Pinterest Projects: Pamper Yourself

Do you ever have one of those mornings (or days) when you just need a little pampering? Happens to me on a fairly regular basis. A long, hot shower goes a long way to relaxing me, but usually Saturdays are the only day of the week that I can enjoy a shower because Dusty's home and I don't have to worry about the kids, and we're not in a rush to get out the door to church.

If you're having one of those mornings, I urge you to try this homemade sugar scrub. It's definitely up to scratch with the fancy ones you buy in the store for $15-$20, and odds are you probably have all the ingredients on hand. Can't get much better than that, right? You can find the original recipe here, as well as some other homemade beauty products (I haven't tried any of the others yet). She uses organic olive oil and raw honey, which you can certainly use, but I don't stock those on my shelves, so I used what I had.

This would also make a fantastic gift for a new mom, a friend, a teacher - anyone you'd like to make feel special and pampered. And, the great thing is that if you know the person, you might know what smells she likes and you can tailor it specifically for her! Personalization is key.

Body Scrub
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 c. honey
1/4-1/2 tsp. desired scent: vanilla extract, lemon juice, essential oil, ground coffee, cinnamon, clove, etc. (I also think if you used coconut extract and lime juice it would smell like the Coconut and Lime Breeze from Bath and Body Works - $14!) *I used vanilla because I love anything vanilla, but I might add some cinnamon to it, too . . .
Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar. Use it whenever you feel the need for a little (inexpensive) pampering.

I'd recommend storing it in a shallower container than the one I chose unless you have super long, skinny, alien-like fingers, or just keep something handy to scoop it out when you want to use it . . . It'll be hard for me to dig it out with my fingers once it gets toward the bottom!

If you make this, I'd love to know what you think!

Book Review: Outlander

I had never heard of the Outlander series until fairly recently when it was recommended to me by my husband's friend/coworker. She knows I love reading, and I am so thrilled to have read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Thank goodness there are seven more books in the series because I can't wait to read them!

Outlander is the story of Claire, a young, married woman who was a nurse during WWII. While sightseeing with her husband in Scotland, they come across some odd stones. When she goes back for a closer look at some plants she believes might have some medicinal use, she finds herself transported back in time to the year 1743. She comes into contact with her husband's ancestor and quickly (and repeatedly) discovers he is much less than the honorable man he is depicted to be in historical writings.

Claire soon finds herself married to a young Scotsman, against her will, but eventually faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she go back to the stones and attempt to get back to her husband whom she loves in 1946, or should she stay and see what comes of this relationship and her growing feelings for her "new" husband?

As a woman of the 20th century, Claire often finds it difficult to conform to proper behavior, and the situations that arise are humorous and, at times, chilling.

Gabaldon has a unique way of making the reader feel inclined one way, only to find his/her inclination tend the opposite way a few chapters later. I was continually surprised by the book, and fell in love with the characters and the relationships among them. It was a unique read, and as I said, I look forward to reading the next in the series . . . If only someone would hurry up and return it to the library!

Sunshine Cake

This cake recipe I'm about to give you is, in my opinion, the epitome of a summer cake. It's light, refreshing, slightly citrus-y, and mega-delicious. I like to call it "You Are My Sunshine Cake" because it makes me think of the song . . . And I may have been singing it while I was baking the cake. :)

The cake itself is a doctored cake mix and has mandarin oranges in it, while the frosting is a pudding/cool whip type with pineapple in it. The combination is to die for! I made mine in a 9x13 pan, but you could also do a layer cake. However, I would recommend making the frosting and refrigerating it for a couple hours before frosting a layer cake so it doesn't slide off the sides. For my 9x13 I didn't do that since the frosting just sits on top and I didn't have to worry about frosting the sides. You could also do a cream cheese frosting with this cake, and I think it would be excellent!

Sunshine Cake (original recipe can be found here)
Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 c. softened butter
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 14 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained (reserve 1/2 c. juice)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan.
2. Beat cake mix, butter, eggs, 1/2 c. reserved juice, and vanilla on med.-high speed for one minute. Scrape down bowl.
3. Add mandarin oranges and beat again until oranges are broken into small pieces - 1-2 minutes.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.




Frosting
1 box (4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 oz. Cool Whip (half a regular tub, doesn't have to be exact)
1. Mix pudding mix with reserved pineapple juice, then stir in powdered sugar.
2. Fold in Cool Whip until thoroughly combined.
3. Gently stir in pineapple.
4. Use to frost your delicious cake!
*Store this cake in the refrigerator.

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda

Mimicry at Its Finest

When we found out I was pregnant with Aiden so soon after having Asher, I immediately started dreaming of the day when they would play together. They do that to some extent now, and it's so much fun to watch! As they were playing outside today, they didn't even seem to care or notice that my husband and I were around. They were completely content playing with each other and entertaining themselves.

What I did not anticipate was how quickly Aiden would start to mimic Asher. And, (probably foolishly) I never considered the idea that Asher would be imitating Aiden. Aiden put mulch in his mouth; Asher put mulch in his mouth. Aiden continuously stands up in the bathtub; Asher continuously stands up in the bathtub. Aiden throws his supper on the floor; Asher throws his supper on the floor . . . Are you beginning to see why this is frustrating?

It was great today when they were copying each other when they were playing outside, but the majority of the time they seem to choose only the other's naughty behaviors to mimic. Like I said, I was fully prepared for Aiden to imitate Asher - younger siblings tend to do that with the older ones. But, for some unknown reason I never thought that the reverse would be true, too! Live and learn, I guess.

I think what makes it more difficult is that Aiden (1 1/2) is still too young to be disciplined effectively because he just doesn't understand. Asher sees that Aiden doesn't get timeouts for his behavior so he assumes it's a game. I have yet to figure out how to get through to Asher that it's not funny. So far, nada. I will persevere. And, if I have any epiphanies or figure out how to handle it . . . Well, I'll let ya know!

I saw this the other day - I think it'd be great to have in a boys' playroom or bedroom. :)

I think that probably goes for moms in general, but it looked pretty cute . . . and accurate!

I hope you all had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Bars

These. Are. Delicious. And I mean deadly delicious. They only require six ingredients, most or all of which you probably have on hand - I love recipes like that! And they don't require the oven; I think it's necessary to have an arsenal of no-bake treats for those brutally hot days when you can't bear to turn on the oven, yet need something delicious to eat. Add this recipe to your arsenal.

If you don't have all the ingredients, run to the store and grab what you need. I mean that literally. Run. You'll need to burn off some calories that you'll soon be eating after you finish making these bars. But have no fear, if you don't feel like running to the store, you'll feel like jumping for joy and running around the house in undisguised glee after you taste these gems. So you can burn off calories that way. :) You're welcome . . . Or maybe I should say I'm sorry instead. Hmm, I'll let you decide.

These are chewy (but not tear out your teeth chewy), peanut-buttery, crispy (of course), and smooth. They're quite similar to my grandma's PB Cornflake Bars, and you can't go wrong with those! At first I thought, "There's no way 4 c. of cereal will be enough - they'll be way too gooey." Welp, I was wrong. It's the perfect amount, so don't be tempted to add more. They set up perfectly and the consistency is just right.

You can find the original recipe here. These would be fabulous with melted chocolate on top, too, but I left them as-is.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Bars
1 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
4 c. rice krispies cereal
1. Grease a 9x13 pan, or line with waxed paper and set aside.
2. Pour rice krispies in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine corn syrup and sugars in medium saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
4. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over rice krispies and stir until everything is thoroughly coated.
5. Pour into your prepared pan and press firmly with your spatula. Allow to cool before cutting.

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda

Book Review: A Parent's Guide to Harry Potter

When it comes to Harry Potter, I know there are a vast number of opinions on the matter. One of these is the hesitancy to let children read it because it involves magic and witchcraft . . . And couldn't that be harmful to our kids then, or even to adults? It can't be healthy to let them immerse themselves in that for 7 books (some of which are quite long), can it?

If you happen to have that opinion of the series, then I urge you to do two things:
1) Read the series yourself if you haven't already. Please don't judge based on hearsay or the opinion of others.
2) If you've already read the books and still find yourself on the fence, please read A Parent's Guide to Harry Potter. It just might change your mind about the series.

Gina Burkart, author of the book, does an excellent job of laying out the themes found in the books, and subsequently showing that these are the heart of the books, not the magical aspects.

The first section of the book discusses what children can learn from Harry Potter (i.e., morals). She also offers "Questions to bridge the gap" which parents can use to discuss sometimes difficult issues with their children - situations they may face in school with other children, or even handling bad dreams (as Harry does throughout the series).

The second section of the book deals with how to talk about Harry Potter with your children. How, as parents, do you go about discussing the bullying that occurs, fears, or making tough choices? Burkart lays it all out for us, and does so exceptionally well. She points time and again to the fact that love is the all-encompassing aspect of the book. Love is what brought Harry into the world and allowed him to survive, beating the odds.

Burkart also discusses how to talk to your kids about the difference between fantasy and reality, which is important with many popular series that they might one day want to read (The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings come to my mind immediately).

