Friday Favorites..Crafts & Recipes

These are some of my Favorite Things to do...
Make Aprons/Baking....These are for my
ETSY SHOP... This is the Moms, Grandmas,
Aunts, or Friends Apron. The bows are heat
sealed to prevent fraying & are easily removed
for washing. (If interested in purchasing one
you can go to the sidebar & click on the
"santasgiftshoppe"under the ETSY PHOTOS
& it'll take you right to the store)

This is the Childs Matching Apron
for daughters, grand-daughters, nieces
or friends...The bows are heat sealed to
prevent fraying & easily removed for
washing. It also has a FREE Rolling Pin
included.(This Matching smaller apron can
also be found in santagiftshoppe.etsy.com
just click on the link & your there)

This weeks Favorite Recipe:
Homemade Twix Bars
(Don't you just love the the
Mary Engelbreit plate..I do)
I found this recipe on cooks.com under mock
Twix Bars but I prefer to call them Homemade
Twix bars..These are really so goooood..........

This is really an easy recipe with great results.
Another added plus is that they are NO-Bake..
Especially in the Summer I hate to have the
oven on...How bout you?

RECIPE
1 Box of Club Crackers
1 c. crushed Graham Crackers
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 c. chocolate chips (I like milk choco. chips for these)
2/3 c. peanut butter

Directions:
1) In a 9 x 13 inch buttered pan put a layer of whole
club crackers. See Photo Below:
2) In a saucepan combine graham crackers, brown sugar,
white sugar, milk (I used non-fat & it worked fine) &
butter. See Photo Below:
3) Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread
over crackers..Be careful this is hot!! (I love the
off-set spatula for this) See Photo Below:

4) Next add another layer of crackers,
& gently press down not breaking any.
Put in refrigerator for 30 min.
See Photo Below:

5) To make the Frosting: put choc. chips
& peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl
& melt for 1-2 min. stirring & checking
every 30 sec. after the 1st minute.

Frost crackers & put in refrigerator for 30 min.
See Photos Below:
6) All Finished..Now to enjoy!!!
Good job!! Have a great Memorial Day!!

SNEAK PEEK of "Santa's Gift Shoppe" (Year Round) on "ETSY"

Do you love Polka Dot?? I do...I love any
kind of aprons..but polka dot ones are a favorite.
I love the matching plates as well..What a
FUN IDEA for a Valentine's day gift or
Mother's Day surprise..
(who wouldn't feel "cuter" in the kitchen
wearing one of these!!!)

I've selected a few color combinations of these
Cutie-Pie Aprons that we have & each
can be matched with a child's apron as well.
How cute is that???

A matching Mom/Daughter Cutie-Pie Apron
set or even a Grandma/Grand-Daughter Cutie
-Pie Apron set. We love anything that brings
family closer & making Great memories!!
I can smell the aroma of Chocolate Chip Cookies
in the oven right now....


I love these "Kiss the Cook Plates" They
go so well with the Cutie-Pie Aprons!!
Some of the Most Popular Aprons...are the
Black/White Polka dot...& the Red/White
Polka dot Cutie-Pie Combos...


This is a cute color combo.. Bubble Gum Pink/
Lime sickle Polka dot. This is the adult apron. & This is the child's "matching one"

This is the Child's Aqua/Chocolate

Polka dot Apron...

& the Child's Red/Forest Green

Popular Plaid Apron...

We also have a limited selection of Beanie Caps
with 4" detachable Flowers (2 looks for

the price of one)

& a wide selection of "Cutie-Pie" Polka dot

Bows (you could even match the Apron!!!)

& Flowers with/without headbands..

All are "interchangeable" with each other

(Fancier Flowers with lg. Rhinestones..

available but not shown in photo)

FREE GIVEAWAY...Cutie-Pie Apron & Vinyl Lettering "Kiss the Cook" plate

Black & White Polka-dot Cutie-Pie Apron
& "Kiss the Cook" Plate

Red & White polka-dot Cutie-Pie Apron

& "Kiss the Cook" Plate

In honor of Valentine's Day we would like

to Giveaway 1 of these Cutie-Pie Aprons

& "Kiss the Cook" Plates.. (The plate has

Vinyl Lettering on it so you would not want to

put food on it) It is a high quality plastic but

looks ceramic....Black & White Polka-dot apron

has black ruffle on pocket (looks like a band in

photo) Red apron has tiny pin point white dots

on it that (in photo) can't be seen that well.

*****HOW TO ENTER******

1) Leave a comment along with your

email telling us which one you want if you

won...that gives you 1 chance

2) Post about this Giveaway on

your blog or Facebook and leave me

another comment WITH A LINK

back to this blog...Link will be verified...

that gives you 2 chances

3) Follow this blog...(Go to the sidebar

then click on"Followers" and follow the

prompts)...that gives you 2 chances

4) Add us to your blog list....that gives you 1 chance

5) Grab our "Button" & Code and put on your blog...

that gives you 1 chance

6)Subscribe to our email (at top of blog)

(will be verified) ....that gives you 1 chance

Note: You do not need to have a blog to enter but you

do need to leave an email address.

Good Luck to everyone!

Giveaway closes Wed. Feb.17th 11:59pm PST

(Open to U.S. 48 contiguous states)

Winner of the Giveaway........is

Here are some photos of Santa's Gift Shoppe
Boutique we had Fri/Sat....It was Wonderful!!!!
Hope you had a chance to be a partaker of this
fun boutique!! It was great to meet New friends
& have reunions with friends we haven't seen for
a while!!!!

But first I'd like to Congratulate....
Jennifer from Fresno, California....
as the most recent winner in our Giveaway!!!!

She received a beautiful gold charger w/the
three wisemen & a wonderful saying on it...
She was really happy to receive it as she
finished her shopping @ Santa's Gift Shoppe....

Back to your Tour.....Below is a pic of the
"Contemporary" Section or Black & White
Section of the Boutique...I really had fun
setting it up!! Some of my favorite things were
the Aprons & the "Kiss the Cook" plates...
they also were fun to make...

A friend of mine had a great idea!!! Give the
"Kiss the Cook" plates to the husbands
& the aprons to their wives!!! (with recipes)

********I think after the new year begins
they will be available to buy from the blog...
You'll have to keep checking back as
to when I start getting that all pulled
together!!!!


This is the kitchen filled with breads, candies,
Cookies, & Jams..

The above 2 pics are some of the great gift ideas

we had for you...Note: The Nativity with tiny lights

behind the Glass...Gives a great effect!!

These are some of the Italian Stones (in various

shapes & sizes & different sayings) A Great Gift

for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, any

occasion...

I absolutely love these aprons...They were in

all colors for children & adults.....There are only

a few left...They went flying off the shelves.....

These are some pics of "Stackers", blocks &

Chargers with the vinyl sayings on them...

They are such a Hit!!

This is looking into the kitchen where there

was such a variety to choose from!!!

Below is the jewelry Section...With Swarovski

accented jewelry....sparkling!!

Below we look at the Family Room filled with

Chargers, ornaments of all kinds, Glass, novelty

items & fun stocking stuffers....

And the popular polka-dot hair bows, & flowers!!!

Always adoreable on our little girls or grand-

daughters!!!

And last..The Giveaways!! Below are the great

Giveaways we had at Santa's Gift Shoppe...

They went to 6 Lucky people....

Hope you had fun on our Virtual Tour

of Santa's Gift Shoppe!!!! Come back & see

us very soon... We love giving you ideas to

make your holiday more memorable.....

How "Interchangables"..can SAVE YOU MONEY

How in this economy.....can I stretch my
money, & at the same time have my daughter
wear the cutest Bows, Flowers & Headbands
that can be very PRICEY online or in the mall???
My mouth dropped open when I found some headbands
w/Flowers online for $10-$16.00....Wow...and it said
SOLD under one of the photos for $16.00.....I could not
believe it....
I will not be charging high prices....I have
always liked finding a good deal on things and I
believe you would too. I will have very good prices
for you @ Santa's Gift Shoppe Boutique....
We are all in this together...Why not help each
other out and get through this a little easier....

One way is to buy what I call "Interchangeables"..
That is......to buy maybe a white headband with a
Pink & white Flower....... then instead of buying
another whole set for Christmas (just get a RED
Flower or a polka-dot Cutie-Pie Bow & use
the same color headband.....MIX & MATCH...
That's why I call them "Interchangeables" ..It's
like stretching your wardrobe.....

The Cutie-Pie Mother/Daughter Apron Set
w/Bow was so popular in the GIVEAWAY.......
I thought you might like to see some of the other
COLORS we will be using for Aprons, Bows, &
Flower Headbands at this years Santa's Gift
Shoppe Boutique (Fri. Dec. 4th & Sat. Dec. 5th)


This is the matching material (soon to be aprons)
that go with the Bows (if you want matching bows that is)

Does anyone have a "Bewitched nose" that I could
borrow to have these done with a "twitch of a nose".....
Wouldn't that come in handy along about now......
PLEASE SEND IN THOSE ELVES!!!

The Cutie-Pie Brown/Aqua & Brown/Pink

Polka-Dots are really popular.....

So are the Bright PINK & GREEN Polka-Dots

Then you have the Headbands with "Interchangeable"

Flowers.....

Or put a Polka-Dot Cutie-Pie Bow on the

Headband and give it a whole different look....