I always feel a bit "down in the dumps" after Christmas. I'm not depressed, but I'm not very enegetic or motivated either. I do look forward to the new year though and the thought of a fresh start.
Last year my "word" was "Simplify" which I did in many aspects of my life. I've said that 2009 was my year of the purge. I got rid of a lot of stuff that had been cluttering our lives and I'm NOT a pack rat and I run an organized home, but I had been holding on to things that I really didn't need.
This year, I'm not sure what my "word" will be. With what my family has been through the last quarter of 2009, it probably should be "Hope". Hope that my husband finds a great job, hope that my job stays stable and a bit less stressful, hope that Connor continues to do well in school. Hope that I can continue to be fitness conscience and don't stop making exercise a priority.
One thing I did last year was keep track of how much money I saved by clipping grocery coupons. It's something I usually do when I'm watching a DVD, so I'm really not spending any additional time doing it. I do our weekly grocery shopping on Sunday mornings and Hy-Vee totals your coupon savings on their receipts, so I kept track and the grand total after doing our shopping last Sunday is $470.91, but I'll bet it was probably more than $500 because I'm sure I had used coupons for small trips and forgot to write it down. $500 just by clipping coupons. Not bad.
We spent today getting most of the Christmas decor taken down and put away. I usually leave it up until after the New Year, but this year I didn't want to wait. I'm really hoping to get some scrapbook mojo back and play in my scraproom. I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday, January 5th so I've got plenty of time.
Happy New Year to all of my family and friends! We, of course are staying in tonight. We'll probably watch Iowa State in the Insight Bowl and it looks like we're going to do the steak dinners at Hy-Vee for dinner....Yea!...no cooking!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Here we are....another year, another Christmas Eve.....
The weather isn't great so my Aunt and Uncle decided to postpone until Sunday which is fine since Sunday is the kidlet's birthday!
My brother came over and we had chili, stuffed mushrooms, artichoke-spinach dip, pesto with italian baquette bread and spritz cookies for dessert. We exchanged gifts and my brother gave me a gift certificate to a local nursery (which will come in handy this spring), a topsy-turvy tomato hanger (can't wait to try it next year) and our mother's copper boiler which he spent hours re-polishing.
Mom purchased that boiler back in the 70's at an antique store when we moved into the house on Woodmayr Circle. It was always a fixture in her home. Sometimes it housed magazines, sometimes flowers and I alway remember it holding a least two gorgeous poinsettias at Christmastime. I love it and can't wait to find it a place in our home.
Here's my Topsy-Turvy Tomato planter -
I've told BOTH of the guys I live with that neither of them better dare wake me until at least 7:00AM. They both groaned at that. BOTH of them are early Christmas morning risers, I would rather not, but I usually lose that battle.
Fred has got the timer on the coffee pot set and ready to make the first pot at 6:00am. He better save some for me. :)
Hope all of my friends that had to travel are safe in their journey and we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
The weather isn't great so my Aunt and Uncle decided to postpone until Sunday which is fine since Sunday is the kidlet's birthday!
My brother came over and we had chili, stuffed mushrooms, artichoke-spinach dip, pesto with italian baquette bread and spritz cookies for dessert. We exchanged gifts and my brother gave me a gift certificate to a local nursery (which will come in handy this spring), a topsy-turvy tomato hanger (can't wait to try it next year) and our mother's copper boiler which he spent hours re-polishing.
Mom purchased that boiler back in the 70's at an antique store when we moved into the house on Woodmayr Circle. It was always a fixture in her home. Sometimes it housed magazines, sometimes flowers and I alway remember it holding a least two gorgeous poinsettias at Christmastime. I love it and can't wait to find it a place in our home.
Here's my Topsy-Turvy Tomato planter -
I've told BOTH of the guys I live with that neither of them better dare wake me until at least 7:00AM. They both groaned at that. BOTH of them are early Christmas morning risers, I would rather not, but I usually lose that battle.
Fred has got the timer on the coffee pot set and ready to make the first pot at 6:00am. He better save some for me. :)
Hope all of my friends that had to travel are safe in their journey and we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
December 20th
The countdown has begun and everything I can do is DONE. Finished all of our wrapping late last night and this morning got all of the food shopping done. I even did some prep work this morning also.
I made a pan of lasagna for Christmas Day and I cooked the sausage to stuff the mushrooms with on Christmas Eve.
