Giving up on perfect in every way. Kind of like Mary Poppins - but not.

Proof that my brain is fried as I finish up this year: when I read Jo-Lynne’s original post about hosting a carnival of blog recaps, I would have sworn she was doing it on January 31. Next month. I even put it in my fancy schmancy editorial calendar. Because that makes sense.

As you may have guessed, the carnival is today.

Since I’m doing this at the last minute, I am breaking all the rules. I mean, why not? To participate, we’re supposed to post the first sentence of the first post of each month in 2009. I may or may not have included more than one sentence on a few of these . . . and some of my posts included may or may not technically be the first post of the month.

But it’s still fun. And it's still a recap. So I’m still posting. Enjoy, and let me know if you do any sort of 2009 recap on your blog!

January
Lose weight. Read my Bible more. Floss daily. Resolutions made…resolutions broken. I do it every year.
When I look back at my early 2009 posts, I realize that I made a whole lot of excuses for never meeting any of my yearly goals, also called, ahem, resolutions. I'm happy to say I actually did follow through on a few things this year - look for that recap sometime next week.

February
Yes, I am aware that the Superbowl is actually a football game, and the main attraction is - or at least, is supposed to be - the competition between two teams.
I could not care less (And yes, that's the right way to say it. Think about it. What does it mean if you say you could care less? Anyway.) about football. But the commercials during the Superbowl? Love.

March (not my first post, because that was a recap of Carnival Week)
I don't mean to be sacrilegious or even disrespectful.
In this post, I questioned Lent. Yup, the whole thing. No, not really. But I did wonder - out loud and in writing - about the point of giving something up for 40 days. This spring, I imagine some of my feelings and thoughts will be different, and it will be interesting to look back on our conversation in March.

April
Annalyn has been doing things on her own timetable since, well, forever. From the day our tiny premature baby doll ripped out her feeding tube and decided to eat on her own, to the weeks I waited for her to smile, then to roll and finally to crawl, this child of mine has reached each new milestone whenever she darn well felt like it.
For a backwards Works for Me Wednesday, I asked for tips to help Annalyn start walking. Little did I know in April that it would be another four months before she walked at all and several months more of physical therapy before we could put the whole situation behind us.

May (not the first post, because this one is more important)
On Thursday night, I watched a soft rock star cry.
If you asked me how blogging has influenced me most, I would have to say it's opened my eyes to the world of Compassion and world missions. This post was one of a handful I wrote this year about the amazing work Compassion and, specifically, Compassion bloggers are doing around the world. Amazing and life-changing.

June
We’re all about equity of workload at our house. So when we reached Sunday evening of this busy weekend and Mark said he’d mow the yard, of course my contribution was taking five minutes to empty the dishwasher.
While I started this post joking about the inequity of work at our house, the rest of it was actually a recap of the great weekend we had celebrating our anniversary. We took a day trip to Columbia, ate at a semi-fancy restaurant, watched a semi-terrible movie, and generally remembered what it was like to just be together.

July
“Of course!” “I’d love to!” “Sure, no problem.” “Absolutely, yeah, I’ll do it.” I don’t know how many times I’ve said or written these words, only to realize days, weeks or months later that either I have completely dropped the ball on whatever project I agreed to do or I am overwhelmed with the stress involved in completing said task by its deadline.
I left you for a week in July. But I didn't leave you alone. Though I was enjoying the crazy humidity of a Florida summer, I shared a few guest posts I'd written for other blogs. This one included the ways I keep myself from getting overwhelmed in the world of social media. Hmmm . . . maybe I should re-read this!

August
Whew. What a weekend! And it's not really even over, although it will be by the time you read this. As I'm typing, I'm sitting on the floor in the Detroit airport, plugged into the wall, full from my sandwich and Mrs. Field's cookie, and wearing my shades to cut down on the glare from the big airport windows.
In August, I flew to North Carolina for the SheSpeaks conference. It was soooo much fun! First of all, I love traveling by myself (even though, thanks to Delta and my aversion to early morning rising, I missed my original flight). Second of all - and way more importantly - I met my fellow writers for (in)courage and made some wonderful friends (that I'm now looking forward to seeing at Blissdom!).

