When I was a young mother, I would work so hard to do everything during the holidays to help my family feel the true meaning of Christmas.  I wanted them to know why we celebrated and I also wanted them to feel the magic of the season.  We watched every Christmas special, we drove around and looked at lights, we did acts of service for others, we sang carols, we read about the birth of the Savior, we went and saw Santa, we put up the tree and decorated it, we got gifts for each other and had fun secrets.  I baked and made candy and decorated the house like crazy.  I loved it! My kids loved it!  But, now that my children are all adults, it has been quite a transition to not being the one that everyone looks to to make Christmas special.  I have grandchildren and their families have their own traditions that they are creating and plus other grandparents to be involved with.  This year, I had decide to take a look at what really puts me in the Christmas Spirit and to concentrate on those things. Here is what I have realized about myself:

    It took me a while to come up with what I could make this year.  But, as you know, I have been loving the buffalo plaid decor this year and I actually had purchased a Christmas Tree from Walmart for my table.  I decided that I needed more of them and wouldn't it be great to use a cinnamon stick as the trunk and a wood slice as the base.  I thought how great to give a little tree with my plates of goodies!  So, I whipped some up and here is how I did it: 

Coordinating plaid flannel fabric
Cinnamon sticks
Fiber fill
Wood slices
Sewing Machine
Thread

* I used the tree that I already had as a guide to make a pattern.  But, I also made smaller ones and then cut out two pieces for each tree.  Then, with right sides together, stitch around each tree, leaving the bottom open a few inches in the center. 
​* Trim the seams and points of the branches and then flip the tree right-side out. 
* Stuff Fiber fill into the corners at the top of the tree.  Wrap a cinnamon stick with fiber fill around the top portion and push it up through the opening at the bottom.  Then, fill around it with more fiber fill, especially shoving it into the corners.  
* When it is nicely stuffed, stitch the bottom closed with a whip stitich across and going around the trunk.  
Tip:  When choosing a cinnamon stick, try to get one with a nice round end so that it will fit neatly in a whole the size you have a drill bit for.
* Drill a hole through your wood slice and glue the cinnamon stick in it for your tree to stand.   

How Merry!  

What gets you into the Christmas Spirit?  I would love to hear from you! 
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    Since we came up with the idea for Hot Cocoa Bombs©, Christmas just isn't Christmas without them.  Last year for Christmas, I gave each of my kid's families their own Hot Cocoa Bomb© kit so that they can make their own without waiting for me to give them some Cocoa Bomb deliciousness.  (You can order your own Cocoa Bomb Mold here and the Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book© here.) 
    This year, we didn't take part in a craft show where we sold Hot Cocoa Bombs and a number of people contacted me to find out why not!  I felt bad about it because so many people use Hot Cocoa Bombs as gifts to teachers and neighbors.  I did create a collection of bombs for a friend to give to her High School Choir class.  That got me to thinking about all of the flavors that we have created and how it would be awesome to give The 12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs©! Here at 3 Winks, we only have 11 flavors, and I made 10 for my young friend's class.  But with a little creativity on your part, I think we could easily pull out 12 days, with different decoration ideas, stir sticks and maybe a new flavor or two.  So, here we go....

The 10+ Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs©!

     On the first day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas my true love gave to me an Original Hot Cocoa Bomb under my tree! (click to the link of our original post). 

    On the the next 3 days of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, he gave me some spice! Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon and Gingerbread really are nice! (If you go to our Hot Cocoa Bomb menu option, you will see that every year the decorations on the bombs change!)

    On the 5th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, he gave me something to help me sing! A Hot Cocoa Bomb© with a peppermint zing! 

     On the 6th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, I got something salty and sweet!  A salted Caramel cocoa bomb to sip, not to eat!  (Here is an opportunity to enlarge this gift with whipped cream and salted caramel syrup!) 

    On the 7th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, I knew he loved me like "no udder," when he gave me a bomb made with peanut butter! 

     On the 8th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas my love put in my mug to steam, a bomb made of Cookies and Cream! (This is a new flavor this year! And, the mug is an obvious gift to go with a Hot Cocoa Bomb©.)

You may have figured out that my true love is worth his salt!  He gave me a Hot Cocoa Bomb with chocolate malt! (Another new flavor!)

     On the 10th Day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, my true love passed the test when he gave be a Cherry Cordial Bomb, it's the BEST! 

    On the bonus 11th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas I couldn't let my true love forget the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cocoa Bomb with a video yet! (The video shows you how to make them!) 

     If you want to extend to 12 days, here are some ideas to stretch your gift out farther! 

• Create a new flavor of your own!  We are thinking of a chocolate orange flavor, for example.
• ​Give a bundle of stir sticks and a mug as the 12th gift! 
• How about some coasters to set their mugs on?  Or even an electric coaster to keep the cocoa warm! 

• Give lots of extra toppings!  After everyone watches the bubbling and the marshmallows pop up and they are finished stirring, then add whipped cream, extra marshmallows, sprinkles...the ideas are endless! 
• Cookies to dip into the Hot Cocoa would be a welcome way to round out your gift! (I'll have to suggest that to my true love for next year!)
• If you want a more elaborate gift, a Cocoa Motion is great to use to heat the milk for multiple Hot Cocoa Bombs.  My son and DIL gave me one the Christmas after we invented Hot Cocoa Bombs and I love it! It makes the milk frothy which adds to the festive nature of the drink! 

    Now, all you have to do is wrap them up (or not, but I do and I use these bags), create your own label and present them in a box, or on a tray (another gift!) or on a pear tree! Oh!  I just thought of that!  They could hang like little ornaments! 

  I would love to see pictures and ideas of your Hot Cocoa Bombs© and how you decorate and present them! Trust me, they are going to be a gift that people will want year after year! 
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For What to Read Wednesday this week I was thinking about family and Thanksgiving being tomorrow and Christmas soon to follow. It made me think of how much I love this time of year and how much I love my family. And not just my family that is with me on Earth right now, but my family that has passed on and the family to come in the future. I love knowing that we're all connected as a family. It reminded me of how sometimes when I write in my journal I think about the things I want my posterity to know about me, about our time, or just some truths I've learned in my life. Of course not every time I write is with them in mind because I definitely have gone on angry, unbecoming rants in my journals, or talked extensively about the mundane day-to-day of my life.

And one year I had a goal to write in my journal everyday and some of those entries are just "I'm tired." Though those two words were a pretty accurate portrayal of my life. But I digress.

I have been writing in a journal since second grade. Not continuously everyday, or week, but I love writing in my journals and even more I love going back and reading my journals. It's fun to see what was important to me when I was eight or nine years old, what impacted me as a teenager, and what life lessons finally got pounded into my head as a college student. I truly love reading my own journals! I also enjoy reading journals of my ancestors or other people who lived before me. If you can't learn from the past you're doomed to repeat it, right? (This is probably why I also love non-fiction so much). 

So I thought I would encourage you to write In your journal more, or to get a journal and start writing because no matter where you are In life you have wisdom and personality to share with those who will come after you. I have gathered a list of journals and pens that I love and that will help you (I hope) to love journaling as much as I do. Or I think they're perfect gifts for anyone in your life too. A way of saying "I think you have something awesome to say."

• 5-Year Journal. If you feel you're not the most verbose or don't know what you would write in your journal this is the perfect journal for you. The 5 Year Journal asks you a question for everyday of the year. Underneath the question is a place for you to write your answer for the next five years. This makes it easier for you to go back and read what you wrote (because when the year is over you start at the beginning again). And the room for writing isn't extensive so you can keep your answers short and sweet. It's a fun journal I've been eyeing for years. 

When it comes to writing in  journals you definitely want to use a pen. Pencils fade immensely over time and then your memories and thoughts are lost. While any pen will work, I personally prefer a fine point pen and will recommend a few of my favorites here that won't break the bank. 

• Pilot G2 gel pens. These are reliable, write smoothly, and are refillable.
• Sharpie Art Pens. I love, love, love the fine point on these and all the fun colors they come in.
• Zebra Pen Journaling Set. This comes with pens and double ended markers. They make journaling a more fun and creative art project than just writing down your story.
• Pigma Micron pens. These pens are the most expensive of my list at $1/pen but there's a reason. They're awesome! My husband got me these last year and I have loved how smooth they write and the fine lines they make.
• RSVP Pentel Pens. My last rec is the cheapest (less than $4 for an 8 pack) but an old reliable. The RSVP pens come in fun colors and write smoothly. The lines aren't the finest but if you just need a good pen and nothing fancy these are great pens. Also great to give to kids who lose things often as they are cheap to replace. My favorite color to write with was the turquoise and the purple from this set.

I hope that you will consider taking up journaling even as a casual hobby. Would you like to hear more tips for journaling? Let us know in the comments below!