How to have a merry last minute Christmas

If you need a plan to follow, here is one.
If you are shopping at the last minute, here is a list of the BEST gifts
If you are decorating at the last minute, here is a list of the Easiest ways to decorate
If you are cooking for an extended family and guests, here is a list of the BEST recipes
If you are giving food for a gift, here are the BEST
If you are looking for ways to keep the children occupied, here are the BEST
If you are looking for web-sites that feature really good things for Christmas, here are the BEST

So you are late getting ready for Christmas? Find your best and easiest recipes and make sure you have all the ingredients. Keep it simple. Bake cookies, make candy, it's too late to make fruitcake. Address your Christmas cards so they will be ready for you to answer after you receive them. People don't care if your card is late, just so it gets there sometime. Or call, or e-mail. Decorate sort of, at the same time you clean house. Nothing fancy. Check the beds, the refrigerator and kitchen, clean the bathroom, disinfect the phones, doorknobs, handles, shine any thing that is supposed to be shiny, dust a bit, vacuum, put towels and soap in the bathrooms and you're done. Make lists of the necessities. Buy the food you need for breakfasts, dinners and lunches you will be cooking. If none of this works, you can always order in and serve with a smile.

How to decorate: A nativity scene and a Christmas tree are all you need if you believe in these. A wreath on the door is nice. Just tree branches decorated with some old ornaments and hung, or links of colored paper draped across rooms or doorways might be sufficient. Enlist your house plants to liven up a spot. Pile Christmas ornaments in a glass bowl to give color.



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Favorite recipes: Salad: 1 pkg lemon jello, 1 cup boiling water, 1 cup sour cream, 2 mashed avocados and 1 cup mayonnaise. Dissolve the jello in the water, add sour cream, avocados and mayonnaise and stir well. refrigerate. You can grease a pretty mold and un-mold this and put on lettuce on a pretty plate. For a red salad: use 1 can whole berry cranberries and mix in 1 cup sour cream and a small can of crushed pineapple and freeze. (adjust amounts for the number of guests).



Make dishes that you can make and refrigerate overnight, such as: Line a flat baking dish with a 5 oz jar of chipped beef or thin slices of beef, put on top of that 10 boned chicken breasts cut in half. Mix 2 cans of creamed soup with 1.5 cups sour cream pour over. Refrigerate overnight. Bake 300 for 3 hours. Or French Toast, Mix 32 oz vanilla yogurt, 6 eggs, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 t orange zest Pour 2 cups yogurt mix into greased 9x12 pan. Put 4 slices of thick bread on top. Spread 2 T jam over each slice, Top with another slice of bread. Pour yogurt mix over, cover and refrigerate over night. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Can sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over and place under broiler for a bit.

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The BEST recipes for gifts: NUTS Heat oven to 350. Whip an egg white til frothy, then keep whipping adding 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t cloves, stir in about 30 oz salted fancy mixed nuts. Mix well, spread them on foil lined pans. Bake 20-25 min.until browned. Cool completely in pans. Break apart and store in tightly sealed containers. Or you can add different spices to make them hot instead of sweet.

MERINGUE DROPS 2 large egg whites, beat til frothy, add a bit of cream of tartar, beat in 1/2 cup sugar gradually until stiff. beat in 1 t vanilla 3 T cocoa 1/2 c chocolate chips or 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 mint bits oven 250 line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil Bake 1 hour, turn off oven and let dry. You can add nuts, pinch cinnamon, whatever. You can also leave out cocoa and add 3 oz jello to make colored meringues.



Let the children help with these preparations. If the weather permits, shoo them outside to play, build snowmen, ice-skate or sled. Have them pick out and clean some old, little-used toys to give to some other children.

BEST FOR KIDS: www.northpole.com



Track Santa: www/noradsanta.org>/a<

really fast way to send cards and they are free. www.free-christmas-cards-online.com



Christmas graphics and free clip art www.christmas-

graphics.com



Unlimited Free Printables www.momxbreak.com/printable/free_christmas_printables/index.shtml



BEAUTIFUL: www.christmaswithlove.com



STUMPED? QUESTIONS? wwwchristmasrants.com



A BIT OF EVERYTHING www.christmas-almanac.com

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube -Ideal for children of all ages! Create original music from 5 different instruments (French horn, flute, piano, violin and harp) or play music from eight Mozart compositions. Large colorful buttons light up to the tempo of the music. Soft, rounded corners make it easy for a baby to hold. Batteries included. Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube

Baby will love Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes
Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes

Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7

Every reader would appreciate the Kindle, a gadget that stores hundreds of books. Click it on and read anywhere.
Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless, Latest Generation)

If you have the money, Wii is popular,as are XBoxes. Transformers, i-pods, Fisher-Price toys, cameras, computers, all good.. Postage stamps and stationery and addresses are appreciated by the elderly. Kinect for the XBox is great!

