Best Christmas Ever? Best Christmas Ever!

This Christmas was more than we could ask for and I'll tell you why. Our family has been growing over the last few years and my parents now have four kids instead of two girls. We have the best parents we could ever ask for who have welcomed our guys into our family and love them almost as much as we do. Having everyone all together made this the best Christmas yet.

We had a Merry little Christmas, if I do say so.
I've never felt so blessed.

Freddy the Elf 2011

To celebrate the Christmas season we had a little friend come and visit our home for the first time. 

His name is Freddy ... Freddy the Elf.

 

... and they welcomed him into our home with open arms!

Our daycare had their first elf sighting this year ... Enter Freddy. Freddy has kept his eye on us and told Santa all about our good deeds and time outs. He has been a busy guy over the last month and will be on his way home to see Santa soon! The first thing the kids did when they got here was look for Freddy! They wouldn't even have their coats and boots off yet before they were running around looking. 

He has found some pretty tricky spots to hang out in!

Until next year Freddy. Rest up my friend, I have a feeling that having all boys 

next year will be even crazier than this year!

Light 'Em Up Days 12-14

Hey everyone! Is anyone out there doing sweet things to light up a strangers day?? How about someone you know? Tell me about them! Leave me a comment! 

I would love to hear some of your ideas.

The last few days I have been planning this for our UPS man:

Hot chocolate, Snickers and Reese's cups..

 

Tied up in a bag...

A quick Christmas tree stamp + a little note and we are good to go!

On a side note... the packages we get are always exciting, BUT this one in particular was THE MOST exciting!!! 

MY PROJECT LIFE IS HERE! Hellooooooooo Clementine, it is oh so nice to meet you!

 

Merry Christmas to me!!!

Here's hoping you are lighting up someones day too!

Love,

Tara

PS: To see my other Light 'Em Up posts, click here

Light 'Em Up Days 6 - 11

Hi again!
Just Giving an update on some of my Light 'Em Up projects!

The last few days I have:

- given a candy cane to a guy in a drive through .. He lit up, it was so cool.

- held the door open for multiple people

- let someone cut in line on the way out of a parking lot

- Shared the sign of peace with a woman a church. This doesn't sound like one .. But it is: her and her children were sitting off alone by themselves at church and I walked over to them to share the sign of peace ... She smiled at me through the rest of mass.


I have been smiling at people more too, which seems small too but I've been getting them back more often too :)

Heres hoping you are Lighting up someones day!

PS: To see my other Light 'Em Up posts, click on the 'Light 'Em Up' in the labels on the right!

A Very Crafty Invitation!

I've been meaning to blog about this invitation I recently got!

Check this out ... I got it in the mailbox (after the mailman came)

 A box addressed to Jeff & I ...

With this very cute egg inside! You confused yet??? It had a little note that said "crack me"!
Of course I TOTALLY didn't want to because it's super cute, but I had to see what was inside.

This was a egg with the insides blown out and a note inside inviting us to a Christmas Party!

Are you loving it?! Way to go Haylee!!

Weekly Meal Plan For Week of December 5

Hi there!
I've gotten away from posting my meal plans .. Sorry, if anyone's out there lol

Monday - Perogies & sausage

Tuesday - Beef stroganoff

Wednesday - Grilled cheese & soup

Thursday - Omelets

Friday - Go out!


Happy Eating,
Tara

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies

I have a confession to make ... I really like cheesecake.
I have another confession to make ... I love cookies.. SO:

I found this recipe online (link at bottom) and had to try them .. a combonation of my two favorite things. Here's the recipe, we ate them up like crazy!!

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. With an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until nice and creamy. Add cream cheese and continue to mix until all lumps are gone and it is nice and smooth. Add vanilla and egg and mix.
3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt and then slowly add flour mixture, one teaspoon at a time.
4. Turn off your mixer and add the chocolate chips, folding by hand with a rubber spatula.
5. Scoop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet
6. Bake in your oven for 9-11 minutes, I had to bake them for a few mins longer.
7. Cool on a rack and once they are all the way cool put into a plastic bag or container and keep in the fridge!
8. Since they have cream cheese in them you don’t want them to spoil!

I found this recipe here. 

They look like regular cookies but taste a lot creamier.

Light 'Em Up! Day #4 and #5

Hi!

Just checking in and posting on what I did for days four and five ... I have been  giving out the candy canes to people I pass - the look at me like I'm crazy, then smile. It's worth the crazy looks.

My mom has been on board too! She paid for someone's lunch in the drive thru ... and bought a $5 Starbucks giftcard so that she can give it to a bell ringer at Kroger next time(so they can go in on their break and get something warm to drink) love it.

Love this project ... love these ideas!


Today (day 5) I left some quarters on a gumball machine. Is it a gumball machine if there is something other than gumballs inside? You get what I'm trying to say ... and if not, here's a picture!

Here's hoping you are lighting up someones day too!

Love,

Tara

PS: To see my other Light 'Em Up posts, click here

Light 'Em Up! Day #3

Day Three of Light 'Em Up!

I took some Chocolate Chip Cheesecake cookies I baked yesterday and left them in an (awesome) friend of mine's mailbox for her to find .. I'll share the recipe soon.

Here's hoping you are lighting up someones day too!

Love,

Tara

PS: To see my other Light 'Em Up posts, click here

Deck The Halls

 With boughs of holly fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra la la la la, la la la la!

My parents put up the lights and garland last weekend. I made the new wreath and put up the ornaments on the little trees ... I'm getting so excited for Christmas! I can hardly wait to put up our Christmas tree!! AND decorate inside ... but until then, I'm loving this:

 

Anyone else decorating?

Light 'Em Up! Day #2

You may have read my blog yesterday where I decided to "Light 'Em Up!" this month, as a holiday project.  I'm all about spreading the Christmas spirit and a little cheer!

Today's random act of kindness isn't so random. 

BUT I think our mailman will love it anyways :)

Here's hoping you are lighting up someones day too!

Love,

Tara

PS: To see my other Light 'Em Up posts, click here

Light 'Em Up! 2011

This holiday season I'm doing something different. This year I'm doing something for others. 
Two years ago I had the idea of giving a $50 bill to a bell ringer, instead of giving a dollar here and a dollar there I was going to make one bell ringers day. It didn't work. The guy didn't care.

Last year I had the idea that I would give the guy who stood at my freeway exit with a sign asking for money, a Meijer gift card.  I thought I could help his family with groceries or toys for Christmas. . . He wasn't there consistently, everyone was cynical and said he has a job and a home and I was crushed.

This year I'm doing something different. This year I'm doing something for others. I can not be talked out of it, I can not be disappointed. This year I am spreading holiday cheer by singing loudly for all to hear with the Light 'Em Up Project and I'm making it my own. It's going to be fun!

I honestly don't have it all planned out just like she does on that blog above. I don't know even know if I will be changing what I do every single day. BUT I do know that I will be starting off my 24 acts of random kindness today!

****Let's bring in that holiday spirit people! 24 random acts, 24 days ... want in? It can be whatever you want it to be...but let's light up someone's day****

Later today I have to go to the grocery store and I will be handing out these to people I come across:

Small? Yes.
Not a big deal? No.
BUT: If someone handed this to you, wouldn't it brighten your day a little? I hope so!

To see my other Light 'Em Up Posts ... click here

Jeff's 25th Birthday!

Hey Guys!

Monday was Jeff's 25th birthday ... twenty five, I can't get over that twenty five will be my next age too ... but back to the birthday:

Warning: I told my sister this list of fun things I put together for Jeff's birthday and her reaction was as follows ... "Geeze way to make the rest of us look bad lol". But honestly, I had a blast doing it all.

• Snuck into his truck (after hockey) and put a birthday card in his truck to find in the morning.
• Put alerts into his iPod that went off one in the morning and one in the afternoon that said fun things like "it's your birthday" and "happy birthday babe, hope your having a good day" honestly, I can't remember exactly what they said .. but you get my point.
• Brought his favorite cupcake from the Cupcake Station to him at work
• Snuck into his house and tied balloons everywhere
• Invited all of our friends and family to his hockey game (which was on the night of his birthday) as a surprise
• Designed beer labels on beerlabelizer.com saying Happy Birthday Jeffs, with a picture.. for after the hockey game. it was our buddy's birthday on the same day too.

After the game all of us went out to a local diner and snacked. I can only hope he had as much fun as I did :)

I did so much sneaking around that I didn't have time for pictures ... do you believe that? I do. Sorry guys!