Blogmas: Gift Opening & PJ's, plus a Merry Christmas message to you!

 

Hello Friends ~

Well we're in the home stretch now! Christmas is only a week away. And for many that also celebrate Christmas Eve and even days before  - we're  only short days away. 

I'm in the final crunch here of baking, wrapping and prepping for the hosting I'll be doing ahead. Plus -  I have my mammogram appointment this week, and I'm helping my Mom with some things, and also taking Annie for some of her appointments. So I'm a busy elf at the moment. 

But I thought I'd at least try and join one more blogmas. I see my friend Tamy at Chasing My Life blog shared the questions: When do you open gifts? And: Does your family do matching pj's?

First of all, the gift situation has gotten out of hand this year. Lol The tree was pretty full with gifts anyways (not only for immediate family but some extended). But then Matt added a bunch of goofy little gift bags because he got the kids and I a bunch of little fun, silly & nice things all on his own. This is a pic at last gift count and there is a mound buried under the tree besides what you can see. 🙈

These are some pics from last year. We usually open gifts Christmas Eve morning (a brunch) with my Mom and step Dad and my Bro & SIL Jill (all in the pics below with my kids). And then in the evening we open with the kids. We will still be doing brunch this year with my Mom etc - but last year we opened with the kids on the 23rd. It wasn't planned but my son was staying over that night and we go to mass Christmas Eve - so they suggested it would be easier to do it on a non busy evening. And it really was. It takes us a while and we had lots of time. So we're doing that again this year! The kiddos go to their Dad's for Christmas Day and that's when we'll open with Matt's folks. My Dad and step Mom stayed in AZ this year so we sent gifts this time. 

We don't do the matching pj's thing. We never did through all my kids growing up years. But here is Annie with her bf last year in their cute matching pj's. And Matt last year got us matching sweaters for Christmas Day. He said he has something for us for this Christmas too - so I truly have no idea what I'll be wearing Christmas morning! Lol He sure keeps us on our toes and it's lots of fun!! 

It's going to get very busy in my life now, so I want to wish you a Merry Christmas time now as I probably won't be blogging until after the holidays. 

Please know I'm sending wishes that all of your decorations are up and glowing. 

That you have all your final shopping done and packages have all arrived.

That you're getting lots of time to snuggle up with those you love most this whole season long. ❤️💚

And that on Christmas Eve night you'll be all tucked in and sleeping with sweet dreams of a baby born long ago and sent to save us all. 🙏🏻. Getting all ready to celebrate His birth on Christmas Day and to spend time with our loved ones in the best ways. 

And that Christmas Day you awake to a bright and beautiful world and that Santa brings you lots of fun goodies and you enjoy the whole day long. 

So on behalf of Santa...

And from my family to yours:

❤️💚xoxo

Blogmas Mash-Up: Ornaments, Advent Calendar, and Christmas Wishlist

 

Hello Friends! 

Since I'm not able to join blogmas every day - I thought I'd grab a few of the recent ones I've seen friends post and share a little mash-up that way. 

First up

ORNAMENTS

I'll confess that even though I have 2 trees that require ornaments on them - I still have more than are needed and don't put some up. Lol I have so many family ones from through the years with the kiddos. I get them each a new one that fits them in some way each year. So I have quite a collection for Aaron & Annie! They still haven't taken all of their "own" ornaments yet. Aaron is in his own household now, but it's an apartment and they don't have a lot of room for storing those kinds of things yet. 

Also, I do a more themed tree in the formal living room each year, but I change it up every few years. Several years ago it was decorated more with gold, browns, creams and those kinds of colors. But the tree now is reds and golds. So I still have several neutral color ornaments leftover. So that explains the overflow still in the bins. 

And the downstairs tree is the one that houses more of the kiddo's ornaments and family ones through the years. So I thought I'd share a few favorites from each tree for you:

On the formal tree upstairs there are red berry picks I put all over the tree, gold garland, gold and cream bulbs, and then a fun variety of ornaments that have red or gold to them. Here's a few favorites: I love the sunflower given to us as a wedding gift (as I had a sunflower bouquet & that was our theme), the northwoodsy house that lights up, the Scandinavian star and Polish Girl (Matt has Swedish heritage and I have Polish), another wedding gift ornament, and the little ugly sweater with the truck (Matt loves old trucks like that). 

