Day 6 - Favorite Christmas Item

Well my Favorite Christmas Item without a doubt would have to be my Christmas tree. Last year was Daley first Christmas and we got a brand new tree. It is was bigger than the tree we had previously so I knew that we would need more ornaments. In late November of last year I started working to convince my husband that we needed a new theme for our new tree and it worked. So last year we took to Hobby Lobby to create our new tree. Because our house is decorated very simple and understated I wanted our tree to fit into our decor. So our tree is decorated with cranberries, pinecones, apples and wooden ornaments. It is soooo cute and cozy and I love it. We also found some really cool stuff from the floral department that is dispursed throughout our tree. They are little twisty branch type things that add a really cool dimension to the tree. I love sitting in the dark and looking at it each night. I think it is sooooo fun. Too bad I cant keep it up year round :)

Day 7 - Fave Christmas Recipe

So my fave Christmas Recipe come from my Nanny. For as long as I can remember ny Nanny has been making her famous "Chewey Bars". About 3 or 4 years ago she gave me the recipe and I had been warned by my mom that they were really hard to make....but I was going to attempt them anyways. Well mom was right.....the making of Chewey Bars is an art. I have never successfully made them as good as hers but they have been close. I will tell you there is a thin line in the cooking process between over-cooked (they come out dry) and under cooked (they come out gooey and gross) So without further a due.....here goes

Nanny's Famous Chewey Bars
Ingredients:
1 one lb box of light brown sugar
2 cups of Bisquick
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 beaten eggs
Powdered Sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13x9 Pyrex dish. Mix brown sugar, Bisquick & chopped pecans until they are well mixed in and no sugar lumps. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour in Pyrex and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

*Please note I have NEVER cooked this for the entire 45 mins. I find that 35 mins is about the right cooking time but I have a gas stove and I know that sometime gas cooks quicker than electric. Sooooo just keep an eye on it. The key is to not let it cook too long. The toothpick trick doesnt work so dont mess with that. The consistency you are going for is a cross between a cookie and a brownie.

After it has cooled sift powdered sugar on top and cut into squares.

Day 5 - What Christmas Means To Me

Day 8 - Favorite Christmas Memory

I really have two favorite Christmas memories. The first one was when I was a kid. Each Christmas Eve my mom, sister and I would stay up late watching White Christmas and then Kelli and I would go to bed. Each year we would sleep in the same bed. We would be so excited and stay up super late talking about Santa and what we thought we would find under the tree on Christmas morning. Then we would get up really really really early on Christmas morning. So early that my mom had to make a rule that we couldnt come wake her up until after the sun came up. Now keep in mind that you couldnt drag my sister out of bed early any other day of the year but on Christmas morning she would be up WAY before the sun. Of course as soon as the presents were open guess who went back to bed???? YEP!!!

Last year Christmas was especially special for Jabin and I because it was Daleys first Christmas. It was really really neat waking up on Christmas morning and opening presents with her. Of course she didnt know what was going on but it was so much fun. Christmas is so much more special when children are involved. She was so cute in her Christmas PJ's and playing with her walker that "Santa" brought her. I am really looking forward to this year and seeing how she tears into her gifts :)

Day 9 - Fave Gifts to Ever Receive OR Give

So we all know that Christmas isnt all about gifts but come, on you know you totally love getting presents....So here is the list of fave gifts I ever recd.

1. Cabbage Patch Doll

2. Barbie Van

3. Barbie Hot Tub that 3 hours later was destroyed after my sister jumped off the bed and broke it in half. But thats ok Kell......I forgive ya :)

4. Atari (Yep I know I am old school)

5. Stereo....so when I was a teenager and I dont know how old I was maybe between 13-16 my mom bought me a new stereo for christmas. This was back in the day when the "IN" thing was to have a stereo in a glass cabinet with the cd player, tuner, tape deck.....all that jazz. Anyways that year my mom bought me one and it was a Sony. I know this gift had to have been very very very expensive and seeing as how my mom was a single mom I am sure she couldnt REALLY afford it but I got it anyways. Thats why my mom ROCKS!!!

6. A Pekingnese Puppy named Holly...she was our sweet family dog and lived a loooooonnnnnggg time.

7. Digital Camera - last year Jabin bought me an awesome digital camera for Christmas and I use it all the time. He also bought me a really awesome printer to go along with it :)

NOW I know this sounds strange but almost none of my presents are surprises. I always pick them out......BUT I love stockings for that reason. I love to dig in my stocking on Christmas morning to find lots and lots of surprises.

My Fave Gift to Give was last year.....my mom had been saying for a while that she wished she had a picture of all of her and my stepdads kids & grandkids all together. So Amber (Damons Wife) and I set out to make that happen. It took a lot of time scheduling to get everyone there at the same time (there were 13 of us) but we did it. Tara Morgan was so patient and sweet to tjae our picture (remember their were 13 of us...not an easy task I am sure)!!!! We planned to give them their gift when we were all together at Damon and Ambers yearly Christmas Party. Well as luck would have it Bubba got snowed in @ the airport and couldnt make it but we decided to go ahead and give it to my mom anyways. We all called her into Dylan and Camerons room and made her open her HUGE wall portrait. She loved it sooooo much. She even cried......my mom doesnt cry. It really warmed my heart to give her something that she wanted and something that she and Bubba could enjoy for a long time to come.

Day 10 - Favorite Christmas Tradition

My family has lots and lots of christmas traditions but there are two that I can think of that are vary special to me. The first one happend on Christmas Eve everyone on my dads side of the family goes to Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at First Baptist Church. I love dressing up and meeting up with the family to celebrate the joy of Christmas. The service is pretty simple....we sing lots of Christmas Carols, take the lords supper and listen to the preacher read the christmas story to the children. At the end of the service all of the congregation lights their personal candle and we all sing Silent Night. It is one of the most beautiful things and I look forward to each and every year.

My next fave Christmas tradition happens on Christmas Day. Each Christmas morning my mom, sister (and her family) and grandparents (on my moms side) come to our house for Christmas breakfast. We have been doing it for the last 5 years and it is so much fun. It is a new tradition that we started with our family but we are planning on keeping it going. After a yummy breakfast of Jabins Christmas Crepes we open presents while we listen to Christmas Music, drink mimosas and enjoy each others company (in our pj's which makes it even better)

Day 11 - Favorite Christmas Song

O Holy Night - This song IS the reason for the season. The song is about why we celebrate Christmas. I love the peacefulness of the song and it literally brings tears to my eyes when I hear it.

Day 12 - Favorite Christmas Movies & TV Specials

A Christmas Story - I love that I get to watch this movie for 24 hrs straight (Thanks TBS) So funny :)Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - I have been watching this Christmas cartoon since I was a kid and I was so excited to be able to share this cute tradition with my daughter. She actually loved it :)

Christmas in Rockefeller Center - this is the sign for me that is the holiday season has officially begun. This year was great like all the years in the past. One name - Michael Buble....love him :)

BUT my favorite of all time:

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.....this is seriously one of the funniest movies EVER. The best one liners in the history of movies. To me the Christmas season isnt complete without this movie.

12 Days of Chrismas Posts

Starting tomorrow (12 days until christmas) I am going to posting some of the things I love about christmas!!! So join in on the fun if you want to.
Day 12 - Favorite Christmas Movies & TV Specials
Day 11 - Favorite Christmas Songs
Day 10 - Favorite Christmas Tradition
Day 9 - Favorite Christmas Gift (Given and Received)
Day 8 - Favorite Christmas Memory
Day 7 - Favorite Christmas Recipe
Day 6 - Favorite Christmas Item
Day 5 - What Christmas Means to Me
Day 4 - Smythe Family Christmas Eve Plans
Day 3 - Smythe Family Christmas Day Plans
Day 2 - My Christmas Wishes
Day 1 - Merry Christmas My Favorite Things About Christmas

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

The day after Thanksgiving mom and I took the girls to Chuck E Cheese for lunch. I had tons and tons of tokens for them to spend and all they wanted to do was ride the FREE slide. They had so much fun going down that slide over and over and over!!! Here are a few pics I snapped that afternoon.