Ingredients:

• Chocolate Chips
• Butterscotch Chips
• Marshmallows
• Bananas
• Chocolate Crunch Candies
• Peanut Butter Chips
• Waffle Cones

Directions:

• Fill your cones and wrap in aluminum foil.
• Place on the grill over low heat for 8-10 minutes.
• You’ll start to smell the melty deliciousness and it is awesome!
• The boys, of course skipped the fruit and went straight for the candy. I made an awesome chocolate, peanut butter, and banana cone. The marshmallow is a nice fluffy filler and holds everything together once it all starts melting.

• Carefully unwrap the hot cones and dig in!
• Toasty crunchy sugar cones filled with melty deliciousness. Who needs ice cream? Although, a scoop of ice cream on top would not hurt this bad boy at all!

• My banana-chocolate-peanut butter cone was SO GOOD. The fresh banana cancels out the calories, right?!?!
• Next time, I’ll be adding crushed cookies or maybe even some mini candy bars. YUM!

I hope you guys try these cones and put your own twist on them! They are sure to be a crowd pleaser this summer!

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. ground black pepper
• 1 can of Pepsi

Directions:

• Add all the ingredients in with the steaks in an air tight container.
• Let marinate over night.
• Cook your steaks and enjoy the tender juicy flavor.

I am sure your family will love this marinade for your next steak night! It is just so flavorful and the steaks come out so juicy! Happy Grilling!

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Supplies:

• 14 oz. Glue
• 1 Cup Hot Water
• Food Coloring
• Glitter
• 3 teaspoons Borax
• 2 Cups Hot Water

Directions:

• Put glue in a tub.
• Add in 1 cup of hot water.
• Add in your food coloring and glitter.
• Stir until smooth.

• In a separate container, dissolve 3 teaspoons of Borax in 2 cups of hot water.
• Slowly add the water into the glue mixture and stir together.
• It will goop together almost immediately.

• You may not need all the water, so pour slowly.
• Once it’s mostly gooped up, begin mixing with your hands. (This is the fun part!)

• We started with red and black food coloring, because that’s all I had, and it turned more into pink and purple, which was pretty perfect for Valentine’s Day.
• As you can see, the slime is a HUGE HIT.

My family loved making this slime recipe and I hope your family will too! Have fun getting messy!

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Ingredients:

•  5 cups of your favorite mix pretzels, cereals, (cheerios and chex are great!), nuts, etc.
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar (I start with the lesser amount and taste and add more if I need it, just depends on what cereals I’ve chosen each time, honey nut cereal needs less sugar than say plain cereal)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp coarse sea salt

Directions:

• Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

• Pour butter, stir, then add in sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

• Mix again until evenly coated.

• On a foil or parchment lined baking sheet, spread the snack mix out and bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins.
• Once cool, move to an airtight container, or place straight into a large bowl for snacking, or for gifting!

Notes:

• This mix is not only easy but versatile as well!
• Mix and match any kinds of cereal, you can even add nuts, popcorn, etc. The options are open to how creative you want to be.
• It’s also a great way to clean out the pantry with what you have on hand! You only need 5 cups of dry snack mix…the portions of each are up to you! LOVE pretzels…make half the mix pretzels or only use one cup of pretzels if they aren’t your favorite!

It’s the easiest snack mix ever to make! Happy creating your perfect mix!

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Ingredients:

• Eggnog
• Spiced Rum
• Coffee Liqueur
• Spices such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom (optional)

Directions:

• Simply add a 1 ounce shot of the spiced rum to your glass.
• Top with a 1 ounce shot of coffee liqueur.
• Add your eggnog.

• If you’re making a pitcher or punch bowl, add 1/4 cup of rum and a 1/4 cup of coffee liqueur to 1 quart of Eggnog.
• Stir to combine.

• Top each glass with a sprinkling of spices to add a little extra holiday cheer.
• I used cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s so delicious!

• My husband wandered in while I was testing this recipe and insisted on his own glass. We both approve whole heartedly of the Spiked Eggnog! Now I have to buy more to celebrate National Eggnog Day this weekend!

This recipe is really simple and REALLY delicious. It definitely puts me in the holiday spirit! As always, we ask that you please enjoy responsibly. The holidays are a time to come together and celebrate. NEVER drink and drive.

