Pink Saturday: Finding Peace In the Busy Times {and PINK Christmas!}

Happy Pink Saturday!

It's been months since I've participated in Beverly's Pink Saturday and I'm missing all my Pink Ladies! As I announced earlier this year, my Mom, Christy, has come on board as a Creative Contributor here at Hope In Every Season, and today she makes her debut as official co-authoress! She's offering us some words of wisdom about finding peace. Thanks, Mom!

Peacefully Pushing Sixty
Are you peaceful? You have heard people say, other people can not make you happy. Only you can make yourself happy. The older I get the more I realize how true this is.

You can have a perfect husband, perfect kids, perfect home, perfect income, etc. and still spend your time wishing instead of enjoying.
Let's compare it to making a grocery list two weeks before payday. Every time you think of something you want in your kitchen, you write it on the list. By the time payday arrives, your list is so long that it would cost way more than your budget allows, not to mention you would not have the room to stock everything. On top of that, it would all spoil before you could use it. This worthless list leaves you wanting and anxious. If you wait until a couple of days before shopping time and make a list of what you need or would like, within reason, you can give yourself the freedom to be satisfied. Don't spend all month wishing and wanting. Enjoy and use the things you have. 

Another saying that is popular with some is, slow down and smell the roses. Try it! It is ok to stop and read a book, work a jigsaw puzzle, or listen to the wind blow. Rest your soul and shorten your want list for a happier, more peaceful life!

I've been slowly decorating our house for Christmas. I'm finding that my collection of PINK Christmas ornaments is quite larger than I'd originally thought! Pink and silver may be taking the place of red and green as traditional Christmas colors very soon! Fine with me, though. Who can get enough pink?

Does anyone know anything about these bristly sparkly things? I found a whole box of them, along with some clear plastic stars and things, at a yard sale a couple years ago. The box looks 50s-ish. 

 These are the two pink Christmas trees I made this year.

Make sure you stop by Beverly's Pink Saturday to see what everyone's up to this week! Also, make sure to link up with the Homemaking Party and enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Family Christian Bookstore!

Oriental Pork Loin Roast for an Elegant Asian-Inspired Holiday Dinner #TaiPeiGoodFortune #ad #cbias

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

Our family loves to try out foods from other cultures so I'm always looking for ways to make our meals more authentic. One of our favorites is this Asian-inspired Oriental Pork Loin Roast with seasoned rice. Tonight I served Tai Pei Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls with it and they were totally a hit!

New foods can be hit and miss with our family, but since there's so many of us, there's always someone to finish up what the others won't eat. Tonight everyone loved the egg and spring rolls and our four year old, Liam, even declared we should add these to the Thanksgiving menu. Not sure where that came from, but hey--why not?

I think of these Tai Pei rolls like a little black dress. They can be dressed up or down---depending on the event. Combining authentic Asian-style flavors and a fun takeout-style experience, they're easy to prepare and serve as a side dish to a fancy meal or as a munchie dinner while you're watching a favorite movie. 

Avalon and I found these at Walmart in the freezer aisle marked "Convenience Foods". They come in several varieties, including Pork, Chicken, Shrimp, and Vegetable. We bought the Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls and the full size Vegetable Egg Rolls.

I was impressed with the large size and quantity of pieces in each box. One box of each was more than enough for our family of 11. Some of the little kids split theirs in half to share so there was plenty to go around. We all loved the taste of the crispy wrappers, especially on the egg rolls. The vegetables were flavorful and each roll was packed full of filling. No skimping with these!

Each box included several packets of this sweet and sour dipping sauce. I set the sauce packets on top of my stove in a pot of water to thaw while the rolls were cooking. When the rolls came out, I let them cool on the counter a bit while I opened the packets and warmed up the sauce in a sauce pan.

I served the egg and spring rolls with my favorite Oriental Pork Loin Roast and some seasoned rice. This is a simple but elegant idea for a holiday dinner party. The sauce can be spooned over the top of the rolls on the plate for a more formal presentation.

I've been making this Oriental Pork Loin Roast for several years and it's always been a family favorite. I hope you'll enjoy my recipe. Let me know if you try it out and how you like it paired with the egg and spring rolls.

Oriental Pork Loin Roast

2 lb. tender pork loin or shoulder roast
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix soy sauce, honey, garlic, and salt together and marinate pork 24 hours, turning every 6-8 hours. Remove pork from marinade and bake at 400º for 30 minutes.  Turn heat down to 300º and bake until internal temperature reaches 170º. Let pork sit on top of stove or counter about 15 min.  This will help the juices to settle so the meat stays more moist.

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Cranberry Pecan OREO Cookie Balls #OREOCookieBalls #ad #cbias

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

 Have you ever made OREO Cookie Balls? Oh. My. Goodness!! Today was my first time and let me tell you---totally delicious! The fun thing about making these special treats is that you can use one basic recipe and mix in whatever you'd like to make them unique to you. I added cranberries and pecans to mine for an elegant New Year's Eve dessert.

Just like we ladies like to dress up for hostessing, these cookie balls have been dressed up for the last party of the year. Displayed on a delicate glass plate, they can be the star of the show!

