Christmas Past

I recorded a Christmas episode of "Home Improvement" and watched it this evening. In a way it reminded me of Christmas past. Not that my house was anything like the toolman's, but sometimes shows from the past make me reminisce.

I thought about the Christmas eve's, coming home from church, building a fire and watching George C. Scott in "A Christmas Carol." Of how hard my mom tried to hide the fact that she was wrapping our gifts in her bedroom, and how my dad, my sister, and I would fall asleep by the tree while smells of Christmas lunch made the way from the kitchen to the living area.

It reminded me that Christmas creates some of the best memories. Memories of home and family. Memories that will never be replaced. It also reminds me of what Christmas is about, being together.

All of my holiday memories include family and food ( I am a huge food fan). The lights, music, and everything the holidays offer remind me of the blessings in life. I am so happy to be creating memories with my family now, and one favorite is taking pictures of everyone falling asleep by the tree on Christmas Eve.

2008

Hawaii 2009

Monterey 2010

Monterey 2010

Savannah 2011

Grove Park Inn 2011

Even though it is almost July, Merry Christmas, and hope many happy memories are made the rest of the year for all. Here's to the Christmas Spirit!

The Tall Book of Christmas

The Tall Book of Christmas, by Gertrude Elliott Espenscheid and Dorothy Hall Smith, is one of the best collection of Christmas stories. As a child, this book was a must read during the Christmas season. As a mom, I read stories to my children from this book and read the Story of Christ's birth on Christmas eve, every year.

Christmas Tree in Savannah, Georgia

This is a wonderful collection of stories, poems, and songs. A favorite story is that of the Christmas Rose and Granny Mittens. The Christmas Rose tells of a young girl who was saddened by the fact she had no gift for Jesus. From her tears grew a beautiful rose. The story of Granny mittens (like so many in the book) is light hearted. It tells of an elderly woman who ends up knitting edible mittens. The mittens are a hit and the story ends up being a happy ending.

Other stories include that of a bear who helps guide Santa's sleigh, a group of children in a kingdom without Christmas, Christmas Around the World, and The Night Before Christmas. There is so much in the book including songs such as, I Saw Three Ships and Wassail. Kids and grown-ups alike will love it, and it is fun to read all year long.

The Tall Book of Christmas will definitely fill one with the spirit of the holidays.

Happy Summer!

June 20th is the first day of summer, which means, 187 days till christmas. 2012 is almost halfway through. Wishing everyone a great warm summer, and looking forward to a chilly Christmas season!

Christmas Salsa and Chips

Today, as I was making salsa and chips, the thought of bringing a touch of the holidays to the chips and salsa entered. All that was needed was red and green flour tortilla's and some thought on the salsa.

Holiday Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:

4 spinach tortilla wraps
4 tomato tortilla wraps
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, in a bowl
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Lay the tortilla wraps on a flat surface, drizzle with oil and rub on each side, and cut each into 8 triangles, using a pizza cutter. Mix the salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl, and sprinkle half around each chip.
Bake 7 minutes on one side, turn and bake 7 more minutes (or until crisp).
Sprinkle remaining spice mix over the chips.

For the salsa, simply dice two large tomatoes, half a red onion, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno or green bell pepper (for a milder version), and place in mason jar with 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 3-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Shake vigorously to combine.
Then, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon white sugar, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or ginger, and cumin. Put the lid back on and shake to combine.

The best thing about salsa is, it can be made to taste as please. So, try any combination of flavors to come up with one that might make one think of the holidays. Also, try making a salsa using apples, peaches, or other fruits.

Both of these recipes are easy, great for a gathering, and will bring a little holiday cheer into the home.

Christmas Gifts For The Family

It is never too early to start thinking of Christmas gifts. Not only does the early bird get the worm, it also saves money, and keeps from spending $100 or $1000 between Black Friday and Christmas Day. Not to mention, the stress of holiday shopping will melt away, and unlike the crazy shoppers looking for the perfect gift, the one who finished before December will actually have time to sit back, sip some nog, eat some sweets, and watch some Christmas specials by the glow of the tree.

One gift that seems to be a hit with anyone in the family (minus the kids if they are still young or teens), is pictures. Whether in a frame, on a collage, a coffee mug, apron, or in a book, photo's and memories last forever.

Photo Gift Ideas

Christmas in Hawaii 2009, oldest asleep on Christmas Eve

A great gift idea is always a framed family portrait. Either professional or nonprofessional. The easiest, less stressful way to get a family portrait that looks professional is, find a location, put on desired clothes, and have a friend snap several shots of the family posing and walking/running/being active. Develope the photo at a store or online and order as many copies as needed in desired size, and buy frames at a low cost at Wal-Mart or on sale at larger department stores such as Kohl's or Sears.

Another perfect gift (especially for grandparents) is, picture books. This can be done by hand or online. Online is a personal preference, but by hand makes it more personal and offers a larger amount of decorating options. If doing the book online, look for coupons and deals. Also, keep in mind that many products with online photo shops will go on sale at the end of a season. Some offer up to 75% off, and they may also have special deals for certain items (including photo books). Sites such as, Shutterfly, actually have books that can be more personally decorated.

For those in the family who always ask for the kids pictures, use the opportunity to make picture ornaments, magnets, or coffee mugs. Picture ornaments are great as gifts for aunts and uncles, and relatively inexpensive. Of course, coffee mugs and magnets are wonderful as well.

The ultimate photo gift for grandparents or close family is, a photo calendar. Choosing pictures by month that express what happened or what that month means personally is a great present for loved ones. Once again, there are many options out there and each season features sales and deals. This is a particularly wonderful gift for great grandparents and grandparents because it will remind them of their children and their children's children year around, bringing lots of joy and happiness to their heart.

These are a few options and suggestions. There are numerous ways to present photos as a gift, but overall, photos really do make easy to get, easy to do, and easy to find gifts year after year. After all, "a photo says a thousand words," but it mostly says love you and hope to create more memories to share year after year.

Happy Father's Day

Hope everyone had a happy father's day. Just wanted to say, why not spend the evening or tomorrow evening winding down after a fun busy father's day weekend by watching "The Santa Claus." The Ultimate tribute to Father Christmas :)

Christmas in July

Looking for some Christmas in July? Try West Jefferson, N.C. This Blue Ridge mountain town is known as "The Lost Province." It is also known, like many northern mountain areas in N.C., for Christmas Tree farming. It is very artsy and crafty, and while there take a trip to Boone and visit Appalachian State University and Grandfather Mountain, and maybe watch the outdoor drama "Horn in the West."

Christmas Tree at Grove Park Inn 2011

Surrounded by firs and pines, listening to good bluegrass, cloggers,  a civil war reenactment, picking up original arts and crafts, and sampling good country food will either put one in the mood for fall or the holidays. It is a great time to enjoy the forest scenery and pick up some Christmas gifts. Get summer pictures with Santa and maybe find some homemade Christmas scented candles and soaps and other Christmas items.

Be sure to be there for the parade, complete with Santa! The event is free, July 7th, and the fun gets going on the evening of July 6th. So, take a drive up to Christmas tree country, and countdown to the best time of the year in West Jefferson, North Carolina.