Easy Sugar Cookies

Every now and then my husband will make a batch of cookies for us once the kids have gone to bed. He will make different ones from my recipes, but one night he decided he wanted sugar cookies and I did not have a recipe for some. I have to admit I don't like to make sugar cookies from scratch cause they usually take a long time to make, so I usually make them out of the packets. Chris went onto allrecipes.com and found a sugar cookie recipe he wanted to try. They turned out great! It was a super easy recipe and you didn't have to chill the dough in the fridge. They were light and fluffy. Definitely worth a try!

1/3 c. shortening
1/3 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt


1. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar together.
2. Add egg and vanilla
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the wet mixture
4. Roll dough into balls and dip in sugar


Makes one dozen.
350 for 10-12 min

-chelz

The Faeriewalker Series

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars






I thought this was a good fun read. I like how I was immediately drawn into the story. It is a mystery in a way to figure out who can be trusted!






Shadowspell by Jenna Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There is a certain dark and sexy mystic to this book with the introduction of the Erlking! I really enjoyed this book.

Sirensong by Jenna Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Loved this series. It was and easy to get through. I love an ending where everything works out but I do have to say that I didn't like how the last few pages where spent talking about her mom...who cares... In my opinion.

I definitely recommend this series!  It was a fun twist on the Fae world and its inner workings! I loved all the characters in this series in their own way! There were lots of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and wondering what was going to happen next. The introduction of the Erlking brought on great chemistry to the books, and I actually enjoyed his character a lot! check out these books and let me know what you think of them!

-chelz

Frugal Friday: DIY Magnetic Play Sets

My kids love to play with little magnetic play sets but they can be quite pricey.  I found this idea on Pinterest to make your own so I thought I'd give it a try.  I bought these  Avery Magnet Sheets from Amazon. I've never used the magnetic paper before but was very pleased with how easy it was to use.

First, I found a couple of places with images to use.  I found these Toy Story ones and these Angry Birds ones.  (I actually used Photoshop to put all the Toy Story images on one sheet and same with the Angry Birds.)  For the other sets I just used google to find some images I knew my kids would like and pasted them into a word document.  Then I printed each set and cut them out.  The magnetic paper is really thin so it was very easy to cut them out, just a little tedious. :) 

I've made 4 sets so far: Nick Jr characters, Toy Story 3, Angry Birds & Superheroes.  (I still haven't figured out what to do on my last sheet!) You can download the documents I used HERE. 

We took these on a long car ride and my kids loved playing with them.  Some dollar store cookies sheets worked perfectly with them.  It was only $8 for pack of 5 magnetic sheets, so that made each set just under $2. Can't beat that!

 




Linked to: Craft-O-Maniac, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Keeping It Simple, Becolorful, C.R.A.F.T.  Sugar & Spice, Fine Craft Guild, Classy Clutter, Michelle Paige,

Things We Love Thursdays: Mini Popsicles

I just LOVE these mini popsicles!  They are the perfect size for little toddler hands and because they are small they get eaten quickly with very little mess.  I always stock up on these during the summer!

Origami Tie Father's Day Cards

These cards are so fun to make and I think they look adorable!  They are perfect for Father's day and my kids love making them. 

To make the origami ties, you'll need some fun scrapbook paper and THIS tutorial.  It might look intimidating at first, but these are seriously easy!

You can use the origami ties in a number of ways, but I like to make little shirt cards for them to go onto.  Just make one-inch slits at the top of the card and fold down to make the collar.  Then you can embellish it with brads & the tie.  I have a little "dad" stamp I added, too. 

Here are a couple more I've made with the kids:

Here are a few other cute ways to use the origami ties:

From Craft Chaos 4 Kids

From Stamping on the Bayou

From Carolina's Creative Pad

WIWW: Marie

I love summer!  Now I just need to get a little color on my arms and legs.  :P

Skirt: Papaya
Tank: Styles For Less
Cardi: Target
Belt: F21
Shoes: Thrifted









 


  

Linked to: Rae Gun Ramblings, The Pleated Poppy, Two Thirty-Five Designs, Rolled Up Pretty & Transatlantic Blonde

What I Read: March

This was a pretty good reading month for me.  I didn't read a whole lot, but the books I did read I really enjoyed.  (Although two were actually re-reads!)  Love it when I have so many good books!


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of my favorites in the series the first time I read it and listening to the audio was just as good, if not better! Jim Dale does such an amazing job narrating these books. Even though I knew everything that was going to happen, I still found myself laughing, crying, holding my breath and feeling the tension. Pure magic!!!



Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Update 5/5/12
I decided to give this book a second chance since so many people seem to really love it. I listened to it on audio and really enjoyed the narrator. I liked it more this second time around (and rated it a little better!) but I have to say I still have the same reservations I had the first time. I just didn't connect with this book. I don't know if it was Tris, the factions, the writing or what. Maybe it's just that I was expecting too much? At any rate, it's still a really good book and I am anxiously awaiting book 2!

Original review 9/23/11
I really wanted to LOVE this book, but instead I just kinda liked it. The second half was better than the first, but there was still something that didn't sit quite right with me. Maybe it was just the whole concept of factions. To me it just wasn't believable enough. Most dystopian books seem very extreme, but at the same time I actually buy into it. This one I just couldn't wholeheartedly accept. I also never really fell in love with Tris. I liked a lot of the "supporting" characters better I think! But all in all it was an entertaining read and I am interested enough to keep reading the series and find out what happens next! :)


Insurgent by Veronica RothMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

After not really getting the hype for Divergent, I have to say this book made up for it! I absolutely loved it. There was action, suspense, emotion and humor sprinkled throughout. I loved getting a better look into each of the factions and it finally started feeling more believable to me. Loved the twists and turns and even though some of them were a bit predictable I still found myself holding my breath and dropping my jaw. I LOVED the audio version for this. Emma Galvin was absolutely amazing! The wait for the next book will be excruciating!



Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The beginning of this book was a little slow, but then things picked up and it was fast-paced till the end. There were so many times where my mind was reeling, wondering what certain things meant and I can't wait until the next book to find out the answers and see where this leads. I really enjoyed the characters and it was nice to get more points-of-view from some of them. I listened to the audio for the last 3/4 of the book and I'm so glad I did. The narrator did such a great job with some of the characters. I especially loved J-Dog & Dr. Skillz!!!



The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have really enjoyed this series! It's kinda creepy and reminds me a little of the show Criminal Minds. It was a little predictable at times, but I'm very interested to see where the story leads. I liked getting a glimpse into the lives of her team and I hope we'll see even more from them.




A Million Suns by Beth Revis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, I think more than the first one! The one thing that bothered me was that it didn't really make sense for Orion to send them on a hunt for clues instead of just telling them the big "secret". The only reason I can think of was just to make the book more suspenseful and interesting -- which it definitely was! I was not prepared for the twists in this one and I am soooo anxious to read the next book to find out what happens!