Echoes of Laughter

Can't Wait For These New Books...

2012-02-16T15:07:00.002-07:00

Hello dear friends!

Sorry I have not been in blogland lately.

My hubby was away on business for 8 days and I was completely focused on the kids...driving them to all their activities and keeping up with everything.

So it turned into a little unexpected blog break!

I did a boys' birthday party all by myself...including a round of laser tag at the local place and a sleepover...in which the boys actually slept! Ha!

***

There are 3 new books coming out this spring for which I can hardly wait!

The first is the new Pioneer Woman cookbook...making it`s way to shelves on March 13.

I have her first cookbook and it is so gorgeous...both as a cookbook and a pictorial of her life on the ranch.

And many of you know already that I have been reading the Nie Nie Dialogues for a long time and was reading when she was in a near fatal plane crash in 2009 with her husband.

Not only did she survive being burned over 84% of her body....she reclaimed her life as a wife and a mom to 4 children, but is expecting a new baby in 6 weeks.

Her story is so inspirational.

I will be heading to Chapters on April 3 to pick up my pre-ordered copy.

And Amy Atlas has her first book arriving in stores on April 24....featuring her gorgeously styled signature parties!

Hope your week is going great!

Pink Tulips...

2012-02-07T09:11:00.003-07:00

Some $4.00 flowers from the grocery store...perfect to brighten a winter's day.

Hope you find a bright spot in your day as well!

A Family Documents Binder...

2012-02-02T21:00:00.002-07:00

I really want to thank everyone who has been hanging out with me this week!

It's been so much fun sharing some of my home managements tips and ideas with you!

On Monday we talked about meal planning.

Tuesday involved chatting about the 10 best ways to save money on groceries without using coupons.

Revolutionizing your laundry routine was Thursday's topic.

Today I want to share where we keep all of our family's important documents.

***

Do you have a system for keeping your important family documents under wraps?

Maybe you have these papers in file folders or a box.? I would like to show you how I have our family's documents stored.

Hello Family Documents Binder!

You are such a wonderful friend for keeping all of our documents so neat & tidy & easy to find.

This is such a simple project to create.

Only a binder is required....along with some dividers, page protectors and a sheet created on the computer.

Create some custom tabs for the categories needed on the computer.

Print off the sheet.

Cut the tabs and stable the tabs to the page dividers to make categories.

You can make as many categories as you like!

I like to use this binder for official government documents, but you could add as many things as you wish!

Insert page protectors in each category to hold the documents.

Below is the page protector which holds our family's passports, along with a photocopy of each passport number and photo to leave at home when travelling.

Store all your documents in one place.... an organized binder!

For me, I don't feel that these things belong in a home management binder because I don't want them to be out in the open or the children to have access to them...just in case.

So I keep this binder in a private area of our home.

The binder can be stored in a safe for protection if you wish.

This system works so well!

I was out doing errands one day when my husband called from his work to ask for his passport number as he was booking a plane ticket for business travel.

I was able to call my 15 yr. old daughter at home and ask her to get out the binder and look up her Dad's passport number and call him back.

She easily found it....thanks to the Family Documents Binder.

And trust me, it is such a good feeling to have these important papers in one place.

When I need a copy of a child's birth certificate, or baptism certificate, I know exactly where to look!

These items have a permanent home!

This post is linked to these parties:

http://whipperberry.com/2012/02/friday-flair-link-party-11.html

Revolutionize Your Laundry Routine...

2012-02-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

In days gone by, Monday was the traditional day for a homemaker to do her family's laundry.

Monday was the chosen day because laundry was hard, back-breaking work and it was best to tackle this after Sunday's day of rest.

I am sure that this homemaker thought this modern machine was a huge improvement over just a plain tub of water and a paddle....which at the time I am sure it was!

When I was growing up in a little village in Nova Scotia in the 1970's, our next door neighbour was still doing her laundry with one of these. {below}

She did her laundry one day a week and she had two children in elementary school whom my brother and I played with.

I was always slightly fascinated when I happened to be at her house on laundry day...it looked like fun to put the clothes through the 'mangle' at the top....although I wouldn't want to jam my fingers....double ouch!

I have a close friend who has an antique mangle in her home. Her parents brought it with them to Canada from Norway and it is treasured as a family heirloom because it once belonged to her Grandmother.

This type of laundry equipment is unbreakable and will last forever, but sure is darn heavy and impossible to move...I know because we tried!

When you look at these antique types of washing machines, it gives you a new appreciation for the machines we use today, where we literally dump the clothes in, push a few buttons and walk away.

However, it is still a dreaded chore!

In the days where these older types of machines were used, it made sense to do laundry in the traditional way of sorting lights from darks and clean from really dirty.

And if you are still doing laundry this way, I want to give you a few suggestions as to how you can make the chore of laundry more streamlined.

Tip #1~ Keep a laundry hamper just for towels and bedding.

Keep it in the bathroom or hallway so all family members can deposit their towels easily.

Do loads of towels, facecloths and bedding separate from the other laundry on an as needed basis.

I usually do a load of towels every second day.

I do 2 loads of bedding once a week.

Tip #2~Next, buy a simple laundry basket for each family member.

Keep it in their bedroom where they dress and undress.

{We keep ours in our bedroom closets.}

Keep the laundry basket there all the time....otherwise there will be dirty clothes on the floor!

Teach your children to put their dirty clothes in their basket.

I have been doing this with my children since they were toddlers.

Tip #3~Buy a few more laundry baskets{I got mine years ago at Zellers for $3.99} for transporting dirty laundry from the bedrooms to the laundry area.

Here is my son's dirty laundry ready to go to the washer.

Tip #4~ Next, assign each person a laundry day. It can be the same day each week or you can decide as you go depending on who has the fullest basket of dirty clothes.

Tip #5~And here's where you can save yourself a ton of time....just do one person's laundry in the washer and then dry it.

Don't carry every family member's dirty clothes to the laundry area and sort into dark and light with messy piles all over the floor.

And sort again when they are washed and dried and have to be put away.

Skip that step! Don't do sorting and sorting!

Just do one person's laundry at a time.

Carry that person's laundry to the washer, wash it, dry it and then take it back to the owner's bedroom for them to fold and put away!

If I had to do laundry the old-fashioned way of mixing every one's clothes together, sorting light and dark and then sorting again when they were all done, I would honestly have a breakdown!

All that sorting, sorting, sorting....no thank you!

Tip #5~And here's another tip.....it you don't have enough of one person's clothes for a light and dark load, put it all in together!

Yes, I said don't separate it!

Most clothes and laundry detergents today are colour fast and don't run!

The only exception might be new jeans.

{However, I would still do a separate load for delicates on the delicate setting.}

Tip #6~When it comes to socks for kids, buy them multiple pairs of the same brand and colour so their socks are all the same.

That way the socks are easy to match and if you have an odd sock, the other odd sock in the drawer is exactly the same and you have a matched pair!

For instance, my 10 yr. old son has 12 pairs of white socks of the same brand.

Tip #7~Teach teenagers to do their own laundry. My 15 yr. old daughter has been doing her own laundry for 2 years. This started when she reached junior high and she wanted her clothes washed every 3 days because she had 3 favourite outfits.So I taught her how to use the washer and dryer and how to iron and she has been doing it ever since. In fact, she doesn't like me to touch her laundry at all...she likes to do it herself!

This past weekend, my 10 yr.old son asked me to show him how to iron so he could iron his dress shirts for hockey.

I showed him how and he did an awesome job and ironed 4 shirts!

Proud Mommy moment!

Okay now. Back to laundry...

Another thing...I don't check pockets any more! Every one in my house knows 'leave things in your pocket at your own risk' !

This started when I found dog poop in my then 6 yr. old son's pants pocket. True story.

{Don't ask!}

Now, in my professional organizing work, I have noticed that most families are still doing laundry the 'old way' of mixing all the families clothes together and then sorting them out again after they come out of the dryer into each person's pile.

And sorting them out before they go back to the owner's rooms.

So, I am really curious!

How do you do your laundry?

Are you mixing it all together and then sorting it all back out or are you more streamlined like me?

Inquiring minds want to know!

This post is linked to these parties:

http://whipperberry.com/2012/02/friday-flair-link-party-11.html

10 Best Ways To Save Money On Groceries Without Couponing

2012-01-31T13:13:00.001-07:00

We are all busy people, right?

Not all of us are inclined to spend our free time finding coupons, clipping coupons, organizing coupons and carrying them around with us at all times.

