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Whether you're looking for a gift for your grandmother, best friend, father, or significant other, finding the perfect gift can be challenging and draining. Don't fret, I'm here to help you out! Here are a few tips to help making your gift giving experiences easier!

1) Have a budget! It's easy to spend a lot of money on someone, but can be draining on your bank account. Having a budget can help narrow down your options while keeping that extra cash in your own pocket. 

2) Make a list. Making a list of things a person likes can really help you know what you're looking for. Maybe get help from someone who knows the person better. It's good to know the likes and dislikes of the person you are buying for.

3) Look online. Shopping online can be dangerous (and addictive) so be cautious when doing so, but there's no harm in looking! Looking for gifts online can give you some great ideas, and can also help the sales associates help you better by knowing what you're looking for! I'm a sucker for buying gifts online. If you know where to get things, you could even save a few bucks!

4) Don't get overwhelmed. Take a breather and relax if things start to get overwhelming. The holidays are supposed to be a fun time. Maybe make a game out of it! Go to the mall with your friends and see who can buy the best gift for under $20 bucks. Adds a bit of fun to a stressful time.

5) Remember that it's the thought that counts. Some people may not have the money to get something over the top. Be grateful for anything you get, and I'm sure your giftee will do the same. Any gift, no matter how small, has had thought put into it and deserves to be recognized.

Here are a few of my favourite gifts you can find online!

Galaxy Shoes

They can be purchased HERE, but are rather expensive. If you'd rather try making them yourself, you can find a tutorial HERE!

Cupcake Bath Bombs

Can be found HERE

Woodland Knits: Knitting pattern book

A cute collection of knitting patterns can be found HERE

Bluetooth headphones Beanie

Comes in many styles and colours. This interesting and useful gift can be found HERE

Scratch Map

Scratch off the places you visit and see how much of the map you can fill. Can be found HERE

Hey guys, Georgia here!

My first article is all about how you can create yourself a gorgeous tea-time treat set for someone. I was going to do three different DIY's, but the more I put together this gift, the more I thought it would be a good thing to share with you all.

I hope you enjoy this article that includes a gorgeous cookie jar!

How to assemble the tea-time treat set

The first thing you need to do is to gather everything you need which I included in the other box.

You then need to fill your Kilner jar with your desired cookie mix. I have included the recipe used in mine in the box below. Once that is filled, you can then move on to putting it all together. You want to wrap each individual item and put it into your gift bag. Once everything is in there, you have your very own tea time treat gift set. You have included everything you need for someone to enjoy a nice cup of tea, some cookies and also enjoy the smell of a fab candle. It's simple and easy but looks like you've gone to a lot of effort. Don't forget to include a gift tag that gives the directions on how to make the cookies!

 I hope you guys enjoy this! Let me know if you've done anything like this in the comments!

What you will need to create the homemade tea-time treat set ~

• A gift bag
• A Kilner jar
• As many mugs as you want to include. (I'm including two as the set is for two people)
• A little plate of some sort
• Any other gifts you want to include. I'm including a Christmas treat Yankee candle.
• Ribbon
• Gift tags

M&M Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Don't forget to attach a gift tag with the instructions for the cookies. The instructions are as follows -

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees C
2. Mix together 110g melted butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
3. Stir in the contents of the jar. You may need to use your hands to finish mixing.
4. Shape into walnut sized balls. Place them 5 cm apart on your tray.
5. Bake for 11 to 13 mins in a preheated oven.

Christmas movies are one of my favourite traditions of the holidays, and there are definitely an abundance of them! We all know about The Grinch and Elf, but today I'm here to talk to you about some of the more classic Christmas movies. Maybe you can settle down with some hot chocolate and popcorn and have a movie night with some friends or family. After all, the holidays are about spending time with the people you love!

Enjoy this list of my favourite classic holiday movies.

Thank you Baileyyrosee for the layout!

Gremlins

Now hold up, you're probably thinking "Gremlins isn't a Christmas movie!" Well, actually, it takes place during the Christmas season!! Although you can argue it, Gremlins is still one of my favourite Christmas movies.

There are three rules you HAVE to follow when taking care mogwai. 1) No bright light. 2) Never get him wet. 3) NEVER feed him after midnight, not matter how much he begs. Well, Billy Beltzer breaks them all, and thus, the gremlins are born. They begin terrorizing the town. 

My favourite thing about this movie is that it has a lot of horror aspects, but it's ultimately a comedy. Even the second movie pokes fun at the first one! I'd recommend watching it for a good laugh, and maybe a good scare.

Gremlins has a score of 7.2/10 on IMDb

Look at how cute he is!!

A Christmas Story

Has there ever been a gift you wanted more than anything in the world? For Ralphie, it's the Red Ryder B.B gun that his parents won't let him have. 

