Too Cute Not To Toot

It's Christmas Cookie Time!! I came across this fun cookie recipe over at Moms Crazy Cooking and they looked so good!  Now, I will say, sometimes it is hard to find those specialty puddings but you could always use vanilla or white chocolate and had a tiny amount of peppermint flavoring :-)

This next idea comes from Parents.com 
and it made me laugh out loud when I saw it.  Seriously, the next family party we have, I'm so going to make people play this game :-) 

Check out these awesome Apple Chimichanga's from Juanita's Cocina..  I used to buy a frozen version of these from Schwan's years ago but these look so much better.  Can't wait to try them out!

(I can't get a photo to upload right now but these look too good not to just post anyway!)

This next "idea" is actually multiple ideas from Attempting Aloha and includes not only the idea for the photo I'm sharing but tons of ideas for organizing the toys and art supplies that quickly take over a home.  Quite a few of them caught my attention as I will be working on getting the boys play room put together this winter.

I never believed the fact that when you have kids, your vehicle is trashed most days. But guess what?  It's true!!  It just seems to happen - toys, books, mittens, hats- everything ends up in the vehicle but never comes out.  Just Sew Sassy shares a fairly easy tutorial of how to make a great over the seat organizational "thing" that I love.

One last idea for this post and it comes from Bible Fun for Kids (Why haven't I ever seen this site before??).  I love that you can get the figures in color and in black and white!)

 Happy Crafting! 

The Grinch and Some Tinsel

Once a week I what to share what we did with our Tinsel advent study and our Grinch Countdown. I'll try to limit my photos so that the post doesn't get too long!

December 1st:

I decided that I wanted to do the Tinsel advent study in the morning.  It's a nice break before lunch and the ornaments are supposed to be fairly quick.  Day 1- the Study was on the fact that Jesus is the light of the world.  While we talked about how we don't like being in the dark but it's ok when we have a nightlight, the boys made some Stained Glass Candles.

 I've gotten smart in my old age.  Glue and toddlers is one huge mess.  Instead we "painted" with our glue and the boys loved it. 

Now, the book says the entire lesson and craft will take about 30 minutes.  My almost three year old was done in 20 minutes; my four year old perfectionist was done in 90 minutes.  I will say that Josh's ornament took days to dry - he really loved painting with glue.

The Grinch countdown I decided to do in the afternoon because some of the activities, like today's, are fun snacks or they are crafts that may take longer to do.  Today's pocket held the card with just the title of the book and then a small gift for each boy and an unpopped bag of popcorn.

 We made this fun popcorn snack that I shared "HERE"

Then they each got a new ornament for the tree since we were decorating the tree today.

December 2nd:

Tinsel - We did not get to our ornament craft today. I put it off and shouldn't have because then we didn't get to it.  It's ok though, because I can make it up later this week.

Grinch:

Aren't these adorable?  I saw these at Walmart for $2.89 each and couldn't resist - they are Little Sock Monkey Stuffed Animals for Christmas.  The boys loved them.

December 3rd:

Tinsel:

Today's ornament was a crown to remind us that Jesus was the promised king. Now, my kids love paint. To paint two small Toilet paper tube crowns, we went through a whole thing of paint. Oh, and Josh painted . .. the paint bottle too. Due to the high amount of paint use, we had to wait to finish this project :-)

Grinch:

December 4:
Tinsel:

We finished up our crowns by adding Jewels to them.  I've realized that this year, our goal is just to do one thing each day - it may take us two days to finish an ornament and that is ok :-)

Grinch:

We made these (premade) cookies today for our countdown activity.  They are supposed to be Micky Mouse but they look a little like a frog I think HA!

December 5:
Tinsel:

Can you tell what these are?  No?  really? HA! These are supposed to be faces but my boys got a little glue happy with both the wiggle eyes and the yarn for the hair.  Creativity is good, right?

Grinch:  Ok, we are doing our countdown every day but I've discovered that the boys just want a "treat" so I've decided to make it easy for me and instead of trying to do a crafty thing or anything else on some days, I just make sure there is a treat in the pocket - M and M's, Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats.  That is what makes them happy :-)

December 6:

Today's ornament/lesson was about the Angel who announced that Mary would give birth to the savior.  The craft in the book was a little too hard for my boys so I printed off this picture and had them color it.  Then I glue it to some card stock.  This gave us a break from glue today :-)

December 7th
We did nothing today - well, actually we did lots but it was because we had a couple of guests with us all day so we did not do either our Tinsel or Grinch activities today :-)

