You CAN Do 31 Days Your Own Way

If I can do 31 days my own way, then you can too! So, #31Days was technically over on 10/31. I'm finishing mine up now on 11/2 at just 22 posts. And you know what? That's OK!

Hundreds of bloggers attempt #31Days in October, but the results vary widely. Some will post 31 posts and end on 10/31. Some will run behind but still do 31 posts and end in early November. Some end on 10/31 with however many posts they managed to do, whether that's 5 or 25. Some will have started, but quit after getting too far behind. No matter how you do it - everybody wins!

We're all winners in this #31Days thing because no matter how you did, there are some great posts and series on hundreds of blogs now. Bloggers have got back into writing good, focused posts. Readers have so many great topics to choose from - enough to read over the next few months even! Win, win!

I found this #31Days to be a challenge, but a good one. I was sidetracked part of the month by company and other things which made it too hard for me to get all 31 posts done. I had more post ideas and partial drafts done, but in the end I was happy with the posts I did manage to do. I hope that you found at least one of the posts in this series useful and helpful!

Thank you so much for being with me through through my October series! If you haven't had time to read the posts, you can take your time and work on reading them all. {I even pinned a few series to my #31Days Pinterest board that I plan to go back and read.} If you participated in #31Days, I hope you were happy with your results even if they didn't exactly fit your original vision. If you participated at all, then you rock for trying!

Click here for all my #31Days posts.-----> http://goo.gl/qxhW6m

You CAN do 31 Days your own way!

Did you do a #31Days series? Do you have a favorite post from your series? Have you been following some of the October series? What are some favorites you have read? Share in the comments!

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!
 

You CAN Rescue A Recipe ~ Pumpkin Pie Truffles

If I can rescue a recipe, then you can too! And oh my, this was a happy and yummy rescue! But before we get to that one, let's talk about rescuing recipes in general.

The first way to rescue the recipes is to avoid mistakes in the first place, of course! Here's an article from Real Simple: How to Fix 17 Basic Cooking Mistakes. I also recommend reading each recipe carefully before you start cooking. If I would have paid closer attention a few times, I would have realized that a measurement or two didn't sound right before I started mixing ingredients together. And then I wouldn't have had to throw away the super salty Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins - sigh.

There are ways to fix recipes when you already know you've messed up as you're making the food. This is a great article that give you several rescue ideas: How to Fix Kitchen Flops. Sometimes it just means getting creative and thinking outside the box - like when a cake falls apart while taking it out of the pan. Not only could you use the pieces to make a trifle, but you could also cut it into cubes and serve with melted chocolate and whipped cream to dip into! Or crumble it all and mix with frosting to make some cake balls to dip in chocolate - yum.

This was my recent recipe rescue. I was making Pumpkin Truffles, but the mixture wouldn't firm up enough to form into balls. {I believe this is a problem due to the "white" chips in the stores mainly being vanilla chips instead of white chocolate. The vanilla chips are too *melty*.} I could not throw away that mixture - what was I to do? A friend who recently had the same issue said that she made hers into a pie, but mine was too runny even for that. Finally - light bulb! I would add graham cracker crumbs to the mixture until it was bulky enough to make into balls. It worked! And the truffles were FABULOUS. Maybe even yummier than the original. I call the new version Pumpkin Pie Truffles.

Pumpkin Pie Truffles

2 1/2 cups vanilla chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4-1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons oil {I used coconut oil}
Ground nutmeg for garnish

Combine vanilla chips and cream in saucepan. Stir over low heat until chips melt completely. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin and spice until smooth and blended. Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least an hour. Stir in graham cracker crumbs until mixture is thick enough to roll into balls and hold shape. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on wax paper. Place pumpkin pie balls in freezer for 15 minutes or so. Reshape slightly if necessary.

Combine dark chocolate chips and oil. Gently heat {in microwave or in bowl over simmering water on stove} until chocolate is melted. Dip chilled pumpkin pie balls into melted chocolate and coat thoroughly. Place back on wax paper to set up. Sprinkle tops with nutmeg while still wet, if desired. Store on wax paper in covered container in refrigerator.

