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I'm Nicole. I am a wife, mother, shop owner on Mackinac Island, and lover of handmade. The little things and little moments inspire me. Follow me on my blog as I write about shop news, my travels, island life and motherhood.
Nicole
xo.

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little luxuries

Tortellini Minestrone Soup

One of my favorite soups to make for winter is Tortellini Minestrone Soup! It was so chilly and rainy this past weekend, so it was the perfect meal to warm us all up!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
  • 4 Large Celery Stalks, Diced
  • 2 Large Carrots, Peeled & Diced
  • 2 (14-ounce) Cans Diced Tomatoes with Juice
  • 2 (14-ounce) Cans Kidney Beans, Rinsed and Drained
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
  • 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil 
  • 4 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 1 (9-ounce_ package cheese tortellini
  • Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

  1. Set a large pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. Once hot, add in the onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the beans. 
  3. Season with salt, black pepper, oregano and basil.
  4. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the veggies soften, about 10-15 minutes.
  5. Add the tortellini and cook until they float, about 3-5 minutes
  6. Serve the soup with a sprinkling of cheese on top.

This recipe takes just around 50 minutes to make and is so delicious! Tell me, what’s one of your favorite soups to make for winter? 

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Happy Fall from Mackinac Island!
Fall on Mackinac Island
I have been blown away by your support of the shop and our island this fall. It has been wonderful to see you in the shop showing up for small businesses like mine online and in person. Every sale matters, so thank you for supporting Little Luxuries and Mackinac Island tourism, especially this year.
Every fall, we welcome a group of women to the island for Women’s Wellness Weekend. Jenna Kator brings tour busses of women from all over Michigan (and more states, too!) and so many of you drive yourselves and come up for the festivities too! Past years, we have had workshops on wellness, a silent auction and plenty of time for shopping! 
During the weekend, we hosted the women in the shop for a Jenna Kator Handbag Trunk Show. Since this year’s festivities have been canceled, we have decided to take them ONLINE! 
What does this mean?
Jenna Kator
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 16th, October 17th and October 18th, ALL Jenna Kator Handbags will be 25% OFF! Then, 15% of the sales will be donated to the Mackinac Island Cancer Fund! 
We can’t wait to celebrate the weekend (virtually) with you! Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram, because there will be some fun giveaways that you don’t want to miss out on!
Each year, I am amazed at the amount of money we are able to donate to the Mackinac Island Cancer Fund. You and your friends always show up in BIG ways for this cause and I appreciate it so much!
We can’t wait to celebrate this Jenna Kator Trunk Show virtually with you - so grab your girlfriends and mark your calendars for next weekend, October 16th, October 17th and October 18th! 
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Fruit Pizza

I made mine in a heart shaped pan because it was for Tommy. ❤️ 
My mom made this often growing up for our sporting events and family gatherings. It's SO good and so easy!
Two Packages of Sugar Cookie Dough
One Container of Cool Whip
One Package of Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
Assortment of fruit - you can use blueberries, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, melon, whatever you love! 
Fruit Pizza
Spread the cookie dough on a baking sheet, bake until golden brown, let cool. Combine cool whip, vanilla and softened cream cheese together. Spread over cookie dough. Sprinkle your fruit on top. Enjoy!
I hope that you can enjoy this recipe and that it will bring a smile to your family's faces during this time at home! 
xo Nicole
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With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, I wanted to write a quick note on the festivities that happen in our home for this lovely holiday!


I love decorating a little bit here and there for the holidays, especially the “small” holidays, too! The boys realize the importance of each holiday and decorating, even in little ways, brings me so much joy!

Our decorations come from various places. The paper napkins are usually from Hobby Lobby or the dollar store! The peppa pig valentine box is Tommy’s and Louie made his valentine box out of a tissue box last year!

I always put up a new banner for each holiday! The stitched felt heart banner and the sparkles banner are both from Etsy - I love to shop small when I can! The tie died heart banner hanging from the mantle the boys made.  I found little red hearts to spread around the candle on our kitchen table. I love to visit antique stores and that’s where I found the cute scrabble Valentine’s sign!

Of course, I have to make snacks that are holiday themed as well! Two new recipes that I found on Pinterest for this Valentine’s Day season are Valentine’s Day popcorn and Heart Shaped Quesadillas.

Valentine’s Day Popcorn from here. This recipe is super easy and super sweet!

  • 10 Cups of Popped Popcorn (I usually make our popcorn the old fashioned way over the stove top!)
  • 3 tbsp. Butter (Sweet Cream, Salted)
  • 3 cups Mini Marshmallows
  • Pretzel M&M's – Red
  • Valentine's Mix M&M's
  • Valentine’s Day Sprinkles
  • Confetti Heart Sprinkles

Mix & Enjoy! I bet the boys will always ask for popcorn this sweet from now on!

When the boys get home from school on Valentine’s Day, I plan to make them Heart Shaped Quesadilla’s!

If you have a heart shaped cookie cutter, use it to cut your tortilla into the perfect heart! If you don’t have one, scissors will do!

Place one heart on a greased cookie sheet, sprinkle with love and shredded cheese, then place the second heart on top! Cook in the oven at 350 for about 3 minutes - but keep your eye on it, just in case. Then, enjoy!

What are your Valentine’s Day traditions? I’d love to hear all about them and maybe add an idea or two to our fun plans!

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