CHRISTMAS TOPPERS

I always put myself through so much stress to finish projects last minute.  I wish I could learn just once to do more ahead and get things done way before the last minute time frame!!!  But I thoroughly enjoyed making this project for my fellow co-workers and really am glad that they all seemed to like them too!

I have been shopping for MONTHS to prepare for a Christmas themed craft show.  But in early November, my neighbor decided she wasn't going to do the craft show and since I've never done this particular one I really didn't want to do it alone.  SO...  I have had lots of stock building over the past several months to get enough supplies on hand for my own booth.  Well, I let my daughter and her friends eat most of the specialized candy...  But I have had quite a stash of MUGS being saved for many different kinds of projects.  Starting the first week of November I focused on stocking up more on Christmas mugs than anything else.  I actually was able to get 34 different mugs!  And guess what?  There are 34 employees on the payroll at work!  HOW AMAZING IS THAT?

Inside of each mug I added one candy cane, 8 Hershey Kisses, one pkt of SwissMiss Classic Hot Cocoa, a small ziploc baggie of mini marshmallows.  I also made Reindeer Noses and Elf Pillows to add to the gift bag.  Then to put it all together I made a topper tag of SNOWMAN SOUP.

There is one girl that I have gotten to be friends with that collects penguins.  And low and behold, she was the name given to me for the SECRET SANTA GIFT EXCHANGE too yet!  WOOT WOOT!  I had fun splurging on penguin goodies everywhere I went shopping!  You can spot the penguin mug above right?  It even had a hat used as a lid to the mug!  And the goodies inside went into a penguin drawstring bag!  And the only bag different from the rest to put all 34 mugs into was the penguin bag you see on the left side of the pic!  I had so much fun putting ALL of these together!

After each mug filled with its sweetness got put into its own bag, I added a REINDEER NOSES and an ELF PILLOWS packets to each bag.  Then folded over one inch or so at the top and stapled the SNOWMAN SOUP topper to that. 

This is the front view

This is the back view.

REINDEER NOSES FREE PRINTABLE

just click on it to open full size and right click

to save to your own computer!

ELF PILLOWS FREE PRINTABLE

just click on it to open full size and right click

to save to your own computer!

SNOWMAN SOUP FREE PRINTABLE

just click on it to open full size and right click

to save to your own computer!

The picture I took of the finished project was so blurry you couldn't make them out... so I am sorry to say I can't share what they all looked like completely finished!  Very disappointed in that...but you get the mail idea I think with everything else I've described I hope.

And then to top it off, I baked 28 loaves of Banana Bread yesterday.  Everything from 2" up to 8" loaves.  It was the first time I used that recipe and it was SO SO SO GOOD! I just couldn't stop!  We delivered them to four of our neighbors as a gift for Christmas.  I gave one to my "penguin friend" today.  We are eating one.  I put the little mini's on snowman plates and surrounded them with REINDEER NOSES (round circle pretzels with a hershey kiss melted inside and a red m-n-m pressed into the center of that then cooled to set up solid again) and a few wrapped Hershey kisses too.  These plates of goodies went to our daughter's boyfriends dad for Christmas and another neighbor.  They all liked them and put smiles on their faces.

This is my favorite time of the year!  I love to do all these R.A.C.K.s...  and it is so heartwarming to see everyone's smiles and happiness!

**R.A.C.K.s = Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

****All the elements I used in the free printable toppers above are from

Paulette over at Create with TLC

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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
RhondaSue

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