.:Holidays on the Homestead 2016:.

Happy Holidays my friends!

Hope you are enjoying the beauty of the season, all cuddled up with loved ones close by.

We are completing our 2016 with our happy little family... one momma, one poppa, one baby boy, a small farm dog, two middle-aged cats, and six laying hens {who are currently taking the winter off}. Our hearts are full and we are thankful for this season of life we are living.

May you enjoy all the magic of the final days of 2016

Much Love!

:i'm dreaming of those holiday cookies:

okay, who else is ready for the holiday foods!?! i am loving the glimmer of hope i have to dedicate some time to baking - even if it is one kind of cookie - that our family can enjoy on christmas eve.

one of our favorite traditions has always been making a few kinds of cookies, of course including some terrible decorating and bringing that holiday cookie tray to the big family get together.

i'm starting to consider what one or two cookies to attempt to make during an upcoming nap-time.

last year we loved having oreo truffles for a super-rich treat... i rarely make truffles so it seemed very special! we used this recipe {from sally's baking addiction} last holiday season.

and pretty much every year my husband gets over the moon excited for the cookies of his childhood - the ever loved {and rarely shared} monster cookies! we've used this recipe {from sally's baking addiction} for the last several years and it always turns out!

and i've been eyeing this recipe {from sally's baking addiction - what can i say, haven't had a bad recipe from sally!} ever since i've had mad-salted-caramel-cravings during pregnancy.

how about you? what cookies will be on your holiday table this year?

mama hood mondays {halloween 2016}

good morning dear friends!

i decided today was the perfect day to share a little halloween love from last week. {a perfect, albeit a bit late} my husband and i have historically been pretty into the halloween scene, usually having a few costume ideas by the end of august each year! of course we never make our costumes until the week of halloween - leave it open incase a last minute idea rocks our world!

after a realizing that little j is a wrap-lover we knew he really only needed a hat for a costume. we decided to be three blind mice for the first of many fun family halloweens!


to stick with our more recent traditions of trick-or-treat night we passed out candy, ate snacks and drank cider with dear friends (they get so many trick or treaters at their house! including most of my students!) and our little j had his first big night out!

hope you and your loved ones have slept off the candy hang over! it can be hard to let that last bit of chocolate go after beggar's night is over.


happy monday!