Favorite Christmas Traditions

Dad dressing up as Santa for the kids
Baking cookies

Christmas music at night

Elf on the Shelf

Cousin’s Christmas Tea Party

Candlelight and twinkle lights non-stop through the month of December

Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning

Christmas Movie Marathon Night (which included the A-Team and Season 1 of Modern Family this year;)

Watching Its a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve Day while wrapping gifts from Santa

Girls Christmas dinner

Reading Christmas stories

Christmas light drive with Starbucks

Celebrating Winter Solstice

Going to a family movie on Christmas afternoon (we saw Tron this year...loved it:)
Spending four days straight with Uncle Dave…..hanging out at my parents house like we would if we were all out of town

Opening presents on Christmas morning

The Farm Chicks...

Look at this amazing book by The Farm Chicks!...Go visit them RIGHT AWAY to enter to win! http://suebees-karensue.blogspot.com/
Merry Christmas to you and yours!!! xoxo

Crafty Kids...

Put a bunch of supplies next to a plate of yummy cookies and the creating will just begin! From this... to this...

From this....

...to this....

From this....

...to this! (my favorite)...

....and from this...

...to this..

Fom mundane to magical!

Fairy Golf

Look at what our friend Eric made! Inspired by some of our "fairyland-making adventures" over the summer, Eric made a golfing range for our local wee folk! He brought it over yesterday to show me his creation....I was ever so proud!! Look at the thimble for the bucket and Pixo-s for the golf balls.....so creative!

I was so proud of his "spur of the moment independent work" I had to show this picture one more time! ;)

....and he is asking Santa for more supplies to make future fairy habitats! Brings a tear to my eye....

The Soul of Sunday...

Welcome!!

The decorating is done...the gifts are wrapped....and the baking has begun! ......Please join me on a quick tour...

OOPS....I just deleted the picture of our Christmas tree! I LOVE our Christmas tree this year...it smells DIVINE and it is a perfect shape!! oh well....bundle up as we walk outside for a minute..

NOW...it is time to warm up and make ourselves a little snack. I made Sugar Coated Pecans today that were SOOO EASY ....and OH SO DELICIOUS!!! You must must must try this...you won't be sorry!!

Sugar Coated Pecans

1 pound of pecans

1 egg white

1 tablespoon of water

1 cup of sugar

3/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Whisk your egg white and water till frothy.

Add the other three ingredients in a seperate bowl.

Pour the pecans in the egg mixture till they are all covered

Pour the pecans in the sugar mixture till coated

Place on a cookie sheet

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.

Let cool and then dig in!!!

ENJOY a festive evening my friends!!!

It's Elf Month!

Elf magic is definately a holiday FAVORITE in this family! Our house Elf, Samuel, is SUCH a mischief maker! Despite ALL of the trouble he finds....he brings smiles and giggles to even the big "kids" around here!....You never know what he will do next!

You MUST check out this website for endless ideas of how to infuse elf magic into your holiday~

http://www.elf-magic.com/ideas.htm

I will post pictures of Samuel and his mischeif making ways tomorrow....I like to catch him in the act!

Happy magic making my friends!!

The Soul of Sunday

Cheers!

Volia!

AND....here is my attempt at "green" wrapping! My newspaper "flower" does not look as polished as my inspirational image but it will do! ;)

BUT...I am loving my peacock package! ...I have to admit that I bought a roll of this ribbon at Michaels a few weeks ago but it was half off and how could I pass up a roll of peacock feather ribbon.???...

...so now I have a huge chunk of gifts wrapped and have started baking (a task that will take weeks. and weeks)...for NOW, I am trying to talk to the boys into creating an alien invasion on the side of my house out of the 6 inches of snow we have had!...stay tuned:)

Gift Wrap Inspiration!

I plan to start wrapping some gifts over the weekend but it is snowing and it is cold and I do NOT want to spend money on wrapping paper....so I am thinking I am going to go green this year and use the newspaper ...or paper from the breakable items I bought at Pier One today...they wrapped up my items with TONS of paper!

Here is some inspiration I found....I think we all need to try to make this newspaper flower at least once!!....

I think I have rafia somewhere.....and I KNOW I have some yarn and peacock feathers....

...and I'm pretty sure I have some scrapbook paper....

Off to set up my wrapping station.....(after going out for a fancy dinner....just got a offer I can't refuse!) .....I bet I have black and white ribbon too!!

Happy Wrapping!