Recipe | Cozy Christmas Chai Concentrate

So you're sitting down to do a Christmas project while watching a Christmas movie, and you need a cup of something warm and cozy. 

You're sick of hot chocolate and you've already had way too much coffee today. You're out of warm apple cider and it's too early in the day for boilo. 

So what should you make?

Christmas Chai, that's what!

Now chai tea is obviously not just for Christmas time. 

But there's something about the mix of spices in this concentrate that gets me thinking of Christmas whenever I make it.

And all you need to do when you want a cup of spiced yummy goodness is brew a strong cup of black tea and add a generous spoonful of this concentrate!

Chai Tea Concentrate

1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix everything together and store in a jar in the fridge. Add a generous spoonful the next time you make a cup of strong black tea!

This stuff warms you right up and gets you in the holiday spirit!

(it's also fabulous as coffee creamer!)

The concentrate makes a really great gift for friends... just make it up for them in a pretty jar and attach the instructions! 

** update ** as I'm drinking my chai this morning, I'm remembering that I forgot to tell you not to drink it all the way... all the spices sink to the bottom. Unless you like to chew on cardamom and cinnamon ;-)

Excited to try this recipe? Please pin it to your Christmas board!

Keys to Thinking Outside the Box with Gift Giving

We're obviously thinking about gift-giving more at this time of year than at any other.

And there's no reason to stress yourself or your wallet when it comes to giving meaningful gifts to your loved ones. 

Why not give them the gift of your services?

This is like the grown-up version of those cute little coupons you used to give your parents... you know, the ones that said "this coupon is for a ten minute back rub" or "present this coupon for me to mow the lawn for you." That kind of stuff.

But now you're going to think hard about what you have to offer the world and offer it to your friends and family for free!

So what can you give a coupon for? For me, the obvious answer is the gift of my photography. But what do you do? Do you sew, craft, write, draw/paint? What's your passion? Do you love to read or exercise or are you really good at math?

Your "coupon" could be a coaching or tutoring session. It could be helping someone you love tackle that project they've been procrastinating on. 

Think about the things we all know we'd love to outsource but just can't afford.

When I was up to my eyeballs in diapers and toddler drama, I would have had a heart attack of relief if someone had offered to come clean my house for two hours. And I would have just peed my pants if someone gave me a 36 hour coupon for babysitting so I could actually sleep in on a weekend!

There are eight bajillion easy DIY projects on Pinterest that you could make for someone pretty cheaply... your coupon could give them a few options and they get to choose which they would like best.

The college student in your life probably needs their car detailed.

You parents probably need more quality time with you. Give them a coupon for a special outing!

Make someone three really awesome freezer meals that they can heat up when they're feeling busy!


So if you don't feel like you have any specific talent to offer others, all you need to volunteer is you time!


Make up a small coupon that you can frame and wrap and BOOM you totally gave someone a truly unique Christmas gift without breaking the bank!

What People REALLY Think About their Fine Art Prints

Having beautiful photos on your wall is a great way to decorate with bright colors and unique images that match your taste and style. 

And don't think of these just for yourself - prints make fabulous, one-of-a-kind Christmas presents!

If you've never really thought about ordering fine art prints from me over at Jesse's Girl Photography, maybe you'd like to hear what others have to say about their purchases?

I know you'll love your prints, but you don't have to take my word for it!


From Andrea:

"Received the two prints I ordered today and am so pleased with them! First of all, the packaging was wonderful (I have had past experiences with other companies where my photos have arrived bent) but these were perfectly packaged. The color and quality of my large prints are great! I will definitely be back to order more! Five Stars!"

From Patricia:

"Where is the stars button? I want to give this site five stars!!! Ordered two prints: "Home Grown Carrots" and " Spring is Coming. Otterberg Germany". They arrived today - very quick delivery time! (I'm in the States) The prints are brilliant in color, very good quality paper, just beautiful. And let me say that the packaging was excellent. They were incredibly protected and arrived in perfect condition. Can't wait to get them framed and hung. Totally recommend!!!! Five stars!"


From Toni: 

"Received my prints this week and Patricia B. expressed my experience succinctly- 'very quick delivery time...brilliant in color, very good quality paper, just beautiful...packaging was excellent'
I am working on framing them now (just waiting for the store to open to get a mat)- the amazing Japanese Garden print is for the new work office and the 4 wonderful b&w for my kitchen.
If you're considering ordering- you will not be disappointed.
Thank you Jesse's Girl Photography --- I'll be back! I'm working on my next order ;)"

From Emily:

"I just LOVE the three fine art prints I chose for my gallery wall: hot air balloons, ferris wheel, and the swing ride. Jessica's website made it really easy to mark my favorites and narrow them down to make my final decision (which was the hardest part because the prints are all so gorgeous!) I had a question about my purchase and Jess got back to me with the help I needed right away. The prints arrived super promptly to me in Pennsylvania within days by regular First Class Mail, and they were in absolute perfect condition. I am so happy with them and can't wait to get them up on my wall!"

If you want to be my next happy customer, mark your calendars for my Black Friday Fine Art Print Sale - 50% off all fine art prints!

Whether you (or someone you are shopping for) love details, food photography, nature, travel, randomness, interesting doors, or sunflowers, I have something for everyone! 

The sale will be all day on Black Friday in central European time. 

