Tonight we get to officially say ‘peace out!’ to 2016!

2016 has been incredibly weird on so many levels.  So many highs and so many lows made up the year. 

On a blog related note, 2016 was my first full year of blogging here at On The Creek!  I honestly can’t believe I stuck it out for the entire year.  Some weeks/months were more consistent than others but I managed to post something every month, which I’m incredibly proud of because I’m the biggest quitter ever!  I’m so excited to continue to write and grow my blog in 2017!

Before we begin 2017, I wanted to take some time to look back at some fun stuff that happened in 2016!

After 6 months of extensive renovations, our house was finally ready to move into!  Although it seems like a distant memory now, I try not to forget the endless nights and weekends we spent working on this house.  At best, it was a labor of love and at worst, it was an enormous time suck, but I’m so glad we took this route to home ownership.  It has definitely (literally!) opened so many doors for me that I always thought were going to stay daydreams.  We also couldn’t have done this without the enormous help from my parents who were right beside us throughout the renovation process.  In November, I finally shared an in depth look at our renovation and the hurdles we encountered by purchasing an extreme fixer upper. 

I originally started this blog to document our home renovation but I’m glad it turned into much more than that.  Over the summer, I tried my hand at some recipes like this watermelon sangria.  I also made a nonalcoholic version of it too!  In November, I ran a Thanksgiving drink recipe series and had a lot of fun developing and photographing my creations, like the 4 last minute holiday cocktails.  I also ventured into baking and made these snowball cookies.  I’m looking forward to developing my kitchen skills in the upcoming year.

The Habitat For Humanity ReStore was a huge part of my blog this year.  I have so much love for my local Habitat store!  I did 10 installments of ReStore Finds and purchased countless other items from the ReStore this year.  I love that I can always find unique items at the ReStore.  I can’t wait to visit the store in the new year!

Well, I guess that’s about it for my trip down memory lane!  See you in 2017!

-My posting schedule was a super light last week.  I had big plans to post my mom's famous pineapple upside down cake, but after 3 failed attempts, I pretty much scrapped that idea!  I think I'm cursed with the food style of "looks disgusting but tastes good". That's a terrible thing to have when I'm trying to blog about food!  I did find these mini pineapple upside down cakes, so I might try that idea with my mom’s recipe!

- I’ve been watching so many new TV shows this season.  I really need to make a list of my favorites.  There are just so many new shows this season!  I’ve also gotten back into The Walking Dead after not watching for a while.

- Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away?!  I’m always a super last minute shopper so it helps that our family Christmas party isn’t until Dec 31!  That gives me an extra week to figure out what I’m buying for our gift exchange!

-  I finally bought a light setup for my photography adventures and I also got this lens.  I haven’t had a chance to set up the lighting, but I did take a few pictures with the macro portion of the lens.  It’s always challenging for me to learn new photography stuff, but I’m having fun practicing!  So what if only 2 out of 100 pictures I take come out decent?!  I’ll get the hang of it eventually!

We finally got our second tree decorated!

The tree is from the Habitat For Humanity ReStore and the ornaments are from Home Depot.  We bought two sets of 100 each and they all don’t even fit on the tree!

Because we have zero tree decorating experience, we kept it simple this year with just the ornaments, tinsel and some beads.  We still need a tree topper.

Here’s a view of the tree at night:

- We had a snowstorm over the weekend, which caused my husband and I to go into hibernation mode.  We only left the house one time, which is a record for us!  We’re usually always on the go, so it was nice to relax at home for the weekend.

- During our snowcation, we finally decorated our tree!  I'll do a Christmas tour of our house later this week!

- I made a video for my Grandma's Punch recipe!  For  my first video, I thought it came out really cool!  It’s definitely more difficult than it looks to make these videos!

- We finally started watching This is Us last week and now we’re hooked!  We watched the first 10 episodes in like three days! It’s just sooo good!

Last week was all about buying Christmas items at the ReStore.  We picked up our Christmas tree and I also got a couple Christmas decorations.

How cool is this Christmas ladder?!

Here’s a close up of the snowman!

This vintage sign is the best!

We’re (finally!) decorating our tree today and I can’t wait to show you the end result!

Past ReStore Finds // 01 // 02 // 03 // 04 // 05 // 06 // 07 // 08 // 09

Hey Besties! 🌿 In honor of our local Habitat For Humanity ReStore's first anniversary, I'm resharing a little gem I wrote about this fantastic place earlier this year. Get ready for a treasure trove of finds!

So, rewind to the start of our home renovation journey. I'd always heard wonders about the ReStore but never got around to visiting – you know how it is. But one fine Friday, we made the hour-long journey to the nearest store, and let me tell you, it was like stepping into a DIY paradise! 🛍️✨

From chic furniture waiting for a new life to sparkling lighting fixtures, cabinets, and even doors – it was a remodeler's dream come true. I was buzzing with ideas, already planning my next visit once we got the keys to our house.

🚪🛁 Find #1: A Side Door and Bathroom Beauties

Fast forward a bit, and guess what? A ReStore opened just 30 minutes from us! On opening day, we found a perfect door for our house and so much more. The bathrooms? They got their glow-up with tiles and fixtures from the ReStore. Those chalk paint projects I love? Yep, all from there. And the kitchen cabinets – a serendipitous find that saved us a bundle! It's like every visit brings a new surprise.

