Meet Feeding My Temple, Week 39

This weeks lovely guest is Allison from Feeding My Temple! 

Thanks Allison for taking the time to visit with us!

As a full time working mom who loves to cook, I tend to be exhausted by the time Friday evening rolls around. One of my fail proof recipes that I find myself craving are these waffles. Who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner? You, of course need a waffle iron for these and use just a few of your pantry staples. This recipe takes about the same amount of time to mix as a pre-made chemical laden one.

10 Minute Homemade Waffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake: per waffle iron directions

Makes: 10 waffles

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In the center of the bowl, make a well for the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil or butter, and vanilla until egg is beaten.

Pour wet ingredients into the well you made and stir until slightly lumpy.

Spray heated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and drop 1/2 cup waffle batter into the center and close. Your waffle iron might call for a smaller or larger amount of batter; just follow your iron’s directions and adjust accordingly!

Once cooked through (a green light comes on when my waffle is ready), remove and top with butter, syrup, fruit topping, peanut butter, whipped cream, or whatever you like on your waffles. Enjoy with milk.

I like mine with a touch of butter and light syrup and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

Also, have you heard about the upcoming Find Some Love Fest? Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

Meet Designed by Chance, Week 38

Hi!  I'm Chance from Designed by Chance.  I write a little blog about crafts, home decor, gardening, and my life.  Type A is one of my favorite blogs, and I make sure never to miss a post.  I'm so excited to be a guest on Tammy's blog.  If I lived anywhere near (but I don't) her I would give her a big hug right now.

Today I want to show you a little project I put together to keep all my wrapping supplies "under wraps" (sorry I could not resist the pun).

I don't have a lot of space in my little cottage, so I decided to keep my "wrapping station" under the guest bed.

I used a large roll-away bin to store all my wrapping supplies.  Be sure to get the longest one you can find, otherwise it won't hold the long wrapping rolls.

Next, I collected all the wrapping paper from all over the house.  For some reason I leave wrapping paper all over, and I can never find the tape or scissors when I need them either.  It is good to have everything in one place now.  

I really like the solid paper because it can be used for multiple occasions.  As you can see I have a few Christmas papers too, this year I used brown paper and twine (you can see that here).  This paper is from other years.

This paper is really great because it has both solid red and polka-dots on the same paper.  I love the different sides, and the polka-dots make me so happy.

I save tissue paper.  Here is my collection of papers, there are all different colors and styles.  I use the tissue paper with these boxes, which I save from year to year as well (I seem to be quite low on boxes this year).

Don't forget the scissors and tape.

Put it all together, and you have an easy simple system for all your wrapping needs.

Cover, 

                                .....slide under the bed, 

                            

                                                        and you are done!  

                                 (Bye bye wrapping station.)

I would love to have some fancy wrapping station with tons of space that takes up half my house, but that is just not a reality.  In truth, I prefer to have guests and friends, not a wrapping station I will never use.  This little set-up is just perfect for all my wrapping needs.  I don't have any kids yet, but I have a feeling this will be really handy when all those birthday parties start up (one day).

 

Chores for Kids: Good or Bad?

Guest Post:James Lander of couponing site, Couponing, has provided this article. Couponing is a website that concentrates on sharing the most authoritative couponing information with consumers.

For many children, doing chores is a normal part of their daily or weekly schedule, and are the way they expect to earn allowance money or permission to do extra activities. For other kids, chores are as unfamiliar as going to a full-time office job. In recent years, the divide between parents who require chores and those who don't has become more stark, and parents on each side of the argument – for chores or against – have strong, impassioned reasons for their belief that their way is the appropriate one.

Parents who believe in chores are firm in their reasoning, primarily because they see chores as a normal part of childhood development and growing up. The argument of these parents is that chores help children learn basic, necessary skills involved with everything from responsibility to money-management and time-management. Chores, when age-appropriate, can give children a sense that they are expected to be contributing members of their household, just like their parents. The idea behind this school of thought is that children who feel an early sense responsibility to help out their group will carry this value through the rest of their lives in school, work, and their own families.

Parents who are pro-chores also hope this practice will imbue their children over time with a sense of money- and time-management. By making a weekly allowance conditional on the completion of chores, parents hope to their children a sense of the value of money and an understanding that it doesn't often come for free. Setting a daily or weekly schedule for chores is also intended to cement the idea of accountability for children; if chores are not completed in the allotted time – just as in life – payment will not be given.

Most parents who are in favor of giving kids chores tend to ease them into it, with simple tasks at a young age and assigning more complex ones later on. Helping to fold laundry is a good example of a simple chore given to a younger child to get them started; older children often do more outwardly helpful jobs like walking the dog, taking out the trash, and cleaning communal spaces in the home.

For all of the parents who see the benefits of chores, however, there are many parents who argue that children should absolutely not be given chores. The main arguments behind this belief are similarly economic and responsibility-based. Most parents who are anti-chores believe that the chore systems implemented in most households are over-simplified and actually lead to bad relationships with money and responsibility.

One of the primary arguments of anti-chores parents has to do with the idea of offering an allowance in exchange for housework. The problem, they say, is that children should not be taught to expect money for completing normal household tasks; teaching children that they will be rewarded with money every time they do the laundry or mop the floor sets them up to expect some kind of treat for any work they do for the rest of their lives. This system does not prepare them for the fact that most of work that adults do, in and out of the house, goes unrewarded and unpaid.

On the other end of this argument is the idea that children will learn that the purpose of work is to be rewarded rather than to be a positive member of a team. These parents worry that rewarding children for certain tasks teaches them that other good behavior has less value and that money is the reason why they should help out.

There are also parents who are anti-chores simply because they believe children should be allowed to be children. Though this is a less-common philosophy, there are parents that think chores burden children with work and adult responsibilities too early, and that children benefit more from the opportunity to enjoy their lives free from basic duties as long as possible.

Whichever side of the chores argument you fall on, you will find many supporters. In the end, every family must find the system that they are most comfortable with and that they feel will benefit their children the most in the long run. Finding what works for your family is the ultimate way to determine the right answer in this debate.

Meet Dear Helen Harman, Week 37

Dear Helen Hartman,

I’ve been asked by the gracious and talented Tammy at Type A to do a guest blog and I do not want to make a faux pas. Love to get some tips on being a good guest.

Dear Loved One,

You’re asking Helen to help you NOT make a faux pas? B-b-but Helen loves it when others make faux pas-es. And you know why?

Mona didn't laugh AT others, she laughed WITH them... ABOUT others. And she looked FAB doing it.

It gives Helen a chance to help her readers avoid similar missteps by giving advice at DearHelenHartman.com . In fact this week she'll be discussing navigating the tricky waters of being out of control in a strange environment, something she knows a lot about. 

What is the message of this advertisement? When you have great lipstick and a kicky hat you can dance your way off a dock and no one will care? I mean, if you look good, who needs air?  

Happily for you (and Helen) Tammy is a charming and clever hostess, who takes her guest’s feelings into account

Gladys felt like knocking back a few hot toddies and showing people how to do a flip off the ski ramp sans skis! Being a good hostess, you-know-who held the camera and later posted the whole fiasco on YouTube.

Tammy will be absolutely lovely no matter how badly you behave.

June didn't think of it as snooping. She thought of it as getting to know people in new and sneaky interesting ways.

 So being a guest at Type A is a pleasant experience for everyone.

Except maybe other guests who have to put up with your nonsense. 

Hazel didn't care if they did have to call in a team of nuns to wrestle her to the ground and cart her off for an emergency behavior adjustment. Whooping it up Helen-style at Type A had definitely been worth it!

Thank you, Tammy! And look on the bright side – if you get yourself in a pickle when visiting others, you can always write to Helen and she’ll be happy -- to tell you what you are doing wrong.

Visit DearHelenHartman.com or Like Helen on Facebook

With a tip of her pillbox hat to luminaries like Erma Bombeck, Heloise and Dear Abby, Helen Hartman tackles modern problems with time-tested solutions taken from vintage magazines, advertising, collectibles, cultural icons and personal experiences. If laughter is the best medicine Helen Hartman seeks to cure your ills, but don’t expect a spoonful of sugar unless sugar is what Helen is skewering, um, serving.

Meet More Bang for Your Bucks, Week #35

my husband Ben and I

Happy New Year! My name is Kelli and I blog at More Bang for Your Bucks: I write a little about spending less and saving more, and a lot more about my faith, my family, and whatever enters my mind that day! I am so honored to be Tammy's very first guest blogger of 2012!


When I first started thinking about this post- and let's be honest, Tammy had to remind me on Saturday!- I knew I wanted to write about the word "refresh" to coincide with the New Year. It has actually been a few years since I have made any New Year's resolutions (something about not even making to midnight awake took away the excitement, I guess!), and I decided this year I want to do something different. (Oh, and I did make it to midnight this year!)


Instead of having one huge goal for the whole year, each month I am going to challenge myself to either give up something for those 30ish days, or challenge myself to do something specific everyday for that month. I feel that breaking goals down into chunks will make the success of following through more promising! For example, during the month of January, my family and I will be giving up eating out, with the exception of my daughter's birthday.


So with this idea in mind, I want to give you a few ideas to think about as we start afresh this New Year, in hopes that you will find refreshment this January!

Source: google.ca via Rachel on Interest

1.) Refresh your ideas about money. Take a look around you at your possessions. Do you really need to buy a bunch of more "stuff" this year? Consider going on a "buying freeze" for a month or so and either save the money or invest into a worthy cause. For only $35 a month, you can help feed and educate a child through World Vision. This is the price of a (relatively inexpensive) pair of jeans, or seven coffees from Starbucks. Wear your old jeans a little longer, and buy a bag of Starbucks to brew at home. Our family is going to try to be much more intentional this year of thinking outside our needs and wants, and focus on those who really don't have necessities. My weakness is Hobby Lobby, can I get an amen?

