i should be mopping the floor: October 2015
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Free Printable Food Gift Tags

'Tis the season for yummy gifts. These Free Printable Food Gift Tags are perfect for all of your shareable deliciousness.

Free Printable Food Gift Tags | Two color options | Just print and attach to a yummy treat.
My mom was always a food gifter. Now that she's a bit older, she's unable to do that. But my holiday memories are flooded with the thought of a busy kitchen with all of her creations laid out all over it...cooling, drying, ready to be packaged for friends and family. And she always made everyone's favorite just for them. There was no mass baking of one item. It was always, "this recipe for Uncle Leonard, these treats for Mrs. Norman, and don't add any raisin item to the plate of cookies for the Smiths since they don't like them." It was a full-service operation of genuine love for others through food. 
My mom has always been a care-giver...and mostly it's been through her love of cooking and baking that she's cared for others. 

Not only did she share her treats, she also shared her knowledge. She would host cake-decorating classes and pie-making 101 sessions for her friends who wanted to learn a bit more about her methods. I'm always in constant amazement of just how incredibly much she did...with four kids and working full-time, too. 

This is a somewhat difficult post to write. As mom approaches her eighties, we're dealing with not only physical health, but also a great deal of dementia and well...you know, issues along those lines. It's difficult to see my once extremely active and busy mom not being able to recall events from day to day or even hour to hour. I miss how we used to be...and in a way, I miss her, even though, she's still very much here. You know what I mean.

I designed these tags with her on my heart. One of her biggest complaints was not being able to find food tags for gifts...because in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Pinterest and printables weren't exactly a thing. She would always "make do" with a 3x5 card. 

Although, I know she'll probably not be able to use these...they're dedicated to her love of gifting through delicious hand-made food items. Download yours below. They're available in two colors.

Savory Pumpkin Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

These Savory Pumpkin Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls are perfect for your holiday table. 

Savory Pumpkin Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls | Perfectly pumpkin and yeasty delicious rolls for your holiday table.
Is there anything better than a cloverleaf roll? It's pretty much the main reason I love Luby's. Well, cloverleaf rolls and their macaroni and cheese...I am only human, after all. And if you don't have Luby's where you live, I'm happy to add you to my prayer list. 
No lie...I had a meal plan there in college (I'm seriously not even a little bit kidding, y'all). The Luby's by our college offered students a prepaid card for 12 meals that my parents would kindly refill for me when they came to town. My roommates and I always closed the place down...since, you know, they close at 8 pm. My husband has always poked fun at me for being such a Luby's lover. Say what you want, they've got it going on. I may often be the youngest in the line picking out my sides and entree (on the LuAnn platter, of course) but Luby's is where it's at, man. I thought it would be fun to use a pumpkin roll recipe and create the signature Luby's cloverleaf roll with it. I changed up the seasonings and stuff...but it's a fall version of the classic cloverleaf. Check out the recipe below.

Inspiration Monday

It's party day! Today, is my favorite posting day of the week...so I'm super thrilled to share this little tidbit with you here.

So, I've had this fun little "secret" in the works since the summertime. I've just signed a contract for a BOOK! I couldn't be more thrilled (and a little scared) to be bringing you an entire BOOK OF PRINTS! Just like the free printables I post every week, this book will be filled with already-printed "printables" for use in your home and daily life. My chapter list was just approved and I'll be starting design work this week. My full manuscript is due at the end of January and the book should hit shelves December of 2016.


My plan will be to slightly scale back posting on the blog while I'm doing so much design work for the book. I do still plan to post at least twice a week and continue the party.

This announcement is also a huge THANK YOU for your support of all of my work...without this blog and its readers, this fun book gig would have never happened. I can't wait to share more as it all comes together.


But for now...LET'S PARTY!!

Halloween Cereal Bars

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 
All opinions are mine alone. #SpooktacularSnacks #CollectiveBias

These Halloween Cereal Bars are the perfect sweet treat for all your ghosts and goblins!

Halloween Cereal Bars | Fun and easy cereal bars perfect for a party!
These little treats are so fun to customize to your own tastes. Halloween Cereal Bars are delicious and very simple to make. The kiddos will definitely want to help out with this one.  

Free Watercolor Thanksgiving Printable

This Free Watercolor Thanksgiving Printable is the perfect addition to your fall decor.

Free Watercolor Thanksgiving Printable | 8x10 Instant Download
 So, yeah...I'm a bit obsessed with watercolor everything lately. I even have a watercolor makeup bag. I just love it. I feel like watercolor is often associated with spring...so I wanted to warm it up with a fun fall printable. Download yours below.  

10 Make-Ahead Holiday Pies

These 10 Make-Ahead Holiday Pies are perfect to prep ahead of time for the big meal.

These 10 Make-Ahead Holiday Pies are perfect to prep ahead of time for the big meal.
I think I could subside on pie and pie alone.  My family has always loved pies...and made some delicious ones over the years. My mom is known for her apple and pecan pies. While my dad is the king of coconut cream. While it's fun to have a few fancier and even meringue pies on your holiday dessert table, throwing in a few of these listed below will help you save time the day-of...and they're all delicious. Most of these are my recipes, but a few are from some fellow bloggers.

Sugar Free and Skinny Barbecue Sauce

This Sugar Free and Skinny Barbecue Sauce is perfect over any meat! And guilt-free, y'all.

Sugar Free and Skinny Barbecue Sauce
Over the summer, I switched over to the Simply Filling Plan on my Weight Watchers diet. I've been on Weight Watchers for a couple of years now and was just ready for a change. I actually really like this plan better...and I've been more consistent with the weight loss, too. The only thing is that it can be a bit limiting with options...and some of my faves (barbecue anything) aren't on plan (no sugar, y'all...that can be a bummer to BBQ Sauce). So, I've been playing around for awhile and combined a few standard homemade barbecue sauce recipes to make a great sauce that is the perfect fix! I use it on everything...chicken, pork, beef...all the meats, y'all. Check out the recipe below.

Inspiration Monday

Hi, friends! I'm coming to you from a much more northern party of the country today...thought it would be neat to actually experience FALL (like real fall!). Hope you're enjoying some lovely fall weather wherever you happen to be this weekend. 
inspiration-monday-in-party-at refreshrestyle.com
 
This week's features were chosen by Laura from Inspiration for Moms.

Free Printable Fall Coffee Cup Wrappers

These free printable coffee cup wrappers are perfect for little gifts or even for your own cup!

Free Printable Fall Coffee Cup Wrappers | Four Designs for Fun Gift Giving in a Coffee Cup | Instant Downloads
I actually had a reader request for these...and I thought, "well, why didn't I think of that?" My first two rounds of coffee cup wrappers went over so well, it's only logical that I post some awesomely autumnal ones, too, right? For some reason, I also think of autumn as the coffee-est season of them all...even though I drink the stuff year round. But with all the baking and dessert eating in autumn, we're bound to need a little extra coffee in there somewhere. Download your free printable fall coffee cup wrappers below.

Miniature Apple Crisps

This post for Miniature Apple Crisps contains affiliate links. I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you.

These Miniature Apple Crisps are all kinds of autumn...and totally bite-sized! They're perfect for your next fall gathering or a Thanksgiving dessert buffet.
Miniature Apple Crisps | These bite-sizes versions of the classic fall dessert are less messy, but still packed with deliciousness.
I've mentioned this before, but at the end of the summer, I stumbled upon the Fall Baking Magazine from BHG. It was chocked full of fabulousness. The first recipe that caught my eye was the mini apple crisp bites. They looked so delicious and reminded me of my own Pear & Apple Crisp that I posted last year. I tweaked it to my own taste and thought it would be fun to share here...who wouldn't want bite-sized miniature apple crisps? They're a lot tidier than the traditional fruit crisp...but still pack loads of flavor. Check out the recipe below.

Inspiration Monday

'Tis the season of pumpkin spice, and everything nice...fall, glorious fall! Even though it's still a bit warm here in Texas, I'm loving feeling the fall here at the party every week. I'm considering throwing on my boots, scarf, and crocheted headband and kicking the air down to the 60s to browse the links today. Just kidding...kind of. Hope you're enjoying the awesomeness of the season, too!

inspiration-monday-in-party-at refreshrestyle.com

Free Autumn Facebook Timelines

These Autumn Facebook Timelines are the perfect way to add a little fall to your profile.

Free Autumn Facebook Timelines | Five styles to FALL-up your Cover | Instant Downloads
I love making my Facebook Timeline a lil' seasonal. And it's no coincidence that over half of these are food-related...I mean that is what fall is all about, right? Click on the timeline below that you'd like to download.

Living Room Mini Makeover

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.
 All opinions are mine alone. #ICantEven #BigLots #CollectiveBias.

My Living Room Mini Makeover is just in time for the busy entertaining season. 
See how it came together below.
Living Room Mini Makeover | Simple changes give this room an up-to-date eclectic feel
While I always host Thanksgiving for my large, extended family every year, this year has a fun, extra celebration we’re throwing in. My dad is turning the big EIGHT-OHHHHH before the end of the year and we plan to put together a special dinner for him here at our house. The bulk of family get togethers often default to my house, but I always enjoy the preparation that leads up to these things. My husband laughs because entertaining equals another excuse to redecorate here and there...of course it does, right? Check out how I’m starting to get things spruced up in the living room below.

Pumpkin and Pecan Dutch Baby Pancake

This Pumpkin and Pecan Dutch Baby Pancake will be the highlight of your fall breakfasts...forever!

Pumpkin and Pecan Dutch Baby Pancake | Easy and FUN show-stopping fall breakfast!
There's a really good chance this dish goes by a different name in your house. I made (a different version of) it for my mom a couple of years ago and I thought she was going to come unglued. Being of German decent, she just couldn't fathom why I would call it a Dutch Baby?!? 
"THAT is a German Pancake...not a...whatever it was you called it." Ouch. 
"And furthermore, it should be in a cast iron skillet..."
That was a very fun and informational morning...ha! My mom really tells it like it is, y'all.

However, I started out calling this a Dutch Baby, so it kind of stuck, you know? And, y'all...I'm just a casserole pan kinda girl. There's no shame in preparing this in a 9x13. While yes, cast iron is the traditional method, a casserole dish still gives you the same big "puff" when it comes straight out of the oven. And then it can go straight into the dishwasher. Ahem...cast iron can not. I'm also a dishwasher kinda girl. 

Check out this amazingly fun (and EASY) showstopper of a dish below>>>

Boo Basket Ideas and Free Printables

This post for Boo Basket Ideas contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you. 

If you're wanting some cute boo basket ideas (and adorable boo-ing printables, too), you've come to the right place. This whole "boo-ing" thing is one of my absolute favorite concepts, ever, and is a really fun Halloween tradition. I mean, who wouldn't want a basket full of goodies left by some sweet friends? 
Boo Basket Ideas

Are you into the whole boo-ing craze? We love it at our house, it's such a fun way to spread Halloween cheer. But, this year, I thought it would be super fun to boo some of my own friends...with thoughtful grown-up gifties and treats. The black and orange bucket shown in this post has a fun coffee theme...my imagination was really brewing (pun intended) over all things coffee, fall, and Halloween! Grab your free prints below to create a BOO basket of your own. There are prints for "I've Been Boo-ed" and "We've Been Boo-ed" in case you're boo-ing more than one person at a time. And lots of ideas for a boo basket, as well.

Inspiration Monday

It's October...hooray! I feel like from here on out we're rolling downhill (fast) into the holiday season...and I want to soak up and enjoy every minute of it, y'all. Hoping you're having an awesome fall where ever you are!
inspiration-monday-in-party-at refreshrestyle.com
This week's features were chosen by Debbie from Refresh Restyle

Free Plaid Bathroom Printables

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 
All opinions are mine alone. #RinseMadeRad #CollectiveBias

Are you MAD for PLAID?! These free plaid bathroom printables are the perfect fix.
Available in four fabulous colors below. 
Free Plaid Bathroom Printables available in four patterns/colors. | Instant downloads.
Plaid is just rad. Can I get an amen? This is the time of year I love to pull out all the cozy flannel fabrics, pillows, and shirts and get all autumned up, y'all. And this year, I'm going over the top and adding the most adorable bottles of plaid mouthwash set out on the bathroom counter. They coordinate perfectly with these free plaid bathroom printables...and were even inspired by them.

How To Prime A Chalkboard

This tutorial for How to Prime a Chalkboard contains affiliate links. I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you.

This summer, I had this wild and crazy idea to paint one of the walls in my office with chalkboard paint. Top to bottom, y'all. It was an all or nothing kind of thing. With a chalkboard this huge, I had to do some serious priming to get it conditioned for regular use. I thought I'd document those steps. And today, I'm sharing how to prime a chalkboard...you know, for when you go all kinds of crazy and paint an entire wall that way, too. 

See how to prime a chalkboard for your own home or office below.
How To Prime A Chalkboard
I should start by saying that priming a chalkboard wall of this size is a bit of an undertaking. But, this tutorial works on a chalkboard of any size...as well as one you might purchase in the store that hasn't been used, yet. You need to prime a chalkboard just like you need to season a new cast iron pan: to prepare it for years of use without messing it up on the first go round. See my complete tutorial for How to Prime a Chalkboard below.