End of Year Round Up

The holiday season was a busy one at our house. We spent the month of December cooking,baking,shopping and enjoying all of  the holiday hustle & bustle. Here is a look at all of the holiday happenings around here.
   As always, cookies were being made. Here are a few of our favorites.

Peppermint Sticks

Nut Cups

Triple Chocolate Delights

Eggnog Kringla

Chocolate Rugelach

I then made a few platters,adorned with Lenox ornaments to give as gifts.

I also put together a cookie board for my family to enjoy.

One weekend in December,I had the opportunity to attend a fresh wreath making class at a local flower shop. It was a fun-filled afternoon  with a great instructor and good company! Here is my creation...
 

We also enjoyed a few walks around our neighborhood admiring all the decorations. This house was one of our favorites. The block it is on hosts a holiday block party each year to raise money for pediatric cancer and a wonderful special needs summer camp. They serve hot cocoa,snacks and Santa always stops by for a visit!
  

Every holiday season, I try to take a little time to spend with the boys engaging in some type of holiday fun. This year, I took my youngest son to see a holiday musical/cirque de soleil type show. We had a nice time enjoying the acrobats.

I also snuck in one of my favorite activities,which is the Magic Lights at Jones Beach. The boys really enjoyed it. Not only is it beautiful, but they have a pit stop along the way where you can get snacks, make s'mores at the fire pit and grab a cup of cocoa. This is always a nice treat.
   Another thing I like to do all year, but especially in December is to give back. I try to find a person or family that can use a little boost around the holidays and together with many generous friends, we try to spread a some seasonal joy. This year we were able to shower an old classmate with many gifts and also bring a large amount of  toys to the NYU Langone Hospital's pediatric oncology unit.  It is easy to get caught up in all the festivities and shopping, but it's so much more important to remember those who may not be enjoying this time of year for many different reasons. Being thoughtful can make all the difference in the world!
  

Naturally, we spent time shopping, but mostly for treats! We have a wonderful italian market a few towns over and they were filled to the roof with holiday goodness!
  

Our dog Gigi even got in on the holiday action. My boys were so surprised when this arrived from Solvang Bakery! Rather than eat it, we are going to shellac it and save it because it is so beautiful!
 

Always the plant lover, I was excited when one of my amaryllis bulbs bloomed in early December. I am still waiting for the other to bloom and it's January 12th!

It was a fun season and a quiet Christmas for us, which was wonderful. I hope you all had a great time spent with those you love and I wish you all the best in 2020!

Creative Frozen 2 Gift

We all know how easy it is to hop online, order a toy, wrap it up and give it away. While we all do that,I also like to put together some gifts for children that require some planning and encourage creativity. It really isn't that difficult, and I'm going to make it even easier for you by linking all the supplies for a fun  themed gift idea that centers around Disney Frozen 2 characters,but can really center around any of your children's favorite characters.
    I am currently putting together a fun gift for two young girls for Christmas. This is a wonderful idea for the kids who love to cook,bake or create things in the kitchen. My plan is to get a few different items so they can make chocolate lollipops, bake and decorate a cake and cupcakes ,then spend a little down time coloring .
    This mold is perfect for all the Elsa,Anna and Olaf loving kids . I will be putting a basket together that will include this, another mold as well as other necessary supplies like sticks and chocolate. With a little help from an adult, they can melt the chocolate in the microwave or using a double boiler,carefully pour into the molds,add a stick, and freeze for 3-5 minutes! Voila! Frozen lollipops. They make so many molds now with different themes, but these are perfect for this particular gift.

I then found  this and knew I had to add it. Another option is this one.Throw in some cupcake liners,your favorite cake mix,frosting, and you've got all the goodies to make cakes and cupcakes. Don't forget the most important part...the sprinkles!  Just when I thought I'd found everything I needed for this gift,I discovered this and these! Seriously, could they be any more perfect? They also make  Elsa and Anna aprons!

 Lastly,I picked up a few coloring books at Target. They usually have them in the dollar section. Add some crayons and perhaps a character themed book and your gift just needs to be wrapped and given! I even found this cookie kit if you prefer that rather than the cake mix idea.

  This gift can be modified to fit the interests of any child, ,but since Frozen 2 is this holiday season's big hit, it is bound to be a winning gift!

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Thanksgiving Pies & Desserts

Today I am sharing a few tried and true favorite dessert recipes for your Thanksgiving table so you can get a head start on both shopping and baking! Enjoy!

Nut Cups

Pie Dough

Coconut Custard Pie

Chocolate Chip Pie

Classic Apple Pie

Apple Crumb Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Cinnamon Mocha Tart

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Maple Pumpkin Custards

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cake

Cranberry Coconut Cookies

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Chocolate Cream Pie

Pumpkin Squares

Fun Gift Idea for Kids

 

While it's true that the holidays are a time for toys, I have always been a believer in the gift of reading for children. As a lover of children's literature, I think it is so important to provide kids with plenty of reading material,whether it be books,magazines or even comic books. I was one of those crazy ladies who read to her children while carrying them, hoping the rhythm of the language in the stories would help to eventually foster a love of reading.I also realize how fun it is to receive mail all year long, so what better way to spark a love of reading than the gift of a book club? Yet, this isn't any old book club, one where you pay a fortune and receive books chosen for you each month. This is a do-it-yourself book club. You decide how many times a year you want to send books, you pick and purchase the books yourself based on the budget you see fit and you choose little items to go along with the books, such as  stickers ,coloring books,etc. Here is how to do it...

   1, Choose your packaging. This can be as simple as padded envelopes that you can order online, pick up
       at Target or from any office supply store. Just keep in mind that the postage will depend upon the
       packaging. Be sure to ask for the book rate at the post office, it is a few dollars cheaper.You can even 
       decorate them with stickers or drawings.

 

2. Decide how often you'd like to send them. I like to send books for holidays. You may want to send
    quarterly, only for special occasions or monthly..it's completely up to you.

  3. Decide how many you would like to send. Each gift can be different. Maybe you love two books for
      Christmas, but only one for Valentine's Day.That's fine..no strict rules here because you are in charge!

 4. Decide on your start date and pick out your books. Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many other sites
     have thousands of children's books for every age group. You can order a few you like and  have them
     sent to you.

5. Place your books in the envelope,along with a little treat and a note card for the recipient. Mail them
    and you are done!

Isn't this a fun gift idea? You can also send a card ahead to let the kids know they will be getting a
special surprise in the mail each month, or you can include the first book or set of books as part of their
Christmas gift this year. Wrap them along with a note explaining that they will receive more throughout the year. You don't even have to specify dates, it is completely up to you,use your discretion. This makes a
great gift idea for your own children ,grandchildren, nieces,nephews, you name it. It can also be a nice gift
for grandparents or elderly relatives who enjoy reading,simply adjust the reading material for the recipient.

  The most important thing to remember  is to send  reading material that interests them. Focus on their hobbies, favorite characters, favorite sports,etc. Children love to receive fun mail,and this is a gift that will not only show how much you've thought about them, it will also encourage reading throughout the year.

Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving books in case you'd like to start early..

Cranberry Thanksgiving

Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit

Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at The Tappletons

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

The Night Before Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks

Turkey Trouble

Amelia Bedelia Talks Turkey

Peanut Butter Pilgrims

Have a nice day.

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