Merry Christmas everyone! I hope this holiday is filled with merriment and the makings of wonderful memories! Since we all will be spending time celebrating our families and friends, I’ll keep my wishes short and sweet…leaving you today with some of my favorite instagram visions of this season!
So it’s time to make those last holiday cookies to indulge on…or maybe leave out for the Big Man! Even though we have PLENTY of sweets to eat around here, I just don’t think my holiday would be the same without some freshly baked & decorated Christmas cookies…making the kitchen smell heavenly as well as “sprinkled” with adornments that should be on the cookies but somehow end up just about everywhere else! That’s how I like my kitchen to be in the days before Christmas eve! This year I found some new cookie cutters that I just couldn’t resist! And though we’ll still make some trees, stars, or reindeer…I thought the boys would have a little fun with a twist on the gingerbread men. See the whimsical addition to our traditional cookies…
I know I’ve mentioned Breakfast Club in the past…a morning every other week where moms (who no longer have little ones at home all day any more) meet for some coffee, nibbles, and always good company! Right after school drop-off the host opens her doors for all to stop by for a quick cup of joe or to linger into the late morning! It’s really a lot of fun and a great way to catch up with old friends AND meet some new ones! I decided to volunteer to host the last gathering before Christmas break…and lucky for me it just happened to be the annual White Elephant Gift Exchange! And even better–one of my friends offered to co-host it with me! Needless to say, I had SO much fun preparing for this final Breakfast Club of the year! And when the morning arrived it was filled with plenty of laughter and joy–a fabulous way to start the festivities of the holiday!
Still looking for some gift ideas? Or maybe just a project to do with the kids over the long holiday break? Either way, this DIY project is fun, easy, and useful! Earlier this year my mom brought me some lotion that her creatively gifted friend had made. It was so wonderfully scented and luxuriously creamy I used mine up rather quickly and had to find out how she made it! Well, it turned out to be a pretty simple recipe and I thought it would not only make wonderful gifts but a nice way to treat myself from time to time! So if you’re in need of some holiday favors, hostess gifts, or presents for under the tree…take a peek at this wonderful DIY project!
I get so excited to decorate my holiday table for Christmas dinner! I also love to try new recipes…but since my family members are creatures of habit, I often serve up many of the same recipes for our holiday meal each year! It’s hard to deviate from something that works and everyone looks forward to! But as far as decorations are concerned…I have plenty of freedom to experiment! I don’t think I’ll hear any complaining about the color I choose for the table runner, but it would be an outrage if there was no sweet potato casserole! So since the menu is pretty set…I’ll be content to play around with the table decor and create something special for our meal together! I haven’t yet decided on a centerpiece…but I can tell you it will be simple! But while busily crafting for Giggle this season, I’ve had the opportunity to have plenty of holiday supplies on hand, some of which inspired the idea for place cards on my Christmas table! I love simple DIY projects…and this one is so easy and requires minimal AND inexpensive supplies from the craft store! Have a peek at what I’m making…
There’s something so serene about decorating with white. And using this color for the holidays is not only beautiful but still perfectly festive for Christmas and the winter months to follow! However, no matter what color you’re using, you most likely won’t want to leave ALL your decorations up after the New Year begins…but some can easily transition to January and might keep a little cheer in the house after the tree comes down! Even though I have lots of various shades of white in my house all year long…this Christmas I decided it would be nice to stick with the neutral color theme. For me, using white is not just simple and calming, but at this time of year it can be somewhat enchanting! And keeping with the theme of “simple” this year–some winter white is an easy way to make my holiday bright and joyful without all the fuss!
It’s so much fun to search for all those little tokens to pop into stockings! I think I almost love filling those fuzzy socks on the mantle almost more than placing the packages under the tree…when Santa’s running behind of course! I sometimes like to use mini stockings to fill in place of a gift for my friends or family…especially when I find several little goodies that are just right for the recipient! Besides, it’s a fun alternative to spill open that sweet sock and see all the wonderful trinkets hidden inside! For me, the stocking is so fun because it’s not just filled with little treats but that they’re not associated with monetary value and are far from being the most popular gift on the market…they’re just thoughtful tokens of love and appreciation! So I’ve found some little goodies that will make their way into many of the stockings I’ll be filling this year! I’d like to share these with you…just in case you see something you love, you’ll have plenty of time to go out and get it! Or, simply find some inspiration for the stockings you’ll be stuffing this season…
I LOVE peppermint! And to me, nothing taste like Christmastime more than that minty flavor topping my cocoa, chocolate treats, or even in my coffee on winter mornings! Well you can imagine my happy surprise when my cousin-in-law brought a festive treat to our family gathering last weekend…a simple dip that will make your mouth water the moment you smell it’s sweet scent! A new discovery for me…and I’m positive I’ll be making plenty of it this holiday! I want to share this recipe for a decadent treat…and bonus!–it’s so simple and easy you’ll be able to whip it up at the drop of a hat and share with all your holiday callers! So grab a pencil..and add these ingredients to your shopping list!
So Thanksgiving is behind us now and I’m hoping everyone had a wonderful holiday! It was so much fun having extended family visitors for a long weekend of relaxing and of course, EATING! And with the exception of an entire bowl of mashed potatoes getting gracefully dumped on the kitchen floor by no other than yours truly…the rest of our holiday meal went off without a hitch! Fortunately, I didn’t have one bowl big enough for the gigantic amount of potatoes we prepared and I had to divide them into two…so we were able to ration what was remaining and were ALL still able to have some creamy spuds on our plates! What’s a holiday without one disaster to laugh about, right? So Sunday came, guests headed for home, and I can now begin to prepare for Christmas! I think I’m not alone when I say that even though I love Christmas, I still get a little overwhelmed when it’s time to start decking the halls! And since I also had house-guests all weekend I feel like I’m getting a late start…even though I know there’s plenty of time! This year I’m trying to keep the decorations simple, quick, but still totally festive! I’ll share with you today the easy and cheerful accomplishments of my Sunday afternoon decorating–working with little more than some tiny trees and tags!
It’s my turn to host the Thanksgiving feast this year…and I can hardly wait! I know I’ve mentioned this several times already…but I REALLY am excited for all of us to be together again! Holidays are so wonderful for creating opportunities to gather with family, friends, and combinations of both to celebrate togetherness! I really wanted to create something special for my buffet this year…something sentimental, even humorous, and something for each family visiting to take as a memento. So while I’m thankful for so many things, I’m very thankful for my friend who helped me pull this off in a way that I couldn’t create myself! I really wanted to represent each member of my family with photos–old and new–to capture those special memories and start great conversations around the table! Take a peek at this fun idea that would be so wonderful at any celebration!