Christmas Goodies

It's always fun to come up with gift ideas for teachers and neighbors! OK. Not really. I stress about it. Am I spending too much? Am I not spending enough? Have I done this treat before? (I can never remember!)

Here's some ideas for you to use for next year, or if anything else, to help me remember what I gave out this year.

The kids made these little gingerbread men to give away to teachers and Grandparents. It's very easy and it made our house smell lovely while they were drying. The only thing is...you need to plan ahead. They take about 3 days to dry completely.

Here's the recipe:

Gingerbread Men
(Makes 6 ornaments..And I mean it! Don't make more than that or they'll be too thin.)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup cinnamon
2 TBS. household glue

Mix and knead ingredients. Roll out between two pieces of wax paper. Roll to 1/4" thickness and cut out your shapes. (Be sure to make a hole at the top to hang it. We just used a toothpick to round it out) Let dry on cookie sheet covered with wax paper. We put them under the kids bed and the aroma filled the home! Let dry about 3 days. Paint with fabric paint. Pull a ribbon or yarn through the hole to hang it on the tree.

Here's one of the ornaments Maya made. She took some creative liberty here and I can't decide if she gave him an extra button or made him anatomically correct! (hehe... had to document it!)

For neighbor gifts, I kept it simple. Jello popcorn balls! I think just about everyone I gave them to asked for the recipe. Here it is for you:

Jello Popcorn Balls
1 cup light Karo Syrup
1 cup sugar (I didn't say they were healthy!)
1 package of (3 oz.) jello; flavor of your choice

Stir ingredients over a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour over 2 batches of popcorn. (remember to remove the kernals) Spread out over wax paper to cool. Can eat as is, or grease hands and form popcorn balls.

I made strawberry and lime flavored to be festive! I just broke off large pieces of the popcorn and placed a few of each flavor in a lunch sack. Then I folded the top, stapled a little greeting and we were good! 25 neighbor gifts done in 1 hour. Priceless.

And for my lovely young women! I have 12 girls in my Mia Maid class and I needed to come up with something affordable and cute. I think these fit the bill!

I bought little chinese food boxes (found at any craft store) and put a cupcake inside. Then I attached a "lipsmackers" chap stick to each box and tied a personalized greeting to each box. I think they turned out so cute!

And then the beauties below.
They are called "Festive Candy Cane Kiss Centered Brownies".
I used this recipe and they. were. good.
Enough said.

Santa is pretty much the coolest!

We had a very excited 6 year old the morning of Christmas day. He was up at 5 am, which is very early for him, and he was ready to go! This was a little too early for us (not like last year, though, when my nephew set an alarm for 3 am...no lie!) so we told him to open his stocking (which Santa leaves on their bed) and we could go out to see the goods at 6.

He opened his stocking and had to come and show us every thing in it.
"Look mom! Playmobile pirates!"
"Look mom! Tons of candy!"
"Look mom! Princess underwear?!" Uh, wrong stocking.
He got so wrapped up (no pun intended) in the unwrapping that he opened his sister's stocking as well. Luckily she's very forgiving. Or had no idea what was going on. (I'm thinking it was the latter.)

The two oldest kids doing what looked like the "Potty Dance" waiting to go see what they got!
(We let Crew sleep. 'Cause...ya know...sleeping babies are a beautiful thing)

Just what they asked for!
A new kitchen and Circus playmobile!

Santa built Maya this kitchen. Yes, built. He had a lot of help from many elves and is very thankful, I know! Go here for the instructions he used.

And here's the babe, not too scarred from missing the early festivities.
Actually, his face says, "I woke up for this?!"