Pretzel Log Cabin

Ann Tack

A little bit of fun for the weekend!  Found this sweet log cabin house on Pinterest, go visit Super Mish -Mash for the complete project instructions.

books + activities for Christmas + Chanukkah

 Santa's reindeer are sick with the flu, what will he do?

I have a hint, it has to do with HOT Chocolate.   Read this book with the kiddos and make some hot chocolate from scratch, there is a recipe in the back! Cozy up and enjoy some cocoa together! Enjoy your  weekend!


...and for my friends celebrating Chanukkah, I suggest this adorable book.  It's about an old woman named
Bubba Brayna, who can not hear or see well.  While she is preparing Latkes for the celebration she mistakes an unusual guest for the Rabbi and sits down to a game of dreidel with the bear!  There are directions on how to make your own dreidel and directions on how to play!

cute one piece snowsuits

Burton via Montkid

Roxy

Burton

it was 70 degrees in Chicago yesterday, so why am i looking for a snowsuit?

Burton

                                      

how to make a pet blob

this is Herc's pet blob BOB.  we made this easy, silly project using only 3 ingredients plus googly eyes.

Materials: White school glue like Elmers.
                Borax, can be purchased at any grocery store or Target
                Food Coloring
                 2 medium bowls and water
                Googly eyes
How to:

             1.  Mix 1/3 c. warm water with 1/2 c. glue. (that is one regular sized glue bottle.) Add a few drops of food coloring, stir and set aside.
       
             2.  In another bowl add 3/4 c. warm water and 2 tsp. Borax.  Mix well until diluted. Pour mixture into bowl one and combine.

            3.  Stir together until glob forms. (there will be liquid in bowl, that is fine) Remove blob from bowl and kneed with hands for 2-3 minutes.

Now add some googly eyes and there is your pet blob! Store in air tight jar or plastic baggy.

           

a happy & healthy holiday season

i came across this list the other day on Apartment Therapy, and just wanted to share it with you! A few tweakes can really change the outlook on your day.  This is a nice reminder of small things that make a big impact!


10 Simple Things To Make You Happier At Home

a sprinkle of fun gifts

while sitting at the car wash this afternoon, I paged through a few magazines and came across these
fun, little, off the beaten path gifts...

.Glass cookie tray, pretty awesome, but I would put home made cookies in it, duh!

GAMAGO

would you not love to receive these snow globe salt and pepper shakers?

Z Gallerie

ho-ho-holiday cheer is here!

This super duper adorable Santa count down calendar printable is from
 inviting printables.com



Click on the above link and download it for free!

All you need is some glue and cotton balls!

i like black and white

via

corn bean dip

i had this dip over at my sister in laws the other week, seriously, ridiculously addiciting!  i have to shout out my other sister in law though ANGELA who's the original holder of the recipe! i made it twice last week, one batch ate with my mom and John, the other brought to my best friends for a baking night.

corn bean dip

1 15 oz. can white corn, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinse & drain

1 bunch green onions, chopped 

6  oz. crumbled feta cheese

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and chill.  Drain the liquid before serving.  Serve with Frito Scoops.

Your welcome!

T.H.I.N.K

a nice reminder for kids and us adults alike

sick day

Herc had been sick since Saturday:( today he woke up with no fever! but now he's sick of taking his medicine!  Do you remember this book? It's so sweet and beautiful to look at, nice to read to a little one in bed! You know what's funny, when you're kids are well and running around and driving you crazy, you think can't they just sit and be quiet, but the minute they are sick and laying and bed with a fever all you want is for them to get back to normal.

renegade craft fair chicago

Hey Chicagoans its the Holiday Renegade Craft Fair. A festive event filled with indie makers, food and drinks!  Perfect day out with a good friend!. Dec. 1st & 2nd from 11a.m. to 6 a.m.

thanks

Thank you for my hubby
Thank you for my Herc
Thank you for our health
Thank you for my dogs
Thank you for helen my best friend who lets me bring my crazy baby over when I need a break.
Thank you for my mom
Thank you for my family
Thank you for my friends
Thank you to our friends who invited us to stay at their cabin in Michigan for New Years(so excited)
Thank you for pinterest
Thank you for magazines
thank you for adventures in the city
Thank you for the song "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes cause i love watching herc sing along
Thank you for polka dot sweaters
Thank you for brown boots
Thank you for my gigantic spin art machine
thank You for making my day and stopping in,
Xo helen

2 ingredient recipes

My husband sent me this link from Ebaumsworld.com and I had to share because it has some pretty awesome 2 ingredient recipes.  I've actually tried the pumpkin+cake mix recipe and it turned out pretty good, they were very light and fluffy! 

