I used to cook a lot for Christmas, but I’ve scaled it back some in the last few years.  My kids are at the age where I want to play with them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and not be chained to the kitchen counter while everyone else is having fun.   So, I’ve gladly given that honor to my mother or mother-in-law or I make something I can cook ahead of time like gumbo.   However, I do bake for Christmas and it is always home-made!  I make my aunt’s red velvet cake recipe that is very good, B. Smith’s lemon pound cake and a chocolate cake that is a dead-ringer for Watershed’s famous cake here in Atlanta.  

But, the cake that has my friends and family screaming for more is my friend Cheryl Jackson’s Almond Pound Cake.  When I lived in New Jersey, Cheryl was the fancy cook in our crew; she watched the Food Network long before it was fashionable.   My friends and I met regularly to scrapbook together and the host would provide lunch.  When it was Cheryl’s turn to host, we knew that we were always in for a culinary treat.  One year she made this Almond Pound Cake for dessert and we were all hooked ever since.   This is Cheryl’s own secret recipe and for years she wouldn’t share it with anyone, but I think that she got tired of us begging her to make us a cake, so she finally gave it up.  With her permission, I am now sharing it with you.    It’s delicious at any temperature, but if you time it just right and serve it after it has had a chance to cool off slightly, but is still warm, it is incredible!

Cheryl’s Secret Almond Pound Cake

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of butter

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

4 eggs

1 cup of sour milk (add 1 tbl of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to milk)

3 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of almond extract

Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  Cream sugar and butter together.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add in salt, baking powder and soda.  Add flour and milk alternating.  Add extract.  Bake for 60-75 minutes.  As soon as cake comes out of the oven poke holes in top of cake with a fork.  Pour ¾ of glaze mixture over cake (recipe below).  Let cake cool slightly (about 30 min).  When cake comes out of the cake pan pour the remaining glaze mixture over cake.

Glaze mixture

¾ cups of sugar

1/3 cup of butter

3 tbl water

2 tbl almond extract

Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until sugar and butter are completely melted.

One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is snuggle up by the fire with my daughter and read aloud our favorite Christmas books.  Since I pack the books away along with the Christmas decorations, every year it is like discovering old friends again.  I have been buying Christmas books for 13 years now so I tons and love them all, but here are 5 of my favorites.

The Nativity: Six Glorious Pop-Up Scenes by Francesca Crespi I have several books about the nativity, but I love this one because I like pop-up books.  Usually I would not recommend pop-up books for young children, but this one is very sturdy and pretty kid-friendly.

Christmas For 10 by Cathryn Falwell This book is a holiday version of another book by Cathryn Falwell, Feast for 10.  When my son was about 2 1/2 he had memorized Feast for 10 and “read” it aloud during our local bookstore story hour, so Ms. Falwell books have sentimental meaning for me.  But mother-pride aside, I love her books because they show a family working co-operatively to create a meal and enjoy it together, or in this case prepare for Christmas while spending quality time together.    As a bonus, it is always nice to find books featuring people of color.

Mrs. Claus Take a Vacation by Linas Alsenas This is a fairly new book to our collection and while it is very simple, I like it.  Mrs. Claus gets fed up staying home while Santa sees the world, so she decides to go a solo trip, leaving Santa at home to prepare for Christmas by himself.  I like that Mrs. Claus is independent enough to have a great time by herself (while Santa is at home moping), but that eventually she does miss Santa and comes home.  A fun read for kids, but a thoughtful message about the growth of a marriage too.

‘Twas the Night B’fore Christmas: An African American Version Retold by Melodye Rosales  I know; just how many versions of this story is necessary?  I have several versions myself, but this is my favorite.  I will tell you that the written language in this version is not “proper” english, but instead colloquial language that would have been used during the turn of the century, so if you have a problem with that, this is not the book for you.  But I found the language to be rich and full of detail, like reading Zora Neale Hurston.  The illustrations are beautiful and the Santa in this version of the famous poem is quite a character!  I just love the last line in the book as Santa rides away in his sleigh, “Merry Christmas To All!  Y’all Sleep Tight!”

*If you see a copy of this book, snag it right away!  As I just searched for it on Amazon, I saw that people are selling this book starting at $50 and well into the $100′s.  Wow.