Watch out - these beauties disappear very quickly! I've even had more than one person tell me I should sell them. Seriously though, you don't need to buy any because you CAN make these! I would not have ever attempted them if they were really difficult. Trust me. I gotta say - you'd be a big hit if you showed up at Thanksgiving dinner with these!

So if you have a recipe going all wrong, don't just give up on it! Try to rescue it. You never know, you might come up with your new favorite thing. :)

You CAN rescue a recipe!

Have you experienced recipe failures that you had to throw away? Have you successfully rescued a recipe? What new recipes have you created because of rescues? Share in the comments!

This post linked to:
 ~ Whimsy Wednesday at The NY Melrose Family 
 ~ WFMW at We Are THAT Family

Day 21 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

Want to connect with me?

Click here ---> to subscribe by E-mail.

Click here ---> to Like my Facebook page.

Click here ---> to follow me on Pinterest.

Click here ---> to follow me on Twitter.

Click here---> to follow me on Google+.

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Make Your Own Household Cleaners

If I can make my own household cleaners, then you can too! I should be using more homemade cleaners than I do because they're SO simple to make, good for the environment, and they save you money <----yay for that one!

Here are a few links to natural/homemade cleaner tips I've shared before...

Microwave cleaning: Easy Microwave Cleaning
                                   Sterilize That Sponge & Clean Your Microwave

Shower cleaning:  Homemade Shower Cleaner

Oven cleaning: Natural Oven Cleaner
 
Vinegar is a great thing to have on hand for cleaning. Using it can be as simple as diluting some distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle and cleaning your kitchen counters with it! For more great ideas on how to use vinegar, check out the Big List of Creative Uses For Vinegar over at The Frugal Girls.

I also use baking soda and vinegar to clean my drains. Basically, you put 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 cup or so of vinegar, which will cause it to foam up. Cover the drain and wait about 5 minutes. Then you flush it with a gallon of boiling water. Definitely helps though it may take more than one try if you have a drain that's really clogged.

Keeper of the Home has an awesome post: 67 Homemade, All-Natural Cleaning Recipes. Pick a few - you might already have some of the ingredients in your cupboards! These recipes are easy to try, so I know you can do it! C'mon - try a new one this week!

You CAN make your own household cleaners!

Do you make homemade household cleaners? Have you avoided homemade cleaners for some reason? What's your favorite homemade cleaning tip? Share in the comments!

Day 20 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

Want to connect with me?

Click here ---> to subscribe by E-mail.

Click here ---> to Like my Facebook page.

Click here ---> to follow me on Pinterest.

Click here ---> to follow me on Twitter.

Click here---> to follow me on Google+.

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Find The Blessings In The Negative {Savor 7 Saturday}

If I can find the blessings in the negative, then you can too! I know this is easier said than done depending on just how big of a negative it is - but there are blessings to be found. Sometimes we don't see those blessings until we're through it or past it though.

It's time for Savor 7 {Saturday} again - listing out 7 blessings from the week. But I'll try and find 7 blessings from the negative instead of from the positive. I don't have any big trials going on right now, so it's a little harder to find the blessings in the little negatives. I have talked about seeing the blessings that come out of the bigger negatives before, in my Just One Son post.

Ok, here are 7 minor negatives that I've experienced this week and the blessings I've found in them:

1. Negative: Mosquito bites. In October. So not right. They love me and I get a nice red itchy welt after they bite. Blessing: The only one I can come up with is experiencing the relief and satisfaction of scratching an itch! {Simple itch relief tip here.} How would we know just how good it feels to scratch an itch if we never had an itch in the first place, right? :)

2. Negative: Spilling a whole bunch of water on the floor, making a large puddle that involved a lot of cleanup. Blessing: Hey - easy blessing there - my floor is extra clean in that spot!

