This Christmas Eve...

Yay! It's Christmas Eve. I cannot express how excited I am that tomorrow is Christmas! L is 3-years old this year, and so it is the first time that he has really started to understand who Santa Claus is and that he comes to visit on Christmas, bringing toys and goodies for all the good little girls and boys. He even wrote his own little letter to Santa this year (with Mom's help, of course), and every day, he wakes up trying to convince me that it's Christmas so he can open his presents. Hehe. He asked to help me make sugar cookies and has also started requesting Christmas songs when we have our singing time right before nap.

Last night, we took the kids to Glittering Lights at The Las Vegas Motor Speedway and we had so much fun driving through the plethora of incredible light displays, jammin' out to Christmas music, and enjoying time as a family. Today, I made homemade bread and cinnamon rolls for us all to enjoy with our breakfast tomorrow morning after opening presents, and I can't wait to see the look on L's face when he wakes up to find what Santa brought him. Seeing the magic of Christmas through a child's eyes always makes the season so special for me. I love being a parent, and being able to take part in making the holidays special for my kids.

This past Sunday, we had Christmas dinner with my mom, grandma, and the rest of my family at my brother's house. We did a little family-gift exchange, decorated sugar cookies, the kids (eight cousins in all) colored little, wooden ornaments to exchange with each other, and we all enjoyed some yummy ham and Christmas fixins.

Family is definitely one of my most favorite things to celebrate throughout the holiday season, and I am so grateful that I have family close to share in the magic of the season.

So, from my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

This beautiful piece of art was gifted to M by my 3-year-old nephew. ;)

The 12 Days of Service

With the official kick-off of the holiday season this past weekend, I have been pondering a lot lately on how I might invite the real spirit of Christmas into our home, instilling a sense of charity in my children's hearts, and teaching them about the true meaning of Christmas. The first thing that came to mind, was service.

How can I implement this lesson in a way that will appeal to their impressionable minds; though, without the situation seeming pre-meditated or preachy (they seem to learn certain life lessons more profoundly when they are delivered in a natural, easily-relatable way)? Then it hit me: The 12 Days of Christmas. Instead of giving gifts to someone each day for the duration of 12 days, however, maybe we could perform little acts of service for others instead.

So, I have been racking my brain these last few days, trying to come up with some ideas for little acts of service that they could perform for The 12 Days of Service, and this is what I came up with:

1. Bake a plate of cookies for a neighbor. Place it on their front porch, ring the doorbell, and RUN!!! Hehe;
2. When going through the drive-thru, pay for the person in line behind you;
3. Put together little baggies of Hershey's kisses (or hugs) with a note that says, "Here are some kisses/hugs from someone who wants you to know you are loved." Then, attach the baggies to several random windshields in a parking lot (at church, for example);
4. Send "thank you" notes anonymously to a few people (teachers, or missionaries serving from your ward, for example) who have made an impact in your life;
5. Put together a few "care kits" in 1-gallon ziploc bags (with toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, gift cards for fast food, a spiritual message, etc.) then keep them in your car. Give them to homeless people who may be in need of these little necessities (I totally stole this one from a friend. Hehe). For some additional ideas on what to pack in the kits, I found this website. It had some really helpful info. :)
6. Make a tie-quilt (an easy DIY project that doesn't require sewing, and the kiddos can easily help out), and give it to a child or person in need. For those of you who want to learn how to make one, here is a cute tutorial that will show you how. The tutorial recommends using 2 1/2 yards of fabric, but you can make it smaller or larger, depending on the size of the child/person you intend to give it to. One thing I would also recommend (that the video doesn't address) is for you to make sure that you cut off the selvage edge of the fabric (usually has the brand of the fabric printed down one side) and then make sure both fabrics line up perfectly BEFORE you start cutting. I usually put a few pins through the fabric before cutting the strips as well to make sure the fabric doesn't slip;
7. Go to the dollar store and pick up a few boxes of crayons and a few coloring books. Wrap a box of crayons with each coloring book, then secretly leave each wrapped package anonymously on the door of a child in your neighborhood;
8. Leave a few extra stamps at the post office - I stole this one too, although I have to admit that I am ashamed for not thinking of it myself. A few days ago, I took L-Bear (my 3-year-old) to the post office to get a stamp and mail his letter to Santa. The lady that was in line in front of us had a bunch of packages that she was trying to mail off, but when she saw that I only had the one letter, she asked me, "Do you just need a stamp?" When I told her, "Yes," she offered to let me go ahead of her, but then said, "Ya know what? I have an extra stamp. Here you go." And she totally gave me a one of her stamps. I thanked her over and over, and knew that the experience was a call for me to pay-it-forward. So, I definitely need to do this one. This woman's kindness also inspired the next act of service:
9. Let someone cut you in line at the grocery store or post office;
10. Donate some books to your local library or to your ward nursery;
11. Leave a basket full of chocolates anonymously in the Relief Society room with a note that says, "Thank you for all you do"; and
12. Leave a plate of cookies in the office (for the office staff) of your child's school.

If you have any other ideas for acts of service that you would like to share, please leave a comment below. I plan to implement The 12 Days of Service initiative into our family home evening next week so we will have plenty of time to prepare for our acts of service in advance, and I look forward to hearing what some of you guys come up with. :)

Thank you all, and Merry Christmas!

Memories of Christmas

Gems of Reflection: #34

So, it seems like Christmas has been a major theme here on the blog lately, thanks to our random, little Gems posts. And I know it's only September, but I don't mind. Christmas was always one of my favorite holidays as a child, and it continues to be a truly magical time of year for me. Growing up, there was always so much excitement to look forward to, and I welcomed the season with open arms.  

For starters, we would go shopping every year (usually a few weeks before Christmas) for a beautiful, deliciously fragrant, REAL Christmas tree from one of the nearby lots. We'd bring it home and decorate it with lights, garland, and an array of ornaments and homemade decorations. We'd blast Christmas music and sing along as our family bonded over hot chocolate or egg nog, and memories of Christmases past.

Also, my great aunt, Helen, has thrown her annual Christmas party (since before I can remember) on the Saturday before Christmas at her house, where everyone comes together for a potluck and enjoys good company and great food. Some things we always anticipated with pleasure were her chicken soup and homemade biscuits. They were a staple at these parties, and we looked forward to indulging in these yummy, little delights from the turn of every season until the day the party arrived. We would always fill our bowls with her delicious mashed potatoes, and then would cover them with chicken soup. Oh man, it is making my mouth water just thinking about it. Her chicken soup is the best, and it's something I look forward to still.

As a tradition, she has also made dozens of shepherds cakes every year, which she wraps individually and gives to each family as a special gift from her. The kitchen counters were always covered in mountains of decadent desserts too: succulent pies, cakes, fudge, divinity, my mom's pumpkin rolls (another Christmas staple of my childhood), you name it. It was one of those events where one liked to pretend that calories didn't count for the day, for sure. Haha. But yes, some of my favorite Christmas memories are of Christmas parties at Aunt Helen's house. Good times.

Christmas around our house was always exciting too. During the holiday season, we'd often visit opportunity village. It was always so much fun walking through the magical forest, looking at all of the Christmas lights, while sipping on some yummy hot chocolate. Then, on Christmas Eve, we would make sugar cookies with frosting to leave for Santa. Afterward, we would drive around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights, and would often return home to watch Christmas movies and drink egg nog. 

When Christmas morning arrived, we'd wake in anticipation at like 2:00 a.m. to see what Santa had brought us. My parents finally set a rule that we were not allowed to wake them up on Christmas morning until 6:00 a.m., so that they wouldn't be too drained throughout the day. It didn't hinder us from continuing to wake up so early every year though. We just started utilizing that time to sort gifts and start shaking presents from our pile, trying with wide eyes and energetic smiles to guess what was inside.

To this day, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and I hope to pass that magic on to my children as they grow and experience the wonderment of the holiday season.

Anyway, In the spirit of our "Christmas in September" theme, I just wanted to remind you all about the awesome giveaways happening over at All Things Purple this week in celebration of her third annual half-birthday. Today, she has a giveaway for an amethyst healing crystal. There is also still plenty of time to get in on the Blackmoore giveaway, and the giveaway for Cragbridge Hall, The Inventor's Secret. Good luck to all, but do not delay. You won't want to miss out on these awesome giveaways. :) 

Christmas in September!

Gems of Reflection

So, I know that I got behind on my Gems posts (again) by a several weeks, so I apologize for my silence here on the blog. Things have been crazy around here getting kids ready to go back to school, and there have been some other exciting/crazy/unexpected things happening that I am not quite ready to disclose on the blog just yet. No worries though, I am going to try to get caught up on the posts this week - and hopefully, there will be some good news to share in the near future.

Anyway, onto the Gems post: I don't really remember visiting the downtown area of Las Vegas much as a kid during the holiday season, but I know that if there's one thing that Vegas does big, it's the holidays. The shopping malls were always decked with the most extravagant of Christmas decorations; garland and ornaments on every rail and every banister, a large Christmas tree at the center of it all for everyone to enjoy, not to mention the beautiful display of Santa's workshop, where children would line up with anticipation to get their picture taken with him.

The Las Vegas Strip was always decorated as a wonderland of Christmas beauty as well. The trees, which line the streets of Las Vegas Boulevard, were lit up with lights and garland, and every hotel/casino showered the air with the magical sounds of Christmas music.

Now, I know that it is only September, and that Christmas is still a few months away, but it is like Christmas this week, for The Purple Lady is celebrating her third annual half-birthday over at All Things Purple, and she is hosting some awesome giveaways all week long. Today, she has a book review and giveaway for Blackmoore, the new regency romance novel by Julianne Donaldson. I am so excited about this book, and I know you will be too, so head on over and check it out.

Happy Friday. :)

Kitchen Gadgets and Merry Cranberry Cookies

Recipe for Merry Cranberry Cookies from Very Best Baking.

Those of you who know me are probably already aware of the fact that I absolutely LOVE to bake. I don't know what it is about conjuring up a delicious batch of yummy, mouthwatering cookies - or a batch of moist, delicious muffins - that completely brings me happiness and peace, but baking has always been an incredible stress reliever for me. Maybe it's the smile of satisfaction that the fruits of my labor bring to the partaker's face that allows me to enjoy the process so wholeheartedly. :)

Well, since today is Thankful Thursday, I want to express my gratitude for the little kitchen gadgets that make my love for baking all the more enjoyable. I know I mentioned recently that I have been baking a plethora of Christmas goodies - and today, I've finally finished the last set of cookies. Whew! I tell ya, I was a little baking machine today. Among the goodies that I made today are one of my family's holiday favorites: Merry Cranberry Cookies. Anyway, I usually just use a large spoon to scoop out dough in estimated amounts to roll into balls when I make these cookies, but I recently discovered a fun, new gadget that has changed my life completely.

Okay, so don't laugh at me, but the gadget I am referring to is a cookie dough scooper. I know that they have been around for forever, but I just bucked down a few days ago and made the decision to spend the whole $10 (at Walmart) to buy one - and can I just say that it was the best $10 I've EVER spent! I know that using a regular tablespoon for the dough-scooping process is not rocket science, but man, did the scooper make it SO much easier! And, all of the balls came out darn near identical. It was so much fun to scoop the little dough balls out too.

I {heart} my new cookie dough scooper! :)

Anyway, I know that talking about these yummy treats has made you all hungry. Hehe. So, here is the recipe that I procured a few years ago for these mouth-watering, little cookies:

Merry Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups (about 1/3 tub) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Tub Dough, slightly softened (I actually made the sugar cookie dough myself).
2. 1/3 to 1/2 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels (I used Ghiradelli and they were delish)
3. 1/3 to 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325º F. 

STIR morsels and cranberries into cookie dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes for easier handling. Roll dough into 18, 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. 

BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

TIPS: 

• Drizzle Merry Cranberry Cookies with melted NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels. 

• Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a larger batch. 

Cake Balls!

I started my Christmas baking about a week ago and had a batch of chocolate pecan fudge and a batch of vanilla nut fudge finished and chillin' like villains in the freezer. They didn't make it through the week though. Haha. I swear, keeping yummy treats in my house is like keeping an open flame and expecting a moth not to be drawn to it. ((shrugs)) Oh well. I guess that is just a reflection of how good they were. ;)

So, a few days ago, I made chocolate pecan fudge batch #2 and threatened my husband and children with their lives. Hehe. Then yesterday, during F.H.E., my 12-year-old and I started cake balls. Now, I don't know if you know what these delectable, little bites of heaven are, but OH MY GOODNESS! They are like my favorite things in the whole world right now ((winks at The Purple Lady. I've made them for her a few times and she too has become a fiend. Hehe. I can't help but think of her every time I make them now)). A family friend introduced me to them a few years ago, and I am officially hooked. Basically, they are made from cake that you bake and mix with frosting to roll into small bite-sized balls, then you roll said balls around in dipping chocolate. They taste like little truffles, and are absolutely amazing!

Peppermint red velvet cake balls with white dipping chocolate. YUM!

Trust me - they are absolutely sinful! :P

I also made some german chocolate cake balls, but forgot to take a picture of them before packing them away in Ziploc bags in the freezer...oops. It's all good, though. The red velvet ones are prettier. ;)

Anyway, these succulent, little balls of yummy goodness are just too delicious to keep to myself, so being the giving person that I am, I thought I'd share the love - in recipe form, of course. ;)

Cake Balls 

Prepare and cook 1 cake mix as directed on box

Let FULLY cool for several hours

Mix cake and about ½ of a 12oz. container of frosting (about ¾ cup - 1 cup) with your hands in a large bowl until it holds form when squished together (don’t put in too much frosting or the balls will be too wet and won’t set up properly). Form into bite sized balls and freeze to set (about 15 to 30 minutes – this step is optional, but makes the balls easier to dip). Dip in desired chocolate (recipes below) and freeze to set again (about 10 minutes). Serve immediately or freeze in gallon sized Ziploc bags.

Dipping Chocolate

Equal parts Chocolate Almond Bark and semi-sweet chocolate chips melted in the microwave for a minute or so until melted.

White Dipping Chocolate

Equal parts Vanilla Almond Bark and white chocolate chips melted in the microwave for a minute or so until melted.

Variation Ideas

1) German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting in dipping chocolate 

2) Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting in white dipping chocolate 

3) Chocolate Cake with 

-1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping 

-1/3 cup condensed milk 

-1 bag of Heath bits o’ brickle 

-Dip in dipping chocolate 

4) Chocolate Cake with 2/3 cup Nutella dipped in dipping chocolate (can be made with a vanilla cake as well) 

5) Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting in mint dipping chocolate (substitute Andes mints for semi-sweet choc chips) 

6) Orange Cream Cake with Vanilla Frosting in white dipping chocolate 

7) Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese

Shannon’s favorite variation: carrot cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in white dipping chocolate. 

Note: For the red velvet ones I just did, I made a peppermint white chocolate cream cheese frosting to mix in with the baked cake. I also crushed up some candy canes (nearly to powder) and sprinkled them over the balls after dipping them in the white chocolate. You have to do this immediately after rolling them; though, as the chocolate dries really quickly. Combined with the peppermint in the frosting, this adds a perfectly subtle peppermint flavor. Delish!

Anyway, hope you enjoy. :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

I {heart} Christmas!

Can I just say that I LOVE Christmas time! Everything about the season makes me absolutely giddy; from decorating the Christmas tree to shopping for Christmas presents, listening to Christmas music, sending and receiving Christmas cards, driving around and scoping out all of the Christmas lights, decorating gingerbread houses, watching the classic Christmas movies (some of my favorites include Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street, One Magic Christmas, Elf - there are really too many to name), drinking egg nog, singing Christmas songs, etc. I mean, it's barely the first week of December and I almost have all of my Christmas shopping done - and tonight, I actually got most of my Christmas presents wrapped AND started my Christmas baking. :)

Now, I don't know if you guys know this or not, but since my husband and I got married, he has gotten both {M} and me into collecting Christmas ornaments. He usually only collects the really nice ones (swarovski, waterford, etc.), but we've procured some fun, cheaper-end ones too. He has one with Goofy playing the tuba, one of Jack Skellington (The Nightmare before Christmas), and many many more. This year, {L} even has his own little collection going. He has his beautiful "Baby's First Christmas" ornament from two years ago - courtesy of The Purple Lady, and here is the newest addition:

Not bad for a two-year-old, eh? Hehe. Anyone who knows him knows how appropriate this really is. He has been obsessed - and I mean OBSESSED - with Spiderman pretty much since his second birthday. ;)

Anyway, hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. <3

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest