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DIY Calling Bird Ornaments

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In Florida, its difficult to recycle soda cans (hundreds go in the trash) — which is ghastly to a native Oregonian (the first state in the nation to enact container deposit legislation on soda-bottles and cans in 1972). In other words, any excuse to re-use them (and start a project), is welcomed with eager hands. Stretching your creativity to repurpose items to be decorative is impressive and fun! The inner aluminum of the cans give off a great glow when placed near lights, which I found make … [Read more...]

My Own Labels Cookie Exchange

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I recently organized a holiday cookie exchange here at My Own Labels. We had a great turn out and I was so pleased when a third of our employees signed up to bake their favorite recipes. The rules where simple. Bring in your cookies, your recipes to share, and a container to bring home other's goodies. The key was that you had to "bake" in order to participate. A box of Oreos didn't count. Traditionally you would bake one dozen cookies for each person, but since we had ten volunteers I decided … [Read more...]

Gingerbread Cookies

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Decorating gingerbread cookies is a Christmas tradition I’ve always enjoyed, so this year I decided to spice things up by making large gingerbread people who represent my real-life friends and family, and to give each individual their own respective cookie as a Christmas gift. To frost my cookies, I used store bought cookie icing in various colors, and chose one feature from each person – usually hair or clothing style – as inspiration. For instance, my father always wears coveralls … [Read more...]

Soy Tin Candles

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Warming up with the fragrance and glow of natural candles couldn’t be easier as shown in this recipe for making soy candles. Melt, pour, and then decorate the jars for the perfect gift! Materials: • Metal tins with lids • Waxed and wired wicks with tabs • Hot glue gun • Double boiler • Soy wax • Thermometer Optional Materials: • Crayon pieces or wax dye • Natural essential oils for fragrance 1. Use the hot glue to secure the wick tabs to the bottom of the tins. … [Read more...]

Candy Cane Cooler

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I've always enjoyed making festive beverages for friend and family gatherings during the holidays, so when I came across a recipe for candy cane coolers on the web, I immediately bookmarked it so I could try it myself once I got my hands on some candy canes this year. Much to my dismay, this particular recipe looked a lot better than it tasted. So, in order to salvage my ingredients, I took a few liberties and came up with a candy cane recipe that tasted exactly how I envisioned. And since I'm … [Read more...]

Christmas Morning Granola

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Growing up, Christmas morning was the time that we opened our stocking and all the presents. Sure there was one gift opening allowed on Christmas eve before we snuggled into bed, but the bulk of the gift gluttony was done in the morning. With all of the wrapping paper being torn open and ribbons being hurled in the air, you could certainly work up an appetite. As an adult, I now like to have something quick and nutritious available to feed the masses. Homemade granola packed full of seeds, … [Read more...]

Reindeer Noses: Homemade Malt Balls

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While looking for Holiday-themed treats on Pinterest, I came across multiple representations of the idea to bag malted milk balls, with one red, to imitate Reindeer Noses. However, none that I saw had a recipe for how to make malted milk balls. So I was determined to find a way to make the Reindeer Noses myself—even if they didn’t come out in a perfectly round ball. Ingredients: Makes 100 Malt Balls • 3 Cups White Chocolate Chips • 4 ¾ Cups Malted Milk • 1 Cup Milk Chocolate … [Read more...]

Almond-Studded Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies

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These cookies are buttery and crumbly with the lovely crunch of toasted almonds- they are best served just out of the oven after they have cooled. To enjoy them every time fresh from the oven, make the disks up all at once and freeze (all but those you are baking for the moment). Then you can take out just the amount you need, bring to room temperature, and bake. Your friends and family will say, "How do you do it? Fresh cookies tonight? You are amazing!" They will love you for this. … [Read more...]

Hot Chocolate On A Stick

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Who can resist a warm cup of hot chocolate in the winter time? When there's a chill in the air it always has a way of making me feel warm and cozy, so with the holidays fast approaching I wanted to pass on a little warmth to friends and family with some homemade hot chocolate on a stick. I saw this idea for the first time last year and knew that I needed to bookmark it for this winter. For a basic hot chocolate on a stick I used the recipe from More Design Please. It's easy and all you need … [Read more...]

FaLaLa Lindas: A Twist on the Peppermint Patty

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This year, the Holidays have hit a special chord with me. It seems like in years passed I was mildly irritated when the lights came up before Thanksgiving, and the holiday music chimed through the air shortly after Halloween. However, this year I’ve been uncharacteristically heart-warmed — even considering crocheting a Holiday sweater for my small dog. By this tenderness, it's become clear that I’ve been missing my mom terribly; her presence absolutely makes the Holidays for me, and I … [Read more...]