Holiday Traditions Festival - Week 2

We got our outside lights up over the weekend. The baby was napping and the two older girls were playing together (and *not* fighting - !!!), so hubby and had a nice chance to catch up from the week and just talk and relax together. We tried to get pictures, but it was way too dark when the pictures were taken, so all you can see is the outline of the lights! lol

Every year, I love to bake, bake, bake and bake some more. I always make way too much sweet stuff and end up bringing a bunch to work. Hey, they’re not complaining so why change. Here’s a few of the tasty treats I make each year.

Pecan Tassies - These were always my grandma’s favorite and are a favorite of my dad as well.

Peanut Butter Cookies - Just the recipe off of the PB jar.

Banana Bread - I add a splash of vanilla to this recipe and it is so yummy.

Oatmeal Cookies - Craig and Celeste both LOVE these, especially when I add raisins.

For some reason, I can NEVER get sugar cookies just right, so this year we’re going to try a new recipe from Pioneer Woman - Fingers crossed that they come out well.

I think I’m going to try these this year as well. They look scrumptious!

And I really want to try making gingerbread cookies, but I haven’t found a recipe yet and I think I’ve got enough going on, so that will get pushed to the back-burner.

I will be sure to post some pictures once all of our delectable treats are complete.

Head on over to Melissa's blog to see more Holiday traditions and ideas, or to join in and share your holiday traditions!

Menu Plan Monday

Going with a pretty easy week here. Still trying to get used to hubby not being here in the evenings, luckily littlest one takes a nap right about 5:30 every day, so I have time to prepare dinner.

This week we'll be starting Holiday baking. Will post more details on that later.

Monday: Vege-tacos with all the fixin’s.

Tuesday: Italian style sausage with steamed rice and broccoli.

Wednesday: WW Spaghetti with crusty bread and salad.

Thursday: Strip steaks with baked taters and green beans.

Friday: Homemade vege-chili over rice for me and grilled cheese with fruit for the girls.

Saturday: BBQ chicken with garlic roasted potatoes and corn on the cob.

Sunday: Free Night!

For more menu ideas, head on over to Organizing Junkie.

Blog Reviews

I haven't ever taken the time to make a linked-list of blogs I visit regularly, so I'm just going to share a few with you here.

Melissa at Banana Migraine and I met through an AP message board that we are both still a part of. It's amazing how much has changed in the years that I've been posting there and how close I feel to all of these wonderful mamas that I haven't had the pleasure to meet in real life yet. Plus she's got the Holiday Traditions Festival going on right now, and I love reading about other people's holiday traditions. But the real reason I stalk her blog is to catch new pictures of her A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E children. Seriously.

InsaKnity is a blog for the knitters from the above mentioned AP message board. Although I don't knit, I appreciate the time, care and effort that goes into their works and I love looking at their beautiful finished works of art.

Another Melissa at Inner Child Crochet was soo helpful to me when I first started crocheting again. I was having a serious brain-fart moment and did a search for crochet help. Her blog came up and I sent her a random email asking for help about a hat, she was soo kind and helpful and responded to my many, many questions. She is an amazingly talented crocheter and has several patterns on her site.

I first came upon Green Style Mom's blog through the Menu Plan Mondays. I love reading her product reviews, as I am always on th elookout for more "green" products, toys, etc. Plus she lives in a co-housing community and I've always thought that would be neat.

And, last but not least, I found Bitter Sweet's blog through a pattern from Ravelry. She takes amazing photograghs, is a crazy talented crocheter/knitter and writes the funniest, wittiest blog posts.

Care to share your favorite blogs?

Wordless Wednesday - Camille's New Trick. Eeeek!

For more, visit the Wordless Wednesday Headquarters.

Holiday Traditions Festival

Melissa over at Banana Migraine is hosting the Holiday Traditions Festival, a fun way for everyone to share their family's holiday traditions. Head on over to her blog to see more traditions and ideas, or to join in and share your holiday traditions!

Every year, one of the first things we do to get in the holiday spirit is to decorate the tree and house, while listening to Christmas music. I always like to try and do this the first weekend in December.

So, this past weekend we dusted off the A Pooh Christmas CD and put up the tree while listening to Pooh and friend's version of The Twelve Days of Chirstmas. We weren't able to get the outside lights up yet, so we'll do that this weekend coming up. I think next year, I'll be asking Santa for some new ornaments and tree decorations. We've had the same decorations and tree since our first Christmas together, in 1998. We will be keeping our angel though. She's always the last thing that Craig adds to the tree. The girls and I sit on the couch and ooh and ahh over the lights while Craig reaches up on tippy toes to position her just right. I can't imagine a different tree topper for our family tree.

Here is a picture of our table decoration. I love snowmen and have collected several different ones. The teddy bears music box is from my childhood - it still works! Celeste loves to listen to it. And an added bonus - in the backround is a photo from our wedding. :)

Menu Plan Monday

This week's menu will mostly be items we already have on hand. Trying to watch the budget. Since Craig's new job will have him away from home at dinner-time, I'll be able to make more vegetarian meals throughout the week.

Monday: Vege-Spaghettti with salad and bread.

Tuesday: Seasoned chicken, steamed rice and green beans.

Wednesday: Stuffed baked potatoes with steamed broccoli.

Thursday: Oven-fried chicken srumsticks with mashed taters and corn on the cob.

Friday: Left-overs.

Saturday: Home-made pizzas, using this recipe for the dough. So easy and tasty.

Sunday: Free night.


I've started getting into my holiday baking mode. Yesterday, I made home-made bread for the girls' sandwiches for lunch and it is delicious, if I do say so. I plan on making some more bread, some of my favorite mini-quiches and probably some rice-krispy treat for the girls.


For more menu ideas, head on over to Organizing Junkie!

It is complete...

And I am going to go cry now. I wish I had taken before pictures, it was beautiful. Gorgeous, soft, even stitches, just a few ruffly edges. I thought, no big, it's made from 100% wool yarn, I'll block it to get the edges flat. Biggest mistake ever. Getting maried at 17 to the biggest ass-wipe in the world was a good idea in comparison.

It is now all stretched out, completely lost it's shape and, the kicker, it stinks. Horribly. Like one of those non-shaving hair removal products bad, Veet or Nair I think it's called. It's RANK.

My darling husband, being the ever so NOT understanding gentleman that he is, scolded me for about 5 minutes on how unbelievably emotional I was acting over something so trivial. I think he lost a few fingers in the act, but he helped me squish it back into a remotely similar shape, we sprayed it thoroughly with Fabreeze and threw a towel over it to dry.

I am HOPING and praying that when it is dry, it will once again resemble the blanket I loved before blocking.