2010 Wrap Up

The month of December was insane.  First my mom visiting, then my mother in law.  After I was done with house guests it was a mad rush to finish Christmas shopping, mail off gifts that were getting shipped, and prepare for the big day.  On December 23rd, it occurred to me that the family might want something fancier than Hamburger Helper for dinner on Christmas day.
I called Honeybaked and was still able to procure a ham, and on Christmas Eve I set out to grocery shop for all the dinner accompaniments.  

Christmas itself was great.  The hubby had been hinting around at the fact that he had broken our tradition of just buying for the kids and had actually got me something, so I purchased a couple of gifts for him.  I got him some new cologne and DJ Hero2.  He liked them a lot.  

All month long I had been fishing for hints since I'm not good at suspense or waiting for things.  While his mom was here visiting I made her a cheesecake.  As I was getting out my hand mixer
to make it, I asked him "OOooh, Is my present a stand mixer?".  He said "No".  I made a sad face.  My mother in law says "You mean one of those Kitchen Aid things?  You need one of those.
I'll buy you one for Christmas."  Now this ends up being a gift for her too, since she is moving here, and I know is hoping there are a lot more cakes and cheesecakes in her future,
not that I'm going to complain though.  

So it turns out that this WAS what he was planning on getting me, but had not actually gone shopping for.  Now that his mom said she was going to buy me one, he had to come up with something else to get me since there were two presents from me under the tree.
SEE why we usually don't do buy for each other.  It gets so damn complicated.
 On Christmas Eve, while I was wrapping gifts and grocery shopping,

 the hubby took the 3 girls to the mall to shop for a present for me. 

 Before they left I dropped a couple of hints as to what I might like.  

I mentioned that I always liked Willow Tree figurines.

Hubby said "What in the heck is that???"

My oldest said "I know dad, don't worry."

I ended up with a Willow Tree figurine from my hubby and each of my girls.

Perfect!

The hubby also was responsible for picking up the stand mixer from his mom.  

She and I had gone shopping for it before she left, but the store was out of them, 

so she had left the money so we could get it when they got more in.

Hubby went to Kohl's though, and ended up getting me a MUCH better one 

for the same amount of money as the regular one she and I were looking at.  

It isn't pretty red, but it has all metal parts so it will hopefully last forever and ever, 

plus it has a larger capacity and stronger motor too.

Even though I knew I was getting it.  Even though he didn't wrap it.  

He wouldn't let me open the box until Christmas day.

So after presents were opened, I broke this puppy out and set out to make a Red Velvet cake for 

Christmas dessert.  To say it was a miserable failure would be an understatement.  

It's been a long time since I've made a cake from scratch, and I learned that Red Velvet is tricky.  I ended up throwing the first one out and making a second one the day after Christmas. 

It was edible, but still not what I'd call good.  I guess I'll just have to do a lot more practicing.  

Darn.

The last two weeks of December were consumed with house hunting for my mother in law.  

We looked at the good, the bad, the ugly, the smelly, the quirky, the lost in the 70's, 

and the ones that only a match could improve.  

We ended up finding a little cottage on a creek built in 1905 that spoke to her.  It's kitchen consists of one wall of rotting cabinets and a sink.  The single bathroom is the size of most half baths in houses nowadays, and has a shower so narrow that I really have to wonder if super models lived here.  I can't imagine any normal sized person being able to turn around and soap their butt in this thing.  In addition to that, there are parts of the roof that leak and parts of the floor that have rotted away.  It's a really good thing that her sons and I are slightly handy.  It is going to be a LOT of work, but I think it will be super cute once it's done.  You can expect a lot of home remodel blogging starting around the beginning of February.

House Guests

On Monday I picked the winners of my Bunny Mug giveaway.  Since I only had three comments, it wasn't too hard to figure out who my winners were.  In case you were looking for a big announcement, that would be reason #1 why there wasn't one.  I ordered the mugs, and emailed the winners for their addresses.  Now as soon as the mugs show up, which looks to be sometime between Monday and Thursday of next week, I will send them out.

Other than that, I've had house guests.  My mom to be exact.  She's been here since Monday and leaves next Monday.  Then on Wednesday, my mother in law comes.

Right before receiving house guests, I was able to get my tree up and decorate my mantel.

I got new stockings for the older two last year after Christmas at Target.  

They didn't have the little one's initial.  

Plus, hers is pink, and has monkeys, she's kind of attached to it.

There used to be this company called Christmas Around the World.  

They sold awesome Christmas stuff using the home party plan (like Tupperware)

Then they wen't bankrupt.

I was sad.  

These gingerbread houses are the last thing I got from them.

I was so excited this year that I finally had a mantel again 

and could use my "JOY" stocking hangers.

I opened the box they were in to discover that a snow globe had not survived the move.

Other contents of the tote were ruined, the stocking hangers were attempting to rust.

They were able to be saved, but I did have to put new felt under the J.

These hurricanes usually have candles in them.  

I took the candles out and filled them with little wooden ornaments my mom had given me

 from when I was a kid.

 That's about the extent of the decorating around here.  New lights were purchased for the outside of the house, but since they haven't been put up yet and the hubby only has one day off this week, I don't think they are getting done this year.

My First Snow

We finally got snow here a few days ago.
I was too busy selling out for fornicating bunny mugs posting giveaways to blog about it.

My first snow was beautiful.

At first.

Then I had to drive in it.

Tiffany had a violin lesson.  A lesson that normally is about 30 min from the house.  Hubby warned me to leave early, give myself plenty of time, leave plenty of room between me and the car in front of me, and not to wait until the last minute to brake.

I left to take her a full hour before we needed to be there.  The roads had been plowed or salted or something because the roads were just wet.  The drive was not as treacherous as the hubby had made it out to be. It took 45 minutes.  I drove slow.  I left room.  I braked slowly and carefully.  We got there in one piece, with 15 minutes to spare.

Forty five minutes later when we left it was a WHOLE different story.  All those roads that had been merely wet had turned to ice, and apparently everyone is leaving work (near violin lessons) and heading home (to my neighborhood) around 5 pm.  Go figure.

The TWO hour drive home was the scariest two hours I have ever spent in my whole life.
It was two hours spent clutching my steering wheel, pointing my car in the general direction I wanted to go, and praying.

There was sliding.
There was not going anywhere even though the gas pedal was being pushed.
There was an annoying pulsation that is the traction control.
It didn't seem to help much other than to remind me that
MY TIRES WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD,
causing me to panic even more.

I really wished I had painted "I'm new here and have never driven in the snow before" on the back window of my car.  People were entirely too close to me for their own good.

When I finally made it home, I told my husband that for the rest of the winter I'm only going out right after the roads have been cleared, quickly running my errands, and then I'm coming straight home.  If I can't get it done in a 2 hour window, it's not getting done until spring.

Everyone Loves Free Stuff

The wonderful folks over at CSN stores recently contacted me about doing a giveaway on my blog.  They have over 200 different stores selling everything from tv tables to bathroom sinks.

I really got excited about getting some free cookware from their cookware site, but the Le Creuset skillet I was hoping for costs a little more than the $35 they are going to give me.

So, you my loyal readers luck out.
I'll be spending the $35 on six of my second favorite item on their site, this bunny mug.

I'm keeping one for myself, and giving the other five away.

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment and make sure that you leave your email if I am not going to be able to find it in 2 clicks or less.

I'm also giving an extra entry to anyone who leaves a comment
AND was following me before this post went live.

If for some reason the bunny mug is going to be inappropriate for your workplace, feel free to peruse any of CSN's other 200 stores and tell me what you'd rather have as long as it costs the same or less than the bunny mug.

Winners will be picked at random on December 7th.

************ Contest Is Closed *****************************

I'm Kind Of A Big Deal

You know when bloggers write about the bad PR pitches they receive?

I always thought, I'll know when I'm a big deal blogger when I get bad PR pitches too.

So a few days ago I get this email,

asking ME if I'd be interested in doing a review/giveaway.

Unlike some of the offers I've heard other bloggers laugh at, this seemed well written (enough), 

and didn't ask me to whore myself out while getting nothing in return.

Of course, they didn't address me by name, 

but they didn't screw up my name either, so I'll call that even.

I checked out their website with minimal expectations and immediately saw that they carry a brand of cookware that I've lusted over for years, but this is what happened when I considered buying a piece of it once.

Me (to hubby):  "While I was out shopping today I saw this awesome skillet, 

I almost bought it, but thought I should run it by you."

Hubby:  "Why?"

Me:  " It was $70"

Him:  "It's a good thing you didn't buy it then, 

I would have had to hit you upside the head with it."

Me:  "That would have hurt.  It was cast iron."

I emailed them back and said "Sure, I'd love to receive two of these skillets.  

One for me and one to giveaway to one of my 19 many followers." 

I don't know for sure if this is how it works, but it sure as heck is how I want it to work, 

so I decided to put it out there.  The worst they could say is no, right? 

I'm pretty sure at some point they will figure out that I am not, in fact, the big deal they thought I was, and rescind their offer to give me free stuff.  In the meantime I'll dream, and maybe if each of you goes and finds a few friends to come follow me before they come to check me out further, we'll actually get these frying pans.  

Hint Hint.

After replying to them with my wishes, I went back to close the window to their online store, 

but got distracted by a coffee mug with what appeared to be rabbits on it, 

doing that thing that rabbits are famous for.  

I clicked on it, and what would you know, it was a coffee mug, with rabbits, making rabbits.  

In. Multiple. Positions.  

Like I'm pretty sure it was the bunny Kama Sutra on a coffee mug.  

BUT THEN, once I was actually looking at the mug with the fornicating rabbits on it, 

it suggested that people that liked that item also viewed....  

the coffee mug with the bears, 

or the one with the penguins, 

or elephants, 

all of them in the throes of passion.  

Well except maybe the bears, 

they kinda looked like they were trying to bite each other's faces off. 

Then I was pissed at myself for not looking a little longer before agreeing to write sponsored content for a frying pan when I could have had the bunny porn mug!  I've decided that if they turn me down for the skillet, telling me that a blog with only nineteen followers isn't worthy of a $70 skillet, I'm going to ask again for the mug.  

It's only $5.99.

6 Days

Six days ago my youngest came home from school and passed out on the couch.
I knew without looking at her that she was sick.
A mom knows.

My hubby came home that night and kept complaining that it was too cold
in the 70 degree house.
He was sick too.
This was going to be fun.

Five days ago my hubby insisted he needed to go to the doctor.
I told him he was wasting his time and a copay.
He still wanted to go.
Okey Dokey.

I called and made him an appointment.
Because I'm the mom and know who the doctor is.
As I expected the doctor told him to take Alka Selzer Plus and plenty of fluids
and to return Monday if he wasn't better.
I saved a copay on the kid.

My hubby always tells me I'm not a doctor,
but I've taken my kids to the doctor enough times to know when the symptoms are going to warrant the trip and be worth the chance we pick up something more fun.

Then the fever and lethargy spawned a nice cough.

The weekend came and my facebook status read
"My house sounds like the seal exhibit at the zoo".
One of my friends commented "dead sardines all over the place?"
I have funny friends.

By Monday the fevers were better, but the coughs were worse.
My husband did not return to the doctor.
I thought he must be feeling better.
Apparently he was just enjoying being miserable too much.

I finally took my little one to the doctor yesterday, she got an inhaler and antibiotics,
since after 5 days she still had a low grade fever.
Hubby couldn't get in yesterday so he goes back today and I'm sure he'll get the same thing.

It's a good thing too.
Because it's kinda sad that my 9 year old is handling being sick better than her daddy.
And I haven't gotten anything done that I wanted to do in a week.

Random Musings On Being A Grown Up

My drivers license says I've been a adult two times over, but so far I suck at being a grown up.

I still shop in the juniors section, because I refuse to wear the jeans that cover my belly button,
and there is no in between.  It's either the juniors section or the grandma section.
WTF?  Where is the hip 30 something year old section?

I've been drinking coffee for 20 something years, if you consider a grande white mocha a coffee.
I know it's more like a hot chocolate with a little coffee thrown in.
I didn't own or know how to operate a coffee maker until 2 years ago.
My coffee to creamer ratio is 2:1.

I have a collection of about 50 shot glasses but my wine glasses are plastic.
Up until recently my favorite wine was Boone's Farm Sangria.
Lately I've been trying different wines (with corked bottles) and enjoying them.
Hoping Santa brings me real glass wine glasses.

