IN THIS ISSUE: fife-: A Letter to Santa Sparkler of the Month New Years Resolutions
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Christmas Cookies HealthY. Choices Soups & Chili Readers' Recipe
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Wardrobe Workhorse Color of the month Seasonal Style
Home for the Holidays NYE 2016 Stocking Stutters That's a Wrap
Making a house a home Set the Table Shut the Front Door 5 tips to add Holiday decor Pillow talk Winter Wonderland
"IF WE ARE EVER TO ENJOY LIFE, NOW IS THE TIME, NOT TOMORROW OR NEXT YEAR ...TODAY SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR MOST WONDERFUL DAY." - THOMAS DREIER
7. What is your favorite "free time" past time?
Dancing, laughing with my girlfriends, anything that allows me to share a moment with my girrs who I love. Every Tuesday is Girls Night Out. Not everyone can be there every Tuesday, but we try to make it a priority. Having a solid group of women in your life you can connect with, share with, and count on 1s paramount. My girls are my touchstone. Whether it is hanging out in my bes足 tie's yard by the bonfire, or letting loose in the city, it's always soul-nourishing and revitalizing. Kids grow up, careers change or fade into the background; at the end of the day you will always have your girlfriends.
8. Who do you admire?
I hope you don't expect one singular name here! I find inspiration in women who have overcome adversity, and accomplished goals in spite of that. I've been blessed to have examples of these women throughout my life. The women in my family are spectacular examples of strong will and determination, I have girlfriends from chilohood who are doing amazing things for their communi足 ties, and friends I have met fhroughout adulthood who are ongoing inspirations. I think the common factors it bolls down to are optimism in the face of struggle, women who give without the expectation of receivingJ and those who make a stand for equality ana fairness.
9. What is your dream vacation?
I recently reaa about a resort on St. Lucia that has an adults wing and a kids wing. The kids wing has ziplining, and water slides, ana a zillion activities that sound like a blast! The adult side has a spa, mellow lounging pools, and delicious restaurants. All beachside. What more could you want for??? 10. What keeps you motivated? I'm not entirely sure I can articulate that. Setting an example for my children definitely plays a part, but before I had ttiem I was also very motivated. I think that having a support system who vocalized their belief in me from a young age built the foundation of my determination. It dicfn't matter what my goal was, I can't remember a time when I wasn't solid_ly backed by people who were cheering me on. My mom was definitely the head of that ctieerleading squad, and still is to this day. Her friends, my family, and my advisors in sctiool absolutely played a part in that. I try to be that person as often as I can to those I get the opportu足nity to be around. Children need to nave someone wtio believes in them. Just one moment, one "you can do it, I believe in you" can encourage a child to shoot for the stars.
Brooke Billings is a native of the Oregon Coast who transplanted to Portland 16 years ago, and loves every minute of living in the city. She is a single mom of two children, and while her careers have been varied, the focus is always on helping others. Brooke is passionate about spreading kindness, hope, and optimism. You can follow and take a peek at her life by following her on lnstagram,
See Alicia Walters Blog on Facebook & Instagram
THE MAGIC OF CHILDREN AT CHRISTMAS Alicia Walters
By Alicia Walters
When I was a very little girl, my mother and father always had me open one Christmas present on Christmas Eve. Usually it was a new Lanz of Salz足 burg flannel nightgown. I loved changing into my soft, new nightgown and climbing up on the couch to listen to my father read The Teddy Bear's Picnic in his big, deep voice that sounded like a bear's. He would say, "This story again?" And I would tell him, "Yes. It is my favorite." Then we would pull out the small record that came with the book and I would put my feet on my daddy's feet and we would dance to the Teddy Bear's Picnic song. I still have my Teddy Bear's Picnic bear that you can wind up and a music box inside will play the tune. It is one of my trea足 sures. My dad spent most of his time at home down足 stairs in the library behind a large, oak desk. The library had several hundred books about history and religion, as well as multiple encyclopedias as well as literary classic collections. My dad was very organized and kept the bookshelves looking pristine, each book lined up with the binding outward and flush against the other. As a little girl, I liked to push all the books in against the back of the shelf, which caused my dad some anguish over his previously orderly library.