A Quick and Easy Christmas Treat

One of the activities we did with our Christmas countdown was make some fun popcorn.  I seem to have a lot of fun stories to go along with things lately and this is no exception.  I have . .. or should I say had . . .a Whirley Old Fashioned Stove Top Popcorn Popper.  Our microwave is on the fritz so I try not to plan on using it since it only works when it wants to; with that in mind, I decided to make it homemade which is more fun anyway.  I did my prep work - measured out everything I would need, put the oil in the pot and then went to finish up a few things before we made our treat.  When we went into the kitchen, I started the fire under the pot and noticed that something was dripping . . .faster and faster off the bottom of the pot.  I thought it was weird that it was sweating but I thought it was because I had washed it earlier and maybe hadn't dried it well.  Then I noticed the flame kept flaring up and there seemed to be a lot of liquid on the stove.  Then it hit me, there was no oil left in the pot!!!  Apparently, there was a small crack or hole in the pot and all of the oil leaked out.  Yikes!!  I had a couple disappointed boys but have no fear, I quickly moved to a regular pot and I must confess, I liked the regular pot better.  One less pot to take up room in the cupboard. 

What did I use on this popcorn?
I measured out 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn and put it in the pan to pop.
I then measured out about 1 cup of white chocolate chips

I divided both of those items into two sets (two LARGE bowls for the popcorn and the chips into two measuring cups)

Melt the Chips until they are smooth and pourable.  Then, each of the boys got a bowl of popcorn, dumped their cup of chocolate on it and stirred.  Then I had divided the sprinkles into two containers and let them pour away and mix again.  We spread it on a cookie sheet to "harden" and then we snacked on it all day.

This recipe also would make a great addition to a Christmas gift basket or to hand out to neighbors.  I wondered about putting crushed up candy canes on it as sprinkles but I think they would have to be REALLY crushed - hard pieces of candy would not be so fun I think.

Weekly Menu

Do you ever wonder why you plan?  I do!  Actually, this last week wasn't too bad but there were some changes.  Due to having one vehicle right now, I couldn't go to the store during the day last Monday (or this coming Monday) so I had to get creative for dinner.  I happened across a recipe on Pinterest and had everything for it, so I made it.  I'll share the recipe later :-) Along those lines, for my own benefit and future planning, I'm going to include a link to last week MENU and then let you know what we actually ate (I know, you are thrilled, aren't you).

Monday - Mexican Chicken in the crock-pot (new recipe) and homemade bread
Tuesday - Strogenoff, Salad, and Green Beans
Wednesday -Tacos with chips and salsa
Thursday - Ham and Cheese Quiche and Hashbrowns
Friday -  Kids - Grilled Cheese; Us out (Darryl decided at the last minute to take Saturday off after all so we ordered in!!)
Saturday - Spaghetti and garlic bread
Sunday - Gone :-) 

This coming week is b.u.s.y. (well, at least for me!).  Monday I have practice, Tuesday is Ladies Meeting, Wednesday the kids have program practice, Thursday I am going to a Ladies Tea with a friend and . . .then I crash!!  Meals need to be easy, that's for sure!!

Monday - Crock pot chicken, Sweet potato Casserole, Roasted Green beans

Tuesday - Mac and Cheese and chips.  For the ladies meeting I'm going to make a Spinach dip wreath and Pumpkin Crunch. (Tonight I leave the house at 5:00 to take Nate for pictures at 5:30, ladies meeting at 6:30 and than grocery shopping - I'm already tired!)

Wednesday -Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin, Twice Baked Potatoes and Sauted Cabbage

Thursday -Lasagna, garlic Bread

Friday - Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, Baked Crab Ragoon and Fried Rice

Saturday - Baked Teriyaki Chicken, Cheesy Cauliflower Bake, 4th of July salad

Sunday - Roast, Potatoes and Carrots

Holiday Traditions

Today over at Kellys Korner it is "Show us your life" Friday and the topic of the day is . .. Holiday Traditions.

Traditions are so much fun because they build excitement each year.  I find that they are just as fun for me as they are for my kids, especially now the boys are starting to get old enough to remember things from year to year.

Our Traditions:

1) Grinch Countdown Calendar - This is a new tradition that I wrote about "HERE".  I look forward to doing this with the boys for as many years as they will allow me to do it, and then maybe a few more because I've heard that teenagers SAY they don't like something but they really do :-)

2) Advent Study - This year we are doing Truth in the Tinsel because it is the perfect age level for my kids.  The tradition isn't so much what we do but rather that we do something to study the Advent - the reason for the season.