I got together with four of my oldest and dearest girlfriends yesterday for lunch at Palmer's Deli & Market. It was really good to see Dianne, Peggy and Laureen. Our lives are so busy that it's hard to get together, but we have made a New Year's resolution to meet once every two months for lunch on a Saturday.
Fred made eleventy billion dozen chocolate chip cookies last night and look who sat there and watched the whole time....
and this one likes to snatch the "throne of honor" from Tucker any chance he gets..
I have to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but only 8 hour days as flex/compressed time is suspended during the Christmas/New Year's weeks, so I think I'll work 7:30 to 4:00. It will be nice to get home a bit earlier.
Have a great week!
I made a pan of lasagna for Christmas Day and I cooked the sausage to stuff the mushrooms with on Christmas Eve.
I got together with four of my oldest and dearest girlfriends yesterday for lunch at Palmer's Deli & Market. It was really good to see Dianne, Peggy and Laureen. Our lives are so busy that it's hard to get together, but we have made a New Year's resolution to meet once every two months for lunch on a Saturday.
Fred made eleventy billion dozen chocolate chip cookies last night and look who sat there and watched the whole time....
and this one likes to snatch the "throne of honor" from Tucker any chance he gets..
I have to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but only 8 hour days as flex/compressed time is suspended during the Christmas/New Year's weeks, so I think I'll work 7:30 to 4:00. It will be nice to get home a bit earlier.
Have a great week!
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Weekend Before Christmas......
and all through the house......
I had today off and Fred and I spent some time together getting last minute things done. YEA!
Then once Connor got home from school, we took off for Copper Creek Theaters to see "Avatar", James Cameron's new movie. IT WAS AMAZING! We fooled Connor into thinking we were running errands (which he HATES with a passion) and was throwing a major almost 14 year old brat tantrum (he was even punching the air before getting into the car...LOL) and then even after he realized we were going to the movie, it took him a bit to cool down. All I could do was laugh at him which made him madder, but all is well...he got over it and he apologized for his behavior.
Still wrapping gifts and it's not that I have a buttload to wrap, it's that I'm dragging butt doing it. I still have a few of Connor's and all of Fred's, then I'm done.
Last weekend I finished up a Christmas decor project. I think it turned out nice and even Fred and Connor commented on it.
I used Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding, cut the letters with my Cricut (Alphalicious) and then found the cutest woven bows at Target that matched perfectly for the ends. The rest of the bows in the package went on the tree.
I've made quite a few Christmas presents this year, from photo books, to snack jars, to bookmarks and money banks. Most of the gifts I've altered and re purposed things that have caught my eye and it's been a lot of fun!
This weekend the to-do list is:
1. FINISH wrapping
2. Finalize menu
3. Finalize food shopping list
4. Grocery shopping
5. Bake some goodies
6. Make the lasagna to freeze
I don't have to go ANYWHERE this weekend except to the grocery store and that's exactly how I'm liking it. I don't have to fight any of the last weekend shopping frenzy. YEA!
Have a good weekend everyone!
I had today off and Fred and I spent some time together getting last minute things done. YEA!
Then once Connor got home from school, we took off for Copper Creek Theaters to see "Avatar", James Cameron's new movie. IT WAS AMAZING! We fooled Connor into thinking we were running errands (which he HATES with a passion) and was throwing a major almost 14 year old brat tantrum (he was even punching the air before getting into the car...LOL) and then even after he realized we were going to the movie, it took him a bit to cool down. All I could do was laugh at him which made him madder, but all is well...he got over it and he apologized for his behavior.
Still wrapping gifts and it's not that I have a buttload to wrap, it's that I'm dragging butt doing it. I still have a few of Connor's and all of Fred's, then I'm done.
Last weekend I finished up a Christmas decor project. I think it turned out nice and even Fred and Connor commented on it.
I used Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding, cut the letters with my Cricut (Alphalicious) and then found the cutest woven bows at Target that matched perfectly for the ends. The rest of the bows in the package went on the tree.
I've made quite a few Christmas presents this year, from photo books, to snack jars, to bookmarks and money banks. Most of the gifts I've altered and re purposed things that have caught my eye and it's been a lot of fun!
This weekend the to-do list is:
1. FINISH wrapping
2. Finalize menu
3. Finalize food shopping list
4. Grocery shopping
5. Bake some goodies
6. Make the lasagna to freeze
I don't have to go ANYWHERE this weekend except to the grocery store and that's exactly how I'm liking it. I don't have to fight any of the last weekend shopping frenzy. YEA!
