This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine. The holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about travel tips. In fact, from December 23rd through January 1st, AAA estimates 107.3 million people travel by all types of transportation. That’s a LOT of traveling. For those of you who are set out to travel this year, here are tips to keep in mind. Travel Tips for the Holidays Best Time to Buy Tickets During the holidays, it’s nearly impossible to just hop online and buy tickets at a good price. You will more than likely want to buy your tickets in advance. While there is no perfect time to buy tickets for your holiday travel, Forbes has a guideline for when you should buy tickets. … [Read more...]
6 Winter Driving Tips
Winter is finally here and most of us are dealing with winter weather. Since winter won’t be going away for a while, it’s best that we learn how to function in this type of weather, especially while driving. The NOAA has predicted a wetter than average winter this year too so as a winter weather driver, it’s best to know what to expect, so you can prepare yourself even better. Here are 6 winter driving tips that you don’t want to miss out on. 6 Winter Driving Tips (1) Learn how to drive slower When it comes to winter weather driving, you can’t be in a rush. You really have to slow down. You may have to go a little under the speed limit. You may also need to leave your house a little bit earlier so you’re not rushing to your destination. (2) Know what the winter weather hazards … [Read more...]
Vintage Christmas Ornament Wreath
Vintage Christmas ornaments are making a huge comeback as people enjoy feeling the nostalgia associated with them. Vintage ornaments have a look all their own, typically pastel and gently aged, with lots of faux snow sprinkles and glitz. And while many shoppers are snatching these up to hang on their trees, many folks are digging them out to use in other ways. This holiday season, why not try crafting your very own vintage Christmas ornament wreath? Making a vintage Christmas ornament Wreath is a great way to use these ornaments in a way that is fresh and exciting. Plus, it is also a great way to use up those ornaments that may be less than perfect. Creating one is a lot easier than you may think, so take a look below at all you need to know to make your very own. You might just be … [Read more...]
21 Amazingly Perfect Gift Ideas for a Newborn Baby
I don't know about you but I tend to find is hardest to get gifts for babies. That is why I took the time to find my favorite gift ideas for a newborn baby to make your holiday shopping easier in this holiday gift guide. For even more gift ideas see our other gift guides. 21 Amazingly Perfect Gift Ideas for a Newborn Baby Ok, I am loving a few of these items! The Teach My Baby kit is one of my favorites I reviewed their Teach my Kindergartener one and LOVED IT! Another cute one if the sing bath at the end! Make sure to let me know which ideas are your favorites! Teach My Baby - Teach My kits has a baby one that is perfect for teaching things like body parts, first word, numbers and more. They have it set up to do it in a fun way that your little one will want to … [Read more...]
20 Top Gift Ideas for New Homeowners
Do you have a new homeowner in your life? These are the top gift ideas for new homeowners that they will love and they will help personalize their home! Looking for more gift idea? We have a huge list of gift ideas for everyone on your list! 20 Top Gift Ideas for New Homeowners I remember buying our first house, it was less than a year ago! Being a military family until then our decor was a lot of hodgepodge items so even though we have been here almost a year we are still decorating and looking for the perfect items for certain walls. These personalized gifts would have been welcome (though we got some great ones too!) Related: 27 Perfect Gift Ideas for Coffee Lovers For All Budgets Think of the things you need or wanted in your house when you first moved in, a place for your … [Read more...]
15 DIY Christmas Wreaths Ideas You Will Love
One of my favorite parts of my Christmas decor is the Christmas wreath on my front door. I like making new ones and putting past wreaths around the house. Here are some great DIY Christmas Wreaths ideas for this year!! 15 DIY Christmas Wreaths Ideas You Will Love I love making my own DIY Christmas decor. Two of my favorites to date are my DIY Santa Wine Glasses Votive Holders and my DIY Snowman Wine Glass Candle Holder. I love using candles in my decor and these go great on a table, counter, and fireplace mantle. Related: 15 DIY Christmas Wreaths Ideas You Will Love For the kids, we shared out The Night Before The Night Before Christmas Enrichment Activities. This is a great mini lesson with a Christmas theme. We also have our list of our favorite Christmas Cookies … [Read more...]
