You Say Potato...I Say Yummy!

SUGAR COOKIES AND ICING

MERRY RECIPES FROM ME TO YOU!

OH THOSE ORNAMENTS!

Here are the real Shiny Brites. Aren't they just divine?

What a boon to have these lovelies.

Looking Back at Christmases Long Ago

O Holy Night.....wow, don't you just love those Shiny Brites? You can still find them around on the auction sites if you are having a yen for them or just feeling nostalgic. I do have the Shiny Brites that once belonged to my parents. They managed to have about seven ornaments left of the twelve that came in the original box. I can't imagine how many my brother, sisters and I broke. When I got married and we had our first tree, we were woefully lacking in decorations. Not having a lot of money back then, we made do with the leftovers my mother gave us. Among the chirstmas ornaments she gave us, was a box of Shiny Brites. I know we used to have about three boxes but heaven only knows what happened to them.Anyway, my husband and I bought garland...(that garish shiny thick stuff that was all the rage back then) and icicles. The real icicles. The one's with lead. Okay so maybe it's not safe anymore but gosh darn it, wasn't it super shiny? And it was heavy and wouldn't fly away from your tree from the slightest breeze.(I have a secret...you can purchase icicles from those auction sites too. The ones with lead) *word of caution: If you have small children or pets I would re-consider buying the old fashioned kind and just stick with a niced beaded garland, twinkling lights and your ornaments.A year after our first Christmas together my husband and I were given some more ornaments from my parents. Mom wanted to stop putting up a tree. She has a small living room and she would get claustraphobia (or so she says). Now she just goes crazy with Santa decorations. Her living room is full of Santa's and Snowmen.My husband and I fell in love with the ornaments my parents gave us and I got a tear in my eye when I opened the box. There they were, the beautiful Jewel Brites. Shaped like a diamond gem, these are a clear plastic and sometimes colored, ornaments housing angels, flowers, Santa, snowmen. They are adorable. Years later, about fourteen years to be exact; I found and purchase Jewel Brites at an antique mall in my hometown. Needless to say I went ga-ga and bought all four boxes for ten dollars apiece. It was a lot of money for ornaments but when something hits your heart cost is not an issue.

Making Cinnamon Apple Cider and Taking Out the Tree

Brrrr, it's snowing and it's really cold out there. Okay, so it's not really cold and the weather outside is not frightful at the moment but I'm thinking about winter and the smell of pine needles. I'm allergic to real trees but it doesn't stop me from smelling them from afar.

I was thinking about the beginning of our holidays when people start pulling their trees out of the basement or closet and for those who actually venture outdoors and get a real tree, I applaud you. With thoughts racing along like a string of christmas lights, I pondered the set up and decoration of our trees. I'm sure you have a favorite way of decorating your tree. I used to change my theme from year to year but as I acquired more and more ornaments I just started putting all of them on the tree.

My tree is a revolving tree so I get to see all of my ornaments in their shining glory. There was many a Christmas when I never saw the ornaments on the back of my previous trees and that just causes mayhem for the front of your tree. Why you ask? Well, what do you think? I'll give you a hint. You wind up placing all your best ornaments in the front and relegate secondary ornaments to the back. Yes, you got it....the front of your tree starts looking like an ornament clearance sale at your local department store. I do recomend buying your self a revolving tree if you are allergic to natural Christmas trees. I myself cannot touch a limb of a real tree since it causes me to get welts. In any case, I'm sure you know what's best for yourself and your family.

How to start with the decorating of your tree. Well, in my case, my dear sweet mother Rosa always let us decorate our tree when we were growing up. Rosa's rules?

Have your ornament hooks at the ready!

1. (Unless you have a pre-lit revolving Christmas tree like me you may skip this rule.) String lights around the limbs of your tree. You may need over 15 strings of 100 bulb lights for a 6-7ft. tree.

2. Garland. Garland is so versatile. So many styles to choose from. I have a garland with beaded gold stars. I use about 7 strands for my 6 1/2ft tree. I'm guessing my garlands are about 5 yrds each. I've hooked them together for easy set up. People still love that shiny gold, silver or even multi-colored garland that was so popular in yonder days. Nowadays you can choose garlands with stars, candies, angels, santas, elfs,...the sky's the limit! I start from top to bottom and hook the last part to one of the branches with an ornament hook.

3. Big ball ornaments. These you use inside the tree to give it definition. An added bonus for doing this is that the twinkling lights will reflect and bounce off of the big ornaments. You can buy these big ornaments at Wal-Mart, Target..etc. These are less than $3.00 a box and if you get about five boxes that should cover the inside of your tree from top to bottom. Use the multi-colored ornaments for a colorful and full look for your tree.

4. Heavy Ornaments. Typically, Mother said to always place your heaviest ornaments at the top and middle sections of your tree. You can still do that but now you can buy hooks or ties to safely secure them leaving you free to place them anywhere on your tree.

5. Place your mid-sized ornaments next. Balls, figurals, your homemade treasures. Scatter them around your tree and step back a few times to view your placement. Some ornaments compliment each other so I tend to remember which of my ornaments look best together.

6. Small ornament fillers. These are the smaller ornaments that may be figural as well. I have tons of these type of ornaments and they just sparkle from the right placement. I use these to fill gaps and holes.

7. Tinsel or no Tinsel? I had not used tinsel in years but I once got so nostalgic that I raced over to an auction site and purchased five boxes of lead tinsel. I still have it. You may refer to my cautionary paragraph in one of the previous page elements about using this tinsel.

8. Stand back and admire your tree and re-work areas that you don't admire.

9. Drink a cup of Deanna's Apple Cider and listen to some Christmas carols.

Thanks mom!

How Do I Decorate The Tree?

Silent night, holy night....ah, the feeling of Christmas never leaves my heart and even though I pack up my spinnng tree after the New Year I am still thinking of the holidays.

Twinkling lights of many colors adorn my tree and I wouldn't have it any other way. People love white, amber, red or the multicolored ones. I prefer the multicolored ones myself. But whatever your color scheme I'm sure that your tree is the most beautiful of all.

I slipped into a comfy chair earlier and thought about my tree. Would I ever change the way I decorate my own tree? Probably not. It woudn't be my tree. I was never into fad trees and luckily those are few and far in-between! I have amassed a large collection of ornaments from family, friends and my children from Kindercare. I worked at Kindercare for eleven years and I was given some of the most beautiful ornaments by my kids and their parents. In all those years and all those ornaments my most treasured is an ornament my Center Director and friend Allison made for me. She made a large wooden Christmas tree ornament with our last name on it. She painted snow falling on the tree and it's top with a gold star. She wrote: The Nelson's, 1996 on it. Sadly, she passed away at age 44 in 2003. Through her, I fell in love with antiques and collectibles. Thanks Allison.

So this year, again, I will decorate with all of my ornaments. I can't leave any of them out. I try but....they wind up on the tree somehow.

Well, now is a good time for you to start making the Merry Spiced Apple Cider and start thinking of how you will decorate your tree this year. Me, I'm staying loyal to all my ornaments.