X marks the spot!

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

Why do I have more fun decorating my fireplace than I do my Christmas tree??  Why do I have a new camera and I still take blurry pictures??  Why do people say they're full of the Christmas spirit and still can't stop COMPLAINING!??

                                      

Remember when you were young, you always heard, "If you write X-MAS it's like taking the Christ out of Christmas!"?  I'm not a kid anymore and I still feel overcome with GUILT when there's not enough room in my checkbook to write "Christmas" and I have to write "x-mas".  Seriously, I look up to Heaven and apologize - for writing an X in my checkbook!!  I picture the Lord with a look on his face like, "Seriously? You think I'm that petty?"  Does anyone else feel guilty about that or is it just me? 

                                       

People complain when the Christmas decorations go out right after Halloween and yet, they complain about having so much to do that they can't fit it all in.  Why do people get so upset when the decorations go out so early?  Christmas music puts me in a good mood and I like seeing the decorations and thinking about church and family and laughter and my favorite Christmas movies ~ seeing the stories come to life.   Plus, I start buying a little at a time then and don't wait until the last minute and charge it.

I love the feelings that come with Christmas ~ people have a pep in their step, they feel like giving, and many people that aren't otherwise in church, go back.  If you think it's gotten too commercialized, you're probably right.  It's up to us who believe in the true spirit to make sure that's what we're spreading and keeping it real...homey.  Turning our noses up to all the holiday kooks isn't what God had in mind, or probably calling them kooks either.  Something tells me there's one or two things you and I do to which people would turn up their noses.   It's not a contest, it's a celebration, whether you do it in a big way or a small way.  I don't want us to all be the same ~ that's what makes it wonderful!  I still can hardly listen to "Mary Did You Know" without getting teary-eyed, it's my very favorite.  Keep the focus of the season ~

Happy Thanksgiving

"When having a smackerel of something with a friend, don't eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out."

~ Winnie the Pooh

Count your blessings if you can count that high ~ not just for the big things, but for the small things that God does just for you. You know those times when you see something beautiful or amazing and you think, 'Why wasn't someone here to see that with me?' or 'Why didn't I have my camera?' That was a gift meant just for you ~ enjoy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A day for winners!

As a big "Dancing With the Stars" fan, I am SO excited that Donny Osmond won last night!! I watch very little TV because it's pretty much just a noise box, but once I started watching that show, I was hooked. Then, little by little, my husband started watching with me although he didn't go psycho and call AND go on-line to vote for Donny. I don't know what's wrong with him, I really don't! And seriously, Donny's wife is such a cutie - and they've been married since he was like 20. I have kids older than that who don't even know how to flush so getting married at that age is a mind boggler. He is just a neat, neat guy and I'm so happy for him! If you haven't seen it, go rent "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" - he's AWESOME in that, too! I sound like his agent...and be sure and catch his new CD... HA HA Just joking.


Since this is a day for winners, I've also chosen the winner of the Choffy giveaway. That's not true really because I didn't choose - random.org chose for me. And I don't feel at all bad promoting Choffy while I'm doing a post on a Mormon because this isn't coffee, it's chocolate - so don't be mad, Donny, we can still be friends.


The winner was from comment 22, TWILA (is that a pretty name or what!?)! Her blog is a Xanga blog called "ilovecooking", and that's where I got the great recipe for the Fried Ice Cream Dessert. Congrats, Twila, I hope you like it - you're a foodie expert so I'm sure even if you don't like it, you'll turn it into an amazing flaming yummy, gooey extravaganza!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Funny

"Snowmen fall from heaven...unassembled."

~ Anonymous

I know it's Thanksgiving, and this says "Merry Christmas" but I thought it was too cute and had to share. I got this in an e-mail so I guess it's the beginning of all those "You've Been Tagged" e-mails. Bring on the egg nog!!

The good kind of blabbing

You know how much fun getting attention is when you're young, but then when you're older, it's a little uncomfortable?? Today I'm the featured blogger on this AWESOME blog I've found called Blabbing About Blogs. I am in NO way tooting my own horn here because it's sort of awkward, but I want to tell you about it because THEY do deserve the recognition!!

They're a new blog themselves and every couple of days they feature a blog and I love it because I've found some of the neatest new sites to go to that I otherwise wouldn't have found. They do a great job, they're adorable and if you're looking for something new and/or different, this is the place to be.

They're always looking for new blogs to feature, so if you know of a great blog that you think others should know about, head on over ~ they have a place to make suggestions!! I suggested one of my favorite blogs, A Joyful Chaos, and I've got at least a few more in my head that I want them to know about. They call themselves the "Blog Blabbers" so go give them a shout out and have a great day!

"Thankful for YOU" Giveaway

           

I just had to do one more giveaway this year before Christmas gets here and we're all scrambling around saying, 'Next year, I'm going to S-L-O-W down and just enjoy the season!'. 

Have I got a treat for you!  Have you ever heard of Choffy?  It's NOT coffee, it's brewed chocolate - yep, I'm serious.  This has no bearing whatsoever on if you like or drink coffee because it's not coffee and there is no coffee in it.  When you open the bag, you get the most heavenly smell of yummy chocolate.

  My giveaway is for one 12 oz. bag of 100% organic cacao ~ Choffy.  I know this sounds like a commercial, but if you're going to get it, you may as well know a bit about it, am I right?  It's actually HEALTHY for you with antioxidants and contains NO sugar, dairy, sodium or chemicals.  You brew it in a coffee maker if you have one or you can also use a French press as well.  I found you have to use more of the Choffy than you would coffee, so if you usually use 3 spoonfuls of coffee in your coffeemaker, you'd use about 6 spoonfuls of the Choffy.  I like the fact that because of what's in it, it's good for adults, children, teens, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers...

When you think of chocolate, you're thinking of the candy stuff with sugar in it and this isn't sweet like that.  I drank it for awhile just brewed and liked it, and then since I like a little sugar with, well, everything, I added 1 tsp. of sugar and a tiny bit of milk.  When I say 1 tsp., I mean that's all and that was my golden ticket.  I didn't try it with any flavored creamers because my whole point was to keep this as healthy as possible with just a bit of sugar and no fat, but I bet you could add some flavored creamer if you wanted to change it up a bit.  One more thing...my extrememly picky kids liked it and you have no idea what that's saying!

These are pictures without the sugar/milk and then with the sugar/milk - YUUUUUMM!!

Believe me, I like the boxed hot chocolate with all the sugar and sweeteners and marshmallows and chemicals - I mean, who doesn't!?  But if I can have something healthier (that even my KIDS would drink) then I'd much rather do that. 

You know what else I loved?  When I e-mailed the folks at Choffy and asked if they'd help me out with a giveaway, they were right on board!  They were like, "Sure!"  Score one for the nice guys!!  Now it's time for me to break out the cashola and buy some for Christmas presents!  Take a bag, punch a hole in the top part, tie some colored curly ribbon through it - BINGO - instant gift.  Plus it's something different and new (to most people anyway!).  

Check out the video on their website if you want to learn more about it:  http://www.drinkchoffy.com/

Here's what you need to do to enter the giveaway (you can do 1, 2, 3, or all of the above):
1.  Leave a comment saying you'd like to be entered.
2.  Post on your sidebar or blog, then come back and leave another comment saying you did so.
3.  We're all thankful for the Lord, family, health, friends, etc. but I want you to leave another comment saying something small or silly that you're thankful for.  Here's mine...I'm thankful for blogs where I don't have to leave a word verification and jump through hoops to leave a comment!! 

You're able to enter a total of 3 times.  GOOD LUCK and visit their website to start and finish your Christmas shopping!!  I will use random.org to pick the winner on Wednesday, November 25 ~ the day before Thanksgiving.

I'm very thankful to Choffy for helping me do this and I am very thankful for my blogging friends.  If someone told me a year ago that they've made really good friends on the computer, I'd think they were psycho and needed to get a life.  I'm so happy I'm one of them now! 

L8R T8R

               

This post today is nothing more than my gift to you.  You will go away feeling so much better about yourself because I'm sure you would never do something like this.  You will feel SO much more superior to me and that, my friend, is my only goal for today.  

Today they were giving the H1N1 vaccine at my daughter's school and of course I signed her up.  I work from 9-1 usually and I guess she was just text-venting because I can't carry my cell around with me at work so she knew I couldn't answer her.  I completely forgot to even turn my phone on until well into my day.  The following are the 3 texts I got from her...

This one was sent before I even left home but again, I didn't have my phone on so I didn't answer...