3.  Negative: Friends who bring over too many yummy, fattening goodies {not always a negative, but I happen to be doing Weight Watchers at the moment}. Blessing: Friends who take all the extra goodies back when they leave, just to help you out.

4. Negative: Busy busy grocery stores. Ick. Blessing: When those stores are busy, then lots of cashiers open up so the lines are short and fast! {Except for Walmart - that is never the case there - LOL.}

5. Negative: Filling in for the 4th grade teacher at the end of the day when you aren't sure of the exact procedures to follow as you cover the material. Blessing: A class full of shiny, happy, helpful students telling you about 10 different ways that things may or may not have been done in the past. Too funny!

6. Negative: Having to track all the food you eat because you finally went back to Weight Watchers. Blessing: Losing 3 pounds in a week! Woo hoo!

7. Negative: Running way behind on #31Days posts. Boo. Blessing: Learning to give yourself some grace and deciding to continue posting the series through 10/31, whether or not the total number is 31 posts.

Did it! Yay! But I have always been a look-for-the-silver-lining, cup-half-full kind of gal, so I realize that this may be more difficult for some of you. Do give it a try though! List out some negatives from the week and try to find the blessings. If you can't find a blessing in some of those things, look at them again in another week or a month and see if the blessings can be seen then.

You CAN find the blessings in the negative!

Do you always look for the blessings in your trials? Have you experienced an amazing blessing from something negative? Share in the comments!

Day 19 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Use Google+

If I can use Google+, then you can too! Some of you are already on there and having a great time! But so many of you are like me and thinking that you can't learn how to use one more social media site. And when you stop by Google+ {G+}, well, it's just so different than Facebook. Ah, but different can sometimes mean better!

I admit, I took a while to set up my profile on G+, and even then I still hardly used it, because I just didn't get it. Also, it seemed like very few people that I knew were on there. Much later on, I decided to give it another try. As I started dipping my toes in to figure things out, a food blogger found me that just happens to be a Google+ expert! Not only has he written a very helpful series on G+, but he also hosts hangouts on Fridays with guests to teach more about G+. I've already learned so much!  

That expert is Chef Dennis Littley and you don't need to be a food blogger to follow him and get the benefit of his extensive G+ knowledge. First, check out his series on Google Plus. I highly recommend that you read everything he's written about it - so helpful! And try watching Chef Dennis' first Good Day Google+ hangout for great info, including tips from David Amerland {author of Google Semantic Search}. Feel free to watch the other HOA's also - even if you can't attend a hangout when it's happening, you can watch a recording later.

Another big help as you're starting out on G+ is to read this post by Jenny Melrose of The NY Melrose Family: How to Grow Your Google+ Following. And she has a monthly linkup called Grow Your Google+ Circles Hop. I just did that for the first time this month and I added several new people to my circles and lots of people found me too!

While you're learning how to use G+, get started by setting up your profile if you haven't already done so! Start adding some people you know to your circles {you can add me too!}. Try posting a status on there first and then try sharing a link to an article. It's not hard to do! Next, try clicking +1 on someone's post that you like. See? You're doing it! Be sure to follow the tips from the resources I've listed in order to use G+ properly {there are wrong ways to use it which could make it harder for you to build a following} and to make the most of your time on there.

You CAN use Google+!

It's not only a great opportunity for exposure for your blog or business, it's also a fantastic way to connect with new people! C'mon - give it a try!

Are you on Google+? Have you been successfully using it? What's your best G+ tip? If you're not on Google+ yet, what has stopped you from trying it? Share in the comments!

Day 18 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Write Poetry

If I can write poetry, then you can too! You don't have to be a profound, prize-winning poet to write a poem. Just let your creative juices flow and have fun!

I enjoy writing silly little rhyming poems from time to time and it doesn't bother me one bit that they are not good enough to publish in a book of poems. The point is that I had fun doing it! Your poems don't even have to rhyme, you know - could it get any easier?! :) But I am partial to rhyming poems...

