Getting back to normal...

Christmas is over. I survived the "day after Christmas" blahs where you are just too tired to move and have a lot you want to do but don't feel like doing anything so you lay around in your new warm jammies and house shoes. 

I am all excited about painting my office in the next few weeks and getting all my new items for it. I saw some curtains that I really like that will go good with my new color scheme.

I am so tired of blue rugs and shower curtains in my bathroom. I think I found a new theme. I like this shower curtain really well and it will go with the existing wall paper in the hall bath.

And I love these rugs. 

I saw some cute dishtowels at Walmart that I like. I may have to pick up some of these.

I have not been happy with my display for my Pyrex. I just don't think the bowls look right setting on the wooden top of the Baker's Rack. 

So I did some rearranging. It still isn't perfect, but I think I like it better this way. Plus my recipe books tend to set better on the solid wood instead of the shelf. 

I started doing some cleaning in my office. I may move some furniture around today. I'm replacing an old metal file cabinet with my wooden one. I will take some pictures when everything is completed. 

Christmas Conclusion

I hope everybody had a great Christmas. Hubby worked on Christmas eve for half a day. That meant I had to do all the cooking for the family Christmas gathering that night. But if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty good. I wish I had taken before and after pictures. He would have had a heart attack had he seen the disorganized mess his kitchen was in. But I got it all accomplished and cleaned up. When he got home from work, the kids were all here and everything was ready. Whew! I wasn't sure I could pull it off. I have some things to share with you since I haven't updated you these past couple of days. 

Sunday I received some nice gifts from the teachers in our Pre-K class that I help out in. I fell in love with this Christmas shovel. It is just too cute.

I also got an awesome Christmas blanket. You know I love my blankies.

I got the ultimate cookbook. COOKIES! I can't wait to try out some of the new recipes. The cookie plate will come in handy on those long January snowy days when I feel like baking. And I am starting out 2013 with a new angel looking over my shoulder. She is going to find a home in my office to inspire me to be a better person and reach the goals I set for myself. 

Christmas eve at unwrapping time is the one time that all five grandkids gather together and sit still. 

The grandchildren got me some awesome fuzzy warm socks and a gorgeous charm bracelet and a pair of earrings. I loved it all. And the fine print on my heart charm says "Born to Rule". There will be no living with me now. I am queen.

Right when we were getting ready to open presents, someone walked up to the door. It was my mail lady. She was still out making deliveries after 7 pm on Christmas eve. She had me a box from a lady in my Pyrex4Trade Facebook group. It was the pink pie plate. It was gorgeous. 

Christmas morning I get up earlier than hubby and get the heat going (we sleep with it cooler at night). I make his coffee and spend some time quietly looking at the tree with nothing but the Christmas lights on. I reflect on the meaning of the celebration, the memories of Christmas's past and think about how blessed I am to have family close enough for them all to be here on Christmas eve. Then I start getting excited about all the presents that aren't open and I go get him up.

I got my warm jammies and fuzzy wild house shoes and lots of other goodies. But he blew me away with the last gift I opened. The third piece to my Colonial Mist Cinderella set. I was so excited. I actually shrieked a little. One more piece to go. I told him he needs to get some research going because the anniversary of our first date is coming up in January! Seriously, I was so happy with this. It made my Christmas even more perfect than it already was.

Now it is back to the daily grind. After 5 days off work, I am thinking I better work today through Friday and then take my trees down and get my house back in order. Did you all have a nice Christmas?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours. May God bless you on this glorious celebration of the birth of His Precious Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Christmas Eve...a busy day.

The elves are busy loading the sleigh. Mrs. Claus is urging Santa to eat before he heads out on his annual trek. Children all over the world are keeping their ears open for the jingle of sleigh bells. Our household is busy cooking and baking those last minute goodies. I will have the Norad Santa tracker running on the computer all day so I can make sure to head to bed in time for Santa to stop by my house.



Whatever you plans for the holiday, stay warm and stay safe. Travel prayers for all those who are traveling over the holidays. Never lose sight of the real reason for the season. Have a very Merry Christmas!

Just 2 more days!

Just two more days till Christmas? Are you ready? My shopping is done and the presents are in the process of being wrapped. I still have some baking to do. My office is a disaster with presents and paper all over the place so I'm writing my blog from the living room computer. I rarely use the desktop any more.

I got a Christmas card yesterday with this neat little tablet for my purse. I love it.

Have you been missing Edgar? He's been so busy flitting here and there making sure the presents were getting purchased and wrapped that he has been quietly resting under the tree in my office. The closer Christmas gets, the more worried he gets that he will miss Santa. So he has taken to camping out under one of the trees. 

