Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: English Toffee

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My oldest daughters favorite Christmas treat is this amazingly simple English Toffee.  I’ve always been intimidated by making candy.  But this is so easy, it’s next to impossible to mess up.  This recipe comes from my Grandma’s recipe book and only takes 5 ingredients and about 20 minutes.  I also give this out for quick, cheap, and easy Christmas and Hostess gifts.  It just wouldn’t be Christmas at our house without some of this in the candy dish. 

Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: Soft Ginger Cookies

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If you could capture the essence of Christmas in a cookie, this is it.  I make these delicious gems every Christmas and they don’t last long in my house;  I will abstain from admitting who eats most of them.  *ahem*  But once your kitchen is filled with the wonderful aroma of these cookies, you’ll have a hard time waiting for them to cool before eating one. 

Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: Christmas Lights

Christmas gives many of us the excuse to decorate our houses in pure Griswold-style both inside and out.  Our streets begin to twinkle and many neighborhoods become winter wonderlands.  It doesn’t take much effort or money to enjoy these glittering displays and start a fun Christmas tradition.

Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: Must-Watch Christmas Movies



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We are big movie fans in my family.  We enjoy snuggling up and immersing ourselves in a good movie.  So naturally, Christmas movies are always included in our activities and many have become tradition.  We usually watch the shorter ones on a weeknight and the longer ones on a weekend evening, and always with hot cocoa. 

The Two P’s of Keeping It Simple During the Holidays

Have I told you that the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year?  There is something so magical about the traditions, extra focus on family, and all the sparkle.  But there’s a dark side to the holidays for me: fitting it all in and making everyone happy.  Oh, and don’t forget not eating too many of the amazing treats, finding the perfect gifts while not breaking the bank, and displaying the patience and generosity of a saint while being stretched in a million different directions.  As magical as the season is, it can be downright maddening.  It has been out of necessity to simplify that I’ve developed my “P” strategy.  It’s not rocket science and it’s certainly not original, but it works for me.

Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: Santa Exploded

Every year, Santa explodes in my house.  Ok, Santa Clause didn't actually explode in my house, but it sure looks like he did!  I do Christmas decor in a major way.  If it can be decorated, draped, hung from, or otherwise decorate-able, it is.  Every square inch of my home is decorated for Christmas, which has led to my family (and friends) describing it as looking like "Santa walked in and exploded all over everything...twice."  It may sound obnoxious, but I feel that there's only once a year when I can get outrageous with my decor, so I may as well go big!

My Favorite Christmas Traditions Series: Hot Cocoa Movie Nights

I. LOVE. CHRISTMAS.  It is by far my favorite holiday of the year, and thus, my favorite celebration.  I just realized that we are only 47 days away from Christmas!  So what better time to begin a Christmas Traditions Series?  In my family, Christmas traditions are sacred to me.  They create lasting memories and a wonderful feeling of excitement in our home from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.  I look at it as a legacy of mine, hoping that my children will pass on the traditions, or at least the spirit of them, to my future grand-babies; you're welcome, future grand-babies.  So I'm happy to share some of my family's favorite traditions and recipes with you over the course of this 10-part series (yeah, I have a lot of traditions...).