2015 CIJ Ornament Swap

This years Magical Holiday Home Ornament swap was no disappointment. Lots and lots of thought and work goes into each years ornament choices. We sign up in January and have until Mid June to complete our ornaments. You pick one, ponder your choice and then go another route. Sometimes more then once. This year I was trying to use up supplies I had on hand and ended up with several different choices, but ended up with scrabble ornaments. It wasn't my most creative choice, but I do like how they came out and hope my friends enjoyed them. Some were personalized with their name, others said things like Santa, Joy or Snow. 

Now here are the amazing ornaments I received in my box. 

A stuffed and hand painted snowman. 

A gingerbread cookie cutter.... LOVE! 

A felt Elf

A candy cane horse

A quilted medallion... 

(sorry, I don't know the official word for it...LOL)

A stained glass piece of holly... 

My first thought was WOW...that does not look easy. 

A cinnamon stick Christmas tree. 

A star made out of clothes pins. 

This ornament is an Eye Spy game. She attached the list and inside the light bulb was a bunch of little mini things to find.  This one is perfect for kids in the family. 

I spy a button and a bell...

Paper curls inside a glass ornament. This one had to have taken a wee bit of time. Probably more patience than I have. 

A twig and ribbon tree. Such a simple idea, but yet super cute! 

Now, you might of not been making ornaments in Spring, but have you thought about ornaments you might like to make for this coming year. Trust me when I say, early is better. The hobby stores will start carrying supplies soon and time will pass you by before you know it. Start scoping out Pinterest now and get that board going.  Don't forget to have a Happy Christmas in July!

I Will #ShareTheGift By......

To read more of the Christmas story, visit
 http://www.mormon.org/christmas/story

#Christmas

#ShareTheGift

Remembering Swiss Colony Christmas Cookies

I just opened a Swiss Colony catalog that came to my office and there under customer favorites was a tin of Holiday Cookies. It instantly took me back to my grandma and how much I loved those fancy little cookies growing up. Every year, she would not only send me a tin of these special cookies, she'd also send me a box of oranges. Old school I know, but when things were often rough at home, things like this would make my Christmas extra special and sparkle just a tad more. She passed away when I was 16 and Christmas was always different after that. I think I'm  going to order a tin of those cookies this year...and share the delight.

My favorites by the way, are the green leaves with the chocolate in the middle and the double stack cookie with the red filling and jelly on top.

Dressing Your Special Man for the Christmas Season

Have a special man in your life who needs an extra push to dress up during the holidays? Are you tired of his old frumpy jeans and t-shirt? His lack of excitement and cheer? Well I've found some great options that any man would be happy to wear and in an instant...they will free their inner Santa.  Look no further then Orvis.Com  

Their catalog arrived in the mail today, announcing a new store location in the Cherry Creek mall.. I was pleasantly pleased with their very "distinguished" looking clothes for men. High end flannel, wool and leather goods. Soon my mediocre thoughts, turned to pure excitement and I knew I had to share these prized articles of clothing with my online Christmas buddies. Now, I ask, if the website is flooded with orders and you are unable to complete your order, please be persistent and check back. I'm sure, after the initial rush, the Orvis elves will catch up and be able to process your order. 

Let's start with pants first. These lovely Embroidered Holiday Bozeman Cords are amazing. Personally I'd buy the Green cords with candy canes for my husband.

If candy canes and wreaths aren't your Santa's thing, then these Tartan Trousers might be a good option. A little less subtle, yet still festive. 

Now, if you think your Santa will be a little Bah Hum Bug with either of those choices, I guess you'll need to play it safe with the Green Wellington SuperCord Pants. 

If your Santa is feeling a little casual, Tartan Shirt in Royal Stewart or Red Plaid, is perfect to keep him hip, yet comfortable. 

We all know, it can get hectic during the holiday season, so this Reversible Wool Tartan Vest is a great piece to have available for your Santa, when he needs to jump from casual to dress wear in minutes.

