Christmas Inspiration

I’ve officially started my Christmas shopping.  And a true harbinger of the festivities is that I’ve started my annual XMAS_200n.xls spreadsheet (with n being the current year)(In case you didn’t know that)(In case you even cared).  Once a dork, always a dork. 

I can’t really talk about what I’m buying because a good contigent of my readers are related to me and are on said spreadsheet.  I will say that this year I’m determined to scale back a bit so my budget doesn’t go into a tail spin and I’m also determined to enjoy the gift giving process and not stress overly about it.  So things will be simpler and sweeter this year.

I’ve been looking for the Martha Stewart Homemade Holiday Gift magazine for a week now and finally found it, along with the December Home Companion issue on Saturday afternoon.  The cover of Home Companion is gorgeous with it’s frosty cream colored Santa and white bottle brush trees.  After seeing it I’ve definitely made my decision about the auxillary tree.  It’s going to be a white Christmas around our house.  I was also inspired to go online and buy some Bethany Lowe Christmas decorations from Bayberry Cove.  And while I was at it I ordered some of the white bottle brush trees.  Now I just have to find just the right white Santa to round out my idea for the library table in the entry way. 

This year I’m going to do more holiday baking and candy making.  My sister Kate is the all time champion of the Christmas Cookie so there is no point in even going down that road.  I could only pale in comparison.  So I think I’m going to make candy for each family as a little extra (sorry to ruin the surprise, guys).  Last year I hit the after Christmas sales with the sole intent of getting good holiday wrap.  I scored 20 of these great pop up gift boxes at a bath and beauty shop that will be perfect containers for little cellophane bags of fudge or toffee. 

I’m on the lookout for a good toffee recipe so if anyone has one they would like to share please email me.  One of Rick’s coworkers always gives him his wife’s toffee during the holidays.  It is the best toffee I have ever eaten anywhere, anytime.  And she will not share the recipe.  This type of behavior flat out drives me crazy.  First of all we do not run in the same social circles so it’s highly unlikely I would steal her thunder in any way shape or form but whatever.  I’m sure there are other toffee recipes out there from kind, generous people that are willing to share. 

If I ever utter the words ‘family recipe’ or ‘secret ingredient’ just smack me upside the head with a cookbook.

Ooh look how quickly I get stressed about the holidays.  This is not good.  I need to find my happy, holiday place.  I think I need to go update my spreadsheet.

Both magazines are worth taking a look at.  Martha’s has a lot of doable homemade gifts.  And a marmalade recipe that I know someone is looking for.  The Home Companion is pretty to look at but what I really like about it is it gives all kinds of online sources for a lot of the content in the magazine.  I love when magazines do that.   If I can manage not to step into a store during the holidays I will be in my happy, holiday place.