I Love….The Holidays!

Warning: An annoyingly long and random post about my favorite things I love during the Holidays where I use the word LOVE about 50 times too much and use an obnoxious amount of exclamation points!!!!!

Here is the thing.  Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas - they all make me SO happy.  I love fall festivals and picking out pumpkins.  I love passing out candy and dressing up for Halloween.  I love preparing a big Thanksgiving meal and sitting around a table with love ones.  I adore everything about Christmas.  I actually listen to Christmas music on and off all, yes you read that right, ALL year round.  And if I could have a spinning white tree with blue lights and decorations up in the house all year round, I would.  Really.

The idea of giving and being together and remembering and celebrating and eating and doing holiday activities and relaxing….it just makes me so happy. 

I sort of stay in my own little bubble during the holidays.  I need to so I don't get caught up in the negative or rush of the season.  I avoid holiday crowds and shop online and I smile at those being scrooges.

I LOVE this time of year so much and do not feel that a month for each is nearly enough time to celebrate.  I want to celebrate longer!!

I sort of lump Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas together.  When October hits I am 100% IN the holidays.  Three months of festivities!  I give them each their due respect and appreciation and celebrate fully each holiday, but I am also celebrating or preparing to celebrate the others.  So if we have Halloween decorations up and are listening to Christmas music, or have Christmas Decorations up and are listening to the haunting sounds of Halloween, or even have Christmas decorations up & Christmas music playing on Thanksgiving day…well in our house that is OK! 

I love Christmas music and it is in full force in our house.

I know some say I am listening to Christmas music too early and celebrating too soon.  I respectfully say, bah humbug on you….no I am not!! :-)  (Disclaimer: I totally understand how some may not want to listen yet.  But I want too.)  I love the way it makes me feel, I love singing at the top of my lungs (and man is it singing like you have never heard before!), I love how as soon as I hear the first notes of a song it takes me somewhere or to someone, I love how Christmas music just makes me feel and my family…..happy.  Yes, even the semi-annoying songs.

Besides the music, I love ornaments.  Our tree is this hodge-podge of ornaments, each meaning something different to us.  Some represent milestones in our life, some represent our favorite things, some make us laugh, some make us remember, and some are from our childhood.  Seeing our tree as a backdrop for all those little reminders of our life together and from when we were younger brings so much joy to our house!  Last night Terry and I were on the Bronner’s website looking at Christmas ornaments.  They have the best ornaments there!!  We have already ordered one ornament this year and will be ordering a few more as gifts. Shhhhhhh

Henry’s Ornament this year that we ordered….What Time Is It?!?! 

I also love the holiday smells.  I know it sounds weird, but smells make me happy….or unhappy depending on what the smell is!  The smells of: Thanksgiving dinner cooking, of our apple spice candle that we only bring out this time of year, of that cold air that hits you in the face when you step outside, of recently fallen leaves, of the inside of a freshly carved pumpkin, of Christmas trees and wreaths, of a big breakfast being cooked, cookies being baked, and so much more.

The Lights.  Whether it is the lights of a glowing pumpkin or of the Halloween decorations we have peering through our windows or of candles lit or of Christmas lights…I love lights.  Terry and my first date was actually in November, thirteen years ago at the Lights Before Christmas at the Zoo.  It was a horribly frigid evening but we loved every minute of it and drank tons of hot chocolate and stuck close together.  And now every time we go back, it sort of feels like that first date…those memories all come back.  And now we get new memories every time we take Henry and he looks at the lights and says “WOW”.  I agree, my son.  WOW.  

We are actually planning a trip for next December to the Oglebay WinterFestival of Lights.  Too many lights to count spread out over 300 acres in the rolling hills of WV.  Perfection.  I went when I was a kid and can’t wait to share that now with our son.

Movies.  We just introduced Henry to It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown last week (well the first time he actually watched it) and we are preparing him for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  I think we can all agree there are SO many great Holiday movies and shows out there that just make you laugh, cry and think about your childhood or family.  But The Peanuts are pretty much THE BEST thing to happen to the holidays.

Tradition.  You know, I think this may be my favorite thing about this time of year.  From October through December it is all about making memories and remembering traditions from when you were a kid and starting new ones with your family.  Really, there is nothing better.

So be forewarned.  If you come to our house from now until probably the end of February chances are you will hear Christmas music, see a tree (in a few weeks), be eating cookies made by my husband, and be surrounded by so much Holiday cheer that it may make you a little sick.  Don’t worry, we always have some Tums on hand if it is just too much to digest.    

Yep, that is how we do it.

Have I mentioned just HOW MUCH I love this time of year?!?!??!!


So what are YOUR favorite holidays?!   Your Favorite things about the holidays?  Any traditions you love?

A Sneaky Mom! Feeding Your Child. - The Sneaky Chef Book Review.

I have to say that SO FAR (knocking on wood), Henry is a pretty good eater.  He at least tries everything.  He may try it and then spit it out and hand it back to me while making the face of disgust, but he tries it.

He also eats a nice variety of foods each meal.  We have tried very hard to make sure he eats as healthfully as possible while we still have influence and control over his eating.  We know someday he may become pickier, though we are hoping not!

He loves cheeses and even Parmesan cheese is one of his favorite cheeses.  He looooves broccoli, no really.  I buy frozen broccoli florets 2 bags at a time and steam batches of it for him every week and the boy just devours it.  Pasta and rice are probably his favorite foods and staples in our house.  Terry makes batches of brown rice every week and we mix that with veggies, turkey, or leave it by itself.  And mac and cheese or plain pasta with a little butter and Parmesan cheese or even pasta with sauce are weekly foods.  He also loves bananas and applesauce and has those every day.

BUT….so you are not rolling your eyes at me as I talk about what my child does eat, I have to say there are things he will not touch.  For example; potatoes.  He is NOT a fan of potatoes…mashed or otherwise.  (How can he be our child?!?!)  I made tater tots one time and he was just eh… with them.  And he wants to have nothing to do with mashed potatoes.  And sweet potatoes will also not find their way into his belly.  He loved them jarred, but I think it is a texture thing when they are mashed.  And speaking of textures, things that have a “skin/shell” on them like peas and beans are a no.  Well really, he just likes to push them into his tray with his finger instead of eating them.  While he does like pureed fruits, he is not a fan of sliced fruits like pears or peaches.  I think because they are slippery and he just wants to smash them.  Not sure when I can start feeding him apples as those are crunchy, but perhaps he will like those.

So while he does eat many things and there is a fairly wide range of foods he will eat and that are nutritious, he is still like every other kid out there and likes snack foods and/or will throw food over his high chair or refuse to eat something because it doesn’t feel right, look right, or because it is 1pm on a Wednesday and he has decided he doesn’t want to eat it.

Insert, The Sneaky Chef.

(Henry figured out what I was doing!  heehee)

A couple weeks ago I bought the book “The SneakyChef”.  I thought perhaps there would be good suggestions on how to add some more nutrients to foods he already loves and even expand what he eats while letting him eat foods I may not normally feed him.

I was slightly skeptical about this book when I first read it…..yeah right a brownie is going to taste good with spinach in it!!!

The way the book works is there are 4 different healthy vegetable and/or fruit purées that you can make and store in your freezer and then as needed you can add to different kid friendly and influenced recipes in the book.  That is the sneaky part.  Each recipe tells you which puree/s you can add to it.  Most recipes are made from scratch but there are also some that can be combined with pre-packaged foods, like boxed mac and cheese.  None of the recipes are suppose to take long to make and all are influenced by what kids like to eat.

The first recipe I tested was something I knew Henry would love…..mac and cheese.  You had the option of taking boxed mac and cheese and adding a puree to it or making one from scratch.  I made mine from scratch, but as we do make boxed mac and cheese regularly this will be good to add.  I did adjust their recipe slightly because I didn’t want to bake mine and like my recipe, but the ingredients where the same.  I choose to add the orange puree to mine.  The orange puree consists of a sweet potato and three carrots chopped and boiled together until tender and then pureed with a little water and that is it (made 1 – 1 ½ cups).  I made the mac and cheese and added about ½ cup of the puree to the ¾ pound of mac and cheese.  I also added broccoli for even more of a nutritional boost.

Henry LOVED it.  He devoured it like he normally does.  I tried it and I thought it was delicious!  I couldn’t taste the carrots or sweet potatoes at all, though there were chunks because I used a blender instead of a food processor...I should use the food processor.  It tasted like my normal homemade mac and cheese and infact the puree made it slightly creamier and a hint sweeter.

 (This is the face he makes when he poses for pictures...silly boy)

TEST 1 = SUCCESS.

Now I am assuming that many of the savory dishes may be easier to sneak in veggies, but what about sweets….how can those have fruits and veggies and still taste good?!

So enter test two, brownies.

The recipe calls for spinach and blueberries to be pureed with a bit of water and lemon juice.  I didn’t have lemon, so just water.  The puree smelled like fresh cut grass….I was skeptical.

You then make a batter with only a half a cup of sugar (compared to most homemade recipes that have a cup or more), some cocoa powder, ¾ cup chocolate chips, butter, flour (you are supposed to do a flour blend of reg. flour, wheat flour and wheat germ….I just used regular flour), vanilla, eggs, and ½ cup of the spinach puree.  You then bake for 30 minutes.

(Uh, this can't taste good....)

Folks, these actually tasted great!!  They tasted like chocolate brownies and I couldn’t taste the spinach or blueberries at all.  I was totally surprised.  

A couple notes: it suggested a 9x13 or 9x9 pan.  I used a 9x13 and these things do not rise very much so they are very thin brownies.  A great size for kids, but I would prefer them a little thicker and will try a 9x9 pan next time.  They taste better cold rather than warm, unlike most brownies.  You store them in the fridge and I tried them again later that evening after being in the fridge and they almost taste fudgy at that point.  They would be amazing with frosting or powdered sugar on top….and with spinach and half the fat and calories you could do that!  Finally, I have a small food processor so I don’t think my puree was chopped as fine as it should be.  I should have done it in batches to get a finer puree.  Terry thought they tasted good, but we both noticed a slight textural thing with the blueberries.  I tested one at work with a couple parents and they thought they tasted great and would defiantly pass kid pickiness! 

(No picture of Henry eating it as he usually doesn't get chocolate, I know mean parents, and he devoured his brownie!)

TEST 2 = SUCCESS!

Overall, I am impressed and happy with the book.  I am not interested in all the recipes, but there are good ideas and tips and I will keep trying different recipes.  I am not sure how many nutrients stay when you boil your veggies, I may try steaming them.  However, I know the spinach as it was frozen and the fresh blueberries were packed with great nutrients!  

Only really complaint with the book so far: I really wish the book had nutritional information for each recipe so I could see how it compared and how much healthier they were.

I will also still be pushing to get Henry to try more foods, but if I can add an extra layer of nutrition to what he eats, especially to foods that may not be as nutritious then bring on the sneakiness!

If you are interested in any recipes, let me know :)

Any tips for getting your kids to eat healthfully?  Do you sneak foods?

Check Out My Friend’s New Business!!! Crocheted hats = ADORABLE!

So a friend of mine who is a stay at home mother of three gorgeous girls just started a business in the last few months and I hope you will check out her site because she does amazing work. 

She crochets hats for little kids and these hats are AWESOME. (How she has time do this while taking care of a 5 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old is beyond me...but she does and these hats are fantastic!)

This is the hat she made for Henry and I LOVE IT and so does Henry. (I need to take a better photo of Henry in the hat for her FB page....you know since Henry will be the next Gerber Baby and all.)

 

Seriously. ADORABLE. (And I am not just talking about my kid!)

Here are some other hats:

 

STOP IT. These zebra hats are fantastic.

Strawberry Shortcake hat as modeled by one of her adorable daughters!

Come on...so cute.

See – AWESOME!

 

Henry is getting this one for his first birthday.

 

You can visit her ETSY shop HERE or go to her Facebook page HERE.  

She has a give-a-way on Facebook that she is doing very soon so check her out now! Her shop is called Chalooby Baby Boutique.

 She will work on you with sizes and colors. And if you have a pattern for her but no time to make it or are looking for something that she doesn’t have in her store, please email me (wrestlingkitties@hotmail.com) and I can check with her and see if she can do a custom order. I know she is looking to grow her product line, which will include both boy and girl items!!

 SO CHECK HER OUT!!


Update - Her give-a-way ends today....hurry to her facebook page and comment on her give-a-way picture!

I LOVE......MY NEW HAIR CUT!!!

I am not going to lie, the vain person in me was really nervous to get my hair cut shorter but it HAD to be done.  Between how unhealthy my hair was, how much hair I am losing, and how Henry has my hair all over him I just needed to suck it up and get it cut.  Plus, I needed a change...for me.

This was me before....(long and dull and no style)

And this is me today, right after the cut....cute hair cut!

Seriously, I am loving this cut. LOVING IT.  It feels SO light and my hair feels healthy and it seems to frame my face really nice.  I don't know exactly how much she cut, but it was a lot.

I am SO glad I did this and the vain person in me is so happy with the outcome!


I can't wait to play around with it!!  I think it will look great curly.

She Created A Monster!! I Am Addicted to This Website!!

So the lovely twopretzels innocently enough sent me a few websites yesterday that have great deals on kids and womens clothes.  I browsed a couple sites then got to Zulily and the browsing stopped and the buying began!  Oh my goodness, I LOVE this website.....and fear I will love it more once we know the gender.

We have bought a couple cute outfits that have been onsale but we will most likely get  stuff at thrift stores and garage sales over the summer, plus we also wanted to wait till I was farther along before we really bought more.  Well that stopped when I saw these lovely things for only $3.49 each!!  (Regular $14.99....even Amazon doesn't have them cheaper than $9.99) I have seen how expensive onesie's can be....you can not beat this deal!!

Look at these....

LOVE THEM!  I am a HUGE Fan of Dr. Seuss and therefore our child MUST wear these!  We got multiples of each.  We also found some other onesie's that were gender neutral and onsale.

I also got myself a belly band that was originally $29.99 for $14.49! 

Then today, just hours after buying this stuff I go back and take a look and see what sales they have today and see these aprons that I am in LOVE with!

Aren't they adorable?!  They are only $14.49!  Since it is not about me right now and I will not even be able to wear one of these in a few months without looking like a giant balloon I am practicing control and not getting one, but come on....how awesome are they?  Plus, shouldn't a mom have an apron?! (No Jenn, NO.)

Yep, I think Kylee created a monster as I am just loving this website!!

Love/Hate Relationship - Product Review

So I went to the doctor this week as I have had a cold since last week and I wanted to check things out.  The doctor told me it was just a cold and there wasn’t any medicine I could take (Tylenol Cold has been recalled) but instead told me to try a saline nasal spray.

Basically, the spray will help flush out my sinus cavities and keep them moistened (ew) which will help prevent a sinus infection which can happen when the sinus cavities become clogged from things such as a cold.  She said it was over the counter and perfectly safe as it was just pure saline and may help relieve the congestion I had.  So I gave it a try!

Product Description - Simply Saline Adult Nasal Mist helps clear congestion, dust and debris while improving the ability to smell and gain clearer breathing. Nasal and sinus irrigation reduces nasal blockages and improves nasal airflow. Relief from the symptoms of the common cold, irritants and dryness is gained quickly.

Let me tell you, I have a Love/Hate relationship with this product.  You basically stick the end up your nose and tilt your head to the side and then spray a stream of saline up your nose. (Don't be fold by the word MIST on the bottle, it doesn't feel like a mist when it is up your nose!) When I start getting congested I just stick that sucker up there and give it a few good sprays.  Why do I hate it?  Well because it feels SO weird.  It is cold and it makes my eyes water and my nose instantly runs.  I mean who likes the feelings of water in their nose?!  Not me that’s fo sho…I HATE IT.  Seconds before I do this I may whine a little bit to myself because I know what is coming and I just don’t want to do it!  Yes, I act like a child at times.

However, it is SO worth it.  This really makes me feel better, even if it is just for a couple hours.  I am sure it is similar to a neti pot, though I still don’t have the courage to try that and I am sure the Neti Pot would actually be more effective than this product.  But for me, this works and works well.  After I use it all this mucus comes out of my nose (again, ew) and it feels SO GOOD.  I can breathe again and everything up in there feels cleaned out!   

Even though I hate it for the minute or two that I am using this product I do love the outcome.  Who knew cleaning out your sinus cavities could feel so wonderful!  I think I may continue to use this during allergy season to help avoid congestion and sinus issues.

I recommend this to people who do not feel comfortable using the neti pot but who also have allergy and sinus issues....your sinuses will thank me!

I Love – A Birthday Gift to My Mom

So for the past month I have wanted to pass this link along to everyone but I had to patiently wait until we gave my mom her birthday gift before I could do so….didn’t want to give away any spoilers to her!

Now thanks to our dear friend and fellow blogger Kylee over at TwoPretzels, I was given the link to this lovely ladies shop on Etsy. (Thanks again Ky!!)  Her name is Christen (bio below) and her shop is bddesigns. You MUST check it out HERE.  She does “precious metal art jewelry, uniquely customized for you”.

My sister and I found this necklace for our mom and it is awesome!  We added our names, one to each circle, and then on the circles had it engraved with what was already suggested for this necklace…Our Mother, Our Friend. This necklace turned out beautifully! Yeah, I know….wish I had a picture of it too. In my excitement to give this to my mom I totally forgot to take a picture of the necklace. Boo.  But I will see her again in a few weeks and as she is only allowed to take the necklace off when she showers and sleeps (mandated by the contract she signed before opening said necklace), I will take a picture when I see her again! :)

The pictures on her website do not do the necklace justice.  It is sterling silver and each circle is maybe the size of a quarter and very shiny and lightweight.  It is simple in the sense that it is a classic piece of jewelry that our mom can wear with anything and would look good when she is dressed up or dressed down just running errands, but it is also a little modern with the engraving and the double circles.

It takes about 4 weeks to get the jewelry back from her, however, because she lives in Monclova she got it to me in 3 weeks because I said I could meet her and pick it up!  Which I truly appreciated her doing.  She also answered my barrage of questions and requests quickly and was so kind about all my custimizations.  I will order from her again. 

FYI - if you want something for Christmas she stops taking orders the beginning of November due to the volume of orders she receives and the turnaround time she needs to get stuff to people for the holidays.

Bio

Hi, my name is Christen Largent. Thanks for stopping by my shop. My work is an accumulation of years of study, experimentation, inspiration and the JOY of working with metal! All of my work is created using traditional metalsmithing techniques, commonly called fabrication. These are the same techniques that metalsmiths have been passing down from generation to generation for hundreds of years. It is a legacy of metalwork and I am very proud to be part of that history. I hope you enjoy viewing what I enjoyed creating! I add new pieces each week, so stop back often!

I Have Said It Before....

.....the people at Google are people I think I would want to know and be friends with.  I love all the creative things they do with their logo on their homepage!

I just had to say that, now please feel free to continue to my previous post that I also posted today. :)  Two in one day...wowsers!

Hi, My Name Is Jenn and I Love TV

It is true, I love TV. I am not talking like I can not live without TV or I must watch it for 10 hours a day and do nothing else (though if I did choose to watch TV for 10 hours one day and do nothing else I would not feel ashamed); it is more like I find it relaxing and I like to be entertained for a few hours each night. Sure I could find other things to do during the week like working out, reading, cleaning, working on projects around the house but keeping up with the Kardashian’s, seeing another one of Michael’s stunts in the Office, watching House solve another medical mystery while trying to be devoid of any emotional connection with people, relating to the Theories of Leonard & Sheldon, or patiently waiting to see just HOW he met their mother seems far more interesting than anything I could do around the house.

So I say bring on the shows! Seriously, what is going on with new shows this week….it is f’n fantastic! I forgot new shows started up again after the first of the year and was pleasantly surprised Sunday night when I looked at the upcoming recordings and every day had new shows set to record! However, is anyone else’s DVR (’s) full because of all the new shows on this week, or is the H. household the only family addicted to TV? Seriously, if you need me I will be watching TV because I am at 85% on the DVR (’s)…dang HD.

So, what am I watching? Well since we are recording over 40 series between our two DVR’s (yeah, I know) I will just list my 5 favorite TV programs that are currently on.

1. Chuck – New season started this week. Three shows in 2 days, suh-weeeet! I love this show…. Oh, and I totally have a crush on Adam Baldwin. (Firefly/Serenity, anyone?!) Sigh
2. Supernatural – Second half of the season starts January 21
3. Bones – New episode tonight!
4. Psych – New season starts January 27
5. Fringe – New episode tonight!

