merry christmas

snow for christmas

merry eve!

cane bliss

{the pics say it all}

cute snow friend

snow + acorns + carrot + Grace's imagination = cute snow friend

a little sugary help

This year I'm getting a little help from Trader Joe's in the Sanderson Santa sugar cookie bake off.  Each year we make sugar cookies for Santa in fun Christmas shapes, decorated with sugar, sprinkles etc...  

I was strolling through TJ's (actually in a Christmas sprint) and came upon this.  The nice gentleman at TJ's who was re-stocking the shelf told me it was a great deal.  They were normally $3.99 and were just marked down to .99 cents.  That is a deal PLUS it comes with colored sugar, icing and get this..... THREE cookie cutters.  It's easy fun in a box so I bought TWO!  Now we have our cookie making moment with more ease than past years.  I will take it and not feel the least bit jipped that it wasn't "homemade."  My kids are cool with it too, the best part to them is the decorating and of course eventually eating them.

Another reason I love my TJ's!

a country christmas

Sarah's preschool Christmas program was last night.

As you can see, she's a singer, always has been.

She even gave Daddy and Sister a pre-show in the car on the way there.

Love the drawn on freckles, not that she needed any :).

The kids in my class did a great job as well. 

All that hard work paid off. 

My little country bumpkin tuckered out and snoring all the way home.

Love this girl.



letter to santa

It's only appropriate that on the day we take our letter to the mailbox for Santa it has snowed. 

They've waited for this all week.

do you know the muffin man? (or woman in this case)

Sarah's class has a breakfast party this week.  I signed up to make all the muffins for the kiddos.  The party is Thursday morning, my Wednesday night is full with the school and Sarah's program going on.  So I took advantage of the weekend and made these this morning.  I'm planning to freeze them until the big day.

Big Bad Chocolate Muffins
1 devils food cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt ( I have also used plain)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease muffin pan (this makes about 20 muffins)or use muffin liners. Set aside. In a mixing bowl combine cake mix and pudding mix. In a separate bowl combine yogurt, water, oil, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake 20 -22 minutes or until center springs back. Cool on wire rack . **These are good, rich.  I made mini muffins with these, perfect size for 4 and 5 year olds.  My plan is to add some icing on top with Christmas sprinkles before Thursday to give them a special touch.

Second batch/choice, because we need variety at our party.  I made the One Egg Banana Bread I posted about here.  This time I made mini muffins though.  **These are a personal favorite and weakness of mine. 

today

I'm using this today, alot.

Thinking of the friend who gave it to me.

She is super talented.

Her family has been hit with the loss of a father.

I'm praying for them.

I love them to pieces.



performance

Beautiful girl. Wonderful performance. Great night.

the list

Woke up this morning with a panic to me. 

We got our Christmas cards yesterday, now I start the process of trying to get them out.  Art says he can help me with that and all it takes is labels, our printer and patience.  We'll see.  He's out this morning, working at church for tomorrow's service, leaving me to stare at this box.  I am not a patient woman :)

My thoughts and ideas are a little scrambled so after a hearty breakfast I sat down and compiled my "have to get done" list before the end of next week. 

 Christmas related -

Finish shopping for Grace, Sarah, Art, extended family

Wrap presents

Decorate pretzels for teacher gifts

Put together teacher gifts

Buy needed supplies for Grace's school party

Find muffin recipes that will work for Sarah's class party and bake

School related -

Cut out 14 jaguars (we're on letter J this week)

Cut out 14 candy canes for Jesus craft (again, letter J and fitting for our last week before Christmas)

Fill gift bags for school kids from Ms. O and I

Fill goodie bags for school party, my lead parent dropped out so now it is my job (YAY!)

Get hay bale to school for Wednesday night program

Regular chores/to do's -

Laundry (ugghh, hoping Art can help out with this one)

Vacuum the floors

Clean the basement, apparently there was an exploision down there sending Barbie, her friends and accessories to every corner of the room.

Wash sheets (I think Art started this already but finishing up is the goal)

Download pictures from Grace's performance last night at ILS

Put performance and pictures on a cd for a friend

Pick up Grace's uniforms at Cinderellas coach

Get the girls ready for next week

Balance check book, do ASP

Plan menu through the end of December

There are more, I'm just sure of it.  All of this and a bad forecast for the area.  Could be an interesting weekend. 

another way I keep warm {yum}

Now that's one BIG cup of warmth!  Mmmm...

new haircut

Someone in our home got a new haircut and she loves it.  Mom loves it too!  It was fun to see her expressions as Candi washed her hair, you could tell she felt very pampered and very girly.  WAY cute!

how i stay warm

When the cold temps hit I head for covering, literally.

This is how I stay warm during the day and at night.

Scarf, for some reason, having my neck covered brings warmth.

It's Christmas, so I take advantage of it and have some fun while staying warm in my Santa hat.

My house shoes, they work indoors and out when I have to let Truman outside.

At night, my defense is turning our heating pad on about 20 minutes before getting into bed.  It makes for a warm, cozy bed upon entering. Notice it is on High.

You will find me, at my coldest, running around in my fuzzy pink robe.  Yes, over my normal clothing.  This picture was taken by Grace, in a silly moment :).

Another shot of one of the scarfs I wear around the house.

Be warm.

and the winner is {drum roll please}.......

Love 2010 Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Coming Fall 2010, to a home near you.

quick dinner idea for the holidays

I keep up with this blog and I love this idea, EASY and it will be a pleaser here in the Sanderson home. 

Enjoy!

http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/2010/12/quick-dinner-kids-love.html

to wii or not to wii

Grace  brought home her wish list to Santa tonight she made up at school today.  Here are her wishes (in her writing, sounding it out):

1. More sile bans (silly bands)
2. Brebe Home with a wrckng eluvtr (Barbie home with working elevator)
3. A Wii
4. The Rpunsol wig (Rapunzel/Tangled wig)
5. Zoo Zoo Pet
6. The Rpunsol doll (Rapunzel/Tangled doll)
7. A new Brebe (Barbie)

I'm not sure if Santa will fit the bill for all seven of these but there was a surprise.  I knew the girls would be ga-ga over Rapunzel after seeing the movie Tangled, I expected that.  The one that hit me was the Wii.  Art and I have liked it that we have not given into the Wii craze.  Grace has played it twice now, only within the last month - at a girlfriends party and with her cousin, singing its praises both times.  Sarah has no interest.  Speaking of Sarah, her wishes are (in her words):

1. Rapnuzel doll that braids
2. Unicorn webkinz

That's it.  Simple and easy to please. 

Santa has some thinking to do :-).  To Wii or not to Wii.

christmas card

This one won't make the card but it is a favorite of mine.  Mostly because they aren't looking at the camera but just being themselves with their buddy.  It captures so much.  Love it.

which one will make the christmas card???

Probably not this one...

Although it is fun and says alot about our family. 

Notice the only non-crazy one is Truman.

More to come...

images (being thankful and thanksgiving)

 Watching the parade

 Playing Wii for the first time (yes first time).

 Wrestling with Truman.

 Consuming this everytime I have one.

 Trimming the tree.

:-)

Dessert (yum)

ahh-dictive!

Yum-Oh!

all fall



go to meal - chili chicken sandwiches

I may have shared this recipe before.  I've altered it to fit our tastes.  It came from a Kraft magazine.  It is one of my go to meals when things get thrown out of wack like forgetting to sit out beef or chicken to thaw :).  

These are things I keep on hand:

 Mix the chicken with 1 T of mayo, 3 T of cottage cheese, squirt of horseradish (alot or little, to your liking), 1 T squash, 1 palm full of chili powder (again to your liking).  Mix together. 

This is what it looks like.

Spread on bread, top with cheese, buttering the outside of the bread (like grilled cheese).  Grill. 

Serve and enjoy.

I don't always use the canned chicken, but in a rush it works.  In the original recipe it called for 4 T of mayo.  That was too much for my group, I add the 1T for the taste it gives but use cottage cheese or plain yogurt for the rest.