On the 8th Day of CHRISTmas…Give Away with Charlene Kidd

*Give Away has Ended*

Welcome to day eight of the 12 Days of CHRISTmas giveaway!!! There are holiday ideas, easy recipes and both practical and pampering prizes to win. Best of all, each day you will meet one of my fellow “sistas” from the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaking team. Get to know them and their wonderful resources including books and teaching cd’s. Why, you might even just discover the speaker you have been looking for to appear at your next event.

So get in the holiday spirit. Tune in each day. Hop on and leave a comment. The more you leave, the better your chances of winning. The 12 daily winners will be announced on the 13th day of December so comment on all 12 posts if you can! 

Now, before we start, I will announce the winner of this past weekend’s Cool Christmas Give Away I hosted in conjunction with my friend Lysa TerKeurst

The winner of a signed copy of my book A Life That Says Welcome; Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others and a box of cozy Candy Cane Lane Christmas tea is………..Kim Chewning!!! Congrats Kim! Contact me at [email protected] to give me your home address and I’ll ship your gift out right away!!!!

Now….back to our regularly scheduled contest…….

DAY EIGHT:

Today you will meet yet another one of my Proverbs 31 speaking sisters. Charlene Kidd is a dynamic speaker who is passionate about family and marriage. Her smile is enthusiastic and her enthusiasm is contagious. You will enjoy meeting her as much as I did three years ago at my first She Speaks conference. So gals…..here’s Charlene!

Hello everyone!!! I have been married to my sweetheart and best friend for 18 years. We have 4 great (most of the time) children; Katie 14; Ryan 13; David 7; Sarah 5. I love to drink coffee, especially when I am traveling. As a matter of fact I have christened every vehicle we own or have owned. My husband does not like me to bring it near his truck!! Our entire family plays golf and snow skis.

Every Sunday after church we go to Zaxby’s for chicken fingers. The food is good and we can feed a family of 6 for under $20.00.

I am most passionate about encouraging other couples to have an outstanding marriage.  I love speaking and teaching with my husband at couples events.  I have been privileged enough to be a contributing author to the Proverbs 31 daily devotions as well as “Gods Purpose for Every Woman”.  Oh, and I simply LOVE coffee!! Now for our interview:

family Charlene’s family

·      Charlene, you are a busy mom of four, any tips for getting all of the tasks of Christmas done without doing yourself in?

I allow myself extreme flexibility.  I have finally learned that all good plans may have to be altered.  Each year I evaluate what my time constraints are and decide how much I can realistically do.

I take the time to pray each morning; for direction and sanity!!

I exercise at least three times each week during the season to keep my bones and joints as limber as possible to be able to keep up with my tasks.

We include the kids in our budgeting talk for gifts; that way they can take some ownership in it.

·      You and you husband speak on marriage. How can we use the Christmas season to strengthen our marriage?

It is no secret that love and joy are in the air around Christmas.  Take advantage of those feelings to enhance your relationship.  If there are events that you both need to attend together endeavor to make them special date nights.

Pray together as a couple; it will help you both focus and receive direction for the busy season.

Ask your spouse what they really want as a gift, listen for their heart desire and then honor the request to the best of your budget ability.

Speaking of budget; set one and then stay within its boundaries.  It will greatly reduce stress!!  If there seems to be a need to go over discuss it with your spouse first.

·      What memories do you have of your first few Christmases as a married couple?

Our first several Christmases were spent with much travel.  We would alternate between Allan’s family and mine.  We told our families that we would travel until we had children, and then they were all welcome to come to us.  We would be waking up on Christmas morning at our home.  Now both sides of the family join us on Christmas day at our house.

·      What is your favorite family holiday tradition now and why?

The first weekend of December one of the North Carolina ski resorts rolls their lift ticket price back to $5.00.  We all go up and ski for the day and then we go to a “choose and cut” Christmas tree lot to pick out our tree and bring it home.  This is how we start our Christmas season each year.

The other really important tradition we have is baking a heart shaped birthday cake for Jesus, sing happy birthday and have it on Christmas Eve.

Thanks Charlene for your time and your advice today!!!

Now for our idea and give away: Charlene is known for her love of coffee, so for her give away, she will give one of you ladies a $15.00 Starbucks card and a copy of the Proverbs 31 Devotional book “Gods Purpose for Every Woman”.

So, for our question today, leave a comment letting us know your favorite hot winter drink. I’ll start us off…

When ordering out, I go for a decaf, skinny, mocha latte with a pump of mint and light on the whip. At home, I enjoy one of the many hot drinks we showcased in our book Homespun Gifts from the Heart. Here is one of those hot drink gift mixes, perfect for giving as a gift this Christmas. Simply package it in a small canning jar with a circle of holiday or plaid fabric secured on top with a cheery ribbon. Or, use a small cellophane bag from a florist or craft supply store fastened shut with a foil holiday sticker. Easy and cute!!! This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Store at room temperature.

Mocha Cappuccino

1/2 cup powdered creamer

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup instant coffee (regular or decaf)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Place all in the blender and process until it is a fine powder. Place in chosen container and attach a simple, handwritten tag that reads: “Mix three heaping tablespoons to a cup of boiling water. Enjoy!”

*NOTE: You can also make a variety of flavors by adding 3 or 4 hard flavored candies to the blender. Mints for mocha mint, orange hard candies for orange mocha or even cinnamon hard candies for cinnamon mocha.

