WEDDING COOKIES

I know what you’re thinking- Britt is finally planning and posting about the wedding. Not quite! I am, however, practicing my wifey skills in kitchen and whipping up some Christmas cookies to fill our fun new cookie jar and share containers with friends and families in the area. 

Honored to be invited to my first Christmas Cookie Party, I wanted to bring my favorite: Italian Wedding Cookies. Second requirement was the recipe to share. I practiced my Adobe design skills and created a personalized recipe. Please print and share and let me know your thoughts. 

Third requirement was an ornament for an exchange and by the end of the evening I traded my tree decor for a Santa Cookie Jar! Who got the sweeter deal? 

I knead to keep this blog short so you can go get baked. Happy Holidays!

XoXo

Britt

A NEW HALLOWEEN TRADITION

This was our third Halloween together, but our first at our forever home so we wanted to make a memory to last a lifetime. From our costumes to our treats we wanted to be the new neighbors everyone was talking about in a good way.

My costumes previously like to hit a similar theme: Historical Women. So it was only fitting that this year I represented the Rowdy Ronda Rousey. Keeping in the couple’s theme Jose wanted to dress up as a WWE Character and live his childhood dreams. After scraping together what turned out to be the greatest costume of all time the 1980’s Fanny Pack, Turtle Neck, Gold Chain wearing the Rock emerged.

After attending a Halloween party and being mistaken for an 80’s rocker side chick I was ready to just start kicking butt if people were mistaken by my costume. I let it slide and by the time it was actual all Hallow’s Eve I was ready to just admire the costumes of our tick or treaters.

As a housewarming gift, Jose and I received a vintage popcorn machine and after using it in the house and watching his family use one on Halloween for their trick or treaters, we . were excited to carry on the family tradition. With our spooky front yard decked out with a giant spider and skeleton flamingos we wheeled out our popcorn machine and popped to the sounds of the Monster Mash.

At first we had nerves. We saw empty blocks, deserted streets and no other houses ready to pass out candy. But, the nerves quickly subsided after the kids started arriving and hearing their excited over popcorn made us realize we are finally welcomed in our neighborhood. Three batches and three hours later we packed up and switched the light off signaling no more treats. That night when the kids dumped their pillow cases full of goodies we knew we would be the talk of the neighborhood about our standout treats.

We hope you had a safe Halloween, next year we will be newlyweds passing out popcorn and I couldn’t be more excited.

XoXo Britt

BOOK CLUB

I am a book worm. Before I could read, my dad read to me every night at bed. Then once I was able to start my own library collection my favorite school events were the overnight reading and sleepover parties. In middles school I read all the books to take all the tests to score all the points. In high school, one of the few classes I managed to attend had a mandatory 30 minute reading time. Once I got to college I became obsessed with non-fiction and actually applying what I was reading in my every day life. But, as an adult it became last on the list of things to do, but I still manage to keep a running reading list.

Jose and I like to read before bed, separate books, but share what we are learning from them. From Malcom Gladwell to Gretchen Rubin. But one day, after recording a podcast with Proof Bread, our new friends said they were headed to a book club and both our eyes got wide. We want to join!

I started a few book clubs through my business, but I was the one picking the titles, formulating the discussions and never getting out of my reading comfort zone. But this book club was different.

The books are fiction and we started with Devil in the White City. The members are adults, some professors, some new parents, some entrepreneurs. We were finally part of a secret book society of intellectuals in our community. We arrived!

Reading the book turned into listening to the book. When all the copies are check out from the library you hit up the 12 disc collection and grab a 750 piece puzzle and spend a few hours over the course of a few weekends listening.

This blog is not meant to be a book review, there are plenty out there for this book, but I will say its a great read! We first learned about HH Holmes through the Lore Podcast, but actually getting into a historic fiction with him involved was a treat!

Speaking of treats, the book club meeting arrived on a perfect night! We had plans to attend a 1920’s themed birthday party after so our attire was appropriate. With our top hats and suspenders on we we ready for the World’s Fair too! At the book club the food was themed: beef sandwiches, crackers jack, and PBR to drink!

The discussion was prescribed as “the best english class discussion you’ve ever been apart of,” and that couldnt be more accurate. Sixty minutes flew by starting with trivia from the book to open ended questions leading heated discussions. In the end Devi'l’s Food in a White City Buttercream cake was served; perfect icing on the cake.

We are committed- on to the next read and then off to the next discussion. Let me know what other books you recommend and Ill be sure to do a future blog on books on our list.