This Season Add An Ugly Sweater Mocktail Tradition To Your Holiday Gatherings

On October 31st, this year, I pulled out the holiday decoration boxes , and hauled the duster bag wrapped lights from the garage rafters.

On November 1st we laid out 2 net lights, 1 7' Lighted Multi-Color Outdoor Tree Display, ran alternating lights across the garage, and wrapped the front most tree in our yard with rainbow LEDs.

When November 5th rolled around we put our living room holiday tree up at a time I determined to be grossly late and off schedule, due to a family engagement prior in the week.

By the end of the first week of November the dogs were 'merrily' wearing their festive clothing, and I'd successfully hunted down the only station on the radio dial already playing 24/7 Christmas music.

If ever there was a season made for me, this is it my friends. the loudest, most unapologetic, over-the-top cheerful, ridiculously flavorful season of them all. It is the PERFECT season to pack away the bland and go all out.

Of course the holiday season means opening your home to friends, family, and strangers alike- after all, you didn't spend 3 hours counter-weighing that angel chandelier from the entrance balcony  NOT to show it off. And all of those people coming over for the White Elephant gift exchange are going to be pretty thirsty while they munch on cheese balls shaped like Rudolph's head and sing along to Now That's What I Call Christmas 87 Karaoke. But it can be hard to know what people will want, and you don't always have time to make a special trip to the mega-mart in between hand folding the linen napkins to look like turkeys and whipping up grandma's top secret recipe for 'real' fruit cake. Thankfully the Amazon DASH buttons released this year can help you re-order your favorite Sparkling ICE variety pack (and any of the 15 fruity flavors, really) with a simple push of a button!

Of course you can also stock up on your favorite zero-calorie fizzy Sparkling ICE flavors the 'old fashioned way' on your phone, tablet, or laptop directly through Amazon.com. In fact, that's where you'll find the largest variety of bottle sizes and flavors such as Kiwi Strawberry, Black Raspberry, Orange Mango, and more!

Just pop those bottles into your cart and they'll arrive in as little as 2-days direct to your door (tiny insta-dog not included.) Cherry Limeade is always a hit when we entertain, and just happens to have a beautiful red holiday color so we recently ordered a few cases along with the lovely green Kiwi-Strawberry Sparkling ICE. These zero calorie, naturally flavored, drinks are the fizz of the party and the perfect thing to sip on in between dreaming up your daughter's holiday pageant costume and how to teach the dog to bark Silent Night. They're also a MUST have for holiday gatherings as designated drivers love the flavor options and fun mocktail inspiration!

In fact, we believe the holidays should be bold, so strongly, that we've recently introduced a new tradition to our holiday gatherings- the Ugly Sweater Mocktail. It's as much about the drink as it is the vessel carrying the drink- and it's a true blast to help ignite some fun conversations and mingling at seasonal events where all the guests might not know each other too well. If you're anything like me you likely have a good half dozen or more mis-matched glasses hiding in the back of your kitchen cabinet.

Sure we buy glasses in sets but the very nature of glass is that it breaks- so we end up with 1 or 2 oddly shaped glasses leftover from a set. This is perfect- pull out as many shapes and styled of old glasses as possible, line a table with your favorite Sparkling ICE beverages, tinsel pipe cleaners, sparkly window stickers, holiday light necklaces, and more. If it can be stuck on, or wrapped around a glass, it's fair game in the Ugly Sweater Mocktail world.

Once your guests have their Ugly Sweater Glass just right they'll want to add some ice and their favorite Sparkling ICE. Since there are 15 delicious fruity flavors, guests can easily combine flavors to make a true mocktail experience, or simply go bold by adding fresh fruit, candy canes, cotton candy 'trim' and more. Make sure to snap a photo of each guest with their mocktail before it disappears!

Be sure to send your guests home with their work of art (glass) and a few bottles of Sparkling ICE so they can continue the Ugly Sweater Glass tradition at home- We keep ours out on the counter and guests always ask for their drinks in them when visiting! Hurry on over to Amazon now to stock up on Sparkling ICE and enjoy the benefit of having Prime Shipping as your personal holiday elf. Now, tell me, what types of entertaining traditions do you like to enjoy during the holiday season?

