Beautifully set tables with a bit of bokeh ready for loved ones to gather ’round.
Hubby preparing Christmas dinner while wearing his presents.
Grandma Mestanza proudly posing with her almost-as-tall-as-her grandchildren
Little Lion Man giggling on his granny’s knee.
One tired little boy tucking into Grandpa to sleep.
Cousins cuddling.
Sisters striking a pose.
Happy children loving most of their presents…
and exclaiming, “This was the best Christmas ever!”
On Christmas Eve, a calm feeling came over me. Although I still had the entire house to clean for company while Allan prepared a huge Italian feat for my family, I felt like it was no big deal.
Since Halloween, life has been pretty chaotic from birthday celebrations, school projects, races and then the holidays came. For months, I’ve felt like I was drowning. But for the first time in months, I felt like I could finally catch my breath and I enjoyed the moment with a few more cleansing breaths while I cleaned.
I suppose I felt calm because this was it. The last big thing I had been stressing over was now coming to a close. The presents had been bought and wrapped. Most of my Christmas cards had been mailed. All that was left was to enjoy Christmas and I was truly enjoying it, ironically while I scrubbed toilets.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were perfect. The kids were so excited about all of their presents. The food was fantastic and we shared lots of laughs and good cheer with our families. And it felt so good not to worry about anything (school projects, races, blogging) for a little while.
With today being Boxing Day, we’ll spend a quiet day at home cleaning out closets and cupboards to find space for all our lovely new things we received from Christmas and then we’ll donate all our old gently used toys and clothes to charity in the spirit of Boxing Day. Today could be another calming, therapeutic cleansing day for me in many ways. At least that’s what I’m hoping it to be.
Although I’m enjoying my Christmas calming and cleansing moments, it leaves room for some new goals and plans for the New Year. But that’s another post.
What are your plans and goals for the New Year?
Next week for Music Monday, I would love for you to share a song that captures your plans for the New Year. Will 2012 be more of the same or are you taking on new endeavors? Tell us your thoughts with a tune.
Visit Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.
I took my best girl to the cinema yesterday. Just me and my gal catching a show and we had a swell time, see. A real swank time, I tell you.
It’s hard to shake the circa 1940s slang after being immersed in it for a couple hours. As an early Christmas present, I bought tickets for Holiday Inn for my sister since it’s her favorite Christmas movie. She was surprised to learn that I had never seen it so she asked me to join her rather than her hubby.
With its old world charm, the Tampa Theatre is the perfect cinema for a showing of a classic film and I loved watching the movie for the first time on the big screen as it was intended. The larger than life dance numbers and set designs help your appreciate the art of film-making in a time before CGI and green screens.
Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby’s characters were delightful and endearing, like the way you want to remember these classic Hollywood film stars. Although as beloved as they are, it’s the songs and the dancing that truly steal the show, of course.
The song, White Christmas, makes its debut in Holiday Inn, however, most people know it as the theme song for White Christmas, which will also be showing this holiday season at the Tampa Theatre on December 23.
Much like my sister, Holiday Inn captured my heart with singing and dancing. I enjoyed watching this classic Christmas movie on the big screen so much that I plan to make this a new holiday tradition for us.
That’d be swell, I tell ya. A real hot dog!
Visit Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.
Last Sunday, my mom, my sister and I held our annual Christmas cookie baking day. For our annual cookie challenge, my electric mixer churns all day long to produce dozens of delightful treats and every year I surprise myself.
My baking has come a long way since the days of slice and bake cookies. My friend, Chrissy, still teases me about the time I tried to pull off store-bought Snickerdoodle break-apart cookies as my own at a cookie swap. Yep, I used to be that person.
But not these days! Now, I’m like Betty Crocker whipping out batches of cookies and I’m certainly not intimidated to try new cookie recipes. No more break-apart necessary!
Plus, the best part about making my own from scratch is that I know exactly what ingredients are in each batch. There’s no hydrogenated oil or artificial flavor. Just some sticks of good ol’ fashion butter!
Since I’m not scared to try new cookie recipes, I decided to give Publix’s Peppermint Shortbread a whirl. This recipe was featured in the Publix’s Grape Winter 2011 magazine, which is currently on display on the kiosk at the front of the store.
Of course, Publix’s recipe called for 1 cup (2 sticks) butter because every good shortbread needs lots of butter. However the recipe didn’t call for salt, which I thought was odd since cookies are typically made with unsalted butter. So, I consulted Iron Chef Allan the Joy of Cooking to compare shortbread recipes. Sure enough, Joy’s recipe stated unsalted butter and ¼ tsp of salt.
Not a difficult recipe by any means and the results are delicious! And look at the presentation! How pretty and festive! I impress myself sometimes!
Peppermint Shortbread
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup crushed peppermint candies
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut up
½ tsp peppermint extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 325.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
In a large bowl, lightly combine the flour, sugar, salt and crushed candies. Then, pour dry ingredients in electric mixer. Add cut up butter and peppermint extract. Combine on a low speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Remove bowl from mixer. Use your hands to bring mixture together and shape into a ball. (The warmth of your hands will soften the butter and help mixture come together.)
Divide dough into half. On the prepared baking sheet pat each dough half into 6-inch circles about ½ inch thick. If desired, flute the edges with a fork and prick each dough circle several times with prongs. Cut each dough circle into 8 wedges (like a pizza) but do not separate the wedges.
Bake about 20 minutes or center appears set. Cool on baking sheet on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Slice wedges again while warm. Remove wedges from baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 16 wedges.
Note: The next time I make these cookies, I’ll split the dough into two loaves instead of two circles and then cut 2 inch bars into the loaves prior to baking. By doing this, it will offer more than 16 servings, which is necessary for a Christmas cookie swap. And speaking of Christmas cookie recipe swaps, don’t miss this one!
Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are flinging for this week’s Friday Food Fight.
*Also submitted at*
Our Christmas tree is up. Well, it’s standing. The lights have been hung and the garland has been festooned. That’s it.
Our Christmas tree enthusiasm and skills seem to be lacking this year. Typically, our tree is up before Thanksgiving, but not this year which just goes to show you how crazy busy we’ve been. There is some serious Christmas procrastination going on in this house.
But a busy schedule and a missing tree didn’t stop me from ornament shopping because I bought this ornament just before Thanksgiving. Originally I bought it for my online Xmas Ornament Xchange, but I found a better one so I decided to keep it. Besides, flip-flops are so me since I wear them all the time outside of my running shoes. It’s a Florida thing.
I suppose I should hang it on the tree instead of snapping bokeh photos and blogging about it.
I’ll do it later. First, I have run.
Don’t miss out on this ornament exchange! The linky party closes Sunday!
“Have you decorated your Christmas tree? Share a favorite Christmas ornament.”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
When flour needs some sifting
And batter mixed with an ingredient of good cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
It’s yum, yummiest season of all!
Oven timers will be dinging and mom will be singing
As she samples them all!
It’s yum, yummiest season of all!
There’ll be cookies with chips
And some will call to be dipped
And some are powdered with snow.
Sometimes you feel like nut
But sometimes you don’t but you choose
To present them with a bow.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Oh the most wonderful time of the year!
Help make this wonderful time even better by adding your cookie recipe to The Ultimate Virtual Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap linky party. I know that the title of the linky party is a bit of a mouthful, but then so are the cookies I will be stuffing in my face all month long.
To join the recipe swap, simply post a cookie recipe or any sweet treat on your blog. Photos with your recipe are an added treat. Be sure to included add The Ultimate Virtual Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap button to your post and link back to this post. Then, come back to Run DMT to add your link to this blog hop. You can share as many treats as you like, but please include the cookie swap button in your post and link back here. Then, sample some of the treats by visiting the links listed. Add a comment to tell us which cookies are your favorites!
It’s so simple! Can’t you just taste the fun already?! Now let’s toss share those cookies!
It’s time once again to dust off our family Advent calendar and start burning myself out counting down the days to Christmas. You see, our Advent calendar is more than tiny doors hiding small morsels of candy. Each day leading up to Christmas, our Advent calendar uncovers activities to enjoy the season to the fullest.
Since we have no creepy Santa spy Elf on a Shelf, I bribe my children with Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses and bits of paper. If they finish all their morning chores, then they can discover what lies behind the day’s door.
This little gem was hidden behind door number one today since I have no earthly idea what my children want for Christmas other than earrings.
Thankfully, Day 1 met Allana and Emmalynn’s approval as evident by their lumpy smiles.
To plan our 24 days of fun, I used a printable calendar to coordinate the days with my moms’ group’s play dates and events happening around our neighborhood. I also added a few extra activities because you just never know how the weather will be literally and metaphorically. Sometimes life simply gets in the way of our fun. So, I’ll swap days around and my kids are none the wiser.
If you’d like to join in the holiday hullabaloo, here is a rundown of what will be doing over the next 24 days
1- Start the holiday season by writing a letter to Santa.
2 – Let’s catch a wave of the holiday spirit at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration!
3 – Time to trim the Christmas tree and get the house looking festive!
4- Bake cookies with Grandma and Auntie Simone. It’s sure to be a sweet time!
5 – Go for a Christmas light stroll and count the Santas and snowmen. Graph the results.
6 – Eat dinner at Chick-fil-a on Waters Ave. and enjoy the Christmas lights.
7 – Santa stop here! Let’s make reindeer dust so the reindeer know where to land and have some extra energy to make the long flight back home.
8 – Sip cocoa while watching your favorite Christmas movie.
9 – Dress up in your fanciest Christmas attire. It’s time for a Christmas Tea Party!
