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.