A Holiday Snack

I remember the first time my sister mentioned it. We were driving home in the van and I said I was craving junk food. She said she would make "white chocolate popcorn.' My nose went up in the air. Yuck. It didn't even remotely sound good. After insisting that I would love it, we went home and made it. And that began my love for this quick and easy snack. We ate it by the handful...didn't even wait until the chocolate hardened.

This would make a great snack for New Years.

You will need: 

3 bags of your favorite popcorn {I used Orville Redenbacher}

1 bag of Nestle` White Chocolate chips

Pop your popcorn and put it in a light weight bowl. Before you mix it with the chocolate, shake the bowl to get the kernels to the bottom. {If you skip this step, the kernels will stick to the popcorn and you will hurt your teeth when you bite down}

Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. I start out by microwaving for 1 min. Stir. Then microwave at 30 second intervals until melted.

Here are a couple of tips I have learned while melting chocolate. Sometimes the pieces look unmelted, but if you keep stirring you might find that they are softer than you think. Also, if the chocolate looks like it is getting harder {it will start to look grainy and stiff} it is actually too hot! Keep stirring and let it cool a little. You will find that it will start to get nice and creamy.

The last tip is to only mix part of the popcorn and chocolate at one time. I take a third of the popcorn out and put it in a bowl, then take a spoonful of the chocolate and pour it over the popcorn. Mix until it is coated and lay on a piece of wax paper to dry {or a paper grocery bag}. Then mix the rest in workable portions. Lay it all out to dry and turn it over a few times to get all the sides dry.

If you prefer chunkier bites, you can just spread the popcorn out and drizzle the chocolate over it. The popcorn won't be evenly coated, but you will get larger chunks of chocolate.

Prepare to be addicted...

A Humble Christmas

This time last week, my family and I were walking {shoving our way through} the aisles at Toys R Us. For this last minute mom, that was the beginning of my Christmas shopping. We looked at trains, Lego's, Transformers, super heroes, and whatever else the boys wanted to see. At one point, while the boys were playing with the Thomas trains, I looked around to see what other people had in their carts {ours was empty}. I saw carts loaded and overflowing with toys. In my mind I tried to calculate the dollar amount of merchandise they were pushing around. Some carts, I estimated, had three or four hundred dollars worth of toys. I wondered how much of that was going on someone's credit card to be paid off just in time for next Christmas.

I have had my fare share of mommy guilt. You know what I am talking about right? The moment when you equate the love of your child with a dollar sign? But quite honestly, this year, those moments have been rare. In the past we would decide to just get a few gifts. Then when I would see the sparse pile of packages, I would run out and spend money on worthless items just so the boys could have more packages to unwrap. And what happened to those gifts? They became objects under their feet...literally.

So this year we are having a humble Christmas...

Notice...5 presents...4 boys.

No. 1 & No. 2 have one large present to share. And each has an individual present to open as well as stocking stuffers. No. 3 has two presents {one I bought from a thrift store...shhh...don't tell him}. They each have a few small items in their stockings. And there is one handmade present in the basement yet to be brought up. Are you feeling better about your Christmas yet?
While I have had a few twinges of regret...a few moments where I have coveted the checking account of those who can give there children more material possessions, the Lord has given me great peace this season. While the world screams to give my children everything they want, the Lord tenderly reminds me that the greatest gift I can ever give them is a relationship with Christ. While we may not have the financial resources that some do, our standing in Christ is not tied to our bank accounts and for that I am eternally grateful.

So if this Christmas you wish you could have done more for your children, or see what others have and feel envious {I think we all could say we have felt this way}, remember that our Savior, the King of everything, was born in a stable. And most important, don't fail to give your children what really matters...a relationship with our Savior.

Merry CHRISTmas
Kimberly

Thinking outside the box.

One of my favorite quotes is, "Necessity is the mother of all invention." On a daily basis, I find this to be true!

I come from a long line of crafters, savers {aka "hoarders"}, re-purporsers, and all around thrifty people. There is a desire in me to create, to take an every day item and turn it into something else. Ask my husband, {well...maybe don't ask him} I am always keeping something with the idea that I might use it someday. With these thoughts in mind, I bring you today's post. 

The first thing I want to show you is something I first saw on Pinterest. 

I give you...the cassette holder turned smart phone stand.

To me this is such a simple great idea. I have a kick stand on the back of my case, but it tends to fall over. The cassette holder works wonders. First of all...it's free. Second, it provides natural amplification of your phones speakers. When I listen to Pandora, it naturally boosts the sound without being plugged in to anything. And it is even sturdy enough to keep my phone upright on my bed while it's plugged into my computer. Genius! 

The next thing is probably on Pinterest somewhere. But I actually thought of this the other day. My sister was here and asked if I had a sippy cup for my 18 month old. Well, a normal mother would, but this mom doesn't. I have a habit of misplacing them. When I do find them, they usually contained something that has spoiled long ago. So, necessity being the mother of all invention, I present to you...

The big boy sippy cup {as we call it in our house}.

I have one of these for each of my boys. They love it! Simply save your frapuccino bottles {I bought these from Big Lots for $3. Walmart sells Frap's for $6} and take a screwdriver and punch a hole in the lid. Voila. Instant sippy cup. If you were so inclined you could remove the label and paint the lid. 

Hope this inspires you to think outside the box! 

Febreeze | DIY

Okay...let's admit it. We all love Febreeze. Especially those of us who have children {and especially boys}. We need to mask all those funky smells when company unexpectedly  shows up at our door. But who wants to pay $5 for a bottle that only lasts a month or so. This frugal {aka cheap} momma sure doesn't. Recently I came across this tutorial and I may or may not have audibly rejoiced. According to her math it costs $.15 a bottle!!!! Can you believe that? I am on my second bottle and I could not be happier. 

Here are the ingredients:

1/8 cup of your favorite fabric softener {Downy, Gain, etc.}

2 tbsp. baking soda

Hot tap water {fill your bottle to the top}

That's it. Super simple...super cheap. Now...go... deodorize...be happy. 

Hannah | Sweet 16

My sweet friend, Hannah, turned 16. For her birthday we did a photo shoot. Hannah, I hope you enjoy your pictures. You are a beautiful young lady inside and out. Love ya.

Birthday Invitations for my Niece

Here are the birthday invitations I designed for my sweet niece.

Wedding Invitations for my Beautiful Sister

I was more than honored to design the invitations for my sister's wedding. Our personalities and tastes are so similar that it was like designing my own. The wedding is not until October, but I am too excited not to share. So let's keep it our secret. Okay?

Bridal Shower Graphics

Here are the graphics I created and used for my sister's bridal shower.

Shower Invitations

Drink Tags

Food Labels

Sign 

Illinois, unmentionables, and a sister

Recently I drove to Illinois to throw my sister a personal shower. My sister is one of the kindest most unselfish people I know. I was honored to be able do something special for her.

Here are some pictures of the details. Enjoy.

A place for guests to write a word of wisdom.

Guests were to address their own "Thank You" envelope.

A Carousel, a ferris wheel and a niece

A few weeks ago I took my niece to the county fairgrounds for pictures. She loves life and lives it to the fullest. Here are some of her beautiful images.