Winter Activities

It has been chilly lately and we have actually gotten some rain here in the Bay area after a very long dry spell. We have been enjoying morning tea and cocoa in our Christmas mugs! A little bit of baking has been going on too! My girl made her first homemade cake....

It was gorgeous oh and yes it was delicious!

My daughters classic choir Christmas concert was this week...It was modeled on the festival of nine lessons and carols which has been held every Christmas since 1918 in the chapel at Kings College, Cambridge. It was a delightful evening filled with music and joy to the Lord!

We also attended her friend Walter's play, Charles Dickens Christmas Carol over the weekend. It was excellent! And might I add a nice change to see something else other than The Nutcracker which we have seen many seasons in a row. It delights me to see these younger people and their talents.

We are taking the Christmas Season slowly this year. I am not sure how much more we will be doing besides our Daughters Winter Ball next week then she is on break until after New Years... I have some presents to finish up and a package to send off to our son in Washington, but it's nice to think we are open to relax or have fun at our leisure. Yet, we do have a lot of decisions to make for the New Year in regards to our family life. Hopefully we will be able to make those clear soon! I could really use your prayers right now!!! I'll be back to share some Christmas corners in our home.

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl

Tuesday Teatime~ Christmas In The 1950's

Happy Teatime! 

Grab a cuppa tea or cuppa Joe and join me! 

Today I am drinking my favorite holiday tea by Celestial Seasons...

Yummy Sugar Cookie Sleigh-ride tea in an old Santa mug.

 I am sharing a few snippets of my Daddy's Christmas in the 1950's... I love going through old photos given to me and just pondering on my family and their lives back in the day. I look through these pictures of Christmas past and simply smile. A simpler time...A time not so consumed with stuff and busyness. baking cookies, simple gifts under the Christmas tree dressed in glass balls, lights and tinsel or cards hanging on the door, the children dressed in jammies or wearing their Christmas best. 

 Their television is off, music is probably playing on the 

radio as Christmas dinner and cookies fill their home with sweet smells.

Family is over around the Christmas tree, the kids are playing with their new toys or playing games as they fill the house with laughter and giggles, making memories that will last their lifetime. And through these photos I can peek into their life so many years ago.

I love seeing my grandparents and great grandparents young...and my daddy along with the aunt and uncle as littles. I wish I could have been there myself to see my dads reaction to opening gifts he had longed for all year. Like the race cars or train sets and the cowboy stuff. 

Those are the kinds of Christmas memories we have tried giving to our children throughout the years. Simple yet sweet, filled with tradition and memories they will cherish throughout their lives. We are not the type of parents who give our kids the biggest, most expensive latest fad like gifts. I like to think of my kids as individuals, giving something handmade or needful, something they really like or something that compliments what they are into. Much thought goes into each gift for that specific person. Christmas is so commercialized in our day now... I would rather make our Christmas a simple Christmas like the 50's. wouldn't you?

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl

2015 Christmas Gift Ideas to Buy Or Make For The Quirky Teen Girl

DIY Raindrop Softie

DIY Quilted Ukulele Case

Junk Gypsy Pillows

Make a Ukulele pillow...There are a couple DIY tutorials on Pinterest.com

Just search for Ukulele pillow DIY...

You can make it in pretty fabrics like the above picture!

DIY Fabric Phone Charging Station

Fuji Mini Insta Camera.....Look them up on Amazon.

Make your own DIY Ukulele

Quirky girls love journals of all kinds and pens... notepads, and art supplies are perfect gifts.

DIY Book Clutch

Go to Pinterest.com and look up DIY bath bomb recipes 

Unicorn Farts Lip Balm

Patchy Quilted Zippered Pouch

you can even try your hand at making your own!

Buy a Bible Journal and supplies for Bible art journaling

DIY Citrus Zipper Pouch

DIY Cloud Cushion

Get a plain plastic travel coffee cup and a bunch of 

permanent marker pens and have your girl decorate her own!

 Find the cups online or on Amazon.

This is an awesome magazine for teen young ladies! The pictures, recipes and fashion pages as well as inspiring articles will delight your girl!

Click to order:

Dear Magazine Subscrition

Guitar Necklace

Recycled Upcycled Plastic Card Guitar Picks

Hope you find some inspiration here for gift ideas for the quirky girl in your life!

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl

Tuesday Teatime~ Cocoa Time & Cocoa Recipes

Happy Tuesday! It's teatime again! Well, really today we are having cocoa! My last post I shared with you our cocoa station I put together...So of course I had to take advantage of making a nice cup of hot cocoa in my favorite vintage Santa mug designed by Howard Holt in 1960.

I wanted to share a few Hot Cocoa recipes with y'all! 

A couple of them you can make and jar up as gifts! 

Who doesn't love something homemade!!?

~French Vanilla Hot Cocoa Mix~

Ingredients:

. 6 C nonfat dry powdered milk

. 2 C powdered sugar

. 8 oz. French Vanilla flavor non-dairy powdered coffee creamer

. 2 C Nesquick 

. 6 oz. box instant French Vanilla pudding mix

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large container and mix thoroughly

2. Spoon into Mason jar or Mason Jar Mug then top with lid

3. Decorate jar

4. Attach a label to the jar with the following instructions:

French Vanilla Cocoa Mix:

 Combine 3 heaping Tablespoons of mix to 

1 Cup boiled water. Stir well and enjoy!

~Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix~

Ingredients:

. 2 C Powdered milk

. 12 Candy Canes

3/4 C Sugar

. 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

. 1/3 C Hershey's Cocoa

. 2/3 C Powdered Coffee Mate Creamer

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and stir well

2. Add in crushed candy canes ( crushed in food processor ) into the powdered mix or layer them into a jar and top with mini marshmallows if you are gift giving.

3. Mix 1/3 C of hot cocoa mix with 8 oz. water, mix well and enjoy with marshmallows on top!

~Two Ingredient Nutella Hot Cocoa~

Ingredients: 

2 TBL Nutella

1 C milk

Instructions:

Heat 1 C milk in saucepan until it's steaming, but not quite boiling. Stir in Nutella until it's  evenly dissolved. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows and perhaps some chocolate shavings! Enjoy!!

I hope you will try these fun recipes! 

And be sure to share a cup of cocoa with someone...

Thanks for stopping in! See you again with more Christmas cheer!

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl