Hi there.

Last weekend, I hosted a Paparazzi Jewelry party at my house. Being the crazy person I am, I felt the need to bust out the Halloween decorations and make treats... all last-minute, of course. (Is there any other minute but the last one?) Anyway, I had a lot of compliments on my Molasses Sugar Cookies, and was asked for the recipe.

Molasses Sugar Cookies? Yeah. They're basically a ginger snap, but they turn out soft and chewy in the middle. So yummy. And pair 'em with a glass of milk? Forgetaboutit.

MOLASSES SUGAR COOKIES
From Mindy Eastman in the Riverton 6th Ward Neighborhood Cookbook

3/4 cup shortening (coconut oil works, too)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

In a saucepan, melt shortening. Let cool, then add sugar, molasses, and egg. Beat well. Sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt together. Add to pan mixture, and stir well. Form into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar and place on a cookie sheet (line with parchment). Bake 8 minutes at 375 degrees F. (Check at 7 minutes--I like to take mine out early!)

Enjoy!

Hey y'all!

(I get to say that now without being ironic, because I live in the South... y'all.)

Today has been a little crap-tastic (we won't get into it, okay?) and I needed an escape. So... Hey!

I've been doing some ghostwriting lately (maybe I'll tell ya about it later... maybe not) and it has reminded me of how much I love--LOVE--writing. What you may not know about me is that although I spend most of my days doing Mom stuff, I do have a bachelor's degree in print journalism. Yes, really. (Now, dear Reader, don't judge my spelling/grammar/AP style/etc. based on that, though... it's been awhile, okay?) I wrote for the award-winning BYU-Idaho Scroll newspaper while I attended college, and used to write a heck of a lot more on this blog.

Now, with the addition of one--and then two--children, writing is one of the things (like playing guitar, my Etsy shop, etc.) that fell by the wayside. Also, about a year and a half ago (maybe more), Jack somehow managed to murder our only computer with his bare hands whilst watching Wonder Pets on Netflix. It was one of those "Count to Ten" moments... but I digress. Anyway, I want to start writing again.

My friend Brandilyn writes an awesome fashion/mommy/life/everything blog called Mom Clothes, and posted this little question-y thing the other day. I'm going to use it to get the writing juices flowing... whatever writing juices are. Ehh...

Baby kisses are the BEST.

Six Things About Me:

1. Is this how you imagined your life would be?

Mostly, yes. I always knew I'd be a wife and mom someday, always wanted to be a dance teacher (I teach tap now, did you know?), but I never thought I'd be living in Georgia. I guess there was a point in my life where a New York City career girl life was what I dreamed about, and other times where I thought I might be a professional cosmetologist/makeup artist/singer/actor/whatever... but I'm not even thirty yet, and I can be all of those things before I die. So... in short... yes. This life is my best-case scenario in most ways.

2. If money were no question, I would purchase...

I'm with Brandilyn on this one--a house on 5 acres. Adam really, REALLY wants land, and I'm sick of the HOA money-suck and neighbors that get the police called on them far, far too often. The dream house would have four or five bedrooms with a big, glorious kitchen, a garden, and a giant craft room. Throw in an orchard with peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and deck it out in Restoration Hardware furniture, and I'd be heaven. 

Or... maybe we just need a bigger car (and a 2nd car, too) that our kids' car seats can fit in better. A minivan and a truck. Maybe just that. *sigh*

3. What's your drink of choice when out with girlfriends?

You say "out with girlfriends" like that's something that happens on a regular basis. Ha! Well, I'm a Diet Dr. Pepper fan, but we're trying to quit drinking soda around here, so I usually order water with lemon. Lame-o.

4. What do you love about yourself?

I love that I am able to do almost anything I put my mind to. It comes in handy. I know, cliche', but if there's something I want to learn how to do, I can get the hang of it pretty quickly. Right now I'm learning how to sew (better) and crochet. Before I turn 30, I want to learn jam making/canning. I'm also trying my hand at home improvement projects (painting and such), which is equal parts fun and scary. Did I mention I really need a craft room?

5. Name one good deed you did that went unseen.

One time I gave birth to the two most awesome children in the entire world, and nobody reading this blog saw that happen (thank your lucky eyeballs), so I'm going to go with that. My kids are the cutest, smartest, most interesting people that walk on planet Earth. I'm sure yours are, too.

So, World, you're welcome.

Any other "unseen good deeds" we'll just leave at "unseen" because, well, that's the point.

6. What hobbies do you have that you don't mention on the blog?

Organizing, making a tasty meal when the fridge seems empty, finding almost anything you could possibly need for a great price online, and doing my own hair/makeup pretty well.

Alrighty then... there you have it: a venture back to my blog. Will I make it a regular thing? No promises. But maybe... Also, if you're a blogger, you are hereby "tagged" to answer the same questions. Comment here and let me know you did!

As my sister, Randee, likes to remind me, I have been pretty absent from my blog for the past year (or two?) and Miss Emma Lou hasn't made her grand bloggy appearance. (Though, I'm sure that, if you read this blog, you are probably well aware of Emerson's presence via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram--or in person, by golly--but here's a blog intro, anyhow.)

A couple of weeks ago, I made this bread (for the zillionth time, for me!) for a church 4th of July breakfast. It's a moist, sweet bread, and I've had several people ask me for the recipe.

What's more, it's my Great-Grandma Stevens' Recipe. I think part of its appeal is the high banana-to-flour ratio. It's super moist, comes together quickly, and the ingredients are things you likely have in your pantry!

Enjoy!

BANANA BREAD
From Laru Estella Stevens

Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup margarine (I prefer butter)
4 eggs, beaten
6 ripe bananas, mashed

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit). Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together sugar, margarine (or butter), eggs, and bananas.

3. In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients together until combined. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.

4. Bake in greased and floured loaf pans at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from loaf pan to cool and serve.

Notes:
- I use the flour/grease spray you can in the baking aisle so I don't have to make a mess flouring the pans.
- Watch the bread carefully during your last 10 minutes of baking. I have to adjust the baking time + or - 5-10 minutes, depending on my oven.
- If the center isn't done, but the crust is getting too dark, throw some aluminum foil over the top to slow browning.
- I like mine served with butter, but it certainly doesn't need it!

 My Aunt Kristen asked to see some pictures of our new home (the decorated version), and while I don't yet have any good photos of my decor--and, let's be honest, there's a lot of decorating yet to be done--I DO have some pictures of our Christmas decor.

If you've been following along (on Facebook), you might remember that I put up my Christmas tree roughly two months before Christmas. We had just moved into our house, didn't have couches (yet) in the main living room, and heck--we LOVE Christmas! It felt empty, and I figured there wasn't a more cheery way to fill the space than to put up a tree. Before Thanksgiving.

I continued to tweak my Christmas decor almost until the day I took it down... yes, even after Christmas I continued to add/move things until I was happy with it. Then I took it down. *sigh*

Anyway, without further ado, here's how our house looked for Christmas:


























The nativity print next to the tree is from Hobby Lobby--it's one of the things we bought with the HL gift card that Adam's parents gave us for Christmas. (We actually bought it after Christmas, which made it about $30 instead of $100, but I had been eyeing it for weeks!)


This is my homemade tree skirt. I started out thinking I'd do layered red tulle ruffles up the entire length, with the green stripes concealed underneath. After starting, however, I realized that (A) I really liked the green striped fabric, which was FREE at a yard sale last fall, and (B) tulle isn't very fun to work with when you're attaching it with hot glue. Oh yeah, did I mention that this was a no-sew project? Even better, right? You can make your own following the tutorial HERE. I may finish off the top edge of the green ruffle next year, but I really don't mind the roughness of it.


Here's a closer-up look of our nativity print. Is it weird that I want to leave it up all year? I just think the textured mat and the print itself are so gorgeous, and hey--we love the Savior year-round. I may store it if I have something to take its place, but for now, it's here to stay.

Can you spot the funky little turkey that Jack made in nursery?

Here's a closer look at my mantle. It's not as decorated as I'd like it to be, but I was satisfied with how it turned out, considering we spent most of November and December working on White Christmas the musical at the high school. The big framed mirror (which you'll see again in my Valentine-ish mantle, I'm sure) was $8 at a yard sale. I love the shape of it.

My beautiful, satin stockings are from... are you ready for this... THE DOLLAR STORE! I love 'em, and they usually bring them back every year, so you can get some next November. I do plan on spray painting my stocking holders (from a thrift store) gold so they go with the rest of the decor.

And now, for some more close-up looks from around the house...


NATIVITY - The cream-colored nativity was a hand-me-down from my Mom. It's a little beat up (and missing a wise man, too) but it's the nativity I grew up with, and i actually like the chips and cracks--they add to that vintage-y (I hate that word) feel.

