Ever wonder about what the Christmas story would be like if it happened today? This is such a creative video to tell a modern version of the Christmas story. Courtney at Women Living Well posted this today and I just wanted to share…
O Christmas Tree
December 1, 2011 By 7 Comments
I love to decorate for the changing of any season, but Christmas is definitely the most fun to decorate for. I especially love looking through each of my tree ornaments as I put them up every year because each ornament has a special memory or story that goes with it.
Every year, for as long as I can remember, each of us kids got to pick out one ornament for the tree. It’s fun to look back at the different things I chose through the years depending on what my interests were at the time. I’ve kept each one with the year that I got it attached with it. My parents not only made this one of my favorite Christmas traditions, but the first year that I was married and out of house I had a enough unique ornaments to fill a Christmas tree of my own. The best part is that the tree has such a personalized look to it. I could have taken a picture of every ornament, but instead I took just few…
Obviously, I had this first one chosen for me, but I really it. It has the year printed on the back, Jesse has a neat one with his birth year too.
I specifically remember picking this one out. I used to take ballet lessons… not sure if I still was when I got this one. I remember loving this one and just having to have it for my ornament that year.
This is one we always kinda laugh at because I’m not sure what the significance of a sequined house was to me, but that was what I wanted that year. Most likely I just liked it because it was sparkly.
One that is still one of my favorites is my snowman bell. His feet dangle and make the bell ring. So cute!
Some years have multiple ones if I got some as gifts or made them for school projects. I have lots of pretty ones that I’ve received from my Grandma. This is one that Nanny made for me when I was just a baby, and one I made myself in first grade.
This is a cross stitch one that my mom made for me, and a nativity one that my mother in law sent me from Honduras.
Now that I’m married, Jesse is included in the tradition. We usually go together to pick one out that we both like. Some years it’s just been a cute one that we agreed on, but the year that we bought and moved into our first house we wanted to find one to symbolize that.
Mom and I even made my angel tree topper at a craft party one year. All together it comes out to a tree that is unlike any other!
Happy December… do you have your Christmas tree up yet?
Enjoy Life Foods: Seed and Fruit Mixes
November 21, 2011 By 2 Comments
Enjoy Life Foods has done it again! They’ve made another great product… that I will be hooked on. I just love how great their snacks taste and I love that they are all made safe for people with food allergies. I was so excited when Enjoy Life Foods sent me a package of both varieties of their no nuts, seed and fruit mixes to try.
These mixes make a great snack whether you’re on the go or just need something to munch on after dinner while watching television. I’m actually not even allergic to nuts, but I will still buy these again for sure since it’s hard to find a mixture that doesn’t have something I’m allergic to in it. These have a great mixture of salty and sweet, crunchy and chewy yummy-ness.
Each variety had a great mix of flavors, but I have to say that the Mountain Mambo was my favorite. It has a mix of sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, raisins, apples, chocolate chips, and cranberries. I could seriously eat the whole bag in one sitting if I let myself.
The second flavor is called Beach Bash and was also very tasty. I was surprised at how different it tastes despite having mostly the same ingredients. This one was a mix of sunflower kernels, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and apricots. This one lasted long enough to try out another one of the recipes on Enjoy Life Foods’ recipe page… Beach Bash Brittle.
I started by mixing sugar a water together and heating it in the microwave to dissolve the sugar. I made only half of a recipe since I only had half of the trail mix leftover.
I continued heating the sugar until it was a dark amber color, like the recipe directed. Then I mixed in the trail mix.
Working quickly, I poured the mixture onto a cookie sheet as soon as it had stopped bubbling.
After allowing it to cool completely, I then broke it into bite size pieces and transfered to a serving dish.
This came out great! Being that this was my first time making a candy-like treat, I was a little nervous that I might end up with my spoon hardening onto my measuring cup or something like that. But this was super easy to make, and such simple ingredients too. What a yummy, sweet snack!
Thanks to Enjoy Life Foods for yet another great, allergy-free snack that I can enjoy!
