Kindness Begins With Me

Kindness Begins With Me

Happy Sunday, my friends! I’ve been meaning to do better with my inspirational posts for Sunday. So, here’s my attempt. Hopefully, I can be a little more consistent. Today’s thought is all about kindness. We could all incorporate a little more kindness in our lives, right? Come be inspired, share the love, and get your free printable!

peach syrup
|

Peach Syrup… Great for Adding to Drinks! (she: Holly)

Hi everyone, it’s Holly from Bits of Everything again. We have had a huge harvest with our garden this year, did you? We have a garden that is about 30 ft by 60 ft, plus an orchard with 9 fruit trees and raspberries and strawberries. I love it all, but it is a lot of work too. My very favorite thing we harvested this year is peaches! 4 of my 9 fruit trees are peaches, all different kinds. One tree gave us over 200 peaches!! Yay! I have bottled peaches, made peach fruit leather, peach pie, peach dessert, and peach jam, and still had some to share with my family and friends! This year I tried one new peach recipe — Peach Syrup.

best use for apples
| | |

The Best Use For Apples (she: Darleen)

Apple picking, just like other fruit picking, comes early in Georgia–as early as the beginning of August and will last until October. Since I recently used my last canned homemade applesauce, I knew apple picking would have to be a summer activity instead of our traditional fall activity. If you have had a chance to check out my blog, Darling Darleen, you will know we take apple picking very seriously!
I came home with a large variety of apples. We picked about 6 of the 8 varieties. I know I needed to make my picking more precise for the baking and canning I plan to do. So I put together an apple guide of some of the most popular varieties for the next time you go pick. This “Best Use for Apples” chart is a combined guide gathered from Pick Your Own and US Apple Association. It’s easy to print, so take it on your next apple picking adventure! Some helpful recommendations: for baking pies, choose apples that hold their shape and combine varieties of sweet and tart. For juicing, choose an apple that has a balance of sweet and tart like honey crisp. And for sauce–choose a sweeter apple if you prefer a low-sugar applesauce.

mushroom soft tacos
|

Mushroom Soft Tacos with Parmesan Cheese (she: Cathy)

Hey, friends! It’s Cathy from Lemon Tree Dwelling….back again to share some yumminess with you! I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I CAN’T BELIEVE summer is over! It seriously flew by….and I must say….now that fall is here I’m not sure I’m exactly ready!
Don’t get me wrong…..I’m definitely excited for the kids to be back in school and for our lives to have a little more structure. I’m excited for them to get to know their new teachers and meet some new friends and get back into all their activities. And I’m more than excited to have a little more time to myself!
But. Back to school means back to a busy schedule. And less time than ever to make (and eat) dinner together as a family! Which is exactly where this recipe for delicious Mushroom Soft Tacos comes in.

love note printables
| |

Love Note Printables for National Love Note Day (she: Anne)

Hello there and Happy September! It’s Anne from Circus Berry. We have entered one of my favorite months of the year…the one that kicks off fall, all things pumpkin-and apple-flavored, MY BIRTHDAY, and…National Love Note Day. That’s right! September 26th is National Love Note Day.

The timing of this special little day is perfect. In the midst of back-to-school, back-to-lessons, practices, and rehearsals, tight schedules, (and for this household, the chaos of a keeping up with a newborn plus two other lively, sassy kids) we may all forget to take a moment remind our loved ones how much we love them, or what we love about them. And aren’t those little gestures important too?
Today, I am sharing some perfect, open-ended love note printables for you to use with your loved ones. Use them all in one day, across days, on one family member, or with the whole family. Take a moment to share what you love. Put a smile on someone’s face with a little surprise note!

Candle Cozy- Upcycle Old Sweaters (she: Maria)
| |

Candle Cozy- Upcycle Old Sweaters (she: Maria)

Hello Everyone! Happy September! This is Maria stopping by from Shopgirl again, and I am so excited that fall is finally on its way! As fun as the summer was, I’m ready for some cooler weather already. And even though it’s not officially fall quite yet, it is September, and in my mind, that means it’s time to start all those fall crafts. I have a fun & simple one to share with you today. I love burning candles, especially in the fall, because I love how they instantly cozy up a space, and I wanted to share one of my candle projects with you today, using a recycled old sweater. See, this is why I never throw things away… you just never know when you might need them!!! For a craft project, of course! So here’s how you can make a candle cozy for candle jars this fall:

Whatchamacallit Chewy Cereal Bars
|

Whatchamacallit Cereal Bars ~ Knock-Off

Dudes. We’re in trouble. These babies are addicting. My kids came home from cooking class with plates full of these. After taking just one bite, we headed straight to the neighbors to give away an entire plate. The last thing I needed was to scarf 3 plates of Whatchamacallit Cereal Bars, 2 was enough. So, I think most of us have tried peanut butter bars, as well as caramel bars… Whatchamacallit combines the two, and you have to try them!

I have a special place in my heart for the actual Whatchamacallit candy bars. When I was little, my family went to Hershey World. While touring the factory, an employee pulled me and a few siblings aside and asked if we would be part of a special experiment…

Cherry Pie Ice Box Cake from Gina @ kleinworthco.com
|

Cherry Pie Ice Box Cake (she: Gina)

Hello my OSSS friends! It’s Gina from Kleinworth & Co. Can you believe it’s nearing September?! Seems like we just started summer & now we are talking fall. Well anyhow, I’m back today to share this simple & quick dessert that will become a new favorite. This time of year schedules are fuller than ever & I don’t think anyone has time to spend all day in the kitchen making treats. I’m sure you have noticed by now- I like desserts that whip up fast & yet still bring all the ooohhs & aahhhhs from everyone. This Cherry Pie Ice Box Cake certainly does just that.

olaf beach ball game
| |

Olaf Beach Ball Game and Printable (she: Adelle)

Hey Everyone, it’s Adelle from over at PackedwithFun.com, the official blog for Get Away Today, where I get to share fun ways to keep vacation magic alive at home. School has started and depending on where you live, fall may already be in the air. Although I love the change of the seasons, every once in a while I start to feel a little like Olaf and wish to bring back summer!

A few months ago I put together this Olaf beach ball game and printable that is perfect for those days when your kids long for some summer fun. My kids have had so much fun with it, that I wanted to share it with you!
You can play any basketball-type game at your party with the Olaf hoop. We bought a 24 pack of 6-inch beach balls for less than $10 at the party store. We used them as decorations for our Frozen themed party, in the Olaf Ball Game and then gave them to the kids to take home as a party favor! We of course held onto a few beach balls and the Olaf inspired summer fun continues on at our house year round.

Doorknob Hanger… Free Download for Kids’ Room (she: Sharon)
| |

Doorknob Hanger… Free Download for Kids’ Room (she: Sharon)

My daughter somehow got a hold of a doorknob hanger from a hotel that says “I need some me time,” and she has had it on her doorknob for the past month and loved it. Of course I decided it is time to make my own doorknob hangers for my little kids!
This printable has two sides; one for when your kids are sleeping, and one for when they’re just hanging out in their rooms. This can be printed on cardstock or even regular paper if it’s all you have on hand.

Black Raspberry Smoothie
| |

Black Raspberry Smoothie (she: Zainab)

Hello OSSS readers, this is Zainab from Blahnik Baker stopping in with another recipe today! I hope you all had a great summer. I can’t believe we are saying that already meaning summer is winding down. I’m sure most of you already have kids that are back in school and the new school year schedule is just starting to kick in. Or they are about to start next week after Labor Day weekend. Unbelievable how this particular summer flew by. I hope you got to do everything on your summer bucket list!!
I’m trying to get used to the new rhythm of school too as I start my last year of graduate school. It’s called fast-paced life and now more than ever I am in dire need of quick, nutritious and energy boosting breakfasts to keep up with my demanding days. I am sure most of you can relate to this. That’s why I always love reaching for smoothies. They are one of my favorite ways to get more fruits in my diet but with so many add-in possibilities, I can increase the nutritious value beyond just fresh fruits.
This black raspberry smoothie has a secret ingredient high in protein but low in fat. Can you guess what it is??