Ooey Gooey Holiday Chex Mix {And gift idea}

Hey y'all! I have missed you so much. I know I have not been the best blogger lately I have had a crazy few months but I have a whole new makeover, name, design and blog concept coming your way very soon. I was going to wait to blog until that was all ready and done, but i just knew I had to share a couple posts with you this month that you are not going to want to miss. So for a few more weeks I'll be blogging here and then with the new year comes the new blog. I am so excited and cannot wait to share what I have up my sleeve! 

So this past week my family and I drove to Temecula, California for an amazing Thanksgiving break with my family at my sister's house. It was a blast and I love any moment my family, from all over, can come together and play games, eat feasts, talk, laugh and just be together. I was in heaven and my boys were in heaven playing with all their cousins. Anyway while I was there I decided to whip up this yummy treat for us all to snack on while feasts were being made, movies were being watched and games were being played the week we were there. I knew I would love it and it was yummy but it was a HUGE hit with the whole family. I probably should have made two batches we gobbled it all right up and it was so perfect for chatting and playing games. I knew I had to share it all with you so that you could enjoy it too, so when we got home and all unpacked I whipped up another batch for my family to enjoy here at home and take pictures to share with all of you! No go make it you will not regret it. Its the holidays we are allowed to eat treats this month :)

  

Ingredients

-1 box rice chex cereal 

-Sugar 1 1/2 cups 

-Light corn syrup 1 1/2 cups 

-Vanilla 1 TBSP

-salted butter 2 sticks 

-sweetened coconut 1 bag

-slivered almonds 1 cup

-M&Ms 

-Chocolate chips 

-Cooking Spray 

_large bowl 

Directions 

First you are going to cube the two sticks of butter (for quicker melting time) and place them in a sauce pan on medium heat and let melt completely 

While the butter is melting, spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, then pour in the chex cereal, coconut, and almonds and mix up well (I crushed the almonds into smaller pieces before I added them with a rolling pin)

Once the butter is melted add the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Once it is to a boil add the vanilla and stir for 3 minutes. 

Take off heat and pour over the dry mix in the bowl, mix it completely until all the cereal an dry mix is covered completely by the ooey gooey ingredients. 

Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and lay out the mix flat onto it until it has cooled. 

Once the mix is completely cooled add the M&Ms and chocolate chips (white chocolate chips are yummy too) and place back in the mixing bowl and cover with a lip so it is air tight. You want it to stay ooey gooey and not dry out so if you don't have a large bowl with a lid place in a container that had a lid. 

And enjoy! I am telling you this mix is so addicting and so yummy to snack on while you decorate the tree, do laundry, clean, or when you do just about anything. It is December diets can wait until January...Am I right?! :)

After I made this mix for my family this last weekend and everyone loved it I knew it would make the perfect neighbor treat gift...so neighbors prepare to get one of these on your door step this month :) 

Make a couple batches, place in a cute bag, add ribbon and a tag and viola you are done with neighbor and teacher gifts, and they are sure to love it. I love quick and easy especially when I know they will enjoy it. 

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram

@WHITNEYULRICH

to see all my fun pics, my real life, fitness, fashion ideas

and sneak peaks of what I've been working on

Make sure to check out my other social media sites and follow along
 {links below}

      

Chalkboard Halloween Countdown {The Wood Connection}

I love being about to work with the products from the Wood connection. They always have such fun things to choose from. I love that they give you kits and ideas but that you are able to be as creative as you want to be with what they have there. The nice thing is that you don't have to go anywhere else to get all you need for your crafting projects. They have the projects, paper, paint, sanding blocks, ribbon, vinyl, buttons, wood glue, and so so much more. I love finding things there for my home especially when the holidays roll around. I am a Halloween lover so of course I had to get in there and see what they had. This vinyl spoke to me as soon as I saw it I knew I needed to make a fun chalkboard countdown that by boys would be able to help me with and I am all about the chalkboard craze! 

