I love this hymn, and its message. God is with you. He knows you. He cares about you. Whatever situation you are in, God is there. Take heart. Rejoice.
The creamiest hot chocolate ever!
You guys…I’m not a food blogger but I have to share this.
My mom makes the BEST hot chocolate mix, and it doesn’t have to be stirred non-stop on your stove-top, or sit in the crockpot all day. You can take ten minutes to mix up a big batch and then anytime you want a mug of the best hot chocolate ever, just heat up some water, add the mix, and badda-bing badda-boom! OK, so maybe Starbucks’ Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate is a tiny bit better, but I just need to figure out the right ratios of salt and caramel to this and it could be just as good. I’ve tried buying the hot chocolate mixes Starbucks sells and they don’t even come close to this mix.
OK, so here it is:
3/4 cup powdered Hershey’s Cocoa
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 cups powdered creamer
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine ingredients and mix well!
I usually double or triple the batch, though, because we drink it like crazy. It makes a great gift, too!
When you’re ready to enjoy just add 1/3 cup to 2/3 cup very hot water, stir well an enjoy!
If you want to really indulge, make some homemade whipped cream to put on top! Yum!
Free Christmas Printables!
You guys! There are new, FREE Christmas Notebooking Pages from NotebookingPages.com (affiliate link). I’ve been behind in doing Christmas stuff…literally the only thing we’ve done so far this year is our advent calendar, so my girls will be thrilled when I print these out. I thought you guys might like them, too. 🙂
Christmas Gift Ideas for Frenemies
Hi friends! So far I’ve offered up my ideas for stocking stuffers, baby’s first Christmas, and gifts for little kids…and now for the best list of all, gifts for people you don’t really like. Let’s face it, we all have people who just rub us the wrong way for whatever reason. Well, now you can passive-aggressively get your feelings out by gifting their kids any of the items on this list. You’re welcome. 😉
1. A recorder! Any one will do but this Frozen themed one with a songbook will just really take the cake when it comes to its ability to annoy!
2. Glitter! This set of 24 glitter shakers is sure to get glitter everywhere! Yay!
3. NON washable Crayola markers – this is a sneaky one because they look just like the washable ones so parents will have no idea what horribleness they are about to unleash when their kids go crazy with these!
4. Tiny, individual foam stickers with white backing – here’s a 1040 piece option!!!! Sooo many tiny pieces of trash to be scattered everywhere!
5. Anything with 100s of pieces, like this Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Stringing Beads with over 200 beads – great fun for your friend’s 3 year old….to DUMP
6. A special doll whose hair you’re supposed to cut, like this one….give them the idea to cut all the dolls’ hair, maybe even their own!
7. A realistic looking snake toy! This one looks nice and terrifying. Kids will love hiding it under their parent’s pillows! Fake spiders work, too.
8. Kids radio programmed with annoying songs…this one would be a great choice accoring to reviews like, “my little girl has to stand at full cord length away to prevent high pitched feedback.” Awesome!
9. Baby alive! This doll drinks and wets! Yay water everywhere! Plus if the kid falls in love, the parents will have to keep buying more diapers for it!!!
10. A trading card starter pack, like this Disney Frozen one – get the kid hooked so they’ll keep begging their parents for more!
Bonus item – A Dino-Roar. This toy makes the most annoying sound I’ve EVER heard when you squeeze it…only downside is it’s not longer made, so you’d have to shell out the big bucks. I suppose any toy that makes an annoying sound when you squeeze it will work, though.
Also consider: a creepy clown mask, a harmonica, a whistle, a toy puppy that barks, and fake vomit or poop.
P.S. These would all work for great gag gifts or white elephant gift exchanges, too. 😀
Gift Ideas for Little Kids
For my girls, we decided awhile ago to give four gifts each on Christmas.
Something they want.
Something educational.
Something to wear.
And a book that’s not dull.
Here are the tops ten items I’ve brainstormed to choose those four gifts from this year for Smiles, my three year old! 🙂
1. A learning experience. Maybe a fun art or science class for preschoolers at a local rec center.
2. An outing. Taking a trip to the zoo or aquarium or some such.
3. Art supplies. Smiles loooves watercolor paints and markers and whatnot.
4. Puzzles. Smiles loves peg puzzles and even 12 piece wooden jigsaw puzzles.
5. The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin. I’ve heard this beautiful book is one you’ll love reading to your kids, it’s definitely on my list of choices for a book. If I didn’t already have The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, though, I’d probably get that, because we absolutely love it!
6. Dr. Suess board books. We already have a few, but I might get more because for all my girls they’ve been the books they choose most often to have me read.
7. Magna-Tiles. We got a big set for my girls to share for Christmas last year and they are still played with nearly every day, so this year I think I’ll get an expansion set or two.
8. Fox socks like these. Because they’re just the cutest thing ever.
9. An alphabet stamp set. She’s been working on learning her letters, plus she loves all things arts and crafts.
10. A Microscope for little-bitties like this. She already has a Science Lab Set and she plays with it all the time, I think she’d love a microscope, too!
Other gifts we’ve given our girls around ages 2-5 in the past that have been huge hits include a play kitchen with play food, a reindeer to bounce on, a simple swingset, soft non-sticky clay (Crayola Model Magic), Stikits – little blocks you moisten and stick together to create sculptures, small backpacks (no clue why, but my all my girls have been ridiculously fascinated with putting stuff in backpacks and wearing them around at this age), Mega Bloks, Seashore Baby a board book by Elise Broach – two of my girls have been completely obsessed with this book, and a babydoll with a care set of bottles and such.
Also, fyi, some items we had high hopes for that turned out to be duds included a LeapFrog Tag Junior, Play-Doh accessory sets, a special Warmheart Rag Doll, a Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter, and a majority of all the stuffed animals that somehow manage to just constantly cover the floor of the girls’ room.