It’s that time of year, bring on all things green & lucky! Here are some fun ideas for the whole family to enjoy while the leprechauns are on the loose. Click on each photo for how-tos and recipes!
Leprechaun Elixir Bottles
Leprechaun Trap
Leprechaun Cake
Click me to find craft ideas!
It’s time for another installment of the A. Dodson’s Small Business Everyday initiative. At every turn the girls (and boy) at A. Dodson’s are scouring the earth, ok fine the town, for small businesses who are kicking some behinds and taking names. And when we find them, we climb the tallest mountain and start screaming their name (ok fine we start blogging which is really close to the same thing). There’s no such thing as competition in our book because, as far as we can tell, we’re all in this thing together!
So… *clearing throat* here goes! We love these guys and we think you should, too!
CAFE STELLA is a coffee shop in Norfolk’s Ghent neighborhood and we love them for mixing up freshly roasted coffee, great homemade food and found objects. And they offer fresh almond milk if you don’t care for milk or soy in your latte. This husband and wife duo is lovely and sweet, kinda like the creama on my espresso. When you go, tell “Maurice” we said hi!
Cafe Stella | See that contraption on the right? It's their in-house coffee roaster!
And what goes better with a cuppa Joe than a gourmet donut? Uh, NOTHING! So next on your tour of A. Dodson’s favs is O’doodleDoo’s Donuts. Right down the street from us, in fact dangerously close to us, is a little unassuming building that you may not notice if you weren’t keenly trained to look for the SOLD OUT sign. They’re open everyday beginning at 5am until the donuts sell out. They make each donut from scratch, by hand with whatever flavors float their boat (and are in season). Check their Facebook page for daily flavors. Today they listed 11 including baby ruth, blueberry pancakes n bacon, whoa! Bacon? Gotta go!
O'doodleDoo's Donuts | Is that a S'mores donut at the top? Somebody hold me back!
sleeping silently
a february warm rain
greeting us hello
With so many worthwhile charities in need right now, we knew there had to be a way we could help! Introducing the A. Dodson’s Round Up!
Here’s how it works:
Any non-profit (501c3) charity can apply to be included in our Round Up by emailing the following to roundup@adodsons.com:
1) Name of Charity and Contact Info
2) Confirmation of 501c3 status
3) Brief overview of the charity’s mission
Each month, A. Dodson’s will publish a poll on our Facebook page with the names of 3 charities. Our Facebook followers vote on which charity will be sponsored in our Round Up the following month.
The donation is collected by asking customers at checkout if they’d like to round up to the nearest dollar. At the end of the month, A. Dodson’s matches the donations and a check is presented to the charity. Charities may submit one entry per month for consideration.
We know there is a great amount of need right now but we also know there is a greater amount of generosity. Spread the word to your favorite charities and trot over to our Facebook page and “Like” us so you can round up some votes!
Looking for an inexpensive way to cover your dreary situation and impress your friends? Add a little texture to your life with burlap! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3… Just follow these quick hints and viola, your space has been transformed!
Ask your local coffee shop or garden center for any excess burlap bags. Cut them down to size and start your staple gun. An electric stapler is the way to go…
Cutting the bags into interesting shapes will make the wall really stand out. Start at the bottom corner of the wall and work your way out. Don’t stop until you reach an “architectural landmark” (i.e. a column or window…)
Put your furniture back into place, hang a few pieces of art and presto you are finished. Family and friends will ooh and ahh over your creativity!
Got a bad case of the blues? Then this is your remedy… A Bottle Tree will lighten up any occasion! For thousands of years, superstition has held that bottles can trap bad spirits at night, which are then destroyed in the next day’s sunlight.
Plant your very own Bottle Tree and add a little sparkle to your garden and brighten your day! Blue bottles are the best, and they help keep the “haint” away!!!
Metal Bottle Tree $39.99
Solar Bottle Tree $99.99
In merchandising, as well as design, a lot is said about the impact of multiple object(s) being grouped together (hint: always cluster items in a group of 3 or 5). The artichoke is a perfect piece for this example! When clustered around frames and decorative objects a few artichokes can make such a dramatic difference! Leave me a comment, question or picture of the challenging areas in your living spaces! We may feature it in an upcoming post.
Quick, drop whatever you’re doing. Not only are these cookies delish but there could be a dash of nourishment in them. It just happened by surprise when I was trying to make some low-fat cookies. Halfway through the process I realized I didn’t have any applesauce. So I used non-fat plain Greek Yogurt and hot damn they turned out GOOD! (These statements have been verified by a 5 year old so get to stepping!)
Skinny(ish) Peanut Butter Cookies
Servings: 12 • Size: 2 cookies Calories: 200 • Fat: 7.0 g • Protein: 4.4 g • Carb: 34.5 g • Fiber: 1.4 g • Sugar: 25.4 g Sodium: 113.1 mg
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 egg
2 tbsp non-fat plain Greek Yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
24 Dove Chocolate Hearts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone baking liners such as Silpats (I highly recommend for best results) or lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, peanut butter, egg, yogurt and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.
Bake the cookies for about 5 minutes then add the chocolate hearts and bake another 5-7 minutes. Take them out when they are still very soft in the middle. They’ll firm up as they cool.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
