Meijer Gift Card

Sis gave me a $20 gift card.  Here’s what I bought with it:

• Falls Creek long sleeve, purple polka dot top
• This was a clearance item, so I had to get it.
• Meijer Elements clear skin daily moisturizer
• A little expensive for a generic product (compare to Aveeno), but I’m worth it.
• NYC Applelicious glossy lip balm in Big Apple Red
• It was a steal at $1.47.
• NYC Applelicious glossy lip balm in Caramel Apple
• I’ve wanted this color for a while.  Might as well buy it at that price!

Christmas Day

At 3 am, I woke up Sis so we could open our gifts.  The following is what I got for Christmas:

• Plum plaid scarf
• Blackberry leather gloves
• “The Conjuring”
• “Xena:  Warrior Princess” Season One
• “The Complete Hammer House of Horror”
• “The Addams Family” & “Addams Family Values”
• Meijer gift card
• Money

My twin liked all her presents.

An hour later, we gave Mom and Dad their gifts.  Mom was pleasantly surprised, especially with the lighthouse calendar.  Dad was just flabbergasted.

After church, we saw one of my sister’s favorite movies.  Then, Bro unwrapped his presents.  He thought everything was cool.

As for dinner, we prepared the food a day early.  Fortunately, we had plenty of tasty leftovers.  We ate turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and olives.  For dessert, we had pistachio pudding with fruit.  Mom got the idea to make it many years ago from my Grandma on Dad’s side.  Here’s the recipe:

4 small boxes of Jell-O instant puddings in pistachio

1 ¾ cups milk for each pudding box

3 classic fruit cocktails, 14.5 oz cans

Miniature marshmallows

Whip topping

Prepare puddings according to directions, using above milk measurements.  Drain fruit cocktails and add to pudding.  Fold in marshmallows.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Garnish with whip topping.

  

The only change we made was using fat-free milk for the pudding.

Even though it looks green, the dessert was still delicious.  The best part is the fruit.

I really enjoyed this Christmas.  Hope you did too!

Our Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas!

Canterbury Village

In November 1995, my family and I went to the Olde World Canterbury Village.  This area is a Michigan historical attraction with many stores.

Here are some seasonal pictures of that time:

Murder Never Takes A Holiday: Book Review

Jessica Fletcher investigates two Christmas-related cases in “Murder, She Wrote:  Murder Never Takes A Holiday”, by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain.

The first book involves the killing of a New York charity Santa in “Manhattans & Murder”.

Strange as it may seem, I didn’t read this novel for the mystery, but for the holiday details.  Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that it’s heavy on the mystery and light on Christmas.  Still, Jessica amuses me with her nosy attitude. 

The second book deals with the shooting of a Cabot Cove friend who played Santa in “A Little Yuletide Murder”.

I don’t know why, but this novel was more interesting.  Maybe it’s because it included some Christmas activities.  Even the mystery part was good.  In addition, I liked the occasional mention of food.

Based on my readings, I can’t recommend this volume, since I think the second story was better than the first.

Holiday Pins

I love holiday pins.  Unfortunately, I can’t always find something I like.  The following are the ones I have so far.

My pins:

Sis gave me this long-legged snowman three years ago from Target.

I bought the 3 snowmen two years ago from Kohl’s.  I almost lost them at Elias Brothers.

For animal lovers everywhere, this one has a snowman with a dog, cat, and bird.  It was purchased last year at Kohl’s.

I couldn’t resist these whimsical skating reindeer when I found them last year at Kohl’s.

Christmas Eve: Movie Review

In “Christmas Eve”, a woman tries to find her grandchildren before her death.

This movie is a real tearjerker!  Radiant Loretta Young stars as the kindhearted millionairess.  Besides that, one of the highlights of the film is the sweet romance between the private investigator and Amanda Kingsley’s granddaughter.

Anyway, this picture is so good, I plan to watch it every year from now on.

Butterscotch Coconut Squares

Besides the cookies, we also prepared this sweet treat.

We found the recipe in “Taste of Home:  Best Holiday Recipes”, in 2010, on p. 141.

Here’s an online version of the recipe:

Butterscotch Coconut Squares

This rich dessert is delicious!  It tastes just like softened fudge.  However, I didn’t care for the marshmallows.

The only change was using Smart Balance instead of butter.

No problems as far as I know.  Sis said that it’s easy to make.

Happy Frugal Christmas: Book Review

This guide explains how to cut your holiday expenses in “Happy Frugal Christmas”, by Rachel Henderson.

I like reading thrifty books.  Unfortunately, most of the tips in this e-book were familiar to me.  On the other hand, a few fresh ideas are sprinkled within the gift, wrapping, and decoration sections.

In conclusion, this booklet is a good deal if you’re new to Christmas frugality.

Festive Book Accessories

As promised, here is one of my Xmas collections.  These hand-made book accessories came from a used book store.

My festive book covers:

 Sis gave me this cover two Christmases ago.  This one is my absolute favorite!

I bought these three in March of last year.

The last one was from a few years back.  I like the birdhouse.

My magnetic holiday bookmarks: