Merry Christmas (a week or so later)

We've had one heck of a sickness come through our house in the past couple weeks, so now that I'm finally well enough to post:

Merry Christmas

from the Schueders!

The holidays are almost over, and I’m finally starting to see the school day at the end of the tunnel. It seems that once Thanksgiving hits the next six weeks are a whirlwind of shopping, eating, celebrating, wrapping & unwrapping, decorating & undecorating.

Here is some of what’s been happening during the month of December:

Medium had her first Christmas Concert.

We drove to West Point, NE for Large’s Christmas program.

“Christmas in the Country” --how appropriate. 

My nephew, Bubba, had his first birthday!

There was Christmas Eve with the Schueder Grandparents.

Christmas Morning at our house. 

Christmas Meal at the Rodgers house.

Getting Small’s new bunny, Julie. (That’s what happens when you let the kids name the animals.)

Picking up Large and opening presents with her.

A proper(ish) tea party!

Then we got sick. That was not cool.

Now we’re getting ready for the New Year, wondering what great things it will bring.

I hope y’all had a very Merry Christmas,

and were able to spend it with the ones you hold dear.

DIMyself: Ice Cream Cone Christmas Trees

Sunday the kiddos and I decorated “Christmas Tree” Ice Cream Cones. I’ve seen them all over the internet and being repinned like crazy on Pinterest. Every year, we try decorating a gingerbread house, and every year it looks like crap. I’ve never made gingerbread, so I always buy a kit, thinking it’s going to be easier.

Who am I kidding?

I have tiny kids, they can’t construct something with “icing” glue. They can barely construct something with actual glue.

I figured ice cream cones would be doable, since the project was basically like decorating a 3D cookie. (Decorating sugar cookies is something we do often in our house.) All in all, I would say the project was a success. Of course, Small’s tree looked like all the bottles of sprinkles exploded on it, but she was happy with it, and that’s all that matters.

ICE CREAM CONE CHRISTMAS TREES

This was my tree. I'm very proud of it. :)

Ingredients:

Icing--I used a basic sugar cookie icing recipe:

4 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsps butter, softened

1 tsp Vanilla

Milk

Green Food Coloring.

*Cream together the powdered sugar and butter, stir in the Vanilla and then add enough milk to make the consistency you want. For this project, I left it a little thicker so that the candies would stick & the icing would harden a little when done.

*Then stir in the food coloring. I used about 20 drops (I wanted very green trees.)

*Note: Since we only did 3 trees, there was lots of icing left over for cookies. :)

Sugar Cones

Assorted Candies for decorating--

We used Mini M&Ms

Twizzler Pull & Peel licorice

Girl Scouts Gummi Berries

& some random Christmas themed sprinkles & sugars I always have on hand.

First: We slathered icing all over the sugar cones.

Second: We added sprinkles and candies to our hearts’ delight.

Third: We ate.

The decorating only took about 30 min after the frosting and other ingredients were assembled. Which is great for short attention spans. This is definitely a project we’ll be doing until the girls are old enough (read: coordinated enough) to attempt gingerbread houses again. Heck, we might even do it again yet this Christmas!

Have a Merry (and tasty) Christmas!

30 Days of Thanks: Day Eleven

Okay, so yesterday got away from me. I'm giving myself a pass, since I spent the day with my favorite veteran. Here's Day 11, only a day late. :)

30 Days of Thanks

Day Eleven: A Tradition

One of the things that I loved as a kid was always opening one gift Christmas Eve, right before getting ready for bed. It was like a little something to hold me over until Santa got there. I was ecstatic to find out that Jesse’s family has a tradition that is very similar.

Much Love,

L Schueder

This month's blog posts inspired by: Designer Wife: 30 Days of Thanks