It's getting very Christmasy up in here.

I am making an advent calendar tonight!  Because putting it off until the last minute is fun and exciting!

 

1. Bring the Christmas books up from the basement
2. Treats
3. Candy Cane Craft (bought a little kit at Hobby Lobby for those beaded ornaments)
4. Treats
5. Shop for the Giving Tree
6. Christmas Cards (Speak now if you want one!)
7. Snowflake Craft (http://marthastewart.com/article/crystal-snowflake)
8. Treats
9. String popcorn for cherry tree
10. Treats
11. Tilles Park lights
12. Breakfast with Santa
13. Trim the tree!  Deck the halls!
14. Treats
15. Craft TBD
16. Treats
17. Make fudge
18. Treats
19. Living room picnic and Christmas movie
20. Cookies!
21. Gingerbread House Part 1
22. Gingerbread House Part 2
23. Treats
24. Put out cookies for Santa and food for reindeer!

One of us is wiggly

I just made the hat this weekend and someone felt a little silly.

PSA: Marshmallow Warnings

1. Do not attempt to make rice crispy treats in between making pancakes.  Yes, it feels like you are wasting a lot of time standing by the stove, spatula in hand.  Yes, your eyes might come to rest on the box of crispies while you are waiting for bubbles to form and edges to dry.  Yes, it might feel like a particularly inspired idea to multitask two very simple tasks.  But don't.  Just don't.
2. If you ignore the above and forge ahead with this reckless combination of projects, then consider the microwave instructions for crispy making very carefully.  If you dump the entire bowl of marshmallows into the 1.5 quart bowl and wonder to yourself, "Wow, that bowl looks really full." then STOP.  Get a bigger bowl.  Instructions are not always correct.
3. If you ignore your inner voice and use the small bowl, then stop the microwave the instant you smell sugar.  Don't stand there pouring pancakes wondering what could be burning.
4. If you do not stop the microwave in time, use the silicone potholders to remove the smoldering mass from the microwave.  Melted marshmallow tends to embed itself into terrycloth.
5. If calling for help, make sure to specify that you need adult help.  Otherwise, an eager junior pancake flipper (seriously, he makes terrific pancakes) will show up to rescue you.  The only problem is that junior pancake flippers are afraid of the oven.  Since you stowed the pancake platter in the warm oven, the junior pancake flipper will likely stand in your way waving the spatula around while requesting that you just open up the oven already so that he can assist. 
6. If you manage to save the pancakes, give up on the ill-conceived idea to make the crispies.  I repeat, CAPITULATE!  Do not under any circumstances return the mass of marshmallow goo to the microwave.
7. If still forging ahead, stop the microwave as soon as you smell burning.  Again.
8. If somehow you manage to scrape a fair amount of melted marshmallow from the microwave interior, be sure to reduce the rice crispy measurement by a suitable amount.  Calculate the amount of marshmallow left on the potholders, the microwave, the counter, and quite possibly in your hair, then reduce the cereal measurement by the same proportion.
9. If you fail to adjust the recipe, make a rule that the resulting treats be eaten only in the kitchen over the trashcan so that you don't have to spend the rest of the evening clearing up crispy cereal bits from all over the house.