I love to bake for Christmas! It’s that time of year when I spend a few days in a row baking my holiday goodies. There are some recipes that are always on the list, but each year I add a couple of new ones. With Christmas one week away, I thought I’d share the cookies I made this year, with tips and links to the recipes. Recipes are listed, clockwise, starting with the gingerbread men. Continue reading
I don’t know about you, but I love wrapping gifts! I’ve loved the process of figuring out how much paper to use and in which direction to cut it since I was a kid. I love finding matching ribbons and twirling them with scissors. And, I love finding the perfect topper for each gift. When gift bags were invented, it was not a trend I liked at all!
My love for wrapping gifts started the Christmas I was in 3rd Grade, when I was asked to help wrap about 300 Snoopy stuffed animals that would be given to kids visiting Santa, in the American compound in Saudi Arabia where I grew up. I think there were about five of us and we had so much fun doing it. Every time I wrap a Christmas gift, I think of wrapping those Snoopy dolls.
I’m always impressed with how much effort goes into wrapping a gift by many people. Magazines are full of fancy and simple and creative ideas. The final pieces are works of art and so beautiful. One day, when I have a lot more time on my hands, I would like to wrap a gift like they do in magazines! In the mean time, though, I’m totally old school and use old-fashioned printed wrapping paper and ribbon.
Here are 5 super easy ways to finish wrapping a Christmas gift using different gift toppers. I went for the paper that comes on long rolls and all I did was look around the house for items to adorn the gifts. There are so many things you can add to a gift to make it special. Here are some suggestions based on what I did this year:
Use holiday candy
I love to bake and it’s something that I do several times a week, all year long! People ask me what I do with all the baked goodies, but the truth is that we eat most of them, take them for school lunches, and share them with friends. The latter is especially true around the holidays, because we end up gifting a lot of baked treats. It does take a bit of planning to get it done effortlessly, so I’m sharing my 8 steps for stress-free holiday baking!
Step 1: Make a list of what you want to bake
This step sort of starts itself around the beginning of October when you see holiday baking magazines in the check-out aisle. It’s easy to get inspired and reminded about what you want to bake. I usually take out holiday baking books from the library and do some online searches. I also ask my husband and kids what their favorite treats are, and I add them to my list. Don’t be afraid to try new recipes, because it’s always fun to find new favorites. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on some new treats I’m going to bake this year!
Step 2: Clean out the freezer and fridge
Although we have a frost-free fridge, I still find that there is some frost build-up in the bottom of the freezer. This is probably because of the uneven temperatures in our kitchen and because we open and close the fridge a lot. I find the beginning of the holiday season to be the best time to do a big clean. Purging expired and freezer-burned food clears space for storing all of the holiday goodies. This takes me 24 hours to do as I let the fridge sit overnight, but it feels so good to start the holiday season with a clean and empty freezer!
Step 3: Take an audit of your ingredients, spices, and flavourings
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The days leading up to Christmas are some of the busiest of the year. They are also the most festive days on which to entertain.
Last week, I hosted a Christmas coffee morning for some of the moms at my kids’ school. It’s something I have done in the past and all the moms enjoy taking time out to relax and catch up before the holiday break.
For me, it is a chance to invite friends over while my house is somewhat clean and orderly! Plus, it’s decorated for Christmas, which makes entertaining that much easier and more fun. It’s also easy in that the season sets the theme for everything from Christmas doilies, napkins and serving dishes to Christmas-themed centerpieces.
Here’s what was on the menu: Continue reading