Some Holiday Happenings...

Another random Christmas post.  Sorry, but I am in full Christmas mode right now!  Last night after church, we decided to take the kids to look at a few Christmas lights.  Now, we aren't doing our big light trip until Dec. 17, but we thought we would hit the area close to our house for a few minutes.

We have an anesthesiologist here in Amarillo who goes all out with Christmas lights.  (Think Clark Griswold x100!)  He has several Christmas songs set to coordinate with the lights!  He doesn't live very far from us, so we thought we would swing by so the kids could see the display. You can read about his light show here and here.

Here is a youtube video of his show.  This one is a few years old, so I can attest to the fact that his display is even more magnificient now and especially in person! 



I also wanted to share a recipe for a simmering Christmas potpourri my sweet mama used to make when I was growing up.  It smells so wonderful- I make sure have a pot simmering on the stove throughout the season, but especially on Christmas day.  It brings back such good memories!  I'm including a link for a recipe with actual measurements since I never measure but rather just eyeball and throw things in until I like it!  Recipe link

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Christmas Simmering Potpourri
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
Cinnamon sticks, 3 or 4
Whole cloves (I use a handful because I love the smell of cloves!)
Bay leaves, 3 or 4
Ground cloves, a tsp or so

Combine all the above ingredients in a medium saucepan and fill with water.  Simmer on low heat, and add more water as needed.  Enjoy the wonderful aroma of Christmas!

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Another easy Christmas craft that looks festive and smells wonderful are pomander balls.  I made these as a little girl and now make them with my little girl.  Stock up on whole cloves and oranges!  There isn't much to it...just stick the cloves in the oranges, but you can click on the link above for adding ribbons and other variations.

Don't hesitate to try these today!