3) Decorating the Boys Trees - This is also a new tradition - the boys each have a tree in their room and I discovered that they love decorating their own tree so we are going to make it a tradition to do this with them - maybe as early as Thanksgiving night :-)

4) Our Tree - Our Tradition is to go the weekend of Thanksgiving and cut down our tree.  We have a certain Tree Farm we go to and then stop at a favorite restaurant on our way home. We then put the tree up while watching "Home Alone" and having something fun to eat.  As you read "HERE" our "tradition" did not go well this year - but at least we have a tree.

5) Lights - The boys LOVE Christmas Lights and so do we!  We take time to drive around and find lights- usually while we are out doing other things.  It's just so much fun! 

6) Christmas Eve - Most years, we spend Christmas at my parents.  If that is the case, we go to their Christmas Eve service.  Then we return to their house for snacks and the boys get to open one gift.  They get PJ's and one toy or book (and maybe slippers).  I like to include a toy so there is some element of surprise :-)  Then, they put on their PJ's and we attempt to read "The Night Before Christmas" before they go to bed!

7) Christmas Morning - The tradition is to open Stockings before breakfast but with the boys so young still, we've found it easier to Eat Breakfast first instead of trying to tear them away from Toys :-)  Breakfast is cooked by the men and is normally Eggs, Bacon, Toast, Cinnamon Rolls and Orange Julius.  It is supper yummy!.  When we open gifts, we open one at a time so that everyone can see what the other person received plus it makes the morning last longer :-)

8) Frankenmuth- I almost forgot!  Even though we have been unable to go the last two years, we do have a tradition of going to Frankenmuth the weekend before Thanksgiving.  We like to browse the Christmas Shop and pick out a few new ornaments plus enjoy a fabulous dinner . Honestly, we didn't go this year because it was also "Deer Hunters Widow Weekend" - we went once by mistake on that weekend and it is PACKED so we skipped this year. 

I do have ideas for future Traditions to add in as the boys get older:

1) Shoe boxes - I plan on putting together Operation Christmas Child Shoebox with the boys.  I wanted to do it this year but it just didn't work and I didn't plan well for it.  Hopefully we can start it next year.

2) A Christmas Play - Before kids, Darryl and I would try to attend a concert or play around Christmas and we'd like to get back into it as the kids get older.  Just something fun to see that is about Christmas. 

3) Christmas Cookies - Every year I have a goal to make Christmas Cookies and take them to the neighbors.  Last year I got close but the last few recipes bombed so I gave up :-) Maybe it will happen this year!

For now, I think that's it. The great thing about traditions is that you can always add more!

Food Friday . .. On Thursday - Crock Pot Ham

I decided to post a recipe today because tomorrow I will be participating in "Show us your life Friday".  :-)

Crock Pot Ham
adapted from Cookbook Recipes

As I wrote about recently, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner and my main responsibility was the meat.  Instead of doing a gigantic turkey (which the one I made was 19 pounds and MORE than enough!), I also wanted to do a Ham.  I had seen this recipe floating around on Pinterest and had also heard from several others that tried it and said it was fantastic.  I figured what better time to try a new recipe than when the "whole" family is coming over, right? ;-/  Thankfully it turned out wonderfully.  I will say, I probably should have pulled it out of the crock pot about an earlier than planned but it was still super flavorful.  I used the left overs in Scalloped Potatoes and also I threw the last bits of it into Kraft Mac and Cheese and it was fabulous.  One last word of advice, make sure your ham fits in your crock pot.  Mine was "this close" to not fitting!  This ham received rave reviews from everyone which made me very happy!

Ingredients
1 ham, precooked, bone-in, spiral cut
1 cup brown sugar
1 small can pineapple tidbits

Directions:
Place 1 cup of brown sugar in the bottom of the crock pot
Place ham on top of brown sugar and add the pineapple bits with juice.  Sprinkle more brown sugar on top.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours


 

