HELLO 2016!

HAVE A VERY SCARY CHRISTMAS!

 

Can you believe that another year has passed again so quickly? Time sure does seem to fly by, when we have as much fun as we do around here!

I don't know about you.... but I'm exhausted! So, The Queen will be taking a much-needed break, to enjoy Christmas with The Count.

Have a safe and frightfully fantastic Christmas! And I want to thank you all so much, for being such loyal Halloweenies over the years, and I look forward to all of the fab-boo-lous things that the new year will bring.

Enjoy this holiday season with your family and fiends, and here's to a Spooky New Year!

MAKE A YUMMY HOLIDAY WREATH

Christmas isn’t complete without a wreath. Better yet, why not make it a wreath you can eat? A must-have recipe for holiday gatherings, this mini sausage wreath is simple and quick to make and is a marvelous centerpiece for your table of Christmas hors d’oeuvres.

Ingredients

• Mini Sausages
• Refrigerated Crescent Dough Rolls
• Red Bell Pepper
• Diced Rosemary
• 1/3 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 cup Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to the temperature specified on the package of Refrigerated Crescent Dough Rolls. Drain the liquid off of the mini sausages.
2. Unroll the crescent dough and separate at the perforations to create 4 rectangles. Press together the remaining perforation in each rectangle. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 8 strips making a total of 32 strips.
3. Wrap one strip of dough around each mini sausage. Lay out the crescent-wrapped sausages with their sides touching on an ungreased cookie sheet in a circle forming a wreath shape.
4. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown. Melt 1/3 cup of butter and brush the butter on top of the crescent-wrapped sausages. Sprinkle the rosemary on top of the butter.
5. Cut a red bell pepper into a bow shape for garnish. Combine the BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until heated through. Serve with wreath for dipping.

For more amazing holiday recipes, you need to check out Six Sisters Stuff.Com!

CHEERS!

 

A very classy wine friend of mine, just told me about this wine, she said I "absolutely need to try!"

Every year around this time, vintners and distilleries like to release special edition or limited engagement offerings. This year, Apothic Wines is offering their Apothic Dark. Blueberry, blackberry, coffee, and dark chocolate blend together beautifully in an under $15 selection that is silky on the tongue, but full of rich notes that linger, making the next sip as welcome as the first.

Served at room temperature or just very slightly chilled, will release the fruit scents as well as the classic coffee and chocolate combination.

Be sure to check out their website, they've got so many faBOOlous wines to choose from, and it's a the perfect gift for the wine lover on your list.... or for yourself.

Sounds perfect for those long winter nights around The Manor......

COMPANY'S COMING!

The holidays are not only a time for hot chocolate by the fire, snowball fights, and Christmas shopping.... it's also time for house guests! And with all the holiday preparations, the last thing you feel like doing is cleaning your house before company arrives!

Well, let me tell you.... I, The Queen, am no different. I hate cleaning, and yes, I have to do it too.... so when you don't have time to waste, you want to get it done fast! So what to do? Get some expert advice, that's what! And that would be Melissa at The Happier Homemaker.com on "How To Clean Your Whole House In 1 Hour"....

Start at the Top
No matter what room your cleaning, clean from the top down so that dirt and dust from higher surfaces falls on lower surfaces that haven’t yet been cleaned. Dust ceiling fans, then furniture wiping dirt directly on the floor. Clean all of the floors as your last step to remove the dirt and dust.

Bedrooms-6 minutes per bedroom

• Strip linens and remake beds. When making beds rather than hunch over tucking bottom sheets under the mattress use one hand to lift the corner while tucking the sheet with the other.
• Clear all clutter , if you’re in a hurry gather clutter in a spare basket or bin for later organization and tuck out of sight in a closet.
• Wipe down furniture with dust spray and microfiber cloth, working top to bottom.

Bathrooms-7 minutes per bathroom

• I like to clean all of my bathrooms at once-make a quick trip around all the bathrooms in the house to clear counters and spray counters and tubs with cleaner, allow to sit while you clean toilets and wipe down the outer toilet surface.
• Go back and wipe down counters and rinse tub then clean mirrors.
• Come back to clean the floors when cleaning the kitchen floor.

Living/Dining Rooms-7 minutes

• Clear all clutter.
• Starting in one corner of the room and working around dust all surfaces top to bottom. (If you have blinds and/or ceiling fans, dust those first.)
• Use upholstery attachment and vacuum upholstered furniture.
• Vacuum floors along with all house carpeting as last cleaning step.

Kitchen-12 minutes

• Load all dirty dishes in the dishwasher and fill sink with hot soapy water. If your stove top has removable burner pieces that need to be cleaned, place in water.
• Clear counters.
• Dunk sponge in hot water and squeeze out excess, wipe down cabinets, counters and other surfaces again working top to bottom. Rinse sponge in hot water as you clean-you’ll be amazed how much dirt comes off!
• Wipe down appliances. (When you have more time consider doing this trick for preventing fingerprints on stainless steel!)
• Finish cleaning any stove pieces and replace.
• Clean floors last along with all hard flooring surfaces in the house.

Floors-15 minutes whole house

• When vacuuming carpeted rooms work your way backwards out of the room moving quickly and without too much overlap to save time.
• Vacuum, don’t sweep hard floors-use an attachment to get corners where dust and pet hair can accumulate. This helps prevent kicking dust into the air that will quickly settle again and aggravating allergies.
• Steam mops or Hardwood Floor Cleaners (this is my favorite) also make cleaning hard surfaces much faster than traditional mops, so I highly recommend investing in one of those to keep your cleaning quick!

Thanks so much for the words of wisdom, Melissa! Now that you've got the cleaning done, it might be a good time to sit down for a minute and relax. Make a hot cup of tea and enjoy the cleanliness.... because any minute, the doorbell is gonna ring.....

Happy Cleaning!

THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING.... FOR CHRISTMAS!

I'm sure you all know a zombie-lover, or maybe you're one yourself! If it's you or someone else on your holiday shopping list, you really need to Think Geek! Check out all the cool zombified goodies on their website, and just in time for the holidays!

I for one, need one of the adorable Zombie Bowls... just $12.99! Tell me who wouldn't LOVE to have their morning cereal is this little cutie?! And at that price, you should probably get more than one!

Some other cool stuff, are these oversized plush Zombie Slippers. So cute and cuddly, they'll keep your tootsies extra warm and tasty...oops, I mean toasty on those cold winter nights. They're priced at $24.99.

And for the gardener, they must have these Zombie
Apocalypse Garden Gnomes! There are three to choose from, they're $19.99 each, and they are ready for battle! I can guarantee these are not your mom's run-of-the-mill garden gnomes..... and if they are, I know she'll love 'em too!

For lots for fun holiday gift ideas, be sure to hop on Think Geek.com, it's definitely worth the trip! Happy shopping!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS CHALKBOARD PROJECT

You know we love decorating for Christmas as much as for Halloween, and the craftier.... the better!

This super crafty idea comes from Abi at Laughing Abi, and not only is it pretty darn easy, it something you can use all year long!

All you'll need is some white spray paint, and old picture or mirror frame, and some chalkboard paint! I'll let Abi take it from here.....

Chalkboards are everywhere right now and my house is no exception. I love doodling new things on this one in our entry when the seasons change. (See my Halloween board and tutorial HERE.) I asked the kids what they thought it should say for the holidays and they both picked a Countdown To Christmas theme. (Did you hear what I said? They agreed on something.)

Since I don’t like my own handwriting much I went searching for a font that seemed “countdowny” but wasn’t too detailed or fussy. I landed on this one called Sandwich Paper. After a quick download and install I got to work, following the same steps I used at Halloween.

As for the little fillers, a quick Google search for “chalkboard doodles” or “chalkboard flourishes” will turn up about a zillion ideas. I found my inspiration here but you could use anything. I just felt like swirls and twigs that day.

Then all that’s left to do is hang it up and admire its loveliness. Oh, and of course change the count each day.

Thanks so much Abi! And for more really cool ideas, be sure to check out the Laughing Abi website!