I’d say we had a pretty big year. Moving, traveling, making lots of memories…
the younger brother he never had…
Colin is the youngest.
He’s never been bigger than anyone.
Now he has a puppy. And he is loving being a big brother.
He gets the dog all wound up and chasing him around the house (while giggling madly, of course) then complains, “Mom! Winston is chasing meeeeeeee!”
He dangles a toy in front of the dog while running around the room, then complains, “Mom! Winston is trying to steal my tooooooooyyyyyyy!”
He’s like the younger brother he never had.
But don’t worry. Behind the teasing, its all love between these two boys.
Sweater Yourself for a Great Cause
We are a week away from Christmas (What? How did that even happen?) and its high time to break out a holiday sweater! Ugly Sweater parties are all the rage – we were invited to one just last weekend!
Through the Ad Council’s campaign with Goodwill® they have developed a new, interactive tool that helps you have fun while reminding your friends of the importance of giving back during the holiday season. It’s called the Sweater Yourself App, and you can play it online through your Facebook account.
To play, just take an existing Facebook photo, or upload a new one. Then select an avatar, clothing and accessories, and share with all of your friends a message of support for Goodwill’s mission to provide job training and community services to people in need. Check mine out:
Whenever you donate stuff to your local Goodwill – including holiday sweaters – you support Goodwill’s efforts to provide a variety of employment services to people with disabilities and disadvantages in your community. Try the locator tool on Goodwill’s homepage to find your nearest Goodwill location to donate your gently used goods. Through Goodwill’s Donation Impact Calculator, you can see how every item you give supports people who are seeking to earn jobs and build careers.
canceled plans
Its been so busy.
I feel like we’ve been running around like mad. Every weekend we’ve had tons going on, people visiting, throwing parties or whathaveyou. Its been fun – don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have missed a minute of it. But we’re worn.
I’ve been sick for three weeks now yet can’t find time to rest.
Colin was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and has been sick.
My husband is at the doctor as I type.
We’re a mess.
Today, once again we had a full plate. Basketball practice, a party, another party, having people over for lunch after church tomorrow, then another party…
Then this happened:
And everyone canceled everything.
So today we’re home. Sitting by the fire. A batch of chili in the crockpot.
The Christmas cards have been sent, the house is clean, the laundry is done.
What to do?
CyberCHIC on Cyber Monday
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a CyberCHIC event in Philadelphia, sponsored by Lands’ End. Our tables were loaded with tons of fabulous gift ideas for everyone on your list and they were amazing! Who knew I desperately needed a faux fur throw?
Be sure to enter Lands’ End’s “Where The Holidays Come #Together Sweepstakes” for a chance at $10,000 in prizes!!
Bloggers also made up stacks of jewelry. Their style knows no bounds!
stacks by @babypop and @JulieMPron
Emilie M handbags are a hidden gem! Bloggers saw for themselves how luxurious they are – AND they are all under $100… when they’re NOT on sale! And this week, the entire EmilieM store is 40-60% off – and the Essentials Box ($155 value) is only $25 with any purchase! Bloggers instagrammed to win.
We can’t go without thanking the generosity of Dave & Buster’s who donated our lunch and location and and Whole Foods who brought a live cheese monger and swag bags. Swag bags were positively stuffed with Medifast waterbottles and pedometers, Washdrops, Fake Bake self-tanner, and Bic Shave & Trim razors. Additional raffle prizes were provided by PlanToys, The Kimmel Center, Fake Bake and more!
And we can’t forget our charity partners – especially on #GivingTuesday! We were so pleased to feature Goodwill.org, Champions4Kid
And Alex’s Lemonade Stand – a staple of our PSMM events – was there to share their important work fighting childhood cancer!
A HUGE thank you to everyone who attended and all of our fantastic sponsors!
join me tomorrow for 12 hours of #together
Tomorrow, I will be one of the co-hosts of Lands’ End #TOGETHER!! Lands’ End is hosting 12 Hours of #Together on Twitter and Instagram! Join and follow on Twitter @LandsEndPR and on Instagram @LandsEnd_PR on Monday, December 2, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. EST at #Together.
Participants will have the opportunity to retweet offers, answer trivia questions, post and repost Lands’ End product photos for a chance to win more than 100 great giveaways and special prizes and learn about exceptional values over the 12-hour period.
Be sure to check out from 1-3pm EST _ i’ll be hosting and chatting LUXE GIFTS (WOOT!) and Holiday Dressing.
Easy Hosting: Gourmet Burger Bar
Baby, its cold outside! We were going to have an outdoor party the other week, but BURR!! It gets COLD up here in New England, y’all!! So instead, we enjoyed a tailgating feast in the warm cozyness of the Great Indoors. It was awesome. And warm.
We decided to do a gourmet burger bar! It was easy and fun for everyone. We served the burgers (and hot dogs and brats) with a huge green salad and some chips. Easy-peazy!
good burgers (we love the ‘pub burgers’ sold at our local grocery store, but this is a great recipe to make your own)
cheese (provolone, cheddar or blue cheese)
lettuce
tomato
pickles
onions
carmelized onions
mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and a splash of wine
avacados
thick cut bacon (thick cut is worth it. oh, yes.)
good hamburger buns, toasted
whatever else floats your boat
I cooked up the onions, mushrooms and bacon earlier that day and just reheated while my husband grilled the burgers. It was a great entertaining plan with very little work during the party.
Remember, for tailgating and homegating: keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Don’t let food sit at room temperature for more than two hours so have replacements ready at half time. For more info on safe entertaining, check out FoodSafety.gov.
cute (and safe) school lunches
Ditch that passe brown bag! Lunchboxes can be adorable, too!
I’m a huge fan of SkipHop for the kids. They have SkipHop lunchboxes almost every year! My favorite this Owl Lunchbox
.
But Colin prefers the Penguin!
For older kids (or grown ups) this polka dot lunchbox is adorable!
I got this one for Colin for next year – how fun is this pirate lunchbox!
But its not just about having a cute lunch box! Keeping your kids’ lunches safe is important.
Tip #1: If the lunch you’re packing contains perishable food items like cold cut meats, eggs and yogurt, make sure to pack it with freezer packs or keep it otherwise chilled. Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “Danger Zone” — the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F (4.4 °C and 60 °C). So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long.
Tip #2: Frozen juice boxes can also be used as freezer packs. Freeze juice boxes overnight and use as freezer packs. By lunchtime, the juice should be thawed and ready to drink!
Tip #3: Pack lunches in an insulated, soft-sided lunch bag. Lunches with perishable food items can be unsafe to eat by lunchtime if packed in an old-fashioned brown paper bag.
Tip #4: If there is a refrigerator at school, tell your child to keep their lunch inside. But leave the lid of the lunchbox or bag open so that cold air can better circulate and keep the food cold.
Tip #5: After lunch, discard all leftover food, used food packaging, and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause foodborne illness.
Visit FoodSafety.gov to learn more tips for best food safety practices.
peppermint oreo balls
To make this holiday season even sweeter, Oreo is releasing a Peppermint flavor, available for a limited time at select retailers. I’m obsessed with mint & chocolate. I make s’mores with peppermint patties. (Try it. You can thank me later.) I wait for Peppermint Mochas the way others wait for Pumpkin Spice Lattes. So Peppermint OREOS??? Sign. Me. Up.
They did not disappoint. Oh no, they did not.
To try them out, we made these INCREDIBLE Oreo cookie balls!! They were so easy and fun. Gracie and I made these together and they were super simple. It probably took us 15 minutes total prep time (not including time to chill the balls after we dipped them in chocolate).
I served these at our housewarming party on Saturday. I set them out on the buffet table and snapped a picture of the table.
Someone else arrived and I went to welcome them in. I came back to take a nice close-up picture of my pretty Peppermint Oreo Balls. I came back and they were gone. G-O-N-E. Every single one of my adorable Oreo Balls were GONE.
They were obviously very yummy and a big hit.
Anyway, here is the recipe, sans finished picture of my gorgeous Peppermint Oreo Balls because my extended family cannot show self control around Oreos apparently. Humph.
PEPPERMINT OREO BALLS
- 1 pkg (8 oz) brick cream cheese, softened
- 1 pkg (15.25 oz) OREO Cookies with Peppermint Creme, finally crushed
- 4 pkg (4oz each) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
- 8 starlight mints, coarsely crushed (or use candy canes), red nonpareils, or decoration of your choice!
Instructions:
1. Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended.
2. Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. (Um… we only made about 38. Because we ate some cookies. Ahem.) Freeze 10 min.3. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with decorations, if desired.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.A few tips:
To easily coat cookie balls with the melted chocolate, add balls in batches to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll them until evenly coated. Remove balls with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
Do not leave them unattended, they WILL disappear!!!
Do not leave them unattended, they WILL disappear!!!
disclosure: this was a sponsored campaign from OREO.
hide and seek
