Celebrate For Life
Family favorite celebration drinks ready for party time. No matter what you are drinking, drink responsibly and please - never drink and drive. Let the celebrations last a long, long lifetime.
Christmas Beach Wishes
Christmas Gifts and Christmas Beach Wishes of warmth, happiness, family and joy for your holidays.
Whether you have a white Christmas, a cold Christmas or a Merry Christmas fishing on the beach we hope this holiday season you find some time to spend with family, friends or at least a moment to reflect on what's joyful and hopeful and merry.
Whether you have a white Christmas, a cold Christmas or a Merry Christmas fishing on the beach we hope this holiday season you find some time to spend with family, friends or at least a moment to reflect on what's joyful and hopeful and merry.
Christmas Lights Shine Warm and Bright
Christmas lights as bright and shiny as the holiday season itself. Filled with faith, hope, family and love. Lights on trees. Christmas lights on homes and wreaths and filling the stores in colors from traditional red and green to sparkling white and glitter everywhere.
Families gather around the Christmas lights from the day they go up until the day they come down. The warmth of the glow makes everyone love the holiday lights. In our home cats and dogs and well, pets are family too.
Christmas lights inside and outside. On the roof, on the trees, in the garden and around the doors and windows. Cozy inside, beautiful outside. We love to drive around during the holiday season just to see how everyone decorates.
Wreaths with ribbons, snowflakes and ornaments my favorite Christmas wreaths light up, sparkle and welcome this beautiful family season.
I hope every Merry Christmas glows beautiful and bright. I wish you happy smiles, wonderful memories made and shared. I wish you health, happiness and a bright New Year.
Christmas Hanukkah Interfaith Family Holidays
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah
Christmas and Hanukkah are both beautiful holidays bringing together family and friends, dinners and parties, rejoicing and faith. They both offer a great opportunity to do some serious shopping and get some great bargains. They both are all about presents and gifts, home decorations and some wonderful family recipe holiday cooking.
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas greetings are rooted in religion and steeped with tradition. It is a wonderful, glittery, hopefully happy time of the year and many families enjoy celebrating both holidays!
Families today are no longer only traditionally one religion, one color or one ethnicity. Today more than ever people are free to love who they choose and not just have to stay within the traditional values of someone of their own "kind". Years ago, many young people were disowned or outcast from their families if they chose to marry or raise their children different than their birth heritage.
Interfaith families are no longer rare and no longer taboo. Some families choose one of the religions to raise their children in, some parents choose to expose their children to both religions and let them learn and enjoy the teachings and holidays of both Chanukah and Christmas.
Families who celebrate both religions get to decorate beautiful Christmas Trees, light bright, shiny Menorahs and respect the miracles of both religions that are so different and yet so similar. Miracles of life, standing up for what you believe in, protecting and nurturing family and friends. Believing and having faith in believing.
Decorating for Christmas and Hanukkah Holidays
Decorating is almost the best part of the holiday season so why not dress up the whole house with Christmas Trees, Hanukkah Menorahs, Stars and Lights and decorations for every room in the house!
When it's time to decorate for the holidays, enjoy the fun of both traditions and deck the halls with everything for the family.
Holiday Greetings
Sending Christmas and Chanukah greetings to families who celebrate both holidays is even easier than ever now. I mean you always could send Season's Greetings and A Happy New Year, or you can send cards and gifts that feature the traditional symbols personalized for family and friends.
Christmas and Hanukkah Together
Hanukkah Christmas Ornaments
Decorate your Christmas tree with Hanukkah ornaments and super symbols of the holidays. Personalize with names, dates and special messages for an affectionate touch.
Hanukkah Christmas Stockings
Christmas stockings are so much for adults and for little ones. Who doesn't love the goodies inside whether it is Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins in gold foil) or Christmas stocking stuffers - small gifts that are just fun and all about family and joy.
Christmas Lights....For Hanukkah!
Who doesn't love decorating their house with Christmas lights! Strings of lights twinkling, greeting and welcoming the holiday spirits. Some people love colors, some icy white. Lights outside the house, around the windows, hanging from the roof and the trees and the bushes. Christmas lights inside the home. Whether you live in a mansion, a trailer, a private home or small apartment there is always lots of room for Christmas decorations especially beautiful lights.
Now you can add some fun Hanukkah glow to your Christmas lights with light stings of dreidels, Menorahs that glow and decorations that will really show off your family love of both holidays.
Hanukkah and Christmas Jewelry
We love to show pride in our heritage and now interfaith families don't have to choose between wearing a Jewish Star or a Religious Cross, or nothing at all, they can choose from some of these great Cross and Star of David necklaces, charms, rings and pins.
Great gift idea for the holiday season, one present fits all!
Words Matter Let Some Go
Words Matter because words mean thoughts, words mean intentions, words mean a plan. Depending on who uses them, words can mean nothing.
How many times in life have we learned it's not necessarily whether you are right or wrong in your actions and what you say, but it's also important how you use the words and how you present yourself.
I believe strongly that it's OK for people to believe in things strongly. I also believe everyone has the right to defend themselves and their position on issues, etc. No one else is living your life. But I also believe there has to be respect and civility. Sometimes they just won't listen. Some really might not care. Some are passionate in their position against yours. That doesn't give them the right to be nasty, name calling, rude, spread lies or gossip about you. That says more about them than about you. But it is so damn frustrating!
The same actions can make you look angry, aggressive and unreasonable but with the right expressions, the right explanations and how you present yourself those actions can be seen as heroic, thoughtful and caring.
Sometimes all the words in your head stand for all the millions of things you have to do. Work, family, bills, school, homes, did I mention bills! It can be overwhelming and some days it's better to let some of the words go, take a break.
Put the words into another paragraph to work on later. Take some time and use words like love, fun, relax, hug and eventually of course that one big word will come back around... reality.
Sometimes it's easier to tackle reality after taking a break!
Beach In The Fall
The beach in the Fall is perfect. In Florida. I always loved the beach in every season before I moved down South but now I have discovered I must be solar powered. There is nothing like the ocean, the sand, the amazing sea shells, the sky, the overwhelming feeling that you can leave everything behind and just look out on the horizon that goes on forever..... for just a little while at least.
Fall Brunch Trays
Fall Brunch Tray
Fall brunch trays are our favorite especially on the weekends. Actually brunch trays on the weekend every season are our favorite. Halloween may be over but Fall is still going strong. Even here in the south, as opposed to up north in NJ we may not be celebrating the beautiful colors of leaves changing but we are happy to welcome temperatures no longer in the lava degrees of 90’s (feels like 107°!), palm trees swaying with store bought beautiful Fall Mums placed under them, pumpkins and autumn displays in the garden and in the house and of course, baking and cooking everything pumpkin we can.
Brunch on our weekends whenever possible is a gathering of the family and a selection of easy to make, easy to eat, easy to clean foods that aren’t breakfast, lunch or dinner but a combination of whatever surprises and favorites we can fit on the tray Click Here For The Full Fall Brunch Tray Story....
Life Is Good With Coffee
Life is good with coffee and coffee mugs filled with the first steaming cup of coffee through my last hot cup of coffee makes it even better. I am a coffee lover morning through night. It doesn't keep me up and I can't say it is the caffeine I need, I just love the taste of coffee. I think better with a cup of coffee in my hand. Sitting in my kitchen, working in my office or just taking a ride - a mug of coffee is probably right near by.
Smile on, life is good. Enjoy a cup of happy at least once a day. If coffee isn't for you, then grab a cup of tea, a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows and put a happy face on your mug.
The only thing I love more than coffee, are the fun coffee mugs I buy. Some make a statement, some are decorative and some are just cute and make me smile.
Smile on, life is good. Enjoy a cup of happy at least once a day. If coffee isn't for you, then grab a cup of tea, a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows and put a happy face on your mug.
Pumpkin Cookie Cakes
Pumpkin Cookie Cakes
Pumpkin and Fall are perfect together and no sweeter way to celebrate the season than Fall baking and cooking. Scents of pumpkin, cinnamon and brown sugar for at least two months straight and just so I don’t spend the whole time in the kitchen I always whip up and/or invent the easiest most delicious recipes possible. For me that means very few ingredients, a short cut or two and lots of creativity.
These pumpkin cookie cakes are so quick and so delicious be sure to make plenty because everyone will be wandering into the kitchen at all hours for “just one more cookie”. Click For The Full Recipe
Pumpkin Baking For Fall
We love ♥♥ pumpkin and Fall is the perfect time to whip up pumpkin cakes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies and of course Halloween pumpkin goodies.
Visit our easy pumpkin recipes and I promise easy recipes because to me the best recipes have very few ingredients, take not too much time, make my house smell amazing and are of course, amazingly delicious. Quick clean up is a plus too!