If you haven't tried writing poetry or it's been a while, start out small with a few Haikus. They're Japanese 3-line poems with a set number of syllables in each line {5,7,5}. Here are a couple of my blogging haikus:

Blogging is your work,
Working at your writing craft,
Crafting words of joy.

Turning images
Swirling all around my brain
Into word paintings.

If you want to try some rhyming poetry, just pick a topic and start to work out some phrases. I never know how long a poem will be when I start it. You can click here to check out my silly rhyming tea poems if you need inspiration. Or look at this poem I wrote about soup {see - you can write about ANYthing!}...

Simmering Soup

by Lisa W.

The soup is on and simmering away,
  Drawing us in from our weary way,
  Filling our bowls,
  Soothing our souls,
  Warming our toes,
  Healing our woes,
  Bringing us together at the end of the day.

If you think you'd like to go ahead and try, click here for an article with more info on how to write a poem. And it's a good idea to read poems to help give you ideas.

You CAN write poetry!

Think of a topic right now and write just 2 lines about it. Now keep reworking those 2 lines until you have the start of a poem - whether it rhymes or not. You'll get a feel for it once you try it and you just might find yourself addicted to it! It doesn't have to be great; just enjoy the process! It's a wonderful way to bring a little bright spot into your day.

Have you written poetry? What kind of poems do you prefer? What's stopping you from giving it a try right now? Share in the comments!

Day 17 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

Want to connect with me?

Click here ---> to subscribe by E-mail.

Click here ---> to Like my Facebook page.

Click here ---> to follow me on Pinterest.

Click here ---> to follow me on Twitter.

Click here---> to follow me on Google+.

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Pray Consistently

If I can pray consistently, then you can too! Again, this is one of those things that I'm not perfect at. Sometimes I'm on track and sometimes I'm not, but I keep striving for improvement.

I'm not talking about saying grace before a meal, praying when we're sick, praying for someone as we're asked to - most of us do at least that much regularly. I'm talking about a longer, focused daily prayer time.

I posted earlier this year about how I came up with a list of things to pray about each day and a catchy way to remember it all. Here's a Fallish colored version of the list. It really does help me to just get started praying and to make sure that I've covered almost everything in a week. I don't know about you, but the easier something is, the more likely I am to do it.

The sweet Mandy Scarr at From Lukewarm to Zealous Pursuit {I've met her in person and she is amazing and lovely, inside and out.} has a post about another way to pray consistently for family members and friends. She also has a free printable.

I also found a site called Echo Prayer Manager. You build your prayer list online and have them e-mail or text you reminders to pray for specific people or things at specific times. Seems like a good idea! {I can't vouch for the site as I haven't actually used it - have only looked at it.}

Making consistent prayer easier can be as simple as writing prayer topics down in a journal or even just creating a peaceful spot in your home where you like to pray. It doesn't matter what time of day you do it or whether you spend just 10 minutes or 30 minutes in prayer - try for consistency. Find a way that works best for you.

You CAN pray consistently!

Do you spend time in prayer consistently? Do you struggle with a way to remember everything that you want to pray about? Have you found a great tool to keep you on track? Share in the comments!

Day 16 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!
 
Have a blessed day friends!
 

You CAN Bake Scones

If I can bake scones, then you can too! Last week I told you that you can bake biscotti, and now I'm telling you that you can bake scones! Don't be afraid - you can do this. If you can bake bread or make a cake, then I know you can handle scones. And oh - homemade scones are soooo yummy.

These are my fave scones - they're cream scones and they are very simple. They are the first scones I ever made {thanks to the homemade mix & recipe given to me by a friend}!

White Chocolate-Apricot Cream Scones

Here's how simple baking scones can be: Mix up the dough/batter; Knead a little; Pat into circles; Cut into wedges; Bake. Sometimes you make them in other shapes or bigger or smaller. Sometimes you brush the tops with something before baking. It's really that easy. If that still scares you, they even make special scone pans that already have the wedge separations - just put your batter in and bake!

