Soft Pretzels www.oneshetwoshe.com
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Bonnie’s 4-Ingredient Soft Pretzels

ByMariel

So, I recently shared a recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup and I promised that I would share the soft pretzel recipe that was in the picture. Today’s the day. I’ve already bragged about my sister-in-law, Bonnie, who is one of the many that supply me with delicious recipes, but this is another one of hers. (Other Bonnie recipes: Gingerbread Crumb Cake, Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, and Death by Special K) I first had these soft pretzels at a family gathering. She served them with a big pot of soup, and I had to have the recipe… along with everyone else. I love how there are only four ingredients and they’re all things I have on hand. Plus, the kids loved helping out on this one, shaping their own pretzel, painting on melted butter, salting…

Faux Zinc Planter Boxes ~ for a Dollar! (she: Jeanie)
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Faux Zinc Planter Boxes ~ for a Dollar! (she: Jeanie)

Byjeanie

As I was decorating my front porch for Fall, I realized that I had no containers, pots or planters for the mums. I’m not much of a gardener, flower or plant person. I mean, I love flowers and plants, but they don’t love me back. I have the brownest thumb ever. So therefore, I don’t have all the accessories, gadgets, pots, planters, etc. But what I do have are three mums (that are still alive – for the most part) for my front porch that need a home. Now I know I’ll plant them soon, hoping they’ll come back next fall, but they won’t. I plant three every year and only ONE has ever come back {sigh}. But in the meantime, I’d like to put them into something decorative for the front porch.

Have you priced the pretty urns, pots and planters lately? Holy moly! I especially like the Zinc ones that I saw at Restoration Hardware, starting at $205. I don’t think that’s in my budget. But, I came up with something that totally does… and, it’s just a dollar!

adoption tips

My 6 Tips for Finding the Right Adoption Agency (she: Brenda)

ByMariel

When we started to look at adoption as a way to build our family we sought out people we trusted. First, it was my friend who had just adopted her second child. She had been through the whole thing twice and I knew she could help Brad and I start this exciting journey the right way. She talked to us about the agency she went through. We felt comfortable with this agency and even more comfortable hearing her experiences so we began (this was in 1998). Not soon before we started the adoption process, an agency wide group was being formed to help support couples as they adopt.

Contributor Spotlight and ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party

Contributor Spotlight and ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party

ByMariel

For the next several Saturdays, I’m spotlighting the wonderful contributors I have here at ‘Or so she says…’.  I really, really love my gals.  They’re all super talented and great to work with, so it’s easy to brag about them. Previous Brags: Cathy of Lemon Tree Dwelling, Brooke from Blissful Roots, Lauren from The Thinking…

Grapevine Wire Pumpkins (she: Jessica)
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Grapevine Wire Pumpkins (she: Jessica)

ByJessica

Browsing around the floral section of the craft store, I came across some rustic grapevine floral wire. I used it to make some cute wire pumpkins for the house. They would look so great in a fall tablescape or mantle! I actually used this same technique to make these pipe cleaner and pony bead pumpkins with my kids. They look especially cute grouped with some burlap pumpkins that I made.

Come check them out… they’re simple, cute, and are perfect for both Halloween and Thanksgiving!

family traditions
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Family Tradition Ideas ~ Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas (she: Mel)

ByMariel

Hello! I’m Mel from So Festive! and today I’m going to share with you my favorite holiday traditions for the Fall and Winter.

Traditions are a great way to create wonderful family memories and to break up the monotony of everyday life. Traditions will give you and your families something to look forward to. And you know what? They don’t have to be elaborate, expensive, or complicated.

Here are some of my favorite family tradition ideas:

fun ways to entertain kids in the car
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Fun Games for Entertaining Kids in the Car (she: Kristina)

ByKristina

Hey, it’s Kristina from Mother’s Niche. If you’re anything like me, a ride in the car can either give you a little break, or it can make you want to pull your hair out…and it all depends on the behavior of the little rascals in the backseat. Sometimes there really is nothing better than a long drive when it means all of your children are strapped down and unable to tear the house apart. I especially appreciate long drives immediately after a thorough house cleaning.

However, there’s nothing that ruins a car ride faster than squabbling, whining and poking! Here are some fun family games that you can play in the car. Whip them out in desperate moments when you need to distract your children from hunger, bullying, boredom, or even from picking their nose:

halloween music

A Teacher’s Favorite Music for Halloween (she: Teresa)

ByMariel

As I have been making lesson plans, I thought about all of you! Many are moms, aunts, grandmas, maybe even sister’s to younger siblings. No matter what, most of us have young children somewhere in our lives so I thought I would share some of my musical knowledge with you! I love to try out my songs on my little nieces and nephews to see what they think first!

I love it when my students get excited about the classical music I play for them. I always play something for them when they walk into my class and then when I am finished they tell me how it made them feel or what it made them think of. This is great for kids because sometimes it helps them to express emotion and it also gets their imaginations working! Afterward I tell them a little about the piece.

Creepy Halloween Meal Tradition With Printables! (she: Veronica)

Creepy Halloween Meal Tradition With Printables! (she: Veronica)

ByVeronica

One of my favorite holiday traditions is our Creepy Halloween Meal. Most of the time I make it for dinner, but it works great for breakfast as well! Look at that menu! Who wouldn’t want to eat that?! mmmmm…yummy!

My goal has always been to do something fun, but it also needed to be something that my kids would actually eat. Nothing against an eyeball made out of a radish and a sliced olive, but personally, my kids wouldn’t touch it. 🙂 My other goal was to not spend $100 on a million different little items to create a fun meal. I would much rather put the money towards something my kids really need. So, I decided to just use one of their favorite meals and “creepify” it. And that’s how our Creepy Halloween Meal began.

Contributor Spotlight and ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party

Contributor Spotlight and ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party

ByMariel

Ruthie is a force to be reckoned with in the food blog world. She’s kinda quiet, super-duper-duper nice, thoughtful, generous, and all those good things. When it comes to blogging, improving her skills, and getting the job done, she is on fire. She could already cook like a rock-star to begin with, but THEN she goes and signs herself up for culinary school! I admire that. She knows how to cook a mean dish, but at the same time, she is a mom of many and considers health and family friendliness in her recipes.

Come read more about my lovely contributor, Ruthie (and my favorite recipes from her blog!) and check out this week’s link party (and my top picks!)…

Apple Banana Bread (she: Ruthie)
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Apple Banana Bread (she: Ruthie)

Byruthie

Hi to all my friends at Or so she says… I’m so happy to back again to share another delightful recipe with you.

I love the fall because it’s pretty hard to beat a fresh-off-the-tree apple and of course I find lots of yummy ways to bake them up too!

This recipe has two of my favorite fruits— Apples and Banana’s. I love them both so combining them in a delicious and healthy loaf was a no brainer…

dinner exchange

Tips for Starting a Dinner Exchange (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

Hello! It’s Allison from Tips for Family Trips. I’m straying from travel this month to share an idea that has made dinner easier for my busy family.

My family’s dinner will be delivered to our house tonight, and not by Pizza Hut. I participate in a dinner exchange with two other families where each of us cooks the same meal for all three families on one night each week. Wednesday is my night to cook. Friday is my family’s pizza night, and we often spend weekends traveling or with extended family. These days, I only cook on two nights each week.

Here are my tips for starting your own dinner exchange: