After decorating in blues & greens for years. I am really loving red & white for Christmas.
It was so fun putting this table together.
This is how our table will look for Christmas dinner this year for our little family of 4.
I used lots of layers and textures...mixing them together to make an interesting table..the red felt snowflake placemats, the red check napkins and the chevron pockets for the flatware.
I borrowed the tiered stand from the mantelscape for the centerpiece.along with the white cardboard trees.
I don't think tablescapes can ever have too much colour, do you?
But then, being the 'tweak freak' that I am, I had to change out the centerpiece and replace it with the white bowl of ornaments borrowed from the coffee table...just to see what it looked like.
I think it looks pretty great too!
What do you think?
Which do you like better?
Look #1.
Or Look #2.
Have you thought about your Christmas table for this year?
{This post is sponsored by Kraft Canada. However, all opinions are my own.}
I have grown up loving and using Kraft products. I mean, Kraft Dinner? What more can you say....I loved it as a kid and it is still comfort food for me. And that is just one of many Kraft products that we use in our house. A few years ago, I was also lucky enough to attend a Kraft Cooking class hosted by Michelle,who's picture you often see on the Kraft website. She was lovely & delightful and make some super tasty food for us to try.
I am happy to be able to share this news with you~ Kraft has recently launched a new online community called Kraft First Taste. It's for food lovers and you can be among the first to try their newest products, taste the latest recipes and dish all about it!
Basically, it's a place where you can go to get and share food ideas, take fun culinary challenges, and enjoy exclusive offers and savings. And best of all, you can earn badges, plus points redeemable for cool rewards along the way!
And I want to tell you another thing about Kraft. Did you know that you can sign up to receive their latest in tasty recipes and meal suggestions by email? I have been getting this email for a few years now and I love their quick and easy meal solutions and ideas for simple yet tasty desserts. I also love getting their emails for meals because sometimes I get stuck in a rut and I need some fresh inspiration and I can always find something in the Kraft emails!
By signing up, you’ll receive great food ideas everyone will love, plus special offers and tips. From dinner to dessert, Recipes by Email, caters to you by delivering delicious to your inbox every week!
Whew! I didn't mean to take a week long break from my blog...it just kinda happened! I got behind on Christmas the week we were sick with the flu...so this week was catch up. But I am sure that everyone of you were equally busy this week!
I thought I would share this super easy treat...Christmas Ice Cream Pops. It's a Christmas take on the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Pops that I shared this summer.
Ingredients: Ice cream sandwiches white chocolate melting wafers crushed candy canes sticks {I used Christmas striped straws from Greenmunch}
Directions: 1. Unwrap ice cream sandwiches. Place on cookie sheets 2. Melt white chocolate wafers. Drizzle on sandwiches. 3. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. 4. Place straw in ice cream pop. 5. Place in freezer to harden. If not eating right away, wrap sandwiches individually in saran wrap.
These are loved by children. And husbands. And are really good when you have a sore throat.
Recently, a company called Printcopia contacted me to ask if I would like to try out their product. They are in the business of producing canvas prints, and since I have wanted a photo of my kids transferred to canvas since forever, I took them up on their offer of a free 11" x 14" canvas print.
When I visited Printcopia's website to order my canvas, I found it so easy to use! You only need to follow simple step-by-step instructions to upload your photo and design your canvas.{The program even lets you know if the quality of the photo uploaded is suitable for making into a canvas.} It took me only 5 minutes to complete my order. I chose to use this year's Christmas card photo of the children for mycanvas print.
I have to say that when my canvas print arrived in the mail, I was truly impressed with the quality...it turned out beautifully and I really don't think that the picture above does it justice...it is truly better in real life. I was so impressed with the quality of my canvas that I promptly went online and ordered additional canvas prints for each set of the grandparents for Christmas, and had the orders shipped directly sent to their house. My parents loved their canvas print of their grandchildren.
I would not hesitate to highly recommend Printcopia to anyone who is considering purchasing canvas prints. My experience with this company was top notch...from the easy online ordering steps, to the timely delivery and the quality of the canvas print itself. And if you are still looking for gift ideas for Christmas, I think canvas prints from Printcopia would make an excellent gift for anyone!