It just isn't pratctical to commit to that kind of time & dedication for many people.

So how can you save money on groceries if you don't coupon?

They are several things you can do to save money on what you spend on food each week.
You probably use a lot of these strategies already, but maybe you might find one new idea to use!

1. Don't Shop This Week.

That's right! Don't shop this week. I bet if you take a look around your kitchen and freezer, you will find that you have more than enough to create a week's worth of meals without going to the grocery store this week. Challenge yourself to use what you already have to menu plan for the week. Or at the very least, just shop for fresh fruit and veggies and other perishables you might run out of. I find we use our groceries better with very little waste when I shop every 2 weeks instead of every week.

2. Menu Plan.

As I mentioned yesterday, menu planning makes the best use of your grocery dollars by giving you a plan to follow that help you avoid quick runs to the grocery store at the last minute to grab things for meals or a trip to the drive-thu. You can read more about how I menu plan here.

3. Read the Flyers.

I know so many people who don't check the flyers! The weekly sales flyers are delivered to my doorstep each week and I always make a list of the best deals that week so I can make my grocery dollars go further. Take some time to read the flyers. The best deals are always on the front pages, so even if you do a quick scan of the front page, you may see a deal that works for you.

4. Shop The Sales.

Shop the sales and stock up! When I say stock up, I don't mean stock up with an extra can or two. I mean really stock up....like for 6 months to a year. If it's something that can last for a long time...stock up if you have the room and the budget for it. For instance, I make soup a lot, so when I recently saw a great sale on chicken and beef broth, I purchased 20 cartons of each. { I typically use 3-4 cartons per soup.} Buy cases of things when they are on sale. February is National Canned Food Month, so some of the grocery stores are offering great prices on cases.

5. Stock Your Pantry.

This goes along with reading the weekly sales flyers and stocking up on sales. Stock up your pantry with things you use all the time, so you are cooking from your pantry with things that were purchased on sale and at the best price. I have a pantry in my kitchen, but I also have a large shelf in my basement to store overflow from my pantry. My pantry is so well stocked now that there are several weeks that I don't need to buy any pantry items. And if you live a distance from a grocery store....this will save you on gas and time as well!

6. Discover the Discount Bin.

I shop at a grocery store that marks down perishables about to expire on a daily basis .In fact, it's one of the reasons I shop there. One day in August, I shopped there after I dropped the kids off at school and here are the deals I came home with:

**Please note all the bright pink stickers say 50% off**

{except for the meat, which is 30% off}

What did I do with everything?

The tortellini went into the freezer for meals and soups.

The green beans went into the freezer for meals and soups.

The red peppers {Canadian} were diced and put into the freezer for soups, casseroles, pizzas and stir frys.

I also do the same thing with green and yellow peppers, mushrooms and onions.

The blueberries were the best deal.... less than a $1 a pound and they were Canadian blueberries.

Do you know what you pay for a small little bag of blueberries from the freezer section of the grocery store... a lot more!

To prepare the berries, I picked out the bad ones, washed them and then filled my freezer with these yummy berries.

I also do this with raspberries,strawberries and cranberries when they are marked down.

I used some of the blueberries to make a delicious blueberry and peach cobbler for dessert that night too!

I used the pork, some of the red peppers and the green beans to make a delicious stir fry for dinner that night.

And I don't like cutting up cantaloupe and honeydew....even though I know it saves money.

So when I see these, I scoop them up for desserts and school lunches.

$4.99 for this cut up fruit....yes please!

This brings me to another way to save money on groceries.

7. Make Friends with Your Freezer.

Your freezer can be so useful! Not just for buying frozen foods, but for also taking fresh foods and preparing them for the freezer yourself. And often it takes so little time!

8. Buy in bulk.

Recently it was Chinese New Year, so a lot of Asian foods were on sale. So I picked up an 8 kg of thai jasmine rice...it's one of our favourites. This saves so much instead of buying little bags of rice over and over again at a higher price.

9. Do 'Big Cooks' or "Batch Cooking'.

Use your freezer to create your own convenience foods. Make double batches of soup so you have some to freezer for another time. When you cook rice, cook double the amount you need and put the extra in the freezer for another meal. There are a ton of blogs and websites that have terrific ideas and recipes for freezer meals. Take some time and find some recipes that your family likes.

10. Plant a fruit tree or join a "Fruit Rescue".

The previous owner of our home planted an apple tree and we get so many yummy apples from that one tree. They aren't very big, but they sure are good and the perfect size for the kids lunches.

And again, I make good use of my freezer and use our fresh apples to make 'apple pie kits'.

I just add cinnamon and sugar with the sliced apples to go into the pie or apple crisp.

My city also has a 'fruit rescue' organization that I belong to.

Residents of the city who have fruit trees or bushes and are not able to harvest the fruit call the 'fruit rescue' who then organizes volunteers to harvest the fruit. A third of the fruit goes to the homeowner, a third to the food bank, and a third goes to the harvesters.

This is a great way to do a good service to your community and take home free fruit.

***

How about you?

What are some strategies that you use to save money on groceries without couponing?

Make sure you come back tomorrow when I share some helpful ideas for revolutionizing your laundry!

This post is linked to these wonderful parties:

http://whipperberry.com/2012/02/friday-flair-link-party-11.html

5 Easy Steps to Meal Planning...

2012-01-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

So, here at Echoes of Laughter, we are going to talk about some super fun home management stuff this week!
Hopefully, you will find some ideas that you make your life easier!

Today is about "Meal Planning".

Tomorrow, I will be sharing some ideas on "Saving Money On Groceries Without Couponing."

Wednesday's topic will be "Revolutionize Your Laundry."

On Thursday I will be sharing an organizational project you won't want to miss as it it something that all families should have.

And Friday will be about getting the kids involved.

***

Meal planning is so important for families.

It is the key to healthy meals, controlling the grocery budget and avoiding fast food.

Plus...it reduces the stress in your life...you will feel so much better knowing that you have a meal plan for each day!
No running to the grocery store on the way home from work to pick up something to make for dinner!
And I know lots of you out there already do meal planning, but since I had some readers ask about how I meal plan, I thought I would write a new post for 2012,

I usually plan our meals for the week on Sunday....it's the day that works best for me, but really meal planning can be done on any day that works for your schedule.

Some people plan meals for whole month at one time, but I plan a week at a time..it's just the way I like to do it!

Do whatever works for you!

Here are the 5 easy steps I use to plan our meals.

1. Look at the Family Schedule.

Each week, before I begin meal planning, I look at our family calendar to see what's happening for the week.
Is there a day supper should be early or a day where it should be an easy supper?
I take this into account when planning the meals for each day.

I plan the time that each meal will be served so that when the kids or hubby ask, I can say dinner will be ready at a certain time.

Because of the children's schedule, for instance, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I serve dinner at 3 pm...as soon as they get home from school.

{You can read more about this here.}

2. Check the Fridge & Freezer.

Many people don't think of this step when planning meals, but it makes perfect sense to plan meals around what you already have.

The first thing you should check is what fresh vegetables and fruit are in the fridge.

Plan to use those first so you are not wasting fresh stuff you already have!

For example, have some lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber? Make a salad as a part of the first meal.

Do you have potatoes, sweet potatoes, or squash? Roast them to go with a meal.

Is your freezer full of meat? Start there for making your meal plan!

In doing this, you save money on groceries by using what you already have and creating less waste.

3. Write Down the Meals.

After you have checked the inventory of the fridge and freezer, now it's time to write down the meals you have chosen to make/serve based on what you already have.

Just write it down on paper...you don't need anything fancy!

I use a simple meal planning pad that I found at Micheal's for $1.50 and I leave it on the fridge.

And I only plan meals for Monday to Friday.

I leave Saturday and Sunday open so we have some flexibility, and also because my husband likes to cook on the weekends.

When planning the meals, I like to make sure that we have a variety.

I plan the protein first, and then I add the sides and vegetables.

I keep these things in the freezer all the time:

For proteins: fish, chicken breasts, ground turkey, beef, lean hamburger, and pork tenderloin.

For sides: frozen peas, frozen beans, frozen corn and frozen mixed vegetables.

I keep these things in the pantry all the time:

Canned tomatoes, canned beans {assorted}, different types of rice, potatoes, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes, assorted pastas and cartons of beef & chicken broth.
And go easy on yourself...don't plan complicated things or try new recipes on weeknights...save that for the weekend when you have more time!
Notice that a lot of my meals are simple, kid-friendly, and can be on the table in 30-40 minutes.

For weeknight meals, here is a sample menu plan:

Soup Night

{Shown:Italian Wedding Soup}

Fish Night:

{Shown: Shrimp Creole}

Beef Night:

{Shown:Sloppy Joes}

Pork or Chicken Night:

{Shown:Mu Shu Pork}

Pasta or Vegetarian Night:

4.Plan the Grocery Shop & Prep Notes.

Plan your grocery list to pick up things you need to complete the meals or for packing lunches.

{You can read my post on '5 Easy Steps for Packing School Lunches' here.}

And it's a great time to read the weekly sales flyers!

Take advantage of the sales to make your grocery budget go far!

Also, write down on your meal plan or in your planner little reminders of when you need to take things out of the freezer to thaw in time to make the meal.

For instance, if you are having chicken on Wednesday, write down that you need to take chicken out of the freezer on Tuesday.

Also, are there things that can be done ahead of time to make the week easier? For example, if you are having rice on Tuesday, maybe the rice could be cooked on Sunday and stored in the fridge to make things easier come Tuesday.

Plan the grocery list to include lots of fresh fruits & vegetables that your family likes.

The best way to avoid junk food is to not put it in the grocery cart at all!

I grocery shop evey 2 weeks.

We used to shop every week, but I found we wasted lots of fresh fruits & vegetables this way by buying more before the previous week's produce was eaten.

Every 2 weeks gives us time to eat everything before buying more.

5. Involve the Family.

I usually prepare the meals, but sometimes if I am out, I let my daughter know that she needs to put something in the oven for me when she gets home from school, or I let Tyler know that he is helping make the salad that night.

I think it is so important to involve the children in the meal-making as much as possible so that they feel comfortable in the kitchen and will one day cook for themselves.

And my husband cooks on the weekends, so he chooses what he feels like cooking and I am quite happy to have a break!

***

One of my very favourite sites to visit for ideas for meal planning is my friend Laura's blog

"I'm An Organizing Junkie" .

On Mondays, Laura hosts a Menu Plan Monday link party where each week over 200 hundred woman link up their meal plans for the week.

This link party is so full of great information and inspiration....I highly recommend visiting it on Mondays!

Do you have any tips for planning meals?

What works for your family?

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

http://whipperberry.com/2012/02/friday-flair-link-party-11.html

So Canadian Eh: Please visit me over at hodge:podge today to see my interview....

2012-01-29T09:21:00.003-07:00

The lovely and wonderful Barb of the blog hodge:podge is featuring me today as part of her amazing series on Canadian blogs.

Thank you so much Barb for including me in your series...I am thrilled!

Please click here to visit my interview.

Please tell Barb I sent you over and make sure to visit her archives to see more interviews from this delightful series!

{ A few weeks ago she interviewed Suzanne Dimma~the editor from Canadian House & Home Magazine!}

A Vacation Memory Jar...

2012-01-27T17:03:00.002-07:00

I have wanted to make a 'Vacation Memory Jar' for a long time.

I just love the look of them....something touchable and tangible.

Inside this jar rests the memories and sand from our family vacation to Florida in March 2011.

I really would have loved to use an antique jar, but I had visions of it being knocked or smashed on the floor....those types of things happen in this house....so I found this acrylic jar to use as a safer choice.

I like the size and shape...perfect for this project.

I used simple twine to tie around the top for rustic feel....along with some scraps from my scrapbooking stash.

Some tiny clothespins worked well for attaching a tag to the picture.
I also used a photo overlay to add the pattern around the outside edge of the picture.

And sand from Cocoa Beach....a place that my family has been visiting since 1982.

The shells were collected by the children.

The little bottle full of shells we purchased from 'Ron Jon's'...a Cocoa Beach Landmark.

This project didn't take very long to put together after I had assembled the jar and my stash of scrapbooking embellishments.

I just played until I got a look that was pretty to me.

{It was extremely hard to photograph though...because of light & reflection!}

The memory jar sits on a shelf in a place that we can all enjoy.

It was a such a fun project to make.

I think this would be so lovely to make as a keepsake for a wedding too....with a pretty picture inside of the bride & groom and dried flowers from the wedding...it would be stunning and unique!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

http://whipperberry.com/2012/02/friday-flair-link-party-11.html

Feeding Kids After School...

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Like so many other moms, I have super hungry kids that come in the door every day after school.

They are hungry and want to eat.

No if, ands for buts.

I see it as an opportunity to feed them something that will really nourish their bodies.

{Below~fruit plate with a yogurt dip}

My son takes a packed lunch to school and usually eats all of it.

Since he attends a sports academy for school, his school day includes lots of physical activity and he comes home ready for another meal.

My daughter is in High School.

She used to take a packed lunch, but this year although I pack something for her, she chooses not to take it.

This does not make me happy, but I can't force her.

What I can do is make sure that there are healthy & nourishing things ready and on the table for when she gets home.

All my children have to do is wash their hands and sit down.

I call it the '3 o'clock special'.

Of course, I could let them rummage around the pantry for whatever they want...but I am home and I can really shore up a healthy diet for them by offering/making great food available.
{Below~spicy tzatziki with carrots and naan bread wedges}

There are 3 days a week that one or both children have sports activities around dinnertime.

So instead of feeding them a snack....hoping it will hold them over until them get home after their sports practice...I just go ahead and feed them supper at 3 o'clock.

This makes sense for so many reasons....the first of which is it satisfys their hunger right away.

I know they are eating healthy doses of fresh fruits and vegetables...especially during cold & flu season.

And when they get home from practice, they only need a light snack.

And I am not left cleaning up the kitchen at 8 o'clock at night after a late supper.

On this particular day, I served my homemade Italian Wedding Soup along with a fruit tray, a veggie tray and rolls.

I usually eat with them, and I put the leftovers in the fridge for hubby...who meets the children at their sports practice and brings them home.

Then while hubby eats supper, the children eat their snack with him at the table.

The other 4 nights, we eat supper as a family together.

I have found that this is the best plan that works for our family.

And the kids are really happy to eat a meal when they get home from school...it seems to be their 'hungriest' time.

Even if I worked outside the home, I would still try to have a fruit or veggie tray in the fridge and ready for them to eat. And homemade soup ready to heat up.

This {below}was the '3 o'clock' special yesterday....crab cakes, a spinach salad, whole wheat pasta with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes, and fresh pineapple spears.

This meal was also a bonus because there was enough spinach salad and pasta left for today.

We really try to avoid the trap of drive-thrus and fast food.

And what really helps a healthy meal happen is menu planning on Sunday for the week.

Planning. Planning. Planning.

It is so important!

This post is linked to these great parties:

Organizing Magazine Tear Sheets....

2012-01-24T13:20:00.002-07:00

Over the weekend, I seriously dug into some organizing projects that really needed attention.

I had stacks and stacks of magazines that needed to be dealt with.

Let me preface this by saying that for years I have been a huge magazine junkie.

I love reading them and they have been such a source of inspiration to me.

I hate letting them go, but I cannot have piles of stuff around the house for very long.

For years, I have ripped out 'inspiration' pages from magazines and organized them into file folders.

I debated switching them into binders, but that would require hole-punching and page protectors which would also require time, so I decided against it because I just wanted a quick 'drop & dump' method.

This works for me.

A simple box with file folders inside.

I label the files to show the different ideas I want to keep.

And I clean them out every so often...discarding what doesn't appeal to me anymore.

I recently got this file out to look at. Can you guess what I am waiting for?

I have noticed a lot of my tear out sheets have come from Martha Stewart, Country Living and Style At Home magazines. So obviously, I should keep those subscriptions.

But you know what is replacing all this?

Pinterest.

And yes, I pin!

I think I have 42 boards now with hundreds of pins.

So eventually, I think my magazine tear sheet box will be empty...which is ok with me.

But it works for now.

Do you save magazine tear sheets? If so, what do you do with them?

Do you 'Pin'?

I love pinning because it's pinning and organizing all in one step!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Valentine Sweet-spiration Week:Valentine Vignette

2012-01-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose between decorating for Valentine's Day and Christmas Day as a favourite way to spend a few hours...I am not sure I could choose.

I mean, who could not help but love adding the theme of romance to their home?

It was a perfect day for decorating projects because it was insufferably cold outside again today....in the area of -40.

I put on some big band music and dug around my collection of Valentine's things to create a vignette.

Here's a tip for creating a vignette...books with coloured spines are great things to use...today I gathered up my red-spined books to add to the theme.

I found these darling little cupcake decorations at Pier 1.

