CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2016

Let's talk about two things, shall we?

Christmas and New Year.

First off - I am the biggest Scrooge. This Christmas I found it hard to buy presents. The older I get the more I feel most of us have enough "stuff". We have too much "stuff". And I am starting to become skeptical... I buy presents because society tells me I can't be empty handed when I see my family or friends in the month of December? Does anyone else feel this way?? Does anyone else agree that is not the point of Christmas??

Don't get me wrong - I love picking items up for family and friends throughout the year if I see something I think they will love. (I bought my friend J Mariah Carey's new Christmas storybook because I knew she would just love it - and she did.) And I'm very thankful for the things I receive. But to buy for the sake of buying when others are in need...

Little by little I hope to wear down my family this year (ok - really my mom) until they (she) agree we can stop buying presents for each other. Or at least get them to stop giving me Christmas presents because I truly am happy to simply have a couple of days off work and enjoy a good meal with those I love!!

Leroy, on the other hand was so excited about his Christmas presents that he fell asleep hugging his new Turkey. Does it get any cuter than that?

The next order of business - the New Year.

I never make any true "resolutions" but this year I have a few goals in mind. At the end of 2016 I'd like to be able to do a push up and a pull up. I'd like to go on two trips this year. (We have one booked!) I'd like to spend a little less money on eating out (I am a takeout monster). I'd like to live with my husband again. I also have some ideas about where I'd like my money to go (besides those trips - ha!).

Last year I bought a journal to document our favourite memories of the year on New Year's Eve. I'm really excited about it and I can just picture looking back on it years from now and remembering all the happy moments that stood out each year. I recommend doing it! It was even fun this year to look back at last year's memories!

I hope 2016 brings you all kinds of blessings.

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

After I discovered Teeny Tiny Bakery on instagram I became a little obsessed with the idea of using royal icing. It's something that seems really difficult to try and I've always been intimidated by it. After watching a bunch of her instagram videos I decided I can do it. I really can. Mind over matter.

Hubby ventured out on a Saturday in December (yikes) to find meringue powder and finally found it at the Bulk Barn (they also have almond flour if you want to bake macarons someday). So I followed this recipe to the letter and was surprised there is no butter in royal icing! If you're not a big baker and aren't familiar with it, royal icing is a special icing that hardens on the cookie so you can stack cookies on top of each other. It requires either egg whites or meringue powder (much easier), water, and icing sugar. It has to be the correct consistency to spread on your cookie without being a gigantic mess. I found the proportions in this recipe were just right.

My mom has a shortbread cookie recipe I always use and I wanted to try something different so I made these sugar cookies. They required a whopping load of butter. I tried not to think about it. And as expected they were really delicious. Way more delicious than shortbread cookies. Although for this purpose I didn't like that they puffed up in the oven and lost a little bit of their shape.

A friend and I spent the afternoon decorating! These were my best ones and they turned out much better than I expected! It was both more and less difficult than I pictured. Straight lines were more difficult than I thought but getting the right consistency was easier than expected. I'm excited to try these again someday soon (Valentine's Day anyone?) with hopefully even better results. And if you like baking (or even art!) check out Teeny Tiny Bakery on instagram. It is literally amazing. But have hope you can do it too!! I mean, have realistic expectations...(ha!)...but you might be better than you think!

FOR HIM: POST TWO

Christmas presents for him by amyleroysmom on Polyvore

For the guys in your life who like to travel. Some of these items are easy to select as gifts. For instance, an e-reader, shave kit, high quality noise canceling headphones, or passport wallet are pretty universal. A travel backpack is a little more difficult to choose for someone else unless you really know exactly what they're looking for. We love to travel with backpacks because they're easy to carry and not awkward if you have a bit of a walk between the train station and your hotel. We took a quick trip to Toronto a couple of weeks ago and only took a bookbag each (I didn't even take a purse) and it was the smartest thing because we were spending the day around town before arriving at our accommodations. The globe in the top right corner is from Things Engraved of all places and we gave this to hubby's brother last year for Christmas. It is solar powered and the globe within the sphere spins. He loved it and we were pretty excited about it because we really love looking at the world map.

Speaking of our love of maps... On a trip to Boston a couple of years ago we went to the Mary Baker Eddy Museum of Christian Science because we heard there is a world map exhibit. It was really neat and very worth the trip if you're ever in Boston! It was less than $10 each and consists of a 15-20 minute presentation. You stand on a walkway in the center of a sphere shaped room. It's like you're standing in the middle of a big, stained glass globe. The acoustics inside the globe room were insane!! If you stand at one side of the walkway and whisper...a person at the other end hears you like you're talking into their ear. It was really, truly amazing.

That was a bit of a detour (no pun intended in a travel post) - hehe. Hopefully you're almost done Christmas shopping and this might help you finish up.

FOR HIM: POST ONE

 Christmas presents for him by amy-claire-russell on Polyvore

The way I see it the year is divided in two: the 6 months we're moving away from Christmas and the 6 months we're moving toward Christmas!! Guess which I prefer. ;)

Last year I posted my favourite children's books for gift inspiration - posts here and here and here. I thought I'd focus on gifts for "him" this year since I've had lots of practice buying gifts for boys. (I have a brother and two brothers in law.)

First off - here are some gifts for guys who like the outdoors! In our house "nice" underwear is a hit - I usually buy Lululemon but I've heard great things about the Saxx brand. Hubby keeps talking about this Yeti brand fancy beer coozie and Oakley ski goggles. A Bose mini soundlink? Pure gold. And all camping related - pots and pans, sporks, and The US Army Survival Guide (a fun book for outdoorsy guys to browse even if they're not readers).

Trust me, people. You can't go wrong with any of this stuff (and they're all in different price ranges)! If you're trying to think of last minute gifts for hard to shop for guys I hope this helps!

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS: POST THREE

These books are for the especially little people in your life. A few are classics you probably grew up with and a couple of new ones I have found when buying books for the children in my life. (I have a few favourite books from when I was little but they are not easy to locate so I haven't included my all time faves here.)

1. Little Critter - Mercer Mayer. This one is a collection but all of the Little Critter books are lovely with a little lesson. I particularly remember "Just Me and My Dad".
2. The Dark - Lemony Snicket. This is a new one I bought for my cousin's little girl. It is the story of Lazlo, who is afraid of the dark until one day he confronts it head on and discovers it isn't so scary after all. Really cute and the illustrations by Jon Klassen are full of mute colours and I think they're beautiful.
3. Franklin - Paulette Bourgeois. Another classic collection. Same old turtle. You know him and you love him (she wrote those favourites I was mentioning earlier an if I ever find them in print online I will post about them)!
4. Curious George - Margret an H.A. Rey. My mom bought me a Curious George Christmas book this year. Enough said. This was a household favourite and the one I remember best is "Curious George Bakes a Cake".
5. Press Here - Herve Tullet. A genius book. I bought it for my friend's baby and it is sooo incredible. It is interactive, telling the child what to do for each page (e.g. press all the yellow spots) and on the following page the spots have changed! It is so awesome.
6. I Want My Hat Back - Jon Klassen. You might remember his name from point number two. I picked this up in a store and read it all the way through. It makes me laugh.

Children's Books by amy-claire-russell on Polyvore

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS: POST TWO

Here is a selection of books if you have a child age 9-12 in your life to shop for.

1. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery. This book has a special place in my heart. Anne is a heroine with imagination and gumption. Everyone will love her and the trouble she gets into. Boys or girls will probably enjoy this book but perhaps geared more to little girls.
2. Silverwing - Kenneth Oppel. I happened across this book as a kid when Santa left it for me. It might sound strange but it is the story of a bat. It's a great one and it's part of a series if you like it. For boys or girls.
3. The Sky is Falling - Kit Pearson. Kit Pearson is a Canadian treasure, I tell ya. Nora and Gavin are a brother and sister displaced to Canada from England during WW2. A great story and interesting from a historical perspective, too. Again, part of a fantastic trilogy. More of a girls' book.
4. A Handful of Time - Kit Pearson. I had to include another Kit Pearson. Really you can't go wrong with any of her books. In this one the main character winds back a clock and goes back in time to when her own mother is growing up. More of a girls' book.
5. Harry Potter - JK Rowling. Any and all of these. Book four on are a bit dark but the first three are definitely appropriate for 9-12 year olds. Harry is 11 in the first book so I love the idea of starting to read them as a 10-11 year old. Obviously for boys or girls.
6. Underground to Canada - Barbara Smucker. The story of Julilly - a little girl traveling to Canada on the underground railroad. A great way for children to learn about a terrible part of North American history but also how slaves were able to escape to freedom. I read this in elementary school so I would recommend it for 9-10 year old boys or girls.
7. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis. You know it. You love it. Spread the love by sharing it with a child you know. It's a religious allegory with Aslan the lion as Jesus. I myself am hoping Santa brings me the series someday. ;) For boys or girls.
8. Holes - Louis Sachar. This was a favourite of both my brother's and mine (and our mom loves it too)! A boy is sent to a camp for delinquents and is forced to dig holes all summer. Eventually we find out what they are looking for... For boys and girls! Also a movie.

Children's Books by amy-claire-russell on Polyvore

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS: POST ONE

Some of my best friends are books!

Here are some of my favourites for young readers, range 6-8 years old. These are also perfect bedtime stories to be read with Mom or Dad.

1. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White. Classic - a touching story of friendship. You already know it. A pig and a spider become unlikely friends.
2. Stuart Little - E.B. White. Another classic and beautiful story. The adventures of a little mouse who lives with his (human) family.
3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Louis Sachar. A fun little book that has lots of silly stories (like the elevator that only went down and the other elevator that only went up. They worked perfectly well...one time each).
4. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne. I read this classic book for the first time last year and it touches my heart. There is wisdom, kindness, and love there. I highly recommend it as a bedtime story to share - you will love classic Pooh. Silly old bear.
5. The "Fudge" Collection - Judy Blume. It seems to be a favourite of elementary school teachers (at least at my school)! Another light-hearted one for the family.
6. Amelia Bedelia - Peggy Parish. The misadventures of a nanny who always gets it wrong.
7. The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster. I would consider this to be at a slightly higher reading level but it is such a wonderful story that children in this age range will love, too. Full of literary puns and expressions ("jumping to conclusions" and a "watch dog") it is the story of Milo who is always bored and drives through the mysterious tollbooth that arrives at his house one day only to find the best adventure. This is one of my all time favourites.

Children's Books by amy-claire-russell on Polyvore

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TIPS

I mentioned earlier we were determined to finish our Christmas shopping before December first this year. We felt so accomplished to achieve that goal and I am still so excited that the shopping is behind us. I thought I would put together a list of some of my shopping tips that help make the holidays more enjoyable. (Consumerism is not the reason for the season but I do enjoy choosing gifts from my friends and family that I think they'll like. So sue me.)

1. Start early.
This might mean asking your family members for their Christmas lists in October (like we did) but if you're going to be finished early...you have to start early. When you do it this way you can look for sales all year long on items you plan on purchasing, rather than pay full price in December.

2. Then stop.
When you start your shopping a few months in advance it's easy to spend too much if you're not careful. If you've finished shopping for someone cross them off your list and stop looking! Otherwise you're going to end up spending twice as much as usual...or wish you had bought them something else.

3. Take notes.
It's August and you're visiting your parents. Your mom mentions that she has never had a salad spinner and would really like one someday. Write it down! Hubby is the best at this. He keeps a list of things I mention all year and then decides if they're worth buying. These are some of the best presents because it's something you want but then you forget. And you feel like someone out there actually listens to you.

4. Online shopping is your friend.
Seriously. I don't buy everything on line but it gives you way more variety than the mall. Embrace it. I'm talking to you, Mom. Places like Etsy have super cool stuff that no one else will have. I like that for certain items.

5. Buy what people want.
Some of my most frustrating shopping experiences have been years when no one wanted anything. I think it's pointless to blindly purchase things that people may not like or use. If you have a list I buy something from it. The exception - my husband. I know him well enough to buy things he didn't ask for. Otherwise I have to reeeeally know my brother will love what I chose for him before I stray from "the list".

7. Keep a few small gifts on hand year round.
If amazing lip gloss goes on sale at Sephora I buy a few. Then I have a simple and small gift that I know my friends will love and I don't have to specifically find them something when I'm out shopping.

6. Wrap all at once.
It takes too much time to get out the wrapping paper, tags, cards, etc to do it at more than one sitting. Devote an evening to wrapping and just get it done, people.

7. Be a joyful giver.
Hopefully you're buying presents because you love the people you are buying them for and want to make them happy. So have fun finding them the perfect gift!

CHRISTMAS SONGS

Happy December first, everyone!

This year we vowed to finish our Christmas shopping before December and we were successful! November 30th we bought the last item on our list. Last year we were so busy fighting crowds at the mall that we weren't able to relax and truly enjoy the Christmas season and everything it's actually about (and yes I'm talking about Jesus). I breathed a sigh of relief knowing we can snuggle in for all of December, watch Christmas movies, enjoy the tree and each others company (on the rare occasion we get to be together), and of course turn on the Christmas tunes.

When December first hits I am in full blown "Merriest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny Kaye" Christmas spirit. Who am I kidding? I start listening to my Christmas Playlist November first. However, for those of you who don't find your Christmas spirit until December first, I put together a little playlist of five of my favourite non-traditional Christmas songs. The Matt Anderson "Spirit of Christmas" album and Amy Grant "Home for Christmas" are perfect. And the thing I like about Dolly - she doesn't just sing about the good times. She's had some hard candy Christmases. ;)

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR HER

Stocking stuffers for her by amy-claire-russell featuring a light blue fragrance

Dolce Gabbana light blue fragrance
sephora.com

MARC BY MARC JACOBS earrings
shopbop.com

American Eagle Outfitters striped crew socks
ae.com

Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Key Pouch - Black
shopbop.com

Blinc Blinc Mascara
sephora.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

Hello, world!  Happy New Year!  I can't believe the holidays have come and gone and I miss Christmas like you wouldn't believe.  So much that today, January 17th, my Christmas tree is still up and looks just as beautiful as it did four weeks ago... for the most part!

I just went through my photos and thought I'd give you an update of our Christmas through a photo recap.  First of all, the three of us did a lot of cuddling (and after Christmas most of the cuddling took place while watching Downton Abbey - or "going to Downton" as we call it in this house).

We hosted a dinner party for four and I tried my hand at baking fruit tarts with custard.  Not too shabby.  The pears really made the dessert.

Next, we had our own "Christmas morning" together the three of us on December 23rd before heading up river to the in laws' and eventually my family's on Christmas night.  I don't care what you say, Leroy understands everything.  Hubby and I were getting ready to open stockings, I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and literally Leroy (on his own) went into the living room and lay down beside his stocking.  He totally gets it.  Totally.

Around that same time, the 23rd or so, we had a big ice storm that resulted in the neighbour's tree falling down into our yard.  We were nervous to leave the house to visit family because we weren't sure if the power would stay on.  Turned out our house was fine, but many in the area lost power for days.

Then we spent a few days at my parents' house with the siblings.  Sister, hubby, and I played a friendly game of Life.  (I won... as per usual... not competitive or anything.)  And why is it in that game you end up with soooo many children!?  And whyyyy do they force you to buy a more expensive house when you're Game of Life middle aged?!

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a happy, healthy, and exciting (in a good way) new year!  We have dubbed 2014 "the year of the resident" but as one of my classmates pointed out, "the year of the paycheque" is just so much nicer! ;)

CHRISTMAS TREATS

You know I like to bake, right?  It's not super obvious, is it?

Did you also know I just bought some personal training sessions and I am very much on the wagon?  That's right...hopped on at the most difficult time to be "good".  Christmas time.  Oh, the horror.  And considering my love of baking, it seems so much worse.

My solution has been to bake a number of Christmas goodies and give them away!  Hubby is shocked and appalled but it's really the best fix, I think.  So I made a few things this year (my mom's version of Oh Henry Bars - really  nothing like the chocolate bar, Peppermint Macarons, my aunt T's Bailey's Fudge - crazy good, Coconut Chocolates, and Pecan Snowball Cookies) and most of them are packaged up to go!  My mom gave me really cute Christmas treat boxes last year so I used those and bought these adorable little dishes from Michaels (pictured below).  They were literally $2 each.  AMAZING!

I just kept a few things so hubby can snack on them over the holidays.  So I was able to bake, hubby gets a few treats, and treats for friends!  I'm pretty happy about this (although don't get me wrong, I would way rather be eating those sweets)!

I used the Christmas gift tags I bought on Etsy, tissue paper, and ribbon to package up some of the sweets.

They look good, right?  I tried one (really, only one) of the Coconut Chocolates because I had never made them before and they were so good!!  The graham cracker square you're seeing is our version of the Oh Henry Bar.  I'm really not sure why we call it that because there are no peanuts or caramel.  They simply consist of graham wafers, chocolate, butter, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs.  Really easy and hubby's favourite Christmas treat that my family makes.

Can I just say I'm really proud of this photo?  I never feel like my photos are very good and this one with the tree in the background out of focus looking so amazing is such a happy accident. *Ahem* I mean photography skill... ;)

And aren't those little dishes from Michaels so great?  Really - $2.  I only bought two but I probably should have bought fifteen.

Merry Christmas!  I just can't stop saying it.

CHRISTMAS WRAPPING

This year I decided to do something a little different.  The last two Christmases I bought wrapping paper at Costco and boy, was it inexpensive.  Not only that, it was pretty good quality, too.  Nice and thick so it didn't tear easily while you were wrapping.  I wanted to do something a bit more pretty and creative this time around so I bought a few items on Etsy including:

1. Aspen Frost patterned paint roller and applicator from NotWallpaper
2. Medium white scalloped gift tags from Catch Some Raes
3. Large red scalloped gift tags from Catch Some Raes
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas stamp from Creatiate
5. White poinsettia on red Christmas washi tape from LaZoie
6. Light gold glitter washi tape from LaZoie
7. Black ribbon on sale from Michaels
8. Stamp pad and paint from Michaels
9. Craft paper from Wal Mart or the like
Also loving this washi tape and this washi tape

You could call it "variations of a theme", really.  I used those basic staples for all of the presents and no two are exactly alike.  Some are completely printed with the Aspen Frost roller, some just have a strip.  Some have black ribbon, some red, some none.  Multicolour washi tape and one of two tags, you get the idea.  I think they're pretty exciting because they're unique, fun, and a little bit creative.  Hubby was a bit horrified that I bought a paint roller for $50 with shipping and handling.  He can't quite seem to get past that to enjoy the spirit of Christmas wrapping... Frivolous, he says.  Men. ;)

And in case you're wondering, our tree skirt is actually two fur "rugs" from Wal Mart.  You can find them in the section with bathroom things and rugs.  They come in all different colours (lots of neon, actually) and I have two wrapped around the bottom of my tree.

Merry Christmas!

MY FIRST TRY AT MACARONS

Hello, Christmas lovers everywhere!

