Christmas party theme ideas

 The Ugly Sweater Party If you managed to go this long in life without acquiring some horrific Christmas sweater — you know, the ones with the puff paint snowmen and the mistletoe-patterned mock turtlenecks — from your great aunt Mildred, then you may have to run to the nearest K-Mart to purchase one for this party of holiday fashion faux pas. We promise they don't cost more than $15, and the photos will most definitely be priceless.

The Wrap Party Wrapping gifts may be the single most frustrating activity of the season. Not only do you inflict paper cuts and nervous breakdowns (from inaccurately cutting the paper too small), but you inevitably watch the recipient of your wrapped masterpiece brutally tear it to shreds without a second thought. Throw a support-group style gathering for friends — where everyone brings some basic supplies and their bundle of gifts — to wrap together.

Trim My Tree Gathering Putting up your first Christmas tree as a bona-fide grown-up (helping Mom and Dad put the family tree of your kindergarten-crafted thing-a-ma-bobs hanging from it doesn't count) is a momentous occasion. Why not have a tree-trimming ribbon-cutting, of sorts? Just set up your mini-evergreen (real or fake!) with lights and garland, and have your guests each bring an ornament to hang on your tree. To get extra-hokey, put everyone on the spot and make them tell a story about the ornament they chose. When the last one is hung, you do the honors of adding the tree topper and plugging in the lights!

 The Christmas Cookie Swap Nothing says the holidays like binge-eating homemade cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees and gingerbread men. To make sure you get a variety of sugary goodness this year, host a cookie swap where everyone brings a batch of their homemade specialty, from fudge brownies to cinnamon snickerdoodles, to share. For a fun twist, allow those friends who are baking beginners to bring store-bought cookies and have guests try to guess which ones are "legit."



http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/articles/christmas-party-themes#slide-5

Favorite time of year to watch tv for Christmas movies.

Let's start off Christmas right with Santa Claus 1. I watch this movie every year multiple times around the holiday season. What is your favorite holiday movie??

Where was your favorite place to go Black Friday shopping? What was your best deal?

Black Friday is one year that I KNOW I am going to be out all night with no sleep. It is a family tradition of me and my mom to go out after Thanksgiving and join the crowd in getting good deals for Christmas gifts. This 2013 Black Friday, I have to stay was very successful for me. It was the first time I was one of those crazy people pushing other people to get what I wanted. (In a nice way of course)

First we headed to Wal-mart:
I got a counter mixer I wanted.
 Two stainless steel trashcans.
Sewing bags for my aunt and cousin.
Cd's that were on sale.
Leggings

Then we headed to Gordmans: We wanted that 25% off everything in the bag.

 

Third we headed to Menards:
WHAT A PAIN! The traffic was so backed up to get to the store, and it took us 20 minutes to find a parking spot.
But, we did get our shaving set and headlight we were after.

 Last but not least we went to Kohl's :
 I got some boots that were on sale.
My mom got some tennis shoes that were also on sale.

These are just some of our highlights of what we got this year, what were yours?

Can we make Black Friday a national holiday, yet?

Top 12 Black Friday Shopping Tips

(1) Be prepared. Before you head out to the store, research the Black Friday ads (which I will be posting as they become available) and outline exactly what you would like to purchase. And to be extra prepared, you can even research the layout of your store, so you’ll know exactly where to head to grab the items on your list.
(2) Be ready to stand in line for quite a long time. Wear comfy shoes and appropriate outerwear and consider leaving the kiddos at home (if this is not possible, bring toys or other items to keep them entertained while shopping).
(3) Know your store’s hours (some stores are opening on Thanksgiving night while others are waiting until the wee hours of Friday morning). Again, I will be posting store-specific information in the coming days.
 (4) Familiarize yourself with each store’s price matching and/or coupon policy. Keep in mind that many stores have created special price matching policies specific for Black Friday.
(5) Make a list! This will keep you focused and will definitely help to prevent you from being tempted to purchase additional items that are not on the list.
(6) Remember to ask yourself whether the great deal you see is actually a great deal for you. You may also want to research online prices versus in-store prices, as you can often snag better deals online even when you factor in shipping costs. Plus, think about the time and gas saved when shopping online! Love that!

(7) Keep those receipts! After the adrenaline rush is over, you may realize that you got caught up in the Black Friday craziness and purchased items that you really do not want. As long as you have the receipt, you should be able to return them and get a full refund.
 (8) Go with your mom, sister, or a friend. Plan ahead and plan to split up so you can snag items for each other. It’s the only way I’ve figured out to help you be in two places at once! If you don’t want to go to separate stores, you can each start out on separate ends of the same store and meet in the middle after you’ve snatched up as many of the things on your (and each other’s) lists as you could along the way.
(9) Gas up the night before so you don’t waste precious sleep OR shopping time at the pump. Also, map out your route based on store opening times to minimize backtracking and missing out on doorbuster items you’re planning to purchase.
(10) Don’t give up! If the item you are looking for is not on the shelf or display, check the front of the store where other shoppers may have left items they weren’t sure about before checking out. Or, check with your cashier to see if someone happened to change their mind at the register and leave the item you were looking for there.
(11) Be friendly. You will be amazed at how people will help each other, even in the craziness, if they are approached with kindness.
(12 ) And my favorite tip of all… skip Black Friday and wait for Cyber Monday instead! There is nothing better than snagging *HOT* deals from the comfort of your own home in your favorite PJ’s!





http://hip2save.com/2013/11/06/my-top-12-black-friday-shopping-tips/

Thanksgiving suggestions

What are you thankful for?

During the holiday season sometimes we forget to actually sit back and think what we are truly thankful for. Every November, I like to sit down and make a list of everything I am thankful for within that month and through-out that year. My family lost a very special member of our family this past summer, so this year writing what I am thankful for is even more important to me than ever before. I write my “thankful for” list in my journal and compare them through-out the years. It is amazing to see how my list has changed through-out the years.

 Here is a preview of my list that is started:

November 1: I am thankful for my mother. She is my hero, being a single parent I know it had to be hard.
November 2: I am thankful for my brother. He is my best friend.
 November 3: I am thankful for my grandparents. I was blessed to have such amazing grandparents. My grandpa passed away this summer, so it will be our first holiday season without him. My grandma is a wonderful person as well, and I always enjoy our time in the kitchen together. November 4: I am thankful for my health.
 November 5: I am thankful for my job. It is a great job, and I am lucky to be employed.
 November 6: I am thankful for my whole family. I don’t know what I would do without them.
November 7: I am thankful for a roof over my head.
 November 8: I am thankful for my education, and almost being done with school. Having the opportunity to go to college is a blessing.
 November 9: I am thankful for my car.
 November 10: I am thankful for my friends. Some close friends who have been there for me no matter what and helped me

 ………………………………..What are you thankful for this year?

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Make- Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Yield: 12 servings
 Prep Time: 15 min
 Cook Time: 50 min
This is a terrific recipe for those who get nervous about preparing a lot of recipes on Thanksgiving Day. If you have a crockpot, you can make them ahead of time and just warm them in a buttered crockpot until they're ready to serve. So easy!

Ingredients: 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled & mashed 6 ounces cream cheese 8 ounces sour cream 1/2 cup milk or half & half 2 teaspoons onion salt ground black pepper to taste

Directions: 1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well using an electric mixer. Place in a large, buttered casserole dish. 2. If serving right away, cover and bake in a preheated oven at 325°F. for 50 minutes.

Tips: *It's ok to lighten this recipe up a little by using low fat cream cheese and light sour cream. *You can make this recipe several days ahead and store in the fridge. If baking cold, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes first. *If you're lacking oven space, start warming this in a well-buttered crockpot earlier in the day.
http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/11/03/make-ahead-mashed-potatoes/print/

It's Turkey Time

What to do with the left over Halloween candy?

Freeze it. Throughout the year, add it to milkshakes, sundaes, ice cream, and plain cookie dough. (For a quick milkshake, add mini Butterfinger or Snickers bars to ice cream or frozen yogurt and milk—maybe even throw a banana in there, too!)
Bake it into cakes. Try peanut butter cup cookies or brownies with fun size candy bars inside. Or just put it on top of cakes and cupcakes, or stir it into icing.
Make it a (sort of) healthy snack. Fill celery stalks with cream cheese and top with Peanut M&Ms. DIY trail mix. Open bags of little candies like M&Ms and make your own trail mix by adding pretzels, nuts, and dried fruit.
 Bring it to the Thanksgiving table. Remember how your mom used to make yams with marshmallows? Try using leftover candy corn.
 Pair it with wine. The chocolate, caramel, nuttiness of Snickers go great with tawny ports, and the cookie-like Twix goes well with a smooth Scotch, suggests StarChefs.com, among other ideas.
 Put chocolates into your coffee. This makes for a quick and easy mocha.


http://www.parenting.com/gallery/things-to-do-with-leftover-halloween-candy

Halloween Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treating

• Walk Safely Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. 
•  Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. 
• Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street. 
• Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. 
•  Always walk on sidewalks or paths. 
• If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. 
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. 
• Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars. 
•  Trick or Treat With an Adult Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. 
• If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups. 
•  Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. 
• Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. 
•  Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers. When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. 
• Drive Extra Safely on Halloween Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. 
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. 
•  Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully. 
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings. Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances. 
• Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.

 - See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips#sthash.Q9wwNdg8.dpuf

Halloween Cupcake Decorating

Hosting a Halloween party? Or taking treats to work or your kid’s school? You tube is a great way to explore creative ways to make treats. My favorite you tube video is “Cooking with Cassandra,” if you want to know different ways to decorate cupcakes this video is the best. What a great way to get your guests attention, at any age, than to bring them a ghost or goblin cupcake!