Seasonal Styles that Sparkle and Shine
ELLA-and- ANNIE Parties, Food, Style and Crafts
Holiday Celebrations C rafty Wrapping
Festive Treats Holiday book list
interview with
The Confetti Foundation
Just a note One of the things I love most about Northern California are the seasons. Maybe you’re perplexed - aren’t seasons everywhere? Here in my neck of the woods you actually get to experience the seasonal changes! During spring it becomes slightly warmer, the rain showers us a little less with love, you’re surrounded by buzzing bees and fragrant blooms and then in summer, we’re suddenly hit with a heat wave. Autumn can’t come soon enough bringing falling leaves, crisp air, hayrides, warm apple cider and corn mazes. We delight in pumpkin carving contests and preparation for that big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. As wonderful as all these seasons are, winter is my favorite. The anticipation of chilly days, rain boots, soft fuzzy scarves and mittens to warm your ice cold hands. The smell of burning wood, streets lit up festive lights and of course the non-stop holiday music that I am sure my family finds most annoying. My fondest childhood memories are centered around this wondrous Christmas holiday.... my grandfather taking us to a tree farm to cut down our own tree, the village of vintage glass houses carefully staged by my grandma. A true winter wonderland to ooh and ahhh over. The best part though was my grandpa’s train set that traveled around the most beautifully decorated tree. Little figurines ready to board with sugar plum fairies dancing in their heads. I can’t forget the delicious treats scattered throughout the house - See’s candies, dinner mints and mixed nuts! Yum! I was always full before dinnertime.
Meet the team
Katie Moffitt Photographer KTMoffitt Photography
We had two tables, one for the adults and the other for the children, both dressed to the nines. I couldn’t wait for my grandmother’s marshmallow ambrosia to hit the table. I would always find a scoop large enough to include as many maraschino cherries as I could. I hope to pass along these memories to my children, Ella, Evan and Annie. We hope you are inspired, learn something new, bookmark a holiday recipe and most of all enjoy what we’ve put together for you. We here at Ella and Annie magazine wish you and your family a magical holiday season filled love, laughter and great memories. Thank you for supporting the Ella and Annie adventure.
Sunny Duran Creative Director Sunny by Design
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.
Shauna Shauna Krantz, Editor in Chief
2 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Table of Contents Let’s Celebrate Hot Chocolate & Choo Choo’s 6 Shauna Krantz Visit the Northpole 10 Anders Ruff Custom Designs ‘Twas the Night Before 14 by Great Stitch Winter Wonderland Hot Cocoa Bar 18 Funky Monkey Designs
Let’s Craft No Sew Ruffle Tree Skirt 24 The Thinking Closet Gold Dipped Ornaments 26 Sweetly Chic Events Santa Photo Props 30 Smashed Peas and Carrots Secret Ingredients for Magical Memories 34 Melissa Collier (Oriental Trading Company)
It’s a Wrap Snickerdoodle Bread 40 Sutton Place Designs Cookie Bag Tutorial 44 Cranberry Cookies 47 Tabula Rosi Holiday Lights Gift Wrap 48 Burlap and Blue
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Let’s Shop All That Glitters 54 Macy’s Lu & Crew 58 Holiday PJs 60 Great Stitch Bow ties and Suspenders 62 Three Little Q’s
Let’s Eat Russian Tea Cakes 66 O’Taste and See Caramel Corn 67 Brenda Byers Popcorn Snowballs 68 Life Made Simple Holiday Brunch Menu 70 Feed Me Seymour
Let’s Talk Our Favorite Holiday Books 78 Confetti Foundation 80 25 Advent Activities and Holiday Traditions 84 Bernadyn Nettles
Our Gift To You Free Holiday Printables 87
December 2014 ~ 3
4 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 5
Hot Chocolate & Choo, Choo’s by Shauna Krantz
6 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Choo choo! All aboard the Evan express! Warm velvety hot cocoa topped with fluffy marshmallows for all passengers who believe. I styled a polar express themed party for my son Evan’s fourth birthday party. I wanted to combine his love for trains with the magic and spirit that Christmas brings. Yes, I know, crazy right. Christmas in September. Why not? Confetti Couture Events designed a pin striped romper for Evan to sport. The quality of Megan’s work is jaw dropping. The fabric was beautiful, heavy weight which is perfect for any little boy and the addition of buttons and bow tie made it absolutely perfect. Great stitch provided the pjs. Personalized with a hand drawn train from Sunny By Design. Brenda was kind enough to add Evan’s name and age as well as find pin striped pants to coordinate with the party. When you host a polar express party it wouldn’t be right without the pjs.
ables. From the vintage train ticket invitation, pin striped birthday banner, cocoa cup wraps to the tags and labels on the cocoa favors every detail was perfect. Sunny if you don’t know is an amazingly talented artist. I am in aww of her artistic abilities. She is my go to gal for everything unique. Seriously, how cute is that railroad crossing sign!? The glittered snowflakes from Tutus and Bow Ties added an extra special touch to the table. Pretty My Party has the best selection of paper favor bags which I used for the train cookies designed by my very own mother of Cookie Couture. Pretty awesome, huh? The best part, they taste just as good as they look! The wooden utensils and paper straws were also a provided by Pretty My Party. They matched with every element of the party decor. Thank you to all the vendors and especially Katie Moffitt photography for capturing my cutie pie on his special day.
