Christmas Light Cookies

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Ingredients:

  • flour
  • sugar cookie dough
  • 1½ cups prepared vanilla frosting
  • 3 cups M&M mini chocolate candies
  • 4 strands red licorice laces
  • drinking straw
  • Christmas light shaped cookie cutter (small)

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle your counter top with flour. Roll out your cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness. By hand, or using a Christmas light cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Gently transfer the cookies to a baking sheet. Using a drinking straw, press a hole at the top of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Separate different colors of M&M minis, and set aside. Spread vanilla frosting on top of each cookie. Arrange a solid color of M&M minis on top of each cookie. Let the cookies dry for 30 minutes. Run licorice laces through each hole, connecting the cookies into one continuous strand.

15 Homemade Gift Basket Ideas

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Holiday Gift Basket Ideas

This holiday season, treat your friends and family to homemade gift baskets! I usually make a few gift baskets every Christmas. They are always a hit! 

And here's a tip: To save money on basket fillers, stock up on items throughout the year when there is a great sale, coupon or clearance.
Such a relaxing gift! For your best friend, give a Pampered Spa gift basket, including towels, bath mitts, cozy slippers, eye pillow, luffa sponge, body sugar scrubs, bath salts & bubble bath, shower gel, bath bombs, and candles.
My mom would love this. Give a Coffee Lovers basket which could include gourmet or flavored coffees, flavored sugars, cinnamon sticks, coffee mugs, demi spoons and a coffee table book about coffee.
Get ready for the movies! Give a Movie Lovers basket, which can include favorite DVDs (or Redbox coupons), popcorn, popcorn seasonings, bottles of water or pop, chocolate bars, and licorice.
For the tea fan on your list, give a Tea Buddy basket which can include: Gourmet teas, flavored sugars, cinnamon sticks, tea cozy, two pretty tea cups and saucers, homemade cookies/baking, homemade jam, small potted houseplant.

For the new mom and baby, a welcome baby gift basket would be a nice treat. Welcome Baby could include a bathtime gift set, baby blanket, washcloths, socks, rattle, toys, and sleepers. 
For the gardener on your list, give a Gardeners gift basket, which could include gardening gloves, gardening book, garden journal, small hand tools, handmade seed packets, and garden clogs.

More Basket Ideas:

  • Chocolate Lovers (Chocolate of every kind and in every shape, nuts, gourmet coffee)
  • Homemade Specialty Treats (Flavored sugars, extracts, flavored vinegars)
  • Gourmet (Pickled peppers, gourmet cheese, deli crackers, fruit, wine, smoked oysters, olives, pickled asparagus, deli meat sticks)
  • Pet Lovers (Personalized pet dish, pet toys, pet treats, hair brush, pet shampoo)
  • Bookworm (Books, bookmarks, gourmet coffee or tea, snacks, online bookstore gift card)
  • Productivity Guru (Moleskin notebook, index cards, post it notes, post it flags, expensive pen, book on productivity tips)
  • Crafty (Expensive scissors, rotary cutter blades, needle case, pin cushion, spools of good quality thread, glue sticks, needle threaders, box of pins, sewing machine needles, fat quarters, craft store gift card, craft magazine or book)
  • Christmas (Poinsettia plant, homemade cookies, tarts, baking, Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas music CD, neatly handwritten Christmas poem or prayer–scroll or framed, pine, peppermint or cranberry scented candle, box of chocolates, candy canes, mix of nuts and nutcracker, Christmas crackers, angel figurine, paper snowflakes, mini-stockings filled with candy, fireplace firestarters, hot cocoa mix with mugs, small prayer or blessings book)

Cute Sayings for Holiday Gifts

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Cute Sayings for Christmas Gifts

  • Season’s Greetings (dip mixes, spices)
  • We’re nuts about you! Merry Christmas! (spiced nuts, candied nuts)
  • If friends were flowers, we’d pick you! Happy Holidays (cut flowers, poinsettia, flower arrangement)
  • May your Christmas be merry and the New Year Bright (candle)
  • Keep Christmas in your heart the whole year through! (calendar)
  • Rolling out a batch of Christmas Cheer, for Someone we think is very dear! (sugar cookies)
  • May your holidays Bubble over with joy! (Champagne, sparkling wine)
  • Have a Cool Yule! (Yule log, local ice cream gift card, or ice cream, bowls and a scoop)
  • For somebody so Dear, We wish you a cup of Cheer! (cups and cocoa mix, cake in a cup)
  • Wishing you a warm and wonderful Christmas! (hot cocoa mix, blanket, socks, something warm & cozy)
  • Any way you slice it, You’re amazing. (sweet bread, breads)
  • Hoping you have a Christmas to flip over! (pancake mix and spatula)
  • To spice up your holiday! Merry Christmas (salsa)
  • With so many holiday treats and everyone on the go, here is some extra dough! (homemade cookie dough)
  • You’re flippin’ awesome (pancake mix and fun spatula, kitchen gadget)
  • Made especially for you! (anything handmade)
  • Handmade by me for YOU! (anything handmade)
  • You are a treasure! (jewelry)
  • You are precious to me (jewelry)
  • Just a note to say you are special! (stationary, notecards)
  • You are tops in my book! (book, bookstore gift card)
  • Our warmest holiday wishes! (cozy blanket, hot cocoa, hats, gloves, fun socks)
  • Happy Holidays!
  • Merry Christmas!
  • Happy Holidays, neighbor!
  • Lovin’ from my oven (anything homemade from your kitchen)
  • Handcrafted with love for you! (handmade gift)
  • Feliz Navidad
  • Fleece Navidad (fleece blanket)
  • You’re nice as pie! (baked pie)
  • You color my world (coloring book, colored pencils, colorful art supplies)
  • Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

