Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke
Capturing the Joy in Life
I wanted to share with you some pictures of how I decorate for Christmas. I’ve been collecting cute little Christmas knick-nacks for quite a few years now, and pulling them out to decorate brings back memories of the place in my life I was when I got them… many before I was married. I love the decorate in the traditional red and green with silver sprinkled in. I’ve seen beautiful hand made decor all over… Continue Reading
Do you need a last minute gift idea that is sure to delight anyone on your list? Everyone loves ictures! It’s a no brainer that I gift my parents and grandparents pictures of my family and children each year. It’s what they love and something unique only I can give. But this gift idea is geared more specifically to young children (but I’m sure adults would enjoy it as well). It can be done in just… Continue Reading
Friends! I just got all of my holiday cards in, and I am busily stuffing them as our family watches ELF the movie. I will share my card in a blog post with everyone next week (gotta make sure it gets into the mailboxes first). I wanted to say that IF you have extra holiday cards laying around, I’d LOVE to have one! It is one of my most favorite things to peek into the… Continue Reading
I’ve got a fun little Kids Christmas Craft to share today. I found these clear plastic ornaments at a few different craft stores, and was SO excited! Am I the only one that cringes when glass ornaments and kids get near each other? I even remember it as a holiday class activity for my son in first grade–yikes!! There are so many fun things you can put inside of these ornaments, you can… Continue Reading
TODAY, I share with you my favorite holiday treat. I call it Christmas Crunch (I won’t be sad if you call it Kristen’s Christmas Crunch). I’ve been making it for so long (before blogs and pinterest) that I have no idea where it came from. 3 simple ingredients, and ready in under 20 minutes, and the whole batch can be wrapped up into about 6-10 gifts for friends. Christmas Crunch 2 reg. size bags MINT… Continue Reading
I am delighted to share with you our new family holiday tradition: our Kids Christmas Pillowcase. The idea is new to me, having just heard about such a concept recently. It’s a fun new tradition that kids get to pull out a festive pillowcase that is normally stored in the attic with other holiday decor. They slip it on their pillow for the month of December, then pack it away after Christmas so it will… Continue Reading
This Corn Flake Christmas Wreath Recipe goes all the way back to my childhood. I remember my mom whipping up a wreath each Christmas, and my brothers and I would gobble it up that same night! It’s basically a Rice Krispie treat, but substituting corn flakes for the puffed rice. It looks like a real Christmas wreath because the wavy flakes immitate the leaves in a wreath! When I had this out on the counter… Continue Reading
Today, I’m sharing a nostalgic Christmas treat from my childhood. In high school, my best friend Natalie’s mom would make this Christmas Tree Bread treat for our family each year, and I thought it was the most wonderful gift: Delicious and cute, what a great combination! The yummy flavor I would liken unto the cousin of a cinnamon roll with an almond twist. {I originally shared this at Tatertots and Jello, go check out all of… Continue Reading
I am very happy to share with you the recipe for chocolate peppermint cookies, which are a Christmas spin-off of my favorite Andes mint cookies. They can be enjoyed warm and gooey out of the oven, or chilled for a delightful texture. The recipe is super simple, with 3 ingredients (besides eggs and oil you will likely have on hand), and 2 you might already keep around: Devil’s Food cake mix, chocolate chips (in… Continue Reading
I love all of the peppermint items coming out this holiday season. New to me was the Kraft Peppermint Marshmallows AND the White Chocolate Peppermint M&M’s. I had already planned to make some Krispie treats with the marshmallows, but when I saw both my friends Leigh Anne from Your Homebased Mom and Kristyn from Lil’ Luna share instagram pics of the white chocolate peppermint M&M’s they found, I knew I had to throw them in… Continue Reading
Christmas Eve It was pouring rain nearly all day on Christmas Eve. We had a breakfast party at our neighbors home, got to be Secret Santa’s to a less fortunate family, last minute grocery store run, & then we went to see another neighbor sing a solo at her church’s service. My youngest fell asleep on the drive home (5:30 p.m.) and I could not wake her up for a good hour after that. We… Continue Reading
front back I wasn’t planning to do this Christmas shoot, but when my friends Tricia & Heather brought up the idea, I was totally game! I will always do more family pictures! I ordered a 6×9 flat card from Vista Print (thanks, Aimee for the tip!) I am very happy with how it turned out…especially because of the number I ordered. I wanted to include our July pictures on the beach in California, so those were… Continue Reading
I had this yummy treat at a holiday party we attended, and was so excited to get the recipe! {The above image looks extra dreamy because it was taken at 1:30 a.m. under the vent hood light in my kitchen. The things I do for you, friends.} Start with crushed Nilla wafers mixed with butter as the crust…then drop the chocolate mixture… My mom’s lovely hands spreading above. Let that freeze… Then drop spoonfuls of… Continue Reading
I just heard my daughter say, “6 days until Christmas” while hearing my boys practice their Jingle Bells duet on the piano for their recital this morning. Ahh, the joys of Christmas. Our elf J.J., has been very mysterious and colored on our large family portrait with a dry erase marker making marks on our faces (It’s ok, it wipes off on glass). Last night, he got into my handmade gumdrop Christmas treat. (taken with… Continue Reading
Oh me, oh my…I shoved 172 Christmas cards into the box at the post office yesterday. I could hear a hallelujah chorus singing as I did so, but I couldn’t help but feel a slight anxiety: Did I put stamps on each one? Did they all have a letter enclosed? Were the addresses correct for everyone? Will it really reach my hubby’s roommate that we’ve never heard back from? How many will be returned this year?… Continue Reading
