Chex Mix and Crafts

Good morning!

On Sunday, I headed down to my sister's place for a day filled with homemade Chex mix and crafts. My mom, sister, and I have been making homemade Chex mix each year since Andrea and I were little. It's a snack that we always look forward to and the bags that we produce rarely make it to see Christmas Day. 

We all brought a few ingredients and got to work! We made three batches so that we each could take one home to share with our husbands. Each year we make the classic recipe that is on the back of the seasoning packet, but we also make a few changes:

• We add Kix and Cheerios (or Joe's O's this year)
• Extra pretzels
• Extra wheat Chex since those are our favorite
• No bagel chips

This is how we've always done it and it is so good. I love all of the flavors and textures that are in each handful.

Check out my sister's huge measuring cup--that baby holds 4 cups! I mixed and measured all of the cereal and dry ingredients while my mom and sister melted butter mixed with the seasoning packet.

Stirring it all together to ensure an even distribution of flavors. You'd better believe we snacked on the dry mix a bit before tossing it into the oven to bake.

Working on batch two! By the third round, we had quite the system down!

My mom poured the mixture into baking pans before tossing it into the oven--stirring the mix every 15 minutes for even coverage.

Finally it was done! It made the house smell so good!

Crafts

My sister and her husband are picking up their new puppy tomorrow! His name is Hurley and he is a mix of a chocolate lab and a Corgi. From the pictures I've seen, he is adorable! They already have his bowl, food, collar, etc. all laid out and ready for him. I can't wait to meet this new addition to their family on Thanksgiving.

My whole family puts their trees up before Christmas--not just me! How cute is my sister's purple and silver themed tree? Please ignore the fact that I cut off the star at the top. Gah!

While the Chex mix roasted in the oven, we helped my mom with a Thanksgiving day craft. Well, my mom and I worked on them--my sister surfed the web and ate Chex mix while watching us do the crafts. 

My mom needed help creating and assembling little paper turkeys as placeholders for our Thanksgiving dinner. Speaking of which, we'll be headed to my in-law's on Thanksgiving day and my parent's on Sunday. Twice the celebration!

It was fun to sit back and do a craft while chatting with my family. I haven't done a cute project like this in so long! I often forget how fun it is to create things off screen rather than just on the computer.

We munched some salad while we worked--we weren't too hungry after all of that Chex mix so we kept it simple.

I cut out the turkey beaks and had way too much fun with them before they were glued down...

Seasonal candy was also consumed during the craft.

The finished product! We made 12 altogether and the letters stand for the initials of everyone's name. Here are the Laura and Andy turkeys. 

The whole army! Hopefully they stay strong this Thanksgiving so that we can use them again next year.

Today

Well, I'm off to go get ready for the day. Thankfully it's a short work-week this week and it's already almost half over. I'm working on some holiday e-card designs with animated snowflakes falling down and so far they're turning out well! This is a client that I don't usually design for, so it was nice to switch things up with a totally fresh look rather than a standard corporate style.

After work, I'm hitting the stores in search of some new jeans--the zipper came off the track of my favorite pair so they're kind of useless now!

Do you have name cards on your Thanksgiving table?

Homemade Chex mix fan?

When does your Thanksgiving break start?

Wedding Recap: Gift Opening

Hi!

I was so surprised when I rolled over this morning and saw that the clock said 9am! I'm not sure if I'm still jet-lagged or what, but my sleeping schedule has been so off for the past week or so. Normally I'm up by 6am each day so waking up mid-morning feels a bit foreign to me.

Yesterday morning began with some pumpkin spice pancakes courtesy of Allie's recipe. You can check out how to make them over on her blog! Not a bad way to start a Saturday!

Back on the Healthy Train

The gym at the resort

Oh well, I guess my body needed the rest! Yesterday I headed to the gym to get back into my healthy-life routine and boy, did it feel good! I worked out a little bit on our honeymoon: hiking, swimming, using the resort's fitness center, etc. but nothing compares to a nice strength-training session followed by a spin on the cardio machines in your usual gym.

Yesterday's setup

I enjoy using other gyms but nothing really compares to have a "home gym" that you frequent most. I like visiting other locations of my gym for variety, but when I want a really good workout, I rely on the one that is most familiar to me so I know where everything is and what days/times it is busy.

The machines at the resort's fitness center were pretty nifty--you could plug your iPod right into the machine and browse your music on the large display screen rather than on your device. This made switching songs while running a breeze!

Speaking of running, it was hot in there! I swear I was sweating within the first 3 minutes into my run and the machine was a mess afterwards--ew!

Gift Opening

Last night, Andy and I headed over to my parent's house for dinner. We were celebrating my brother-in-law Andrew's birthday and opening our wedding gifts that my parents had stashed at their house while we were on our trip.

The resort that we stayed at for the week!

It was fun to see everyone and show them pictures of our honeymoon while reminiscing of stories.

I loved this bag!

One of my favorite gifts--Mr. and Mrs. coffee mugs

Another favorite--a personalized apron!

(source)

After all of the gifts were opened, we headed down to the kitchen for some delicious homemade apple crisp topped with ice cream while we opened all of the cards we received. I opened one card and as I opened it, a baby-themed Target gift card slipped out. I stared at it in disbelief trying to figure out if someone bought the wrong gift card when I suddenly realized it was a joke. Two of Andy's groomsmen went in on a baby-themed gift card together as a joke. Hahaha, made my night.

Andrew's 21st

My dad gave my brother in law a 6 pack since he is turning 21 on Halloween! I saw this and started cracking up--they're so young! My sister's birthday is in March, so her 21st is right around the corner, too.

Off to go tackle organizing all of our gifts and finding places for them! My next post will be the "getting ready" part of my wedding day--hair, makeup, etc. so keep your eyes peeled! 

Have a great day! 

What kinds of gifts do you usually give for weddings? I usually go the "game" route--either a board game or a lawn game.

Do you like visiting a gym regularly or do you like to switch things up?

Favorite flavor of pancakes? I like blueberry--my grandpa makes the best blueberry waffles!

Meet the Wedding Party

....well, the girls, anyway!

This post was inspired by a dream I had last night--I woke up panicked this morning because I dreamt that Andy and I got married and after it was over, I realized that we forgot to do our vows during the wedding! We did all of the other parts of the ceremony except for the vows--ahhh! Thankfully it was just a dream.

Now, let's meet those ladies, shall we?

Andrea
First up, we have my gorgeous sister! She is going to be my Matron of Honor since she just got hitched last January. It's hard to believe they've already been married almost a year! Although we didn't always get along as kids (I was the nerdy ballet dancer and she was the rough and tumble tomboy), our relationship has gotten so much better and we have become really good friends. As my only sister, I am really blessed to have her in my life. After all, she is my big little sister!

Allie
Next in line is a friend who is so dear to my heart. Allie and I have been friends since I was in 8th or 9th grade and our friendship has only continued to grow. Allie is on a mission to become a dolphin trainer and therefore, our friendship has been long distance many times as she has lived in Hawaii, Florida, and Mexico for many months at a time. She's back in town for awhile and I'm so excited to have her in my wedding. This is the woman who I can goof around with, has strengthened my faith, and shown me a true example of what it means to have Christ in your heart.

Kaaren
God brought Kaaren into my life for an exact purpose at the perfect time. We met by chance about a year ago at a church event and ended up in the same small group together. It was her goofy sense of humor and take on life that interested me and I love spending time with her. She's been through a lot of things that I'm going through right now, so it has been nice to have someone who understands and can offer advice. Our relationship is sometimes serious, but most of the time it's spent goofing around and talking in accents. What a fun gal!

Jen
As I approach our upcoming wedding, I am so excited to gain a sister-in-law. Andy's sister Jen is such a sweet woman and I love spending time with her and the rest of his family. I look forward to continuing to get to know her in the upcoming years.

Marissa
When I was younger, my sister and I didn't have any cousins. Family get togethers were fun because we both received a lot of the attention, but at the same time--we always wished that there were more kids around to play with. I was so excited when I was in 3rd grade and got the news from my aunt that she was expecting! Fast forward 9 months later, at 10 years old--I gained my first cousin. I loved spending time with her, babysitting her, and playing with her. Time really flies, though, because she will be 13 next month! She is such a pretty girl and I love hanging out with her and watching her grow up.