Never Turn Away An Open Hand With Blessing Bags- Day Of Giving, November 28th

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #99YourThanksgiving #DoingThe99 #CollectiveBias

November is a month marked by thanks.

There's an entire holiday centered around the concept of being thankful for that which one has and has been given. However, as the end of the month also marks an entire week dedicated to spending with the intent of giving in the following month, December, the very spirit of giving can actually get quite lost. The slurry of door buster sales and elaborate wish lists can easily make a season of giving feel more like a chore.

It's this season which reminds me most of my mother's mother; a woman who would quite literally give you the necklace off her neck if you complimented her on it. A woman who opened her home to not only her employees and their families when in need, but even strangers on cold holiday nights. She taught me that the clearest way to show appreciation for what one has been given is through sharing it.

As we look forward to the annual Day of Giving on November 28th, the day following Cyber Monday, I find myself heading to my local 99 Cents Only Stores in hopes of stretching that giving spirit jut a little further through incredible savings on a variety of everyday essentials.

A few years back my, then 9 year-old, niece and I were driving around our home town and we passed a man in a frumpy coat with an equally frumpy Labrador retriever and a cardboard sign beside him on a street corner. As I so often did when I had cash on hand I reached into my purse and pulled out a crumpled bill, rolled down the window, and called the gentleman over to hand it to him. An hour later, on a different errand we passed a second out-stretched hand and this time I had only 2 dollars in my pocketbook to spare. As we pulled away my very astute niece had a contemplative look on her face.

"I wish we could do more the just give them (those in need) a few dollars. Sure, they can buy a burger or a drink, but what happens when they are cold or hungry tomorrow?" she explained.

I thought on this for a few minutes before turning the car around and heading back into the shopping plaza. Sabrina was perplexed, and asked if we'd forgotten something on our shopping list. I shook my head no and explained, as we walked through the automatic doors of our local 99, that we were going to do more than give what we had on hand. We were going to give with intent.

We would assemble several kits of daily essentials and food the average individual often takes for granted. We'd stretch our humble budget into a mountain of aid for those who couldn't help themselves, and hopefully touch the lives of those we gave to beyond a single day and a few dollars.

While we called them 'Giving Kits' at the time, it turns out this particular type of organized aid is more commonly known as a blessing bag. You can find all of the necessities to build these kits at your local 99 Cents Only Stores, often at such great prices you can build many for a very small budget of $20-30. The 6 pack of bottled water above will help build 3 blessing bags, while essentials such as antiseptic pads, bandages, and pain relievers can be purchased in individual sealed multi-packs ready to be split up.

Building Blessing Bags has become a sort of tradition in our family. Our car just isn't considered clean and restocked without them, and what we've been able to give back through them has only grown through the years as our local 99 has expanded it's merchandise offerings. This year there is a rather large portion of an aisle dedicated to warm and Winter wear, as well as affordable fleece blanket rolls. For just a few dollars we can add a warm beanie, knit gloves and a blanket to our blessing bags- a gift that continues to give long after our car has pulled away.

While we primarily make these bags with the intent of keeping them in our car to be handed out to needy strangers we might pass on the street you could also make similar kits to donate to a local Woman's shelter, or church pantry. The contents you decide to fill them with will likely be tailored to your local climate needs, and the recipients you expect to share them with.

Consider convenience when choosing items such as food- Food items should have long shelf lives, be easy to open and store, and be shelf stable. Pre-portioned snacks and meals such as protein (tuna/salmon) packs and granola bars help provide sustenance that can easily be enjoyed over time. Make sure any canned foods have easy tab-pop tops, and consider including a few plastic utensils, et naps, and tissues/napkins which may serve multiple uses .

Our local 99 Cents Only Store has a wide variety of items, and the inventory is always changing- we try top pick up essentials for our blessing bags whenever we spot a great deal, especially on multi-pack style items. You never know what you will find when you shop the 99 and amazing finds tend to go fast- so it's important to shop often and snap up those extra-cool finds when you spot them. Of course great prices on the everyday essentials and favorite name brands are always in stock. Our local 99 even has a full produce department and cold food case- so I try to include a $5 99 Cents Only Store gift card in our blessing bags when I can. I can't keep fresh oranges and milk in my car waiting to be handed out- but I can give our bags' recipients a chance to shop for some of those types of things at an affordable place like the 99.

Once you've made blessing bags for the first time you'll likely have some of the staples in excess to get you started the next time. It's a form of giving that is easy to facilitate a little at a time if you are smart and shop the 99 throughout the year. One of the things you'll need to get you started is some form of bag to put all of your items in- we buy 2 Gallon zipper bags at our 99 that hold quite a bit of stuff, and are fairly weather resistant.

Building a great Blessing Bag is a little bit like playing Tetris- if you're including a fleece blanket roll figure out where that is going in your bag first. You'll either want it to go in first, or last as it will dictate how much space you have to play around with in your bag for extras. I like to then pack any liquids, such as bottled water or V-8 juice cans in the bottom. This helps put the bulk of the weight on the bottom and also give the bag, itself, some structure. Next you'll want to thoughtfully layer food and essentials as they fit. If your bags have special themes, such as feminine hygiene products for a woman, or pet food for someone who may have a pet, be sure to face those items outward so you can quickly identify those bags.

Blessing Bags can come in all sizes- You don't have to fill a 2-gallon bag (which on average costs us about $10 to fill at our local 99), a bag with a fleece blanket, some water, and granola bars is certain to be just as appreciated. This is something we prefer to do year-round, so we build our bags based on our budget and what we can afford. This means we usually buy a few things here and there for our Blessing Bags with each 99 shopping trip- though the everyday value of shopping the 99 means you can start with nothing and have several bags built for under $10 if you shop right.

November 28th is the National Day Of Giving, the day after Cyber Monday (as everyone knows it)- and it's the perfect day to start a new tradition in your family. Why not shop 99 Cents Only Stores and make a few Blessing Bags you can hand out to those in need throughout the season? Children love getting in the giving spirit, and building a thoughtful bag helps foster a sense of appreciation for everyday essentials. You may even choose to add a special touch such as a handwritten note, or hand crocheted hat- and you'll find supplies for both at the 99!

If it weren't for 99 Cents Only Stores I, personally, wouldn't be able to afford to give so much, or so generously through these Blessing Bags. The fact that I can shop for such a wide variety of essentials, from quality name brand products really helps stretch my ability to give not only this season, but year-round. If you're looking for a little more inspiration on how to give back this season check out the 99 Social Hub and discover how others are Doing The 99. You can see what my local 99 is up to, and has hitting shelves by following them on Facebook, or discover more great 99 finds and ideas on the brand's YouTube channel and Instagram page.

Now, tell me, how are you planning on giving back this Day of Giving (November 28th)?

The Best Ways To Enjoy Tea + How To Make Tapioca Boba From Scratch

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias

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Interested in enjoying a hot cup of Bigelow Tea this fall season? Hover over the photo above to click through to Walmart.com and shop some of my personal favorite varieties!

This season and I have a strange relationship.

The changing weather, restless leaves, and overcast days always tempt me to call in sick and curl up with a good book and a favorite cup of tea. Then there are the other fall days- busy days peppered with meal planning on a grand size, the juggling of seasonal recitals, and impending housework. It all seems to go by in a blink, making me ever so content to stop and enjoy those special moments highlighted prior. Yes, this is definitely one season where I don't feel any guilt over sipping in the days; and it wouldn't quite be fall without Bigelow.

I am far from perfect.

Okay, ignore the mug, my kind father gave that to me as a gift on my 30th birthday- he thinks much too highly of me. In truth this time of the year brings out the worst in me- I've seriously considered investing in seasonal counseling AND a personal assistant just to survive these 3 months. We all love our family, but do they absolutely have to show up with their foreign exchange student, and 5 suitcases of laundry, with absolutely no notice the night before Thanksgiving? The leaves this time of year are gorgeous, but is it imperative that my neighbor's gardeners pile them up on the boundary line like a giant 'I'm better than you' trophy blowing in my face? And that stunning purple yam vegan cheesecake I saw on Pinterest, is it supposed to sink 2" in the center and blacken?

Deep breaths. Long sips.

That's my secret- a great cup of my favorite Bigelow teas. A stolen moment here and there. Some much needed, and deserved, me time.

I may tea proudly this time of the year, but creating truly glorious tea time moments doesn't have to be a hassle (unlike figuring out which of the 10 holiday storage boxes the glass bulb hangers fell into in January of this year.)  You see, there's a reason I choose Bigelow as my tea brand; several, really. Not only has Bigelow been the tea of choice in my family for generations- right back to the scent of Earl Grey from my grandmother's lap, it's a tea brand built ON generations. Bigelow is a family built brand around for almost as many generations as my own family has been enjoying it.

You'll find Bigelow's over 40 varieties of bagged teas on shelves at your local Walmart, each of them featuring the signature easy tear foil packs, which lock in the freshness of every leaf and flavor. Made in the USA, Bigelow is known for quality ingredients across their traditional varieties, such as Earl Grey, and Green Tea, as well as their seasonal favorites, Toasted Coconut, Pumpkin Spice, and Salted Caramel. My kitchen pantry is never short of at least 5 of our family's favorite varieties.

Part of the fun of planning a Bigelow moment is picking out your flavor- I've even been known to mix and match a few to make my own. (Red Rooibos and Chamomile go amazing together in a sunset like show.) As we transition into the fall season I find myself clinging to the last of Summer's harvest flavors- orchards full of juicy ripe peaches, a flavor reminiscent in Bigelow's Perfect Peach variety. The aroma of this particular brew never ceases to delight me, or the wonderful warm orange hue it slowly brews in my mug of hot water. Perfect Peach moments are all about taking a little vacation in my home, no matter what is going on at that particular time. A fresh plate of fruit, a funny meme feed, and my mug- don't bother me.

A comforting cup of tea is certainly an all day necessity- even when I was a little girl I would look forward to twilight in anticipation of a few sips of Momma's 'nighttime' tea blend. With no caffeine, and all natural, Bigelow's Sweet Dreams blend of chamomile and mint help soothe me to sleep when my mind is otherwise still quite alive and electric from the day's events. Tea time at the end of the day is just as much a ritual as it is during the day, especially during the busy months ahead. I particularly enjoy a piping hot mug, bedside, while writing in my journey and checking off the schedule for the following day.

At it's core a cup of tea is a simple delight, an easy way to indulge without guilt, or hassle- all you need is a cup of water.

But, now and then, I like to truly treat myself with and equally simple ritual and tea addition that was once thought to be a luxury. As it turns out, jut about anyone can make delicious tapioca boba pearls in about 15 minutes with only 4 ingredients. To follow along with this fun, almost zen-like, task of homemade tapioca pearls you'll need to gather:

Boiling Hot Water

Tapioca Flour (I usually buy in bulk)

Bigelow Tea Of Choice (I use Earl Grey)

Brown Sugar/Honey

Optional Food Color

I must've read a gazillion how-to's and Instructables on this process with poor grainy photos and contradicting information. Calling these 'Boba' is technically incorrect- and 'black' or 'sweet' Boba isn't a real thing, unless you're in a homeland cafe where the pearls are soaked in a genuine sticky syrup, and essentially aged.

Once you've accepted this, and the fact that your water (I use tea as a water base, for flavor) must in fact be boiling hot in order for the 'dough' to take shape, you'll be good to go.

I could give you measurements, and make things exact but I've found that this really is more of a fun art, than a science. The general rule of thumb is to add 1:3 ratio, water to tapioca flour. In general I put about 2 C of tapioca flour in a stainless steel mixing bowl and make a well in the center of the mound. I then pour about 4 TBS of boiling hot tea water in the enter and stir with a spoon. I'll continue to mix until the dry ingredients are wet and sticky, adding TBS by TBS of tea at a time until this is accomplished. Next I'll put on some gloves and sprinkle more tapioca flour atop my sticky ball and begin kneading until I have an easily malleable ball of dough.

The outside of your dough will want to crack and dry quite rapidly, so you should work fast on the next steps, but you can easily add a little moisture to the larger dough mass to 'bring it back to life' if needed. A general good practice is to lightly drape a damp towel over the main dough mass, while working to shape your smaller pearl balls, to help prevent it from drying out.

