Apple Pie Bites – The Recipe

| The Bee Life

I’ve got another awesome and may I add, EASY dessert for your last minute holiday prep!  Before we get to the good part, let me quickly tell you why I love this recipe. (1) SO easy  (2) Low cost! (3) Delicious! (4) Portable and snack-able for everyone to enjoy.

I adapted the recipe from theblondcook.com and did a lot of no measuring baking this weekend when it came to the seasoning and topping, I just eye-balled a good portion!

Mini apple pies

Directions: 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Will make 24 Apple Pie Bites

Crust:

  • 3 rolls of Pillsbury Crescents (8-crescents per roll)
  • Roll your crescents out flat so that you can add the seasoning

Filling:

  • Cut apples into 8 slivers
  • Mix brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon together so that there are equal portions (I did small bowls at a time for each crescent roll pack)
  • Melted butter (about 1/3 of a stick)

Next Steps:

  • Spoon and flatten the filling seasoning onto the flat crescents across the whole triangle
  • Dip your apple slice into the butter and place at the larger end of the crescent
  • Working from the larger end with the apple slice, roll your crescent up
  • Make sure to grease your baking trays well
  • Brush melted butter on top and add seasoning dusting over top
  • Repeat!
  • Fill your tray up and place in the oven for 10-minutes until the tops are golden brown!

Enjoy and Happy Feasting!

Fitness Friday

| The Bee Life

Happy Friday! And I’m happy to introduce the first, Fitness Friday! Coming to you live every other Friday with tips and check-ins on your progress and goals (and mine!) and even some tips to help stay in check especially as the holiday season is right around the corner, literally!  And with those holidays, colder weather and darker nights – not the ideal conditions for motivation.

seasons greetings from the mckenzie's

Here are some easy tips to remember:

  1. Drink Water: If you aren’t drinking water consistently throughout the day you’re going to be paying for it later on.
  2. Dress for the part:  If you have cute workout clothes and new sneaks you’ll want to make your investment worthwhile and get sweaty!
  3. Stay focused, but mix it up:  Know the areas you want to work on and focus on those whether it be your arms, abs, butt, legs or all of the above – but remember your muscles will get used to and immune to the same 5 exercises so mix up the routine and add new workouts to your sets!
  4. Stretch: I recently took a 30-minute yoga class during lunch and I can’t tell you how much my body needed that, it was amazing!  If only I took a little more time (regularly) to stretch, my body and tense muscles would feel 10x better.  I’ve felt the difference the entire week since.
  5. Stay consistent: Getting into a pattern and routine is half the battle, as soon as you get into a groove, you won’t want to miss a beat!  The quicker you can start being consistent, the more likely you’ll be on your way to success.

Happy Friday!

Hosting Thanksgiving

| The Bee Life

Although I won’t be hosting a big thanksgiving dinner… maybe one of these year’s I’ll have the honor – that inner hostess in me can’t help but get excited at all the fun and easy ways to make an impact on your family and friends this upcoming meal.  Here are some easy ways to make this holiday personal and unique.

Name Tags: this is your time to get creative and personal, the more unique you make this, the better chance you have of making a genuine impression on guests.

  • Mini pumpkins are easy, inexpensive and cute as a place setting – paint the person’s first letter or name, they can even take these home as a keep sake.
  • Write each of your guests a person note upon their arrival at the table, tell them a few things you’re thankful for in regards to them and your relationship.
  • Find some free downloadable name tags like the ones here to print out and customize!
http://www.eleganceandenchantment.com/free-printable-thanksgiving-place-cards/
http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/crafts/thanksgiving-tabletop-crafts/

Accents: mixing up different napkin patterns and glasses gives the dinner an eclectic look, it will also add a layer of effortlessness to the occasion and not make it feel so stuffy.

http://apartment34.com/2013/11/how-to-set-the-ultimate-holiday-table/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Apartment34+%28apartment+%2334%29
Rick E. Martin/Mercury News Styled by Vicki Thorne, napkin setting of a traditional Thanksgiving theme, with a vintage linen napking tied in a 1940’s millenery ribbon with miniature indian corn.

Ambiance: candles, lighting and music will also add an element to your entertaining.  My personal picks for music would be of the Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra era on Pandora.  A scattering of candles around the table and seating areas will add that cozy, welcoming feel.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spiced-wassail
http://fabyoubliss.com/2012/11/08/inspirational-holiday-table-setting-centerpiece-ideas/

With the big day almost a week away, there is still plenty of time to put the finishing touches on the menu and the table!  I can’t wait to host a dinner one of these years and start new traditions while incorporating old.

Attic Update – 4 Month Check-In

| The Bee Life

Our 4-monthAttic update!
Well in case any one is loosing sleep out there, here is an update on our attic! hehe. Since my last update a month ago; it’s been nothing but insulation.  B has been doing an awesome job at insulating the place, adding baffles and making sure everything is “properly breathing.”  Insulation is a messy and time consuming job, but the end is in sight!

Drywall started this weekend, and the space is looking like a room again!  Last week we made a Lowe’s trip and tried to pick up and order a lot of the finishing touches for the attic, like paint, blinds, closet doors and the drywall! So now it’s really getting there.

A few of the questionable items, like what we are going to do with the floor have been cleared up.  We are going to paint it a light grey and call it a day, we bought durable gloss paint for a more heavy-duty finish. We are also hoping to put some sort of carpet tred or runner up the stairs to soften the squeaky steps.

I have a few more fun projects up my sleeve for finishing touches, I’ve made good progress on re-beading our chandelier, and am sketching some DIY plans for our custom wing-back upholstered headboard.  Another part I can’t wait to get doing is customizing the walk in closet with useful shelving and making the most of the “small” space.

We’ve put two-solid days in this weekend of drywalling and will continue nightly after work.  B’s brother and dad will be in next weekend to hopefully finish up the last of it!

Keep your fingers crossed everybody! We are getting there!

DIY – Wooden Christmas Tree

| The Bee Life

Let the unveiling of wood crafts continue! Here is one to surely be easy with lots of options for customization!

With the 100-year old beams from our attic, we created these beauties.  Figuring out the measurements was half the battle – so hopefully the sketch below will help you! We also created a slightly longer and narrower tree so that we can have a little wooden tree family this holiday season in our front yard!

Wooden Tree How-To
Once we had all the pieces cut, we screwed the horizontal posts starting with the square topper first and worked our way down, eye-balling the distance, we even intentionally made a few crooked to give it a custom feel.  The version below is the one I made for my mom – with the bible verse; “For unto us a child is born.”  I free handed the lettering (with a Q-tip, yes I know strange, but that’s my paint brush of choice) with some white paint I had around the house.  I used some small trim work nails for the star and wove colored string around to create the star pattern.  Last but not least, stick you post in the ground for Christmas and you’re one step closer to decorating for the holidays, you could even wrap some lights around!

Happy Crafting!!

Master Bedroom Inspiration

| The Bee Life

Oh how things can change within a year! Almost a year to the date, I posted this Bedroom Retreat – which while all in good fun, the idea’s have transformed immensely!  Here are a few of the items on the must-have punch list and some inspirational pictures for elements that I want to pull from.

  1. Wing-back Upholstered Headboard
  2. Matching nightstands with table lamps
  3. Pop of color in curtains, pillows, accessories
  4. Accent Wall – Herringbone Pattern
  5. Cozy and comfy seating area w/ fireplace
  6. Thick baseboard trim
  7. Open concept railing
  8. Classic chandelier (DIY Project)

diy-wingback-headboard-tutorial-king-size: Master Bedroom Makeoverschairs- overstock, curtains, world market, tiny ottoman in tween for sitting area:

Our attic is slowly but surely coming to life and as much as I hate painting, I can’t wait to paint the room and do the finishing touches like the trim and our open concept railing. I am really wanting to have pops of navy, yellow and pink around the room, but still creating something that B will like and isn’t too girly. We are getting so close to the finishing touches it’s hard not to get excited!

Wednesday Reminders – Team

| The Bee Life

Team; is a commonly over-used word, often times in false context or without meaning.  I can say this because I’ve experienced it many times in my life, whether it be high school sports, a college group project, or in the office during my day job.  But on the flip side, I’ve been a part of awesome teams, or at least had awesome team members to show me what it’s really like to work together, collaborate, have each-others backs and accomplish something – it changes everything. team
The standard definition of a team is; “come together as a team to achieve a common goal” or “two or more people working together” – this definition, in my opinion, does not truly represent what it’s like to be on a team.