New book available from Amazon Dec. 2015 If I stood on my tippy toes, I could peer over the top of his desk and notice several stacks of organized papers, an ink well, a typewriter, and a large hole punch. I loved to throw open the desk drawer and see what treasures lay inside: some cufflinks, a large eraser, a tin of Altoid's peppermints, and sometimes one of my drawings I had given him. He had framed pictures of my mother and their chil足 dren displayed around his desk and his briefcase has his initials on it. But one of the items that always fascinated me was my dad's Mont Blanc fountain pen. It seemed giant in my little hands and you had to unscrew the lid to see the most unusual pen a child has ever seen. My dad had told me not to ever use that pen, but how could I resist? I yanked some paper that had already been fed into the typewriter and began scratching out the letters of my name: "A - I - i - c - i - a ." I pretended I was signing an official declaration to the Queen. The fountain pen made thick, black letters in beautiful, fancy ink. That Christma s, I had been extra enamored with Santa and the thought of living in the North Pole. remember thinking that if I could just visit Santa in the North Pole, he would let me make friends with a polar bear or even ride on the back of one of his magic reindeer. I loved Santa Claus and I wanted
so much to be good. I was so excited to set out a plate of cookies for him and wanted him to know how happy I was that he would come to our house and leave presents for me. I yanked another piece of paper from my dad's type足 writer and began writing a letter to Santa: "Dear Santa, I hope you like these cookies. Thank you for coming to my house and giving me presents. Are you real?" I asked, hoping that I would get a letter in reply confirming my belief and proving to my friends that Santa is indeed real. I set the letter next to a plate of cookies and a tall glass of cold milk. That night, I lay wide awake in my Christmas night足 gown. I looked outside my bedroom window at a clear, winter sky filled with stars that shone like Christ足 mas lights laced throughout the entire universe. I hoped so much that Santa would see my letter and that he would write me back. It seemed like the only thing that occupied my thoughts that Christmas Eve night. I wanted Santa to be real. Christmas morning came and I rushed downstairs to where the milk and cookies and letter had been. The milk glass was empty as well as the plate, with the exception of a few crumbs and in the place where my letter was I saw a new letter: Santa had written me back on red paper! "Dear Alicia, Thank you for your kind letter. Yes, I am real. I enjoyed the milk and cookies. You are a good girl. Merry Christmas, Santa." It was written with beautiful, fancy ink in thick, black letters just like how my dad's Mont Blanc fountain pen wrote. "Dad," I said, "Santa has a fountain pen just like yours!" "That's because your dad and Santa have very good taste," my father said. I was sure this must be true. Because I knew that Santa was wonderful, good mannered, well-read and kind to children just like my dad and so it made perfect sense that they would both prefer fancy fountain pens as opposed to subpar ball point ones. I think Santa's letter to me was my favorite Christmas gift that year and it continues to be one that I always remember every Christmas.
Alicia Walters is a mother to four children, including identical twins. She is passionate about mother足 hood and believes that childhood can be filled with magical memories that can carry a person through their trials in life. Follow Alicia Walters Blog on Facebook and lnstagram.
Do you hove something you would like featured in on upcoming issue of Sparklers Magazine? email us at: contoct@sporklersmogozine.com
1fapplJ 'New now 1'ear! what!? ••••••••••••••••••••• 3-2-1 ! Happy New Year! The cheers, the kisses, the hugs, the excitement all come together at mid night, and now the expectation of a fabulous 2016 creep into our head! We start to think about what we want out of our year. We decide to make New Year's resolutions, ......or not. We plan on being happier, to finally get fit, to make more money, the list goes on and on. We are motivated! We can do this!!! January 2nd, We are starting to feel like maybe all of those goals are going to be too difficult. I mean really!? Who can go a whole year without sugar!!?? Then we lose our steam, our excitement, and then just like that, we already feel defeated about our year, and it hasn't even been a week yet! This year, plan your goals a little differently. Plan something each month to keep your momentum going. 2016 WILL be the best yet!
