Christmas in Movies

No Christmas season is complete without watching our arsenal of Christmas movies. Starting around October, when the beginning of the holiday season arrives, I begin to rifle around for our collection of Christmas movies. Weekend after weekend, we park it on the couch with the kids, popcorn and snacks in hand, and school them on the movies that for mommy and daddy, are classics. We've added a few of their favorites along the way too!!

1. Elf (One enjoyed pre-kiddos and the namesake of our daughter, after the character "Jovie")
2. Deck the Halls (Danny DeVito. Need I say more??)
3. Christmas with the Kranks
4. The Holiday
5. Home Alone
6. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
7. The Santa Clause (Tim Allen making us laugh some more!)
8. Love Actually ("To me, you are perfect". Best line in a movie!!!)
9. The Nightmare Before Christmas (works for Halloween too!!!)
10. The Elf on the Shelf (Just got it this year and the kids LOVE it...super cute!!!)
What movie says "Christmas is coming" to you????

A Gingerbread Family

Today my daughter asked me if we could make gingerbread cookies and I'll admit, I was leary. Most of our holiday activities are set up by me in hopes the kids will appreciate the traditions I create for them. Half the time, it hardly feels worth the effort. First off, they don't follow directions too well. If we are baking, they stick their fingers in the batter, get flour all over and generally make it more work for me. At craft time, they get sticky, fight over everything and I end up having to clean it all up alone. So why do I keep trying?? Well, they love doing activities and have fun with them and I know that deep, deep, really deep down, they will one day appreciate that their mommy made the holidays fun. So I approached the gingerbread men with hopeful trepidation. I contemplated buying the cookie mix, rolling and baking them ourselves then decorating with whatever the kids chose but that's what crazy moms do. I went with the smarter, less messy option: a Wilton Gingerbread Kit. It came with four large pre-baked cookies, icing and red, white and green decorations. This was the answer. For $5.99, I would avoid all the anxiety a Type-A mother like me hopes to. So we got home and got decorating and guess what?? It was a hit! We sat at the table and the kids carefully decorated a cookie in their likeness and happily munched a few of the candies on the way. It killed about thirty minutes, gave us something to do and reminded us that Christmas is just around the corner. I highly recommend making these with your kids. It's sure to be a holiday tradition they will always remember!!

                                                                        The kit...

                                First thing's first...pop the bubble paper that protects the cookies!

                                                  Tada! The Beebe family, in gingerbread!!

8-6

8:00 p.m. is a good time in my house. The kids are sleeping, mommy is relaxing and there are no more demands. Maybe some laundry, dishes in the sink, but nothing like the mental and physical toll that is two children. From screaming fights and bickering to the constant tug-of-war that is motherhood, I feel like I'm in a hamster wheel. But at 8:00, I punch my card and am off until bright and early the next morning. Really early, like 6:10. Sure, my kiddos get up before the sun, but I wouldn't trade it for the peace and quiet I have at night for myself and for my hubby. I'm on mommy time, and get more done in the couple hours I have to myself at night than in the fourteen spent with my babies all day. Gee, I wonder why! But then it must be the mommy in me that actually anticipates being awakened by the pattering of little feet on the wood floor, and the snuggling that ensues. Yes, I told my sister on the phone the other night that I wonder why people have kids at all (Jovie was putting soap in Logan's mouth at the time, cut me some slack!) but it is all too clear when my warm and cuddly babies climb into my bed and make me forget a time when I actually slept. All night. Without any interruptions. But I'll sacrifice sleep any day if it means spending those precious moments with my children.

