Christmas is just one week away and it’s my favorite time of the year… I totally get into all of the decorating, and baking, and crafting. Each year I try to find several new projects to try around the holidays, … Continue reading DIY Pinecone Firestarters
I’ve been working on a few tutorials to add to the blog and I’m so excited to share them with you! We’re starting it all off with this bottle brush tree tutorial and it is so easy, guys! In fact, you … Continue reading Aqua & Mint Bottle Brush Trees Tutorial
I’m so excited to be back with a new ornament tutorial, just in time for Christmas! I recently came across a tutorial where Rit dye was used to dye wood and I really wanted to give it a try. I … Continue reading DIY Dyed Clothespin Snowflake Christmas Ornaments
I’m so excited to be back with some new and festive tutorials for you, just in time for the holidays! Every year I try to come up with new ideas for wrapping presents for Christmas. Last year I went with … Continue reading DIY Gift Wrap with Wax Seals
It’s that time of the year again, time for baking and taking all kinds of sweets to Christmas gatherings! If you’re still searching for a holiday dessert recipe, try these Cranberry Bliss Bars: blondies with the addition of white chocolate chips and tart dried cranberries, iced with cream cheese frosting. I love how festive the colors in this dessert are, it’s perfect for sharing! If you hadn’t already guessed, this is a copycat recipe for Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bars. Recipe was slightly altered from here. Cranberry Bliss Bars 1/2 cup butter 1 large egg 1 cup light brown sugar (packed) … Continue reading Cranberry Bliss Bars
Peppermint candies are so festive and classic, no matter what time of the year it is, the sight and smell of peppermints always reminds me of the holidays. Peppermint Candy Ornaments are thrifty and quick to make, they’re a handmade project that is perfect for this time of the year, when we’re all running a little lower on money and time! You could make a dozen of these edible ornaments at just a dollar per bag of peppermints! These melted candies aren’t just for the tree either! Use this method to create cute little edible toppers for cupcakes or brownies … Continue reading Peppermint Candy Christmas Ornaments
Every year I look forward to deciding what type of packaging I’m going to use for Christmas gifts. I love the personalized feel of homemade gift wrap. With a few simple supplies, and just a little bit of extra time, you can create gift wrapping that is all your own. In past years I’ve packaged gifts with brown kraft paper, twine, and my homemade cinnamon ornaments. This year I decided to go with “chalkboard” wrapping paper, an idea that I picked up from Pinterest. To create this look you’ll need a roll of black kraft paper. I ordered this kind and it’s … Continue reading Chalkboard Gift Wrap with DIY Clay Button Stars
I love making these cinnamon ornaments every year, they’re easy to create and they make the house smell so festive! The classic cinnamon ornament recipe is so simple, just two ingredients. This year I decided to change it up a little bit by adding glitter. I used very fine, colorless, shimmer glitter to give these ornaments some sparkle. I had a bit of hard time getting the shimmer to show up in my photos, but they’re really so pretty! String these ornaments together to create a festive holiday garland, or use them as spicy scented tags for Christmas gift packaging. … Continue reading Shimmer Cinnamon Ornaments
I’m so excited to be sharing my favorite sugar cookie recipe with you today, on the second day of Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies, an online cookie swap hosted by Dominique of Gusto and Grace! Go check out her Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark from yesterday, and follow along with us as we share Twelve Days of Cookies! 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Schedule: December 10- Gusto and Grace December 11- Hello Homebody December 12- Healthy Isn’t Hard December 13- Unconventional Adventures December 16- Blaine Arin December 17- The Well Styled Child December 18- Debbie Allen December 19- Thirty One Ministries Blog December 20- Enjoying the Journey December 23- Simple Pleasures December 24- Styled By … Continue reading Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies : Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Hot apple cider is a new favorite of mine, after being introduced to it at my husband’s family’s holiday celebrations. It’s a fun, festive drink to enjoy on cold evenings! I really wanted to try something different than the usual citrus infused cider, so I flavored some store-bought apple cider with Bosc pears, fresh cranberries, and a couple of cinnamon sticks. It’s as easy as washing the fruit, placing all ingredients into a pot, and simmering on the stovetop over low heat. Or warm cider in a crockpot. So simple! After posting a photo to Instagram, someone suggested adding tropical … Continue reading Hot Apple Cider with Cranberries and Pears
Hot chocolate is one of my favorite drinks in the wintertime! It’s so easy to make a batch of homemade hot chocolate mix. Just add this mix to hot water, milk, or coffee! You can easily turn your homemade mix into a pretty party favor or stocking stuffer… This mix goes perfectly with the Hot Chocolate Spoons that were on the blog a few days ago! Malted milk powder can be a little tricky to find, this recipe is good with or without! Malted Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe 3 cups powdered sugar 2 1/2 cups powdered milk 1/2 cup malted … Continue reading Malted Hot Chocolate Mix
Hot Chocolate Spoons are perfect for stirring up a mug of hot chocolate or coffee! Try making them with any variety of chocolate and candy. My favorite is definitely the salted caramel! Create these spoons for a hot chocolate bar, give them as favors at your next Christmas party, use them as stocking stuffers, or enjoy them yourself! Try serving them with my homemade Malted Hot Chocolate Mix! I used these wooden spoons for this DIY, and created these flavor combinations: Salted Caramel // melted caramel squares topped with coarse sea salt Dark Chocolate Toffee // melted semi-sweet chocolate chips topped with toffee bits … Continue reading Hot Chocolate Spoons
I love peppermint everything at this time of the year! My husband and I had a Chick-fil-a date on Monday to celebrate the return of their Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake… Starbucks’ Peppermint White Chocolate Mochas are the best… and these Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels are one of my favorite holiday treats! I love their simple salty-sweetness, with a hint of mint. They’re also the simplest Christmas treat to make. Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels pretzels white chocolate chips peppermints Unwrap peppermint candies and place them into a ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat tenderizer to crush … Continue reading Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels
These Cherry Turnovers have a flaky pastry outside with a warm cherry pie filling (and a sweet glaze!). They are a festive treat for the holidays… these turnovers are just as quick as opening a tube of cinnamon rolls, making them perfect for breakfast or dessert! This is one of those recipes that is so simple that you almost don’t need a recipe. I got my inspiration for these from the Pillsbury’s cherry turnover kits that I loved when I was growing up. I haven’t been able to find them anymore so I decided to make my own simple version. Try … Continue reading Cherry Turnover Pastries
Today I have a few simple holiday table centerpiece ideas for you. You can create a great centerpiece without setting up an elaborate tablescape! Have a small space? Make a centerpiece on your coffee table if you don’t have a large dining table. Use things that you already have to a create unique and beautiful centerpiece that will pop! A cake stand makes a perfect base for a centerpiece! It’s a great way to decorate without sacrificing a lot of table space. I used tall vases, filled with natural cotton, to give the centerpiece even more height. Grab a pretty tray, plate, … Continue reading Simple Holiday Centerpiece Ideas
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