Happy New Year from the PuppyKids and Me! ♥
Thursday, December 31, 2015
New Year Wishes to All of You
Happy New Year from the PuppyKids and Me! ♥
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Review of Williams-Sonoma Purchase
When a half-sheet pan is too small, but a full-sheet pan doesn't fit in the oven, turn to our innovative three-quarter sheet. An efficient pan for preparing an array of foods, it can hold an extra row or two of cookies or canapes, more nuts for oven toasting or enough roasted vegetables for a dinner party. The professional-weight pan is made in the USA from heavy-gauge aluminum-coated steel, with a Goldtouch nonstick finish that releases baked foods easily and cleans up quickly.- Versatile pan suits countless baking tasks.
- Commercial-grade aluminized steel distributes heat quickly and evenly for consistent baking results.
- The Goldtouch ceramic coating reinforces our pans making them more resistant to abrasion than normal non-stick surfaces and releases food with ease.
- Coated wire reinforcement along the rim maximizes durability and resistance to rust and warping.
- Unique diamond-textured surface strengthens sheet pan while increasing airflow for even baking.
- Made exclusively for us by a 50-year-old American company, North America's only manufacturer of commercial bakeware.
- Recipes included.
- Dishwasher safe
- 21" x 15" x 1" high
- Made in USA
When a half-sheet pan is too small, but a full-sheet pan doesn't fit in the oven, turn to our innovative three-quarter sheet. An efficient pan for preparing an array of foods, it can hold an extra row or two of cookies or canapes, more nuts for oven toasting or enough roasted vegetables for a dinner party. The professional-weight pan is made in the USA from heavy-gauge aluminum-coated steel, with a Goldtouch nonstick finish that releases baked foods easily and cleans up quickly.
- Versatile pan suits countless baking tasks.
- Commercial-grade aluminized steel distributes heat quickly and evenly for consistent baking results.
- The Goldtouch ceramic coating reinforces our pans making them more resistant to abrasion than normal non-stick surfaces and releases food with ease.
- Coated wire reinforcement along the rim maximizes durability and resistance to rust and warping.
- Unique diamond-textured surface strengthens sheet pan while increasing airflow for even baking.
- Made exclusively for us by a 50-year-old American company, North America's only manufacturer of commercial bakeware.
- Recipes included.
- Dishwasher safe
- 21" x 15" x 1" high
- Made in USA
Monday, December 28, 2015
Top 10 Recipes of 2015
In 2015, I began posted quite a number of Recipes - some are mine - some are from other people, which I've found on the Internet [some have links when they were available]. I can hardly believe that we're about to close out another year! Time just flies around here. I love posting these recipes and sharing what I like to bake and cook with all of you. So, I hope you enjoy the Top 10 Recipes of 2015 included in this post. Click on the name of the dish, to see the full recipe. You can Pin these, print them out and use them for your own use...but if there is a Link included to the Recipe, and you put it on your Blog, please include it.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Top TEN Posts of 2015
Here are the Posts that all of you visited the most throughout the year. I thank each and every one of you who visited me and and left me comments...
Click on the Blog Post Titles to read the Post.
Thanks for visiting me!
Thursday, December 24, 2015
A Gift for Christmas 2015 In My Home
made into a Sitting Room.
I have a beautifully painted TeaPot Lamp that I purchased from Celestina Marie Designs on Etsy years ago...it stays on all day and night. It takes a nightlight bulb and softly lights up the area nicely. Behind it is one of Celestina's beautifully painted Vintage Sewing Machine Drawers. I use it for recipes, napkins, it even held my Christmas Cards until I found another way to display them. I have my favorite TeaCup and Saucer, a pretty platter [Old Country Roses] and a planter with a pretty girl dressed up in her "pretties" [1961 Inarco piece].
Then just beyond my Dining Table, on my island is the Gift I won on Celestina's Blog nearly 2 weeks ago. I was so surprised to win!! When she contacted me and I saw that I was the winner of the Pink Shabby Chic 10" Christmas Tree, I started crying...happy tears, of course. There are Vintage candle holders and a Vintage Silverplate Tray that I polished sitting on top of what looks like a runner, but are 2 separate placemats laid end to end.
The little statue of the Bear-Santa-Angel receiving a Gift from Another Bear Angel, I've had for years [1994 Teddy Angels statue]
.
Here are some close-ups from Celestina's Southern Day Dreams Blog. They show all of the lovely details. I love my new tree!
I have a Hearth Kitchen, which has upper cabinets on one side of my Kitchen, either side of my stove, that sit directly on the countertop and are attached to the wall, just like any other cabinets. I use them, since they are glass fronts, to show off some of my "pretties". Vintage Pyrex Gooseberry pattern Princess bowls...Hand painted Cake plate Cover [by Celestina]...TeaPots too and many other items. The inside backs of my cupboards are covered with Black Foam Core Board, so the "pretties" show up their best. [sorry about the glare!]
TeaCups and Saucers hanging either side of the stove...and the Vintage sign is hand-painted by Celestina, too! I love her work! I have lots of it throughout my home.
The other side of the Hearth Kitchen...matching cabinets. The 2 doors to the left of the Glass Front Cabinets are where I have cookie sheets and muffin pans and trays [unbreakable of course] stored. I have a matching set of those doors on the other side of the kitchen.
The next 2 photos are of my Sitting Room, formerly my Dining Room. The little light you see top right is the only ceiling light in my Sitting Room...it's a ceiling mounted swag light. I'm sure you can see a couple other pretties I got from Celestina's shop!
The framed prints and sconces on the wall are all olden, gotten from antique shops and flea markets. I have alot of that kind of stuff around my home and didn't pay alot for them.
The photo above was taken with flash and the photo below was taken just with room lighting.
The gold Christmas tree on the table is sitting in a little china dish glued to the top of a crystal candleholder and actually holds an LED candle pillar, which I light at night and it just softly lights the tree. The 2 tier table on the left is Vintage also - came painted white at a little shop in Medina, Ohio - and that I brought home and promptly painted black and added gold Rub & Buff...to highlight some areas on the legs and around the edges of the round tables.
If you look closely, you'll see my pups Leopard Print Bed tucked under the bench - they love getting in there, even though there isn't much headroom. It's their cave...one of a few around the house.
Thanks for visiting and have a blessed and Merry Christmas!
It Starts and Ends with Jesus
Big Point: Our day may be filled with what we don’t have, but we can start and end with the one thing we do have.Matthew 1:23 (NLT): Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God is with us.”
It’s Christmas Eve! Depending on where you are, today may be or already has been, a day filled with peace and quiet, or frantic rushing and running from one place to another.
If you’ve ever been at the mall on Christmas Eve, you know the pandemonium that pervades every space. People from all walks of life rush from one store to the next carrying all kinds of excuses for why they left last minute details for the last shopping day before Christmas.
“I didn’t have enough time.”
“I didn’t have enough money until now.”
“I didn’t have any idea of what to buy.”
Notice the words “I didn’t have…” Even if you aren’t out shopping, you may still identify with the sentiment that something is missing from your Christmas experience and your heart is longing to find it. Perhaps you don’t have family and friends to celebrate Christmas with you. Maybe you don’t have the presence of a loved one. Some of us don’t have peace or joy because of one life situation or another.
Yet, on this Christmas Eve, we DO HAVE Jesus. We do have the one who came to be with us and to walk among us. And we do have what he wants – our heart. Jesus understands our broken world and he knows the feelings that come with our broken hearts and he wants them all anyways.
Best of all, Jesus came because he had something that we can’t find last minute on Amazon: Hope. We can celebrate today because Jesus came to bring each one of us HOPE. Think of it – we can have hope and know that God loves us! We don’t have to despair over our present day circumstances, rather we can look forward and know that Jesus’ great love for us fills in – and overflows – all of the empty places in our lives. And that hope isn’t just for the 24 hours of Christmas, rather Jesus’ hope can flow through into our daily lives and with us for all eternity.
Jesus came to make his home in our hearts. Jesus came to make his home in YOUR heart.
Remember the refrain in the classic song “Joy to the World”?
Joy to the world, the Lord has come.
Let earth receive her king.
Let every heart prepare him room.
REFLECTION:
If you’ve made room for Jesus in your heart, that’s great! Are there any areas of your life where you’ve been struggling to let Jesus in? What do you think Jesus could do in that area of your life if you’d let him?
There’s so much that we can celebrate tomorrow on Christmas. List a few things that you’ll be celebrating
Jesus Came for the Shepherds
How many of you were waiting for the new “Star Wars” movie to finally come out? Before the public release of an anticipated movie, there is usually a red-carpet, star-studded premiere. How many of you will get to attend the Hollywood premier for “Star Wars”? Unless you are one of the stars, the director or a mover-and-shaker associated with the movie, you’ll be out of luck. Sorry. Invitation only, for the privileged few.