Source: blogs.psychcentral.com via Ashley on Pinterest

2.) Refresh your commitment to the relationships in your life. I lost a valuable friendship in 2011 for reasons that I still don't understand, and it has made me all the more thankful for the lovely friendships that I do have. Assess your relationships. Do you have at least a few friends that you can be truly honest with, that love you unconditionally, ones that you don't have to constantly worry about the security of your friendship? If so, you are one very blessed woman. Be sure to pour into these relationships and let them know how much you love them! Don't take for granted that they know how much they mean to you.
If you don't have rich friendships such as this, I pray that you find them this year. Life is not meant to be lived alone!

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Angie on Pinterest

3.) Refresh your ideas about thankfulness. Am I the only one that gets annoyed by the after-Christmas commercials? I cringe when I hear, "Didn't get what you really wanted this year? Well come spend even more money after Christmas at our sale!" I really want to take time to enjoy what I do have this year- and it's not going to be easy. There's always something better, newer, flashier that is competing for our attention. A practical application to this idea is to write thank you notes for the gifts you did receive for Christmas. That is going on my list for today!
Friends, I hope that 2012 is a wonderful year for you. Not because of what you acquire or accomplish, but because of the people that you meet, help, and love. Oh, and I'd love for you to make a visit to my blog! :) 

Meet Days of Chalk and Chocolate, Week 34

Hello everyone!  I'm Jenny at Days of Chalk and Chocolate!  My blog is a place I created to chronicle my journey as I strive to decorate our new home on a non-existent budget while raising my two sweet-n-sour girls. I hope you visit as I love meeting new people who are interested in the same things.  I'm so excited to be visiting Tammy at Type A Decorating today! Tammy is always so welcoming to bloggers and I always appreciate her emails and comments. So I was so flattered to be asked to guest blog! 

The wrapping paper is in the garbage, the yule log has turned to ashes, Daddy's twice a year church obligation has been met...Christmas is over. I hope you all had a beautiful and blessed holiday!  Let's look forward to an even better 2012 Here are some ideas to get your party on!

Look at these beautiful party and table decorations!  Of course a glittery theme is best for ushering in the new year!



The Celebration Shoppe



Martha shows a great way to use up the leftover gift wrap!  These look like sparkly icicles to me.



Martha Stewart



This table setting is chic and shiny at the same time. I had mint julep cups at my wedding so I always like seeing them on a table setting.



The Hostess With The Mostess



I love the idea of using clocks as decor for New Year's Eve.



Lisa Storms



Gorgeous decorations for cupcakes!  So festive!



I Am Baker



More metallics!  I bet we can scam some glittery stars left over from Dollar Tree like the one I bought for Christmas decorating.



Design Indulgences



Don't forget the champagne! You can have it in a glass....



Pottery Barn



or in your cupcake.



Homemade By Holman



Aqua, black, and silver?  Yes, please!



Not Just a Mommy



I hope you glean a little inspiration from these ideas and have yourself a sparkly, shiny, and Happy New Year! And thanks, Tammy, for letting me visit today!

Cheers!

Jenny

Thrift Shop Commando, Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas, fellow bloggers and followers, Tami here

from Thrift Shop Commando.   I started my

blog late this year and have been having a blast with it! 

Since we’ve done all of our shopping,

and baking,

and have worn our ugly Christmas sweaters,

and attended Christmas parties ....

It is time to enjoy!  Seasons Greetings to All ~

Fox Hollow Cottage, 1 Day 'Til Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!
I'm Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage. 
Tammy has graciously invited me to guest host tonight here at Type A.
I hope everyone is...
Wait!
What's this...
A special news alert?

W-A-N-T-E-D
Suspect wanted for questioning in rash of home invasions.

Fat Man.
Last seen wearing a red suit and hat.
Should be easy to spot.
 Eyes; Blue, (tend to twinkle)
Cheeks; Rosy
Belly; Shakes like a bowl full of jelly

Please Note;
May be disguised with fluffy white beard.

Often travels with a posse of 

funny looking little people.

Weaknesses;
1. Cookies.
2. Milk.
3. Coca Cola.
Right Hand Man;
Rudolph the reindeer

Know Associates;
Frosty the Snowman.
AKA; Chubby the Chiller...
AKA; Mr Cool

Approach with caution!

Wields some sort of magical "list".
If spotted, be on your best behavior.
No Shouting - No Crying
and whatever you do...
 Do. Not. Pout.
This individual possess some sort of superior surveillance equipment.
We have received reports that he can
 see you when you're sleeping
and know's when you're awake.
So Stay Alert 
AND
Be On The Lookout!!
Suspect was last seen shimmying down a chimeny in your neighborhood.

Have a Very
MERRY CHRISTMAS

P.S ~ Once all the excitement of Christmas

dies down, I'd love to have you stop by

and visit me at Fox Hollow.