The 25 Days of Christ.

It's an advent devotional ornament kit.

It's purpose? To help keep us focused on Christ through the Christmas season. 

25 ornaments.

25 correlating scriptures. 

25 days to cuddle up with your family for a few minutes each day and connect.

And by connect I mean to your family and to the "reason for the season".

I purchased the 25 Days of Christ Unfinished Ornament Kit from New Tradition Crafts a couple of years ago. I left my ornaments raw, instead of painting them, and added neutral finishing touches to a few of them to keep them really simple and as organic as possible. I love them.

The set comes with a book with a reading schedule to keep you on track with which scriptures to read and which ornament to hang each day.

This year, I discovered New Tradition Crafts has something new available called "The Good Shepherd Illustrated Book" to go along with the kit, so I added it this year for our family to use with our ornaments.

Good news! If you want one for your family, I have a coupon code for you to save 15%: PNP15

I decided to share all of the details of my own ornament set this year to show you how I finished mine. I'm hoping it will serve as a guide for those of you who might need help and inspiration with your own kits.

I also wanted to show you the little tree we use to display our ornaments during the 25 Days of Christ. You don't have to have a separate tree like we do...you can use your family Christmas tree if you like. The idea is to do what works for your family...and for your life.

One of the other things about this advent devotional I love is you can easily gear it towards children of all ages. For instance, you can use The Good Shepherd book with younger kids who thrive on visuals. Or you can choose to read directly from the scriptures for older children who aren't interested in "kiddie" activities anymore. 

Basically, it's something I feel our family will never outgrow since it's so adaptable. 

I hope you are inspired to try a set for your own family.

Or at the very least, find ways to stay focused on the magic of the Christmas season.

Don't forget to use the coupon code at checkout to save 15%  ->  PNP15

PS - Let's stay cozy + connected in-between posts...find me on Instagram for daily inspiration.

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KEEPING IT REAL

I failed last year when it came to staying focused on the "reason for the season".

We didn't even do the 25 Days of Christ.

I was so sad about the lack of "feeling" last Christmas I vowed not to have a repeat.

Just another reason why it worked for me to have my Christmas decor up by Halloween night this year. As crazy as that sounds, it's made such a difference already in making sure I have time to "ENJOY" the holidays.

LIFE | Easter 2016

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend!

Thought I'd share some photos I took from Easter day...

I have to say, this was one of the most relaxing Easter Sundays to date.
Ella wore the dress she wore for the Daddy Daughter Dance and did her egg hunting in the morning, we went to church and then returned home for a relaxing day which included coloring eggs. I usually color the eggs prior to Easter Sunday but I like how we ended up doing them as part of our Easter celebration this year - I think I may be keeping this tradition.

Funny Easter Story:
Ella discovered her dad's shoes by the front door on Easter morning.
After careful investigation, Ella ran into our room and informed us the Easter bunny had worn her dad's shoes to bring the Easter baskets inside the house. The clues that led her to this conclusion:
1. Her dad never leaves his shoes at the front door, so clearly someone else wore them. *wink*
2. There was dirt left on the carpet in the foyer, from the shoe-wearing Easter Bunny of course.
3. There were remnants of white hair left behind on the carpet as well. Clearly rabbit fur although it looked strikingly similar to our dog's white hair.
4. The Easter baskets were left right inside the front door this year instead of the usual spot...the front porch. The Easter Bunny obviously did not want to leave the baskets outside since it'd been raining for a couple of days. Nothing to do with Mom forgetting to handle some last minute preparations.

So cute, right?

Stay tuned for the fun details I'll be sharing about Ema's 17th birthday cake.
AND I'm gearing up this week to finally share the photos from the Alice in ONEderland themed first birthday dessert table I created back in December! *wink*

See you back here tomorrow for "Let's Talk Tuesday"!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I didn't decorate at all this year for Easter.  *frown*
Between me finally feeling somewhat normal after being sick since the end of January, J developing the flu last weekend and the girls being on Spring Break this past week leading up to Easter...I simply had no energy or desire to do much of anything except survive the daily routine of things and try to make Spring Break as fun as possible.

