Its Beginning to Look A Lot Like........Chaos?

Let me begin this post by saying if you are related to me, please don't read any further.  If you do then I will take no responsibility for your discovering what your gift is and thus spoiling the fun.  Thank you.  And now, a commercial break to allow those who need to make a discrete exit:

Buy  at AllPosters.com

OK, now that they have left the room I can fill you in on all the projects that have been dominating my free time the last week or so!

The biggest gift so far:  my wine cork Christmas Wreath.  It has taken two years (and borrowing from my sister) to get enough corks to make this one.  Yes, I could have purchased wine corks to add to this but that's not the point.  The only thing that was purchased new was the straw form (approx. $2.00).  The ribbon, corks and hot glue I already had on hand.  Needless to say I'm very tempted to keep it for myself.........

Next we have the Get Well Gremlins.  They are made from thrift store sweaters & filled with rice so they can be warmed (or chilled) when someone needs to feel better.  The little pocket on the front is perfect for holding a cotton ball or scrap of fabric with essential oil on it.   The original idea came from 5 Orange Potatoes, and as with most ideas, I've taken what works for me to make it my own.  The free pattern makes a gremlin just right for a little one:

I made a larger pattern to use for a grown-up:

I didn't think to take a photo of these two together so you could see the size difference, so I'll do that later.  I have another one in the making -they are very addictive!

Finally, I made some hand-warmers from scraps of old blue jeans.  They are intended to be for DH, but I may make another pair because these seem to large for his hands!  Thanks to Frugal Family Fun Blog for the idea  :)

Because of all my crafting madness, by basement looks like it has exploded.  Mostly that is due to DD being down here whilst I work (she's got to keep herself busy exploring & pulling things apart, you know).  At least the projects are coming along swimmingly:  I should have them done in plenty of time to be wrapped BEFORE they need to be given.  I have another project or two underway as well, but I'll keep those to myself until they are picture ready :)

Next week I have the entire week off from school -DD starts a new daycare on Monday, so I'll have a day at home by myself -an unheard of treat these days!  Thanksgiving will be at my sisters so no need to prepare my home for it  :D

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Christmas Cake

Baking Day

I haven't take a photo of the finished product yet, but it looks FANTASTIC!  The only regret I had was that I forgot to put on my Holiday Apron!

And don't forget, Flylady's  Cruising Through the Holidays begins today :)

Holiday Libations

I was finally able to work on some holiday gift projects yesterday!  I spent an hour doing careful, beautiful embroidery work only to discover that my knots weren't good enough -DD destroyed the gift within a minute of having her hands on it.  I guess I would rather find that out now and not later after the gift had been given.  But still.....................sigh.

Today is the day that I am baking @DianeDenmark's Christmas Cake!  I have all the ingredients on hand, just waiting for all the folk to gather so we can Tweet-n-Bake together.  Unfortunately, Twitter seems to be down right now so I'm hoping it'll be up in time for baking!  I guess there is always Facebook Chat  :)

I had dinner with my sister's family yesterday as my nephew was home from college for his fall break.  We taste tested two sparkling wines to see if we had found a new (and less expensive) candidate for the holiday festivities.  But it got me thinking about Holiday Libations - or the Things I Like to Drink during this time of year and some recipes I would like to share.

Merry Mimosas

This is a drink we like to have on Christmas Morning with our traditional Eggs Benedict breakfast.  It is super easy to make AND to drink.

Ingredients:
Orange Juice
Cranberry Juice
Dry sparkling wine

Preparation:
Combine equal proportions of orange and cranberry juice.  Fill glass halfway with juice mixture, top with the sparkling wine.

Rusty Nail

This one I have yet to try, but it sounds intriguing.  I had to look up Drambuie to see what it was exactly as I am using it in the Christmas Cake.  Under the description there were a few cocktails listed.  I chose this because my mother spends Christmas Eve night with us and I always make sure to have Scotch on hand for her for our evening tipple.

Ingredients:
Scotch
Drambuie
ice

Preparations:
Fill glass with ice.  Pour 1 1/2 ounces Scotch into glass, followed by 1 1/2 ounces Drambuie.  (Drambuie is last as it is heavier than Scotch).

Can't wait to report back on this one -maybe I'll try it at Thanksgiving  :)

Hot Spiced Wine

I always did this back in the day when we had annual Holiday Open Houses.  I had to go in search of a new recipe as I lost mine last year & was pleased to find one that can be done in a crock pot. (Remember, my stove top is cracked & at this point I don't know when that will change).

Ingredients:
2 quarts pineapple/orange juice
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3 bottles red wine
2 lemons
1 orange
3 cinnamon sticks
whole cloves

Combine all the ingredients except the lemons & orange.  Add the juice of one of the lemons.  Slice the remaining lemon and orange and add to liquids.  For a fancy look, stud the cloves into the lemon and orange before slicing.  Simmer 30 minutes before serving.

Hot Buttered Rum

Another recipe I've wanted to try for years because it can be made with or without the rum.

What are your favorite holiday drinks?