Honorable mentions (did you really think I could just list 5 shows.)

Favorite reality show: Tough Love. This show is awesome. Steve is awesome!

Favorite new show: Modern Family. I just started watching this a few weeks ago and I love it!

Favorite program that is currently on air: Dr. Who. It is on BBC. It is the perfect amount of sci-fi, humor, cheesyness, drama, and suspense on TV. Just wish David Tennant wasn’t leaving.


What are your favorite shows right now?

A Few of My Favorite Things…

I love pretty much ALL things having to do with this time of year. The months from September thru December are my absolute favorites and contain some of my most favorite things or activities to do. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, I feel like a little kid, full of happiness and excitement. Every year I have a few traditional items that contribute to those feelings and there are always a couple new items that make me feel happy. Here are a few of those things that have made me feel happy this year!



- Fabreze Flameless Luminary Shades. This is new to our home this year and I have to say I just love it. The smell is strong at first but becomes mild after a couple days. What I enjoy more than the smell is the soft flickering glow that it has. It has the flicker of a candle and is very calming and very cute! Plus after 4 hours it turns off by itself so you do not need to worry about wasting the battery. They have different shades for all year round and right now I am sporting one of the Christmas shades. A starter kit is about $14 with the refills only about $6. I love it. (Eddie and the fabreze shade, he loves it.)



- A WoodWick Candle. I got this from the Cracker Barrel and it is a candle that features a natural wick made from organic wood that creates the soothing sound of a crackling fire. It is wonderful, especially for people who do not have fireplaces but enjoy the quiet sounds of a fire. If you have the TV on you will most likely not hear the candle, but if you are curdled up on the couch under a blanket reading or crocheting, this candle is amazing! They come in different scents and a large candle is about $23 and a smaller one is $17, however they burn every bit of wax in the candle and I think worth the price, especially during the holidays.



- A Spinning Christmas Tree. Yep, look out Griswolds because our tree spins!! Unfortunately we had to get our first fake tree this year. As persons who LOVE real trees, this was tough so we decided if we have to get a fake tree then let’s do it in style. This is our tree. Now imagine it spinning. Yeah, it is awesome, even with the slight lean and though this will not permanently replace our live tree it has brought plenty of Christmas laughter and frustration to our home this year...and that is what the season is all about.



- Fun ornaments. Most people know when I am planning something a theme is key, however, with our Christmas tree the “theme” is simply chaos! I adore a tree packed full of different and fun decorations. Some have meaning, some are of our favorite things, and some are just cool. Every year we get new ornaments, here are some of our newer favorites. And yes, this includes my favorite decoration – the Christmas Pickle!


T. loves his Godzilla. (Yes, this one makes noise)

We have a series of M&M's dressed in Star Wars outfits. FUN

Rock'em Sock'em Robots - of course!

Hand carved wood ornament from Warthers Museum back home.

The pickle.....easier to see in a white tree


- Scarves. I. LOVE. SCARVES. I feel that a person can never have too many, though my husband may disagree. I have gone to making my own scarves so that I can have even more and with my favorite colors and patterns. Wearing scarves may be one of my top 5 favorite things about colder months! Here are just a few of the dozens of scarves I own. Wearing a scarf IS winter time to me.



- A record player. Athena’s Bees wrote a blog about how she still listens to music on a record player and I have to agree that there is just something about listening to Christmas music on vinyl that compares to nothing else out there. The crackling sound you hear from a record while sipping hot chocolate and spending time with family on Christmas morning (or anytime really) is pretty darn close to perfection if you ask me.


- Listening to your favorite Christmas albums. This varies a bit every year. I seem to hear a certain artist and then cannot get enough of their music for the remainder of the year. However two albums that never change are Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas. It does not feel right if I have not heard songs from their records at least once a day. Three others I am loving this year in particular are Noel by Josh Groban, Let it Snow by Michael Buble, and of course no Christmas is complete without We Wish You a Metal Xmas...and a Headbanging New Year…by various metal artists of course.