 I think you should pick a scone recipe today and make some for breakfast tomorrow morning {scones are most delicious when fresh, but still good leftover}! The above scones are the only ones that I have a recipe for here on my blog. All the other scones I've tried are from various internet sources. All were yummy! Here they are in case you want to try them...

Strawberry Mascarpone Scones

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

Cinnamon Eggnog Scones

You CAN bake scones!

Have you made scones before? Do you have a favorite scone recipe? Did you think that baking scones was more complicated? Share in the comments!

Day 15 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Establish New Habits

If I can establish new habits, then you can too! And not just new habits, but sometimes we need to reestablish old habits, right? I don't claim to be perfect in this area, but I have had some success this year and maybe it can help you if you struggle like me.

I find that I can work on new habits best if I'm not trying to do too many at once. Keep it simple! And the other key to success for me is accountability. That's where a blog comes in handy - I use it for my own accountability! But you can also find accountability in person, on Facebook, and more.

I've been doing better with establishing habits in general because Diligence is my one-word focus for this year. But back in June I started Stop and Do 2. I really just did it for me, but a few people used it as a nudge to work on their own habits. My habits that month were keeping up with cleaning the dishes and keeping up with folding and putting away clean laundry. I did great! It really helped me. I'm not keeping it up all the time, but I'm so much better in both of those areas.

Each month I pick 2 new habits to work on. I haven't done quite as well with my habits these last couple of months, but I also wasn't promoting the Stop and Do 2, which would give me that extra accountability that I need. This month I'm working on blogging and reading. The blogging part is going well {yay for #31Days} but I'm failing at the reading. I'll use this post as my push to get back on track!

By only focusing on 2 habits at a time and being public about it, I have been able to establish new habits. I know that you can too! Maybe this method will work for you! Or maybe you have a different method that works? Either way - come up with some new habits to work on and get going. You don't have to wait for a new month to start - just start today.

You CAN establish new habits!

Do simplicity and accountability help you establish new habits? What habits would you like to work on this month? Share in the comments!

Day 14 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Make Your Own Self-Rising Flour

If I can make my own self-rising flour, then you can too! Seems very specific compared to most of the posts this month, but that's okay - it's such a good tip if you don't know it already. :)

I originally posted this tip over at Pennies & Blessings and shared my recipe for Beer Bread {so yummy}.

For years, whenever a recipe called for Self-Rising Flour, I headed to the grocery store and bought a bag of it. Once I discovered {which just happened within the last couple of years} what self-rising flour actually contained, I was a little embarrassed for buying it! The ingredients for self-rising flour are already in our cupboards! It's so very simple! Here's how you make it:

DIY Self-Rising Flour

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Store in airtight container. You can half or double/triple the ingredients as necessary for recipes. I just make it right when I need it instead of keeping it on hand in the cupboard.

Um, yes. That's it! See - you can totally do that! And now you never have to buy a bag of self-rising flour again! Saving time & money is always a good thing. :)

These are the recipes that I currently use self-rising flour in:
 ~ Beer Bread
 ~ Caramel Mud Cakes
 ~ Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

You CAN make your own self-rising flour!

Did you already know this tip? Do you have recipes that call for self-rising flour? Share in the comments!

Day 13 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

Want to connect with me?

Click here ---> to subscribe by E-mail.

Click here ---> to Like my Facebook page.

Click here ---> to follow me on Pinterest.

Click here ---> to follow me on Twitter.

Click here---> to follow me on Google+.

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Blog About Your Faith

If I can blog about my faith, then you can too! Obviously, if you have a specifically Christian blog, then you'll be talking about your faith all of the time. But what if you have a mommy blog, or a humor blog, or a deal blog, or a food blog? Do you keep it all business and leave your faith for your personal side of things or do you let it show and risk losing some of the readers that help you build your base and reach your goals?

