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Nov 19, 2007

Nearly There Candy

Okay, some of my neighbors are jumping the gun on Christmas. I totally get hanging up your lights early, but actually having them LIT before Thanksgiving. Eesh. Even my five year old last night exclaimed "Christmas LIGHTS... we have one more holiday first!"

Remember the days when we didn't even hear Christmas music in the stores till after Thanksgiving? Now the displays go up in September. Eeks.

Thanks to all of you who drop by to visit me, I'm also nearly to 50K hits! I love having you all drop by to visit, and I'm glad that so many of you return again and again to visit me, and your lovely comments totally brighten my day. Honestly, they do. Thanks for helping me achieve this milestone!


So, on a recent trip to JoAnn Fabrics, I picked up an assortment of the Studio G clear stamps (five sets) as well as two acrylic blocks to stamp with, one pack of red and one pack of green gems and one pack of chipboard sliders! I'll be choosing a name with the help of Random.org on Friday to give away this little present to get us all in the spirit!

To enter the drawing for the Nearly There Candy, all you have to do is post a comment here on this thread with your favorite holiday tradition... for whatever holiday it is that you celebrate this season.

73 Comments    Post a Comment:

MelissaS said...

My favorite tradition has to be making cookies to share. I love to bake and make extra time around the holidays to do it. Congrats on your blog - I love to see what you create every day! Thanks for sharing.

Dottie K. said...

Oohh I have two - putting up the tree with the Christmas music on and then making sugar cookies with my bestfriend Amy and her son every year. Enjoy your work so very much - thanks for sharing with us. :)

Shelby said...

Congrats on 50,000!! That's fantastic.

My favorite Christmas tradition is baking cookies with my mom. We make a day of it every year, listening to Christmas music, making a mess, and eating goodies! :D

Bev said...

My favorite tradition is participating in the Caring Tree at work where I pick 2 names of children in need, so that MY kids can choose gifts for them.
Thanks for the candy!
Bev
twofrogs84@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

We don't have many traditions as my family is very small and rather un-traditional. But one I'll always remember is baking cookies with my mother when I was young while bouncing back into the living room in between batches to catch glimpses of The Christmas Story.

Dee in Oklahoma said...

Oh, it is definately making and baking cookies with the grandkids..everyone is covered with flour and sugars and even the floor, but we and the floor clean up well. Thanks so much for this opportunity to get some goodies...
Big hugs,
Dee (OkieDee) 8^)

Cindy Vernon said...

I haven't seen these X-mas ones yet! I love trimming the tree with spiced cider and christmas music playing. THen I really feel like the holidays are here.

Kristine said...

My favorite tradition is a "toothpick dinner" done by candlelight on Christmas Eve, along with our reading of the Christmas story from the Bible.

Jana Weaver said...

My favorite tradition has been hosting a Christmas Cookie swap about 2 weeks before Christmas. It's always loads of fun, and as my daughter got bigger I started making sugar cookies for the kids to decorate while the "grown-ups" chatted. We also had contests for best cookie, etc. Can't wait to get back to the states and start that tradition up again!!

Congrats on your milestone!!

Anonymous said...

At our home, the Christmas Elf arrives the first weekend in December to watch over our little ones for Santa. He travels around the house each night after they are asleep and the kids must find him each morning. Sometimes he leaves them little notes. He goes home to report to Santa on Christmas Eve. We get such a kick out of watching them find the Elf and their behavior is very good while he's around!
Audra Kennedy

Anonymous said...

My family and our best friend's family are interfaith and we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. So every Christmas eve they come to our house and I make potatoe latkes (pancakes)as part of our dinner to celebrate Hanukkah. After dinner we exchange gifts and then have homemade cookies and hot chocolate.

Ida Faye said...

Congratulation on 50K hits! I guess my favorite tradition is the Christmas pageant at church each year. It is always held on the Sunday before Christmas and I never tire of hearing the story of our Savior's birth. The kids are always the hit of the program!! Thanks for an opportunity to win stamps. (Can you ever have too many?!?)

Cathy M said...

Congrats on 50K! How sweet to celebrate with some fun Christmas goodies and you are even waiting til the day after Thanksgiving!
One of my favorite tradition is going to the Plaza to watch the lighting ceremory, which is in Kansas City, MO. Then the next fav would be backing all that sugar & chocolate....you know that low cal. stuff. (tee hee)
Thanks for a chance.
cmeyers@hughes.net

CraftyMomOf3 said...

Our favorite holiday traditions are lighting the Hanukkah candles AND reading The Night Before Christmas. It's fun that we're able to celebrate both!

Congrats love!!

XOXOXO

Anonymous said...

OK, I admit it! My fav holiday "tradition" is pigging out at Thanksgiving!! It's my favorite holiday because we pull out all of my grandmother's recipes and cook (me and my Mom)!

