Ischl Tartlets & Christmas Eve

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Ischl Tartlets are a cookie I started making for Christmas a few years ago...I love their flavor and elegant appearance. CLICK HERE for the recipe.

I swiped the cookie cutters I use from my mom...thanks mom! lol However, mine (hers) are getting a little worn out and I have been scoping out a new set on Amazon.



Christmas Eve is always a fun time at my Grandma's house...although I have no pictures to share! You will just have to take my word that the "cookie bar" is fabulous and the appetizer dinner spread will leave you so full you can barely get off the couch.

After we come home the kids always get new pj's...this year I added a book as well. It's a fun tradition that my mom did, and still does, for me and my sisters. You are never too old for new pajamas, right?

Here they are ready to hop in bed and here is our stash after Santa visited! Stay tuned for a few Christmas morning pictures.

Sugar Cookies

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I admit it, I don't enjoy making sugar cookies. Gasp! Maybe the mess it leaves behind has something to do with my scrooginess about it?

Today, I got myself up for the task and we forged ahead! You know what though, it turned out pretty nice! There were a few squabbles, but by the end of decorating...my "too cool" son was singing Christmas carols off key and they were taking turn with the sprinkles and icing.




Here is the finished product and a few of our other goodies we have baked...mint chocolate chip cookies and pistachio cranberry cookies. I remember dipping pretzels with my grandma, so I try to keep the tradition alive.

Christmas Getaway

Pin It With our seasonal holiday business, Todd and I have to work alot of hours during the month of December. Luckily, we get to take the week of Christmas off and we have been looking forward to this little getaway for some time! We used a groupon coupon to stay in the Embassy Suites in downtown Indianapolis for one night. We walked around downtown, sipping hot chocolate...looking at the lights and decorations! We also squeezed in dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory and a carriage ride. After that, we walked back and warmed up in our room, while we watched Secretariat on pay per view. The kids had a blast in the "suite" and pigged out at the complimentary breakfast, they have decided they want to live there!

Here are a few pictures from our evening, please excuse McKinley's coat...we had an unfortunate incident with the hot chocolate!

Evie lost her front tooth...

Pin It she looks so different!!



A few pictures from the Christmas concert at church today. Wish I had taken a few more of Evie's dress...the three wisemen are on one side, a shepard and his sheep are on the other.

Last School Day of the Year 2010

Pin It and it was a dress down day!! I love dress down days...if you know me...you know I strongly dislike uniforms! lol If you love them, don't try to convince me why they are great...I probably will not change my mind.

Here are a few pictures of the kids this morning, I think they were a little tired from several nights of staying up late with Christmas festivities!

Tweeking, Tinkering, Fiddling...

Pin It whatever you want to call it, that is what I do. I put up a decoration, Christmas or non-Christmas, and as it sits there for a few days I will decide it needs this or that...then I tweek it, fiddle with it...

So, another $7 in plates and a $15 wreath later, this is the top of my cabinets. I also added a $3 poinsetta to the other side of my cabinets. I think I might be done tweeking with the cabinets, but who knows?! lol




This is next idea is crafting Tattered Tulips style! I love to spend hours on appliques and ruffles...for the most part I know where all my sewing notions, fabrics, machines and trims are located.....BUT...I can't tell you where I put my hot glue gun. Anyway...a little tape, a little leftover ribbon...and my inexpensive (or cheap if you want to call them that) candles are a tad more festive!





I picked up this litte 12 days of Christmas thing from Target for $10. It starts tomorrow and each little packet contains a few pieces of candy. A fun little twist on the traditional advent calendar and it can be reused next year! With different candy, of course!

Saturday, the 11th of December

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Today we went out to breakfast and did a little shopping...followed by a little baking.

We did a simple project I read about in a cookie magazine I picked up this week. You start with ready made peanut butter cookie dough...a few chocolate chips, broken pretzels, and red hot candies later you have little reindeer cookies! The kids had a blast making them plus it was quick and easy with minimal clean up. The other cookies we made today are called peppermint meltaways. I love making them every year, they are easy and delicious...not to mention festive! Click HERE for the recipe.

Stephanie dropped of an adorable little basket of cookies for us today! I snapped a picture of our package and my ice punch poinsettia.



Of course, anytime we go anywhere in December it's an excuse to wear Christmas clothes and take pictures! Here are a few from today.

More Birthday Weekend

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Here are a few more pictures from my birthday weekend and our trip downtown to drop off letters for Santa. I wonder how long before McKinley doesn't believe? This might be his last year! But I just tell them that Santa doesn't bring gifts if you don't believe...so they can be 32 and still believe, right?!

The Santa Shop Stash

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I never knew the Santa Shop would become one of my favorite parts of being a parent at Christmas time. Sure...I remember all the fun I had as a kid shopping and giving away my little gifts from the Santa Shop, but experiencing it as a parent is pure joy!

First, they bring home their envelopes where I mark who they will be buying for and how much they get to spend on each person. (Of course there is a spot where I mark that they get to buy themselves a treat.) Then they take it to school and come home with their carefully wrapped packages...the best part is they are just busting to tell me what they got me!! It cracks me up seeing them try so hard to keep the secrets. Last year watching them give their gifts to everyone in the family was the best part of my Christmas morning! $40 worth of dollar store plastic angels, golf tees, Christmas mugs, back scratchers, and Christmas neck ties leads to such sweet memories when given with all the love and innocence of a child.

I cannot wait to see what fun items are hiding in this years packages...and NO...I did not peek at the packaging slip that was in the bag of presents, thank you PTA. lol

Our Tree

Pin It Here is our Christmas tree! I think I found a pretty good balance of pretty and kiddy. Mixed in there are lots of Disney ornaments from our trips, babies first christmas ornaments, and art class ornaments.

Every year, I think this is the year I will be over my flowers...but every year I love them just as much as the year before! I picked them up on sale from a little Christmas shop in Frankenmuth, MI.

Christmas on a dime

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Since there is not alot of money in the budget for Christmas decor I am trying to be creative. Remember the little arrangement I showed you before? Well...I have been tweaking and I like what $1.99 worth of wrapping paper and some ribbon I had on hand did for the pictures behind the table.

On top of my cabinets I have a few plates displayed year round. So for $7.80 I picked up two new plates at Target to add some Christmas color. The gold cone trees and wreath stand are from my current Christmas stash...however, I think I will invest in a really nice wreath for up there. I will keep you updated!

The Nutcracker

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This week Evie and I went to the Nutcracker ballet, along with my mom and sisters. We had a great evening and Evie enjoyed it more than I thought she would, especially all the beautiful costumes. Sadly, she feel asleep just before the dance of the sugar plum fairy! I was so disappointed because I know she would have loved that part...but in her defense it was already 2 hours past her bedtime by that point. She held on as long as she could!