This Mama's Green So Consider Regifting Baby Things

Food Fridays:

In our home, Christmas cheer has been replaced with coughing, aching and runny noses… However, we aren't going to let it slow downward our NYE festivities (at least not for the concurrently.)

Because I have a household of people who find cabbage (the symbol for money) and black-eyed peas (the symbol for expert luck) to be completely distasteful, I have to work difficult to mask the foods while withal ensuring we become in all the opportunity for money and good luck equally we tin get (can yous tell I'm superstitious?)

And so I'1000 sharing one of the best ways to make black-eyed peas acceptable on New Yr's Eve with this family recipe for Texas Caviar. Best of all, in that location's no cooking involved, so you can't mess it upwards AND your kids will exist sure to like it (every bit long equally you don't tell them information technology'south made with black-eye peas.)

TEXAS CAVIAR

i/ii onion, chopped

ane green bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch dark-green onions, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

one tablespoon minced garlic

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian dressing

ane can black beans, drained

1 can blackness-eyed peas, tuckered

i/ii teaspoon footing coriander

1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

two avocadoes, peeled, pitted and diced

Directions:

In a large basin, mix together onion, dark-green bell pepper, green onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cherry tomatoes, zesty Italian dressing, blackness beans, blackness-eyed peas and coriander. Cover and arctic in the fridge approximately two hours. Toss with desired amount of fresh cilantro to serve.

I of the other must-haves at NYE are a petty developed cocktails! Fifty-fifty if you can't imagine trying to sip your "so-sophisticated martini" with two kiddos running around the house, consider taking downward a few Cosmopolitan jello shots courtesy of Shannon at "Milk and Cuddles." I tin attests she fabricated these a few weeks ago and non just were they succulent and piece of cake to devour…making it possible to take a little adult beverages without keeping them around the business firm with the kids! The best function was the orange zest on top.

Clink, Clink! Slurp, Slurp!

To-Do Thursdays:

I'll exist honest and tell you the only matter I feel like doing this Thursday is sitting in my warm bed with a loving cup of cocoa…yet, the to-do list is too long to just waste product a perfectly expert opportunity to savor my kids and the holiday season.

And then hither's my picks for a few things you and your kids tin can do this weekend and of course, the boot-off to the new 2013 year!

Living this close to "The Rodeo Capital of Texas," take the family out to the Mesquite Pro Rodeo Wintertime Archetype, December. 28-29 for bull riding, buck riding and all-time of all mutton competition and calf scramble!

And while in that location are several different options for NYE in Big D, the biggest one of class is the Big D NYE. It's slated to exist a [gratuitous] good fourth dimension for the whole family including the biggest, loudest and best fireworks, entertainment, prizes and more.

However, while we are still trying to figure out our New year's plans, consider all your options available withYour Holiday Helper: Celebrate New year's day's with Adventure Kids Playcare!

For those of you planning to be homebound on this special day, I'll be sharing some bully recipes for your own NYE party.

style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-lesser: 0in;"> Wow-Mom Wednesdays:

At present that most the holiday gifts have now been unwrapped…the biggest question remains:

To regift or non to regift?

That is the question a contempo national survey conducted pastBookoo.com, the online yard sale customs, asked respondents equally they fix for the holiday shopping season. According to Bookoo's 2012 Holiday Regifting Survey,  the holidays are the about mutual fourth dimension of year for people to regive presents that they previously received from someone else. While frowned upon past some, a whopping 92 per centum believe information technology's completely adequate to regift items, and more than 87 percentage believe they too have been a recipient of a regifted item. And, with shoppers looking to save more than and spend less this vacation flavour, more than 62 per centum program to regift an particular to a friend, neighbor or colleague for the holidays.

Would you proceed or regift these babies? (Institute on Bookoo.com)

Frequent regifters feel they have mastered the fine art of regifting and take precautions to ensure it stays a secret. Some popular techniques include re-wrapping the item to wait new (53 percent), inspecting the item and removing any gift cards or receipts from the previous giver (l pct) and planning ahead to brand sure they do not give the souvenir to anyone associated with the original gifter (66 percent).

Near commonly, people regift because they feel that someone will capeesh the particular more than they do (62 percent) or considering they couldn't utilize the gift personally (53 percent). Additionally, regifting has its cost-saving benefits with 82 percentage of people estimating that they accept saved up to $150 by repurposing gifts.

