Let the Holiday Season Begin!

The Christmas Season has officially come to Simply Sweet Home! I'm almost finished decorating around the house, and I'm looking forward to all the Christmas events coming up this month in the blog world.

The blog will be in overdrive this month, as I participate in the Home Tours and Recipe exchanges, and especially as I gear up for the the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash, so be sure to stay tuned for all the new posts.

I also have several giveaways coming up this month! We have a couple of giveaways lined up for the Holly Bloggy, as well as some general giveaways. So you'll defnitely want to come back for that!

Also, if you'd like to donate a prize or sponsor the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash, send an email to simplysweethome@hotmail.com, and I'll give you all the details!

In honor of the Christmas Season, there's also a new poll. In last month's poll I learned that Pumpkin Pie was the favorite Thanksgiving food with a whopping 56% of the vote, followed by Stuffing at 43%. Thanks to everyone who participated.

You can find this month's poll over in the right hand sidebar. The question is: What is your favorite Christmas Special/Movie? Your answer choices are:

It's a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
A Charlie Brown Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer
A Christmas Carol
Other


Coming up this week: I'll have some new Christmas recipes posted. And I hope to have some Christmas decor ideas up this week as well. Also, in the next week or so, I'll be adding some Great Gift Idea Posts, my Holey Donut Review, and of course, I'll be hosting some new giveways for you guys! Also be on the lookout, as I'll be announcing event sponsors and prizes for the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash!

Thanks for reading! And I hope you all enjoy this holiday season!

-Jerri

Sausage Balls

Here's one my of my favorite party appetizers: Sausage Balls! I don't really eat sausage very often myself, but I can't ever get enough of these. They are so delicious, and they're so easy to make with only 3 ingredients!

In addition to the carnivals I participate in each week, I'll be posting a link to this post for the Holiday Food Fest at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free and for the Bloggy Progressive Dinner at Beauty and Bedlam. If you're stopping by from one of those events, be sure to leave me a comment so I can go visit you. I can't wait to see everyone's appetizers!

Recipe for Sausage Balls

Ingredients:
1 heaping cup of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb of hot or mild sausage
2 cups bisquick

Directions: Combine and shape into 1-inch balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. (Can be frozen and baked as needed)

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.
Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

-Jerri

Win Free Donuts and $150 Cash

Another awesome giveaway for you just in time for the holidays!

Holey Donuts is giving away a special holiday prize pack for one lucky winner. Holey Donuts specializes in premium, low fat gourmet donuts. The donuts are completely homemade and hand packaged, and they taste incredible!

I had the opportunity to sample the donuts that will be up for grabs. In a few days I'll be posting my review, but until then let me tell you: They are of the highest quality, and they are yummy!

The giveaway winner will receive:

1- Full box of Jumbo Low Fat Cinnamon Buns (4)
1- Full box of Our Awesome Jumbo Low Fat Blueberry Vanilla Buns (4)
1- Full box of Holey Donuts! Low Fat Cinnamon Bun Middles (16)
+$150 Holiday spending cash!




Here's how to win:

1.) Enter to win by sending an email to info@holeydonuts.net .

2.) You MUST put the name of my blog SIMPLY SWEET HOME in the subject line in order for your entry to be counted.

3.) Please only enter once. Deadline to enter is December 15.

4.) Bonus Option - Everyone who enters this giveaway will qualify for an additonal entry in all of my blog giveaways till the end of 2009. (just leave a comment here, letting me know that you've entered in order to qualify for this.)

-Jerri

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List....

Thanksgiving Menu Must-Haves

Need a little inspiration to get you through the Thanksgiving holiday? Here's a collection of recipes to get you started. Happy Eating! And Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Cornbread Dressing from Southern Living

Chicken-Green Bean Casserole from Tablespoon

Sweet Potato Casserole from Taste of Home

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes from Good Housekeeping

Caramelized-Apple Spice Cake from Martha Stewart

Ultimate Pumpkin Pie from Food Network

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.
Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash

**Please see my updated post with prize information.**

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Join us for a cup of good cheer December 14-18 at the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash! Simply Sweet Home along with 4 other amazing blogs will be hosting the event, and we'd love to see you there for all the fun and festivities!

Prizes: Everyone who participates in the week's events will be elibible to win prizes! I'll be announcing some of the prizes in the coming days leading up to the event! Also, I'm still looking for event sponsors. If anyone's interested in being a sponsor, please send me an email, so we can get you lined up!

Now here's the schedule of events for the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash:

Monday, Dec. 14 - Homemade Gifts - The best Christmas gifts come from the heart. Whether you sew, bake, paint, or glue, a homemade gift is always special and unique to those who recieve it. Come join us over at Tater Tots and Jello and share something that you've made, or share something that someone made for you.

Tuesday, Dec. 15 - Christmas Trees - It's so amazing to see all the different decorating styles people have out there. And we can't wait to see yours! Share some photos of your Christmas tree. Do you have a special theme? A favorite ornament? Post your link at A Baby Changes Everything.

