Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

Blanket Scarf at AE

I saw these today and just had to share.  Check out these cute blanket scarfs that are on sale at AE right now for $10. I bought the navy and silver buffalo plaid.

AE Blanket Scarf


They also have a few other patterns that are on sale for $10.

AE Scarf

Friday Favorites

Today I am linking up with Erika for Friday Favorites.

Today I thought I would share a few last minute gift ideas.  This year it was hard for me to decide what I was going to put on my Christmas list because I am in the process of decluttering my house.  Don't get me wrong I love receiving gifts, but this year I wanted to make sure it was something that was practical.

One and Two

Amazon Roomba

Roomba Mop

I added these items to my Christmas list at the last moment.  Last weekend we went to my aunt-in-law's house and she has both the vacuum and the mop. She showed me how it works, and I fell in love. I am so excited about trying these in my own house. 

As I am typing this, Amazon currently has the Roomba Mop on sale as a lightening deal for $203.99 which is a awesome deal.  I might have bought one at this price just in case Santa doesn't deliver.  My mom's birthday is in January, so this just might be her birthday gift if I end up with two.

Three

Cuisinart Cast Iron

This will make a great gift for the cook in your life.  You can also find a good deal on these at Homegoods.

Four

Kate Spade Earrings

I love these earrings.

Five

Pioneer Woman Cookbook

Who doesn't love the Pioneer Women?  I think this would be a great addition to my cookbook collection.

We are off to more Christmas get togethers this weekend. Have a good one!

  

Callaway Gardens - Fantasy in Lights

Sorry I have been MIA for the last week.   It seems like we have been busy with work and Christmas. 

Last Saturday night, we went to the Fantasy of Lights at Callaway Gardens with some friends and their two children. The tickets came with a daily pass to the gardens, so we went a little early and explored.  We went to the butterfly center and got to see the butterflies hatching out.  There is also a indoor garden that they keep warm where you can interact with the butterflies.  Sometimes they will even land on you.  Here are a few pictures I took:

We were going to go to the birds of prey show, but we were about 30 minutes late for it.  We walked around and enjoyed the scenery.  We did find the Tree Top Adventure which is a ropes course that has a few zip lines in it.  It looked really neat, but you have to make reservations in advance.

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• Treetop Adventure
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We visited Santa's Village and ate at the Pavilion were they had hamburgers and hot dogs.  There were a couple of booths selling "fair" food as well.

I forgot to take pictures of the lights, but here are a few from their website. You can ride in the trolley or take your own car.  We chose to take our own car because we were not sure at the time we made reservations if it would be really cold or not.

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• Fantasy In Lights
• The tickets are a little expensive, but it is worth it.  Every year you can usually find a Groupon for the event, but you cannot use it on Saturdays.
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Stocking Stuffers

Here are a few great stocking stuffer ideas for the entire family!

Adult Coloring Book

J Crew Socks

OPI All Stars Nail Polish

Children's Book

Pop Up Sponges

Yeti Tumbler

Camo Coozy

Baseball Cap

Hope these will give you some great ideas for gifts for your friends and family!

Friday Favorites

Today I am linking up with Erika for Friday Favorites.

I have been struggling this week.  We did get our Christmas tree up, but the rest of the house is only half way decorated.  I have the garland on the mantel, but that is it.  It is a blank canvas up there.  I need to get with the program before Christmas is over.

Here are a few recipes that I love or would love to try this Christmas season:

One

Last week, my mom and I made sugar cookies and added sprinkles!



We used the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix.  They were very good and super easy to make.  It would be fun to have a cookie decorating party and make these.

Two

For me it is not Christmas without buckeyes.  How can you beat a ball of chocolate, peanut butter, and powered sugar?



Buckeyes

These are pretty easy to make. The hardest part is dipping the frozen balls into the chocolate without the ball falling off the toothpick.  Just make sure they are really frozen and it will make the process a lot easier.

Three



Cheesy Sausage Croissant Casserole

My mother-in-law made this breakfast casserole last year for Christmas morning. This is a great recipe to make the night before and then just pop it in the oven the next morning.

Four



Pineapple Cheese Ball

I know what you are thinking... Pineapple.. really? It is good trust me.  My mom makes this every year around Christmas time and it is always gone really quick.  You should definitely try this. We usually roll ours in pecans instead of walnuts. I am sure it is good either way.


Five



 Mini Chicken Pot Pies

I have not tried these, but they look good.

Six



Ranch Oyster Crackers

These are great for parties.  Once you start munching on these, it is hard to stop.

Seven



Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

These are rich tasting, but oh so good!




I hope you will enjoy some of these recipes during Christmas.  I know I certainly will!!