50 Best Christmas Cookies

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15 Must Have Holiday Baking Ingredients

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  1. Apple Pie Spice – you can purchase it in the spice aisle or make your own, it’s super easy and less expensive
  2. Peppermint – Extract, Candy, Chips and Candy Canes
  3. Cream of Tartar – it’s best to buy fresh each year for the best looking and tasting meringues
  4. Nuts – walnuts and pecans are what I typically use in Holiday Baking
  5. Almond Bark – available in the baking aisle in chocolate and white chocolate, it works best for candy making
  6. Coloring – my favorite for the Fall and Thanksgiving Season is Copper
  7. Pumpkin Pie Spice - you can purchase it in the spice aisle or make your own
  8. Sprinkles – a baker can never have enough sprinkles
  9. Extracts – Vanilla and Almond are most popular, you may also want Peppermint
  10. Lollipop Sticks – great for cupcake toppers as well as candy making
  11. Recycled Containers – now is the time to start saving your containers to cover with scrapbook paper and use for gift giving
  12. Foil Bread Pans – I love the mini bread pans for gift giving
  13. Take-out Boxes – Again, great for gift giving or even sending home leftovers with guests
  14. Glass Jars - Great for giving hot cocoa mix, teas etc.
  15. Plastic Treat Bags – Perfect for school treats

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50 Random Acts of Kindness

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Here is a great list from Six Sister's, that will inspire you and your kids this holiday season.

50 Random of Acts of Kindness for Christmas

1. Go through your toys and donate ones you don’t play with to charity or local children’s hospital
2. Donate food to your food bank- either purchase food or go through your pantry.
3. Donate pet supplies to the shelter and go pet some of the animals.
4. Help a sibling to a chore or other job.
5. Donate books you no longer read or need.
6. Put money in the Salvation Army bucket.
7. Bring breakfast to your school teacher.
8. Leave a little treat in the mailbox for the mailman.
9. Take a treat to the local fire station.
10. Fulfill an angel tree request.
11. Go to a nursing home and visit – take around candy canes and wish them a Merry Christmas.
12. Write grandparents a letter / draw a picture and mail it to them.
13. Leave an extra large tip for a server/waiter along with a note wishing them a Merry Christmas.
14. Leave one dollar bills around a dollar store (especially in the toy section!).
15. Pay for the person behind you in a fast food drive-through.
16. Make a treat and a Christmas card for the school bus driver or crossing guard.
17. Donate coloring books to a hospital waiting room.
18. Offer to take the neighbors dog for a walk.
19. Hold the door open for people behind you (this is great if you are out Christmas shopping- and it teaches great manners).
20. Smile at every single person you see for one whole day (makes a great family challenge!).
21. Write a thank you note for a teacher or coach or someone who has influenced you and mail it to them.
22. Take a treat or note to a neighbor or friend who could use a pick-me-up.
23. Write thank you notes or put together care packages for those who are serving our country in the military.
24. Have a bake sale or fundraiser and donate all the earnings to a local charity.
25. Go buy inexpensive socks, beanies, and mittens (the dollar store has lots of great ones!) and deliver them to a homeless shelter or keep them in your purse and hand them out if you come across any homeless people.
26. Leave some extra money in the vending machine (or even tape it to the outside with a note that says “This treat’s on me!).
27. Buy a little treat or give a thank you note for the cashier at the grocery store.
28. Tape some money to the gas pump for the next person who gets gas.
29. Babysit for a single parent so they can have some alone time or even get some Christmas shopping done.
30. Clean out your garage or storage area and give stuff away for free on Craigslist.
31. Donate blood (my kids won’t be doing this, but I am a big believer of it!).
32. Invite someone who lives alone over for dinner.
33. For one day, try to pick up at least three pieces of trash wherever you are.
34. Send unexpected flowers to someone you appreciate.
35. Run errands for elderly/widows in your area.
36. Take a treat and/or thank you note to the janitors at your school.
37. Double the dinner you are preparing and deliver it to someone who could use it.
38. Put together a full Christmas dinner (turkey, potatoes, gravy, rolls, etc) and drop it off at someone’s house who could use it. Ring the doorbell and run away so it’s anonymous (and so much more exciting!).
39. Sit with someone at lunch that looks lonely or that doesn’t have very many friends (a good challenge for your kids!).
40. Compliment at least 5 people in one day (this is also a great challenge for kids!).
41. Smile at 5 complete strangers in one day.
42. Help someone in your area wrap Christmas gifts.
43. Take a treat and/or thank you card to the school librarian.
44. Do an extra household chore without being asked.
45. Make a homemade bird feeder and hang it outside (like a pinecone rolled in peanut butter and birdseed).
46. Donate diapers and wipes to a local women’s/family shelter.
47. Buy some new coloring books and crayons and leave in a hospital waiting room.
48. Decorate some pillowcases and take them to a local children’s hospital.
49. Collect jackets, blankets, and shoes and take them to a homeless shelter.
50. Tape bags of microwave popcorn to the Redbox rental machine.