- What is your Favorite Gift to Give?
Over the holidays, remember what's important!
During a holiday season unlike any many of us have ever experienced before, take some time to appreciate what is most important in life and get down to basics. It isn’t always about the grand parties, expensive gifts and material items – it’s about spending time (even if it is virtually) with the people you love and taking time for yourself to relax and enjoy the time off from work and other activities.
Whether it is sharing fond holiday memories with friends and family over a Zoom chat, sending cards to relatives out of town, or sending a fun picture over text from a previous year’s celebration, take the time to remember the best things about the holidays. It shouldn’t be about spending a lot of money or worrying about all the activities you aren’t able to do this year. Instead, focus on what you can do and make the holidays a relaxing and fun time.
The holidays are also often a time to look towards the New Year and setting goals to achieve in the next 12 months. With uncertain times still ahead in 2021, that doesn’t mean you can’t still think about some achievements you want to make. For example, it could be to simplify your life, whether it’s by organizing your material possessions or your day to day activities. It could be to take more time to connect with family and friends, or to live a healthier lifestyle. Whatever you set your mind to do, make sure that it is something that you want to achieve and know that you can realistically achieve in the time you set for yourself. Goals will be unattainable if they aren’t set correctly in the first place.
This Christmas will be different for everyone this year, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t still be enjoyed and that there isn’t much to still look forward to in the New Year. Make sure you take the time to remember what is important about this time and appreciate all we do have this year.
Start planning for your holiday baking!
What better way to stay home and get into the holiday spirit than by baking some festive treats? Cookies are a seasonal favourite – not only can they feed the whole family, but they’re especially comforting on a cold winter day when enjoyed still warm from the oven. Below, we’ve collected a couple of favourite recipes you can try at home.
Snowball Cookies (Saucepan Cookies)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time*: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
*Extra time is needed setting and cooling.
Ingredients
· 1 ½ cups margarine
· 2 ¼ cups sugar
· 6 eggs
· 1 ½ tsp. salt
· 3 cups chopped dates
· 3 tsp. vanilla
· 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts (optional)
· 6 cups rice krispies
· 2+ cups of shredded coconut
Instructions
· Add the margarine, sugar, eggs and salt to a medium saucepan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
· Add in the vanilla and let the mixture cool until it is not too hot to handle.
· Fold in the rice krispies and chopped walnuts.
· Form into bite-sized balls and roll into the shredded coconut to create a “snowball.”
· Leave the cookies to cool and set before serving.