Thanks for the chance!

Suzanne said...

My favorite tradition was making Pizzelles with my grandmother. She's Italian and it's a special thing we always did. We would even make different kinds - vanilla, anise, almond, etc. AND we'd make some into bowls and some into ice cream cones! How I MISS those days! Anyone know where I can buy a pizzelle maker for cheap?

Laura said...

I need to start the Christmas Elf tradition Audra speaks of... where do you hook up with such a fellow?

Cheryl KVD said...

I've been looking for the Studio G Christmas collection!!! My favorite tradition is decorating the Chrsitmas tree together. We play Christmas music and have the fireplace on...it really makes us in the spirit! Thanks!
Cheryl KVD

Pat said...

My favorite holiday tradition is attending the candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve as a family. That is how we start our celebration as a family when all the children and grandchildren return home for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!

Pat

Erika said...

My favorite Christmas tradition is the decorating and cookie baking. We have always put up our tree on my Mom's birthday, December 11, but now that I am grown and on my own, I put mine up right after Thanksgiving. We bake cookies and decorate the house and listen to Christmas music. It puts us all in the holiday spirit!

Anonymous said...

There are so many traditions that I love, but I would have to say that my favorite is sitting down and reading picture books (holiday related) with my kids. Each Christmas season we add a new one to our collection.

bunkobeth said...

We attend Christmas Eve Children's Mass and then come home to grill fresh cut steaks, finish twice baked potatoes, and fresh green beans. My mother and father started this tradition 30 years ago! We play Christmas carols (usually from Charlie Brown's Christmas!) and then get open 1 gift. It is always Christmas jammies that have been washed and dried by the "elves"!

Anonymous said...

Congrats!

My favorite Christmas tradition is going skating after dinner, outdoors on a Lake - it's lots of fun.

Scott Franson Photography said...

Great blog ! We each have a stocking on Christmas Eve and everyone puts a stocking stuffer in each others stocking, we open them after dinner.
Claudia
scfranson@charter.net

Liz said...

Congrats on your 50K milestone! Your blog is always refreshing and fun to read!

My favorite holiday tradition is flying home to be with our families. Now that we are 2000+ miles away, we look forward to the time we spend with our families during this time. Another holiday tradition for me is MAKING HOLIDAY CARDS! I think handmade cards are appreciate our friends/family and it keeps me inspired to keep making them unique each year!

Nancy said...

GREAT Candy!!!

My favourite tradition is decorating the tree.... the DH puts it together (I hate the scent of pine) while I do other decorating around the house. Once the lights are on it, the kids and I get busy decorating it while Christmas music entertains us. Each ornament on our tree has meaning to me so I take some time to enjoy the memories of Christmas' past.

Anonymous said...

We celebrate Christmas. So many traditions, where to start? My favorite would be....Black Friday. Yep! That's right! I'm one of those crazy people that gets up really early (if I even go to sleep) the day after Thanksgiving and get ALL my Christmas shopping done in one day. Thanksgiving afternoon, I sit with the ads and make my list. Before the sun is up, I'm out the door with money in hand. :o)
Kimberly in AZ
txtornadoinaz@yahoo.com

Cindy @ Creating at Home said...

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is baking and giving my baking away.

Cindy K.
creativecards@shaw.ca

Anonymous said...

My favorite tradition is Christmas Eve with my husband's family. We all bring games and sit around and play games with the kids all evening.
Linda Peterson
craftylin1968@aol.com

emily anderson said...

hey there! every year since i was practically born, my family has made me and my 2 cousins stand up on the fire place, with santa hats on and sing christmas carols for everyone. yah, talk about some embarrassing times! they STILL make us do it (we are 25, 26 & 28 now) and i am married and have 3 kids...but every year, they make us kids get up there with our darn old santa hats and sing carols for everyone! we always moan and groan about it, but it's something that we always laugh about when it's over!
thanks for the great candy...love your blog :)
emily

Hey Hey Paula said...

One of my favorite holiday traditions was reading The Night Before Christmas together as a family on Christmas Eve. My son is 32 and now he and his family read it together.
Thanks for the chance to win some blog candy.

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid I loved watching "A Very Brady X-mas" I know that is cheesy but I grew up in the 80's and the brady bunch were awesome in my world, now my favorite tradition is making a big cup of Hot Cocoa and walking down this street in my hometown that was renamed Candy Cane lane cause all of the neighbors outdo each other to be the best house on te street so they make it an adventure walking down the street.

Ellie said...

Mine had started with my Hubby's family.. On X-mas eve we get to wear P.j.'s to my MIL's house (well my hubby doesn't! LOL but me and the kids do and everyone else does!.. he still wouldn't do it! LOL) and everyone is comfy and we wait for 12am to hit and wish each other a merry x-mas and in order to open a gift you have to sing a x-mas caroll I love to hear my boys try to sing esp. my 4 yr.old.. though by round 5 everyone ends up just singing Jingle Bells as fast as they can! LOL LOL

Ellie
e@scrapbookmama.com

Anonymous said...

