Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

A few days ago I shared our Molasses Cookie Recipe and Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe as a part of the the series ‘A Cookie a Day Until Christmas’ hosted by So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler. These are two treats that our family enjoys every Christmas Eve just before bedtime, and one that we all look forward to as a part of our Christmas traditions.

The Molasses Cookie recipe is one that Rick’s grandmother wrote out for me many years ago, and the Snickerdoodle Cookies are a bonus for my hubby who REALLY enjoys them. You’ll want to check out the other cookie recipes in series ‘A Cookie a Day Until Christmas’ as well – there are some great ones there!!

I’m not sure why we only make these once a year, but you’ll definitely want to pull out some milk to enjoy along with these cookies!! Here are the recipes, just in case you would like to whip up a few batches of yumminess too!

Grandma’s Molasses Cookies

What You’ll Need

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 molasses
• 1 egg

What To Do

1. Mix the shortening and the 1 cup of sugar together. Add in the molasses and the egg.

2. Mix dry ingredients together separately and then add into the shortening mixture til combined.

3. Chill 1 hour.

4. Form into 1” balls and roll in 1/4 cup of sugar.

5. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2” apart. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

What You’ll Need

• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1/2 cup veg. shortening {butter Crisco}
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the sugar with cinnamon and a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter, shortening and remaining 1 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs. Add flour mixture.
3. Using wet hands, roll 2 Tbsp. of dough into a ball and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy and be sure to check out the other recipes in A Cookie a Day Until Christmas series!

Maestro Classics ~ introduce great music and classics stories to children with this classical music series. Don’t miss their newly released Carnival of Animals that you will want to check out!

Note: As of 9:30pm, this deal was expired. Sorry!

Every now and then, Amazon has a great deal on the Scotch Thermal Laminator. Today is one of those days – it is on sale for $16.99!! This is the laminator that I have and use OFTEN.

I don’t use the Scotch brand pouches, but instead use the Universal Clear brand laminating pouches {just under $10 for 100, compared to the Scotch brand laminating pouches that are a little over $12 for 50}.

Just wanted to let you know about the great deal while it is still available!

Maestro Classics ~ introduce great music and classics stories to children with this classical music series. Don’t miss their newly released Carnival of Animals that you will want to check out!

Note: As of 11 am, the site appears to be back to normal. I appreciate you all emailing to let me know when there is an issue and am working to resolve it when it occurs.

If you are visiting my site via a browser you may wonder what in the world is going on. The short answer is – we have no idea.

Obviously it isn’t meant to look like this and there is no explanation for the odd behavior my site has had over the last few months. There are people looking into it and trying to sort it out for me, but if you are subscribed by email or RSS you shouldn’t notice any problems.

It has made me hesitant to share posts – because truthfully, the mess is driving me nuts. If you are able to subscribe by email or RSS, I would encourage you to do so. I have some fun things to share and don’t want you to miss out on them!!

Thanks for your patience as we try to get to the bottom of the website issues!

Maestro Classics ~ introduce great music and classics stories to children with this classical music series. Don’t miss their newly released Carnival of Animals that you will want to check out!

Last year, I was introduced to one of the sweetest women – Stacie from Motherhood on a Dime. Over the past year, we’ve talked online back and forth, and seeing her again at Allume this past October was a time filled with laughing and so much fun.

Apparently, she didn’t fill me in on everything that she’s been up to lately. A little something in the form of an e-book geared at cultivating gratitude in our children – Thanksgiving Heart.

While Thanksgiving seems to have snuck up on me this year, we have a very quiet holiday planned. While we will share the things that we are thankful for around the table, gratitude is NOT something that we are to focus on during a certain time of year. Gratitude belongs in our every day lives – and at the core of who we all are.

After my trip to Africa this past May, it is something that often gives me reason to pause and think. Surrounding me at every turn were people who had so little through our eyes, and yet they were so filled with joy and hope. They spoke always of how they were blessed. It was convicting and overwhelming in so many ways.

We are beyond blessed each and every day – and yet so very ungrateful in the littlest things. Personally, I want our children to have hearts that are overflowing with thanksgiving every single day of the year.

This Friday, I have a long quite time of sitting in a hospital waiting room and I’ll be reading Thanksgiving Heart: Cultivating Gratitude in Young Children All Year Round. Yes, it’s after Thanksgiving Day – but this is a yearlong truth that can be applied in our lives and I look forward to the practical tips Stacie offers in the book.

The Thanksgiving Heart eBook includes:

• Practical ways to encourage thanksgiving in children.
• 30 service projects
• 15 gratitude discussion starters for families
• Application questions at the end of each chapter.
• Printable 30-Day Scripture & Activity Guide
• Printable Gratitude Journal
• Printable Thank You Card
• Printable Incentive Chart

Retail Price:  $3.99 $1.99 (through November 21, 2012)

Purchase the eBook Thanksgiving Heart:  Cultivating Gratitude in Young Children All Year Round for just $1.99 (thru 11/21/12) or read it on your Kindle here.

In the spirit of being thankful and showing gratitude – what is one thing that YOU are thankful for right this very moment? Leave a comment today and share!

On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, We Choose Virtues is having a sitewide 30% off sale. EVERYTHING on their site, including their Family Virtue Kits, is on sale!!

We Choose Virtues has also added an all-new adorable Kid’s Kit! The Kids Kit has $55 of Virtue Tools for $30 – and if you use one of the below codes, you can grab it for only $20!!

We Choose Virtue Promo Codes

Use FRIDAY30 for 30% off We Choose Virtues on November 23rd

Use MONDAY30 for 30% off We Choose Virtues on November 26th

You can head over early and add everything to your cart – and then checkout later this week. We use this program daily as a family and the catchy phrases and characters help make it so much fun!