Distracting the Distraction & Toddler Fine Motor Sticker Practice

I may have already mentioned this, but this has been a tough school year for the Loverbees. Mateo's work load has significantly increased and we got off to a rocky start with two trips and two horrible rounds of sickness right off the bat. All that to say, we really didn't get into a groove until right before Christmas break.




Another factor in our homeschooling saga (okay, "saga" may be a tad dramatic) this year is a little miss pretty pants who loves to distract us while we're trying to work. She's a total people person, so there aren't many things she can do on her own that will keep her attention. But that girl looooooooves her some stickers.

Sourdough Beer Bread

Don't you just love soup season? I have to admit, I try and drag it out as long as I can. And for me, soup season also means homemade bread season. But I don't always wanna be spending precious time and energy coddling dough and waiting hours for it to proof, so I have a few quick bread recipes I turn to for fresh homemade bread in a flash. This Sourdough Beer Bread is one such recipe.

This Sourdough Beer Bread is one of my favorite "go to" quick breads.

I love that this Sourdough Beer Bread is quick and easy. I also love that I can use up my sourdough starter discard - even straight from the fridge.

Pizza Crust Bread Pudding

If your family is anything like mine, a pizza dinner always ends in a big ol' pile of pizza crusts. Unless the crust is stuffed with cheese or incredibly yummy a few pieces might get eaten with dipping sauce, but that's about it. So I did something about it. Save the pizza crust!

Salvage those pizza crusts and make this fabulous Pizza Crust Bread Pudding!

I turned those sad and lonely, unwanted pizza crusts into a pizza crust bread pudding. It turned out fabulous! I went with a pizza flavor profile. It is pizza crust, after all.

What's for Dinner? Sausage, Spinach, and Fennel Tortellini Soup

Whoever first thought of putting tortellini into a soup - from the bottom of my heart, thank you. What an amazing idea that was. My version started as a Costco recipe that I've tweaked over the years to fit my personal preferences. This Sausage, Spinach, and Fennel Tortellini Soup is one of my favorite soups to make (never mind that I say that about every soup I post).

Cold weather calls for a bowl of my Sausage, Spinach, and Fennel Tortellini Soup.

The soup starts with crumbled Italian sausage, browned onion and fennel for amazing flavor, a pinch of spice, and a bag of spinach stirred in at the end. Lots of recipes call for kale, but I prefer spinach. It wilts into the soup far more quickly and is actually more nutritious than kale. Surprise!

Red Velvet Pudding Pie

My poor heart shaped pan. It gets so little use. Sure, it gets to hold the occasional Valentine's Day heart shaped cake, but what kinda life is that? I thought I'd get it out for one more go before it's time to put away all the heart stuff and move on to Easter eggs. So, I put a pudding pie into it.

Make a Red Velvet Pudding Pie to put that heart shaped pan to good use.

A Red Velvet Pudding Pie, that is! This pie is super easy to make. A chocolate cookie crust gets filled with red velvet pudding, drizzled with hot fudge right from the jar, and topped off with puffs of Cool Whip and pretty valentine sprinkles.

Valentine Party Cupcakes

If you've got a Valentine's Day party coming up, or just wanna make something sweet for your sweeties, I've got the perfect cupcake for ya.

Party perfect Valentine Party Cupcakes.

I baked up a batch of Valentine Party Cupcakes for my friend, Cara, over at Fork and Beans. I have the wonderful opportunity of being a regular contributor on her awesome blog. If you haven't checked it out yet, Fork and Beans does some of the funnest kid food around. You're gonna love it!

Matters of the Heart: An Unnatural Leader

I'm so proud to bring you this post from my husband, Matthew. He is such an awesome husband, father, manager, and leader. I hope y'all enjoy his offering.

"... in my weaker moments I fall into the belief that I am a total fraud who will eventually be found out."

I'm a leader. I still feel a bit funny when I say that.

For some time now I've been on a journey toward leadership. Which is funny because I used to be the type of person that never wanted that kind of thing. The issue, for me, is that I am naturally wired to be deferential and reluctant about being a decision maker. I've even dragged my feet in making decisions that would only impact myself.

What's changed? Well, several years ago I got an inkling that God wanted to make a leader out of me. I saw that I'd been given a natural ability to see the big picture and that I have a good way with people. On top of that, I was raised to champion the underdog and heard a lot about power being abused and corrupting people. Therefore, I had deeply pondered the impact of a leader on those in their charge. A close friend once encouraged me that I might make a good leader because the best leaders are those that take their responsibility seriously and never make decisions lightly. For some reason that thought has always stuck with me and remains foundational to how I approach leadership.

White Chocolate Cherry Cake Mix Cookies

I can't stop with all the cake mix creations. It's so nice not to have to measure out flour and baking soda and all that kinda stuff. And I love having a quick and easy recipe to pull out for last minute holiday baking.

These White Chocolate Cherry Cake Mix Cookies are such a lovely Valentine's Day treat. They're soft and pretty and full of maraschino flavor. First, almond flavored cookie batter is loaded with chopped maraschino cherries and toasted almonds. Then, I finish the baked and cooled cookies with a drizzle of white chocolate. What a sweet treat of a cookie!

DIY: How to Turn Any Box Into a Gift Box for Valentine's Day

My guys love making gifts. I mean LOVE it! They're always on the look out for a good cardboard box - both for creating and for using to stuff their creations into. I took a cue from them this week and turned a bunch of boxes inside out to use as gift boxes for Valentine's Day. The boys were, of course, thrilled.

Turn any box into a homemade Valentine's Day gift box!

I love how each box has the artist written all over it. Can you guess who made which box?

You can use just about any box in your home. We used a snack box, a waffle box, and a rat glue trap box. You heard me.