Nora Fleming Collection

Why hello there and Happy Monday!




One of my favorite pieces in my kitchen is my Nora Fleming platter. For anyone unfamiliar, Nora Fleming is a line of stoneware serving pieces and each one has a tiny hole in it. There are oodles of hand painted “minis” to choose from, ceramic baubles for different holidays and seasons. Each one has a silicone stem on the bottom and when you put a drop of water on it, it slides into the hole. Voila, you have a festive serving piece. I love that one platter is so versatile and there isn’t a need for stacks of various holiday serve wear. They've also recently expanded into Melamine, which is great for summer events outdoors. 

When we moved into our condo 2 summers ago I knew I wanted to add some Nora Fleming to our kitchen. I chose the square platter which I love for its contemporary shape. I also bought the keepsake box which is a great way to safely store all my minis, like a giant jewelry box. 





Choosing the minis was the toughest part for me because they are all too stinkin’ cute! I tried to pick ones that could be used for multiple occasions, but it’s so hard to pick because they’re each so adorable. I buy mine on Amazon, at Hallmark Stores (great when you can use a coupon or rewards points) and on The Lamp Stand.

Here’s the minis I have:

Champagne bottle-
I thought this would be excellent for New Years as well as birthdays and other celebrations. 




Conversation Hearts- 
A festive way to serve all my Valentine's treats. 




Shamrock- 
Perfect for Irish soda bread on St Patrick’s Day. 




Eggs in a nest-
I like to use this all spring and for Easter. 




Beach Ball- 
This one is fun all summer long. 




Pumpkins-
I love the gold accents on this and I put it out for Halloween through Thanksgiving. 




Snowman- 
His chubby belly is the cutest! I like that he’s not necessarily Christmas themed so I can use him all winter. 




I think this would be such a great shower or housewarming gift. I love the idea to adding to your collection, one piece at a time. It’s so unique!

Thanks for reading. :)

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

I love baking something during the week that makes a quick breakfast in the mornings. I’ve been seeing a lot of 2 or 3 ingredient recipes on the internet lately- just add “this” to a box of cake mix and voilà- and I decided to use what I had laying around in my pantry. 

These are so good I’ve made them a few times since, and the best part is they’re only 3 ingredients! They are incredibly moist and flavorful. I recently made these for a neighbor, and they were very well received. 

I know everyone may be sick of pumpkin flavored things by now, but I think this is a great way to use up any canned pumpkin left from the holidays.

Let’s get baking!




You’ll need:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 can pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

(Are you ready? This is really complicated) ;-)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line or grease a muffin tin. 
Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl using and electric mixer or a very strong arm, just until blended. 
Scoop 2/3 c of batter into each cup. 
Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.




Enjoy! Thanks for reading. :)

Valentine's Day 2019

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Hi there! I thought I’d do a little recap of my favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day. 

I had been working for about a week before the holiday making chocolate covered pretzels (covered in Friday's post) and making care packages for my family.

My homemade chocolate covered pretzels ready to be given out

I sent my grandma and mother-in-law some lotto scratch-offs, candy and cards. I sent my brother and his girlfriend a gift card for their local movie theater, and I gave my parents a gift card for Chili’s, where they sometimes like to go for a quick dinner. I bought David a Ralph Lauren scarf he had seen one day when we were walking the mall together, and of course his favorite, some Reese’s peanut butter cups. I also got my pups some treats they love, they have WAY too many toys. I have such fun picking out little trinkets for everyone. I also found the nicest quality cards and gift wrap this year at the Target Dollar Spot and I need to remember to check there more often for cutesy paper products and gift wrap.

Patiently awaiting their Valentine's Treats. :)

After everything was made and mailed we kicked off the holiday Wednesday night after my yoga class. We met my parents at California Pizza Kitchen for their pre-fixe Valentine’s menu. We had such a fun time sitting at the bar and they even made our pizza into a heart shape! We added the wine option for an additional $12 and it was such a great deal and so yummy, I hope they offer it in years to come.

Heart shaped BBQ chicken pizza, so good!

On Valentine's Day my parents, David, and I had reservations to see a show at the planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College. They were doing a special show for couples called “Romancing the Stars” and it was both fun and informative. The show went through some romantic sights in the sky and the love stories behind a lot of the constellations. David's train actually broke down and he missed the show, so I was 3rd wheel with my parents, haha. It was a really creative and unique show that I would absolutely recommend! While we were at the show David picked up Chinese take-out from our favorite local spot. It was such a fun night. 

As for presents David spoiled me with a Tiffany heart pendant and a pair of Dolce & Gabbana custom painted heart sneakers (a review to come after I’ve worn them a while). He also brought me home my favorite from the city, Laudurée macarons in the cutest Valentine's Day special packaging. I was absolutely spoiled this year but the holiday truly isn’t about gifts, it’s about showing your admiration and fondness for those you love.

The holiday packaging is beyond gorgeous.

Tiffany & Co. heart pendant-I've been wearing it non stop!

Can't wait to wear these, probably more in the spring since the ground is so wet from snow and slush.

Did you do anything fun for Valentine’s Day? Do you like to stay home or go out? Let me know down below, I’d love to hear from you. :)

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day.

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Valentine Treats ~ Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Hello there! I hope you had a Valentine's Day filled with lots of L-O-V-E. 

I love making homemade gifts and I decided for Valentine's Day this year to make chocolate-covered pretzels as a nice treat of David and my Dad. I thought they came out really lovely and wanted to share! 

I went to Target and picked up a large tub of pretzel rods, both milk and white baking chocolate, some colored sugar in pink and red, and some cellophane bags from the Dollar Spot, as well as stickers in a Valentine's Day motif to package them. 

The entire project cost about $20 and took me about an hour or so to complete, and I was able to make around 90 pretzel rod halves.  

I plan on making them again, perhaps for a different holiday by simply changing the colored sugar. The mix of salty and sweet and crunchy and creamy is such an amazing combo, and homemade always tastes better. Everyone really enjoyed them!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)