If it's a little chilly in the Man Cave aka: Workshop, they have a gorgeous Red Cashmere Cardigan to layer and complete the ultimate Christmas look.

I'm super excited to share these options with my husband and I thank Orvis.Com for making my holiday attire shopping so much easy this season. With my husband out of the way, I have more time to find the perfect Christmas dress for myself.

Christmas in July Dinner 2014

This year, I wanted to do something different, so we took the idea of Ugly Sweaters, gave it a summer twist and wore Hawaiian shirts. My gals, Shari and Shae took it one step further and showed up with these fabulous coconut additions. Trust me, they we're the topic of endless jokes all evening.

2014 has been a year of change in our family, so our little celebration had to work through a few absences. My best friend Tammy passed this year, so she was absent and Ciara's best friend Konner (our summer Santa) has moved out of state for college. Both we're missed, but in our thoughts. Ciara had a the idea to make this chalk board sign and send it to Konner. 

We played a quick game of Christmas Trivia, but next year we need to amp up the game, because this batch was way to easy.

We all had a blast exchanging or gifts. Everyone did a great job of making them personal and that's what makes it so much fun. 

After dinner and gifts, the kids went outside to try out the new super soakers I gave Shae. They we're an instant hit and I have no doubt that they will be put to great use for the remainder of the summer.

 

Once again, I'm thankful for my friends and family putting up with my Christmas antics and playing along. I love them all!

Bringing Joy to A Senior in Your Area

Tonight we were blessed with the opportunity to spend an hour with some senior citizens in a local assisted living facility. The simple act of caroling and spending 45 minutes entertaining them, was a highlight of their day, as well as mine. I walked away, again humbled and reminded of how such a small action can make the difference in someones holiday season. I'll keep my message simple tonight, but in doing so, I ask you to stop and think what you have to offer a senior citizen this holiday season. Do you know someone that could benefit from 30minutes of your time? If you don't have someone that comes to mind immediately, I suggest you seek out that someone. The smiles tonight were priceless! 

What's on Your Duck Dynasty Christmas List???

If you have been to any store in the past 6 months, I'm sure you have this thought..."Wow, those Duck Dynasty Guys Are Making Bank!" Well, today, those beards seemed to cross my path at every turn. So gals, if you have a Duck Dynasty fan in your family, fear not...Their is a gift fit for everyone on that Duck Dynasty Christmas list. But before I start this countdown, let's set the mood with some music.




Let's start this list off right and go right for your sweetheart. If you are a romantic at heart, why not put together this Love Fest package for your lover? Nothing says romance like...Wine, Candles, Christmas Music and Chocolate. 

 

For the Campers in your Life:

Matching His and Her Folding Chairs

For the Men on Your List:

Does your man size up to the DD guys? 

This beef jerky comes in a variety of flavors for his liking!

a subtle tie....

and a not so subtle tie

Duck Tape....what needs to be said about this?

For The Women on Your List:

Nothing says I love you for mom or grandma, like a very nice daily devotional. 

Socks to keep her toes warm

A hat to keep her head warm.

A T-Shirt, that says it all

With these Duck Commander ornaments, she'll remember 2013 forever.

For The Cook In Your Life:

How about a Pink cutting board?

Or a Cookbook....I hear she has the best fried frog leg recipe ever!! 

For the Young Boy In Your Life: 

Action figures are always a hit.

Or, if he's been really good this year, GO BIG with a battery powered ATV.

For The Young Girl In Your Life:

How about a board game for family game night?

A very Hot Pink watch?

Or a Pink Camouflage blanket for her bed? 

And don't forget to get her some new pajamas for Christmas Eve.

For the Gardner In your Life:  

What is Christmas without a Chia under the tree?

A Ghome is a Ghome...Year around pleasure. 

And last, but not least, if you can't find it in the store, have it made. Etsy, has an endless variety of gifts for all ages.

And after finding all those pleasant surprises of joy, I think I'll add this one thing to my Duck Dynasty wish list and call it a night.