The Traveling Sisterhood: 2016

Mac N Cheese Bites: The Cutest, Most Delicious Christmas or New Year's Appetizers! #Recipe



These homemade Mac N Cheese bites are my new favorite appetizer!  My mother in law made them for us on Thanksgiving and I fell in love with their bitesized goodness.  With my new Love Cooking Company mini muffin pan, I decided to try them out and they were a raving hit at my Christmas party!

Ingredients
  • 2½ cups elbow macaroni (or 1 8 oz. box)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 egg beaten

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cook pasta according to packaged directions and set aside.
  3. In a medium size pan combine butter and flour over medium heat. Whisk until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Slowly add milk and bring to a simmer. Add 1½ cups of the cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, carefully stir pasta, cheese sauce, and egg until evenly mixed and pasta is evenly coated.
  5. Spoon mac and cheese into mini muffin tins (a rounded tablespoon works perfectly!) and top each with a small pinch of remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Allow to cool 5 minutes before gently removing the bites.  They slip out very easily with a spoon!


Adapted from a recipe I found on Chef in Training.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts: Subscription Box Edition! The Best Boxes of 2016


Ok guys, it’s 2 days until Christmas and you still don’t have a gift for cousin X, friend Y and sister Z. Now imagine how much you would love it if someone gifted you a subscription box! So then... how much would they love it?! Here are my favorites and there's something for everyone!

For the new baby in the family or the mama to be: BabyBin! They provide you with products you need, when you need them. That’s why their monthly shipments aren’t one-size-fits-all, but are dependent on the child’s age, gender, and developmental stage. Gift 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.
For the Christian: Devotions Delivered! Every month, your gift recipient will receive 4 (5x7) prints paired with inspirational scriptures and an inspiring devotional. I loved these! The prints are also postcards (US postcard postage included which is very awesome!) so you can spread His message.
Imperial Glamour is a monthly beauty subscription box that is filled to the bring with "high quality, natural, organic and vegan products" all revolving around a monthly theme. The best gift for the princess or queen in your life!
For the mommy who deserves some pampering: Mommy Mailbox! This box comes beautifully packaged once  a month with a variety of fancy treats, cosmetics, and accessories. Boxes ship free the first week of every month so she'll get her box in early January.
For the reader: Books on Dragon Wings! Packed full of great stuff surrounding a quarterly fantasy book theme, this is one of my favorite subscription boxes of the year. Order the most recent Mermaid themed box and your giftee will receive it within a few days! Use the code TSIS10 to save 10% on either a gift purchase or subscription.

For the Canadian: Bathorium! Every month, Bathorium delivers luxurious bath products throughout Canada. Let me tell you, this coconut vanilla bath bomb smelled so absolutely amazing throughout my house! A wide variety of box choices with different prices makes this a very affordable gift subscription.

For the girl with the green thumb... or the guy: Bloomin' Bin! I gave this one to my hubby as an early Christmas gift and he loved it! Each month, your giftee will receive a variety of plants, pots, and other goodies to go along with them. I received 4 succulents and planted them in the included pots. Love!

For the lovely: Fruit for Thought! This box comes so beautifully and truly thoughtfully packaged. The December theme was Cranberry Orange. The best thing about this box is that you can choose a certain past box you think she'll love and send her that one! Or you can surprise her with a 3 month subscription.

For the superhero fan: Ladies of Legend. Each month, a comic book star is featured. This time--Wonder Woman! The box came with a variety of fun items themed around this lady of legend--the "comic" itself is a nice hardcover that's actually 5 comics in one. I've always been an X-men kind of girl, so I don't know a lot about Wonder Woman so I'm really looking forward to learning more before I watch the new movie!

For the fitness guy or girl: BuffBoxx! Now this box blew me away--it came with not only some great snacks, but a fun tank, backpack, and super nice leggings by Reebok with a retail value of about $50! Those paid for the box in and of themselves.

For the science fiction geek: Supply Pod! This month--Star Wars! Last month, Dr. Who! Each month, Supply Pod brings you the coolest sci-fi items revolving around a theme, and they always include a science experiment, too, which is awesome! My son loved the Rogue One wall decals. We also received a t-shirt, kite, and Star Wars rocket. Those are going under the Christmas tree!

For the guy: The People's Choice Beef Jerky Box! My hubby was thrilled about this box. He kept asking, "Babe, why don't you ever get me anything to review?" Well, I got him this one and he was a happy camper. It came with 5 different types of fancy jerky--impressive!


For the scrapbooker or card maker: Creative Mercantile. Every month, she'll receive a box of goodies surrounding a theme. November's theme was "Thankfulness" and included a wide variety of inspiring items I can't wait to get crafty with!

For the adventurous foodie: The Bon Appetit Box! Every month, they'll receive a box of fabulous items from France. I loved the Petits Toasts--they were delicious. A taste adventure! Use the code CELENABAB to get $10 off the first box!

For the anime lover: The Bokksu Box! I've tried a variety of Japan-themed boxes and this one is by far my favorite! It came with so many fun goodies you actually can't find in American stores.... plus tea! Anyone who sends me tea gets bonus points!

Just right click, save, and then print on cardstock to the size you want. Write the name of the subscription box you've purchased on the back (be sure to include how many months) and sign it with love. :)

The Ultimate, Last Minute Pet Gift Guide! Stuff you can find around town OR on-line!


Are the gifts for your fur baby lacking? Or do you need something special to give to that animal-loving friend or relative? Here are my favorite last-minute pooch and kitty gift ideas and where to get them!

Natural treats from The Honest Kitchen! Lucy especially loves the Smooches--heart shaped, peanut butter flavored cookies. They'd be super cute for your animal-loving friend included with the new book Dog Obsessed. It includes so much info on dogs and 45 recipes! Find Honest Kitchen goodies at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and most natural food stores. Sign up for their newsletter and get a $5 off coupon you can use in store!
  Are you feeling crafty? Make your kitty or puppy a no-sew pet bed for cheap! Find all the supplies at Wal-Mart and the instructions at the post here.
A game by Outward Hound. One of Lucy's favorite things in the world is her Kibble Drop game! Find their games and toys at Petco or Petsmart.
PawPack! The gift that keeps on giving--a subscription box for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months. Include the gift card above if you're giving to a person and not your fur baby. Just right click to save and print.

Raw Paws Pet Chews! They're online, but they're still offering free holiday shipping today on their Christmas gift packs for cats and dogs! I ordered Lucy the Holiday Treat Pack for dogs and I love that they included gift wrapping with it. Very fun! Save an extra 10% on your order with the code RAWTAKE10.
Do you have anymore wonderful last minute pet gift ideas? Share them below!

Arrowhead Sparkling Giveaway!

Would you like a 6 pack of Sparkling Arrowhead delivered to your mailbox? ;) There are 3 new flavors--Black Cherry, Raspberry Lime, and Mandarin Orange. The winner will be able to choose which flavor they'd like to try.

Doesn't it look pretty in the fridge?! It's also really delicious paired with cranberry juice to make sparkling fruit punch!

Enter below by midnight on 12/31 and have a happy new year! Don't forget to enter my other food giveaway, too, for Mrs. Freshley's Desserts that ends on the same day!

"Promise Me This" Giveaway: Historical Fiction about the Titanic!

Promise Me This is such an incredible story!  The reader is swept away from the first page.  Michael and Annie, the two main characters of the story, begin the book's pages in their early teenage years.  Neither of them are much to admire. However, God sees things in people that we don't always see...


The stories captures you, you're in another time, you're a starving child with a terrifying uncle, you watch as the Titanic is built and then filled, and suddenly you're a stowaway on board "the ship not even God Himself could sink."  And then you're seeing the Titanic go down and feeling the panic of the people around you, you're hearing the last songs the musicians played as the ship sunk, you're feeling the weight of the tragedy as people jump to their deaths because there's no escape, and then you're rescued... a stowaway who didn't deserve the sacrifice one man made for you, not to mention the grace of God.  And later, you're in Germany on a grand tour when World War I suddenly breaks out.  You're English, stranded in a foreign country where the citizens hate you.  You're on a train taken over by Nazi's who force you to leave it and then you're marching on foot to France and then going on to England.   This story is gripping!  And woven through it all is "Sweet Jesus," the author of our lives who weaves everything perfectly together (even the tragic) to create a masterpiece.


Ends Dec. 23. I'll choose a winner that night. Just fill in the form below to win. :)

An Incredible Toy Sale at Target: My Little Pony, Stars Wars, Play-doh and More ALL on Sale with Free Shipping Thru 12/21!


The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

All of the above plus, order before 4pm ET on 12/21, receive free standard delivery by 12/23 at Target.com! It's valid on most items - just choose "holiday shipping" at checkout.
Here are a few of our absolute favorite gifts, new for the season, available now! Just search their name once you visit Target.com:

I gifted my kiddos with an early-Christmas present--the Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Swirl and Scoop Set! It's a vast improvement on their old ice cream set and my daughter loves it. It does make very delicious looking ice cream. ;)
This was something from my other daughter's wishlist. The new Crystal Empire Castle from the new movie. It even comes with...

Baby Flurry Heart! My youngest daughter helped me wrap this for her sister and she said she is going to be sooooooooo excited!
 
And something totally awesome for the boys: the Star Wars Rogue One Interactech Imperial Stormtrooper. He makes all kinds of cool flight sounds when you pick him up, battle sounds when you shake him, and says a bunch of cool phrases. My son is going to think he's awesome!

Let me know if you find any other great toys at Target.com!

A Green-Eyed Book Giveaway: Incredible Reading You'll Want to Win!



God has used the people in my favorite books, whether real (like in Green-Eyed) or fictional (like in Mark of the Lion) to touch my heart and change my life. Just as He uses His word, He uses books to touch hearts, inspire, encourage. I know I really love a book when I have to put it down to grab a pen and start underlining my favorite parts, putting notes all around the margins, and especially when I'm suddenly inspired with a new idea for my own book. Green-eyed was like that! It was the best book I've read in a very long time and I'm thrilled that I get to give one away to one of my lovely readers!

