Christmas Archives - Page 9 of 17

World Vision: Give a Gift. Change a life. (Plus a giveaway!)

November 27, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’m happy to team up with World Vision this holiday season. World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice, and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.

So how can you help? You start by looking through World Vision’s catalog. They have a list of items that you can choose to donate to someone around the world. For example, a $25 donation will buy someone 2 chickens, while a $75 donation will buy a goat.

Aside from livestock, you can also choose to donate money to send children to school or buy a sewing machine to help a woman life herself out of poverty. And your donations can also go towards things like Bibles, new clothing, and toys.

This is a great way for you and your family to get together and help to make a difference for someone else this Christmas, or purchase a gift in someone’s honor.

Here’s a video on how it works:

To view their catalog and connect, check out World Vision on Facebook and Pinterest.

To say thanks for your generous donations, World Vision lets you choose a free gift. These include plush animals like the ones pictured above, artisan jewelry, ornaments, and other great items.

Giveaway! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win three plush animals from World Vision.

To enter, please use my Rafflecopter form.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the same plush animals featured in this giveaway but received no other compensation. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Causes/Charities, Christmas, Giveaways

Guest Post: Spice Cookies from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

November 26, 2012 2 Comments

I’m so excited to have some guest bloggers lined up for the holiday season. Today I’m happy to welcome Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. She’s sharing her Spice Cookies, a classic and perfect holiday treat, which I’m sure you’ll love. Here’s Kristen!

Hi Everyone! I am so pleased to be a guest here today. What fun it is to “meet” all of you! My name is Kristen and I blog over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. (Yes, I don’t know what I was thinking when I chose that title…it’s too long, but it’s stuck to me like frosting on cake). My motto is “delicious doesn’t have to be expensive.” I make family friendly recipes using everyday ingredients.

By way of introduction, I am a mom to five kids ranging in age from 6 to 18. The oldest four are teenage boys, all of whom we adopted at birth. The youngest was a “surprise” little girl that I gave birth to myself. We live in the Jacksonville, FL area while my husband commutes to his job in San Fransisco two weeks out of every month. Life is rarely dull in my house. In fact, those blessed hours while the kids are in school are the only quiet ones of the whole day!

The recipe I am sharing with you today was given to me by a friend when we lived in the Seattle area. Susan and her husband were in a dinner group with us and we also shared a love of music, but what made her so special to me was her love for my young boys. She brought them these cookies whenever she visited and once even came over to my house with all of the ingredients and spent an afternoon baking with them. Those are priceless memories which make these cookies all the more tasty.

Spice Cookies:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp each cloves, ginger and salt

Extra sugar

Combine the oil, sugar, molasses and egg in a mixing bowl.

Beat with a mixer until smooth.

Combine the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and add to the sugar mixture.

Mix well.

Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Shape dough into small balls, roll in the extra sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until top starts to crinkle.

Cool on a wire rack.

Thanks, Jerri for inviting me over. It’s been a pleasure. Happy Holidays to all of you, too!!

Thanks again to Kristen for agreeing to post here today! Please stay tuned for more guest posts and holiday fun! Also, add your own Christmas treats to my linky list.

I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy, Guest Post, recipes

Black Friday and After Thanksgiving Deals

November 24, 2012 Leave a Comment

Are you braving the stores for all the Black Friday sales? Whether you are or not, you can take advantage of some great Black Friday and After Thanksgiving Sales online! Today I’m sharing a great deal from my own shop, as well as a few deals from our sponsors! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, deals and discounts Tagged With: Black Friday

12 Hostess Gift Ideas at World Market and Life of Pi Giveaway

November 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

Are you ready for holiday shopping? I love seeing all the great gift ideas in the stores this time of year; it makes shopping so fun, and not to mention the pretty decorations and music that really put me in the holiday spirit. Did you know that World Market has fabulous gift selections that range from kitchen and entertainments supplies, to home decor, food & drink, and EVEN jewelry? I’ve been browsing their site, and today I’m sharing 12 items that I think would make great hostess gift ideas for the holiday season! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, shopping Tagged With: entertainment, gift ideas

Southern Pecan Pralines

November 19, 2012 6 Comments

If you are looking for something rich and decadent to make this holiday season, then you will love this recipe! My mom makes Pecan Pralines all the time, especially around Christmas. Their consistency and taste is very similar to a brown sugar fudge, and they are perfect for carrying to parties, cookie/candy exchanges, or place in gift baskets. But I must warn you, like fudge, they are also very, VERY sweet! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy

16 Christmas Treats and a Linky Party!

November 14, 2012 8 Comments

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the food, especially the Christmas treats and sweets! Over the next several weeks I’m excited to have some fantastic guest bloggers here to share their holiday recipes with us, as part of my Six Treats of Christmas Treats event! To kick things off, I’ve compiled a fun list of Christmas cookies, bars, and candies that I think you will love!

There’s also a linky at the end of this post, where I invite you to link up your own treats! All holiday sweets and treats and welcome, as well as drinks and appetizers. The linky will be open through New Year’s, and I’ll be featuring some of my favorites here, so link up as many as you’d like (old posts and new) and have fun!

But first take a gander at these yummies: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy

Fabulous Fall and Christmas Holiday Wreaths from The Baker’s Daughter

October 4, 2012 3 Comments

As some of you may know, I LOVE wreaths! One of my favorite Etsy shop is The Baker’s Daughter. The shop is owned by the very creative and supremely talented Nancy! She makes beautiful yarn and felt wreaths with fun embellishments for all occasions, as well as other fun decor! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, fall, Wreaths

Caramel Drizzle Freezer Pie

July 29, 2012 18 Comments

I’m so excited to share this week’s recipe with you! I saw this Caramel Drizzle Freezer Pie on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and I could hardly wait to make it! The recipe comes from All Recipes, a great source for any cook or baker, and I just know you’re going to love it!

This is the perfect pie for summer time because it’s very sweet and it’s also served cold. But I, for one, think it is the perfect pie for any time of year. I’m actually looking quite forward to making it for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. And as if the taste of this pie wasn’t a good enough reason to make it, it’s also super easy to make, and the recipe yields 2 pies, so it’s perfect for parties and pot lucks.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, desserts, Misc Holidays, Recipe of the Week, summer, Thanksgiving Tagged With: pie

Christmas Crafts Scandinavian Style Book Review

July 25, 2012 Leave a Comment

If you like to sew or craft, you will love this book! Christmas Crafts Scandinavian Style by Tone Merete Stenklov and Miriam Nilsen Morken will help you brighten up your home and create homemade decorations and gifts with an appealing Scandinavian flair.

The book includes instructions and patterns for fifty easy-to-make Christmas crafts. These include cards, wreath, ornaments, stockings, pillows, wall hanging, and even gift wrapping paper. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, crafts, product review Tagged With: books

Fun Holiday Ideas with Pringles

December 22, 2011 Leave a Comment

I always love thinking of new ways to use and reuse things, especially containers! Instead of throwing away that Pringles can after the chips are gone, consider reusing it! There’s so many possibilities for those little cylinders!

For starters, consider covering the can with a little wrapping paper and then fill it with candy! You could even use the cans as a gift box for your own home made cookies, candies, and treats!

The cans also make great storage containers for your ribbon, scissors, and other gift wrapping supplies. Or use them to store your crafting supplies!

And of course you can also use them to wrap packages. Or use them to craft your own holiday centerpiece!
Can you think of some other fun things to do with these cans?

Disclosure: Photos, information and product samples were provided to me by Pringles. The opinions are my own.

I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Filed Under: Christmas, crafts, organizing