Gift Idea: Homemade Marshmallows & Cocoa Mix

My love affair with homemade marshmallows began years ago, when my husband was in grad school, we were living in Oregon and I made a ridiculous purchase of marshmallows at Williams-Sonoma.  I still, to this day cannot believe I paid so much for those marshmallows, but they were good and I figured I would give it the o' college try (errr, grad school wife try, rather) and see about making them myself.  I did, with great success (cutting them into shapes that first year.  Trees for Christmas, hearts for Valentine's Day), and have never looked back (well, I do still look at the back of the box, when I pop into Williams-Sonoma, to see the price climb each holiday season).  Here are two recipes that will make you feel like a gift giving champ!

Find my recipe, for fluffy marshmallow perfection in a blog post 

from several years ago.  Marshmallow link.

See all those delicious flecks of vanilla bean?  Be still, my heart.

You'll see the full step by step on the old marshmallow post, but 

I cannot get over how much I love cutting huge, square marshmallows!

I bought cute little paper 'fruit' crates at the craft store (they were

labeled as food safe, FYI) and then popped the filled crate

into a clear cello bag and tied with hemp rope.  I decided I needed

to send hot chocolate with the homemade marshmallows, so I filled 

large Ball jars (they were narrow, yet rather tall...a style I had never

seen before, but am now obsessed).  To create this hot chocolate

concoction of love I put the grater attachment in my food processer

 and shaved big bars of dark chocolate (I bought the large bars

from Trader Joe's).  The shavings yielded quite a bit, but I decided

I wanted to gift more hot chocolate so I did equal parts dark chocolate

shavings, unsweetened cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar and a

pinch of sea salt. 

YUM YUM YUM!

On the back of the little label I attached to the 

hot chocolate mix, I placed the directions of

1/3 cup mix to 1 cup hot milk.

I think this is a gift that should extend well into the New Year!

Who wouldn't love to receive this from their Valentine?

xo.

Gift wrapping tip, to simplify your Christmas!

I am pulling out some gifts I have stashed away the last few months, 

and wanted to share my quick and easy tips for Christmas 

morning presents, for kids.

Seriously, I feel like this is a game changer!

 

 Items that arrive in a perfect box, I wrap and those 

are gifts from us ('us' being Zac & me).  

 Instead of searching for boxes and gift bags, irregular

shaped items are gifts from Santa, and are tucked

under the tree, sans wrapping, on Christmas morning!

This is great in more ways than saving you time on searching

for a box or gift bag, it also saves from the question you 

will ask yourself at 11pm on Christmas Eve, which

is the paper that Santa is using??? Seriously, 

kids notice everything...no more wrapping paper slip ups!

Hope this helps.  

 xo.

Deck the Halls...

Hodge Podge cuteness, if you ask me! 

It all started with some bulbs...I bought loads of shatter proof bulbs

at Target after last Christmas.  Great deals and I just knew I would

find a tree-free purpose for them, this holiday.  New (deeply discounted) 

bulbs, a few old bulbs, fish line...and I was off.

This old dresser (a fantastic mid-century Craigslist find) usually is

the base for family photos, some family art and the candles (as seen).

I pulled the photos and art and moved in some holiday cheer.

My mom gave me the Twinkle sign years ago and it is still a holiday favorite 

and looks cutie with the (once again,a cheapy find at Target) felted trees.  

I pulled out my trifle dish, filled it with bulbs and balanced it with a holiday postcard 

that I plopped in a frame (the postcard looks vintage, which I totally love).

Simply plopping the glitter bulbs on top of the well used 

candles adds quick and instant holiday pizazz.  To add a bit 

 more dimension, I threw the remaining bulbs (that were housed in 

a tube, 8 bulbs total, in the $1 section at Target...which I 

 proudly paid 50 cents for) in a vintage mason jar.  

The BE MERRY sign was also sourced from the 

$1 section at Target (again, a 50 cent score!)

I just picked the table runner up at Home Goods (because, as they 

say, Home Goods makes you happy) and pulled out a rad enamel bowl

that I picked up years ago at a garage sale (for $1...for reals) and filled it

with several of my favorite, oversize bulbs.  I filled a vintage mason jar with the

 garland beads I usually string from a cut tree.  I topped my favorite little cake

stand with a glass dome (filled with bulbs).  Major props to that cute little

dome.  I picked it up at Goodwill (it was the topper of a wooden cheese board).

I just bought the topper, for $1.  Keep watch for them, as they seem to be plentiful 

on the shelves of thrift stores, and make a wonderful statement for a birthday cupcake,

stack of cookies or...a pile of Christmas bulbs. 

I want to live in this potpourri of colorful holiday cheer!

Seriously, how fab is this bowl?  I am mildly obsessed with it's beat up beauty!

I went fish line crazy with the table lighting.  Super random, yet balanced.

Logi has stood on the table no less than 10 times and asked me,

 is it snowing? while she bangs these around.  Lawdy!

Super simple, quick and wicked cheap holiday creation!!!

I purchased a few packages of faux greenery 

garland (last winter, after season sale, of course)

knowing that I wanted to doll up the stairs.

Using fish line I bundled random bulbs and 

tied to the posts.

Bundle of bulbs!

I tucked this gorgeous winter picture of my nieces

on my metro rack of crazy.  It looks perfect.

In other news...

Logi is ready to take on winter!