Naked is the New Black

How is it that kids can think it sooo funny to run around naked?? Seems like every time I turn around, they are stripping and running free. Perhaps it is that they make me laugh, make each other laugh and because it is just plain silly to be in the buff. Now, last I checked, being naked made me want to run too. In the opposite direction of mirrors. Ask any woman, no matter how perfect you think they are and I'm sure they will have a  laundry list a mile long of their flaws. I know I do. Having kids, especially a daughter, has taught me a lesson, though. I no longer analyze every imperfection, blemish, dimple and gray hair. How can I expect Jovie to be a strong, independent and self-assured little girl if I put myself down constantly? What kind of an example would I be? So years ago, I ditched the negative voice in my head saying I wasn't smart, pretty or thin enough and started listening to that smart-as-a-whip lady who knows that being myself is just fine. Yes, my jeans get snug every now and then so I sacrifice a few bowls of ice cream and log a couple extra miles on the treadmill but I refuse to give in to my doubts, my insecurities and my weaknesses. Where would that get me? On a train to misery, that's where! So let's give ourselves a break and adopt a childlike attitude about ourselves. Ditch those negative voices already!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

As if I haven't experimented with enough pumpkin recipes for the year, I decided to add another...cheesecake. I wanted to make something extra-special for Thanksgiving and what's more appropriate than something boasting the season's bounty? I'm a nut for cheesecake anyway but add cinnamon, pumpkin and a drizzle of caramel (and whipped cream, or ice cream...) and I'm in cheesecake heaven. For some reason, cheesecake has always intimidated me so I never make them. After a few flops, I decided to try, try again. I chose to adapt a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake bars into a cheesecake (and by adapt I mean I used a springform pan instead of the 8X8 pan called for). No biggie. If you have never tried to make your own cheesecake out of fear, let me put your worries to rest. Follow the recipe and you'll be fine. Make sure you let the cream cheese soften, really soften. Leave out for at least two hours prior to use or else you'll end up with lumps, no matter how much you mix. Next, cook until just set and starting to crack. Nothing says failure like a dry, burned cheesecake! Lastly, Let chill for 4-5 hours but preferably overnight. Warm cheesecake is a no-no. But it turned out to be a perfectly yummy farewell to pumpkin. I think it's time to move on to the chocolaty, minty, and cinnamon-y flavors of Christmas. Goodbye, fall, hello winter (almost!) Here's one last hoorah before bidding adieu to pumpkin!!
Here's the recipe:

CRUST:

20 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, blended into crumbs and pressed into pan.

FILLING:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Press cookie crumbs into desired pan then combine remaining ingredients and pour into pan. Bake at 350 ° for about 45 minutes, or until center is set. Let cool and chill overnight if possible, but at least 4 hours.

adapted from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars-10000002012849/

Christmastime in the 951

Christmas has come early this year. If it wasn't for the fact that I hosted Thanksgiving and felt it only fair to give my guests one last glimpse of fall, Christmas would have been in full swing much sooner. But the next day, it was on! Our tree is up, candles are lit and garland has been hung. There was no fooling around. My kids and I started early and by lunchtime, Christmas had arrived. I only hoped my hubby wouldn't be too put that we didn't wait for him...he survived. Happy trimming!! What are your favorite decorating traditions??

 

 

Preparing for Thanksgiving...

 

                                                                 Hello, Christmas!!!

                                                                Don't forget the stairs!!!

Party Favors

I hosted Thanksgiving this year and as with any gathering, I must make favors. No party or get-together is too small for favors, in my opinion. It's so much fun to see guests off with a small, handmade token! So Thanksgiving was no exception! I racked my brain for the perfect treat...toffee? cookies? mini pies in mason jars? Cute, but no. Everyone would be stuffed to the gills and probably wouldn't be in the mood for more treats so I came up with butter mints. You know the fluffy, soft and sweet mints you get from restaurants? Yep, I made them! There were plenty of recipes out there, most very simple so I figured I'd give it a whirl. They were so easy to make, I let my kids help and since a double recipe is no more work, I doubled it! Here is the recipe if you want to copy and make this delicious minty treat! Note: I omitted the food coloring.

Butter Mints
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar plus more for rolling out
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Food coloring (if using..)
Combine ingredients and mix with electric mixer until dough comes together. Dust counter with powdered sugar and roll out small logs and cut into bite-sized pieces. Let air-dry 2-3 hours then store in covered container.

                                                          Gather your ingredients...

                                                          Mix and form into a ball

                                                Separate into several logs and start cutting!

                                                    Enjoy the buttery bits of mintiness!!