While most respondents suggest sticking to more than commonly adequate regifted items, including home decor pieces, antiques, books, toys and jewelry, others shared rather untraditional, less desirable regifted items that they received in the past, including:

• Two year old fruit cake
• Box of chocolates with bites taken out of several pieces
• Monogrammed items with someone else'south initials
• Used toilet seat
• Electric toothbrush
• Faux teeth
• Fingernail clippers
• Outdated old desk agenda
• Items the recipient had originally given to the gifter
• Toys with broken pieces
• Gift cards that were partially used

While regifting is most popular around the holidays, it is a common practice throughout the yr. In fact, other pop times of year to regift items include: birthdays, baby showers and as housewarming and give thanks you lot gifts. No thing the occasion, women are more likely to regift items than their male counterparts iii:1.

To view more survey highlights, visit theBookoo Web log.

About Bookoo
Based in Oswego, Ill., Bookoo offers a network of hyper-local online m sales for hundreds of communities effectually the earth. Each Bookoo site connects neighbors, allowing them to safely purchase and sell their treasures locally, and to view a map of upcoming chiliad sales in their area. Free and easy to use, anyone can search and post items for sale on Bookoo.com or through the free mobile app foriPhone andAndroid. Inspired by their passion for finding subconscious treasures at g sales, brothers and yard sale fanatics, Adam and Austin Allgaier , founded Bookoo in 2004 and go on to expand into new markets worldwide. Today, more than a meg people buy and sell only about anything on Bookoo every month.

Sharing Saturdays:

For all of you that will be traveling similar our family this holiday, cartime togetherness may be wonderful one minute and whoa-is-me another. While talking and sharing time together may be a more positive choice, sometimes it'due south ok just to plow around and hand them your Iphone. So set yourself just in case with these 5 gratis apps to entertain your kids and relieve your sanity this vacation flavour!

Hungry Santa
Fatten up Santa before Christmas. Tilt the device to move Santa's oral cavity under falling treats, but watch out for the healthy broccoli. Santa gets fatter and fatter as he chomps on all the goodies. Give him some fatty bonuses past bouncing the treats off his abdomen before he eats them, or eating long strings of treats all in a row. Go for the elusive "Crazy Chomp" bonus. You tin can't play this ane without laughing out loud.

Gingerbread Crazy Chef Cookie Maker
The tradition of leaving cookies for Santa has never been as fun and no-fuss equally this. Gingerbread Crazy Chef is an innovative app that kids and parents can use together to create the nigh colorful, playful and crazy holiday cookies to leave for the Jolly Former Elf on Christmas Eve. Cull the shape, mix the ingredients and make "digital cookies" for Santa. Best of all? No mess and no make clean-upwards! Great for kids, families and parents with children.

Cut the Rope: Vacation Gift
From the creators of Cut the Rope, comes the Special Holiday Gift game, which combines all the outstanding physics, devilishly tricky levels, and brilliant colorful visuals of the original — with a festive winter experience. SHAKE your iPhone for a special surprise! Swipe your finger to cut the ropes and feed Om Nom candy. Don't forget to collect stars as y'all play. Think earlier you cutting, and exist sure to avoid spiders, spikes and other obstacles … getting that processed to Om Nom won't be like shooting fish in a barrel!

Santa's Hamlet
The perfect game for the whole family. Help Santa by building a bigger and better village, and save Christmas from beingness ruined by the Grumpkins. Start by building homes for Santa'southward elves, create a toy factory and make lots of toys, teach reindeer how to fly, and meet magical neighbors like Yobo the Yeti. Unlock special buildings and colorful decorations to brand your village even merrier.

Snowman Maker Plus
The weather condition outside is frightful, but the burn is so delightful … and since we've no place to become, let it snowfall, permit it snow, let it snow. Aye, you tin can sit by the fire AND build an adorable, realistic looking snowman when y'all play Snowman Maker.

Nutrient Fridays (Actress):

Because you never can accept likewise many cocktail recipes! I wanted to share these Antioxidant Rich Holiday Cocktailsfrom DailyBurn.com so you can continue with your diet while still enjoying the flavors of the flavor.

Hot Apple Toddy

This hot toddy is juicy thank you to the hot apple cider base, and spicy cloves add together an antioxidant dial.

 Serves one

 Accommodate recipe for number of guests

Ingredients:

2 oz whiskey or apple brandy
1 tsp sugar
6 oz apple cider
Lemon wedge for garnish
Cinnamon stick for garnish
2-three whole cloves for garnish

Directions:

In a small bucket, slowly rut apple cider, saccharide, and whiskey (or apple brandy). Pour into a mug and serve with cloves, a cinnamon stick, and a lemon wedge.

Almond Peppermint Patty

This dairy-free chocolate peppermint martini contains antioxidant-rich cocoa. Information technology's also loftier in magnesium, thanks to the almond milk and chocolate combo.

Serves i

Suit recipe for number of guests

Ingredients:

iii/4 oz peppermint schnapps
6 oz chocolate almond milk
Cocoa powder for garnish
Ice

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, cascade chocolate almond milk and peppermint schnapps over ice. Milkshake for a few seconds, and pour into a martini drinking glass. Sprinkle cocoa pulverisation on pinnacle of the martini.

Pomegranate Bellini

This bubbly antioxidant-rich bellini looks and smells similar the vacation flavour. When y'all retrieve of Christmas, pomegranates are a classic decorative, healthy, and tasty festive food.

Serves 1

Adjust recipe for number of guests

Ingredients:

half-dozen oz prosecco
1 oz pomegranate juice
1 tsp pomegranate seeds
1 splash simple syrup

Directions:

In a champagne flute, add together unproblematic syrup and pomegranate juice. Fill drinking glass with prosecco and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Mulled Vino

This warm drink is spicy, warm and aromatic. Cloves and ginger add together a boot and plenty of antioxidants.

Serves one

Adjust recipe for number of guests

Ingredients:

5 oz ruby-red wine
1 oz brandy
1 tbsp honey
one cinnamon stick
1 orange peel
1 clove
1 slice ginger

Directions:

In a small bucket, slowly rut red wine, brandy, and beloved. Do not try to boil. Add cinnamon stick, orangish peel, clove, and ginger. Simmer on low oestrus for 10 – xv minutes and serve immediately.

Food Fridays:

A vacation tradition in our home is the making of the Peanut Butter Fudge. I felt information technology was such a momentous occasion I even shared information technology with my Junior League anniversary cookbook a few years agone…besides bad when I submitted the recipe, I forgot one ingredient. Can yous guess what it was?

Yes, information technology was the peanut butter! Worst of all, I didn't notice until the Side by side twelvemonth when I used the recipe to brand sure I was forgetting anything and saw I left out the well-nigh important part. Thankfully, I did include the substitute just in case someone wanted to make normal chococlate fudge.

Nonetheless, since I've been asked about this recipe for many years (which is actually non mine, but my mother-in-law's as I explicate in the cookbook), I thought I'd share with you lot every bit well.

It'south quick, it's like shooting fish in a barrel and as long every bit you don't forget the one cup of peanut butter (LOL), it's astonishing. It's perfect, cheap and quick to make for neighbor gifts and more!

style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"> Food Fridays:

I dear the holidays for many reasons, just the opportunity to go together with friends (and enjoy festive drinks like hot mulled cider and eggnog) happens to exist close to the top. Unfortunately, past the time you actually get to Christmas, you might be all holiday'd out with the wine, cider and eggnog.

Withal, when a lovely delivery of new wines called Butterfly Kiss by Jason Dade arrived on my doorstep and could actually be used to create some new fun "signature" cocktails for an upcoming girls' assemble, I was pretty stoked to attempt them out. I was too excited to utilise  with my marshmallow-flavored vodka gathering grit.

So to celebrate Friday and the holidays here are a few cocktail recipes for you lot to try with your girls using Butterfly Kiss Pinot Grigio or Pink Pinot Grigio (which I'm personally excited to taste!) Of course you lot can use any of your favorite wine varietals, just Butterfly Kiss was used specifically to create the perfect cocktail flavor.

The Puffy Deject

iii oz   Butterfly Kiss Pinot Grigio

½ oz  Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow flavored vodka

ane oz   Sour mix

Spl.    Tonic h2o

Garnish: Lime wedge

Build in a wine glass over ice. Stir.

Spring Azure

four oz    Butterfly Kiss Pinot Grigio

three oz    Ginger ale

1½ oz Apple juice

2         Lime wedges

Garnish: Orangish Wheel

Build in a wine glass over ice. Squeeze lime wedges on top. Stir.

Dear Potion Sangria

1 btl.  Butterfly Kiss Pinot Grigio

4 oz    Tanqueray gin

16 oz  White grape juice

eight oz    Cherry-red red grapefruit juice

12 oz  Lemon-lime soda

4 oz    Sour mix

7 dshs Aromatic cocktail bitters

Garnish: Greenish and ruby-red seedless grapes

Build in a bullpen over ice. Serves eight.

