Pre-Christmas lovelies =)

My mom's birthday was on Tuesday, the day my oldest brother came to visit us. She was born in 1966, 6 months after my dad. So cute. =)   The birthday girl has always liked her cake to be simple. Devils Food chocolate with powdered sugar and crushed candy cane sprinkled on top. It is a nice combo if you ever want to try it. I still like frosting, though. =)  Love you mom! 

Christmas is in 2 days. Were you able to get gifts and wrap them up? Like me, you probably got your family members their gifts, but have so many friends it is impossible to count, or remember. And much as I love all my friends, I am just not as rich as Emma Watson, and am totally unable to purchase amazing gifts for each of them. So, this is what I did. 
So I saw this idea several years ago at a class craft sale, and I have tried to find a nice recipe for it. The other day I ran across this + and I totally fell in love with it. So pretty! 
Basically what you do is buy a box of Mason jars, pretty decently priced. Purchase a large container of hot chocolate or make your own, go to your local craft store and buy some string (a strand of $.31 embroidery thread works!) and doilies. Fill the jars with the cocoa mix, maybe add chocolate chips, marshmallows, or candy canes, and then close them. After doing what you want to with the doilies and string, you have lovely little hot chocolate jars to give. Very cheap to make, considering these jars are about $5-8 at a store. And who does not want a cute jar filled with yummies?

(the ones with doilies are for my girlie friends, the candy canes on top are for Jayme's guy friends =) )

And who should have to drink hot chocolate without eating a cookie as well? =) 
German twists, a family recipe, were what I had in mind. They were super-easy to make; I was amazed. And I had to keep a close watch so my family wouldn't eat them all! haha ;) 
Just bag them up 
..and carry them around with you to give alongside the hot chocolate jars. 







I felt so bad that I couldn't afford to buy anything for my friends, but my spirits have been lifted after completing this project. =) =) 
And just a few more pre-Christmas pictures I have. I love ribbons and bows. We never did them much, but I really do enjoy them. Perhaps I should take a packaging class if I do college. =)







I plan on having a Christmas post, so keep checking!!