December 22, 2010

I've got a question for you. Do you think gift cards are thoughtful or lazy?

It seems like opinions are split on this one; but I think gift cards can be a thoughtful gift. Granted, I'm not talking about someone that spends ten minutes to run into the grocery store at the 11th hour and without any thought, just buys every person on their list a Visa gift card.

With the selection of gift cards available in the stores this year and with just a little consideration about who you're buying for, I think gift cards can be a great gift.

• For very young children, it's usually more fun for me to choose a gift for them versus give a gift card, but I recently discovered that you can buy Build a Bear gift cards! I LOVE that idea for younger kids.

• Once kids reach a certain age, I think a Toys R Us gift card is perfect. I know my kids always loved taking a trip to the toy store with a gift card in hand.

• For new parents, I know they love receiving Babies R Us gift cards. It allows them to get anything they need for the baby, from clothes, toys, to diapers or formula.

• For the techno teenager, I think Best Buy or Target gift cards are great choices, and of course, my teenager still loves receiving iTunes cards.

• For the “hard to buy for” guy who seems to have everything, how about a Dick's Sporting Goods, Golfsmith, or Bass Pro gift card?

• For someone who can't get out to shop or someone who lives too far from good retailers, you can always go with a QVC or HSN gift card.

• A Bed, Bath, & Beyond or Target gift card is perfect for someone who is about to move into a new home or it just redecorating a bedroom or dorm room?

• For women, like my sister and I, who love our lotions and potions, we adore L”Occitane, Origins, Bliss World, and Sephora. We're easy to please! 🙂

Most of these gift cards can even be purchased now as an e-gift card in case you're really running behind and need to print off the gift card right away.

To make it super simple, you can go straight to Amazon to purchase a variety of Gift Cards from a huge selection of different retailers. How easy is that?

I happen to love giving and receiving gift cards. I'd much rather give someone something that I know they will use versus possibly buying them something that ends up in the back of a closet.

I love finding an Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card under the Christmas tree! Then, I just go straight to my “wish list” and pick something out that I may not have otherwise bought for myself.

What about you? Do you like receiving gift cards? Do you like giving gift cards?

~LilSis

December 15, 2010

Only days away til Christmas!

Everyone ready?

Here's the official countdown to Christmas clock in case you care to know exactly how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds til Christmas!

Christmas cards addressed & mailed?

Shopping done?

Gifts wrapped and shipped?

Baking planned?

(If your answer is no to any of the above, don't worry; you're not alone. I have to admit that no matter how hard I've tried, I'm still a little behind.)

My top priority right now is to finish up the shopping for out of town gifts so I can get those in the mail ASAP. (I've been so late a couple of times that I've had to pay an outrageous price for 2 day UPS shipping and I refuse to let that happen again.)

Last week I talked about Holiday planning and how it's an absolute necessity for me to have a plan and make lists of all those extra things we have to do during this Holiday Season. BigSis is also a huge list maker and she recently shared her Top 4 Tips on planning and getting organized for Christmas, which can help you get started if you're still struggling with how to get everything done.

If you're planning a cookie exchange or making treats for neighbors, which I usually do, you may find this helpful. I was recently reading How to Simplify and Jen mentioned this wonderful FREE printable eBook, Holiday Treats Your Way, which was put together by Mandi from Life…Your Way.

This fantastic ebook is filled with Tips and Tricks on how to plan your Christmas baking and has pages on how to organize a successful Holiday Cookie Swap. The book features tips and recipes from more than 15 Bloggers and contains recipes for cookies, candies, and nuts.

The book even includes adorable gift tags that you can print to attach to all your goodies! 🙂

~LilSis

December 1, 2010

I hate to break it to you, but it's December.  Yep.  And if that isn't enough to put a little panic into your bones, consider the fact that 3 weeks from this weekend is Christmas!  3 weeks!

Fear not though!  Even if you haven't yet given one single thought to Christmas, it isn't time to freak out.  It's time to get organized and we have some tips to help!

Make lists! These are a few to get you started:

• Gifts to buy

• Christmas cards to send

• Other things you know you'll need, like Christmas lights or new Christmas dresses for the girls

• Charitable donations to make before year-end

Start a calendar. Pick one up at the office supply store, download one online, or just draw one out on a piece of paper…just do it!

• First add every function to it that you know about this minute

• As invitations for parties and other events come in, add them to the calendar so it's always current

• Add travel arrangements

• Add other important dates, such as shipping deadlines

Do as much as you can now. Seriously, don't put anything off til next week if you can avoid it.  You'll thank yourself later!

• Start your shopping NOW!

• Think about what you want to bake or cook this year, and if there are any new recipes on the list test them now.

• Don't wait until Christmas Eve wrapping time to find out that you need boxes and tape.  Get it now when you see it on sale.

Order online as much as possible. You avoid the crowds and the parking lot dramas that always occur, plus you get it all done at the speed of light.  And you can usually get great deals!

• Gifts, of course

• Christmas cards, gift bags and wrapping supplies, mailing materials

• Stamps (avoid that deadly post office line that steals your Christmas joy)

There you have it: our top 4 tips to get your Christmas planning off to a great stress-free start.  Now get out there and deck those halls!

photo credit: jannalauren

~BigSis

November 8, 2010

Holiday Potatoes: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

We did share our recipe for Holiday Potatoes last November, but they are definitely worthy of another mention, especially at this time of the year. These potatoes are on our Thanksgiving and Christmas menus every year, without fail. My guys would actually love it if I would make these more often instead of saving them for special occasions.

Trust me when I say that this recipe will not disappoint.

Holiday Potatoes

9 large potatoes (I used white, but you can use Russet or Yukon Gold) peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stick butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
3 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes and the garlic cloves in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Boil until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil until hot, add the shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a paper towel to drain.

Once tender, drain and place the potatoes in a large bowl. Cut butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to bowl. Beat with electric mixer until potatoes are fluffy. Beat in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or place in a buttered casserole dish and refrigerate.

To reheat, bake for 20 minutes or so at 350 degrees. If the potatoes are completely cold, they may need 45 minutes to heat through.  I like heating mine until they’re a little brown around the edges. Right before serving, sprinkle the shallots with salt and garnish the potatoes with the shallots.

If you've never tried a Make Ahead Mashed Potato Recipe, I can almost guarantee you that once you make these, you'll never go back to making last minute mashed taters EVER again!  Instead of peeling and boiling potatoes in a busy kitchen, just pull these out of the fridge, pop them into the oven, and visit with your family while they're heating.  That's one more thing to be thankful for!

~LilSis

December 30, 2009

The weekend before we left for Chicago, I decided that I was going to make Almond Toffee to give to our friends and neighbors for Christmas. It probably wasn't the best timing to try a new recipe as we were still finishing up Christmas shopping, wrapping, and packing in preparation for our trip to Chicago the following day.

On top of all that, we ended up spending most of the weekend in Mission Bay at HayHay's surf competition since he made it all the way to the finals. But, somehow, in the midst of all that, I did manage to make two batches of toffee.

I'd like to give a “shout out” and a “huge thanks” to Anna of Cookie Madness for taking the time to reply to me via email regarding a couple of questions I had about the instructions.
I really appreciate it, Anna!

This recipe is one that Anna has made for many years and since the directions are a little long, I think it's best for you to go to Cookie Madness for the Best-Ever Almond Toffee recipe. You'll also want to read her Almond Toffee Revisited post which has more tips on making this toffee turn out “just right”.

Pecan Toffee

For my first try at this recipe, I just made the small batch so I could get a feel for it. I substituted pecans for the almonds, since I had some on hand, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Other than that, this batch was just a teensy bit thicker than I would have liked, which may have been because the temperature got up to almost 295 before I poured it out of the pan. It was still crispy and crunchy, just not perfect.

BigSis has made this toffee almost every Christmas for as long as I can remember. And, guess what? Hers is always perfect. Mine turned out pretty darn good for being my first time to make it, but it wasn't perfect. That's okay though, I still gave myself a little pat on the back for trying something new and not having a meltdown over a slightly thick batch of toffee.

Best-Ever Almond Toffee

For my second batch, I went ahead and doubled the recipe since I was feeling a little better about the process. This time I did use almonds, but since I discovered that I don't like chopping chocolate, I used semi-sweet chips instead. (I shouldn't have done that!) When I asked for a couple of expert opinions from the chocolate lovers in my house, they both noticed that the chocolate in the first batch was better.

This batch also turned out a little too thick, as you can tell in the photo, but it was still good. I don't think anyone else really noticed, but this batch got a little chewy after the initial crunch. It wasn't as crispy and crunchy as it should have been, but I think I know why. I panicked just a little after I poured it into the pan and I think I gave the pan one too many teeny, tiny taps, which Anna specifically advised me not to do. I knew right away that some of the air bubbles were popping and apparently that's what keeps this toffee so crunchy.

When in Chicago, my mother-in-law happened to pull out some toffee that her brother-in-law had sent to her from Florida. Even though I usually bypass the sweets, I was curious to try it because of my recent attempts at toffee making. This toffee was even thicker than my second batch but somehow was still really crunchy and crispy. It's supposedly made at some special store and our uncle loves it, so if I ever end up with a perfect batch of toffee, I'm going to send some to him and my mother-in-law. I'm sure they'd both be surprised!

All in all, in the end, I did learn a few things about making toffee.

First of all, toffee making is not for wimps. I never knew how long it took to get candy up to 290 degrees and with constant stirring, it's a bit of a workout. Secondly, I would invest in a new thermometer before attempting this again.

This is the thermometer that I used, which is the “attach-to-the-pan” type that Anna advises not to use. It's all I had and I didn't have time to go get a new one, so the fact that both batches turned out thick probably means that my thermometer was a bit off.

Lastly, just stick exactly to Anna's Best-Ever Almond Toffee recipe! Don't make substitutions, use a good thermometer, and follow the instructions to a tee and I bet you end up with a perfect batch of toffee! 🙂

~LilSis

December 29, 2009

For the first time since 1926, Dallas got a White Christmas!   It snowed all day Christmas Eve, and we ended up with around 3 or 4 inches of blowing little flakes.  Our weathermen actually called it a blizzard!  I think that folks up north who know what a real blizzard looks like would have laughed their butts off to hear that!

For us, the snow caused lots of traffic problems since it turned to ice just as everyone in the area was on the road, but it was gorgeous and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Here are some images from my Christmas this year…

After a day of snow, still snowing.

Pretty snow with sunshine and clear walkways! No shoveling!

Gaby wishing he was anywhere but in the Rudolph costume!

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and that it had a few surprises for you as ours did!

~BigSis

December 28, 2009

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

I'm sure that lots of you had snow on the ground for Christmas morning, but if we had stayed in California, we definitely would not have had a White Christmas. I think I mentioned earlier that HayHay was really hoping for a White Christmas, and, as the saying goes, you better be careful what you wish for because it just might come true!

A week ago, Sunday before we left for Chicago, he was doing this!

And two days later, he was doing this!

It really was beautiful though.

We wouldn't have seen icicles like this in San Diego!

We had a great time with all the family and are so thankful that we were able to spend Christmas together this year.  It was 15 degrees when we left Chicago on Sunday so I have to say that I am glad to be back in the San Diego sunshine again, even though we do already miss everyone!

And, in case anyone was wondering, HayHay was back on the surfboard at 8:00 this morning! 🙂

~LilSis

December 24, 2009

From BigSis and LilSis, we're sending you warmest wishes for a wonderful Merry Christmas!

We're taking off a few days to celebrate Christmas with our friends and family, and will be back soon.  Til then, Merry Merry Christmas!

December 22, 2009

I like for things to be perfect.  If I had my way, Baby Jesus would have been born in a nice temperature-controlled room, on clean smooth sheets, with a nice cozy fire in the corner fireplace, and maybe some lovely candles burning and peaceful music playing softly in the background.  Oh, and how about some nice snacks for the 3 Wise Men to munch on after their long trip; homemade of course!

That's not how it happened though, and guess what?  Things worked out like God intended, even though they didn't appear perfect to us; whatever our definition of perfect is.

I've been running and rushing around like crazy for a month, and will probably run as fast as I can to finish my To Do List before Christmas.  I've had my little holiday meltdown, and I confess to getting wigged out over things that really don't matter that much.  I'm stressed that while I take a few days off to celebrate the holidays, the work accumulating in piles on my desk at the office will grow taller and taller.  I'm thinking about this itty bitty Christmas detail or that one.  All in an effort to make things perfect.

I just have to stop right now, and give myself a little shake.  What in the world do I have to be worrying or freaking about, and why aren't I being grateful beyond words to just have this Christmas with lots of my family?  I am thankful, but I think the stress of the details can get in the way of the spirit of the season for me and lots of people.  I don't want it to be that way.

Is it going to matter if someone wants a Cream Soda on Christmas Eve, and I only bought Dr. Pepper?  Who will care if I buy the guacamole instead of making it?  Will it be the end of the world if the cat hacks up another fake Christmas tree needle hairball in front of my guests?  Nope, nope and nope.

So today, I'm reminding myself that Christmas is about the birth of the Baby Jesus, and how grateful we are for that gift.  It's about spending time with friends and family, and being thankful for that opportunity. It doesn't matter if every single little detail about the celebration isn't perfect.

Merry Christmas to you all!  Enjoy your friends and family, and don't worry about all of the teeny weeny details!

~BigSis

December 20, 2009

I've been around the house a lot for the last 4 weekends; busy with all my bake sale baking, and Christmas stuff. I like to have movies on in the background when I'm home, and these are my Christmas favorites that I've been watching over and over and over.

• It's a Wonderful Life

• Elf

• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

• A Christmas Story

• Planes, Trains and Automobiles

• The Santa Clause

I've also been watching “Dirty Dancing” and “Liar Liar”, just cause they make me happy, not because they're Christmasy.

So, did I miss any of your favorite must-watch Christmas movies?

~BigSis