Another Year Gone!

Do you remember when it was the end of 1999 and the year 2000 arrived? That was the Millennium year coupled with the Y2K problem! We fretted and worried about so many possible computer and digital related issues. Everyone was warned, businesses and personal computer users, to update our computer systems or we'd most likely lose all our programs and data! We were absolutely certain chaos would result when the clocks transitioned from 11:59 p.m. on December 31st, 1999 to 12:00 a.m. on January 1st, 2000! Guess what? Only  minor outages and disruptions were reported! Now, here we are 15 years later and online social networking has enveloped our spheres! So many technological advances have occurred since the year 2000 and continue to progress at an exceptionally swift pace! Social media rules the lives of many, especially our younger generations. It's difficult to fathom a world without Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest! But, that was my world when the Millenium arrived! The social networking platform known as Facebook was co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin and first launched in February 2004. It initially limited its membership to college students. However, in 2005 high school students were invited to join and by 2006 anyone age 13 or older with a valid email address could create a Facebook account. By late 2007, Facebook also included about 100,000 business pages that allowed companies to update potential customers on their products and services. Zoey's Attic has been an active Facebook member since joining in 2009. In 2012 Facebook purchased Instagram. It is an online social network photo and video sharing site with over 300 million active Instragram users, and the Facebook newsroom also reports as of this past September there were approximately 1.35 billion active monthly users. LinkedIn, founded in 2003, is another popular social networking site. It is billed as the world's largest professional network with approximately 300 million plus members. The demographic data indicates the majority of its members are from the United States and then followed by users in India, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Canada. LinkedIn allows its members to create a profile and connect with other workers and potential employers through an online social network. Oh my, how technology has changed our lives! Can't wait to see what the next 15 years will bring! Oh.. and Happy New Year!

Current Shipping Update

As of today, December 23rd, we are no longer shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas as we are closing up the shop on express shipping. Thank you all so much for trusting us with your holiday shirts and gifts! Our very warmest wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Zoey's Attic!

Holiday Shipping Schedule Update

Here's the very latest on Zoey's Attic Holiday Shipping Schedule: U.S. customers WE ARE STILL SHIPPING IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY DELIVERY but you must add at least EXPRESS shipping at checkout to ensure your order arrives before Christmas. EXPRESS orders will ship Monday (December 22nd) with 1-2 day delivery guaranteed by the USPS. Enjoy the holidays and thank you ever so much for shopping with Zoey's Attic!

Current Shipping Schedule Update

Here is our latest HOLIDAY ORDERING DEADLINE - If you order today (December 20th) you must add at least EXPRESS shipping at checkout to ensure your order arrives before Christmas. We are shipping all orders ASAP, but this is a very busy time for the post office as well and adding EXPRESS shipping will greatly increase your chances of receiving your order in time for Christmas (U.S. only). If you order and do not add EXPRESS shipping, we will assume you know your order might not arrive by Christmas Day. We are no longer shipping international orders in time for Christmas delivery. Thank you so much for shopping Zoey's Attic and Merry Christmas!

Soon It'll Be A Wrap!

I've almost completed my Christmas shopping and it's time to start the wrapping! My list is always way too ambitious, and my husband says I buy for anyone and everyone I've ever met! It sure feels like it when I sit down to wrap! I have a crazy little method that works well for me. I use a different patterned paper for each of the kids, my husband, and for the individual families and friends we purchase gifts for at Christmas. So, for example, my brother's family may have a green paper with Santas and the presents for my best friend's family might then be wrapped in a red paper decorated with snowmen. I can then just look at a package and know who's family is to receive that particular gift. The wrapping begins after a long day and the kiddos are fast asleep all snuggled in their beds. I gather all my supplies in advance including several different papering options, ribbons in various holiday colors, scissors, several rolls of tape, name tags, and a red pen. This helps me to stay organized and focused on the duties at hand because I'm usually pretty worn out by this time of the night! I always wrap the presents at the dining room table with a hint of traditional Christmas movie playing softly in the background. I'm typically still at the paper wrapping station into the wee hours of the morning, and I never complete the task in one session so I can always plan on a few more very long nights finishing the job. At the end of the wrap I hide the packages in empty suitcases and boxes placed in the back of the basement... you know, where all the monsters hang out! Thus, no worries the little ones will be snooping around to see if Santa has already dropped off some presents for them!