This movie is cute and fun for the whole family. I actually watched it for the first time last Christmas and enjoyed every minute of it. The entire movie is based on this boy Ralphie trying to convince his parents to get him a B.B gun, but according to his mother, "You'll shoot your eye out."

Do you remember that iconic leg lamp, but have no idea where it's from? Well, look no further. 

Not going to lie, I kinda want one!

A Christmas Story has a rating of 8/10 on IMDb. It is also based on a collection of short stories titled "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by author Jean Shepard.

It's A Wonderful Life

Now, I actually haven't seen this movie, but It's been at the top of my much watch list for years! It came out in 1946, and overtime has become a true Christmas classic.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you never existed? So has George Bailey, the main character of this movie. With the help of an angel named Clarence, George gets to find out what would have happened to his friends and family if he truly never existed. It's heart warming and sure to be a bit of a tear jerker.

It is number 24 on the Top Rated Movies list on IMDb, with a rating of 8.6/10, making this a must watch this, and every, holiday season.

Hey everyone! Vintage here.
Before I start anything, I would love to thank my layouter, Krystle, for making this amazing layout!

Sometimes the best gifts are the one’s you personally make. Here’s a tutorial of how to make a Christmas rabbit plushie! I made this with the tutorial + based off the template made from this user on YouTube: (Here)

Step 1:

Download and print out the template. After this, cut out each piece from the template.

Note: I altered the size of the body to be bigger as I want a bigger plushie as I am going to give this to a friend. What I do for this is that I draw around the pre-made pieces in order to get the size I want.

Step 2:

Cut out 2 pieces of the main body/torso, 2 pieces for the ears, 2 pieces of the ears that will be on top, and 2 small hands. There is no specific colors you need to do this for. I just chose colors similar to that of the video. Also, if you want eyes, cut out two pieces of eyes (your choice of color).

Note: To do the eyes, I usually cut out an oval piece and then start cutting in a swirl type pattern until the eyes look round-ish and are a nice size.

Step 3:

To do the scarf you’re going to need to cut a long rectangle and a short one. I based the sizes off the template. You should get something like this:

Note: The first image is really only including the 2 longest strands and I put those two together to create a thicker scarf.

Step 4:

The next step is to make the face. Line up how you want everything to look. To do the nose, you first go through the back of the piece and then go to the right (or left, depending on how you did it) in a horizontal line. Then put your needle through the back to the bottom of the middle of the line. What you want to do after that is you want to go to one end of the line and do the same for the other end. This will create a triangle shape. When you have the triangle shape down, all you need to do is fill in the small gap in the nose. I did horizontal lines as I went down in order to make it appear neat. When your done doing that, all you need to do is the nose.

Note: The video has a different way to do the face with the eyes that you may have done. If you want make a rabbit with the eyes, you can see how the person did it in the video.

Step 5:

Now to sew the ear pieces together. What you want to do is line up the outer part of the ear (in this case, the pink part) with the main ear piece behind it.

Sewing steps

1. Go near the very bottom of the edge of the outer piece and put your needle through both of the felts/fabrics.

2. Go behind the outer piece in order to hide the stitching.

3. Continue to do that method for both ears. Remember to keep the stitched in between even.

To do the whole ear:

4. Put the other long piece behind the piece you just sewed. You first put your needle through the front layer.

5. You then align the second layer, the one behind the front piece, with the front layer. After aligning them together, you put your needle through the second (back) layer.

6. You pull your needle until you see a loop. You’re going to put your needle through the loop.

Note: Beware though. The thread tends to tangle itself so I suggest straightening out the thread before doing anything further. I also suggest sewing slowly as it will prevent mistakes and tangles.

7. To do the second stitch, you will do something similar except that you will put your needle through both layers. After that, you will do the same thing with step 6 (previous step). Once you got that down, do that second stitch for the rest of the ears.

 

Note: For the last picture (the one on the bottom) I decided to put stuffing in the ears before stitching all around. You don’t have to put stuffing there but I chose to because I love fluffy ears.

Step 6:

Align the ears on the back piece of the main piece. When you’ve decided where the ears will go, sew them in place.

Note: What you see in the bottom are the initials of my friend’s name. You can do this too but it may be tricky if you’re new to sewing.

Step 7:

One of the last pieces includes the arms. Align the arms (if you want any) to where you want it to be put. After that, sew it up.

Step 8 (optional):

If you want to make this cute little fella into a key ring, all you have to do is place the ribbon (with the hook) between the ears.

Step 9:

You’re almost done! You will do the same stitches as the ears up to sub steps 5, 6, and 7 to all around the plushie. Before stitching it all up, remember to stuff it with stuffing!

Step 10 (optional):

All that’s left is the scarf which is optional. Put the smaller piece of the scarf on top of the horizontal piece and stitch it onto the main piece. This will create a “T” look. After that, wrap the scarf around the rabbit and sew it onto the rabbit to make sure it doesn’t fall off.

