i should be mopping the floor: December 2014
Homepage Projects and Crafts Free Fonts Free Printables and SVG Files Printables Journals and Planners Facebook Covers and Device Wallpapers Spring Projects and Printables


Orange Cream Kolaches

These Orange Cream Kolaches are easy to make with
frozen yeast roll dough. And they taste delicious!

Back in May, I posted my uncle's century-old recipe for Cream Cheese Kolaches over on the Rhodes Bake-N-Serv blog. Making those kolaches brought back a flood of "taste memories" {did you have those, too?}. While I definitely know that orange isn't a traditional taste for these yeasty Czech treats, I wanted to put a modern spin on them. Check out the recipe below>>>

Top 10 Recipes of 2014

Below are my top ten most reader read and pinned recipes of 2014!
I'm laughing because pretty much all of them are sweets...heehee, love that!
Thanks so much for making it a delicious year here at I Should Be Mopping the Floor.
Top 10 Recipes of 2014 from I Should Be Mopping the Floor
As I started to look through my stats to see what the most popular recipe posts were of the year, I started giggling. The salads did not make the cut {womp, womp}. LOL...it was the bars, cookies, cakes and brownies...by a landslide. Check out 2014's top 10 recipes below.

Inspiration Monday

Hoping you all are enjoying the wonderful holiday season that we're in the middle of! And, can you believe...just a few days left of 2014!?! Let's go out with a bang and have one heck of a party!

Be sure to follow us all on social media, too! We love to feature your creativity throughout the week. Just search for the hashtag, #InspirationMonday: 

I Should Be Mopping the Floor | Refresh Restyle


We've got some fun features to get you inspired for a crafty and delicious new year below! 

Free New Year's Facebook Timeline Covers

Grab one of these inspirational New Year's Facebook Timeline Covers
and get ready to rock 2015. 

Free New Year's Facebook Timeline Covers | Inspirational words to ring in the new year with!
Hoping you all had a Merry, Merry and Happy Holiday season...but it's soooo not over! New Year's is in a few days. Who is ready to own 2015?!? Grab one of my free New Year's Facebook Timeline Covers below and rock your year!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to You and Yours!

Here's hoping you and yours have an absolutely fabulous Christmas!
Much love and appreciation to you all.

xoxo, kristi




Inspiration Monday

It's Christmas Week! I can hardly believe it...so much to do, but it's all so fun! Hoping you're getting everything checked off your list and enjoying some downtime, too. Take a few minutes to enjoy a little par-tay inspiration below!


Last Minute Gift Ideas

Need a few last minute gift ideas? 
The Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's has some fantastic finds.

Let me just say that I'd be a happy girl to get any of these fun things. That Bird Cupcake Dome is presh! But, my hands-down faves are the Holiday Dog Hooked Decorative Pillows. Check out our Dachshund one below!
We are wiener-dog people. So, I just adore having this as apart of my holiday decor this year. Isn't it adorbs, y'all? This pillow and all of the above Martha Stewart gifts are available exclusively at Macy's. Click here to check them all out.


Neglect your chores like me and don't miss a thing:



Sweetening Life Naturally with Honey {GIVEAWAY!}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Don Victor Honey. 
All opinions are mine alone. #HoneyForHolidays #CollectiveBias

I love using honey as a natural sweetener. I made this Holiday Honey and Pear Cake with it here {using Don Victor Honey} and it turned out fabulously. I'm always amazed how many things you can use honey for. Below, I'm sharing some great ways to save on honey as well as a fantastic $500 Visa Gift Card Sweepstakes from Don Victor

We use honey for so many things around here...from baking to tea to helping us feel better if we have a cold. Below is a great $500 gift card sweepstakes from Don Victor Honey and savings, too.

Life Cereal Cookies

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker. 
All opinions are mine alone. 

These Quaker® Life Cereal Cookies are the perfect snack.
They're perfect with a tall glass of milk...naturally.
#LoveMyCereal #QuakerUp #CollectiveBias

Life Cereal Cookies: a fun spin on a classic cookie. The cereal adds an AMAZING texture!
 I tinkered with my perfect cookie recipe...again. This time, I swapped out the chocolate chips for white chocolate ones and the oatmeal for Life Cereal. Wow...I'm totally digging the unexpected texture the cereal brings. It's a soft cookie that has these perfect little crunchies {that stay crunchy through baking and all}. Check out the recipe below.