Recently I saw a video on how to quickly and very easily wrap all those holiday packages. The video was from 93.7 FM and shared on Mama's Baby Cupcakes' Facebook page. I watched the video and was excited to try this new way to wrap my presents. Well, I tried it and wasn't very successful so I watched the tutorial again, and then yet again! I really don't know what my problem was but I sure couldn't wrap any present as fast and efficiently as they did on the video! I felt very inadequate at gift wrapping (sort of like how I feel when I try to dance!). Anyway, I wasn't expecting to fail GIFTWRAPPING101! I got so frustrated I went back to my own tried and true system of wrapping! If you have a few extra minutes please take a look at the YouTube video from Todd Tripp, and if anyone has any suggestions for future wrapping success using this method I would sure love to hear them!


Video courtesy of YouTube.com/Todd Tripp

Holiday Baking

Peppermint Bark

I finished the grocery shopping last evening and I'm ready for the annual Christmas cookie baking/candy making day! Mixing, baking, cookie decorating will begin in the early morning tomorrow and continue all day and into the evening! Of course, we'll start with the traditional chocolate chip cookies that are made and enjoyed year after year. I still use the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for this family favorite. It's the very same recipe my mom used when I was a little girl (oh so many years ago!). This classic and totally scrumptious cookie is perfect for the holidays, well perfect anytime, any day of the year! Next up will be the sugar cookie cut outs in festive holiday designs. I prefer the buttery cut out sugar cookie recipe from Food.com. The dough rolls out easily and I especially like the icing recipe for the cookies. While the sugar cookies are cooling we will make the powdered sugar snowballs. These mouth watering cookies are also called Russian Tea Cakes. I use Betty Crocker's recipe for these smooth and oh so delicious cookies. The recipe is so easy and the cookies are absolutely divine! They also look very festive with the other cookies and candies on the serving tray. After rolling the warm cookies twice in powdered sugar and the snowballs are placed on a rack to cool, it's now time to frost and decorate the sugar cookie cut outs. The sugar cookie shapes always include Christmas trees, candy canes, snowmen, Christmas stockings, and holiday bells. The kiddos love decorating these cookies and I love watching them! They are always so excited and of course always sneak a few cookie bites when I'm not looking! One of my favorite cookies is the Coconut Macaroon. The little ones don't like coconut and I have assured them that some day they will!  I really disliked these cookies when I was younger and my mom told me I would one day like and even crave them. Guess what? She was right again! So to this day I make a small batch of Macaroons because it just wouldn't be Christmas without them. Tasteofhome.com has a very simple recipe and they hardly take any time at all to make and bake. Thankfully no one in my family has a peanut allergy, so we also make a peanut butter cookie that is topped with a chocolate Hershey kiss. The recipe is from Hersheys.com, easy to make, and greatly enjoyed by all. Next we move on to the fudge! Yes, I'm a chocoholic and I freely admit it! I have always used the fudge recipe seen on the Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk can. It's so simple and the fudge is always perfect! You can find this foolproof chocolate fudge recipe online at Allrecipes.com. Finally, after a long day in the kitchen it's time to make the Chocolate Peppermint Bark and Food.com has a very easy recipe.  In years past I have used a double boiler to melt the chocolate, but now I've gotten used to melting it in the microwave oven which is so easy and less time consuming! The finished product is the most delicious chocolate peppermint bark ever! It really does melt in your mouth! So tomorrow evening all the baking and candy making will be done. Do you bake for the holidays? If so, what are your favorite recipes?

Holiday Ordering Deadlines

It's Holiday Time and Zoey's Attic wants to be sure your special order arrives before the big day! So here is the latest on our shipping deadlines for Christmas: ► U.S. Christmas ordering deadline is as follows: orders must be placed by December 16th with regular shipping and ►INTERNATIONAL orders must be placed by December 5th for Christmas delivery. We will process and ship orders out as fast as we can in the order they are received, but adding an expedited method of shipping such as Priority or Express is always an option to ensure delivery in time! Many, many thanks for your patience during our very busy Holiday season!