Christmas Lighting Display - How is it done?

Don't you just love looking at all of the beautifully decorated houses at Christmas? Ever wanted to decorate your own home with thousands of pretty Christmas lights but been too afraid to give it a go? Does it all seem too difficult & confusing...and let's face it...too much like hard work? Well worry no more....this site Planet Christmas has a fantastic amount of information on everything you could possibly think of to do with decorating your home. Have a read, learn a little...you'll have the best dressed house in the street in no time!

Have Fun!

Posted 09:18 0 comments

Kids Xmas Cooking - Candy Cane Cookies

With peppermint extract and red food coloring, your kids can turn this simple dough into edible ornaments for the tree.


RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Red food coloring


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Gradually mix in the flour.

2. Divide the dough in half. Color one half with red food coloring and leave the other half plain. Roll out a tablespoon of red dough and a tablespoon of plain until they are each 6 to 8 inches long. Twist them into a candy cane, pinching the ends. Repeat.

3. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not brown. Makes about 25.

recipe from familyfun.com

Posted 09:04 0 comments

Kids Xmas Cooking - Rudolph the Red-nosed Cookie

If you thought he was cute as a reindeer wait until you see him as a cookie. So cute you could just eat him up, and you will!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Favorite sugar cookie dough recipe (chocolate or plain)
3-inch-long teardrop cardboard pattern (for Rudolph's head..draw your own on a piece of card and cut it out)
Pretzels
Cookie Frosting
M&M's
Red hots (we don't have these in Australia so maybe you could try Jaffa's or something similar).

1. Roll out the cookie dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Set the cardboard pattern on the dough. With the point of a sharp knife (parent's only), cut out the reindeer's head. Bake according to your cookie dough recipe instructions.
2. Let cool. Break apart the pretzels to form antlers and attach them at the top of the reindeer's head with dabs of frosting. Add M&M eyes and don't forget the red nose.
Makes 40 Rudolph cookies.

recipe from familyfun.com

Posted 08:51 0 comments

The Legend of the Christmas Colours


Most people believe that the white, deep green and red colours we associate with Christmas come from the snowy fields in the northern hemisphere winter contrasting with the brilliant evergreens and crimson berries on the holly plant. However, there is a legend that tells of a lamb making its way to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child. Along the way, its fluffy white fleece was caught on a thorny holly plant and in the struggle to get free, the lamb pricked it's skin and tiny droplets of blood oozed out and were frozen onto the branches.

Posted 09:54 0 comments

Santa Claus / Saint Nicholas


The origin of the story of Saint Nicholas goes back as far as a legend in the fourth century which personifies Santa as a holy man named Nicholas. He entered the priesthood as a teenager and later became a Bishop. It is claimed he performed many miracles. He was made a saint after his death. The anniversary of his death, December 6, became a feast day on the church calendar. He became a patron saint of many peole and it was claimed he roamed the earth on his feast day every year leaving sweets and trinkets in children's shoes. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist, depicted the saint in a red suit for Harper's Weekly in 1863. This concept of Santa has remained unchanged.

Posted 09:32 0 comments

My Christmas Garland

I saw one of these at a craft fair and decided to make one for myself.


I love the way it looks hanging over my banister and everyone comments on it.

They're very basic to make so no one out there should have any trouble with it.

You'll need a length of rope or cording (length depends on you...think about where you want to hang it)

You also need assorted fabrics. I used about 8-10 different fabrics in mine. You could use Christmas designs or just use plain colours, it's totally up to you.

You will need a lot of fabric! I can't remember just how much I used but it was quite a bit.

You also need some ribbon. This is used to attach your garland to whatever you are hanging it from, and to make bows.
Optional: rusted bells ..these look lovely hanging from my garland at the end of my bannister.


Now all you need to do is take a piece of fabric and use scissors to make little snips approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. Now tear your faric into long strips. Then use your scissors to cut the long strips into lengths of about 20cm each.

Once you've done this and you've got a mountain of fabric strips sitting next to you!!! ...you're ready to start! lol
All you have to do now is tie a strip around the end of your rope...followed by another one next to it...and so on and so on... Just one simple knot does the trick. Push them together tightly as you go. This gives your garland a fuller look.

Making your garland does take a long time to do but it looks fantastic when it's finished.
Once done tie some ribbon around your garland at intervals (where you put it depends on where you are hanging it and how far apart you need your ties to be)

If you are attaching the bells all you need to do is attach some thin ribbon to your bell (this is used for attaching it to the garland). As well as some wider ribbon for adding a bow to each bell. They look very effective so well worth the extra cost/effort.
Have fun & I hope you love it as much as I do.
:o)

Posted 14:10 0 comments

Christmas Pudding

Many superstitions have surrounded the Christmas pudding.


One states that the puddings should be made by the 25th Sunday after Trinity, prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and His Disciples, and that every member of the family must take a turn at stirring the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to west in honour fo the Three Kings.


If you’re not partial to plum pudding then spare a thought for those who had to partake of its earliest incarnation, plum porridge. Essentially a savoury oatmeal meat broth, thickened with breadcrumbs, flavoured with spices and sweetened with prunes (dried plums). These became so popular, that soon any dried fruit became known as plums, hence the plum pudding which doesn’t contain any plums. It assumed the position of Christmas pudding during Victorian times as we know it today, retaining only the suet of its savoury predecessor.
Much tradition and folklore is attached to the Christmas pudding. Traditionally each member of the family takes a turn stirring the mixture in a clockwise direction, making a secret wish as they go. Many people also bake lucky treats into their puddings. Often they’re silver coins, but in some antique shops you may come across special silver charms that were reserved for this purpose, their different shapes indicating the fortune of the finder.The pudding was usually made up to a year ahead and left to mature, and then heated up on Christmas Day and brought to the table flaming with warm brandy and decorated with holly. Custard and ice-cream are winning accompaniments, but it can also be served with cream or brandy butter.


Looking for a Christmas pudding recipe?

....try these...

Hope you can find one thats just right for you :o)

Posted 13:18 0 comments

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