Today I have a special post sharing one of my favorite family holiday traditions!

View Nichole’s blog for samples from all the Papertrey Ink design team members ๐Ÿ˜€

You may not know this but home-made waffles are BEYOND my most favorite breakfast food-ever! Last year Jason bought me an AMAZING Krups Waffle Maker. I was in HEAVEN! It seems like EVERY time we would go get breakfast they either didn’t have waffles or weren’t serving them any longer that day :C BIG BUMMER!

When I lived in Massachusetts, and was pregnant with Noah, I LIVED at the TD Waffle house. Now that we live in no man’s land, there is nothing like that “in these here parts” LOL!

SO, this is one of my favorite gifts ever. Every Sunday Jay makes me waffles for breakfast. Isn’t that sweet? Now I will share my favorite one. I guess that is alos yet another tradition we have! Big breakfasts every weekend ๐Ÿ˜€ YUM-O

apple-waffle.jpg

Apple Streusel Waffles

Archer Farms ( the products made by Target) have the most AMAZING Apple Streusel Waffle mix-ever! I am not an “apple” person but this is total heaven for me. If you read my blog you know how much I adore Archer Farms products, especially for the holidays, and gift giving. Its like affordable gourmet food, on aย drive-thru budget! LOL!

OK so you are wondering WHY all this is so important.

Well, Nichole asked us all on the Papertrey Ink design team, to create a item that shared an important family tradition that we celebrate with out families. Now I have many of the same traditions most of you do. The special ornament for each child every year, making reindeer food, Christmas cookies for Santa, watching Its a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story every year, and many many more things. I decided to share a new tradition we started with you that I just love, and hope lasts for years to come.

Well with my waffle maker last year, we began a new family tradition with my family. Every Christmas morning, bright and early, my family comes to house, to have a breakfast buffet! Each person brings their favorite breakfast item to get cooked up and share with the family! The grandparents get to watch kidsย  excitement as they open their gifts, and share a relaxed family meal, before yet a another new year approaches. Its such a cherished time. Our kids are small only once, and this time will pass before we know it.

I hope this tradition continues long after that, into the time I will come to my own children’s home to watch my grandchildren open gifts Christmas morning.

It is just another day for family and sharing.

So that being said I know I will always be making waffles of some sort!

jar-gift.jpg

ย I also thought it would be nice to re-package up that mix (streusel topping is in a separate baggie inside), and decorate the jars of it, to be sent home with my family members, as a thank you, andย so they can be reminded of this time on another day, when they have this for breakfast! Much prettier than a big ole green box of waffle mix, don’t you think? AND no cooking required for the gift (hehehe-perfect to me).

I stamped my Boards & Beams set, along with elements from Home for the Holidays to create a wrap for my jar! The fence, trees, and snowmen wrap all the way around ๐Ÿ˜€ It’s really pretty in person. The icicles are done in white embossing powder, then re-stamped and embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder. I also did a few snow drifts. Perfectly tied with a pure poppy satin bow!

I love the little tag I made using one of my most favorite gift giving sets-Holiday Treats

I think these make great teacher gifts too! It is after all APPLE Struesel! LOL! I know teachers hate the apple things, but this may be one stereotype they could fall in love with.

waffle-mix-recipe.jpg

This is the top of the jar. It directs you on how to prepare the mix. This can also be for pancakes!

I just printed the info, and cut with my nestabilities.

AND YES Iย realize I put “pancakes”ย  instead of waffles in my directions. I’m changing that! But hey thats what happens when you are up at 2am, typing directions for a project. It doesn’t matter as the recipe is the exact same for both versions of the mix.

I am really happy with how this turned out, and think they are just the cutest gifts for my family!

I got my jars at Target for $3.99 and the mix was also $3.99! SO, for a whopping $8, you have a super yummy gift ๐Ÿ˜€ too!

I hope you consider the family breakfast buffet as a newย tradition for your family too. It doesn’t have to be JUST a Christmas thing. It could also be a random time of year, such as a Mother’s day thing.

Thanks for checkin in here, and letting my share more on my life ๐Ÿ˜€

I’d love to hear about some random tradition any of you have that you would like to share with us here! Maybe even a favorite family dish, that brings a smile to your face. You may hook me into a new recipe! Now that would be cool.

I’ll be back later with another post!

Its my dog Daisy’s birthday today ๐Ÿ˜€ She is off to the groomers, and I made her a card. I know, I’m lame, but I love her. I even got her presents! LOL! Be back with photos ๐Ÿ˜€