Way to go on reaching 50 000 hits.
Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. I love to decorate our home and then this puts me in the mood for baking; lots of baking because I love to make up tins of goodies to give away. My children are 13 and 11 and they are at the perfect age for helping. The Christmas music plays throughout the season, scented candles burn as we wait for the one special night to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Amber (bambi64) said...

I love Christmas and am so glad our radio station is playing Chrustmas songs 24/7 now! Favorite tradition is the tree going up day after Thanksgiving and starting first batch of many Dipped Gingersnaps!

Heather said...

Every Christmas Eve I have my 2 nephews and niece come over and make gingerbread houses with my daughter. They have a riot and I spend a lot of time cleaning up.

Sheri said...

Our favorite tradition is the 10:30 Church service that ends at midnight with the singing of The Lord's Prayer. Also the sharing of the season with my family, and the cozy feeling it gives me

Sheri

Wendy said...

My favorite tradition has to be watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve with my family. My daughter and I can recite almost every line in the movie. I really enjoy visiting your blog and look forward to seeing what new ideas and creations I will see.

kathy said...

I work in retail and I am here to say we loath it when the christmas stuff starts arriving. It means messy back rooms and no place for anything so we hurry and get the stuff to the floor so we can once again see the backroom. Great blog candy and congrats on your hits

Brooke S said...

Setting up my nativity, and picking out a new pick to the nativity of course.. Happy Holiday!

Brooke S

Tricia T said...

Hmmm... I think putting up all of my Nativity scenes. I think I have 4 or 5. It helps me remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Unknown said...

A must for Christmas tradition is the cut-out and frosted sugar cookies. Loved it as a kid and love it as an adult and parent!!!

Kathy M said...

My favorite holiday tradition is baking and decorating cookies with my mom and now the grandkids. It's so much fun because after the kids have had their fun, we get to finish up the rest.

Jan Scholl said...

On Christmas Day, I sit and write all my checks to my favorite charities. I dont put up a tree or anything (I have cats) and really cant stomach the commercialism, so this is my way of retreating to what its supposed to be about. (even if I have A Christmas Story on the tube :)

Anonymous said...

congrats on the hits! We sleep around the tree Christmas eve! its so fun!

Lisa's Blessed A Latte said...

I love all the baked goodies that we try this time of the year...Congrats on the Big number!!!

Hugs,
Lisa B <><

Tee said...

Love decorating the tree...and sit near it with the lights on...love those few minutes alone with the tree

tyrymom29 said...

wow congrats on all the hits !!! My favorite tradition is still decorating the tree ....I love it I take ALL night to do it and the kids just love it also ....it doesnt matter if it matches or not as long as we all chipped in !!!!!

Anonymous said...

Joanne-
I've recently discovered your blog and you create some amazing things! My favorite tradition is creating my Christmas photo cards. I love picking out outfits for the kids and getting just the right shot! Then I create handmade photo cards and my daughter helps with my sons and husband putting address labels and stamps on the envelopes! It's a true family effort!

Anonymous said...

our christmas family tradition is making cookies, even though my kids are now 18 and 21 they still enjoy it.
-Gretchen

Anonymous said...

We love to visit the museum before joining family for Thanksgiving dinner.

Kelly said...

My favorite holiday tradition is making cookies with my kids. We like to make sugar cookies and decorate them together. Although, my kids are getting older and I have a feeling my nine year-old daughter will be the only one making cookies with me this year....we'll see!! =0)

Thanks foar the chance at the blog candy. I enjoy checking out your blog!!

Tina said...

Congrats on all the hits, what an achievement.
My favorite holiday tradition is baking cookies for my family and friends.

Anonymous said...

my two favorite traditions are making cookies and candies with my daughters to give to our neighbors and on christmas eve the pajama elf stops by and leaves new pajamas for them to wear to bed. they are 15 and 16 now and still expect new pajamas from the elf (they know he's not real anymore though sadly, lol)
kim

Abi said...

Thanks for sharing - love your blog - well done on so many visitors!! My favourite holiday tradition, although I love Christmas, is the coming of the Three Kings. I live in Spain and the 'Reyes' (Kings) visit on 6th January.. This means that on the 5th we go up to the village and see a wonderful parade through the streets of street performers, followed by the 3 kings, usually on camel back, throwing candy into the crowd for the little'uns to catch. I love it!

Anonymous said...

We always bake Santa cookies and decorate them on Christmas Eve. My son loves the tradition.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the hits! My favorite tradition is opening presents Christmas eve. Yes, we do it Christmas eve not Christmas morning and it's one of the traditions that I LOVE.