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Holiday Grand Plan Week 7

I can't say that I'm happy with the result of one of my handmade gift ideas!  It involves embroidery and according to the directions it should be super simple.  It is simple but the finished result was not spectacular.  I'll try it one more time & if it still looks funny, I shall set the project aside and concentrate on other things.

Like the fact that it is week 7 and I still haven't emptied my freezer of old mysteries so that I have room for new stuff!  I would like to get at least one batch of crescent rolls in the freezer.  I would like to attempt making some pumpkin puree as well.  I don't care so much for pumpkin pie, but there are many other pumpkin recipes out there :)

I thought maybe I would stick to the music theme for this post.  After all, I love Christmas music!  I sang all throughout High School and the carols were my favorite.  I would certainly never be an American Idol Competitor (even if I were young enough) but I can carry a tune.  I also have an almost embarassingly large collection of holiday cd's.  But nothing gets me in the mood for Christmas like music does -hope you find something new to add to your own collection!

*  Little Altar Boy  by The Carpenters.  I love my Carpenter's Christmas cd -mostly because Karen & I have similar vocal ranges so I can sign along to my heart's content.  I stop every time I hear this haunting tune.

*  I Saw Three Ships  by Sting.  This is on a Very Special Christmas collection -I think we still have it in cassette form!

*   Blue Christmas - (From the 1968 NBC Television Special) by Elvis.  Can't have a Christmas without the King!

*   Winter Wonderland by Tony Bennet.  This isn't the version I was looking for, but the cool swing brings back childhood memories all the same.



*   Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer  by Chris Isaak.  Probably my favorite Christmas cd so far - and not just because I have such fond memories of Chris!  Its a little Elvis-like, but has Isaak's guitar sound throughout.  I dare you not to bop around to this rendition of Rudolph!


*   Christmas Wrapping (Long version)  by The Waitresses.  No child of the 80's would be without this song on their list!   ......or even a SHE?  LOL


*  Last Christmas  by Wham.  I just can't stop singing this when I hear it!


There are just so many more songs!  Music like the Nutcracker Suite & The Hallelujah Chorus, Hank Williams Jr, Dan Knight, and the unforgettable South Park Christmas collection......(Note:  I tried to add South Park's Dreidle Song, but it wasn't on file for some reason.  Probably for the best because it would surely offend someone, but I have to listen to it at full blast at least once during the season.  Without DD around of couse!)

So when you start baking your Christmas Cake next weekend, don't forget to let the music play!

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Drop me a line if you would like to be added to the list!

Cardinals & Candy Canes

We are already on week 6 -one third of the way through the preparations!  As I have been ill this past week, most of the Holiday planning has been just that -planning.  I have chosen one craft project and have all the supplies ready to go, just need to start doing it. 

I found some great decorative papers to hand make gift tags for this year.  One of the papers has inspired me to choose a decorating theme this year -cardinals!  I'm leaning toward red as the main accent color, and since we have been leaning toward bird ornaments the last couple of years, the cardinal seemed like a natural choice.  I chose candy canes because they are also red & white.  Love to look at them, just not terribly fond of eating them (hee hee).  I have a holiday decorating trick up my sleeve, but until the project is finished I'm going to keep it under wraps.  That way if I don't finish it, no one will be disappointed!  LOL

I have been very productive so far today - I finally got into DD's closet and finished decluttering!  3 large bags of clothes & toys are ready to be dropped off at Goodwill.  All toys have been organized into baskets so EVERYTHING now has a place to be.  Books & stuffed animals will be rotated (out of the closet) to make it easier for DD to put things away.  She's already spent a considerable amount of time playing with that had been packed away in the closet!  There are still some toys in the basement to organize & we may need a few more baskets -preferably solid under-the-bed kind so they can be stored out of sight when not in use.  At least DD is now ready to make space for new things to come into our home for the holidays.

I haven't started baking yet!  I still need to "declutter" the chest freezer otherwise there will be no space for any made-in-advance goodies :)  Mincemeat is on my grocery list this week, as is Drambuie - both necessary ingredients in DianeDenmark's Christmas Cake recipe and the only ones I don't currently have on hand.  Will you be joining us for the bake off?

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Drop me a line if you would like to be added to the list!

Holiday Grand Plan Week Five

I did it!  I accomplished all the holiday things I set out to do this week.  Instead of just five more addresses acquired to my list, I finished it.  Of course, if any fellow FlyBabies wanted to DM their address to me I would be able to add it to my list as well (hint hint).

It is a bit easier to think about Holidays now as the weather is getting cooler.  And after counting on my calender yesterday, I realized that it is only 8 weeks until my Thanksgiving break begins!  We will be hosting our family Thanksgiving dinner, and as long as I stay on the course I'm on right now it should be a breeze.

One holiday is rapidly approaching and I feel under-prepared for, and that is Halloween.  Now that I have my own home and DD is getting older I feel compelled to decorate outside for it.  I saw a great project in a magazine for making a giant spider.  But when I priced the styrofoam ball for the spider's body, I decided to rethink ($20 for 1 ball?  I don't think so!)  I think it may be time for a paper mache spider body, and I know just the crew of 4 & 5 year olds who would be delighted to help.  We can keep the giant spider in the classroom & then I'll bring him home.  Maybe I'll splurge on small foam balls so the kids can have smaller ones to keep. 

Do you get into Halloween or is it something you prefer to pass over?

Before I forget (again), check out these fine FlyBabies and their own Holiday Planning:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Holiday Grand Plan: Week 4

Once again, I am SO glad that I am starting my holiday planning so far in advance!  I completely forgot about doing any holiday things this past week. 

Angel, c.1957 (With Holly)  Art PrintWarhol, Andy

I had planned on decluttering my freezer (or having DH do it while he was on vacation), but that never happened.  I did find this morning an interesting blog post about creating "freezer meal starters".  Instead of packaging meals to heat and serve, you precook an item to "start" a meal you can finish quickly.  This appeals to me because I have a small chest freezer and if I precooked meals I wouldn't have space for making holiday goodies in advance.  It also appeals to me for I am horrible at remembering to take something out in time to cook. 

I had also planned on continuing the creation of my holiday address labels.  I promise I will get at least 5 new addresses added by next Sunday!

I'll also need to track down supplies for my handmade holiday gifts & projects.  I've located the recipes I wish to use as gifts, all I need are some baking supplies, mason jars, holiday ribbons & figure out a way to make fancy labels on stiff paper board.  I have been using cardboard file boxes to help keep my school work organzied, so I will invest in some more to keep my holiday projects organized!

Looking ahead to the next week is taking an inventory of my gift closet.  My gift closet is actually a combination of a cardboard file box with goodies that DH comes across at his store, and the plastic tubs I keep our holiday decor in.  I'm thinking the two need to combine!  Our gift closet supply has run low.  But once I get it together and organized, I'm sure it will be easier to maintain and use.

Another fun task will be the holiday budget.  It won't take long, since its pretty much the same from year to year.  What DH & I will need to negotiate is how much to spend on DD.

So nothing new here really, already falling behind on my tasks.  But maybe, just maybe, this will be the week I catch up!

Holiday Grand Plan -Week Three

Christmas Dreams Art Print

I started out well last week, but having a guest coming to stay put the Holiday Planning on a back burner.  What a heavenly feeling knowing that I'm not behind as I have started so early!

I found a template for Christmas labels so I'm slowly but surely adding addresses to the labels.  When the time comes to mail them, I'll just put in the appropriate label paper into the printer and voila - that laborious chore will be finished!  I have beautiful labels with our own address to use as well.  I still have holiday stamps from last year, but of course the postage rate has changed since then.  I'm hoping that there will be holiday stamps in SMALL denominations so I can use these up.

We have a plan for holiday gifts as well, and I know what the menus for the major holidays will be.  We will be hosting Thanksgiving in our miniscule abode, and my sister will be handling Christmas.  At this point we just don't know if it will be in their old home or new one.

Holiday Grand Plan Week Three

Looks like it is time to gather supplies for homemade gifts!  I really like the idea of packing the materials together along with the directions.  Since our basement is now neatly organized, I feel like I can begin tackling this one.

I know what I want to bake ahead of time, but before I start any baking I need to clean out the freezer.  Time for the mystery meats, ice cubes in ziploc bags & pureed food made for DD to go!  Until then, there is no point in preparing food in advance as there is NO ROOM for anything else in the freezer.  It really needs to be defrosted as well.  Hmmm.........another project for DH while he's off this week?  I'll also be checking out the Freezer Cooking Guide.  Busy weeknights happen during the unHoliday Season as well.  I can only use my crockpot so often before becoming bored with the food too, so I'm looking forward to this line of enquiry.


Happy Holiday Planning everyone!

Enjoying the Holidays - The FlyLady Way!

One of the things I like most about fall is that it means the Holiday season is just around the corner.  In years past I have felt silly trying to prepare for the holidays before Thanksgiving, but this year I am trying something new: starting my plans NOW!  Thanks to Twitter pals @Luvschweetheart and @DianeDenmark I finally feel free to revel in the joy and excitment that the holidays bring.  This will be the first Christmas that DD will truly enjoy, so I want to make sure that it is a special time for her.  And that means not being up in the wee hours of the morning just because I couldn't get around to wrapping my gifts until the last minute or fighting crowds because I have forgotten someone's prezzie.

Christmas Tree, c.1958Art Print

Warhol, Andy
Buy  at AllPosters.com

A couple of years ago, I printed the FlyLady Holiday Control Journal.  I filled out a few of the pages, but that's it.  For me, waiting until the beginning of December to start ramping up for the holidays doesn't work.  DH is in retail which means between Thanksgiving and Christmas he works 6 days a week.  We have to arrange a time for our big family Christmas celebration by the beginning of October just to make sure he has the right night off!

Luvschweetheart introduced me to the Holiday Grand Plan.  It starts the holiday planning this week.  I printed off some pages and I am amalgamating it with the FlyLady Holiday CJ.  By following these two plans, I am hoping that December will be a relaxing, C-Joyous time!

P.S.  I already ordered gifts for my coworkers!!!!

P.P.S.  I'm really looking forward to the transatlantic baking session to make DianeDenmark's Christmas Cake!!!!!!!!!!