Christmas for friends and neighbors

It's always a fun game to figure out what to give to friends and neighbors for Christmas right?  Well I thought I'd share a few ideas to help inspire you...

#1 - The Christmas "RAP" - Thanks to my friend Raelene for sharing this cute poem and idea!

Add this poem to wrapping paper and tie with a pair of scissors or tape...

 Each and every blessed year,

there comes a night you always fear,

The stack of presents lie in wait,

for you to wrap until way late.

Why wait for that nightmarish trap,

on Christmas Eve the gifts to wrap?

Just set a goal and make a vow,

to wrap those gifts and wrap them now.

Tie each present with lots of care,

thinking of others as you prepare.

And you will find the spirit of giving,

will bring more joy than that of getting.

Our love and Christmas cheer we send

and now our "rap" is at its end.

May all your wrapping soon be done,

and your holiday season filled with fun!

#2 - Serving platter - I've seen these sold at boutiques and home decor stores lately.  They make a fun gift and easy to make!

I must admit the taper candle holders are hard to find right now.  Dollar Tree usually sells them but they've been out.  They sell them in a box of 12 online and I may just order a box for safe keeping :)  You want something medium height and on the skinny side.  I did make one with a shorter candle holder and it turned out pretty cute too!

My friend Charlie had made these and told me to use Epoxy to adhere the candle holder and plate.  I bought this at Target...it helps me to have a visual of what I'm looking for!  It's pretty straightforward to use...just spread it over the top of the candle holder and stick to the bottom of the plate!  It dries fairly quickly too.

I found my plates at TJ Maxx.  They usually have unique ones to choose from.  TaiPan also has a good selection of plates.  You want to use the largest dinner sized plate.  

 #3 - Chewy Chex mix - I LOVE this treat and its a good one to share!  I found these tin plates at Dollar Tree and thought they were super cute!

Chewy Chex Mix Recipe

1 cup Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

20 marshmallows (optional)

Melt all ingredients together until smooth (let boil slightly, but not too much or the mixture will turn hard when it cools)

Pour over one box of Rice Chex cereal

Add green and red M&M's and/or slivered almonds

*Don't buy ribbon in bulk anywhere but Costco...$7 for 50 yards vs. $2.50 for 3 yards!

#4 - Oreo Truffles - My cute neighbor Leslie shared the recipe for these and they are the perfect bite-sized treat.

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreos

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

2 packages Bakers semi-sweet chocolate

*Set aside nine Oreos (crush for the top)

*Crush remaining cookies (I used my small food chopper...worked great!).  Mix cookie crumbs with cream cheese (helps to soften a little bit in the microwave first!)  Roll mixture into small balls and place on wax paper.

Heat one package Baker's chocolate.  Dip Oreo balls into chocolate, place on wax paper to cool.  You may need some of the second package, but not all.

Sprinkle crumbs on truffles.  Refridgerate for two hours before serving.

I put mine on cute Christmas ceramic plates...I like how they turned out!

 #5 - Easy chocolate pretzels - thanks to my sister-in-law Wendi for sharing this recipe.  They are so easy and yummy!  Easy to gift as well...



Chocolate pretzels

1 package mini-twist pretzels

1-2 packages Rolos

1 package pecan halves

Place pretzels on plate...place a Rolo on each pretzel.

Melt in microwave for 30-40 seconds.  Immediately after removing pretzels, place pecan on top of Rolo and gently press down.  Let cool and package!

#6 - Christmas book - I didn't make one of these up this year, but we had it given as a gift last year and my friend Kallee is doing it this year.  Order the Christmas book special in the Scholastic book order, wrap and give to families! Easy and a great gift people will use each year!

#7 - Christmas shopping babysitter - If my basement was finished and I had a nice playroom for the kids to go I would do a night out where my neighbors could bring their kids over for a few hours to go to get Christmas shopping done.  With the kids here, we'd play games, decorate cookies and have fun!  Would be a nice thing for both parents and kids!

Hopefully something has sparked your interest here if you haven't got a clue what to give this year.  I have a great neighborhood full of wonderful people that I love to share the holidays with!