christmas

Thursday, 2nd Week Advent: Music and Lyrics, Hark The Herald Angels Sing

December 16, 2017 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Pentatonix: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

By now you know I LOVE Christmas carols and Christmas music of all kinds. I’m also a fan of the acapella music group Pentatonix. I also play piano during Advent and Lenten services on Wednesday night services. On Wednesday our closing Advent Hymn was “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”

It is a congregational favorite and voices rang out in the church as I absorbed the Christmas joy into my heart and soul.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaOGqEadTsM[/embedyt]

Did you enjoy that? Pentaonix also sings Mary Did You Know, Away in a Manager, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen all of which I will write about this Advent season. So make sure to subscribe so you won’t miss a single day.

Lyrics: Hark Herald Angels Sing

The words of Hark the Herald Angels sing tell about the Advent birth announcement of the baby Jesus. The Angels announced the coming of not just a baby, but a wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God, and eternal Father. This year don’t just sing the first stanza of but sing all the words to Hark the Herald Angels Sing in all three verses.

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King:

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With the angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,

Christ the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold Him come,

Offspring of a virgins’ womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,

Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as Man with man to dwell,

Jesus, our Immanuel!

Hail, the heav’n born Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Risn’ with healing in His wings,

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth

Hark! Herald Herald Angels Sing Sheet Music

When I play this popular Christmas carol on the piano I normally add my own style, chords, and incidentals to the original version in the Lutheran Hymnal. But if you have not reached the comfort level experiment with various sheet music for your skill level.

Advent Devotional Readings: Thursday, 2nd Week Advent

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 30: 15-26; Revelation 1: 1-29

- - - Higher Things: Dare to Be Lutheran – Thursday 2nd Week Advent
    - Trinity Lutheran Church: Second Sunday Advent Sermon (listen to audio here)
    - Sermon, 2nd Week Advent: The Mighty God/The Everlasting Father (listen to audio here)

Original Elf on A Shelf Before It Was Popular

December 25, 2015 by info@3QuartersToday.com

The Elf on a Shelf Craze

The Elf on A Shelf craze seems to be everywhere, but Santa’s little helper isn’t new.

My grandmother gave me a small knee hugger elf to hang on the tree in the 1960’s, it is one of the few things I have from my Dads’ Mom and I don’t even remember meeting her. All I know is the little pixie with the bell on top was one of my favorite ornaments.

My Mother in law really gets into the Christmas elves. About 20 knee-hugger Christmas elves in various poses sit around miniature Christmas trees in her window.

These little guys don’t get into mischief and they don’t tattle to Santa. They are just cute and whimsical.

They came in various sizes, the large ones were 14″ and designed to sit on a shelf, but the small ones were meant to hide on the Christmas tree and sometimes they moved around.

I love the faces on these vintage Elves, the new ones just don’t have the same personality. You can almost see the mischief in his eyes below.

Start an Elf on a Shelf Tradition in Your House

If you don’t have vintage knee-hugger Christmas elves in your house you can start a new tradition with your kids at Christmas. You can create your own story, your own version of Santa and how his elves help Santa with Christmas. Here are just a few options for the modern and up to date Elf on a Shelf Dolls.

Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition (blue-eyed girl scout elf)Elf on the Shelf Pets Reindeer Elf on the Shelf Scout Elves At Play Kit Elf on the Shelf Pet Pack – Reindeer and Saint Bernard Elf Pets – Direct From North Pole in Official Santa Gift Box

Elf on a Shelf Craze

Retro is in, what is old is new again.

The famous fairy became popular again with the 2004 Elf on a Shelf book. The posable and posable red and white elf now reports to Santa if the kids in the house have been naughty or nice. All the time the Elf is creating mischief. Maybe its to show the kids what they “should not” do.

It’s more of the elf being naughty when he’s away from Santa. The internet is full of the pixie making a mess with cereal, unrolling the bathroom tissue, and getting in compromising positions.

The Real Life Elf on a Shelf

My friend Andrew gets into the holiday spirit not just during Christmas but his costumes are famous all year round on airplanes, hotels and out and about in Omaha Nebraska.

In December he dresses as a life-size Elf on the Shelf and greets by kids young and old at the airport as he flies around the country as a photographer. Parents take pictures of him with their kids, and he loves to hear the whispers and giggles as he hames it up.

Andrew takes selfies of himself as the naughty elf pushing all the buttons on the elevator and getting trouble with bubble wrap. But mostly he’s just bringing smiles to people from the photo lab, to those in his condo. I really believe he just has fun dressing as an Elf and enjoys every day to it’s fullest.

Andrew also dresses as Cupid on Valentine’s day and is the Breast Cancer Awareness “Pink Man” on Delta flights during October.

I don’t know how popular this new craze of dressing as a life-size elf will become.

I’ve seen a post about “renting an Elf on a Shelf” for your party (I’m sure Andrew would do that), and I’ve seen the baby Elf posed in various places by his Father who is a photographer, but there will be only one true live Elf on a Shelf for me and that’s the one above with the oversized imagination and love of life.

Elf on a Shelf Costume

If you or your friends want to bring the Elf on the Shelf magic and fun to your Holiday season the costume can be found on Amazon. I would love to see pictures of your adventures, or even photos of a vintage elf from your childhood.

Do Peanut Butter Kisses Cookies Count as Christmas Cookies?

December 7, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Easy Peanut Butter Kisses Cookie Recipe

Starting in the beginning of December I start baking cookies, lots of cookies. Now Peanut Butter Kiss cookies don’t look like Christmas cookies, but they are one of my kids’ favorites, so they get made every year.

