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Chocolate Chip M&M Cookie Recipe

February 6, 2013

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

Chocolate Chip M&M cookies are always a favorite around here.

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

With Valentine’s right around the corner,

many of you already have most of these

ingredients around your kitchen.

Chocolate chip cookies are easy to make and when you add

valentine m&m’s to the batter, you add a whole other dimension of

gooey chocolatey goodness.

To make these cookies a little more holiday like,

I have exchanged the normal Nestle Milk Chocolate Morsels to

Nestle Premier White Morsels as Mason and Madeline

tend to favor these more and they go with the

red, pink, and white of Valentine’s.

The kid’s loved helping of course,

a little taste of this, a little more of that…………

ended with two kids on a major sugar high.

{But hey, the cookies were good and that made us all happy!}

*******************************************************************

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

Adapted by Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

* 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened

* 3/4 cup granulated sugar

* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 2 large eggs

* 1 cup Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsals

* 1 cup Valentine’s Milk Chocolate M&M’s (found these at Hobby Lobby)

Valentine's M&M's

Preparation:

In small bowl mix whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mixing flour

Beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Then add one egg at a time to the mixture until combined.

mixing cookies

Slowly add in flour mixture on a low speed

{Fully mix but do not over mix}.

Lastly, add in chocolate chips and m&m’s.

With an ice cream scooper,

drop small scoops of the cookie

batter on parchment lined cookie sheets.

* I love using Martha Wrap

{but sadly I ran out before making the cookies}.

chocolate chip m&m cookies

Pop into the oven at 375 degrees

for approximately 9-11 minutes.

You then have a perfect holiday cookie!

These traditional gooey chocolate chip cookies

are the perfect ending to a Friday night!

My kid’s enjoyed them!

Whip up a batch for Valentine’s…

they are sure to make any cupid happy!

chocolate chip cookies

nicole signature via simply happenstance

 

Filed Under: Food

January Birchbox Review

February 5, 2013

Do you LOVE beauty products?

I certainty do… so when I heard about BIRCHBOX,

I knew I had to give it a try!

For ten dollars a month

you get a BIRCHBOX mailed to your home which contains

a variety of hand-picked beauty & lifestyle samples!

 

 

 

 

 

The January BIRCHBOX

contained five different beauty samples:

*****************************

Embryolisse // Lait-Creme Concentre 24 – Hour Miracle Cream

{full-size, $16}

“A favorite of models and makeup artists,

this French moisturizer heals dryness and leaves skin primed for foundation.”

I really do like this product.

A little seems to go a long way.

I have been using it after the shower

and before I put on my makeup.

It is not greasy and soaks in well.

 

 

The Balm Cosmetics // Put a Lid on it Eyelid Primer

{full-size, $18}

“Keep that pretty eye shadow crease-free with this stay-put primer,

which also prevents smudges and smears.”

I happen to LOVE primer.

Perhaps it is my skin, but I really feel like I need it

in order for my makeup to last throughout the day.

I had just run out… so this was a great treat!

It works beautifully!

 

 

Ojon //Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum

{full-size $25}

“Repair stressed strands with this aromatic hair treatment –

exotic ojon and macadamia oils work together to smooth and hydrate hair.”

I have been using this on my wet hair,  just prior to blowdrying.

Honestly, I haven’t noticed a difference with this product.

I think I prefer Moroccan Oil in both smell and

overall control of my thick hair.

 

 

 Aerie // Shimmer Fragrance

{full-size $14.95 – $39.95}

“This light-as-air blend of bergamot, peony, and vanilla feels fresh and warm.”

I do agree… it has a fresh smell.

I tend to get headaches with new fragrances…

unfortunately, I did with this one, too.

Miss Sophia Blue was fond of it, however.

 

 

Eyeko // Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

{full-size $15}

 “This UK import features a user-friendly pen applicator and super smooth formula.”

Okay… I saved my favorite product sample for last!

I was impressed on the sample size.

It honestly is as big as my MAC liquid eyeliner.

I have used this a few times in the past week.

It stays put, but still washes away easily at the end of the day.

I am super happy with this liner and love that it is only $15 regularly.

