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5 Sweet Truths You Can Learn From Building A Gingerbread House

December 29, 2017

Building a gingerbread house from scratch has been on my Christmas bucket list for a few years now. I knew it was always a big time / energy commitment, and I think that's largely why I put it off for so long. I also always felt like it was something that only benefitted me, and so therefore - I didn't prioritize getting it done amongst allllll of the other things on my holiday to do list. But this year, after finishing baking my Christmas cookies FOUR DAYS EARLY (!!) - I decided: challenge accepted! It took me longer than I expected (pretty much a full week affair) - but I think it was worth every second. All those hours spent putting it together.. and with the year winding down - I guess that left my brain to wander down an introspective path quite a bit, haha! Here are 5 sweet (slightly cheesy) truths that I learned from building my first gingerbread house from scratch:

1. If at first you don't succeed - try, try, again!

Recently, my dad was telling me the story of when I first started learning how to ride a bike. He told me every time I fell, I got right back up - unfazed - and started pedaling again. Funny enough, building a gingerbread house is exactly the same, haha! If you've ever built one before - you probably know that a collapse at some point is inevitable. Sometimes it even happens more than once. Mine, for example, collapsed twice before I got it fully standing with the roof and all sides attached and stable. I took on the attitude: "Unless one of these pieces shatters into a million pieces - I am going to finish this." And I did.

2. Outer beauty and strength come from within.

Are you laughing yet? It's true, though! After my house collapsed a couple times - I decided to add inner reinforcements via extra icing and marshmallows along the inner edges. You can't see any of that from the outside - but the external decorations on the outside wouldn't have been possible without the strong foundation on the inside! I feel like this is true for human beings as well. Without a strong foundation / internal sense of self - we can't truly thrive out there, and are limited in the energy we can breathe into the world.

3. Good things take time.

If you're thinking you can whip a gingerbread house together in a couple short hours - think again. I mean, maaaaaybe if your icing or "glue" alternative is super strong and dries quickly... you could find a way. But essentially, a project like this takes time to do it right. And if you try to move too quickly before things dry / solidify.. chances are it will all fall apart in some way or another. Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Patience truly is a virtue.. in gingerbread house building.. in life, love, your career, building your own business.. etc. ;)

4. You have everything you need right now.

.. or mostly everything! ;) One of the biggest reasons I never attempted a gingerbread house in previous years is because I always worried about blowing hundreds of dollars on all the candy in the world to decorate. (Go big or go home, right?!) I promise ya, if you raid your kitchen - you probably already have everything you need (with maybe the exception of essentials like icing sugar). You probably have leftover chocolate chips/chunks and sprinkles from baking Christmas cookies, marshmallows from those rice cereal treats, and various other candy friends / coworkers gifted you. It's a great way to take inventory - and then get creative!

5. Things may not turn out as you planned.

There was one night last week where I laid in my bed, unable to fall asleep at 4 AM - contemplating all the design possibilities for this gingerbread house, LOL. It's funny because chances are.. it will not turn out as you expected. And, there is a lot of trial and error - and learning - along the way. Give yourself grace, and don't be afraid to make a mess. (Trust me, it will be messy.. with cookie trimmings, crusty icing crumbs, and broken candy remnants everywhere). Embrace the process - you won't regret it! :)

In food, real talk Tags Christmas, gingerbread, life lessons, cheesy but true, 2017
← 2017 In Review / Happy 2018!On The Menu: Christmas Cookies 2017 →

