Favorite Christmas movies Part Deux

Christmas is in full swing at our house! Decor is up (Christmas and tree and stockings), Christmas music playing (when the husband and big kid will let me), my favorite candle is burning (who doesn't love vanilla?), and thanks to my hot chocolate corner in the kitchen, we are knocking it out of the park in the calorie category of the season as well! Another thing that goes hand in hand at our house is movie nights filled with our favorite Christmas movies. And sometimes movie afternoons and even some movies mornings.

Let's dive into the list!!!

What Christmas without the classics? I love these movies and I watch them every year!  Some cartoons just never get old. I am not ashamed to admit that I watch these movies with or with out my kids.

My daughter loves these two movies! I think we watch both of them two or three time a week starting on Thanksgiving until New Years.

The Hubby and I love these three movies! Our Christmas isn't complete until we have watched these cuddled on the couch under a nice warm blanket and drinking hot chocolate. It't the ultimate winter date night in my opinion.

There's nothing like a fun Christmas movie to put you in the mood for the holidays!

Do you and your family have a favorite Christmas movie that did not make onto my list?

Blogmas 2016 Fail

Hi Lovelies!

I knew this would happen, because it always happens, every single year. I get on roll and then suddenly something comes up and I forget all about it. This time it was my oldest and then my baby coming down with the same cold and then about  week later my oldest coming down with a tummy bug. Thankfully everyone is healthy now.

I thought about trying to play catch up but I have just missed way too many days. I think I will just come up with some fun Christmas posts for the rest of the week and just leave it at that.

Yeah, for me, Blogmas 2016 was a big fat fail (again).

Top 10 Christmas Facts You May Not Know

After a quick search on the interwebs, I found some interesting facts that you may or may not know about Christmas. 

1. The Germans made the first artifical Christmas tree out of dyed goose feathers .

2.  Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the US alone.

3.  All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts.

4.  In AD 350, Pope Julius1, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ.

5.  Christmas trees have been sold in the US since 1850.

6.  Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.

7.  Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836.

8.  Christmas wasn't declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870.

9.  Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to to declare Christmas a legal holiday in 1907.

10. During the Christmas season, nearly 28 million sets of Legos are sold every second.

Blogmas Day #11 (catch up) - Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Welcome to Blogmas Day #11 and today it's all about stocking stuffer ideas. I have always been bad about finding just the right things to put in the stockings. Hopefully this year I will do better that I did last year.

For the hubsy:

Hot wheels ( he collects them)
Wallet
Socks

For the 6 year old:

Shopkins blind bags
Hot wheels
My Little Pony blind bags
Fuzzy socks

For the 1 year old:

I have no idea! Suggestions are greatly appreciated though!

Blogmas Day #10 (catch up) - Real tree or artificial tree

Hi Lovelies!

Today's post is all about artificial trees versus real trees. Now, growing up it was always a real tree. I always had a love/hate relationship with our tree mainly because the cats likes to climb it at night and it always wind up knock over onto the floor.

Now that I have a family, we have always had an artificial tree.

What type of tree do you have?

Blogmas Day #9 (catch up) - How do you decorate

Hi Lovelies!

Let's talk decorating for Chirstmas, as in how do you decorate? We keep our decorations very low key...we put up the tree and we hang our stockings on the wall by the tree. I also put our christmasy table cloth and our place mats on the table. And that's pretty much it for the decorating.

How do you decorate?

Blogmas Day #8 (catch up) - Favorite Family Christmas recipe

Hi Lovelies!

Today's post is all about a favorite family Christmas recipe. This is an easy one for me!  Our all time favorite Christmas recipe is a Nutella cheesecake that I make every year.

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups (264g) Oreo crumbs (leave filling in Oreos)

4 tbsp (56g) butter, melted

Filling

24 oz (678g) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (104g) sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (470g) Nutella

3 tbsp (21g) cocoa powder

8 oz Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream)

Nutella Ganache

1/2 cup (157g) Nutella

1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream

6 Ferrero Rocher, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine Oreo crumbs with melted butter.

2. Press crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Set in refrigerator to firm.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, Nutella and cocoa powder together in a large bowl until smooth and well combined.

4. Gently stir in the Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream).

5. Pour filling into crust and smooth the top.

6. Refrigerate for about 4-6 hours or until firm.

7. Remove cheesecake from springform pan and place on cake plate.

8. To make the ganache, place the nutella into a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in the microwave, then pour over the nutella. Whisk until smooth.

9. Let the ganache to cool slightly and thicken before pouring over cheesecake.

10. Sprinkle chopped Ferrero Rocher over the top of the cheesecake.

11. Refrigerate until serving.

Blogmas Day #7 (catch up)- Cookies to be baked

Hello Lovelies!

Today's post is all about Christmas cookies, the tried and true recipes that you make every year and the ones you want to try. I always make the same cookies every year, chocolate chip, sugar, and peanut butter. This year I want to make something different, something that I have never made before... this is where the internet comes in real handy.

This afternoon I did a quick search and found a few recipes that I would like to try.

Chocolate Cherry Snowballs

Snickers Chocolate Cookie Cups

Russian Tea Cakes

What are some of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes?

Blogmas Day #6 (catch up)- Pot simmer recipes

Hi Lovelies!

Today's catch up post is all about pot simmer recipes. Let's be honest, this is a foreign concept to me because I had never heard of them before until now. From what I understand, you begin by bringing water to a boil  and then adding your favorite ingredients and letting is simmer all day. As the water simmers away, you add more water. This not only leaves a pleasant fragrence throughout your house and also puts some moisture in the air.

So here is a recipe that I have found and that I would like to try:

Recipe #1
Cinnamon sticks
Apple peels
Orange rinds
Whole cloves


Recipe #2
Apple juice
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves

Recipe #3
Vanilla (a few drops)
Orange peels

Recipe #4 – Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot
3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange rind
2 pieces lemon rind

What is your favorite recipe?

Blogmas Day #5 (catch up)- Pictures and/or memories of Christmases Past

Hello again Lovelies!

Today's post is all about memories from past Christmases. The only happy memories that I have from my childhood center around Christmas. Growing up, we had two Christmas celebrations, one on Christmas eve and then on Christmas day. The Christmas eve celebration was always my favorite because we celebrated with German traditions. I loved the food (bratwurst and spetzula, and strawberry cake) , the presents, and just being with my Grandparents. We always went to midnight mass afterwards. It has always been my favorite way to celebrate Christmas.

What are some of your memories from past Christmases?

Blogmas Day #4 (catch up)- Christmas play list

Hello Lovelies!

Here I am on day #4 of Blogmas 2016. Today's catch up post has to do with your Christmas playlist. Now, we don't listen to Christmas music every day, we do listen to one christmas song over and over and over throughout the month of December. It also happens to be my 6 year old's favorite song:

Feliz Navidad

Another one is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

What's on your Christmas playlist?

Blogmas Day #3 (catch up)- Christmas wish list

Hi Lovelies!

I am so sorry that I have fallen behind on the blogmas posts. My kids have been sick all week and I have been up most nights with my youngest (she doesn't sleep through the night).  So, I will be playing catch up through out the day, please bear with me while I try to accomplish this. Anyways, the prompt for this day was your Christmas wish list.

So here is my Christmas Wish List:

Instant pot- fully functional electric pressure cooker

The Outsider by Stephen King

Fitbit Flex activity tracker

Hamilton Beach bread machine

So, what's on your wish list?

Friday Favorites

Hi Lovelies!

Well, December is upon us and if you're like me you are pinning all things cozy and festive for the holidays. I had so much fun celebrate Thanksgiving last week, and now that Turkey Day is behind us, I am offically ready to get into the full swing of Christmas and that is brings.

So, let's start this list, shall we?

Favorite holiday decor:  (because every girl needs a pink faux fur stocking hanging on their mantal)

Favorite Christmas DIY decorations:

This Christmas picture frame wreath is gorgeous!

Favorite cold weather staple:

This sweater looks so cozy!!

What favorites have you found recently?

Blogmas 2016 Day 2- Christmas movies on the must watch list

Good evening Lovelies!!

I know this post is going up late but I thought I would attempt Blogmas 2016 this year . Now I know I am a day late, but I think I'm going to just dive with day 2 and I will make up day 1 tomorrow.

So, anyway Blogmas 2016 where bloggers make a commitment to post every single day for 25 days on how they are preparing for the Christmas season.

Here are the prompts for Blogmas 2016 which can also be found at Sandra's blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom:

BLOGMAS 2016 PROMPTS

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag
Day 2 - Christmas Movies on the Must Watch List
Day 3 - Christmas Wishlist
Day 4 - Christmas Playlist
Day 5 - Pictures and Memories of Christmas Past
Day 6 - Pot Simmer Recipes
Day 7 - Cookies to be Baked (can be a recipe you make every year, or some you want to try)
Day 8 - Favorite Family Christmas Recipe
Day 9 - How do you decorate?
Day 10 - Real Tree or Artificial Tree
Day 11 - Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Day 12 - Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas?
Day 13 - Christmas Cards (do you send them, show us your favorites this year, or tells your favorite cards to send whether vintage, or bright and colorful)
Day 14 - Advent Calendar
Day 15 - Christmas Party Food Ideas
Day 16 - Winter Tag
Day 17 - Christmas Wishes
Day 18 - Homemade or Store Bought (What are you giving this year)
Day 19 - Recap of Christmas 2015 in pictures
Day 20 -  Christmas Decorations Reveal (show us your tree, your home decor, your mantle, anything you want)
Day 21 - Holiday Family Traditions
Day 22 - Preparing for the big day (show us your wrapping skills, are you making lists, getting the house ready for guests?)
Day 23 - Post whatever you wish
Day 24 - Christmas Eve (Are you opening presents tonight, is this your big celebration, what are you doing)
Day 25 - Christmas Day

So, I will be starting with day #2....

Christmas movies on the must watch list

Now, this doesn't make up my entire list, but these are the movies that I have watch every single year.

What's on your must watch movie list?