Wednesday, Dec. 16 - Christmas Crafts - Christmas is a wonderful time for crafty people to show off their skills. Do you make your own Christmas decorations? Ornaments? Cards? Scrapbooks? Gingerbread Houses? Something else? Come on over to Blue Eyed Blessings and share your creations with us!

Thursday, Dec. 17 - Christmas Recipes - Food and the Holidays go hand in hand. Come and share your favorite Christmas recipes over at Simply Sweet Home. Whether it's an appetizer, a dessert, a drink, a side, or the main course, I'm sure we'll all be hungry for seconds!

Friday, Dec. 18 - Christmas Memories & Traditions - We all have our favorite Christmas stories, from the sweet and sentimental to the unforgettably funny. Tell us your favorite Christmas memory. Or tell us about a favorite Christmas Tradition that your family has. Then link up over at Tidy Mom.

Sounds fun, huh? I hope everyone will stop by and participate!

Grab a Button: Feel free to right click and save the graphic above if you'd like to post on the event, and/or use the code from one of the buttons below and place it in your sidebar and in your event posts if you wish. I'd really appreciate everyone's help in promoting this event. And to say thanks, everyone who has the HBCB button in their sidebar will be eligible for additional entries in all of this month's giveaways!

<center><a href="http://simplysweethome.blogspot.com/2009/11/holly-bloggy-christmas-bash.html"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo163/JHRivers/HollyBloggyGraphic-2.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://simplysweethome.blogspot.com/2009/11/holly-bloggy-christmas-bash.html"><img src="http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo163/JHRivers/HollyBloggyGraphic-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>

-Jerri

Sweet Thursday: Family Favorites Edition

Welcome to another edition of Sweet Thursday, my monthly dessert round-up. I hope you enjoy all of this month's entries! If you'd like to be a part of this round-up, just send an email to me at simplysweethome@hotmail.com and I'll add your recipe to the post.

Next Round-up: My Next Round-up will be posted on December 24. That's right--Christmas Eve! I was going to post it a week earlier, but I don't want it to conflict with the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash, which will include a recipe link-up. Anyway the theme for the next round-up will be Christmas/Holiday Desserts. I'll most likely post the round-up late on Wednesday night (the 23rd) so please get your submissions in by then. Just email me a picture and a link to your recipe post. Thanks!

Chocolate Mousse from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog

Cookie Dough Truffles from Millie's Place

Ginger Whoopie Pies from Millie's Place

Peanut Butter Fudge from Millie's Place

Apple Pecan Cheesecake from Ninas Recipes

Chocolate Eclairs with Vanilla Orange Cream Filling from Nina's Recipes




Rocky Road Chocolate Mousse Cake from Nina's Recipes

Raw Date Truffles from Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free

Miss Bonnie's Pound Cake from Simply Sweet Home

-Jerri

Collage Sheet Giveaway from Land of Enchantment

Just in time for the Christmas season, we have a great giveaway sponsored by Land of Enchantment. Land of Enchantment offers lovely digital designs that can be incorportated into your own art, scrapbooks, and craft projects. Use these for personal items or things that you sell.

There's such a variety of images available at Land of Enchantment, it would be impossible to list them all, but here's a short list: vintage Christmas holiday images, shabby chic roses, fairy dancers and ballerinas, fleur de lis, crowned birds, inspirational quotes, and so much more.

And here in this post, I've included a few images just to give you an idea of what's in store for you over at the Land of Enchantment shop. (Also, check out the Land of Enchantment blog.)

Today I'm pleased to be giving away 5 collage sheets from Land of Enchantment. See details below!



The winner of this giveaway will receive 5 collage sheets of her choice from Land of Enchantment. To win, just visit Land of Enchantment and come back here and tell us your favorite item. Deadline to Enter: December 2 at 6:00PM

Additional Entries:
-Two entries for placing the Holly Bloggy Christmas Button on your blog.
-One entry for placing the Simply Sweet Home button on your blog.
-One entry for following me on blogger.
-One entry for subscribing to my feedblitz newsletter.
-One entry if you are subscribed to my mailing list prior to this giveaway.
-One entry for following me on twitter.
-One entry for tweeting about the giveaway or posting about it on Facebook.
-One entry for becoming a fan of Simply Sweet Home on Facebook.
-Two entries for blogging about this giveaway.

Other Rules/Restrictions: Giveaway excludes bundle packs. The actual collage sheets you receive will be sent via email in jpeg files without the watermarks. The images/sheets themselves can not be sold or redistributed in ANY form as copyright remains with the artist.

Be sure to include your email address with your entry if it is not visible on your profile or blog. Also, please leave a link or user name so I can verify your additional entries.

-Jerri

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Help! Needing Advice on Selling

Hello Everyone! I need advice! Recently my mom did a sweep of her entire house, and she got rid of a whole bunch of stuff...a lot of of which went to my brother and me. Well, she got rid of a lot of clothes that were extremely nice, just not the right size. It's mostly dress pants and dress jackets. I was able to keep a few things for myself, but most of the stuff was too big for me. I've been told to sell or give away anything I don't want, so I'm trying to think of the best way to make a little extra money by selling it.

The most obvious solution is a yard sale, but I wouldn't be able to do that until the spring or summer.

My second thought is to take the clothes to a consignment shop, but I don't really like the idea of taking the stuff to strangers and waiting for them to sell. Plus, I was reading some reviews about a local place. People said they were rude, and one person said that the clothes they took down there "got lost." (which is exactly what I was afraid of!) But maybe I could find another place nearby with good reviews.

My third idea is to put an ad in the paper with the clothing sizes and everything. I'm not sure if anyone would respond to that though.

I've considered selling the clothes on Ebay. I've bought a lot of stuff on ebay over the years....unfortunately I've never tried to sell anything. I know that the market is very concentrated, and I'm afraid if I put something up, it wouldn't be seen or sold. I know there are a lot of people out there who actually make pretty good money selling clothes on ebay; however, I realize that they are able to it because they have a lot of experience with it, and they've put a lot of time and effort into it (and I daresay, a little trial and error, or they've at least gotten some advice from a good source).

I've done an a little digging to find the clothing version of etsy, and I've managed to find a site called BigWardrobe.com. It appears that many of the users are from the UK, but it's open to everyone, and it's free to list your stuff.

I'm just curious about shipping costs. Normally If I was going to ship something I'd ship it first class or priority mail. But I've never shipped clothes before. What's the best shipping container/method for clothing? And how do you figure an international shipping rate for something like that?

If you've sold clothes----or anything online.....Help!

Also, my stepmom is getting ready to sell some Halmark ornaments on ebay, and I'll be placing those on the auction block for her....so I welcome your thoughts and advice on that!

Thanks so much!

-Jerri

Easy Coconut Pie

In addition to the weekly events I participate in, I'm happy to be sharing my weekly recipe over at the Love the Pie Party hosted by Tidymom.

I'm accustomed to seeing coconut pies with a meringue, but I found this recipe over at the Bisquick website, and it sounded pretty good. It's a very quick and easy recipe, so if you like coconut, you should give a try!

Recipe for Easy Coconut Pie:
1 cup flaked or shredded coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Directions:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate with shortening or cooking spray.
In medium bowl, stir all ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.
Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

New Thanksgiving Poll

I posted a new poll question in the right sidebar: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole
• Sweet Potatoes
• Pumpkin Pie
• Other

-Jerri

New Covergirl Products - Online Exclusive Offer

Would you like to own a few Covergirl products before they hit the store shelves?

I'm signed up as a BzzAgent . For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the site gives you opportunities to try new products. They send you product samples to review and tell your friends about, and they send you coupons and other offers.

Last Friday I got word about new products coming out from Covergirl. I buy Covergirl products myself, and so I thought this was an item worth sharing.

Visit this link to score new COVERGIRL Smoky ShadowBlast and ShineBlast lip gloss before it's available in stores. Create a blast look on the site and discover how to get expert makeup results in minutes. And, it doesn't stop there. Pick up new LashBlast Length mascara too and save $5. This online shopping exclusive is good through December 5!

-Jerri

SkinMD Natural Lotion Winner

Thanks again to SkinMD Natural for allowing me sponsoring the lotion giveaway. The winner is Jamerican Spice. Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who entered!

-Jerri

Oven Chicken

Here's another great chicken recipe. Sorry I don't have the original source for you. I had it bookmarked previously, but I've not been able to find it, so it must have gotten deleted. If this came from you, please let me know so I can give you credit.

Hubby loved this chicken. It's the first time I've cooked something using onion soup mix, so it was a definitely a change from my usual recipes, and the flavor was just fantastic.



Recipe for Oven Chicken:


Ingredients:
4 pieces of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can water
1 pack onion soup mix

Directions: Bake at 350 for 1 hour.


Tips & Suggestions: As you can tell from the photos, this recipe is rather "soupy." So if you prefer a thick gravy, I would suggest leaving the water out of the recipe. Another alternative is to add 1/2 cup to 3/4 of rice to your soup mixture. I tried this and it was delicious!

-Jerri

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I'm posting a link to this post on the following sites:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Blessed With Grace.
Homemaker Mondays is hosted by 11th Heaven’s Homemade Haven.
Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.
Ultimate Recipe is Swap is hosted by Life as Mom.
Friday Feasts is hosted by Momtrends.
Works for Me Wednesday is hosted by We Are THAT Family
Hooked on Fridays is hosted by Hooked on Houses

Happy Find Apron Winner

I want to take this time to thank everyone for helping me celebrate my blogiversary, and thanks for all the participation and enthusiasm about the giveaways.

And on behalf of all my blog readers, I want to say a special thank you to Venus at Happy Find for creating such a lovely apron for our giveaway.

And now it's time for our winner announcement. The winner of the Hello Delilah Apron is Melanie from Whimsical Creations by Melanie Congratulations!

Please check out other custom, stylish creations at Happy Find.

-Jerri