Advent

This was the year that I was FINALLY going to make something for the boys to do for Advent. November 30 @ 11:00 pm found me doing it! I decided on an Advent jar with 25 crafts/fun things to do written on little cut-outs thrown in there. The boys get to pick one out each day & I've found that they don't forget, because they are enjoying it!

Here is our listof things to do for Advent:

1. Set up & decorate the Christmas tree.
2. Read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
3. Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.
4. Make an ornament.
5. Go to our town's Christmas parade.
6. Play Wii Play & eat popcorn.
7. Go to the library & pick out Christmas books.
8. Make presents for Dad.
9. Color a Christmas page.
10. Play board games.
11. Learn about the Christmas traditions.
12. Make gingerbread houses.
13. Why mom & dad love you.
14. Put up the nativity.
15. Watch A Garfield Christmas.
16. Make a nativity out of play-doh.
17. Make Christmas cards for Grandmas & Grandpas.
18. wrap presents.
19. Donate something.
20. Learn stories of Christmas carols.
21. Make a Christmas Blessing Tree.
22. Hang the stockings.
23. Bake cut-out cookies & give some away.
24. Learn some of the names of Jesus.
25. Read Luke 2:1-20

We have missed a couple just because things came up & the day ended up being different than I had planned!

I would love to hear about some of your Christmas traditions!

This Is How We Roll

Skippy & Peter Pan don't like loud noises, although Peter Pan is slowly growing out of it. Here Skippy wants to play Operation, hence the ear protection. Um, yeah, he tried once & that was the end of that!

MckMama's awesome giveaway!

MckMama is having an awesome giveaway on her blog until Sunday the 20th. She's giving away a copy of Adobe Photoshop LightRoom 2 & I think it would be cool to win it, so I'm going to try! And since I would like to get better at my photography, this might just help! (You know, with the ok pics that could be fabulous with editing!)

Go here to see what's up & sign up for yourself.

Cookie Recipe Exchange

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Jessica @ The Mom Creative is having a Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange & I thought it would be fun to join! Click on the above picture to go there.

I remember going to my aunt's house & digging in her freezer for some yummy oatmeal cookies; they were so good frozen! A couple of years ago I finally asked for the recipe, I didn't know it was so versatile.

BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

2/3 c. shortening

2/3 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Mix shortening, butter, sugar, eggs & vanilla thoroughly. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Shape dough into ball with lightly foured hands, pressing to make dough compact. Cut dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 2" in diameter &

about 8" long by gently rolling dough back & forth on floured board. Roll dough onto plastic

wrap; wrap & twist ends tightly. Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 month or frozen up

to 3 months. Heat oven to 375. Cut roll into 1/4" slices. (It is not necessary to thaw frozen dough before slicing.) Place slices about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes. Immediately remove cookies from baking sheet onto wire rack. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

Variations:

Chocolate Chip

Add 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips & 1 cup chopped nuts with the flour.

Oatmeal

Reduce flour to 2 3/4 cups. Add 1 cup quick-cooking oats with the flour.

Peanut Butter

Add 1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter with the shortening.

Chocolate Nut

Add 1 cup chopped nuts & 1/2 cup cocoa with the flour.

Fruit Slices

Add 1 cup whole candied cherries, 1/2 cup chopped nuts & 1/2 cup cut up mixed candied fruit with the flour.

Now I'm off to check out the other recipes already linked. Enjoy!

Check this out!

MckMama, along with HP & Blogher are giving away an HP Touchsmart computer on her giveaway blog. It is really cool! Go here just to check out what all it does & enter for a chance to win it for yourself.

Christmas Shows Schedule

Last night I made an advent jar (pictures to come later) that has slips of paper with different Christmas activities on them for each day until Christmas. One of them has watch a Christmas Tv special on it so I found THIS LIST online. I think my DVR will be working overtime this December! =)