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currently outside in shorts and a tshirt and not mad about it πŸ€— - happy earth day! 🌼🌞🌎
have pretty much been in existential crisis mode since getting back from MT but these @seattlechoc truffles are helping me cope lol (perks of a long layover at SEA airport: going shopping for chocolate) πŸ˜‚πŸ«πŸŒˆ I remember asking the cashier how much she thought one of each color would cost me and she couldn’t speak english very well and kinda looked at me like I was insane but it’s fine and I got one of each color and I have no regrets. the β€œpink bubbly” flavor had pop rocks in it and was very fun to eat πŸ’₯πŸ˜›πŸ’—
a small collection of stones I picked up on the walk towards old chico. wherever I go - I’m always fascinated by the varying shapes, hues, and textures of the natural elements I find πŸ˜πŸ”βœ¨
a peek at thrifting in bozeman πŸ‘€ (lots and lots of vintage clothes, books, and home wares) - πŸ‘—πŸ“šπŸΊit’s too bad my suitcase was already packed to the bulge 😏
raced over to the poolside grille before they closed at 9 PM so I could get my MT moose tracks fix πŸ˜›πŸ¦πŸ’¦ - a little boy watched me take this photo and yelled β€œSWEEEEET!!!” πŸ˜†πŸ€ŸπŸΌ
decided to go horseback riding during the 1.5 hour break I had in between portfolio reviews (right after meeting @michaelgeorge and before meeting with @paulmoakley πŸ˜‚) - if you saw someone blindly bolt from the barn to the lodge to the conference center in the span of 30 seconds thursday afternoon… it was me, hahaha πŸ™‹πŸ»β€β™€οΈ - β€œHI I just got off of a horse and have horse hair ALL over my pants and may or may not also smell like a horse but it’s SO NICE TO MEET YOU” is always a good way to introduce yourself πŸ€£πŸ΄πŸ‘‹πŸΌ
saying goodbye to montana today, but what a week it has been ✈️ - feeling so lucky to have been a part of @collectivequarterly’s portfolio showcase / workshop and am leaving with new friendships and fresh insight πŸ™πŸΌ - this was the last shot of my polaroid film (shot it on my drive out of chico) and it’s one of my favorite shots from the whole trip πŸ’™πŸ“ΈπŸ˜
it’s the first day of spring, but still feels very much like winter.. so here’s a photo from autumn when I took a trip to a place where it felt like summer??! πŸ˜‚πŸŒΏπŸ¦‹πŸŒΊπŸŒž #shotoniphone
somewhere in between freaking out over my laptop battery’s dire state and getting excited for an upcoming trip to montana, I decided it would be a GREAT time to start vlogging πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ - my first ever vlog is now up on youtube (😱) featuring this weekend’s (short but sweet) adventure to @omgdessertgoals! πŸ¬πŸ­πŸ¦πŸ©πŸ§πŸŽ‰ (link in bio)
still on a craaaaaazy sugar high from @omgdessertgoals today! 🀩🍦🍭🍧πŸͺ if you are currently sad that tickets are sold out, DO-NUT CRY! 🍩 turn that frown upside down because I am giving away a pair of tickets (1 for you, 1 for a friend! ) for next saturday (3/25)!! πŸ™ƒ tag your dessert date down in the comments section, and I will DM a winner by tomorrow night 11:59 PM EST πŸ€—πŸŽŸπŸ‘πŸ°πŸ¬πŸ™ŒπŸΌβœ¨ (πŸ“Έ: @ellykdaeun)
just a reminder to breathe and that everything is going to be just fine βœŒπŸΌπŸŒΊπŸ™ƒ
I lost track of how many times @bigntoasty requested I post this this weekend for the #WHPπŸ¦„ theme πŸ˜‚πŸ‘‹πŸΌ - I argued it’s a photo from this past summer in cape may (and therefore technically doesn’t even qualify for the *weekend* hashtag project) πŸ˜† - BUT, I can’t believe I actually NEVER EVER posted it before?!?! so alas.. I dug it out of the archives! 😏 (you’re welcome) πŸ€£πŸŒˆπŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸ¦„πŸš²
@morgensternsnyc is the only loyalty punch card I carry in my wallet and this black chocolate smoked coconut vegan soft serve is why πŸ˜πŸ¦πŸ’―
this put a big smile on my face during my morning walk πŸ€— (I hope it puts one on yours too!) πŸš—πŸ’πŸ˜˜ - happy weekend! πŸ’•
blizzard conditions call for a big cup of hot cocoa in my favorite rainbow mug πŸ˜β„οΈπŸ”₯β˜•οΈ
there’s another nor’easter snowstorm hitting us tonight / tomorrow, and all I can think about is how much I long for hot sunny summer beach days πŸ˜¬πŸšβ˜€οΈπŸŒ΄πŸ–πŸ’¦
this frozen s’more was my breakfast today πŸ™ƒ (ice cream center coated in a chocolate wafer crumble, enveloped in marshmallow + torched to order) πŸ”₯πŸ’―πŸ‘πŸΌ the guy who torched it told me β€œhappy saturday” 😏 (a very happy saturday indeed)
@geronimo meets mylar = magic πŸ€©πŸ’« - PS: tomorrow is the last day to see this at @nycballet! ✨🎈✨
happy friday! πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰ I’m ringing in the weekend with @mmschocolate caramel M&M’S (pretty much the sweetest way to treat yo’self) πŸ˜‰πŸ«πŸ’–πŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸ’ƒπŸ» cheers to a great weekend! 😘 #UnsquareCaramel #sponsored
currently outside in shorts and a tshirt and not mad about it πŸ€— - happy earth day! 🌼🌞🌎 have pretty much been in existential crisis mode since getting back from MT but these @seattlechoc truffles are helping me cope lol (perks of a long layover at SEA airport: going shopping for chocolate) πŸ˜‚πŸ«πŸŒˆ I remember asking the cashier how much she thought one of each color would cost me and she couldn’t speak english very well and kinda looked at me like I was insane but it’s fine and I got one of each color and I have no regrets. the β€œpink bubbly” flavor had pop rocks in it and was very fun to eat πŸ’₯πŸ˜›πŸ’—
take. me. back. πŸ˜­πŸ™πŸΌπŸŒ€πŸ”πŸŒΎπŸ¦Œβœ¨
a small collection of stones I picked up on the walk towards old chico. wherever I go - I’m always fascinated by the varying shapes, hues, and textures of the natural elements I find πŸ˜πŸ”βœ¨ a peek at thrifting in bozeman πŸ‘€ (lots and lots of vintage clothes, books, and home wares) - πŸ‘—πŸ“šπŸΊit’s too bad my suitcase was already packed to the bulge 😏 raced over to the poolside grille before they closed at 9 PM so I could get my MT moose tracks fix πŸ˜›πŸ¦πŸ’¦ - a little boy watched me take this photo and yelled β€œSWEEEEET!!!” πŸ˜†πŸ€ŸπŸΌ decided to go horseback riding during the 1.5 hour break I had in between portfolio reviews (right after meeting @michaelgeorge and before meeting with @paulmoakley πŸ˜‚) - if you saw someone blindly bolt from the barn to the lodge to the conference center in the span of 30 seconds thursday afternoon… it was me, hahaha πŸ™‹πŸ»β€β™€οΈ - β€œHI I just got off of a horse and have horse hair ALL over my pants and may or may not also smell like a horse but it’s SO NICE TO MEET YOU” is always a good way to introduce yourself πŸ€£πŸ΄πŸ‘‹πŸΌ saying goodbye to montana today, but what a week it has been ✈️ - feeling so lucky to have been a part of @collectivequarterly’s portfolio showcase / workshop and am leaving with new friendships and fresh insight πŸ™πŸΌ - this was the last shot of my polaroid film (shot it on my drive out of chico) and it’s one of my favorite shots from the whole trip πŸ’™πŸ“ΈπŸ˜ it’s the first day of spring, but still feels very much like winter.. so here’s a photo from autumn when I took a trip to a place where it felt like summer??! πŸ˜‚πŸŒΏπŸ¦‹πŸŒΊπŸŒž #shotoniphone somewhere in between freaking out over my laptop battery’s dire state and getting excited for an upcoming trip to montana, I decided it would be a GREAT time to start vlogging πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ - my first ever vlog is now up on youtube (😱) featuring this weekend’s (short but sweet) adventure to @omgdessertgoals! πŸ¬πŸ­πŸ¦πŸ©πŸ§πŸŽ‰ (link in bio) still on a craaaaaazy sugar high from @omgdessertgoals today! 🀩🍦🍭🍧πŸͺ if you are currently sad that tickets are sold out, DO-NUT CRY! 🍩 turn that frown upside down because I am giving away a pair of tickets (1 for you, 1 for a friend! ) for next saturday (3/25)!! πŸ™ƒ tag your dessert date down in the comments section, and I will DM a winner by tomorrow night 11:59 PM EST πŸ€—πŸŽŸπŸ‘πŸ°πŸ¬πŸ™ŒπŸΌβœ¨ (πŸ“Έ: @ellykdaeun) just a reminder to breathe and that everything is going to be just fine βœŒπŸΌπŸŒΊπŸ™ƒ I lost track of how many times @bigntoasty requested I post this this weekend for the #WHPπŸ¦„ theme πŸ˜‚πŸ‘‹πŸΌ - I argued it’s a photo from this past summer in cape may (and therefore technically doesn’t even qualify for the *weekend* hashtag project) πŸ˜† - BUT, I can’t believe I actually NEVER EVER posted it before?!?! so alas.. I dug it out of the archives! 😏 (you’re welcome) πŸ€£πŸŒˆπŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸ¦„πŸš² @morgensternsnyc is the only loyalty punch card I carry in my wallet and this black chocolate smoked coconut vegan soft serve is why πŸ˜πŸ¦πŸ’― this put a big smile on my face during my morning walk πŸ€— (I hope it puts one on yours too!) πŸš—πŸ’πŸ˜˜ - happy weekend! πŸ’• blizzard conditions call for a big cup of hot cocoa in my favorite rainbow mug πŸ˜β„οΈπŸ”₯β˜•οΈ there’s another nor’easter snowstorm hitting us tonight / tomorrow, and all I can think about is how much I long for hot sunny summer beach days πŸ˜¬πŸšβ˜€οΈπŸŒ΄πŸ–πŸ’¦ this frozen s’more was my breakfast today πŸ™ƒ (ice cream center coated in a chocolate wafer crumble, enveloped in marshmallow + torched to order) πŸ”₯πŸ’―πŸ‘πŸΌ the guy who torched it told me β€œhappy saturday” 😏 (a very happy saturday indeed) @geronimo meets mylar = magic πŸ€©πŸ’« - PS: tomorrow is the last day to see this at @nycballet! ✨🎈✨ happy friday! πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰ I’m ringing in the weekend with @mmschocolate caramel M&M’S (pretty much the sweetest way to treat yo’self) πŸ˜‰πŸ«πŸ’–πŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸ’ƒπŸ» cheers to a great weekend! 😘 #UnsquareCaramel #sponsored

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