Saying goodbye to 2015: The best way to make sure you have a successful 2016 is to take time to reflect on 2015. Ask yourself these questions as you plan ahead to next year. As you ponder over 2015 you will become more focused 9n what is important to you in the commg year.
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What was the best part of 2015?
What 3 words would you use to describe last year?
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What was the most challenging part of 2015?
* What relationships were most important to you last year? * What adventure did you enjoy most last year? * Were you fulfilled with your home life? * What phrase or quote would best describe last year?
Need some extra motivation? Join a group, a tribe, to keep you inspired and encouraged! Follow Heather on lnstagram @heather_sweet_me starting January 1st for a fun project she has been working on!
* What did you love most about your job last year? *
When were you the happiest last year?
* * * *
What new thing did you try last year? How did you serve last year? How was your health last year?
How was your relationship with your spouse/significant other?
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Speaking of printables, while you are at the computer; print out a couple more. Then, add them to the frames you already have hung . Earlier this year I added a huge gallery wall to the area where we usually put our tree. The beach pictures we have there for every day didn't have that holiday feel so, I printed out some free Christmas printabl es from On Sutton Place (onsuttonplace.com) and added some of our old Christmas photos too. I didn't even take the frames off the wall. I simply taped the pictures on top of the glass with fun washi tape, quick and easy I
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.Be creative - Maybe adding your own new Christmas tradition already has you feeling like your whole home is filled with holiday cheer. If you don't have a mantle, do you hang stocking on your staircase; or maybe outside bedroom doors? We have started pulling out winter and Christmas story books only during the holidays and putting them in a basket by the tree. If your kids have a bookshelf maybe you replace all the books with holiday books. I have seen people without chimneys hang a special Santa key on their door. Dressing it up with some ribbon and greenery, boom quick decoration. Maybe this year set up a hot chocolate bar, just throw together some fun mugs, candy canes and marshmallows . There are so many ways to bring Christmas into every room, I hope some of these ideas have inspired you to think outside the tree this Holiday Season. So break out the tinsel, put on White Christmas and deck the hallsl
••••••••••••••••••••• Kendra Yoho Bio: I am a stay home mother of 3 girls. A Midwest erner at heart living in the South West. I enjoy shopping (too much), a project, singing or rapping in my car like no one is watching and touring model homes with no intention to buy. I want to be an adventurous traveler, but these days you will most likely find me snuggled in bed watching a scandalous hour long drama. blog: www.threebeancircus.blogspot .com instagram: @threebeancircus
Winter Wonderland How To: Trees-
I took white poster board and cut it to the size I wanted each tree to be. I then formed it into a cone shape and taped it together. I wanted staggering heights, so just play around with the poster board until you get the size and shape you want. Then I found different textured pieces to cover the tree forms. I used a strand of silver tinsel, a strand of gold beads, a strand of silver sequins, a strand of multi colored lace and a white feather boa. I also used material, cut into stips and hot glued them on to the forms. Let your imagination have fun with this process.
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I cut out the letters for "SNOW" and glued them on to a chipboard. I found these white snowflakes at the dollar store and glued them on the bottom of each chipboard. Then I embellished it with paper and greenery. Easy!
Reindeer Sign-
I purchased an 18x24 foamboard and covered it with white and gold polkadot wrapping paper. Then I found an image of a reindeer on Google that I liked and I enlarged the image and then traced it onto some gold glittery paper. I then glued the reindeer cutout onto the wrapped foam board. We set up the trees and hung the sign and the banner, and then garnished it with some fresh pine, and it pulled the look together just perfectly.
