Holidays

Better Life Bags Giveaway

32 · May 7, 2013 · 1,180 Comments

Better Life Bags Giveaway // So, funny story… a few weeks ago on Instagram, I discovered a bag and I fell in LOVE! Then I went to Kansas and met Ashley from Little Miss Momma and she had one of the amazing bags and I fell even deeper in love…

The bag was just so lovely, we all were joking about how we were going to sneak it home. Then when I arrived home, it was one of the first things I checked out… It was the Brynnda from Better Life Bags and then I fell into an even deeper LOVE! When I found out what Better Life Bags was all about, I knew I needed one and I needed to share them with all of you. They have such an amazing product and a wonderful mission.

Rebecca the owner of Better Life Bags started her company totally on a fluke. After searching for a diaper bag that was her style, she decided that the only way to accomplish that would be to make her own. She did just that, and posted a picture on Facebook. All of her friends went crazy over the bag and people started ordering them left and right. A handmade business was born!

Rebecca knew that if she was going to create a business like this, she wanted to give back in some way. Her family had moved to a economical challenged area in Detroit and she decided that she wanted to help women who were having issues making a living, women who really didn't have any marketable skills and who couldn't really provide for their families. She trained them, rented out equipment and paid each of them a fair wage and now they all have better lives. That is how Better Life Bags was created. I admire women who create not only a handmade business, but a handmade business with a cause. I LOVE how she has taken an idea and turned it into a mission. Here's a little video about her mission…

I was so excited when I finally received my very own Better Life Bag! And I thought, wouldn't this be a perfect giveaway for Mother's Day. The day when we honor all women. I chatted with Rebecca and she agreed, so this week to celebrate Mother's Day Rebecca and I are giving away one Better Life Bag to one of you!

The bags are truly stunning, they are expertly made with quality materials…

When you order from the site you have a choice, you can purchase some of their ready to ship bags, or you can design your very own bag. You select your fabrics from a wonderful selection of amazing fabrics. Then you select your leather and what type of hardware you want. It's so much fun!! I love the style I selected, the Brynnda. It is just the perfect size for me! I can carry all kinds of goodies…

I have my iPad, an umbrella, my wallet all kinds of goodies for my little guy and I could fit even more if needed. It's just perfect. It also has two outer pockets that are so convenient for things like my phone and such. Are you ready to enter to win one of your very own? All you need to do is follow the steps in the Rafflecopter box below. This giveaway is for anyone with a shipping address within the United States and the winner will be announced on Mother's Day here on WhipperBerry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ham and Cheese Egg Boats // Recipe

1 · Mar 14, 2013 · 12 Comments

Spring Egg Boats // Have you ever had an ah ha moment that makes you feel pretty silly? When I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago, my first thought was… Holy cow, why didn't I think of that!! I've been making all kinds of egg / bread dishes for years. Why hadn't I ever thought of just putting the egg right into the bread itself and baking it just like that. Total paradigm shift for me. What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is to make and yet it presents really well. This would be a fabulous Easter brunch dish idea, your guests will think you are a culinary genius! Yet it's simple enough for an easy weeknight meal as well. It's the best of both worlds.

Ham and Cheese Egg Boats

This recipe is an adaption of a recipe originally found on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Large loaf of french or sour dough bread

6 eggs

1/4 cup whole milk or cream

Tabasco sauce to taste

1 cup of diced ham

3/4 cup of shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend of shredded cheese but cheddar would work fine too.)

Goat cheese (optional)

Directions

Cut a long narrow trough in the bread and scoop out a bit of the bread to make room for the egg mixture and set a side. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, Tabasco (I usually put in about 6-10 dashes, but that's up to your taste), and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Once the mixture has been whisked well, add the ham and carefully pour into the bread. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg boat. If you are a goat cheese lover, you can add some little dollops of goat cheese on top as well. I love goat cheese but other members of my family do not. So, I made one with and one without.

Now to bake this, if you are using a full size french loaf can be a little tricky. The loaf does not fit on a traditional baking sheet, so I had to improvise. I turned the baking sheet over and then used aluminum foil to create a baking dish for the loaf. That way if there were any spills, the foil would catch the mess and the inverted baking sheet provided stability. It worked like a charm.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until the egg has fully set. Let the egg boat cool for 10-15 and then slice into sections for your family or guests. I served mine with a lovely salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, goat cheese and pine nuts with a bright lemon vinaigrette.

