Christmas Card Suggestions

Floral Christmas Card

Holiday Florals Card

Floral Watercolor Card

Oh What Fun! Card

Year in Review Card

Rustic Holiday Card

Foil Striped Card

Why is picking a Christmas card design so difficult?!?

I always look forward to sending out Christmas cards and getting them from friends and family! The hardest part for me is picking out a design. It takes me a couple days at the very least to make a final decision!

I usually go through Shutterfly but I wanted a different look that I couldn't find on there. I found Orange Blossom Press on Esty and I love the style of Tara's designs. I love the floral watercolor designs! Which card style is your favorite?

If you're still needing to order your Christmas cards, Tara's offering 10% off your entire order with the code: BOWTL10. Offer good until Dec. 15th!

This post is a collaboration with Orange Blossom Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Christmas Tag {Part 2}

You can read Part 1 HERE!

13) Favorite Christmas book- Richard Paul Evans always comes out with a new book every Christmas season and I really like reading them each year!

14) Real or artificial tree? Artificial right now but eventually a real one would be fun to get when our kids are older!

15) The best gift you've given- This year I'm really excited for the present B and my husband are getting!!

16) Hardest person to buy for? My husband is pretty difficult to buy for because he never wants anything more exciting than socks!

17) Post a picture of an old Christmas card. This is from 2013 when I was pregnant with B!

18) When do you open gifts? Christmas morning! 

19) Favorite stocking stuffer- Anything girly-makeup, lotions, etc.

20) Favorite Christmas meal- All food tastes better on holidays;) But Raspberry Rolls are pretty high on the list, as well as the ham we eat at dinner!

21) Do you travel on the holidays? Yes. Ever since I graduated high school I have always had to travel home for the holidays, except for the year I was pregnant with B was the only year we stayed at home.

22) Eggnog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate

23) Your plans for Christmas- Opening presents, Going to church, Skyping our brothers who are on missions in Argentina and St. Louis, Missouri, and spending time with our families!

24) Favorite Christmas Eve tradition- We always do different things on Christmas Eve depending on whose family we are with but we always read the Christmas story. We also have decorated graham cracker houses, sang carols, looked at lights, and other Christmasy things on Christmas Eve!

I hope your Christmas is wonderful!!

Linking up with Thoughts for Thursday, Thinking out Loud, Penny's Passion

Christmas Tag {Part 1}

With Christmas almost here, I thought I would share some of my holiday favorites with all of you!

1) Your favorite Christmas movie- White Christmas, I watched this movie every year growing up and love it, mostly because of the songs:)

2) Your Christmas wish list- Clothes, these Converse shoes, resistant bands...Stuff like this :)

3) When/how did you learn that Santa wasn't real? We have two boys, so...Santa is real!

4) Favorite Christmas song- I love all of them, but this one is listened to frequently.

5) Best gift you've ever received- A tamagotchi! I played with that thing for so long!

6) Your favorite tree ornament- For each of my kids so far I have put their hospital hat and wristband inside a clear ornament. Then I put their name on the outside with vinyl.

7) Most memorable Christmas- When my brother (who is two years younger than me) got his appendix out on Christmas Eve. We were all so surprised when Santa knew he was in the hospital and still got his presents to him! ;)

8) Post a picture of Christmas decor- All my decoration pictures are found in this post!

9) Easiest person to buy for? Baby E is probably the easiest person this year because he has no idea what is going on and doesn't really need much!

10) Favorite holiday scent- Fresh cut trees and cookies!

11) Favorite Christmas tradition- All of Christmas Traditions can be found in this post!

12) Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper! It's so much more fun to open gifts wrapped in paper!

Come back tomorrow for part 2!

Christmas Raspberry Roll

Today I'm linking up with Andrea and sharing my favorite Christmas recipe! 

As I've mentioned before, my husband's family has a tradition of eating these raspberry rolls on Christmas morning. They are so yummy!

Makes 2 Rolls

Roll/Sweet Bread Dough

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp yeast

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup potato flakes

2 eggs

4-5 cups flour

In microwave safe bowl, combine milk, sugar, salt and shortening. Warm in microwave (should be just warm to touch). Add yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Place wet ingredients in mixer or large bowl. Add potato flakes and two cups of flour and mix thoroughly. Add eggs and mix well. Add more flour(1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups) and knead until dough is soft but not sticky.

Cover and let raise until doubled. 

While dough is rising make fruit and cream cheese fillings.

Fruit Filling

3 cups frozen or fresh raspberries

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Combine ingredients in sauce pan. Mix until thickener is well incorporated. Stir constantly. Heat until boiling and thickened.

Cream Cheese Filling 

1-8oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Cream together.

Making the Braid

Roll dough into a rectangle, using a little Pam to prevent sticking.

Place cream cheese filling, then raspberry filling in the center third of the rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut horizontal lines every 1-2 inches down each side. (See picture below)

Fold top and bottom rows towards filling. (See picture below) Begin braid at top by folding left over right, right over left until the end.

Using both hands, support braid and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

While it bakes make the glaze for the top.

Glaze

1/3 cup butter

4 1/2 - 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together. Add milk to make thinner. Put into plastic bag, snip corner and drizzle.

Glaze with frosting while still warm.

ENJOY!!

Merry Christmas!

Candy Christmas Trains

You all know how much B loves trains. Well one day we were talking about the Christmas tree ornaments and I got this grand idea to make our own ornaments that B could move around whenever he wanted. Right now all of the ornaments in his reach have been moved to the bottom branch of the tree!

Anyways I was looking on Pinterest for a cool ornament craft and I came across the cute candy trains made from a roll of Lifesavers and other candy. I decided to bag the ornament making and started my list for train supplies!

It was a hit! B played with that train all day and the next. Then he realized he could eat the candy and that was the end of it!:)

It was fun while it lasted!

Creative Christmas Card Envelopes

My Christmas cards are going out today and I'm so happy with how they turned out! 

This year I wanted to add a special touch to the envelopes to make them a little more festive!

I found this gold glitter washi tape online at Joann's and it was the perfect touch!

The directions are pretty simple-Just cut different sizes of the washi tape and place it on the envelopes! You could use red or green envelopes and the glitter tape would look amazing on it as well!

Happy Decorating!

Virginia House at Christmas

The Christmas season is in full swing here at our house! This weekend B told Santa what he wanted for Christmas and of course he said a train!

Our first Christmas here in Virginia we heard about decorating gingerbread houses at the Virginia House and put it on our Virginia Bucket List. We finally got to go yesterday and it was a lot of fun! 

They supplied us with everything we needed to build and decorate the house.

When they gave us our plate of candy B immediately ate the marshmellows and a candy cane!

Our finished house! My husband designed the front porch and I did the roof.

B requested a train on the side, so we cut it out of fondant.

After decorating they took us on a tour of the house and it was all decorated for Christmas! The Virginia House is an old house built in the 16th century in England and the exterior was brought over to Virginia where they put it together. 

This nativity was carved in the side of a donkey cart from the 1600's! So cool!

The library had a special surprise for the kids....Santa!

We love visiting the Virginia House!

Don't forget to enter the Caseapp giveaway below! It ends tonight at midnight and winner is announced TOMORROW-Dec 6th!

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Linking up with BlovedBoston, Still Being Molly, Modest Mom Blog