Countdown to the New Year: Paper Plate Clocks

As a kid I remember celebrating New Years by marching out into the street with my grandparents and all of the neighbors to bang on pots and pans.
I am not sure my neighbors would appreciate this!
As I got older I dreamed of fancy parties and getting dressed up...
and now as a mom I am content with a small gathering
(even if it is just the four of us), a nice dinner, a special dessert, and being comfy.

Slow Cooking at Christmas and Simple Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Cranberry Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Sweet Potato Casserole

Dessert

Green Beans

All the yummy side dishes that need to be on the stove or in your oven

Who has the space - not me?

But this year I am using my NEW slow cooker to ease the load! 

 

 

Right before Thanksgiving I participated in a Thanksgiving Prep Chat with Hamilton Beach. I learned so much from the other Facebookers and Hamilton Beach.

And OK, this may seem obvious to some of you...

but I never gave the idea of using a slow cooker

to assist with my holiday meal one single thought.

Yep, I am late to the slow cooker game!

After the chat I received a 7qt Stay or Go Portable Slow Cooker.

And am thrilled to use it for my holiday cooking and to simplify my meals year round.

Just as an FYI -  while I did receive thew slow cooker, I am/was under no obligation to blog or promote the slow cooker. I am doing this because maybe someone else out there  - like me - was clueless about

 PUTTING THE SLOW COOKER TO USE FOR THE HOLIDAY MEALS!

So many of the chat participants said they were using one or more slow cookers for their Thanksgiving meal...that I could not wait to try this for my Christmas meal! 

At this very moment I have cranberry sauce cooking. 

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Simple Cranberry Sauce

2 bags of cranberries

Juice of one orange

1-2 tsp orange zest

1+ Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup brown sugar  

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker; mix well; turn to high; let cook for about 2 hours 

 Garnish (of you wish) with orange zest!

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 Since I am new to this type of slow cooking 

(I have had different slow cookers over the years - but the last one was seriously cursed so I hardly used it)

I decided to head to Hamilton Beach and check out all of their recipes. 

I am excited to be freeing up some oven and stove top space by using my new slow cooker.

I plan on adding some mashed potatoes to the slow cooker menu tomorrow using the Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potato recipe found over on the Hamilton Beach site.

So, yep, I am all

"kitchen geeked out"

about the possibilities of my new slow cooker!

Not only will this gorgeous Slow Cooker help for the holidays,

it will make my vegetarian chili (our fave meal) and every day meal prep so easy!

Of course their are recipes for slow cooker meals, sides, and dessert all over Pinterest and the web, but I am pulling my first recipes from the Hamilton Beach website.  I did ask for some chicken cooking advice on Facebook to and had a great response from everyone their too!

What do you prepare in your slow cooker? 

  

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

disclosure: I received a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker  but was under no contract/obligation to blog about - doing it because I love it!

Tickled Pink 127

Welcome to Tickled Pink!

Hi all!

How was your week?
Who is ready for the holidays?

I glittered and baked like mad  - but not together or for the same project!

COME ON OVER AND ENTER TO WIN SOME MARTHA STEWART CRAFTS RICH ESSENTIALS GLITTER! I also show you some easy ways to add some sparkle to your holidays.

Did you see my Gingerbread Kiss Cookies or my Toffee 3 Ways!?

 

 _______________________________________________________________________

FEATURES

HERE ARE A FEW GOODIES FROM LAST WEEK

You can Grab a Button!

Can you imagine the goodness - 12 cookie recipes with printable recipe cards from I Should Be Mopping the Floor

How adorable are these fabric pinwheel ornaments from Mae Armstrong Designs

Hot buttered rum- YES PLEASE! Thanks to The Alchemist for this treat!

These stamped paper mache ornaments from The Answer is Chocolate are divine!

I strive to simplify our holidays and love this "Strategy" from One Part Joy, One Part Circus

GORGEOUS bathroom remodel from This House Is Going To Be Great. I so love this look!

I LOVE white elephant parties. The Dating Divas have a great set of printables and party ideas to host your own!

____________________________________________________________________

NOW FOR TICKLED PINK!

A craft...a recipe...a tip...a party...a short story...a  poem...a  fashion find...a  favorite product...your favorite  post...whatever makes  your blog  fabulous!
That is what Tickled Pink is all about!
{and it does NOT have to be PINK}

Grab a button HERE!
or here!

PRACTICE PINK KINDNESS

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Will everyone do me a FAVOR????

Please visit the person linked before you...

Pretty Please!

1. Link  up...whatever makes  your blog  fabulous. Family Friendly please. Guess what? Your post does not have to be PINK!!  I reserve the right to remove posts that are offensive or do not  adhere  to the rules, without any discussion, at my discretion.
2. PLEASE LINK TO A POST URL, ****NOT YOUR MAIN URL****
3. Pretty please...add the Tickled Pink button or TEXT link back to the post* {people need  to know what the heck they are doing!}. 
4. Please visit a couple other links!

TICKLED PINK DOES NOT HAVE Categories anymore!

By linking up...you grant me permission to use a photo if you are featured. Proper credit will be given.

Link Up what ever made you or your blog FAB this week! 

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

Paper Trees with Glittering Toppers

I have this vision to one day have many varieties and styles of Christmas trees

decorating my house for the holidays.

- all kinds - fabric, wood, glass, paper-

Whatever happens to strike my fancy!

I have a few different sets:
my trio of fabric trees 

and my wood biscuit trees,

but this year I added a trio of Paper trees to the mix.

 

I have been enamored with my Martha Stewart Crafts Circle Edge Punch since I received it and cannot wait to get my hands on some more dies...but do love the one I have.

So much so, that I made three paper trees with it.

P.S. If you love that glitter topper - head over to my Glitter Your Holidays post to enter to win some Martha Stewart Crafts Rich Essentials Glitter (a 24 piece set!)

I know it is so close to the holidays, but this is a pretty simple craft!

In fact I am making my kids one big one each for their rooms this weekend!

SUPPLIES

• Circle Edge Punch (watch the video tutorial for the Circle Edge Punch)
• NOTE: You can also use an electronic craft cutter or simply cut plain circles to make these trees. 
• 45 sheets of paper/cardstock per tree (15 per tree, 5 per level) 
• NOTE: You will notice I ran out of paper (and so did the store) and one of my trees is multi-colored - I actually like it!
• Glue stick or rubber cement (I use rubber cement and a glue stick...because I prefer rubber cement for a project like this...but ran out!)
• Hot glue/Hot glue gun
• Scissors or craft knife

Optional (for topper)

• Clear ornaments  
• Floor polish
• glitter  

MAKE IT!

• I used my Circle Edge Punch to punch out my circles
• Check out my video tutorial

• Large Tree: 5 - 12" circles, 5 - 10" circles, 5 - 8" circles
• Medium Tree: 5 - 11" circles, 5 - 9" circles, 5 -7" circles  
• Small tree:   5 - 10" circles, 5 - 8" circles, 5 - 6" circles  

• Fold each circle in half - when folding, match the sides and have all of the folds be in the same place (i.e. in between scallops or in the center of them- the center is easier). Run the side or your scissors or Popsicle/craft stick along the fold to really give  it a good crease.

• For the bottom level of each tree, cut 2 1/2" off the bottom of each folded circle. This flat bottom will help it stand up on its own.

LARGE TREE

• Bottom level: measure up 5 1/4" from the flat bottom - this is where the bottom of the middle level circles will touch/end/overlap onto the large circle.
• Apply adhesive to the overlapping areas of the circles, line up the mark you just made and glue them together, making sure the folds are in the same place/nestled together as well.
• On the second/middle level, mark up 6" from the bottom of the middle circle (at the fold. Lay your top circle so that the bottom of it (at the fold) matches this mark.

  
MIDDLE TREE

• Bottom level: measure up 3 1/2" from the flat bottom this is where the bottom of the middle level circles will touch/end/overlap onto the large circle.
• Apply adhesive to the overlapping areas of the circles, line up the mark you just made and glue them together, making sure the folds are in the same place as well.
•  On the second/middle level, mark up 4 1/2" from the bottom of the middle circle (at the fold. Lay your top circle so that the bottom of it (at the fold) matches this mark.

 SMALL TREE

• Bottom level: measure up 3" from the flat bottom this is where the bottom of the middle level circles will touch/end/overlap onto the large circle.
• Apply adhesive to the overlapping areas of the circles, line up the mark you just made and glue them together, making sure the folds are in the same place as well.
•  On the second/middle level, mark up 3 1/2" from the bottom of the middle circle (at the fold. Lay your top circle so that the bottom of it (at the fold) matches this mark.

 ALL TREES

• Apply adhesive to the overlapping areas of the circles. You may have to touch up the edges one you have your tree sections completed.
• Make sure the folds are in the same place as well.

 

• Repeat for all five sections - I lined up my first one with the subsequent sections to make sure my circles were all placed the same...even though I did measure.

 

• Let dry. It does not take long!
• Once you have 5 pieces of tree (three circles high) complete, run a "thick" line of hot glue on the fold of one section. Glue another section to the first section at the center folds. Apply more glue and add one section at a time. Until all five are attached.

• Repeat for all of the trees - it goes quick! 

TOPPER 

I finished my tree off with a clear glass ornament glittering with Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter (did you enter the giveaway for a set of Rich Essentials Glitter?)

• I saw this tutorial on The Single Nester for how to make glittering ornaments and had to try it. The process is pretty simple...Hope on over to the Single Nester for a full tutorial. Squirt some floor polish into the clear ornament, shake it around, and drain out the excess (onto a paper towel) - be sure to coat the inside of the ornament; then pour some glitter in there - put a finger or paper towel over the hole and shake it all up to coat the inside. Then let it dry.

• I used some vintage tinsel to wrap around the opening and then hot glued them to the top of each tree.  

Pretty, no?!

 

Want some gorgeous Martha Stewart Crafts Rich Essential Glitter for yourself...

Head over and enter the giveaway! 

What is your favorite holiday item to decorate with?

 

  

 This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

disclosure: in the past I have received some of these products for review. Those obligations have been fulfilled. I continue t use the products because they are awesome.