Free Printable 2015 Calendar

This Free Printable 2015 Calendar At-A-Glance is
the perfect piece to print off and display for quick reference throughout the year.

Free Printable 2015 Calendar | This At-A-Glance Calendar is perfect to hang up anywhere you need a quick-reference calendar | Letter-sized | Instant Download
This little calendar is perfect to throw on the fridge, hang in the cubicle or tape inside of a cabinet door. Sometimes you don't need a full calendar...just a quick one to see what date falls where. Download your free printable 2015 calendar below>>>

Baked Toads in a Hole

Thank you to Goldrich Eggs for inspiring such a yummy post!

Whether you call them toads in a hole or eggs in a hole, my baked version of this dish is perfect for Christmas morning...you can make multiple servings at once. This recipe for Baked Toads in a Hole is one of our favorites for sure.
#GoldrichYolk

Baked Toads in a Hole {you may call them Baked Eggs in a Hole} | A baked twist on a classic breakfast: easier and less messy to prepare this way.
 Traditionally, the English dish of Toads in a Hole is a sausage and Yorkshire pudding type of casserole. But, in our home {as in many other American homes}, Toads in a Hole is what we refer to as eggs cooked inside the cutouts of bread slices. I've been making this for as long as I can remember...it's my youngest son's favorite breakfast. I've found that, not only does baking this dish provide a way to make a lot more servings faster, it also produces a prettier finished product, if you will. Check out the recipe below.

Our Downton Abbey Party

This post is brought to you by World Market.
But, my love for Downton Abbey is legit...love that show!

We had such a brilliant time at our Downton Abbey Party last week.
My friends were so fun and we all had a royally good time!
#DoTheDownton #DowntonAbbey

Not only am I crazy about Downton Abbey, so are some of my friends and family. And we all got together to celebrate our love for all things Grantham. And Crawley. And Bates. And, and, and...

Downton Abbey Christmas Thumbprint Cookies

Today's post is brought to you by World Market. The recipe is my own.

These Downton Abbey Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are a 
mouthful of royally festive yumminess in every bite.
#DowntonAbbey #DoTheDownton

Downton Abbey Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
I've mentioned my love for the royally smashing show, Downton Abbey a time or two on this blog. Can't. Get. Enough. Last week, I hosted a Downton Abbey party and these were one of the treats I served. Check out the recipe below and enter for a chance to win an awesome Downton Abbey prize pack below. It's brilliant {said in my best English accent}. 

Preparing for Guests and Cleaning for the Holidays


Preparing for Guests and Cleaning for the Holidays can be a huge undertaking.
I'm including my tips for "clean once...maintain all season long" below {and special ideas to prepare for overnight friends and family}. 


#holidays #deepcleaning #cleaningtips
Preparing for Guests and Cleaning for the Holidays | Enter to win a Bissell Upright Deep Cleaner!
This little family member above makes things interesting as I prepare for guests and entertaining this holiday season. I don't want anyone to feel like they're spending the night at a kennel {nor do we love that feeling either}.
I prep my carpets and rugs at the beginning of the season with my Bissell Deep Cleaner. I use their Bissell 2X Pet Stain and Odor with Scotchgard to create a clean that will last all the way into the new year! 

Inspiration Monday

Merry, merry! Welcome back to another festively fun edition of the Inspiration Monday Party. All seven of us are THRILLED to have you over! Grab a cup a nog and enjoy...


While we are all busy preparing for the holidays,
it's nice to be able to sit down and relax while browsing through Inspiration Monday Party.
The amount of creativity and Inspiration here is a true blessing.

Free Plaid Christmas Printables

My plaid obsession just made it into printable form.
Download one of these free plaid Christmas printables for your decor.

Free Plaid Christmas Printables | Three 8x10 Designs | Instant Downloads
 Are you as mad about plaid as I am? From vintage thermoses to cozy fleece blankets...I just love plaid. I thought it would be fun to capture my lil' obsession in some fun seasonal printables. These have some of my favorite Christmas lyrics on them. Click below to download yours. You can display them separately or together. 

Christmas Cracker Candy

This Christmas Cracker Candy is pretty over-the-top crazy good. I'm almost scared to admit how much butter is in it...

Christmas Cracker Candy | Buttery and delicious...and EASY!
I think I've told you guys how I had a brief stint as a Southern Living at Home gal. I didn't make much money at it {read: I actually spent more than I made...meaning it actually cost me to have the gig. My husband was beyond thrilled when I hung up the Southern Living hat.}. But that little adventure led me to owning almost every Southern Living Cookbook that's ever been written. True story.

Christmas Home Tour

Welcome! Today, I'm sharing my
Christmas Home Tour. Step inside and say hello!

Christmas Home Tour | Vintage and Handmade Holiday Ideas and DIY Projects
It's been a few years since I've done a Christmas tour of our home. But, I love peeking into others' homes to see how they live and how they do holidays, too. So, I thought I'd post mine again! Check out the festive fun below.

Simple Bread Gifts with Printable Tags

These Simple Bread Gifts are the 
perfect present for neighbors, co-workers, teachers...anyone!

Simple Bread Gifts with Printable Tags | Easy and budget-friendly gifts for neighbors, co-workers, teachers...anyone!
I designed these fun holiday tags for my friends over at Rhodes Bake-N-Serv.
I'm sharing them over on their blog today, along with some delicious {and EASY} ideas for bread-a-licious gifts for all of your peeps. Click here to check it out and download your own free printables for this.




Tips for Easy Holiday Home Care {Even Floor Cleaning!}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and O-Cedar. All opinions are mine alone. #CleanForTheHolidays #CollectiveBias

Are you guys ready? I'm posting about mopping my floors today...no, really.
Actually, I'm posting about all kinds of cleaning during this crazy season.
Get ready for floor cleaning at its finest...
{from someone who talks about her lack of mopping a lot}!

Tips for Easy Holiday Home Care | Plus holiday-style free printable chore charts!
In the last few months, my routines have changed a bit. And after an intense deep-cleaning of the house this fall, I've realized I'm just done with the mess. D-O-N-E. Done.

If I can share my heart for a bit...the mess was making me an unhappy person. I'd walk down the hall to my office and see dust bunnies hopping along behind me. And then I'd have the worst possible self-talk about what a crummy house keeper I am. And then...I made a change.

Holiday Honey and Pear Cake

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

This Holiday Honey and Pear Cake is perfect for a seasonal dessert table...
or just munching on for breakfast!

Holiday Honey and Pear Cake | A deliciously moist and tasty cake for breakfast or celebrations!
For as long as I can remember, my mom has made a couple of apple and honey cakes around the holidays. She never makes them for anything specific, just to have on hand for snacking or giving to neighbors or friends who may stop by. I've been playing around with her recipe and decided to try it with pears. I played with the spices, too, and thought Cardamom would be a really nice addition. Plus, I think Cardamom seems a bit holiday-ish {is it just me?}. I also used the most luscious and yummy honey in this cake. It's from Don Victor and it contains the actual honeycomb in the jar {my kids loved that!}. See the recipe below.

Inspiration Monday

How in the heehaw is it significantly into December? I've barely put a dent in my shopping, y'all. But I am having a great time with all of the super-dee-duperty holiday inspiration y'all keep bringing! Feelin' mighty festive...

Be sure to follow us all on social media, too! We love to feature your creativity throughout the week. Just search for the hashtag, #InspirationMonday: 

I Should Be Mopping the Floor | Refresh Restyle

Marinated Cheese and Olive Holiday Wreath Appetizer


This Marinated Cheese and Olive Holiday Wreath Appetizer is the perfect addition to your festive spread. It's simple to put together, too. It's the perfect addition to your usual holiday recipes.

Marinated Cheese and Olive Holiday Wreath Appetizer | Delicious, festive, and easy to prepare.
In our family, a holiday gathering without olives is borderline criminal. From as long as I can remember, my mom has always served a relish tray, bowls of olives, or {my favorite}...what she calls a "cheese and olive wreath". I honestly thought she made this dish up. Imagine my surprise when I saw similar dishes out there on Pinterest. It's really a thing. And y'all...it's a good thing. Below is my own take on the Marinated Cheese and Olive Holiday Wreath Appetizer. I found a similar wreath to my mom's in an older Taste of Home Magazine I had {I collect those things and read them like novels, y'all}. This one I'm posting today is a combination of the Taste of Home one and my mom's wreath that she's made for a few years. 

Free Monogram Christmas Tree Printable

Grab a free Monogram Christmas Tree Printable to add a special touch to 
your holiday decor. Letters A-Z available to download below.

Free Monogram Christmas Tree Printable | Letters A-Z available | Instant Downloads
After September's monogram fall pumpkins were such a hit, I had a few requests for holiday ones as well. I honestly couldn't decide which direction to head with these...I tried peppermints, Santa Hats, and stars...but then realized a Christmas tree would be perfection! Download your initial below.

Red Velvet and Peppermint Pudding Poke Cake

According to my kids, this Red Velvet and Peppermint Pudding Poke Cake
tastes exactly like Christmas.
#HolidayDelight #IDelight

Red Velvet and Peppermint Pudding Poke Cake  | A taste of Christmas in every bite of this moist, rich cake...and its topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting.
I love a good poke cake. I think this is about the fourth one I've posted here in the last year or so.  They're just so versatile...and always moist and delicious. I always associate poke cakes with summer...since a lot of them are made with gelatin. But, I really wanted to come up with one that captured the yummy flavors of the holiday season. This one starts with red velvet cake as the base...and then has a white chocolate pudding that incorporates International Delight's Peppermint Chocolate Truffle Creamer in it. It soaks straight into the cake. It's then topped with a cream cheese frosting and chopped peppermint kiss candy. This cake is just all kinds of festive fabulous.

Throwing a Family-Friendly New Year's Eve Party

Do you love New Year's Eve as much as I do? I've got some fun tips to throw a party for all of your friends...and their kiddos! #NabiscoHolidayParties
Throwing a Family Friendly New Year's Eve Party /// Free kiddo resolution printables.
Before kids came along, New Year's Eve parties were no-brainers. But with kiddos, celebrating {and keeping littles entertained allllllll the way until midnight} can take a little bit of planning and ingenuity. I've got some fun tips, including free printables below.
The biggest priority? The food. Having a mix of both grown up dishes and kiddie treats is key.

Jesse Tree Christmas Tradition

Our family absolutely loves our Jesse Tree Christmas Tradition. 
It keeps the true meaning of Christmas close at hand every single day of the season.

The Jesse Tree Christmas Tradition | Free Printable Scripture Cards | A unique and blessed tradition to depict the story of the birth through ornaments and scriptures.
The Jesse Tree is an ancient Christmas Tradition originating back to medieval times. Jesse Trees are used in homes to help tell the Christmas story...they depict a lot of the characters, prophesies, and stories surrounding the birth of Christ. I've included free scripture printables to help you create a Jesse Tree tradition for your own family. You'll find details and tips are below on how to incorporate this as your own Christmas tradition...I guarantee it will be one that you treasure!

AND, this is a blog hop! I'm joining several friends who are sharing their special traditions this week, too. If you're popping by from Absolutely Arkansas, welcome!

Sweet Potato Chili & Healthy Eating Over the Holidays

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Sam's Club.
All opinions are mine alone.

This Sweet Potato Chili is so delicious...
it is the perfect recipe to maintain healthy eating over the holidays. 
#SimplyHealthy #CollectiveBias
Sweet Potato Chili Recipe | Only 8 points per generous 1 1/2 cup serving
This dish is fabulous for so many reasons...it's a one-pot wonder, it's yummy, and it's healthy. You really can't go wrong. I totally struggle with maintaining my weight-loss during the holiday season. Dishes like this make it so much easier. Check out the recipe along with healthy eating tips during the holidays below.>>>