Tag Archives: holiday

They Have a Dream

Posted on by Run DMT
11

The girls had Monday off from school, but I wanted it to be more than a long weekend.  I feel it’s important to understand why we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Every year, we observe the holiday by watching Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.  Then, we discuss it and follow it up with a writing activity.  When I saw this MLK writing activity floating around Pinterest, I thought it would be a great extension to our usual MLK activities.

After we watched the speech, we discussed what Dr. King’s dream was for our country.  Did Dr.King’s dream become a reality?  Are all people treated equally today?  What’s your dream? 

When Emmalynn said her dream was to be a pony, I realized I needed to clarify the question, “What’s your dream?”  I explained to Emmalynn, “It’s not a dream that you have when you sleep.  It’s a hope for the future of the world or for others.”

What’s your dream for the community or the world?  

She understood the difference and wrote a wonderful response.

“My dream is to help the world.  I would help people by making sure that they have homes, families and don’t get separated.”

I love Allana’s dream too.

 

Aren’t they beautiful girls with big, beautiful dreams for the world?  And speaking of beautiful girls, my niece, Meghan, joined us for our MLK fun.  You can read about Meghan’s dream here.

The Ultimate Virtual Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap

Posted on by Run DMT
5

Photobucket
(Cue music.)

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!



Photobucket

Our Christmas Countdown

Posted on by Run DMT
7

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*
Mama's Losin' It
“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)”

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogue

Christmas Shopping with Shutterfly

Posted on by Run DMT
3

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.
*

Irish You Could Taste This

Posted on by Run DMT
12

PhotobucketFor our New Year’s Resolution, Allan and I sworn off red meat and we have been eating more vegetarian dishes.  About a month into the New Year and our commitment to a healthier lifestyle, Allan’s gallbladder and my high cholesterol would force us to limit our diet and menu selections even more.

 

Then on Tuesday, Allan underwent the knife laser to have his gall bladder removed just in time for St. Patrick’s Day and a traditional Irish dinner: Corned Beef with Red Potatoes and Cabbage.  There went our New Year’s Resolution, along with my cholesterol and our vegetarian diet.

 

Oh well.  We can always start over and go back to tofu tomorrow.

 

 

Corned Beef with Red Potatoes and Cabbage

(Modified Food Network Recipe)

 

Ingredients:

1 (3-pound) corned beef brisket (uncooked), in brine with seasoning packet included

12 cups cold water

2 bay leaves

20 black peppercorns

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 large head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 thick wedges

1 ½ lbs small red potatoes, quartered

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

 

Place the corned beef in a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water.

 

Place the corned beef in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, red pepper flakes and seasoning packet. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, and braise until very tender (about 6 hours).

 

Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes).

 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage and potatoes to a large bowl. Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices. To serve, lay the slices over the cabbage and surround it with the potatoes. Top it all with fresh ground pepper.

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 

 

*Also submitted at*

 

PhotoStory Friday

Reindeer Cookies

Posted on by Run DMT
13

 

As you can tell by Allana’s subtle smile, the girls were so excited to discover Day 11 of our Advent calendar.  Baking Christmas cookies with Grandma and Auntie Simone is annual tradition and my girls love to join in the reindeer games, especially when it’s time to make Reindeer Cookies.   They love assembling the cookies almost as much as they like to snack on all the pieces to that make the reindeer’s face.

 

 

 

 

Run DMT’s Reindeer Cookies

1 stick of cold butter

1 ½  cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mini pretzel twists

Red M&M’s

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

In an electric mixer, cream the cold butter. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, whisk baking soda, cocoa and salt until well combined.  Then gradually, add flour mixture to creamed ingredients and mix well.  Once mixed, divide dough in half and chill for 2 hours.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Roll out dough and flatten to approximately ¼ inch thick.  Prepare dough into long rectangular shapes and then cut the dough into about 3 in x 3 in squares.  Cut each square diagonally in half to make equal triangles, which will form the reindeer head.

 

Place triangles 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. For the reindeer antlers, press two pretzel twists under the top two points of the triangle and lightly press dough onto the pretzel.  For the nose, place one red M&M in the bottom point opposite from the antlers. Add two semi-sweet chocolate chips for the eyes. Bake about 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove and cool on wire racks.

 

Yields about 64 cookies

 

*Proudly submitted to*

Sereina Charise Photography: Very Merry Christmas Link Up

Shake Up Christmas

Posted on by Run DMT
14

Being married to a Scotsman, I have been educated in the UK Christmas tradition of pop stars creating THE number one hit at Christmas.  Across the pond, pop stars fight over the coveted number one spot at Christmas. The movie, Love Actually, pokes humor at this silly UK Christmas custom.

 

 

Here in the States, a new Christmas single may hit the airwaves every once in a while but for the most part, artists simply put a new spin on old classics.

 

Well, it must be a blue moon Christmas because Train has released a new Christmas single this season, Shake Up Christmas.

 

 

The song fits my criteria for being the perfect Christmas jingle with its merry and jolly sound.  Apparently, the marketing department at Coca Cola shares the same opinion of Train’s new Christmas single as it has been featured in their Santa commercials this season.

 

 

So what Christmas songs are shaking things up for you this season?

 

 

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

 

Sea World’s Christmas Celebration

Posted on by Run DMT
10

“Well, ya  comin’?”

Where?

“To the North Pole, of course! This is the Polar Express!”

 

 

Upon entering Sea World’s Christmas Celebration, it did indeed feel as though we stepped into magical winter wonderland.  On a cool crisp Florida evening, dazzling lights and snowflakes cascaded around my family in The Christmas Market.  My girls (Allana and Emmalynn) and their cousin (Meghan) happily danced in the drifts of snow bubbles.  Grandma and Liam giggled and played in the snow too.

 

 

 

 

Then, the animal ambassadors told us that the sea lions, Clyde and Seamore, desperately wanted Santa to stop at Sea World this year, so we scurried on our way to Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas to offer some Christmas cheer.  With the help of their trainers, an elf, an otter and a walrus, they managed to make everything merry in time for Christmas.

 

 

We couldn’t leave the park without riding the Polar Express and visiting Santa, so next we hopped on The Polar Express Experience located in the Wild Artic.  The train ride was a bit intense for our girls, but we arrived in one piece and with our dinner still down.

 

We knew we had finally reached our frigid destination from the icy cold habitat we encountered once we exited the train.  A beluga whale greeted us and guided us on the way to Santa.  The elves and Santa were very excited to see us.  Santa thanked the girls for traveling so far to see him and for staying on the nice list this year.  Although they were star struck by jolly ol’ St. Nick, they remembered to share their Christmas wish lists with him.

 

 

As we made our journey back home, we ended the evening with a big bang and a breathtaking view of Sea World’s Festive Fireworks and Dazzling Lights choreographed to joyous holiday music.  And as the Sea of Trees shined over the center lake, their reflection glistened twice as many trees over the water.

 

 

 

Many other Orlando amusements parks charge an additional fee to participate in such extravagant holiday festivities, but all this magic and wonder is included with a Sea World admission every weekend night in December until the first weekend in January.

 

 

Once my girls heard that, they begged to go back this weekend with the whole gang again, of course.

 

 

For more information about SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration or to purchase an annual pass, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com.

 

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Photobucket

Advent Calendar: Day 7

Posted on by Run DMT
34

 

 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev’rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. – Harlan Miller