- Watching Christmas movies. Of course there are the classics like it’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, a variety of version of the Christmas Carol or 48 hours of the Christmas Story on TBS which are all nearly unavoidable but fun to watch once a year. But in our house it is ALL about the funny movies and the cartoons at Christmas time. Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and Frosty are a MUST. And who could have Christmas without the Muppets Christmas Carol…I for one could not! (I also watch Love Actually at Christmas time every year.)

- Cinnamon hot chocolate. Heat up some milk, hot chocolate mix and a cinnamon stick on the stove on low heat for about 10 minutes. Pour in an oversized mug with a few marshmallows or whip cream and some chocolate shavings. Seriously, the ONLY way to drink hot chocolate.

- Baking Cookies. There is something so fun and relaxing about baking cookies at Christmas time. I have only had the chance to make one batch of cookies (pic below: Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies with marshmallow cream frosting inside! yum.), however I have some that I hope to make with my mom and sister over the next few days. On the potential list: Hazelnut chocolate cookies with chocolate drizzle, chocolate brownies with peanut butter cream and chocolate ganache, maple iced cookies, and biscotti. yum




Do you have any favorites during the holidays?

Now That's What I Am Talking About.

SNOW!!!!!

Today's activities include: finish wrapping gifts, bake cookies, (a little laundry), listen to Christmas music and enjoy how wonderful it looks outside!

Um, Christmas is less than a week! YAY!

I Love……Crochet Edition

I love crocheting.

Yep, I find it very relaxing. Well, except when I mess up....or when I have to take apart something I have been working on for hours....or when I can't figure out a stitch....or when a finished product looks like shit. But other than that it is very therapeutic! It is fun starting with a ball of yarn and some time later having something that (in most cases) is actually wearable.

So a couple months ago I got the genius idea to crochet gifts for all my family members (and myself) for Christmas. I had an ambitious list of about 12-15 items I WANTED to crochet for people (and myself) by Christmas time. I find myself still crocheting and attempting to make as many things on my list before Christmas that I can and I am just over half way there! And yes I know that Christmas is just over a month away. And that it takes me about a week per project. And I have at least 6-8 projects left to complete. But I think I have plenty of time to get everything done. (Good thing I am not great at math)

When I tell people I crochet, many say that they want to learn but do not know where to start. So for this post I thought I would show a few of my favorite crochet must have items that will help you get started crocheting, as well as, a few of the things I have completed. Yes, I am showing off a bit.

1) I just got this book and I truly believe that it is a MUST HAVE for anyone who wants to crochet or learn how to crochet. It was on sale at Amazon for $20. It is called the Crochet Stitch Bible. It is not very big at all, about the size of a day planner. It has tons of beautiful pictures with detailed descriptions on how to do each stitch and it has nearly every stitch pattern you could ever want to learn and pictures of what the completed stitches actually look like. The book could be used by beginners or hardcore crochet-ers and everyone in between. (seriously, this book is so pretty to look at and very helpful, I love it – yes, I am a geek)



2) An 8 Pack of Wrights Boye crochet Aluminum Hook set -Sizes D-K. I prefer the aluminum crochet hooks and it is a lot cheaper to buy them in a pack like this than individually. A pack like this costs anywhere from $9-$13 and it will pretty much have every hook you will ever need. Plus I find they just fit well in your hands.



3) This is not actually necessary but I love it, especially the color. A Yarn Cutter Pendant. Scissors also work very well, but I just think this is really cool looking and it is under $10. I think there has to be some importance in having this, and that is why I have one.



4) Good yarn. Lions Brand is one of my favorites to work with. Go to their website for free patterns.

As for what I have made….

This is K. wearing the hat I made her. She was suppose to wait for Christmas, but she loved it so much I let her have it early. Her hat is the same pattern as mine which you can see in more detail below.


The back of the hat.


And the front.


This is a shawl/scarf I made for my Nana. (folded in the picture, but it is pretty large).


It is a shell pattern. Very pretty but took forever.


For my MIL.


My scarf


For my Grandma.


I love this pattern.


I have a couple more completed, but some family members read this blog and I need to keep theirs a secret :) But I do have a few more scarves, some gloves, some little kiddie hats and scarves to finish then I am done....for now!

In case you were wondering why over the past few months my blogging has been a little less frequent, it is because this is how I spend many an evening after work.