Ella, Ema and I were the only ones that gathered for the egg coloring Sunday afternoon and we tried some of those q-tip egg coloring sticks this year. (a bit messy but fun to make polka dots with..and what part of coloring eggs isn't messy anyway.) *wink*

Oh! And the ham dinner I cooked for Easter dinner was a complete disaster.
It didn't cook long enough so the green beans and potatoes weren't done.
Then I decided to serve some bread we'd had earlier in the week as a filler and of course...it was a little stale. Perfect to go with the underdone crunchy green beans and potatoes. Ha!
Oh well. We ate it anyway...

STYLING | Hot Cocoa Bar :: Cabin in the Woods Edition

We have really been enjoying and putting to good use the "Cabin in the Woods" themed hot cocoa bar I created this year for my family.

I think the enamelware mugs, pitcher and storage containers mixed with the rustic/woodsy Hot Cocoa Bar sign I designed, along with the other elements really gave it an authentic, earthy vibe. I just love it.

Hot Cocoa Bars are such an easy concept. Seriously. We've been doing these for years and this time I kept it even more simple by skipping the syrups, eliminating a lot of the toppings, using store-bought packets + bulk hot cocoa powder and even eliminating the pirouette cookies we've typically had on the table.

What's been so fun is that I decided to only offer the fixings to be able to create mugs of S'mores Hot Cocoa - to keep with the camp/cabin feel of it all. (including the addition of a culinary kitchen torch for roasting the marshmallows on top. We keep it in a drawer near by - for safety). 

Omgoodness!! These are SO good!

And okay,  I miss the cute peppermint stir sticks that usually grace the table, BUT my One Little Word (Less) has really helped me to simplify the set up and it's been wonderful. Our family and friends have thoroughly enjoyed it!!

I've got all of the resources mentioned and linked at the bottom of the post...so I'm just going to let you sit back and scroll through the rest of the details without me saying another word...because I'm practicing saying "less". *wink*

Do you all love it as much as I do?
If you don't, keep it a secret. *wink*

I'm just kidding! I really want to know which one has been your favorite?
"Baby It's Cold Outside" Hot Cocoa Bar, Hot Chocolate Bar  or the new one I'm sharing today!?
I honestly can't decide.

So here's the scoop on everything for those of you feeling inspired to put one together...

TOPPINGS USED
Crushed Graham Cracker Crumbs
Mini Marshmallows
Hershey Bars - broken up into small rectangles (see photo of hot cocoa above)
Mini Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

NOTES + TIPS
STRAWS
These, of course, are not necessary. But they sure look cute and the littles think they are fun!

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS
The mini Ghirardelli chocolate chips I have on the table are not necessary if you are creating S'mores Hot Cocoa and use the Hershey Bars to top off your mugs. But a little extra chocolate is always a good idea...in my opinion. *wink*

S'MORES HOT COCOA RECIPE
Follow my S'mores Hot Cocoa Recipe for the perfect presentation.

HOT COCOA POWDER
I was originally going to use hot cocoa packets only  in order to really keep things simple. But then found the cute enamelware containers and decided to keep some bulk hot cocoa powder inside one of them. If you use the packets, have a small trashcan near by.

WHIPPED CREAM
When you purchase your cans of whipped cream, if you intend to wrap the outside of the can with kraft paper, like I did, pay attention to the design of your can. Redi-Whip tends to have a rounded top which makes it more tricky to wrap.

ENAMELWARE
Beware! Enamelware mugs are a wonderful conductor of heat; perfect to warm your hands on a cold night sitting by the fire. However, when using them in the comfort of your home, be sure to remind your hot cocoa drinkers - especially children, to use the handle on the mugs while sipping.

RUSTIC HOT COCOA BAR SIGN
I went with a color sign this year instead of the chalkboard signs I've done the past 2 or 3 years. Printing the chalkboard signs usually cost under $5 because they are black and white. To have a 24x36 color sign printed, it will cost you about $20. I also chose to save myself some time and I paid $10 for Office Depot to mount the sign onto foam board. The beauty of this sign is that you can have it printed in black and white to save money and it will still look awesome...just not as authentic. *wink*

CULINARY KITCHEN TORCH
The kitchen torch isn't something I kept on the table but it's SO fun for creating S'mores Hot Cocoa.

BLACK AND WHITE TABLE COVERING
This was actually one of those Ruana Wraps you wear. It was the perfect size for my small table.

BIRCH STUMP TREE PEDESTAL
This is actually one of those Bonfire Logs. I picked mine up at my local grocery store for $9.99

MORE HOT COCOA BAR INSPIRATION
Hot Chocolate Bar
Baby It's Cold Outside Hot Cocoa Bar

RESOURCES
Hot Cocoa Bar Sign 
Enamelware Mugs
Enamelware Pitcher
Enamelware containers - found these on clearance
Black and White Flannel table covering - a blanket scarf
Hot Cocoa Powder
Glass Jars with wooden spoons
Lantern
Tree Slabs - both of the flat ones came from Hobby Lobby
Birch Stump - Bonfire Log
Straws - Chocolate Brown Striped
Wooden Scoop for Hot Cocoa Powder + Marshmallows
Small Fern Trees - I actually picked these up at CVS during the holidays. They had ornaments on them to make them look like Christmas trees. I just pulled those off.
Mug Tree - also known as a Wire 3-Tier Glass Drying Rack 

I hope you love it and as always...
I hope you are inspired!!

xoxo

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I thought it would be cute to spray all of the green trees with that "snow in a can" to add more charm and authenticity to the table. Honestly though, I don't think it made that much of a difference. Can you even tell I used it? Not really.

P.S. The sign is crooked in the first photo.  Shhhhh!  *wink*

TRADITIONS | Holiday Cookie Baking :: Shutterfly

I host a Holiday Cookie Baking party at my house every December with family.
We come together for an afternoon of baking so that at the end of the afternoon we all have a nice assortment of holiday cookies for either eating or gifting/sharing with others.

The idea was actually inspired by my grandmother's cookie press. 
I have fond memories of gathering in her kitchen during the holiday season to bake up her favorite "Holly Wreath" cookies; a five ingredient recipe from back-in-the-day when "cookie" was spelled "cooky". (see below)

In our hopes to remember and honor that tradition my mom, my aunt and I decided to gather together as a family every year and use grandma's cookie press together. (instead of fighting over it when we were baking on separate days… Ha!)

This year, I used these super cute "Jolly Dots" Shutterfly cards to send out to get everyone excited!!
I just LOVE how they turned out with the bright cheerful colors and polka dots!! I got the jolly dots address labels to match too - which made sending them out a cinch!! 

When I was looking for the links to share with you I noticed the invitations are now 40% off and the address labels are 50% off through midnight tonight - December 4th!! Awesome!!! 

So…
my family and I gather…
and we laugh…
and we bake…
and we make memories…every year.

And with every year that we come together…
I continue to learn something new for the next year that will help things go more smoothly and keep things fun and stress-free. I thought you might like to know how I do it…just in case you want to do one of your own.

1. PROVIDE A LUNCH
The first couple of years we just got together and baked and ate cookies and cookie dough all afternoon…which was totally fun. BUT…it was too much sugar and not enough sustenance.
So now…I'm providing an easy lunch for everyone to help themselves to whenever they feel like eating. Last year I did a big pot of White Chicken Chili. This year I'm doing a from-scratch homemade pot of chicken vegetable soup with homemade biscuits. (I've got the biscuits in the freezer from a few weeks ago and will just pop those in the oven).  I'll make the soup the day before so it only needs to be reheated in a crockpot. The idea is to make sure it's easy to eat, easy to clean-up and that it doesn't take up much kitchen counter space - leaving more room for baking cookies.


1. DESIGNATE A START AND STOP TIME
Without a designated ending time, the first year we got together our "afternoon of baking" quietly transitioned into a late evening…leaving us all completely exhausted - and hungry for real food. (see "Provide a Lunch" above). By setting a time, we're a little more cognizant of staying on task and we can actually let our own families know when we'll be done. (and when the cookies will be available for eating). Ha!!  Remember to give yourself time for clean-up too! 