Karlie
After a few years, my aunt had another baby, Karlie! Karlie is a bundle of energy and so much fun to be around. She's always on the go and usually has a great story to share with you every time you see her. I was so excited when Karlie was born--now I had two cousins--double the fun! She's almost 10 years old and as cute as can be! I love heading down to her house to spend the day with her whenever I can! Her silly attitude is contagious and it is so fun to see her grow from a little girl to a charming young lady.





I am so blessed to have these amazing women/girls in my life and honored to have them stand up next to me during my wedding next month.

Photo Challenge Day 3: Clouds
(Click here for previous days)

This picture never ceases to fascinate me. I captured this shot while on a trip to Italy with my school's Art + Design Department during my sophomore year of college. The sky is so dark and eerie, yet the sliver of blue in the center offers a glimpse of hope even on the darkest of days.

"...the LORD's delight is in those who fear him,
 

those who put their HOPE in his unfailing LOVE."

Psalm 147:11

Alright, kiddos--have a great Saturday! I'm off to the gym for some circuit training before Andrea arrives to help set up for the party! Catch ya tomorrow!

Who did you have as your maid of honor? If you aren't married, who would you choose as yours?

How many bridesmaids would you like to have in your wedding?

Ever been a bridesmaid?

Let's Talk in Tangents, Okay?

Good morning, friends!

Fall is here! 

So far The Shack is pretty good!

Hope you are doing well on this mid-week marker! I'm super excited for this week to fly by because this Saturday is my bachelorette party with my friends! Since the whole "let's bar hop and be super obnoxious" isn't really my thing, Andrea is throwing a "girl's night" themed party at my place instead. It'll be great to see a bunch of friends that I haven't seen for awhile--some since college.

So, I just got all excited because I thought I heard thunder, and when I looked out my window, I realized it was my neighbor rolling his trash bin down to the curb...killjoy.

Is it sad that I get more excited about the food photography and design/layout of Target mailers than I do about the coupons that are inside? Either way, I always save these mailers in my inspiration file. Speaking of which, I'll have to do a post on that sometime in the future--I keep a filing system of design ideas that I've come across over the years. It's a great resource when you're stuck on a project and need a fresh idea!

A thank-you card I drew for my mother-in-law after she showered me with a ton of gifts a few weeks ago. I'm so excited to be using my new kitchen gadgets! Now if only she'll share her recipe for pumpkin bread...that stuff is so delicious!

My mom and I always grab a free Starbucks coffee after trading in the empty bags whenever we run errands! This past weekend we added a pump of Pumpkin Spice syrup into them and it sure was delicious for a chilly fall morning!

We were on a mission to figure out the wedding table centerpieces and the wedding cake! We left rather inspired and hope to go flower shopping within the next week or so to get that item checked off of the wedding to-do list.

Car snacks en route to my bridal shower. A string cheese was also consumed along the way.

Reading blogs on my mom's phone during the ride--it made the time fly by! Now I just need to get my hands on a smart phone!

Pumpkin bread and some pretty flowers that are adorning my kitchen counter this week! 

Finally took 5 minutes to clean out my purse--makes for a less stressful day since I don't have to dig around for everything. It's funny how my phone always seems to sneak to the bottom of my purse--it makes it hard to find when it rings! To see what I keep in my purse, you may read about it here.

Mid-afternoon snack before getting my tires rotated and hitting up the grocery store!

What in the world?!

Last night's dinner: Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper + Tomato soup and a side of multigrain bread. I just love soups on cold nights...this was my first time trying this soup and I loved it--I'll definitely be picking this up again soon.

I also picked this up at TJ's...I wasn't sure what to expect from it...it's dairy-free and I didn't realize that until after I got home. I guess that's what sorbet means...? 

However, it was actually really good! It tasted like a fudge bar (remember those from when you were a kid?!) and is just slightly less creamy than regular ice cream. It also has a very strong dark chocolate flavor--mmm, it definitely hit the spot! 

Dippin' Ketchup

source

While riding the elliptical the other day at the gym, I saw this new product being introduced on the evening news and I was intrigued. Heinz just launched new ketchup packets that you can either dip your food into or you can tear the opposite end and squeeze it onto your food or plate. How nifty! Have you seen these at fast food places yet?

Ever had dairy-free "ice cream"?
Have you seen or tried the new ketchup packets?
Favorite thing to put ketchup on? Sweet potato fries for me!