10 – It’s a movie day with Grandma. Now showing: Arthur Christmas!
11 – A reason to be merry! We’re off to Moms on the Go Christmas party at Gator Freds today!
12 – No hard hats necessary just plenty of creative juice for today’s fun! Let’s build a gingerbread house!
13 – Watch the Symphony of Lights at The Shops of Wiregrass.
14 – Create pipe cleaner candy canes while snacking on candy canes. (We’ll also make this candy cane craft.)
15 – Let’s sip some hot cocoa and toss our cookies at a Christmas Cookie Swap.
16 – All aboard! Let’s take a Christmas train ride through the woods at Crews Lake Park!
17 – Take a drive around town to look at Christmas lights while sipping hot cocoa.
18 – Make wrapping paper and create Christmas cards for our family members.
19 – Find time today to fold up some paper to create Christmas origami fortune tellers for some silly seasonal fun.
20 – Let’s share some goodwill and cheer by caroling for the residents at Carollwood Care Center.
21 – All aboard! The Polar Expressis now showing at Wilderness Lodge. Put on those pajamas and let’s roll.
22 – Make snowflakes and drink milkshakes. (We may also make these snowflakes puzzle ornaments.)
23 – Let’s have a Holiday Pampering Party complete with mud masks, pedicures, make-up and a glittery hairdos. (Inspired by Kristi of Live and Love Out.)
24 – It’s Christmas Eve! Remember to set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Then, sprinkle the reindeer dust in the yard.
25 – Santa arrives! Merry Christmas! xox
Some extra ideas just in case!
Jesus is the reason for the season. Read The First Christmas.
You’d better watch out! Santa has a personal message just for you. (Idea from Kelly)
All hands on deck! Let’s make paper hand wreaths and other handy dandy crafts!
Buy gifts for family members at the school Holiday Shop.
Let’s rock around the Christmas time with a Christmas music dance party!
Walk through A Winter Wonderland at the Lowry Park Zoo.
Watch a live performance of A Christmas Carol.
Visit a live nativity scene.
Read a story telling of the first Christmas.
Watch a live performance of The Nutcracker.
Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Read stories about the Festival of Lights and sing songs. Then, light the menorah, play dreidel and dance the horah. (12/20)
*Submitted to*
“The first of December is upon us! Describe an Advent Calendar or a special way you count down days until Christmas (past or present). (Inspired by Classy Chaos)”
For the third year now, I participated in the 30 Days of Giving Challenge. The act of giving may not seem like a challenge, but it actually requires quite a bit of scheduling and planning. Even with all the planning, situations pop up to cause a bump or two on the road to giving.
Some gifts are simple, like a mailing a card to a loved one. Some things require more work, like preparing a meal for friend. In the end, no matter how small or big, it’s the thought that counts and that gesture means so much to someone else. The smallest gift can have the biggest impact on others.
“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
Our gifts
Pssst! Speaking of gifts….Don’t miss this one!
Wishing you a blessed day with all the fixings.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Next Wednesday, we have our annual family Christmas portrait session with my fabulous photographer friend, Kelly. With much anticipation, I’ve added the final touches on everyone’s outfits. For this year’s portrait, we’re all wearing variations of red and black.
Also in preparation, I’m keeping a list of the poses I’d like to capture this year. I love close-up shots of my kids’ smiling faces. They’re perfect for Christmas photo cards sending Christmas cheer to wish everyone a merry and bright holiday.
When choosing our family’s Christmas card, I prefer a large card (5×7) that includes at least 1 family shot and 3 individual photos of each child. I also prefer the colors of the card to match the colors we’re wearing in the photos; however, finding a card that displays that many photos in one card while color coordinating with our outfits makes the search for the perfect Christmas anything but merry.
Thankfully, Shutterfly makes the search for the right Christmas card or holiday card simple. With its sophisticated system, Shutterfly helps refine my search by the number of photos and color.
On the Christmas card product page, I can view an assortment of cards with the appropriate number of photos and color by selecting that option in the sidebar.
I’ve already found a large variety of cards that fit my criteria, however, some the cards were folded.
Still not a problem! With a simple click, Shutterfly shows the flat 5×7 photo card option.
But this year, I’m also considering purchasing photo books and other personalized gifts for our family’s Christmas presents. Our Christmas portraits are such a treasure and I’m sure both sets of parents would love mounted wall art of our family as a Christmas present.
Even a pewter ornament would make a great gift but not solely as a Christmas tree ornament. After Christmas, our extended families can hang it on the wall to enjoy it all year long.
Shutterfly offers so much from a variety of Christmas cards that fit my color by number criteria to wonderful gifts our family will enjoy throughout the year. And that makes Christmas shopping very merry!
*Shutterfly is offering FREE standard shipping on orders over $30. Enter code SHIP30. Hurry! Offer ends November 30, 2011.
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