Huckleberry Life: Christmas Fishing, An Annual Tradition!

Growing up, Christmas day was always very relaxed.. Wake up, open presents (very, very slowly), have a late brunch,spend the rest of the day lazing around playing/enjoying the new gifts and then usually a quiet dinner over at a family members house was the annual routine.

My husband Dwayne's family, however, are more of the outdoorsy kind. Their Christmas day consisted of waking up, opening presents, quickly eating breakfast and then getting packed up and out the door to get to the lake.

Well, when Dwayne and I got together, I was introduced to this annual tradition and to be honest, I love it! It's great to get out in the fresh air and do something fun and active as a family. And, ever since our first Christmas together we have gotten out there and fished. Now, since we are from Canada and do the one Christmas here, one Christmas in Canada thing, each year is different and fun fishing. Obviously, when we are in Canada, we can't take a boat out and fish the traditional way, so we pull out the snowmobiles and zip out to the lake and do some ice fishing. Luckily for us, Dwaynes family has an ice fishing hut called a Coquette that we use to keep the freezing temperatures at bay! Ice fishing, for those of you who haven't done it, is awesome. It's really cool to be sitting in the Coquette on a bright sunny day and looking down into the ice holes, because you can see everything. It's so cool to be able to see the fish as it's biting your hook.

Last year we happened to be in Canada and because Miss J was old enough, she got to come out on her first ever ice fishing trip. She had a really great time drinking hot chocolate,

Gotta love hot chocolate!

seeing the fish,

and hanging out with her Grandpa.

She even made sure to make some snow angels outside the Coquette.

And when it was time to pack up, she helped us gather together all of our fish!

I was surprised she wasn't scared of the fish, Northern Pike are kinda scary looking...

It was definitely a fun and memorable first ice fishing trip. I'm really looking forward to next year when we are in Canada again and little B will be able to get out there with us!

This year, however, we were in Houston, so we drove out to the lake and took the boat out. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly but a far cry from the negative temperatures that we would have been dealing with if we had been in Canada.

The girls both received new fishing rods from Santa, so they were stoked to get out there and practice their fishing skills. Miss J even got to put a real fishing hook onto her fishing rod. It was really funny to watch her frustration when every time she reeled her line in she hadn't caught a fish. She couldn't understand why her new fishing rod wasn't working. Lol.

Out there trying to catch 'the big one'.

I would love to tell you that we were as successful on this fishing trip as we were on our ice fishing trip last year, but alas, we have not been able to master the skills of southern bass fishing and usually just end up 'washing' our hooks, and watching ducks, haha. 

Watching ducks is lots of fun, even if you don't catch any fish. :)

Oh well, even with no fish caught, we still had a very fun, family fishing day. :)

Little B tired herself out on her big Christmas fishing day!

Have you ever been ice fishing before? What are your families Christmas traditions? 

Much Ado About Monday {No. 40}

Happy Monday Everyone!! 

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas break (I know I sure did) and that you are all feeling relaxed and rejuvenated for the coming New Year. This past week was so much fun for my family and I. It was so great to watch the girls faces light up on Christmas morning when they realized that Santa had actually visited our house!! This year was also extra special because Little B was old enough to enjoy Christmas. Last year, being only one, she didn't really get the whole Santa thing. This Christmas was different for us as well, as we stayed here in Houston and didn't have any family down to visit us. It was very relaxing and as I'm sure you can all imagine, Christmas morning with two littles' kept us very busy (it's important to make sure those little gifts don't get thrown away with the paper). Anyway, I hope your Christmas was as special and wonderful as mine was!

Last week, in order to give us all a break we didn't host our weekly Much Ado About Monday party. This week, however, we're back in action and extremely excited to see what you all have in store for us. So without further delay, let's get to the party!!

The rules:

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* Remember to visit, visit, visit! That's the point of a party, right? Have fun!

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Party Hat Hair Clip {Guest Post}

We're taking a little bit of a blogging break this week, but never fear... we have some amazing guest posters lined up for y'all! Today, Stephanie from The Tip Toe Fairy is sharing this super cute Party Hat Hair Clip. Your little girl will be the talk of your New Year's Eve Party when she walks in wearing this little number! Take it away, Stephanie. :)

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to be guest blogging over here today at Huckbleberry Love! I'm Stephanie from The TipToe Fairy. I blog about crafting, cupcakes, book reviews, and more. If you'd like to come check me out, my social links are below:

Today I've brought you something fun just in time for New Year's! Now that Christmas is over it's time to get the party started in celebrating the new year, and what better way than some festive party hat hair clips? These are quick and easy to make, and you can make some for your little girls or even for yourself! (And...when Halloween rolls around again, you whip this tutorial out to make yourself a little witch hat hair clip, too!)