This is the next one (at 9:24) - I had to page down to see the time...

Now it's all better!  She got her shot and was on her merry way...(did I mention that she's 18, and not 5?)...

                      

By now, I'm off work and I'm reading the progression of her day so I sent her the following...

                  

And her response...

                   

I was cracking up - I love how she typed "lol" in the middle of telling me she got the shot!!!!!!!  Now, technically is it child abuse if she's 18 and I'm just messing with her psyche and she's not really a child??  I told my poopsie that of course I wasn't serious and I'm glad it all went well and I'm sure she will never be able to OINK with the best of 'em. 

Here is where you fit in and how I have failed as a parent:

1.  I let her text me from school.  Do you know how big of a no-no that is??  They take the teen's phone and charge them money to get it back!  I kind of like that, actually.  It's $25 the first time, $50 plus detention the second, and the third time it's $75 plus detention.   She's on her own there - you do the crime, you pay the dime.  NO, I don't encourage this behavior, but it did happen and I took part.  Guilty.

2.  I'm apparently raising illiterate children.  She said she's not "gunna".  One of my biggest faults is lack of patience when it comes to spelling and grammar.  I admit it and I try not to grind my teeth when I read things from people that don't know the difference between there, their, and they're...or your and you're...or to and too...or a biggie - lose and loose!  Mama mia.  So, anyway, she's not "gunna" and if she wants to say that, can she at least spell it right - gonna??  Dictionary.com - use it, live it, love it.  She also did "good", not "well".  I was very happy that she capitalized the "I" because it's usually "i".   :(

Oh well, I forgot to put a comma after "Shoot" when I texted her back so there you have it.

I don't buy into all the hype anymore about kids never learning to spell and we're all doomed.  Something tells me we're going to have bigger fish to fry when the time comes.

Since I really use the phone as little as possible, texting works for me.  I say what I need to.  Done.  I do understand the other end of the spectrum because most people just say, "I don't understand it, why can't you just pick up the phone and call??"  Is it wrong to say, "Because I have an inexplicably hard time making small talk and acting interested in others' daily minutiae"?   Self-involved?  Possibly.  Probably.  I will try and do better though!  LOL (I mean ROFLOL!)

A Touch of Childhood

In this time of being "thankful", I just have to mention that I am very thankful for something as simple as books - and illustrators!  Did you have a favorite story as a child?  Most people did I guess, or at least something memorable.  I absolutely love Joan Walsh Anglund and her PRECIOUS little books.  I still have several and I always check them out when I see them come through the library.  They're usually small, easy to read, and have the most adorable illustrations you've ever seen ~ round-faced little children, mostly with no mouths now that I think of it. 

I just wanted to share these with you.  They're just a few of my own and some that I've checked out...

And here is something I bought on eBay that I hope to start in the near future...a collection of Joan Walsh Anglund cross-stitch projects - be still my heart!

Do you remember any of your favorite childhood books or stories?

Happy Birthday Sara!

♪ Happy Birthday to you..♪

Sara is my youngest and today is her 18th birthday - yahoo!  Here are a few "Sara" highlights and then you'll know why there is never a dull moment around here.  You can thank me, I'm sparing you the picture of her totalled car ~ it wasn't her fault and she was perfectly safe, thank the good Lord!   That doesn't stop it from adding a few gray hairs. 

Down with the crib and up with the big girl bed...

Seriously I don't even remember Baby All Gone, but that's what she got and I'll call this picture her first official GASP!

Yes, that's a hanger on her head.  Don't ask.  We did actually give them toys to play with occasionally.  I guess she got tired of the empty toilet paper roll...

Here's a flying monkey... During this time of Thanksgiving, let's all give thanks that she has embraced a little more modesty.  Everybody say "Amen!"

Funny, it's usually ME climbing the walls ~ like mother, like daughter...

And here's our girl who is now a Senior and planning her future ~ Annabelle is helping her ponder...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISSY!

------------------------------------------

On another note, check out this fun new blog I found called Blabbing About Blogs!  Every couple days or so it features a new blog to go check out and it's a lot of fun finding new sites.  Yesterday, the featured blogger was my friend from A Joyful Chaos!  That's one of my favs so I'm glad she was the star of the show for a day.  Check them both out for a bit of fun ~☺

Recipe swap ~ Hello Dolly!

