Christmas in the Country Revealed!

First of all, I want to say thank you to the wonderful co-hostesses of the Christmas in the Country:
Laurie of Country Linked
Jamie of This Uncharted Rhoade
Erin of Diaries from the Dirt Road 
Robyn of The Ranch Wife Chronicles

These beautiful ladies went above and beyond matching 70 country minded ladies with a perfect match to get a gift from.  We were to keep it a secret who our gifts were for, but I have to be honest...I already followed my gift giver and was seriously hoping she was sending her gift to me as she posted sneak peaks as she agonized over what to send and making the gift on her Facebook page. 

Jennifer of From My Front Porch knows me so well that she sent me a gift with what theme?

Cows of course!

 Not only did she send mugs, but she sent the ingredients for her mom's Hot Chocolate.  I remembered reading her post last year as I was trying to come up with homemade gift ideas thinking she probably had an amazing recipe, but you really must read to find out her mom's super secret special ingredient that makes great hot chocolate. 

And she made the mugs herself!  I love the super cute mugs and must find out where she got them.  Jennifer has amazing photography that you really should check out.  She is an amazing cook that shares her recipes.  I know she is a great cook, because I have actually ate supper at her dining room table and sat on her Front Porch!

Last year when I got my gift from Nebraska Wheatie, I thought it couldn't be topped, but I do believe these two gals both get me perfectly and I still have a picture that Tracy sent me last year on display in my dining room.

Thank you so much Jennifer!  I love my mugs and my kids are mad I won't let them drink out of them!  :)

Now, here is the funny part of my gift this year.  I actually made etched glasses for my Christmas in the Country blogger, too.  Be sure to go say hi to Brandi at Lipstick and Tractors and see what I sent her way.

Have you ever made etched glasses?  It is really quite easy.  If you would like to know how, leave me a comment and I will put a post together, so you can make customized birthday gifts all year long!

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Thank You Nebraska Wheatie!

When my friend Laurie from Country Linked said she was helping co-host of Christmas in the Country Blogger & friends gift exchange, I first thought oh how fun and then I thought about everything going on in our lives and wondered if I had time to look for yet another gift.  I am so glad I did take time to put together a gift, but I will admit that the gift I sent was NOTHING like the gift I received from Tracy of Nebraska Wheatie.

My youngest loves this cute little snowman that Tracy made herself from burlap.  If fits right into my country decor and will probably hang out on the kitchen counter after the Christmas decorations are packed away.

 What girl doesn't love  chocolate?  These Chocolate Meltaways are made in Nebraska and are awesome.  Yes, I still have some, because my boys haven't figured out they are chocolate yet.  ;) 

The really fun thing about them is that you can select your flavor.  The bag gives you the key to the wrapper code.  This is much better than the big box of chocolate with a "map" of what flavor is where.  I highly recommend these chocolates!

 Everyone that I know that works outside in the winter battles dry cracked hands.  This hand cream is one of the best I have found and I may very well be placing an order with Tammy's Soap Shack to get the whole family through the rest of this winter.

 Oh, Tracy knows me so well!  Yes!  A Cookbook was just the ticket for a great gift for me especially one full of quick and easy meal prep.  I have a lot of new recipes to try out.  When it was icy last week, we tried several and were not disappointed.

 I LOVE this egg.  I have no idea how they made it (I am trying to figure it out).  I hope Tracy will share with us where or how it was made.  The picture does not do it justice.

 The crowning piece of my gift was a photo taken my Tracy.  If you know how our fall has been with our family and how a farmers life changes constantly, then you know this is perfect.  It hangs in my kitchen where I can see it everyday. 

Thank you to Country Linked and This Unchartered Rhoade for hosting and I look forward to next year.  In fact, I am going to keep a list of locally made products just for this project.  Be sure to check out the other participants in the Christmas in the Country exchange.  And don't forget to check out the Nebraska Wheatie blog and learn all about a Custom Harvester family from Nebraska.

-A Kansas Farm Mom