Showing posts with label FD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FD. Show all posts

12.17.2017

DIY Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Each year since Baker was born we've made handmade ornaments to gift our family and friends for Christmas! We always incorporate his handprint, footprint, or fingerprints in some way. Some years we've made salt dough and some years we've made fun paper crafts. This year a sweet friend of mine gifted us THE cutest vintage firetruck wrapping paper and it inspired us to use some of our fire themed cookie cutters to create sweet memories and gifts to hang on the tree!



Cinnamon applesauce dough is super easy to whip up and it smells wonderful!

Nothing sweeter!


All you need is applesauce, cinnamon, cookie cutters, a cookie sheet, an oven and something small to poke a hole in each ornament. (I use a straw!)

I used about 1 part applesauce to 10 parts cinnamon. (I bought the cheapest supplies I could find since we wouldn't be eating them! A 48oz jar of applesauce and about 10-12 small bottles of ground cinnamon.) Slowly combine the two ingredients until a thick, dry dough forms. Don't pour and mix your cinnamon too fast or you'll end up in a cloud of messy baking dust! Keep adding dry cinnamon until your dough is thick and dry enough to stamp. You'll know if it's too runny!




Roll out your dough into about a 1/4 inch thick sheet. I sprinkle a little extra cinnamon onto the counter and rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking. You don't want your dough to be too thin or it will curl and crack once baked!

Use your cookie cutters of choice to cut out your ornament shapes! I also used my imagination and created a few extra special ornaments by hand. (Like the replica of our barn pictured below!) Baker also stamped his hand to gift his grandparents. I used a small, sharp knife to cut out each handprint and then used the broad side of the knife to smooth the edges!


My mama gifted us the cookie cutters but you can find them on Amazon!


The cutest helper!






Before you bake your ornaments use something slender to create a small hole to thread your string or ornament hook through. I use a straw! You could also use a small wooden dowel or something similar.



Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your ornaments flat. Bake LOW and SLOW at 200 degrees for about 2-3 hours to let them harden. Once you remove them from the oven allow them to cool overnight before handling!

Your home (and tree!) will smell like Christmas! We have so much fun crafting these memories and gifting special treats to our loved ones.




This precious vintage firetruck paper from TJMaxx/HomeGoods is perfectly festive for our fire family!

This little guy is definitely a favorite this year!


Happy Crafting!
-Lauren

4.24.2015

Columbiana FD BBQ

We absolutely love our farmhouse and new town and we'll happily tell just about anyone who'll listen all about it! For us, the hardest thing about moving somewhere new was being farther away from family and friends and the fear of losing the sense of community that we had grown to love in our last neighborhood. But we knew without a doubt that we were making the right decision for our family and so we took the leap. Aside from a few immediate neighbors (who were incredibly welcoming!) we didn't know a single soul in our new town... And so it began - Operation: Make New Friends.

Brett is a career firefighter and noticed the local fire department the first time we ever drove down Main Street in the City of Columbiana. He has a habit of doing that.. noticing fire departments, hydrants, trucks. Basically, anything related to the fire service in any town we visit. We closed on the farmhouse last Fall, but by this Spring he was ready to introduce himself and get to know a little more about the local station. I am so glad he did! Over the last few months he's gotten really involved. Teaching classes, attending meetings and picking up shifts. But best of all, he's forging new friendships.

A few weekends ago we hosted a little farm party for the local fire fighter families. What a WONDERFUL group of people! We had a great time getting to know lots of new friends and enjoying some beautiful Spring weather at the farm. Plus, we'll never pass up an opportunity to put our fire pit to use.

To our new community and all our new friends - Thank you so much for embracing our family and being so kind to us. We promise to be good neighbors and great friends and give back to this wonderful town as much as we can. We love you all and we love it here.


















- Lauren

Do you love the serving ware I used? You can purchase the 3-Tier Tray right here from one of my favorite shops! 
(affiliate link)


The Franklin 3 Tier Tray - Affiliate Link
                                 
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