As many of you know, I’ve had an extreme case of the Bah Humbugs (nothing that a little gingerbread cookie recipe won’t cure, huh). But, I’m a good enough mother to know that I have to snap the hell out of it to make sure that my Rosie has a Merry Christmas. So, last week I did just that as I channeled my inner creative side to make sure that the holidays were at least merry and bright for my teen’s friends. Here’s a little glimpse of what went on at the CB home.
Dance Team Secret Santa
We were given a $2 a day budget for the first three days (yes, you read that right) and a $10 budget for the last day. It was interesting to see my teen shop with two bucks because there’s not a lot you can get. However, we were given a list of her friends favorite things so we had a little guidance. Rosie did a great job staying under budget- the first day we gift wrapped a bag of salt and vinegar chips (honestly, chips are like heaven to a teen. I don’t get it but I can’t eat all that salt anymore so I don’t have too. Right?).
Rosie’s creative side came out when we started to talk about the daily clues. These girls spend at least two hours together every single day, so there’s not a lot they don’t know about each other. So, Rosie didn’t want to come up with generic stuff like, “I’m in 7th grade.” She decided to do song lyrics. Here were her gifts for each day and her clues:
- Day One: Clue: “I get mani-pedi’s but I’m made of muscle” Gift: Mia’s favorite chips
- Day Two: Clue: “I live for the applause” Gift: A two liter of Dr. Pepper and Reese’s Peanut butter cups
- Day Three: “Shine bright like a diamond” Gift: Nail polish
- Day Four : “Light it up, up, up….I’m on fire!” Gift: Movie, popcorn, small coke, candy
Well, Rosie’s clues were so good that Mia had no idea who had her name (although once Rosie told her. It all made sense). She loved her gifts. Hopefully this gives you some great ideas for next year.
Personalized Beanies
Rosie wanted to give her BFF’s a gift and thought beanies would be a great idea. So, we headed to the mall. Unfortunately, the ones at the hot stores were $10-$15 and she didn’t want to blow all her budget on the hats. So, we bought hats for a couple bucks at a discount store and she personalized them with iron-on letters and a little bling. All the girls loved them!
Hairbow Jar
Once again, we had to get creative with a very small budget. We could spend $10 for our competitive dance team gift exchange where the girl’s can choose to take a new gift or steal an existing one. Since most of them still love hairbows, we put two inside a mason jar with candy (disclaimer: although I’m handy, I didn’t make the bows because of time constraints) and one on top. Unfortunately, our party got cancelled due to bad weather so you’ll have to stay tuned to see how loved they are.
The best low-fat Gingerbread cookie you’ll ever have!
Rosie wanted to make Gingerbread cookies and then decorate them to look like her because she’s a Ginger. So, we messed around with recipes until we found one that was a little healthier, not too gingery and didn’t get hard as a rock. Even though we’re sure you’re done with your baking, we thought we’d share.
- 3 cups flour
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbs ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 stick butter
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup full-flavored molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Blend all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a stand mixer, cream the butter sugar and egg. Add the molasses and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
- Divide the dough in half, wrap in Press and Seal and let stand for a minimum of two hours on the counter to warm to room temperature. Roll on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick and cut with gingerbread person cutter. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes (until the edges are brown). Let cookies stand on sheet to firm and then cool on rack.
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