Secret Santa!

We do Secret Santa every year with friends and every year I am trying to think of things we can do that aren't all food. It is so hard. Each year we get so many treats, don't get me wrong treats are AWESOME, but it is nice to also have some things that don't give the kids a sugar high at 7:30 at night :)

I thought I would share some of the things which we did this year for the family we are Secret Santa for. Heaven knows we can all use ideas. :)

Night One: It is Family night in out home. This year for night one I bought Candyland for $4.97 and we gifted this. It provides hours of family fun. I think any kind of game is a fun option. It bring the family closer and can be so much fun.

Night Two: We choose to not do the night for this one. Early on Tuesday morning we delivered home made cinnamon rolls for breakfast to our Secret Santa Family. Something to warm their hearts and tummy's before school.

Night Three: We delivered the book, The Legend of the Candy Cane along with a candy cane for each person. We love this story. Not only is it a fun book about a candy store but it also talks about the true meaning of Christmas. Its such a great family tradition.

Night Four: I made personalized hot chocolate mugs for each family member and put a swiss miss packet and marshmallows in each cup. Hot chocolate at bed time helps my children to sleep better oddly enough.

Night Five: Foam ginger bread houses. I buy these at Michaels and they are so fun. The best part if that you can keep it for the whole Christmas season.

Night Six: Redbox gift card. Family movie nights are the best. You can buy a redox gift for $1.50 and that gives your Secret Santa family an entire evening of fun together.

I hope that your Secret Santa fun is as enjoyable as ours. Next week I will share my awesome cinnamon roll recipe.... Mmmmmmm!!

Lots of Love and Merry Christmas!!

Alisha

Thanksgiving Family Night

Next week is Thanksgiving. What a great time to have a Family night about being grateful and what we are thankful for. Here is what we will do for our Family Home Evening.

I am Thankful For....

Opening Song: My Heavenly Father Loves me

Opening Prayer:

Watch the following video: In The Spirit of Thanksgiving 

Brainstorm: What are you Thankful for? Discuss with the family what they are thankful for and why? Also discuss ways we can show gratitude to those around us and who serve us.

Activity: Write a letter of Thanks to someone whom you are thankful for. We will mail these to each of these people this next week.

Closing song: Thank Thee for Everything (Childrens Song Book)
Closing Prayer:

Spiritually Thinking

I LOVE THIS QUOTE!! To often this time of year we become so busy we forget the most important things in this life which is 1) our relationship with God and 2) our relationship with our families. I hope that none of us ever become to busy to remember what matters most.

Cranberry salsa over cream cheese recipe

I don't know about you but my calendar is already filling up for November and December. There are work parties, church parties, children parties, ugly sweater parties you name it and we will party about it. I like to always take something to each of these parties and one of my favorite recipes is a Cranberry Salsa over Cream Cheese. It is so delicious and so easy to make. I thought I would share the recipe with you.

• 12 ozs cranberries (fresh or frozen) chopped I use my ninja to chop them up.
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 11/4 cup green onions chopped
• 1- 2  small jalapeno peppers take the seeds out and  and mince
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh Ginger
• 1 pinch salt and pepper

Mix all the above ingredients in a glass bowl. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving (best if made the day before).  To serve  pour over the top of 2 bricks of cream cheese 8oz. I only serve half at a time in case it does not all get eaten at once.  We eat it with wheat thins, club crackers or pita chips.

So delicious. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Spiritually Speaking

I am a DIYer. I LOVE this quote!!

Happy Fall Y'All

It is officially fall here in Dallas, and I am loving it. I would like to say the temperature is cooling off, but lets face it, its Dallas and it is hot here until December but it is high 80F and that is definitely a break from the 100+ temps and heat index.

I have a business making and selling signs and here is my latest. I love this. It looks so cute on my porch fits right in with Texas.

To make this sign I used:

1 -  2x4 cut into 6 pieces  20" long
1 - 1x2 cut into 2 pieces 15" long.
Wood Stain
Wood Screws
Vinyl Decal

This is such a fun and easy craft to make. I hope that you enjoy making it as much as I did.

For more ideas using vinyl follow my Facebook page:www.facebook.com/reflectionsinvinylwylie

Spiritually Speaking

A couple weeks ago I took some time with my daughter and attended Time Out For Women. One presentation resonated with me more than others. A speaker said she had been in England and attended a Church of England Service. At the end of the service the Priest offered a prayer and said these words:

In his wounds may we find Safety
In his scars may we find Comfort
In his pain may we find Peace.

I knew I needed to be reminded of this often so I added this quote underneath a picture of the Savior I have in my bedroom. The atonement of Jesus Christ is so much more than just asking for and receiving forgiveness for sin. I still have so much to learn when it come to the atonement. I know that it can help me in so many ways. I keep learning and growing and trying to allow it to help me in all aspects of my life. I hope the atonement provides each of you with Safety, Comfort and Peace this sabbath day.

Thankful Jar

Next week starts the beginning of a month of being focusing on the things we are most thankful for. I love November, but you know what I don't like... sitting around the table and being put on the spot to tell what I am most thankful for. I am a cryer... yep I admit it. I think it is me getting old, but overtime I start to say what I am thankful for I cry. So to save everyone in my family the embarrassment of watching mom cry I decided to start a Thankful Jar.

I put our thankful jar out on our kitchen bar with a small stack of papers and a pen. Through the entire month of November the children and my husband and I write down things we are thankful for. Then at Thanksgiving Dinner we pass the jar around and read all the things everyone is thankful for. No one adds their names to the papers so no one knows who said what. I love this little tradition of ours. I love my family and love not making them feel weird watching mom try to get through her thankful list.

Spiritually Speaking

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have a cheering section I can't see. Life is hard. Somedays I wonder how on earth I am going to get through it. I love this quote because it is a reminder that even when I feel alone, when I feel like I just can't go on anymore, I have a cheering section. We are so loved.

Potion Book

Recently a friend of mine and I decided to do a craft night. She is super crafty, like I mean SUPER crafty!! Not only that but she is like SUPER kind, SUPER awesome and like SUPER everything. Lucky huh!! I mean who doesn't want a friend like this in your life.

So back to the Potion Book.... Tiffany told me about a potion book that she had made with some friends previously and I knew I needed one. I mean I LOVE Halloween. I am not sure why. Maybe because it is the start to the holiday season, but regardless of the reason I always go way over board for Halloween. I love it so much. Anyway. Tiffany has created these very cool pages that you can print so you can make your own Potion Book. Here is what we did!



To start you will need an old book, like a dictionary. I found mine at a thrift store for 25 cents, bargain!! The pages that you will print are 8.5 x 11 so you will need you book to be about that size.

I wanted my book to look aged so I took a water bottle and sprayed and crumpled random pages. I did this to a lot of the pages to be honest. I also burned some of the edges of my book. I then took a brown ink pad and rubbed that over the edges of the pages so that it looked dirty and very used.

To attache the pages I used modge podge. I opened the book to the middle or somewhere near the middle and put mode modge podge on each page. I did crumple the pages just a little before I put them in to make them look aged and used too.

Here are what the pages look like. Aren't they so awesome!!

Lastly we glued a thick black ribbon to the inside of the book with hot glue. I glues it behind the binding of the book so it looked like it was made that way.

This book sits on an end table in my formal living room. I keep it open to the potion pages all October so there is no need to worry about what the cover of the book looks like. No one sees it :)

Here is a link to my friend Tiffany's blog and the pages that you will need to make your own book. I would love to see what you create if you make one yourself. Enjoy!

http://fabandwonderful.blogspot.com/2015/09/spell-book.html

Spiritually Speaking

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is one of our all time favorites and is one that so many of you have enjoyed too. In fact a friend of mine recently messaged me and said I NEED YOUR PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE, ASAP!! I thought I had better share it again with you all just in case you missed it in the past.


Pumpkin Bread

1 (15oz) can of Pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 c. water
3 c. Sugar
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ginger
1 tsp ground cloves

Preheat Over to 350F or 175C. Grease and flour three 7x3inch bread pans

In a large bowl mix together the Pumpkin, Eggs, Oil, Water and Sugar until well blended. Sift all the dry ingredients together and then mix with the wet ingredients. Por into pepared bread pans.

Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let rest for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes wrap the pumpkin bread in plastic wrap and let it cool in the wrap. This will make your break so moist and so delicious. 

You can add a bag of chocolate chips or 2 cups of pecans to this recipe which make it extra yummy too. 


*Note ifyou cant get tins of pumpkin you can make this very simple and you can use pumpkin or butternut squash. Simply boil the flesh of either fruit and mash. You can also roast the vegetable to use the flesh too. Both options work well.*

Spiritually Speaking

NEVER FORGET!!

WELCOME OCTOBER

YAY!!!! Its time for Pumpkins!!! I have been looking for cute fun Pumpkin Carving or Decorating ideas and thought I would share some of my finding with you. I hope you have fun starting to decorate for Fall and Halloween. I know we will be enjoying it here!!

Here are a couple links with some really fun ideas.

These are adorable Carve Disney Pumpkins

101 Pumpkin Ideas.... YES PLEASE!

Pumpkin Carving Stencils are AWESOME

Spiritually Speaking

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This weekend is our Semi Annual General Conference. A weekend for our church leader to speak to us. To give us guidance and help us to understand better the teaching of our church as well as remind us how very much our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ love each of us.

If you would be interested in learning more or hear what modern day prophets have to say to you please join us. The live stream of this wonderful conference is available on www.lds.org . You can also watch it live on BYU TV. May God continue to bless each of you and may you have a blessed day.

Witch and Her Little Monsters

It's almost October! Do you know what that means? It's almost for me to put out my Halloween decorations and for it to be socially acceptable. YAY! Here is a cute little sign I've made. I've seen the saying all over Facebook but wanted to "jazz" it up a little. 

I do have a sign making business and this sign is for sell in my shop. Feel free to visit my page and see what other awesome things I have created with my silhouette cameo. www.facebook.com/reflectionsinvinylwylie

Spiritually Speaking

Pumpkin Soup

Its this time of year when I enjoy cooking with pumpkin the most. We can find pumpkin spice in just about everything around us this time of year. From our favorite chocolate bar right down to our lip balm. But nothing says autumn more to me the the smell of fresh baked Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies. Or a nice warm bowl of Pumpkin Soup. Here is one of our families favorite pumpkin soup recipes. It is so delicious and perfect comfort food.

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 brown onion coarsely chopped

1 clove of garlic crushed

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

1 large butternut pumpkin, skin and seed removed and roughly chopped

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup cream

Salt and Black pepper

parsley, natural yogurt to serve

Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium - high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, or until soft and golden. Add cumin and coriander. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add pumpkin and stir to coat. Add stock and curry powder. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Stir in cream and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth or as desires. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of yogurt and fresh parsley.

Love,

Alisha

Spiritually Speaking

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been writing and doing recipes for our community and 4 other communities news letters recently. So for September I added my favorite  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. nOne thing that I love so much about this recipe is that my lovely neighbors are vegetarian. This recipe has no eggs in it and so I can share it with them. I think September is one of their favorite months because they know its time for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine and my neighbors do.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen (can be doubled to make more)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 Tablespoons pumpkin puree 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips ( I use milk chocolate but you can use what you like)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine the butter and sugars and mix well. Add the vanilla and the pumpkin and mix until smooth. Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the wet ingredients mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Bake on an uncreased cookie sheet at 350F for 12 - 15 minuted or until the start to puff up. Cool slightly before removing from pan. 

Love,

Alisha

Spiritually Speaking

Oh how I love this quote.

Light Between Oceans

Its September and the children went back to school so I thought I would find a new book to read in my spare time, you know because moms have so much spare time :) I found this book on a Summer Reading list and decided to give it a try. I read it in 2 days. In fact the hubs thought I was crazy when he woke up one morning at 2 am and found me reading. What can I say when a book is good I just can't put it down. So if you are looking for a good book to carry you through those difficult days when the kids are back in school give The Light Between Oceans a try. It is also being made into a movie and was just released here in the states this weekend. I am anxious to go and see it and see how it compares.

Homemaking Honeys

Thank you to those who let me know the blog wasn't working properly. I appreciate your help and letting me know so that I was able to fix the issue. Alisha