Pretzel Rods

As we are about to begin the busy Holiday season, I wanted to share this tip (it's so easy it can't be called a recipe) for a fun treat.  Chocolate dipped pretzels are super easy to make and can be decorated to fit any occasion.

INGREDIENTS:

Melt the almond bark on 60-70% power in the microwave stirring occasionally until smooth.  Dip each pretzel into the melted chocolate until coated.  Shake off any excess chocolate and lay each rod on wax paper to cool.  Decorate with sprinkles while still wet.

 They can be decorated to fit whatever occasion you are celebrating!

Enjoy!

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Balancing Beauty & Bedlam

Countdown to Christmas

Can you believe there are only three months until Christmas! 

Start preparing now so your Holidays are enjoyable and stress free!   

Whether you plan on doing a completely homemade Christmas this year or just want to make a few personalized gifts, here are a some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Click on the picture to see the tutorial.

More Christmas inspiration coming from some great craft blogs...

Stay Tuned

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All Boy

He loves to run and hardly ever walks...

he throws anything he can get his hands on...

{everything is a "ba" (ball) to him}

he can climb like a monkey...

and hardly ever sits still long enough to take a good picture...

 he loves cars, trucks, trains, planes...

and tractors.

He is all boy!

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Freezer Smoothies

We have been enjoying smoothies for breakfast this summer.  Smoothies are a quick way to eat a healthy breakfast using fresh ingredients.

We still have a lot of blueberries in our freezer from our trip to the blueberry patch and quite a few strawberries from various summer sales.  

To make these smoothies go together even faster, I divide the fruit and yogurt into serving size baggies and store them in the freezer.  I usually put several of these packets together at the beginning of the month to stock my freezer for the following month.  

 

 

The fruit is already washed and chopped and I freeze the yogurt in ice cube trays to divide it into the appropriate serving size.

 

 

For a smoothie that serves two, I use about 1 1/2 cups fruit and 3-4 yogurt cubes (approx. one tablespoon each).  I add the milk or juice into the blender until it reaches a smooth consistency.  

 

 I throw all of the packets into a large freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.

Freezer smoothies make breakfast quick and easy!

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Balancing Beauty & Bedlam

Seasonal Decor in Small Spaces

Here's a look at the "mantle" in our bathroom.  OK, so it's actually just a wall shelf...  But since I haven't finished painting the mantle in my living room, I decided to start decorating here. 

Just adding a few decorations bring a feeling of Fall to this small space!

Just a couple more days until the official start of autumn!  

How are you celebrating this wonderful season?

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Then and Now: One Year Edition

One Year Ago

Then

&

Now

The biggest difference between Then and Now:  Mobility!  

I sorta' miss those days when I could put him in one place and he would still be there 5 minutes later.

The best thing about Then:  Cute & Cuddly!

I guess this goes back to the mobility thing, but when he couldn't move so well he use to cuddle so much more.

The best thing about Now:  Communication!

Though he can only say a few things so far, he can usually find a way to express exactly what he needs or wants.  

We are enjoying each of these stages, as we watch our little man grow and change so very quickly.

I'm Linking to Finer Things Friday

Easy Slow Cooker Potatoes

During the heat of the summer my favorite way to cook potatoes is in the slow cooker.  Not only is the slow cooker method energy efficient and super easy, but it also doesn't heat up your kitchen like baking potatoes in the oven. 

Using plain old out of the bag russet potatoes,  I follow these four easy steps to make a delicious meal.

Using a scrubbing pad, remove all the dirt from the skin of each potato.

Using a fork or knife, poke several holes into the potatoes.

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil.

 Place the potatoes in a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low 8-10 hours.

Add your favorite toppings and serve as a complete meal.

We top our potatoes with butter, cheese, broccoli, chopped bacon, sour cream, salsa and green onions!

Eating a potato with the skin on is a very healthy and nutritious meal.  A whole potato provides a great source of fiber, vitamin C and potassium.

Enjoy!

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 Tasty Tuesday at

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam