Monday, November 30, 2015

Holiday Home Tour Link-Up Announcement {2015}


One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is the decorating. Putting up the Christmas decorations is something that we look forward to right after we take the Halloween Costumes off. I love Thanksgiving, really I do. But it is just so much better with Christmas decorations and music. 

There is just something so magical that Christmas decorations add to a home. So many wonderful memories are remembered when looking at the ornaments, the stockings and my mom's nativity that I always loved as a child. I love having people in our home this time of the year and visiting other homes as well. I enjoy looking around and seeing the way others decorate and what is special to them. Everyone's likes and traditions are different. And if I am being completely honest I am always on the lookout for a good idea I can steal.

It turns out I am not the only one! Myself, Sarah from Foxy's Domestic Side and Courtney from Sweet Turtle Soup are hosting a Holiday Home Tour link up! It's really as simple as it sounds. Take some (or a lot!) pictures of your home decorated for the holiday season, write a blog post and link up with us! The link up opens in two weeks, Monday December 14th, and will stay open through December 24th.

So finish up any projects or decorating, take some pictures, grab our button and be ready to share your holiday home with us.

We hope you will plan to join us!

Our Pretty Little Girls


post signature


Frosted Sugar Cookie, Stuffed French Toast #DelightfulMoments {Recipe}

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DelightfulMoments #CollectiveBias

One thing that I have grown to love more and more over the years is coffee. Anyone else with me on this one? It is one of the first things I think about in the morning and a favorite way to unwind at the end of a long day. Cups drank alone in silence or in the company of friends, I love them all. But, my coffee isn't perfect without International Delight.


Looking back to the beginning of my coffee drinking days, I think of the holidays and International Delight's holiday flavors. I would eagerly anticipate and celebrate their arrival, year after year. I first fell in love with the rich, minty chocolate flavor of Peppermint Mocha and it didn't take long for me to equally love their other flavors too. I remember learning to love coffee and drinking cup after cup in the kitchen with my mama. The holidays just weren't the holidays without International Delight holiday flavors.

 Recently I was shopping at my local Walmart when I spotted a few of my favorites. Frosted Sugar Cookie Creamer, Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer and French Vanilla Single Creamers. I loaded up my cart and headed home. Plenty for home and those handy single creamers are perfect to grab on the go. I knew with the cold weather coming we needed to be well stocked.


When I got back home I began thinking of ways that I could share International Delight with my family so we could begin creating our own special memories, it's never to early to start. The girls always LOVE smelling my morning cups of coffee and I am pretty sure they would drink the Frosted Sugar Cookie Creamer by itself if I would let them.

Then it clicked, Frosted Sugar Cookie French Toast.
I knew it would create the perfect holiday breakfast.


I quickly gathered up my ingredients and whipped up a new family favorite.


It was stuffed french toast perfection on a plate! 

The Frosted Sugar Cookie Creamer is rich and creamy with the sweet taste of home. It makes the perfect french toast. It looks beautiful, tastes amazing and only takes minutes to make.

I set out looking for the perfect way to create some #DelightfulMoments and that is exactly what we did.






Spirit of the Season UGC Contest!

You are invited to discover what the holiday spirit means to International Delight with the Spirit of the Season UGC contest. Enter to win a $5,000 brunch. 

Be sure to check out more International Delight recipes.

Which International Delight holiday flavor is your favorite?

post signature


Sunday, November 29, 2015

Thanksgiving {2015}

Thanksgiving 2015 was a great one!

We spent most of the day at Russ' parents house celebrating all we have to be Thankful for, which is a lot!
Russ' sister came to town with her family. It is a rare moment that all 11 of us are together, but when it happens we always have fun.

The cousins played and the adults rested. We drank coffee, ate more food than I care to mention and then we had dessert.




To mark the occasion I even snapped a few photos of the family. I must have been tuned into the weather because soon after we finished the sky clouded over and the rain came. 






And of course!


It was definitely a Thanksgiving to remember.

How was your Thanksgiving?!

post signature


Friday, November 27, 2015

Friday Highlights 11.27.15

Hello Black Friday!

Hello friends! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family and survived the holiday shopping craziness if that's your thing. I am getting ready to head out to the stores myself. It's the perfect excuse to hang out with my dear friend Anna and get in some much needed girl time, so let's make this weeks Friday picks short and sweet.