STOCKINGS - Here's another look at my Dollar Store (Dollar Tree, to be exact) stockings. I added bows (free, from my mother-in-law), and little frames. The frames are still empty, yes, but I do plan to fill them. My stocking hangers are thrifted.

CORNER SHELF: I got my star corner shelf at Goodwill for about $13. I put our first Christmas tree (the teeny one we got when we were first married and poor college students) to remind me of sweet memories from our first few Christmases. Below it (and a little hard to see) is my Jim Shore Rudolph. I love that little guy. I bought him from the Christmas store in the Yellowstone IMAX Theatre.

TREE: The black "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" tree is also from the IMAX. It was on top of my fridge.

PRINT: The "Seeing is not believing--Believing is seeing" print is from THIS website. It's a free printable, so go get yourself one!

BANISTER: This is the stair banister (hopefully you can see it). I put up a garland and lights, then ran some ribbon through the length of it. You can't see them, but there are also gold-colored balls and glittery snowflakes on it, too.

CARD WREATH: I still have yet to take down this Christmas Card wreath 'cause I love how it looks on the door to the garage. We felt so loved with all the cards we received this year. You can't really see the wreath itself, but it's a metal coil-shaped thing that you just stick the cards into. It's yet another yard sale find--just $1.

DOOR WREATH: This is a giant wreath I borrowed from the High School (we have a lot of stuff laying around in that Theatre Department!) It's not my favorite wreath--I have a thing for wreaths--but it did the job of decorating the door in a pinch. Next year, we'll be a little more festive with our outdoor decor!

That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed your very own tour of our Christmas-y decor... it's all in boxes now, so I had better get cracking on that Valentine stuff. It's so empty without that tree!

Look who's back to blogging again! Yay!

As I was doing laundry this morning, I came across a pair of pantyhose that had wicked runs down the legs. Just as I was about to toss them in the trash, I remembered a book that was given to me as a gift: Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things by Reader's Digest. I found it as I was going through some boxes yesterday, and figured it might have some great ideas for how to re-purpose my old 'hose.

I'm all about re-using and re-purposing things these days--I've been collecting all the jars/bottles from holiday food/condiments--and I thought I'd share what I learned. There were more than I thought there would be!




1. Wrapping Paper Storage: Keep your wrapping paper neatly rolled and tear-free for storage by tucking them into tubes made from the cut-off legs of pantyhose. I stocked up on plenty of wrapping paper from after-Christmas sales, so this is a great one for me!

2. Blanket Storage: Wrap your blankets for storage in the band cut from the waist of the pantyhose.

3. Extend Onion Shelf Life: Want your onions to last even longer? (Though I swear, onions last longer than any of my other produce!) Tuck them in a cut-off leg from a pair of pantyhose, knotting the hose in between each onion. The air can circulate freely, keeping the onions fresh, and you can hang the string in a cool, dry corner of your kitchen or pantry. When you need an onion, just cut off the bottom one, leaving the rest knotted together.

4. Flower Bulb Storage: Use the above technique to store flower bulbs for the winter.

5. Find Small Objects: Lose an earring-back, gemstone, contact lens, or other small, hard-to-find item? Use this trick to help with the search: Cut the leg off an old pair of pantyhose, leaving the to intact, and pull it over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner hose. Secure with a rubber band, turn on the vacuum, and sweep the hose over the carpet. Soon, you'll find your hard-to-see item attached to the pantyhose filter.

6. Vacuum Your Fish Tank:  I don't own any fish, but this one sure would be useful if I did--If you have a wet-dry vacuum (like a Shop Vac) you can change the water without disturbing the gravel or accessories. Relocate your fish, and use the above technique (See "Find Small Objects" above) and suck out the water.

7. Buff Your Shoes: Use a medium-length strip of pantyhose to buff your freshly-polished shoes. They say this works even better than the chamois cloth.

8. Clean Your Hairbrush: Dread picking all the dead hair that's matted to your hairbrush? Cut a strip from the leg section of your pantyhose and stretch it over and between the bristles of your new or freshly-cleaned hairbrush. The next time it needs to be cleaned, simply pull up on the pantyhose layer, and the hair will come with it. (I LOVE THIS IDEA!)

9. Remove Nail Polish: Squares of old pantyhose work just as well as cotton balls for soaking in polish remover and taking off your nail polish. Just store some squares in a plastic baggie with your polish.

