Christmas is around the corner

This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Welch's.

The holidays are upon us. If you're like me, that means your mind is flooded with memories of past Christmases. Something about Christmas brings out the nostalgia in me.

I remember the time my little sister and I each received a pair of white roller skates for Christmas and skated around the dining room table all day long. Keep in mind, we did this while wearing our new Holly Hobby painted denim shirts. Nothing says "I was a child of the 70's" quite like that, right?

I also remember the time my Grandfather carried a huge box with a big bow up the back steps. It was a Christmas present he had bought for my mother. We all gathered round to see what was inside. It was a new-fangled appliance called a microwave. Very exciting for all of us. But we only cooked bacon in it and used it as a place to store our bread. We weren't quite sure what to do with it back then.

One thing that was always constant on Christmas while growing up was family. We were always together with extended family that day. But, as I grew older, moved away and got married, then started having children of my own, we weren't able to always go back to my family's house for Christmas. So I found a new way to celebrate my extended family on this special day.

I found a gorgeous gold Christmas tree where I could hang pictures of the entire family. I also included pictures of those precious family members who had passed away.



Every year, right after Thanksgiving, I bring out the gold tree. We all look at all the family pictures and talk about special memories we had with each other. I love it. And I think my kids do too. It also makes a gorgeous Christmas decoration. Maybe now that I'm in a tiny NYC apartment this Christmas, I should just use this for my tree!

But even if I'm short on space this year, I can still have great food and drink on this special day. I'm sure I'll add some favorites from Christmas pasts. I've always incorporated Welch's Sparkling juices into our Christmas celebrations too. It's something kids and adults always enjoy. This year, I was excited to see that Welch's incorporated some great recipes for drinks on their website. One that I'm going to try this year is the

Sparking Holiday Punch:

Ingredients
3 cups of cold water
3/4 cups sugar
5 cinnamon sticks
1 bottle Welch's Sparkling Red or Sparkling White Grape Juice Cocktail, chilled
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 bottles (16 oz. each) lemon-lime soda, chilled
Ice cubes made with Welch's Sparkling Red or Sparkling White Grape Juice Cocktail
Preparation
In medium saucepan, combine water, sugar and cinnamon sticks to make cinnamon syrup. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks, cover and refrigerate two hours.
In a large punch bowl, combine cinnamon syrup, Sparkling Red or Sparkling White Grape Juice Cocktail, orange juice, lemon juice and soda. Add ice cubes. If desired, garnish punch with additional cinnamon sticks or float fruit-filled ice cubes, orange, lemon or lime slices. Makes about 30 1/2-cup servings.

Doesn't that sound delicious?

Go here for some more great ideas on how to incorporate Welch's sparkling juices into your holiday festivities. Then come back and tell me which one you're going to try. One lucky commenter will receive a $100 Visa gift card (from Blogher.)

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