Tell me, why is it we clean our homes the day before family comes for Christmas and then clean it up the day after the mess? In my case they were two days apart. We cleaned really well Christmas Eve before the in-laws came that evening. We tidied up our Christmas morning mess before my dad came for Christmas lunch. Then we cleaned up the day after Christmas where we also spent time rearranging and reorganizing. I've come to realize that housework is just never really complete.
I mean think about it....just when you think you're all "caught up" someone decides it's time to eat. There go the dishes and the kitchen! Or maybe it's that they need to shower and/or change clothes. Well, there goes the laundry. It's just an endless task. So this year, I'm going to try to tackle my work in increments and assign a chore a night so I can enjoy my weekends. I've tried this before, but yet I still end up cleaning the whole house over the weekend. There's something about freshly vacuumed carpet and the
smell of polished furniture.
Okay, back to my original thoughts---Christmas. I baked--correction WE baked. Everyone took part in our baking this year. The goody trays (though I do sell some) have been a git to my aunt/uncle and Grandma for years---WAY before I was married with my own kids. It's something I remember my mom doing. I took over when I was in high school and have enjoyed it ever since. This is what our tray looked like this year.
See those little chocolate and butterscotch covered things? OHH MY they are AWESOME and so SUPER easy to make. My kids were both able to help make these.
Here's the recipe (And I really don't remember where it came from, so I apologize)
Pretzel Bites
40 Square Pretzels
1 bag of Butterscotch chips
20 marshmallows cut in half (making 40)
Ghiradelli melting chips
Read more at http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/2013/11/20/butterscotch-marshmallow-bites/#06zJtBTyB3aRQGOV.99
Place a sheet of wax paper under a cooling rack. Place pretzels on the baking rack. Melt butterscotch chips in microwave safe dish. Coat marshmallows in butterscotch chips.
(If the chips seem to thick to coat marshmallows, add a bit of oil or shortening to make it a little thinner.) Place coated marshmallow onto pretzel.
(I found using a fork and knife to slide was easiest.)
After marshmallows have all been set on pretzels, melt the Ghiradelli chips. Spoon the melted chocolate over the coated marshmallows. Sprinkle just enough to make it look pretty. (This could also be done for Valentine's Day using red and pink Sprinkles) Allow to set until dry (about 20 minutes) and store in an airtight container.
Read more at http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/2013/11/20/butterscotch-marshmallow-bites/#06zJtBTyB3aRQGOV.99
Read more at http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/2013/11/20/butterscotch-marshmallow-bites/#06zJtBTyB3aRQGOV.99
Read more at http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/2013/11/20/butterscotch-marshmallow-bites/#06zJtBTyB3aRQGOV.99
Then after the Christmas unwrappings, it was time to find a place for all of the new stuff, reorganize and rearrange. I have a toy bin organizer in my son's room that I JUST cleaned during Thanksgiving break. Mind you, my son rarely plays with toys, yet that thing needs cleaned out DAILY! So--we snapped a picture of it with the Kindle and now he can look to see what it looks like and put things back in their correct spot. This will save me time.
When it came time to clean up in my room, I was lucky enough to get a new jewelry chest. It holds my bracelets and necklaces. My earrings, though, I've stored in ice cube trays for a few years now. It's affordable. It's organized.
It fits inside my drawer. It makes it SUPER easy to find a matching pair.
Now that the house is tidy (for the moment), I have some time to enjoy my kiddos.
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