Quote of the Day

"The three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."

--Joseph Addison.

Holiday Cheer!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I just wanted to wish my friends and family a very Merry Christmas!! I'm home for the holidays, and it is so nice.

I hope you all are enjoying your holidays as much as I am.

Holiday Gingersnaps

I'm going to do some holiday baking today. I love to bake, but usually only bake during the holidays. I'm baking these for my co-workers today. This is my mom's famous "King Size Gingersnaps" recipe. She always made these during the holidays when I was a child. They bring back happy memories!

"King Size Gingersnaps"
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup light molasses
1 Tablespoon soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Measure 1 cup sugar and mix remaining ingredients. Sprikle sugar on waxed paper. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. Yum!

Stress Relief...Finally!

Tonight I am enjoying a night in. I just got home from having a yummy spaghetti dinner with my aunt Nanci. Tonight is the first night in a long while that I haven't had papers to write or math homework to complete. I'm watching a tv show that has been waiting for me all week, and then I'm taking a bubble bath! (complete with a glass of wine, like in the picture above) I know I have Christmas cards to write, and people still to shop for but I'm taking it easy tonight. I think I've earned it!

Holiday Traditions

I'm taking a quick study break to share some holiday traditions with you. Growing up, my sweet mom would give my sisters and I a holiday ornament every year. We would put our initials on it and hang it on the tree. Then, when we get married, we will have enough ornaments to hang on our first Christmas tree together.

Another tradition is, every Christmas Eve my dad reads us some holiday children's books. My favorite one that he reads to us is called "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" by Jenny Jackson Moss. It's truly a treat to hear this story, because my dad reads it with a very southern accent.

I think holiday traditions can bring families together. What are yours?

My Grown Up Christmas List

Dear Santa,

Here is my grown up Christmas List. I have been good this year.

1) A watch
2) A new outfit
3) A kiss underneath the mistletoe
4) Peace on Earth

I'll be sure to leave milk and cookies.

Love, Kenna.

Random things about me...

I recently had some inspiration from my best friend Mary's blog(www.krisandmary.blogspot.com) and her "Random Ramblings" post. This got me thinking, and I have come up with some random things of my own.

First, my dream job. A friend asked me what my dream job was, and I first thought of teaching, but now I'm not so sure anymore. I didn't know what to tell him. After some thought, I think my dream job would be a children's book author. I remember reading countless books to my preschoolers during story time, and thinking "I could have written this, why don't I write a book?!" So, this is a goal of mine that I would someday like to accomplish. I think this stems from my childhood love of books. Often times you could find me curled up and reading and also begging to be read to. Reading and writing are loves of mine.

Sleep. I am one of those people who needs a good 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, every night. If I don't get this, then I get emotional. I also think that any sickness, such as colds and flu can be remedied if you just go to bed.

Dogs. I am a dog lover, and always have been. Growing up we had a dog, or a few at time and they became companions and friends. I especially love Terriers, Labs, and Golden Retrievers. We had the first two growing up, but the Golden Retriever love stems from the show "Full House" and the dog Comet I think. I used to watch that show growing up and always wanted a Golden Retriever. haha.

Food. I'm not a picky eater at all! I'll try anything once as long as it's not too spicy. I think the most common meal I eat is chicken, brown rice, and vegetables. I know I'm boring and need to branch out! I also love Mexican food and Sushi.

Color. I love the color red. It's so warm and vibrant. If you were to see my bedroom, you would know this about me. I also love spring colors.

Flowers. I am a lover of all flowers. I think they are the most beautiful creation, and I doubt there's a flower that I don't like! I know some guys think flowers are a lame gift, but I'll take them any day! I even got my floral certification several years ago after being inspired by all of the darling corner flower shops in Boston. I'd like to get a side job as a florist to be able to use this skill. My all time favorite flowers are pink tulips. I also love roses for how they smell and the significance they have.

The beach. I think this place is one of the most perfect of God's creations. Growing up, we would travel to Clearwater Beach, Florida. If you were to ask me what my "happy place" is, this comes to mind.

Fear. I'm terrified of deep water, and will not go in it! This stems from playing with cups during my swim lessons as a child. I never did learn how to swim.

Organization. Despite my best attempts at organization, I am truly a pack-rat. It's a battle I deal with daily, but I'm working on it!

Friendship. After an extremely shy childhood came my social butterfly years in high school. Now, I'm somewhere in the middle. I have a handful of dear friends. I choose deep friendship with a few rather than being acquaintances with many.

Sisters. I have two beautiful sisters, one older and one younger. A friend asked me if I have "middle-child" syndrome. I definitely do not. I enjoy being in the middle!

The Perfect Holiday Recipe

I'm going to share a holiday recipe of my mom's. It's the perfect thing to bring to your holiday parties. I made this on Thanksgiving(my family is weird, we don't like pumpkin pie) and it is to die for!!

Brownie Trifle:

1 brownie mix, prepared as directed.
2 boxes of chocolate mousse, prepared as directed.
1 pt. whipping cream, whipped (DON'T use cool whip, use the real stuff)
2 heath or score bars, crushed (you can use peppermint too, for more color)

Prepare brownies and mousse. Crumble brownies in the bottom of a really pretty trifle dish. Cover with a layer of chocolate mousse and crumbled score bars. Add a layer of whipping cream, and repeat layers. End with the whipping cream. On top, decorate with raspberries, strawberries, mint leaves, peppermint chips, or chocolate swirls, whatever you think is pretty.

I promise you'll be famous at your next party!

What would you do?

I was at work today when the topic of time came up. We were all discussing what we would do if we had a bonus hour added to our days. Immediately, most of us said sleep. We all work the 6:00 am shift, and my that is early especially on cold winter mornings. So, I think I would opt to sleep in until 5:30 instead of waking at 4:30. But then I got to thinking "how boring is that?" I would have nothing to show for my extra hour. So... in the end I think I would spend that extra time with friends or family and get out and do something fun!