Easy Peach Pie Filling for Canning
Canning Peach Pie filling is pretty much the same for everyone, the recipe doesn't vary much unless you're making a special version or adding other ingredients. Pie filling is the level 2 canning, as I call it I started at level 1 of jams then moved on to pie filling one I had the basics down. Most people start with apple pie filling but I had peaches so I started with peach pie filling for canning. Easy Peach Pie Filling for Canning This recipe will make about 3 quarts on average depending on the size of your peaches. If you are new to canning I suggest starting with a simple recipe like Canning Strawberry Jam. Related: Home Canning Recipes That Save You Money! Ingredients 12 ripe peaches, on the larger side 3 cups water 3 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup … [Read more...]
Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Bars
So my husband has a weakness. Basically anything peanut butter. I on the other hand like my chocolate so basically if he stops at the store buys anything Reese related its a win. So I turn the tables and like making these homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in bar form for him because its a win for me as well! Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Bars Hubby is an Ohio State fan after all he's a huge fan of Buckeyes the candy and the teams. I learned that early on. ( Side note: is this a thing for all Ohio State people? Seriously let me know!) I love making these for my Christmas Candy Tins I give to neighbors, friends, and co-workers. I make my Candy Cane Fudge and Reindeer Kisses and put them in these cute Christmas Tins (that many years I get lucky and find at the Dollar Store) … [Read more...]
Elf Lost His Magic! How to Restore Elf on the Shelf Magic
With the Holidays coming up. Many of us are continuing the Elf on the Shelf tradition, some of us are starting the tradition. Either way, we are always looking for new ideas to keep things fun and interesting! Our family elf is called Mater. Yes, after the Cars Movie, Mater. This is his 7th year with us and he seems to have gotten into plenty of trouble since then! The kids have gotten in trouble too by touching him. Let me share How to Restore Elf on the Shelf Magic when the Elf Lost His Magic! Elf Lost His Magic! How to Restore Elf on the Shelf Magic Today I thought it would be important to talk about what to do if a child touches the Elf and causes it to lose his magic. This very situation happened just the other day in our house. I knew right away he would have to write a letter … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Save Money Online
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine. Shopping online is the new thing to do! You never have to leave your house and you can shop until your heart’s content. The only bad thing is that you may not always know how to save money online. Just like you look for the best deal when you’re in the store, you can look for the best deal when you’re online and Navy Federal Credit Union wants to help. Here are 7 ways to save money online. 7 Ways to Save Money Online #1. Always look for the best deal When it comes to looking online for the best deal, you really do have to look around. Thankfully, there are websites to help you with this! RetailMeNot.com and LivingSocial.com are both websites that are … [Read more...]
Canning BBQ Sauce Recipe and Tips
It's canning season and one thing I like to can is BBQ sauce. We use a lot of it in the summer and I like making my own recipe of it. So since we use so much of it I started making and canning my own. So here is what you need to know about Canning BBQ Sauce. Canning BBQ Sauce I posted my own recipe for Hickory Bar-B-Que Sauce. We use a lot of BBQ sauce in the summer and even in the winter with our slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes. We love using it on our Root Beer BBQ Grilled Chicken and Slow Cooker Coca-Cola BBQ Roast Beef. I decided to can the bbq sauce for space reasons. You can make it and freeze it if you want but we have limited freezer space and I like to save that for the meat deals I find around town. Related: Applesauce BBQ Spare Ribs If you don't already have a water … [Read more...]
The Best Chick Fil A Copycat Recipes
My family loves to eat at Chick Fil A and for a while, there was one not too far from us. Since we moved the closest one is 30 minutes in the opposite direction of where we tend to do all our running around. It has made us very sad so we had to start pulling out our best Chick Fil A Copycat Recipes to hold us over! The Best Chick Fil A Copycat Recipes Now we also need these recipes for when we have those Chick Fil A cravings on a Sunday. It happens at least once a month the conversation normally goes like this in our house. Person 1: Let's have Chick Fil A for dinner. Rest of the house: YES! *Everyone starts to get ready to go* Person 2: Wait, it's Sunday, isn't it? *Groans from everyone* Hubby: *pull out the sad puppy dog eyes and looks at me* Copycat recipes … [Read more...]