Lemon Cookie Bites

I'm excited to share a recipe with one of my #1 favorite flavors in it... LEMON!!

Do you love lemon?

I have always loved lemonade, but for the last five years or so I want lemon everything - donuts, cakes, cupcakes, treats, my ice water, etc.  It's just such a yummy flavor.

Breaking News... I picked the HELLO FRESH WINNERS!  There were so many entries that I decided to pick FOUR winners instead of THREE.  All winners have been emailed.  Congrats Julie, Kristen, Stephanie and Becca!  Hope you enjoy Hello Fresh as much as we do.

Back to lemon cookie bites.

In full disclosure, I tried a couple lemon cookie recipes that were a DISASTER before coming up with this one.  The first one smelled like playdoh and the second one baked into runny pancakes in the oven.  So this simple take on altering a sugar cookie recipe is the winner.

I hope you love these Zesty Lemon Cookie Bites as much as we did.  They're easy to make and so good!  They'd be a fun addition to any holiday gathering because they are sweet, but not rich or heavy.  Bonus: This is a kid friendly recipe if you've got little ones anxious to help you in the kitchen.  I also made them about half the size of my regular cookies so they were tiny and cute.

COOKIES:
I used this recipe for Simple Sugar Cookies that I shared back in 2013.

You could really use any sugar cookie recipe that you love - just swap out the vanilla extract for lemon extract and you'll get a mild lemon cookie.  If you really love lemon flavor, add in about half a lemon's worth of zest, too.  It's that easy!  I like my lemon cookies to have a little crunch so I baked them for 12 minutes.  I also used my 1 inch cookie scoop.

FROSTING:
Then I used my go to Perfect Butter Cream recipe.  I shared it in 2014 and it's amazing.  I get compliments on it everywhere I go.  It's delicious on cupcakes, cakes, cookies, graham crackers and cinnamon rolls.  I use it for everything.

One cup of the perfect butter cream frosting.  Add in the juice of half a lemon and the zest of half a lemon.  Stir until frosting is a runny consistency.  Let cookies cool and use a knife to ice them.  You can always add a little lemon zest to the top of the cookies while the icing is still wet for a little extra lemon pop.  Let the cookies dry in the open for 1-2 hours and then package up.

Since we're on the topic of cookies today, I thought I'd share a couple other cookie recipes that I LOVE.  I make these all the time and my family/friends really enjoy them.  I have plans to make all of these this holiday season.

THE BEST PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Recipe and details here)

MY MOST FAMOUS RECIPE - CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Recipe & details here)

AMAZING BROWNIE COOKIES
(Recipe and details here)

I'm participating in a fun Cookie Swap Blog Hop with several of my blog friends.

COME LINK UP ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPES!!

It's going to be awesome to have so many new cookie recipes to try for the holidays.

Head over to check out all of their delicious cookie recipes and find a new blogger or two to follow.

Shelly | Penny | Stephanie

Heather | Keri | Whitney | Leslie 

Our Church Search has Ended

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know that we've been looking for a church home in our city for a couple of years.  Yes, years!!  We visited so many churches and really struggled with finding a place that felt welcoming and that it would be a good fit for our family.

We tried several different denominations, looked for churches with strong programs for kids, small group options for adults and a very Bible centered place.  Our good friends invited Olive to go to vacation Bible school with them this past Summer.  She was so excited and I was looking forward to learning more about their church.  It was a large church that we visited when we initially moved here.  The size scared us off a bit so we kept looking.

Olive had a life changing week at Bible school.  She was on fire for the Lord, talking about her Bible lessons, raising money for the people of Haiti and was singing worship songs 24/7.  It was so sweet and inspiring to see.  She loved it so much and would easily tell you it was her favorite week of the Summer.  Her example, enthusiasm and sweet excitement prompted us to give this big church another try.  Sending her to vacation Bible school impacted our whole family.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

(*I really love the whole 29th chapter of Jeremiah because it addresses the importance of being a positive contribution wherever you live getting plugged in and building relationships)

When we visited the church again we opted to commit to going for the whole Summer and seeing if it was a place where our family could worship, learn and connect with God.  We started going July 1 and have been going there almost every Sunday since.

It turns out that we were going about finding a church in the wrong way.

We'd visit a church and critique all the pros and cons.  We'd have a discussion every weekend to see if we were up for trying a new church.  Church became more of a week to week decision vs making it a top family priority to be there every weekend.  We were looking for the perfect church and were regularly disappointed when we didn't find one.

Turns out, perfect churches do not exist.

When we started going, getting involved and really looking for ways to plug in, we found a church home.  Olive will now tell you that our plans for the weekend include church on Sundays.  It's become a nonnegotiable part of our weekend routine for the first time in a long time.

Both kids LOVE going to their Sunday school classes on Sunday mornings.  This felt (and still feels) like a huge milestone.  We've moved around a lot and our kids were hesitant to stay in a class all alone.  Not anymore.  They barely say goodbye to us before heading off to learn about Jesus with their friends.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Kevin and I have found small groups and ministries to get plugged into at church pretty quickly.  We both had to go out of our comfort zones to be the new people in various settings.  We did a short term couples group, I go to a mom's Bible study one morning a week and he goes to a men's group that meets during the week before work.  I got plugged into a food delivery ministry where we bring new moms meals.  We are all connected to people and making friends at church.

It's taken years, but it's finally happened!!

Olive has gotten to participate in Kindergarten kick off programs where she received her first big Bible.  We've gone to fun Halloween parties.  We finally got to dedicate our kids and promise to raise them in church.  We had been wanting to do that since the kids were born, but with us relocating frequently it never happened.  It felt so good to be included and feel a part of something.  The picture above is from Family Dedication Sunday.  I got teary eyed to hit this milestone after so many years of wishing and praying for it to happen.  Now Olive is started to ask questions about being "bap-a-tized".

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

We are so thankful to have found a church family.  We still have a long ways to go as far as meeting people in a big church, but I'm confident that we are in the right place.

I want to wrap things up by encouraging you to find a church home.  It'll be so good for you and for your family.  Don't make the mistake we made... don't look for the perfect church because it's not out there.  Find a church that aligns with many of your beliefs and commit to going regularly.  It'll be a huge blessing to you!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend :)

Why We Splurge on Meal Delivery Services

Last year for Christmas Kevin surprised me with a subscription to Home Chef.  I was excited to give it a try.  Since then we have tried Home Chef, Blue Apron and Hello Fresh.  They've all been fun to try, but we have a favorite that I'm excited to share with you today.

Hello Fresh is our #1 meal delivery service.

The portion sizes are generous.
The ingredients are really fresh.
Great customer service.
Delicious meals that I would have never cooked on my own.
Large variety of meals to pick from each week.
It's like having a cooking class show up at your front door.

Since November is my birthday month, I'm giving away 

A FREE WEEK OF HELLO FRESH to 3 readers!!!  

It's a $69.95 value for each winner.  You do have to be a new customer for this coupon to work.  Just leave a blog comment with your email address telling me why you'd like to try Hello Fresh.  I will draw 3 winners on Friday, Nov 9th.

*** Contest over.  There were so many entries that I decided to pick FOUR winners instead of THREE.  All winners have been emailed.  Congrats Julie, Kristen, Stephanie and Becca!  Hope you enjoy Hello Fresh as much as we do.***

In our opinion,
Blue Apron has a small menu, we didn't love the recipes and small portions.
Home Chef has small portions, we felt like we had to add things to the meal to make it filling and the recipes were a lot of work for just an average result.

We don't have the time or money to go out to fancy dinners or cooking classes regularly.  It's pricey to pay for a babysitter on top of an expensive dinner.  So for us, a meal delivery service is the perfect splurge.  It allows us to try new ingredients, new cooking techniques and new recipes from the comfort of our home.  It runs about $20/dinner for the two person meals.  I realize this is not cheap, but it's FAR cheaper than going out to a fancy dinner + babysitter.

We try to do one box a month sometimes two.  It's fun to try new recipes, but it's also a lot of work/time in the kitchen for a week night.  These meals aren't easy and usually end up getting more dishes dirty than I would on a regular night.  That's why we splurge on these meal delivery boxes and don't rely on them to make up our dinner menus every week.

We are trying Taco Flatbread, Jalapeno Burgers and Grilled Cheese Veggie meals this week.

Here are some of our favorite meals from the past couple of months.

1. Figgy Balsamic Pork
These was AMAZING.  I've never cooked with fig jam before.

2. Beef Chiles Rellenos
I had never cooked with poblano peppers before.  They were delicious!

3. Beef Taco Loaded Potatoes
I loved baked potatoes, but would have never thought to build a taco on top.  These were so good!

4. Chicken Cheddar Fajitas
Loved the fresh jalapeno slices

5. Pulled Pork Fiesta Bowls
Homemade burrito bowls were much better than store bought ones.

6. Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas
Pineapples + sweet peppers on these quesadillas were so good.

7. Pork Carnitas Tacos
The pickled onions were amazing!

If you are interested in trying out this service right away, I do have a coupon code for $40 off your first week of Hello Fresh!  Just follow this link: $40 off to Try Hello Fresh
 



I also felt like I needed to warn you about Graze.  It's a snack delivery service that I WOULD NOT recommend.  The first box is free, but they quickly auto ship your next box for a charge of $13.99.  It is very difficult to cancel requiring at least 3 contacts to customer service to do so.  The snacks are strange and expensive.  Out of 12 snacks we received, we liked 2 of them.  I recently tried them again after giving them a couple of years to improve.  They have not improved.  AVOID!!

Have you ever tried a meal delivery service??

It's time to link up with my favorite Welcome Wednesday ladies.
Be to sure to join us with a new post or two and find some new blog friends.

