Snickerdoodles & Cold Medicine

Still coughing my head off I decided to bake some Snickerdoodle Cookies by the famous Betty Crocker recipe! (This is one of my favorite holiday cookies to bake) 

I didn't cough into the cookies I promise! :) 

Hope everyone reading is having a great night! 

Much Love!

Make Your Own Spa Scrub!

When I think of relaxation I think of spas. Maybe because I've worked at a day spa for 2 1/2 years or maybe it's because I've always loved the scent of lavender. Whatever it is I just love using scrubs, getting my nails done & facials! A lot of us are on a tight budget these days which makes us try to do as much of our "spa-ing" at home with cheap products. I want to share two scrubs that are easy to make, gentle on your wallet & leaves your skin soft without using harsh chemicals! 

Sugar Love Scrub

1/4 C Sugar

1 T Olive Oil

Several drops of your favorite essential oil 

(Your grocery store usually has essential oils in their organic body/health aisle)

Salt Love Scrub

1/4 C Salt (I prefer Sea Salt)

1 T Olive Oil

Several drops of your favorite essential oil

I can't get enough lavender or eucalyptus. These are my two favorite oils. Lavender is calming and great for relaxing especially before you go to sleep or you feel stressed. Eucalyptus is a great morning scrub to awaken, energize & clear your head!

***Be careful when using this scrub in the shower. The oil causes your tub to become slippery! I prefer to use the scrub while taking a bath or just being really careful when using it in the shower.***

Holiday Love Scrub: Make the scrub using Peppermint Oil. Put the scrub in a little snowman dish with a small spoon by your sink in your guest bathroom. Your guests will get to use a holiday scrub while at your house! (If you have little one's make sure it's out of reach!) Take it an extra step: Use a log and hollow it out like a bowl then tie holiday ribbon around the bowl. Cut out a spoon shape from a log. Now you have a completely unique set up for your guests!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Tonight, I made cookies! There is nothing better (Okay, there is but this is great too!) than when my husband gets home from work and we can watch something on Netflix while enjoying something sweet from the kitchen. This is simply the best recipe I've ever used for chocolate chip cookies that stay fluffed up when baking and are perfectly moist with that ooey gooey chocolate. 


I didn't get this recipe from anywhere. I just basically knew a recipe and increased the sugar, decreased the brown sugar, omitted the eggs and presto! Now it's my own recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookie LOVE Recipe
From the Kitchen of: Laura Lynn


1/2 C (1 stick) Butter (real butter, not margarine)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 T brown sugar
8 T sugar
1 C flour
1/2-3/4 C milk chocolate chips


Soften the butter in the microwave using a glass bowl for about 30 seconds. The butter should be soft but not completely melted. Stir in baking soda, salt and vanilla. Stir in the sugar & brown sugar. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips. The mixture should not be runny it should be pretty stiff (almost dry looking). Next you will want to make sure your hands are clean and using your hands form the dough into a ball. Then you can start taking the dough by teaspoon or tablespoon and forming the dough into balls and place on lightly floured baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet and placing on cooling rack. 


Hope you love these cookies as much as I do!


Much Love, 
Laura Lynn

Crocheting 101

Today I sat outside with Gram (The Hubs Grandma) and she was knitting so I grabbed my plastic storage bin out of the basement and rummaged through the yarn I have. I found a pretty tan/brown color and also a light cream/white color. I decided (since I like things done quick) to use a jumbo crochet hook and double the yarn to have a nice caramel frappuccino look. Which, in my opinion, is a great blend :)
If you already know how to crochet this is super easy and if you are wanting to learn how to crochet this is the perfect beginner project.


You can see how to do a double crochet stitch here

You can learn how to make a round pot holder here

I think crocheting & knitting is perfect for fall & winter months. It's something fun to do and since we bake & cook a lot more hot meals during the colder months, you can never have too many pot holders! 
(I have also made several blankets which I absolutely LOVE to curl up on the couch with when it's chilly!)


Much Love,
Laura


p.s. I hope you make some pot holders...I'd love to see them! :)

Pinterest: Addiction

Yes. I am officially addicted to Pinterest. If you have one you need to check out mine! Tomorrow morning I'm hoping to talk my hubby into going to a couple garage sales to find some new things on a small budget! 


If you don't have a Pinterest, I'm telling you...You need one! It is the most inspiring website I've ever seen! I'll send you an invite if you want but I will need an email to send the invite to.


Much Love!

Cinnamon Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

Cinnamon Sugar Oatmeal Cookies
A little recipe of mine :)

Oven Temp: 375 F  Bake Time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C Flour
1 1/2 C Rolled Oats
1/2 C Butter, softened (1 stick)
1 C Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 t Vanilla
1/4 C Skim Milk
1/2 t Sea Salt
1/4 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cinnamon
Sugar and Cinnamon to roll cookies in before baking.

In small bowl, stir Flour, Sea Salt, Baking Soda and Cinnamon together.
In large bowl, beat together Butter and Brown Sugar until light and fluffy. Then mix in Egg and Vanilla. Add milk. Mix in Flour mixture from small bowl. Then stir the Oats into the mixture. Now if you would like you can add nuts or raisins or anything you like to the mixture or you can leave it plain. (I personally like mine without the extras!)
Next roll 2 t of dough into sugar and cinnamon mixture and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet!
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in oven at 375F
Wait 1 minute before taking off cookie sheet place on cookie rack to cool.
Enjoy!

The Land of If Only

"I am always content with that which happens,

for I think that which God chooses is better than what I choose"

-Ephictetus

Tonight, I went back to a book I was given a couple years ago by a dear friend. Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. I encourage all women to read it. It is "a woman's guide to finding contentment". I will be sharing several things I learned from it tonight.

"If we are to find contentment in the midst of trial and uncertainty, we must accept our situation as being purposely allowed into our lives by a personal and loving God. For most of us, this begins by refusing to contract the If Only disease."

-Linda Dillow

We don't see the whole picture like God does.

"Did I not tell you that If you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

John 11:40 (emphasis mine)

Just like the story of Lazarus...Martha wanted Lazarus to be saved from death; Jesus wanted Lazarus to be triumphant over death.

"If Only" usually starts from a real problem and instead of focusing on God and being thankful for what we have, we focus only on the problem. This leads you down the road to The Land of If Only.

Our faith is very important to God. He wants us to trust Him no matter what our circumstances may be. We need to be willing to accept whatever God has for us.

I challenge you to write down what God has done for you in the past and keep it handy. Next time you feel like exiting into The Land of If Only; grab it, read it, thank God for those things and trust God with every situation because you know that He has a plan for your life that is completely unique and purposely planned.

Father God, forgive me for complaining and wishing for things that I do not need. I no longer want to dwell on the If Onlys, I want to focus on You. Make me wise and content with what I know and not anxious about what I don't know.

In Jesus' Name, I ask these things.