Fool Proof Holiday Dessert – Make Your Own Peppermint Bark

Every year you hear that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year.  However, most people fail to mention that they are also the busiest time of the year.  Between holiday parties, buying your gifts, wrapping your gifts, and everything else during the holiday season, extra time to cook and bake is hard to come by.  Here is a quick and easy recipe to make your own peppermint bark.  This treat will last you for a long time during the holiday season and can be a quick go-to gift when you are way past last minute.

Ingredients for Your Peppermint Bark

The measurements on this one are really up to you.  You can make as much or as little as you want but keep it spread thin so it break easily.  Here’s what I used:

• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 bag white chocolate morsels or 1/2 lb almond bark
• 3 large Peppermint Candy Canes or Peppermint Sticks (add more if you use the tiny ones)
• Wax paper
• Cookie Sheet

Steps for Making Your Peppermint Bark

1. Prepare cookie sheet with wax paper.
2. Crush peppermint candy canes in blender or with a hammer until fine
3. Melt your favorite dark chocolate and spread on wax paper (I prefer the microwave to a double boiler but always melt chocolate at 50% power so it doesn’t burn.  30 seconds at a time and stir
4. Allow to set for about 20 minutes or speedup the process with a few minutes in the fridge
5. Melt white chocolate (Don’t forget to melt at 50%!  – white chocolate is even more temperamental)
6. Add ½ of crushed peppermint and spread evenly on top of dark chocolate
7. Quickly sprinkle the rest of the peppermint before white chocolate hardens.  If you’re too slow you can always put the whole cookie sheet in the oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute to warm so it all sticks together again!

If you want something even easier than this – check out our Chocolate Dip Delights Sweet Sensation Gift Box! Get FREE Chocolate with purchase of Select Bouquets. Buy Now! Click here and get FTD coupon code, promo code

Ring in 2016 with a Color-Themed New Year’s Eve Party

Anyone who is anyone is doing something big on New Year’s Eve, right? Take matters into your own hands this year and host a party for family and friends. Whether you’re uncoupled or a family of 10, you can throw an enviable party with these fun ideas:

Pink & Gold Girls-Only New Year’s Eve Party

If you and the girls are all flying solo this New Year’s, it’s an occasion to not only celebrate the new year, but your singlehood. Make it a glammed-out glittering pink and gold celebration to ring in the new year full of sparkle and shine. Indulge in gold glitter-topped strawberry-frosted cupcakes and cheers to raspberry-infused pink champagne. Paint your party in pink and gold and shower your evening in shimmer.

Decorations: Drape your walls in strands of gold glitter garland or hang “Happy New Year” from corner to corner in your party space. Streaming clusters of shimmering stars from a ceiling corner to the floor also dazzles.

Desserts: Decadent cupcakes topped with blush-colored frosting and heart-shaped toppers will make a sweet statement. But it’s New Year’s Eve, so why not splurge with rose and gold-dusted champagne macarons and bronzed cake pops too?

Champagne: It’s a boozy affair, and bottles of bubbly are a must. Accessorize the drinks with tinsel pom poms or sparkling sequin ball stirrers. For even more pizzazz, sweeten the rims of the flutes with twinkling flecks of soft gold rim sugar. After cupcakes and champagne, the party’s officially begun. Call a cab and show off your party dress and paint the town gold.

Black & White New Year’s Eve Dinner  Party

Rather than just throw a basic dinner party, color it black and white. Invite guests to wear black or white and then throw a stylish black-and-white bash. (Plus, this soiree will be the perfect excuse to play hostess in a sequined LBD with a tulle tutu.) Here’s how to celebrate the new year in sleek style.

Table Setting: Your table setting will be the aesthetic focal point of your dinner party — don’t be afraid to go over-the-top with table decor and accents. Start with a chevron black-and-white table runner and a Simplicity Luxury Calla Lily Bouquet centerpiece for a touch of fresh elegance. Add silver embellishments like mercury tealights and mini party disco balls.

Sweets: Black and white cookies and Oreos are practically requested guests of honor at your party. But the traditional sweet cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie won’t suffice for your elaborate affair. Treat guests with a sweet tooth to Chocolate-Dipped Oreo Cookies and other colorfully themed desserts like chocolate cupcakes with whipped buttercream frosting. Get FREE Chocolate with purchase of Select Bouquets with FTD coupon code at Coupon4share.com. Buy Now! 

Fare: To really get into the spirit of your color scheme, cook up a menu of black-and-white cuisine like white chicken chili and black bean salad. Other ideas for delicious black-and-white food include white pizza, white lasagna and pan-blackened steak.

Rainbow Confetti New Year’s Eve Kids Party

If you’ve got a little brood at home, throw a confetti-themed New Year’s party fun for the whole family (seriously). An at-home family party may not sound as exciting as the wild days pre-parenthood, but it can still be a special and memorable time with these fun ideas.

Confetti: Kids love confetti. And New Year’s Eve is the one time of year kids are allowed to make a huge mess with tiny pieces of paper. Celebrate this tradition with confetti wall decor, a confetti sprinkle cake, confetti-filled balloons, ice cream with sprinkles, Chocolate Dipped Rainbow Oreo Cookies and DIY confetti party hats.

Awards: While waiting for the ball to drop, keep the kids busy with a 2015 awards ceremony. Together as a family, come up with highlights of the past year and reflect on happy memories. Categories can include “Best Movie,” “Best Song,” “Funniest Moment” or “Favorite Trip.”

Resolutions: Help your kids make New Year’s resolutions individually and for the family. Maybe your son would like to try soccer or your daughter wants to take dance. Perhaps this is the year to go on a family vacation to a national park and camp out under the stars. Resolutions can even be as simple as eating together as a family three times a week or playing outdoors at least once during the weekend.

Building a Winter Wonderland in a Jar and FTD Coupon Codes 2015

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Are the kids getting antsy to go outside and play in this non-existent winter wonderland? While we await the snow, here’s a fun project to keep the kids busy.  This winter wonderland in a jar can be used a night light for the kids or a window decoration for your home.

What You Need:

• Milk jar or glass pitcher (big enough to fit your winter wonderland)
• Battery operated string of 50 lights
• Fake snow
• Snowman or Winter Ornament

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Step One: Let There Be Light

First, put half of your string of lights in the jar.  The battery pack should go first.  This way the snow will bury the battery pack.

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Step Two: Let It Snow

Slowly sprinkle snow into the jar.  Be sure to cover the bottom of the jar, including the battery pack.  This will give your wintery wonderland a ground for your snowman, Santa Claus, or the ornament of your choice to sit on.

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Step Three: Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Next, place your ornament of choice in the center of your jar.  Be sure that it will stand up on its own!

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Step Four: Final Touches

Put the rest of the lights in the jar surrounding your ornament.  Then sprinkle a little bit of snow on the top.

 This fun project will be a perfect indoor activity for everyone in the family.  Everyone’s jar can represent them with different color lights or your favorite ornament.  Need some help finding an ornament?  Here are some gifts that could work!

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Express Gratitude as a Family This Holiday Season

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Grateful people aren’t just happier people; they’re the ones who make the world a better place.

Have you ever thought that maybe what makes the holiday season so special is that families and friends and neighbors and strangers all come together and act on those feelings of gratitude?

If you have a desire to serve or simply want to teach your children the significance and purpose of the season, here are a few ways to go a bit further this year:

Count Your Blessings

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Set a goal. Do you think you can reach 25? 50? 100? Make it a game by setting guidelines for the lists. For example, limit answers to only five a day and make a rule that they can’t duplicate anything their siblings have already written. Make sure to post each grateful list on the refrigerator door or bathroom mirror. Watch as the creative ideas filter in!

For younger kids, write the alphabet on a worksheet and, next to each letter, have them list or draw one thing they are thankful for. For example, your daughter is grateful for angels and your son for apples; or your son is grateful for Baxter (the family dog) and your daughter’s favorite color is blue—talk about their lists and have them tell you why they are grateful.

Put Them on Display

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Choose items from your lists and put each on a shape cut out of colored paper. Design a wreath made out of multi-colored paper leaves or make shapes of ornaments to tape on a “Thankful Tree.”

Write Thank You Notes Together

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Handwritten thank you notes will never go out of style. Teach your child the importance of writing out their appreciation. Each week before the new year, help your kids write a thank you note to someone they love. Once they tackle that list, encourage them to think on a bigger scale and write notes to the mailman, a soldier, their teacher or local firefighters.

Especially if your kids are young, you may need to help them get started with an outline to follow like this:

Dear ___,

Thank you for ___

I think you are ___ because ___

I hope you know ___

Have a ____ day!

Love, ____

Perform Random Acts of Kindness

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A great way to show you’re grateful is to share what you have to give! Plan a night to brainstorm ideas for random acts of kindness as a family. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• On a Saturday, spend the morning packing five to 10 brown bag lunches. Walk or drive around town until you give them all away.
• Withdraw $100 in one to five dollar bills and help your children hand them out to strangers or leave them under the windshield wipers of parked cars.
• Make treats and doorbell ditch them at a neighbor’s house. Bonus if you can all hide and watch from the bushes!
• Go out to eat as a family and explain what it means to tip a waitress. When paying the bill, include your children in deciding how much to tip.

Live It All Year Long

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The best way to teach your children about gratitude is to live it like a lifestyle instead of as a tradition you celebrate once a year. Make a habit of expressing thanks on a daily basis, especially to them. Leave reminders around the house if you need to! When they return the gesture, acknowledge their effort. After a little bit of time (and practice!), expect the level of appreciation for health and good fortune to grow like you never thought possible.

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Ring in 2015 with a Color-Themed New Year’s Eve Party at Ftd.com

‘Tis the Season: New Holiday Traditions to Start This Year

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

‘Tis the Season: New Holiday Traditions to Start This Year

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Piles of presents and gingerbread cookies may make your family smile during the holidays, but it’s actually treasured traditions that warm the heart year after year. It’s never a season too late to start brand new holiday traditions and create memories your family can fondly look back on for years.

Childhood Traditions

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The most special holiday seasons are the ones during childhood when you believed in Santa and Christmas magic was real. Part of the Christmas spirit as parents is to reflect on your Christmas traditions when you were children and re-create the same magic for your own kids. It’s truly the little moments that matter most during the this special time of year. Warm your home with these Christmas traditions that your little ones will remember forever.

• Christmas Lights Tour: Pick a night to bundle up and discover the beautiful Christmas lights of nearby neighborhoods and parks. Play favorite Christmas tunes in the car as your family tours streets lit-up with glowing homes, trees and outdoor decorations. Pack marshmallow-topped hot cocoas to-go and other sweet treats like Frosted Snowman Chocolate Dipped Double Stuff Oreo Pops or Christmas Cake Pops to enjoy as you drive past one enchanting display after another. Don't forget check out Hot New Deals at Ftd.com: Up to 25% OFF Flowers and Gifts at Coupon4share.com for New Year 2015
• DIY Decorating: No Christmas decoration or tree ornament is as meaningful and original as the ones handcrafted together as a family. Make a homemade garland out of strung popcorn or snowflakes crafted out of felt. HGTV.com offers 20 homemade holiday ornaments and decorations ideas made out of things like oranges or cookie cutters.
• Caroling at Grandma’s: Kids can’t help but sing along to jolly Christmas carols. Warm Grandma’s heart and take the kids caroling at her house — “Over The River and Through the Woods” is a great tune to lead the way. And you can really make Grandma smile. Bring over homemade cookies.
• Table Setting: If you’re hosting Christmas dinner this year, involve the kids with decorating the table setting. Ask them to choose their favorite holiday centerpiece and what accents they’d like to include, such as acorns, holly or ornament favors. The kids will love to be part of the decorating process and feel valued by sharing their input.
• Sending Holiday Spirit: Share the virtue of thoughtful giving and send a beautiful holiday bouquet to a long-distance loved one who may be alone at Christmas. Your kids can also choose a new toy or book to donate to a charity like Toys for Tots.
• Snowman: Be ready for the first big snowfall with snow clothes and a snowman decorating kit. Building a snowman creates cherished memories, especially on a white Christmas. After the snow day, warm up with cups of hot cocoa and flannel PJs.

End Of The Year Sale!!!! Get up to 40% OFF on Flowers and Gifts during the promotion! Shop now through Jan 5. 2015 and save! While Supplies Last!!! Get Up To 40% OFF FTD Flowers and Gifts W/ End Of The Year Sale 

New Traditions

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Throughout the years, Christmases can inevitably change. The kids go off to college, move away from home and everyone’s living in different cities. Make Christmas the one time of year the whole family is together. Rather than invite everyone to fly home, make the week of Christmas the time of year for an annual family vacation. Plan a trip for the family to cozy up in a cabin at a lodge in snowy Lake Tahoe or escape the cold weather at a beach in the Caribbean.

If a vacation away from home feels too unconventional, host a family reunion weekend or holiday bash to reunite all of the extended family members. Of course, traveling can be expensive, but faraway loved ones can still spend time together on Christmas Eve or Day through virtual platforms like Google Hangouts or Skype Group Video Chat.

Neighborly Traditions

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Get into the spirit of the season with a friendly neighborhood Christmas lights display contest. (A contest is also fun motivation to finally string those lights and hang up the wreaths outside before December 25th.) Invite neighbors to participate, provide prizes and designate three judges to determine first-, second- and third-place winners. Then, end the Christmas competition with a neighborhood potluck where everyone can indulge on sweet treats like Jolly Holiday Chocolate Covered Strawberriesand cheers with gourmet wine.

Get FREE Chocolate with purchase of Select Bouquets. Get this Ftd flowers coupon code and  Buy Now!

                                                                                                                                  Source: Ftd.com/Blog

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Ring in 2015 with a Color-Themed New Year’s Eve Party at Ftd.com

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

Anyone who is anyone is doing something big on New Year’s Eve, right? Take matters into your own hands this year and host a party for family and friends. Whether you’re uncoupled or a family of 10, you can throw an enviable party with these fun ideas:

Pink & Gold Girls-Only New Year’s Eve Party

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

If you and the girls are all flying solo this New Year’s, it’s an occasion to not only celebrate the new year, but your singlehood. Make it a glammed-out glittering pink and gold celebration to ring in the new year full of sparkle and shine. Indulge in gold glitter-topped strawberry-frosted cupcakes and cheers to raspberry-infused pink champagne. Paint your party in pink and gold and shower your evening in shimmer.

 Redeem FTD Flowers Coupon for 50% OFF on  Holiday Bouquet Bestseller and more Ftd coupons, Take this chance and save! Get this FTD code now!

Decorations: Drape your walls in strands of gold glitter garland or hang “Happy New Year” from corner to corner in your party space. Streaming clusters of shimmering stars from a ceiling corner to the floor also dazzles.

Desserts: Decadent cupcakes topped with blush-colored frosting and heart-shaped toppers will make a sweet statement. But it’s New Year’s Eve, so why not splurge with rose and gold-dusted champagne macarons and bronzed cake pops too?

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

Champagne: It’s a boozy affair, and bottles of bubbly are a must. Accessorize the drinks with tinsel pom poms or sparkling sequin ball stirrers. For even more pizzazz, sweeten the rims of the flutes with twinkling flecks of soft gold rim sugar. After cupcakes and champagne, the party’s officially begun. Call a cab and show off your party dress and paint the town gold.

Black & White New Year’s Eve Dinner  Party

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

Rather than just throw a basic dinner party, color it black and white. Invite guests to wear black or white and then throw a stylish black-and-white bash. (Plus, this soiree will be the perfect excuse to play hostess in a sequined LBD with a tulle tutu.) Here’s how to celebrate the new year in sleek style.

Get FREE Chocolate with purchase of Select Bouquets at FTD.com

Table Setting: Your table setting will be the aesthetic focal point of your dinner party — don’t be afraid to go over-the-top with table decor and accents. Start with a chevron black-and-white table runner and a Simplicity Luxury Calla Lily Bouquetcenterpiece for a touch of fresh elegance. Add silver embellishments like mercury tealights and mini party disco balls.

Sweets: Black and white cookies and Oreos are practically requested guests of honor at your party. But the traditional sweet cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie won’t suffice for your elaborate affair. Treat guests with a sweet tooth to Chocolate-Dipped Oreo Cookies and other colorfully themed desserts like chocolate cupcakes with whipped buttercream frosting.

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

Fare: To really get into the spirit of your color scheme, cook up a menu of black-and-white cuisine like white chicken chili and black bean salad. Other ideas for delicious black-and-white food include white pizza, white lasagna and pan-blackened steak.

Rainbow Confetti New Year’s Eve Kids Party

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

If you’ve got a little brood at home, throw a confetti-themed New Year’s party fun for the whole family (seriously). An at-home family party may not sound as exciting as the wild days pre-parenthood, but it can still be a special and memorable time with these fun ideas.

Confetti: Kids love confetti. And New Year’s Eve is the one time of year kids are allowed to make a huge mess with tiny pieces of paper. Celebrate this tradition with confetti wall decor, a confetti sprinkle cake, confetti-filled balloons, ice cream with sprinkles, Chocolate Dipped Rainbow Oreo Cookies and DIY confetti party hats.

Ftd flowers coupon 50 off Blog

Awards: While waiting for the ball to drop, keep the kids busy with a 2014 awards ceremony. Together as a family, come up with highlights of the past year and reflect on happy memories. Categories can include “Best Movie,” “Best Song,” “Funniest Moment” or “Favorite Trip.”

Resolutions: Help your kids make New Year’s resolutions individually and for the family. Maybe your son would like to try soccer or your daughter wants to take dance. Perhaps this is the year to go on a family holiday to a national park and camp out under the stars. Resolutions can even be as simple as eating together as a family three times a week or playing outdoors at least once during the weekend.

End Of The Year Sale!!!! Get up to 40% OFF on Flowers and Gifts during the promotion! Shop now through Jan 5. 2015 and save! While Supplies Last!!! Get Up To 40% OFF Flowers and Gifts W/ End Of The Year Sale now <3

Source: Ftd.com/Blog