You can get When Jesus was a Green-Eyed Brunette: Loving People Like God Does on Amazon for $9. Add it to your Wishlist just in case you don't win. This is one book you want to read!! Giveaway ends 12/21.
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Sparki, the Awesomest Programmable Robot for Christmas!


"Once there was a robot named Sparki and every morning he brought a little girl her apple." Or so goes the story my little girl told one morning after programming Sparki to do just that. Not only can you get Sparki to fetch things for you, but you can program him in endless ways, He's got a cute personality the way he moves his little head around and rolls on his wheels, spins when you press the button you'd programmed to make him do so, and comes with access to a website with hundreds of fun and user-friendly lessons to get you learning more and more about robotics and electronics... without even realize you're doing so even if you're only 11 years old! And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Sparki works out of the box with his remote control. To write your own programs, you just plug him in via USB, install the custom-enhanced Arduino software and try any of the dozens of example programs. They have programs for every sensor and actuator on Sparki: distance, pick-up, fall, climbing, light following, dark seeking, mazes, line follow, sumo, beeping, booping, and musical tones. He's got a marker holder for drawing and works with Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Pretty incredible, right?! I'm not kidding you, ArcBotics thought of everything when they came up with Sparki!

Sparki is an affordable, easy to use, and fun intro to electronics and robotics for all ages! He's recommended for 11 and up, but my just-turned 10 year old son is able to program him and direct his steps... er, wheels. And even my 37 year old husband really gets into programming him. Sparki's simple enough for beginners, while being feature-packed enough to be a must-have for pro-users. I can't imagine a more wonderful first robot! A gift the child in your life can grow up with, be challenged by, and never grow bored of. Check out our video below. These are the things you can do with Sparki right out of the box, even before programming him.

 

You can buy Sparki at ArcBotics on-line shop for $149 with free shipping. Who will you be buying him for? Let me know in the comments and have a very merry Christmas!

Special thanks to the wonderful people at ArcBotics for providing us with this robot to review. All opinions are honest and our own. Post includes affiliate links.


It's POM Time! A Wonderful Pomegranates Giveaway



This fall marked the start of something wonderfulpomegranate season. POM Wonderful sent me a variety of their pomegranate fruits, juices, and arils to try and they are amazing! Eating them plain, adding them to drinks, and using them in recipes for the last week or so has been a wonderful food journey.  Here are a few of the recipes I've tried.
First up, Pomegranate Oatmeal Drops. These are quite healthy and so tasty! I also added bits of apple along with the pomegranates and it was delish. You can find the recipe at POM Wonderful's recipe page.

Next up, POM Banana Bread. Now, this actual recipe called for pistachios which I didn't have on hand so I did without, and it was wonderful. Definitely living up to that "POM Wonderful" name! This recipe is at their website, too.

I've also added the POM POM Arils to Greek yogurt along with berries and granola. One of my very favorite desserts... and it's so much healthier than ice cream or candy!
One of you will win a variety of goodies from POM Wonderful! Enter below by 12/15 at midnight.  Good luck and happy eating!
What recipe will you try if you win?

Special thanks to the wonderful people at Wonderful POM for providing us with this review and giveaway opportunity. All opinions are honest and my own.

Malia's Beach House is the Perfect Toy for Christmas!

My youngest daughter has had Malia's Beach House on her Amazon wishlist since this summer--she is going to be thrilled to open it on Christmas morning! In the meantime, I had some fun playing with it while she was inside and upstairs doing her homework...

Each Build & Imagine StoryWalls play-set is made of colorfully illustrated magnetic panels that a child joins together any way she likes.  The result is a scene that she brings to life with the enclosed dress-up dolls and more than 40 magnetic costumes and props.  Now, I will say that brothers can play along, too.  The sets are not too girly and some of them even come with boys to play with, too.  

I really love how cute the people and scenery are for these. They also have super cute clothes that actually stay on well and a variety of adorable pets--my kids are huge animal fans so pets are always a plus!

I snuck to the game closet where we keep our Build & Imagine Sets and snuck Day At The Beach outside so here you can see some parts of both sets combined together. They are so awesome how you can be creative with them, add all the pieces together to make upstairses (is that a word?), outsides, and rooms of every sort. 

As you can see, our Day at the Beach set has seen much use! The kids love these sets! These are one type of toy they never get tired of... and one type of toy they want every set of! It's no wonder they're a TOTY (Toy of the Year) finalist!
 
Where to Get It
You can find Build & Imagine play sets online and in stores such as Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Fat Brain Toys, and Zulily.  My favorite place to get them is definitely Amazon! Free 1 day shipping with Prime, can't beat that!

For more Holiday Gift Guide Reviews and Giveaways, 
head on over here

Special thanks to the wonderful people at Build & Imagine for providing us with this toy to review!