My favorite time of day is nap time and I get cranky if I don't get one.

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I "grow up".
Right now am leaning towards artist.
I wouldn't have to worry about that whole starving part, because my hubby works.

The Irony Is Not Lost On Me

So almost a month (gasp) ago I told you guys all about my entryway and why I live in constant fear that someone will come to my door and see the mess and clutter.  I vowed to do something about it.  I was a girl on a mission. I had all these fabulous ideas in my head and I was going to tackle that entryway.

Yeah.  About that.

A lack of money, procrastination, and other life obligations kinda got in the way of that.

I did pick up some scrapbook paper and Mod Podge to spruce up the shoe thingie.  The actual Mod Podging has not commenced however.

The dog crate problem was partially solved, at least in my head anyway, when I found this article on how to hide a dog crate.  Amazing what searching Google for "how to hide a dog crate" will find you.  The remaining problem is for me to A) get the table, and B) figure out how to keep the dogs from being able to reach the fabric.  They kinda like to pull any fabric they can snag with their claws into their crate and shred it.  This might not work well if I have something pretty sitting on top of the table.  So there is some sort of crate retrofit in order if this is going to work.  Once again it just takes money.

The one issue I did manage to solve was what to do with all the hats, gloves, etc. that were overflowing in a  too small plastic tote on top of the shoe thing.

Yes, my friends, that is an over the door shoe rack holding all the hats, gloves, and scarves.  It is not, but is remarkably similar to, the over the door shoe rack some of you might remember me ranting about way back in December of 2008.  Now just so you know, THAT shoe rack was given to me in December of 2005 and even though I had no use for it, I held on to it (because it was a gift and hoping I'd find something I could use it for).  I finally gave up and put it in a garage sale this past January  so I would have less to move to Michigan, and now, just as I lamented about in this post, as soon as I got rid of it, I needed it.  Grr.

This past weekend I went to the store and spent $12.99 on this over the door shoe rack.  I came home and put it on the door.  I put all the hats and what not in it.  I proudly showed the hubby what I had done.

Hubby: "What is that?"
Me:  "That would be my mad home organizational skillz"
Hubby:  "And what EXACTLY did you USE to achieve this organization?"
Me: "an over the door shoe rack?"
Hubby:  "A what???"
Me:  "An over the door shoe rack"
Hubby: "You'd better not let your mom see that"
Me:  "I know"

Homemade Christmas

As I've been exercising my creative muscles this past month, the kids have wanted to play too.  Every time I pull out the craft supplies, they are right there saying "Can I make something?".  That gave me an idea.  They are old enough now, 14, 12, and 9 to really start thinking about Christmas in terms of giving rather than receiving.  So I told them that this year, I want them to make presents for each other, grandmas, and mom and dad.  I gave them a week to plan what they want to make and took them shopping at the craft store this weekend.  They came up with some really good ideas.  It will be interesting to see how they turn out.  I won't post any pics until the gifts are given, but look for them in a future post.

Bunch of Ingrates

Again I found inspiration over at Tip Junkie.

A few days ago Laurie posted 20 Thanksgiving Crafts To Make.  I loved the concept behind crafts 1 - 4, to decorate for Thanksgiving with something that would cause the kids, and the hubby and I, to think about what we are grateful for.  Sometimes I think we all get so caught up wanting things we don't have (and don't need) that we forget to take stock of our blessings.

A trip to JoAnn's last night and a trip to the Salvation Army store this morning
yielded the items needed to make my board.

I worked on it for hours.  Mostly because the chipboard letters were on the smallish
side and I wanted to Mod Podge them with fall scrapbook paper.
Tracing and cutting out all the letters took forever.

I finally finished it and invited the kids to come write what they were thankful for.

Tiffany is thankful for her family, shelter, and bananas.

Kimberly is thankful for mommy and daddy's love & yummy muffins.

Aimee is thankful for all the wonderful people that I love and all the love we share.

They drew some interesting pictures too.

After I took this picture the hubby came over and added that he was thankful for whoopie cushions and added to the art fest with a drawing of a dude wearing sunglasses.

I think they are missing the point.

Or they are mocking me.

Either way I'm really proud of my board.