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place / Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter 

Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook

Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Faceobok / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Mauri at The American Patriette /  Facebook /  Pinterest / Instagram

Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World /  Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

An InLinkz Link-up

Shop with Me: Target, Kohls, Amazon & More!

Happy Election Day!  Hope you're getting out to VOTE!  We are going as a family this afternoon.

I'm excited to show you some fun things that I've recently picked up for the kids.  There's a variety of Thanksgiving, Christmas and a few things I'm saving for them to grow into.  I love a good deal and love sharing fun finds with you.  I hope you find a few things for the people you love.

KOHLS:
Have you seen the Lauren Conrad ornaments at Kohls??  They're GORGEOUS!!  They're so well made with the sweetest little details (sparkly necklaces, flower crowns, gifts, ballet slippers!).  They're around $11 each at full price, but I got them 60% off (40% sale + 20% coupon).  Can't wait to surprise Olive with them for Christmas.

These are for Fletcher.  I love the animals in scarves and fuzzy holiday sweaters. I think these are around $7 each, but I got them at the same sale for 60% off.  I just love collecting these cute, not fragile animal ornaments for the kids each year.

MEIJER:
Do you have a unicorn fan at your house??  Meijer has this cute Sweet Tidings unicorn for $3.99.  It's really sweet and will look great on a tree.  It comes in pink or white.  I'm sure it'll go on sale at some point, but I didn't to risk them selling out.

RURAL KING:
I found this set of Thanksgiving plates for $4 at Rural King.  They're so cute and it seems like cute  Thanksgiving things are hard to find.

AMAZON:
I have found a some great things on Amazon lately!  I have been wanting a solid swim suit for a while and am SO happy with this one. The Shekini Women's One Piece Swim dress is so flattering.  It's well made, is a great suit for a mom on the go at the pool with little kids and it runs big so size down.  I bought it in black.  Linking up for Prime Purchases with Tanya



I wear these 90 degree leggings almost every day. They're so comfy, form fitting and flattering. Can't believe how affordable and high quality they are. I own the capris and the leggings. Love them both!




TARGET:
I picked up some really cute things for the kids on my last Target run.  I'll link them down below if I can find them online.   I loved this quilted button down for Fletcher.  Size down it runs a little large.

Hoodies!  The boy's hoodie runs very large.  I got the 2T for Fletcher and he usually wears a 4T.  Olive's unicorn hoodie is true to size.

Can't wait for Fletcher to wear these purple plaids next year.  They have a real draw string waist and were just $5 regular price.

My bunny loving girl shrieked with excitement whens he tried these on.  I love the rubber sole and the fact that the boot material is soft/flexible. 

Opal House has done it again with these gorgeous bottle brush trees.  They're such an amazing price.  I picked up a set for Olive and a set for me.  I also ordered two more to give as Christmas gifts.  *Update* Turns out they are $9.99 EACH and not $9.99 for the set of four.  Check your stores bc they've taken down the online links.

This Paw Patrol firetruck is on a great deal at Target right now.  My cousin messaged me when it went on sale so I picked it up for Fletcher for Christmas.  He loves Paw Patrol and all of his other PP toys are hand me downs from Olive.

We have an upcoming trip and I realized Fletcher does not have his own backpack.  Problem solved.  It's on sale for $20 and I was glad I double checked.  I almost paid $25 for it on Amazon.  He's going to FLIP when he sees it.

Click on the pictures below to find out more details from the Target website:

 // Some affiliate links included.  Thanks for reading & supporting Polka-Dotty Place! //

Must Have Leather Earrings

Hey Friends!!  I'm excited to share with you some of the newest styles and leathers from my friend Amber's etsy shop ADVdesigns.  There are SO MANY good ones.  I think it's her best collection yet.  Like I told her, her earrings just keep getting better and better.  If you ran into me in real life, I'm probably wearing some of her earrings.  I love them!

They are so affordable, stylish and so light weight.  You'll forget you're wearing earrings.  They add such a fun element to any outfit.  They look great with long hair, short hair, hair up or hair down.  These earrings are my #1 favorite accessory.

Let me show you my latest earring purchase, the new releases and how I plan to style them.  In full disclosure, I purchased most of these earrings myself and Amber gifted me a couple of new prints to help promote.  I make no commission on these sales.  I do have an AWESOME discount code to share with you.  It's Whitney20 for 20% off your entire purchase all week (Nov 5-9).

Can you even believe how pretty these earrings are??  The colors and textures are even better in person.  I don't think I could pick out a favorite from this mix.  The buffalo plaid is great.  You know I love polka-dots.  Mustard is one of my favorites and those hair on hide leopard prints are the pair that I am most excited to work into my wardrobe.

Here are a few of her newest earrings:

 The outfit combinations are endless!

 Earrings + Outfits.  They're such a fun addition to any outfit.

There are over 300 earring styles in ADVdesigns etsy shop!!  Hope you can find some you love or some that you'd love to give for a gift this holiday season.  Remember to use the code Whitney20 for 20% off your purchase.  Leave me a comment and tell me what you ordered or which earrings were your favorites.