Christmas decorations

I can't believe it's my 100th post! WOW. 

I'm getting SO SO excited for Christmas! I only have 3 more days of work and a few classes to teach before we head to the main land for Christmas. I still have So much shopping to do. Ridiculous right!? Anyways I finally have some time to blog so I thought I'd share some Christmas traditions and decorations in my house!

Starting last year I made paper snow flakes, remember making those?! I did it again this year with a pal, and I think I'd like to keep making them in the years to come. :) We used this video to help us remember how to do it! Haha. 

Here's our Christmas town! I talked about this in a previous posting, but here's a picture of it completed. My Mom bought us the Christmas Shop last year, and this year I bought a little shopper and a few shrubs. The buried car is an ornament that I painted haha. Can't wait to extend the town. You should see my Moms, it's amazing!

Cute little poinsettia! See me?! Haha. 

Our Wreath!! Last year I started the tradition of hand making our wreath. It's really easy, and lots of fun. This year I trimmed the bottom of our Christmas tree, and used those branches to form a circle. I used floral tape to secure the branches together, and then I hot glued on the bows, and glitter glued on the sequins. To finish the wreath I added some red ribbon all around, it helped to clean up any strays. Simple, and fun. 

 The Tree! Always a tradition in our house, we like to have a real one! Smells SO nice :) 

New lights this year 0o0oo0o0o

 Got together with a couple gal pals and we decorated gingerbread men! I think I`d like to make it tradition to either decorated a house, or gingerbread men :) So it`s a new tradition starting this year! 

Christmas cards hanging on our prayer flags, Thanks for the cards Friends and Family! So much love!!!

Lastly I promised I'd show all of the cookies I received from the Cookie Swap, a big thank you to all of the ladies that sent cookies to me, and also to Julie and Lindsay for putting the swap together, what hard work!!

Thank you to Callie for these double chocolate candy cane cookies!

Thank you to One Gorgeous Girl for these Sugar Cookies!

Thank you to Strawberry Ginger for these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies!

Hope your all enjoying your Christmas holidays! Be safe, and merry! 

Cheers xo

Cookie Swap!

Voila Friends! It's the 12th, the Cookie Swap bloggers should be un-veiling their cookie recipes!

Enjoy!

My Friend Brianna came over and she helped me make 'Friendship Cookies' from the 'Company's Coming' cookbook called 'Cookie Jar Classics' 

The Recipe:

• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup of Cooking Oil
• 1 Box of chocolate cake mix
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

 Simple right?!? I thought the recipe sounded bizarre, but the cookies turned out delicious! 

Directions:

Beat egg and cooking oil in medium bowl until combined. Add cake mix and water. Beat until just moistened. Add chocolate chips. Mix well. Drop using 1 tbsp. for each about 2 in. apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in 350 F oven for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Makes about 48 cookies.

Ingredients! So simple!

The Book :)

Brianna and I are very excited to bake!

We used Organic Coconut Oil :)

Mix Bri, Mix!

Nom!

The first few cookies!

In da oven!

Then we decided to roll them so they would turn out better looking :)

Ya!

There they are all snug as a bug ready to go to their new homes!!

I hope that those who have received the cookies we baked are enjoying them! I've received two batches already! SO exciting :) A big thanks to Kim from Strawberry Ginger your cookies are amazing! I'm currently eating one three. haha. Maybe I'll get my third box tomorrow! I'll be blogging about them all very soon! Hope your all having a lovely week. 

Cheers!

Fun Fact Friday, and a Thank you!

 Yesterday to my extreme joy I received my first batch of cookies from 'The Annual Cookie Swap' !!! They were packaged so lovely, and were decorated beautifully :) A big Thank You to Stephanie from 'One Gorgeous Girl' The Cookies are amazing! I'll be blogging about the batch I sent on the 12th, and I'll be blogging with pictures about the cookies I receive. Stay tuned!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, fingers crossed we'll have a tree this weekend!! I'll leave you with some random facts to enlighten your Friday haha.

 

 

There is a caffeinated bar of soap that has the effect of one cup of coffee!

It is called Shower Shock. It's concentration of caffeine is so strong that it is the equivalent of drinking 1 cup of coffee per shower. This is because the caffeine is absorbed through your skin.

It costs the US 2 cents to mint a penny!

It also costs nine cents to mint a nickle. The justification behind a coin costing more than it's face value is that since it would be used more than once, it is still worth manufacturing.

 Underground Skyscrapers Exist!

An underground building, known as an “Earth-Scraper” is being built in Mexico City, and will be 65 stories deep. The earth-scraper will be called "The Heart of The City", and will have a central plaza to encourage social activities throughout society.
The building will be pyramid shaped and the idea of building it beneath the soil is to keep the Aztec tradition of building underground.

There is a whole forest in Poland that is crooked

A forest in poland that consists of about 400 pine trees, grows with a 90 degree bend at the base of each trunk!
Today this is still a mystery but recent studies indicate that the bending is caused because of human mechanical intervention. In other words, farmers wanted to have these trees but nobody knows why they did. The pine trees still lie today outside the village of Czarnowo, in western Poland.

 The number of births that occur in India each year is higher than the entire population of Australia

Each year India has more births than the entire population of Australia. Currently, there are nearly 51 births in India per minute. Australia has a population of 22,775284 while India has over one billion.
India is the second most populated country in the world following China. More than 50% of India’s population is under 25 years old and 65% is under 35 years old. Australia on the other hand, has diversified age groups and has a lower mortality rate than India.

Christmas Fun :)

To my surprise my Mama got me an interactive advent calendar for my computer from Jacquie Lawson.
It fills my heart with glee every day :)

The calendar design looks different every year, each day you click on the date, and a new animation starts. Yesterday I got to design snowflakes that fall from the sky when you click open the calendar :)

Other Christmas fun: 

• We have our stockings hanging above our electric fire place hahah :) 
• My friend Brianna and I have joined a concert band, we're performing this Saturday in Market Square! I play Clarinet, classic since my name is Claire eh?!? 
• Monday I sent my cookies for 'The Annual Cookie Swap' stay tuned for the 12th when we all blog about our recipes :) Can't wait to receive mine! I'm so excited every day to check the mail!
• This Friday I'm going skating at Centennial Park, Christmas tree viewing at the Empress, Gingerbread house building, and hopefully will be buying a tree this weekend! 

Lot's of fun things planned! Hubby is off soon for Christmas break, it'll be nice to see him relax, it's been a busy school year! It's been great reading about each different bloggers holiday traditions! A new one I'm starting this year is building a miniature Christmas town :) Here's an example:

My Mom does it every year, and last year she gave me my first house! A great new tradition! :)

Hope your all enjoying the holiday season so far! I've gotta get my cards out! I love the one's we bought they are eco friendly, and double as an ornament. The best! So very us :)

Cheers Friends!