Next, break off portions of your main dough and roll them into an even snake, about 1/2" thick.

Lay out your 'snake' segments and cut them into equally long (1/2") segments.

Take each segment and roll it into a tiny ball, and set aside on a wax paper surface.

While you are going through the somewhat zen, but time consuming process of rolling all these balls put a pot of 3-4 cups water on the stove and bring it to a boil.

Note: These homemade tapioca pearls should be 'cooked' an should not be stores in this dry dough state, as they WILL dry out and not cook right. Use them immediately after you are done rolling all of your smaller balls.

Once you have all of your tapioca pearls rolled add 1.5 C brown sugar to the water and stir rapidly until dissolved.

Reserve 1 C of this brown sugar water in a heat safe container. This will serve as your suspension for your cooked tapioca balls, upon removal.

Add any desired flavoring or food colors to your remaining boiling brown sugar water at this time.

Carefully lower your rolled tapioca balls into the boiling mixture, and allow to simmer until they rise to the surface (about 7-10 minutes).

Remove from the water, carefully, with a slotted spoon, and place cooked tapioca balls in reserved sugar mixture from earlier. Store in the fridge until cool and serve in your favorite glass of Bigelow tea. Cooked tapioca pearls will store in syrup mixture for 3-4 days in the fridge, though they never last that long in our home!

Enjoying a cup of my favorite Bigelow Tea, Constant Comment, with some homemade tapioca pearls and a ribbon of condensed milk is one of my favorite ways to treat myself at home. That's the true beauty of a great tea, really, it doesn't have to be dressed up to make for a special moment- but it also helps one feel truly pampered when they choose to. If you've never tried Constant Comment, it's not only my favorite sipping tea, but my favorite brining/cooking tea thanks to it's slightly spicy black tea blend that you'll only find with the Bigelow brand name.

Of course my final favorite way to enjoy a cup of tea is with friends or family, in every day moments that are sometimes otherwise overlooked. With all the hustle and bustle of the season we so often occupying the same space, with absolutely no concern for how valuable the mere presence of one another truly is.

Naturally, we all enjoy our own favorite sips- while mine tend to change with the weather and my mood, Jeremy loves all of Bigelow's many varieties of flavored Green Tea options. Quality green tea blends with natural flavoring, such as the mug of Green Tea with Mint he is sipping on here. Of course Gidget isn't too keen on being put down for even a moment, so he often gets suckered into juggling a miniature dog while sipping and unwinding in the afternoon. To be fair, she does put on quite the pitiful display.

So there you have it, my favorite ways to enjoy a glass of piping hot Bigelow tea this season- and why this simple ritual helps keep me sane through the months ahead. If you Tea Proudly, or still need a little inspiration to find your tea moment at home, wander on over to the Tea Proudly hub for some more amazing inspiration and ideas. You'll also find plenty of uplifting tea time moments on Bigelow's social channels, which you can find here on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you try our homemade tapioca pearls tutorial, leave me a note and let me know how they turn out, or if you have any questions! Now, tell me, what's your favorite flavor of tea to Tea Proudly with?

P.S. Did you see all the cool things in this post? Don't forget to 'shop' with the interactive image at the beginning of this post, and PIN the Homemade Tapioca Pearl Tutorial PIN Strip, below!

Egg-Free Raw Cookie Dough + Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup Recipes

This post was sponsored by S&W Beans and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. All photos contained below are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2017.

While I may not be able to tell it by the weather, here in SoCal, the immediate over-saturation of Pumpkin Spice everything, and the stunning photos of leaves changing on Facebook tell me that Fall has arrived.


Since I may not notice much of a difference between the seasons, until those clocks Fall back in a few weeks, I'm relying on some classic comfort foods to help get me in the mood. Of course, one way in which I know it is indeed Fall is my increasingly packed schedule. As the days and weeks progress towards the end of the year, with holiday gathering and shopping sprinkled in, I will find myself with less and less free time. Every now and then I'll get wrapped up in a busy work week, or the start of our Fall bowling league, and find myself swamped with things to do.

Because of this simplicity is definitely one of my key words this time of the year. and simplicity not only means time-saving in the kitchen, but but more robust flavors, and delicious filling snacks and meals as well.

