Christmas Gifts

 The boxes, the cookies & of course the cards.

This one is signed by Ahmed.

Abdulaziz didn't show me his cards.

Every Christmas I try to think what to get to the teachers as gifts. I don't want to get just anything that I'd expect other parents will get. As usual I was looking for something different, and at the same time get the boys to participate in making them.



I was inspired by Martha Stewart, a cute box filled with cookies…right? What do you think? Crazy idea! Because after getting back home from work I had to start on them, especially that my main oven isn't working and I only had the small oven which only takes one tray at a time :s It was exhausting!


Few days before I prepared my list of things to do and prepare for. Then with the help of the boys (a bit chaotic at times) we started our baking after the homework and revision were done.


The cookies we made: Sugar cookies with colored sugars, candy cane chocolate chocolate chip cookie squares, chocolate & peanut butter chip cookies, Ginger sugared cookies. I also wanted to add something Kuwaiti so I placed an order from Homemade for their famous pistachio Ghraiba.


I really hope the teachers appreciate this labor of love. I know that my kids and I really enjoyed making them and so did my family and friends who I sent for them some of the cookies to try out ;)

 I'm thinking of introducing this cookie at Gelato Italiano.

Would you buy it?

 Note: I don't have pics for Abdulaziz,

because he is like a Tornado in the kitchen.

He doesn't give me a chance to think of snapping a pic of him.

Homemade Ghuraiba

Thank You Danderma!

Few days ago I arrived home finding an elegant Bugsha waiting for me. It was surprise! A very exciting surprise! From lovely Danderma! Like a little kid I unwrapped it and it was filled with lots of goodies which I attacked right away ;p

Thank you Danderma for this lovely and thoughtful gift :*

Your Chocolate Fix!

There is nothing logical about this game!!!

You can't think striaght by staring at those chocolates! I swear my stomach was rumbling just looking at the picture on the box ;p

Dazzle Cover

Do you keep a diary? I do. I keep a food diary, a day to day diary with lots to To-Do lists, and my personal diary where I vent in it as much I like. The other day at AlBader book shop while shopping for school supplies, I found these gorgeous Dazzle Cover note books. I'm using the red one as my meal planning diary, and saving the other two for later ;)

Fantasy World & the Birthday Wish List

Again I paid a visit to Fantasy World for gift shopping. As much as I've been there I have never noticed the Birthday Wish List service until that day!!! Well the child will be given a number where he/she can make a list of the toys he/she wants from Fantasy World, and then mention the number on the invitation card. This way the child gets he/she wants and no duplicate or unwanted toys. Good idea! Right? Well my initial reaction was "3aib"! But then I remembered one of Abdulaziz's birthday party and the three identical remote control cars he got. Well half the gifts he got were not him or suitable for him. I'd rather have the money spent on a gift donated to charity. Now it's your turn to say what you think of this? Another cool thing I noticed it a sea scooter. I might get it if we plan a trip to the Chalet or something. Prices begin from KD65 - KD130 depending on the model.

Four different models to choose from.

Cool right?

Playmobil

First of all "Hail To all the Sporty Ladies" who I noticed exercising at the Avenues then having a hearty breakfast at Dean & Deluca!!!

I had a meeting at the Avenues and decided to take Ahmed with me. I dropped him off at Baroue and was browsing through the toys when I found Playmobils! I mentioned them in previous posts. They are amazing toys for kids with huge imagination! My boys would sit for hours playing with them. I can hear them making up stories and sound effects as they play and it makes me wonder what is going on in their little heads.

I usually ask my siblings when they are in France to buy them for the kids or I'd order them from Amazon France. Now they are available at Baroue, although a bit pricy but worth it.

Gift Shopping

Arts and Crafts toys. One of my favorite kind

of toys I like to purchase for my kids and as gifts.

One of my friends got me this

knowing how much love these kind of games.

It is addictive.

Final wrap. Silver and Gold. What do you think?

I'm one of the mothers who hates useless toys! It is a nightmare for me when I walk into their bedroom and see the loads of toys cramped in their toy chests. Every now and then I clear those they lost interest in and give them away. When they go out with their aunts I always warn them if they buy them toys they better not bring it back home because I will just throw them away! You may wonder what I consider useless? Remote control cars, those expensive gizmos which the child will throw and lose interest in after an hour or so, weapons (which sadly Ahmed loves) and similar toys.

What I love? Books! but here they don't appreciate books as gifts, so I go for toys that would challenge and built the Childs character, such as Society Games like board games, puzzles, Lego and unfortunately we do not have this brand in Kuwait called Playmobile, which helps expand the Childs imagination and I usually order on the net. Similar to Playmobile toys are found at Early Learning. When I shop for birthday gifts I usually go for these kind of toys. Today I stopped at TSC for some last minute missing ingredient shopping and remembered Abdulaziz is invited to a Birthday party of one of his classmates. So I got her a couple of those arts & crafts kit boxes, where she'd make her own handbags and another designing a paper fan. They are very cute and I hope she'll like them!