Okay, your turn. What is your favorite hot drink to order or to make at home? You may win a $15.00 Starbucks gift card and our Proverbs 31 devotional book God’s Purpose for Every Woman just for telling us!

Sweet Hot and Creamy Blessings.

Karen

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48 Comments

  1. Yummy…I love coffee! I just had the most spectacular coffee at a Borders bookstore. It was White Mocha Choc. coffee. It had a huge mound of whipped cream with white choc. shavings! Coffee is my drink of preference on cold days and in the evenings when I am reading and relaxing. I love meeting friends for a cup of joe. I hope their are divine coffee shops in heaven!!

    Blessings,
    Tricia in Ky

  2. Oh, a talll/ non-fat/ decaf mocha with light whip! A favorite and a special treat! I generally only buy it when I have gift cards! Hope I win! :)

  3. I can’t wait to try the mocha recipe. Sounds great.

    I love the carmel machiato. YYYYUUUMMMM. While at home, I also enjoy apple cider. I love reading about everyone.

    I’m looking for new books to read and would love to win the book.

    Thanks for all the fun for the season. God Bless!

  4. Normally I want a good strong coffee with cream and cinnamon but I was introduced to Starbucks peppermint twist mocha and it is wonderful! They use peppermint whipped cream.
    It is so good and I just love peppermint. The price limits me which is good because I am sure it is loaded but well worth it.

  5. Oh Rebecca—-Please share your hot chocolate recipe with us if you can!!!! It sounds perfect for an afternoon after sledding!
    Karen Ehman

  6. My peppermint tea is waiting for me to finish writing. However, my real favorite is hot chocolate. I found a super recipe in a magazine that has mini chocolate chips in it. It is really yummy and I love the chocolate left in the bottom of the cup. It’s like an extra treat for this chocolate lover!

  7. I’m not a coffee drinker, but hot drinks are great in the winter. I love caramel apple cider – Pier I Imports had a great mix for it last Christmas – I’m hoping that it is there again this year! And hot chocolate is welcome at any time!

  8. ooohh! i love coffee! i vacationed in Costa Rica last year and fell in love with their coffee….but here in the states if it is labeled Costa Rica….so far it has disappointed me…..the freshness factor might contribute to that…..i always grind my own beans and love the aroma that fills my kitchen while brewing!
    thank you for loving the Lord,
    Sandi

  9. At home my favorite is hot apple cider, boiled in cinnamon sticks and cloves, then add caramel to it…But when I am out and about…for fall Starbucks had Pumpkin flavor…so disappointed when that is gone for the season! Num!

    Shannon

  10. I like a White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks best. Some of the at home powders work pretty well to, but there’s just something about the real thing!

  11. We live out in the sticks – so I have my own machine (Starbucks is just too far away). I go through phases – lately, I love carmel lattes…mmmmm… I better go make another!

  12. Not a coffee drinker but love hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Would love to have a warm drink and enjoy the book prize!

  13. I usually opt for a tall skinny mocha with no whip. . .but more recently I have been opting for hot tea with honey, to help my sore throat. I love the sweetness honey adds to the tea. Thanks for the mocha cappuccino recipe – that’s just what I need for one of my last gifts.

    Cindy
    http://adopttaiwan.wordpress.com

  14. mmmmm, so good there is a not a Starbuck’s in our little town. I would be there everyday—not so good on the budget. Right now I’m loving the Peppermint Mocha Twist without the Peppermint syrup. Really it’s a Mocha with the Peppermint whipped cream and the chocolate shavings. Just enough peppermint to give it a light hint—oh my it is good. Usually I’m into the Chai Tea.

  15. Okay, I LOVE the smell of coffee. However, I don’t like the taste of it. I recently tried a Starbucks hot chocolate. AWESOME! I love hot cocolate. French vanilla in particular. Our family always has hot chocolate when the first big snow falls.

  16. She is a girl after my own heart. If I could put coffee in my veins I would. I love non-fat peppermint mochas no whip from Starbucks. At home I drink coffee with french vanilla soy creamer. My favorite!

    Now, I want to know how she got out of traveling at Christmas. We stopped Christmas day traveling when the kids came but we can’t seem to get out of having to travel everyday around Christmas. That’s work!

  17. Thanks for the recipe, Karen…I’ll have to try it!
    I love coffee when I am at home…black and hot :)
    I had some hot cider while at a store’s open house the other day. They used Aspen mulling cider and mixed it and kept it hot in a crock pot…yummy, too!
    Sometimes, a cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace is just right.
    Merry Christmas!
    Becky

  18. My favorite drink is from a little coffee shop in our town and it’s a carmel white mocha. my mother and i enjoy going there together and catching up with each other and getting to spend some time together. I really love this website and enjoy each of you!!

  19. Mmm… One night each December when my family shops at the mall for the Salvation Army, I order a mint flavored hot cocoa. At home I love a variety of hot drinks: cocoa of all flavors, vanilla chai, MANY different hot teas, and several varieties of cider, but NOT coffee. For December I like to flavor my hot drinks with a little bit of Eggnog flavored creamer. Delicious!

  20. I also have a great fondness for coffee! When out and about I enjoy a skinny vanilla latte with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon. At home, a nice Columbian blend – freshly ground beans and a yummy flavored creamer; today it was Peppermint Mocha :)

    Thanks for an entry in the giveaway!

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