Merry Christmas everyone!

Enjoy the day with friends, family and loved ones! Wishing you the best of this season and health & happiness for the upcoming year.

With love,

Christmas Elf

Pretty gift wrap is a necessity during the holiday season; unfortunately, it’s sometimes an expensive added cost to the already heavy Christmas budget. For something that will be removed and discarded quickly when gifts are open, is it worth it to invest all those dollars into nice gift wrapping paper for presents?

Well this isn’t a worry any more if you stop buying gift wrap from stores and start making your own personalized gift wrapping paper.

Watch the video at this link* for an excellent tutorial on how to create your own holiday gift wrap out of a plain paper bag. After you’re done, none of the recipients are going to know it started out as a brown bag in the first place! The best part is that this tutorial is super easy and hassle-free.

(*The tutorial is from the Shiho Masuda studio – I periodically go to her page and check out her recent videos because she comes up with the most brilliant and creative ways to make home decorations from ordinary, everyday items.)

Another idea to consider is to substitute heavy duty aluminum foil for the paper bag. (Make sure it’s heavy duty because otherwise the foil rips too easily during the wrapping process.) The key to dressing up the aluminum foil wrap is to emboss designs on it with a chopstick or other blunt pencil-like instrument. To get an idea of what the finished product should look like, as well as how to dress up the wrap even further, watch the tutorial video below:

… So what are you waiting for? Get those gifts wrapped and ready for Christmas and save some money!

Christmas dinner is over, the dishes are put away and now all the family and loved ones are lounging around excited to spend a nice evening together. So what activities do you have in store? Worry not, because I’ve thought of some fun games for you to try! Here are some amusing and creative suggestions for Christmas games and activities to keep the evening lively. Many of the games are kid-friendly making them perfect for the entire family to enjoy – spend quality family time together before you need to put the tots to bed.

When family and friends are over this Christmas, share these games with everyone!

“The Family Tree”

Christmas tree decorations aren’t only for your evergreen. In fact, they’re a lot more fun when they’re not! Pick a sturdy male family member as the “Christmas tree” and then provide everyone else with masking tape, holiday-colored crepe paper, aluminum foil, bows, anything really… and then let the decorating fun begin! This activity is sure to provide a lot of holiday Kodak moments and who knows? You could get a really good Christmas card picture for next year out of it.

“Secret Snowman”

A game that can last the whole day if you want it to! It all starts with making a snowman out of construction paper and attaching a loop of painter’s tape to him. Start the game off by discreetly sticking the paper snowman to someone’s back without them noticing. When the person “carrying” the snowman finally notices, their job is to stick it on someone else’s back and so and so forth. Hopefully by the end of the day, everyone would have gotten a chance with the snowman!

“Rudolph’s Nose so Bright”

A variation on the classic children’s game Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Make it a contest to see who can best give Rudolph a bright shining red nose while blind-folded. You can even make it a precursor group activity to create the large construction paper version of Rudolph in order to play this game.

“Santa’s Helpers”

To set up this game, you’ll need to put out two party favors, two boxes, wrapping paper, tape and ribbon. Set up two stations and divide the supplies amongst them. Divide everyone into two teams and race to wrap the party favor up as nice as possible… but, everyone needs to have one hand behind their back! The game’s all about getting to know each other and working as a team just like Santa’s real little helpers. (You can choose to have more teams if you want smaller groups – just remember to get more presents!)

“Guess Who?”

All you need for this game are a couple of long-handled wooden spoons, a blindfold and a desire to laugh out loud. Blindfold a member of the group and have them guess the identity of another member by prodding them with wooden spoons (gently of course!). This game is sure to induce giggles from the person being prodded and everyone else watching. It’s fun for all ages! 

The Christmas season surrounds you wherever you go now since all the holiday decorations are going up. That special warmth and festive aroma is in the air combined with that tingling winter chill – it’s hard not to be bitten by the Christmas bug. But if you’re still not diving into the merry spirit of things, here are some of the best Christmas quotes that ring true to what Christmas really means.

Use them on greeting cards, decorations or simply shout them into the air. They are sure to get you in a jolly mood and have you excited for Christmas day no matter what your age. Some of them are funny, some are poignant, but all of them are inspiring. Enjoy.

“Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don’t quite know how to put our love into words.” – Harlan Miller

“At Christmas, all roads lead home.” – Marjorie Holmes

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” – Andy Rooney

“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Charles Dickens

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” – Hamilton Wright Mabie

“Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age.” – Carrie Latet

“I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays – let them overtake me unexpectedly – waking up some find morning and suddenly saying to myself:  ‘Why, this is Christmas Day!’ ” – David Grayson

And of course, my very favorite:

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” – the genius that is Dr.Seuss

‘Tis the season for everyone to enjoy one of autumn’s best food offerings: Pumpkin. This fruit (yes, botanically it is classified as a fruit) has a wonderful earthy and creamy flavor with undertones of sweetness that is sure to put anyone in the mood for the upcoming holidays. There are so many ways to add pumpkin to any dish to get an extra level of deliciousness, but my personal favorite is pumpkin bread. Here’s a very easy “how-to” guide on making the best pumpkin spice bread to impress all your loved ones this holiday season and share the love. (The spices give this bread an extra kick!)

After years of putting recipes to the test, I’ve finally developed my own special best pumpkin spice bread recipe. It’s healthy and tasty, as well as not overly sweet so it makes a terrific breakfast item or snack. Follow these steps and you’ll have two large loaves of pumpkin spice bread to enjoy:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the following ingredients: 1 cup bread flour, 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cups of sugar, ½ cup of honey, 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp. ground nutmeg. Mix evenly.
3. Add 1 cup milk, 3 eggs, ½ cup applesauce and 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree to the mix and blend. Make sure it’s blended well. (If you’re up to the challenge, you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree to use in this recipe.)
4. Spray bottoms of two loaf pans with non-stick spray. Evenly distribute your batter into the loaf pans and bake in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Make sure your loaves are golden brown. You can use the toothpick test inserted into the center of the loaf – make sure it comes out clean to indicate it’s done.
5. Allow the bread to cool before removing from the pans.

Since this recipe gives you two loaves of pumpkin spice bread, you may want to freeze one of the loaves to make sure it lasts. Just pop the frozen bread slices into the toaster as usual when you want to eat them. Enjoy this wonderful holiday treat of pumpkin spice bread and share it with others.

This is a perfect gift for friends, neighbors and special people in the community that you want to show your appreciation for this Christmas. If getting one present is nice, imagine receiving a whole basket of holiday goodies to enjoy during the season! My frolicks online led me to some very creative and wonderful food basket ideas for Christmas. You can spend time preparing these Christmas treats in bulk and then divide them up among your baskets. I even found a resource where it shows you how to make your own beautiful gift basket from readily available materials so you don’t have to spend a lot of money. It’s practically free… you’ll understand when you see it

These Christmas Food Baskets will bring warm smiles to the recipients’ faces since you’ll be showing them A LOT of holiday TLC! (aka: Tender Love & Care) This gift is sure to inspire Christmas spirit and warm hearts.

1. Create the Basket

You know all those cardboard drink holders with handles that you receive from buying wine coolers/beer or Starbucks frappacinos? It’s time to start saving them. ICE Escape has a brilliant idea on how to re-use these holders and redecorate them into the perfect Christmas gift basket. You don’t have to change anything about the cup holders style. The secret is in pretty seasonal paper and embellishments. Here’s the link if you’d like more detailed instructions on how to re-create these baskets from free drink materials.

The finished product - doesn't that look like something bought in a store? And it used to be a brown Sonic drink holder!

2. Snowman Soup

… And what exactly is this, you ask? Simply put together a bag of perfect hot chocolate and ta-da! Snowman soup! Some tasty treats to include are marshmallows (just enough for one cup), a tasty package of hot chocolate mix you like, some small Hershey’s kisses and a peppermint candy cane to act as a stirrer At the end, hopefully your “soup” package will look like the below:

Add a cute message and you're set! (Image courtesy of Lori's Country Creations)

3. Reindeer Cupcakes

So easy! The magic is in the presentation… and the sweet taste of course! Who knew that chocolate-covered pretzels would make such good antlers? And don’t forget a big red candy to use as the nose – I like peanut butter m&m’s myself. Find some tips on making these cupcakes at Homemaking Fun.

Who can resist?

4. Holiday Pie-in-a-Jar

From Little Birdie Secrets, this pie is simply perfect for 1 or 2 people to share. Pretty much all the regular pie backing procedures… except done in a jar! A wonderful small addition to the Christmas food basket. For a step-by-step tutorial with images, follow this link.

5. Christmas Cake Pops

For those up for an edible creation that’s a little more challenging, Bakerella gives you the reindeer Christmas cake pops! They’re chocolate on the outside, cake in the middle, and an absolute art piece to behold. She provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to create cake balls as an introduction, and then elaborates on how to decorate these Christmas-themed ones in particular. You can also learn how to make mini Santa hats and Christmas trees! Voila, the link!

Join in all the reindeer yummy fun!

Traditional Christmas colors are red and green… so why not play up the GREEN this year? This holiday season feel good about giving gifts to your friends and loved ones, while at the same time giving back to our planet. Eco-friendly, or green, gifts are the perfect way to advocate on behalf of healthy, safe behaviors and products that are good for our earth. These pro-social gifts will be sure to motivate and inspire the recipient to share in your green attitude for the upcoming year – plus, they’ll see how cool eco-friendly products are!

Just think – despite the invention of modern cars and rockets, Santa Clause still prefers to travel by old-fashioned sleigh and reindeer. Obviously he cares about global warming and is going his part to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Let’s support his cause and do our part.

Here’s my special list of the 6 very best eco-friendly websites  that have a wide assortment of green Christmas gifts you can share this season. Also, be sure to check out the featured gift idea at the bottom which I just absolutely love!

1. Pura Vida Coffee: The brain child of two business school grad students in 1998, Pura Vida provides organic, fair trade, and shade grown coffee. The mission of this coffee seller is to benefit coffee-growing communities in developing countries. Their products are bold in flavor and free of genetically-modified organisms. Fair wages go to farmers to support their families, invest in their farms and ultimately protect the environment. Give your loved ones a special cup of coffee this Christmas! (You can purchase directly from their site.)

Fashion from Gypsy 05

2. Gypsy 05: The motto of this clothing designer is, “Good planets are hard to find.” Gypsy is all about combating the desecration of the planet and holding the beauty of nature as a marvel. Their unique, one-of-a-kind designs use organic fabrics, low impact dyes and water-based printing in every collection in an effort to promote environmental awareness. The clothing is vibrant, colorful and uses simple silhouettes. This eco-friendly brand is also very popular among Hollywood celebrities and is sure to be a holiday hit.

3. Mountains of the Moon: Similar to the above, MotM offers a wide selection of eco-friendly and organic fashions. They have everything from tee shirts to dresses to hand-crocheted hats/scarves. Their blown glass items are absolutely dazzling. Slightly cheaper offerings than Gypsy. They guarantee that all their products are also sweatshop-free.

4. Earth Inspire: This jewelry, home decor and handbag vendor strives to provide quality and promote earth-friendly attitudes. Their handcrafted designs from natural, eco-friendly, or recycled materials will make lovely Christmas gifts. The products feature inspirational quotes and artwork from around our planet.

5. Baby Bear Shop: Perfect gift ideas for new Moms and babies. Selections include “organic softies” (huggable dolls in different colors and styles), beauty and skin products, and other organic gift sets. All their gifts are 100% natural and 99% organic.

6. Eco-artware: A diverse collection of beautiful, well-made, and eco-friendly products. There is just so much fun stuff on this site to explore. To give you an idea, they have original products like multi-colored telephone wire baskets to purses made of vintage record album covers.

Finally, a gift I recommend to all this holiday season… the Global Warming mug. When you add a hot beverage, you can see the sea levels rise on the earth’s map. It’s a great gift for anyone who cares about the planet and provides the visual motivation to keep our planet healthy. It’s available for purchase from Amazon.

Christmas gifts under the tree are one thing… but it’s also wonderful for children and adults alike to wake up Christmas morning to stockings stuffed with small gifts and other surprises. Giving someone well-thought and creative stocking stuffers will surely warm the recipient’s heart and perhaps save you money since it balances out the need for larger and more numerous presents under the Christmas tree. The best Christmas stockings have a combination of gift sizes and I recommend the following assortment: 1-2 large items (perhaps one of them peeking out of the stocking on Christmas morning), 4-6 medium size items, and 10 or more small items (and these you can definitely reuse throughout all the stockings so you can buy in bulk).

I’ve come up with a couple best Christmas stocking stuffer ideas for you to try out. I divided them by age group so it would be easier to enjoy They’re below!

Aside from this list, some other special ideas are to start a Christmas tree ornament tradition with your stocking stuffers. I know many families give each member a special holiday ornament each year so they can open and hang on the tree. This means when the children are grown up and ready to move out, they will already have a Christmas ornament collection of their very own for the holidays.

If time allows, wrapping all the little gifts that go into the stocking is a nice touch. It lets you use up all the little scraps you accumulated wrapping the larger gifts for under the tree.

Babies

• Small stuffed animal
• Bib
• Bath toy
• Teething ring
• Rattle
• Cheerios Dispenser
• Assortment of fun animal-shaped crackers

Toddlers-Kindergarten

• Cookies, animal-shaped crackers, raisins
• Snack Dispenser
• Toothbrush
• Sippy Cup
• Bubbles
• Play Dough
• Coloring Book
• Stickers
• Temporary Tattoos
• Fun Twisty Straw
• Accessories for Dress Up (Bandanna, Sheriff Badge, Sunglasses, Gloves)
• Small Animal Figures
• Character Band-Aids (Scooby Doo, Sponge Bob, Strawberry Shortcake etc.)

Read more »