Have a good weekend everyone!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Checking his list......
or should I say countdown to Christmas.
What's left on my "To-Do" list?
Food shopping (but I won't do that until Sunday, the 20th)
Finish up the wrapping gifts.
Do a bit of holiday baking.
As you can see, NO shopping! That's done, done, done.....well, except for the one item that I bought a couple of weeks ago that has now gone on sale and so back to Target I go for that.
My family has talked me in to baking a ham along with the lasagna that I was planning on making, so that has been added to the menu along with a potato dish.
Next weekend, Fred and I are going to do some baking. He will make his famous fudge and I'm going to make some caramel apple bars, peanut butter blossoms and a new cookie I want to try, Pecan logs. I may give those a trial run later today to see if they are actually any good. They look good, I got the recipe from Real Simple and it seems fool proof enough.
I'm bumming that I can't find my most favorite holiday dish soap..lol! Dish soap, you say....well, it's Method's holiday fragrance dish soap and last year I found a ton of it. I loved Peppermint Vanilla, Spiced Pear and Holly Berry and stocked up BIG after Christmas. This year....nada....can't find a single bottle. :(
After feeling awful on Friday with a terrible sinus headache, I'm feeling better and need to put on my elf hat and finish up with some wrapping. Last night we watched the holiday movie Deck the Halls. I had never seen it before. It was pretty hokey, but I could appreciate the outdoor illumination theme of the movie...LOL!
Have a good week!
What's left on my "To-Do" list?
Food shopping (but I won't do that until Sunday, the 20th)
Finish up the wrapping gifts.
Do a bit of holiday baking.
As you can see, NO shopping! That's done, done, done.....well, except for the one item that I bought a couple of weeks ago that has now gone on sale and so back to Target I go for that.
My family has talked me in to baking a ham along with the lasagna that I was planning on making, so that has been added to the menu along with a potato dish.
Next weekend, Fred and I are going to do some baking. He will make his famous fudge and I'm going to make some caramel apple bars, peanut butter blossoms and a new cookie I want to try, Pecan logs. I may give those a trial run later today to see if they are actually any good. They look good, I got the recipe from Real Simple and it seems fool proof enough.
I'm bumming that I can't find my most favorite holiday dish soap..lol! Dish soap, you say....well, it's Method's holiday fragrance dish soap and last year I found a ton of it. I loved Peppermint Vanilla, Spiced Pear and Holly Berry and stocked up BIG after Christmas. This year....nada....can't find a single bottle. :(
After feeling awful on Friday with a terrible sinus headache, I'm feeling better and need to put on my elf hat and finish up with some wrapping. Last night we watched the holiday movie Deck the Halls. I had never seen it before. It was pretty hokey, but I could appreciate the outdoor illumination theme of the movie...LOL!
Have a good week!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
A Childhood Christmas Memory
One of my most favorite Christmas's in my childhood was the Christmas that my sister was born (December 1st) and it was the Christmas that my brother and I received new stockings. Not just any stockings, but custom made for us stockings from a very exclusive children store in Des Moines, called The Gingerbread House. I know my mom splurged on these because we were not a wealthy family and I'm sure if my Dad had really known what they cost, he would not have been happy. Years later my mom told me that she paid $25 a piece for the stocking and in 1967 that was a lot of money for something like that. The next year, she had one made for my baby sister. Every Christmas after receiving them, we anxiously waited to unpack them and display them. We didn't have a fireplace, but every Christmas morning, those stockings were stuffed to the top marking our respective piles of presents.
Mom gave me my stocking after I got married and although I no longer use it as my Santa stocking, it always hangs in a prominent place in our home.
It's lost some of it's bling, the Santa's arm has been chewed off by something (kitties? maybe??, mice??), but I still love it and hang it with pride and smiles of the memories it brings.
Mom gave me my stocking after I got married and although I no longer use it as my Santa stocking, it always hangs in a prominent place in our home.
It's lost some of it's bling, the Santa's arm has been chewed off by something (kitties? maybe??, mice??), but I still love it and hang it with pride and smiles of the memories it brings.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Christmas Memories in my Mother's Gifts
Christmas is now a bittersweet time at our house. This will be the fourth Christmas that we have celebrated without my mom. It was by far her favorite time of the year and she always made them special for all of us.
She also created fabulous things as gifts throughout the years and when I look at those things I experience both a sadness and joy. Sadness that she's not here with us and that we miss her very much and joy that I have these things that bring such fond memories to us.
The last Christmas she was alive, she gave me this fabulous tray that she had cross stitched. I use it on our kitchen island throughout the holiday season and it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.
Some long time favorite gifts that my mother made us are these cross stitched Christmas stocking. Although we don't use them as our "official over the fireplace" stocking, they are always on display hanging from our staircase.
She gave Fred and I our stockings not long after we were married and had moved back to Iowa.
and then almost 10 years later, she created one for her first grandson.
The details in these stockings are incredible and they will alway be one of our most precious family heirlooms.
I've been a creating fool today on my day off.....it was fun!
She also created fabulous things as gifts throughout the years and when I look at those things I experience both a sadness and joy. Sadness that she's not here with us and that we miss her very much and joy that I have these things that bring such fond memories to us.
The last Christmas she was alive, she gave me this fabulous tray that she had cross stitched. I use it on our kitchen island throughout the holiday season and it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.
Some long time favorite gifts that my mother made us are these cross stitched Christmas stocking. Although we don't use them as our "official over the fireplace" stocking, they are always on display hanging from our staircase.
She gave Fred and I our stockings not long after we were married and had moved back to Iowa.
and then almost 10 years later, she created one for her first grandson.
The details in these stockings are incredible and they will alway be one of our most precious family heirlooms.
I've been a creating fool today on my day off.....it was fun!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Holidaze!
Our Christmas gift shopping is done after Connor and I went out today for a couple of hours and finished buying Fred's gifts. It's a good thing we did as it has started to snow and last forecast I heard was calling for 2"-4" inches by morning....brrrr....and yuck!
Spent some time late last night starting to wrap gifts, but I didn't get very far. I took advantage of Connor being over at a buddies for a sleepover and got a couple of his done, but that's it. I'll probably do a couple each night over the next couple of weeks. My priority is to get my Dad and cousin's packages in the mail by the 10th.
The house decorating is done. I've scaled back this year to just the things that we truly love. Our collection of snow globes...
The Fitz & Floyd china that my mom gave us over the years...
and all of our favorite Christmas tree ornaments...
So just a little over two week before Christmas and the only thing I have left to do is wrap presents and get the food shopping and preparing done. Not bad.
Spent some time late last night starting to wrap gifts, but I didn't get very far. I took advantage of Connor being over at a buddies for a sleepover and got a couple of his done, but that's it. I'll probably do a couple each night over the next couple of weeks. My priority is to get my Dad and cousin's packages in the mail by the 10th.
The house decorating is done. I've scaled back this year to just the things that we truly love. Our collection of snow globes...
The Fitz & Floyd china that my mom gave us over the years...
and all of our favorite Christmas tree ornaments...
So just a little over two week before Christmas and the only thing I have left to do is wrap presents and get the food shopping and preparing done. Not bad.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Saturday at Home :)
Got up early today. Not sure why because I was really really tired last night when I went to bed and I'm surprised I didn't slept in. I went to a scrapbook crop last night that my friend Cheri hosted. It was good to see everyone and be able to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I worked on Disney pages, I'm getting burned out on Disney pages, but I just want to get them done so I can move on to something else.
My guys are going Christmas shopping today and I am going to complete the Christmas decorating. I'm working on the den, foyer and staircase. Once I'm completely done I'll take some pictures.
Once I'm done decorating, I need to start on getting presents wrapped. Our tree looks so lonely and the presents act as blockage for the cats to stay away from the tree...LOL!
Took this picture on December 1st after putting up our outdoor illumination. It's just so strange to see Christmas lights and geraniums in full bloom together.
After the cold weather of the past few days, the flowers are now not looking so good, so that's another thing I need to do, is to get that all cleaned up and put away.
Have a good weekend!
My guys are going Christmas shopping today and I am going to complete the Christmas decorating. I'm working on the den, foyer and staircase. Once I'm completely done I'll take some pictures.
Once I'm done decorating, I need to start on getting presents wrapped. Our tree looks so lonely and the presents act as blockage for the cats to stay away from the tree...LOL!
Took this picture on December 1st after putting up our outdoor illumination. It's just so strange to see Christmas lights and geraniums in full bloom together.
After the cold weather of the past few days, the flowers are now not looking so good, so that's another thing I need to do, is to get that all cleaned up and put away.
Have a good weekend!
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