I'm still here...

Hey all! I'm still here, but still without computer access. bummer, I know! For those that don't follow LITM on Facebook, my laptop died last week. Just stopped working. We've been having some issues with the battery and I stupidly put off getting a new battery. Hopefully getting a new battery will fix the problem, but I won't know that until the end of this week when the battery arrives. If not, we will be getting a new computer. If that happens though, i think I will cry. All of the designs and files I use for me Etsy shop are on the computer! Keep your fingers crossed that it will be a simple fix! Right now I'm using my phone to blog, but this is no way to blog, so you probably won't hear from me until I have a working computer again. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the break and getting ready for Christmas.

See you all soon!!

Shutterfly Winners

I know I'm totally late in the day to be posting this, but I've have barely been home at all today! So, here are our winners!

The winners of the 3 Shutterfly packages (which includes codes for a calendar, holiday cards, and free shipping & a $10 Plum District gift card) are...

Winner #1: Katie

Winner #2: Mrs. Hokulani

and Winner #3: Lytles

The 2 winners for the additional Plum District Gift cards are

Winner #4: Salena

and Winner #5: Steph

Congrats to our winners!! Remember that the Shutterfly codes expire on December 15th, so I need to hear back from the Shutterfly winners so I can email you your codes. The Plum District gift cards don't expire until the end of January, so there's no huge rush - though it might be nice to have them to do some Christmas shopping! So ladies, be sure to get in touch with me soon! If you don't get an email from me by the end of the night, then please email me at lifeinthemotherhood@gmail.com or go to the Contact tab and use the contact form.

Our Christmas Card

In years past, I've gone to the trouble of creating a scrapbooked Christmas card to send out during the holidays. It involved cutting out about 30 Christmas trees and stars, a bunch more cute little ornaments, and a stamp. Then I still had to glue everything together. And this was before I owned my Silhouette, so everything was done by hand! Granted, this was also before Andyroo was born, so I had the time and energy. Not so much now. And that's why I love the idea and simplicity of photo cards! It's so easy to upload the pictures to their site, pick a card (the hardest part), drag and drop the photos onto the card, and submit the order. No fuss and NO mess! Yay!

Remember the Shutterfly Party that I hosted? Well, one of the freebies that they gave away was free holiday cards. Here's the card I finally ended up choosing. 'Eh, one of them. I couldn't decide so I ordered a few of a few different kinds!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

I can't get over that cute little guy! When we took these pictures in September, he was being silly and in almost every picture we took, he had this kooky Chandler-like smile.

It's not too late to get your cards ordered and sent. I ordered these on November 27th and I received them in the mail today. Super fast! And to top it off, the quality is amazing. I'm totally in love with each of the 5 kinds of cards I ordered! If you're a procrastinator like me, they can always be a generic holiday card or even a New Year's card. Shutterfly is my favorite photo printing site, so if you're still in the market for cards, definitely give them a try. Also, for an additional fee (around $0.50/card), you can give them all the addresses you want to send cards to and they'll mail them out for you. How easy is that!?

Also, the Shutterfly Giveway was extended due to low entries. You now have through December 2nd (that's TOMORROW) to enter the giveaway for free Shutterfly and Plum District Goodies!!!

Go check them out!!

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

I love, love, LOVE the Southwestern Egg Rolls from Chili's. In fact, that's the main reason I go there - to get those egg rolls. I've tried making copycat Southwestern Egg Rolls before and they've never turned out just right. I didn't want to put a lot of money into getting all the weird ingredients that the recipes called for. But that all changed...because of Pinterest! :)

About a week before my Shutterfly party, I was looking through Pinterest for some party food ideas and came across these Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls from Annie's Eats. They're made with simple enough ingredients and looked fairly easy to make.

The verdict? SOOOOOOO good! Seriously, if these could be considered a Thanksgiving food, I would have made these for Thanksgiving. And I've considered making these for dinner almost every night since the party too. It's too bad that I don't keep egg roll wrappers on hand! :)

So, since these are so absolutely delish, I just had to share the recipe with you! Pretty much everyone at the party agreed with me. I think the few who didn't don't quite share my love and enthusiasm for the real things.

Here is Annie's recipe with my variations. Annie made her's vegetarian, but I added chicken to mine. I also put out sour cream and ranch instead of salsa.

Ingredients for the Mixture:2 cups corn, thawed I (I used 1 can of corn because I was out of the frozen kind)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used about half of a 16oz package of frozen spinach. I was really tired of squeezing and chopping it, lol)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (I just used colby jack - it's what I had on hand)
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken (I used some pre-cooked on clearance chicken breasts from the store)
Also Need:
1 package egg roll wrappers
1 slightly beaten egg - used to seal the wrappers

Mix everything together and start rolling your egg rolls! If you've never used egg roll wrappers, you want to place them so one of the points is pointed at you (so you see a diamond rather than a square). This is where my 3 years of rolling tacos at Taco Time came in handy! Add a couple spoonfulls (I used about 1/4 cup of the mixture in each rolls) of the mixture to the middle of the wrapper. Take the corner closest to you and fold it over the misture then pull back slightly around the mixture. Fold the side corners over and then start rolling towards the top corner. After rolling almost completely, dip your fingers or a brush into the egg and rub onto the corner of the wrapper to seal it. Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees.

You could potentially fry these, but I wasn't about to attempt that right before the party. I don't have a deep fryer and baking was much simpler. And much healthier! :)

I didn't want the rolls getting soggy or sticking together, so made the mixture the night before and let it sit in the fridge. Then about an hour before the party I rolled them all and put them in the oven about 10 minutes before the party started so that they would be nice and warm when the party started.
There were a few leftover after the party, so I put them in the fridge and then reheated them the next day by putting them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Crispy and tasty just like the day before.

Share The Memories Freebie #2

I've got another fun digital scrapbooking freebie from My Memories! Remember that these freebies come with all of the elements, papers, etc that are used to create them. I just downloaded it myself and there were 22 pieces that came in this freebie. How awesome is that!

Also, remember that you don't need to have the My Memories software in order to use these freebies. The elements of the freebie pack come as .jpg and .png files so they're compatible with other scrapbooking and photo editing software.

However, if you're interested in using the My Memories software, you should know that they just released Version 3! I haven't had too much time to play around with it, but so far I'm loving it. If you want to give it a try, you can download a free trial of the software. As far as I know, you don't need to have a previous version in order to use this trial. If you want to go ahead and purchase the full version of the software, remember to use the code STMMMS51889 at checkout to receive $10 off the price of the software and $10 in free product from the MyMemories.com store.

Now, here's the freebie. Click the link to the left or the picture below to be taken to the download page.

This freebie will be available for 1 week - through December 4th. So don't wait to download it!

Also, if you have any questions about the software or freebies, don't hesitate to ask. I'm not a pro, but I can either get your question answered for you or point you in the direction of someone who can help you!

Christmas Galore Link Party

Thanksgiving is over and it's time to start pulling out the Christmas decor and getting serious about the upcoming holiday. I thought it would be fun to host a Christmas link party so that we could all share ideas about decor, holiday goodies, gifts, and everything else that comes with this wonderful holiday.

*Cue Holiday music*

There are 2 categories to add your links to: Christmas Gift Ideas (for gift ideas - handmade or otherwise) and Christmas Galore (for everything else - decor, yumminess, parties, etc). Please be sure to link up to the appropriate category.

Just a few suggestions before joining the party...

1. We'd love it if you would be a LITM follower. You can join us through GFC, Facebook, Feedburner, or Pinterest!
2. We'd also really appreciate it if you would link back to us so that others can join the fun too. If you really loved us, you'd grab one of the awesome buttons from the sidebar :)
3. Remember to link to your specific post and not just to your blog. And please, no etsy shops or giveaways. However, Pinterest boards are permitted :)

Now, it's party time. Go on and get down with your bad self. (Could I be any whiter??)


Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas Galore

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish all of you out there a Happy Thanksgiving. No matter how you're celebrating or what you're eating, I hope you have a wonderful, blessed day! If you're hosting Thanksgiving, then I wish you all the patience and multitasking abilities in the world! We'll be enjoying some yummy food and fun family time at my Sister-in-Law's house.

Also, I just wanted to take the opportunity to express my gratitude for some things. I hope no one minds. If anyone else wants to join in, I'd love to read what you're grateful for also! So, in no particular order....

1. I'm grateful that my husband has a job. It may not pay so great, but it's a job and he works hard so that I can stay home with Andyroo.
2. I'm so very grateful for my sweet little boy. He brings so much fun and laughter into my life. He's so caring and loving - full of hugs and kisses. I can't even imagine my life without that little guy.
3. I'm also very grateful for my husband. He's always there to support me no matter what it is I want to do. He believes in me and loves me, even when I feel unlovable. I can't imagine my life without him either.
4. I'm grateful that my mom lives 5 blocks away. She really has become my best friend and I can't bear the thought of having to move away (which we will have to do eventually) and not seeing her every week for our Sunday dinners and grocery shopping trips. I'm not gonna lie. It's going to be tough.
5. I'm grateful for our little apartment. Yes, it's little. And it's cold. And there are spiders and other various bugs. And it's in the basement so we don't get lots of sunshine. But it is a wonderful place to live. We have wonderful friends and neighbors because of where we live. It may not be a house, but it's our home.
6. I am grate extremely grateful for all of our friends. We're not very social people (it's sad, really), but we love each and every one of our friends. We're grateful for the support and love that each of you give us.
7. I'm grateful for this blog. Writing is very therapeutic for me. It always has been. It's the only way I can truly express myself. I just end up stumbling all over myself and rambling on when I try and talk. I love the connection I have with other wonderful women in the world and the inspiration I receive each and every day from the awesomeness I see from each of you. Blogging provides not only an outlet for me, but it also pushes me to be better, to think bigger, and to create more!
8. I'm grateful for all of our extended family - our brothers and sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, and all of the grandparents. We have such a strong family bond and they provide such a good network of support for us.
9. I'm grateful for Facebook. This might sound weird, but it's true. Through Facebook I was able to reconnect with my best friend (love you, Heather!) and I can now keep in touch with all of our friends and family spread across the world. I know it's not as personal as phone calls or letters, but for someone as socially awkward (yes, I'll admit it) as I am, it's a wonderful way to keep in touch!
10. I am grateful for all the modern conveniences that I have access to - the washer and dryer, running water, microwave, heating, plumbing, cell phones, etc. I would go crazy without them. There's no way I could have survived as a pioneer (or at any other time)!
11. I'm grateful for my membership and calling in the LDS Church. It provides so much for us that I can't even put into words. I'm so glad to know that there is a God, that he loves us, and that he wants us to be happy. I so grateful for prayer and for the ability to be in communication with God and to know that he has a plan for us.

There's so many more little things that I 'm grateful for, but that will do for now. I also wanted to leave you with a few Thanksgiving funnies :) Enjoy!

Also, we'll be starting our Christmas link up party on Saturday the 26th after all the Thanksgiving and shopping madness have died down. Be sure to check back so you can link up all your fun projects!

Yummy Dinner Rolls

These rolls are perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner - or any other dinner, for that matter! They turn out soft, a little sweet, and just melt in your mouth. The dough is very easy to work with and the recipe is pretty simple!

I came across this recipe on a message board that I used to frequent over on iVillage. Around Thanksgiving, we would all post our favorite recipes and this one happened to be posted. I was looking for a yummy roll recipe one day and remembered this one, so I tried it. It's now my go-to roll recipe. I made these for a Relief Society Enrichment one time and they were such a hit that I was asked specifically to bring these to the next 3 activities!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture right now. I made them for our Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday with my mom, but totally forgot to snap a picture. I'm making them again on Thursday for Thanksgiving at my Sister-in-Laws, so I'll try and remember to get a pic then. I'm also going to attempt making the dough ahead of time, freezing it, then driving an hour and half with them to dinner, then baking them. We'll see how that goes!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. warm water (for the yeast)
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 c. milk, scalded
1/4 c. shortening
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
4-5 c. flour

Directions:
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let it proof for a few minutes (but it really doesn't need to double in size)

2. Scald your milk. You can do this by microwaving it for about 2 minutes. I saw a tip somewhere (sorry, I don't have the source) that said to save part of the milk - about 1/4 c of it - before scalding. Microwave the 3/4 cup and then after it comes out of the microwave, add the remaining 1/4 cup of cold milk. This will help it cool down faster so that it doesn't ruin the eggs, melt the shortening, or ruin the yeast.

3. While the milk is cooling down, add the rest of your ingredients to a mixing bowl. Add the milk and yeast to the rest of the ingredients and mix slightly. Then add the flour, 1 cup at a time. Do NOT add too much flour otherwise your rolls will be chewy and dense. 5 cups is the most I will ever add. I made the mistake of trying to make the dough resemble bread and added about 6 cups one time. Not a good thing. The dough will still be pretty sticky, but that's okay!

4. Let the dough raise for 1 hour. Be sure to cover the bowl with a warm towel.

5. Shape into balls and put into muffin pans. The dough will be sticky, but just use some flour (the extra here won't hurt) to keep them from getting too sticky. Instead of kneading, just work them a bit as you shape them. I also prefer to cook mine in muffin tins. I find they cook better and more evenly. When I tried placing them in pans, the outside rolls would get really crispy and the ones in the middle were still doughy. In muffin tins, they each cook perfectly! Also, these really get big both while they raise and when they start to cook. So don't feel like you have to make them big when you shape them.

6. Let them raise again. My notes say to let them raise again for 1 hour, but I never let them go that long. I've let them go for as little as 20 minutes and they still bake perfectly.

7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.

8. Remove from the oven and spread some butter across the tops (Either paint melted butter on the top or rub a stick of butter across the tops). Enjoy!

These are soooooo good! If you try them, let me know what you think!

Shutterfly Party Recap + Giveaway (5 winners!)

Winners have been announced! Be sure to see if you won!!

**UPDATE: Since there are so few entries, I've decided to extend the giveaway through December 2nd. Since all Shutterfly codes need to be used by December 15th, all the winners will receive their codes by email so they will be available for instant use! Also, I discovered that I have 2 extra Plum District gift cards instead of just 1, so we will have 5 winners!**

I had the opportunity to host a Shutterfly House Party last weekend (Nov. 12th) and it was so much fun! I absolutely love Shutterfly. For those who don't know about Shutterfly, they're an online photo company that does not only photo prints (in all sizes), but they also do photo cards, photo books, personalized calendars, and virtually any kind of gift that you could imagine that would use a photo. I really do love them. Their products are very high quality and their prices are very reasonable (especially since they're always running sales and emailing out discount codes)! I first came across Shutterfly about 6 years ago, shortly before I got married. The first Shutterfly project I ever made was a photo book of our wedding pictures - that pinkish linen book in the back of this picture.

I was hooked. I've since made all the other books above, plus a whole handful more that I've given away as gifts to grandparents. Photo books are, quite literally, the only way I've been able to keep up with scrapbooking Andyroo's pictures!

My favorite book to make was one that we gave to my hubby's Grandma. For her 80th birthday, her daughters (my hubby's mom) came up with the awesome idea to collect pictures of everyone and have all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids send in a memory about Grandma. Of course, knowing that I've put all these books together, my Mother-in-Law nominated me to collect everything and put it together. It was such a fun project and Shutterfly made it SOOOOO easy! And it turned out beautiful - the large 12x12 size with a sleek, black leather cover. The pages were all very sophisticated and classy. Needless to say, it was a very special present and she absolutely loved it!

The photo calendars also make great gifts for grandparents. Especially since grandparents always seem to have everything they need. Why not make something personalized that they will actually use and enjoy! When you make the calendar, you can add in as many birthdays, anniversaries, and any other important dates that you want, plus you can personalize those days with a picture!

Besides photo books and calendars, they also have an amazing selection of photo cards. You probably can't see them all so great, but these are some samples that Shutterfly sent me to display during the party.

 

The photo cards come in all different shapes and sizes - 4x8, 5x5, 5x7, etc. And most can be done in flat or folded! My favorite card had pictures on the front and a shortened family letter on the back. What a great way to let everyone know what's happened and get out Christmas cards. It's like a 2-for-1, but much simpler than sending out a whole letter!

What's so awesome - or may not, because I'm having a hard time deciding - is that they have an amazing selection of cards! 1,004 Christmas cards, to be exact! There's a huge selection of cards for Christmas, but you can also make photo cards for invitations, announcements, and virtually any other holiday!

I love doing the Shutterfly parties because these aren't your typical house parties. There's no rep there to try and sell you on anything or push you into buying things. They're simply trying to spread the word about their awesome products! To do this, they find folks who love their products (like me!) and ask them to host a party featuring their products - and giveaway freebies during the party!!! How awesome is that - no one trying to sell anything and everyone gets a freebie?! That's my kind of party! I hosted a Shutterfly party last year and it was so much fun. When I saw that Shutterfly was doing the same thing again this year, I jumped at the chance to host one again.

So unfortunately for me, it was snowing that day and a few people weren't able to make it to the party, so I have some freebies left over. However, it's good for you because I don't want to keep them to myself and thought it would be so fun to use them as a giveaway here on the blog to help spread the word about Shutterfly.

Here are the little "prize packs" that I put together with the goodies they sent me.

3 lucky readers will receive one of these little packs that contain the following:

• A code for 1 free personalized photo calendar
• A code for 15 free holiday photo cards
• Instructions to get free shipping (you have to tell 5 friends by submitting their email address - your friends also get free photo cards too!)
• A Plum District gift card worth $10

I also have 2 extra Plum District gift cards, so two more winners will each receive a $10 Plum District gift card!

That makes 4 5 winners! How awesome is that!? The Shutterfly codes have to be used by December 15th, so this will be a fairly quick giveaway because I want you to have plenty of time to get your goodies created.

We'll keep this simple. In order to enter, you need to do the following:

• Be a follower of Life in the Motherhood - you can do this on our sidebar!
• Like Life in the Motherhood on Facebook
• Share this giveaway through your blog, Facebook, twitter, etc (enter once per day!)

That's up to 9 chances to win! If you're already a follower or liker, then just leave a comment saying so. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to either leave your email address in your comment or enable email through your profile.

This giveaway will be open from Tuesday, November 22nd through midnight on Sunday, November 27th Saturday, December 2nd. Winners will be announced the morning of Monday, November 28th Sunday, December 3rd.

Please note that if you attended a Shutterfly House Party and received these freebies already, then you won't be able to use these codes. The codes were specific for the House Parties and you won't be able to use them again in your account.

What are you waiting for?! Go get entered!!!

The opinions in this post are completely my own. I was not told how to write this post or what to say. I really do love Shutterfly and wanted to share some of their awesomeness with you! Because I hosted this party, I also received the same freebies - a free calendar, holiday cards, and a Plum District gift card.

An Awesome CHRIST{mas} Book

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I found a spectacular idea that I wanted to share with you all - and you might need some time to prepare it. A couple months ago I was surfing around on Pinterest and found this really neat book to help us put Christ back in Christmas. You've got to head over to Sew Dang Cute to check it out for yourself!

It's an awesome project called "The Christ Book"  that is meant to use in the days leading up to Christmas. The songs are more Christmassy, but you could use the topics and different songs for Easter or anytime you think your family needs to become a little closer to Christ.

This book is complete with pictures, songs, scriptures, etc. Everything you need to help your family have a more peaceful, Christ-centered Christmas. Go check it out!

A Handmade Christmas: Gift Ideas for Neighbors & Friends

Alrighty folks. Here it is. The last installment of our Handmade Gift series. Today we're looking at gifts for friends, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, etc. Be sure to check out the rest of the series - Gifts for Infants, Gifts for Toddlers & Preschoolers, Gifts for Big Kids thru Teenagers, Gifts for the Husband or Significant Other, and Gifts for Grandparents.

First up is something that comes from our very own Heather here on this little blog - Homemade Facial Scrubs. Mix it up, put it in a small glass jar, and give it to all the women on your list. All of the ingredients are simple and natural - which is awesome!

I'm drooling over this Cookie Cutter Fudge, which comes straight from the Betty Crocker Website. Fudge is a fairly simple to make and so yummy. I love how they decorated it with other candies and goodies. It really ups the wow factor for this simple little gift.

This next idea is especially useful for teachers, but I'm honestly thinking about making this for myself. I use sticky notes all the time! Go check out Paper Wings to see how she made these adorable Post-It Stands.

Who doesn't love Hostess Ding-Dongs and Ho-Hos? I know I do! I would be thrilled to get this adorable little package of goodies from One of a Kind. Such a fun idea!

As a family (when I was little), we used to make up goodies and take to our neighbors for Christmas. And that's fun an all, but after you're on the receiving end of a couple of those plates, you find yourself swamped with treats. That's exactly why I'm thrilled with the idea of giving mixes or doughs so that the receiver can make and eat the treats whenever they're ready. Then the goodies stay fresh and can be eaten warm...instead of old and stale. :) Check out Blue Cricket Designs to see how she added a personal touch to store bought cookie dough! You could also mix and wrap your own cookie dough instead.

These Grinch Pills would be great to pass out to co-workers! Custom Creations by Tamara Bennet is offering the cut file for the box. However, even if you don't have a cutting machine, you could just cut the front of the box and either tape or tie it onto some tic tacs.

How about a gift that won't make your neighbor think about the calories? Today's Fabulous Finds has a plethora of gift ideas (under $2 - sahweet!), but I really got a kick out of this Dishtowel and Dishcloth gift!

This next gift is a little more labor intensive as it requires a little more work, but it is sure to be enjoyed by the whole family! Check out Family Bites to see how to put together this Ice Cream Sundae Kit!

Here are a couple of ideas that are more useful than yummy! Crafts re-Designed is offering a free printable to personalize hand soap and wrapping paper. Adorable!

I can't stay away from the yummy treats. How about Chocolate Covered Pretzels? Mmmmm :) Check out How Does She for a link to a tutorial and printable tag!

Thanks for joining us this week to take a look at some fun handmade Christmas ideas. As we get past Thanksgiving, I'll be putting up some tutorials for handmade gifts that I've made. But I'm a big believer in keeping Thanksgiving and Christmas separate. Be sure to come back next week for some Thanksgiving inspiration!