Our family loves playing games together!  Every year, we find new games to gift to one another that quickly become favorites!  This past year was no exception.  I personally received about 5 new games as  gifts from various people.  I'm listing the top 3 with a couple of honorable mentions as well, meaning that I really like them, but they haven't caught on with everyone yet.   In this winter weather, when people are spending more time inside, (even in Phoenix, it has been raining!), a new game or two makes those cozy indoor days a lot of fun! 

     Honey is such a great product to have as a staple in your pantry and as a part of your long term food storage.  Honey does not spoil.  If your honey crystalizes, all you have to do is heat it up to melt it and make it pourable again.  It is a great alternative to sugar because it has a lower glycemic index and is full of antioxidants.  We use honey a lot at our house.  I am always on the look-out for good honey prices, and I found some on Amazon that seemed like a great price.  Meanwhile, I had been reading about various ways to infuse honey with other flavors.  I decided to make orange infused honey as Christmas gifts this past year. 

     Last year, in our Women's Group at church, we did classes on making your own mixes and pantry staples.  We put together a cookbook for our group and had tasting and samples.  
      One of my favorite recipes that we used came from my friend, Vayna.  It is this 3-2-1 cake mix.  this mix is so simple and versatile and perfect for those times when you want a piece of cake, but you don't want to bake an entire cake!  It is also perfect for empty nesters, or small families or people living on their own.  It is a quick dessert for when you need just a little something sweet.  You can make it in any flavor and you can add in extra stir-ins like chocolate or fruit, and top it will all sorts of toppings!  I enjoyed this mix so much, I decided to gift it this year at Christmas!  Click the read more button and I will share Vayna's recipe with you and tell you all about how to gift it and ways to eat it to make it even more special! 

     Is there anyone out there who hasn't used Amazon?  It is just so convenient and if you are a Prime Member, that free shipping is a game changer when it comes to gift giving to people who live across the country, or for any reason!  I hate paying shipping costs!  So much Christmas and Birthday shopping happens on line these days, and I'll bet that 99% of it happens on Amazon.  While I do love a good shopping experience in a brick and mortar store sometimes, I have to admit that I have jumped on board the Amazon train with both feet!  
     This past holiday season, about 50% of my gift giving was done through Amazon.  I do make many of my gifts, but even the components for making those gifts often came to me through an Amazon order.  Sometimes, even searching Amazon can be a bit tedious, so I love it when someone shares amazing finds on there with a link that saves me from taking the time to search for something that I didn't even realize I wanted! LOL!   Today, I'm going to share with you some of our favorite things that we've ordered from Amazon this past year!