Random and wonderful!!

If any of you try to sing Santa Clause is Coming to Town with Jaxon, there's a good chance she won't sing it like you do. She'll sing it like this, (deep voice part and all). This is her favorite song of the season and it is quite possible that I've heard it 1142 times. Yeah...

I love Scotch tape. Not the adhesive transparent aspect of it, but the smell. Yes, there's a smell. Every time I'm forced to use this during the non-holiday seasons, I smell and immediately think of Christmas. Do you guys randomly love anything about Christmas? While you're thinking about it, get your Scotch Tape out and smell. You'll enjoy it. 

Puppy Chow should be written into the 12 days of Christmas.

It's possible I will use many more songs off of this album--because I feel actual loving feelings for it--and today's Christmas song is Christmas Song by Sleeping at Last. Enjoy!!

Food has obviously made it's way into a recurring theme for my Christmas blogs. And I don't mind that if you don't mind that. And there's no surprise that I really enjoy food. I can't help it. And the more chocolate used in a recipe, the weaker I get. Add peanut butter and powdered sugar I'm a gonner. 

This can be made any time of the year but it seems to surface only around the Holiday season. So therefore, it is quite possibly one of my most favorite things about Christmas...

Ingredients


9 cups Combination of Corn, Rice, and Wheat Cereal squares (Chex) *For gluten-free, omit the wheat chex.
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoon vanilla *make sure to check vanilla for gluten-free
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1-gallon ziplock bags

Instructions

1. Place cereal in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave on High for 1 minute and stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer and stir mixture until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour sauce over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Spoon half of the mixture in each 1-gallon resealable ziplock bag. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar to each bag, and seal. Shake the bag until everything is coated. Spread on waxed/parchment paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Easy peasy. This is also a great idea for a Christmas gift to any co-workers. Find a cute cup or bowl and stuff it with Puppy Chow. This will make anyone smile!

What's for Dinner?

Christmas song of the day is Silent Night sung by Laura Cooke. She has a three song Christmas music sampler on that website I mentioned yesterday. It's also free and beautiful and I just love it.

This song sums up most of my childhood nights. During the very few moments when I wasn't listening to my parents (because, hello...I was perfect (kidding (only, sort of))) and refused to go to sleep, my dad would have to pull out the big guns. He sung me to sleep with Silent Night. I have a lot of memories from growing up and naturally they run slim towards the younger years...but this is one thing we shared that I will never forget. 

Also? Do any of you have a Pizza on Christmas Eve tradition? Because, growing up that's what we did and I LOVED it! Pizza should always be combined with presents. What sort of Christmas Eve digestive traditions do you have?

Decorations!

We are twenty days away from Christmas and I am going to let you take a journey around my house. Not really...but you will see into a couple of carefully decorated corners. Christmas Jam of the day is Baby It's Cold Outside. This version is from the Elf Soundtrack by Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel. Enjoy!!

Jaxon loved the Nutcracker so much she felt like she needed to have her very own....

Somewhere in Texas, around this year, my husband and I were crawling around  our separate households and enjoying our very first Christmas. 

Just some Christmas ornaments in a glass thingy...it's my favorite thing in my kitchen...

...other than this. I can remember who gave me what for our wedding and how they wrapped it, but I cannot remember who gave this to me. It's possible I bought it myself, but I doubt it. Whoever it is...if you're reading this...know that this carefully crafted hand towel is greatly appreciated. 

Just another plate...I love Christmas plates.

One of my many many snowmen...

More snowmen and our very first, personalized Doty Christmas card.... 

LOOK AT HER JOWLS!!!

And more snowmen...

We don't have a fire place, so I get to use this adorable little hooky-shelf thing to hang my stockings. You can't tell by this picture but the stockings my husband and I have are incredibly long. They are marvelous...also, notice the snowmen...

The very small Santa collection...and other Christmas cards on display...

Another ornament on our outside tree...now I'm just taking up your time...if you're even still reading.

And more snowmen! One could say I have a thing for snowmen.

Tell me, what do you decorate with? Snowmen, gingerbread men, Santa, Lights? Tell me all, share pictures with me, brag about it all! Let me see it :D

Christmas MOVIES!!

Good evening!! I didn't forget about my Countdown to Christmas/These are a Few of my Favorite Things post of the day...I've just been a busy woman today. I know, it never happens, so I hardly know how to handle them when they come around. 

Christmas song for today is Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. 

I cannot hear this song without immediately thinking about my favorite Christmas movie, Home Alone. This movie strikes so many Christmas memories for me, and it's adorably awesome.

You can't tell me you've never acted out this scene.

This is pretty much a Christmas movie appreciation post from this point on. All of these are favorites that I can't go without. 

The Elf

I desperately want to celebrate Christmas at Hogwarts. 

Love Actually
This movie makes me cry every time. And this scene...every time I watch it my heart grows three sizes. I now have an enlarged heart.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

I love both the animated and Jim Carey version--well I suppose that's animated as well. 

Charlie Brown Christmas

Of course there are many many many more, like White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story (which makes me want to poke my eyes out), but these are the ones I can't go without. What are some of your favorites?

These are a few of my favorite things...

Hello all!!! It is December and I couldn't be more excited about what this means for me. First of all, I'm done with NaNoWriMo. I completed their 50,000 word goal and became a Winner last night. Now, I plan on taking this month to look at my family, read a few books, and clean my house. It needs it.

Anyway, this post is not about me being done with the first draft of my novel. Since I love the Christmas season like Harry loves his wand, I have decided to copy ABC Family and do my very own 25 Days of Christmas!! Also, take note, that if you're already tired of the Holiday season, this blog is not for you...at least not for the next month.

Let me start you off with a Christmas song for your hearing pleasure.

Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel

by Laura Cooke

Okay, on this first day of December, I would like to put forth my undying love for Christmas Jommies. Jommies, you ask? Well, they're pajamas, and I love 'em. Today was pajama day at the Mother's Day Out, which means even though my kids went to bed in what they planned on wearing we were still late to school.

Here is a photo of some of  the little rugrats I have in class. You should know, every single kid in the class laughed at me for calling them jommies. I don't blame them...it's a weird word.

 I also took a few quick shots of the girls before we left home.  

Look at the adoration here....I caught them at a very odd moment.

Kidding. These girls love each other and their Christmas Jommies too. 

Merry Christmas to all and to all....I'll see you tomorrow.