Inspiration

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. 

Some inspiration to start your week:

 

Sunday Social

Dec 9...the holidays are quickly approaching! I'm basically done my Christmas shopping (half a gift left to buy), we put our tree up thins weekend, Christmas cards should go out tomorrow, work Christmas social on Wednesday...busy, busy but so much fun!

    1. Favorite Holiday Movies/TV Specials? Elf!
Charlie Brown Christmas
Christmas with the Kranks
2. Do you do any volunteering during the holidays if so what? If not what would you do? I actually work in non-profit fundraising so I don't have a lot of free time and the volunteering I do, is usually with my organization.  In the past, I've volunteered at a soup kitchen and with Toys for Tots. Would love to do either again some day. 
3. Favorite toy received as a Child for the Holidays? I received so many great things as a kid...'Santa' totally spoiled me! Making it hard to pick a favourite. So a random one (and def a top 3 favourite)...a toy horse.    It was kind of like a rocking horse, but on springs so you could bounce up and down as well as rock. It was like riding a real horse. I'm sure I gave it a name, but I can't remember. I did used to ride it and say 'Hi ho Silver!'. It was a brown horse and I loved it...LOVED IT.
4. What was your must have item in high school for the Holidays? I'm not sure I had one...I never really asked for anything. I also don't recall never getting what I wanted or something I didn't love.
5. Item you begged for the most and never got? A real pony/horse.
6. What do you do on Christmas Eve? If you are Jewish what does your family do for Hanukkah? I love Christmas Eve! We (parents, siblings) have dinner as a family. Visit grandparents, both sets, and go to my aunt & uncle's (mom's sister) and my other other aunt & uncle's (mom's brother). I go to a friends house and celebrate Christmas with her and her mom's family- music, food and laughs. Around 11:30 or midnight I head home where my cousins, siblings and I hang out in our basement, playing pool and having a great time, until my aunt calls looking for them.

Favourite Thing- Advent Calendar

Ever since I was little, I've always had an Advent calendar. Always. 

Because I was late in getting my Advent calendar this year, and when I finally got around to buying one, they were on sale, I ended up a Lindt Advent calendar:

I think I love Advent calendars because it was part of my childhood...I had a great childhood and the holidays were always a special time in our home (thanks mom and dad). 

 

I have two favourite Advent calendar stories. 

1. The first year I lived on my own (no roommates), I was 3 hours from my hometown. I came home from work one day and there was a package in my mailbox. The return address was my dad's office and I recognized the handwriting as his, not his secretary's, which was odd. I opened the package, and it was an Advent calendar.

I called my dad to thank him and he told me that he had always bought me an Advent calendar and he didn't want this year to be any different. Just because I was far from home, didn't mean I was going to have to miss out on a Christmas tradition. 

I was touched that my dad thought of me, especially all the trouble he went through! His secretary was off, so he had to wrap and package the calendar, find my address and go to the post office himself. This was a big deal! The postage was more than the actual calendar...but I was so happy, everything he had to go through didn't matter to my dad. 

2. My parents had bought me my annual Advent calendar. They had also bought one for my little sister, who has no patience. She wanted chocolate, so she ripped open her calendar and ate it all. 

After awhile, my sister wanted more chocolate, so she ripped my calendar open too. She didn't open the individual windows or even the top of the box and slip the try out...no she, ripped the front off. My sister started to eat the chocolate. My mom saw her and told her to stop because it was my calendar. My sister told my mom that she was going to pretend she didn't know it was mine. My mom said 'Ok, but give me one.'

While this is a funny story, I was so mad! Not that she ate the chocolate, but that she ripped the box! I ended up taping everything back together as best I could.

Yes, I'm a 20-something that still has an Advent calendar. But I believe the holidays are about tradition. Why would anyone want to let go of this one?

Make With Me- Bits N' Bites

Bits N' Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 box pretzel sticks
• 1 bag Cheetos cheesies
• 1 medium box of Shreddies or Chex cereal
• 1 medium box of Cheerios
• Nuts to taste
•  1 1/4 cups of cooking oil
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup of worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder

To Make:

• Combine ingredients
• Bake at 250 for an hour and a half, turning often
• Enjoy! 

Notes:

1. This recipe is from my Aunt Mary. This is a great Christmas recipe and is the perfect hostess gift. 
2. Use a large roasting pan to mix and bake ingredients.
3. Store in sealed containers.