December 29, 2014 by Krista

Countdown Goals Printable

Welcome my friend! I’m so thrilled you stopped by. Do you set goals at the beginning of a new year? Do you stick with them? That’s the hardest part, for me. But, having them smack in the way where I can see them helps. And that’s how this Countdown Goals Printable was created.

Back in 2014, I had a goals printable that people went ga-ga over (you can check that out here) and it ended up being A LOT more popular than I expected. I wanted to create another, similar, design with a little more focus. And that’s where this goals printable came into play.

I love this goals printable because it’s short and sweet. It will make you really think about and focus on what you REALLY WANT this year. And it’s perfect for kids too, so you can set goals together.

So, what is that ONE new thing you are going to try this year? Let it push you out of your comfort zone a little bit! You got this!

Want an insider tip? Use the other goal areas to help you reach that one new thing. Learn about this new thing, read books on it, research and you’ll be so ready to take on that goal it’ll be a piece of cake.

I know I always do better when I feel prepared and have an idea of what to expect or how to accomplish something. The best goals are rarely ever ones we just fall into and everything happens to luck out.

That’s not how life works!

So, get out there and make it happen. Plan it out! Prepare! AND CONQUER!

You can download your free copy and set some goals. Get the kids involved and set some as a family, if you want to go crazy. Good luck!

DOWNLOAD YOUR GOALS COUNTDOWN

December 10, 2014 by Krista

{Printable} Stocking Stuffer Idea: Kid’s Christmas Coupon Book

Lately, I have been having a really hard time with all the shtuff in my house. It’s driving me crazy. Clean up has been a serious hassle the last few months and I think a big part of it is that not everything has it’s “place”. How do you put something away when it has nowhere to go?! So, I have been trying to focus on minimizing. Trying being the keyword… we won’t talk about how far Christmas is going to set me back, but from the number of times the UPS guys have showed up at my door recently, I’m going to kick myself next month. Anyway, while I don’t plan to move my family to a 300 square foot log home built from a single tree somewhere in a pristine forested location anytime soon, I swear I will quit tripping over toys on my way from one room to the next.

And, there’s this other thing… I think it’s called exhaustion. I could be wrong, I’m so tired I’m not thinking clearly. I’m going on 9 months straight of nights interrupted by at least one boy. I’m tired… that’s probably also why my house is a mess. You know what they don’t tell you when you have your third kid? You will never sleep again… and, even though you are constantly running, you still won’t be able to keep up with … life.

All this inspired me. Yeah, it’s okay, I’m not sure how either… This year my kids aren’t getting any more shtuff. Okay, that’s a lie. They are. But, I’m going simple for Christmas this year. Santa might get European cookies from Costco this year. Don’t worry, I happen to know Santa likes those. I’m giving my kids the ultimate gift.

I’m giving my kids time. More specifically, my time. With this Kid’s Christmas Coupon Book. But it’s also a gift to myself. We get memories and some fun activities to do together and I get to feel less guilty when I’m focused on things like those pesky toys I keep tripping on and the dang dishes that are piled so high we can’t use the sink anymore (and, someday, maybe a little me time?) instead of making bento lunches and paper plate crafts. The paper plates will get their turn.

Get your FREE copy of the Kid’s Christmas Coupon Booklet

and give your favorite kids the gift of a bit of your time! Includes cover page and 9 activities in high resolution and watermark-free. Save and download to your computer and then print! There is an Extended booklet also available with 2o more activities and a blank template page to make your own coupons in my Etsy Shop.

December 8, 2014 by Krista

Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownie Pie {Krusteaz Blogger Bake-Off} and Giveaway

This post is sponsored by Krusteaz Blogger Bake-Off Contest. I was provided with product and compensation for participating in the contest. All content is 100% mine, honest and original. And delicious.

I will admit, first and foremost, that I have very little experience with gluten-free cooking and baking. We are a household of baked goods and grains, especially wheat. So, I was a little nervous about coming up with a gluten-free recipe. But when I learned about the new line of Krusteaz gluten-free mixes, I thought it might be the perfect way to dip my little toesies into the gluten-free pool.

There are four mixes available in Krusteaz new gluten-free mixes line: Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Mix, Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancake Mix, Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Mix, and Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix. That’s right, double chocolate… Being a bit of a chocoholic myself, that’s the mix I chose to make my recipe from.

PEPPERMINT BROWNIE PIE

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Baking Time: 48 minutes

Difficulty: Easy (Super Duper Easy, actually)

Yields: 16 pieces

Ingredients –

For the brownie pie:

– Krusteaz Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

– 1/3 cup water

– 1/3 cup vegetable oil

– 1 egg

For the frosting:

– 3/4 cup whipping cream

– 1/4 cup sugar

– 1 tsp peppermint extract

– 3 candy canes, crushed

– Red food coloring, optional.

Directions-

Brownies:

– Mix the brownies according to the directions on the back of the box. Simply add in the oil, water and egg and mix until well combined.

– Pour into a lightly greased 8-inch pie pan and bake at 325F for 48-52 minutes, as directed on the box. I did the minimum 48 minutes and it was perfect. Depending on your oven, you may need a few minutes longer.

Whipped Frosting:

– While the brownies bake, combine whipping cream, sugar, peppermint extract. and 4-6 drops of food coloring if desired.

– Beat with an electric mixer until cream is light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Do not over mix! Store in fridge until brownies are completely cooled.

– Once brownies are completely cooled – don’t jump the gun, you’ll get a puddle of melted cream! – spread the whipped frosting over the top of the brownies.

– Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces – yep, those leftovers from last year work just fine – over the top of the frosting.

– Store pie in the fridge until ready to serve. Yields approximately 16 pieces. Obviously, you can cut bigger or smaller pieces to fits your needs. A “piece of pie” is not defined in proportion to the pie as a whole… so cut that 1/4 slice and have at it.

– Store any leftovers in the fridge. I didn’t cover mine and had no issues with it drying out. It also kept the candy cane pieces from turning into goo. But it was only in the fridge for two days… and I may or may not have eaten the whole dang thing myself… I’ll never tell.

This turned out to be the perfect way to try my hand at gluten-free baking. I didn’t have to spend 800 hours googling “is … gluten free?” The brownie mix has a brown rice flour base and gave the brownies a little bit different texture than what I typically think of brownies. My teenage sister thought the brownies themselves weren’t sweet enough, but I really liked that they weren’t overly sweet. The whipped frosting on top was the perfect sweetener for her, but didn’t create a sickly sweet, too-rich dessert. This would make an excellent gluten-free addition to any holiday parties you’ve got coming up! It’s topped with candy canes, after all. If that doesn’t scream “Happy Holidays”, I don’t know what does!

Would you like to try out the new Krusteaz’s mixes too? Well, how about a fun giveaway?! Up for grabs is two boxes of each new gluten-free mix, a cute Krusteaz tote. and a great spatula (can you have too many of those?!). Giveaway runs until December 21, 2014 at 12am. Winner will be announced on this post and notified by email. Good luck!
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December 2, 2014 by Krista

Free Gift List Organizer Printable

It’s the first Tuesday of the month again and that means I’m over at Ask Anna once more. The holidays are fast-approaching and December is one of the busiest months all year. The key to keeping the chaos manageable is to organize, organize, organize! Let me help you organize your gift-giving with the gift list organizer.

In a simple, easy to reference layout that can be used in multiple ways the gift list organizer will help you make sure you get the perfect gift every time. You can put each recipient on a line with their gift(s) listed beside them. Or put each store on a line, with the recipients listed below, and the items you need to purchase from each location on the right side. You’ll be sure to get everything you need at each store… because who has time to retrace their steps and go back for forgotten things. Not this month, am I right?!

Keep your chaos under control will this Gift List Organizer you can print right at home and get organizing TODAY! It doesn’t get much easier than save, print, organize! The file is formatted to an 8.5″x11″ size, perfect for your holiday organizing binder! Organize your holiday celebrations so you can enjoy

So, head over to Anna’s and

get your FREEBIE printable organizer!

The sooner you get organized, the easier your holiday gifting will go… right? Right?

November 25, 2014 by Krista

Holiday Printable Gift Tags

Where are you on your gift-giving? Are you one of those amazingly organized people that have everything bought and wrapped by Thanksgiving? Or are you more like me and have to let the turkey digest before you start planning for Christmas? I aspire to be one of those done-in-October people every year, but I’m always left scrambling around in November and December like a madwoman.

We usually spend Thanksgiving at my Grandma’s house. Sometimes we try to hit all our family on our annual trip, but this year we opted to just go to Grandma’s. Which means that these three days before Thanksgiving are a little more relaxed and I have a few moments to consider a game plan for Christmas. And make some printable gift tags!

Get your free high-resolution copy of these tags HERE.

You’ll have to download the file and then you can print as many tags as you need. With an almost cartoon-feel to them, they are perfect for the kids or the kid-at-heart. And who doesn’t love to let some of their inner kid shine through, especially during the holidays! I would highly suggest printing these out on cardstock, but that’s completely up to you, of course. After you print them, cut them out and you can stick them down with gluesticks or tape. Or you could always use a hole punch and attach the tags with ribbon.

Need some ideas for ways to make these tags even better?

– Print the tags on self-adhesive paper and you’ve got yourself some awesome stickers, just like you can buy in the store… but so much cuter.

– Put colored paper behind the tags to create a great layered look. Use a paper crimper to add some fun texture. Or use small shape punches.

– Want to tie your tags on with ribbon? Put a small piece of tape (clear Scotch tape or cute washi tape would work well) over the tag and then punch the hole through the tape and the tag to help prevent the tag from ripping through.

– These would look fantastic with brown paper bags or packages… those are, indeed, a few of my favorite things.

DOWNLOAD YOUR GOALS COUNTDOWN

Get your FREE copy of the Kid’s Christmas Coupon Booklet

PEPPERMINT BROWNIE PIE

get your FREEBIE printable organizer!

Get your free high-resolution copy of these tags HERE.

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