I LOVE a good homemade roll! Sometimes it’s not so bad having to make them but more times than not I find myself out of time or just not willing to put forth the effort to make rolls from scratch. That usually leads me to the famous Rhodes frozen dough rolls. Which I love but with the inflation I’m taking a step back and trying to save pennies where I can which lead to me creating my own make ahead freezer rolls!
Guys, I’m sold and don’t know why I haven’t done this sooner! They’re just like the frozen rolls you’d find in the freezer section at your local grocery store. Already rolled and in individual servings making it easy to just bake up the amount you want. Best part is, they taste like home made rolls, yum! There’s nothing like a homemade roll slathered with butter (or my favorite, honey butter) to go with your dinner. This recipe was perfect timing with the Christmas holiday here. We were assigned to bring rolls but I just know I’m not going to want to be in the kitchen all day. So I whipped up a batch of these make ahead freezer rolls that are just waiting in the freezer for Saturday.
You can do basic with your rolls and top them off with butter or get fancy. Add some rosemary, grated parmesan, or any other garnish you can think of! You just can’t go wrong with these homemade freezer rolls!
Make Ahead Freezer Rolls
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp Yeast
1/4 cup sugar
6-6 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
Begin by heating up your milk until it reaches between 105-110 degrees. (You can do this in the microwave but I prefer on the stove top) Whisk in the yeast and sugar and let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile combine 5 cups of flour and salt in a mixer. Cut the butter into small cubs and slowly add to the mixer while on low speed. Set asked. Whisk the eggs into the milk and yeast mixture. Once combined, pour mixture into the flour mixture on low. Gradually add remaining flour if needed until dough forms. Cover the dough and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down down to deflate. Divide your down into 3 equal sections (this is easiest to do with a food scale). Each section should make 12 rolls depending on desired size. Place each roll on parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours. Remove rolls from cookie sheet and place in ziplock bag for up to 1 month.
To bake: Place frozen rolls about 1-inch apart on lightly greased baking dish. Let rise for about 4 hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Brush top with melted butter and serve.
Are you still missing some gifts? Haven’t had time to get to the store? Just can’t figure out what the heck to get? I feel you, my friends. It is hard!!!
I am typically great about being done with my Christmas shopping early, but not this year. This is not my best year when it comes to Christmas shopping. I have several gifts that I still need to get. That’s why I am on the hunt for some great last minute gift ideas.
I happened to check my email the other day and looked at the “promotion” tab which I almost always ignore, but I am glad that I did! I actually had two awesome deals! I was able to get a $10 Ulta Gift Card for just $5 and a $10 Starbucks Gift Card for just $5. These were invitation only deals, but it’s worth checking your email to see if you have similar deals in your inbox!
Amazon gift cards are great gift ideas for just about anyone. You can buy them in any denomination and they can be sent to the recipient via email, printed out or you can have a physical gift card sent.
Are you really great at cooking or baking anything in particular? Why not whip up your edible masterpiece and give it as a gift? I love baking cookies and brownies and giving as a gift and I also like to make a fireside cocoa mix to give as gifts as well. My brother in law often gives us smoked salmon that he makes himself and I love that gift every single time he give it to us. Food gifts are awesome!
What are your favorite last minute gifts to give?
Would you like to personalize your gift giving a little more this year? Would you like to give great gifts without the exorbitant price of other gifts that you may find? How about making a gift basket from scratch?
You guys, gift baskets make great gifts for Christmas! Seriously, I’ve never given a gift basket gift and not had it be a hit. Have you ever received a gift basket? What did you think about it?
The great thing about gift baskets is that they can be personalized to make them the perfect fit for the recipient.
This basket features bath salts, body scrub, toner and mist, DIY Lip Balm, Body Oil, and face serum all in a cute, well put together basket. This is perfect for your loved ones who need to spend a little more time relaxing and treating themselves.
Do you know a couple that rarely takes the time or spends the money for date night? How about surprising them with a dinner and a movie gift basket? Now they have no excuse not to treat themselves to a night out!
Here is another great gift basket set for someone that you could use a little pampering. This one features a bath poof, a razor and more! I don’t know about you, but I would love this one.
I love love love food gifts. Like seriously, I love food gifts. These DIY Food Baskets are going to be a hit with anyone that enjoys receiving foods.
What type of gift baskets have you created before? Were they a hit? Did you enjoy making them?
Guys! My kids get the whole next week off before Christmas! No better time to bring all the Christmas spirit into our home than with some Christmas movies! We’re making it a marathon and hoping to check off as many as we can before Christmas Eve! We might even throw in some hot chocolate and popcorn as well.
This list gives us 2 movies a day! I know the kids are going to be so excited and it will be the perfect break for them to come back inside and warm up before they head back out into the snow!
What other movies would you add to the list?
And, if you’re interest, I’m a sucker for some good Hallmark Christmas movies. Here’s a list of a few I’ve enjoyed and you might too.
You guys, food is EXPENSIVE. Like seriously expensive. I don’t know if it’s because I now have a teenage boy in wrestling, or because my 5 year old recently started eating more, or if I am just really starting to pay more attention, but I spend a lot of money on groceries each week. It seems like the morning after a big grocery shopping trip, I’m already running low on food. It’s amazing how quickly we go through it.
I have found though that as long as I keep some specific foods in the house it helps keep our food costs down quite a bit. If you are wondering what these foods are, this list of the most frugal staples to keep in your pantry will help keep you prepared for all the food your growing family will eat and save money at the same time.
This list is not all inclusive, but it certainly helps you get started on your frugal pantry!
Canned Goods
All of these pantry staples make creating budget friendly meals quick and easy and helps you to keep your grocery budget under control.
What are your favorite pantry staples to keep on hand? What are your favorite budget friendly recipes? How often do you cook from scratch?
How cute is this? I’ve never heard of a Pop Tart Gingerbread house, but that would be SO cool! That would make it look all frosted and decorated. Plus, there are a wide variety of Pop Target to choose from. You can order them here. Here are the instructions for this cute house.
Pop Tart Gingerbread Houses
Picture & Instructions by Glue Sticks Blog
Ingredients:
Directions:
For the directions you’ll want to check them out here at Glue Sticks Blog. She has awesome pictures to help guide you though the house making. It looks super simple and doable for all ages. This would be a fun one for the kiddos.
Whether you get sick, get exposed or you are needing to quarantine for your job or your travels, you need to make sure you are prepared to stay home for a 2 week stretch. The reality is this, until this last year, many of us were not at all prepared for having to stay home for that long of a period of time. We are a go go go society.
This list of things to keep on hand in case you have to stay home and quarantine will prepare you for being stuck without trying to figure out how to deal with not being able to leave.
Here is a good list of things to keep on hand to make sure your time at home is less stressful.
Make sure to always keep enough food on hand that you can eat for at least 2 weeks. Foods such as rice and beans are easy to store and last for a very long time so I always try to keep those stocked up all the time at my house.
Make sure you keep any and all prescription medicines filled up and as soon as you can. Preferably get 90 day supplies so you know you have plenty on hand.
I know you have a faucet at home, but it’s always a good idea to have water stored up and ready in case of an emergency. The general rule is 1 gallon of water per day, per person.
Grab some games, buy a few new books, find some great movies, because being home for 2 weeks can often lead to boredom. What will you be doing while you are home?
Are you struggling to drink enough water? A good amount of water is vital to our health but many of us slack off when it comes to drinking it. Whether you are planning to get some improvement to your health now or you are planning to make a New Year’s resolution, drinking more water should be a part of that change.
I know we have talked about this before, but drinking more water should be a goal that many of us have, so I figure it’s worth talking about again.. Follow along and see how you can drink more water with these tips that we are going to talk about here.