Ebaums World

lounging

All the black Friday talk is starting to make me dizzy.  I don't know about you but I am gonna have to sit this one out.   Since we have moved to Chicago life has been pretty hectic and I am looking forward to a few family naps.  I do love a comfy pair of pajama pants!

for me

for Herc

foe POP

 

4 ipad apps that I would download for Herc

The Monster at the End of This Book
A classic tale brought to life.

Peekaboo Barn
Tap on the red barn to see who is hiding.
 Kids will learn the name of animals and the sounds they make!

Maily
This app allows your kid to safely e-mail friends and family.
They can create their own pictures and messages and even include pictures of themselves!

Little Digits
Kids learn to count, and do easy addition and subtraction, with the help of these cute little critters!

More ideas here

take a nap in a bird nest...

and have a restful weekend:) before the holidays begin!


by O*GE Creative Group

cuppow!

Turn your mason jar into a travel mug with Cuppow! Last year I saw this on pinterest and immediately ordered one for John, he said its one of the best gifts he has ever gotten.  The guys who started this never thought it would take off the way it did.  Now they have come out with new colors that give back to charity, pretty awesome!

mom's rice pudding recipe

this is my mom's amazing and tasty rice pudding recipe.  I have had the craziest sweet tooth lately and this hit the spot, and I didn't feel so guilty.  hope you like it!




Rice pudding
1 gallon whole milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup white rice (uncle ben's original)
1 orange peel
2tsp. vanilla (opt.)
cinnamon to garnish

Pour milk, sugar and rice in a pot. Cook for two hours maybe a little longer over a low heat.
Stir every 15 minutes (make sure you use a wooden spoon and run it along the bottom of pot to prevent rice from sticking and burning). When you see that it is beginning to thicken stir in the orange peel and vanilla. Once it has thickened turn off heat, remove orange peel and pour into serving bowls. Sprinkle with cinnamon and let cool. Enjoy!  (if you want it to cook faster turn up the heat but you need to stir it more)

hot chocolate party

A Pair of Pears


This is such a sweet and easy way to get a group together for the holidays!
If you haven't noticed yet my posts are usually about quick and easy things we can throw together.  Let's face it once you have kids you're time is really sucked away.  Throwing a full blown party is just too much.
When I saw this post from A Pair of Pairs I thought this is awesome.
For more great pictures click on the the above link and check them out, great blog!

all natural snow cone!

last night it snowed here in Chicago and Herc....ate it!  Yup we went out to the car after visiting our cousins and there it was on the windshield.  Herc touched it  and said, "ooh cold." then shoved it in his mouth! When we got home I gave him a bowl of raspberries before bed and daddy brought him some more snow. All natural snow cone there ya go!

cotton candy clouds and helicodots!

Herc loves helicopters, he calls them helicodots, so for his birthday I made him this cake.

I used white cotton candy for the clouds and bought this wooden toy for the cake topper.

It was easy and turned out pretty cute. I used the Vanilla cake mix from TJ's and made home made whipped cream frosting.

Happy 2nd Birthday Herc, Mama loves you!

make ahead Strata Recipe

This Recipe is from the magazine House Beautiful, it's easy and GOOD! I used sausage and Cheddar.

I made it for Herc's birthday brunch, but would be great for a casual holiday get together!  Hope you enjoy it :)

STRATA

Serves 8

Strata is the bread pudding of savory egg dishes. This super-easy treat generally includes cubes or slices of bread that have been soaked in custard, then baked in a casserole dish or a rectangular baking pan. This is a great make-ahead dish — it tastes best if you prepare it the day before and let it soak overnight before baking. Like many egg dishes, a strata can incorporate all sorts of different ingredients, so there's a lot of flexibility here.