Earlier in the year I shared a few of my favorite unexpected ways to add a little extra, affordable, protein, fiber, and vitamins into my everyday cooking and snacking routines; the fabulous, varied, world of beans. I also shared that S&W Beans, a standard leader in the industry for over 120 years now, is my preferred brand of canned beans not only for the 7 types of beans, across over 40 varieties, they offer, but for the picture perfect quality that lends itself to that 'eating with your eyes' recipe finish. S&W Beans also offers a Recipe Collection, Low Sodium Options, and the new Organic range of beans, so you can always choose what fits your family and recipe best.

But don't take my word for it, find an S&W Beans retailer near you then take advantage of this special limited time printable coupon for $1 off of 2 cans of S&W Beans (Now through 12/31/2017). Not only is that an amazing high value coupon, it's the perfect excuse to try a new recipe, or even variety of beans! Not sure how to think outside the can when it comes to beans? Feel free to take a peek at our previous S&W Beans post for a light and easy Bean Salad preparation and Vegan Black Bean Brownies recipe. You can also follow the brand on Pinterest and Instagram for some amazing bean inspired recipes ans serving ideas!

And, of course, I can't leave you hanging without some fresh seasonally inspired recipe creations- so I took to the kitchen, beans in hand, erm can? To begin I decided to make a nice, simple, yet filling and creamy soup offering. This Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup recipe requires a quick reduction on the stove-top, followed by a few pulses in an immersion blender. It's base recipe is vegan and dairy free; thanks the the S&W Cannellini White Kidney Beans it has a rich and hearty texture that needs no added cream.

The secret to this recipe is simmering the shallot and garlic in your olive oil until just fragrant and browned. This helps release the flavors that will infuse your broccoli and beans as your reduce them.The trick to getting a great creamy texture, without dairy, is in the high quality S&W Kidney Beans, pre-cooked to the perfect texture. During the simmer process these beans slowly cloud the broth releasing an even protein rich base that blends perfectly into the broccoli for a satisfying mouth-feel you typically only find in cream based soups.

At the bottom of the post I've included the recipe for this Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup, at it's most simplest base. Feel free to ad some chili flakes during the reduction process, or to top with a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper for a little extra bite. Because this soup tends to be thick and creamy serve it piping hot!

The second recipe I want to share with you is another one of those 'secret ingredient' recipes you'll love fooling guests with. Cookie dough may not seem like a traditional Fall recipe, but I think all things under the 'comfort food' umbrella fit in with Fall, and raw cookie dough is definitely a comfort food for me. However you bill this to those you serve it to, 'raw cookie dough,' 'egg-free cookie dough,' or even 'vegan cookie dough,' you're sure to trick taste-buds with a classic texture and taste that is guilt free.

My secret ingredient in this particular recipe is S&W Premium Organic Garbanzo Beans (or, as Jay calls them, chickpeas)- I'll be honest, I've only cooked with garbanzo beans a few times, so I was a bit intimidated at first. Thankfully my S&W Beans were already cooked to the perfect texture, and the Organic variety meant there would be only the purest of light flavoring in the background of my 'dough' base.

If you are a bit shy of trying such a radical recipe then go ahead and use regular dark chocolate chips, instead of a dairy free/vegan variety- it may help ease younger family members and skeptics in. You can also increase the amount of maple syrup added for additional sweetness, though this exact recipe fooled my father on the first try. He said it was delicious, and asked if my 'raw cookie dough' could be baked. Haha- not quite, dad.

For those wondering this Egg-Free Cookie Dough will store in the fridge and keep texture, just make sure it's in a sealed container- I also suggest allowing it to sit at room temperature for 3-5 minutes prior to digging in- though it never survives long enough for us to have leftovers to store!

So there you have my two favorite ways to infuse 'outside the can' thinking into some Fall comfort staples with S&W Beans. Be sure to grab the printable coupon for $1 off 2 cans of S&W Beans, and share with me your favorite beans, and how to prepare them! Also, please let me know if you try either recipe!

Egg-Free (Vegan Option) Cookie Dough

****Click here for printable Egg-Free Cookie Dough Recipe