A Christmas Guest Post and Giveaway

I'm over at Steph's blog today guest posting about Christmas traditions. Stop by for your chance to win a Target gift card for your last minute shopping needs.

This is my little way of saying thanks to all of you who have visited my blog. May your house be filled with love, peace and joy of the season. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies: Peanut Butter Blossoms

Every Christmas I make these cookies, I've been making them since 2000! You don't have to use Hershey kisses, you can use any star-shaped chocolates that are available. Please note that I doubled this recipe (because I have a lot of people to bake for!) If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll love these Christmas cookies.

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

MAKES BETWEEN 55-60 COOKIES

1 C shortening
1 1/2 C peanut butter
2/3 C granulated sugar
2/3 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
extra granulated sugar to roll cookies in

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat shortening and peanut butter in extra large bowl until well blended. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and beat well.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into PB mixture.

Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in granulated sugar, place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately press chocolate piece into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges.

Remove from cookie sheets to wire racks to cool.

Enjoy!

Last Minute Christmas Stocking Stuffer Gift

Santa always has good ideas. This year instead of the usual candy and sugary treats or the little toys that will break in a day, how about stuffing that stocking with some money?

Here is an easy DIY gift idea for any age.

1. Get a roll of quarters or dimes from your bank.

2. Wrap with wrapping paper.

3. Cover with clear cellophane, twist ends and tape with clear tape.

This is a cute and easy gift for when you're scrambling at last minute. And seriously, who wouldn't want a little money for all those post-Christmas deals...

Come back on Friday for my pre-Christmas giveaway...

Dashing Through The Snow...

I've been really busy this month with our kids' activities, workload and preparing for the Christmas season. My thought process was if I get everything done early, I'll actually be able to sit and enjoy the pre Christmas festivities. So I've been:

Decorating inside and outside of the house with lots of lights and candles…(since this photo was taken we've gotten a lot more snow and the temperature has dropped considerably, brrrr.)

Shopping for presents, for everyone and myself…

Wrapping those presents…

Baking for our daughter's cookie decorating party tomorrow after school…

And writing my guest post about Christmas traditions (and planning the giveaway!) for Steph's blog on December 20th.

I hope that your season has been especially merry and filled with the wonderful spirit that only comes this time of year!

Christmas Decorating Trends 2013

Usually way before you are even thinking about Christmas, I've already been decorating for the season. Decorating for several of my clients, that is. Because I have many clients that are retail stores, they insist every year that Christmas go up before Thanksgiving. (I'm just the messenger people.)

And every year, as I teeter on ladders and spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas decorations, people will say, "Christmas before Thanksgiving? You've got to be kidding!"

No kidding here.

It doesn't bother me too much since Christmas is my favorite time of year. The benefit of decorating and shopping early is that I get to see what the new trends are for the season. Pinecones are still the rage and look beautiful in the above blue and white wreath.

This year, with all our DIY efforts, we've taken to getting creative, like with this simple, but tasteful twist on the advent calendar from Real Simple magazine:

Pottery Barn embraced the cloche trend and turned it into a Christmas ornament; if you like more traditional ornaments, you'll love Ballard Design's mercury glass ornaments; for us decorating fanatics who love to try new things, we'll give these adorable owl string of lights from Anthropologie a try.

As much as we're willing to try something new, we might still long for items that remind us of our own childhood Christmases like this Santa ornament from the tree (and blog) of Kelly Ash.

I remember this kind of felted Santa from when I was a kid! How adorable!

Whatever your style, there's something for everyone out there in the Christmas decorating world. And if you can't find it, then make it!

How are you going to decorate this year? What's your decorating style when it comes to Christmas?

She Said, He Said

I used to hate emailing or texting Husband because his responses were so sparse (Definitely a man thing) in comparison to the thoughtful (<-- long-winded) emails I would send him. But after awhile, I learned just to get to the point.

(Thought I'd share this pretty view from my "office," for no reason...)

And maybe that is what we ladies need to do, instead of making our husbands guess or test their mind-reading abilities, just be short and to the point instead of dancing around for answers (or compliments.)

Anyway, here's an email I saved, well, just because...

From: Suzanne [mailto:suzanne.andmyhouse@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2013 10:10 AM
To: Husband
Subject: Please answer these questions

Suzanne 10:09 AM (11 minutes ago) to Husband:

Is your tracking number on the PC email?
You are going to grill burgers right?
How do Dark Chocolate Brownies and Mini Lemon Tarts sound?
Do you think I'm smart and pretty? (heh, heh)


From: Husband 
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2013 10:17 AM
To: Suzanne [mailto:suzanne.andmyhouse@gmail.com]
Subject: Please answer these questions

Husband 10:17 AM (3 minutes ago) to me:

Yes.
If you want.
Good but not a fan of lemon with beer.
Yes!!!


Can we get an awww...? :)

AMH Welcomes: EZ Living Home

As many of you know, as well as being a mom to three children, I am also a mom to Juno, The English Mastiff, our 135 lb., three-year-old dog.

As you also know, And My House (AMH) is a blog dedicated to all the happenings in our home from DIY projects, tried and true recipes and the occasional goings on of Juno. (I once mentioned she had a blog, remember?)

But back to what I was saying, I'd like to welcome the awesome pet-friendly and very decorating friendly line of dog beds and coordinating throw pillows and curtains from EZ Living Home.

EZ Living Home offers a stylish way to include your pets' beds into your own style of decorating. No longer does Juno have to hide her bed when company arrives, but instead showcase it! :)

Doesn't she look happy? More like she wants to take a nap. Juno is lounging on the Honeycomb Memory Foam Topper Pillow Bed in Tangerine.

The high quality and easy care of EZ Living Home's products make this mom very happy, because even Juno's stuff needs to get washed every so often. (And I'm even happier because now that she has her own bed, she might just stay off the furniture…)

This is the perfect time to buy your pet something special for Christmas (and you can get the matching pillows and curtains too!)

Check out EZ Living Home, read how their brand was born and Like them on Facebook!

Time for Juno's nap now...


*Disclaimer: I was sent two pillows and the dog bed from EZ Living Home to review. I received no monetary compensation for this post. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.

Pumpkin Pie Layer Dessert

First off, I take absolutely no credit for this recipe. Whenever my family likes a new dish or dessert I make, I ask "And where did I get this recipe from?" They all respond with "Piiiinnnnnterest!!" Yes, Pinterest, where all us foodies gather for inspiration.

When describing this to friends, I struggled to say what it was. Is it pie or cake? Um, it's both? This magical dessert features a pumpkin pie bottom, a vanilla cake layer and a vanilla-pumpkin spiced whipped topping. (The magic is how the pumpkin pie filling sinks to the bottom!)

The only thing I did to this recipe is rename it for when I want to make it again. If you want to make it, you have to visit Shawn, at I Wash You Dry, because she created it and I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this is!

This will definitely be served at Thanksgiving this year! Hope you try it!

It's Fall At The Lakehouse

This is one of my favorite times of the year. There is nothing prettier than the changing colors of foliage in our area. (The only place that rivals this one is when I used to live on the East Coast.)

Aww, even Juno, the Big English Mastiff, enjoys the last warm days in the Midwest!

The beauty of this season outweighs the amount of raking that we have to do, and that's okay, soon enough we'll be engulfed in s-n-o-w and chilly weather. Brrr.

Everyday Husband and I are so thankful for the view and the quietness of our cul de sac.

And sometimes, even in that quietness, we get surprise visitors like the bear cub that ran through our backyard last year and this out-of-place beach ball. Happy Fall ya'll!

Sweet Sixteen?

Last month we celebrated our youngest daughter's 9th birthday. At nine, life is fun and pretty and mom is still potentially the one you run to when you need a hug.

But what about when you're on the cusp of being 16? Our oldest daughter will be 16 in exactly 10 days. This is somewhat monumental.

Not because there will be a big party, not because it's a cultural tradition that our family celebrates, but because this is the time she will always remember.

There are days when I'm driving by myself and a Madonna song comes on the radio and I feel like I'm 16. I know all the words, whereas I can't remember what I did two days ago. I'm semi-dancing in my minivan (if you're a Gilmore Girls fan, picture Lorelai grooving to "Jive Talking" by the Bee Gees while sitting in her jeep outside her parents' house!) and for 2 minutes and 30 seconds (or however the long the song lasts) I am 16 again.

Those minutes are easy. But the rest of the time, can be like climbing up the proverbial mountain with rocks on your back.

This is not what I signed up for.

My first clue should have been with the on start of labor when my mind screamed "get me off this train!"

Parenting at times can be so painstakingly difficult. I've been thinking about that fine line of being a mom and still be "friendly" with your kids.

