Saturday, December 29, 2012

CHRISTMAS 2012

Well it's official, Christmastime has come and gone for this year.  It seems like it was just Halloween but now here we sit on the edge of a new year and on the brink of another year of wonderful possibilities and memories to make. I am excited for what 2013 will bring for our family! (Hopefully the addition of another little miracle to our family, or at least the announcement of one. Let's keep our fingers crossed!) However we have several accomplishments to make before another lil one can be added to the family.  These include potty training and the movement to a "big boy" bed for Colton in the near future. Two things that are sure to prove stressful and time consuming. :)

Christmas for our family was wonderful this year, but very busy at times.  With the constant flow of family members in and out of town and lots of "last minute" things to get done, it's no wonder that the holiday flew by before I really had a chance to sit down and enjoy it!  I didn't even get my Christmas cards mailed out this year or family Christmas pictures taken. At times I felt like I failed this holiday season, but once I saw how excited and happy my son was on Christmas morning I realized that those other things don't matter, all that matters is that everyone is together, healthy, and happy!

Here is a few photos of the last few days:

This was Cubby's last night here for the year. He had a
movie night with the Grinch and Max.
 


Santa came!!

 

Santa's letter to Colton...
 

Daddy and Colton on Christmas morning...



I love Christmastime and spending time with our families.  Even with the craziness of shopping, cleaning, baking, and visiting, there is nothing that I cherish more. I hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday with their friends and family! :)


 
 



 




FOUR CHEESE SAUSAGE MANICOTTI

With the cold weather and snow everywhere lately, eating at home is not just something that our family enjoys but also is a necessity. Italian meals are our comfort food and even though they come with lots of carbs and calories, being part of an Italian family makes them a very common choice for weekly dinners. My husband loves pasta, but making plain old spaghetti every week gets boring so I like to make a variety of pasta dishes. Including this recipe for scrumptious stuffed manicottis that I threw together a few years ago and has become a big hit in our house.

 
Click on the "RECIPES" tab to find out how to make this meal.


Monday, December 24, 2012

CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT

Holidays are such a wonderful time, but with all the excitement and fun comes a lot of stress.  However, I made a vow to not let all the stress of cleaning, preparing, shopping, and family visits keep my family from enjoying the holidays! So every night after dinner, my son and I (and my husband when he's off) cuddle up under a warm blanket and watch holiday movies!

 
 
I really enjoy sharing the movies that I loved as a kid with Colton. Many of them are classics and much better than the ones that are made today. To see which movies made our favorites list, click on the "CHRISTMAS" tab on my Holidays page.


Saturday, December 22, 2012

SIMPLY SENSATIONAL TRUFFLES

Baking at Christmastime is doesn't have to be confined to cookies, nothing adds variety to a cookie tray like delicious pieces of homemade candy. One type of candy that I love to add to my trays are chocolate truffles. These incredibly simple yet absolutely delicious treats are sure to please everyone! And with only two ingredients, even the most inexperienced baker can whip these up in no time!

 
Find the recipe to these yummy chocolate delights under my "RECIPE" tab. 


CUBBY HAS BEEN BUSY

The arrival of Colton's Elf on a Shelf has been a blessing this year. With temper tantrums a frequent occurrence, the reminder that Santa's helper is watching him seems to help. It's working so well that I'm considering having him stay year round.  Colton loves finding Cubby in the morning and seeing what he's been up to!


Cubby "Tebowing"....
 
Yesterday, Colton found Cubby trying to steal
Christmas cookies...
 
Cubby went on a date with Mrs. Potato Head.
Apparently she was talking too much so he took
her mouth piece off!
 
To be continued....
 
 


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

CHRISTMAS KOLACHE COOKIES

Every year, I bake several different kinds of Christmas cookies and treats for my family as well as for friends and neighbors. While I always try to make a few new recipes each year, there are some true favorites (most of them family recipes) that I bake every year.  One of these family recipes is my grandmother's recipe for Kolache. These little jelly filled cookies are a hit with everyone!

 
You can find the recipe for these totally yummy cookies and more on my Christmas page under the "Holidays" tab!


Sunday, December 16, 2012

WHAT'S CUBBY BEEN UP TO?

I have to admit that I'm really having fun with this whole Elf on the Shelf thing. I love coming up with new cute ideas for Colton's elf.  Colton loves him! The purpose of him is also slowly working. When Colton starts acting up, I remind him that his Elf reports to Santa every night and he is slowly learning to not throw a temper tantrum every time he doesn't get his own way. That makes this mommy happy :)

Here is what "Cubby" has been up to the last few days....


Last night, he built an army of Gummy Bears....
 
 


Tonight, he's playing with daddy's Playstation...

Saturday, December 15, 2012

THE ELF ON THE SHELF HAS ARRIVED!

My son Colton has recently entered that "wonderful" phase known as the terrible two's. Temper tantrums and whining have become an all to familiar event in our house lately, so I decided that this year would be the perfect time to introduce the "Elf on the Shelf" idea to him. While he is still a little young to understand the concept completely, he does respond when I tell him that the elf, which he named "Cubby" is watching him and telling Santa.

Being the Pinterest obsessed person that I am, I love reading and finding cute Elf on the Shelf ideas, among other things. I've also come up with some cute ideas on my own and so I've decided to make a quick post each day to show what "Cubby" is up to.  I love the whole idea of the Elf on the Shelf, if they would have had this when I believed in Santa, I would have always been on my best behavior.

 

This morning Colton found him riding off in his police car. He thought it was the funniest thing seeing him trying to squeeze into his car.

Friday, December 14, 2012

CHRISTMAS STORY TIME

Here we are less than two weeks away from Christmas and I haven't made any posts about all the fun Christmas related things that I have been up to. It's no surprise that with all the decorating, crafting, and yummy baking that goes along with Christmastime, that this is one of my favorite times of the year. But more important is all the wonderful time I get to spend with my family, especially my little boy. He is truly the best present I have ever received. 

Since story time is one of the most special times we have together, I decided to make a Christmas bedtime story advent calendar, similar to the one that I made for Halloween.




Check out my list of Christmas themed books that I used this year. You can find them on my Christmas page under the "Holidays" tab.