Now you’re done! Hope you enjoyed c:

 

For sticking around for so long, here's a code:


Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy New Years!
From,
NewsTeam

Happy Holidays everyone! Each year, my entire family gets together, and we host a potluck. For those who don't know what a potluck is, everyone has to bring a food dish and we all set it up on the table and help ourselves. Since this is not a usual holiday meal, I'll be sharing some of the recipes that I like to bring with me that have no become a holiday tradition! If you have any traditions or holiday recipes that you would like to share, feel free to let us know in the comments!

Leftover Turkey Sliders

*This is perfect to use all leftovers, there are no real serving sizes since you can load these as much as you want*

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 package of soft rolls

• Leftover turkey

• Leftover stuffing

• 6 slices of cheddar cheese

• Gravy to dip them in

• Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Set the rolls in a baking dish and split the rolls with a knife and remove the tops.

3. Layer the cheese, turkey and stuffing over the rolls.

4. Melt butter in microwave, and brush mixture on top of rolls.

5. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes until heated through

6. Serve with gravy on the side!

Cucumber Tomato Appetizers

Here's what you'll need:

• Cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

• Cucumbers (I usually tend to do 2 full cucumbers and sliced)

• Plain Cream Cheese (8 ounces) (225 g)

• *Mayonnaise (1 tbsp)

• Ranch seasoning mix (4 tsp)

*I use plain greek yogurt because I don't like mayonnaise.*

Directions:

1. Mix ranch seasoning, cream cheese, and mayonnaise until smooth in a bowl. 

2. Slice cucumbers thick enough to hold the cream cheese and tomato.

3. Put the cream cheese mixture in a plastic bag and cut a small triangle off a corner.

4. Squeeze the mixture on to the sliced cucumbers.

5. Add the tomato halves on top.  You can put it half up or half down.

6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before sharing.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E.T.A. Hoffman

This story was based on a short story that soon became a holiday ballet. The short story was published in 1816. The story tells of a tale about a young girl named Marie who saves her nutcracker from the mouse king. She is then taken to the land of sweets by the nutcracker who turns into a prince. In this story, more things happen than in the ballet as it includes more battles and much more in the ending. There are also added bits about Marie’s godfather and the origin of the nutcracker, Marie’s family not believing her about the battle with the mice, and the threats made by the Mouse King to her.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

A popular Christmas story that’s been adapted to a variety of movies/films. This story is about Ebenezer Scrooge who despises Christmas and makes his clerk/worker, named Bob Cratchit, work on Christmas Eve. Scrooge is visited by three ghosts that show him the past, present, and the future that will result if he doesn't change his ways.

The Gift of the Magi, by  O. Henry

This short story was published in 1906, and it’s about a married couple named Della and Jim. Each give up a favorite possession of theirs in order to buy something special for each other. However they are both struggling with money, and in order to give each other a present, Della cuts her hair and sells it to be able to afford a chain for Jim's watch. Jim sells his watch to buy combs for Della to wear in her beautiful hair.

The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Anderson

This is an original Andersen story inspired by a Johan Thomas Lundbye drawing and is loosely based on an incident that happened to Andersen’s mother when she was a child. This story shed light on the oppressed and silent group in Europe which was its children. The story is about a young, poor girl who had lost her grandmother and has to sell all her matches and if she didn’t, she would be beaten for it by her father. But when she lights the matches she see’s something incredible and warming to her.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, by Robert L. May

This story is famously heard all around, especially from songs. This story is about a reindeer named Rudolph who has a strange physical trait. That physical trait being his nose which would glow. He would be excluded by the other reindeer because of it. One night, however, Santa Claus notices his trait and asks him to lead his sleigh due to the fog. Rudolph agrees to this, and he saves Christmas and is also recognized by his fellow reindeer.

These are just some stories that I’ve found. Hope you enjoyed them and hope you check them out sometime!

Were there any stories that you recognized? Have any other holiday stories? Share them in the comments!

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hey, guys, we're back bringing you an ultimate guide to the holidays. Gift giving can be hard; I know it's an issue I struggle with each year for certain people, so I improvise and give out baked goods. It's a simple solution that everyone loves! I'm going to be sharing a few recipes today with you that are easy to make and won't cost you a lot! If you wrap these up in a cute tin and put a label on it, you have a beautiful gift to give to someone! If you have any recipes you'd love to share, please let us know in the comments!

M&M Sugar Cookie Bars

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 pouch of sugar cookie mix (I take the easy way out)

• 1/2 cup (115 g) of softened butter

• 1 egg

• 1 cup (200 g) of M&M's (Chocolate Candies)

• 1 cup (175 g) of white chocolate chips (Or preferred type of chip)

Directions:
1. Set oven to 350°F (175°C), and spray the bottom of pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl mix cookie mix, butter and egg with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in white chocolate chips and half of the candies.

3. Press dough in bottom of pan. Sprinkle remaining candies over top.

4. Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store in airtight container.

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