Happy Christmas Season!  I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful! 

     Today I've been unpacking my many tubs of decorations and putting them out.  I have many little figurines, decorations and collections that I've hoarded over the last 45 years of marriage.  I have a Snowman Collection, a Santa Collection, a Nativity Collection, a Christmas Village, Christmas Tins, Christmas Dishes and so many, many Ornaments!  I love them all, yet there are a few items in each collection that I truly adore that I would be happy to keep and do away with the rest (I think).  I wish that early on I had been more focused and mindful about how I wanted to decorate and hadn't collected so many small items in such an eclectic way.   It makes more sense to be focused on fewer, more impactful items.
  For example, think of your Christmas Tree.  It is usually one of the most impactful pieces of decoration in your house during the holidays.  It is large, bright and beautiful.  It stands out against the backdrop of your home.  The ornaments on it may have special meaning to you and your family and if you only have a tree, that may be the only decoration that you really need.  Although, Most of us like to do a bit more to add to the festive feelings in our homes.    A nativity is a necessity for me, some sort of advent can be wonderful when you have children and other special items that compliment the tree and the festive, cozy feelings of the season. 

      That being said, all of that festive decorating can get expensive, plus consider the cleanup! That is why mindfulness in choices of decor is very important.   Etsy is a great place to find items that can be printed and used only for a single year, or also items that can become treasures for years to come.  I've collected a few examples that I think you might love for this year and even for in the future.  Bonus:  Many items are on sale right now for Black Friday Weekend so don't miss out!     
​     

     These are just a few of the beautiful printable art pieces available! 

     It is December 1st and you still haven't put up your advent calendar?  Print one off right now and get started right on time today! 
​

    If you are a young family who hasn't collected a lot or ornaments yet, or if you are a teacher looking for a cute idea for your kids, or if you are looking for a cute idea for the kids table at dinner, these printable ornaments might just be for you.  They will probably last just one Christmas, but they will look super while they last! 
​

     Buying gift tags can get surprisingly pricey for the cute ones that I like!  Printing your own can be very economical to get the look on your gifts that you would like.
​

     I have barely scratched the surface of the wonderful things there are to download and print from Etsy sellers at such great prices!  I hope you will find something that makes you happy and lends itself to all of the Christmasy feelings that you are wanting in your home! 
​

      Even though I've been finding ways to use Cranberries for the past week and a half, I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of the things that can be done with them.  Now that I'm finally getting to the end of my supply, I realize that there are a few things that I wanted to try to do that I just didn't get around to doing.  
      Fortunately, I was able to make time for today's cranberry recipe, not only once, but in two different ways!  

      Cranberry Week was last week, but I have one, maybe two more Cranberry recipes that I want to share with you.  This one is a real show stopper and it is perfect for the holidays!
       One of the main things I am loving about having a bread machine is that I can have it simply mix up a bread dough for me and then I can shape it into whatever shape I would like.  Whether it be rolls, (like these pumpkin dinner rolls), pizza dough, hamburger buns or cinnamon rolls, having the bread machine do the heavy mixing and the first rise is such a time saver!  While all of that is going on, I can be working on so many other things and then I'm rewarded with wonderful homemade bread! 
      When I saw ideas like this Cranberry Star Twisted Sweetbread, it looked  delicious, and also like a lot of work.  I knew instantly that I wanted to make it (because of Cranberry Week!), and I knew that I could make it work in my bread machine, and the thought of making it seemed so much easier! The result is this sweet, delicious and beautiful cranberry filled bread that is perfect for breakfast or dessert or at a holiday party.  You are going to love it! 

     I know what you are thinking right now.  You are thinking, "Wait, you blogged about making cranberry juice yesterday!"   And, actually, yesterday I blogged about Cranberry Juice Blends, and I made them in the Instant Pot, a process that I really like!  But, this process for canning just plain cranberry juice is even easier!  Read on and I'll show you how!