Christmas Special #4 Snowman Soup

I just finished up my Stocking Stuffer & Last Minute Gifts Classes last week...didn't make it to class? I've already shared the origami tree chocolate bar; here are the other items we made and the number of each we made:




Frosty the Snowman Soup! (2)

Elegant Christmas Origami Hershey Treat Bar (1)

The Weather Outside is Frightful!-Holiday Candle (1)


Merry & Bright Peek-A-Boo Peppermint Box (1)

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL #4-Frosty the Snowman Soup!

Each person made (2) cello bags! Each cello bag included Mocha Cappuccino Cocoa, Peppermint Candy Cane and Hershey's Nuggets! YUM! This is a yummy treat when a person adds the peppermint candy to a cup of cocoa..top it off with Hershey's Nugget and you have the makings of a VERY delightful warming and loving treat to serve after:

• ice-skating!
• hockey!
• snow-tubing!
• skiing!
• sled-riding!
• shoveling!
• ANY winter sport!
• at home movie time!
• create your own occasion!
  

To learn how to make this simple SNOWMAN SOUP PACKAGE-Click below:

SNOWMAN SOUP PACKAGE

I offer a Stocking Stuffer & Last Minutes Gift Class every year to my customers...(and we make different things each year, of course). They love it and so do I! It forces ME to come up with fast, easy gifts that we can use to slip into stockings, adorn gift packages with or to have on hand as terrific surprise little gifts that we can "whip up" in a moments notice..  (well...maybe in half an hour to an hour or so...) and give to those unexpected friends and family that sometimes pop-in during the holidays! I have a wonderful story that explains how this tradition found it's beginnings...

My FESTIVAL OF GIFTS STORY

My brother Kevin was FAMOUS for popping in on us TOTALLY unexpectedly!

It started many years ago when he was single, but he was so sporadic about it that we were ALWAYS taken by surprise when he showed up without warning with a new girlfriend-just in time for Christmas! (of course!) Back then he lived in South Jersey...and had a different girlfriend every other year! We were NEVER prepared-but he also didn't show up regularly!

I remember one year in particular that stands out in our memory-our son was around 11 and our daughter-7 (the magical years)...it was Christmas Eve and we were all getting ready for the Christmas Eve service at our church (my kids were both in the children's choirs so we had to get there about 45 minutes earlier for them to practice before the service).

We were in our typical "mad family rush"-hoping to just make it in time! I was in the tedious process of getting my daughter's hair brushed evenly so I could pull some of it up with a fancy holiday bow. We had just finished the whole process of getting her dressed in her new  holiday outfit, and of course, those TIGHTS I used to struggle with...followed by getting on those new black patten leather shoes-the whole works! (If you've raised girls, you definitely know where I'm coming from!)

Meanwhile, I was dealing with what every mom of a daughter can identify with-frantically trying to get her ready, while in between, I was trying to also get my own hair done (by now, it was already dry!) apply make-up (in stages, of course! in between taking care of daughter, getting church offering envelope & check written) remembering to throw on pantihose, and everyone hears me ranting "where IS that perfume", and "I left those earrings here-where are they now????"!  This is just some of the "frantic mantra" that was projected to no one that was really listening...my husband (who was always the first one dressed & ready to go) was frantically trying to get our son ready to go, (he makes everyone frantic when he starts urging us to all get moving...). All of a sudden-THE DOORBELL RANG!

Now we live in the country...so we usually know when someone is expected, and we are off the beaten path, so we don't expect vagrants....our neighbors usually call if they need something first, so of course-we all stopped and looked wide-eyed at each other-with the same question running thru each of our "almost ready" heads: "Who could possibly be here on Christmas Eve at a time LIKE THIS?"

Everyone expected "someone else" would get the door...so my husband finally gave in and went to see who it was. So I go back to doing my daughter's hair, and at possibly the most critical moment when I finally get it all ready for that hair clip, suddenly we hear "Hey Kevin!-what are YOU doing here?"  Of course that's ALL the kids needed to hear...and off they went to greet their beloved and long lost uncle who "wasn't gonna make it up for the holidays"..... (remember?) leaving mom with brush in hand and hairpins in her teeth...thinking "oh Lord-how will we EVER get there on time now...."

Don't misunderstand me-I was truly THRILLED to see my brother, (we hadn't seen each other in a few years) but after all the hugs were exchanged, all these things started running thru my head:

• yikes-where will they sleep?
• oh no-we don't have presents for them!
• do we have enough food for two extra people?
• there goes our peaceful, Christmas holiday....(my brother is a chatterbox! although I absolutely love him dearly!!!)
• oh my goodness-my brother is actually HERE for Christmas!!!!!!!
• the kids are gonna go NUTS tomorrow! and.......................................................
• THANK YOU GOD-for such a wonderful, unexpected surprise!

But, what actually came out of my mouth?????

"WE HAVE TO GET TO CHURCH, FOLKS!!!!!! "

Well,somehow, we made it to church JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME, and guess what happened? Kelley got sick-and didn't sing! She was SO excited that her tummy just took a tumble...and my brother didn't get to hear her sing! But it was still the most special Christmas Eve I will ever experience...not to mention the HUGE impression, UNKIE KEV (no it's not a typo-that's what they called him! made on my kids! He had gifts for them, and us...and we haven't had a Christmas like that-since!  (kind of like those old Christmas movies you see on tv this time of year...)

By now you are thinking "how sweet" but WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS STORY?" The point is simply that this is how "Festival of Gifts" originated! My daughter and I stole some time to make some holiday ball ornaments that I had taught at classes-to give to Uncle Kevin and Aunt Debra...and that's how the whole idea of "Festival of Gifts" was born!

Now, every year I plan a bunch of gift items (some home decor projects, some quickie gifts like these) for an annual Festival of Gifts event that I have been doing for yearssc...until this year-I opted to offer classes instead of holding the Festival of Gifts event, because I decided to be a participant as a crafter/consultant at some local craft fairs and just couldn't imagine how I could do it all! (but I think we'll manage to do BOTH next year with good planning! It's amazing how easy it can be when you plan it ahead of time! )

This has become a tradition in our family...my daughter and I have always enjoyed coming up with holiday projects for our family members, church school teachers, hairdresser etc. (we now MAIL them to Unkie Kevin & Aunt Debra if THEY SAY they can't make it up!). But-these projects have become the gift items we offer at our Festival of Gifts Events, Craft Fairs and/or classes! I can recall my husband and son commenting that it's like "Santa's Workshop" here about six weeks before Christmas while the Festival of Gifts Event is going on! When the Craft Fairs, classes and Festival of Events are all over, my daughter and I keep the stamp studio bustling right up until a few days before Christmas-making more gifts for our family and friends!  You can find us in there tinkering away making our gifts...embossing, masking, sanding, painting, eyelet setting, snow frosting,  gluing,  glittering,  hammering, and having a blast!

And after all, isn't this what Christmas is all about too? We have THE BEST TIME discovering and creating, making memories-together...(although my daughter shys away from the camera-which makes it tough to catch these ONE-TIME ONLY memories that I of course, want to scrapbook, I will always treasure these times we spend together getting ready for the holidays! It's a time that we've come to really cherish..someday I'll present her with an album that captures times like these! Shhhh.....