10. Keep Bottles Clog-Free: If you recycle your spray bottles to use with homemade cleaners or furniture polish (a project I'm working on, currently), you can prevent any clogs by covering the open end of the tube (the part that goes in the bottle) with a small piece of pantyhose, secured with a small elastic. This works especially well for filtering sprays that are made with a concentrate, like a garden spray.

11. Substitute for Stuffing: If your child's (or dog's) stuffed animal is losing its stuffing, pantyhose makes a great replacement filler. Just stitch the hole closed after inserting strips of clean, worn-out 'hose.

12. Organize your Suitcase: Seasoned travelers know you can fit more in your suitcase by rolling up your clothes. To keep larger rolls from un-rolling, slip them into tubes made from the cut-off legs of pantyhose.

13. Hold Mothballs or Potpourri: Looking for an easy way to store mothballs in your closet or make satchels of potpourri  to keep in dresser drawers? The toe sections of old pantyhose work great for either, just insert mothballs/potpourri, tie it off with a knot, and cut off the excess.

14. Secure a Ponytail: Can't find a ponytail holder/scrunchie? Just cut a horizontal strip from the leg section of pantyhose and wrap it a few times around your pony.

15. Take a Citrus Bath: Make your own scented bath oil by drying and grinding up citrus peels then pouring them into the foot section of an old pair of pantyhose. Put a knot 1 inch above the peels and leave about 6 inches above before you cut off the remainder. Tie the stocking to the bathtub faucet  with the peels suspended from the running water, and your bath will be scented with refreshing citrus. When the water is done running, you can use the stocking to exfoliate your skin.

16. Hang-Dry Sweaters: Avoid getting clothespin marks on your newly washed sweaters by putting an old pair of pantyhose through the neck of your sweater, and pulling the legs through the arms. Then hang the sweater on your clothes line by attaching clothespins to the pantyhose instead of the wool.

17. Tie Up Boxes, Newspapers, Magazines: If you run out of twine, tie up bundles of cardboard, newspaper, or magazines with the legs and waistband of old pantyhose.

18. Cover a Kids' Bug Jar: If your kid is into bug-collecting, don't bother to use a nail and hammer to make holes in the metal lid. Just cover the jar opening with a 5- or 6-inch square of pantyhose, and the bugs will have plenty of air.

19. Secure Trash Bags: There are few things worse in the kitchen than finding that your garbage liner has slipped off the top of the garbage can, and now you have to fish out all the garbage and stuff it back in the bag. Secure your trash bag to the can with the cut-off waistband from a pair of pantyhose (knot it so it's tight), and you'll never worry about slippage again.

20. Dust Under the Fridge: Attach an old pair of pantyhose to a yard stick or coat hanger to dust under the refrigerator. The dust and dirt will attach itself to the 'hose, which can be washed and re-used for dusting again.

21. Keep Deer Out of your Garden: If you have trouble with deer eating your home-grown produce, just hang a stocking toe filled with human hair (see "Clean Your Hairbrush" above) and hang it near where Bambi snacks. (This also works with dog hair, if you have an excess in your house!) The scent repels the deer--but the hair will lose its scent, so replace it every 4-5 days as necessary.

22. Clean Up After Gardening: Save slivers of soap in an old stocking. Knot the end and hang on your outdoor faucet for after-gardening hand washing.

23. Apply Stain to Wood Crevices: Getting stain/varnish into crevices can be difficult, but a strip of pantyhose wrapped around a Popsicle stick gets you into hard-to-reach areas. Just secure it with a rubber band and you'll be set to go.

24. Test Sanded Surfaces for Snags: If you want to make sure your sanding job is perfectly smooth, run a pair of pantyhose over the wood by wrapping it around your hand. If it snags, sand until your able to run the nylons over the wood without any catches.

25. Clean Your Pool: A cut-off pantyhose leg attached to your pool's skimmer basket will catch a lot of tiny particles that would otherwise clog your pool filter.

26. Make a Paint Strainer: Strain your old paint through pantyhose to remove clumps. Attach a large square of pantyhose to the top of a paint bucket with a rubber band (or the 'hose waistband) and pour the paint through.

ALSO -- Extend your Pantyhose's Life: And while we're on the subject of pantyhose, the book also suggested to spray hair spray on the toes of your 'hose right after you buy them. This will strengthen the threads and makes them last longer. Another favorite trick of mine to stop runs is to dab some clear nail polish on the end of an already-started run. It will stop the run, and it lasts through multiple hand-washings. (This was really helpful for all the pantyhose I wore at the Playmill.)

Stay tuned for more money-saving, creative uses for everyday items... I eat this stuff up!