Stefani makes a Christmas at home. We are home! It feels SO good to be home. We have been busy catching up with family, playing with a nephew, telling stories, decorating, eating (SO much eating), listening to Christmas music, more eating, opening parcels and finishing up Christmas present making. I am so very looking forward to the next two weeks. Merry Christmas everyone!

Stefani makes one last trip to her favourite coffee shop. Presents are wrapped, suitcases are packed and the house is clean. Ish. I decided to reward all of my hard work with a walk to the coffee shop for a latte and cinnamon bun since I won't be having either of those for a while (tonight we fly home to celebrate Christmas with our family and friends!). On my way out I checked the mail and discovered a beautiful Christmas card sent from a dear friend. Perfect timing! Let the celebrating begin!

Stefani made Thai Chicken Curry. I made Thai Chicken Curry (another one of Shannon's recipes...she's got the best recipes, that Shannon!)for dinner last night. The perfect end to a day of Christmas-ing in cold Alberta. I also recommend that you listen to this Christmas playlist (thank you A Beautiful Mess!) during all Christmas related making. I listened to it while cooking and eating Thai Chicken Curry. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Stir-fry 4 teaspoons of red curry paste for 30 seconds. Add 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken, cut in thin strips, and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 coarsely chopped onion and stir-fry for 1 minute or until the onion is softened. Add 1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips, and the zest of 1 lemon, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and bring to boil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced slightly. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Stefani makes a brown day. Big brown heart. A latte + seed bun makes me craft better Christmas crafts. I made a brown paper star.

Stefani makes red days. More felted hearts. I am a felting machine these days. Red napkins. Napkin machine just doesn't make sense. Red nose. Don't worry...I would never post a picture of my cold-induced red nose.

Stefani made a trip to the mountains. We went back to the mountains this weekend. We hiked and shopped and dressed warmly (VERY warmly) and explored and took pictures and rode a gondola (I still can't believe M. convinced me to ride that gondola) and ate delicious food and saw REINDEER and when we came home we booked two more stays at hotels in the mountains on weekends in February.

Stefani makes school days. I have a long-ish substitute teaching assignment this week. Three days in a grade five classroom. It feels strange to be in a routine again. Everyday is the same. Wake up. Shower. Oatmeal with banana and walnuts for breakfast. Leave for school. Scrape ice off of car. Wait for car to warm up. Leave for school. Listen to M. rant about political matters on the drive to school. See deer. Review lesson plans. Sing O Canada. Have a pleasant day learning(do you know where to find a vertical face on a three dimensional shape?!) and teaching and recessing with grade five students. (Really. This particular class is amazing.) Meet M. in his classroom. Ha. Warm up the car. Leave for home. Listen to M. rant about political matters on the drive home. See more deer. Dinner. Prepare lunches for the next day. Sleep. Images: a student made me a heart, M.'s campus is under construction and all classes are currently held in the arena.

Stefani made a red and green day. Christmas card-ing. Enjoying my new book, Deck the Halls. Exploring one of our favourite corners in Olds.

Stefani makes a trip to the mountains. M. drove us to Canmore today. Canmore sure has changed since our last visit in October. The town and surrounding mountains are covered in a thick blanket of snow. The temperature has dropped to -10, a sort of treat since the temperature in Olds was -18 today. Really. In Canmore we shopped, we ate (we had a delicious lunch at Harvest Cafe...I recommend the quiche AND the carrot cake...I devoured both) and watched cross country skiers. We LOVE the mountains.

Stefani makes Danish paper hearts. For our Alberta Christmas tree.

Stefani makes a book about November. The November issue is in the mail!

Stefani makes a Christmas tree. We decided not to get a tree in Alberta. Since we will be spending the holidays in Ontario we thought it would be best to buy and decorate a tree there. But we don't fly to Ontario until December 23. And that is a LONG time without a Christmas tree. And so I decided to make us a tree. It doesn't smell like a Christmas tree and it still needs a few more ornaments (I am thinking Danish hearts), but I am quite pleased with the results. Merry almost Christmas!

Stefani made a trip to school. I had a junior high substitute teaching assignment yesterday. Gym class (really), social (the grade eights are learning about the Renaissance and the grade sevens are learning about fur traders), science (again, really) and photography. It was a very informative day. I learned that when teachers book computer labs for their students, so that they can work on editing their photographs, they do NOT edit their photographs. They play violent video games instead. For two whole periods. Heck. Thank goodness for baked pasta. When M. picked me up after school he suggested that we stop for dinner in town. Perfect. I drowned my sorrows in feta cheese (I ordered the Greek lasagna) and M. let me vent about my day. But then after almost an hour of complaining he told me that I had to stop. Our drive home was nice and quiet. I sat back and enjoyed the stunning, snow-covered prairie view. Lately, I really do feel like we live in the North Pole.

Stefani made Chatelaine's Nutella kiss cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir 2 1/2 cups of flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat 1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, just until combined. Roll dough into 1 inch round balls and set on a baking sheet. Bake in the centre of an oven until golden, 11 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Pipe or spoon a Nutella dollop in the centre of each cookie. Easy peasy.

Stefani makes a snow day. Again. After a morning spent indoors, me drawing and listening to Christmas music and M. marking and being annoyed with my listening to Christmas music, we decided that it might be best to bundle ourselves up and venture outside to get some fresh air. And fresh air we got. It was cold in Alberta today. But not so cold that we didn't have fun playing outside in the snow. I am looking forward to many more snow days.

Stefani makes a heart. That sparkles. A little one.

Stefani makes snowflakes. Snowflakes to hang. Now we have snowflakes inside and outside. It is another snowy weekend here in Alberta. I don`t think it has stopped snowing since Thursday. We LOVE it. (Especially me.)