My final book suggestion is only for true believers in Santa Claus.  I bought this book, Santa Claus by Rod Green, in 2006 when it first came out and I think that we might have gotten through the whole book once because it is so rich and full of information.  If you or your kids have ever wondered just how Santa does all that he does, this is the book for you!  The North Pole, Santa’s workshop, the reindeer, the suit, the sleigh, delivering the presents–it’s all explained in this book.   This book is best explored a little bit at a time because it is quite a lot to digest in one sitting.   It would also make a great gift as it is a really beautiful book.

I hope that I have given you a suggestion or two of Christmas books to share with your child.  Make some hot cocoa, get a cozy blanket, grab a book and snuggle up to read together; these are the times that memories are made of.

I hope that by now you would have already bought gifts for the special adults in your life like your spouse, close family members and best friends.   If you haven’t figured out by now that they really want that new Coach purse, a pair of Ugg boots or an iPhone, you are in big trouble and there’s no hope for you anyway.  

But usually the special people in our life aren’t the ones that we have trouble buying gifts for–it’s the other ones like our in-laws, co-workers, exercise buddy or “Secret Santa” person.  Those people are the ones who have us aimlessly walking around the mall without any direction or purpose and cause us to make bad gift choices from those kiosk carts in the middle of the mall.   Well, no more!–Funkidiviagirl is always trying to save the world from mediocrity.   So step away from the kiosk and pay attention.

Of course shopping online is the easiest way to avoid the mall crowds and stay focused.  A cup of hot cocoa, some Christmas music and the fireplace roaring makes for a very pleasant shopping experience.  Most mall stores have online stores as well and many offer free shipping or other discounts, so if you already have a gift idea in mind, this is the way to go.  However when I shop online, I take advantage of quirky websites that do not have the normal mall-fare; I can find unique gifts, often with a sense of humor.  Here are a few of my favorite sites:

Perpetual Kid: With categories like “Things That Shoot” or “Cool Car Crap”, most of the gifts on this website are fun and perfect for the person who has everything (and who doesn’t take themselves too seriously).  I like the toys and gadgets because I am a big kid, but for more mainstream gifts the gameboard house necklace is perfect for a serious Monopoly champion (or real estate agent) and the USB blanket  would be appreciated by anyone who is always freezing at work.

Uncommon Goods: Uncommon Goods says that you can “find anything but ordinary” on their website and I do agree!  Not as irreverent as Perpetual Kid, there are many creative gifts for both men and women.  What guy doesn’t need cuff links?  Okay, he has the standard Tiffany cuff links, great, but how about giving him a fun pair?  There are many to choose from on Uncommon Goods; here’s a sample:

Knock Knock: I’m sure that you have seen Knock Knock’s products in your local hip and happening gift store.  I just love their stuff!  Their tag line is “We Put the ‘Fun’ in Functional” and I have to agree.  I actually use their To Do Pad on a daily basis, but many of their products are perfect to give to co-workers or acquaintances as gifts.  One of my favorite Knock Knock products are the Slang Cards; I think that they are hilarious!  But if you have someone who just wouldn’t “get” the Slang Cards, then choose the Plan-a-Meal Bundle instead; everyone could appreciate these meal organizing tools.

As I am writing this post I see that the Slang Post-it notes are on sale for $1.50 a pack; I am going to buy myself some right now!  I love buying things for my desk that not only help me stay organized, but bring laughter into my day as well.

Although I do the majority of my shopping online, I do like getting out into the crowd once or twice during the holiday season; I find it festive and fun.   Here are my favorite places to buy gifts at the mall:

Williams-Sonoma: My kids are trained to not walk by a Williams-Sonoma store without going in for a treat.  They always have yummy samples to try; right now the treats have been hot chocolate, hot apple cider made with their special mulling spices and the Peppermint Bark.  All are delicious and would make excellent gifts for anyone.  

Sephora: It’s just not fair for me to go into Sephora to buy a gift for someone and not get something for myself as well!  So, I do!  Most of the women that I know would love some great-smelling bath soap or body lotion.  It’s hard to choose a lip gloss for someone alse, but during this time of year there are great deals on lip gloss sets that make perfect gifts.  Here are two great sets by Stila and Tarte:

Anthropologie: Yes, again with Anthropologie!   I know, what can I say; it is my favorite store!  More than a clothing store, it’s a terrific place to buy gifts like fascinating travel books, beautiful photo frames, high-end candles and unique household goods.  Isn’t this teacup with my initial on it beautiful that my son gave me last Christmas?  I love it and it was perfect for his modest budget.