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We searched high and low to find the best cookie recipe for your holiday baking ease. These cookies taste yummy, hold their shape and are easy to frost. This makes these cookies our pick for an afternoon of baking with the kids. INGREDIENTS: 1 Cup softened butter 1 Cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 egg 2 teaspoons baking powder 3 cups all purpose flour
DIRECTIONS: 째 Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla, almond extract and egg. In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour. Add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You do not need to chill this dough. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8). Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until cool enough to transfer to a cooling rack. Icing Recipe: 1 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Note* Add more water for filling if too thick Add more sugar for edging if too thin
This month's recipe was submitted by Charlotte Lange from Gilbert, Arizona.
Butternut Squash Soup This recipe takes a while but the end result is totally worth it! 1 large Butternut Squash :cut lengthwise (steamed either in the oven @425 for 30-40 minutes) or I usually use the microwave with a glass baking dish cutting it into quar足 ters and adding just enough water to cover the bottom of the dish and then cover and place in the microwave for 17 minutes. Then use a spoon to take the meat out of the squash leaving the skin to throw away or compost. 1 medium size apple ( I chose pink lady) 1/2 yellow onion chopped """throw the above ingredients with your cooked butternut squash and your water or almond milk in your food processor and blend) 2 1 /2c water 2 1/2c chicken broth 1/2c Almond milk 1T Terregon 1 1/2 t sea salt 1/2 t crushed black pepper 2T butter Heres how I did this: I steamed the squash and apples at the same time then used the water mixture first in the blender with the apples and half the squash, blending until smooth. Then, I took the remainder of the squash and the onions with the chicken broth and blended that in my blender. Pour all of it into a stock pot and cook on medium heat with the butter and spices until simmering and serve!
I am married to a prince, a mother of 5 wonderful Children (4 of my own and 1 step son) ages 14-15 months old. Part owner and operator of Fitlife 120 gym (www.fit1ife120.com). My husband and I are both certified blood microscopists, created a program we call Health Scope. Health Scope uses cellular health to determine your health plan as well as health and fitness objectives by analyzing your red blood cells under a microscope. With our Fltlife 120 program, we have developed an App to track your food and assist you in your shopping . I have been a certified personal trainer for almost 7 years, Certified Group Fitness Instructor for almost a decade and Certified Yoga Instructor for almost 4 ye ars. I love to be be outdoors to hike, run and paddle board with my family often! One of the reasons I started this small blog www.cleaneatsfordinnerideas.blogspot.com was to help people cook clean options for their families. I love to take recipes that I really enjoy and make certain tweaks to them so that they are more on the healthy side. I don't believe that eating healthy has to taste bad! As a matter of fact when you learn how to truly eat clean, it has more flavor than be fore ! I try and teach my clients to stop counting calories and start counting chemicals. I really feel blessed to use the talents I was given to help empower and enrich the lives of my clients.
Home for the olidays
We have lovingly named this our Home for the Holidays Tree.-We wanted something that felt warm and welcoming with the comforts of home while still being pretty and e_ye catching. We love how this came together. Bringing in pieces from the outdoors added such a traditional feel. Not to mention it was cheap & easy! We literally sent our kids into the backyard to trim greenery from the trees and bushes and gather pine cones. They loved · being involved. Add in some birds from the dollar store, handmade ribbon, embellished bulb ornaments, and lights and VOILA! You've got a beautifully decorated tree that will make everyone want to come Home for the Holidays.
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Above: We like to always hove treats ready and on display this time of year. We gathered up the supplies to make some hot cocoa and put them in a basket along with some mugs. We also like to hove cookies or bread ready for the toking. Left: For our tree topper we got this adorable Santo from the dollar store. We bocked him with some burlap and ribbon from Michaels (on sole!) and sent the kids outside to gather some bran ches. Bonus - the branches smell so good!
Right: I found this flannel table cloth at a thrift store for $2. I knew it was just perfect for my Home for the Holidays theme. I also found some burlap material in my craft stash that I wanted to use. I cut the plaid and burlap into 3 inch wide strips and then hot glued them together, burlap, plaid, burlap. This made a nice wide ribbon to decorate my tree in, and much cheaper than the ribbon at the craft stores!
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We took a little road trip (just up the street) to gather some fallen pine cone s. It was a fun little outing and whe n we attatched red ribbon to each pine cone, it adde d a perfect outdoor fe e l to our tree. Think outside the box when it comes to trimming the tree. Ifs usually the unexpected touches that you love the most!
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heck out the Dollar Store. Yes! I ve the dollar store. We bought ed balls and attached a pine berry floral piece we got at haels for .59 cents! We also d those adorable red robins too! We added some poin ttas pieces that we already , but we noticed the Dollar Store had those too!
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you decorate your tree, lights up and down, not round. It gives a more and ifs much easier for take down. The more lights the better too, we say!
n you have guests over, set ut the treats, display your "ldhood Christmas books, a play some Bing Crosby hristmas music. Part of the agic of Christmas is the excitement in the air, and by thinking outside box, you can create that agic, and still have time money left for your family!
Welcoming in the New Year is an opportunity to hit the restart button. Focusing our energy on creating a positive experience for the upcoming year. As we reflect on the past year and begin setting goals for the New Year. What a great reason to gather with family and friends and celebrate, Right? One Problem; we are feeling a bit frazzled and, well honestly, suffering from holiday burn-out! We put so much energy into Hal足 loween, Thanksgiving and Christ足 mas, the decorating, the planning, the baking, the parties, the expense. But don't skip the oppor足 tunity to celebrate the New Year. Plan it simple, casual, and inexpensive.
Hit up the Dollar Stores, Targets Dollar Spot, Walmart. Keep the menu simple. Get your craft on. Shop your house. Think outside the box! For this New Year's Eve Party, that's exactly what we did. We used left over wrapping paper for the table covering. Everything else was stuff we already had around the house, made or bought at Dollar Tree, Target Dollar Spot & Walmart. Then we got creative!
Dip and Beverage Bar. Offering Jalapeno Popper Dip served with Triscuts, Hot Sausage Dip served with Pita Crackers, French Onion Dip served with Veggies. Chocolate Fruit Dip served with Fruit, Banana Cream Pie dip Served with Vanilla Wafers, Cherry Cheese Cake Dip served with Graham Crackers. Beverages - Sprite and Sparkling Ciders, Cranberry & Orange Juice to mix in. Along with a variety of fruits to drop in the glass. For Recipes check out the Sparklers Blog.
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For Toddlers
For Teen Boys
For Him
Character dish set Boord books Ploy doh Crayons Bubbles Socks Bibs Toothbrush Both Toys Stuffed toys Color book Gloves Beanie
Eorbuds Cell phone cover itunes gift cord Wallet Keychoin Cologne Beef Jerky Socks Flash drives Sporting event tickets Flashlight Books Gloves Toiletries Gum Journal Beanie Favorite Candy Favorite Soda Video Gome Gift Cords Tie
Mini tools Gift Cord Wallet Beef Jerky Car charger Golf tees Golf bolls Book Sporting event tickets Socks Cooking spices Conned nuts Flash drive Razors Cologne Desk supplies Fishing lures Car Air fresheners Batteries Ploying cords Tie Favorite Soda Favorite Candy
For Teen Girls
For Her
Eorbuds itunes gift cord Cell Phone Cover Make Up Nail Polish Perfume Socks Hair ties Key chain Jewelry Gum Lip gloss Mini Candles Gloves Book Journal Gift Cords Favorite Candy Favorite Soda Gift Cords
Lotion Cup coke liners Nail polish Lip gloss Cookie cutters Mini candle Socks Gloves Books Journal Gift cords Sharpie Pens Woshi Tope Jewelry Desk Supplies Hair Ties Magazine Make Up Perfume Favorite Soda
For Kids Stickers Straws Glow sticks Chopstick Gift Cords Hot Wheel Cars Colored Penciils Earrings Travel Gomes Socks Tooth Brush Books Disposable Camero Journal Kids Flashlight Watch Puzzle cube Glow in the dork stars Voice Scrambler Poper Dolls Sports cords Bubble Both Gloves Beanies