Friday Favorites – Cards and Crafts and Cookies Oh My!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…….last day of school for the kids and last day of work for me for TWO FULL WEEKS!!   To say I’m excited is an understatement.  I really need to recharge and I’m looking forward to spending some time with my kids.  My college boy comes home today too so we will be ready to get the party started!

On to my my Friday favorites!

{ONE}……Christmas cards!!  This is my very favorite time of the year to receive mail and until Thursday I have to say it was really slow….and then BAM…Thursday we received 15 cards!!  I was beside myself excited.  I love, love seeing every card whether with pictures or without.  Even with all the social media and texting to keep in touch there is just something so personal about receiving mail.  My Christmas Tree card holder is almost full and that makes me so happy

I picked up our Christmas cards tonight from the amazing Nichole Quick of Quick Design Company so they should be hitting the mail just in the nick of time!  (Check out cards from Christmas’ past here) I was fortunate to benefit from a little free labor tonight.  These girls stuffed all the cards so all I have to do is slap on the addresses and stamps tomorrow.  
{TWO}……Baking!  Saturday the boys will be gone hunting and I will spend the day baking!  This is one of my very favorite days of the entire year.  I love making a total mess of my kitchen and enjoy mimosas while putting together goodies for my family and friends. My Meme always made the most amazing chocolate cookies every Christmas and thankfully I have been able to master these.  Typically I pair them with sand tarts, pecan tarts and maybe some white chocolate trash but this year I was contemplating something different.  Cassie at Hi Sugarplum shared a recipe for Salted Chocolate Pretzel Toffee which you can find here and based on her review I’m thinking it might be a winner.  I also love making my Meme’s traditional trash recipe but always run out of time and space.  This recipe uses a crock pot for the trash and I’m thinking I may just have to try this. These might just make it into the rotation as well as an upgrade to my former sand tarts.  Holy yum! 
{THREE}……Elf on the shelf….here’s what BJ has been up to this week!  It was especially exciting Thursday morning when BJ brought his pet reindeer from the North Pole to visit!  Carly wrote BJ a few letters and was excited he had a pet but was very concerned that he did not have a girlfriend!  
{FOUR}……Christmas crafts.  Last weekend we had so much fun at the Gingerbread House decorating party my friend Holly hosted with her daughter (you can read about it here).  I purchased various sizes of plain ornaments and I’m hoping to create some memories with Carly and Jordan while making some special treats for our tree.  These Kate Space inspired ornaments Hi Sugarplum blogged about this week are on my list as well as these glitter inspired ornaments.  
I am not known for my patience so these type of crafts always look fun but sometimes turn into a disaster.  Let’s hope I can be realistic, take it slow and make some fund memories and beautiful ornaments!   
I also thought this craft looked like something Carly Jo would love!  
{FIVE}….Some of you may have read my posts earlier this week about the 1/2 marathon (if not you can catch up here and here).  I had such a great race this year physically and mentally which was a far cry from my runs in 2012.  One of my very favorite blogs to read this week was a marathon recap written by Redhead on the Run which you can read here.  Such great perspective and a reminder to look for the positive in everything even our struggles.  
I hope you all enjoy your last weekend before Christmas.  I plan to do my best to soak up the JOY in the season and enjoy it all to the fullest while giving thanks to the one who came to save us all!  

Linking up today with the bloggers below!