Thursday, December 19, 2013

Cookie-making With Kids---Silly, Sassy and Sweet!

Christmas, for me, is first and foremost about celebrating a Savior who came quietly to a manger bed and ended up changing the world.  But it is also about spending time with family and making memories together.  
Today I was remembering a fun activity that I did with some of my grandchildren.  I went searching for the pictures to show you and was astonished to see that we did this four years ago!  The years are flying by!  I want to fill them with as many happy times as possible.
This is a quick and easy no-bake cookie---Nutter Butter Santa cookies.
 

You will need: 
  Nutter Butter sandwich cookies, melted white chocolate bark, red sprinkles, miniature marshmallows cut in half, miniature chocolate chips, and red cinnamon candies.
To assemble: 
  1.  Pour red sprinkles, red candies (for nose) and chocolate chips into cups or small bowls. Also snip miniature marshmallows in half and put in a small bowl.
  2. Melt the bark in microwave or on stove top (be careful not to burn it.)  This is a job for grown-ups or older children.
  3. Dip both ends of a Nutter Butter cookie into white bark.  Then dip one end of the cookie into the bowl of red sprinkles--do not completely cover the white chocolate bark but leave a little bit showing for Santa's "fur trim".  If you use a cup or small enough bowl, the sprinkles will be deep enough for you to simply plunge the cookie in to the right level.
  4. Working quickly, attach a half-marshmallow to the "hat" for a "pom-pom".  You may need to use a dab of bark on the marshmallow to help it adhere.  We had some leftover icing from another cookie project that we used for the "glue".
  5. Use a tiny dab of bark (or icing) to attach two chocolate chips for eyes and one cinnamon candy to make the nose.

This was an easy-for-kids activity that the grown-ups had fun with too!
Don't worry about perfection.  Just have fun.  Besides, it's the imperfections that give each cookie a personality!  Look at these guys--some are silly, some are sassy and some are sweet!
And one other fun thing---eating the cookies!
 Mmmm mmmmm.

Have you done anything easy and fun with kids at Christmas?  Care to share?  I can always use new ideas:)  Hope you're planning to make some fun memories this Christmas!

Monday, December 16, 2013

It's A Cover-up!

Is there anything at your house that sort of grates on your nerves every time you walk past it?  Something that bugs you because it is an eyesore or needs a change?  Well that's how I felt about this water heater.  And I decided it needed to be covered up before Doc Holiday made its debut on the Holiday Tour of Homes at Tybee.



It wouldn't be so bad to have an exposed water heater except that this room opens up to to other parts of the house and it is in the path to the back door.  I don't like looking down the hall and seeing this...



It was supposed to be concealed in a closet in the original plan but somehow we ran out of space.  What are you gonna do in this situation?  You need to have hot water.

I've been thinking about how to solve the problem for a while and thought maybe I could buy a curtain rod that would bend to go around the water heater.  I was googling around to see if such a product exists and I came across this bendable shower curtain rod that you can bend to any configuration.  I ordered it right away.  Yaaay!



The shower curtain rod is a track that comes with hooks to hang the shower curtain. 




 I wanted a solid white shower curtain so it would blend into the background.  I found this white one with little ruffles and thought it would be perfect.  Once it arrived I saw that the fabric was very see-through (boo) but we solved the problem by using a white fabric (not plastic) liner.



I called on my go-to handy ladies at Tybee Girl Helpers to install everything.  Heather and Patricia took on what turned out to be a two-woman job and worked their magic.



And then...oh happy day!


At last things are covered up and pretty.


Sooo much better!

 
All weekend I felt a little smile cross my face whenever I walked into this room.  The saying is that "if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  Well, Mama is happy :)

Have you ever had to come up with an unusual solution to solve a decorating dilemma?

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Making A Joyful Noise!

Just a little something to lift your spirits and refocus your thoughts on the reason for the season...  These monks who have taken a vow of silence still manage to have a choir and to express the good news that is in their hearts!



Take a moment to watch their performance of The Hallelujah Chorus.  It will make you smile.  My favorite part is the big "hallelujah" at the end!


Have time for one more Christmas tune?  This is an a capella rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy" performed by Pentatonix.




Sigh.  I wish I could sing beautifully.  But I am glad that God is happy when I make a 
"joyful noise"!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Colorful, Christmas-y Cottage Tour!

What a great day Saturday was!  Tybee Island put on one of it's most glorious winter days--think sunny with a high of 80 degrees!  It was downright balmy in December and a perfect day for Jane Coslick's 2nd Annual Holiday Tour of Homes featuring ten beach cottages.



I went down a few days early to try to make things "party perfect" by putting out some Christmas-y touches using beachy colors and mostly things I already had.   

Doc Holiday was Stop #1 on the map. 




  When guests stepped onto the front porch there were brightly colored furnishings and a cheery poinsettia to greet them.




Just inside the front door they were greeted by Rudolph, my ceramic deer head.  After putting his antlers made of twigs into the head, I decided he needed some additional fluffing sooo...I bought some colorful jingle bells and tied them on with ribbon.  I also found a small piece of slate at Michael's and had a little phrase painted on by Patricia from Tybee Girl Helpers--is there anything she can't do?


A couple of grocery store bouquets helped to brighten up several spots in the house. Some shells and ornaments were displayed in a shell-shaped dish on the coffee table.




My daughter Kristen and her little girls decorated the tree while I set the table for Christmas breakfast.  Henry put some sand in the bottom of a pretty jar wrapped with rope and added a candle and some shells for a simple centerpiece that is appropriate year-round.


 


 Kristen made cookies and we set out goodies for Santa in the kitchen.
 


It was a fun day with all of the tour patrons commenting on the pretty things they had seen and taking pictures for ideas to use at their own homes.  Next year I hope to be one of the patrons myself!  I ho-ho-hope you'll plan to come and join me!


For some more fun and easy Christmas ideas, click over to Home Stories A to Z where I shared my jingle bell reindeer idea :)


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Loading up the Sleigh for the Holiday Tour of Homes!

 I'm off to Tybee Island for the 2nd Annual Jane Coslick Holiday Tour of Homes which will be held this Saturday, December 7th!  Last year's tour was a big hit with locals and out-of-towners alike who were delighted by the creativity of talented designer Jane Coslick.   The Coral Cottage was on tour last year and this year Doc Holiday will be one of the 
ten cottages featured!  

Jane and I have been working to fluff up the front porch at Doc Holiday in preparation for the big day!  Here's a little taste of what's been happening...more later.



This morning I have been loading my "sleigh" with all kinds of goodies to deck the halls (and the other rooms) at Doc Holiday for Christmas.  (Can you tell I've been listening to 
Pandora Radio?)  



 If you need some relaxing Tybee Time (who doesn't at this busy time of the year?) then come on over and enjoy the tour this Saturday December 7th from 10 to 3.  

The weather is forecast to be warm and sunny this weekend and it will be loads of fun!  FYI the proceeds from ticket sales will go to benefit the Humane Society for Greater Savannah. 

Here are some locations that will be selling tickets:    

Savannah Humane Society Thrift Shop, 7215 Sallie Mood Dr., Savannah; 
Seaside Sisters, 1207 U.S. Hwy. 80, Tybee Island; and 
Tybean Art and Coffee Bar, Tybee Oaks Shopping Center, 1213 US Highway 80 East. (912) 786-0786 

Hope to see you at Doc Holiday this weekend!