Most music lovers have iPods or they would appreciate one.

The Kindle Fire features vivid 7-inch color touch screens for reading magazines and books. Their customized Android operating systems allow
users to browse the Internet, check e-mail, play games, listen to music and watch movies and TV shows.

Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos. You can e-mail documents - including Word, PDF and more - directly to your Kindle so you can read them anytime, anywhere.

Over 100,000 movies and TV shows, including thousands of new releases and your favorite TV shows, are available to stream or download, purchase or rent - all just one tap away. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows.

Looking for Christmas

I went looking for Christmas the other day We had just had a light snowfall the day before
Yes, it was December And that magical date was approaching
But something just didn't seem right Something was missing
The ingredients were all there Or so it seemed
But inside there wasn't that special feeling And I was determined to find it
No matter how long it took Or how far I had to go

I started by putting up my tree This always helps Seeing it in the living room
All covered with lights and bulbs Ice sickles dangling from its branches
It was a very beautiful sight I did feel a moment of warmth deep inside
But no This wasn't it So I decided to do just a little bit more
I went into my attic And found the boxes that I had stored the lights in
You know the ones Almost everyone has them Stashed away in the attic or the basement
Anyway I strung the strands From nail to nail Nails that had been there for years
Just placed for this one purpose And once more The outside of the house looked beautiful
But still something was missing Maybe this was something That I was not meant to find by myself I concluded So I decided to find a place Where others had found Christmas
So I got into my car And drove down the street To the mall

I walked from store to store Looked at all the wonderful displays
That each store had spent so much time and effort
On putting together And, of course, there were the people So many people
Each trying to decide to get this or that Not a lot of Christmas spirit here though

There was the Santa section however Children standing in a long line
Just for the opportunity to sit in the lap Of a man they had never met
Just to be able to whisper to him What it was they Really wanted
There was a bit of magic here For this man did really approach his job
With such a good demeanor I stood there for some time
Just watching the looks on each child's face When it was finally their turn
Yes, there was a bit of Christmas here But not exactly what I was looking for
And it was getting late So I left On the way home I spotted a small church
In front of this church Someone had erected a life size nativity scene
It wasn't much but there were several cars Sitting in the parking lot
And it looked like there was a small choir All bundled up against the cold
Singing from a small stage I had to stop and see this So I did There was a short line of people That formed outside the makeshift stable So instinctively I got in line
In front of me was a small family A mother, a father, and their daughter
Who could not have been over seven years old Yes, we're going shopping dear
I heard the mother tell her daughter Just as soon as we stop here
To see the Baby Jesus.

It didn't take long There weren't a lot of people in line
The small family stood there for several minutes
Standing in front of the small wooden railing
That the people of the church had erected
To keep their display safe from those
Who would rather touch than look
At such a display

Each of the three seemed to take in every aspect
Of all the different characters
They all stood there holding hands
Yes, this was a beautiful sight
And the nativity scene was not that bad either
The parents had decided that it was time to leave
No one wanted to hold up the line that long
And it was quite cold outside

As they turned to leave The daughter turned quickly and pulled her hand
Away from her mother's She ducked under the fence
And started towards the manger Before her mother could say a single word
Their daughter stood in front of the manger for just an instant
Removed her coat And tucked it gently around the figure of the baby
She then turned with a single tear in her eye And hurried back to her parents
I didn't want Him to be cold Is all she said
We all stood there for quite some time
Not really knowing what would happen next
The father reached down Took his daughter in his arms
And held her very close I heard him almost whisper
It looks like you'll be needing a new coat for Christmas

Here I had gone Spent a whole day Simply looking for the true spirit of Christmas
And somehow Like the real magic That is associated with this special season
And through the actions of a single child It had found me
Merry Christmas Everyone

Ed Roberts 12/06/01 (used with permission)