Hindsight is 20/20

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and that everyone is officially ready to roll into the holiday season! I say, "roll," because if you ate what I ate yesterday, then today you are, in fact, rolling!

But first... today is Free For All Friday and we have some voting to do. In the right hand column of our blog, cast your vote for the secret ingredient of your choice (mushrooms v. pineapple), as well as the person you think had this week's winning recipe - Lauren or Kate.

Then...

Check out the post below and get ready to Free For All.

You might remember after Christmas/Hanukkah last year, I asked readers to brain dump all the things they wanted to remember not to forget THIS holiday season. In exchange, I promised to publish your ideas the day after Thanksgiving, helping to assure holiday season 2010 got off to the right start.

Here is what you said in no particular order. Read through and remind yourself - maybe even find a new idea or two.

• Peggy wants to better organize her holiday decorating tubs. Better labels; similar things stored together; and label the box containing ornament hangers!
• Cheryl wants to finish her Christmas Countdown Calendar; get Christmas shopping done in July; Host an Open House party; Get decorations and wrapping paper organized; be sure to have mistletoe, so she can chase her sons around the house with it; and maybe have some outdoor decorations.
• Claudia wants to remember to replace some of the activities on her Twelve Days of Christmas Activity Tree with more simple things like Christmas jokes and puzzles.
• Katie wants to remember to make Reindeer Food for her student staff and her fellow hall directors.
• Anonymous suggested not throwing away wrapping paper this year and using it to make gift tags for next year. Simply cut out the images and rubber cement them to bright colored card stock.
• Peggy added that you could also use old Christmas Cards to make gift tags.
• Michelle wanted to remember to get a holiday picture taken with her new, five month old, babies. She also wants to figure out a fun way to record their first Christmas.
• Kat wanted to be sure to remember to do photo Christmas cards this year and to host a cookie exchange with friends. She added that her mother-in-law has a fun idea... she takes a fun photo of everyone she spent Christmas with and then sends it out as a New Year's card!
• Heather had a long list including items such as: if traveling have family wrap a picture of presents for children and have actual gifts mailed directly to your home; pick up kids Christmas clothes right after the season ends; go see Santa early (TODAY!); take time to stage fun photos with kids in holiday pajamas and cookies.

The idea for last year's post was the result of Matthew receiving Magic Reindeer Dust from a classmate. I loved the idea, but was concerned I would lose or forget it. My idea worked like a dream, because one year later... here is the recipe - safely tucked away in a post from last holiday season.

To make... fill festive cellophane party bag with oats, sprinkles, and sparkles. Attach the following poem:

Magic Reindeer Dust

Come December 24, as Santa flies here from the North,

Here's what you do, it isn't hard.

Just sprinkle this stuff in your yard...

The sprinkles and sparkles draw old Santa near

and oats attract his eight reindeer...

Then just you wait - they're on their way

P.S. Happy Holiday

Magic Reindeer Dust prompted the idea for Snowman Soup. Check it out. To make... combine 1 package hot chocolate mix, 3 Hershey Kisses; 10 miniature marshmallows; 1 candy cane. Place in small ziplock bag or new mug. Attach the following poem:

Snowman Soup

When the weather outside is frightful,

Snowman Soup can be delightful.

May it warm your spirit and your soul

Let it Snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

When you feel a chill or "brrrrrr"

Use the peppermint stick to stir.

Add hot water and sip it slow.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

I, for one, was glad to see this list of holiday reminders. I did not remember the Magic Reindeer Dust idea, but now that I see it again, I will certainly use it as an inexpensive gift for Jack and his classmates (I have another idea in the works for Matthew's class).

If the idea works for Christmas and Hanukkah, could it also work for Thanksgiving? Is there something you wish you would have remembered sooner when preparing for this year's Thanksgiving? If so, tell me before you forget. If I get enough ideas, I will present them next year on the day after Halloween.

Don't like my Free For All topic? Jump in and pose your own.

Signing off until tomorrow...