Eh, My House, Christmas Goodies and Wrap It Up

My house is relatively clean.  Something I'm sure will end with the start of Christmas Break and the return of the only child who had to go to school today; half-day though it was.  His three siblings are already off. . .of which he is happy to use as a reason for not attending today.  That and how they, "do teach anything anyway!" 

As I was saying, the house is relatively clean but the clutter that comes with this time of year is starting to get to me.  The boxes in the back hall, the wrapping paraphernalia on counter-tops, the scattering of mail and cards on the tables.  Shipping tape and peanuts on the floors.  Then you add the "kids are out of school" clutter:  shoes, coats, socks, backpacks that won't be used for a couple weeks, various cups and plates and whatnot; it's making me crazy. 

I'll have to tidy up before I start my Day O'Baking.  Yep, today I'm doing a large chunk of the baking for the Cookie Exchange I'm hosting on Sunday.  I was going to keep it simple and make my regular Spritz (my faves) and one other recipe; a bar because they go quickly.  And then I found these on Pinterest:

• Vanilla Cherry Chocolate Cookies
• Candy Cane Kiss Sugar Cookie Bars
• Krispy Peppermint Bark
• White Chocolate and Toffee Fudge
• Peanut Butter Truffles with Marshmallows and Krispies
• Chocolate Frosted, Marshmallow Stuffed Chewy Chocolate Cookies

I put all a list together for all the items I don't already have on hand, for all the above recipes, and hit the store.  While there I crossed off the fudge, not because it doesn't sound great, but something had to go.  I'm three recipes into the five above, plus my Spritz - but the kids like doing the Spritz once I've mixed up the dough.  I'll let you know how they turn out.  So far the recipes are quick to put together and look amazing.  If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen some of them.

I'm attending the Nutcracker tonight with my daughter, my mom, two of my sisters, and a niece and I'm excited to officially get in the Christmas mood.  Because we all should have some Christmas Spirit in the air, maybe using this inspiration will help you find your Christmas Cheer.

The color pallet is from the Color Theory board:

And combine the pallet with this sketch I found on Pinterest, that led me to Basic Grey's blog.

I love the three photos on two pages, with room for more photos if you wish.  I love the groupings of embellishments.  Even the banners under the focal photo.  You could easily convert this to a one-pager or even a card.  If you're working on your December Daily(TM) you can scale it down, too.

Remember - your reward for taking time for yourself this week is a kit.  Get your project linked up by Sunday evening to be eligible.

Happy Friday!