I'm obviously an avid supporter of Harry Potter. I sincerely believe the series offers so much for kids . . . and adults! Not only do they profess love, but also hope. And couldn't we all use a little more hope in our daily lives? I encourage you to check out A Parent's Guide to Harry Potter if you're experiencing any misgivings about letting your kids read the books. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

White Chocolate Raspberry Rose Cake

I've been wanting to make a "rose cake" for quite a while now, but nothing had come up to justify making and decorating an entire cake. But, when Mother's Day rolled around and I knew we'd be spending it with my mom and the rest of my family I thought "OK, this is a great opportunity for this and I know it'll get eaten!" I'm the second of six kids, and everyone plus significant others and grandkids was there, so it's a big family.

The tutorial uses a 1M star tip to make the roses, and for some reason I assumed my mom would have one at her house so I didn't bring my own . . . Oops! She had one that was much smaller, so I gave it a go with that, and it still turned out so pretty! This decorating technique is very forgiving, and yet so elegant.

You start with a thin crumb coat of frosting over your cake, so if you mess up on a rose you can just wipe it off and redo it. It's great.

The tutorial I used can be found here. It's very easy to follow. Obviously my cake looks quite different than hers - I think using the smaller tip made it look more vintage-y, so I guess I'm glad it worked out that way because now I know the look of the cake can vary depending on what size tip you use. That's great to know considering you might want a different look depending on the type of situation you're using the cake for (i.e., if you're providing the cake for a wedding, engagement party, birthday, shower, that has a more vintage feel.) Either way you frost it, it'll look gorgeous.

I used a white cake for the layers, and you can find the recipe here (it's the same recipe I use for my white wedding cakes/cupcakes).

For the filling between the layers, I used a raspberry buttercream frosting.
Raspberry Buttercream Filling
1/2 c. softened butter
1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam
3 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbls. milk, if needed
1. Beat butter and jam until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add in powdered sugar (with mixer off) and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. If frosting seems too thick, add in milk until desired consistency.

To frost the top and sides, I used a white chocolate buttercream (the original recipe can be found here.
White Chocolate Buttercream
1 1/2 c. softened butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbls. milk
9 oz. white chocolate, chopped (do not use chocolate chips)
1. In a microwaveable bowl, melt the white chocolate at 50% power at 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Beat butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla on med./high until light and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
3. Add in milk and beat again until combined.
4. Pour in the melted, cooled chocolate and beat again for about 1 minute.

Frosting/Assembly
1.Place a small dollop of frosting on plate or cake stand to hold the cake in place. Place one cake layer in the center.
2. Use raspberry buttercream filling to frost the top of the first cake layer, leaving about a 1/2 inch border.
3. Top with second cake layer.
4. Frost top and sides of entire cake with a thin layer (a crumb coat) of white chocolate buttercream. You should still be able to see the cake through the frosting - it does not need to perfect!
5. Place your decorator's tip in your pastry bag, and fill about 1/2-2/3 full of frosting.
6. Starting with the sides of the cake, position tip of pastry bag in the center, and slowly circle around in a spiral motion until you reach the top and bottom of the cake. Continue doing this until you've made roses around the entire side of the cake.
7. Do the same thing with the top, but start on the outsides and work your way to the center.
8. Once you've completed all your roses, go back and fill in any empty spaces with smaller roses, or a little swoop. (I used both depending on the size of the gap.)
9. Admire your handiwork and eat up!

The only complaint I got about this cake came from my brother (so that doesn't count, right?). His complaint was that there was too much frosting . . . I tend to eat all the frosting because I love frosting. But, just to warn you, using a piping bag and doing the roses does require a lot of frosting, so you'll end up with more than if you just frosted it with an offset spatula. That being said, know that you don't have to eat all the frosting. :)

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda

Pinterest Projects: For Someone Special

When Valentine's Day rolls around, I usually try to think of something meaningful/special/handmade to give my husband. It's out of the ordinary, and makes the day feel a little different than other holidays when we exchange gifts.

This year (of course this was a few months ago now), I saw this project on Pinterest and was convinced I could do it . . . and I could! Why? Because it's ridiculously easy. The original can be found here.

Supplies
1 piece of scrapbook paper (cut into 8x11 if it's not that size already)
8x10 frame
dry erase marker
things to decorate the frame with if you'd like
1. Print the words "I love you because . . ." on the piece of scrapbook paper, horizontally. Use whatever fonts seem to fit the decor of your house or the style of the person you're making it for.
2. Insert the printed paper into the frame.
3. Decorate the frame if you so choose.
4. Use the dry erase marker to write why you love your special someone.

How easy was that?!

This message was inspired by his willingness to dance with the boys and I
at his sister's wedding reception. So sweet - not many guys do that!

You can write messages daily, or as often as you like. I specifically told my husband that I wouldn't promise to write on it every day because I knew I'd end up disappointing both of us if I said that. You can give this to a parent if you still live at home, or your child if he/she knows how to read, or your significant other. It's a nice, simple way to let them know they're loved and appreciated. And, as I said before, it's so easy!

Moms Worry and That's That.

I spent a lot of time with my family and my husband's family over the last week and if one thing stood out to me as I was reflecting on Mother's Day, it was that no matter what age your kids are, you'll worry about them.

My sister is pregnant with her first baby, and was worried that the baby might be coming too early when she felt some weird pains in her uterus. (Everything's okay.)

My mom is worried about my 22-year-old brother joining the army. (And so am I.)

My sister-in-law was worried that her 8-year-old daughter would feel comfortable and have fun at her wedding this past weekend. (She had a blast and did an awesome job walking down the aisle for her mom.)

My mother-in-law was worried that her daughter would feel so nervous that she wouldn't enjoy her wedding day. (She was totally composed and enjoyed the entire day.)

And I worry that something will go wrong with our Aiden's eye surgery in less than a month.

Worry, worry, worry! Our days as moms are filled with it, yet we have little to no control over these things. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). It's so easy to get caught up in what could happen to your children that it becomes more and more difficult to enjoy them as they are now. Worry can easily overwhelm you if you let it because there will never be a time when there is nothing to worry you. (i.e. Just now as I was writing this I was worried that Aiden might break a limb as he climbed to the top of the couch and was about to dive headfirst off the back! I caught him before that happened.)

It's important to find a balance so worry doesn't consume you. For me, a lot of that balance comes from my husband. If he's worried (which I would venture to say is more often than I) I find that I'm calmer; if I'm worried about something, he tends to stay calm. That works for us because we tend to worry about completely different things. Talking things over with someone who's willing to listen can work wonders - whether that's your spouse, a close friend, mom, dad, sibling, coworker . . . Anyone who might have insight into what you're going through or even just to empathize can be very beneficial.

So my goal in these stressful years is to try to focus on the fun, everyday things with our boys, and not worry about every little thing because getting caught up in all those concerns will make me miss out on all the enjoyable things that go along with being a mom.

Triple Chocolate Biscoff Blondies

Have you heard of this stuff? Biscoff? I've seen all these recipes recently that use this as an ingredient and I hadn't even heard of it! Maybe it's hitting the coasts first and is taking a while to get to the Midwest . . . Who knows?

Anyway, the point is that it's delicious. I found some at our local HyVee the other day, but so far haven't seen it anywhere else. I'm assuming it'll be like Nutella - it's hard to find at first, but once it catches on you can find it pretty much everywhere. Biscoff spread has the consistency of peanut butter, but it's made out of cookies - it almost tastes like graham cracker butter instead of peanut butter. It's clearly really hard to describe, as you can probably tell by my bumbling through this post.

I saw a recipe for Biscoff stuffed cookies, but didn't want to spend the time scooping, stuffing, and baking all the cookies. So, I made some minor adjustments to the recipe and turned them into bars . . . Mmm, mmm, good. They were still slightly gooey in the middle from the Biscoff, and they stay nice and soft. Just how I like 'em!

Triple Chocolate Biscoff Blondies (original recipe can be found here)
1 c. softened butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 c. flour
1 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
2/3-3/4 c. Biscoff spread
1. Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, and soda and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in flour and chocolate chips.
5. Spread 1/3 to 1/2 the batter in the prepared pan. Gently spread Biscoff over the top of it, followed by the remaining batter. It might not be completely smooth, but that's okay. Just cover it as best as possible.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, and allow to cool.

 You can see the Biscoff oozing down the side . . . so delicious!

Certainly feel free to substitute peanut butter or Nutella if you can't find the Biscoff. I'm sure either would taste ridiculously good!

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda

Crowd-Pleasing Pulled Pork

I love crockpot meals - especially ones that require few ingredients and are simple to put together. Enter this pulled pork recipe. Every time I've made this it has gotten rave reviews.

The best part is that it's really versatile . . . Or maybe the best part is that it's so easy . . . Or maybe that it freezes well . . . Or maybe that Asher ate almost his whole sandwich without complaining once . . . Or maybe I can't decide what the best part is!

It's just a great recipe. I've even used frozen chicken breast in place of the pork and it was just as delicious.

Crockpot Pulled Pork (original recipe can be found here)
2 1/2-3 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
1 1/2 Tbls. paprika
1/2 Tbls. garlic powder
1/2 Tbls. ground mustard
1 Tbls. kosher salt
2 Tbls. brown sugar

1. Mix together all ingredients except for pork.
2. Place pork in crockpot and rub seasoning all over it. Sprinkle on any remaining seasoning.
3. Cook on high 4-6 hours, or on low 8-10 hours.
4. Shred before eating. Serve on buns.

 It's so easy to shred - it almost falls apart on its own

Barbecue sauce and shredded cheddar cheese

Wow, look how much I love it! ;)

Here are some serving ideas:
*Sprinkle on some cheese
*Drizzle with barbecue sauce
*Top with coleslaw (totally yummy)
*Serve on top of baked potatoes instead of buns with sour cream, shredded cheese, and barbecue sauce.

Honestly, this is such an easy meal - I've made it for birthday parties, moving days, weeknights, etc. As I said, it even freezes well! And, you can adjust the seasonings to your liking. Sometimes after I've shredded it I decide it needs more brown sugar, so I just add it in at the end. Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do!

Happy Cooking!

Amanda

Sometimes Simple is So Sweet

Last week it rained. A lot. And when it wasn't raining, everything was still wet and gross which meant I didn't really want the boys running around outside. Sometimes I bite the bullet and let them do it anyway, but I wasn't really in the mood to scrub grass and mud stains from their clothes last week. Let's get real, I'm never in the mood to scrub stains out of their clothes, but sometimes I'm a better sport about it than other times.

That being said, Asher and Aiden were feeling extremely cooped-up and I was really at a loss as far as what to do with them. I didn't want to go anywhere and take them in and out of the car in the rain, and they had thoroughly exhausted their limit of playing "peacefully" with their toys. Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. is usually when they're crabbiest; they're hungry for lunch, and they're starting to get tired before naptime. Those couple hours often make the difference between a "good" day and a "bad" day. They're the "dread hours" . . . What to do, what to do?

Lightbulb!

Clearly we didn't pick up the toys first . . . 

We had a picnic lunch in the basement. It was so much fun! I put a movie in and spread out a tablecloth on the floor with their plates and drinks; they absolutely loved it. Asher was so excited at the idea of a picnic (since it's new to him) and Aiden was just excited that it was finally time for lunch. :) Usually, Friday nights are our movie-nights, but since we were going out of town on Friday I didn't feel guilty letting them watch a movie in the middle of the day.

That simple, seemingly insignificant trick let us sail through those "dread hours" right into naptime. Crises averted, and it was a good day.

"Last time, Mom. Stop asking us to say cheese!"

I definitely recommend small-mess foods. (Let's face it, no food is a no-mess food with toddlers.) We went with cubes of cheese, whole grain crackers, and baked chicken nuggets. Easy to eat, easy to clean up!

Chocolate Malt Cookies

Don't you just love a chocolate malt? I do - thick, creamy, chocolate-y, malt-y, and OH-SO-DELICIOUS!
Now I want one.

If you're looking to get that flavor in a non-ice cream way, then look no further! These cookies definitely fit the bill. I adapted the recipe slightly from here, and the results were wonderful. I tried making cookies similar to this a few years ago, but I couldn't really taste the malt flavor and the cookies were flat as pancakes. It was extremely disappointing. But, I've hit the mark this time and you can reap the benefits of my previous failure trial-run!

The texture was soft and chewy, with just a slight crispiness on the edges. I tried one right out of the oven and was immediately disappointed that the malt flavor wasn't very strong. You have to wait until they cool completely to really taste it. Take it from me - when I went back to eat one that night, I was wonderfully surprised by the flavor! The chocolate and malt flavors had blended perfectly and deliciously. Phew! Although, I would have eaten them anyway . . .

Chocolate Malt Cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. malted milk powder
1 Tbls. chocolate syrup
1 Tbls. vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. malted milk balls, roughly chopped
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 375, and grease a cookie sheet.
2. Beat butter and shortening until combined. Add sugar, malt powder, chocolate syrup, baking soda, and salt and beat on med.-high for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl.
3. Add egg and vanilla, and beat an additional 2 minutes.
4. Stir in flour until combined, and fold in malted milk balls and chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough by Tbls. onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool before eating.

I fit 8 cookies on my cookie sheet and that seemed about right 

 As you can see, they spread, so don't try to squeeze them together too much.

 I think the malted milk balls make them bake up a little goofier 

around the edges, but they sure taste great!

Some of these went in the freezer . . . most went in my tummy.

Hugs and cookies,

Amanda