Help Yourself

Santa must not be feeding her very well.
Lula helped herself to an early morning snack :-)

Is it because Lula is watching?

Lula was just hanging out this morning. 

 Hannah and Hailey both spotted her right away!

Tonight after dinner it was time to jammy up and then get a treat.

The girls went running (and giggling) to Hannah's room.

I was finishing up the dishes- although Hannah did dry and put away most of what she could- and then both girls came back out of Hannah's room.

They both had their jammies on.

Hannah: "Mom!  Look what I did!  I got Hailey's jammies on her.  I changed her diaper too."

Me: "Oh you did, did you? (yeah right)"

Hannah: "Yep!"

Well....Hailey did have a new/different diaper on and daddy was downstairs.

WOW!  Wonder if Lula has something to do with all this good behavior lately?

This girl gets around

This morning Lula was found tooling around the living room.

She had a few passengers with her including one of the Gingerbread ornaments (that Hannah has named Gingey).

I need to mention how nice the weather has been so far this winter.

It has been around 30 and 40 degrees for the past few days and it has felt great!

Today it actually rained.  Not the freezing rain that us Minnesotans are used to.  Not the kind that turns into ice over night.  Not the kind that falls as snow but then appears as 'rain' when it hits the ground.

Good ol' fashion rain.

I have to appreciate this.  Sometimes by this time of the year we are knee deep in snow. 

Not what my sister and family from Ecuador want to here.

Our time will come.  The winter will hit, the snow will come and be here to stay and within 48 hours of that time I will be longing for spring.  Today- I am content with this. 

P.S.  The family arrives on SUNDAY!!!!

Can you find Lula?

She is pretty obvious in this one :-)

Seemed appropriate to post a fun game for the adults today.  Can you find Lula?
She hasn't been getting too tricky yet about where she is hiding.
I think she is scared that if she hides too good nobody will find her and she will be stuck there.

On another note.....

Lula showing Hailey some love this morning :-)

On another note....

I think we have a cutter on our hands.  This little girl is obsessed!

Hannah was the same way at this age. 

Hailey will just sit (or in this case- stand) for hours and cut up paper.

The smaller the better in her eyes.

Mom appreciates the bigger ones best, they are much easier to clean up!

Baking day

Lula was spotted in the bathroom this morning.

Chewy Surprise Cookies

1-1/2 cups butter-flavored shortening
1-1/2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar, divided
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (10 ounces) Milk Duds

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Shape 4 teaspoons of dough around each Milk Dud so it is completely covered. Roll balls in remaining sugar.

Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. Yield: about 8 dozen.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

About 4 dozen cookies.

Cream Wafers

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix dough and chill

Roll out dough, cut into shapes (small sizes)

Coat cut outs in granulated sugar

Bake 9-12 min

Let cool

Make into sandwiches

Filling

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup butter

tint with green or red food coloring

It's party time!

This morning we found Lula hanging out on Hannah's picture.

Hannah's feeling about it was that she must be up there because she loves her. 

Tonight is my aunt Vicki's 19th annual Christmas party. 

All the girls from the Miller's side are invited.  Well- grown up girls.

Each year Vicki sends us a poem and within the poem are the directions for our 'assignment'.

This year it was to decorate a wine bottle.

Well, the directions actually said to disguise a wine bottle.  Dad warned us that she was expecting the bottles to be full so that this year when you took one home you would be getting a bottle of wine out of the deal.

I spent hours thinking about what to make.  Looking online for inspiration.

I got nothing.

I thought about making a dracula- sounds weird but I kept seeing people wrap their bottles in fabric and leave a huge collar-looking-cape thing- it was a thought.  Not very Christmas like but Twlight is all the rage these days so I thought it might have worked out.

I also thought of a Santa but figured everyone would be doind either that or a Snowman so I decided I would try my luck at a Christmas tree.

I bought a strand of the mini-est of mini lights, tiny ornaments, tinsel, etc.

I made a cone out of glittery green paper, started decorating and straight to the trash it went.  YUCK- my vision was not working out for me.

So, here I was this morning.  8 hours until party time.

Guess I'll go with a Santa after all.

Left to Right:  Snowman/sweater guy: Lee Ann, disguise mask: Mary, Sweater/necklace/hat: Maura (Elizabeth's mom), Lights with bow: Kim, Box in the background: Joanne



White angel: Vicki, Stocking/sock with candy canes: Elizabeth, Santa: Me, Christmas Tree: Tonya



Car: Diane (with help from dad), Black chalkboard bottle with white ribbon: Jennie

Christmas tree with lights and an extension cord: Anita

Grapes and EMPTY bottle: Kristin

Better pic of Diane's and Jennie's

My pics didn't turn out so well.  Vicki's basement is always a little on the darker side and there were tons of people around.  Next year I think I will take a pic of each item upstairs before it comes down. 

Must be tired going to the North Pole every night

Lula must be getting worn out with all of her nightly travels.
Today we found her sleeping....

Cute story:

We have been at Stacey and Shane's a few times in the past few weeks and at least 4 or 5 times during our time there the lights on the Christmas tree are turned off.  Stacey says "Who keeps turning the lights off?!" and then turns them back on.  We both suspected Maddie but it seems weird that she wouldn't want the lights on....after all they are so pretty!

Well this morning when we were getting ready to leave the house Hannah ran over to the tree and turned off of the lights.  "Mom, I turned the lights off so they don't burn out so Santa will still come."
Me: "Huh?"
Hannah:  "Yeah- you have to do that.  Maddie telled me that Santa won't come if the lights are burnt out so we need to save them."

So adorable!  Those two- I would like to be a fly on the wall listening to those conversations ;-)

Found her!

This morning was much easier for Hannah.

Today she came into the bathroom to tell me good morning and that she was going to start finding Lula.

She came back a few minutes later pushing her in on the 'donkey'.

We placed her safely back on the shelf....that girl sure gets around ;-)

Getting into the Christmas spirit

A few posts back I talked about wanting to do an advent calendar for the girls.  I had BIG ideas of buying a plain white box with drawers that I would decorate to be our family's advent calendar.

So to turn this...

into something more like this....

That didn't happen.

So instead I purchased this....

The girls don't know the difference. 

They are getting the concept so next year when I make something more like above they will know just what to do!  My schedule appreciated this more :-)

Lula has brought a magic to our house that I have really needed.

Hannah is amazed by her and daddy is already ready for her to go :-)

Hannah is like a dog with a bone when she is into something and she is into Lula.  She does not stop talking about her.  Where is she, why is she doing that, why did she do it that way, when is she leaving tonight, when will she be back, etc, etc, etc.... If you know Hannah, you know what I am talking about!

For me- I have loved watching Hannah 'get into' Christmas. 

She LOVES the Osmonds Christmas CD and insists that when we are in the car it's on.

It's starting to rub off on me a little bit.  I am taking this Friday off to start my shopping and wrapping. Hopefully it will be a nice day and I will get a lot done so I actually feel accomplished in some way.

This morning when I was in the shower I could hear footprints.  Those footprints usually end up in the bathroom followed by a "Hi Mommy" but not today.  Today they were followed by cupboard doors opening and closing and I could hear "Lu-la...where are you?".

She eventually came into the bathroom with a sad sound to her voice "I can't find her.  She's not on the shelf anymore but I can't find her anywhere."

Hannah eventually found her in the kitchen.

Meet Lula

Meet Lula.  She was delivered on the front steps yesterday.

Lula is a pixie-elf.  She was sent from Santa to watch over the kids for the next few weeks.  Every night while the girls are sleeping she will fly back to the North Pole to tell Santa whether they were naughty or nice.
After all, how did you think he found out?!

After she has reported in for the night she flies back into our home and when the girls wake up they need to find her so that mommy or daddy can bring her back to the shelf where she will perch out and watch another day.

She was sent to us in this box with a book.  The book is her set of instructions.  First up- she needed a name.  Hannah came up with Lula.  I think it suits her just fine.

Secondly, the kids can talk to her but they are not to touch her and she can not talk back to them.  If she talks or is touched, she will lose her magic.  Without her magic she can't make it back to the North Pole and report to Santa.

Hannah spent most of the evening asking her questions and telling her all about our house and our family.

She was very curious as to how Lula was going to manage getting out of that box and out of the house so daddy showed her the door to the attic.  They agreed that that is probably how she gets out since it would be pretty hard for her to open the door since she is so small.

When the girls went to bed last night Lula was in the box.  When they woke up this morning she was sitting in the Christmas tree with a letter. 

Notice her kiss mark :-)

Wonder what Lula will be up to tonight?!

It'sa Spicy Meatboll (must be said with an Italian accent- a bad one)

Saturday night Brian decided to make homemade pizza.

Like the kind that you make the sauce, make the dough, shred the cheese.

Hannah wanted to help us but after the ingredients were measured out there wasn't much more for her to do so she got out a bowl and went to work on her own thing.

She got some cheese, fresh basil, tomato paste, salt, sugar, flour, corn starch, water, oil and oregano.  She mixed it all together and then even cooked it in the microwave for a few minutes.

Daddy gave her a few chunks of dough that she flattened and then cut.

Then she made these.....Spicy Meatballs.

I hope she remembers times likes these as she grows up.  I hope she remembers that her mommy and daddy let her help out and then get creative on her own instead of barking at her to get away or out of the kitchen so we could make dinner.  I hope she remembers times like these because I am sure that I probably won't.  Once again, another shout out to the blog!

Taking one for the team

The girls received cards in the mail from Grandma Joyce today (she's always so thoughtful and sweet to include my kids at each holiday).  Cards from Grandma Joyce always contain holiday stickers in them.

Hailey was really exicted to share her stickers with Ah-ha (her way of saying Nash).

He didn't care too much about it. 

She was following him around the house and everytime he would sit still or stop moving she would adorn him with another peice of flair.  Then she would lean down to give him a hug. 

Of course I couldn't get the dog and the toddler to sit still for a picture so with the help from dad (well, a treat) I at least snapped this picture of the decorations.

Another new recipe

I had to steal this picture from Jennie's Facebook page.

It's gotta be one of the all time BEST!

At least she's not at the dinner table, which she has been known to do.

Tough act to follow

So a few days back I told you about Words with Friends. 

I had to share this move Kari laid on me!

This recipe brought to you by Pinterest

I think the fact that there is hardly any left is a good sign!

Spiced Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients


8-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
pinch of salt
pinch of apple pie spice for topping

Instructions

1.Cream together cream cheese and sugars.
2.Make sure sugars are well-combined.
3.Mix in spices and combine well.
4.Top with sprinkle of apple pie spice.
5.Serve with apple slices or pita chips



4:00 sucks

I absolutely hate the 4:00 hour.

As the clocks grows closer to 4:00 pm my stress level starts to rise.

I am trying to leave work to get home to my family and the rest of the work world is also finishing up their day and gettind ready to clock out for the day.  The last hour of work seems to be the 'dumping' hour.

Everyone is working through their To-Do Lists and trying to accomplish those few last things that they need to.  The emails start flying, the phone starts ringing.  People stop by on their way out and fill you in on the days activities and dump their list to you.  It's like an adult game of Hot Potato.

There is nothing more that I want then to leave but my job doesn't allow it most days.  How do you look at someone standing in your office and say "OK, time to go- I'd like to leave work now."  I can't do it. I don't have it in me and unfortunately some days that is the only time that you can get all the people in one place- the meeetings are over and it's a time when things can finally get done.

When I finally escape and start the trek for home my mind is racing.  I am thinking about work, I am thinking about getting home to see my family, I am thinking about all the things I want to do when I get home, all the things I need to do when I get home, all the things that I need to do tomorrow, all the things I need to do to get ready for ______ (Christmas, Birthday, etc, etc), all the work that I should do when the kids go to bed to get ready for the next day at work, what to have for dinner, etc.

The traffic through Minneapolis is not fun.  And to top it off someone decided it would be a great time to work on the road so my used-to-be-four-lane commute through the city is down to 3 and on some days 2 lanes.  Makes for a long and annoying stop and go ride.

I hate the 4:00 hour. 

I hate the stress I feel trying to leave work.

I hate the stress I feel driving home.

I hate the stress I feel about letting my family down when I am late.

I hate the stress I feel about letting my coworkers down when I am not around if they needed me.

I hate stressing about what to have for dinner.

I hate having to stop at Target every night to get what we need to make dinner.

I hate not being able to accomplish everything I have on my To Do List.

I hate not being able to even cross off one thing on my To Do List (most days).

Most of these things are avoidable.  I can change my behavior or patterns to change the course.

Question is- why haven't I done anything about it yet?

I'd rather be pinning!

And then there was ....Pinterest!
Think of this as an online bulletin board, to do list, idea list, inspiration collector, Facebook for crafters, share ideas type of community.

Idea for hanging frames.  Wish I could bear the thought of putting this many nail holes in the wall. 

Gummy Vodka Bears.  Soak in Vodka for 3-5 days- Twist on an old favorite Jello Shots

Crockpot girls
Where have they been all my life??!

You kidding me?

Just because you saw me pin this doesn't mean you should go and make your own....Santa just might have something up his/her sleeve ;-)

adorable

Tons of recipes and cute ideas for parties

Click on a picture on Pinterest and it takes you to a link or blog that is FULL of ideas

Who thinks of this stuff!

Oh how I wish I could quit work and become a professional internet surfer!

I think I have a problem.

 



Oven Fried Pickles

Oven Fried Pickles

Ingredients


1 jar pickle slices
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Ranch dressing
Directions

1.Turn oven broiler on high.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and flour. Add Worcestershire sauce,  garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.

3.Place panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Dunk each pickle slice into the egg mixture, than dredge it in the panko bread crumbs.

4.Place coated pickles on a rack set above a baking sheet and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place pan in the middle rack of the oven. Broil for about 3 minutes on each side.

5.Serve with Ranch dressing

A twist on an old favorite

Peppermint Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Butter
1 10 Oz. Package Marshmallows
1/3 Cup Crushed Candy Canes
6 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal
2 14 Oz. Bags White Candy Melts
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat.
Add in the marshmallows and allow them to melt completely.
Add in the crushed candy canes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies.
If making balls, pull out heaping tablespoons from the pan and roll into balls. Add a candy can into the center of each ball.
If making cut out shapes, press the rice krispie mixture into a pan prepared with cooking spray.
Allow to cool for about five to ten minutes and then cut out your favorite shapes.
Add a candy cane into the top end of the treat.
Place your finished treats into the fridge for about 15 minutes to cool down.

Melt the candy melts according to package directions and add in the vegetable oil to thin the mixture.
Dip your cooled treats into the chocolate, sprinkle or decorate, and set aside to cool and harden completely.

Note: For a quicker version, simply press mixture into a pan and top with the candy melts.  Cut into bars.   (that's what I did)