{ONE} Blog Highlights

This weeks I shared...
An amazing, change your life Twice Baked Potato Casserole recipe.


A fun way to make 3D art.


Our Christmas Bucket List Printable.


The girls Thankful Lists from November 2015.


A Happy Thanksgiving wish!


{TWO} Christmas Tree photos

This years mission is to nail the holiday photos including the Christmas tree ones. I started playing the other morning even though it needed to be darker.


Do you have any Christmas tree photo tips?

{THREE} Funny Family

So we snapped a few family photos yesterday and the kids wanted a silly photo so....


I think it would make a pretty amazing Christmas card.
P.S. Look at me so trendy in my flannel, booties and skinny jeans #raremoment

{FOUR} Black Friday Craziness

Did you Black Friday shop?


What's the best deal you scored?

{FIVE} Holiday Link-Ups

There are just about a jillion awesome holiday link-ups going on, including this one next week!

Sweet Turtle Soup

For another link-up that I am especially excited about be sure to check back here on Monday! 

Friday Linkup Parties
To see where I am linking up check out my link-up tab.

Have a great weekend!
We will see you back here soon.

post signature


Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving! {2015}

It's Thanksgiving Day so I don't want to write much. But I would like to say Happy Thanksgiving. 

I am so thankful for each and every one of you. 
I hope you have a wonderful day full of family, fun and pie!


I'll be back tomorrow for my Friday Highlights!

XOXO,
post signature


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Their Thankful Lists

At the beginning of the month I shared about our thankful tree.
Every day this month I have asked the girls what they are thankful for. Some days have been easy others harder. I have wanted to challenge them to be thoughtful with what they choose. There is a big difference in liking something and truly being thankful for it, so I often ask them why they are thankful for what they chose.


Our little tree went from an empty stick, to overflowing with words of thanks.
Today I wanted to share the girls lists with you.





We have SO much to be thankful for.



Tell me one thing you're thankful for?!

post signature


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Tuesday Talk: Christmas Bucket List {Printable}

So my favorite part of each season has to be our bucket lists. They keep us on track and give us something to look forward too. Plus I am one of those who LOVES to cross things off a list.

This year I did something a little different with our list.
I made it printable!

So just in case you don't have time to make your own list, or you really like this one you can print ours off and call it your own.

Print yours here!

Now it's your turn to link up this week.
Grab the button from my side bar and join the fun.

Beth - Our Pretty Little Girls ~ Michelle - Grammie Time
Keri - Living In This Season  ~ Christina - Waltzing In Beauty
Lauren - Simply Free ~  Becky - BYBMG
Jess and Katie - Sweet Little Ones ~ Whitney - Polka Dotty Place
Laura - Life Is Beautiful ~ Elizabeth - All Kinds Of Things
Sarah - Abiding In Grace ~ Stephanie - Wife Mommy Me
Emily - Morning Motivated Mom


Bringing Art to Life with IDO3D!

Marissa and I had so much fun creating with IDO3D, who hired me to try out their product and share it with you, my readers. All opinions are my own.

Art should be fun, exciting and interactive.

As a home school mom I am always on the look out for great products that that allow us to create in new and exciting ways. I was so excited to learn about IDO3D. It is the perfect combination of art, science, engineering and creativity. A chance for kids to make their very own unique 3D creations. 

I love when we can learn so much from one simple project. 


From the moment the box arrived, Marissa could not wait to get started.


She grabbed the guidebook and started flipping through the projects. It was full of a large variety of project ideas in a variety of skill levels. The perfect guide and inspiration to get you started. She quickly found a pair of glasses and was ready create.


Step one was to trace the pattern with the pen onto the plastic sheet.
The adjustable precise tip made this easy and fast.


With the tracing completed we moved onto the next step, using the special light to transform her art.


After a few minutes of using the light our glasses were cured enough to assemble. We used the special pens and the light to "weld" the glasses together.

After a bit more curing in the sun our project was complete and ready to wear.
She was so proud of her creation.


And just like that, she was hooked.
She wasted no time getting started on another creation.


IDO3D was the perfect new twist that made her art real and brought it to life.

You can check out IDO3D on Facebook, buy this kit on Amazon or check out the IDO3D Amazon Store where you will find this and many other amazing project kits. 

IDO3D, is a great addition to any kids Christmas list!

What have you been creating lately?

post signature