This has been a very cold and snowy weekend so after church this morning we've been snowed in at home.  I spent the day trying my hand at the French pastry known as macarons.  This was my most difficult baking project to date, as far as I can remember.  I wanted to share my tips from this baking adventure!

I used this recipe from studiodiy.com.

My attempt certainly wasn't perfect (I threw out 3 pans of macarons) but the cookie sheet that didn't overcook was pretty good for a first attempt, I think!

First of all, to translate the measurements from the studiodiy recipe.  They list the ingredients in grams so I'll pass on the wisdom of the internet to you all in case you're like me and don't own a kitchen scale.

200 grams of icing sugar = 1.6 cups
200 grams of almond meal = 1.8 cups
80 g egg whites = whites from 3 eggs
200 g granulated sugar = 1 cup

The next tip?  I tried to make almond flour myself from whole almonds.  Hubby did the grocery shopping and didn't put his full effort into finding almond meal at Bulk Barn (they have it and I went back for it later).  In theory, almond meal/flour is simply ground almonds.  You just grind the almonds in a food processor and then use a sifter so it's a fine consistency.  The issue I ran into was if you grind the almonds too much they become a paste.  However, if you don't grind them enough, they're really quite big pieces and that doesn't work either.  When I went back to Bulk Barn I found they had almond meal that was much finer than I could get it on my own, so I just bought it.  Definitely the way to go, in my opinion.

I would have made the macarons slightly thicker, as well, when applying the batter to the cookie sheet.  The cookies aren't too thin, but I would have liked them to be a little bit thicker, I think.

My oven and I are constantly waging war against each other, in case you didn't know.  It is a very difficult oven to work with!!!  The longer it's on, the hotter it gets.  I mean, only the first sheet of cookies comes out right.  After the first pan I have to turn the temperature down and bake for less time, and everything still seems to burn.  That was the issue with these.  It seemed like there was a very fine balance.  They are very delicate pastries so being slightly brown on the bottom makes them too hard and just not right.  As always, the first pan out turned out fine.  *Dreaming of a convection oven.*

If you're planning on using candy cane pieces (or anything else) for embellishment, you have to make sure the buttercream frosting is layered on quite thick so it can pick up the pieces of candy.  It's best to squeeze a big dollop into the centre of the macaron.  I squiggled the frosting around (technical term) at first and when you pushed the cookies together, you could tell it had been kind of messy and squiggly.

And that brings me to my last tip.  When you press the cookies together, hold them by the edges.  If you push from the centres, the macarons will crack and collapse.  They really are delicate little guys.  (Lesson learned.)

So it wasn't a complete home run, but successful enough that I will definitely make macarons again.  And this time I'll have a little experience under my belt so they should turn out even better!

TILLY THE TELESCOPIC TREE

That's her name this year.  Tilly.  Tilly the telescopic tree.  Why telescopic, you say?  That doesn't make any sense, you say?  Well, someone in this household who will remain nameless thought Tilly was but a tiny tree.  So tiny a telescope is required to see her, they said.  This slightly offended Tilly but as she concentrated on her beautiful array of handcrafted ornaments she was able to shrug off those hurtful remarks and fulfill her Christmas destiny.

I was confused by the use of "telescopic" in what one could only assume is a "microscopic" situation, but hubby assured me he truly meant "telescopic."  Men.  If it's not busting out the windows they just don't consider it a Christmas tree.

I don't think she's so bad.

And in other news, my mom surprised us with an amazing piece of Christmas artwork!  When we opened this gem on December 1st I did a double take.  At first I wondered if she had found someone to paint Leroy!  Then I quickly realized that our baby's right eye is blue. ;)  Apart from that, it is really a striking resemblance!  Hubby and I were very excited about it - as was Leroy.  He took a good sniff.  I put it up in the living room where I had hung our new wedding photo.  It is truly special and I can't wait to look at it year after year!

Happy December and Merry Christmas!

THAT ONE? BUT YOU'VE READ IT TWICE!

This Christmas we:

Saw a whole new world with Aladdin (or Steppenwolf - whichever you prefer).
Had our head stuck in a book with Belle.
Got down to business with Mulan (to defeat...the Huns).
Were a part of Ariel's world.
Washed the dishes with Cinderella.
Marched off to work with Snow White.
Painted the colours of the wind with Pocahontas.

And I'm pretty sure we loved every second of it!



Animal Kingdom.

Lamps in Animal Kingdom.

How would you ever choose?

Something I normally wouldn't think twice about, but the balloons were fantastic!

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE

We spent our Christmas at the place where dreams come true - which is why I haven't been blogging.  I was too busy having fun and making wishes!

This was my second trip to Disney (or Bizney as my little sister used to say).  The first time my family went Mom was pregnant with my sister and this trip was for her to experience the magic.  It was also the first vacation we have gone on as a family for quite a few years and with the work world approaching me, (albeit still in the distance,) who knows when we will have another?

This photo is a sneak peak.  I must say I'm quite happy with it because it is darn hard to get a picture of that castle without a million heads in the way!!!  When I snapped this I was actually standing somewhere you're not allowed to stand, apparently.  A "cast member" (or as the rest of the world knows them - employee) asked me to move and I didn't until I had taken the photo.  Hubby thought I was being rebellious but I assure you, as someone born without a rebellious bone in their body, I just didn't hear the lady!

More to come later!

MERRY CHRISTMAS (WHAT TO WEAR)

Merry Christmas Eve!  We are spending a couple of days with hubby's family and then tomorrow afternoon we leave for Florida.  This will be our first Christmas away so it's quite exciting (and unique).

Leroy is a January baby so this is his first Christmas.  His grandfather gave him a special treat and his grandmother bought him a Christmas collar.  We should call him Santa Paws.  First of all - once again this is our baby sitting on our pile of suitcases.  He always knows when we're going somewhere and doesn't want to be left behind.

This is what I wore to visit family.  Skinny jeans (Bootlegger), an oxford shirt (Old Navy - actually a men's shirt but there was nothing similar in women's so I bought it anyway), a belt (H&M - I love the braiding), boots (Spring), pearls (gift), watch (Fossil), tank top (Gap).

 

Leroy had a blast the last two days playing with his "Aunt Lizzie".  So many new toys to steal and chew, new treats to devour, and a new warm body to cuddle with.  He's pretty tuckered out today - but yesterday - he was still excited to get out into the snow.  (We are having a White Christmas!)

 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  I'll see in you in 2012!

SWEET AND SALTY BUTTONS

I've been an absentee blogger the last few days because as soon as classes ended I went into Christmas mode.  My mother in law came down to visit Friday and spent the night and on Saturday I went home to visit my family.  It was a nice visit and prelude to Christmas and now I'm back!

Apparently a few of my classmates have made these "sweet and salty buttons" (I made up the name because I'm not sure what they're actually called).  These might just be the easiest treat in the world to make!!  Start by putting a kiss on your pretzel - I used caramel kisses.  Do this on a cookie sheet.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Put the cookie sheet in the oven for a few minutes, just until the kisses are soft.  You will be able to tell because they will become very glossy.

Next pop a smartie or pecan half on top of the kiss.  It might sound silly but it's best to do this one at a time.  (I tried to save time by doing this two at a time - one in each hand - and they weren't as pretty looking).  Pop the cookie sheet in the fridge to let the chocolate harden.  Voila!  That is your button.

SONGS OF THE SEASON

Looking for a hilarious new holiday favourite?  Would you rather laugh at festive songs than contemplate beautiful lyrics?

I thought so.

While traveling this summer, our host in Prague sang us this song.  Having not ever heard of it, his serenade was hilarious.  We had no idea what he was singing.  I hope you enjoy it!