The decorations on the branches are all dollar store finds.

You may remember I found these at the dollar store for $2 each and I took them apart to make napkin rings.

If you notice the bottom 2 hearts only have 1 hole for wire.

I used this scrapbooking tool set and....

added another small hole...

and then pushed the wire into the other hole to make the heart into a hanging decoration for the branches.

And these soft velvet looking hearts were in a package for a dollar.

I prettied them up a bit by using a hot glue gun to add a button for a bit of homemade charm.

I think you could also easily paint these.

It makes for such a pretty valentine tree!

This project is the end of the fun for Valentine-Sweetspiration Week!

It was a lot of fun as I shared ideas for a little crafting, a little tablescaping, a little baking, a little packaging and some decorating!

I so hope that you found some inspiration!

Thank you so much for joining me & all of your lovely comments!

You are all fabulous!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Valentine-sweetspiration Week: Pretty Packaging

2012-01-17T19:29:00.001-07:00

If you have read my blog for any amount of time....you know how I love pretty packaging.

And I want to share with some you great ideas for packaging for those little cupcakes we made yesterday.

But first, I want to tell you about my day.

In my little corner of the world, it was -28 celsius when we woke up this morning at 6:50 am.

Check out the thick frost on the inside of the window in our breakfast area.

And on the door.

Brrrr.

I spent my day inside of course. We drove the kids to school this morning and dropped them off at the door.

Then I came home to change one person's bedsheets to flannel.

I made a BIG pot of soup...Italian Wedding Soup.

Made a huge fruit platter...so when my baby birds returned to the nest, there would be warmth and food.

I kept the fireplace burning.

At 2:48 pm, I drove to my daughter's bus stop to pick her up.

The windchill made the temperature feel like -48.

She said a grateful 'thankful' as the icy wind sliced thru the car when she opened the door.

So let's get back to the little cupcakes we made yesterday...

I wanted to share with you an idea for using a recycled cracker box to package baked goods.

Cut the box open like shown.

Cut off one large side of the box that will allow the box to become an open basket.

Now fold the box back up with the printing on the inside.

And staple the sides to secure & hold the shape.

Now add some pretty tissue paper and place the goodies inside.

And wrap using some cellophane wrap.{saran wrap would also work.}

Finish off with a ribbon and a little decoration.

Now you have a pretty package ready for giving.

{I found the cupcake ribbon at Walmart after Christmas for 54 cents a roll.

It was part of the Christmas inventory. Such a lucky find!}

I also found these darling little chinese take-out containers at the Dollarama.

There were 8 in a package for a dollar.

They are the perfect size for the little cupcakes we made yesterday.

Just add a little square of tissue paper...and place the goodie inside.

Perfect for taking to school for little friends, or sharing with neighbours.

They would also make a great table favour or take home treat for a gathering.

Tomorrow I will be sharing some decorating for Valentine's Day.

Stay warm...xo

This post is linked to these great parties:

Valentine-sweetspiration Week: Sweetheart Cupcakes...

2012-01-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

If I were going to open a cupcake shop....this would be the chocolate cupcake that I would treat my customers to.

It is that good.

Moist, rich and absolutely divine.

And the best part....it is a super easy recipe that takes about 5 minutes to mix up.
No special equipment or ingredients needed.

The cupcakes are topped with a chocolate glaze that is equally easy to make without complicated ingredients.

Before I share this recipe with you, I must put on my recent favourite apron.

And here is my kitchen assistant....my soft fluffy. Her name is Rigley.

She always keeps me company in the kitchen.

Here is the recipe for these divine cupcakes.

In mixing bowl, measure:

1 & 1/3 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Stir the dry ingredients. Then add:

1 cup water.
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix until combined. Grease mini muffin tins. Fill tins about 2/3 full. Bake in 350 oven for about 10 -12 minutes.

Let cupcakes cool in pan for a few minutes. Then turn onto wire racks to cool completely.
While cupcakes are cooling, make the chocolate glaze that the cupcakes will be dipped into.

Chocolate Glaze:
4 Tablespoon Butter
4 Tablespoons Water
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder.
1 Cup Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter gently in pan on stove. Stir in cocoa powder and water. Stir until slightly thickened but do not let boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add in 1 cup of icing sugar and vanilla extract and stir with wire whisk until smooth.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the glaze. Add nonpareils if desired. I added this sweet heart mix from the Bulk Barn.

Now stand back and admire your work.

For an hour of your time, you have made a delicious homemade dessert.

This recipes make approximately 4 dozen mini cupcakes.

Perfect to share with those you love!

Please come back tomorrow when I share some ideas for pretty packaging!

Please note: Do you have your comments set at 'no reply'? If you do, sadly, I cannot reply to your questions! I have a few readers who have left me questions and sweet comments and I am so sad that I cannot reply because their email in blogger is set at 'no reply'.

For example, I had one reader ask about 'icing sugar'. It is the same as powdered sugar and is used to make frosting.

And 'piping' means to add frosting to a baked good with a pasty bag and a special tip.

So, please dear readers, check and see if your comments are set to 'no reply'. That could be why you don't have a reply to your questions or comments on blogspot.

This post has been linked to these lovely parties:

Valentine Sweet-spiration Week: Table Decor...

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to be able to share with you some budget-friendly table decor ideas for
'Happy Hearts Day'.

This pretty table was created for just under $10.

Yes! It's true! $10.

Fresh flowers would be awesome for decor, but I wanted decor that I could use a few times.... for a little brunch with some friends the week before Valentine's Day, as well as for a special family meal on the day itself...and fresh flowers wouldn't last that long.

And I wanted the decor to be budget friendly and re-usable.

In the aisles of Dollarama, I picked up 2 packages of red heart paper doilies for $1 each, and 3 packages of Valentine picks.

While browsing at Homesense, I found the red & white paper flowers marked down to $1 because they were 'Christmas decor'...but they looked more Valentine-sy to me.

The large red heart doilies made a bright & fun base for the centerpiece by arranging 3 in a row.

Can I mention here that having a white table cloth, white dishes and white vases are a great investment?

They can be dressed up for any occasion!

I purchased all my white dishes and vases from Goodwill a few years ago.

Goodwill is a terrific source for dishes...the prices are perfect for a small budget.

Just bring them home and run them thru the dishwasher so they are sterilized and you are good to go!

I also used the red doilies to layer between the dinner dishes for a dressed up look.

And they are a perfect compliment to the heart napkin rings I made earlier in the week.

I popped the flowers and the Valentine's Day picks into the vases.

Here is 1 flower and the 'XOXO' pick tucked into a vase.

I used a bigger vase in the center with the heart pick, the 'love' pick and 2 red & white flowers.

{the white daisies I already had.}

I love the sparkly red with the white...simple but it works.

And here's another tip for table decor and dessert.

Dollarama had these adorably wrapped little boxes of chocolates for $1, so I picked up a few and piled them on a white cake plate.

This would make a super easy dessert for a Valentine's day meal....most people are very happy a little piece of chocolate for dessert.

And Valentine's Hersheys hugs in a white bowl make a sweet little touch to the table as well.

Just add a frozen pizza and a salad for a time-friendly & easy meal, or go all out and make a gourmet meal to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweeties!

Either way, this simple decor will work!

This post is linked to these great parties:

Valentine Sweet-spiration Week: Sweetheart Napkin Rings

2012-01-11T13:53:00.001-07:00

Hi there!

Happy Wednesday!

With Christmas put away, I have been having some fun with some new creative projects.

Earlier this week, I made these Valentine Heart Napkin Rings.

I actually started out looking to buy a few Valentine-ish red napkin rings, but I couldn't find any.

And the few that I did find, I was unwilling to pay the price of $4 each.

That led to a trip to the local Dollarama.

And that trip brought about this idea for my blog.

I saw so many cute things at the store... my mind just exploded with ideas.

So as I crafted a few things for our home...I thought I would share some ideas and inspiration.

Welcome to

'Valentine Sweet-spiration Week'

here at Echoes of Laughter!

For the next week, I will be sharing some Valentine's projects and ideas.

And no, we don't celebrate Valentine's Day in huge way, but I do like to do a little decorating and share a special meal with my little family with a pretty table.

All of my projects, as usual, will be easy on time and budget.

While trolling around Dollarama last week for ideas to make some Valentine's napkin rings, I spotted this decoration: 3 glittery, sparkly hanging hearts.

I loved the look, and I started to think that if I took them apart, I could easily glue them to rings.