You have to decide what works best for you and your blog, of course. Even though my blog is not a "Christian" blog, I am a blogger who is a Christian. I blog about Life and my blog represents me. So I am comfortable occasionally mentioning my faith and sharing Scriptures because that's part of my life. It helps that as I get older, I am more accepting of the fact that no matter what I do, not everybody is going to like me {sigh}. I may lose a few non-Christian readers along the way, but a lot of them stick around as they still enjoy everything else I have to offer. {Waving hello to the few non-Christians actually reading this post!}

It's about learning what works for you and what feels right on your blog. Don't be what you're not! If you're an enthusiastic Christian and can't wait to share a devotional post every day - do it! If you're like me and not gifted in the devotional type of posts, then share your faith when you feel led to do so. When I feel led to share about my faith, or a Scripture, or a blessing, or a desire to pray for my readers - I just do it. I let God handle the rest of it. I don't have an in-your-face style as I'm very non-confrontational, so I think that helps!

You CAN blog about your faith!

Do you blog about faith? Have you been scared to post Scriptures for fear of losing readers? Have you found a way to write about your faith that works well for your blog? Share in the comments! 

Day 12 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!


Have a blessed day friends!
 

You CAN Find The Little Blessings {Savor 7 Saturday}

If I can find the little blessings in daily life, then you can too! Welcome back to Savor 7 {Saturday}! This is where I look back at my blessings from the week. But this week I thought I'd focus on the little blessings that aren't so obvious.

It's fairly easy to list out our big blessings. But what about the weeks where nothing extraordinary happens to us and all we experience is the daily mundane tasks like dishes and laundry? Can we find the blessings to savor?

I say yes! Some of it is just a matter of perspective and some of it is forcing yourself {with a little help from the Lord} to really see beyond the drudgery.

Let's put it into practice by making all 7 blessings right from one mundane household task - laundry. Everybody knows that the obvious blessing of laundry is that it means we have clothes to wear! But let's go beyond that. Here are 7 more blessings of having to do laundry:

1.  I have a washing machine {you probably have one too or at least access to one}. It's a big time-saver not to have to wash all our clothes by hand like they did years ago.

2.  I have laundry soap, which means that I'm able to go to the store and buy what I need for our household. I'm blessed to have the means to do that.

3.  I'm physically capable of doing the laundry. I'm blessed with health - I'm not paralyzed or too crippled to get to my washing machine.

4.  As I wash my son's clothes year after year, I watch the clothing styles and sizes change. I'm blessed to have our son and to be able to watch him grow up. {Um, I've watched my clothes growing in size too, but let's not go there - LOL!}

5.  I'm blessed to be able to *cheat* and sometimes throw son's school clothes in the dryer to get the wrinkles out instead of ironing them. :)

6.  We have electricity in our house to run the washing machine and power so many other appliances. Having electricity is a blessing we often take for granted.

7.  Laundry=Memories. A grease stain reminds me how my hubs fixed my car. A snag reminds me how my son enjoys school. A spot reminds me how I came up with a new recipe to try! Certain items remind me of anniversaries or birthdays or vacations - such a blessing to remember all those times with family!

Now it might feel a bit silly when you first try it, but if you keep finding the blessings in the mundane, it can slowly change how you look at your daily life. The blessings are all around us, just waiting to be savored! I challenge you to give it a try!

You CAN find the little blessings!

Day 11 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Break the Rules & Skip a #31Days Post

If I can break the "rules" and skip a #31Days post, then you can too! I'm doing it right now - LOL!

My dad has been visiting and we've been busy! Rather than double posting in a day, I'd rather just skip today and continue with the series tomorrow. {It's really okay if you need to do this!} I have posts partially done, but can't finish one right now. I may add Day 31 on at the end. If you're participating in #31Days, how are you doing with it?

Just think - this gives you a chance to catch up! Click the pic below to get the whole series of posts this month!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Bake Biscotti

If I can bake biscotti, then you can too! Some of you are like - Yes, I know, I already make it. And some are like - What??? No.way. Biscotti seems intimidating, but it's not that hard! If you can bake cookies, you can bake biscotti.

If you truly feel that even baking cookies is too much for you, then transition into it by trying Cake Mix Cookies and Marble Bars. Once you gain a little confidence, you can move on to other cookies and even biscotti!

