Hello there! I am here today just to share a bit of inspiration. Sometimes we think that we must make something fancy for gift-giving, but we don’t. Just remember that anything that comes from your oven is made with love. I know that with all the wonderful sources like magazines and Pinterest, it can be so tempting to get super fancy…but we don’t need to. Sometimes the tried & true is just perfect on it’s own. I made a banana chocolate chip bread in a mini-loaf pan for a friend. It wasn’t fancy….just my usual recipe. But then I wrapped it in waxed paper, added Read More »
Sweetheart Pops
Can you tell that I have a bit of an obsession with marshmallows? When I saw these heart marshmallows for Valentine’s day, I thought they were just so cute & sweet looking that I just had to create something with them. And like many of my projects…they are fast & easy to make. Sweetheart Pops would be such an adorable project to make for a child’s class for Valentine’s Day or for a table favour for a Valentine luncheon or dinner. I know that most of you know how they are made just by looking at them, but in Read More »
Delicious Mushroom & Leek Quiche
I love quiches. They are so good and easy to make, and are a perfect meal with a salad and some fruit. I like this recipe because it makes 2 quiches…which gives enough for two meals, or an extra for the freezer or to share. And if you want to make it super quick… buy the pastry shells at the grocery store and then just chop the veggies and shred the cheese. I love this recipe….the leeks and the swiss cheese make it so declicious! Mushroom & Leek Quiche Ingredients: 2 pie shells, purchased or homemade 1 tbsp. canola oil Read More »
How To Organize A Kitchen Into Zones For Easier Cooking!
Today, my friends, we are going to talk about organizing the kitchen. But not just organizing the kitchen, but organizing the kitchen into ZONES for easier cooking that group like tasks together to make working in the kitchen easier and more efficient. To do this, first we must look at what tasks are performed in the kitchen most often, and then designate zones for those tasks and organize the zone so that it has everything needed for the tasks. Sound complicated? It’s really not! Let me share with you the zones in my kitchen. On this side of my kitchen, I have 3 main zones…the baking zone, the breakfast Read More »
A Simple Valentine’s Centrepiece…
I love tulips in the winter. They bring me a bit of cheer & happiness on gray winter days. I don’t know about you, but January is a very sleepy month for me. With the cold and gray days, I just want to stay in my nice cozy bed and sleep….sleep like a bear-in-hibernation sleep. But alas, I can’t. The meals need to be made and the clothes need to be washed and kids need to be tended to….you know the story. For four dollars, I can come home with a sweet little bundle of tulips from the grocery store. They SO brighten my day! Read More »
Valentine’s Pretzel Hugs
How about some Valentine’s hugs? The sweet & salty kind? Sound good? I knew you would agree! I have made these sweet treats for Christmas, but I have never made them for Valentine’s day. But I had leftover Hershey’s hugs and M&M’s from Christmas and I wanted to use them up. While I was rooting around my baking cupboard looking for Valentine’s sprinkles…I suddenly had an idea to put Valentine’s sprinkles on pretzel hugs…thinking they would look super cute. Pretzel hugs are such an easy somethin’ somethin’ to make and when they are tucked into a tiny Chinese food Read More »
Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops
Hello my friends! How are you? I want to share with you this cute and easy Valentine’s treat which I created in my kitchen this week. I was inspired when I found these giant pink marshmallows at Bulk Barn. This would be a great treat for your child to take to their class party on Valentine’s day, or to share with friends. It’s also a great project to get kids involved, and older kids could even make it on their own! Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops You will need: marshmallows, white or pink sticks { I used these Read More »
Fun Ideas for Healthy Lunches & A Giveaway!
I don’t know about you, but after the fun of Christmas & New Year’s Eve has passed, I am not only happy to return to our normal routine, but I am also glad to get back to our usual healthy eating habits after indulging in all the holiday goodies. Yesterday was the first day back to school after Christmas break for my children, so I spent some time on Sunday cutting up fruit and vegetables for creating healthy lunches this week. If you have read my previous posts on packing lunches for kids~5 Easy Steps to Packing School Lunches & Read More »
10 Inspiring Valentine’s Ideas
With Christmas all put away for another year, it got me thinking about one of my favourite days coming soon…Valentine’s Day. I just love this little holiday that celebrates LOVE. I have rounded up some previous projects from the Echoes of Laughter archives which give a nod to this season of love…and I hope they inspire you to create something for yourself or someone else…..just because. 1. How about a pretty in pink picnic for two? This would be the perfect romantic meal without breaking the bank! 2. A pretty valentine’s table can make anyone feel special. 3. A Read More »
Why I Don’t Like The “iPhone Contract” for Kids…
Over the past day, there has been a Huffington Post article about a Mom who gave her teenage son a cell phone for Christmas, along with a very wordy 18 point contract, and it has been all over the inter wares. I have seen it posted multiple times on social network sites. If you haven’t seen it already, you can read the article here. Maybe the contract was supposed to be light-hearted and fun? I don’t know. Giving your child a cell phone is certainly not a light-hearted decision. It’s a very serious parenting decision. And every family must make those decisions for themselves. Let me tell you Read More »
Top 10 Organizing Projects & Tips from 2012…
Since all my regular readers know how I love organizing projects, I thought I would share my top 10 organizing posts and tips for 2012. All of these projects and/or tips will help anyone who is looking to become a more organized home manager. And when things are more organized, life is less stressful…and THAT is always a good thing! 1. 10 Best Ways To Save Money On Groceries Without Couponing. I know that we don’t all have the time or desire to dumpster dive for coupons like we see on TV, so in this post I shared my Read More »
Top 10 Favorite Posts of 2012 & Thank You!
‘Tis the season now for a roundup of what was popular on Echoes of Laughter in 2012. These posts are chosen by you…the reader! Some posts were a total surprise to me and others were not a surprise at all. Number one was a total surprise to me….and if you had asked me when I wrote it, I would have guessed it to be a total dud of a post. The Accutane post…another surprise to me! That’s the thing about these roundup posts…when you look at your posts…there are still surprises! Here we go! Top 10 Favorite Posts of Read More »
New Year’s Eve Party Favors
Today I have been working on more pretty party favors for our New Year’s Eve dinner party tomorrow evening, while watching my own little marathon of Downton Abbey to get ready for Season 3 starting on January 6th. I made 2 party favors~New Year’s Treat Bags and New Year’s Straws. These things were totally inspired by my New Year’s Ideas Pinterest Board and one of my very favourite blogs, Tatertots and Jello. I have been reading and admiring this blog for years and I love all of the Jen’s projects! I am happy to share the links so that you may Read More »
New Year’s Eve Dinner Party…
Hello friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and things are somewhat returning to normal at your house! I had a nice week long break from blogging and I filled my time with hanging out with my family, friends, taking naps and reading. But boy…does my house now need a good top-to-bottom cleaning. I think tomorrow will be a day of cleaning & organizing before friends arrive for dinner and merriment at 5 pm. We always like to spend New Year’s Eve with our children, so we often plan a night of family fun. This year, we have invited another family Read More »
Eggnog Cranberry Bread…
Cranberries and eggnog are two of my favourite Christmas flavours, and these two make a perfect duet in this quick bread recipe. I love quick breads, but I don’t make them as often as I would like. I thought I would mix up a few for Christmas since they make such a nice treat with a cuppa! Eggnog Cranberry Bread Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 cup eggnog {I used our fav store bought eggnog} 1/2 cup butter melted 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup Read More »
13 Easy Christmas Cookies
Today I want to share with you my easy go-to recipes for Christmas Cookies.You know a little trick of mine? I like to take my normal repertoire of cookie recipes….you know…the familiar cookies that you have made many times and you are good at making and then ‘dress them up’ in some way for Christmas….like adding special things like chocolate, drizzles or frosting. This trick keeps things simple and stress free. I am not left trying unfamiliar recipes at a busy time of year! If you think about it, I am sure that you, too, have tried & true recipes that can be Read More »
8 Fantastic Homemade Gifts
With Christmas now only 1 week away, I thought I would do a round-up of projects from the last 2 years on Echoes of Laughter that can be made fairly quickly and easily. Most of these homemade gifts require only a trip to the grocery/craft store and less than 1 hour of time. 1. Candy Cane Sauce. Super easy and only takes 3 ingredients. 2. Peppermint Foot Soak. Requires only 2 ingredients…epsolm salts and peppermint essential oil. No baking required! 3. Strawberry Butter. Just butter, icing sugar & strawberry jam. Great for biscuits or cookies, or bars! Read More »
A Red & White Christmas Table…
After decorating in blues & greens for years. I am really loving red & white for Christmas. It was so fun putting this table together. This is how our table will look for Christmas dinner this year for our little family of 4. I used lots of layers and textures…mixing them together to make an interesting table..the red felt snowflake placemats, the red check napkins and the chevron pockets for the flatware. I borrowed the tiered stand from the mantelscape for the centerpiece.along with the white cardboard trees. I don’t think tablescapes can ever have too much colour, do you? Read More »
Christmas Ice Cream Pops…
Whew! I didn’t mean to take a week long break from my blog…it just kinda happened! I got behind on Christmas the week we were sick with the flu…so this week was catch up. But I am sure that everyone of you were equally busy this week! I thought I would share this super easy treat…Christmas Ice Cream Pops. It’s a Christmas take on the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Pops that I shared this summer. Ingredients: Ice cream sandwiches white chocolate melting wafers crushed candy canes sticks {I used Christmas striped straws from Greenmunch} Directions: 1. Unwrap ice cream Read More »
Easy Pinwheel Ornament
I am so happy to be here with you today to share this fun Christmas project…an easy & adorable pinwheel ornament! I know the budget can take a bit of a hit at Christmas time with shopping, baking & decorating, which is why I like crafts which are easy on the budget. This materials for this project can easily be found at most dollar stores. And these ornaments can be made in any colour or size to fit your decor. Materials -double sided Christmas scrapbook paper in cardstock weight -glue dots -buttons -scissors or a paper trimmer -ruler and a pencil -hole punch -ribbon Read More »
Christmas Decor 2012
Welcome to our holiday home for 2012. The colour story this year is: red, white and silver, with fresh greenery for contrast and pine cones. Did you know that a bowl of ornaments is the easiest decorating touch ever? I bet you did! A few red & white pillows ‘borrowed’ from my son’s bedroom and an inexpensive dish towel thrown on the coffee table take care of the textiles in the room. It is so hard to get the light just right in the winter for pictures….but at least we have beautiful sunshine. The subway art in the frame Read More »
Fantastic Eco-Friendly Stocking Stuffers & Greenmunch Giveaway!
{Please note: This giveaway is for Canadian residents only.} Since it is that time of year again, I really want to share with you some amazing eco-friendly products that I love and that can be ordered quickly and easily online from this small, family-owned & operated Canadian company…Greenmunch. Greenmunch is based out of Sherwood Park, Alberta, by a young couple with 3 young children and they work so hard to bring their customers the latest in eco-friendly and sustainable products for every day living. They also strive to source and carry North American products. I first met owner, Joy, Read More »
Christmas Mantel 2012
Anyone peeking through the windows at my house last week would have thought I must have come down with a serious case of cray cray. In the midst of vomiting children, sticky glasses of ginger ale on flat surfaces, cracker crumbs and Gravol bottles, I had Christmas tubs out….humming to myself and decorating away. Yes. Christmas was going to arrive…just ahead and after the vomit…but it was going to arrive. It sure has been fun decorating in red, white, silver and fresh greenery this year….after liberating myself from 15 years of blues & greens last year. The red is so Read More »
Snowman Cinnamon Bun {Kids’ Project}
Where I live, it’s winter for about 5 months of the year. Not kidding! It’s not like that everywhere in Canada…I just happen to live in Canada’s largest northern city.We have had a snowstorm in every month of the year…except for July! This year, we have had a full blanket of snow since the middle of October. Everything outside is freakin’ frozen! We try to embrace winter with lots of fun winter activities and in my city, we are lucky enough to have over 12 outdoor rinks…in addition to indoor rinks. To celebrate winter….I created this fun snowman project as Read More »
Holiday Outdoor Decor 2012
Over the last week, I have finished most of my holiday decorating. Yay! I have been tweaking things here and there, but my outdoor decor is done. I forgot to take a picture to show you, but we have had snow~and lots of it~since the middle of October! So that means that gathering greenery myself…not so easy…everything is frozen already! So when Superstore{ our local grocery+ store} advertised a very basic Christmas arrangement for $25, I was sold. After looking around at other stores and comparing prices, I thought it was a good deal and it fit my budget. {I don’t plan to Read More »
4 Amazing Photo Gift ideas
Today I thought I would share 4 photo project ideas from the Echoes of Laughter vault that would make great Christmas gifts for loved ones. Photo gifts make the best gifts to give because they remind us of what’s important in life and can truly be enjoyed all year long. 1. Photo Memory Jar This gift is so easy to make…all you need is a medium size jar, sand, a few embellishments and a photo or two.This is such a great memento of a special family trip as well. You can easily get the kids involved in this one too. {See the original Read More »
Paper Bag Advent Calendar
It’s has been more than a few years since I last made an advent calendar, but when I saw these adorable itty bitty chevron bags, I knew I just had to make something with them! I got out my scrapbooking stash of punches, Christmas paper scraps, and other embellishments and spent some time creating this calendar. I am so happy to be able to share it with you! To begin, I used 2 frames that I already had from Pier 1 to hold pictures. I love these frames and I change the pictures in them from time to time. You Read More »
Easy & Delish Confetti Squares
Whew! It’s the last day of “Christmas Cookie Week 2012” and my waistline sure is happy! All of these yummy treats around are hard to resist! This last recipe is a favourite everywhere I think…I see them on Christmas cookie trays sold at stores all the time…but they are so easy to make at home! And really, this recipe is nothing special or unique, but it just reminds us that good things can also be easy! And with just 4 ingredients & 10 minutes…you really can’t go wrong! It’s perfect for a busy time of year…like Christmas. Confetti Read More »
Cinnamon Bun Christmas Tree {Kids’ Project}
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers! I hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving! In Canada, we celebrated Thanksgiving in October, so we still have to wait until Christmas for another turkey dinner! Welcome to Day 4 of Christmas Cookie Week! It’s been such a great week where I have shared some other cookie creations that you can see here, here, and here. Today I am sharing a fun & easy baking project that is perfect for children! When my kids were younger, I loved making special projects with them at Christmas! And I wasn’t always a stay-at-home mom…I used to Read More »
White Chocolate & Cranberry Sugar Cookies
It’s Day 3 of Christmas Cookie week and to make things super easy, this cookie has the same sugar cookie base as yesterday’s cookie! Yay! It’s an easy drop cookie that you can whip up quite quickly, and then drizzle white chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped craisins or dried cranberries. You also have the option of adding some orange flavouring to the sugar cookie base for a fun flavour twist. Yum! Sugar Cookies {makes approx. 4 dozen} Ingredients: 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 4 tbsp. milk or cream 2 tsp. vanilla or orange flavouring 3 1/2 cups of Read More »
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