So I snapped up a few to take home for a mere $2 each.

{Do you know how much it would cost to buy 3 bottles of glitter and wooden hearts to make this? A lot more than $2! and a lot more mess!}

When I got home, I found that the hearts were very easy to take apart. It just meant uncurling the wire at the back.

I quickly had 6 hearts like this:

Then I gathered a paper towel tube from the kitchen.

And I searched out one of my old piano books from the piano bench to find some music sheets to cover the rings. Any scrapbook paper or heavy wrapping paper would work as well.

I cut the paper towel tube into rings that were 1.5 inches wide...one tube was enough for 7 rings.

{It was super easy with a sharp kitchen knife and a cutting board.}

Then I cut the music sheets into 1.5 inch strips to cover the paper towel rings.

Then I grabbed this distress ink from my scrapbooking supplies and rubbed it one the outer edges of the rings.

{Any brown or black ink will do!}

The ink just added a little more dimension to my project.

And then I warmed up the hot glue gun and attached the rings to the hearts.

Easy peasy!

And here is the finished project!

I made 6 napkin rings using 2 of the $2 hanging heart decorations from Dollarama for a total of $4.

I love the big bold look of the hearts and they add just the right touch of pretty to the table!

It really got me thinking that I should be makin napkin rings instead of buying them...and a set of 6 or 8 would make a great gift for someone who appreciate homemade gifts.

And you could use lots of other things beside hearts...such as flowers.

Join me tomorrow for some more fresh fun and ideas for Valentine's Day!

This post has been linked to these terrific parties:

2012 Project: 25 Cupcakes

2012-01-07T09:38:00.004-07:00

I haven't made cupcakes in forever.

I make cookies, muffins and scones on a very regular basis, but I cannot remember the last time I made cupcakes.

I love all of the fabulous cupcakes I see around blogland and in magazines.

As I got thinking about some of my goals and challenges for 2012, I thought I should add cupcakes to the list as a baking challenge.

I thought about making a different cupcake recipe every week...for a total of 52 cupcakes.

But then I worried that 52 cupcakes might be a little too much...plus who is going to eat all those cupcakes?

Maybe 25 different cupcakes might be a more realistic goal for the year.

And you know what else I would like to learn how to do?

Pipe icing on the tops of those cupcakes....just like the picture above.

So today is Project Cupcakes Take 1.
I know...perhaps it seems like a silly or frivolous goal, but we all need some silly to make life fun, don't we?

What goals or challenges have you set for yourself for 2012?

Winter Decor......

2012-01-06T18:03:00.003-07:00

My kids have been home on Christmas vacation this week, so when I am not busy with them, I have been putting away Christmas and freshening up vignettes around the house and front door.

Just replacing the reds & greens with greenery and pine cones...

Very simple...but I love playing with my house!

I could not put Mr. Owl away....I just love him too much!

I adore books in any room,..in any home.

Some of the new decor books I got for Christmas...

Beautiful bright sunshine in the middle of the day....

I hope you all have had a wonderful week!

I hope to get back to more of a regular blogging schedule next week.

And I have some fun things to share!

This post is linked to these great parties:

12 Easy Organizing Projects for January...

2012-01-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

I hope you had wonderful holiday. I know I did!

We had a very low key vacation here with just my little family and we had lots of relaxation and rest.

But now it's time to get back to 'normal'.

I love Christmas, but it's always nice to get the house back to 'rights' in January and reclaim regular meals and sleep schedules.

Although I seem organized, my house is always in a state of flex....things are organized for a period,

and then I have to go back and perform a 'maintenance check-up' on all my systems to make sure they are working for our family.
And while I do this, I thought it would be a good time to share some of my previous posts & ideas for some small organizational projects that could be tackled in January.

These ideas are easy...and take no more than a few hours!

1-Organizing Bills- This is my 2nd most popular post...which came as a total surprise to me! I share how to organize, track, and pay your bills...with no filing involved.

2-Organize A Home Office Nook-This is my little home office nook that I made for myself almost 2 years ago. It's where I sit to pay bills, write blog posts, craft and plan my day.
I think every woman should have a little spot like this....whether it be a whole room, a nook or corner in your home.

3-Organizing Photos-Here is the method I use to sort and organize photos. I confess that I have to catch up on all of my 2010 photos this month. And do you know what makes me sad? All of the pictures that are stored in files on computers...many destined to never be printed and enjoyed! I try to print our photos monthly at least.

4-Organizing Greeting Cards-I love this system! It is so simple and yet so wonderful to not have to go searching for birthday cards or dashing out at the last minute to buy one!

5-Organizing Kids' School Lunches-Here I share my 5 easy steps to packing kids' school lunches with fresh, healthy foods.

6-Organizing A School Launching & Landing Pad-Here I share tips & ideas for keeping the beginning and end of the day organized.

7-Organizing Kids' Artwork Into A Gallery-This little project makes me so happy...and we love having the kids' artwork displayed so that we can enjoy it!

8-Organizing Kids' School Supplies-Looking for a method to keep those school supplies from migrating all over the house? I share how we do it in the post.

9-Organizing Special Keepsakes- Looking for a practical way to store those special momentos such as baby clothes, baptism candles and first ballet slippers?

10-Organizing Kids' School Papers- I have been using for the past 7 years for my kids's school papers and other special papers such a swimming lesson progress reports, etc.

11-Organizing For Christmas-The picture below is the #1 picture of mine shared on Pinterest. Go figure! And although this post won't help you for the Christmas just celebrated, it will give you a leg up for Christmas 2012. Promise!

12-Organizing A Place For Special & Sentimental Jewellery-Looking for an idea for that special heirloom jewellery? Here's how I store some of my favorite pieces.

So do tell, what organizational projects are you planning to tackle in January?
Did any of my ideas inspire you?
Inquiring minds want to know!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Wishing You A Beautiful Christmas!....

2011-12-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

I want to wish everyone a lovely Christmas from our house to yours!

I hope you find laughter, rest, and peace in your heart.

I especially want to thank all of my readers...You are ALL so special to me and I want to thank you for your time and attention and comments.

They mean the world to me and they make blogging a fun and rewarding hobby!

***

These are my 2 sweeties in our Christmas Card photo this year.

They started Christmas vacation from school yesterday.

I am so happy to have them home every day!

This afternoon we are going as a family to see this movie:

Then we are coming home to enjoy this simple, but delicious meal:

And just because I am a simple, country girl at heart....I {heart} this photo:

Peace out.

The Gift of A Special Book at Christmas...

2011-12-22T00:48:00.002-07:00

I have always loved children's literature.

The stories revealed through words and combined with illustrations...the beauty of the rhythm of the words as they are read to bright little faces... I love all of it.

When my first child, Hunter, was born, I already had a library of children's books waiting for her.

I read to both my babies as young infants and story time at our house was a concrete bedtime ritual every night for years.

It was important to me for each child to have a bookcase in their bedroom filled with things that were interesting to them.

I wanted my children to love to read. I wanted reading to be part of their every day life.

And both my children have excelled in reading at school and read fluently in English & French.

***

When Hunter was 4 months old on her first Christmas, I decided to choose a special book for her as a keepsake for Christmas.

I have continued that tradition every year since...with the overall goal of building a library of Christmas books that would be keepsakes to be enjoyed from year to year.

The tradition has carried on with both children from birth.....choosing a special book for them each Christmas.

My criteria for choosing their special Christmas book is:

1-It should be newly published that year, if possible.

2-It should be something that reflects the child's interests that year.

Hunter now has 16 books in her collection.

This beautifully & vibrantly illustrated book by Mary Engelbreit is her special book for 2011.

{She loves Mary Engelbreit. We used to read Mary Engelbreit's magazine when she was little and cut out the paper dolls. Remember the page of dolls in her magazine each month? We loved that page!}

So a Christmas book by ME is the perfect choice for her.

{I read on my friend Kathy's blog that she has an autographed copy of this book! Lucky!}

And here is 2011's book with 2 other ME books she has received as her special Christmas book in previous years.

Hunter loved fairies and angels as a little girl, so some of those themes have been encompassed in previous years special books too...

And Jan Brett's fantastically illustrated books have been special books in years past as well...

{That Gingerbread Baby is a funny one....both my kids loved that story!}

Sometimes her special books have been classics....re-interpreted through different illustrators...

She got 'The Polar Express' the year the movie came out {as did her brother}.

And the 'Jillian Jiggs' was a favourite series when she first started school.

'The House of Wooden Santas' is a classic in our house.... a wonderful story that takes place in Nova Scotia involving a family struggling with the Christmas season.

The story is beautifully weaved around 24 carved wooden Santas by artist Imelda George.

Both my kids adore this story and they each have a copy.

The story unfolds through 25 short chapters...which makes a continuous story that can be read in a new chapter every day of December leading up to Christmas.

And each of Hunter's special books are inscribed by me on the inside so that she knows what year and how old she was when she received the book.

Tyler has his own special collection of books. Some are the same as his sister's, but many are different based on his interests.

Since he has quite a sense of humour and loves to laugh...this is his book for 2011, 'Bad Kitty'.

It's a funny read about a bad kitty.

The illustrations are hysterical!

These are the special books that he shares in common with his sister:

'Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear' is such a wonderful book for young children.

He received this as his special book when he was a tiny toddler.

The little mouse in this story is just dear.

And "Here Comes Santa Claus' as illustrated by Bruce Whatley is told through the eyes of a boy...

which is not a perspective that is easy to find in a Christmas book.

Here are some of the other treasures in Tyler's collection.

He has been interested in trains and animals over the years....so some of his special books were chosen with those themes in mind.

Here is the adorable pig Pippin in 'Pippin The Christmas Pig'.

And Moon the dog and Star the cat in "Moon & Star".... a really sweet little story.

And again...some funny Christmas reads to reflect his love of laughter.

For a few years now, he has loved the Peanuts comics, so 2 years ago, this book was his special book:

And his books are all inscribed as well, so he will know what year he received each book.

I am so happy that I started this tradition with my children as now they both have memories of these books being read to them as little people as part of their Christmas memories.

It has become a part of our family culture.

In fact, both children have asked me recently if I have chosen their 'special' Christmas book yet.

Sometimes they have a suggestion for me....which I always take!

***

And here are more of the Christmas books that we have in our home!

{We love reading!}

The children have received many Christmas books over the years as gifts from grandparents, aunts & uncles and from the Scholastic book orders.

We have more than enough to wrap up as an advent calendar for December...but my kids were not interested in this activity this year.{Sniff. Sniff.}

***

I love that my children have a collection of special and meaningful Christmas books that will one day go with them to their own house and be read to their children...hopefully.

And I know that these books will also hold memories of us reading together at Christmas time with warm hugs and smiles and laughter.

This post is linked to these parties:

Our Christmas Eve Dinner....Lobster Rolls...

2011-12-20T21:57:00.006-07:00

I don't know if it's the Maritime blood in me or whether it's my affinity for all seafood, but I am serving my family 'Lobster Rolls' for Christmas Eve dinner.

My mother started this tradition years ago in our little family and it works perfectly because it is yummy, easy and a good pre-cursor to the onslaught of turkey in the days that follow.

The traditional lobster roll is lobster meat mixed with mayo and a little diced celery served in a hot dog bun.

However, while in Florida last March, I learned that there is a 'Connecticut' version where the lobster meat is thrown into a frying pan with butter and then loaded into a hot dog bun.

Either way....both are delicious!

I will be serving our lobster rolls with coleslaw and chips on the side.

And a dill pickle.

Can't forget the dill pickle...dill pickles are a must with a sandwich.

What about you? What is your traditional Christmas Eve dinner?

Gingerbread Softies....

2011-12-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

With all of the Christmas baking I did for Christmas Cookie Week in November, you would think I would be tired of cookies.....but here's the thing...I NEVER get tired of cookies.

There is nothing better than a cookie and a glass of cold milk.

I have been on the search for a terrific ginger cookies recipe.

I found this recipe online, so I got busy in the kitchen to give it a whirl.

It turned out great....and the best part.....it made 7 dozen cookies!
Perfect for sharing!

And here is my 1 mantra for cookie making:

1-If you are going to make them....you may as well make a lot! With school lunches & after school snacks...they disappear like crazy!

Gingerbread Softies

{This recipe was found on the blog MADE and you can find it here.}

These cookies flatten and crack as they cool. The secret in keeping them soft is to remove them from the oven as soon as they are set but before they start to brown.
2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cup shortening*

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups flour

4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

l/2 tsp. cloves

l/2 tsp. salt

Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat until thick. Add the molasses and stir until combined.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Add to creamed mixture and stir just until blended. If the dough is very soft (hot day? warm kitchen?), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Shape into 1” balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350º for 7 - 10 minutes or just until set but before they start to brown.

* This is a very old recipe and, like many cookie recipes from the 1950’s, and uses vegetable shortening instead of butter. You can substitute 1 1/2 cups melted and cooled butter for the shortening but you will have to increase the flour to 4 1/2 cups and definitely chill the dough before using.

I hope you enjoy these wonderful cookies!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Our Red & White Tree...

2011-12-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

Our tree is finally up & decorated...and this was no small feat!

It was really hard to find an evening where everyone was home so we could do this together as a family.

The children have hockey or skating almost every night of the week....so scheduling something is a little tricky.

This year, for the first time ever, we are having a red & white tree.
{We have had variations of a blue tree for years.}

We love it as a fresh change.

And it didn't become a 'Dr. Seuss Who-ville Tree' as planned.

The director, Hunter, decide she liked lots of snowflakes on our little tree.

Today I am packaging gifts, making cookies and a homemade soup for a girlfriend who lost her mother this week.

{It is so sad to lose a loved one before Christmas}

I plan to deliver a care package to her tomorrow that will include homemade soup, bread, brownies and a few other goodies.

Wishing you a wonderful Saturday!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Jennifer Rizzo's party:

10 Homemade Gift Ideas For Friends & Neighbours...

2011-12-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

With just a few short weeks 'til Christmas, I thought I would do a roundup of all the projects I have made in my very own kitchen to share with you.

I seldom buy gifts for friends and neighbours as I usually make something from the kitchen to share.

I love homemade and I am always so touched when I receive a homemade gift.
I have forever been inspired by my Mother, Sandra...and her family.
My mother, to me, outdoes Martha Stewart any day of the week!
{And she does not have a boatload of assistants, or professionals to do it for her!}
For years my mother has made homemade gifts for her 5 brothers & sisters and friends for Christmas.
She always gave homemade baking, or she would tramp around in the woods, cutting boughs of greenery to bring home to make fresh Christmas centerpieces for everyone!
My Uncle Derrick has traditionally given us his delicious homemade carrot cake every year.
And my dear Aunt Janet was famous for her Nanaimo Bars.
And my Aunt Nannette always has some delicious recipe on the go! Her peanut brittle recipe is easy & so yummy!
And I know we are not the only family who show our love with gifts from the kitchen....there are thousands of home cooks out there who do the same!

I hope you enjoy these projects and find something that you feel inspired to try!

***

1-Homemade easy sugar cookies packaged in a chinese takeout container and prettied up with ribbon and a tag.

{We are giving these to a few neighbours this year.}

2-Peppermint Foot Soak mixed up in a few minutes and packaged in jars with a lil' ribbon & a candy cane.

{I made these for a few girlfriends and skating coaches this year.}

3-Homemade Strawberry Butter. Add homemade biscuits or a can of pre-made biscuits from the grocery store and you are ready to go!

{I made these for a few girlfriends this year.}

4- Homemade cookies or fudge packaged in a dazzled up pringles can.

{Giving these to a few teachers this year.}

5- Christmas Cookie Oreo Pops. So good and fun to look at!

{I made over 50 of these this year. Great to use as table decoration!}

6- A Cookie Mix in a 1 litre mason jar.

{We are giving these to a few hockey families this year who have helped us out by giving our boy a ride sometimes.}

7- or packaged in a paper bag.

8- Homemade no bake cherry balls in a sweet little box.

{We gave these out to friends last year.}

9- Pretzel hugs packaged up in baggies with a topper made on your home computer.

This is a great project for kids to make on their own.

{We gave these as a gift to teachers one year.}

10-Chocolate Christmas Dream cookies packaged in bags with some cardstock behind the cookie to keep it from breaking and toppers made on our home computer.

{My daughter gave these to her skating teammates one year.}

So there you have it....a few ideas that you can whip up in your kitchen which are economical and pretty to look at!

Wishing you happy project-making in your kitchen!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

A Gift Idea for the Tween & Teen Crowd...

2011-12-09T07:32:00.001-07:00

Each year, my kids have a few long time friends that they exchange Christmas gifts with.

And as my kids get older, so do their friends of course.

As all of the kids have hit the tween/teen stage...gift-giving has become trickier as.picture books, toys and clothes are certainly out of the question.

And although we do 'gift cards' often for birthdays and such, at Christmas we like to give a real hands-on fun-to-look-at gift.

But what to get?

Recently I noticed my 15 year old daughter has been invited to a few sweet 16 parties and she kept asking for me to take her to Starbucks to pick up a gift.

What was at Starbucks that was so popular for a gift?

These stainless steel reusable DOODLE MUGS.

You can doodle with dry erase markers on the mug and then slide a plastic sleeve over the outside to protect the doodles until you want to change them...and a dry erase marker comes inside.

Perfect!

They also fit our budget!

I decided to pair the mug with some hot chocolate mixes and a Christmas Oreo Pop.

You could also tuck a gift card inside.

And you know me....a gift isn't a gift until it's fancied up with ribbon and a tag.

For Girls...

For Boys....

Perfect for shipping as they do not break.

We have shipped off a few of these for my kids' friends and my niece and nephew.

We hope they like it and have fun doodling!

What gifts are you giving to the tween/teen crowd this year?

This post is linked up to these great parties:

Welcome To Our Holiday Home...

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends!

I would like to welcome you to our holiday home!

We are dressed up in our best party dress!

We have sprinkled festive touches here, there and everywhere.

At the front door...

Our little front entry table...

The Christmas mantel...

Our small living room all cosy & festive...

A Christmas vignette in the corner...

The coffee table looking colourful & bright...

The 'Hot Chocolate Bar' ready for children with cold noses & toes...

The yummy add-ins ready to go...

The sweet treats ready for sharing..

The dining room ready for laughter & merry-making...

Tasty gifts ready for giving...

and sharing...

Thank you so much for visiting our home!

I hope your home is keeping you cosy and warm this holiday season!

Merry Christmas!!

This post has been linked to these terrific parties:

Jennifer Rizzo's Virtual Holiday House Party

A Christmas Collage...

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Behold the Christmas Collage.

It was a super easy project to do.

I used scrapbook paper and a free printable that can be found here.

I simply cut scrapbook paper to fit each frame and then popped the papers into the frames of the existing 'family wall' in the living room.

{I stored the family pictures behind the scapbook paper. Easy.}

And now there is a wall of Christmas in our living room.

It works perfectly with the modern touche of red & green that are this year's colour scheme.

This project would work well in any room in your home.

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Our Christmas Mantel 2011...

2011-12-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, we are decorating in red and green and white this year.

Yes we are!

Not the classic red & green, but a bit more of a modern red & green.

It's was my daughter Hunter who wanted a red & green christmas this year.

Last year, when we were undecorating, she asked if we could have more of 'Dr. Seuss Whoville' look next Christmas.

And when I asked her what her interpretation of a 'Whoville' christmas was, she said, 'Candy, red & green'.

So, red & green it is!

We have decorated in blue & green for 10 years now, and although I love that colour scheme...

I agreed it was time for a little change.

This was how the mantel {piano top} looked last year.

I put the branches away as they have been there in one form or another for the whole year.

Here the brances were all prettied up for Fall 2011...but now it`s time for a rest.

I created a little vignette of trees, Mr. Owl, along with pine cones, books and pops of white.

I am loving this change for our house this year.

{And yes, the wall colours is the same as last year, but as I edited the photo to get rid of shadows, the wall colour got more intense too.I like to photograph in natural light, but it is hard to get great light in this corner in winter!}

I cannot wait to decorate the tree this year in our new colour scheme!

For some reason, I always start seasonal decorating with the mantel....I guess because it inspires me and sets the tone for the rest of the house.

This post is linked to these great parties:

Home Stories A to Z

From My Front Porch

A Hot Chocolate Bar for the Kiddos...

2011-12-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to do something entirely different with the top of this cabinet this holiday season.

Instead of decorating this surface for Christmas, I thought the kids might appreciate a
'Hot Chocolate' bar for the winter.

They both love hot chocolate during our cold winters....especially before and after school.

This is such a simple project to create....I just grabbed some mason jars, made a few labels at avery.com, and filled the jars with hot chocolate, marshmallows, and mini candy canes.

I used a dollar store table cloth that I cut to size to fit the top of the table top for easy wiping & clean up.

I do have lots of pretty apothecary jars that I could have used, but that doesn't make it kid friendly as I am sure that I would hear an occasional smash as a top would get dropped or accidentally knocked on the floor. Therefore, mason jars with wide, metal lids are the best choice for my 10 year old & his friends.

Afterall, I do want it to function well besides being pretty.

If this was for a one time party or for adults only, I probably would use apothecary jars dressed up.

But this for my sweeties!

Now the kids can help themselves whenever they like...and play hostess to their friends.

And look what arrived in the mail this week....homemade-treats-made-by-Grammie-and-taste-tested-by-Grampie....and mailed 3000 miles across the country.

Perfect with a mug of hot chocolate!

We are so lucky!
Thank you Grammie & Grampie!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

A Girlfriends' Christmas Luncheon...

2011-11-28T11:08:00.001-07:00

``The object of a dinner is not to eat and drink, but to join in the merrymaking.``
-Lin Yutang

Merrymaking happened here yesterday.
Yesterday I finally did something that has been on my Christmas list for a few years, but never seemed to work out for one reason or another....

I hosted a Girlfriends' Christmas Luncheon.

I invited 6 girlfriends for a festive lunch at my home and we had so much fun!

I enjoyed every aspect of the luncheon....from setting the table, to planning the menu, to the uproarious laughing that we shared together!

I was determined to decorate using things I already had.

I used mismatched Christmas 12x12 scrapbook paper for placemats.

The Christmas Oreo Pops I made last week made a terrific table favour.

I tied ribbon and mini candy canes to martini glasses for a touch of pretty.

And I unearthed this centerpiece from my basement and and revived it with some red berries to match the rest of the red that was gracing the table.

Can you believe that I almost sent this piece to Goodwill last month when I was doing some ruthless purging in the basement?

Almost.

We kicked off our luncheon with candy cane martinis.

This was our yummy menu:

{Everyone brought something...which was so nice and gave me more time for visiting!}

Appetizers

Candy Cane Martinis

Shrimp & Cocktail Sauce

Cheese Ball & Crackers

Main Course

Spinach Salad

Homemade Vegetable & Beef Soup

Homemeade Bread

Dessert

Fruit Plate

Nanaimo Bars

It was so awesome to be able to get together with girlfriends right before the rush of the season begins.

This group of girlfriends is so special to me...they were the first group of friends I made when I moved here from Nova Scotia.

We all had sons in a Kindergarten class together....so we used to see each other every morning and chit chat as we were dropping off our boys.

We all gradually became great friends, and though we don't see each other as often as we used to,

the connection is still there.

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Tablescape Party @ Centsational Girl

Christmas Cookie Week: Gourmet Oatmeal Cookies In A Jar...

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone for coming along with Grace and I this week for "Christmas Cookie Week".

It has been so fun sharing all of these cookies with you!

I want to bring you the final recipe which can be used as gifts in a jar, or as a big mix you can keep in your fridge to bake as the need arrives.
*Gourmet Oatmeal Cookies In A Jar*

This recipe comes from the Canadian Living Christmas Book, which came out around the time I got married and it is one of my Christmas books!

So here goes:

In one big bowl dump together:

6 cups rolled oats

4 cups all purpose flour

3 cups packed brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Stir together dry ingredients.

With pastry blender, cut in

1 lb. shortening

{I used Tenderflake. It come packaged in 1 lb. blocks.}

Set aside.

In separate bowl, stir together:
{this has been adapted by me slightly...I reduced the raisins and added craisins.}

1 cup raisins

1 cup craisins

1 1/2 cup coconut

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup nuts {I used walnuts.}

This is the fun stuff that goes into the cookies. It was put in a separate bowl so it can be added to the top of the mix in a jar to give it some different texture.

The cookies mix now goes into 1 litre mason jars {which holds 4 cups} or any other jar of the same quantity.

If you have one of these canning helpers, it is great to use to load the mix into the jar.

In the jar, spoon in 3 1/2 cups of oatmeal mix.

Tap down cookie mix with the end of a wooden spoon to make enough room.

Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chocolate chip mixture to top.

Then close up the jar and decorate as desired.

I used ribbon and a cinnamon stick.

Then I went to my computer and made labels at avery.com.

The directions for the cookies mix that go on the jar are:

In bowl combine Cookie Mix with 1 egg, 2 tbsp. milk and 2 tsp. vanilla until soft dough forms.

Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Flatten with fork dipped in sugar.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Makes approx. 24 cookies.

This mix makes 20 cups of mix, or enough for 4-5 batches of cookies.

The Mix can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 10 weeks.

So that means you can make it now, put it in mason jars or ziploc bags and keep it in the fridge until gift-giving time.

I have 3 jars of mix in my fridge right now!

And here's another way you can package the cookie mix without using jars.

Measure the mix into ziploc bags.

Then put the ziploc bag into a paper lunch bag and decorate with the label and ribbon.

This is a great cost effective way of giving cookie mix if you don't have mason jars, or if you would like to mail the mix or send it to school in your child's backpack without fear of broken glass.

Thank you so much for sharing in Christmas Cookie Week with Echoes of Laughter and Sense & Simplicity

and

I hope you have found something that inspires you!

This post is linked to:

Just A Girl,

Lisa's Craft Blog,

Nap Time Creations,

Uncommon,

Tatertots & Jello

Shabby Art Boutique

Christmas Cookie Week: Christmas Oreo Pops...

2011-11-24T13:35:00.001-07:00

Of all the cookies I have made this week, this cookie was easy, fun and ended up looking so cute!

Yes...I know...it's a bit of a cheater.....cause I didn't actually make it...I just coated it in stuff and sprinkled it with stuff, and packaged it up tres cute.

So I hope the cuteness factor makes up for the cheater factor!

*Christmas Oreo Pops*

Let me walk you through this easy process.

You will need:

oreo cookies

white chocolate melting wafers

crushed candy canes

lollipop sticks

lollipop bags

{I purchased the melting wafers, lollipop sticks and lollipop bags at Michaels in the cake decorating section}

Now lay out the oreo cookies on a cookie sheet. You will need 2 for each Christmas Pop.

Melt some white chocolate wafers. Now add some melted white chocolate on each cookie.

This is the 'glue' that will hold the lollipop stick in place.

Now add the lollipop stick on the bottom oreo and press a second oreo on top.

Place the Pops in the freezer for 20 minutes so the chocolate can 'set' and the lollipops sticks will hold.

Cover the cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.

Remove the pops from the freezer and coat the Christmas Pops in white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes,or whatever you like.

{I only sprinkled crushed candy canes on one side of the pop}

Let the chocolate coating dry and harden.

Ta-da!

The Christmas Oreo Pops are done.

Now you can start the cute packaging process...my favorite part!

Package each pop in a lollipop bag and tie with a ribbon.

I found this adorable tag at a blog called 'The Blackberry Vine'

It is a free printable, so you can hop on over there and print some for yourself.

You can find the tags here.

{If you visit Jami at The Blackberry Vine, please say 'hi' and thank her for the free tags!}

{I didn't print the tags on avery labels as suggested. I printed then on cardstock and cut them into squares and punched a hole in them.}

Christmas Oreo Pops are a great gift for your child's classmates, or Sunday school class, or sports team.

They would also make a cute package topper, or a party favor.

I am hosting a girlfriends' Christmas Luncheon on Sunday, and I plan to use the Christmas Oreo Pops as table favors at each place setting.

Except all my girlfriends who read my blog now know what the table will look like.

Just one of the hazards of blogging!

Tomorrow is the last day of Christmas Cookie Week already!

I have been having so much fun this week and I have all my homemade gifts ready to give out...bonus!

Please be sure to visit Grace at Sense & Simplicity to see her Christmas Cookie of the day.

Happy Thanksgiving if you are visiting from the U.S.!

This post is linked to: Home Stories of A to Z/Between Naps on the Porch/Design Dazzle/Just A Girl/Nap Time Creations/ Uncommon/ Tatertots and Jello/ Shabby Art Boutique

Christmas Cookie Packaging Ideas {2}: Pringles Cans

2011-11-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have seen lots of pringles containers decorated over the years, but I have never tried one myself.

I was surpised at how easy it was.

Look what I made in 10 minutes.

It is such a great container for cookies as the container protects them from breakage.

We are planning to give these to teachers for Christmas gifts with cookies and a starbucks gift card tucked inside.

And here's a tip if you would like to try this project for yourself...from my years of scrapbooking I have learned that polka dots & stripes always look fantastic together...which is why I used polka dot paper and striped ribbon.

And let me share with you how I covered the container without using MESSY glue.

I used a 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper.

I measured the height of the pringles container and then used a paper trimmer to trim the paper to the right height.

Then I used a tape runner around the 4 sides of the paper and one thru the middle.

Then I pressed the paper to the pringles can starting with the bottom edge of the can.

It was super easy!

I found a pack of cute paperstock tags at Micheals for $2.99 and I just punch a hole in the tag and tie it on the ribbon.

I am so pleased with the result.

I may never throw away an empty pringles can again!

Please don't forget to hop on over to Grace's blog, Sense & Simplicity, to see how she jazzed up her pringles can!
We are just having such a blast sharing cookie ideas this week!

This post is linked to these parties:

Tatertots and Jello

Uncommon

Just A Girl

Design Dazzle

Shabby Art Boutique

Christmas Cookie Week: Chocolate Dream Cookies

2011-11-23T10:30:00.001-07:00

So, as part of cookie week, I think that it's time for a little chocolate, don't you?

Hello *Chocolate Dream Cookie*

You are so good and smell heavenly.

You are Santa's favourite cookie!

You are a chocolate lovely with holiday M&M's mixed in!

Here is the recipe to make your own:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teapsoon salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1pkg. holiday M&M's

Directions:

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl until creamy.

Beat in eggs for 2 minutes or until light & fluffy.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in holiday M&M's.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees or until cookies are puffed.

Cook on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

And if you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that last year I dressed up these cookies for Christmas with drizzled white chocolate and crushed candy canes for a very pretty look.

{If you do this recipe version, you can replace the M&M's with 2 cups of chocolate chips.}

And to everyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow,

I wish you a wonderful day and a beautiful celebration!

xo

Don't forget to hop on over to Grace's blog, Sense & Simplicity, to see her cookie for today.
I do believe she thought that you needed some chocolate too!!

This post is linked to these great parties:

Tatertots and Jello

Nap Time Creations

Just A Girl

Design Dazzle

Christmas Cookie Week: Reindeer Cookies

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite cookie to make with kids or for kids at Christmas.

*The Reindeer Cookie*

I originally saw this idea in a magazine years ago, however the original cookie recipe wasn't very tasty, so I use the simple sugar cookie recipe that mixes up in 10 minutes that I shared yesterday.

{You can find it here.}

The dough is shaped in triangles to give the shape of a reindeer face.

For these cookies, you will need:
-small pretzels for the antlers
-red candies for the nose {I have used these over the years-m&m candies, small jelly beans, hot tamales candies cut in half}
-brown candies for the eyes-{I have used chocolate chips and brown m&m's in the past.}
Directions: Shape balls of dough in to a triangle. Add pretzels for antlers and candies to make eyes and nose.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool before transferring to cooking rack.

I have been making these cookies for a number of years.

When my daughter was younger, we always hosted a little 'Christmas Party' for a few of her friends.

We made Reindeer Cookies, and then I usually had a Christmas craft project ready for the girls to create.

I usually gave each of the children a cookie sheet with balls of dough so that they could shape and decorate the cookies themselves.

I would put 8 cookies on a sheet and set out little bowls of candies.

Look at these sweet little faces from 2004!

This was the last Christmas we spent in Nova Scotia before we moved to Alberta in 2005.

My daughter is a teenager now!

If you a looking for a cookie project to create with the little children in your life this year...this fun project is just the answer!
This recipe is not hard..and remember that kids love to create and to them...it doesn't have to be perfect!

This post is linked to these parties:

Tatertots and Jello

Just A Girl

Design Dazzle

Cookie Packaging Ideas {1}: Chinese Take Out Containers

2011-11-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

As part of Cookie week, we are going to be sharing some fun packaging ideas.

Beautiful packaging can elevate the most humble gift into something very special.

For the sugar cookies I chose to package and present them in this chinese take out container.

I found this Christmas themed container at Micheals.

It dresses the cookies up to gourmet status, don't you think?

I love the litte peek-a-boo window where you can see what is inside.

And when packaging... don't forget those little important details like ribbon and tags.

They are like candles on the birthday cake....they make it special!

And don't forget to hop on over to Grace's blog, Sense & Simplicity, to see what pretty packaging she is sharing!

Meet you back here tomorrow for more cookie sharing!

This post is linked to these parties:

Tatertots and Jello

Just A Girl

Design Dazzle