If you're ordering from the east coast, remember you are 6 hours behind CET. So you can start ordering Thanksgiving evening if you wish, but you will have to order no later than 6pm EST on Black Friday to take advantage of the sale! 

Use the coupon code BlackFriday50%Sale on any of these albums for that day only. Get a jump start on your Christmas shopping without having to wait in any crazy lines! 

Or even changing out of your yoga pants! ;-)

So visit me on Black Friday and score some great prices on fine art prints! 



 

7 Mompreneurs Well Worth Supporting this Holiday Season

Alright Santas... time to start making those lists, and checking them twice, right?

I have a great list of ideas to get your list started!

Who doesn't love to make an awesome purchase while knowing it benefits someone you believe in? Someone who's working hard.

Someone who lights up their little corner of the world with creativity.

We all know many someones out there who are striving to work from home or running small businesses. 

I would like to highlight seven hard working Moms this Christmas season. Consider starting your holiday gift shopping right here with this list of great products, services, and ebooks! 

You can check some gifts off your list while knowing you're giving a financial high five to these amazing ladies. 

1. The first thing you need to buy is for yourself actually - the Keeping Christmas Cozy ebook from Alissa over at her Creative with Kids blog. Because the first thing we usually do at the mention of Christmas is go off the deep end with to-do lists and stress. Alissa's simple (short!) ebook was a delight to read. I got some great ideas from her (and printables so I have even less to do!) and was feeling super zen after reading it. Her main message is that we want to strive for "connection, not perfection" as we plan out our family's holiday memories. 

2. You know how much I love Raisin' Acres Farm. They are my go-to for all things skin care related. And the hand-crafted bar soaps are so delightful to smell and feel so great on the hands! They would make perfect stocking stuffers! The 1 oz jars of hand creme would also be perfect for the stockings on your lists... I really like that they are the perfect size to toss in my purse to have on hand (ha.ha.pun) whenever dry, itchy skin strikes. I recently tried her herbal bath tea and oh heavens was it relaxing. Who doesn't want THAT for Christmas?

3. If you love to shop in style and are obsessed with fun hair accessories... then Sarah at Jules & Belle Go to Market has what you need. Everyone needs a beautiful market tote. Or two or three. You could even use them to wrap gifts for people! I'm thinking of getting Lily and Sam some more hair bows and headbands from her, as well as a "tiny tote" for each of them. We love our headbands - adorable AND comfortable! 

4. Three great ebooks (and one for free!) from Trina Holden! Tips and tricks on eating healthier but being able to cook faster. How to plan and be efficient in the kitchen. How to dress your changing mom-bod so you can hold your head high no matter how much baby weight you still "need" to lose. And of course, the newest cookbook that I reviewed about real food as a stress-free journey. Her books would be great for any new mom or anyone starting out in the real food journey.

5. For the local shoppers you should consider gift certificates from Grace Studio. You can find something for everyone at Grace. You can purchase gift certificates for dance classes (starting at 125 euro for the semester) and for fitness/yoga classes or German language classes you can get a 10 class punch card for only 65 euros! If I had more time in the week, I would probably be at Grace Studio every day... fantastic German lessons, invigorating yoga classes, FemFusion, and of course, chuckling as my kids pitter about during pre-ballet ;o) 

6. Here's a website I'm really excited to introduce you to: FemFusion. What is FemFusion, you ask? I'll let the founder, Bri, answer in her own words... "Your go-to resource for women's health and fitness information. Doctor-designed videos, live group fitness classes, and an online community. Look good, feel great, and shine brighter!" Here's the shop. The information is spot on and the encouragement from knowing and learning from Bri has been so great! It might seem weird to get someone fitness-related videos for Christmas, but I know I always feel the need for a fitness re-boot after a delightful December of Christmas cookies and egg nog! There are three different locations for FemFusion in the KMC. Also, I haven't finished reading it myself yet, but she has this really great ebook available as well and so far it's been an eye opening lesson on the neglected female issue of poor inner core health. Bri's all about educating while encouraging. Win win!

7. Now it's my turn! Time to toot my own horn and recommend fine art prints from Jesse's Girl Photography! One thing that's really cool to do with them is order a set of 5-10 photos that would look nice in a collage or grouped together in a specific room. I've had clients order sets of food photography to make collages in their kitchens or produce shots for a gardening shed! I know sunflowers are really popular, so you can get a bunch together for the sunflower-lover in your life! There's something for everyone because everyone likes to decorate their walls with something beautiful to look at. And here is my easy tutorial on hanging a great photo collage. You'll never have to guess again!

And then of course, there's my amazon affiliate link. Which is for those of you who want none of the above but would still like to support my blog.

If you're anything like me, you shop amazon like CRAZY during the holidays. Since you're going there anyways, please consider heading there by way of any of my affiliate links. You can click that big box right there, or you can use the smaller link at the top right of my sidebar.

What happens (it couldn't be easier for you!) is you click "through me" to get into amazon. Then you shop. For whatever you want. (You don't have to shop for something that I have linked to. I can link to a 10 gallon tub of coconut oil and you can buy your husband new headphones.)

The amazon robots watch you and then when you purchase something, they toss a few coins in my bank account as a thank you for advertising for them! You don't even have to do anything! (The same is true for my Mountain Rose Herbs box in the sidebar, which you could use to get the hippie in your life some essential oils!)

So those are my suggestions for supporting some awesome small businesses this Christmas! 

Happy shopping!

If any of these products or services excite you, please pin it for later to your "gift idea" board!