5 cups of cubed French bread (with crust)
Grated cheese (see Variations)
10 large eggs
1 quart whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Filling ingredients (see Variations)

1. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Put the bread cubes in the dish and sprinkle them with the cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Sprinkle the filling ingredients over the egg mixture and fold them in gently. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Uncover the baking dish and bake for 60 minutes, until the mixture has puffed up slightly and is golden brown on top, and the strata doesn't shimmy with uncooked custard when you shake the pan. Tent the dish with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve by the spoonful, using a large serving spoon.

Alex Makes the Strata

I'm hooked on Gale Gand's strata. It's 100 percent make-ahead — great for a summer brunch or buffet. I always feel cheated by a make-ahead dish when I still end up with mountains of pots and pans — but I assembled, baked, and served the strata in one casserole. Like quiche and bread pudding, there are endless variations. I made the straightforward version and the bacon, cheddar, mushroom, and tomato (plus my own stripped-down version — bacon, cheddar, and spinach). And like all comfort foods, this custardy egg dish is cheap therapy. Deeply gratifying.

Five Variations

BACON, CHEDDAR, MUSHROOM, AND TOMATO

Sprinkle 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (6 to 8 strips), 1 cup sautéed sliced white or shiitake mushrooms, and 1 cup chopped tomatoes over the egg mixture.

CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, CORN, CHILES, AND JACK

Sprinkle 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1 cup frozen corn kernels, 1 cup cooked broccoli florets, two 4.5-ounce cans (drained) chopped green chiles, and 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken over the egg mixture.

HAM, SWISS, AND ASPARAGUS

Sprinkle 2 cups grated Swiss cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1 cup blanched asparagus pieces, 1 cup cubed ham, and 1/2 cup caramelized onions(see below) over the egg mixture.

FONTINA, SPINACH, SALAMI, AND ROASTED GARLIC

Sprinkle 2 cups Fontina cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, 1 cup Italian salami (cut into matchsticks), and 1/2 cup roughly chopped roasted garlic cloves (see below) over the egg mixture.

VEGETABLE-BLUE CHEESE

Sprinkle 1 cup crumbled blue cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1 cup cooked cubed celery root, 1 cup sautéed sliced zucchini, and 1/2 cup sautéed sliced onions over the egg mixture.

Caramelized Onions

Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 large onion, thinly sliced, turn down heat to medium-low, and sauté slowly for 20 minutes, until the onion caramelizes a bit.

Roasted Garlic

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a square of foil, large enough to make a bundle around however many bulbs of garlic you plan to roast, on a work surface. Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic bulbs and place them on the foil, cut side up. Sprinkle each bulb with about 1 teaspoon olive oil, and gather the foil to make a bundle. The bundle doesn't need to be airtight, but it should be gathered at the top. Roast for about 1 hour, until soft. Then remove the garlic from the oven and let it cool, still bundled up, for at least 10 minutes. Open the bundle, separate the cloves, and peel them by popping the garlic out of the skins. The garlic should be soft and golden brown. Roasted garlic keeps for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

birthday pancakes

via 

Throw some sprinkles in your pancake batter and a little whip cream on top and....whala....

Birthday Pancakes!!!

little king

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, Herc's turning two on Sunday, and I've been busy getting things ready for our little family brunch. 

8 gifts I'd get a two year old

Plan Toys Wooden Toy Bee Hive

Helps toddlers develop their fine motor skills.  Toddlers are buzy little things.

Seydel Triola direct from The Harmonica Company UK

Colorful and easy to play, a fun introduction to musical instruments!

Dollies

(Herc put them in the stroller, walked them over to a bed and put them down for a nap!)

My First RC Go-Go Fire Truck

Any toddler will feel proud helping the heroes save the day!

Plan Toys Wooden Toaster

POP goes the toast!

Justin Roberts
I have been playing his CD'S for my mommy and me classes for years.  Really FUN stuff!

CRICKET
Why not get a subscription for a baby board book magazine?  Filled with  simple stories, ryhmes
and beautiful illustrations!

Circus Tent

Perfect for imaginative play, and a space of their own!

something like this

my office would look something like this, Bri Emery's office via Apartment Therapy.



and my laundry room, with wall paper something like this.   via