Check, Check....and Check!

So my Halloween decorations are still up and collecting dust. Guess I will skip Thanksgiving decor and move straight on to Christmas. I was in a funk last week but am back in the spirit of the season. On this week's list: Order gifts from Amazon, take Christmas card pictures, decorate cookies, play dates with friends. Oh yeah: STUFF MY FACE WITH THANKSGIVING MORSELS. YUM.

On hubby's list: Hang Christmas Lights!!!!

One More Thing: SHOP MIDNIGHT SALES FRIDAY MORNING! :) Who's with me??? Thinking I can get a group of triplet mom's to go with me???? I posted tons of Black Friday deals last year. I am still on the hunt for codes, coupons and sales, but won't be posting much on here. If you have a sure fire site that you trust to score big this week, please share!

I bought Elf on the Shelf this morning. Can't wait for it to arrive! Gotta LOVE Amazon.com.

What name did you come up with for your little elf? I am excited to start this fun tradition with the kids! I am sure more posts will be coming soon about this guy.

Have a great week and Happy EATING!!!!!!

24 Days of *SnuggleTime*

So I started the "12 Books of Christmas" tradition 2 years ago. Since then I have collected a few new books each year during after-christmas sales. I am STOKED for the kids to unwrap a new book each night!

I LOVE the Snowmen series by Caralyn Buehner. I stumbled upon them by chance at our local library. Snowmen At Night is so darling. We just borrowed Snowmen All Year and it is a good read too. So naturally my sticky little fingers HAD to have Snowmen at Christmas for my holiday children's book collection. Beautifully illustrated pages and a charming whimsical storyline draw you into this magical book.



Any who~ 12 days just doesn't make the cut anymore for my book collection. Extending it to all 24 days in December seems logical!

Snag this book for a great price and add it to your collection!

http://www.amazon.com/Snowmen-at-Christmas-Caralyn-Buehner/dp/0803729952

Now go snuggle up with your favorite kiddywink and blanket  :)

Winter Moon

Just purchased Mindy Gledhill's new holiday album Winter Moon. Talk about floating on a scoop of peppermint ice cream! She is brilliant! I LOVE her light hearted sound.

Nothing gets me more in the holiday mood than music.

Have a listen to her new holiday single:

https://www.facebook.com/MindyGledhillMusic?sk=app_178091127385

Get her album on sale now!

http://bluemorphmusic.mybigcommerce.com/

Happy Holiday Shopping!

49 Days To Go...

Do you have your Christmas lists ready? I have been sitting here all night trying to create a road map of all my purchasing, party planning, sight seeing, craft making, holiday baking, picture taking, card creating... phew! Sheesh. THANK GOODNESS for November! Without November to plan, think ahead and get organized, my December would be an absolute mess.

It SNOWED this past weekend! I'm not going to lie. I was giddy with excitement! :) I busted out my favorite Mannheim Steamroller CD, snuggled under a blanket with my honey, watched Elf and sipped hot cocoa. :) Why wait on a good thing? (Dang we should have turned on the fireplace to complete the atmosphere.)

So, what's on your list this year? What traditions are you planning? What activities do you have up your sleeve? Giving anyone a "special" gift this year? A big surprise? :)  I am planning my kidlets' birthday party and working on our annual triplet families' Christmas party. :) Let the games begin!

(James C Christensen  copyright)

Six-Layer Holiday Cookies

My son and I made these for his teachers in his preschool 2 weeks ago. They were easy and turned out cute!


Help your child put together a homemade treat for a family birthday, teacher gift, or holiday present for a friend. Just have him/her place the dry ingredients inside a clear container (a jar) and attach a handwritten label and recipe.

1) Fill it up:
Layer 1 cup quick-cooking roller oats, 2/3 cup brown sugar, a mix of 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 cup each chopped nuts/chocolate chips/dried cranberries.

2) Give these directions:
Empty contents; stir. Mix in 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 slightly beaten egg, 1 Tbs. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Drop dough by teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350' for 10-12 minutes. Makes 24 Cookies.

Annual Family Christmas Party

 Last Saturday night was our annual family Christmas Party on my husband's side.

(My family is way too small for a party.)

I look forward to it every year! Since Steve's Grandma has passed away, we haven't had one for a few years.

My In-laws to the rescue! They picked up where Wannie left off.

 It was great to see all the cousins. I hadn't spoken to Steve's cousin Lisa in a few years I believe. We had a yummy family dinner and my kids were SO big this year and sat on big chairs and ate with adult utensils too! I was impressed!

 Me with 2 of my munchkins...

It was quite the mess to clean up since my kiddos still have the awful habit of throwing food on the floor! (UGH! Time to lay the smack down!) But nothing I wasn't used to doing on a daily basis. By the time I got around to feeding myself, there was pretty much no food left. I can totally relate to that mother on "A Christmas Story" who apparently hadn't had a hot meal in years. LOL

 After mingling, Santa bounded into the clubhouse with a sack full of toys for a the kids!!! Whoot Whoot! Go Santa! He was THEE best Santa I've ever seen! He sang a few Christmas carols with everyone before proceeding to hand out gifts.

 One of the greatest things about this Santa was not only did he LOOK like the real deal, he laughed "HO HO HO" between each sentence.

 Reese ADORED Santa. She listened to every word he said and loved her gift. Way to go Pieces!

 Avery... not so much. She had a panic attack!!!! HAHA I thought it was hilarious!

Last but not least, Lucas!

He was practically nose diving to get a way from ol' St. Nick! Poor kids' face was so purple, it looked like a sugar plum!

Good goin' Santa!

The party was a huge success!

Ugly, Ugly Ensembles!

I'd been waiting. Waiting year after year. Still no invite to an ugly Christmas sweater party.

"It's time to take matters into my own hands."

So this year, for our annual (friends from High School) Christmas party,we decided LET'S DO IT!

It was a complete riot!

 The men were cracking me up!

Mike looked dashing in his holly berry turtle neck and vest.

 The newlyweds with their newly bought sweaters from Walmart.

 I think Paul wins for most hideous sweater! Where on earth did he find that thing?!

 Me and Sarah... We didn't end up handing out a prize because there were too many sweaters to choose from! Everyone did great!

 After dinner, we exchanged white elephant gifts which surprisingly weren't too raunchy this year.

I actually ended up with something I wanted! ~A  s'mores kit! YUMMY!

Whoops... I forgot. We DID have a winner! Anna Banana wins with her velvet jumpsuit!!! WTH?! Where did she find that thing and who would actually wear that?!

Can't wait for next year's party!

Special Breed Designs

Great minds don't always think alike. I can paint, draw, come up with creative crafts and home decor....  but I am NOT computer savvy. And don't get me started on my graphic design skills. Pretty much void.

My friend Jamye on the other hand is super talented at taking a blank piece of paper and filling it up with fun, creative images and layouts to promote your business or organization!

Cards, photo cards, invitations, magnets, business cards and calendars!  She even just whipped up some festive iron on transfer for holiday t-shirts! She is one brilliant woman!

Special Breed Designs can do any custom job, but also makes premade items too.  Check out their Facebook page for details and contact info!

Special Breed Designs

Anything you see on the site can be tweaked to your liking or bought as is. They work fast and pay close attention to detail so you get your product quickly and to your satisfaction. Mention that you saw their site on Holiday Wishing Well and receive 10% off of a $30 or more purchase! Email Jamye at breedingground@zoominternet.net

Get on top of things for 2011! Contact Special Breed designs before the end of the year!

Holiday BAKING!

Just browsed my friend Heidi's AMAZING food blog! I hadn't checked it in a few days and it looks like she has been baking up a STORM! Check it out if you are interested in some fun holiday baking. She's got a yummy Apple pie, brown sugar cake, and peanut butter cookies.

Tasty Sensations

OK... gotta go rummage the fridge now. :)

Festival Of Trees

Saturday night was spent at The South Towne Expo Center. In December, I dream in green. I think the Christmas tree may be one of the greatest Christmas symbols. To me it signifies home and family. I love decorating it and then enjoy looking a the twinkling lights each night.

So of course I can't miss the annual Festival of Trees event! Thousands of trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses and table center pieces on display! They even had quilts this year. And all of the money spent on ticket purchases, trees, and concessions go to Primary Children's Medical Center... Nothing gets you more in the spirit of the season.

The trees were so gorgeous! Each one had a different theme and most of them were dedicated to a deceased friend or relative.

Each year it gets more and more crowded. We only stayed a good hour since we had the kids with us. They didn't want to sit in the wagon. We let them walk for a bit but it was so busy with people that we forced them back into their seats. Luckily Alee and Aaron came too. They were a HUGE help with the kids! Thanks you guys!

Maybe in a few more years, the kids will come to appreciate it and enjoy one of our many family traditions!

(Reese and Mommy)

Temple Square Lights!

What a busy weekend! I have been having the time of my life! My husband and I took the kids to downtown Salt Lake on Friday night so they could experience Temple Square's Christmas lights. It was MUCH warmer than the previous week so we decided to brave the crowds.

Steve's sister Alee and her husband Aaron came with us. The lights were incredible. I really enjoyed all the Nativity Scenes and watching all the families there. ( I'm a total people watcher!)

After about 20 minutes the kids started whining and wanted to get out and walk. We went inside to see the Cristus statue and let Lucas meander around. He walked up to the statue and pointed and said, "Jesus!" And then he quickly saw the wall painted with stars and planets and said, "MOON!"

We stayed for about an hour. I think the kids loved it. Avery and Reese ended up holding hands most of the night while riding in the stroller.

 It was worth the hassle of mittens, coats boots and blankets. We were even able to fit all 7 of us in our minivan! LOL That plus, two strollers. That;s how we roll.

Holiday Banner

I made this super cute and super easy Holiday Banner on Saturday. You can also make them for other Holiday's as well. I saw them on Etsy awhile back and couldn't wait to make one! I borrowed my sister-in-laws cricut (so if you don't have access to one - ask someone that does and make one together!) We had such a good time making these and they were easy!! We did 4.5 inch on the outer circle and 4 inch on the inner. The letters took 2 pieces of 12*12 paper and the circles were about 3-4 sheets of 12*12 paper (depending on what you want!)


Here is my friend Melissa's:


Here is another 1st Birthday Banner I made for my baby:


Get Creative! Happy Holidays!!

Deck The Walls...

...with flair!

Frizzy Vinyl has unique and stylish vinyl lettering for your walls! Jazz up your kids playroom with the alphabet or numbers!

Add a finishing touch to your kitchen or family room!

They just posted new Holiday and winter designs on their Face book page.  They use high quality indoor/outdoor vinyl and are about half the price you would find elsewhere! On top of THAT, they are offering 10% off this month to our awesome blog readers!

Checkout their Facebook page to view all the creative designs... then order via email at frizzyvinyl@gmail.com 

THEY SPECIALIZE IN CUSTOM ORDERS TOO! So if you have a specific quote or idea in mind, just let them know what you want and they can start the design process right away. They even do car decals! 

Mention you saw them on Holiday Wishing Well and receive your 10% off!

This one is my absolute favorite!!! I ordered a wall quote and just got it in the mail! Can't wait to get it up! I'll have to do a follow up post just to show mine off! Frizzy Vinyl was so easy to work with and very prompt with the shipping. I just wish I was as on top of things as they were! HA! :0)

You can't go wrong with vinyl...easy on. Easy off! And so classy! Great Christmas gift idea!

(or get one for yourself, like me!)

Delightful Sausage Dip

It's like a party in your mouth! I've actually caught myself doing a little jig while eating it.

Christmas Sausage Dip

• 2 tubes  of Jimmy Dean's Original Sausage
• 7-12 oz. can of diced green chilies
• 2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 Jar of Pace Chunky Picante Sauce (16 oz.)

Brown sausage (drain).  

Add chilies and salsa.

Bring to a boil.

Simmer for 20 min.

 Stir occasionally.

Stir in sour cream and cream cheese.

Serve warm with chips! YUMMY!

My mother in law has the best recipes! Thanks Jude! This one is a keeper! We enjoy this every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas time.

Cat's Outta The Bag!

OK! I give! I've had this BRILLIANT neighborhood gift idea hiding up my sleeve for a few years now and STILL have yet to use it! So I guess it's time to spill the beans..... drum roll please.

HOLIDAY SPECS!

Ever heard of them or seen what they can do? I'm a kid at heart so these were so awesome! They are like 3D glasses but when you put them on and look at any light it creates a kaleidoscope of festive images!!! Here's a picture that I took  last year. I held the camera lens up to the glasses!

A SNOWFLAKE IN EVERY LIGHT ON THE  CHRISTMAS TREE! *The snowflake specs are my favorite!*

These are so darn fun. Kids love them, adults love them. You can't go wrong! We keep ours in our Christmas tote downstairs and pull them out every year. Big hit at our Christmas Party!!!

I was planning on delivering a handful of them to each house on my street with the saying, " Wishing you an "EYES ALL AGLOW" Christmas!"

You have to order them in bulk on the holiday specs website but if you only need a few, you can order them on Amazon!

Check it out:   AMAZON SPECS

There's no better feeling that seeing Christmas through a child's eyes!
*** side note to my neighborhood... don't be surprised if I still use this idea!***