Karrie at Stay@homemommy is hosting this GREAT recipe swap to get everyone jump-started on the holidays.  I love cookbooks and new recipes and if I can jump to a blog and get a quick new treat I'm all for that!  If you'd like to take part or even if you just want to print out some new recipes in a flash, click on over to her blog and click on those who've joined the swap.

Everyone's had some version of this quick cookie/bar, but my husband has always called them "Hello Dollies" - don't ask me why.  I just made these in a 9x9 pan. 
Here's what you'll need:
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of coconut
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
(Preheat oven to 350º)

I lined the pan with aluminum foil for easier removal, but you don't have to if you don't want.  Put the butter/margarine in the pan and melt it in the oven.

Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the pan and pat them down.  Mix the chocolate chips, coconut and sweetened condensed milk and spread in the pan.

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or so until light brown around the edges.  Cut apart for an easy treat ~ YUMMMMMM!

Calling Katiecakes!

Congrats to comment #22 ~ Katiecakes!  I did it the quickest, fairest way ~ with random.org. 

I wish everyone would've won, but don't forget if you still want the book or liners for yourself or a gift, you can buy them at LTD.  You've GOT to go visit Katiecakes' blog and bring your pen and recipe file - WOW!  At least I don't wonder if she'll use it ~ this girl knows how to bake. 

I am having one more giveaway this year in about a week - I'm giveaway crazy right now.  Well, take out the "giveaway" part and just leave the "crazy". 

Here's a clue...

and no, it's not drugs...weirdo.  But you will like it!

Flashback and a Giveaway!

Alicia over at More Than Words hosts this "pre-digital-camera" event every Friday and it's a hoot seeing people's old pictures - some are funny, some are sentimental, some are sweet, etc. etc. You get the "picture". ha ha This week is my birthday week so I'm posting one of the few (and I mean very few) birthday pictures I have from when I was young. I was child #6 and I just don't remember birthdays being the knock-down, drag-out things they are now.  Well, not for me, but my kids think it's their birthday every day.  My "surprise" for them is it's not.   
 
I always have to laugh at these pictures because every picture from my childhood is TOTALLY off center.  I didn't crop this because that's part of the goofiness of it.  My hair...seriously???  I hope that was a very short stage in my life.  I think I was in fourth grade here.  I still have those same puffy cheeks only now they just look like that even when I'm not blowing out candles.  How do you like the hanger holding the oven door closed - classy, huh!?
 
Well, here's how I'm celebrating this birthday (my 39-again for the 6th time birthday)...I'm having a giveaway!  You know how at the top of this page it says, "Where the ideas in my head and my actual life sometimes meet"?  Yeah well, that doesn't happen real often but when I saw this book coming through the library I knew I had to have it.  You may have seen it in stores - it's called Hello Cupcake!   These are just a few of the AMAZING cupcakes found in this book...

 

These are all cupcakes, people, made by creative, artistic people with too much time on their hands!!  We love people like that!  The little meatballs are those one candy called Ferrero Rocher.  And the snowglobe-looking ones are just cupcakes turned on their side.  Plus there are so many more cute ones in the book. 

OK, I'm also realistic.  Perhaps your creative gene is lying dormant at the moment, as mine is, so I'm also giving some seasonal cute cupcake liners for the different holidays.  That way even if you're just making regular ol' cupcakes, they'll still look cute.   I found both the book and the liners at LTD and bought some for myself and then a book and liners for the giveaway.  I'm also adding a tube of white icing and some icing tips to get you going.  Here's the total package...

I'm making this so easy a frog could do it.  All you have to do is:

1.  Leave a comment saying if you want to be entered. 

2.  If you want to post it on your blog or just your sidebar, great! Come back and leave another comment telling me you did so and that's another comment so you'll be entered again.

THAT'S IT!  I'll use random.org to pick the winning number on Wednesday, November 11th.   OK, let's be sensible, if you just leave comment after comment, that's awful nice of you but I'm not going to enter you 1000 times - once for a comment, once for a comment telling me you've put it on your blog in some way.  Sound fair?  Oh, and I also want you to stand on your head, tell 25 friends, climb a tree, and rub your stomach and pat your head at the same time.  I'll just trust you on those. 

Wouldn't your family be so impressed if this is what you showed up with on Thanksgiving??: