November 24, 2009

Vacation Is Over!

At least for a couple of days, then everyone is off for Thanksgiving again! I have missed you all! I have been busy making dreamsickle fudge, chocolate fudge (with and without nuts), lemon fudge, coconut balls, peanut butter balls, and pumpkin rolls! This was something I always enjoyed doing at Christmas but the last couple of years things have been so crazy that I felt rushed and pressured to get it done and that took the joy out of it. This year I decided to do it early so I could enjoy doing it!

I sent 2 large trays (one for the hospital employees and one for the clinic employees) with my husband this morning and I have two more smaller ones to deliver this afternoon. And yes, I kept just a little but for myself!

I promised a Christmas Give Away and since I'm not sure the fudge would make it through the postal service, I am giving away one of my Christmas Light Blocks!
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This is the "There's No Place Like Home" light block. This is not the greatest pic but it's the only one I have on my computer at the time. I'll try to get a better one posted before the giveaway ends! It's beautiful, I promise. It is is trimmed with a pretty burgundy colored bow that matches the holly on the graphic.

I use a light cord like this one with all my light blocks so the bulb is changeable and you can easily switch it on and off without unplugging each time!
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How to enter:
Tell me a Christmas/holiday tradition you do simply because you enjoy it! Like baking or calling old friends to say Merry Christmas or trekking through the woods to cut your own tree......I wanna hear them!

If your email is not linked in your profile, please use the "contact me" link in the right sidebar to send me your username and email address otherwise I have no way of contacting you if you win!

Blog about this giveaway and get an extra entry! Contest will end December 10th at 9:00 a.m.

Don't forget to vote for Suzanne!
Vote for Me
Good Mood Gig from SAM-e

15 comments:

Cindy said...

Yay! 1st comment......oh wait, how often is #1 drawn?!?!? LOL!!

Our Christmas tradition is trekking through the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree. I have found quite a few not so great trees, but that is part of what makes it so great...how creative we can get "hiding" the not so great spots!!

Also, during Thanksgiving weekend, my niece and I have a Christmas decoration craft day. We make something new and unique each year. Maybe just have to see what we can find in a block!!

Julie Harward said...

i LOVE TO BAKE BUNDT CAKES FOR ALL MY NEIGHBORS AT CHRISTMAS TIME. I USUALLY DO AROUND 20 OF THEM..IT'S SO FUN! YOUR BLOCK IS VERY CUTE!
Come say hi :D

Country Whispers said...

I bake, bake and bake!
I always make enough to share with family, neighbors and the guys that work with my husband always wait to get the two trays that I send in with him.
This light block is beautiful. It has such a cozy, warm and down home country look.

Just Me said...

When I was a child, I wanted to decorate as soon as advent started.
But no, my parents would not put up the tree, until Christmas eve.
The days before my mom was baking, for us and all our friends and neighbors, Tulband is what it's called...some sort of round Christmascake (bundcake?)...we all loved it..and were not allowed to eat it...yet.

Christmaseve..midnight came, we all went to church..yes at midnight.
App. 1.30 we would be home again, the house was warm and cozy, the Christmas tree with lots of lights would shine.
The table was set, we got mushroom soup, all kind of luxury breads and the TULBAND.
We ate as much as we could..than went to bed.

The next morning it was Christmas, but the country were I'm born..there are no gifts for Christmas.
But when I was a child the lights in the tree were satisfying enough.

I'm an adult now...we do have gifts for Christmas, but I also bake the cake AND my Christmas tree is up on December 1st.
Lots of lights up in the tree and on my house.
Got the best of both worlds now.

Happy Thanksgiving and a merry Christmas.

Astrid aka Flatlander

Steph said...

I bake cheesecake! It's actually a tradition to bake a cheesecake for every holiday, but at Christmas time, I make one for every event I attend! Good for the taste buds, not good for the waist line, lol.

Janet, said...

the block is beautiful! I wear my mom's old Santa hat when we pass out presents. I also make ornaments every year for our tree. I love Christmas when the family all gets together.

Anonymous said...

The first thing we do is buy a gift for the toys for tots program. Then I have my husband ask on the children's ward if any children will be in hospital. If so, a gift for them as well. Then I spend 72 hours prior baking baking baking. I prepare gifts bags for the employees in my hubs department to take home with them to share with their family. I love doing this as everyone enjoys it so much. Hugs. Tammy

Sandy said...

I have never seen a Christmas block before--neat! One of my favorite Christmas traditions is baking cookies with my mom. We use her cookie dough recipe and pick out some cutters, mix up some colored icing and have a ball. We both look forward to it every year. Happy Thanksgiving from Sandy @ www.wholesometalk.com

Anonymous said...

We like to watch "A Christmas Story" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" every year. My husband and I take one day and shop-till-we-drop for my son. I bake like a mad woman, and my family is involved in the contribution of Christmas stockings to our troops. On Christmas Eve, my son and I will discuss the story of Jesus, and on Christmas we will sing Him "Happy Birthday." Actually, we have a TON of little traditions. I am so proud of us right now! :):) Your light block is beautiful. It would match my living room perfectly! :):) Blessings!

Unknown said...

I think we are gonna re-start a tradition this year. While on a trip to see my wife's family, she asked me if I knew what the different evergreens were called. I told her most of the evergreens here are cedars which grow wild. They are not perfectly shaped Christmas trees. They are what my parents grew up with. They have a lot of pine smell, and Grandma always seemed to get enough candy canes on one for all of us. Maybe these simple trees grow here for a reason.

Cheryl said...

Our Christmas tradition, going to Mom on Christmas Eve and having dinner with all the family. Afterwards it's gift time and we all have a blast.

Since Garry is a only child and both his parents are in heaven. We don't have any thing to do on Christmas day. So around evening he and I go to Jack-in-Box for some burgers. Sounds silly, but we laugh about it every year. It's lonely for us with no children to drop in and cook for.

I do decorate the house alot and your light box would look lovely on my buffet table!

Unknown said...

My tradition is having egg nog and pumpkin pie with the family. It's not very original, but the grand children love it. The pie and crust are always homemade. I also let the grand daughters help me bake cookies to decorate and then share with the senior centers nearby.

Beverly from Washington State

Jamie Allen said...

My 2 older sisters and all of our kids (9) all get together and make all of the men in our family special baked treats. We usually make a whole day of it and we love it. I am sad that this year will be the first time in 10 years that we won't be able to do it. My oldest sister moved to TN last year and can't get off work to come home for a few days this christmas. Boo-Hiss!
Thanks.

Jamie (jpregnantmom@aol.com)

catslady said...

This reminds me of something a friend gave me - a wine bottle covered with a paper machee of some kind and then you light it from within. My daughter also made what she called a shadow box decorated on five sides and lit the same way (she's an art major).

To traditions - I started a tree trimming party ages ago because we had an uncle with no where to go and no family other than us. It has grown from the 3 of us to our now grown daughters, one with a husband and one with a boyfriend, my nephew and niece who have no children and the uncle has had a permanent girlfriend for 20 plus years. It's now an all day event and I serve a fancy (for me anyway lol) dinner. I collect (and so do my girls) ornaments and most tell a story or have a wonderful memory attached.
catslady5(at)aol.com

Marianne said...

My family has lots of traditions, but my own personal one is to pick a day when everyone is at work or school, then I brew a pot of peppermint coffee, light the tree and load the CD player with Christms music. I then wrap all the presents and address my cards. Follow that with making fudge for all my family (I'm the only one who learned to make my Great Aunt's fudge recipe). Can't wait to try out some of your fudge recipes!

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