Supplies
1 Alligator hair clip
1/4 yd of 2 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon
3 inches of 3/8 inch grosgrain ribbon
6 inch scrap of tulle
1/2 inch pompom ball
Embellishments
fray check (or lighter)
hot glue gun



1. Cut a 2 1/4 inch piece of the 2 1/4 inch wide ribbon. Then cut it into a rounded triangle like so. Use fray check or a lighter to seal the raw edges.



2. Make it into a cone shape and hot glue it closed. Seal the edges at the bottom of the cone. 3. Take a 1 1/2 inch piece of the same 2 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon and round the edges into a circle. Seal the edges.



4. Take the 6 inch piece of tulle and cut it in half, so you'll have two 3-inch pieces. Then, take each piece, and put a drop of hot glue in the middle and gather it in the middle. (I scrunch the middle together, than roll it a little between my fingers.)

5. Once you have gathered the middle of both pieces, then lay them on top of each other as shown and hot glue together in the middle. Now you have a little "tulle bow."



6. Glue your tulle bow to the center of the round ribbon piece.

7. Next glue around the edge of the cone, then place the cone directly on top of the tulle bow.



8. Cover your alligator clip with ribbon. You can use double-sided fillet tape, which you can buy at hairbow making places. Or you can attach the ribbon with hot glue.



9. Embellish your little party hat any way you'd like. I finished this one with a 1/2 inch size pompom for the very top, and a little polka dot ribbon bow at the base. But, feel free to go wild and add rhinestones, buttons, tiny pompoms, and more.

10. Hot glue along the top of the alligator clip and firmly attach it to the bottom of the circle to finish the clip. Now you're done! Let the glue harden, and then clip in that party hat to celebrate the new year!



How adorable is this little party hat? And how adorable is her little model? Be sure to pin this creation... it's a wonderful idea! Thanks again, Stephanie, for sharing this craft with our readers. Happy Friday, everyone!

Mimosa Baked Donuts Recipe {Guest Post}

Good morning, friends! Today we are very excited to introduce you to Scarlett from Scarlett's Excellent Adventures. She is sharing a fabulous Mimosa Donut recipe that you will absolutely want to pin for your New Year's brunch! Take it away, Scarlett! :)

I have been wanting to make a baked donut recipe, and to try out the new donut pan that I was given, but I honestly wasn't sure what kind of donuts to make. As I was waiting for inspiration to strike, I remembered that I had “inherited” our childhood donut maker when my mom downsized her home. I remember this donut maker fondly. We only made donuts a few times with it, but I still remember the creamy donuts that were slightly crispy along the edges. Since then, this donut maker has been floating around, and now it is in my basement. Don't worry, I won't be using the actual donut maker for this recipe, it has probably been around since the 70's (or earlier) and the electrics alone scare me. What I was interested in was the fabulous donut recipe I remembered.

I ran down to the basement to see if there was a recipe on the box. There wasn't, but there was a recipe book inside. I brought it up and leafed through it. Most of the recipes were basic donut recipes, plain, chocolate and variations on these bases. I kept reading the small recipe book, and found a recipe for Harvey Wallbanger donuts. Yikes! A Harvey Wallbanger is a cocktail that primarily consists of orange juice, vodka and a liqueur called Galliano. That is quite the mix for a donut! Laughing I read this recipe to my husband, it honestly called for the Galliano liqueur in the mix! Wow! After a few laughs and jokes, I decided to modify dear Harvey's donuts and make family-friendly New Year's Day Mimosa Donuts.

New Year's Day Mimosa Baked Donuts

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/8 cup orange juice
1/8 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
¼ cup plain seltzer
¼ cup oil

Glaze
Follow instructions for Vanilla Glaze from allrecipes.com

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Put donut pan in cold oven and preheat with oven. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat egg. Add to the egg orange juice, water and seltzer, then add the oil. Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly with an electric mixer. Carefully remove donut pan from oven. Pour batter into donut wells until they are about ½ full. Bake for 12-17 minutes* or until firm. Makes 12 donuts.

*Baking for 17 minutes makes crispier donuts. Please note that ovens may vary, so times may vary for desired donut consistency.

Once donuts have cooled, remove donuts from the pan, spoon glaze over donuts and enjoy.

These donuts were very quick and easy to make. From collecting all of my ingredients to pulling the donuts out of the oven, it took me about 20 minutes. I loved these donuts, they were more of a cake donut, but were light and airy, and incredibly delicious. My husband liked them as well, and ended up eating half of them! These donuts make the perfect holiday breakfast that is impressive yet quick to make. I hope you enjoy these family-friendly New Year's Day Mimosa Baked Donuts!

I would like to thank Huckleberry Love for having me as a guest today. I am Scarlett from Scarlett's Excellent Adventures. What are my Excellent Adventures? The biggest one is being a wife and a stay-at-home mom to my little one. The next adventure on the list, is weight loss. I have gained a lot of weight over the years, between infertility treatments, having a baby and nursing, and now is the time for me to lose it. In the weight-loss process I am learning to eat healthy and live a healthier lifestyle. My biggest challenge is how to eat well while having a toddler running around. My blog is centered around healthy foods and healthy cooking, all done in an easy way. That being said, I love to bake, but in trying to live a healthier lifestyle, I do not have the chance to do it that often. I am excited to be able to bake something today for the Huckleberry Love readers!