I kept the table simple. Hot cocoa topped with marshmallows, delicious cocoa mug marshmallow pops and grahams from Autumn Lynn’s Chocolate Sins. A festive cake custom made by Dolce Vista Cakes. Hot cocoa and snowflake candy kabobs from Sweets Indeed were being eyed from the very second they were placed on the table. Homemade graham crackers, vanilla bean marshmallows topped with milk chocolate to make the best s’mores ever! Sunny of Sunny by Design custom designed the party print-
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 7
8 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Credits a
F H
a F H
Sunny By Design Autumn Lynn’s Chocolate Sins Pretty My Party Great Stitch Katie Moffitt Photography Confetti Couture Events Cookie Couture Tutus and Bow Ties Sweets Indeed Dolce Vista Cakes
f h j f h j f h j
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 9
Visit the
North Pole with Anders Ruff
10 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
When I think back to my childhood memories of Christmas, I immediately think of the warmth and comfort I would feel when seeing images of The North Pole. From Santa and his reindeer to the stockings, mittens and candy canes, these were all symbols of the “feeling” of Christmas. There is a certain nostalgia that those North Pole “symbols” bring, which I want to carry through with my own family as well. With this in mind we designed a “North Pole” Collection that is perfect for adding style to any Christmas party or gift exchange, but also has elements that are perfectly tailored for a Cookie Exchange or holiday baking party. For the printable graphic collection, we incorporated vintage-yet-modern holiday elements in a red, aqua and white hues palette to reflect the feeling of the North Pole. These colors paired with patterns like vintage gingham, candy cane stripe and modern dot patterns resulted in a fun, versatile collection for the most diverse in design taste! The full decor collection also includes some new items such as our hot cocoa bar printables, advent calendar hanging mittens printables, and brand new gift tag concepts. For our dessert table for this North Pole Cookie Exchange party, we wanted to highlight all of the fabulous cookie vendors that have contributed their desserts throughout the year to our parties and holiday photoshoots. We curated cookies from the most fabulous of cookie vendors! Simple red cake stands on a stark white table cloth made a bold display statement while keeping the focus on the beautiful works of art – the cookies! A Fabulous Fete sent us 4 red cake stands and then we saw the cake stand tutorial in The Party Dress maga-
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 11
zine, and decided to make some more of our own (an EASY DIY project using wooden candle sticks and wood plaques). A framed printable poster of a graphic of Santa was hung on the backdrop. (This cute little Santa poster is included in our new North Pole collection!) The kids wore custom aprons from Made by Morgan for the baking party and then changed into their custom pjs (also from Made by Morgan) to open some gifts by the tree. Sur La Table let us use their fabulous red Kitchen Aid stand mixer along with some precious red melamine baking utensils and dish towels. We also hung a handmade wreath over the stove. We displayed the materials on a fabulous runner that Nikki of Nikki in Stitches made for our photo shoot. Adorable red polka dot favor boxes from My Little Love were displayed on the table and the children could fill up their box with cookies from the dessert table as part of the exchange. For the smaller items, we assembled the printable milk carton favor box from our collection. The front of the dessert table was adorned with precious coordinating felt stockings fromRikRak. We embellished some of those with printable party logos from our collection. For the cookie exchange portion of the party, the children sat at the bar and started out by mixing and baking some cookies. We setup dishes ahead of time with ingredients to make it easy.
The kids loved cutting out the cookies, and especially enjoyed eating them. We displayed vintage glass milk bottles with paper straws and party flags, since you always need milk with your cookies! We also setup a Hot Chocolate Bar where we displayed different ingredients in little ramekins on our red cake stands. We displayed a printable hot cocoa bar menu and labeled the ingredients with party flags. Marshmallows, cookie and cream crumble, old fashioned peppermint sticks, red hots, whipped cream and more! Two Sugar Babies made some adorable fondant gingerbread men that we used to decorate the display as well. The children loved mixing their own hot cocoa with the various ingredients. They were all garnished so differently and that was a very easy activity for the younger children to participate in. The beautiful fireplace at this mountain luxury home was easy to make beautiful! We displayed a printable party poster of Santa from our collection on the mantle along with tissue poms, lanterns and adorable pom pom trim. Huge fabric tubes were wrapped with candycane wrapping paper and displayed on the left and right side of the mantle. (Totally
12 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Credits – Complete Event Styling: Anders Ruff – Printable decor, hot cocoa bar, gift tags, advent calendar mittens: Anders Ruff – Photography by Becca Bond Photography – Photo Shoot Location in Asheville, NC: Yonder Luxury Mountain Rentals
Clothing and Decor:
– Custom Aprons and Christmas Pajamas – Made by Morgan & Missy Annie’s – Custom “Letter to Santa” and “North Pole” Pillows (with Anders Ruff graphics): MonMell Designs – Felt Stockings by Rik Rak – Handmade Ornaments, Runner and Wreath: Nikki in Stitches (DIY Tutorial Book available at her website) – Red Wooden Cake Stands: A Fabulous Fete (and some DIY) – Paper Baking Cups, Paper Fans, Tissue Poms, Nut Cups, Paper Straws, Favor Boxes, Glass Milk bottles from My Little Love
reminded us of the North Pole!) Our new Printable Advent Calendar mittens were hung from the mantle and filled with small candies. Gifts were packaged and we introduced several new printable gift tag collections that we displayed on the gifts. Santa stamp gift tags, hangtags and circle tags all coordinate perfectly with the complete collection. Below the tree were gorgeous custom pillows that MonMell Designs just added to their new line of handmade pillows featuring Anders Ruff graphics. The “Letter to Santa” pillow actually includes a printable that slides into the pocket to leave a letter to santa under the tree! So precious! The children loved that pillow as well as the North Pole square pillow with the adorable aqua contrasting trim. The party ended with the kids unwrapping all of the gifts that they got each other! This is a tradition we will continue for years to come.