When the biggest event in the history of mankind rocked this earth, who heard about it first? Kings and emperors? Nope. The powerful religious leaders of the day? Wrong again. God first revealed the birth of His Son — Jesus, the King of kings — to some of the lowliest people of the culture at that time: sheep herders.
Shepherds are always a part of any Christmas pageant. But who were they, really? In reality, shepherds were farm hands. They lived, ate and slept amongst smelly (although cute), waste-producing sheep. Shepherds lived outside, often sleeping in the grass or cave, if they were lucky. This means that they didn’t own much and personal hygiene was likely a challenge; of course, the sheep probably didn’t complain.
So why did God share the greatest story of human history with simple, nameless, seemingly insignificant sheep farmers?
God’s ways and wisdom are drastically different from ours. God often uses the unlikely, those perceived as weak even, when human thinking would have called on the strongest or most skilled. For example, who killed the enormous and powerful Goliath in the Old Testament story? Not the trained military warriors of the day. Nope. Instead, God used a young boy with a slingshot to take out an intimidating giant. Throughout Scripture, there are examples and illustrations of God’s ways, perhaps most especially at Jesus’ birth. God’s own Son, the King of kings, was not born into plush surroundings befitting royalty, but rather to a young couple who were staying near family.
Again, why did God tell lowly shepherds of His Son’s birth before anyone else? The great news of a Savior for mankind is for EVERY ONE OF US, not just the elite or rich and powerful!
So, what did the shepherds do with this news? Luke 2:20 says “they went back.” Where did they go back to? They went back to being shepherds. They went back to their home towns. They went back to their same families. They continued on in their same lives, but with one big difference: They had a new passion burning in them. They were glorifying and praising God. They had a new purpose and a new hope for themselves and their families.
Those simple, nameless shepherds were changed. Their hearts were altered, changed and transformed with the news they received from the angel and the personal experience they had with God. While the shepherds’ career paths, bank accounts and social standings remained unchanged, they were new people with a new purpose. They took their story back to the people in their lives, offering glory and praise to God for all they had seen and heard.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Thought I Found the Perfect Socks
After trying alot of socks, looking for comfort and durability + something in a low-cut [my preference] OR 1/4 sock that wouldn't slide down my heel into my shoes. That is just so uncomfortable. Now that I'm out and about alot more than I have been in years, I need comfortable shoes and socks. My feet have always given me problems - bunions [don't hurt with proper shoes], calluses [controlled with Amopei and NordicCare Foot Cream], tenderness and plantar fasciitis...I shopped a few on-line sites and found Foot Zen socks [FootSmart]. I ordered one pair of quarter socks from one site AND I was in-love! When I went to order additional socks, they were out of my size. [they would have been the same price as the ones I ended up getting...read about those after this photo]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
So...I looked and found another site that had a slightly different sock, but it was FootZen at [Shoe Buy].
When I received them yesterday, I was so excited to Foot Zen Soft Rib Sox for Christmas. But, after wearing a pair for 30 minutes, I found them to so uncomfortable and they were constantly slipping down the back of my foot, into my shoes. After checking out the SHOEBUY site about returns, I see there is a re-stocking fee on each item of $6.95. ???? That's more than HALF of what was paid for ONE PAIR OF SOX! I thought the price paid was high enough. $27.27 [with 20% coupon code] for 3 pairs - MINUS $20.85 [restocking fee of $6.95 on each pair] would mean a refund of ONLY $6.42...WOW! How disappointing.
I can't honestly recommend ShoeBuy.
But, I can totally recommend FootSmart! I have shopped alot at FOOTSMART and if you do return anything to them, there is a Return label and depending on the weight of the box, a flat fee for shipping deducted from your return. The flat fee is reasonable.
Happy Ending...Footsmart now has my sock size available again - in my desired low-cut socks...and I ordered more of them there. And I got a nice discount...and I know I'll be happy with them when I get them. They are so soft - no seams - they don't bind and make my feet feel so good.
Thought I'd share about Nordic Care Foot Cream, which my massage therapist sells in her studio. I'd seen her write-ups about it and decided to try it. After trying so many others, this is the only one that truly works on those difficult callouses of mine. It smells good, melts into the skin and doesn't feel greasy at all. You can order it by clicking on their website link above. They also have a wonderful Lavender Hand Cream!!
Happy Ending...Footsmart now has my sock size available again - in my desired low-cut socks...and I ordered more of them there. And I got a nice discount...and I know I'll be happy with them when I get them. They are so soft - no seams - they don't bind and make my feet feel so good.
Thought I'd share about Nordic Care Foot Cream, which my massage therapist sells in her studio. I'd seen her write-ups about it and decided to try it. After trying so many others, this is the only one that truly works on those difficult callouses of mine. It smells good, melts into the skin and doesn't feel greasy at all. You can order it by clicking on their website link above. They also have a wonderful Lavender Hand Cream!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
***I haven't received anything for this review, these are my own thoughts and words.***
***I haven't received anything for this review, these are my own thoughts and words.***
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Consider Jesus’ Birthplace
Luke 2:4-7 (ESV): 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was...
with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
If you’ve been around a woman preparing to have a baby, you know that her focus and thinking shifts almost exclusively to preparing for the birth of her child as the time grows near. All activities, big or small, are influenced by the ever-present question: “What will happen if I go into labor today?”
Even though Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago, his mother, Mary, would have been thinking that same question. You don’t have to be a pregnant woman to imagine the discomfort and anxiety Mary experienced while traveling a speculated distance of 70 miles. Mary’s condition meant that their trip took much longer than it would have for others traveling back to Bethlehem. So it’s not a surprise that when they arrived, all available housing would have been taken. But, was Jesus really born in a barn? Were they really alone and rejected with no place to go? While our Christmas images today often show a wooden manger (food trough) filled with hay and baby Jesus plopped atop, is that really accurate? And, what does the phrase “there was no room in the inn” really mean? It’s time to get a fresh perspective on Luke 2:4-7.
In ancient times in this part of the world, hospitality was a huge cultural value. This means that Bethlehem residents would have tried to accommodate as many visitors as possible. While Mary and Joseph arrived for the census after all available regular housing was taken, they weren’t necessarily banished to some random, remote outdoor barn most of us imagine. Chances are they took shelter in a cave-like stable attached to a distant relative’s dwelling. They would have been out of the elements and likely still connected to a family member’s home. Joseph was, after all, part of the lineage of King David so he would have had family close by. In addition, this meant in the days after Jesus’ birth, family and friends would have looked after the young couple and helped them with food and necessities while Mary recovered from childbirth. And, about that manger – yes, baby Jesus would have been placed in a manger since they didn’t have cradles, but it would have been clean and they would have had items to keep him warm.
Even though Jesus’ birth surroundings may not have been ideal, God used that environment to remind us that Jesus came humbly into our world, not to be above us or better than us. Jesus came to be with us, right where we are.
REFLECTION:
What is the most surprising thing you learned today about Jesus’ birth surroundings?
Think about Luke 2:4-7 through Mary and Joseph’s eyes. How would their situation challenge their faith in God’s plan for their lives? How would they celebrate God’s provision in their circumstance?
Monday, December 21, 2015
In the Beginning
Welcome to a special edition of Christmas devotions for the LivingItOut this week. We hope you will use them as an opportunity to see the Christmas story with fresh eyes and wonder, because it’s with that frame of mind that we can truly celebrate all week long, and throughout the year, the scandalous story of Jesus leaving his perfect, heavenly home to help us find our way...
to our heavenly home.
to our heavenly home.
Big Point: Our Christmas experience begins with focusing on Christ.
John 1:14 (New Living Translation)
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Okay, so we’ve all heard the Christmas story, right? We’ve got baby Jesus, his parents, a manger, some smelly animals and a bunch of shepherds who dropped by on a silent night that changed the world. Could it be that we’ve told the story so many times that we’ve taken Christmas for granted? How can we view this story that’s become ordinary and make it extraordinary once again?
Here’s the thing: We need to know the Christmas story more now than ever! In a world that is filled with increasing amounts of public and private heartache, we need to be connected to the hope that was born that night in Bethlehem. Most of us have forgotten that Jesus has been present for all time – creating all things including the world in which we live. Yet, on Christmas night, Jesus left the company of heaven to come as a baby and as he grew, to walk among humanity in a bruised and broken world. On that holy night, Jesus, who is God, became human and made his home among us.
In John 1:14, Jesus is described as “the Word”, meaning that Jesus is the human expression that captures what God is like. As he walked on earth, Jesus revealed who God is and how God felt about the humans who had created a world of heartache and pain around them. Jesus revealed God’s unfailing love and faithfulness through his willingness to sacrifice his life on our behalf.
All of this began on one silent night in Bethlehem, as a star in the east illuminated the birth of our salvation. Christmas marks the beginning of God’s great plan to save humanity. Each year, we remember that Christmas is our reminder of hope for our hurting world.
REFLECTION:
So often we hear the words “We need to keep Christ in Christmas.” What does that phrase really mean to you?
Jesus came to bring us hope because the world around us is filled with heartache and pain. How would you describe the hope that Jesus gives you? Use those words as a prayer to him.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Give Hope
Big Point: In Christ, we are people of this world and people of heaven. When we’re looking for it, every day we encounter reasons why we can be grateful to be American citizens, but how often do we thank God, and have pride in being citizens of heaven? We have dual citizenship as followers of Christ, which also gives us...a dual reality and a great hope.
We may have never even thought of it that way, but the fact is, we live in several different experiences at once. For instance, not only are we someone’s child, we may also be someone’s mother or father, aunt or uncle simultaneously. We are friends and we may also be married as well. We are citizens of this world and therefore face all the conditions and realities of it, but God has also offered us citizenship in heaven through Jesus.
In our December memory verse, Paul talks about the blessing of this citizenship and the hope it brings. We are God’s children, brothers and sisters of Jesus! That reality can radically impact our lives. Even though we are bombarded by the intricacies of our world, we also have the peace of knowing that we are dual citizens and that our heavenly goal is ahead of us. We can be excited about that citizenship because it’s eternal and gives us tremendous focus on preparing for Jesus’ return. It’s in that reality that we can grow, give hope, forgive, give grace and give back to our fellow citizens, knowing that for now, home is a frame of mind, not a place and time, and that one day we will be home for good.
READ IT… What does the Bible say?
December Memory Verse
Philippians 3:20 (New Living Translation)
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Question: What are three things that give hope in this verse?
Answer:
BELIEVE IT… What is the lesson for me?
True or False: I feel like a citizen of heaven as much as I feel like an American.
LIVE IT… What will I do now?
In light of the all the principles of giving we’ve discussed this week, including how we are given dual citizenship both here and in heaven through Christ, what could you do to give that same hope in Jesus to the people around you? List some practical steps here and choose one to do this weekend:
PRAY… Thank your Heavenly Father for offering you citizenship in heaven. Praise Him for sending Jesus to our home so that we can ultimately spend eternity with him. Thank Him for His grace and forgiveness when you get caught up in the realities of this world and forget that you are not yet home.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Give the Benefit of the Doubt
Big Point: When we love one another, we can give each other the benefit of the doubt.
While the words “home” and “house” are often used interchangeably, in reality they can be quite different. According to dictionary.com, one of the definitions of home is where our affections abide. Contrast that with the word house, which almost always refers to the physical building alone. In other words, home is more than a place, it is a frame of mind; and just as home is...
a frame of mind, so is giving the ones we love the most the benefit of the doubt.
a frame of mind, so is giving the ones we love the most the benefit of the doubt.
The irony is that we find it easier to give the benefit of the doubt to those we don’t live with and love, more often than to those who we do. In fact, the ones we love the most are typically the first to know they have fallen short of our expectations and receive the least amount of our benefit of the doubt when they “mess up”.
To give someone the benefit of the doubt means that we choose to believe the best about them rather than the worst, when we could do either. We’re not talking about a stranger here, but someone we intimately know and have trusted in the past. They are trustworthy. It is these people that could use an extra measure of our grace when conflicts or miscommunications arise so that the relationship stays strong and comes first during turmoil. Paul talked about the importance of this when he wrote to the church in Ephesus to encourage them to greater unity. He gave specific instructions on what to do and explained why it was so important.
READ IT… What does the Bible say?
Ephesians 4:2-4 (New Living Translation)
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
Question: What are three character traits Paul is urging the people to exhibit? What does he tell us to do with the faults of others?
Answer:
BELIEVE IT… What is the lesson for me?
Even if it’s easy to become angry and irritated with those we love, we are called to be humble, gentle and patient. Why?
LIVE IT… What will I do now?
Do you give those you love the benefit of the doubt or do you always jump to the worst conclusion?
Sometimes our inability to give the benefit of the doubt to someone who is trustworthy is more about being right than it is about the relationship. As one popular author writes, “Is my desire in this conflict to prove that I am right or improve the relationship?” Which is it for you?
PRAY… Ask God to cultivate in you a spirit of humbleness, gentleness and patience and to eliminate the need to be right. Ask for opportunities to extend the benefit of the doubt to those you love throughout the week so that the relationship comes first.
More Living It Out
Dig Deeper with this week’s teaching pastor:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)