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My family has always disliked giving money away as a gift because well, quite frankly, it’s boring, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! My pre-teen is being especially stubborn this Christmas and insists that she doesn’t want anything. ***Insert eye roll here*** I just happen to know, possibly from experience with this particular child, that all of this will change about a week away from the big day. Guess what? At that point, it’s a lil too late for Mama Bear to be running around trying to make last minute wishes come true. My solution? Well…a handful of gift cards and, yeah, I’m actually saying it…Money!

I figured I at least had to jazz it up a bit. If I’m giving out cash, it’s gonna be creative! So, I decided on these two gifts – a candy jar and a homemade card. This way there will be more to my present than just a thin sheet of a cotton and linen blend. (Did you know that’s what dollar bills are made of!? True story!)

M&M Filled Candy Jar Supplies:

• Empty Jar
• Toilet Paper Roll
• Wrapping Paper
• Holiday M&Ms
• Money

M&M Filled Candy Jar Directions:

• Wrap your toilet paper roll in wrapping paper.

• Stick the roll inside of the jar and begin filling the sides with M&Ms!

• Place the money inside of the toilet paper roll and seal with a lid.
• Add a cute label if you’d like or tie a ribbon around the top if you prefer.

So easy and super fun, right?!?!

Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees Card Supplies:

• Construction Paper – blue, white, green, and brown
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape
• Dollar Bills

Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees Card Directions:

• Fold blue paper in half to make a card.
• Cut a snow slope shape out of the white paper.
• Glue to the bottom of the blue card.
• Cut trees out of the green paper.
• Make square trunks with the brown.
• Fold dollar bills into triangles.

• Glue the trees and trunks down to the paper.
• Tape the triangle money trees to the paper.

It took me 15 minutes to put each of those crafts together which, actually, totally beats driving to the store and standing in line doesn’t it? Happy Holidays!!

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Peppermint White Russian

• 1 oz Kahlua
• 1 oz Smirnoff Vodka
• 1-2 oz Bailey’s White Chocolate Peppermint Bark
• Half and Half, if desired

Over ice, add the Kahlua and vodka and stir to combine. Top with the Bailey’s coffee creamer. Add the half and half, if using. I decided to get a little fancy and top my Peppermint White Russian with whipped topping and mini candy cane. Holiday spirit and all that! No one can accuse me of being a grinch!

This might be my new favorite cocktail! Come to think of it, I think I say that about all of my cocktails. This one is for sure Christmas-y and delicious. I love the hint of peppermint flavor the coffee creamer gives to the drink. This white Russian would work with so many different coffee creamer flavors! I made one last month with Pumpkin Spice that was AMAZING! I think I might try an Eggnog or Sugar Cookie flavor next. I’ll be keeping an eye out to see what special holiday flavors my local Commissary has to offer! As always, we ask that you please enjoy responsibly!

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I currently have a few inches of pine needles dispersed throughout my living room (the darn disadvantage to having a fake tree… and cats that won’t leave said tree alone!) and I have glitter for days…anywhere you could possibly imagine. That could be from the Christmas tree ornaments, or it could be because I have a 5 year old princess obsessed with glitter but either way, can you imagine my struggle here??

So I’ve decided that nope, nu-uh, NO. I am NOT bringing in the New Year like this. I am PURGING!!!

First things first, I know what you are thinking. Toss the rotten pumpkins! Okay, done, but besides the typical housekeeping basics, I tried to figure out how to really get my house in order. And believe it or not, I started in the attic.

Let’s talk holiday decorations!!! You may store them in your attic, or basement, or garage, wherever, but the majority of us have decor that we don’t even put out on display, right?? It just sits in that same tub or box… and I decided it has to go. If you haven’t used that stuffed snowman that grandma gave you, or the flashing lights that you bought at that yard sale – let it go! A good rule of thumb is to donate or dump anything that you haven’t used in the past 2 years. Cleaning out the junk now will make you feel fantastic when you go to put everything away after the holidays have passed and the new year has begun.

The next battlefield I had to tackle was my children’s toys. How in the world do they accumulate so much stuff!?

Now, I had a really neat idea for getting rid of old games and figurines that haven’t seen the light of day in a while. I suggested to my daughters that we pack a box full of things that they no longer use and we leave it under the tree for Santa with a note explaining that we would like him to take the toys to share with other children that he may visit and find that they don’t have much. My 5 year old loved this! She feels like she’s got some sort of Secret Mission with Santa, that he will have her box in his sleigh and if he goes down the chimney to another little girl’s house and sees that she doesn’t have many toys, he will pop back up and grab my daughter’s goodies and leave extra treats behind for the child. I love that she loved it!!