Are we good moms and who is defining what is "good?" Would your spouse say you're a good mom? Would your best friend? How about your kids, seriously, if you could be the fly on the wall when they're with their friends, what is your child saying about your role as mom?

Two of my closest friends feel the same way. Where do you draw the line? Are we too harsh, too compliant, are we fearful that our kids will turn on us and eventually write a biography about how their parents ruined their lives?

Time will tell I guess.

For now, I will tell my daughter this:

Even if you can't see it, we will always be connected. This bond between mother and child which at one time was physical, is still there and always will be.

If he breaks your heart, let him go, cry, eat ice cream, listen to breakup songs, watch a sad movie, hide under the covers and then move on...because there will be someone else.

Real hardships will happen, battles will occur and life will feel unbearable, but you will be able to get through these moments if you realize these moments are but temporary.

When your heart hurts, my heart will hurt as well. :(

Even if you think I don't understand, I understand perfectly, because I've been there.

Know that I will always love you. Unconditionally. No matter what.

First Annual Beer Tasting Party

Apparently rain doesn't stop a party from happening! I guess that's a good thing! We celebrated Husband's newest beer recipes with our First Annual Beer Tasting party this past weekend. I designed the invitation above.

I also made some rate cards so we could get a feel on which beers faired well. Although the majority of my work is graphic design, there must be a wannabe Martha Stewart hostess in me, because in two months, I will have planned, decorated and cooked for three parties. No, I am not a professional party planner! (Did you see our daughter's birthday/cupcake decorating party post?)

Also, most of what I do is DIY-created. Whether it be the decorations, the food, or the invitations (as seen above) we don't ever pay anyone to plan, shop, cook, decorate or clean for our parties. Oh but I wish...just kidding. Sometimes, the best part of it all is doing it yourself!

I think part of the planning is thinking about the color theme. I went with the earthy colors of browns and greens using baskets, wood frames and then a pop of sophistication with the glass and white stoneware. Again, all things we already have in our home.

We also used the hops that Husband grew this summer as decor in the three hurricane vases (Dollar Tree purchases btw, a few years back.) Who would have thought that hops could be so pretty? ;)

I did find these cool napkins we could use. Originally I was going to design my own, but why mess with that when these were available!

I also nabbed my kids' barely-used pencils from the last school year, put them in a beer glass to use with the rate cards.

Overall the party was a success! The beers and food pairing were all delicious, and nothing is better than spending a Saturday with friends and family!

(Party #3...planning a birthday/Halloween party for teenagers!)

It's A Cupcake Decorating (Birthday) Party

When you're celebrating a nine-year-old's birthday, there's nothing better than using every girly/pretty color that's out there.

Finding the theme and inspiration was easy with Pinterest and a purchase of cheap party lanterns!

And even though I'm still a believer in going big on the decor and food, I try to keep the cost down by being creative and shopping various dollar stores.

Lanterns: Originally $8, clearance $2: Family Dollar Stores. Streamers: $1 each.

Clearance glass containers for sprinkles: 25 cents each. Sprinkles from a local bulk food store: aprrox. $1.50 per container.

Girly storage/tackle box filled with gummy worms and fish candy: $1.99 on clearance at Shopko stores.

Paper goods: all $1.00; Cupcake wrappers: $1.50 (Wilton); frosting: Homemade Buttercream. Find the recipe here.

Vinyl Tablecloths (3): 25 cents each on clearance: Dollar General stores. I used three and as each one got dirty, I rolled it up and tossed it. (They made it through cupcake decorating, the girls putting on nail polish and breakfast.)

Homemade Tissue Paper Pom Poms or Flowers: tutorial here, price varied for tissue paper. Cupcake Piñata: $11.97 Walmart stores.

This was the 'Breakfast Bar,' with two cereals, cut up strawberries, chopped walnuts and mini dehydrated marshmallows. Marshmallows: $1.87 from bulk food store. Used two plastic ice cream scoops to serve cereal: $1.00 each at Dollar Tree Stores. Did I mention it was a sleepover?

Inspired by Pinterest and these lantern colors, I'd say this was a successful birthday party!

Until the next party...

The Last Baby...

In about a week, our youngest child will turn nine. Wow. I've heard many moms say that "time flies," how "they grow so fast," and I'd grab these nuggets of wisdom and store them away in the back of mind. Not forgetting them, but processing them over the years. I've done this for almost 16 years.

But it only occurred to me (in a heart-wrenching way) a couple of weeks ago that we also have a sophomore in the house and her days of living at home are dwindling away. :(

And it also only hit me a little while back when friends were visiting with their two and four-year-old sons, that my days of toddlerhood and preschoolers are gone forever...

(Suffice it to say, when I sat on the floor with the two-year-old boy singing Row Row Your Boat, I relished in the moment!)

So now it's my turn, when you think you'll be changing diapers forever and never getting a moment to yourself, remember this is just one season of your life. Revel in it, because sooner than you think, you'll actually reminisce about the tough moments and grin and when you think back to the better times, it will be bittersweet.

But this post is a celebration of growing up. About how we all grow up, even our last baby. One day the dolls will be stored away in our basement, the dog won't have someone to sit with on the floor, that the days of putting up streamers and decorating cupcakes will be memories of my kids' childhoods.

And because this is our third child, I did relish every moment, I did secretly smile at the antics, holding my hand over my heart (the way Husband often does when he talks about our beloved children.)

What a privilege to have children in the house, making it a home...

What Do You Do All Day?

Has anyone every asked you that? Or insinuated that maybe you didn't do much because you're a SAHM? Then you need to read this book.

A few weeks ago (when I was away on a week-long business trip) I was able to start Amy Scheibe's novel "What Do You Do All Day?" about a stay-at-home mom who was struggling with her decision about leaving the "working" world and choosing to stay at home with her two children instead.

Her adaptation of mommy hood hit the nail on the head. She didn't sugarcoat it, or pretend by any means that mothering was the easy road taken. In fact, some days it was incredibly draining. (I sense she had hands-on experience with this topic.)

I mean, on a tiny side note, as a mom, who has time to read a book anyway? If you work outside the home, you are exhausted when you get home because you face all that your family and home demands.

But if you stay at home, you're either up to your neck in diapers or the messes your children have created and ready to secretly run screaming out the door when your husband arrives. (Don't judge me, I have three kids.)

And let's not delude ourselves that working from home is a treat either, because somehow laundry and dust bunnies are always calling your name as is your computer/phone/clients etc all at the same time.

I'm almost done and have enjoyed reading this book, but if it takes me another few weeks to finish it, don't think it's because I'm a slow reader, it's probably because the oven/dog/softball, baseball, play, swim team practices are beckoning.

This Is Not My Idea Of A Getaway...

A few posts ago I wrote about trying to plan a getaway trip with Husband. After many hours on the internet, talking to bloggy friends and people IRL (which included a travel agent) I failed to accomplish this goal. :( Two reasons; time and money. Aren't those always the reasons? Anyway, instead we went on two mini trips (one was to Madison) and then to the Door County area. Why? So Husband could jump out of an airplane. Huh?

That's right Husband wanted to skydive. I did not. After a some Googling, he decided tandem skydiving was the way to go. I have to admit, the conversations were priceless:

Husband: Do you want to do this to?

Me: No, I don't want to die.

Husband: It's not like you're going to hit the ground...

Me: Of course not, I'd be dead from the adrenaline rush to my heart when they pushed me off the plane.

---

My mom: He has life insurance right?

---

His mom: I wish you never told me you were going to do this.

---

Our youngest: What are you going to do next Daddy? Swim with the sharks? They put you in a cage you know, and you can poke at them! (She's eight.)

So how does this work? You watch a video basically saying there's a chance you could die (but you will sign a waiver that you or your family will not sue the company) I'm serious. Next you get a little tutorial on how to do it.

Flap your wings (I'm joking.)

Yeah, suit him up, he's ready to go...

That's right, it's so funny (giving him his last rites...) who's going to be the widow with 3 kids?!?

All I could think of when I took this picture was Armageddon, with Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck before they are about to board the space shuttle. Sheesh.

Thankfully, a safe landing after being 12,000 feet up in the air at cloud level!

Note to all females:

After, Husband made sure the rest of the day would be spent doing what I wanted to do. So we did some wine tasting, ate good food with good beer and walked around being all tourist-y-like. Our afternoon was much more relaxing than our morning. And even though we don't have a bucket list, we talked about other things we could do. I'm still waiting for the vacation where I can sit on the beach under an umbrella with a cold drink in my hand... *sigh* maybe next year.

(Thanks to SkyDive Door County for the very fun time and wonderful service.  If we ever want to do this again, we'd go back to you! You guys are awesome!)