Desserts: – – – –
Mexican Hot Chocolate sandwich cookies: Red Bird Bakery Fondant Cupcake and Cookie Toppers: Two Sugar Babies Santa Stamp and Santa Cookie Pops: Sweet Sugar Belle Sugar Cookies (Glittery Candy Cane, North Pole & Hanging Mittens): Allyson Jane – Sugar Cookies (Square Pattern, Santa Stamp, Candy Cane, Mini Gingerbread Men & Reindeer): The Cookie Jar – Gingerbread Man Cookie pops: Oh! So Yummy Cookies and Confections – Chocolate Covered Pretzels: Pretzels Pleaze
Crafty Materials/Printing:
– Labels: Onlinelabels.com – Adhesive: Glue Dots – Poster Printing: Sign Guy
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 13
‘T
re
N i g e ht B h T s efo a ’w
by Great Stitch 14 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
z
‘twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house All the creatures were stirring Great hot cocoa with real whipped cream won’t mix itself!
x
‘The strawberry snowmen kept watch on the plate While the reindeer sugar cookies looked too good to eat The Yule log cake had sugar berries in place And peppermint (homemade) marshmallows were cream of the crop
y
x
x www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
y
z anta)
or S eets f
(Sw
y December 2014 ~ 15
x ‘A vintage book told the story A Visit from St. Nick While a ladder climbed up where he checked on his list Curled up in her jammies Kaylee couldn’t wait for the morning While her doll in her matching outfit rested beside
y
z y
(matching pjs)
x
z z
y
There were stockings in burlap and Santa’s big sack And some presents with name tags had already been wrapped Flocked Christmas trees took their place on each side Of a repurposed hutch chalk painted just for the night 16 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
x
There were reindeer of birchbark and paper mâché And ribbons with snowflakes for this special day With a scarf in a basket and even a bow The only thing missing was Christmas Eve snow
z y
y
tocking)
s (the perfect
x z y z
Credits Party Styling: Brenda and Rhonda Byers Photography: Mallory Hall Reindeer Cookies: Heidi’s Sweet Shop Birch Bark Candles: BINESHIIS Cake: KC Cakes Bakes
Monogrammed stockings and outfit: GreatStitch www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 17
A quick and easy
Hot Chocolate Bar for the Holidays
By Funky Monkey Designs
18 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Winter snow
and warm friendly wishes, that’s what inspired this party. I love sipping steamy hot cocoa with marshmallows and watching the snow fall in cool fluffy flakes.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 19
A hot cocoa bar is a great way to entertain friends and family without breaking the budget. Not to mention they will love it! If you are running low on time, because lets face it when it’s Christmas time everybody is running around half crazy, this can be your back up plan. For my hot cocoa bar I scanned all the local dollar stores and I took a trip to Walmart. All the sweets were purchased in the bakery or in the snack aisle. The hot cocoa, marshmallows, peppermint sticks and caramels were purchased at my local dollar tree.
20 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
The backdrop (it’s wrapping paper) and all the decor was purchased at Hobby Lobby (my favorite store). One of my favorite things was designing the printables to go with my vision. So stock up on supplies, get ready to relax and you will have a quick, easy and delicious treat for those Holiday guests.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 21
Deck the halls with lots of jolly!
FREE
SHIPPING with $49 minimum order*
Enter Promo Code ELL&ANN14 During Checkout
Party Supplies • Toys & Novelties • Craft & Hobby Supplies • Teaching Supplies
orientaltrading.com • 800-228-2269 ~ December 201431, 2014. Applies to standard shipping within the contiguous U.S., APO, and FPO. Not valid with any other offer. Discount www.ellaandanniemagazine.com *Offer 22 valid November 1 through December applied to merchandise total only. Gift cards not included.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 23
No sew
Ruffle
Tree Skirt by The Thinking Closet
24 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
For anyone with a burlap obsession like I have as well as an affinity for ruffles, well then I have a holiday project for you! And before you offer up the excuse, “But I don’t have a sewing machine!” let me just disclose that this is a no-sew project. Yep! It’s a No-Sew Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt, and the best part is that you can use your old tree skirt as a base. So, clear your Saturday and jot down this supply list for your next craft store run:
1.5 yards of felt fabric OR your old Christmas tree skirt 4 yards total of fabric for your ruffles Measuring tape Fabric marker or chalk Fabric scissors Rotary cutter Cutting mat Acrylic ruler Pins, lots of pins! No-Sew version: Hot glue gun and glue sticks Sew version: Sewing machine and thread Optional: twine and heavy duty needle
So, what are you waiting for? The full step-by-step photo tutorial awaits you over at the creative blog, The Thinking Closet. And before you know it, you’ll have very own No-Sew Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt to dress up your tree this holiday season. Get the full tutorial, here.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 25
Gold h Dipped Ornaments
by Sweetly Chic Events 26 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Christmas traditions is of course, trimming the Christmas tree, and what better way is there to decorate than with your very own decorated ornament! This simple DIY will have your Christmas tree looking chic and have you and your family full of Christmas spirit! One of our favorite
Supplies
Ceramic Christmas Ornaments Paint Foam Brush Painters Tape Ribbon Scissors Hot Glue Gun
Step 1
Begin by taking your painters tape and tape off the section of your ornament that you would like to keep free of paint.
Step 2
Using your foam brush, carefully paint the portion of your ornament not covered by painters tape.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 27
Step 3
Once the paint has dried, remove the painters tape.
Step 4
Next, using a small amount of hot glue, adhere your chosen ribbon to the center of the ornament; leaving a neat line between the gold and white portion of the Christmas ball.
Step 5
For an extra special touch, we added a decorative bow to the center of one the ornaments.
28 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Step 6
Repeat the previous steps in various designs and patterns until you have multiple unique ornaments! You now have some simple yet stylish Christmas ornaments to add to your family Christmas tree!
Step 7
Simply thread your ribbon through your ornament and it is ready to be placed on your Christmas tree! What better way to fill the season with holiday cheer than with something you created and can enjoy for years to come. Happy Holidays!
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 29
or a r your kids fo a e id p ay u your holid asy dress t e a n n a fu d g e e in N -tak for picture great idea parties?
Santa Disguise Photo Booth Props
are the perfect pairing to get everyone into the Christmas spirit!
SUPPLIES (Makes One Beard and One Santa Hat) One sheet white card stock One sheet stiff red felt 1 package 1 1/2″ STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam Balls (12 count) 1 package 1″ STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam Balls (16 count) Hot glue gun with glue sticks Scissors or x-acto knife 2 wooden dowels
by Smashed Peas and Carrots
30 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Heat up your hot glue gun and place just a dab of hot glue onto one 1 1/2″ STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam ball at a time.
First, lightly trace the shape of a beard and a mouth opening onto the white card stock. Cut out using a pair of scissors and x-acto knife.
Place each STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam ball onto the card stock and let cool and dry. Try to fill up your card stock beard as much as possible!
For the Santa Hat, cut out a triangle from the sheet of stiffened red felt.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Once cool, flip the beard over and place a few dabs of hot glue onto the backside. Press one end of a wooden dowel into the glue, let cool and dry.
Using the 1″ STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam balls, place dabs of hot glue onto each and press onto the bottom edge of the hat forming the white brim. Take one of the remaining 1 1/2″ STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam balls and hot glue it to the tip of the hat forming the little white puff ball tip that is classic to Santa’s hat. Let the hot glue cool and dry and then flip the hat over to the backside to add the wooden dowel via a few dabs of hot glue. Once the dowel is set, your Santa Disguise is ready to play with, hooray!
December 2014 ~ 31
It’s so much fun pretending to b e Santa Clause!
an
dp la yin wi g th his peek -a re d h -bo o at !
32 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
I hope you make a few of these this holiday season. They are sure to make your holiday party a hit! XO, Maggie
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 33
The Secret Ingredient to
Magical Memories By Melissa Collier of
Oriental Trading Company
Adorable party supplies
Whimsical crafts
34 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Being the Christmas writer at Oriental Trading Company means getting into the spirit of the season by early summer when the product samples first begin to arrive. This year that was easier than ever as so many adorable party supplies and whimsical crafts started to fill my desk. It’s fun to get a sneak peek of the themes we will be featuring and to guess which ones our customers will like the best.
As I began to write for our first Christmas Craft and Holiday Party catalogs, I was inspired by memories of the DIY Christmases of my childhood. It may seem silly and sentimental but I realized one thing that smartphones and computers have not taken over… Holiday memories—the kind your kids will never forget—are not made looking at a screen! Decorating, making homemade gifts, crafts, baking cookies and just spending time together doing little things are the magical ingredients that turn moments into memories. Speaking of cookies, gingerbread has always been my personal favorite. Not only because they are a special kind of Christmas yummy but also because my attempts at passing on our family gingerbread traditions were a special kind of Christmas funny. When our Silly Gingerbread Magnet Craft Kit arrived, I knew they were going to be superstars this season! OH SNAP, I wish I’d had these when my daughter was in elementary school. Perhaps my fashion-forward ideas of gingerbread families wouldnot have looked like half-baked ideas of a modern day room mom who desperately needed Pinterest to have been invented about a decade sooner! Decorating the tree was my favorite day of the season. Each year my sister and I would unpack the ornaments we had made inthe years before. Mom remembered what grades we had been in as each styroform sequin ornament immerged from the box. She still hangs a few on her tree and those ornaments hold a lot of special memories. The rest of her tree is covered with cute ornaments like our Gingerbread Christmas Ornaments. These Christmas cuties give the limbs of Christmas trees a lot of sweet and spicy gingerbread personality without a lot of dough. Ornament Craft Kits make it easier for everyone to share in the love.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 35
When the 3D Gingerbread House Craft Kitrolled across my desk, I thought this would have saved me a lot of mess when my daughter was younger. While I grew up decorating gingerbread villages with my Grandma, I had never actuallymade one with her. She always told us that she baked and put the buildings together before we arrived so that she could enjoy decorating them with us. After spending my entire life believing that the baking and building was the easy part, I decided to give it a try with my daughter. Our one and only year of attempting this feat is marked with misshapen homes, an unusually tall towerand several shacks that fell as we added candy decorations. Our clothes had more frosting on them than the houses and we ate more candy than anything else. Although the end result wasn’t pretty,the funny memories are special all the same. And, by the way, I suspect that Grams, who was not known for her baking, had been buying the store bought kits all along.
For more gifted bakers than me (which is all of you) planning to decorate real gingerbread houses or cookies, Oriental Trading Company has a huge selection of Solid-Colored Candies for decorating. Search Christmas on our site and you’ll see that hard candies are just a taste of our sweet treats. Lastly, deck your table with Gingerbread Tableware and Treat Boxes to put the finishing touches on your entire gingerbread theme. Gingerbread – it’s not just for cookies anymore! 36 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Another popular theme this Christmas is Penguins! These little guys (and gals) are popping up everywhere. What I love most about Oriental Trading’s exclusive Penguin Party Pack is that it can be used all winter long. Extra plates and napkins can be used on “I don’t feel like doing the dishes days”. My daughter loved afternoon tea parties and her “animal” friends would have loved this theme. Waddle you do for this year’s classroom party or winter birthday parties? Penguins make kids of all ages grin! We recommend getting your party favor bags started with Penguin Rubber Duckies, Penguin Lollipops and our ever-popular Penguin Bendables! Kids will flap their flippers in happiness over one (or more) of our Penguin Ornament Craft Kits as a party activity. For any occasion, our Penguins help turn your place into a winter wonderland. We’d love to see your Christmas party ideas! Like Oriental Trading on FACEBOOK and tag us in your posts or use #orientaltrading in your posts on Pinterest, Instagram or on your favorite Ella & Annie sites so we can checkout your creativity. I hope you’ll enjoy all of our Christmas crafts and party supplies as much as I have had writing about them. Most importantly, I wish you a season of Christmas bliss. Step away from your screens and unplug as you reconnect with family and friends to create special holiday memories.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 37
38 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 39
Snickerdoodle Bread by Sutton Place Designs
A quick and easy Holiday gift My go-to gift is always something from my kitchen. Quick breads are easy and produce a lot of bang for your buck. Most of the time you can get four to six small loaves of bread from one recipe. My most recent favorite is Snickerdoodle Bread. Oh my goodness. I think it’s one of the best breads I’ve ever made. Very moist and flavorful. So after I made my batch of bread, I came up with a few different ways to wrap it.
40 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Snickerdoodle Bread by On Sutton Place Ingredients 1 c. butter softened 2 c. sugar 3 eggs 3/4 c. sour cream 1 t. vanilla 1/2 t. salt 2 t. cinnamon 2 t. baking powder 2 1/2 c. flour 1 pkg. Hershey’s cinnamon chips Topping 3 T. sugar 1 t. cinnamon Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar until well mixed. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture. Fold in cinnamon chips. Pour into 4 prepared small loaf pans. Mix the 3 T. sugar with the 1 t. cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake for 30 - 35 min. Watch closely at the end so the outside doesn’t get too done. Pan measurements mini = 2 1/2 in. x 4 in. small = 3 in. x 5 1/2 in. large = 9 in. x 5 in.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 41
First up is the easiest: cellophane bags. You can find these bags just about anywhere. Craft stores have loads of them. Slip your loaf of bread in the bag, tie a ribbon and you’re finished. These would make really good teacher gifts too.
Another idea for the brown paper is a ribbon with some sort of label. I thought this was very classy and you could write a message on the label.
42 ~ December 2014
Next up is basic brown kraft paper tied with twine. I wrapped the loaf of bread in Press ‘n Seal first, then the brown paper. I got the twine from this fun Etsy shop, BonFortune. It’s a little chunkier than regular twine.
Last and perhaps my favorite, is a linen towel and ribbon. Again, wrap the bread first. I used one of the washed linen towels from my online shop but any sort of towel would work. This is a step up from the brown kraft paper because the towel is included as part of the gift. Save this for someone very special!
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Here are a couple of wine bottles gift wrapped for Christmas. You can do the same thing with a piece of scrap fabric which is what I did with the red ticking. Easy, quick and inexpensive.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 43
Cookie Bag Tutorial
by Tabula Rosi 44 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Supplies
Washi - tape Bakers twine
Stamps
Pap
er B
ag
1
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
ane
ph Celo
Embellishments
2
December 2014 ~ 45
3
4
5
1. Draw a square on the front of the bag. 2. Cut out the square. 3. Cut out a piece of Celophane that is about 1/2� larger than the window. 4. Tape the celophane over the window with washi tape around the edges. 5. Embelish bag with stamps. 6. Cut out a rectangle from cardstock and embelish with washi tape and stamps for the tag.
6
46 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Cranberry Cookies by Tabula Rosi Ingredients 2 Cups Flour 1 Tbs Baking soda 1 pinch of Salt 3/4 Cup Butter 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla 1 Egg 3 Tbs Orange Juice 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. 2. Mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Stir in egg and then add dry ingredients and orange juice. Then stir in dried cranberries. 3. Drop by rounded Tablespoon onto baking sheet and bake for 15 min or until golden brown.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 47
Holiday Lights Gift Wrap by Burlap and Blue
48 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
When it comes to creative gift wrapping, adding a personal touch can really take your gift to the next level. This Holiday Lights gift wrap is an easy and fun way to get your kids involved and add a festive and personalized touch to your gifts.
Step 1: Wrap your gifts in plain white or kraft wrapping paper. Then, using a Sharpie, draw some simple looped shapes on your gifts, giving the impression of a strand of holiday lights. Step 2: Here is where it gets fun! Choose your paint colors (washable may be best for this!), and help your kids add thumbprint “lights” along the length of your strand. Step 3: Let dry, and use your Sharpie to add any finishing touches to your wrap. And you’re done! What a neat way to add some festive flair to your gifts. This technique is easily transferable to ornaments, holiday cards, or even canvas wall art!
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 49
WARM WISHES! GIFT AND RETAIL PACKAGING
FREE CATALOG! REQUEST YOUR COPY NOW!
50 ~ December 2014
Chalkboard Wishes Packaging Collection
800-547-9727 | www.NashvilleWraps.com www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 51
52 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 53
All that Glitters With Macy's
54 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 55
56 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Credits
Photography: KT Moffit Photography Dresses: Macy’s Backdrop: Pigment & Parchment www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 57
Lu & Crew
Confetti Couture presents...
Tell us a bit about you, the company and what inspired you? I am just a small-town girl with a big dream. A dream that would help bring people together to create memories by celebrating life’s most precious events in style. As a mother, I get it. We want our children to have fun looking their best, to twirl in their favorite dress, to feel proud that they are donning that bow-tie, while feeling completely comfortable. Lu & Crew was created out of too many frustrating mornings with a picky 5 year old (Olivia Kate, who I call “Lu”), and out of necessity to create darling duds without the fuss of itchy fabrics and droopy necklines. Types of clothing you create? Do you do custom creations? My focus is on children’s apparel. From baking and crafting aprons to holiday wear. I create something for every occasion, big or small. It is very important to me that each piece is custom; That no two pieces are exactly alike. I thrive off of custom orders! I most enjoy creating pieces for events, based upon a piece of inspiration such as the invitation.
58 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Are you partial to any specific season for creating clothing? Although I am inspired during all seasons, I most enjoy creating clothing that can be worn during warmer months. There is just something about a little girl in a beautiful dress frolicking around outside, climbing trees, picking flowers. Favorite fabric to work with? I am a self-proclaimed “fabric snob”. I spend hours upon hours choosing fabrics. All fabrics I use are of the highest quality from the best designers and most must be approved by Olivia Kate. Favorite holiday tradition? I love Christmas. We move quite a bit with my husbands company and our families are typically far away, so Christmas Eve and Christmas day is ours, just the three of us. My favorite tradition has to be making cookies for Santa with Olivia Kate. Each year her idea of Santa’s favorite cookie changes. As the cookies bake, she writes him a letter about the cookies we have made. It is such a magical time.
Photography: KT Moffit Photography Clothing: Lu &Crew Backdrop: Pigment & Parchment
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 59
Great Stitch Tell us a bit about you, the company and what inspired you? In the office at GreatStitch hangs a little coat that is cuter than it has to be. My great-grandmother made it out of flour sacks for my mom who was born in a dirt floor log cabin in Oklahoma Indian Territory. The different colors in the fabrics were carefully balanced and it has great deal of detail in the embroidery that crosses every seam. They had almost nothing, but they used what they had to make something useful be beautiful. After my daughter beat cancer 6 years ago, birthdays became even more special. This is why we chose birthday shirts as the base of our company operations. GreatStitch has been proud to be a part of more than 6500 celebrations over the last 5 years. Memories that are made on special days last a lifetime. We try to make things cuter than they have to be to help make these memories last. I started GreatStitch in our spare bedroom after my kids went to college. We now have a brick and mortar shop in downtown Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, along with our booming online shop.
60 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
What types of custom clothing do you design? Our main products are birthday shirts and family Christmas Pajamas. But we do custom embroidery on most everything. We even built a stand so we could personalize the golf bags we did for the school next door. We love to create custom things to make your day special. I always say some of our best ideas come from our customers! Favorite holiday tradition? Kids love traditions because it lets them know what to expect. Our favorite Christmas tradition is new Chrismas PJs. As long as I can remember, we have opened PJs on Christmas Eve. When our kiddos came along they got a new pair every year. We go to the candlelight service, then we come home and open up PJs and the stockings. It keeps us from opening all the presents under the tree! We make everyone’s favorite homemade Christmas candy and sit around in our new jammie’s watching old Christmas movies. This is one of our favorite traditions because we get to relax and spend time together, sharing old memories and making new ones.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 61
(ow :ies &
9uspenders Three Little Q’s
Photography: KT Moffit Photography Bow ties & Suspenders: Three Little Q’s Backdrop: Pigment & Parchment 62 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
.5
.5
.5
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 63
64 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
LET’S EAT
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 65
Ç
Russian Tea cakes
Ç
by O’ Taste and See
1 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar plus more for rolling 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans Place butter (softened) and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Sift in powdered sugar. Blend butter and sugar with mixer until well combined. Stir together flour and salt in separate bowl. Combine flour with butter mixture and add nuts, mix. Chill dough for about an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray. Set aside. Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1″ balls. Place on cookie sheet for baking. **They can be placed close together but not touching, as they don’t spread at all** Bake for 9-12 minutes just until set. Do not over bake! They will look almost the same coming out as they do going in. When checking, touch to see if they are firm, if so, they’re done. While cookies are baking, put some powdered sugar on a small plate – start with about 1/2 cup. As soon as cookies come out of the oven, roll each one in the sugar and set aside to cool. When cool, roll again! Did I mention, I think these are really pretty cookies?
66 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Fleur de Sel Caramel Corn Ç
Stove Top Style Ç by Brenda Byers
8 Large Marshmallows 1 stick butter 1 c. brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 1/2 tsp fleur de sel 3 Quarts Popcorn (best cooked over the stove) Have popcorn ready--white is the best background for this caramel. Melt the butter--do not brown it-- and then stir in the brown sugar. The longer you cook the brown sugar/butter the crispier it will be...watch so it doesn’t burn. We like it gooey so we just melt the marshmallows right away. Add all the marshmallows all at one time. This is sort of like rice krispies in that you need to melt the marshmallows completely. when melted, pour over popcorn, no baking involved.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 67
Ç
Popcorn Snowballs
Ç
by Life Made Simple
YIELD: 12 Total time: 20 minutes + cooling time
1/2 c. popcorn kernels 3 tbsp. canola oil 1/2 c. sugar 4 tbsp. butter 3 c. mini marshmallows 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 1 c. M&Ms sprinkles or peanuts (optional) Place a heavy bottom dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and popcorn and stir the kernels so that they are evenly coated. When the oil becomes hot and sizzles, add the sugar. Shake the pot or pan until the first few kernels pop. Place the lid on top and continue gently shaking back and forth while the remaining kernels pop. Once the popcorn stops, remove from heat and place into a large mixing bowl to cool. Next, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and marshmallows. Stir continuously until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and add the salt and vanilla extract. Pour over the popcorn and coat evenly. Add M&Ms, sprinkles or nuts. Cover your hands with a light layer butter or coconut oil. Form the popcorn mixture into 3� balls. Set them on a piece of wax (or parchment) paper to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
68 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Sweet Treats Design Studio www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 69
Holiday Brunch Menu by Feed, Me Seymour
DIY Coffee Syrups Bacon Cheddar Chive Waffles Oat Flour Toffee Chip Pancakes Looaded Blueberry Muffins
70 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
DIY Coffee Syrup
Chocolate 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 2-3 Tbsp. chocolate syrup Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and set over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to medium low. Add the chocolate syrup. Stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer for five to ten minutes until it takes on a syrup consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to jars or containers and keep in the fridge.
Coconut 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. coconut extract Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and set over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to medium low. Add the coconut extract. Stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer for five to ten minutes until it takes on a syrup consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to jars or containers and keep in the fridge.
Gingerbread 2 cups water 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 3/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. vanilla Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens and forms a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in jars until ready to use.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 71
72 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Bacon C heddar C hive Waffles Makes 12 waffles 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 4 tsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. white sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 1/3 cup melted butter 1/2 cup cheddar cheese 6 strips crisp bacon, crumbled 1 to 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped chives
Preheat your waffle maker. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, cheese, bacon and chives. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and butter. Pour the wet mixture over top of the dry and mix until just combined. Ladle the batter onto your waffle maker, 1/3 cup in each slot. Cook 7 to 10 minutes until golden and just crisp.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 73
Oat Flour Toffee C hip Pancakes Makes 10 pancakes 1 3/4 cup oat flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil 2 large eggs toffee chips chocolate chips (optional)
​In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking​powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, buttermilk, oil and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Heat a skillet over medium high and spray with non-stick spray. Pour approximately 1/3 cup mixture out for each pancake. Top with toffee chips and chocolate chips. When the pancake begins to bubble, flip and cook until light golden brown on the other side. Tip: To keep pancakes warm while they cook, place them on a plate in a 200 degree oven.
74 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
L oaded Blueberry Muffins Makes 16 muffins 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup white whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 egg 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup Greek yogurt 1/4 cup milk 2 cups blueberries Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with liners. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda and baking powder. Beat sugar with egg until fluffy. Add sour cream and mix until thoroughly combined. Add in milk and flour, alternately, until well mixed. Fold in blueberries. Fill the muffin tin 3/4 to the top. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 75
76 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 77
B
o l i r t i o e . d v a a y , (ooks r u 5
R
T
Enjoy this selection of holiday books, hand picked by Sunny. Each celebrating the holiday season with it’s own special story. Sure to warm your heart, make you laugh and possibly become a Christmas eve tradition before you know who shimmies down the chimney.