Now that I've found this gem of a recipe, I can't wait to try all kinds of different variations. I can see all kinds of fun combinations with mushrooms, spinach, sausage you name it… Anything that would normally work in an omelet would be lovely. What combination would you try? Leave a comment and share and let's see what other amazing ideas we can all come up with!

25 Classroom Valentine Ideas

5 · Feb 14, 2013 · 7 Comments

Classroom Valentine's Day Ideas // I have been spending quite a bit of time going through all of the fun link parties that I've hosted over the last several weeks and I found sooooo many fabulous ideas that I thought it would be fun to share them for Valentine's day. Yes, I know that it is a little late for this year, but it's a fabulous way to get ready for next year! Here is the first round… Classroom Valentine Ideas!

Every single one of these ideas are from YOU my Friday Flair friends and those of you who may be new to WhipperBerry who linked up to the Valentine's Day super link party.

1. positively splendid heart printable 2. makoodle monster treats 3. life, love & leyton i like how you roll 4. worthy of the prize baseball valentine 5. cap creations bubbles 6. makoodle valentine's treat bad toppers

1. happy clippings owls 2. pumpkin & a princess pockets 3. it's written on the wall pixie stick arrows 4. hoosier handmade paper hearts 5. makoodle bingo

1. seven thirty three bee valentine 2. diy dreamer heart bookmark 3. dreamsicle pencils 4. the crafted sparrow treat bags 5. alderberry hill paper strawberries 6. my sisters suitcase matchbook valentine 7. create craft love eyes for you

1. east coast mommy star wars 2. pumpkin & a princess paper treats 3. lizzie jane baby eraser valentine's 4. it's written on the wall pencil box 6. all things simple butterfly 7. balancing home maze valentine

Thank you all so much for sharing your amazing ideas with us all!!

Italian Soda Valentine with International Delights

1 · Feb 13, 2013 · 7 Comments

Italian Soda Valentine with International Delights // Every year for Valentine's Day my family has a special tradition… We have a fun Valentine's Day dinner together with all the pink, red and heart fixin's. Some of the items on the menu heart shaped pizza, heart shaped jell-o and for a special drink we have Italian Sodas with some type of red or pink soda. With all the heart shaped fun, my kiddos favorite is the Italian soda. If you don't know what an Italian soda is, it's basically some type of flavored soda as the base and then you add a shot of cream to make it extra special. I thought I could take it a step further and create a fun little gift that we can give out as Valentine's to our friends and family this year. With the help of International Delight's handy little creamer cups it worked like a charm!

It is jus the cutest little Valentine and something original that everyone will just adore. Here is what you will need…

Supplies

Red or pink soda of your choice
International Delight creamer cups, in original or vanilla
A fun straw
Baker's twine
A standard hole punch
scissors & paper cutter
Printable bottle label
Double sided tape
Plain printer paper

Instructions

Print the label that I created for this project on plain printer paper.

Cut the labels out and secure to the bottle with double sided tape.

Carefully punch a hole in the tab of the creamer cup and set aside.

Cut baker's twine long enough to wrap around the bottle twice, roughly 24 inches. Wrap the bottle with the bakers twine twice and tie into a basic knot. Tie the straw on next and secure with a bow with long ends. Thread the creamer cup onto the ends of the baker's twine bow and secure with a knot. Voila, you have the cutest Valentine and your kiddos and friends will love it.

Now, you can create you Italian Soda two ways… Pour your chilled soda into a glass and add the creamer or, take a few drinks out of the bottle and then carefully add the creamer to the bottle of soda. Be careful with the second method because the soda will bubble up with the addition of the creamer. Stir or swirl the soda to mix and enjoy!

This Valentine’s Day, share the love with recipes and homemade gift ideas! Don’t miss the International Delight Valentine’s Day Twitter Giveaway. Enter by following International Delight on Twitter and by tweeting your favorite ID flavor with the hashtag #IDLove. Winners will be contacted on February 15th and will receive ID Valentine’s Day Sampler Packages!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

Holidays

Ham and Cheese Egg Boats

Directions

Supplies

Instructions

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