The "Holidays" 2007
 

:behead: :kettle: :santa: :celebrat:

Are you ready?

Vacation day today. Doing a bit of Christmas shopping.

Gonna go with a "fairy" theme for various grandaughters. The trick there will be sorting out gems from all the dreck--there is so much fairy stuff out there. Building fairy houses is a new trend, and there's a cute dvd and book--starting with that.

Grandson gets science stuff--a snap together electronics circuit thing, a soda can robot etc. Vacillating on the Popular Mechanics for kids dvds--they may be too young for him, dunno.

Sons in laws get magazines and Joseph Campbell.

Still working on daughters.

I'm a late Nov early Dec shopper. I don't have a "theme" other than I decorate in blues, purples & silver. Since my boys are older - it's hard to decide what to give other than VISA gift cards. Or stuff for their cars.

I do have a webiste for cookies - if it hasn't been posted already in the "Website thread" or "Cooking thread".

www.northpole.com

all kinds of neat things.

For the fairy theme, if you have any slightly older granddaughters, I suggest this. It's got beautiful, ever-so-slightly morbid pictures, and is very funny.

CF, I have given that book as a gift. I regretted doing so... because I wanted it. What a fun book!

ah yes, the pressed fairies. I thought of that, but am trying to keep the books to a minimum, and already purchased this one: Fairy-ality: The Fashion Collection From the House of Ellwand.

Anyone have any experience with ice cream freezers? I've been tempted by that "ball" you roll around and make ice cream, but think maybe a regular ice cream maker would be a better purchase.

The ball is a gimmick, go with the regular one. Or if you really want to torture people get one like the kind we had as kids where you had to crank the handle on the top.

http://www.brm-icecream.com/handm.htm

If this is for an adult, get a real ice cream maker like Merc suggests. If it's for kids, why not spark their imagination by getting them this book of "howtoons", which explains how to make ice cream with zip lock bags. They learn how to make tons of other stuff too. Cool book for kids.

Wow Glatt that looks a lot like the setup for "armpit fudge" that my daughter's brownie troop made last year