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Or, in other words...

     Those pictures of my son (and me) are from a year ago already! We were sending him off on his mission to Cote d'Ivoire, Africa! Wow! This first year has gone by quickly.  He has one more year to go.  If you want to see why he is on a mission, I wrote about it on this post. 

      Here is how he is looking now!  He has lost weight! 

     Jake is enjoying his mission so much and he is getting a lot of good work done.  But, being away from home has helped him realize how blessed we are here in the States and he misses some of the food and extras that he can't get very readily over in Africa.  Especially not in the small villages where he is working. 
     With Christmas coming, I wanted to make sure he had some greetings from home and a few of the treats that he has been missing.  Luckily, Gift Baskets Overseas helped to make that possible!  It all started with an email I received from them on Cyber Monday!  They were waiving the delivery fee on their gift baskets!  That was a great deal and so I jumped on it! 
      If you haven't used Gift Baskets Overseas, they are a company that has many gift baskets to choose from. The gift baskets are put together and delivered in the country where your loved one is.  This eliminates tariffs and fees that you otherwise have to pay when you ship things from one country to another. Those tariffs typically cost my son about $30 when he receives something delivered from the US.  So, as you can see, he was able to save money right away by not having to pay any fees upon delivery.  Gift Baskets Overseas are available in over 200 countries. 

Here is how the simple process went when I sent Jake his package: 

1. I went to GiftBasketsOverseas.com and put in the information about the country where I needed to have the gift sent.  In this case, The Ivory Coast. You can also tell them what occasion you are shopping for and then choose the date of delivery.  There are still dates available before Christmas! 
2. I perused the tons of gift baskets available and chose one that I knew he would love.  It was this one, Spread of the Season.

      3.   Next you just type in the information required about addresses, a phone number and email addresses. 
            It is a very simple process.  Give your payment info and then order! 
 Right now, there is a $5 USD discount code when shipping a gift basket, so be sure to enter that code when you order! 

What I Loved About Working With Gift Baskets Overseas

     In Africa, addresses can be tricky. I have to send things for Jake to his mission headquarters in the large city of Abidjan.  Then, they will take the packages to him wherever he is working at the time. After I placed my order, I received an email telling me that they were concerned about sending the gift to a church building because it was sometimes difficult to deliver there. Doors weren't always answered, etc.  I was able to contact them right back and assure them that the mission office was accustomed to accepting packages for missionaries and there shouldn't be a problem. So, they went ahead with the order.  I loved that easy communication with them and the personalized service!  
      The package was delivered on the day that I had chosen.  I know this because I received another email from them which also told me who had signed for the package.  I was able to send a thank you email right back to them and send an email to my son telling him it had been delivered and who had signed for it.  I was so happy when I heard that the package had been delivered in such a timely manner.  But, I wondered what condition it was in when it arrived.  There is chocolate in that gift basket and it is very hot in the Ivory Coast.  I hoped it wasn't a melted mess.  Well, today I received an email from my son, and this is what he had to say about his package. 

     He also added that he really missed American candy, so he loved the candy he received. It made me so happy to hear how much he enjoyed the package and that it looked good as well as having a lot of good tasting stuff in it. (And, yes, he shared!)

     So, if you have a loved one overseas, whether he is a missionary, business person, student or tourist, you can still send them holiday greetings in time for Christmas that will brighten their spirits.  Just log onto Gift Baskets Overseas and choose something that they will love.      

So guys, PH has finally admitted that he has a gluten problem. He and gluten are not friends. While I am proud of him for coming to this conclusion, it means that when I ran out of flour a couple weeks ago I didn't buy more. To be perfectly honest I completely forgot about it, and so I didn't buy any gluten free flour either. (You know I love Bob's Red Mill)!

However, we had a family holiday party to go to and I was supposed to make a dessert to bring. My mom suggested I make Florida fudge, which I did. However, I decided I also wanted to try my hand at creating a recipe that vegan Maddy and my vegan Aunt Ada could also enjoy.

I had a few jars of cashew butter from Thanksgiving when I had planned to make a different vegan dessert that I just never got to due to time constraints. I had some graham cracker crumbs, sugar... as I looked around my kitchen I thought, I bet I could come up with a vegan cookie bar that would be delicious! So, I set to work and the results are in, the cookie bars are yummy! I was happy to hear this because the party was the week after I had gall bladder removal surgery and so I still wants allowed to taste or try anything I made. It's been rough, but hey, my wedding ring fits again! Yay!

These bars are gooey and rich, my mom said a small portion would go a long way. However, they were a little difficult to cut. Which is why I've suggested pressing the toppings into the filling before baking so you don't get pretzels and chocolate chips rolling around like I did.
Madalynn and Ada gave their stamp of vegan approval so, my vegan friends. Make this and take it to your holiday parties and convert everyone to your vegan ways!
It made a ton! I am going to have to make more since Alicia is coming into town this week, and hey, this time I can eat them too!!
Oh, and don't worry about PH. I'm going to make him a gluten free holiday delight, stay tuned!

    Madalynn hasn't had a chance to post much lately for a couple reasons: She doesn't have a computer presently and she has been working hard on her career. But, behind the scenes she is still a strong presence here at 3 Winks Design. Today's post is one she had a strong influence on. 

    I remember the days when at Christmas I would just cook the same sugary, fatty, delicious treats all through the season for everyone! But not so anymore!  Now there are so many differing diets to think about! Maddy is vegan, a son is on Keto, Lindsey has to stay away from fats.  
     So, I have some offerings for today's Friday Faves that will fit the bill for the vegan and even help with those other 2 a bit as well.  (I am not sure about the Keto, but at least for the vegan and the no-fat!) 

    In a past post, Maddy shared the idea of making Oreos look festive. This time I made them with red and white sprinkles.  Just be sure to use vegan frosting to edge them before rolling them in the sprinkles.  I made mine with vegetable shortening and coconut milk.  Oreos are already vegan by themselves.  Maddy was so happy to hear that news!  Don't they look pretty stacked on that plate like a flower?  (Hmmm, that gives me an idea!)

     When Maddy showed me aquafaba and what it could do, I was amazed.  What is aquafaba you ask?  It is the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans!  You just drain it into your mixing bowl and it whips up like meringue!  Add 3/4 c. sugar and 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar and there you go.  You may also add vanilla if you would like.  I put the "aquafaba" in a piping bag and piped them onto parchment paper.  Then, you bake them at 250 degrees F. for 2 hours! Look how much one can of garbanzo bean liquid made!

    So, after you use the aquafaba, what will you do with the left over garbanzo beans?  Make humus of course!  Here is a large recipe for your Christmas party crowd! 

    See!  Vegans and low-fat eaters can easily enjoy Christmas treats with the rest of us!  Not only that, all of us omnivores like them, too. 

This post contains affiliate links. We will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost with you. 3 Winks design does not share your information. All views expressed are our own.

     Finally, we come to part 4 or the Christmas shopping formula for kids. We have done it out of order, but in case you have forgotten, here is the adage:

You can click on the following links to get to the posts on needs, reads and wear.
Today, I am going to talk about wants.
I like that the saying says, "Something they Want" because it isn't necessary or practical or good for children to receive everything that they want. I believe that this is true for the following reasons:

• If children get everything they want, then nothing ends up feeling special.
• If you try to get everything that they want, you will definitely break your budget!
• Kids need to learn that they can't always get everything that they want and when they do get something that they want it is a real blessing.

I always told my children that they could ask for what they wanted and hope that they got something that they asked for. I tried to get them to focus on giving rather than just getting. But, of course as a parent, I really wanted them to receive things that they would love and enjoy. That is part of what makes Christmas magical!
At this point in the season, you probably know what your children want. But, just in case your kids aren't as forthcoming as you would like, I am going to list a few of the popular items that kids are asking for, as well as things that ought to be wants but our child just may not know he or she wants them!

      

Stem Items

    I have been amazed at the coding gifts for kids that there are out there.  Like this Bloxels Build Your Own Video Game KIt.  Or, this Bit Coding Robot. These will keep kids busy and learning while having fun! 
    For Lego fans, this Klutz Chain Reaction Kit takes Legos to the next level! 

   For your budding scientist, this microscope kit looks amazing! It is on sale for a good price right now, too! 

    For the younger set, LeapPad is always a good choice. 

Trending This Year

Fingerlings are a great price point and fun, interactive toys that kids all want, from what I have read! This year they have new ones that boys will probably like better than last year's more feminine choices.

L.O.L. Surprise comes in many sizes. They are packs of doll and surprises to go with them that any little girls would love! The glittery case the surprises come in is enough to get them excited.

Interactive toys have come a long way since the first Yamaguchi Pets. Check out these Grumblies that kind of remind me of Gremlins on steroids. 

If you prefer something a little cuter, look at these Pomsies. 

They both respond to voice and touch.  Pretty fascinating! 

Get Them Moving Gifts

One of the best gifts we ever got for our kids was a trampoline.  It was great for all ages.  This one takes it to a new level with a basketball hoop! 

This looks like a genius idea for a badminton set that sets up and comes down in no time! 

    Finally, can I just say a word about bikes? Unless your child is a bike racer or becoming a pro-racer, Walmart bikes are reasonable and great for kids, especially if they are young and going to be growing out of their smaller bikes in a couple of years.  Also, be sure that you are willing to take them places where they can ride, and get them a helmet!  

     So, time is running short, but I hope our ideas have helped you out! If you have found the perfect gift for kids, drop your idea in the comments!   Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Friday Faves!

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