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The Christmas Challenge Post – 12 Things of Christmas 2020

10 Comments / 12 Days of Christmas, Bake, Blog Posts, Challenge, Make / By awandafulthing

My friend and fellow blogger Amelia P made a request in the Facebook group Sharing, Inspiring, Promoting Bloggers to collaborate with other bloggers to do a “Christmas Challenge” post.

How it works is we come up with 12 Things about Christmas, write a post on our own blog and insert links to our fellow bloggers. The second I read about it, I knew I was going to participate. Afterall, the name of the group is Sharing, Inspiring, Promoting Bloggers.

I’m thrilled to be collaborating with the following bloggers:

Amelia P @ YouCanAlwaysStartNow

Ellen Best @ https://ellenbest24.wordpress.com/

Courtney @ http://lifeapprovedsimply.com/

Esme @ https://esmesalon.com/

Brittany @ https://everydaypbj.com/

Here are my 12 Things “traditions” of Christmas:

For the last 7 years (since the very beginning of my blog) I have been doing a 12 Days of Christmas Series. It is something I truly enjoy doing as it challenges me to dig deep and find easy, budget friendly, gift worthy things people might like to make, bake, decorate or create. I just wrapped up these posts on November 30, 2020 – I will put links to all of them at the end of the post.
I will admit I have an infinity for Santa Claus and for Nutcrackers. I add to my collection every year and proudly display from November 12 to January 06. I also, rarely, if ever, purchase new items for my collection. If at all possible, I search and buy vintage. Here is a picture of the additions I made this year.

3. I like to make (and sometimes sell) Christmas tree decorations. This year I decided to make tree ornaments using wood slices. This one, I thought, was particularly fitting;

and this one went to my daughter in Texas.

4. I make my own Christmas Cards and try to ensure they are mailed out by December 10th. This one was one of my favorite cards I made this year.

5. I LOVE buying local and especially from local artisans (usually at Christmas Craft Fairs). I did not get to any in person craft shows this year but because there are so many creative beings out there, who were still making and creating their wares, I did purchase items through “on-line” stores so win/win!

6. I am from the East Coast of Canada and even though I now live on the West Coast of Canada, some traditions just never change. On Christmas Eve the evening meal is a feast of some form or seafood. For me this year it is going to be pan fried Digby Scallops. I’m already looking forward to that.

person holding stainless steel cooking pot with food — Photo by Tanya Gorelova on Pexels.com

7. Watching Hallmark Christmas movies. I just love watching a good cheesy predictable Christmas movie :O) – I am not sure what the draw to watch these movies is; maybe it’s the music maybe it’s the happy ending, maybe it’s just the magic of Christmas.

8. Speaking of movies – without fail on Christmas Day I watch the movie “A Christmas Carol” – the black & white version starring Alastar Simms, right after the turkey feast, the dishes can wait!

Humbug to all the rest: Why the 1951 Scrooge film is considered 'the gold standard' | CBC News

9. On Boxing Day, it’s go to the Movie Theatre for an afternoon matinee, again, not sure what that will look like this year. We will have to wait and see.

10. Traditional Christmas baking for me includes whipped shortbread, sugar cookies, ginger sparkle cookies, gingerbread men, cherry balls, coconut balls and pork pies(not what you think – these are shortbread bottom tarts with date filling and almond icing).

top view of gingerbread cookies laid flat on a wooden table — Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

11. We like to drive around and look at the Christmas lights (we walk around our own neighbourhood though). This year we are going to go to something called the Magic of Lights at the Castrol Raceway -it is sponsored by Canadian Tire and provides you and your guests an opportunity to celebrate the holidays #togetherapart; comfortably maintaining social distancing from the comfort of your own vehicle. We are really looking forward to this and who knows, this could become our “new” yearly tradition. All money raised from the entrance fee goes to the Edmonton Food Bank – a very worthy cause.

12. Making anonymous donations to local charities that are near and dear to my heart. The Salvation Army, the local food bank, and the angel tree being my top three.

Wow, I was worried I didn’t have 12 Christmas Traditions but I bet if you really think about it, you do too. Hope you enjoyed these and don’t forget to visit my few bloggers and see what they came up with for their 12 Things of Christmas Challenge.

As mentioned earlier in this post here are links to my 12 Days of Christmas Series 2020.

Day 1- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Papercraft Angel

Day 2- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Painted glass jar candle holder

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Macrame Keychain

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Holiday Straws

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – No Bake Energy Balls

Day 6- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Christmas Bulb Napkin RIngs

Day 7 -12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Nutcracker Place Card Holders

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Honey Lavender Sugar Scrub

Day 9 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Sweet & Salty Holiday Candy

Day 10 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Twig & Washi Tape Card

Day 11 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – JOY Vertical Sign

Day 12 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Coconut Lemon Loaf

You can follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

Day 12- A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020

1 Comment / 12 Days of Christmas, Bake, Challenge, Decorate, DIY, Food, Make / By awandafulthing

A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Day 12

Thank you for joining me for my 12 Days of Christmas 2020.

Well here we are at the end of the series. If you want to see what you missed, be sure to see all the links at the end of this post.

This year I went back to basics of why I started my blog and that was to inspire you to make, bake, create and decorate, all on a budget of course. You still have time to try some of these simple, easy and budget friendly ideas just in time for the holidays.

Day 12: Holiday Coconut Lemon Loaf

For the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas series, I am sharing a brand new to me recipe. I love coconut and lemon so why not combine the two into one delicious dessert. This coconut lemon loaf will be a hit at any holiday gathering.

This cake gets its amazing lemon flavor from a combination of lemon zest and lemon juice. It gets a triple dose of coconut from coconut yogurt, shredded coconut and coconut oil.

To begin:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

Ingredients you will need:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup coconut yogurt I used full-fat coconut Greek yogurt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 medium-large lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the cream cheese frosting you will need:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 ounces of cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1–2 tablespoons milk or half and half
Shredded coconut and lemon zest optional garnish

Instructions for the loaf:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and shredded coconut.
In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, coconut oil and almond extract until well combined. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined, the batter will be thick.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a rack to cool.

To make the frosting:

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon milk, almond extract and lemon zest and beat until combined. If the frosting is too thick add additional milk to thin it out. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake and top with shredded coconut and lemon zest.

Storing:

Store it in an airtight container in refrigerator to keep it fresh longer.

If you decide to make this loaf or try a new recipe this holiday season, what will it be?

Lemon Coconut Loaf – It’s AWandafulThing!

Day 1- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Papercraft Angel

Day 2- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Painted glass jar candle holder

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Macrame Keychain

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Holiday Straws

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – No Bake Energy Balls

Day 6- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Christmas Bulb Napkin RIngs

Day 7 -12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Nutcracker Place Card Holders

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Honey Lavender Sugar Scrub

Day 9 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Sweet & Salty Holiday Candy

Day 10 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Twig & Washi Tape Card

Day 11 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – JOY Vertical Sign

You can follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

Day 11- A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020

1 Comment / 12 Days of Christmas, Challenge, Decorate, DIY, Make / By awandafulthing

A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Day 11

Thank you for joining me for my 12 Days of Christmas 2020.

Well here we are almost at the end of the series. If you want to see what you missed, be sure to see the links at the end of this post.

This year I am going back to basics of why I started my blog and that was to inspire you to make, bake, create and decorate, all on a budget of course. From now until the end of November, I will share some simple, easy and budget friendly ideas just in time for the holidays.

Day 11: DIY Vertical JOY Sign

Today, I’m showing you how to make this cute vertical Christmas JOY sign. This sign is so simple but turned out so pretty. I love how the color of letters match the berries on the wreath. Read on for the full tutorial.

Here’s what you need:

Wood for Sign (14″x 7″ I used pine)
Mini Wreath (I made mine with an extra piece of garland)
Acrylic Paint & Brush
Hot Glue Gun & Glue
Scraper
Vinyl
Transfer Tape
Weeding Tool
Electronic cutter (cricut explore, silhouette or other cutter)(If you don’t have a Cricut, Silhouette etc., you can use premade letters from a craft store)

What to do:

Paint your wood with whatever color you want your letters to be (I used white acrylic paint), I applied three coats with a sponge brush, allowing each one to dry inbetween coats.

Open the design software program for whatever vinyl cutter machine you have (I have a Cricut Maker).
Open a text box and type the letters J Y – size letters to 3″wide x 3″high.
When everything is sized correctly, you can cut the design with your Cricut or Silhouette. I used Oracle 651 in a peach color as I had it leftover from another project.
Once it has finished cutting, weed away the excess vinyl.
Cut a piece of transfer tape a little bigger than the design and place it sticky side up on your work surface. Then, place the vinyl on top of the transfer tape. Rub over the design with your scraper and trim off the excess transfer tape. Then, cut apart the letters.
Grab your vinyl letters and the mini wreath and place them on the sign.
Space everything out so it looks even. Remove the vinyl backing from one of the letters. Position it on the wood sign. Match the straight edges of the stencil with the straight edges of the sign. Repeat with the other letter.

Next paint two or three coats of red paint over the entire sign to cover the letters and all of the white paint.

Once the red paint is dry, carefully peel off the vinyl letters.

I used a semi-gloss spray varnish to seal the sign before adding the mini wreath with hot glue.

Your JOY vertical sign is now ready to display.

Simply, easy JOY Vertical Sign – It’s AWandafulThing!

Day 1- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Papercraft Angel

Day 2- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Painted glass jar candle holder

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Macrame Keychain

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Holiday Straws

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – No Bake Energy Balls

Day 6- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Christmas Bulb Napkin RIngs

Day 7 -12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Nutcracker Place Card Holders

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Honey Lavender Sugar Scrub

Day 9 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Sweet & Salty Holiday Candy

Day 10 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Twig & Washi Tape Card

You can follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

Day 10- A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020

4 Comments / 12 Days of Christmas, Challenge, Decorate, DIY, Make / By awandafulthing

A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Day 10

Thank you for joining me for my 12 Days of Christmas 2020.

A link to the previous days will be at the end of this post.

Day 10: DIY Twig & Washi Tape Card

Very little material and a lot of effect for this DIY special holiday card, with a Christmas tree stylized by a small twig covered with strips of washi tape.

This couldn’t be simpler and no special tools required.

What you will need:

Cardstock – one piece of 8.5 x 11 will yield two cards, cut the card stock in two and fold each piece in half. You should have two 4.25″ x 5.5″ cards ready for embellishment.
Twig(s) – smaller ones work better (1/4 inch or less in diameter). I literally walked out my front door and grabbed one off my Caragana tree.
Washi tape – you can use different colors for each piece or, as I did, just the one color for all the strips.

Steps:

Center the twig on the front of your card.
Cut four strips of washi tape, start with the largest and gradually make the next three smaller
Put the largest piece of tape at the bottom of the tree, leaving enough sticking out for the trunk, evenly space the next three strips and work your way up the tree from the largest stirp of washi tape to the smallest.
Voila! you are done and your card is reading for giving!
You can draw in a star at the top or leave it blank, like I did.

Simply, easy DIY Twig & Washi Tape Christmas Card – It’s AWandafulThing!

You may also like this Reindeer Greeting Card from a previous 12 Days of Christmas

Day 1- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Papercraft Angel

Day 2- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Painted glass jar candle holder

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Macrame Keychain

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Holiday Straws

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – No Bake Energy Balls

Day 6- 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Christmas Bulb Napkin RIngs

Day 7 -12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Nutcracker Place Card Holders

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – DIY Honey Lavender Sugar Scrub

Day 9 – 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Sweet & Salty Holiday Candy

You can follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

Day 9- A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020

1 Comment / 12 Days of Christmas, Bake, Challenge, Decorate, DIY, Food, Make / By awandafulthing

A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020 – Day 9

Thank you for joining me for my 12 Days of Christmas 2020.

A link to the previous days will be at the end of this post.

Day 9: Sweet & Salty Holiday Candy

Sweet and Salty Holiday candy turns a regular old saltine cracker into a delicious holiday candy. It’s the easiest holiday dessert to throw together and an easy, no-bake treat.

Ingredients:

35 saltine crackers

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 bag red and green holiday M&Ms

1 jar baking sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet or jelly-roll pan with tin foil and coat with cooking spray.

Line the baking sheet with Saltine crackers. Set aside.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, and let cook until bubbling, about 2 minutes. Pour mixture over crackers in an even layer and bake 12 to 15 minutes.

Top immediately with chocolate chips and let melt. Smooth chocolate out into an even layer, then top with red and green M&Ms and holiday

sprinkles. Cut into squares, then cool until the chocolate has hardened.