I started my recipe with a package of original chocolate OREOs from Walmart. Check out all those flavor varieties! You can be as creative as you'd like. My recipe mix-ins would be delicious with the Golden OREOS, as well.

Next I chopped up my OREOS until they became little crumbs. My kitchen was smelling like dark chocolate goodness about this point.

Then I mixed in a block of cream cheese, some chopped pecans, and a big handful of dried cranberries. I formed the mixture into balls and let it freeze a bit.

The final step was to dip each ball in melted chocolate and sprinkle with a bit of chopped nuts. After they refrigerated about an hour, everyone tried one and declared them divine! The kids insist we add this recipe to our traditional holiday baking list.

OREO Cookie Balls are a fun and flavorful New Year's Eve party host gift. They're easy to make and look pretty wrapped up in a colorful box with shiny foil. 

 In our family, New Year's Eve is usually our last night with our Christmas tree. Why not make up a special batch to munch on while you're taking down ornaments? They'll definitely help with the transition between saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new!

What will you add to make the OREO Cookie Ball recipe uniquely yours? Search the hashtag #OREOCookieBalls for lots of creative mix-in ideas!

Official Oreo Cookie Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
• 36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
• 4 pkg. (4 oz. each) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Optional ingredients: 

• 1 c. chopped pecans
• 3/4 c. dried cranberries
• chopped nuts for sprinkling on top

Make it!

• MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
• SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan.
• CUSTOMIZE it with your own ingredient additions or decorative skills.
• REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.
• Share and enjoy!

Kids' Bibles on Sale at Family Christian thru 12/24 #FCBlogger

This is a sponsored post for Family Christian. All opinions are honest and are my own.

How are you doing on your Christmas shopping? I think I'm about 2/3 of the way done! I'm really trying to pick up thoughtful gifts for my family this year. I want to really bless them with things that are special. A children's Bible is a great idea for a young child and is something they'll always treasure. 

Each of our five oldest children has started out with a kids' version of the Bible, and then moved on to a "grown up" Bible once they were old enough to understand it. 

They really treasure their Bibles and like to make notes in them and show me the exciting stuff God reveals to them as they're reading.

This year is five-year-old Avalon's turn for a kids' Bible and I'm planning on ordering her this Little Girls Bible Storybook from Family Christian.  Now through Christmas Eve, select kids' Bibles and devotionals are 50% off. Be sure to check online or in store for the perfect one for the kid on your list. 

Are you planning on gifting a Bible or devotional for a loved one this year? Tell me all about it!

Fighting Off Adult Acne #Sponsored #ClearasilMom #MC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Clearasil. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Note: I fully expect this picture to end up on Awkward Family Photos very soon. It will probably be my brother who does it. I'd just like everyone to appreciate my B.U.M. Equipment t-shirt here.

When I was a teenager, my biggest struggle was with acne. I didn't consider myself particularly chubby, and I liked my hair (hey, it was the early 90s) and clothes on most days, but the acne was something I just could not get rid of, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't wait for the magical age of 19---that's the age my mom said it would all go away and I'd have beautiful smooth skin like hers.

Well, 19 has long come and gone, and I'm still struggling with acne. Now I understand that, for me, the severity of my skin issues is related to how much junk food I eat and how little water I drink. Since I've had a hard time giving up my teenage junky eating habits, adult acne pops up (sorry...) often and is still as frustrating as ever.

As my daughter entered her preteen years, I was worried she'd struggle the same as I did. Not only is acne a huge drain on the self-confidence, it's also very painful, at times, and always annoying. Because she eats way better than I do, she's not had to deal with severe acne like I did. I know this isn't the only factor for everyone, but for us, our diets make a huge difference.

I was recently sent some Clearasil to try out on my face. I received both the Hydra- Blast Oil-Free Face Wash and the Ultra Rapid Action Daily Gel Wash. I remember using this now and then in high school, but it had been about 20 years since I'd last used a face wash formulated for acne. I've always loved that cool, tingly feeling of washing my face with it. It's very soothing to painful acne breakouts.

Both washes are dermatologist tested. The Hydra-Blast Oil-Free Face Wash can reduce breakouts by up to 85% in just a month. This face wash is designed to provide the skin with needed moisture, while aiding in giving you clearer skin every day. For many, it's gentle enough to use daily without drying or tightening.

The Ultra Rapid Action Daily Gel Wash gives many users clearer skin in as few as 12 hours. This maximum strength formula opens blocked pores to give you healthy looking skin. It is for acne prone skin that is experiencing a breakout. Unless your acne is really bad, you probably want to save this for the really rough days and not use it daily so it doesn't dry out your skin too drastically.

Both formulas are great for those who are prone to oily skin and perhaps even those whose skin type is average. For me, my skin tends to be on the dryer side, so both the face washes were too strong for me to use on a daily basis without feeling tight and dry. However, it definitely did help with both breakouts and redness---and really, redness is my biggest struggle.

Let me know what tips you have for keeping skin issues at bay and visit Clearasil on Facebook and Twitter for more info on their products.

