What’s Your 9-Day Promise?

With the “LiVe-It LiSt” challenge starting on January 1st, we have not only been encouraging our readers to work on their list, but have been tweeking ours, as well.  We’ll continue to share some of those items in hopes to give you ideas, as well as inpire and motivate.  One of our items on our list is SeLf-ImProVeMeNt.  Instead of waiting until the New Year we are making a nine-day ProMise to ourselves.  The promise is not perfection.  We may fall off the bandwagon, but we commit to get right back on.  To ReMiNd ourselves of the promise we’ve made to ourself, we are each doing something unique.  (See below).

Lara says – “Whenever I start to worry or become anxious I am going to say the prayer of Hail Mary.”

Lara's Reminder

Robyn (Jersy Girl) says – “I am going to try and be a patient Mommy and not “lose it” when things get out of control.”

Robyn's Reminder

Robynn says – “I’m showing kindness with words by not saying anything unkind to or about someone.”

Robynn's Reminder

{What Enriches Your Life?}

Our dog, Walter does a lot of things.  Here are just a few…

Dog poses.
Kitchen clean-up during and after meals.
Water sports.
Winter sports.
Tea parties.
Statue Of Liberty poses.
Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer impersonations and he wishes you a Merry Christmas!!

This has been a silly post, so what’s the point?  (Not that there always has to be a point to all our posts.  Sometimes we may share something “just because”.)  However, I’ve shared pictures of our dog Walter because he truly enriches our lives.  What things in your life EnRiCh and EnHaNcEe your life?  Even when times are tough what things are a bright spot?  What things bring happiness?  Regardless of how your 2011 went, chances are you can find SoMeThInG you are thankful for – faithful friends, family, co-workers you enjoy, good neighbors, freedom, health, a job, hope, faith, another day.

Lara, Jersey Girl – Robyn and I are endeavoring to “Live-It”.  Regardless of what life hands us, we want to squeeze out every bit of enjoyment by savoring all the good.  Sometimes that good is hard to find.  Some times it’s interdispersed within the bad or uncomfortable.  But it’s there and we are gonna find it.  We hope you find the good in your life as well, because if you look hard enough you’ll find it.

:)

Robynn~

Easy Black Bean Party Dip

Need a new idea for a dip/appetizer for your Holiday parties?  You MuSt try this one! It is so EaSy to make and is always a crowd pleaser!

1 can shoe peg corn

2 cans black beans – drained

1 bunch green onions (scallions) – chopped fine

1/2 cup red onion – chopped fine

1 medium green pepper – chopped fine

1 jalapeno pepper – chopped fine   * I don’t put this in mine

1 clove garlic – minced

Kraft zesty Italian dressing

2 bags Large Fritos

*Can be made 1 day in advance

EnJoY!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

Lara’s Christmas DIY Projects

I wanted a ChEaP and EaSy way to decorate my back porch for the holidays.  Here is what it normally looks like!

I trimmed up our cedar trees for some FREE decor and added some extra ribbon I had around the house.  The chair and white table were found in my basement and I used some leftover stencils to paint the numbers on the door.  What do think of the traNsformAtion?

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A few years ago I decided I didn’t like the look of the back of my upper cabinets. 

So…I bought Rustoleum Magnetic Paint and Chalkboard Paint.  I applied the magnetic paint with a brush first,  let it dry, and then applied the chalkboard paint.  Now it is a place to hang pics and cards as well as write messages to our family!

And for the holidays, it can really add CoLoR to the room by simply using different colored chalk!  I will need to clear some more space as we recently received much more Christmas mail to display!

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Need an ineXpenSive way to wrap a gift or gift card?  Check this out!!

Clean out an old soup can and hammer holes in the top…

Use decorative paper to wrap around the can.  Secure with tape.  Hammer two holes on opposite ends of the top of the can…

Use jute rope, string, ribbon, or whatever you pRefeR to secure the top of the can.  I also spray painted some of the tops of the cans white (if you want to hide the aluminum)!  There are so many different ways to make these cans, so have fUn with it!

Merry Christmas!

Lara

{Holiday Homes Tour}

This HoLiDaY Scott and I were asked if we would participate in our town’s Holiday Homes Tour to help raise money for a non-profit animal shelter, called the Castaways.   How could we say “No”?  WaLtEr our chocolate lab is a rescue dog.  So here is a sample of what people saw on the tour:

On the front porch were these chairs with a sign that said "LeT It SnOw". The weather man must have thought it said "Rain" rather than "Snow", and rain it did all day long!! However, it only added to the ambiance - cozy and warm inside with Lara's aromatic potpourri filling the house, Christmas music, lots of Christmas lights, and a crackling fire!!
The Front Door.
The Entry.
A greeting to all who visited!
Walter stole the show by sitting in this very spot all after noon with his reindeer head band. And yes, the K-State footbal game played (on mute) durng the open house! They won and are headed to the Cotton Bowl!! Yay!! - (I had to include that since Scott, Lara, and her husband, Doug are all K-State alums and very proud Wildcats!! :) )
What a sport!
Kitchen #1.
Kitchen #2.
Eating Nook.
Looking out on our back porch.
Staircase. (Sorry to state the obvious!)
Mud Room.
Master Bath.
Upstair Bath.
Girl's Bedroom.
Guest Bedroom.

In case you were hoping to see the Master Bedroom, that’s another post I will share in January (hopefully).  I spent a couple of months doing a room make-over and want to show you my finished product!!  StAy TuNeD!!

Homemade Hot Chocolate & Live-It List Idea

Is one of your Live-It list items to start a new family tradition?  How about putting this YuMmY hot chocolate in thermal mugs for the family to sip on while driving around to see Christmas lights!  I bet it would be something the kids would look forward to every year!

This homemade hot chocolate recipe is always a crowd pleaser.  Makes a great gift and a pErfeCt refreshment with your cinammon rolls on Christmas morning!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix       

16 oz.   Nestle Quick Chocolate Drink Mix

6 oz.    Coffee Creamer

½ C.     Powdered Sugar

4 Tbls.  Cocoa

Mix Ingredients well and store in air tight container.  Use 1/3 Cup of mixture to 1 Cup warm milk.  Top with marshmallows!

Makes 32 Servings

(These were some clear containers I had around the house.  I decorated them with wrapping paper, jute rope and ribbon!  Super easy and immediately FeStiVe!)

Enjoy!

Lara

What is your favorite Christmas song?

LaRa SaYs: “Well, honestly I have too many favorites.  Can I share 2 of them?  ‘AnD ThE AnGelS CrIeD’ tears me up every time.  Love this song…

and my second song, as heard on the movie HoMe AlOnE, always makes me feel like a kid…and everyone wants to feel like a kid now and then :)”

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RoByN SaYs: “Over the years my favorite Christmas song has changed.  This year I am really into BrEaTh of HeaVeN by Amy Grant.  It helps remind me of the true meaning of Christmas!”

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RoByNn SaYs:  “My favorite?   Ummm………there is actually no other genre of music where I have so many songs in a dead heat.  This, however, may be one of the most powerful Christmas songs I have ever heard.  It is called, “Mary, Did You Know?”  By Rascal Flatts

  

Suede Sofa would LoVe to know your favorites this year!

Smile at a Stranger

Last week my friend Anne lost her husband after a tough BaTtLe with cancer.  They had just celebrated their son’s first birthday and through it all Anne managed to stay upbeat, positive, and grateful for their time together as a family.  The night before her husband passed she wrote, “Hug your loved ones and smile at a stranger.  Today only comes once” on her Facebook page.  I was immediately stuck by such PoWeRfUL words.

A SMiLe…something so simple yet packed with such meaning.  Whether it be the crossing guard you drive by daily, a cashier at the grocery store, or a stranger you meet at the post office; you never know what they might be going through and how much a smile might mean to them.  It is something that won’t cost anything and the payback will warm your HeARt.

STOP EATING!

Do you ever have days when you eat everything in the house and you still feel unsatisfied?  And then as you are frantically trying to find your hidden candy stash you scream inside, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP EATING!!  WHY ARE YOU STILL EATING?!”

Even though I normally stay within 5 pounds of my healthy weight (besides when I’m pregnant) I still have days when I fall off the deep end.  Thinking that it will make me FeeL better, I eat everything in sight, when in fact it only makes me feel worse and causes me to eat more.  I basically give up on myself and hOpE that tomorrow is a better day (when many times it isn’t because I feel horrible the next morning!)

I’ll be hoNesT; I don’t have a glorious ending to this post.  I’m just writing to say that no matter what size or weight you are, some days are just TOUGH.  Have you ever stuck to a diet for weeks or months and then, for whatever reason, you lose control and gain all the weight back?  Probably, yes.  The reAliTy is, even in the most perfect circumstances PeaCe wItH FoOd won’t always be as peaceful as it sounds.

Speaking of which, I don’t know about you but the holiday goodies are making this “eating stuff” even more difficult.  I’m trying to sample in moderation, but again…trying to be real with you…it is a struggle and some days I just give up.

Confession: Right before I sat down to write this post, I had inTenTions of ending my horrible eating day with a glass of milk and cookies.  I just happened to text my sis and she said she was at the gym.  Hearing from her is what it took to “snap out of it”.  Instead, I’ve opted to write you and sAvE myself the extra calories and disappointment I would have felt in 10 minutes.  Thank you sis and to you readers for detouring my thoughts so my day could end better than expected!

You are NEVER alone.

~Lara