He did take a break to help with some of the wrapping. We are going to finish the rest this afternoon.

Hubby had his work gift exchange this weekend. He got a really nice shirt and this coffee cup with coaster. It was barely out of the bag when Edgar laid claim to it for me to drink hot chocolate from on Christmas morning. He is such a sweet elf.

We are going to finish the baking tomorrow morning. I always get these aluminum pans to send goodies home with the kids. Edgar helped me pick out the recipes. They are getting so old and stained. I need to redo a lot of my recipes sometime soon before the writing fades away to where you can't read them. 

Edgar said to tell everybody Thank You that has been participating in commenting on how many times he has shown up. There were four people who commented on every time he showed up. So we placed their names in a sled and let Edgar draw the winner. 

And who won? 

Congratulations to Stephanie G! Stephanie enjoyed your antics Edgar and I know she will be pleased to find out she wins one of the new products in the spring Thirty-One catalog. She wins the new Keep-It Caddy. I hope she likes it. 

 Ms. Stephanie can select the pattern of her choice. She can choose the one above which is the new Pink Floral Brushstrokes pattern or she can choose any of the patterns below. As an added benefit, Ms. Stephanie can select her own personalization to complement her new bag. Congratulations again to Ms. Stephanie. I will get you a catalog so you can pick the pattern and personalization of your choice. 

We had some challenges through the contest and some of the posts went wacko with the comment section not keeping the comment, but thank you to those who emailed me their comments so they could stay in the race. The remaining three who tied with Stephanie G. were Rachel, Norma and Nonie (from Everything Sewing). Since they were all so wonderful to comment regular on Edgar's antics, they will each receive a new Key Fob in the pattern of their choice from the new catalog. I will contact you to find out which one you  each would like for your choice. Congratulations to all our winners and a special thank you to everyone who participated. 

Edgar wanted me to tell everybody he has had a blast visiting you and keeping you laughing at his antics. He said he needs to get some rest now. He plans to sleep until Christmas eve. When Santa drops off his goodies, Edgar is going to hop in the sleigh and head back to the North Pole to spend the next year with his Elf buddies. So he grabbed his Christmas pillow and afghan and has settled in to sleep till Santa gets here. He said to tell everybody Merry Christmas!

A crazy day

I had some computer issues on my laptop this morning. I finally said forget it. I will have to do some research and fix it tomorrow. I am exhausted tonight. I finished up my shopping today and got some great deals. 

It has been so cold all day and the wind just goes right through you. I have the heat kicked up and am getting ready to hit the couch with my warm blanket. 

All those weeks of going, going, going has finally caught up with me. I sit here trying to think of a blog for today and my head is nodding as my eyes droop.

I've decided it is time to take some ME time and have an early night.

Catch you tomorrow!

Baking has begun

Yesterday was a great day to start my Christmas baking. It was windy and cloudy and rained most of the day. I woke up and baked some Pillsbury cinnamon rolls to get the oven going and me motivated. 

I have never been good at making sugar cookies. I had to make a couple dozen for my grandson's school Christmas party today. He loves to volunteer me for baked goods. He wanted the green and red sprinkles so I just decorated them with the sprinkles. Nothing fancy but the kids will love them. 

Hubby has been wanting one of the applesauce cakes like his Mom always made. We have never made one and he doesn't eat a lot of it and I don't eat applesauce cake so we just never made it. This year, i am giving some goodies as gifts so we decided to make the cake in mini bundts and mini loaves. That way he can keep some and we can give some away. He said it tasted just like his Mom's so I was happy. 

And then of course, I had to bake the annual batch of Mom K's Orange Cream cookies. The recipe makes around 6 doz. This year we ended up with 78 cookies. Some as gifts, but most to keep. This is the one sweet that he does eat a lot of. Every year that I make them since she passed away, I have to ask him to check the consistency and flavor since there is no set amount on the juice from the orange. Every year, he will tell me how much to add to get it right. This year, when he taste tested the batter I had it perfect. When he tasted the icing, he said I nailed it. Then he gave me the ultimate compliment...."Mom would be proud." I love my mother-in-law and miss her very much. Baking "her" cookies every year is one way I honor her memory. She has been gone around 20 years and I still find myself wanting to call and tell her something. 

That is it for now. I'm going to make something else this weekend but not sure what yet. I have a couple more gifts to pick up on Saturday. I haven't even started my wrapping yet. I may try to do some this afternoon.