Every year we make Chocolate Covered Peanut and M&M bags for our stockings. It was awesome the first year we found red and green M&Ms, perfect. We use honey roasted peanuts, they're sweeter, but still salty enough for the mix. The other bag we make up is full of the different Christmas candies, we start buying bags in October at Target. I just put the Pretzel mix in cellophane bags you can get at Michaels and the candies are put in ziploc bags with names on each bag. I also bake chocolate chip cookies the day before and put them in cellophane bags for each one to take home.
After I get up, first I light the Christmas candles and plug in the tree, village and other twinkle lights in the house. I make sausage and french toast with orange flavoring, instead of vanilla flavoring. We cook a turkey the day before so we can have turkey sandwiches and chips after opening presents.I just put out the buns, turkey, chips and drinks, because all the plates, napkins and bowls are already set up that morning.I have snowman coffee/hot cocoa cups with lids and hot cocoa packets on the table, or for anyone who wants coffee. I use red and green plastic cups for Cranberry Gingerale. I love Christmas traditions, when kids grow up it gives them memories of what they did every year.
Well Hello, Is everyone ready for Christmas? Alright then, I'm not either, lol, so I'm looking forward to it. I feel more like decorating this year than last and really want to celebrate life.
We have Thanksgiving here and Christmas, we've set traditions that are so important for people when things are not so good, traditions are stability in a sense. It's something to look forward to, how you decorate, what you set out year after year, all those things are psychologically important, esp for kids growing up. Everyone knows when they walk in there's twinkle lights, (that's all year for me,lol), Christmas music, movies and food. I send things back to their home when I can. If you go to someone else's house for the holidays you can take something as tradition, something you bring, bake or make, others will come to look forward to it every year.
It's hard enough for people working, they don't always have time to bake goodies. I watch the kids, everyone knows how much daycare is and if you can find a good one. I'm home, my grandkids are happy, fed and it bonds us even more. If it's not grandkids, then other relatives need the help. It's actually one of the most important things you can do if both parents have to work. It's crazy, parents can pay so much of their paycheck for daycare, hardly worth working and they need to, but you can provide a good place and take away that stress of daycare.
Anyway, going to start doing more Christmas decorating this week coming up, very excited. Didn't I just put up Fall decorations? Yep, sure did and Bam!, it's Christmas time. I love it, Christmas candy, oh I love those candy cane kisses and those butter cookies in a tin. Christmas colors are absolutely my colors. I'm crocheting Christmas items, knitted some more Christmas yarn dishcloths and such. I can not wait to see the tree up, and it's going to be interesting, another walking baby to keep off it. LOL One's three, so we just got past that last year and now a 14 month old, ~shaking head~, it will be fun, it will be fun. :D Here...we...go..~shaking head with a happy grin~.