It glides on easily and is perfect for that vintage cat-eye!

 

 

Overall, I was pretty happy with the samples I received!

Ten dollars seemed like a fair amount to pay

since the eyeliner was a decent size.

 If you do decide to sign-up, just know there can be a short wait.

After signing up on their website, I did have to wait

approximately three weeks before

I received an email indicating that I had 72-hours to pay

and put in my shipping information

{after the 72-hours, they go on to the next person on the list}. 

Please let us know if you already receive samples from BIRCHBOX,

and if so, what your experience has been like!

I am excited to see what February brings because

 I {heart}

beauty products!!

Filed Under: Lovelies

{Book Review}

February 4, 2013

We thought it was about time for a good book review.

I have been struggling to find something new to read besides Dr. Seuss.

And I need to step away from watching train wreck reality shows.

My problem is, I read books in spurts and when

I do finally decide it is time for a new reading choice,

I become overwhelmed by the array of books on the shelf

at Target or online via Amazon or the Apple Bookstore.

Thankfully, we have a friend that loves reading books and blogs

about the books she is reading while giving her own personal book review.

Today’s Guest Post comes from Kimberly Brower

@Book Reader Chronicles

(www.bookreaderchronicles)

go check out her site, it is amazing!

*********************************************************************************

Hi everyone! My name is Kimberly and one of my passions is reading.

I’m used to always getting questions from my friends about what book I’m reading

or what I think they should read next, so I decided to start my own book review blog –

Book Reader Chronicles (www.bookreaderchronicles) – that I hope you will enjoy!

As my first guest blog entry on Simply Happenstance,

I will give you a list of my favorite books of 2012 along with a quick synopsis……………

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Sky has never felt much of anything…until she meets Holder.

Holder sparks things in Sky that she never knew she was missing,

but with those sparks comes repressed memories that she wish had stayed buried.

As secrets are revealed, Sky’s life is changed forever.

For mature readers due to sexual content and abuse.

(review: https://bookreaderchronicles.com/2012/12/23/review-hopeless-by-colleen-hoover/) –

link to Amazon: https://amzn.to/VwGj3D

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Bared to You and Reflected in You (The Crossfire Series) by Sylvia Day

Attention Fifty Shades of Grey fans,

if you loved Christian and Ana, then you will love Gideon and Eva.

This story follows the beautifully tortured Gideon Cross and

the broken Eva Tramell as they figure out if two people with dark

pasts can overcome their demons and find happiness together.

In my opinion, this series far exceeds the Fifty Shades trilogy.

Bared to You link to Amazon: https://amzn.to/11hrJPb

Bared to you by Sylvia Day

Reflected in You link to Amazon: https://amzn.to/1194OGy

Reflected in you by Sylvia Day

Divergent (Divergent Trilogy) by Veronica Roth

If you loved The Hunger Games,

then you will love the first two books of the series.

Set in dystopian Chicago, the city has been broken into 5 factions:

Dauntless (brave), Amity (peace), Candor (honesty),

Erudite (intelligence) and Abenegation (selfless).

When they turn sixteen, they must choose which path they wish to follow,

but if they choose a faction that is different than the one they were raised in,

they must leave their family forever.

We follow Beatrice – Tris – as she makes her choice and deals

with the personal and political ramifications of this decision.

Divergent link to Amazon: https://amzn.to/YFATnO

divergent by veronice roth

The Elemental Mysteries Series by Elizabeth Hunter

I’m sure you are all tired

of the paranormal (vampires, witches, etc.) cause I know I am.

However, this series (all the books are out so you won’t have to wait to finish it),

far surpasses any paranormal book I’ve read and trust me, I’ve read them all!

If you’ve read The Discovery of Witches, this book has a very similar feel.

There are 4 books and they all follow Giovanni and Beatrice’s story.

Beatrice meets Gio when she is 22 and is finishing up her degree in library science.

Gio is a mysterious researcher and finds that Beatrice is the missing link to solve a mystery

that has been bothering him for centuries. This is not your traditional love story and is a great read.

A Hidden Fire (Book 1) link to Amazon: https://amzn.to/TZJiRI (FREE ebook)

hidden fire by elizabeth hunter

If you would like to read my book reviews, you can visit my blog.

Next month, I will give you a list of books I recommend along with my reviews.

Happy reading everyone!

Filed Under: Lovelies

{weekend} lovelies

February 2, 2013


Happy Saturday!

This week we decided to share with you an inspirational video.

It is so {lovely} that we felt it should stand alone.

Watch and you will see why…

Have a beautiful weekend!

The Light That Shines…

A documentary made by Hailey Bartholomew

Photography by Sue Bryce

Gown by Steven Khalil

Connect with Jill on Facebook

 

 

Filed Under: Lovelies

That’s a Wrap!

January 31, 2013

This month, we decided to start something new

{That’s a Wrap}…

a glance back at the month we are leaving behind…

some photographs, some posts you may have missed,

and a beautiful quote or two! 

{ January, 2013 }

 

:: Sara ::

 

 :: Nicole ::

 

Some posts you may have missed….

 

Happy New Year wishes

A worthy cause — Act Today!

Some mid-century modern design inspiration

Pilates-Infused Fitness workouts

For your sweet tooth — Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

The Olloclip — our favorite iPhone accessory

Finding some much needed Mommy zen

Family Getaway to Mammoth Lakes

5 favorite cleaning products

Goal for better overall health — small changes = big results

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

5 favorite local walking trails

Healthy & hearty —Homemade Lentil Vegetable Soup

Dare to dream — an inspiring story of one families move to Alaska

Stars & Strikes Event — a night of volunteering

 &

some of our loveliest finds {weeks 1, 2, 3, & 4}

 

“The future belongs

to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” 

:: Eleanor Roosevelt ::

Filed Under: Family

Volunteering for Autism

January 29, 2013

Volunteering for Autism,

is great for my soul.

I was blessed with the opportunity to volunteer for

an Autism Foundation

that is near and dear to my family’s heart………

ACT Today! and the Eddie Guardardo Foundation.

The Star’s and Strike’s Event

stars and strikes

It brought together,

families affected by Autism as well as numerous

celebrities, sponsors, and volunteers

{I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing parents and therapists}.

The event’s purpose was to raise money for

children living with Autism whom are

in need of care and treatment.

The Star’s and Strike’s event was attended by over

four hundred guests…

a fantastic and positive turn out.

Eddie Guardardo’s youngest daughter was

diagnosed with Autism at a young age.

His family created the idea of bringing together his

friends and baseball connections to help raise

the awareness of Autism.

Athletes from Jered Weaver (Angel’s player) to

Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Duck’s) graciously donated

towards the silent auction items, as well as,

signed bowling jersey’s that they wore at the event.

It was humbling to be a witness to this generous atmosphere.

The items auctioned ranged from Baseball tickets to

the purchasing of IPad’s for children whom

are speech delayed due to Autism.

All proceeds benefiting ACT Today!.

I was blessed to take part in the silent auction.

I helped in assisting the winning bidders.

The first and only bidder I helped,

showed the true spirit of philanthropy.

George Moisbarger (Chief Squib)

from the Charitable Foundation:

Squid and Squash,

said he had heard of the event last year

and had the high-mindedness to contribute

anyway he could towards helping

children with Autism.

George felt that if one is able to donate

the time or the money to a charity

they find endearing…. then that

is truly living a life fulfilled.

I don’t know if it was the fact that we

have experienced our ups and downs with

Autism Spectrum Disorder or

George’s kind words, but

I felt leveled by the moment.

I wish that there were more people

on earth like this man.

George and his Squid and Squash Foundation

helped to make it possible for those in need this

past Sunday Night.

All for the hope to cure and help

those with Autism.

I know I have my hopeful reminder…..

Volunteering for Autism

nicole signature via simply happenstance

Filed Under: Family

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About

bioSara and Nicole are sorority sisters that simply “happened” to end up in the same small town. They have many things in common, which have set the tone of their blog. They hope that you will join them in their journey of motherhood, dreams that may be, the daily life, and their passion for cooking, yoga, fashion, and design!

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