Although we have a simple ornament journal as part of our Christmas planner, I really wanted to create an ornament journal for my kids to record memories and notes about their individual collections of ornaments. Our girls get a new ornament every Christmas (plus any they make during the season), and each year we pack…
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13-14 I love all of the sparkly parts of Christmas—the magic and the tinsel, the joy and the giving, all of it! But in…
The girls raised an even $120 from their hot cocoa stand (thanks to many generous donations!), and I have to say that this whole experience has been really amazing. It was really important to me that the girls—who came up with this idea on their own—be part of this process. They helped brainstorm toppings, spread…
These little cookies go by many names—Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, walnut snowballs, etc. The Mexican version, also called polvoróns, are made with finely chopped pecans, and the result is a soft, crumbly cookie. My grandmother always made walnut snowballs when I was little, but the girls and I decided to try this version to take as…
These candy cane cookies are a staple of our Christmas celebration (although, if I'm honest, I end up eating most of them myself!). Every time I share a picture of them on social media, though, people ask questions or share their stories of failed cookies. Since this is the one "impressive" thing I can do in…
I've been feeling guilty about using red dye in our peppermint swirl marshmallows ever since I did it, and I knew I needed a new plan before I made our annual batch of candy cane cookies (watch for an update with tips and tricks for these favorite cookies tomorrow!). I've purchased natural food dye before,…
While our family has taken the opportunity to raise money to purchase farm animals for families around the world through World Vision—both through the girls' hot cocoa stand (which raised $120!) and the fundraiser here at Life Your Way—I think it's important to look for ways to serve our local communities as well. Here are a…
I've used pieces of candy canes to spell words and create shapes before, but this idea is a little different, and I think the final result is really cute! I actually picked up some candy canes at the dollar store a couple of weeks ago that ended up being too gross to eat, so this was a great…
I didn't discover eggnog until I was almost 30, but I now have a deep, deep love and appreciation for all things eggnog (and that's even without the booze!). I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to try eggnog marshmallows until now, but I'm so glad it did because these are yummy. The most amazing part…
I would love to learn to crochet. Not just to make endless chains and boring squares made of single crochet stitches but to really crochet and make hats and cute little toys and accessories. Unfortunately, it hasn't yet made the top of my "want to" list, so I haven't done much more than a few hearts or…