W
A D
:he 4ight (ef t ). 3oor ore )hristmas e Illustra ted by 0a n (rett
by )lemen
press 6olar +x llsburg <an ' s i r h ) by
H J
C (ear 9tays ;p for )hristmas by 1arma =ilson
e )hristmas .ow the -rinch 9tol by *r 9euss
Polar Express: A classic holiday story bringing Christmas spirit and hope to the holiday season. The beautiful illustrations are captivating and this story is soon to become a family favorite. Do you still hear the jingle bell ring? The Night Before Christmas: A beautifully illustrated version of this classic holiday poem is a favorite for Christmas Eve.
Z
Bear Stays Up for Christmas: Bears friends do their best to keep bear awake unitl Christmas. How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The grinch has easily become an all time favorite for many kids. It is silly. It shares humor, fun and imagination. Everyone seems to be intrigued with this grumpy who, who hated Christmas.
78 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
T A J
as hristm ) t a en er 9nowm alyn (uehn by )ar
5live, t he 5the by 0. 5 r 8eindeer tto 9eib old
C
Snowmen at Christmas: You’d be surprised to see what Snowmen do when no one is looking especially at Christmas. Olive, the other Reindeer: Olive is a sweet but very confused dog who thinks she is one of Santa’s reindeer. She uses her keen doggie/ reindeer senses to help save Christmas. Llama, Llama Holiday Drama: There’s always drama whem little llama is around and Christmas is no different. This is such a wonderful way to talk about patience with your little llama during the holiday season. The Gingerbread Man: This classic tale is beautifully illustrated and fits the holiday cookie baking theme perfectly.
A H Z J a day *ram i l o . a m a 2lama 2l a *ewdney by 'nn www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
W
:he -ingerbread 3an by 0im 'ylesworth December 2014 ~ 79
supplying Birthday parties for hospitalized children around the country
What is the Confetti Foundation? The Confetti Foundation is a non profit organization that supplies birthday parties to hospitalized children around the country. What is the story behind the Confetti Foundation? The idea for The Confetti Foundation was developed in 2010 when my best friend Brandy’s baby was born 8 weeks premature with many complications. She spent hours every day driving to the hospital neonatal intensive care unit with her toddler and husband to visit Christian as he gradually grew stronger. During those long drives, I would talk with her about our families, the weather, our jobs, the good times they had in college, and anything else that we served as a distraction. One conversation led to baby Christian’s hospital “buddy” who was going home and finally getting to have a birthday celebration. I asked what happened when children are in the hospital on their birthdays. Do they have a party? I was shocked the answer was almost always “no.” Parents with sick children are only thinking about their children getting healthy, not leaving their sides to gather supplies and put together a birthday party. Typically, birthday celebrations take place when a child comes home. I also remembered having to spend my own 13th birthday in the hospital and wanted to make a
80 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
change. Everyone should be given a party on their birthday, no matter what their circumstances were. In January 2014, The Confetti Foundation started supplying birthday party kits to children who spend their birthdays in the hospital. Through the party kits, children of all ages are celebrated and honored on their special day.
Birthday in a box
Who does the foundation help? We supply birthdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to children (between the ages of 1-18) who have to spend their birthday in the hospital. We supply them with 4 cups, 4 napkins, 4 plates, 4 forks, 4 spoons, 4 straws, 2 tissue poms, 1 birthday banner, 1 handmade card, 2 coloring sheets, crayons & stickers. What is a birthday buddy? A Birthday Buddy is someone who has the same birthday as you! Did you know that in the United States there are over 859,000+ people who have the same Birthday as you? So the chances are pretty high that one of your Birthday Buddies is a child who has to be hospitalized on there birthday. We ask that people celebrating their birthday consider celebrating THEIR Birthday with a donation of $22 so your hospitalized Birthday Buddy can celebrate in style and a little cheer! We can even sign the card with your name on it! Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a packing party? It is a get together twice a month where volunteers come together to cut, string, pack, and label the contents that go into our birthday boxes! Of course we have to make a party of it and have snacks, drinks, and music. Located at 78 Thames Street in Newport, RI. Adults and kids are invited (over the age of 5) kids are encouraged to make Happy Birthday cards for the patients.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 81
What are the various options you give for donations? We have a wish list on our site www.confettifoundation.org/wishlist where if you wanted to donate actual product. You can hold a product drive at a function, a school, or your office. We also accept monetary donations, this helps with shipping costs and printing of the banners, we also have to purchase the items for the boxes that have not been donated and the actual boxes themselves. We also ask volunteers host their own FUN fundraisers in their community to bring awareness, thru donations, we make it possible to celebrate birthdays, our goal is to NEVER have a hospital on a waiting list for the boxes. Little kids (and Big!) can alos get involved by making birthday cards, each box gets one.
82 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Is there a story in particular you would like to share? We had a birthday request from a hospital that had a 15 year old who was in state custody, so throwing him a party was top priority! Our local birthday fairy was able to get a magician for the party and we supplied him with a Rock Star party! (he loved Michael Jackson and Magic!) It was a great day for him for he knew people cared about him and wanted to make him feel special on HIS day.
69 hospitals in 31 states and have celebrated 470 birthdays since January 2014! We currently are in
If you want to get involved with our mission please contact us via our website
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.confettifoundation.org
December 2014 ~ 83
25 Advent Activities and Worldwide C hristmas Traditions by Bernadyn Nettles
C
hristmas for many people is a special time of year to get together with family, enjoy delicious food, help others and gather around the Christmas tree. Something else that is beautiful about Christmas is that it is a worldwide celebration in which many countries have their own Christmas traditions. Learning new traditions together can be fun and is another great way to bond with family. Try something new this year by creating an advent activity list to do together while incorporating some Christmas traditions from other countries around the world.
Activities to Include on Your Advent Calendar L ist
1
The legend of St. Nicholas, a monk from modern-day Turkey dates back hundreds of years and inspired the image of our modern-day Santa Claus with his kindness and piety toward children. Make it a tradition to take photos with Santa either at the mall, at a Christmas event or have a relative dress up as Santa.
4
Write a letter to Santa. You can see if your local post office participates in the “Letters to Santa” program where Santa will reply back.
6
Read Christmas stories. Book ideas: “Polar Express,” “Nativity Story,” “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Learn about the Philippines’ tradition of hanging star lanterns or parols to represent the Star of Bethlehem in the Nativity Story.
84 ~ December 2014
2
Make a Christmas craft. You can use it as part of your Christmas house decorations, ornaments for the Christmas tree or give to someone as a gift. In Mexico, a Christmas tradition is to have a piñata filled with coins and candy. Make a Christmas piñata together as a Christmas craft this year. You can fill it with mini candy canes, chocolate and small gifts.
7
Write your own family Christmas story. You can share a special Christmas memory, create a fictional holiday adventure or write your favorite things about Christmas.
10
Drive or walk around neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights and decorations.
3
Cook or bake a Christmas treat. In Britain, before the Christmas pudding is cooked, it is a tradition for each person in the family to stir it clockwise while making a wish.
5
“Adopt” a letter from a child who wrote a letter to Santa. The same “Letters to Santa” program at the post office also allows the public to reply to letters and send the requested gift to the child.
8
Watch Christmas movies while eating popcorn, treats and wearing cozy pajamas or Christmas pajamas. Movie ideas: “Elf,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Scrooge,” “Polar Express,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
9
Clean out your closets and kitchen pantry together. Find items to donate to a local charity or women and children’s shelter.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Listen to Christmas music or sing Christmas songs. Caroling began in medieval England where musicians would travel to various towns singing. Have the kids go caroling at relatives’ homes or record them singing and send via email. The recording would be a nice treat for long distance relatives to receive.
13 14
Decorate a Christmas tree and then take a family photo by it. Talk about Germany’s winter solstice tradition of decorating evergreen trees where the tradition of decorated Christmas trees originates.
15
Make a gingerbread house or gingerbread men cookies.
21
16
lay in snow and build a snowman. If you do not have snow where you are, make snowmen or snow pops with large marshmallows and pretzel sticks. You can also use other food like baby carrots, candy, raisins and sprinkles to decorate them and make faces.
17
Attend a Christmas event (lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, zoo, Christmas play or Nutcracker Ballet).
Make and/or decorate a stocking for someone else in your house. Place a candy cane in each one with a sweet note attached.
Kiss and hug under the mistletoe. A fun idea is to make the piñata from Mexico’s Christmas tradition and fill it with Hershey’s Kisses. Hang it under the mistletoe so that when the kids break it open, they will be showered with Kisses.
23
11
Write or make Christmas cards and send to family, friends and deliver or mail some to local hospitals or nursing homes.
18
12
Have a bonfire or sit by the fireplace. Roast marshmallows and drink hot cocoa or make a hot cocoa bar. Share favorite Christmas stories or memories around the fire. Take this time to learn about Norway’s Christmas tradition. Norway is the birthplace of the Yule log and contributes to why the fireplace is a common image in Christmas scenes.
Wear Santa hats and volunteer at a food bank, local homeless shelter or at a Christmas festival.
Write a “thankful” list.
20
Make a care package for someone in the military stationed overseas or for families that need extra items at a local church.
24
Collect pine cones and put “snow” on it as part of your Christmas decorations. In Brazil, Christmas falls in the summer so they put little pieces of cotton on pine trees to represent falling snow.
19
22
Make a Christmas breakfast together and light some candles. Many Scandinavian countries honor St. Lucia and light is a main theme of the day since the Latin word is lux, meaning light. The holiday is considered the start of the Christmas season and families eat breakfast with candles lit.
25
Play games together or play a sport outside together. In Ethiopia during Christmas time, men and boys play a game using a curved stick and round wooden balls. The game is called ganna and is a little like hockey.
Ideas to decide which activity to do each day
- You can make an advent calendar for your family, writing one activity to do each day. - Another idea is to write each activity on a popsicle stick and place it in a jar.
Take turns picking a popsicle stick out of the jar
each day.
- Write activities on a small paper, roll it up and place in clear plastic ornaments.
Hang ornaments on tree and choose one ornament a day to open to see what activity is inside. - Place rolled up paper in a stocking dedicated for the advent list. Take turns choosing one activity to do from the stocking. Although the holidays bring on more hectic schedules for many people, it is also the season to enjoy time with loved ones, to grow closer and make memories to cherish for a lifetime while including those less fortunate in their Christmas traditions. Learning about different ways other families celebrate Christmas is a fun way to expand your Christmas traditions, too.
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 85
86 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Free Holiday Printables From Painting Paris Pink, Katarinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paperie and Sunny By Design
Gift tags Painting Paris Pink Treat bag toppers Painting Paris Pink
Treat bag toppers Painting Paris Pink
Dear Santa,
Cupcake wrappers Painting Paris Pink Cupcake wrappers Painting Paris Pink
From: Recipe cards Katarinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paperie List for Santa Sunny by Design
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 87
88 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
CUTE
TOO
December 2014 ~ 89
Would you like to be a part of the Ella and Annie magazine or blog? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to have you. Send all submissions to Ellaandanniemagazine@gmail.com
90 ~ December 2014
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
Contributors Anders Ruff Custom Designs Bernadyn Nettles Burlap and Blue Confetti Couture Events Confetti Foundation Feed Me, Seymour Funky Monkey Designs Great Stitch Katarina’s Paperie Katie Moffitt Photography Life Made Simple Macy’s Nashville Wraps Sutton Place Designs O’ Taste and See Oriental Trading Company Painting Paris Pink Pigment & Parchment Smashed Peas and Carrots Sunny By Design Sweet Treat Design Studio Sweetly Chic Events Tabula Rosi Thinking Closet
u o y ank
Th
www.ellaandanniemagazine.com
December 2014 ~ 91