Of course all the major department stores like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus are great for holiday shopping as well, but do you know about Macy’s Path to Peace Project?  A woman named Janet Nkubana has partnered with Macy’s to sell the beautiful baskets woven by Rwandan women.  The basket program has proven vital to providing Rwandan women with much needed income (they get a full third of the cost of the basket) and therefore is instrumental in the fight against ending hunger in Rwanda.   I was in Macy’s the other day and saw these beautiful baskets: 

Buying one of these baskets would not only make a lovely gift for anyone, but also make a difference in a Rwandan life.   As an added bonus, if you live in one of these cities, you can go meet Janet Nkubana from Rwanda.  She will be at Macy’s to describe her work, demonstrate weaving and sign baskets.  

I hope that I have given you some funki Christmas gift ideas and caused you to re-think that South Park tie or Old Spice gift set–you know, that gift that is being re-gifted over and over again.  This is the year to break the cycle and give something good!

It is a personal conviction of mine that I stay out of Toys R Us during the Christmas season as much as possible.  I do not find that place fun at all and shopping for kids’ gifts should be fun!  Now that my daughter has too many Barbie Dolls for one person and a whole world for them that includes tons of clothes, 2 cars, a mobile home and a townhouse taller than her, I have no reason to set foot in there.   Hopefully, never again.

If you are looking for gifts for the children in your life, here’s a few fun and funki gifts that will make them happy and give you mad cool points as well.   And you will not have to step one tiny toe into Toys R Us.

Chicken Socks and Klutz activity books are always a go-to gift item for me; the activities are fun and creative and keep kids occupied for a long time.  And they are consumable–meaning that there is not a “thing” to take up more space in the toy box.  These books are especially nice to give a kid who is going on a vacation soon; I promise the parents will thank you for this.  Besides the Klutz website, you can find them at Target, bookstores like Barnes & Noble or Borders and on Amazon.com. A couple of my daughter’s favorites were Hand Art, Amazing Lacing and Clothespin Cuties.

 Just because I hate Toys R Us, doesn’t mean I hate all toy stores; I love going to boutique toy stores.  Here in Atlanta my favorite store is The Toy Store, but Learning Express is in many cities.  Often found on “Main Streets” or in the trendy part of town, I’m sure that you have a boutique toy store in your city; check it out. These toy stores often have tons of great art supplies, interesting games and toys that really spark creativity and imagination in children.   Last year I got Fashion Angels for my daughter and she spends many hours designing fashionable clothes for these contemporary paper dolls.

Anthropologie is another favorite place of mine to buy unique gifts for kids.  My daughter and I have matching aprons from Anthropologie and I think this would be a great gift to give a sister and niece.  

For her birthday last year I bought my daughter a wonderfully creative coloring book at Anthropologie that she loves and will be perfect for any child who likes to color outside the lines.  

When my nephew was born I bought him the softest stuffed animal that I have ever felt; there are several different animals that would be a perfect gift for a baby.  

The book series This is____ is great to give a child who lives in that city or will be visiting there soon.  I bought This is New York for my daughter before our trip to New York last summer and it was fun reading about New York’s history.  

Anthropologie really has many great books for children; the other day my daughter and I saw a fascinating pop-up book, Birdscapes, that would make a great gift.  Not only were the pop-up pages amazing, but the book makes bird sounds!  

If the kids in your life are like mine, they have way too much stuff.  Santa Claus brings my kids a few gifts that they really want and then I try to encourage family members to give them only 1 gift each and if at all possible, something that is not a toy.  Family Memberships to local attractions are perfect for this and most can be purchased online.  My mother-in-law gave my daughter a family membership to Zoo Atlanta for her birthday one year and we used it all the time.   Since the zoo here in Atlanta is very expensive ($15 per person!), this was a great gift and allowed us to pop in even just for a hour to watch the animals.   If a local art museum has a children’s area or art workshops for kids, this would make a great membership as well.  The High Museum here in Atlanta has Toddler Art every Thursday and before my daughter was in school every day, we used our membership every week.  Even now my family frequently goes to the museum on the weekends for art workshops, to see new exhibits or participate in special events.   A couple of years ago my husband’s uncle gave our family a membership to the Georgia Aquarium and we enjoyed that so much.   If there is a children’s museum, science center, zoo, art museum, aquarium or botanical garden in the city where your niece, nephew or godchild lives, this is a great gift to give that lasts all year long and that the whole family can enjoy. 