My definition of a team;

  • a trusted partnership with open collaboration
  • honesty
  • being able to call someone out on their shit
  • commitment
  • sharing thoughts, life moments, news with confidence
  • sacrifice
  • laughs when needed
  • undoubted support
  • not leaving someone behind
  • it’s pushing someone to be and do their best; even if it’s hard
  • accomplishing what you set-out to do

Beyond the football field or boardroom, your best team is at home; your family, spouse, significant other, best friend, sibling, pet… it’s those teams too that really prove the meaning of a team. B and I often like to remind each other, especially if we’re disagreeing about something that we’re a team and we need to figure this out together. It’s those times of honesty that really make you appreciate having that support and person in your life.

If you’ve never been a part of an awesome, strong team, keep holding out – it’s an amazing bond, a bond that I wish more people appreciated as much as I do. Working with people is instrumental in our lives in this generation, so why not make the most of it?

Teamwork is running 2-hours and not giving up on the other person, even when you both want to quit, it’s running across the finish line, together.

DIY – Give Thanks Door Tags

| The Bee Life

I initially shared some of my wood crafts (see here) that I hoped to do with all of our left over wood from our attic.  Well I’ve made some progress, and wanted to share one of the first ones finished, it’s an easy DIY for your outdoor decor.

IMG_8241
Just a reminder: all wood was reused from our house, so I worked with what we had.

After the cutting was complete I wanted to create a faded chevron pattern, so I free handed the pattern with white paint on the tags.  After that dried, I sanded down significantly so the pattern was faded, enough for the wood grain to show through. Next I carefully free-handed the ‘give thanks’ on the tags, with a permanent marker. For the finishing touches, I found some old rope that the previous owners so generously left at our house and eyeballed the length and cut! Tied a knot, and done. Please I was able to use supplies from around the house, this virtually cost me $0 to make, just a couples hours here and there after work!

Finished
I gained inspiration for this from ‘That’s My Letter‘ – although the tags she made are much larger, I might go back to the drawing board and see if I can make mine a bit larger (with more scrap wood). The best part about these, is they can be reversible for the next holiday, I plan to share the flip side in an upcoming post (hint: green and red).

A Weekend of CLE

| The Bee Life

This past weekend was a busy one, but it was so much fun!

It started on Friday, with Cleveland Magazine’s 10th Anniversary Best of Cleveland party! This was the fifth year I’ve attended the #BestofCLE and every year it gets better. There was one point in the night when I was in complete awe, looking around at the hundreds and hundreds of people just dancing and partying – and thought “This is my Friday night.”

In case you’ve never been to the #BestofCLE; it’s a gathering of all of Cleveland’s best restaurants, boutique’s, bakeries, clothing shops, car dealerships, clubs, and apartments. Samplings of great food, drinks and beers, along with other little goodies and discounts!  This year, I was all about the sweets, so I really only consumed a number of cupcakes and sushi over the course of the evening (I know, a horrible combo).

My Stops: 

Campbell’s Sweets Factory – I grabbed one of their ‘Wedding Cake’ flavored cupcakes, because it’s my favorite and it is delicious!

A Cookie & A Cupcake – Mini cupcakes! I went for a chocolate and vanilla, this little shop in Tremont never disappoints.

Main Street Cupcakes – It was their birthday, which meant sprinkles all over their cupcakes, which in my opinion is a perfect combination.

Jack Frost Donuts – I did not have these, simply because I would’ve been in a sugar coma. They had full-size, elaborately decorated donuts they were impressive and so beautiful (picture below).

A bunch of our friends were at the party so we had a fun time catching up with them, dancing and singing and sipping some cocktails! This party never disappoints and my absolute favorite part was when DJ EV came out, I seriously could’ve danced the entire night.  The music was so good.

Saturday AM we woke up to run the Dawg Pound 5k – it was an unwelcoming 43 degrees out with some intense winds, although it was much better than the cold rain we had last year.  A group from my office met up early to go down to the start line, the weather did not keep away the sold-out crowd.  The course was similar to last year, a good route with minor hills,the wind definitely tempered down once you got running, which was a good thing! B and I ran the whole time to finish just under 30-minutes, not bad for not training!  Then the group of us went up to a favorite local spot, Nauti Mermaid for Bloody Mary’s and brunch! The Bloody Mary came out with a fresh fried, Lake Erie perch, it was surprisingly delicious, the food was amazing too.  It was a fun start to our Saturday!

After our jam packed fun, it was pretty low-key and relaxing for the rest of the weekend. The #BestofCLE and the Dawg Pound 5k are definitely two of the reasons why I love Cleveland so much and why I love the month of October!

Happy Monday!

Appendix:

click here: 2015 Best of Cleveland’s Participating Winners