My character in a NEW Animated TV Commerical!

So excited! My characters in an all new animated TV commercial! =) This is one of the characters I designed for an animated TV commercial while I was working at Snowball Studios! This is the 2nd out of 3 animated commercials that are going to be aired on TV soon! =) had a great, awesome time working with some of the most talented people I've ever met in my life, thanks to all the talented guys at snowball studios, you guys rock! =) 

שיכון ובינוי - עיצוב דמויות על ידי עינב דרעי - חברת ההפקה האחראית על האנימציה וארט - סנובול סטודיוס - פרסומת אנימציה - שרי אריסון

A Lesson Recalled

I’ve never been much for shopping during any season of the year but Christmas has always been a little bit easier.  Searching out the perfect gift for loved ones and close friends has always been a joy. This year however I haven’t really been able to capture that joy and Christmas shopping has felt no more special than the everyday sort of shopping.

It’s not that I’m not into the Christmas spirit quite the contrary in fact I still love it, enjoy it and relish in every moment.  I love the decorations and lights, the smell of pine wafting through the house blended with cinnamon and ginger, the parties to go to and even the Holiday concerts in the hot stuffy gymnasiums of the girls’ schools.

It’s simply that I’d rather spend my time with those I love than shopping for those I love. I’d rather spend my “spare time” with family and friends regardless of what we are doing rather than battling mall crowds to get another thing that no one really needs.

This I think is where the crux of the problem with Christmas shopping lies. I don’t want to buy things for others that they don’t really want or need.  Things that will be appreciated to my face but looked at afterwards with a “what am I supposed to do with THAT” sort of look.  I admit it I’ve done it myself.

So go with gift cards some might say but for some reason gift cards have always seemed to be somewhat crass of a solution to me.  As if you are saying in gift form that you didn’t care to spend any actual time on that person and are doing nothing more than fulfilling an obligation, or worse yet putting a monetary value on that person.

I suppose this is a big part of why Christmas shopping is no longer so fun for me.  Years ago it was often a struggle for us to afford everything we needed let alone satisfy our wants. Christmas was one of the only times of the year I allowed myself to be a bit frivolous and searching out items from my carefully budgeted list and buying them always felt a little extraordinary. 

Now however we don’t struggle to satisfy our needs, as well as most of our wants, so shopping regardless of the reason is no longer some extraordinary and unique thing reserved for a few specific times of the year.  Finding the time to do things however is now often the biggest challenge in my life and so that seems to have developed into a much higher value over monetary or materialistic things.

It seems we always want most what we don’t have.  There are other reasons certainly, I hate crowds, shopping for the kids makes me realize they already have way more stuff than they need, I don’t really have space to put anything new  and I’m just not (or ever will be) a shopper.

Last year I focused instead on creating Christmas gifts that were useful gifts.  Things I made for people that could be used and enjoyed rather than simply had.  I spent time creating baskets stuffed full of yummy goodies, bought books and made treats for the kids in our lives instead of toys, tried to make the whole season a better experience for others and spent as much time in the company of friends and family as I could. 

It was one of the most joyful Christmas seasons I can recall and the one in which I probably spent the least amount of time shopping.  Perhaps this is why I’m struggling with Christmas shopping this year.  I just want to remember the lesson I learnt last year.  That Christmas will always be special regardless of how much I spend on things if what I truly give is my time and effort to the loved ones in my life.     

An Ode To Winter

My fingers have frozen, the cold wind does blow

I’ve lost out again to that once icy place.

Slipping and sliding I fell to the ground

It’s cold and it’s wet and it’s not very nice

My bottom is wet, my back does now ache

My dignity demolished, I sit in disgrace.

Left on the stoop, I admit my defeat

It didn’t take long to see that winter has won.

Holiday Sweets

I make many different kinds of cookies and sweets around the holiday season and will often try something new but each year there are a few special ones.  These are the cookies and baking that I make every year without fail, they are the must have favorites that everybody loves.  

These recipes are all tried and tested traditional items which mostly come from several recipe books which are older than I am and which never fail to please.  Gingerbread, ginger snaps, sugar cookies and shortbread make the short list and I thought I’d share mine, and my whole families, favorite one.

Ginger Snaps

Bake at 375˚ for 8-10 minutes

 ¾ cup shortening

1 cup Sugar

¼ Cup molasses

1 egg

2 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

small bowl of white sugar

Pre-heat oven to 375˚

In a small saucepan melt shortening at low temp then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Slowly add sugar, molasses and egg stirring constantly.

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add slowly to shortening mixture.

Blend well before forming into teaspoon sized balls.

Roll balls in the small bowl of sugar and then place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Flatten with a fork.

Bake for 8-10minutes.

Allow to cool and enjoy.