Supplies Needed

-Wooden Plaque

-small wooden ghost and bat 

-Halloween Vinyl saying

-Orange, white, gold paint

-Chalkboard paint

-sponge brushes 

-Sand block

-vinyl applicator 

-orange ribbon

-wood glue 

***All of these items can be found and were purchased at the WOOD CONNECTION

What I did 

I want the letters to be orange so...First I painted the wood plaque this beautiful bright orange that screams Halloween, then once the paint was dry i added the vinyl on top. 

Once the vinyl was all applied I painted over the top of the orange and vinyl with the black chalkboard paint. I painted two coats of it and let it dry completely between each coat. While that was drying I painted the little ghost white and added black eyes. Then I painted the little bat gold, added glue and then applied gold glitter on top. 

Once the chalkboard paint was completely dry I removed the vinyl so that the orange was showing through for the letters and designs. Then I sanded the whole thing down exposing some  more of the orange on the edges and through the middle to rough it up a little bit. Then I cured the chalkboard paint by applying chalk to the whole thing and then erasing it. Then it is ready to be written on for the count down. 

I then glued the ghost and the bat to the plaque, added a orange ribbon to the top and then it is all ready to be used as your countdown to Halloween. 

This got us all so excited for Halloween, that I think I will be putting up all of my Halloween decor this week. Maybe even today!! Yup I think so I can't wait to share it all with you on here. Ive got some fun ideas up my sleeve and you can find some of my past Halloween projects, ideas, tutorials and decor by searching Halloween on my blog side search bar! Have fun, get some ideas and get decorating! The holiday season has begun! 

Thank you to The wood connection for having me and providing me with these awesome products. Now go and get your craft on!!! 

Because I love you all so much head over to my instagram  to enter the $25 gift card to the Wood connection so you can make your own goodness @whitneyulrich you must follow my account to enter.

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram

@WHITNEYULRICH

to see all my fun pics, my real life, fitness, fashion ideas

and sneak peaks of what I've been working on

Make sure to check out my other social media sites and follow along
 {links below}

      

Stars and Stripes Shadowbox {The Wood Connection}

I am so excited to be working with products from Wood connection again and this time it is for my favorite holiday. I love all the possibilities they have going on in their stores. It is great for all types of crafters. They have samples if you love it and want to create the same thing or you can let your imagination sore and create your own unique project with their amazing supplies. They have everything from the wood products, paper, paint, glue, glitter, ribbon and everything else in between.

Supplies Needed

-Wood shadow box
-red, white and blue paint
-1 small star
-5 mini stars
-"And stripes" vinyl
-stain
-paint brushes
-painters tape
-sand block
-wood glue

***All of these items can be found and were purchased at the WOOD CONNECTION

What I did 

First I stained the shadow box. I only stained the frame not the very inside wood piece, I left that alone for now. I did one layer of stain, wiped it, let it dry and repeated for a second coat. With two coats it was the perfect color.

Once that was dry I painted the inside wood piece all ivory white. It took two coats letting it dry completely between eat coat.

Once the white was dry I used the painters tap and taped off two stripes. On the bottom blank stripe I added the vinyl. I made sure it was all on there nice and snug so that the paint wouldn't bleed. Then I painted over the whole thing with red paint. I had to do three coats to cover it all and looking smooth, letting it dry completely between each coat. Hint: a blow dryer cuts the drying time down by like 75%

White I was waiting for the red paint to dry I painted the small star white and the mini stars all blue. I did two coats on each. Once they were dry I sanded the edges and flat surface to make them look worn and rustic.

Once the red paint was dry I removed the painters tape and the vinyl so the stripes showed and the lettering was a crisp white.

Then I sanded down the whole inside to give it the vintage look I was going for.

To complete the project I glued the stars to the top left corner with wood glue and then it was complete and ready to put up with the rest of my 4th of July decor.

I love how it turned out and I can't wait to think of more to do with the fun new shadow boxes they have in their stores.

Thank you to The wood connection for having me and providing me with these awesome products. Now go and get your craft on!!! 

Because I love you all so much head over to my instagram  to enter the $25 gift card to the Wood connection so you can make your own goodness @whitneyulrich you must follow my account to enter.

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram

@WHITNEYULRICH

to see all my fun pics, my real life, fitness, fashion ideas

and sneak peaks of what I've been working on

Make sure to check out my other social media sites and follow along
 {links below}