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Friday Favorites – Week 44

December 30, 2010 5 Comments

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Welcome to the last Friday Favorites event for 2010, and incidentally my last post for the year! This week I thought it would be fun if we linked up our favorite posts from the entire year! This could be one post that you especially loved from your blog, or if you, like many, have a created a post, highlighting several of your favorite recipes, projects, etc. from the year, you could link that up too!
And as always, if you have a post from this week that you want to link up instead (or also), you are welcome to link that up as well!
I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend!  And I wish you all the Best of Luck in 2011!

Melting Snowman Cookies from The Moody Fashionista
Orange-Chocoalte Meringue Kisses from uTry.It
Ice Candles from Elizabeth & Co

Dreamsicle Fudge from Shop Annies
Sambuca Cookies from Andrea’s Kitchen

Okay! Time to link up your posts for this week! Please be sure to include my button or a link back to my blog somewhere on your site so others can join the party! Happy New Year!

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Filed Under: Friday Favorites

SSH’s Best in 2010: Projects

December 29, 2010 4 Comments

At the end of each year I like to revisit my posts from the year and highlight some of my favorites. I’ve never been a really crafty person, but this year I began trying my hand at Mod Podge and some other craft projects. Today we take a look at some of the things that I made throughout the year.

Next week I’ll be sharing Best in 2010: Food, so please come back and check it out!
I’m linking up this week to these linky parties.

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Filed Under: Best Posts, crafts, decorating, Home/Garden

Holly Bloggy Christmas: Thank Yous and Giveaway Winners

December 27, 2010 4 Comments
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Hey everyone! I’m very excited to announce all the Holly Bloggy Christmas winners today!  But before we get to that I want to take a moment to thank a few people who helped to make our event a success.
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who participated in one or more of the linky events a couple of weeks ago.  Without your participation, none of us could have sucessful linky parties.  And on behalf of myself, the other hostesses, and our readers, I have to say that we loved looking at everyone’s lovely recipes, crafts, decorations and projects. Thank you for sharing them with us!
Secondly, I want to thank Sarah Meyer for the use of her adorable artwork to create the Holly Bloggy button and graphic.
And of course, I want to thank the lovely ladies who took time out of their busy holiday schedules to host this event with me: Jen at tater tots and jello, Nicholette and Vanessa at Craft Envy, Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage, and Cheryl at Tidy Mom.  You guys did such a lovely job on your posts, and I really appreciate your work!
Finally, I wish to thank all of our wonderful giveaway sponsors (see links below)!  It really adds to the fun when you can give away great prizes, and I was so excited to have so many great people offer up their products for giveaways.
Now without further ado, here is the list of giveaway winners! All winners will be contacted by email (or blog) and they will have a week to respond and claim their prizes.

Sponsor: Yummy Cuppy Crafts
Prize: 6 Month Membership to the Cupcake Wrapper of the Month Club ($50 value)
Winner: Melissa at The Joys of Home Educating

Sponsor: Scentsy Consultant- Jonnie Mellen,
Prize: Plug-in size Warmer with 3 scents ($25 value)
Winner: Summer at Crosbie Crew

Sponsor: Best Bath Store

Prize: Holiday Soap Set ($13.95 value)
Winner: Jen at RoxyBonds Scrappin’

Sponsor: Up to My Knees in Crafts
Prize: $35 Gift Certificate
Winner: Ami at Ali Lilly

Sponsor: Scrapbook Circle,
Prize: December Kit ($29.95 value)
Winner: Allie at Miss Lovie Creations

Sponsor: Pure Sugar
Prize: Holiday Bow Set ($20.50 value)
Winner: Katie at Katie’s Nesting Spot

Sponsor: Scentsy Consultant- Jonnie Mellen
Prize: Holiday Warmer with 3 scents ($40 value)
Winner: Anne at Life with Lianne

Sponsor: Lavender Cottage
Prize: Soaring Free Pendent ($32 value)
Winner: Michele at A Bushel and A Peck

Sponsor: My Dream Sample Box
Prize: Blogger Ornament ($14.95 value)
Winner: Megan at Sweet Sadie Marie

Sponsor: Lisa Leonard Designs
Prize: $50 Gift Certifciate
Winner: Tina at Mom’s Crazy Cooking

Sponsor: Twelve Crafts
Prize: Pretend and Play Chef Set ($30 value)
Winner: Jocelyn at  Inside BruCrew Life

Sponsor: Hope Abound
Prize: Holiday Bow Set ($13.95 value)
Winner: April at Taking Time to Smell the Flowers

Sponsor: Hun…What’s for Dinner?
Prize: Wilton Chocolate Pro Melting Pot w/ 2 bags of chocolate melts ($48 value)
Winner: Joanna from Mommy in Suburbia

Sponsor: Kinley Lane Designs
Prize: $25 Gift Certificate
Winner: Sunny at Life in Rehab

Sponsor: Simply Sweet Creations
Prize: Lavender Love Set ($17 value)
Winner: Danielle at Mostly Food and Crafts

Congrats to all of our winners!  And thank you again for participating in the Holly Bloggy!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

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Filed Under: Giveaways, Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash

Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

December 27, 2010 13 Comments
Hope you all had a lovely and joyous Christmas!  Now it’s time to move on to 2011!  For New Year’s Eve, I’ve always enjoyed having appetizers to snack on throughout the evening.  So this week, I’m sharing what is, perhaps, the easiest appetizer ever!
These ham & cheese pinwheels are a quick fix, and they’ll look great next to your hot dips, hot wings, and veggie trays. Enjoy!
Recipe for Ham & Cheese Pinwheels
1 block cream cheese
several slices of ham
Directions: Place your cream cheese in the microwave for a few seconds to soften.  Spread onto ham slice with a knife.  (I use the thick slices that are rectangle shaped.)  Roll up the ham slice. Repeat until you’ve used all the cream cheese.  Chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.  Then take a sharp knife and cut your ham rolls into pin wheels.  Place on a tray and you’re ready to serve!
Tips:
For larger (wider) pinwheels, spread the cream cheese on the ham.  Then stack 2 or 3 ham & cheese slices together before rolling.  Chill & then cut.
To add extra color and flavor to your pinwheels you may consider adding one or two of the following to your cream cheese spread:  shredded cheddar cheese, chives, pickle relish, red or green pepper, tomato, or even a colorful spice like basil or paprika.
Do you have an easy appetizer or snack that you like to make for the holidays? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Linking up this week to these parties.

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Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, Christmas, Recipe of the Week

Friday Favorites – Week 43

December 23, 2010 3 Comments

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Hi everyone!  Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy holiday schedule to link up here!
Hope you enjoy this week’s featured ideas!  Also, while you’re here, you may want to check out my posts from earlier in the week.  I’ve featured a ton of fun and festive ideas that were linked up at the Holly Bloggy last week.  (By the way, the Holly Bloggy Giveaway Winners will be announced next week, so stay tuned!)
And speaking of giveaways, I launched a very special Holiday Giveaway  this week from Crisco with over $100 in baking supplies for your kitchen! Very cool!
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
Gift Card Box from Kim Castillon

Twine Wrapped Christmas Trees from Trendy Pockets
Vintage Santa Vignette from Karie’s Chic Creations

Homemade Stockings from My Crazy Simple Life

Christmas Flower Wreath from Permanent Posies

I can’t wait to see your posts! Link up below!

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Filed Under: Christmas, Friday Favorites

Holly Bloggy Christmas Recipes

December 22, 2010 8 Comments

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I was so excited to see so many of you stop by and share your recipes with me for the Holly Bloggy last week!  I have a ton of commenting to do because you all did such a wonderful job.  Everything looks delicious! And I have to tell you, it was really tough trying to decide which items to feature!  In fact, I really wish I could feature all your recipes, but after much consideration I finally managed to come up with a short list.  Hope you enjoy these yummy treats!
Giant Ginger Cookies from Make the Best of What’s Around

Christmas Wreaths (and other recipes) from 4 Growing Boys

Christmas Cutout Cookies from Thrifty Parsonage Living
Holiday Cheeseball: Cranberry and Gargonzola from A Musing Potpourri
Christmas Lightbulb Cookies from Foxy Fawni

Triple Chocolate Almond Cookies from uTr.it

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Cupcakes from madigan made

Cake Balls from Around My Family Table

Munchable Mice from Moms Crazy Cooking

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies from Love Being In My Southern Kitchen

Friday Favorites will return tomorrow!  Hope to see you there!

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Filed Under: Christmas, recipes

Crisco’s Cookie Central, Frosted Brownie Cups, and a Giveaway!

December 20, 2010 193 Comments

Today I have a fun-filled and very exciting post for you! Last weekend I got the chance to do some holiday baking using some amazing new baking supplies and resources from our good friends at Crisco.
To support this season of bountiful baking, Crisco has launched a new online resource called  Cookie Central.  All it takes is a few clicks to solve any cookie-related woe.  Features, such as “Cookie of the Day,” can sustain a devoted baker throughout the holiday season and beyond, while novice bakers will quickly feel at ease after watching the site’s instructional videos.
The website also provides a simple homemade cookie recipe mix that can be used for more than a dozen different types of cookies.

At Cookie Central you can also download some printable Recipe Cards and Gift Tags!  These are perfect to use for holiday gift giving, whether you’re giving out cookies that are already baked, or handing out cute jars filled the ingredients so your friends can make their own.

Personally I was very impressed by the site.  It gives you a big variety of recipes to fit all tastes.  The videos and tips are perfect for people who need extra help.  And the printable cards and tags are super cute and convenient!

I was given a set of the printable recipe cards,which I used to make Crisco’s Homemade Cookie Mix.  And after much consideration, I used the mix to make some delicious Frosted Brownie Cups.  Mine were made kind of hastily, so their not as cute as they could be, but they are definitely delicious!

Recipe for Frosted Brownie Cups:

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups Homemade Cookie Mix
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
OR 1 tablespoon Crisco® Light Olive Oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 (16 oz.) container Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Frosting
OR 1 (13.5 oz.) can Pillsbury® Easy Frost™ Decadent Chocolate Fudge No Fuss Frosting
Chocolate or other decorator sprinkles (optional)
Directions:  Heat oven to 375ºF. Line mini muffin pans with foil mini muffin baking cups. Combine Homemade Cookie Mix, sugar and cocoa in large mixing bowl until blended. Add oil, egg and milk. Beat with electric mixer on low until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls into prepared muffin cups.  Bake 10 minutes or until center is dry and puffed. Cool completely on wire rack. Frost brownie cups. Top with decorator sprinkles, if desired.

Win it! To help you with your holiday baking, Crisco is offering a prize pack filled with baking supplies to one Simply Sweet Home reader.
-Glass Jar filled with a dozen Cookie Cutters
-Baking Sheet
-Set of Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups
-Spatula
-Cookie Dough Scoop
-Recipe Cards
-Sample of Crisco Baking Sticks
This is a very impressive prize pack with high quality items. I checked around on the internet, and if you ordered each of the items featured here, you’d pay around $100 for them!  Talk about a super prize!

Giveaway Closed.
I’m linking up to these parties.
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Disclosure: Not a paid post. For hosting this giveaway, I received a prize pack like the one being given away here.
Filed Under: cookies and candy, cupcakes, Giveaways, Recipe of the Week

Christmas Wreath Ideas

December 20, 2010 3 Comments
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Hope you enjoy these wreaths from last week’s events.  Wreaths are one of my favorite decor items, so it’s been a real treat to see everyone’s ideas.  They’re all so unique and creative!

Pretty Paper Wreath from Whipper Berry

Fabric Ball Wreath from My House of L

Embroidery Hoop Wreath from Silly Precious Piggies

Winter Wreath from Life with Liane

Christmas Ribbon Wreath from Calico and Cupcakes

Poinsetta Wreath from Fast Daze

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Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, Wreaths

Homemade Christmas Gifts in Jars

December 19, 2010 5 Comments
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Last year when we hosted the first Holly Bloggy Christmas, I really enjoyed going through all the fun ideas linked up and featuring them on my blog for a Holly Bloggy After Party.  So I decided to keep the tradition for this year and share some of the great ideas from last week.  Today I’m presenting some really cute homemade gifts….in jars!

Not Just a Jar of Cocoa from Craftberry Bush

Candy Gift Containers from The Scrap Shoppe

Cranberry Citrus Cream Cheese Hostess Gift from Sand & Sisal

Reindeer Food from Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats

Mod Podge Jars w/ Granola from Craft-O-Maniac

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Filed Under: Christmas

Huggable Teddy Bear Review

December 18, 2010 Leave a Comment
Looking for the perfect teddy bear to give to your loved one this Christmas?  Huggable Teddy Bears has a wonderful assortment of bears for all occasions.  They also sell great name brand bears, as well as occupation and sports bears.

I recently got the opportunity to review a bear from the Huggable Teddy Bears site.  The bear I chose for my review is a bear named Brown Sugar by Aurora World.  I chose this bear because I absolutely love traditional brown teddy bears, and I thought this would be a great addition to my collection.  I also chose it because it’s made by Aurora World, who makes some fabulous products. 
This bear definitely did not dispapoint.  First off, he is simply beautiful, and I was very impressed by his bright, rich colors.  He definitely lives up to the name Brown Sugar.  He’s also very well made, and he features some high quality materials that not only look good but also make him feel soft, cuddly, and furry.  And like the classic teddy bears that I love he has a beautiful matching ribbon tied around his neck.  And he has an adorably sweet face.
The Brown Sugar bear also come in a great size, measuring about 16 inches tall, which makes it a great bear to set out somewhere in your home or a great toy for all ages. And he’s also available in a 24 inch size if you wanted something bigger.
Obviously I love this bear!  And I think he would make a fabulous gift!

As we go into the New Year and start shopping for Valentine’s Gifts, the Huggable Teddy Bear site would also be a great place to shop.  They have a lovely line of Valentine bears, including this really cute Love Stinks Bear.

Check out Huggable Teddy Bears to see more adorable gift ideas.

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Disclosure:  I received a free bear from Huggable Teddy Bears for this review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Filed Under: product review, shopping
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