One of our Christmas family traditions is making gingerbread cookies.

 My kids used to like to be a part of every step in this day-long cookie baking process.

 Now they let me do all the measuring, mixing, rolling, and baking.

 They are more than happy to do all the decorating  And all of the eating!  I have tried many, many gingerbread cookie recipes and this one I am sharing is by far the best.  I got it from a neighbor years ago. 

Best Ever Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup shortening          1 cup molasses

Heat the above ingredients to boiling.  Dissolve and set aside the following:

1/2 cup hot water          2 teaspoons soda

Mix together the following and add to soda mixture:

1 cup sugar          1 teaspoon vanilla          1 egg

Mix in the following:

3 cups flour          1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cloves          1 teaspoon salt          1/2 teaspoon ginger

     Add the shortening and molasses.  Mix well.  Add 3 cups more flour.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Roll out and cut into shapes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  We like to eat some plain.  We also like to sprinkle some with colored sugars.  Of course, the kids love to pile on gobs of frosting and candy.  They keep well in an airtight container.

  I was looking through some old pictures on my computer and thought it would be fun to compare last year’s Christmas decorating to this year’s.  Above is last year’s “Jack Frost Christmas”.  Below is this year’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.

     Quite a difference don’t you think?  I spent a week painting this room just after Christmas last year.  My husband made me the Reproduction Antique Warehouse Cart Coffee Table.  We just recently added the Ikea couch in here.  I changed the artwork and the moved the furniture around a bit.  And of course the decorations are completely different.  Our big Christmas tree is one of the pre-lit kinds.  We’ve had it for a while and much of it is burned out, that’s why we decided to not use it this year.  We went ahead and bought the little Grinch-y tree because I had my heart set on doing the “Roast Beast Feast“  and because in the future I want to put little trees in each room of the house.  I am not sure what we will do next year.  I might try to fix the burned out lights on our big tree or I just might get a fresh one.    I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas time!

 This is our entryway.  I took this picture standing directly in front of our front door.

      This is the opposite view, but angled a bit so you can see into the living room.  I usually hate the two little banisters that lead into the living room.  There is a little step down into the living room but I think that the difference in flooring is signal enough.  I think these banisters are completely unnecessary.  I figure the most likely reason for them is it was the style back in the day.  I want to eventually install wood floors up here too.  When that day comes, I plan to rip these banisters out. 

      Until that day, the only time they are cute or useful is during the holidays.  I always wrap them in lights and an evergreen garland.  I usually tie bows on them for some added color but this year I added the stockings, clip-on Poinsettias, and a paper chain. 

      To speed up making the paper chain , I used my paper-cutter.  I put a couple of sheets of scrapbook paper in at a time until I had enough strips.  I glued my strips together.  To save even ore time, you can use a stapler.  I attached the paper chain to the banister with a bit of dental floss.  I use dental floss a lot.  It is strong and it doesn’t draw any attention to itself, it practically disappears into the background.   (Now you know my top two secret weapons.)

        I used probably five sheets of paper for the paper chain.  At fifty cents per sheet that comes to $2.50.  The clip-on Poinsettias were $1 each.  So for less than $5 and about an hour of time, I got the entry way all Christmas-y.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are all taking some time to relax and enjoy the season.  I know that’s one thing I’m working on this year.  Merry Christmas!

     I wanted fun and festive and I wanted a serene winter scene so I did both.  I’m not entirely happy with the results but hey, I REALLY need to stop decorating and get shopping.  I guess the reason I’m not as pleased with the porch as I usually am is because it was an afterthought.  Everything that didn’t fit in the house got stuck out on the porch.  Everything that is except the wreaths.  Both are homemade, one was made by my Mom about 35 years ago and the other was made by me this week. 

     This colorful one above the presents is Mom’s.  She let me borrow it this year but I am hoping that she will give it to me one of these years ’cause I love it and because it brings back soooo many wonderful memories.

     This is the one I made.  This is the one I hinted at earlier in the week.  This project went as well as I had hoped.  It was an easy and fairly quick wreath to make.  It was cheap too.  I used stuff I had around the house.

I used cardboard as the form. 

 I wrapped the cardboard with batting.

     I wrapped the whole thing with yarn.  I went around the square twice to get all the bare spots.  Going around twice also helped give the wreath some strength.  I just held the first and last bits of yarn in place with a dab of hot glue.  I bought some white, silk Poinsettias at Hobby Lobby.  They were half price so I only paid $6 for the whole wreath.  This is the project that did work.  My other project did not work, not by a long shot, but I am going to keep trying until I can make it work, (yeah, I’m stubborn like that).  Anyway, below is the serene winter scene a.k.a. all the stuff leftover from our Jack Frost Christmas last year.

 Happy Holidays!

     I spent the day getting our family room ready for Christmas.  I think I am just about done decorating now.  I only have two more DIY projects left.  One project is an idea I’ve had for a while.  I have never seen anyone else do it and I’m not sure if it is going to work.  Either way, I will post about it.  The other is a wreath I want to make from scraps of this and that I have lying around.  Not sure if that one will turn out either.  Anyway on to my mantle.

     I didn’t have to make anything for this mantle.  I just used some of our family’s Christmas treasures like the snowmen.  The Joy sign was a gift made by my sister-in-law years ago.  The wire mesh star was a thrift store find (fifty cents!) and is usually here.

     I decided to move my little shadow box Santa to the mantle.  And the red star is usually hanging in my craft/laundry room.

     I saved the best for last, our first fire!  This fireplace and mantle were finished just in time for Christmas last year, but just barely (Fireplace Project).  We never did get around to actually using it.  I’ll tell ya, there’s nothing like a real fire on a cold winter’s night.  The smell, the crackle and pop of the wood, the dancing flames just make the family room all the more cozy.  Merry Christmas!