Marketing Monday Blog Hop

It's Marketing Monday which means if

you have a ETSY SHOP, BLOG, WEBSITE

whatever you want to show the world &

"market"...this is the place to do it.

(Remember This is a Family Friendly Website)

You can share this with everyone that

this is a FREE way to advertise their SHOP,

Website, Blog...This blog Hop originated

@ Trendy Treehouse...Thanks to trendy

treehouse

Friday Favorites..Crafts & Recipes

These are some of my Favorite Things to do...
Make Aprons/Baking....These are for my
ETSY SHOP... This is the Moms, Grandmas,
Aunts, or Friends Apron. The bows are heat
sealed to prevent fraying & are easily removed
for washing. (If interested in purchasing one
you can go to the sidebar & click on the
"santasgiftshoppe"under the ETSY PHOTOS
& it'll take you right to the store)

This is the Childs Matching Apron
for daughters, grand-daughters, nieces
or friends...The bows are heat sealed to
prevent fraying & easily removed for
washing. It also has a FREE Rolling Pin
included.(This Matching smaller apron can
also be found in santagiftshoppe.etsy.com
just click on the link & your there)

This weeks Favorite Recipe:
Homemade Twix Bars
(Don't you just love the the
Mary Engelbreit plate..I do)
I found this recipe on cooks.com under mock
Twix Bars but I prefer to call them Homemade
Twix bars..These are really so goooood..........

This is really an easy recipe with great results.
Another added plus is that they are NO-Bake..
Especially in the Summer I hate to have the
oven on...How bout you?

RECIPE
1 Box of Club Crackers
1 c. crushed Graham Crackers
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 c. chocolate chips (I like milk choco. chips for these)
2/3 c. peanut butter

Directions:
1) In a 9 x 13 inch buttered pan put a layer of whole
club crackers. See Photo Below:
2) In a saucepan combine graham crackers, brown sugar,
white sugar, milk (I used non-fat & it worked fine) &
butter. See Photo Below:
3) Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread
over crackers..Be careful this is hot!! (I love the
off-set spatula for this) See Photo Below:

4) Next add another layer of crackers,
& gently press down not breaking any.
Put in refrigerator for 30 min.
See Photo Below:

5) To make the Frosting: put choc. chips
& peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl
& melt for 1-2 min. stirring & checking
every 30 sec. after the 1st minute.

Frost crackers & put in refrigerator for 30 min.
See Photos Below:
6) All Finished..Now to enjoy!!!
Good job!! Have a great Memorial Day!!

SPOTLIGHT "YOURSELF" WEDNESDAY

Sorry I'm late getting this posted..
Another Wednesday is here & that
means it's time to "Spotlight Yourself"
Blog Hop @ santasgiftshoppe..with anything
that you have made: craft, great recipe, makeover,
tutorial, trash to treasure...Please NO "Adult Only"
type blogs!!! This is a "FAMILY" friendly
website & Blog Hop...Also Please NO ETSY
Shops or advertising...

We would love to see what you have been
working on..so show the world!! This is your
stage!! This Blop Hop originated @ohsoverycheri...
Thanks Cheri...

Just Click on the ("You are next"...
CLICK HERE TO ENTER BUTTON...)
and follow the prompts...

Remember this is a Party...so have fun
& get to know some new great friends &
leave some comment love!!!

MARKETING MONDAY BLOG HOP

It's Marketing Monday which means if
YOU have an ETSY SHOP, BLOG, WEBSITE,
whatever you want to show the world &
"market"....you can do it here...TODAY..

You can share with everyone that this
is a FREE way to advertise their Shop,
Website, Blog...This Blog Hop originated
@ Trendy Treehouse

"SPOTLIGHT YOURSELF" WEDNESDAY

Another Wednesday is here & that
means it's time for "Spotlight Yourself"
Blog Hop @ santasgiftshoppe..with anything
that you have made: craft, makeover, great recipe,
tutorial, trash to treasure...

~~~~BUT Please REMEMBER THIS
is NOT the place to SELL ITEMS
(No Etsy Shops or Stores)~~~~~


We would just love to see what you have been
working on...so show the world!!! This is your
stage!! This Blog Hop originated@ ohsoverycheri...
Thanks Cheri...

Just Click on the "You are next"...
(AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER BUTTON...
and follow the prompts...

Remember this is a PARTY...so have fun &
Mingle!!! Get to know some great new friends
& leave some comments that we all love!!

Newest Blog Award & Paying It Forward

Wow! What a surprise I received this week!!!!
I received the Versatile Blog Award from Mrs. Claus!!
Thank you so much....I have to tell you guys...

When I receive a "Blog Award" it truly humbles
me.....knowing that there are so many more out
there that should get this....

I started this blog last July 4th & hoped to find a
place to share ideas & the "spirit" which resides in
most of us at Christmastime..I wanted to stretch it
out the whole year.

That Giving..Loving..Grateful feeling that has
most of us smiling more, giving more, being like little
children more, considerate more (I'm sure that could
be disputed!) to one another that often leaves after
Christmas & comes back the next Christmas.

I love Christmas yearlong (the spirit of it) & try to
keep it in my heart always. I love kindness..We do
not see that in our world (now-a-days very much)

HOWEVER, I am so happy to say that since
I have had this blog..the women out there have
shown so many kindnesses to me I could fill
a book..So with that in mind I am very grateful
to Mrs. Claus (of all people..we really did not rig this)
for giving me this award! Thank you again!!!

There were certain rules regarding this award:

1) Thank the person who gave you the award

2) Tell 7 things about yourself (in your blog)

3) Pass the award along to 15 other blogs who
you have recently discovered & you think are
fantastic.

4) Contact the bloggers you've picked & let
them know about the award.

SO...Here are 7 things about myself

1) I am from Norwegian & German descendants..
My father always told us we were Holland Dutch
& Norwegian. I wish I could have shown him
what we found doing Family History (after he
passed away)

2) On that same note..Family History is a
passion of mine..It has changed my life for the
better. It is so much easier than people think.
The rewards are unmeasurable. I love to help
people find out about their family heritage &
make scrapbooks about it. I have found some
family lines going back to 200AD.

3) Baking & crafting are necessities of my life.
I love making my house, a home, a refuge from
the world for my family & myself & these things
help me to accomplish that.

4) One of my best creative outlets is making
300 jars of 20 different kinds of jams (mostly
from our backyard fruit trees) I love to blend
2, 3, & even 4 kinds of fruits together..to get the
best kind of flavors..
Most have won a first place blue ribbon at our
County Fair.

5) I love to see the after effect of organizating
anything (closets, craft supplies, files, rooms)
I love a house of order (which I will be striving
my whole life probably to acheive)

6) I love old fashion values, considerations, &
manners & am proud of it.

7) I try to do things others would say no way..
My parents said I could do anything as I have told
my kids the same.. It is inspiring to live by the
words of my parents..And I live creatively..with
passion.. & always trying to do what I think I might
not be able to do..Surprising myself quite alot along
the way.

Wow..I thinks that's the most I've written about
myself in lots of years..

THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL BLOGS
TO CHOOSE FROM OUT THERE..but these are
the 15 I have chosen...

Go check them out & see if they inspire you...

THEY INSPIRE ME...
1) http://greensubmarinediydesign.blogspot.com/

2) http://cupcakeskissesncrumbs.blogspot.com/

3) http://songberries.blogspot.com/

4) http://thosenorthernskies.blogspot.com/

5) http://lipstickandlaundry.blogspot.com/

6) http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

7) http://diynewlyweds.com/

8) http://thewondersofdoing.blogspot.com/

9) http://allthingsrelated.blogspot.com/

10) http://barefeetonthedashboard.blogspot.com/

11) http://melaniescrafts.blogspot.com/

12) http://swiss-kin.blogspot.com/

13) http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/

14) http://growingyourgrassgreener.blogspot.com/

15) http://thefrostedbutton.blogspot.com/

Marketing Monday Blog Hop

It's Marketing Monday which means if
You have a ETSY SHOP, BLOG, WEBSITE,
whatever you want to show the world &
"market" ......this is the place to do it.

You can share with everyone that this
is a FREE way to advertise their Shop,
Website, Blog...This Blog Hop originated
@ Trendy Treehouse...Thanks to trendy
treehouse

"SPOTLIGHT YOURSELF" WEDNESDAY

Another Wednesday is here & that
means it's time for "Spotlight Yourself"
Blog Hop@ santasgiftshoppe...with anything
that you have made: craft, makeover, great recipe,
tutorial, trash to treasure...

We would just love to see what you have been
working on..so show the world!!! This is your
stage!! This Blog Hop originated @ ohsoverycheri...
Thanks Cheri...

Just Click on the "You are next...
CLICK HERE TO ENTER BUTTON...
and follow the prompts...

Remember this is a PARTY..so have fun
& get to know some great new friends &
leave some comments that we all love!!

A TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS EVERYWHERE!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY...

This is a tribute to my Mom...& all moms..

even though she is up in heaven with

my dad...I know she will know just how

much she is missed & loved by her children

& grand children.. especially on Mother's

Day..this Sunday!

Although she had a hard life growing up

(her own mother died when she was 1yr. old

& her dad died when she was 15) she made

a wonderful life for my dad & us 5 kids & I

will be eternally grateful for all the wisdom

she gave each one of us & example she

showed daily..

First & formost she was the most charitable

person I ever knew..she always made room for

people who did not have a place to stay or food

to eat. She opened her home & her heart to

always helping someone or something.

Below is an old picture (sorry it's blurry) of her

helping a Rooster that my little sister brought

home from school (to give a good home to) My

mom was raised on a farm & she helped that little

rooster (until the neighbors complained of being

woke up@ 5am!) He eventually went to a zoo.

You could always find her in the kitchen
laughing & baking something for
somebody in need. She would bring in
dinners, babysit, take care of the elderly..
you name it..she did it.. But by the same
token...she was always there for
each one of us to make feel special
everyday. She had a special gift that way.

I think it was because as a child she only had 1 pair
of shoes & 1 dress made out of a flour sack material
& her parents dying so young she wanted to give
us everything but most importantly..time & love.

She worked the graveyard shift at the hospital
just so she could have breakfast ready & lunches
made when we got up each morning...& be home
when we got home from school so she could help
us with our homework & have chocolate chip cookies
& milk waiting. I really wondered when she ever got
to sleep or eat..She loved cooking meals & serving
them to my dad & us kids & she would get up 10
times for us before she ever got a bite of food.
(That reminds me of the "Christmas Story" Mom)

Anyway..I salute you mom & treasure all our talks,
& everything you taught me about being a good mom.
I cherish the memories of all our times baking together
& you being such a good example of Charity to others.

Your loving Daughter,
Barb

*****Hope all of you get to give your moms a kiss
& hug (I wish I could) & tell them how much they
mean to you..Life goes too fast & is too short to
not tell them what they mean to you...