Fizz the Season

This year has gone by so fast. It’s almost hard to believe a new year is about to begin. Now more than ever is our chance to slow down and enjoy the moment with our loved ones. Relax and let loose a little bit. These festive beverages will help you unwind after a long day and be able to tolerate your nephews playing their new Christmas drum set. Thanks a lot, Santa.

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Pomegranate Mimosa will look oh so elegant in your hand as you pretend you’re in an Audrey Hepburn holiday. This simple cocktail is ¼ pomegranate juice and ¾ champagne. Scoop a few frozen pomegranate seeds on top for visual effects and a lightly chilled delight.

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It’s not a holiday without Christmas Sangria. In a large pitcher, stir together 2 bottles of Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay wine, ¾ sparkling apple cider, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup cranberries halved and 1 cup cranberries whole, 1 Granny Smith apple chopped, and 3 Rosemary sprigs. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

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A Traditional Wassail Bowl will surely spice up a quiet evening. Made with a half pound of sugar, one teaspoon of nutmeg, 7 -12oz bottles of Light Beer, and one half pint of Sherry. Mix ingredients and let sit at room temp for 3 hours. Before serving, garnish glasses with apples roasted in sugar and spices as well as lemon or apples dipped in cinnamon. This one increases jolliness by 100% as your cheeks redden.

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http://pocketchangegourmet.com/creamy-peppermint-punch/

Peppermint Punch is good for those who have a sweet tooth but cant partake in alcoholic refreshment. Blend 2 cups of eggnog and 5 large scoops of peppermint ice cream in a blender until creamy. Combine in a punch bowl with club soda and you have a minty treat for kids and adults. Add crushed candy cane to the rims if you’re feeling extra. If only adults in the room then you can substitute traditional spiked eggnog or include peppermint schnapps.

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Hot Apple Cider is a must have for any seasonal event. It is my absolute favorite drink for a cold day. This super easy recipe will take minutes but give lifetime memories. One gallon of Apple Cider, one cup of orange juice, 4 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, 1 teaspoon whole allspice. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker for and hour and remove spices before serving. Include Butterscotch Schnapps, caramel vodka, or a spiced rum of your choosing for a boost.

If the weather outside is frightful, stay in and get snowed.

 

 

 

 

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We’re All Wrapped Up

We’re only a handful of days away from one of the biggest holidays of the year. Everything is so festive and exciting except for the one thing that most people procrastinate until the last minute, wrapping the gifts. Instead of opting for the boring red and green paper, get adventurous because wrapping doesn’t have to be tedious. It can be fun, just try this.

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https://issuu.com/leonsfurniture/docs/leons_hello_holiday_guide/55

Black and White Christmas. Go for black wrapping paper with white lettering. White chalk markers can accomplish the written portion and you can send little notes to your loved ones this way from Santa or their favorite parents. It’s still festive and yet extremely chic. If you want to get really fancy, then a bit of red ribbon can be tied around the package or made into clever bows to complement a hand drawn picture, such as a bowtie on Santa.

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https://princesspinkygirl.com/holiday-gift-wrapping-hacks/

Peace Be with Hue. For the tiny tots in the home, cover the package in blank white paper. Then attach a small package of crayons or markers for a “Color Me” themed gift. Kids will think Santa is too cool for this yule as they enjoy decorating their own Christmas present. It may slow them down long enough for a quick photo opportunity, but then again, maybe not.

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https://goo.gl/kk86fF

Winter Wonderland. Cover the package in white paper. Tie it with a brown string in any fashion you please. Gather pine sprigs, pinecones, winter berries, and olive branches from your backyard or local park. Please be considerate of the wildlife and pick up things only from the ground and not off the trees. Stick a sprig of greenery in each of your package’s string. You have a modern and yet alluring winter package.

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http://eighteen25.com/2014/12/avery-custom-photo-gift-tags/

Pretty Paper. Deck your box in whatever paper of your choice. It can be white, black, brown or store bought shimmer and shine papers. Then print off pictures from Instagram and use them as precious gift tags. They can be of the person the gifts are for or a neat black and white winter scene with a name written underneath. It’s a unique way to personalize a gift and give it a little something magical as they unwrap.

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That wasn’t that bad, was it? The good news is you only have to wrap this many presents once a year.

 

Elf Yo’ Self

Elfie is the newest member to many families these days. He makes all kinds of raucous in the home with crazy antics and surprising pranks. Elfie can be a great gauge for your kids (or husband) to measure how close they will be to the naughty or nice list this year. While Elfie is busy getting into trouble, the little critters are having so much fun keeping up with him or her that they are staying out of it. Let’s see what Elfie is up to lately…

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Elfie is tired of walking. Being mischievous is a lot of work. Elfie has borrowed a beautiful Barbie saddle that’s placed on top of Charlie, the family dog. Elfie lures Charlie with treats on the end of a pole in order to lead him around. Elfie doesn’t have to walk so far and Charlie enjoys his snacks so it’s a mutual agreement.

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Elfie says goodbye to Charlie because he has to hide 12 candy canes he stole from the Christmas tree before the humans wake up. He can’t wait to see their faces when they read the note he wrote telling them of his maniacal plan. They will never find them all! He is too good of a hider; he won first place in hide and seek at the North Pole Elves Convention.

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Elfie is sad. It hasn’t snowed at all here this Christmas. He misses the snow and all the things you could play in it. He has an idea. He pulls down flour, marshmallows, sprinkles and all kinds of finds from the baking shelf and spreads them all over the counters. Elfie brings a little white Christmas to the family with flour snow angels and marshmallow snowmen. It’s starting to feel more like home here every minute.

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The humans need a bit of help decorating. They only have ONE tree up. At the workshop Santa has a tree every 20 square feet and garland covering every wall. Elfie finds their wrapping paper. This will do. He starts with wrapping the cabinet doors. It looks pretty festive but it still isn’t enough. He then wraps the table. Much better. Might as well finish it off by wrapping the couch. Perfect. The humans will be so pleased with the redecorations.

 

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It’s almost time for the family to wake. Better hurry. It’s time for Elfie to take a bath so he’s presentable to them. He has bits of paper stuck to his back and streaks of flour in his hair. He rushes to the sink and fills it with cotton ball bubbles. Ah yes. This is the life. He grabs an American Girl robe and a washcloth to wrap his hair. Now to relax after a full morning at work.

 

Versatile Holiday Décor

The holidays are here and now you have to drag down all your decorations from the attic. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have less décor with just as much holiday flare? It is possible. Before you go out and buy a whole new collection of ornaments for each holiday motif, take a look at these clever creations that may save you space and money.

Get it on Etsy here: https://goo.gl/xrG62P

Reversible holiday blocks are a precious way to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Thanksgiving.” One side has winter season and one side has fall. You just flip them around when one is over. You can get them custom made on Etsy.

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Find it on Etsy here!

Show a little spirit in your entryway or on your front door with a cute sign with stacked pumpkins on one side. When snow comes to town flip over for a pleasantly plump snowman.

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Celebrate the upcoming events with a chalkboard countdown with Halloween or Thanksgiving on one side. On the other displays you favorite Christmas or Hanukkah countdown. It’s a fun way to keep your kids excited and engaged with holiday plans. They can even change the number themselves.

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A cool way to yule is to have wooden pumpkin cutouts painted then reversed to show festive tree ornaments. These wood discs a person could easily paint themselves with little time and effort to make a big statement piece.

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See all the options here! https://www.thoughtsinvinyl.com/wooden-letters/interchangeable-home-letters

Spruce up each season with these HOME letters that require a different shaped holiday symbol as the ‘O’ for every national celebration. There is a heart for Valentines, a maple leaf for autumn, a Frankenstein monster for Halloween, a bunny for Easter, and several others to choose from. You can keep this decoration up all year round. Everyone will compliment your highly functional piece and how quaint it is.

You won’t have to completely change your entire house around each passing season and fool everyone with your clever tricks.