As for what to DO with that box of toys – I would take them to a shelter or orphanage and give them to the children there. I guarantee just because it may be a few days after Christmas, those kiddos will be so thankful and grateful that it won’t even matter. Or switch up the story with Santa and just ask your children to clean out the things they no longer play with and then you can adopt a child this holiday season and brighten someone’s life that way!!

Lastly, I think it’s fair to say a fresh start is probably needed in most of our closets, isn’t it? I can’t be the only one that has a dream about one day being 3 sizes smaller than I am now… and holding on to that dress from college that I am determined to fit into again at some point! And the high heels from my pre-baby days that I’ve been saving for some special occasion that is never going to come…or that might, but my feet wouldn’t be able to tolerate those 4 inch pumps anymore, anyway! It all had to go!! I shuffled through every hanger and asked myself, “If I put this on right now, would I look ridiculous?” If the answer was yes, I set it into a pile to donate! And, to be honest, I pulled out things I had completely forgotten that I even had. But my hangers aren’t all bunched together anymore! I have room to slide things around! I can see the shoe boxes organized neatly on the shelf! I feel like a new person!

It’s funny what picking up a bit will do to ya…Start the new year off right with a clean home and less clutter. Consider donating used toys to less fortunate children to make room for the new things your kiddos may get this holiday season. And if you’ve been putting aside throwing out those jeans from 2005, just go for it. It feels fabulous. Don’t forget to check your local base installations for drop off locations to help other military families in need, but if that isn’t an option, find other great charities nearby to support with your donations.

May your days be merry and bright!! Happy holidays!!

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Ingredients:

• 2 tubes of Crescent Rolls
• 1 block of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can Cherry Pie Filling
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open the crescent roll tubes, but don’t separate them. You’ll need 22 slices of crescent rolls. I scored mine with a knife before cutting just to make sure I’d cut enough.

Use a serrated blade and gently cut your slices.

Arrange your rolls into a Christmas tree design. I started at the bottom with six and built my pyramid with one left over for the tree stem.

Mix the cream cheese with the granulated sugar and vanilla extract.

Create little wells in each crescent roll using the back of a spoon.

Add a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture to each well.

Top the cream cheese with a spoonful of the cherry pie filling.

Pop it in the oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

I had about half a can of pie filling and half the cream cheese mixture leftover. I stored them in a ziploc bag for another batch of danishes later!

Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes!

Once cooled, drizzle the glaze on top and serve!

Notes:

• If you don’t prefer cherry pie filling, then pick your favorite pie filling!

How pretty is this tree? It’s so festive and perfect for Christmas morning! OMG! These danishes are SO GOOD! They’re creamy, sweet, tart, with the crispy buttery edge of the crescent rolls. Simply delicious! I hope you try this super easy recipe for Christmas morning or even this weekend!

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While decorating your family’s holiday houses, you can let the kiddos get creative and decorate their houses in their own special way! My daughter chose to decorate her house with purple and pink mini chocolates, and shiny pearl sugar beads. My husband, whose house is featured chose to decorate his with a “snowflake” theme in mine, blue and white!

 Ingredients

• 18 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams
• 1 cup ready-to-spread white frosting

Suggested decorations

Small candy canes, starlight mints or other holiday candies; holiday sprinkles; colored sugars; nonpareils; miniature marshmallows

Instructions

TRIM both corners off one end of each of 12 grahams for sloped roof of the house; reserve trimmed corners for later use.

DECORATE houses with frosting and suggested decorations as desired.

BREAK remaining grahams in half to get 12 graham squares. Stand 1 decorated house on each graham square, using 1 of the reserved trimmed corners for support and securing all pieces with some of the remaining frosting.

LET stand 1 hour or until frosting is firm.

Recipe Tips
Size Wise
Have fun with your kids making these holiday houses. As a bonus, they can also be used to help teach kids about portion control.

Mini Chalets
For each chalet, cut 2 graham crackers in half to get 4 graham squares. Stand 2 graham squares against each other in an inverted V-shape on parchment-covered baking sheet, attaching them at the top with frosting. Cut 2 corners off each of the remaining graham squares with serrated knife to fit the front and back of the chalet, securing pieces with frosting. Decorate with frosting, candy canes, other candies and sprinkles as desired. Let stand several hours or until frosting is firm.

Family Fun
Use decorating icing to write names on fronts of decorated houses, then use as name cards on your holiday table.