Fulfilling Family Traditions at Northwest Arkansas Mall -- Win a $200 Shopping Spree!! #NWARK

This post was compensated by Northwest Arkansas Mall. All opinions are honest and are my own. 

Hands down, this is the very best giveaway I've ever held here at Hope In Every Season! Northwest Arkansas Mall has given me $200 in gift cards to give away to one local winner! After you've read all about me and Lynzie's fun shopping day at the mall, be sure to enter to win this awesome prize package! (By the way, my favorite scent at Bath and Body Works is Sweet Pea---you know, just in case you win and are feeling extra thankful...)

Lynzie and I braved the Black Friday crowds and headed for Fayetteville last Friday morning! My mom and I had a tradition of shopping on Thanksgiving weekend every year for several years. Now that we're so far away, I'm continuing on the fun with my own daughter!

In fact, our family has several Christmas traditions that make our celebration unique to us. I was able to fulfill all my family tradition shopping plans at Northwest Arkansas Mall!

Every Christmas Eve, the kids open Christmas pajamas. We try to have at least two kids in matching sets, so we have several sets of twinsies running around. We found these super cute and very soft jammies at JC Penney's. It was so hard to decide between the Hello Kitty design and the cute elf ones. I ended up getting the elf ones for both Brenna and Kynthia. Liam has some boy ones to match so it will be perfect!

Penney's also had flannel sets for older boys on a great sale. I got Cainan the red plaid set.

Another tradition involves our decorations. Each year, the older girls get a new decoration to add to their collection that they'll someday take to their own homes. Lynzie collects nutcrackers, Selah collects snow globes, and Avalon began collecting Christmas bells this year. There were so many adorable nutcrackers to choose from at JC Penney. I ended up getting Lynzie the one pictured at the bottom right as she said it reminded her of a British soldier. I surprised her with it this morning and she was thrilled!

Our third big tradition is ornaments. Each family member gets a new ornament each year and I write their names on the bottom of them so they can take them all with them whenever they move out on their own. It's so fun picking out a special ornament that pertains to each child. This Angry Birds one from JC Penney is perfect for Elisha who really enjoys the game.

Francesca's also has several really cute ornaments like this Sock Monkey elf and Melody's Choices has an amazing selection of delicate ornaments in lots of styles.

After we'd finished up with our traditions shopping, we decided to start hunting for gifts! Avalon has wanted a Jessie the Cowgirl doll for a couple years and we found the perfect one, along with a matching hat for Avalon, at JC Penney. She's going to be so excited!

A stop in to Forever 21 brought squeals of delight at almost every rack! Lynzie decided to begin looking for a Christmas dress. We looked...and looked...and...

...stopped by Bath and Body Works to check out the Christmas display! They're always having great sales and their holiday scents are so festive. Lynzie's hoping for some peppermint-scented lotion and body spray this year.

Finally, we found the perfect dress---back at JC Penney! This gorgeous black dress is just right for Lynzie's vintage style. It's a perfectly elegant look for her.

Our shopping day was both productive and memorable. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to hang out together and share our love for shopping, as well as our love for giving!

Northwest Arkansas Mall has graciously given me three gift cards, totaling $200, to give away to one local winner! Want to win? You must live within three hours of Fayetteville. If you do, check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway. 

Note on Rafflecopter: the widget might take a couple minutes to load. Also, because so many of my dear friends will be entering to win, please understand that Rafflecopter is a completely random computer-generated tool. I have nothing to do with the choice of winner--and I couldn't pick a favorite if I tried! 

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Homemaking Party: Meaningful Gifts from Willow Tree at Family Christian #FCBlogger

This post has been compensated by Family Christian. All opinions are mine alone.

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Have you been busy shopping like I have? I love buying or making gifts for the special people in my life. A season of giving---what a wonderful thing! Are you familiar with the Willow Tree collection at Family Christian? I've been buying these beautiful pieces as gifts for years. They're so special and there's a scene for every important person in my life!

It's hard being away from family during the holidays---and especially hard for me, being away from my mom! I love to send her gifts that are meaningful and that show her how much I love her. I've been sending her Willow Tree figurines for years because their beautiful simplicity touches her heart and reminds her of how much I care.

I bought her this one a few years ago when I had one of the babies---Liam, maybe? I think we were living apart then, as well, and I thought it would be special to have something she could see every day. Even if she couldn't see us every day.

These I bought for her on other occasions, like her birthday or Christmas, I believe. They're very special ways to commemorate an important event, as well as to just say, "I love you". 

This Willow Tree Nativity is my DREAM SET! I was admiring it in Family Christian in Fayetteville last week. I think I need to start collecting the pieces for this. I've been drooling over it for a good 10 years now!

Do you have any pieces of the Willow Tree collection? What are your favorites? You can find Willow Tree at Family Christian and even have your gift sent from them straight to your loved one---just in time for Christmas. Check out their collection and pick out the perfect figurine or two for your special person.

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! Be sure to link up all your great posts and tell me about your Christmas plans in the comments below!

Blessings!



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