Gina Wrona said...

I totally agree with you about the lights and what's even worse is walking into the dollar store to hear xmas music before turkey day!

Anywho, my favorite tradition is getting all 3 dogs to pose in front of the xmas tree with our 2 kids and get a decent picture.

I also enjoy xmas eve on my husband's side and then xmas day on my side.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the hits - you've got a great site, so it isn't surprising.

We are still making our traditions since our kids are so young, but I love that Santa brings each kid 3 gifts which gives us a chance to tie Santa Claus into the three gifts given to the newborn baby Jesus. I also love that Santa decided that gifts should be set up, not wrapped! :)

Lilian said...

wow! look at all that holiday yumminess! and congratulations on your hits!

my favorite tradition is going to christmas eve worship. :)

Anonymous said...

I LIVE for all the fun "together" holiday traditions but the one I like the most is the night when the neighborhood comes together for caroling. After wandering the neighborhood singing Christmas carols we do a progressive dessert/hot cocoa thingy at a few peoples homes. It's great to see how other families celebrate the season...

BTW, I know what you mean about the neighbors EARLY Christmas lights... TWO of my neighbors are already lit and rearin' to go... they are making the rest of us LQQK bad!!

Holiday Hugs & 50 K Congrats!

Char in So Cal
scrampaddict@cox.net

Márcia Mattos said...

My favorite holiday traditio n is making a candy called "rabanadas" and give them to neighboors and employees.

thanks for the lovely candy
Marcia
marciamat@globo.com

Anonymous said...

My favourite tradition is making a gingerbread house with my kids.

nettystamps said...

Favorite holiday tradition is midnight mass and going to my grandparents for homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee/milk afterwards. All the family in the area go there, with 7 aunts and uncles and umpteen cousins, it's like a mini family reunion! Great fun! :)
Congrads on the blog!
anette648@yahoo.com

Louise said...

My favorite holiday tradition:

Dressing up in red and having our photo taken in front of the Christmas tree! Even now that the kids are grown-ups, we still try to do it!

Louise C.

Linda SS said...

My favorite tradition is getting together as a family (mom, myself, daughter, and granddaughter) to make the Italian fried cookies that my grandmother learned from her mother, etc. The recipe has been in my family for years. A new one I started a few years ago is loading my grandkids in the car and taking them to look at all the best Christmas light displays in our city.

Anonymous said...

My favorite tradition is making our annual snowman ornament with my boys. We have fun doing it and I hope that it sparks the need to have some tradition in their lives when they are grown. Congratulations on your blog. Thanks for the blog candy.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the 50K hits! My favorite tradition is our Christmas Eve get-together at my parents' house. We open presents then, my mom puts out a spread of heavy appetizers and a pasta shrimp salad (a must have on Christmas Eve!). On the way home we drive through a famous neighborhood nick-named Candy Lane I think. Every house in that neighborhood decorates with tons of lights and scenes. The kids (now adults) were always in awe!

Anonymous said...

We have so many people for our big Christmas eve dinner that I made a huge square, plain white tablecloth that I use to cover 3 rented 10' long tables. I lay out a couple of packages of fabric markers sometime between dinner and dessert and everyone at the table writes a little something with their name and date. My son and his boys have even taken to doing little cartoons! The tablecloth is filling up quickly, but it's lots of fun to see who was with us and what they left as a momento on any given year!

Congrats! And thanks for sharing your creations with us every day! Love your blog! :)

Anonymous said...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and what I love most about it is hanging out with my siblings now that we are all adults and remembering good family times. One of my favs: my grandmother makes this thing called Date Delight and we LOVE it!! We would fight over it b/c she would only make a little 9x9 pan of it. Well, one year she came and was coming in the door - one of us asked if she had made DD and she gestured with her hands to mimic the size of a 9x13 pan and said "Yes, I made enough this year I think". We all cheered!

4Hounds said...

I love spending time with my family. Growing up, as the oldest of four, and with three younger brothers who seemed to be on a mission to 'bug me', it seemed that I was always findings ways to spend time away from them....typical teenage stuff, I guess! My brothers have all turned into such amazing men, and I feel very lucky to have them in my life. I love the time that we can spend together, sitting around with our parents, just chatting, hanging out, and just 'being together'. It's funny, how things come full-circle, isn't it? Thanks for the chance at some awesome blog candy---and Happy Holidays wishes to you! Pam (4Hounds)

Charmaine (CharmWarm) said...

Joanne, these clear sets are just darling! I HAVE to find them. . .Joann's you say? I will have to get there! :)

Jen said...

My favorite tradition has got to be seeing what new decorations I can add to our collection by only using only things that are in my craft room. I don't let myself go get anything new to use, I have to use up stuff from last year and there is always plenty left........LOL

 
 

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