I started making biscotti years ago, and couldn't believe how simple it actually was - I rarely even made cookies at the time! Since then, the biscotti has been a Christmas gift-giving tradition for my family. Immediate family, neighbors, and coworkers all get biscotti from us at Christmas time, sometimes paired with coffee or hot chocolate. I should mention that while I do like all biscotti, the recipes that I prefer are not considered traditional and use butter {yum}. Even people who claim that they do not like biscotti will like these recipes. 

Making biscotti is just mixing a batter, forming it into long "loaf" shapes on the pan to bake, slicing the baked loaves diagonally, and baking the pieces one more time. It does not take any more time and effort than baking multiple batches of cookies! I promise! Once you try it, you'll see that it's just not as difficult as it seems. And though it is much easier with a stand mixer, I made it for years with my hand mixer.

My go-to biscotti recipes are Dried Cranberry Biscotti and Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti. I also made Nutella Biscotti that turned out yummy. Biscotti makes the perfect addition to my Coffee Break in a Box gift idea! Your coworkers or kids' school office staff just might love you for it!

You CAN bake biscotti!

Now take a deep breath, pick a recipe, and go try it! There are a *ton* of delicious biscotti recipes on blogs. You can search and find one that fits your mood. :)

Have you ever made biscotti? What's your favorite kind of biscotti? Does baking intimidate you? Share in the comments!

If you get brave and try it, do come back and tell me. I'd love to hear how it went for you!

This post linked to:
 ~ Chic & Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls
 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom

Day 10 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

If you want to make sure you keep up with future series and posts, just click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!

Have a blessed day friends!

You CAN Share Your Failures

If I can share my failures, then you can too! When we share on blogs or Facebook or even *gasp* person-to-person in real life, we usually think about sharing our successes. Why would we want to share failures? Isn't that embarrassing?

Well, yes it is embarrassing - LOL! But in sharing our failures, we make connections. The failures are what make us human and real. Sharing some failure makes others feel better. Not only can you share what *not* to do, but you make people feel a little more at ease around you. Think of a time when you discovered that a friend wasn't perfect {sink full of dishes, cobweb in the corner, thick layer of dust on a shelf, etc.<---oh wait, that's me} - didn't most of you feel a sense of relief?

Years ago, I had a friend confess to me that she kept all her clean clothes piled up on a chair in the living room - hoping that it would motivate her to get them folded and put away faster. But she often found herself having to scramble and move the pile to the bedroom when people came over. She was able to go ahead and leave her clean clothes piled up when I came over, and I loved her for that!! My clean clothes pile was always hidden away in my bedroom. To this day I think of her when I have clean clothes piled up and I feel a little better knowing that she has a pile too. :) {Now that's not an excuse to never fold them up - LOL.}

I've shared a few failures on my blog, like The Muffin Fail, The Pound Cake Fail, and a Decorating Fail just to name a few . I first saw failures shared on other blogs and realized that I gave more credibility to the bloggers that showed me the "real" side of things. Publicly sharing some of your failures {maybe not every single failure you experience 'cause that's all I'd be writing about some days} is the authentic thing to do. First, you discover that you're not alone! And then you discover that you no longer give others an unrealistic standard to strive for. Nobody is perfect, so why don't we share that side a little more often?

You CAN share your failures!

Don't be afraid - everybody fails at something. Just because you fail doesn't mean that YOU are a failure! If you've never shared any of your failures due to fear or embarrassment, try stepping out of your comfort zone and sharing one on a blog, on Facebook, or in real life and see what kind of reaction you get!

What failures have you experienced recently? Have you publicly shared any failures? How do people react when you do share failures? Share in the comments!

Day 9 of #31Days. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the pic...

Want to connect with me?

Click here ---> to subscribe by E-mail.

Click here ---> to Like my Facebook page.

Click here ---> to follow me on Pinterest.

Click here ---> to follow me on Twitter.

Click here---> to follow me on Google+.

Have a blessed day friends!