You may also enjoy these other recipes from Scarlett's Excellent Adventures:

Eggnog French Toast Bake

Spinach Quiche

 Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe, Scarlett! We will definitely be trying this recipe out very soon. Seriously, what is better than Mimosa Donuts?

Merry Christmas!

Huckleberry Life: And Baby Makes Five!

So, this title probably gives away the exciting news I'm about to reveal..... Yet, ANOTHER little Huckleberry is going to be added to our clan this Spring!

 How awesome is this shirt? I used it to reveal the pregnancy to our friends.

Yep, my little family is growing from four to five and we are brimming with joy! :)

Adding a third child to our brood was not a decision that Jason and I made immediately. After having our second child, we never really talked about having a third. I had always assumed we would, while Jason assumed that we were done with two.

My 22 week ultrasound- 10 fingers and 10 toes!

The last year was tough as we decided whether or not to expand our family. There are so many factors involved in having another child: college tuition, the bedroom situation, airline tickets, vacations, a bigger car, and simply being outnumbered with the addition of a third little one.

But, ultimately, we decided that adding one more cherubic face to our bunch was the right decision for us. The baby has all ready become apart of our family. It has its own stocking hanging on the mantel and my boys constantly talk about things they'll do with the baby once he or she has arrived. It warms my heart to hear their excited voices discussing their new sibling.

I'm due a mere three weeks after Jamie's little bundle is due, so there's going to be a lot of baby talk happening here on the blog, I'm sure. Currently I'm 25 weeks pregnant (the lucky number in my head, since this is the week that a baby would be able to survive outside of the womb if for whatever reason it happened to be an early bird) and feeling okay.

It's definitely harder this time around for me. Mainly because I'm chasing around these two little characters all day. They wear me out and by the time the sun is setting I'm ready for bed!

 We don't find out the sex of our babies, so we're in for another surprise come early April! I know that this drives most people nuts, but it's so exciting for us! Most people think/hope that we'll be having a girl, since we have two boys all ready. My older son is positive it's a boy, while my little guy and my husband are positive it's a girl. As for me? I have absolutely NO idea what sex this little one is. So, I will definitely be in for a surprise in the delivery room. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families tomorrow. Enjoy the day and be sure to relax and take in all of the little things. These precious days go by so fast, don't they?

Stay merry!

Five FREE Christmas Printables

Joyeux Noel!

You may have noticed that Much Ado About Monday didn't appear on the blog last night. We've decided to take a week off so that we can spend this joyous holiday with our friends and family. But, we can't wait to see what y'all have in store for us after all of the seasonal hustle and bustle has died down! We will still have a post every day this week, as we've rounded up a few amazing guest posters who will be sharing some great New Years ideas with y'all! :)

In the meantime, we've whipped up five FREE holiday printables to help you fill in any last minute spots that may need a dash of holiday cheer. Just click on whichever one(s) you'd like and print away!

Emily

Jamie

 Karla

Jill

Lydia

 

Linking up here:

Friday Features {No. 39}

That's right ladies and gents, we are in the homestretch! Just 5 measly more days until Christmas is here! Wahoo! I am so excited!! { Can you tell by the excessive use of exclamation marks?! I will try to stop but I can't promise anything.}

All our posts this week were Christmas related from Jill's delicious Oreo Peppermint Bark {ideal for those holiday cookie exchanges!} to Jamie's Super Simple DIY Sock Snowmen {beyond cute!} to Karla's Mesh Snowman Door Decor {perfect for both Christmas AND winter decor-score!}. It is easy to tell that we are totally digging the holiday vibe.

As we gear up for the big day, a lot of our activities are winding down. We had our kid's Christmas program last night {adorable!} and are having a cookie decorating party today {yum!} and then we are pretty much just coasting until the 25th, readying our hearts, minds and homes for Christmas Day. My little family of 5 is having Christmas at home for the first time ever and I am looking forward to having Santa come down our own chimney this year.

And speaking of looking forward to something, I bet you can't wait to see what the features are this last Friday before Christmas! So I won't dally any more.

Emily's Pick

{Quick and Easy} Wooden Nativity Set by A Little of This, A Little of That

Jamie's Pick

Snow Owl Ornaments by Pam's Party and Practical Tips

 

 Karla's Pick

Amaretto Cookie with White Chocolate Chips by Cooking in Bliss

 

Lydia's Pick

Peppermint Meringues by Life With the Crust Cut Off

Jill's Pick
Christmas Countdown with Printables by The Happy Scraps

If you were one of our Friday Features, please grab a button and display it joyfully. Consider it an early Christmas gift from me to you.

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Have a fantastic, festive and joyous weekend everyone!