This is a quick peanut butter cookie recipe you can quickly mix and bake.

I then pack them in cookie tins and mail cookies to friends and family all over the United States.

How to Ship Cookies for Mailing

The best way to pack cookies for shipping is tight and snug so they can’t move around. I use tissue paper and line cookie gift tins. The I fill the tins and use the tissue paper to fill in the empty spaces around the treats. Everyone tells me they arrive just fine.

Empty Winter Holiday Cookie Tins (Set of Six)12 ct. Christmas Empty Tin Canisters – Assorted

I usually make at least six different varieties of cookies every year, not including my candies. This tradition started when I moved from Connecticut to Oklahoma for school and was looking for an inexpensive gift to send to friends.

Another reason I started making peanut butter cookies is one year I ran our of flour and these have three ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, and an egg. So not only inexpensive to make is also a simple gluten free cookie recipe for a friend who is gluten intolerant.

The Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan 14.75 Pampered Chef Stackable Cooling Rack

Recipe for Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I have my favorite Pampered chef baking pan that LOVE to bake cookies on. WHY? The baking stone evenly bakes the cookies and doesn’t over brown the bottoms. Most metal cookie sheets get too hot and the bottoms of the cookies burn too easily.

Preheat oven to 350F, unwrap candy kisses

One Cup Peanut Butter ( I use smooth)
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
Large egg (1)

Mix together, roll teaspoon-size balls, I use a melon scoop for uniform size balls
Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes
Remove cookies from oven and immediately place an unwrapped Hershey Kiss into the cooked ball.
Cool slightly and remove from baking sheet.
Place on wire cookie rack until completely cool.

There you go, so easy a child could do it, and who doesn’t like peanut butter and chocolate? Enjoy your peanut butter kisses cookies recipe and if you have a favorite cookie recipe please share it in the comments. If you’re looking for more recipes using peanut butter these two cookbooks will keep you busy.

101 Things to Do with Peanut Butter The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook

M&M Christmas Pretzels, a Holiday Tradition

December 6, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Countdown to Christmas: M&M Pretzels

In addition to Christmas cookies, I also make Christmas pretzels, AND I do it the easy way.

It used to be hard to find circle pretzels, but most groceries stores have them now during the holidays. Where to get circle pretzels the rest of the year is the challenge.

Fill circle pretzels with almond bark and plop an M&Min the middle. Years ago it was difficult to find circle pretzels, there was a hunt to find them in the grocery stores.

Now they are everywhere. I used to dip the regular twisted variety, but that takes too much time.

Mint Christmas M&Ms are even available!!

Hershey holiday M&Ms come in red and green and are perfect to give your cookie and candy plates that splash of color. Simply spoon the melted chocolate into the center of the pretzels.

Santa Stop Here Sign
by ndjmom

You can also use a frosting gun to squirt the melted almond bark into the pretzel centers.

M&M’s Mint Chocolate, Christmas Red, Green and White Candies, 9.9oz Bags 2 Pack

Making Christmas Pretzels — Using a Pampered Chef frosting gun

Why Use a Double Boiler?

Many people chose to microwave their chocolate, but I think it’s too risky. It doesn’t take too much heat before the chocolate gets too hot, seize up and become hard.

I don’t get fancy with melting chocolate, almond bark is fine with me and I place the squares on a double boiler on the stove. The chocolate is double boiler melts slower and there is no risk of burning or the chocolate separating.

How to Use a Double Boiler

A double boiler is easy to use. It’s basically a metal bowl or pot placed over a boiling pot of water. Put about an inch to 2 inches of water in the bottom pan and place your melting chocolate in the top pan.

Turn the stovetop to medium-low and your chocolate melts slowly into perfect liquid chocolate.

I’m off to dip pretzels now, you see, nothing is safe during the Christmas season when it comes to chocolate, I make more than Christmas Pretzels, I make pretzel rods, chocolate-covered cherries, chocolate covered marshmallows, and chocolate-covered apricots.

From Santa Gift Tags
by ndjmom

Christmas Music by Pentatonix: Mary Did You Know

December 3, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Countdown to Christmas with Pentatonix

It’s more Christmas music!!

It’s DAY 3 and I’m still on a Christmas music kick. For the past few weeks I have seen the video of Mary Did You Know floating on Facebook, but like I said, I don’t listen to Christmas carols until December 1st. Now that we are in the month of December it’s a free for all! This rendition of the popular song is hauntingly beautiful.

I love how it’s this Christmas song is set in a cave. Mainly because many Christians believe the stable wasn’t an actual building but a cave where animals were housed. Remember there was no room in the inn and Mary was an unwed Mother. Joseph was poor, and probably didn’t want any extra attention to this baby. Jesus, Christ the Lord was named Emmanuel our Lord and Savior.

If you haven’t heard of the Penatonix before you are really missing out!

Pentatonix music is mainly acapella with limited instrumentals. Their music and videos are hauntingly beautiful and I can listen to it all day long. In December Christmas music is the only music I listen to throughout the day.

For your listening pleasure, I present the best of Pentatonix Christmas music. Their Christmas albums are some of the highest best selling Christmas Music on Amazon, for good reason.

Pentatonix Christmas YouTube Playlist

Below are twelve Pentatonix Christmas songs. Just select play, and set it as background music as you work throughout the day.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PL0uCq9JWTdfnZkBsmnyMjN2drJDrYipNu&v=WSUFzC6_fp8[/embedyt]

A Pentatonix Christmas PTXmas (Deluxe Edition)Pentatonix (Deluxe Version) – That’s Christmas To Me – Pentatonix 2 CD Album Bundling Pentatonix – That’s Christmas to Me