{Printcopia provided me with a free 11" x 14" canvas print for review, however all opinion are my own. Printcopia also has sister sites which offer car magnets, vinyl banners, and lawn signs.}
If you are looking for something for your K-6 child for Christmas that is both fun & educational and designed to improve their success at school, you might want to consider signing up for Essential Skill's Online Educational program as they are offering an amazing deal of 50% off their online courses when you sign up before December 30, 2012. Essentials Skills is North America's leading online software for grades K-6. They offer educational programs in Math, Reading & Language Arts, Science, and Geography.
Let me tell you about this amazing program:
Essential Skills is America's leading online educational program for Grade K-6.and is designed for both American and Canadian curriculum.
Essential Skills has been used in over 20,000 schools and the programs have been used by over 300,000 students, with a 10 year proven track record.
The programs are engaging, easy to use, and children love them.
With the skill set assessment, programs can offer individualized instruction for every student regardless of learning style or skill level.
Subject areas covered include: Math, Reading & Language, Science, Geography, and Early Language Learning.
Activities are designed for auditory, visual & tactile learners.
Independent self-paced learning. You can sign in and out as many times as you like!
Ideal for supplementing and enhancing home school curriculum.
I know that when my children were in their early elementary years, I was always looking for extra curriculum materials to help support their learning at home. I know that Math is especially important in terms of practice, repetition, and memorization in order to achieve future success. I also had extra materials available for practice, practice, practice. I love the idea of having an online program available for this...you don't need a photocopier or a pencil sharpener or anything but a computer! And, once you have purchased Essential Skill's program, you have unlimited access for 1 year!
About The Promotion: 50% OFF all courses, if you sign-up before December 30th, 2012. Visit www.essentialskillsadvantage.com, choose your courses, and enter the promo code at check out! Please use the following Promo Code:%ESABG2012 to receive your discount.
I am so happy to be here with you today to share this fun Christmas project...an easy & adorable pinwheel ornament!
I know the budget can take a bit of a hit at Christmas time with shopping, baking & decorating, which is why I like crafts which are easy on the budget. This materials for this project can easily be found at most dollar stores. And these ornaments can be made in any colour or size to fit your decor.
Materials -double sided Christmas scrapbook paper in cardstock weight -glue dots -buttons -scissors or a paper trimmer -ruler and a pencil -hole punch -ribbon
Directions: 1. Cut cardstock into squares that are the size of the ornament you desire. I cut my square 3 inches by 3 inches, but you can make bigger or smaller if you like.
2. Cut the square on the diagonal from each corner. Do not cut all the way through the center. Leave the center about an half an inch in diameter.
3. Place a glue dot in the center of the square. Fold in two sides of the pinwheel as shown. Add another glue dot to the center and fold in the last two sides of the pinwheel.
4. Add another glue dot in the center and add the button.
5. Punch a hole in the ornament, add some ribbon and hang.
I think a whole tree done in pinwheels would be quite lovely!
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to visit with me today!
The colour story this year is: red, white and silver, with fresh greenery for contrast and pine cones.
Did you know that a bowl of ornaments is the easiest decorating touch ever?
I bet you did!
A few red & white pillows 'borrowed' from my son's bedroom and an inexpensive dish towel thrown on the coffee table take care of the textiles in the room.
It is so hard to get the light just right in the winter for pictures....but at least we have beautiful sunshine.
The subway art in the frame was a free printable from the 3 sisters at Eighteen25. Love their projects.
The tiny poinsettia is from the local grocery store...and is the perfect touch for small side table.
The martini bar got it's own little collection of pretties too.
Vignettes for the season can make a room feel so festive.
And here's the vignette I created for our dining table.
And no one is supposed to touch the m&ms until the green veggies are eaten!
I like to keep our seasonal decor fairly simple...vignettes and tablescapes do the job just nicely.
I used to hang stuff over windows and doorways, but I have simplified over the years.
And I find I feel happier with simple....less really is more.
Thank you so much for taking a peek at our holiday home!
