Wall Flowers

These lovely Wallflowers are on sale now through Sunday for only $6.00... What an easy way to scent your home for the Holidays... or a great inexpensive gift to give. Either way someone is sure to enjoy it! Pick them up at Bath and Body Works.

The Polar Express

I bought this book a few years ago before I had kids because I loved The Polar Express when I was younger. It's now a must read every night before my son goes to bed. You use a flash light to reflect the images up onto the ceiling as you read the story. It's a fun and different way to read bed time stories. I got it at Target and don't know if they still carry it, so look for it here.

Going Green Christmas Shopping

Since Going Green is so in vogue right now (and hopefully forever), here's a great gift idea for the newly budding environmentally conscious and hard to shop for person on your Christmas List. Check out We Add Up and get counted in the fight to stop global warming. T-shirts are just $25 (which, let me check...yep! is right in budget). Plus, YOU get to pick what action you (or your gift receiver) are committed to doing for the environment. Take your pick from Lights Off, Buy Local, Bike, and my personal favorite, Shower Together, and lots more. And as if your gift receiver wouldn't already feel special enough, each shirt is numbered to represent their position in the global count. Sweetness.

Hot drinks to warm your soul

The first snow in Salt Lake is falling...at this very moment! The glistening white flakes are beautiful and the new chill in the air has me craving a drink that will warm me from the inside. Here are two hot drinks that are a hit with my family. At least one of these drinks are guaranteed to be served at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Nothing tastes better after a long day on the slopes than a hot drink to help you defrost. Both recipes use traditional flavors, but each are just different enough to stand out and make an impression. I hope you'll all try at least one this season!

Hot Almond Drink

10 cups water
1 cup sugar
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients in large pot, heat over stove top and serve warm.

Hot Cranberry Punch

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
4 cinnamon sticks

Boil sugar, water and cinnamon sticks for 5 minutes. Then add:

2 cups orange juice
1 quart cranberry juice
1 quart water
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat through and serve.

*To Garnish: Serve both these drinks with floating round slices of fresh oranges for an added embellishment.
**Gift idea: make a big batch of your favorite winter drink, divide into tall mason jars, decorate with ribbon and attach the recipe with instructions to re-heat. I would LOVE to receive a jar full of warm goodness to drink.

...and may all your Christmas' be white. Enjoy the snow, and Cheers!

Reindeer Poop

This a favorite neighbor gift to give:
Put the "reindeer poop" in cute cellophane bags and attach this saying:
"Since you've been naughty, here's the scoop,
all you get for Christmas is some Reindeer Poop!"

Not only is it fun to give, it's easy and actually really good!

3/4 c. mini marshmallows
4 c. Captain Crunch
4 c. Rice Crispies
3 c. dry roasted peanuts
2 lb. white dipping chocolate

Combine everything but chocolate in a large bowl. Melt chocolate & pour over other ingredients. Stir until mixed. Put wax paper over 2 cookie sheets and spread mixture out over it. Takes 2 hours to set. Break apart in big chunks.

Christmas Cards

I love Christmas cards. They are too fun to throw away.

Decorate a box or lunch pail with fun papers, ribbons, paint, etc. and archive the cards by the year. This way you'll always have them organized and handy. It's also a fun decoration to set out during the holiday season.

let it snow globes

The shimmering magic of snowfall is always transfixing, whether it's outside your window or inside this classic toy. Homemade globes let you create a wintry scene straight out of your own imagination. Almost any jar works for this project: Baby-food, pimiento, and olive jars are good choices. Look for plastic or ceramic figurines (metal ones are prone to rust) at flea markets and hobby or model-railroad shops. Synthetic evergreen tips are available at many floral-supply stores. If the jar lids are not in seasonal colors already, paint them with oil-based enamel paint. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. With clear-drying epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid, and let the epoxy dry. Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water; add a pinch of glitter and a dash of glycerin (available at drugstores) to keep the glitter from falling too quickly. Don't add too much, or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's flipped. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine. Turn the jar over and back again -- and let it snow.