I hope that I have made your seasonal shopping a little easier and a lot more fun!  And while you are at Anthropologie, pick up a little something for yourself as well; you deserve it for being such a great gift-giver!

Look at this man; does he give you a warm feeling inside or make you want to spit on the ground in disgust?  The question of the hour is: Santa Claus-do you or don’t you?

I had a magical memory of Santa Claus that stayed with me until just a few years ago.  Long ago when I was a little girl and sleeping on Christmas Eve, I heard a noise in my living room.  I jumped out of bed and peeked in my parents’ room; they were asleep.  Then I looked in the living room and sure enough, there was a figure of a man putting something under the tree.  Well, since I didn’t want Santa to sprinkle pepper in my eyes, I ran back to my bed and stayed in there the rest of the night.  In the morning there were presents under the tree as usual, but I had a secret–I had actually seen Santa Claus!  Even when I grew up and stopped believing in Santa, there was always a part of me that remembered that night and said “but still….there was someone in the living room.”  I never discussed that night with my parents until recently and I wished that I hadn’t; my mother told me that it was my Uncle Robert putting my gift under the tree.  Of course, that makes sense as there had to be some logical explanation.  But it was nice to have that magical memory all these years; to just simply believe.

I don’t remember when I stopped believing or how.  I don’t think it was anything dramatic; I just sort of gradually grew out of it.   There was no drama involved–unlike my son’s revelation.   He was 8 years old when he asked me point blank if there was a Santa Claus.  I looked at him to gauge if he really wanted to know and he asked again straight-up, “Mommy, tell the truth; is there a Santa Claus?”  What else could I say when he asked like that?  I was less nervous telling him where babies come from!  I took a deep breath and told him the truth.  And then he burst into tears.

Months later when Christmas had come and gone and we had a rare moment alone with our son, my husband and I asked him about his reaction to my “confession.”   He then proceeded to rage about how we had lied to him, betrayed him and how he could never trust us again.  Wow; my husband and I were shocked!  Neither one of us had ever felt “betrayed” by our parents about Santa, but now that I have talked to others, I have learned that his reaction is not uncommon.    I have several friends who felt betrayed like our son and consequently do not introduce Santa Claus to their children.   Other friends feel that Santa Claus dilutes the true meaning of Christmas and therefore do not make Santa a part of their Christmas celebration.

While I can appreciate the logic of my friends and honor my son’s feelings, Santa still visits our house every year.   To me, believing in Santa Claus is like going to Disney World; yeah, the rides are fun, but I go to see The Mouse.  Without him and the Disney “magic”, it’s just another amusement park.  My son has since calmed down; he is old enough now to appreciate the magic of Santa Claus through his baby sister’s eyes and he has fun with it.   But even so, we are careful to put Santa Claus in the proper perspective; he is just a fun part of Christmas–not the reason.   We do not go to elaborate extremes to make his presence more real, just some cookies and milk left out on Christmas Eve.  I do take my daughter to see Santa at the mall, but I don’t think she really cares one way or the other; I do it because I am competitive.   See, there is a very popular Santa at the high-end mall here in Atlanta; he has a real white beard and longish white hair and is great with the kids.   The wait to see him used to be hours long, but a few years ago they implemented an online appointment system.  Great idea, but the appointments were booked immediately and I could never get a slot.  It became an (obsessive) goal of mine to secure a space to see this Santa!  Now, for the second year in a row I have been one of the lucky (or crazy) people online the day the appointments open and scored a time to see Santa.   Next I emailed the neighbors to gloat.

I’m certain that I only have a couple more years left for my daughter to sit on Santa’s lap.  An inquisitive child, she is already asking too many questions.  Maybe I can tell her that Santa is like the CIA and only operates on a “need to know” basis;  as in, if I tell you the exact location of Santa’s workshop, then I will have to kill you.  Do you think that will buy me a few more years?  This is my last child and I want to keep the magic alive!  I want her to believe!

What about you?  Santa Claus: do you or don’t you?  Discuss.