🍽️📸 From Home to Prop Shop

Now that our house is a cozy haven, the ReStore has become my go-to for home décor and even my food blogging props. Photography boards, pitchers, cups – you name it, they've got it. It's a goldmine for creative minds!

🌍💚 More Than Just a Store

The best part? The ReStore is more than just a store. It's a community heart pulsing with generosity and purpose. Every item is a donation, and every purchase fuels local initiatives. Like that heartwarming story of the WWII veteran's home renovation or the family who received a lovingly refurbished home – that's the magic of the ReStore.

🏠✨ A World of Possibility

Every visit is an adventure. With a bit of imagination, each find from the ReStore can be transformed into something extraordinary. 

If you haven't yet, it's time to explore your local Habitat For Humanity ReStore. Who knows what treasures await? Find your nearest ReStore and dive into the world of sustainable, heart-led shopping. 🌟

- I finally got rid of the last of our fall decorations!  We had this weird fall/Christmas thing going on as far as decor goes and I finally cleaned up the yard late last week.  Also, I forgot to mention it in my ‘ReStore Finds’ post last week, but I bought that wheelbarrow at the ReStore!

- Speaking of the ReStore, We finally got our Christmas tree!  It’s far from being decorated, but at least it’s in our house!

- My husband got a deer over the weekend.  I have pics, but who really wants to see a dead deer?!  He was excited because he finally got the biggest deer in our house.  I hit an 8 point buck with a car a few years back and his deer is slightly bigger than mine.  The funny thing about all of this is that I hate venison!  I guess I’ll have to learn to like it?!  I need some good recipes that hide the taste.

- Today was supposed to be a blogging day, but it’s so dark outside!  I’ve been on the fence about ordering this light setup , but after today I’m definitely ordering it!  For now, I’m just going to have to make my mini lights from the ReStore work!  It’s probably going to be extremely frustrating!  If only it would be sunny forever!

When it comes to my ‘ReStore Finds’ posts, there are actually a lot of items that I buy that I don’t photograph.  Most of them were purchased before my posts began and some of them I just forgot about.  Because my local Habitat ReStore was closed last week and I was unable to make purchases, I thought I’d show you a couple things I bought in the past.

I took this picture of my cat, Cobalt, napping the other day in the wooden crate I got at the ReStore.  I had thrown some fake flowers in there when I took apart a wreath and Cobalt thought it was a good spot for sleeping.

And apparently, her sister, Goober, thought so too!

I thought this hat was kind of fun and it will be nice to wear outside in the summer when I’m doing yard work.

I thought this wooden basket was really neat.  It would be perfect for a table top to hold papers and pens!

I bought 2 of these lighting setups a while ago.  I’ve been trying to use natural light for my indoor photos, but that doesn’t work all the time.  I brought these out this morning because it’s super dark in my house.  I don’t really like the light boxes on their own because I need more space…but I set both of them up to create a bigger area for pictures this morning and they’ll work in a pinch! 

That was only a sampling of the things I got at the ReStore in the past.  As you can tell by this, you never know what you’ll find at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore!

Past ReStore Finds // 01 // 02 // 03 // 04 // 05 // 06 // 07 // 08

Hey Besties! 🌟 Riding high on the success of my Thanksgiving drink series, I got inspired to embark on a Christmas cookie adventure. I dove into my mom's treasure trove of cherished Christmas cookie recipes - the ones she's been perfecting year after year.

A Dash of Holiday Magic with Snowball Cookies

First up on my baking list? The classic Snowball Cookies. These little delights, dusted in powdered sugar, are like tiny snowflakes that melt in your mouth. They're the perfect combination of buttery goodness and nutty crunch wrapped in a sweet, snowy coat.

I had a blast giving my own twist to these cookies, keeping true to the family recipe while adding a pinch of Tiff flair. The process was as heartwarming as the result. There's something truly special about bringing a family recipe to life in your own kitchen.

Recipe Time: Snowball Cookies

Ready to sprinkle some holiday cheer in your kitchen? Here's how you can whip up your own batch of Snowball Cookies, Tiff style!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (& more to sprinkle on top)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Beat butter with powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Stir in vanilla, then mix in flour and nuts.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, and chill for at least 1 hour.
4. Form small balls, and bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes.
5. Cool, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Details:

• Prep time: 1 hour 10 mins
• Cook time: 20 mins
• Total time: 1 hour 30 mins
• Yield: A cozy gathering of cookies!

Embracing the Season

Baking these Snowball Cookies was more than just a culinary endeavor; it was a way to connect with family traditions and spread the joy of the season. So, grab your apron, and let's get baking - holiday memories await! 🌟🎄

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Growing up, slow cooker recipes were reserved for winter.  My mom would make huge batches of Chili in the slow cooker for those cold winter days.

In my Pinterest adventures, I’ve found that the slow cooker can be used year round for absolutely everything!  Before Pinterest, I never knew you could make a cake in a slow cooker!

Last year I shared my “slow cooker recipe” board on the blog, which contained about 100 recipes at the time.  Now, it has over 340 pins, with a total of more than 700 recipes!  To make things easier to navigate, I’ve put the recipes in text form right here on my blog.  Be sure to bookmark or pin this page to have these mouthwatering recipes right at your fingertips!