Merry Christmas!

PhotoStory Friday hosted by Cecily

Gift for me. (tee hee!)

Hosted by Cecily and Honey Mommy

Deck the halls with forts and clutter.
Fa-la-la-la-la. La, la, la, la.
Tis the season to drive nuts the muh'der.
Fa-la-la-la-la. La, la, la, la.
Mommy needs a special treat.
Fa-la-la-la-la-la. La, la, la.
Red and festive for her feet.
Fa-la-la-la-la. La, la, la, la.

Disclaimer: Yes, we are still totally Advent Conspiracing. This is really not a Christmas gift for myself. It is the 4th pair of shoes I've bought online this fall and the only pair I haven't returned. I think I've paid more in shipping for returning shoes, than the shoes actually cost. ;)

I haven't bought new shoes for work in about 5 years. I've always wanted red Mary-Jane style shoes. Everyone tells me to try out Danskos. Problem? The price tags. But when I found some red Mary-Jane Danskos for $40, I bit the bullet and ordered them. Aren't they cute!?

If enough people sign up through my link at ShopAtHome.com, I can even get a portion of my purchase price back. If you want a super cheap pair of Danskos, sign up at ShopAtHome.com through that link (that links it back to me!), then search for "6pm.com". You can look at all of their shoes, but the Danskos were particularly great deals.

Let me know if you sign up. I'd sure appreciate it. Since I rarely/never get gifts from students and my co-workers decided to be gift-free this year (after I've already made them things!), I'd happily consider this my Christmas gift. :)

12 Days of Rethinking Christmas

Re-post from last year. But hey, a girl can be proud of a great post, right?

On the first day of Christmas
my true love said, "Think Globally."
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff under a tree.


Photo by carf

On the second day of Christmas
my true love said, "Give Globally."
A clothing check to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by Gregor Rohrig

On the third day of Christmas
my true love said, "Act Locally."
Collecting items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by Tommy Huynh

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love said, "Live Debt-Free."
Small gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by SpacePotato

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love said, "Give gifts from me."
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.



On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love said, "Love Globally."
Money to world-wide missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by mick y

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love said, "Sights to See!"
Gazing at lights not malls.
Money to missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by drp

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love said, "Water Should Be Free."
Supporting Living Water.
Gazing at lights not malls.
Money to missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by Esther Havens at Living Water Intl.

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love said, "No more than three."
Three dollar toys from yard sales.
Supporting Living Water.
Gazing at lights not malls.
Money to missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.



On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love said, "Give out yummy."
Neighbors get my pumpkin bread.
Three dollar toys from yard sales.
Supporting Living Water.
Gazing at lights not malls.
Money to missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.


Photo by Jill - Glossy Veneer

On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love said, "Honor creativity."
Masterpieces sent to relatives.
Neighbors get my pumpkin bread.
Three dollar toys from yard sales.
Supporting Living Water.
Gazing at lights not malls.
Money to missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.



On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love said, "Advent Conspiracy."
Rethinking Christmas.
Masterpieces sent to relatives.
Neighbors get my pumpkin bread.
Three dollar toys from yard sales.
Supporting Living Water.
Gazing at lights not malls.
Money to missions.
Homemade blueberry jam.
Gifties received as freebies.
Items for students' families.
Clothing to our sponsored child.
'Cause Christmas is more than stuff and a tree.

I'VE GOT THAT JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY...

Hosted by Cecily and Rachael

Yes, this year has been pretty tough.

I've attended 2 funerals for people with school-aged children. And was unable to attend 2 others. And found out another co-worker, with a young child has Stage 4 cancer.

My husband became crippled with pain (literally) and has been given zero prognosis for any recovery beyond "pain management".

I went from wife, worker, and mother, to caregiver, wife, worker, mother. As if the first three weren't time consuming enough! And our family relationships went through crises as we re-adjusted our roles.

We sold a mini van for almost nothing. Bought a wheelchair. Cursed ourselves for getting rid of the van.

But you know, I have it good. Really, really good. I am healthy. My children are healthy. My marriage is stronger than it has been in quite a while. I have a great job and insurance. We have friends. We have a church community. We have a warm home.

And, as my daughter oft reminds me at the top of her little lungs (often at 10pm)...

I'VE GOT THAT JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY
DOWN IN MY HEART!
WHERE?
DOWN IN MY HEART!
WHERE?
DOWN IN MY HEART TO STAY!

Some of my joys include:
The sound of my husband laughing (instead of moaning).

Diet Coke with warm chocolate cookies (or cookie dough).



An unexpected hug from a student.

An amazing score at a garage sale or a coupon-tastic deal day.

My kids hysterically shrieking from some quirky game.



And a warm spring day with nothing to do but play!

Join in on Barking Mad's Crazy Christmas Giveaway. Because we all need to remember that joy in our hearts.

Auctionable Cookies. Months 6 and 7.

Apparently, I forgot to share my November featured cookies.

Oops.

So you get the benefit of not just one yummy recipe, but two fabulous cookie recipes today. Aren't you lucky!

Stop laughing. Seriously.

Well, one of the recipes I have actually blogged about here. So maybe that gets me off the hook?

You see, November = cranberries.
And cranberries = Coconut Cranberry Chew Cookies.
And Coconut Cranberry Chew Cookies = 10+ extra pounds for me.
Yum.




Coconut-Cranberry Chews
3/4 cups butter at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cups sweetened flaked dried coconut

1. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat on low speed until dough comes together, about 5 minutes. Will be very crumbly. Mix in cranberries and coconut.





Using my fabulous math skills, a similar equation can be used for December.
December = peppermint
Any time of the year = chocolate
Peppermint + chocolate = OMGosh my scale is going to explode.
The end.




Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies from Simply Recipes

1 cup of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of peppermint extract (very important change from original recipe)
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup of peppermint bark, broken into little chip size pieces (I smashed up 1/2 cup of candy canes I've been saving since last Christmas and added 1/2 cup of chocolate chips--cuz I'm cheap like that)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together for about two minutes at medium speed or until well incorporated and light in color.
3. Add the egg and the vanilla extract until well incorporated, about a minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl halfway through.
4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly, and beating at medium speed, stopping once all of it is incorporated (do not overmix).
5. Fold in the peppermint bark chips (or Super Woman's cheap alternative)
6. Take small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into one inch sized balls and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for -12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Marvelous Monday, Teaching Tuesday, Therapy Thursday: Gingerbread Man

There are so many versions of the Gingerbread man story, they make for a beautiful December unit on comparing and contrasting tales.

1. Read the classic on-line Gingerbread Man story. Kids enjoy "turning the pages" with the click of a mouse.





2. Now that the children are familiar with the story, read through the picture-word version of the story.


Children that can read should read along with the teacher. Pre-literate children can say the pictured words as the story is read.

Children struggling with language development can practice the chorus, "Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" with its multiple repetitions.


3. Make a story map of the Gingerbread man using a graphic organizer such as this one.or this one.





Here's where the language fun begins...



4. Choose a tale similar to the Gingerbread Man from this site or this one. Or find your own book at the library to use for comparing and contrasting. Suggested books include: The Cajun Gingerbread Boy, The Runaway Pancake, The Runaway Tortilla, The Runaway Rice Cake and many others.

Make a story map of the new story using a graphic organizer such as this one.or this one.






5. Watch and listen to Jan Brett read her version of the story, Gingerbread Baby (note actual story begins about 3.5 minutes through the video).





6. Compare and Contrast 2 of your favorite stories with the Venn diagram-- Printable Gingerbread Man Comparison Chart (from mrsnelsonsclass.com).





7. Repeat indefinitely with other versions of the story!



8. Try out some more gingerbread activities, just for fun:

Make a Jan Brett Gingerbread Friend

Trim a Jan Brett Gingerbread Baby House

Color a Gingerbread Man

Make Gingerbread Man story characters and act out the story

Make Gingerbread Chains




Or make Gingerbread Cookie dough, Playdough, Bath salts, or Non-edible dough (all from mrsnelsonsclass.com)

Gingerbread Dough (for cookies)

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 pkg. instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Mix together egg, shortening, and brown sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Roll out dough and cut into gingerbread men shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Decorate using favorite frosting and candies.

Gingerbread Playdough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt,
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar,
• 1 cup water,
• 1 tsp. veg. oil
• spice (cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, etc.)

Mix the dry ingredients. Add spice until you get the desired scent. Mix water and oil together first. Add them to the dry ingredients and stir. In a pot, cook the mixture on the stove on low heat for2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and clump together. Take the dough out of the pan and knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth. Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

Gingerbread Bath Salts - recipe from Mailbox Magazine

• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 box of baking soda

Mix ingredients and place into a jar or plastic bag. Attach a decorative tag and send home as a gift.
Non-Edible Cinnamon Dough - (for making ornaments) from Allrecipes.com

• 3/4 cup of applesauce
• 4 ounces of cinnamon

Mix the applesauce and cinnamon to form a stiff dough. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and make a hole for ribbon. Carefully place cookies on a rack to dry. Let air dry for several days, turning occasionally. Decorate.

There's a hole...

There's a dozen rat holes in the yard, dear Liza, dear Liza.
There's a dozen rat holes in the yard, dear Liza
A dozen holes.



Then fill them dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Then fill them dear Henry, dear Henry fix them.

With what shall I fill them, dear Liza, dear Liza
With what shall I fill them, dear Liza, with what?

With dirt, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
With dirt, dear Henry, dear Henry, some dirt.

The dirt cannot fill them dear Liza, dear Liza
The dirt cannot fill them, dear Liza, too big.

Try some strong men, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Try some strong men, dear Henry, dear Henry, strong men.



What if they aren't strong enough, dear Liza, dear Liza
What if they aren't strong enough, dear Liza, not strong?

Get a digger, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Get a digger, dear Henry, dear Henry, a digger.



Won't that make more holes, dear Liza, dear Liza
Won't that make more holes, dear Liza, more holes?

As long as they're rat-free, dear Henry, dear Henry
As long as they're rat-free, I really don't care.





Hosted by Cecily

Teaching Tuesday: Learning the states again (and again and again)

I have stuck with my type-A tradition of mailing out Christmas cards during Thanksgiving weekend. So, now that most of our cards are making their way to friends and family, all we have to do is sit back and wait for the cards to in-turn show up at our door. Right?

(heh)

This is a re-post from last year in a pathetic attempt to beat last year's number of stars number. (Especially stars from some of those lonely blank states!)




Send a card. Get a star on your state.

Simple.




Anyone up to the challenge of helping us out?