Mixed Fruit (4 lbs) – $2.99
California Naval Oranges (4 lbs) – $2.99
Celery – $0.69
Sweet Potatoes – $0.49 per lb
Mini Carrots (1 pound) – $1.00
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates (40 count) – $1.39
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Poly Steel Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (37.5 square feet) – $1.99
Max Force Alkaline Batteries – $1.99
Grocery
Sunbeam Bread (20 oz) – $1.29
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, or Assorted Varieties Cereal Bowls (1 to 2) – $1.00
Herr’s Potato Chips (3.75 oz) – $1.00
Southgate Chili (15 oz) – $1.00
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – $0.45
Save A Lot Brand Soda, Assorted Varieties (2 litter) – $0.63
Ginger Evans All Purpose Flour (5 lbs) – $1.99
Colburn Farms Evaporated Milk (12 oz) – $0.79
Ginger Evans Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29
Wylwood Whole Kernel Corn or Green Beans (14 to 15 oz) – $0.59
Kurtz Hot Sauce (12 oz) – $0.99
Mantia’s Lasagna (16 oz) – $1.79
Senora Verde Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (10 oz) – $0.69
Kurtz Ketchup (24 oz) – $0.99
J Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99
So Cheezy Streamin Cheese (8 oz) – $2.59
Senora Verde Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips (13 oz) – $1.49
Senora Verde Salsa, Assorted Varieties (16 oz) – $1.49
Crisp Cranberry Lemon Lime Soda (2 liter) – $0.79
Deter’s Ginger Ale (2 liter) – $0.79
J Higgs Snack Mix (15 oz) – $2.79
Wylwood Great Northern Beans (16 oz) – $1.19
Kurtz Wing Sauce (12 oz) – $1.39
LeCour’s Finest Fudge Shortbread (13 oz) – $1.59
Monet Entertainment Crackers (8 oz) – $1.69
J Higgs Peanuts (16 oz) – $3.39
McDaniel’s Classic Roast Coffee (33 oz) – $6.29
McDaniel’s French Roast Coffee (27.8 oz) – $6.79
McDaniel’s Donut Shop Coffee (12 oz) – $4.49
McDaniel’s Enhanced Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $2.29
Allure Sweetener (100 count) – $1.39
McDaniel’s Coffee Filters (200 count) – $1.39
Bakery
Bakery Fresh Pies – $2.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I was back to my regular schedule for the most part this week. It was a busy week with a lot of big work projects to tackle. Jake ended up getting sick this week which took a little extra time but I thankful for an opportunity to help my sweet husband when he is not feeling well. I am glad he is feeling better and the rest of us seemed to escape the “bug”. I wasn’t able to get everything crossed off the list but made some headway.
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everydayRead a book to the girls everyday- Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – we missed one day this week
- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – we had a couple late nights
Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week– it has been an amazing activity for our family and we have experienced a lot of joy giving to others this week
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – I did not do well this week, had a lot of big work projects and Jake got sick
- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday – I hit it a couple days
- Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay – haven’t had a chance to start on this one yet
Listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper– listened to it again but need to read the book to get more indepth
Home Management Goals
Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by MondaySpend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – I was a little late a couple night this week
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayStart wrapping and send out Christmas Cards / Presents
Business Goals
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – if you looked at my desk earlier this week it was scary as I was wrapping up a couple big projects, it is now back under control for the moment which is why I love doing it daily to help stay on top of it
Pay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012 – did a few more
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsMeet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch- Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Pay off remaining debt – paid a little extra this week, little by little
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until debt is paid off
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
- Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday
- Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
- Start Reading and listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper
Home Management Goals
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Wrap and send out all Christmas Cards / Presents that need shipped or mailed
Business Goals
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012
Ministry Goals
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Pay off remaining debt
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a busy week but in between appointments I was able to make it to a couple stores. I was able to stay under budget and stock up on some goodies, including produce and diary products! Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid Ingles Groceries:
- $10.03 at Ingles for 1 fresh Coconut, 1 container fresh Celery, 1 container fresh Mushrooms, 1 container fresh Cherry Tomatoes, 1 bag fresh Oranges (4 lbs), 1 package Summer Sausage (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance except the summer sausage which was a special treat I bought for my husband this week. All the produce including the bag of oranges were marked down to 99 cents!)
Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:
- $22.74 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 bag Bagels, 1 box Poptarts, 1 container Country Crock Spread, 1 box Mrs Freshley Chocolate Cupcakes, 1 container Cool Whip, 1 box Tropical Jr Pops, 2 boxes Yogurt Tubes, 4 cans Cream of Mushroom, 1 container Parmesan Grated Cheese, 1 can Pinneapple Chunks, 1 jar Salsa, 1 two liter Orange Crisp, 1 gallon Milk, 1 bag Carrots, 1 bag Grapefruit (3 lb), and 1 box Cream Cheese. (All the items were on sale or clearance plus I used a couple of coupons! The bagels, Mrs. Freshley Cupcakes, Tropical Jr Pops, and Yogurt Tubes were marked down to clearance “special today” prices.)
Groceries, Household Items, & Other Goodies from Walgreens Walgreens Groceries:
- $0.49 at Walgreens for the grocery items – 4 boxes Baking Soda and 3 bags Chewy Spree Candy. (The total for this entire purchase was $2.06 including tax for 30 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 7 groceries items cost $0.49 at Walgreens this week.)
Groceries from Kmart Kmart Groceries:
- $1.50 at Kmart for 1 box Saltines, 1 pack Orange Gatorade, and 1 box Ritz Crackers. (Jake ended up getting sick this week so on my way home from a work appointment I stopped by Kmart to pick up some stuff for him. Thankfully, I had a $5 Kmart Gift Card and all the items were on sale this week at Kmart).
Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS CVS Groceries:
- $0.21 at CVS for the grocery items – 1 loaf Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread, 1 loaf Sara Lee White Bread, and 1 box Candy Canes. (The total for this entire purchase was $3.16 including tax for 42 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 3 groceries items cost $0.21 at CVS this week.)
This week I spent $34.97 on groceries. Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time. I did not anticipate my husband being sick but we had enough flex in the budget and hit the sales to cover the extra expense. I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Recipe: Easy Vegetable Bake
One of the best parts about having a garden is sharing it with those around you and the second best part is being able to freeze some of the delicious goodies from the garden to eat during the Fall and Winter months. Now that we have officially had our first “freeze” our garden is done but we were grateful to be picking some produce even in November this year. It has been wonderful eating the vegetables and finding great ways to eat them. One of our family’s favorite ways to enjoy them is on the grill, however, as it is getting cooler we will often bake or steam the vegetables instead of firing up the grill. Our family has tried many different vegetable recipes, including the Easy Summer Vegetables which is similar (quick and easy). It’s a great recipe to use when you have guests coming over for dinner. You can use a variety of fresh vegetables. I like to use the fresh veggies that we have in the fridge and will add some frozen ones if necessary.
Easy Vegetable Bake:
- 1 cup Green Beans
- 1 cup Purple Beans
- 1 cup sliced Zucchini
- 1 cup sliced Okra
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced Onions
- 1/4 cup Italian Dressing
Slice the vegetables into 1 inch pieces and put them into a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of Italian Dressing over the vegetables and stir until evenly coated. You can add a little more or less dressing depending on the amount of vegetables you want. Let them marinate for a few minutes, pour them into a dish and bake on 350 for 30 minutes or until tender but still crisp.
You can add whatever vegetables you want and substitute, for example if you do not have zucchini but have asparagus or peppers add a cup of them instead. The vegetables have great flavor and are a hit throughout the grilling season.
Creative Kids: Outdoor Painting Fun
The girls love their easel and can often be seen drawing with crayons, colored pencils or chalk, but their absolute favorite activity is painting. When we have a nice day outside and a few minutes we will take the easel out onto the front porch and let the girls paint. Over the years it is amazing to see their painting masterpieces become even more beautiful and specific.
Karlie getting started with her painting project on a clean sheet of paper!
Karlie’s finished artwork
Paint table complete with a bowl to rinse the paint brushes. Paint table complete with a bowl to rinse the paint brushes.
Brina starting her artwork with a clean slate! I wonder what she’ll paint?
Brina’s artwork masterpiece. A flower blooming on a sunny day with the initials of her entire family.
CVS: Spent $3 and $12 ECB’s Back
Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS I went to CVS on my way home from an appointment this week. The CVS had a bunch of cosmetic items marked down 50% to 75% off. I was able to get the items pictured above for $3.16 including tax and received $12.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. Today I used some store, manufacturer coupons and ECB’s to help pay for the purchase.
You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons. My receipt shows that as of December 6th I have saved over $2,000 at CVS this year (and I don’t even go every week) so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves. Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full. All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 1 – Cherry Candy Canes (10 count) for $1.27 (FREE plus overage after ECB’s because the Extra Care Bucks did not print when I checked so I ended up getting $2 ECB’s for this item.)
- 1 – Ali Deep Brown Brow Definer for $1.19 (on clearance for 75% off)
- 3 – Lip Smacker Lip Gloss (Clear) for $2.46 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, perfect for stocking stuffers)
- 10 – bottles Confetti Nail Polish for $8.20 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, another great stocking stuffer)
- 11 – bottles Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish for $9.02 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance)
- 1 – Sally Hansen Fingernail Clippers for $1.37 (after 75% off clearance)
- 3 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Apple for $2.97 ($0.99 each after 75% clearance)
- 1 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Berry Burst for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
- 1 – Wet & Wild Liquid Lip Color Coco for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
- 1 – Huggies Supreme Diapers Size 1 (40 count) for $9.49 (received a $1.00 ECB)
- 1 – Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
- 1 – Sara Lee White Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
- 4 – American Greetings Cards for (used store and manufacturer coupons and received $3.00 ECBs)
- 1 – Revlon Deluxe Clipper Set for $2.99 (received $6.00 ECBs)
- 1 – Revlon Valupak Emory Boards for $3.59 (received $6.00 ECBs)
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $5.00 off $20.00 Coupon from CVS Kiosk
- Used $0.99 CVS coupon from Kiosk for a free American Greeting Card
- Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon for American Greeting Card
- Used $3.00 CVS coupon for Huggies
- Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon from Huggies
- Used $1.00 manufacturer coupon from Revlon
- Used $5.00 CVS Beauty Club Reward Coupon
- Used $25.99 CVS ECB’s
I received $12.00 ECB’s back today:
- $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products
- $3.00 ECB’s for American Greeting Cards
- $2.00 ECB’s for Candy Canes
- $1.00 ECB’s for Huggies Products
Today I was able to save $109.01 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.
Here are some more up close pictures of the products I was able to pick up.
CVS had a lot of cosmetic items on clearance for 50% to 75% off
Was able to get 2 loaves of Sara Lee Bread for $0.57 each on clearance!
When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club). As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS. Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase. You can pick and chose what is best for your family.
I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week! For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week! Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household. In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.
Gift Giving: Cinnamon Handprint Ornaments
Are you looking for great gifts to give but are on a tight budget? This is a simple recipe that uses a few items from your pantry and makes a thoughtful Christmas Gift. I posted this last year and it was a huge hit so I am sharing it again this year. These were inexpensive, easy to do, and the girls had a lot of fun. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already.
Cinnamon Handprint Ornaments:
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 cup Salt
- 5 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 3/4 cup Water
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in water gradually to make dough. If it is sticking to your hands, add more flour or if it is too crumbling add more water. Knead dough for approximately 8 minutes until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out dough to desired thickness (typically between 1/4 to 3/4 inches thick).
We used a football cookie cutter for the oval (you can use a circle or anything big enough that they can fit their hands in) than lightly floured their hands before making a slight indention on the clay. We took a stamp and pressed their first initial in the bottom of each palm to help us remember who it belonged to. Since my girls are twins their hand sizes are almost the same!
After making the handprint in the clay use a straw to make a hole in the top so you can hang the ornament.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hour. (Thicker dough will take longer to bake). They are done when the clay is dry, you notice a slight change in color. Cool and add a ribbon of your choice!
Optional: Once cooled you can use spray on polyurethane for extra shine.
Ours still smell great even after a year. We made more than one batch since we have a large family but you can do as many as you want. With the extra dough we made Christmas ornaments so we could hang them on the tree.
Amazon: Melissa & Doug Toys 50% off – $10 each (Today Only)
Today only (12/8/11) Amazon has a wide variety of Melissa & Doug toys for just $10
The sale includes Wood Blocks, Food Sets, Puzzles, Educational Toys and more!
Plus you can get FREE SHIPPING with your Amazon Mom account or Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.
Use your Amazon Gift Cards from Swagbucks for additional savings, to learn how to get started go here!
Melissa & Doug toys are great gifts if you have any kids left to buy for on your Christmas list.
Recipe: Peppermint Oreo Brownies
Around the Christmas Season we typically have extra candy canes hanging around the house so I came up with this fun and delicious Peppermint Oreo Brownie recipe. You can make your favorite brownie recipe add a few extra ingredients for the Holiday Season and you have a great dessert to share with family and friends. Whether you enjoy a homemade or boxed brownies both will taste delicious.
Peppermint Oreo Brownies:
- Favorite Homemade or Boxed Brownies
- 1 1/2 cup roughly crushed Oreo Cookies
- 2 tablespoons Torani Peppermint Syrup (you can add more or less if you prefer)
- 1/4 cup crushed Peppermint Candy Canes
Make your favorite brownie recipe. Stir in the Torani Peppermint Syrup and 1 cup Oreo’s. Pour the brownies into the baking dish. Sprinkle the peppermint candy canes and remaining Oreo’s over the top. Cook the brownies per the recipe directions. Cool and enjoy!
You can also use up some extra candy canes when you make Candy Cane Smile Pancakes for breakfast.