And on the downstairs tree here are a few of the favorite family ornaments: the Packer tree (of course!), Aaron's fave hockey team chair, his heavy metal ornament, a Ruby ornament, Matt's fishing & old truck ornaments, a Bubba ornament, and Annie's Clara ornament (from the first time I took her to see the Nutcracker) and the ornament I gave her last year when she was graduating high school. I love going through each ornament I put up and reminiscing over them. ❤️💚

Next up is

ADVENT CALENDAR

I have been doing this northwoodsy cabin advent calendar ever since my kids were little. Through a lot of their growing up years I would have candy behind some of the doors (like you see in the 1st pic below). And some would have a slip that said "see Mom" and they knew they would get a prize that day. Each door would have 2 pieces of candy behind it in those days. Or if they got a prize I had a hidden bag filled with little toys, stickers, cocoas to give out...or sometimes I'd even have little dollar bills behind the doors. It was a tradition they loved for many years. As they got older I started giving them their own filled calendar (like makeup or perfume ones for Annie and gaming things for Aaron). But I would still fill the cabin calendar with candies like I still do today. :) 

And I love this painting that Aaron did way back in grade school and still hang it every year. ❤️

And finally 

CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

I love to give gifts far more than it matters to me to get them. It's been my love language from way back. I find the most joy in finding the perfect something for someone, or making something for someone, and I even love packaging gifts so pretty before I give them. 

Matt and I went shopping back in the Fall at the Mall of America and got each other what we considered our "big" gifts for this year. He got new airpods and I got an ipad mini. But we both enjoy finding little funny or thoughtful things to give one another. When my kiddos and Matt asked about things I might want - I told them I would love to learn how to make my own sourdough and get some of the tools for making that properly. Also, I would love some books on herbs and how to use them in recipes, medicinally etc. I love to garden and grow herbs every year but would love to know how to dry, store and use them properly in many ways. 

I'm curious - what's on your wishlist this year??

So that's my sharing for this big blogmas post! I'm not sure when I'll get time to do another one as I have a busy week. But if nothing else I hope to get in a recipe post this week too. 

Christmas blessings to you all. 

❤️💚 xoxo

Blogmas: Holiday Party Foods (& some recipes from Thanksgiving too)

 

Hello and happy weekend ahead to you Friends!

Today my Friend Tamy shared her blogmas prompt, from her blog chasing my life,  about party foods. So I thought I'd share a few recipes I have made from holidays past that you might enjoy. 

The first one I have made and shared on here many times. But it's always a go-to that everyone seems to enjoy. It's a cold crap dip. I often serve it with crackers (including gluten-free ones for my Bro) and veggies too. 

It has a cream cheese layer with lemon juice, mayo, worcestershire sauce, and onion in. Top with cocktail sauce and crab meat and chill a bit. You can find the full recipe here.

Next up is a recipe I made last year that was so yummy! It's a warm, cheesy, creamy swiss almond dip. It has flavored cream cheese at the base, swiss cheese, bacon, onion, cranberry & almond slices  - and you bake it until it's nice a melty. So holiday and so good with crackers, crostinis, veggies, apple slices. I highly recommend for a fun Christmas gathering - you'll be a hit! The recipe can be found if you click here.

The last one I wanted to share is a recipe I got from my Auntie for toffee apple dip. I love this one at Christmas time because I usually cut up red and green apples to go with it. I toss the slices in pineapple juice because it keeps them from going brown (like ever) and doesn't affect the taste. It's such a yummy sweet dip (my common denominator in all of these recipes is cream cheese - ha!) and who wouldn't love a dip covered in those little crunchy toffee candy pieces? You can find this recipe if you click here.

Now on to some recipes from Thanksgiving that I promised to share. 

First up is broccoli salad. I think many folks have their own versions of this. This has been a holiday staple side dish in our family since I can ever remember. It's crunchy, salty and sweet - so how can you go wrong, right? 

I always "marinate" the broccoli in the dressing the night before. It helps soften it just a little so it's not so hard to chew and too crunchy. I wash and cut up 2-3 heads of broccoli depending on the size. Enough to fill the bowl you want to serve them in 😉 I then make a dressing from mixing 1 and 1/2 cups of mayo with 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tsp of vinegar. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and mix well. If you have too much dressing throw in extra broccoli. Or if too much broccoli add a little more mayo. Then cover and keep in fridge overnight. The day you're serving it add about 6-7 pieces of cooked crisp bacon chopped up. About 1/2 cup of red onion (chopped fairly small), and a handful of raisins and a handful of craisins (about 3/4 cup total) Do all to your taste though. Salt and pepper just a little for taste and toss well and serve. 

Next up is the 2 hour turkey Matt made. His family has been doing this turkey for years and it never fails. It couldn't be easier and it literally takes 2 hours or less (we had a 14 lb turkey and it only took 1 hour and 45 minutes!)

He cleaned the turkey and took out the giblets etc in the cavity. 

Place the turkey in a roasting pan and be sure to have some liquid in the bottom (water, apple cider, chicken stock). You cook it at a high temp and don't want it smoking up when it drips. You also probably don't want to bake it in a really dirty oven. Lol Then grease the bird with olive oil all over and salt and pepper. That is it! He tucked the wings under and put foil on the small part of the legs. Then he baked it uncovered in a preheated 475* oven for one hour, and at that point he rotated it about 180 degrees and covered it all in a foil dome. He checked it after about  45 mins and it was up to temp. When you take it out to rest just keep it covered it comes up even more in temp (ours was over what was necessary) And it was one of the best juicy turkeys I've ever had!!

 And how easy was that? It didn't even take 2 hours! You just need to keep an eye on it to not overcook it (keep a meat thermometer handy) And keep 2 inches or so of liquid in the bottom of the pan. 

Couldn't be easier and 2 hour turkeys are a thing you can google it. Here's a recipe I found that's similar to give you more of an idea. Just click here.

 I highly recommend it!!

The last Thanksgiving recipe I was going to share was for yummy hot apple cider. I pour apple cider into a pot over medium heat. I add brown sugar (for a whole gallon add about 2-3 tbsp). Throw a cinnamon stick in the bottom. And stud orange slices with whole cloves and float on top. When it gets good and hot turn down to simmer to keep warm for folks to serve all through the day. Warming, sweet and a delicious sipper. At Christmas time I like to make more of a wassail and I also add cranberry juice along with the apple cider (about equal parts). I'll also squeeze in a little bit of lemon juice. So more fruity than just apple cider and I also still add the brown sugar, cinnamon stick and clove studded oranges. If you feel in the mood add in a splash of spiced rum or brandy to your mug. Wonderful hot toddy! You could do all this in a slow cooker and keep on low or warm.

Yay for the holiday season and all the goodies involved! Do you have some favorite snacks or drinks or traditions? 

Blogmas: Decorating and a Fun Holiday Tag List

 

Hello Friends!

I thought I'd join the festive blogging spirit with a Blogmas post. 

I know I won't have time to do one every day through the season, but I thought I'd join when I'm able. I'm following a few of my friends that like to do these posts (I see you Tamy, Jean, and Sandra). ❤️💚

So I thought I'd combine the ones they were doing today. A few were talking about their holiday decorating. 

As a rule, I typically don't like decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. But when it falls so late -like it did this year - I felt fine to get out the decorations earlier. I love putting holiday touches just about everywhere in our home for Christmas. And I'm definitely a traditional sentimental kind of decor Gal. Although I notice I have lots of northwoods inspired decorations with deer and critters, lots of Angels, and some snowmen too. I always put my nativity up (the one my Mom painted & embellished for me long ago). I tend to do a more theme decorated tree up in the living room. And I put a fun tree downstairs that holds all our family ornaments through the years. And I have a little tree in the back hall - to greet guests - that is shaped like a snowman. 

The upstairs tree the past few years has had the theme red and gold. As you can see always lots of greenery, deer, woodland things, and Angels.

Now onto my friend Sandra's blogmas of a fun holiday tag list:

✨Whats Your Favourite Holiday Movie?
I have so many, but I'd have to say my favorites I watch every year are Christmas Vacation, Elf, and Love Actually

✨Whats Your Favourite Christmas Colour?
I've been very into red and gold together and then I have lots of greenery around - so obviously very traditional colors. But if I had to pick one it would be red ❤️  

✨Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs Or Dress Up For Christmas?
I dress up for church Christmas Eve and then come home and get into pj's for gift opening with my kiddos.   

 

 
✨If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be?
I couldn't pick one - it would have to be my kids and Matt :) 

✨Do You Open Your Present Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?
I have several Christmases - if my Dad comes up to visit from AZ we do a Christmas sometime before Christmas Eve. We do Christmas Eve morning with my Mom and my Bro and SIL and Christmas Eve night with Matt & the kids. And we do Christmas Day with Matt's folks. 

✨ What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break? 

I'm a Christmas elf all through season as I host everyone here - friends and family. We seem to be the place to gather, but I love doing it. But in down time I love to listen to Christmas music sipping something yummy by the tree with only the tree lights on. Watch movies with Matt. Craft or read. If we get snow we plan to snowshoe on the bay or woodsy trails this winter. 

✨Any Christmas Wishes?
As cliche as it is for peace on earth and everyone to be safe and healthy. The things I wish for all the time actually. Lol

✨Favorite Christmas Smell?
I think I equate the scent of cinnamon with Christmas most. I make sugared pecans as gifts and they have lots of cinnamon. It's in the tea I sip.The wassail I make. The desserts often too. And even lots of the candles I have. 

✨Favourite Christmas Meal Or Treat?
My favorite treat are my Gram's recipe cut-out cookies with her homemade cream cheese + butter vanilla frosting. I add sprinkles and keep them cold in the fridge. They're soft and so creamy/buttery and excellent with a cold glass of milk. The best!

✨What are you doing for the holidays this year?
As I mentioned, hosting all of the celebrations! :) 

✨What’s your favorite holiday drink?
I love Tom & Jerry's (a sweet alcoholic "toddy" big in our area), wassail simmering - so fruity and spicy, and I always have to have a little eggnog. 

✨Candy cane or Gingerbread men?
Can't go wrong with either but gingerbread if it's not hard. 

✨What’s your favourite holiday/Christmas song?
O Holy Night 

✨What is most important to you about the holidays?
Celebrating our Lord (the reason for the season) and the time with family and friends - what life is all about! 💚❤️