Treat Tuesday

These are a family favourite. We made them yesterday after school. For Treat Tuesday.

Molasses Cookies
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
extra sugar for rolling

Melt the shortening. Add sugar, egg and molasses. Beat well. Sift in dry ingredients. Mix. Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased sheet. Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes.

So yummy!

Quiet

The house is quiet. It's just me. And Sneakers of course.

I sent two kindlywinks off to school today. The first time in two weeks. One went willingly, the other said they were sick, just not in so many words. I sent them both to school anyway. Tucked inside their lunch bags were some of these.

Dear friends of ours gave us Scribblish for Christmas. (Thank you, Ali!) We absolutely love the game. We have played it several times and kill ourselves laughing each time. So fun. I hope the little pictures and captions add some sparkle to their first day back at school.

I will soon be adding some sparkle to the house. Not actual glitter, but new paint. Paint went on sale this week. That's a good thing, since I'll be buying a gallon or two or six.  The kitchen, living room, dining room, hallway and office are getting a fresh coat of paint. I should just say the whole downstairs with the exception of the bathroom which is in okay shape and the tv room, formerly known as the worst room in the house, which was painted in the fall. I can't wait.

I'm also thinking about this from yesterday. This year is going to sparkle.

Vintage Finds

Yesterday was Andrew's last day of vacation. Not ever. Just for a while. We took the kids to see Tintin. We all liked it.

Once back home, we realized that Andrew forgot his gloves at the theatre. Back in the car I go (Andrew was cooking up a storm). Having to go back out was the perfect excuse to stop at a couple of thrift stores along the way home. I'm so glad I did. I found some lovely vintage table cloths and fabric that will soon be made into items for my Etsy shop. I can't wait to get creating!

Sparkle!

This year I want to be more intentional. I want to celebrate the small things. I want to see the joy and beauty in the everyday, in the small, in the ordinary. I want to sparkle inside and out.

To do this, I need a reminder. Or many. So....I made these cute little tags. Pinned up to the picture holder that held the Christmas cards. The bunting was changed as well. Hooray for 2012! You are going to be a great year.

Some paint, stamps and glitter transformed the LCBO bag into cute, sparkly tags.

Gathered around the kitchen counter, we each wrote down three things. Not resolutions, but things we wanted to do. Fun things, silly things, things that will challenge us too. Three things that could be accomplished by the end of the year, the winter, the month. Some things are simple. Like hit dad with a snowball. (I think this is my favourite) Some are not.

All are quite doable.

This year we are going to sparkle! 

Linking up here:

 Life Made Lovely
Today's Creative Blog
Whipperberry
The Girl Creative

Treat Tuesday With Dad

I have to admit, I didn't think I'd like these, but I did.  You can find the recipe here. Sure, it starts off okay. ½ cup peanut butter and ¼ cup powdered sugar. Mix it well. Peanut butter. Sugar. Yummy.

Then find 32 Ritz crackers. Yep. Ritz crackers. This is where Andrew got all excited and I well, did not. Andrew licked his lips and I crinkled my nose. Mr. Man practiced his counting skills. 1/2 of 32 crackers on a sheet.

Put a spoonful of the peanut butter and sugar mixture on top of each cracker. Followed by the other 1/2 of the 32 crackers. Mr. Man carefully tapped them down. Andrew put them in the freezer to harden. Mr. Man took his job seriously. Andrew licked his lips and I crinkled my nose.

Enter the chocolate. I love chocolate. But on Ritz crackers? Andrew licked his lips and I crinkled my nose. Mr Man. helped Andrew melt 2 cups of milk chocolate chips and then dipped the cracker sandwiches into the chocolate. Andrew licked his lips and I crinkled my nose.

We each took a bite. Mr. Man gave it a thumbs up. Andrew licked his lips and so did I.

Around the House

The Christmas decorations are all packed away. Hooray! I contemplated leaving the decorations up a little longer this year, but I couldn't do it. Despite not feeling so well, everything was packed up yesterday. The boxes went back into the attic today. I am ready for the new year to begin. I can't wait for 2012. It will be a great year. It will sparkle. I just know it!

The pile of boxes that Andrew put in the attic.

With Sneakers' help of course. That little guy is dying to get into the attic. Um, no, not happening.

The pile of needles left after the tree was taken out.  

 

The pile of books ready to go to the second-hand book shop. Let the purging and organizing begin! It is January afterall.

The pile of toilet paper on the floor. Not exactly the kind of re-organization I had in mind!

Happy New Year!

The Last of Christmas 2011

The new year is here. We had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. I hope you did too. Enjoy the last few photos of Christmas. Christmas morning. The kidlywinks open one present on Christmas Eve - new jammies. It's a family tradition that they love.

Christmas afternoon and evening at my parents'.

Baby Max :)

Boxing Day supper by candle light. It was so pretty. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Making gingerbread. We mixed and rolled. Cut and baked.

Then the real fun began. Decorating! All the candy came from the Bulk Barn. They had so much fun picking it out.

 Mr. Man couldn't wait to add his gummy shark. Every gingerbread house needs a gummy shark.

Off again to spend time with my family and our new addiction - Storage Wars.