Family

  • Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

    Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

    I haven’t made this dip in a couple years so when I came across it again I figured it was time to bring out the recipe especially since we had several upcoming Christmas parties!  The recipe is easy to put together, add a few items to dip and you have a great party food to share with family and friends.  The last party I took it to we came home with an empty platter! 🙂

    Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip:

    • 8 ounces softened Cream Cheese
    • 1 stick softened Butter (unsalted)
    • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
    • 1 cup miniature Chocolate Chips
    • Dipping Items – Teddy Grahams, Graham Crackers, Pretzels, or Animal Crackers

    Blend together butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to the cream mixture until mixed well.  Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.  Eat immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve the dip.  Serve dip with teddy grahams, graham crackers, pretzels, or animal crackers.

    Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip with Teddy Grahams, Graham Crackers, Pretzels, and Animal Crackers

  • Gift Giving: Christmas S’mores in a Jar

    My friend Bre shared this adorable jar of goodies with us.  If you are looking for a fun teacher or neighbor gift this is a great idea.  It is called “Smores in a Jar”.  The gift is beautiful and tasty, the perfect combination!  Here’s what you do:

    Smores in a Jar

    What you Need:

    • 1 Mason Jar
    • 1 cup Crushed Graham Crackers
    • 1 cup Holiday M&Ms
    • Marshmallows
    • Fabric
    • Paper & Tape

    Layered Ingredients:

    Wash and dry the mason jar.  Add the crushed graham crackers to the bottom of the jar.  Pour in the M&M’s and fill the remaining spacing (approximately 1 cup) with miniature Marshmallows.

    Print Out these Directions:

    1. Remove Marshmallows and set aside
    2. Combine ingredients in the jar with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla
    3. Press mix into a 9 inch square baking pan
    4. Place marshmallows on top
    5. Bake at 350 degree for 15 minutes
    6. Cool Completely
    7. Cut into bars and enjoy!

    Cut out a circle in the fabric 1 inch larger than the lid of your jar and place on the top then screw down the ring.  Tape the directions on the outside of the jar and give as a gift!

  • Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation

    12 Days of Christmas Appreciation

    Last year I did the 12 days of Christmas for the girls so this year as I was putting together the 12 Days for the girls I was thinking about ways I could be a blessing for my husband as well.  I wanted to do the 12 Days of Christmas for him but the problem is he is traveling for work several days prior to Christmas.  He travels pretty lightly so for me to squeeze in an extra few gifts into his suitcase would be difficult.  I thought about doing 12 Days of  “Love Notes” but I already send him a folder when he travels with “I Love You” notes from myself and the girls.  I eventually came up with 12 gifts and  “love notes” for my husband’s 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation that would easily fit into his suitcase.

    Here is what my 12 Days of Christmas includes:

    Day 1:  You stole a “Piece” of my heart! (Reese’s Pieces)

    Day 2:  We are “mint” to be together! Love You!  (Junior Mints)

    Day 3:  Thanks for being my “lifesaver” so many times! (Life Savers)

    Day 4:  We know how to have a “jolly” good time together! (Jolly Rancher)

    Day 5:  You are the brightest “star” in my sky! (Starburst)

    Day 6:  I call you “sweet”pea because you are the “sweet”est part of my life! (Sweet Tarts)

    Day 7:  You are an amazing Daddy to our “kids”! (Sour Patch Kids)

    Day 8:  You have o”fish”ally stolen my heart! (Swedish Fish)

    Day 9:  You are my “M”agnificant & “M”arvelous life partner! (M&Ms)

    Day 10:  You are my “Baby”love and my “Baby”cake!  (Sugar Babies)

    (“BabyLove” & “BabyCake” are two of the nicknames I have for my man, just ask the kids!)

    Day 11:  You are my smokin “hot” man! (Hot Tamales)

    Day 12:  I love traveling and going to “Charleston” with you handsome!  (Charleston Chews)

    Once that was done I wrapped the boxes, put a bow on top, and set it up for him.  The neat part about using these boxes is they are all fairly uniform in size so they make putting your 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation stack together really easy.  You can put together this entire stack of gifts for under $12 if you paid full price for everything.  Walmart sells these boxes for $0.98 each everyday so if you can find some of them on sale at another store or use your Extra Care Bucks at CVS or Register Rewards at Walgreens you could easily put this together for less than $5.  If you don’t have time to put this together for Christmas consider doing it for Valentine’s Day (for your “sweetheart”), the month of your anniversary, your spouse’s birthday, or another special occasion.  The point is to express your love and appreciation for your spouse.

    The girls helped me pick out a couple of the boxes of candy.  They were excited about his gifts and told me that “Daddy is nice so he will probably share some of his candy with us.”  You know what, they are right!  Their Daddy is sweet and generous which means the girls will most likely get a taste of his 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation.  Here’s a picture of the wrapped stack:

    12 Days of Christmas Appreciation Stack

    I am grateful for a loving, caring and hard working man that loves me despite all my craziness.  This is just one way to share my love with him not only for the Christmas Holiday but remind him even when he is away from home that I love him dearly.  It was a lot of fun putting together the sayings, wrapping the gifts and giving them to my man to put into his suitcase. It is my intention to show appreciation to my husband at least once a day.  Thankful for an extra opportunity to say “I love you” to my best friend and life partner!

    I received my inspiration from The Dating Divas after seeing her “You stole a “Piece” of my heart!” and “You have o”fish”ally stolen my heart!”   After the jump start on the idea I came up with the other goodies and sweet sayings for my hubby.

  • Recipe: Rice Krispy Christmas Wreath

    As a kid I remember my Aunt Becky making mini Christmas Wreaths with Rice Krispy treats around the Holidays (which were a huge hit at the family potlucks).  Since I had the ingredients on hand and people coming to visit I decided to make a festive dessert for dinner.  Instead of making mini wreaths I decided to make one big one that everyone could share.  I made a batch of rice krispy treats, put in a few drops of green food coloring in the marshmallow mixture, formed a Christmas wreath on a plate and decorated with red licorice, red hots, and pearls.  The girls thought these rice krispies were extra special and it really didn’t take me that much longer to put the wreath  together. You can make your wreath as light or dark green as you like, each one of mine (as you can see from the two pictures) are a little different.  I have included the rice krispy recipe in case you do not have it on hand.

    Rice Krispy Recipe:

    • 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
    • 10 oz Marshmallows (usually 1 bag)
    • 6 cups Rice Krispy Cereal
    • Few drops Green Food Coloring

    Melt butter in microwavable bowl.  Add marshmallows and microwave until completely melted.  Stir the marshmallows and butter together until melted and smooth.  Mix in a few drops of green food coloring.  Add cereal and mix until evenly coated.  Put spoonfuls of rice krispies on a platter in a circle.  Butter your hands and form the rice krispies into a wreath.  Garnish with red licorice, red hots, m&ms, skittles, pearls or anything else you want.

    The girls requested that I make the “Christmas Wreath” again for another Christmas party and for their school party.  The only problem was I didn’t have any more red hots or pearls to decorate the wreath, but we did have Skittles!  The girls thought the Skittles were a beautiful and tasty addition to the Christmas wreath!  Plus this is an easy recipe that the kids can put together with your kids.

    If you have an upcoming Christmas party this would be another easy recipe to bring and share.  Enjoy! 🙂

  • 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.

  • Creative Kids: Building a Gingerbread House

    Baths are taken, pj’s on, and the Gingerbread house is built! 

    Fun times over the Christmas Season with the family.

    Brina and Karlie love doing fun crafts and activities during the Holiday Season.  When we have the opportunity (get a coupon or kit on sale) we’ll build a gingerbread house together as a family.  The girls are getting old enough to do the majority of the work.  We help get the base set up and they do the decorating.

    If you do not want to use a gingerbread house kit or cannot find one on sale you can make individual mini Gingerbread houses by using graham crackers, white frosting and candies.  The girls enjoy doing both.  You can make the season enjoyable for the kids no matter what your circumstances or budget is this year.

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 2)

    Box of Candy Canes the girls shared with their class at gymnastics 

    We have entered our second week of our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).  It has been a real joy doing these fun events everyday.  In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.

    Colored paper ornaments to hang on the Christmas Tree in the children’s wing at the local library

    Here is what we have done so far and a couple pictures to share of our adventures:

    Gathered and donated 105 magazines to a local public library and school library

    • Day 5– Picked out and donated gifts to Country Santa which gives Christmas presents to local children who would otherwise have none at Christmas.  The girls each picked out two gifts to give to Country Santa for another child’s Christmas then we prayed for the kids that would receive these gifts for Christmas.
    • Day 6 – Gave out Silly Bandz to kids coming in and out of several local stores.  I was surprised at the different reactions we noticed while passing out silly bandz from sheer delight to total disinterest.  The girls still had fun doing the activity and sharing with kids.
    • Day 7 – Gathered and donated magazines and a stack of books to a local library and school library.   Both the school library and local library staff were excited to get some new books and magazines.  Our family loves reading so this was a fun activity for us.  We spent about 30 minutes in the local library donating items, picking out books to read, and coloring Christmas ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree.  The lady at the children’s desk was so sweet when the girls showed her the ornaments that had colored for the tree.
    • Day 8 – Bought and gave Candy Canes to all the kids in the girls gymnastics class.  We just started taking the girls to gymnastics about a month ago (we got Groupon deal from a local gymnastics school) and it has been a lot of fun watching them learn not only new skills but seeing them start new friendships.  It has been great getting to know kids (and their parents) outside of school and church that we can be a blessing to as well.
    • Day 9 – Handed out candy canes as we were running errands around town and at local stores.  It was cute seeing the excited looks on kids faces as the girls handed them a candy cane.  The girls loved doing this activity so much I had to remind them not to “rush” to the kids with a candy cane because it could startle the younger kids or their parents if they saw another child charging towards their little one. 🙂
    • Day 10 – We had a blast making and delivering Christmas goodies to our neighbors.  It was nice to spend a few minutes and catch up with the people on our street.  Taking the extra time to reach out to our neighbors has made a tremendous impact over the last few years even on our small street.  One of our neighbors lost their only child right before Christmas a few years ago so this is a tough Holiday for them.
    • Day 11 – Picked out, wrapped, and donated gifts to the Heart of Christmas for kids in our local schools who would not have gifts otherwise this Holiday Season.  Our church coordinates with the school guidance counselor to get information on these kids who are in need (naturally the names of the kids are not given just their sizes, styles, needs, etc…).

    Delivering more goodies to kiddos at another local store!

    One of Brina’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas Tree at our local library

    One of Karlie’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas Tree at the local library.

    A stack of books we donated to the school library.

    A basket full of goodies ready to be delivered to our neighbors!

    One of our favorite verses this week went along with our Day  10 activity. 

     This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12

    Something as simple a sharing a little gift to say “Merry Christmas” to our neighbors has opened many opportunities to interact with them.  I think this verse really stood out to all of us this week because we don’t take the time to invest in the lives around us as often as we should.  This activity was a little longer because we made it a point to spend time socializing with each of our neighbors for a few minutes but we all walked home feeling even more blessed because of it.

    Heart of Christmas

    I am super excited to see how great this B.L.E.S.S. activity is going already.  It has been a true joy sharing with others (many of whom we’ll never meet).  It has been a great experience and I look forward to seeing what will happen with our fun adventures this week.

    Helping local kids by giving fun and practical gifts.

    The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.  I plan to do another update on our fun B.L.E.S.S. adventures next week.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  I would love to hear how you are spreading the Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Song: “Tomboy In A Princess Dress” by Suzi Shelton (Music Video)

    Suzi Shelton’s newest music video has been released “Tomboy In A Princess Dress”.  Click on the video above to hear her latest hit.    Her songs are upbeat, cheerful, and enjoyable for kids and parents to listen to at home or in the car!

    To learn more about Suzi Shelton and to enter a GIVEAWAY go to Review & Giveaway: “Tomboy in a Princess Dress” by Suzi Shelton!  The winner of the giveaway will win Suzi’s newest release “Tomboy In A Princess Dress” PLUS 2 more CD’s by Suzi Shelton!  These CD’s would be perfect for your kids or to give as a gift!

  • 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

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – we missed one day this week
    4. 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
    5. 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

    1. 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
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday – I hit it a couple days
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay – haven’t had a chance to start on this one yet
    4. 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

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – I was a little late a couple night this week
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Start wrapping and send out Christmas Cards / Presents

    Business Goals

    1. 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
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012 – did a few more

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt – paid a little extra this week, little by little
    3. 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

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
    4. Start Reading and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Wrap and send out all Christmas Cards / Presents that need shipped or mailed

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. 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

  • Book: “God Gave Us Christmas” by Lisa Tawn Bergren

    I was excited a few weeks ago when God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren went on sale and we could buy this book for the girls with our Amazon Gift Cards I earned from Swagbucks to learn more about how to get started go here.  Our family has a couple other books by Lisa that the girls really enjoy (God Gave us the World,  God Gave Us Love , and God Gave Us Heaven) .  I like that the books encourage the kids to ask questions and gives the credit back to God.  Even though the girls haven’t received this book yet I read it as soon as it arrived and was thrilled to find it was written much along the same lines of the other books we enjoy from Lisa Bergren.

    This is a great children’s book that emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas.  The author created a pretty steady stream of “Questions” and “Answers” dialogue between Little Cub and her parents.  The book addresses some of the most common questions kids will ask around the Holiday Season such as “Who ‘vented Christmas? Was it Santa?”   Although Santa Claus, Frosty, and the other traditional Christmas stories are neat, it is important that our children know the true reason why we celebrate Christmas.

    God Gave Us Christmas is a wonderful book to give as a gift to children.  If you are looking at buying a Christmas book for fun or as a gift this season you should check this one out.  You can also get it from the library to read with your kids.