2. COOKIE INGREDIENTS
Everyone should bring the ingredients they need to be able to bake the specific cookie recipe they are looking to share. I also make sure to have plenty of the staples on hand, (flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, butter, eggs, etc.), just in case someone forgets something or we decide to make more of something.

3. HOSTESS SUPPLIES
As the hostess, I make sure to have pot holders, cookie sheets, spatulas, scrapers, measuring spoons, measuring cups, cooling racks, rolling pins, hand-mixers, a stand mixer and scoops. You might also want to have on hand wax paper and parchment paper. (I add a little something to my supply every year - like this year I bought another set of measuring spoons and I'll be buying some more pot holders and cookie sheets). I also provide extra baking staples - see "Cookie Ingredients" above and my family is lucky since I always have a well-stocked pantry filled with all sorts of sprinkles and sparkles.

4. GUEST SUPPLIES
Each person that is participating in the baking should bring the ingredients for their own cookies, (see "Cookie Quantity" below), as well as some type of packaging to transport all of their cookies home.

Some people will just use a paper plates and slide them into ziploc bags. Others will use basic plastic storage containers they already have in their kitchen. I usually try to have pretty packages or plates to go ahead and package up my cookies for gift giving so that my family doesn't eat them all. I picked up these darling rectangle plates from the Oh Joy! collection at Target this year.

5. COOKIE QUANTITY
Each baker should be baking a dozen cookies for each person in attendance…PLUS the amount of cookies the baker wants to take home or keep. (Ex. If I want to make sure I have 4 dozen of my own cookies and there are 5 total bakers participating then I need to plan on baking 9 dozen cookies total.)

6. BAKE HOSTESS COOKIES AHEAD OF TIME
I'm trying something new this year because we are going to have more bakers in the kitchen. Since I only have one oven and a tiny side oven, I'm going to make my cookies ahead of time to free up the oven. I'm thinking that will allow me to enjoy more time with my family and help them with the recipes they are making.

7. CHRISTMAS MUSIC
You know music is HUGE for me so you might have already guessed I always make sure to have some playing in the background while we are baking! Now I call it "Christmas" music because that's what I celebrate but you can call it "Holiday" music if you prefer.  Whatever you call it…make sure you've got your favorites playing. (I'm even polling my guests this year to see what their favorites are so I can add them to my Spotify "Christmas Baking" playlist.

Hope these helpful tips will encourage you to host your own Cookie Baking party!!

All in all the day ends up covering a whole list of things I love doing during the holidays:
Spending time with family.
Baking.
Packaging up homemade goodies for friends and neighbors.
Making memories.
Singing along to my favorite Christmas music.
and last but not least…treating my girls and J with homemade holiday cookies.

And you can bet I'll be taking some selfies to capture all of those memories we'll be making this year!!  I'm actually getting much better at it now that I've been practicing. *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL
The Thanksgiving decor is down but not quite out of the house yet…
and the Christmas tree lights are on the tree…as of last night.
That's the extent of our holiday cheer so far.
Hoping to get my Hot Cocoa bar up, the tree decorated and lights up outside before our afternoon of  Cookie Baking.

INSPIRE | Giving Thanks :: Compendium

Hi you guys!!
While I'm working on a different post that will go up tomorrow…
I thought I'd share with you this "Giving Thanks" book by Compendium.
I'll be using it for my own Thanksgiving Dinner with family next week and thought you might want to hurry and order one for yourself as well.

The thought of sitting around the table this year…
knowing there is forever an empty seat with the recent loss of my cousin…
well…I just figured this book would be a great thing to use to continue the healing process for all of us. I'm a believer that when we acknowledge our gratitude for the smallest of details…especially during the difficult, trying times...we continue to find things to be grateful for.

Hope you are inspired to start this new tradition with your family this year as well.

See more details and photos of the book on the Compendium website.
Although it's currently sold out on the Live-Inspired website...
you can still purchase Giving Thanks on Amazon.

Love you guys!!
xoxo

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Hand me a box of tissues please.
Between the cold I'm fighting, thinking about Holly and the emotion this video conjures up about family and family holiday traditions...I'm just not able to hold back the tears or the sniffling today! #emotional