Afternoon Delight

4 oz     Butterfly Kiss Pinkish Pinot Grigio

3 oz     Cranberry juice

1½ oz  Soda water

Garnish: Grapefruit wedge

Build in a wine glass over ice. Stir.

Parisian Thing

3 oz    Butterfly Osculation Pink Pinot Grigio

¼ oz   French herbal liquer

¼ oz   Italian orange aperitif

½ oz   Fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 oz    Soda water

3dsh.  Orange bitters

Garnish: Lemon peel

Build in a glass over ice. Stir.

Lively Up

3 oz    Butterfly Buss Pinkish Pinot Grigio

½ oz   Black raspberry liqueur

i½ oz Sour mix

Spl.    Lemon-lime soda

Garnish: Cherry

Build in a vino drinking glass over ice. Stir.

Tropical Escape

4 oz    Butterfly Buss Chardonnay

iii oz    Lemon-lime soda

1½ oz Pineapple juice

Garnish: Lime wedge

Build in a wine glass over ice. Stir.

Wonder Kiss

3 oz   Butterfly Kiss Chardonnay

½ oz  Smirnoff vanilla flavored vodka

1 oz   Sour mix

Spl.    Cola

Garnish: Cherry

Build in a wine drinking glass over ice. Stir.

Butterfly Osculation is a new wine, so it is soon to be plant wherever you purchase your wine and spirits.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Clink. Clink! Clink!

* Printed with permission past Butterfly Kiss.

DISCLAIMER:

I received i or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accord with FTC's 16 CFR Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Employ of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.")

Me Mondays:

My "Me Mon" is all near checking off my holiday to-do listing and perhaps thinking a little bigger – giving. Christmas is all almost giving. And then this Christmas consider not but giving a gift, but making a bigger impact with the gifts that yous give. Here's a great listing of how you can make a difference by just ownership a souvenir, creating your holiday cards or only searching for gifts online.

GIFTS

TheWorldVision Gift Itemize allows you to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas. With the tagline, "Requite a gift. Change a Life," 86% of ever gift goes to programs helping children and families overcome poverty in virtually 100 countries.  Every bit piece of cake every bit thumbing through your Pottery Barn catalog, you lot tin can choose to make a specific donation for a specific crusade like hunger, clean water, and medical attention for someone in need – like purchasing ii goats and a cow to help a family be more self-sufficient to buying toys for children in a village.

Also, for those looking for something to requite in honor of your donation, you can make a financial contribution, past selecting i of 36 Maximum Impact items that can exist given to a loved one and at the same time aid a person in need. And the items are as unique as the donations like an Artisan Beaded Necklace , a bootleg, glass-bead necklace from Thailand.  However, the work of WorldVision and their need doesn't finish at Christmas, so visit their Facebook to learn more about this prolific Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential.

Inspired by the growing movement of Conscious Capitalism (recollect Tom's Shoes), Ben Hurt and Blaine Iler endeavored to create a business that could change the world. Then Dallas-based Impact Foods was born with a simple, just prolific concept:  for every pocketbook they sell, a hungry child is fed.

While making it that easy to brand an "impact" on someone else's life is enough to eat another basin of cereal, Impact Foods, an official partner of the Earth Food Plan, they've upped the ante this Dec past feeding ii children for every handbag sold. With all-natural ingredients, whole grains, no fructose syrup and flavors like vanilla, maple oat and huckleberry honey, when you pour it in a bowl, it'south just like it came out of the oven. And then this twelvemonth, if you're a lilliputian curt of time and creativity, consider a little Affect Foods in a pretty jar or pocketbook with a spoon and a dainty basin for a neighbor, fitness friend or the gals at work.  They'll be happy and you'll done your good deed that might score you a few more points on Santa'due south list. Become your numberless of Impact Foods at Amazon, Whole Foods as well equally many places in DFW.

Coffee baskets are one of the most purchased (and enjoyed) vacation gifts. Consider this holiday non just to give your obligatory coffee basket, only likewise to "make a departure, one cup at a fourth dimension." Because The Fresh Cup of Hope Cofee Co. works straight with the farmers and the principles of Off-white Trade, they are ensuring that the farm they piece of work with is self-sustaining and the lives of the workers are being improved with housing, ameliorate nutrition and overall wellness, tutors for the children and pastors who work directly with them. It's amazing that something as simple as your choice in coffee tin make a big, measurable divergence in the lives of others, so consider pairing a bag of Jamaican Me Crazy, Cinnamon Pecan Brownie or Snickerdoodle with a $1 coffee cup from the Dollar Tree for a modest gift that does big things.

Holiday CARDS

Every year my curtain is total of Christmas cards from family and friends. Consider that each one of those cards sent could have too gone to aid other organizations like your local schoolhouse, church or even your child's sporting team. That's exactly what Cardraising does. Last year best friends Derek Sparta and Emil Jorge decided to create a sustainable business concern that could afford to give dorsum 30% of its revenues to help others, so they developed Cardraising to help other organizations prosper when you create your vacation cards, nativity or graduation announcements. While it'southward notwithstanding a growing business and 2012 is out for your arrangement to apply for the opportunity to participate, you tin notwithstanding choice out a lovely holiday card design that tin can benefit your preferred organization similar Dallas-based Communities Foundation of Texas, i of the nation'due south largest customs foundations, in terms of full assets, gifts received and grants awarded.

ONLINE SEARCH

Save1 makes information technology fifty-fifty easier to make a deviation, just by searching online for deals and discounts. Each time you use one of our coupons or special deals to save money, they use a portion of their commission to provide a nutritious meal for a hungry child. With 90,713 already purchased, they salve you money and and then they buy food for others (by doing what yous are doing online to purchase your gifts, anyways!) So consider using http://www.save1.com for your holiday shopping this yr and while y'all are at it, you tin can purchase a meal for someone else.

Encounter what good you tin can do past just doing what you are already going to do this holiday.

DISCLAIMER:

I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC's 16 CFR Role 255, "Guides Apropos the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.")

With fall weather in full gear, with that comes dry out pare from the cooler air and winds. You can take care of your peel with all-natural treatments and products that are free of harsh chemicals. These skin intendance ideas, that can be made with stuff you take around the business firm  are easier, cheapier, healthier and ecofriendly, as well.

Try these spa ideas for fresh autumn peel with common kitchen ingredients:

• Dark circles and puffiness: Use leftover dark-green tea bags and place on optics to remove night circles and puffiness.
• Dry Skin: Lemon oil is known to have a calming issue on the body. Mix Pure Lemon Extract with h2o for a beneficial skin treatment for dry skin.
• Hydrate for smooth pare: Hydrate peel with a honey face up mask – spread raw honey on face up, leave for 20 minutes, rise off for smooth skin.
• Heal small bumps and bruises: Coconut oil moisturizes peel and is known to help heal small-scale bumps and bruises.
• Fresh skin: Combine a splash of Rose Water with h2o and put into a spritzer bottle – proceed it in the car or pocketbook for a fresh odor (or go out it in the fridge for a cooling morning mist)

For smooth peel, effort this Vanilla Body Scrub or utilize every bit a gift.

Vanilla Body Scrub

Ingredients
1 loving cup Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Carbohydrate
¼ loving cup extra virgin olive oil
1 or ii drops of an essential oil such as lavender, eucalyptus, etc.
Decorative, waterproof container

1. Mix ingredients together in a basin.
two. Spoon into a decorative, waterproof container
3. Wrap in decorative paper.

Instructions for use: Utilise a small amount to damp peel while in shower or bath. Gently scrub skin with a soft washcloth. Rinse thoroughly.

Now get make Martha Stewart proud.

Food Fridays:

For several years our office tradition was we had a $x limit and all the items had to be homemade. So I spent several years making things similar truffles, pasta and alcoholic beverages like Gluhwein and Cranberry-Orange Infused Vodka. So today I'm sharing the recipe for one of the gifts I've actually been told was pretty good and makes great cosmos!

Cranberry–Orange Infused Vodka

1 cup cranberries

one/4 loving cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

one piece fresh orange peel

3 cups vodka

Directions

In a saucepan, estrus cranberries, sugar, and h2o until the sugar dissolves, the liquid begins to turn a light-pink colour, and the cranberries but brainstorm to pop. Pour it into a big drinking glass jar; stir in peel and vodka. Cover, and let stand at room temperature at least 3 days or upward to one month. Strain before serving.

To give, I used pretty leftover tequila bottles, soaked off the labels and then attached a pretty tag like this 1 from Martha Stewart.

chaplinreciere.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.mamachallenge.com/category/food/page/28/

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