Dusting a Piano with a Glossy Finish
I put a lot of effort into this post. That’s right. I waited and waited for dust to build up on my piano. It was hard, but I resisted the urge to dust it many times. What can I say? I’m a giver. Like many pianos, mine has a glossy finish. As much as I love it and plan on having it until my dying day, every little bit of dust and fingerprints shows up on it. (Do you know how many places a 4-year-old touches?) Product residue can make the piano’s finish look filmy. Even water marks can show up from dusting it with a damp rag. For a long time…
Update to Blueberry Freezer Jam Recipe using Sure Jell
Hi Folks! I’m here on a random Thursday with a quick Jam PSA. I’ll bet that’s the first time you’ve ever heard a Jam Public Service Announcement. Am I right? 🙂 I made a new batch of blueberry freezer jam a couple of weeks ago and noticed the Sure Jell company change the recipe slightly. As a reminder, I use the pink box of Sure Jell. There used to be an extra cup of water in the recipe for the blueberry freezer jam. See… Now, that extra water has been omitted. The scandal! Kidding! It’s a good thing. You can see the change on the newest recipe page included…
Apple Raisin Bread
One of my most favorite childhood culinary memories is of my mom making apple cinnamon bread from scratch. She would let us have a slice of hot bread, right out of the oven, with butter slathered over the top. I can still imagine that taste – pure heaven. Here’s the kicker: I haven’t the slightest clue how she made that bread. If there was a recipe, it was never written down. Since she’s no longer here with us for me to ask, I will just chalk her secret ingredient up to love. I have since found an Apple Bread recipe that is every bit delicious and if you are afraid of…
My Favorites from 2014
I started blogging in March of 2014 and by the end of the year I had posted over 100 times. Holy cow! Who knew I was so wordy had so much to share? While I get back in the swing of the things after the holidays, I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts from the past year. You know, just in case you missed them. Ha! These are not in any particular order and I’m feeling a little like I’ve been asked to pick my favorite child. It’s impossible! Arrow-Shaped Growth Chart I love this growth chart because we used scrap wood, so it was free, but also…
New Year’s Resolutions
I’m not really a New Year’s Resolution kind of gal. Gasp! I know, right? I do think that making resolutions to change your life for the better are to be applauded, especially if you follow through. I just don’t subscribe to the “do it because the calendar says you should” mentality. Be a rebel! Make your resolution any ol’ time you want! Now, if I was going to make a resolution or two for the new year. I think they would fall somewhere along these lines: Resolution #1: Spend more time enjoying the view – especially ones with palm trees. Life is so busy. In the rush to get from place…
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas Everyone! The song that has been stuck in my head the entire month of December is I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. My favorite rendition of it so far is by the group, MercyMe. I wish you and yours the happiest of days. I will be spending time with my family between now and the New Year, so I will be posting more sporadically than my usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. Thank you for indulging me and for being a part of my world. Happy Christmas. Share this:
Holiday Expectations
The other day I was disappointed because tickets to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer were sold out. Tragic, right? Then we didn’t go to the tree lighting ceremony or the Christmas parade because it was pouring down rain. Gasp! And I was thinking, “man, our kids are really missing out on all of the holiday fun this year.” I was on a slippery slope to wondering if my kids were going to need therapy because we weren’t maxed out on holly jolliness this year. Yes, looking back, I can see how that attitude was a bit pathetic. Here’s the kicker. My kids didn’t ask to go to see Rudolph or the parade.…
Sweet Potato Bread Knots
I firmly believe that everyone needs a go-to dish or side they can prepare that makes them look like a rock star. And this go-to item needs to look like you spent hours doing something complicated and all Martha Stewart-y, when in reality, it was really pretty easy. Not that you’d ever let anyone know. This, my friends, is one of those items. Now, you know I love my carbs and I really think these are my favorite type of dinner roll. They are crazy delicious. Now, if you are a sweet potato hater, don’t worry. These rolls have an incredible flavor, but don’t taste like you’re biting straight into a sweet potato.…
Cookie Cutter Stencils and Embellishing a Brown Bag
I thought I’d share a fun trick for embellishing a plain brown gift bag. My secret is using cookie cutters as a stencil. I will confess… my cookie cutters see far more use outside of the kitchen than in it. These are the supplies I gathered to embellish gift bags for my children’s teachers. Ignore the snowflake cookie cutter. I was considering using it for my stencil, but switched to the tree. I insert a small cutting board inside the brown bag so that I don’t cut through it. I then trace the shape of the cookie cutter with a pencil on the brown bag. After that, it’s pretty easy to…
Santa Belt Nails
Even if you don’t have an Ugly Sweater Party to go to, I’m sure you’ll attend some sort of holiday shin-dig this year. The Christmas bling does not need to be restricted to your gorgeous abode. Oh, no. It’s time to glam up those finger and toenails with a little Santa Belt Bling! And as my Christmas gift to you, I have spared you pictures of my toes. You’re welcome. They are currently sporting the same look as my 7-year-old daughter’s toes though! All you have to do is paint your toe or fingernails red. Let them dry thoroughly. Then you need to use some scotch tape to mark off…
