christmas

DIY gift ideas: Spirit of Christmas in a jar

August 13, 2018 By Heidi Rabbach 1 Comment

Last updated on November 15th, 2018

Watch this short video for a quick overview of how to make the 15 minutes Christmas in a jar gift.

Looking for small, yet thoughtful DIY gift ideas for Christmas? Then you’ll love my Spirit of Christmas in a jar! It’s inexpensive and easy to make with tons of ways to personalize your gift in a jar. And best of all: You’re giving someone 15 minutes of Christmas peace.

Never did I try to cram so much into the weeks leading up to Christmas as I do now as a mom. There is a never-ending list of things I have to do, want to do, should be doing. Writing Christmas cards. Getting thoughtful gifts lined up and perfectly packed. Tastefully decorating our home. Baking Christmas cookies. Attending Christmas gatherings. Making little DIY gifts for teachers, neighbors, acquaintances. Singing with the kids. Taking a walk through the brightly lit neighborhood. Enjoying Christmas time.

Now that’s already quite a list for just a few weeks. But, it’s not like we’re on a full-board, Buttler-assisted, luxury holiday during those weeks. Laundry still needs to be done. Dinners need to be cooked. Groceries must be gotten. School lunches should be packed. Ideally, even the house would get cleaned… some – not a lot.

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How to prepare Christmas cookies in September

August 7, 2018 By Heidi Rabbach Leave a Comment

One way to reduce the mental and physical load during the Christmas season is preparing Christmas cookies in September. In this post, I’ll show you how to prepare Christmas cookies in September for more calm in December.

Trying to bake Christmas cookies has been quite a source of stress for me. Frankly, I can’t handle the never-ending bits of dough which have to be rolled out over and over and still only offer enough room to cut another 2½ cookies… So, for a few years, I skipped it altogether, but not without a pinch of regret, I might add.

Because who doesn’t dream of blissful cookie baking with the kids, while merrily singing Christmas songs with a sprinkle of picturesque snow in the background. While this dream might be unattainable in its perfection, there are ways to bake cookies in time for Christmas without getting stressed.

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Slice and bake cookies – 7 flavors with hidden nutrients

August 6, 2018 By Heidi Rabbach Leave a Comment

Last updated on November 26th, 2018

If you’re looking for homemade slice & bake cookies, you’ll want to give these a shot. Not only are they a crumbly soft delight with your afternoon coffee, they are also versatile and contain hidden extra nutrients. I’ll show you how to do this!

Until a few years ago my husband was our designated cookies and cake baker, bread magician, and dinner chef… I hardly found the effort required for cooking and baking to be in proportion to the finished product. When I became a mom, more kitchen tasks were inevitable so the search for shortcuts was on.

The more shortcuts I found, the more I started enjoying the process of baking as much as eating the results. In this article, I will show you a simple recipe for delicious slice and bake cookies that uses unexpected ingredients to up both nutrient content and flavor. And pssst… these are great to prep for Christmas several months ahead!

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