Our Christmas Tree

 On Thursday, November 30th, we loaded up and headed out to get our tree.  Now, there is a little back story I'd like to share before going on further because this years Christmas Tree adventure is not the normal "Tradition".  We actually planned to get our Christmas Tree the day after Thanksgiving. My husband had the day off, it was cold, blustery day with snow flurries - perfect Christmas Tree Cutting and Decorating weather.  We loaded everyone up and headed out on the 40 minute drive to our favorite Christmas Tree Farm.  Singing songs, laughing and then it happened.  I heard a cough from one of the kids - a cough that makes my stomach clench because I know what is coming.  I threw off my seat belt, flipped around in my seat and . . .the puke started.  Not from just one kid but from both, at the same time as my husband is driving 70 MPH down the expressway.  I'm sure it was only a mile but it seemed like an eternity until he got to an exit, pulled off, and I could get out of the car.  I won't go into details but any day I hold puke in my hand, it is not a good day.  I had packed nothing for the boys as far as change of clothes but we still had to strip them down to diapers out in the freezing wind, wrap them each in a t-shirt of Darryl's that happened to be in the back of the truck.  Then wrapped one in a blanket and one in Darryl's coat before strapping them back in.  I was thankful for my jacket I had not worn in the truck because I also had to remove a shirt and put that coat on standing by the side of the road.  We turned around and headed back home, treeless.  At that point, we just figured we would go get our tree on the following Thursday, since Darryl would have the day off.  On Saturday afternoon, Darryl called from work and said, "Well, come and get me, the car is dead".  Never words you want to hear!  I needed to the truck on Sunday so, we got up at 3:00, got the boys up and loaded in the truck and kinda joked about the light covering of snow.  As we headed out, we noticed that our road was pretty slick but figured once we got to the expressway it would be fine.  We got on the expressway and it was a solid, thick sheet of ice.  Darryl got off at the next exit and we went back home.  So now, we REALLY didn't know when to get a tree.  He would have to work on Thursday since he had to take Sunday off.  On Friday, November 30th, he called in the afternoon and suggested we head out and get the tree after he got home.  That is what we did.  As we were driving there, he asked when they closed and I replied, "Dusk" to which he said, "You mean like now?".  Well, it was kinda "dusky".  We kept going on good faith.  As we came to the road we had to turn on I saw the sign that said they closed at 5:00 . . it was 5:15.  We kept going just in case and when we got the Tree Farm - that sign said "Dusk" and there were actually a few cars still there.  We had about 30 minutes top to find a tree . . in fading light.  Not the best conditions but at that point, we just needed a tree :-)

 Here we are, heading out to find the perfect tree.  Josh was pulling the tree wagon - he loves to help.

 Nathan had his HEART set on getting a little tree and as we started walking through the rows of tree, he came across this little tree and told me that it was HIS special tree. He started to try to pull it out of the ground he loved it so much.  I had to explain to him that we couldn't cut it down and we needed to find a big tree.  He asked for this tree before we left and again on Saturday.  Even on Saturday night he said that he hoped his tree would grow big so we could bring it home.  How cute is that?

This is our tree.  With the boys all in front of it before it was cut down.  By the point the boys were getting cold and were ready to head back.  They were beyond thrilled to watch it be shaken, drilled, and wrapped though :-)

Our normal tradition after cutting down a tree is to go to our favorite Local Cajun Restaurant but, it was late and we were all just hungry (and that favorite place tends to run a little slow when busy) so we took the boys to their new favorite place - a Chinese Buffet that is actually pretty good (and the boys eat free so we can eat for less than $20.00).  The boys really enjoy being able to go up and pick out their own food including things like finger jell-o, and fruit.  Plus they get ice cream :-)

It was pretty late by the time we got home so we got the boys into bed and decided to finish the tree on Saturday.

 Saturday morning.   I had one very impatient four year old.  I could not figure out why he kept pushing me to get in the shower on Saturday morning but I figured it out when I got out.  I walked into the living room and found him decorating the tree.  No lights or anything yet.  He told me that he couldn't wait to decorate it because he would be "too tired tonight to do it". HA!  He decorated and undecorated it throughout the day.  At one point, Nate started dumping out one box of ornaments; I told him to stop and he said that he had to play with them.  When I then told them they weren't toys, he said, "Really, mom, they aren't?  hehehehe

 FINALLY, the lights The boys were beyond excited to "help". 

 The lights :-)  I should have tested out our lights a little earlier . .. we lost a strand and could have really used just "one more".

 Starting with last year, my goal is to pick out an ornament for each of the boys that is a reminder of something from their year.  This year, Josh's ornament is this Airplane.  He loves them.  Remember, we went to watch the planes for his birthday?  He has asked to even ride in one because he loves them so much.

 Nate's ornament is a dinosaur - it kinda blends in with the tree.  When Nate saw it he asked a very important question - "Can I play with it mom?"  I knew then that it was the perfect pick for him!

The boys decorated 90% of the tree and I love it.  It is the perfect tree.

We figured since all of our normal traditions were thrown out the window concerning the tree, we would just continue with that plan.  Normally, we watch Home Alone while decorating the tree - we only had about 40 minutes before bedtime so we tossed that idea out.  Plus we usually have some fun food - Darryl picked up a pizza on his way home.  I figured at this point, our tree is up and beautifully decorated so now, we can get back to our traditions :-)