Having goals and writing them down is one of the easiest ways to actually accomplish what you are working toward. If you don’t have a concrete goal of how much you want to drink, it’s hard to focus on drinking enough if you aren’t reaching for a specific amount.
This may seem silly, but IT WORKS! Having a great, reusable water bottle, preferably one that keeps your water cold will be a huge benefit toward reaching your water intake goals.
Whether you get a filter pitcher, filter bottle or a filter that attaches to your faucet, just grab a filter. Honestly, we are lucky in that most of the water in the United States is safe to drink, but the filters often take the chlorine flavor away from it, which for me is preferable.
I don’t know about you, but for me to drink lots of water it needs to be ice cold. About a year ago we paid $99 for a countertop ice maker and I have noticed I always drink water now. I love drinking on ice cold water and the ice maker helped a lot!
What tips have helped you drink more water?
I love simple. I love the look of these ornaments. These would be fun to make together with your family, friends or neighbors. You could hang them on your tree or give them away as gifts. These wooden snowflakes would make a beautiful addition to your tree this year.
Wood Bead Snowflake Ornaments DIY
Picture & Directions by Tinsel and Trim
Directions:
Check out their page here at Tinsel and Trim. They have awesome diagrams that help you visualize how to make them. So fun!
Shopping around boutiques and stores lately, I’ve seen these Gnomes everywhere! If you love to craft then this would be a good one to make. I’m actually making these with some girls in my neighborhood. They are super easy to make. You could even switch out the hats for different holidays. Check this out!
How to Make Sock Gnomes
Instruction and picture by It’s Always Autumn
Supplies:
Instructions:
Does it seem like your kitchen is always messy? I know mine does. I swear I can clean it to the degree that it is absolutely spotless and perfect and within an hour, it can be a complete disaster. It can get pretty overwhelming. This is especially true during the busy season when my big kids are in sports non stop and I constantly have visitors stopping over (like during the holiday season).
If you deal with these issues too, check out these 5 tips for keeping your kitchen clean to see if they can help you keep your kitchen in order and your stress levels down. I don’t know about you, but this year has been stressful enough, I don’t need to add a constantly messy house to that list of stresses.
When you are cooking or prepping a meal, make it a habit to keep a large bowl or small bucket on hand to toss peelings and wrappers in while you go. Make it a point to not put these items on the counter because that can become overwhelming quickly.
Maybe I’m the lone one out here, but I had no idea that there were people that didn’t keep trash cans in their kitchen. It’s important to have a place for your trash to go as soon as you accumulate it.
If at all possible, keep your cooking utensils stored in a drawer rather than on the countertop. Storing them on the countertop, even if in containers, clutters the area greatly.
Same thing goes with kitchen appliances. Create a storage spot for them, some place that is hidden from sight. This is another thing that creates a cluttered look in your kitchen.
Every time you prep a meal, wipe down the countertops and your stovetop. It’s very easy for these spaces to get dirty quick and I don’t know about you, but I want my kitchen clean!
If you are anything like me, you love to give gifts, but you don’t necessarily want to add to someone’s stressful life of clutter. Maybe I should preface this post by saying that I have reached a point in my life that I absolutely hate clutter. I am ready to simplify life a lot, so I guess I just assume that most people want the same thing.
That’s why this year I am either giving food gifts or experience gifts this year. Food gifts for those that I know prefer to stay home, but experience gifts for those friends and loved ones that love to get out there and do something! When it comes to my kids, they have more toys than they can ever use and more than they could possibly need. Plus, I know that many family members will give them even more. All of these are reasons why you should give the gift of experience.
We have already talked about my thoughts on clutter, so giving experiences as gifts is a great way to help others (and yourself if you are buying for your immediate family) avoid the gift of clutter as well.
We all want our children to have all of the things that they want, but the reality is even if your child gets all the things they ever dreamt of, there will be a real sense of overwhelm with them. Too much stuff is really just too much. While it may be hard to wrap our minds around it, less really is more when it comes to stuff.
Is there anything better in life than good memories? Toys can break within hours, yet great memories with family will last a child a lifetime. We took two rather big vacations in the last several years and my kids still talk about it. Even my 5 year old remembers the fancy vacation house we stayed in a year ago.
The holidays are here! With family nights happening more often than the rest of the year for most of us, many of us are falling back to those super fun game nights of our youth. Are you planning some upcoming game nights with your family? I know I am.
My games are looking a bit worn and ragged though and I would love to replace them with new ones. I mean, I’ve got a few games that I will continue to use for years on end, but when the board from your board game starts to fall apart, it becomes a problem. That’s why I decided to put together this list of the perfect games for family game night so I can remember which ones I need to order.
Here are some perfect games for your super fun upcoming family game night.
Uno – Uno is a classic, simple game that is easy for even young family members to catch on to. Plus, it’s great for those who don’t have a long attention span and prefer a quicker packed game.
Yahtzee – Yahtzee is always a family favorite around here! It’s fun for people of all ages and it’s easy for everyone to play too. We played this recently and let my 5 year old play as well and it didn’t slow the game down at all.
Sorry – As long as your family members are too competitive, Sorry is super fun, super fast past game.
Monopoly – I love monopoly, but I don’t love it enough to play it all the time. My 14 year old son loves this game and would literally play it every weekend if he could. It’s just a great classic that deserves to be in everyone’s game cabinet.
What’s your favorite game to play during family game nights?
Are you looking to stretch out your holiday purchases a bit to ease your budget? We have all fallen on harder times sometimes and sometimes we need a little help stretching out our budgets a bit.
While I don’t recommend buying something that you can’t afford, sometimes it’s nice to keep your money as long as you can. Plus, with the holiday season here there are new sales every single day and you can save a lot of money by taking advantage of these deals.
The following websites allow you to break your payments into 4 purchases over the course of 6 weeks.
As stated earlier, each of these sites allow you to make 4 payments over the course of 6 weeks, with no interest or fees.
This isn’t like putting something on a credit card because you aren’t paying interest. It also isn’t like layaway because you are getting your items right when you purchase them. Some of these sites even allow you to use them for in store purchases.
There will be late fees added if you don’t pay your bills on time, but since your payments are automatically charged to the debit card you made your purchase to.
As a bonus, there are also deals that are offered through these payment sites. After pay has been sending out new deals every day. I recently received an email from Klarna saying that if you buy through a specific store, your fourth payment will be on them! That’s like getting an extra 25% off! Just keep an eye on your email account and watch for any deals that may come your way.
Have you ever used one of these websites? What was your experience like?
Have you been thinking about taking the plunge and moving into a tiny home? With the economy like it is and the price of real estate being so high, there are a lot of people that are considering making the switch.
If you are used to living in a much bigger space though, the switch to a tiny home may be intimidating to you. I know many of us are currently living in a space much, much larger than the 400 square feet that a tiny home typically consists of. The benefits of living in a tiny home are often more than worth it though.
Here are a few of the benefits of living in a tiny home:
Not only is the base price of a tiny home significantly cheaper than a typical home, the other savings are significant as well. Your power usage will be less, your taxes will be less, your home maintenance will be less.
This might be my favorite benefit! As a mom of three children, I feel like I am constantly cleaning my 1800 square foot house, so I love the idea of cleaning less. With less space, there will be less stuff everywhere, therefore less cleaning.
Let’s face it. We often have too much focus on the “stuff” in our life. This is so incredibly unnecessary. It’s no wonder that many of us are so deep into debt. When you live in a tiny home, you have less room for stuff, therefore you have no choice but to not focus on it or buy more of it.
Tiny homes use less resources, therefore are more environmentally friendly.
Have you ever considered living in a tiny home? What has prevented you from making the switch?
Alternatively, do you live in a tiny home? What are your favorite things about it?