Santa and Nativity Advent Calendars

Surfing the web today for an advent calendar, I came across this one that features a Santa. Each day, you glue another cotton ball onto Santa's beard and at the end Santa's beard is nice and full.

This interactive Nativity Advent Calendar uses bible verses and activities to celebrate the coming of Christmas.


Love Santa gifts? Then you are sure to be charmed by these Santa Lip glosses.

Sour Cream Fudge

I love this fudge! It is decadent and oh-so rich!

• 2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 8 oz sour cream
• butter or margarine
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Combine sugar, salt, and sour cream in buttered heavy saucepan. Be sure to have plenty of room in the pan since the fudge will rise and bubble.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixure reaches soft ball stage or candy thermometer reads 234°. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tablespoons butter.

Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until the mixture thickens about 4-5 minutes. Pour into buttered 8 inch square baking pan. Chill until firm. Store at room temperature.

Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

I love curling up in front of the fire with a good book and a hot cup of cocoa on a cold, wintery day. My kids love to have hot cocoa for breakfast and snacks. To keep up with their demands and keep the cost low, we mix up a huge batch of hot chocolate from scratch and store it in the pantry.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup Non Dairy Creamer
• 1 cup Nonfat Dry Milk
• 1/4 to 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. To serve, spoon 3 heaping Tablespoons mix into a mug and add 8 oz boiling water. Stir, top with whipped cream or marshmallows and enjoy!

Mocha: Add 1/4 cup instant coffee.

Mexican: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Peppermint: Stir with a candy cane.

Flavored: Substiture flavored non dairy creamer.

To make this an extra special treat as a gift package some cocoa in a jar, tie with a bow and give with some chocolate covered spoons.

Chocolate Covered Spoons

• Chocolate Chips or Candy Coating/Almond Bark
• Caramel or White Chocolate Chips or Candy Coating/Almond Bark
• Disposable spoons

Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip spoons in chocolate, be sure to wipe excess chocolate off before setting spoon on wax paper to set. Drizzle caramel or white chocolate over the spoons to add a decorative flair. Wrap spoons with plastic and tie with some curling ribbon.

Tip: Be sure to use regular cocoa like Hershey's or Nestle's. Do not use premier cocoa, the chocolate flavor is not as intense.

Dreidel or Tic Tac Toe Game Boards

What better way to spend time with family than to play a game? Even better these board games can be hung on the wall and displayed as art when not in use.


Supplies Needed

• 12x12 plain picture frame
• Paint
• Coordinating 12x12 scrapbook paper
• Letter stickers
• Paper Punch or Stickers
• Glue

To make the Dreidel Gameboard:

1. Remove glass and backing from the picture frame and paint the frame.
2. Add the letter stickers to the dry frame to spell Happy Hanukkah.
3. Glue one piece of the scrapbook paper to the backing.
4. Take a coordinating piece of paper and fold it in half. Then fold each half in half again. You should end up with the paper being folded four times, with each section measuring 3 inches. Cut along the fold lines.
5. Tear the edges of paper toward you for a decorative edge. Glue to the backing to form a border. Repeat with the other piece of paper, making sure that you tear a wider strip off to form the second border. Align straight edges with the first border and glue.
6. Use the decorative punches or stickers to embellish the board.
7. Reassemble the picture frame and start having fun!

Tic-Tac-Toe Gameboard:

Follow steps 1-3 from above. From coordinating paper, cut out 4" strips. From the strips cut out 5 squares. Glue the squares to the board, starting with the outside corners, then glue the middle square. Embellish the squares as desired. Reassemble the picture frame and you have a tic tac toe board! Use punched out shapes or foamies for the playing pieces.

Horns of Plenty

Last year my daughter had to bring in a food item that began with H. We decided to do Horns of Plenty. We filled sugar cones with Trix cereal. We then wrapped it in plastic wrap and tied it shut with a ribbon.

This idea would work wonderfully as a place card. You just need to add a tag with your guests name to the ribbon before tying the bow! Your mini horns of plenty could be filled with nuts, candies or other goodies.

Handprint Keepsake Craft

After I blogged about the Turkey handprint craft I remembered another craft that I wanted to do. Pick out coordinating paper and trace everyone's handprint onto a sheet of paper. Cut out and layer the handprints from the smallest to the largest. To complete your project, simply frame the layered handprints. What a simple and elegant way to capture stages in your children's lives!

As gift giving season is near, why not make a couple and hand one out to the doting grandparents? Family members are sure to treasure your handmade keepsake.

Grocery List

Recently I wanted to make cookies with the girls, so off to the store I went to get the one ingredient I didn't have. Well, I got home and started making the cookies to only realize that I forgot another ingredient. Arrghh!!! I spend close to 40 minutes schlepping back and forth from the grocery store.

Don't let this be you on Thanksgiving morning! Create a grocery list for the items you will need to prepare your favorite foods. The Ulitmatest Grocery List will save you time, money and effort as you begin your holiday baking preparations!

Now let the baking begin!

Turkey Handprint Craft

There are a lot of cute Thanksgiving crafts, but my favorite is the Turkey made from your child's handprint. After displaying the Turkey's during November, I put them in the kids' memory boxes. It's fun to pull these keepsakes out and see how much their hands have grown year after year.

To make the turkey, paint your child's hand brown and each finger a different color. Carefully place your child's hand on a sheet of paper. Remind your artist not to wiggle his or her fingers or the turkey feather's will get blurry. Next, apply red paint to your child's thumb, and place on the paper to make the turkey's waddle.

Another great handprint craft uses handprints that have been cut out to make the turkey. The whole family can get involved! Trace and cut out the smallest child's footprint using brown paper. Next, trace and cut out several handprints of the smallest child using red paper and glue to the back of the foot print. Usethe same child's handprint cut out in yellow to make the turkey's feet. Use different colored paper for each child and each adult's hand prints to make the turkey really full. Add googly eyes, a yellow beak and a red waddle to complete your turkey.

Email Stationery

Not able to spend time with your family this holiday? The perfect answer is to send them an email with custom stationery. Cloudeight Stationery has over 3000 designs to choose from, including everyday and holiday.

With custom email stationery updating family and friends with your important news is just a click away.

Thanksgiving preparations

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, I decided to pull out my linens to see if anything needed to be laundered, pressed, or repaired. This is a great thing to do weeks in advance instead of the day before or day of!

I was so glad I did! I found one of my favorite tablecloths during my search - a plain white cloth, that had everyone's signature on it. My husband and I hosted our first family Thanksgiving in 1994 and to commerate it, I decided to have everyone sign the tablecloth and then later I would embroider over the signatures to "dress" it up. What makes it so special is that it was one of the last Thanksgiving's John's grandfather attended. My children never got to meet their great-grandfather and using our special tablecloth is a wonderful way to remember him!