We feature Pumpkin Cake Bundt With Vanilla Ice Glaze, Pumpkin Cookies and amazing Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins and lots of great easy family style recipes at our DIY Family and Home Blog
Visit our easy pumpkin recipes and I promise easy recipes because to me the best recipes have very few ingredients, take not too much time, make my house smell amazing and are of course, amazingly delicious. Quick clean up is a plus too!
We feature Pumpkin Cake Bundt With Vanilla Ice Glaze, Pumpkin Cookies and amazing Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins and lots of great easy family style recipes at our DIY Family and Home Blog
Fall Autumn Harvest Colors
Fall, autumn, harvest, pumpkins, beautiful leaves and trees. A chill in the air. Jeans and hoodies everyday. What could make this time of the year more beautiful? Oh I know, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin picking and hayrides with the family. Decorating silly pumpkin faces, sharing candy corn days before anyone says Trick or Treat. All followed by Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks. What more could you ask for - more time maybe. A longer Fall season would be great. Greetings to a great new season ahead.
Bluetooth Speakers Great Gift Ideas
Electronic deals my favorites are the bluetooth speakers that connect easily to your iPhones, iPads, laptops and they sound great. Small bluetooth speakers and major electronic bass ones are all over my house. No technical skill necessary, these guys are so easy and fun. I bring them outside in the backyard for summer fun. Have one in my bathroom for shower time of course. Living room bluetooth sounds amazing. And they are available in every size and shape and style now, not to mention range from seriously price friendly to the more expensive, just like everything else we love to buy. Lots of them come with speaker phones also, so if a phone call comes in, you can just speak through the speaker - it's awesome.
Here are some fun personalized gift ideas
Here are some fun personalized gift ideas
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| Bluetooth Speakers and Gifts Personalized |
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| Bluetooth Speakers For Beach, Pool, Yard and A Great Gift Idea For All Occasions |
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| Personalized Gifts for Dad Bluetooth Speakers Electronics and Phone Cases For The Best Dad and Fisherman |
Tea Party Fun
Tea Party Stars
Parties are wonderful whether they are big or small they are always a celebration of something that is a shining star in your life. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, wedding and baby showers and love to share the fun of family holidays.
Welcome To Our Tea Party
Parties are wonderful whether they are big or small they are always a celebration of something that is a shining star in your life. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, wedding and baby showers and love to share the fun of family holidays. Tea parties are a wonderful way to gather with family and friends serving the star of the show of course, tea and fabulous light but delicious finger foods, little sandwiches, desserts, laughter and memories.
I love to hold small tea parties too. A relaxing few hours with my beautiful daughters where we share tea, home baked and store bought yummies depending on the day and how busy all of us have been all week and most importantly sharing stories, plans for the future and a few laughs which is like sugar in our tea, cream on our strawberries and chocolate on our cookies. Sweet and fun and even more special when shared.
No matter how big or small your tea party is, make it fun. Make it classic simple yet elegant and treat yourself to something wonderful whether it is a new tea flavor, serving from an adorable teapot or just sipping from a new tea cup with family and friends or all by yourself when you finally get some down time.
Photo Courtesy of my daughter Elyse who loves to put an elegant creative spin on our tea parties!
Ingredients
- White Bread
- Wheat Bread
- Mini Croissants
- Slim Style Breads
- Egg Salad
- Seafood Salad
- Cream Cheese
- Garlic and Herb Soft Cheese
- Turkey Slices
- Mayonnaise
- Cucumbers
- Shredded Lettuce
Instructions
- Preparation is key so I like to gather and/or prepare everything I need before I am ready to make the sandwiches. When using white, whole wheat or any type of loaf bread start out by cutting the crusts off of the bread. This will ensure every sandwich is soft and looks great too. Then I divide each slice into four pieces, cut at least 2 slices at a time together so you end up with matching sandwich tops and bottoms.
- Spread your fillings liberally but no so much that the sandwich will fall apart when picked up! You can use some fancy and inexpensive toothpicks to hold sandwiches together after they are made and even a grape tomato, piece of cucumber or some fun garnish on the toothpick looks great.
- Some of the sandwiches can be open face especially the garlic and herb cheese on a slim flatbread, it's always a favorite.
- I love to add some shredded lettuce for a little extra crunch, plus it looks really nice when it's shredded instead of a chunk or solid leaf of lettuce which is definitely chewier. If using turkey slices I like to spread a little mayo on the bread first so that it doesn't taste too dry and the guest won't have to take it apart to put their own on it before enjoying.
Tea Sandwiches
Tea Sandwiches Light
Tea Sandwich Platter
Tea Sandwich Platter
Tea Cups
Tea cups and saucers really set an elegant table at any tea party or your late night snack. Tea cups are generally more dainty than a traditional mug with a wider drinking area and smaller handle - perfect for proper etiquette, oh and don't forget it's not proper to have your pinky finger in the air, in fact in many circles it is considered rather rude!
Since tea cups are dainty many people pour their cream or milk into the cup first to protect the delicate cup from the hot tea. Avoid clinking your teaspoon against the cup so you don't make any rude noises and it protects your tea cup as well, gently swishing is recommended by tea experts.
Mostly I find the beautiful tea cups, matching saucers and even sets that include the matching tea pot are just so much fun and gorgeous.
Tea With Honey
We Love Tea With Honey
The recipe for success is adding honey to your tea instead of sugar to sweeten your cup. Did you know that tea is not only delicious, soothing and comforting but it is also healthy, healthy good for you too. It is said to contain anti-cancer perks, essential oils and minerals and even Vitamins like E and even some of the B complex. It's supposed to help protect the body from disease. Black and Green teas are know for their heart healthy and cancer preventative perks but more tea groups like White tea are becoming popular for their antioxidants called flavonoids. Anti-oxidants help the body get rid of unstable cells and molecules and that has to be a good thing.
Anti-oxidants help inhibit bacteria growth making it beneficial to the health of your teeth and gums, some research says it can be good for bone density as well. Honey offers antiseptic, anti-oxidant and cleansing properties that people swear by to help them ward off colds and viruses.
Tea and honey is one of the best loved remedies to help you get through a cold and sore throat for it's soothing properties and warm comforting touch.
With all those wonderful benefits you derive from tea, how could it get any better you ask. Well add some honey and sweeten the impact of two natural, delicious products working together in harmony for you.
Consider adding honey to your tea for healthy energy or just because you love the taste! My daughter Cindy who took this photo to share for our Tea Party never drinks tea without her honey.
Coffee, Tea Or, No Thanks!
Coffee Tea or No Thanks!
Some coffee lovers would never have a cup of tea, and tea drinkers I know will never trade a cup of tea for coffee. Then there are those who never drink either one! What will you drink at your own personal party, coffee - tea - or no thanks to either one?
Tea For Everyone
No matter what type of tea you like, whether you like to use tea bags, loose tea leaves with an infuser or even iced tea there are wonderful, inexpensive products you can easily buy and try for new flavors and drink recipes all year long
If you love your tea in a bigger sturdier mug, or like a mug that is perfect for coffee and tea check out some of our very favorite tea mugs. Also available with matching tea pots, serving trays, plates and even linen napkins. Add in some personalized Tea Party invitations and you have a coordinated theme for your parties too.
More designs and styles are available but I chose my favorite for this tea party.
Sugar or Cream With Tea?
Would you like some sugar or cream with your tea? Whether you are enjoying an afternoon tea consisting of your favorite Tea as the star accompanied by light sandwiches and snacks or high tea which is actually like a dinner tea with a heavier full mean or just an enjoyable cup of tea there are some tea party etiquette rules you can follow for your tea party.
Traditional etiquette says sugar is placed in the tea cup first, then the tea poured in and last, the cream. If you are having lemon in your tea also then it is sugar first, thinly sliced lemon, then the tea and never, ever add milk or cream if you are having lemon!
Any way you do it, parties big or small serve up your sugar and cream fun style for an always fun and elegant touch.
Tea Party Mugs
Thank you for joining us at our Tea Party! Tea is the star and so are you and your guests. We hope your next tea party will be just as fun and elegant and delicious no matter what size your party is.
Enjoy. Drink Tea. Have Fun!
Egg Salad Bonus Recipe! - Click Any Photo For Hard Boiled Egg Recipe Success
Egg Salad and Hard Boiled Eggs
Egg Salad and Hard Boiled Eggs
RECIPE BONUS!
If you would love some fresh egg salad on your tea sandwiches stop by our Hard Boiled Egg Magic lens to read our secret to Egg Success at: Hard Boiled Egg Magic Recipe For Success
Have you thrown a great tea party or attended one? We would love for you to share your delicious tea recipes and tea party ideas with us.
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