Christmas Cookies in a Jar

This is such an easy and tasty gift for the whole family! I made cookies in a jar for my bosses this year and they loved them! I tested the recipe and the cookies are scrumptious! I got the recipe from Make It Do and it works great! You have to smash the ingredients down after each addition and I mean, really smash it down or it won't all fit. I experimented with the order and thought this version worked the best.

I used a wide mouth quart Mason jar and decorated the lid with fabric and ribbon.


Here's the recipe if you want to make a batch for yourself:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Use the back of a large spoon to work it all together. You may even need to use your hands to get everything incorporated.
Then roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Presents

My mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law came over for a girl's Christmas craft night! We made this super cute trio of wood presents. The set comes from The Wood Connection in Murray. I decorated each present with paper, glitter and a few embellishments. The medium-sized present has rustic wire curled around a homemade gift tag.

Nativity Ornaments

I know we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet, but for our Relief Society activity we celebrated Christmas with a wonderful dinner and a short program. We also made a craft! These ornaments are so simple and elegant. The picture inside is of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus printed on a transparency. You trace a circle around the picture and cut it out. Roll the transparency circle into a loose roll and squeeze it into the ornament! It took just 15 minutes to make!

Be Thankful

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
-- D&C 78:19

I have such wonderful friends! I am thankful for the sweet, talented and caring women in my life. My friends, new and old, are a wonderful examples to me and I am so happy anytime I can spend time with them.

One of my best friends invited me to her place for a girls craft night. I've known Tiff since our Snow College days (Go Badgers!) and we've remained friends through the years. I had a great time and at the end of the night, we had these cute little turkeys to show off!

It's Alive!

"The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open..."
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein


What would Halloween be without monsters? I made this cute little Frankenstein block during one of our work craft nights. Isn't he cute?!

Happy Halloween!

Flip-flops

My college roomie/best friend came up for a girls craft night and we made the most darling flip-flop door hang! We found the flip-flops at The Wood Connection and spent the night painting. They turned out so cute and it was so fun to catch up and reminisce about our glory days at Snow College.



Here's what we created...

Cake Pops

What's a cake pop, you ask?
It is a little ball of crumbled cake mixed with frosting and covered in candy melts.
It is divine and delicious.

I borrowed the book, "Cake Pops" by Bakerella from my co-worker, Annie.
It is filled with cute ideas! If you check out Bakerella's blog, you'll find even more creative designs from "cake poppers" around the country. This was my first attempt so while they might not look fancy they sure tasted yummy!

*4th of July crafts*

Here are a few patriotic crafts in honor of the 4th of July! The gals at work wanted to do a craft night. We each brought a craft and something to munch on... the result was an all-night craft-extravaganza and tons of cute crafts! These are just a few of the ones we made...

Firecrackers



Proud to be an American

Refinishing Grandma's Chair

I knew the chair had potential. It was going to be tossed in the trash but all it needed was a little attention. The chair was throwing out a very 70s vibe but the green cushions matched my house, so I had to at least try. Here is what the chair looked like before...



Brent took the chair apart, (I nearly freaked out when I saw it in pieces in the garage), sanded it down and painted it black. My small contribution was cleaning the cushions. Here is how it turned out...



Now I have Grandma & Grandpa's chair in my family room, it's just a little piece to remember them by.

Congrats

Time for another card swap! The theme for the KSL swap was congratulations or graduation. I needed a simple but cute design. I found the paper and flower embellishments at Heartfelt Creations. The stamp is from Stampin' Up! I used a different flower embellishment on each card.

Easter Sweets

So, it's a bit late but I want to share these super cute peep jars! I can't take all the credit... I borrowed the idea from Creative Holiday Gift Ideas
It's the cutest gift for family and friends. Everyone loved it!




We had Easter dinner at Brent's parents house and I brought dessert. I made chocolate fudge cupcakes decorated as little Easter nests! It's easy, fast and all the nieces and nephews ate them up!

April Showers

I just love this little man holding the umbrella! I painted the wood letters then covered them with scrapbook paper. I snagged the set at The Wood Connection in their Last Chance section. It's the perfect decoration for the rainy spring weather we've been having in UT.

Peeps

My mom and I made the cutest Easter decorations!
PEEPS!
We found the blocks at The Wood Connection in Murray. How cute are these little bunnies?!