Christmas Is Here!

 Well, I can say without a shadow of a doubt the Christmas season is truly upon us. Last week was a whirlwind of ballet recitals, skating parties, and a kindergarten Christmas serenade. It was not definitely not a slowdown type of week, but it was fun!

On Friday my sister came over and taught me how to make homemade caramels. They are going to be gifts for my daughters' teachers. Man are they yummy. I think I will have to make another batch this weekend. Delectable. The recipe came from the Betty Crocker's Big Red Cookbook. You can also get the recipe here. Even though the recipe says to cut them in 1" squares, I would not make them that big. They are so rich, smaller is better.

My oldest daughter and I then wrapped them up in foil. I hope the teachers like them.

 On Saturday we got a steady falling of snow. In the morning I braved going out to run a few errands. I would say over the course of the day we got about a foot of snow! It meant a lot of shoveling, but I don't mind that. I like shoveling the snow. It is a full body workout. It is also nice and methodical, walking back and forth and throwing the snow on an ever increasing pile. My kids love climbing the snow mountains. Their winter games are so much fun.

 Sunday was spent getting ready for my middle daughter's Christmas Craft Day! She wanted a play date with a few of her friends. So I decided, why not a craft morning and treat day. All the crafts were really kid friendly and the treats were yummy. A big shout out goes to pinterest for some of the craft ideas. I tweaked them slightly, but it was great fun. The kids had a blast and the other moms had a great time too. It was a check for the awesome mom list. We need those every once and a while.

 Of course now my older daughter wants a craft day with her friends. I think I will want until after Christmas and then figure something out. It is hard having multiple kids, and making sure that they each get to do something fun. Of course they never remember all the great things they get to do when they see their sibling doing something fun. It can be frustrating, but I love them and we will work things out. Do any of you have ways that you keep both kids happy and feeling the love?

 Here are some pictures of the treat table. I made the flower arrangement myself at a church activity. It looks pretty nice for a first attempt if I do say so myself. The pine is real and smells heavenly! Also, here is a view from my wintry backyard.

Have a very Merry Christmas next week. Enjoy this time with family and friends! I will see you Boxing Day!