Decorating for Christmas

Slow and steady wins the race, right? We are decorating a little at a time, and it's actually kind of fun. It's something new every day.

We even decided to use the retro bubble lights this year. I had forgotten how much fun they are to look at.

Is your house already decorated?

Ten Things

Thanksgiving Smoke Coming out of Fireplace

I love reading lists of what people are thankful for. It always makes me appreciate those things as well. I thought it would be fun to make a list of tangible, non-living things I'm thankful for. Of course, I'm most thankful for my precious family and my wonderful friends, but this list is for non-humans. :)

So without further ado and in no particular order, here's my list!

1. Indoor plumbing - I guess I immersed myself in the Little House Books too much as a girl, because ever since I've been extremely grateful that I don't have to share a tub full of water pulled up in front of the fire with the rest of my family (one at a time of course), or make a midnight trek to the outhouse.

2. Coffee - So many delightful ways to drink it and so tasty! I love to drink it iced in the summer and hot in the winter.

3. Cell phones - You have no idea how happy I am that I can carry my phone around and not worry that I'm going to miss a call from Greg who is currently deployed. I would probably lay down and cry if he called the house and I wasn't home to get it.

4. Dishwasher - I got a new dishwasher in February after being without for ages, and I still love it so much! It makes cooking and washing dishes so much easier.

5. Pasta - Not only is it delicious but it has helped me countless times to stretch a pound of ground beef to feed a big family.

6. Uggs - I wear mine all winter long. They may not be as stylish as a cute pair of boots with heels, but oh, are they comfortable and warm!

7. Ceiling fans - You just can't spend a summer in the south without ceiling fans. Whoever invented them has my undying gratitude. They stay out of the way and make sleeping in a too warm house possible. I wish I had one in the kitchen.

8. My camera - I invested in a nice camera this year, and I have enjoyed it so much.  I still have tons to learn, but I'm already much happier with the pictures I'm taking.

9. The internet - it has made everything so much easier: research, homework, paying bills, keeping in touch with old friends, you name it.

10. The US Postal Service - yes there's lots about it that drives me crazy, but I love opening my mailbox every day. There's always the possibility of a sample, a magazine, or best of all a card or letter. Plus, I love those flat rate boxes for sending care packages. You can really get a lot packed into them.

So what are some non-human things that you are thankful for?

The Secret Sisters

Aren't these girls just the cutest things ever? Love their gorgeous voices and pretty red lipstick! And yes, they really are sisters, which makes it even better.

Good Morning!

This is my favorite way to spend a chilly Saturday morning - drinking a homemade latte and reading blogs. We've had a nice leisurely breakfast and we're all still in our PJs (except Bobby, who left at an obscene hour in the middle of the night to go hunting).

I should probably get busy though. My mom group be here this afternoon. I've reached the point, like I always do before someone comes over, when I wish I could rip up my carpet and replace it with hardwoods right quick before they get here. Obviously I'm only dreaming, but wouldn't that be nice?

Oh well.  I'm really looking forward to seeing them all and I know they aren't coming over to look at my carpet.  We're going to be packing up care packages for our troops, and that's what really matters.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Christmas is Right Around the Corner

Merry Christmas, Drinking Cola

We've had a bit of a cold front come through so now I'm ready for Christmas! Not ready as in presents bought, cards ordered, baking done, just ready meaning in the mood for Christmas music, lights, and movies.

You know, usually at this point in the year I am freaking out a little about Christmas. How will I get everything done? What picture(s) am I going to put on the cards? How will I get all the house cleaning and baking done? But this afternoon as I was listening to Christmas Time is Here, I decided that I'm just not going to do it this year (y'all may have to hold me to that). I'm volunteering in the church office every week and working part time...I have a lot on my plate.

I'm going to decorate as much as I want to (I love to decorate) and I'm not going to worry about everything looking perfect. So what if the tree is crooked and one of the strands of lights go out?  I'm going to sit in front of the fire and watch movies with the family if I feel like it instead of making supper from scratch.  It won't hurt anybody if we have sandwiches or even frozen pizza every now and then.  I'm going to bake when I feel like baking, but I'm not going to pressure myself if I don't feel like it.  No one ever collapsed from disappointment when eating a store bought pie instead of homemade.  If I feel like putting on my flannel PJs and fuzzy socks at 4:00 in the afternoon I'm going to do it and not apologize if someone comes to the door.  I'm not going to freak out if I don't get the baseboards dusted, there are cobwebs on the ceiling and a pile of laundry undone.  I'll just light some candles, turn down the lights, shut the laundry room door and say "come on in".  If I don't get the Christmas cards sent out on time, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm sure no one will "unfriend" us over it.

I'm just going to relax and enjoy my family, our traditions and the real reason for the season.

Make A Decision

Unless it's something really big (like what graduate school should I go to), I usually don't have any trouble making decisions. Maybe it's the right-brained person in me, but I can pick a paint color or even a dishwasher without thinking about it twice.  A couple of my children, however, not so much.  They agonize and overthink every little thing.  So, being the nice mama I am, and borrowing heavily from old psychology textbooks, I have come up with a little step-by-step guide to decision making which should appeal to those of you who are left-brained and analytical.

1.  What are your choices?  You have to identify the potential choices before you can go any further.
2.  Research.  This includes both researching the actual product/color/shoe/graduate school...whatever, and yourself.  What are you hoping to get?  A comfortable shoe that goes with your favorite jeans?   A dishwasher that will last for 15 years?  A career that you won't hate?
3.  Consult and brainstorm.  Talk to others and get their opinions and brainstorm possibilities but only for a limited time.  Don't get stalled out at this point. This is the part where you can take a picture of the shoes with your phone and send it your friend.  :)
4.  Pros and Cons.  Make a list of pros and cons, but again don't let it take too long.  Give yourself a deadline if you need to.
5.  Decide and act.  This is the hard part.  Make a decision and act on it.  If you don't decide, that's a decision too.   If you're like me, you'll be deciding on the first thing that caught your eye anyway.

So there you have it my little over thinking darlings.  Happy decision making!

It's Slow Cooker Season

And here you thought it was Fall! This is the time of year when my slow cooker goes into full time service. It's a busy mom's best friend!

I can get supper put together in the morning, or even the night before and then it's one less thing to worry about.  If I put it together the night before I can either put a slow cooker  liner bag into a bowl and layer the ingredients in it, or put them into the removable part of my crock pot and put it in the fridge.  If you use the crock, be sure and let it sit out on the counter for a bit so it's not super cold when you turn on your slow cooker.  You don't want to crack anything.

Tonight we had Green Chile-Chicken Enchilada Casserole. My crock pot runs a little hot, so I cooked it about 5 hours instead of the full 6, and it turned out great.

Here are some slow cooker recipes I've posted here in the past:
Crock Pot Chicken with Mushroom Gravy
Curried Split Pea Soup
Tex-Mex Dinner
Crock Pot Lasagna
Au Gratin Ham and Potatoes in the Crock Pot
Baked Potatoes in the Crock Pot