September
I really don’t see a whole lot of movies. Now Smitty – she’s the movie buff. And I never fail to shock her by my lack of movie experience. Like when she makes a reference to a classic – say, Goonies or Pulp Fiction or Casablanca – and I hang my head and say, “Ummm . . . yeah . . . I haven’t seen that one either.”
Sometimes I get behind. And in those cases, you get a whole lot of something in one giant post. This was one of those occasions, and I reviewed almost a dozen movies at once.

October
Last year was the first year I had to got to dress up my daughter for Halloween. And in my typical fashion, I spent hours researching and brainstorming and planning and budgeting and dreaming. And in the end, she went as a cat. With no tail. And crooked eyeliner-drawn whiskers.
In October, I began a series of carnivals and giveaways to encourage all of us to give up on perfect holidays. It was a blast, and you can just mark your calendars for next year, because we will do it again!

November
Thank you to everyone who participated in Giving Up on a Perfect Halloween! Random.org has spoken, and the winners are . . .
More of the giveaway/carnival stuff. It kind of consumed me and this blog for three months. I think I'll have to plan better for next year!

December
How does that song go again? It's the most stressful time of the year?
You know, I have to say: this December was not actually as stressful as others have been. And I like that.

Although . . . it doesn't explain why my brain was fried enough to think a blog recap would take place a month from now.

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

I think I've got the Glee shakes...

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself last night. It was Wednesday, so I should have been camped out on my couch, hands hovering over my keyboard and remote by my side.

It should have been a Glee Night.

For the past few months, see, I’ve watched Glee every Wednesday night, wide-eyed and half-grinning, holding back stupid tears as I listen to those kids sing crazy good harmonies and trying desperately to catch all the funny one-liners for the episode recaps I write for Blissfully Domestic.

It’s impossible, you know. Catching every funny line, that is. There are just too many.

Every week, I’ve sat on my couch, armed with my remote and my laptop, determined to capture the best of Fox’s high school musical show (not to be confused with that other high school musical business on Disney).

But now? Now we have to wait FOUR MONTHS for a new episode. Glee won’t return until April.

And that bums me out.

How about you? Did you watch Glee this fall? Did you like it? What’s your favorite song? Which characters do you like the most? And how sad are you to take a four-month hiatus?!

If you haven’t gotten into Glee yet, here are a few of my favorite quotes from this season:

• They’re going to throw fruit at us, and I just had a facial.
• I’m on my feet four hours a day, three days a week here! Do you see what I have to deal with?
• What’s wrong with me is that you’re freakishly tall. I feel like a woodland creature!
• When I get stressed, I work out. You can probably tell.
• Rachel makes me wanna light myself on fire, but she can sing.
• We’re dealing with children. They need to be terrified. It’s like mother’s milk to them. Without it, their bones won’t grow.
• I know I’m not like the rest of you hippies, caring about the kids’ feelings as if they’re real.
• It’s what I had leftover from my pool cleaning money . . . after I bought dip and numchucks.
• I’m gonna say this as nicely as possible, but you look like a sad, clown hooker.
• My baby bump isn’t that bad. It just looks like I had a big lunch.
• Sometimes being special sucks.

And just to help you make it through any Glee withdrawal during the long, bleak winter, you can read my recaps on Blissfully Domestic (which includes more quotes and a list of songs performed), you can buy volume one and volume two of the Glee soundtracks, and as of this week, you can get the first half of the season on DVD!


[Disclaimer: Yes, if you happen to use any of your Christmas money to purchase these items through these particular links, I will earn a teeny, tiny commission. Maybe even enough to pay for my next giveaway.]

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Watch out for that snowman!

This month, Annalyn has come up with some of the cutest toddler-isms. From singing "Jingle Bees" (Jingle Bells) to insisting that Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by donkeys, she certainly has her own spin on the season.

On Saturday, we had plans to visit with friends who were in town. Since we hadn't seen them in a year, we weren't about to let a little thing like A FOOT OF SNOW get in our way.

As we pushed our SUV-wannabe car up the very steep hill to our friends' parents' house, skidding and sliding, I said to Annalyn, "We're stuck on the snow!"

To which she replied, "Yeah. Stuck on the snowman."

Somehow, that little phrase morphed in her little head until, later that day on the way to my brother-in-law's house, Annalyn told Mark: "Snowman gonna get us."

Mark said, "Oh yeah? What are you going to do if the snowman gets us?"

"Knock it down!"

She had it all figured out, I guess. Just like she figured out that the Fisher Price Laugh 'N Learn Playhouse she got from Santa Claus is actually Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse!

Considering that, Santa found her Playhouse on Craig's List and should such a thing as Mickey's Clubhouse actually exist, I'm quite confident Santa couldn't actually afford it, I'm not about to tell her she's wrong.

Have your kids (or students or nieces and nephews or, well, you get the point) come up with any holiday-isms?

-----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

A big day

Today is Mark's birthday. Unfortunately, it's also a Tuesday, which means it's a work day. But I made him an apple cake last night, and we'll probably go out to lunch before he drops Annalyn off at the babysitter.

Edited to add: I did not, in fact, make the cake last night. But I did, for the record, get up this morning and make his favorite breakfast (biscuits and gravy)!

And then, of course, we have two family holiday celebrations this weekend that we can pretend are being held partly in his honor.

Most importantly is an Office-themed birthday card and bacon-themed birthday present. Believe me, even if that isn't your cup of tea, he will love them!

With two December birthdays, we never quite celebrate the big days (mine or his) like we want to. But it's not until after at least one of our birthdays that we think, "Oh  yeah! We should start celebrating our half birthdays instead!"

Well, maybe next year. For now - Happy birthday, Mark!!

How do you like to celebrate your birthday? And what do you do when your birthday falls on a *shudder* work day?

-----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

But wait! There's more!

Isn't it funny how long it takes to wrap presents - fold the paper just so and tie the ribbon just right - compared to how long it takes our friends and family to rip them open?

Christmas is over, but our family isn't quite finished celebrating. Even though Mark and I both have to work four days this week, we have a week full of holidays left. Tomorrow is Mark's birthday, my immediate (parents, brother and sister-in-law) family's Christmas is on Friday, and my mom's side of the family (aunt, uncle, cousins and lots of kids) will get together on Saturday.

In other words, the party isn't over yet.

And so, I can't promise regular posting this week. But I do promise to be back in full force next Monday, ready to kick of 2010 with lots of resolutions, movie reviews, celebrity lookalikes, parenting stories and easy-to-master recipes.

Until then, I hope you'll share with us in the comments how your Christmas was and what your year-end plans are!

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas, you all! I'll be back on Monday!

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Sorry, Santa. No cookies for you!

On Monday night, I baked 10 dozen cookies. Well, if you subtract the ones I ate that broke and the fact that I didn't make them as small as the package recipe called for, I probably baked 8-9 dozen. (Hey! Don't judge. Most of that difference is from the cookie size!)

On Tuesday night, Smitty and I undertook the painful enjoyable process of covering pretzels in white chocolate and festive sprinkles. (And unfortunately, a few of those pretzels hardened too quickly to properly accept an even smattering of glittery red and green sugar. So I will be forced to eat them. Unfortunately.)

Today I'll deliver plates of the goodies to a few people. And with that, my holiday baking is over! Sure, I'll make lasagna and this deee-lish bread (I'm assuming. I haven't made it before. But just look at it!) for Christmas dinner, and even though our New Year's is turning out to be a small (read: tiny) affair, I'm sure I'll make a few tasty snacks. But no more baking!

If you'd like to read about yet another shortcut I've taken in the kitchen over the holidays, head over to Once a Month Mom. I'm filling on today while Tricia is enjoying her sweet newborn's first Christmas.

I know we've already talked about giving up on perfect holidays, but tell me today: What shortcuts are you taking in the kitchen over the next several days?

------------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

The Christmas Can-Can

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Drum roll, please . . .

Congratulations to Kim H., the winner of the Lisa Leonard necklace from Friday's Giving Up on a Perfect Christmas! E-mail me your address, Kim, and I'll send it to you!

And now I'm going to go veg. And then I'm going to bed. Because I am wiped out! Birthday dinner with Smitty on Friday, a lazy day (plus lots o'fun balancing the checkbook and paying bills) on Saturday before running errands and enjoying date night with Mark, and then a full Sunday of the choir's Christmas program has left me one tired girl.

While I recuperate from one great weekend, tell me about yours!

-----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Saturday Review: Movies on DVD

With two long weekends coming up, I anticipate renting more than one movie from the old Box of Red. I’d really like to see Paper Heart, and I’d be lying if I said that watching guinea pigs save the world in G-Force hasn’t crossed my mind.

What movies will you be watching over the holidays? Are you even a movie over the holidays type of person? I’m here to help you pick out a good movie – or, at least, avoid the bad ones.

The Accidental Husband wasn’t terrible. Honestly, it was a pretty typical chick flick. Silly premise introduces boy to girl, who’s already seeing another boy, and so on and so on. But, just like I won’t lie about being intrigued by talking guinea pigs, I won’t lie about this: I’m a big fan of the formulaic romantic comedy.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan was cute, although I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Colin Firth. I mean, is he that stuffy in real life or does he just get stuck playing characters with that personality? Overall, I’d say at least one solid thumb up.

We rented GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and we watched it, start to finish. But I do not even know what the movie was about. Granted, I was on the computer part of time. And sure, I only thought it might be good based on two things: 1) I usually like superhero movies and 2) I quite enjoyed Channing Tatum in Step Up. It turns out those facts were not enough to salvage this movie for me.

It was dark (visually, not spiritually) and confusing and boring and silly. Two thumbs down. Sorry, Channing.

I’d heard that Four Christmases was bad. I wouldn’t necessarily say “bad.” But I won’t say “good,” either. The worst part for me was when the main characters visited Vince Vaughn’s dad and brothers. It hit WAY too close to home for me to find it humorous in the least. If you’ve seen this movie, you’ve seen a glimpse of my in-laws. (For the record, they’re not that bad. But still.)

We laughed. And it was okay. It was short. So . . . one shaky thumb up.

I have been just dying to see Julie & Julia since I saw a preview months ago. Are you kidding me? Food and blogging? You know I’m all over that. And finally, I got to see it last weekend with Chelley.

I wish I’d watched it before 10 pm, because I was way too tired to watch a long movie. But it was worth the wait. I think I’d like to watch it again; I’m pretty sure I missed some good lines in the dialogue.

What I’d heard from several sources was that this movie, more than anything, portrays two solid, loving, realistic marriages. And it did. It was a nice change from most movies and TV! I give this movie two thumbs up, and I can’t wait to see it again.

Sorry not to end on that positive note, but the day after we saw Julie & Julia, we rented another movie starring Amy Adams. Unfortunately, it was not Enchanted. Or, basically, any other movie she’s in. Mark decided we should rent Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and so we did.

It’s probably a good kids movie. I don’t know. For us, though, it was silly. Too silly. I will say that I totally buy Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, and I tend to like Ben Stiller in most of his movies. But Amy Adams seemed to be channeling some fluffy version of Nicole Kidman or something. And the whole story was just silly. I know I already said that, but it’s about all I got.

Except this: The premise of the movie (museum displays coming to life) is far-fetched, of course. But though we could accept that, Mark was not so willing to suspend his disbelief when it came to a certain scene with an old airplane.

After we’d sat there watching ridiculous scene after ridiculous scene, when the plane took flight, Mark said, “That plane wouldn’t move that way!”

I just looked at him and said, “That’s what you’re not buying in this movie?!”

We cracked up. So, if you include that sort of nonsense, I guess I’d have to give this movie a thumb up!

And that’s all, folks. What movies have you rented lately? What movies are you looking forward to watching?

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Giving Up on a Perfect Christmas

Broken cookies.
Dry turkey.
Sold-out stores.
Thoughtless gifts.
The flu.
A blizzard.
Family, ahem, issues.

The list of things that can possibly ruin the holidays is long. But you know what? None of these things has to ruin anything. We can choose to enjoy ourselves and find meaning in the holidays, no matter how imperfect they are.

Not that I'm saying I'm good at this. After all, if I was an expert or something, I'd have to call my blog "Gave Up on Perfect." Am I right, or am I right?

So, will you join me in giving up on a perfect Christmas this year? And while we’re at it, let’s share our best beautifully imperfect Christmas stories.

For me, one of my favorite not-so-perfect Christmas memories is from my elementary years. I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but I know I had started taking piano lessons, and I was in Camp Fire. Because while a bright blue polyester Camp Fire uniform wasn’t terribly exciting, I was really bummed to open a box and see . . . a pacemaker.

Now, this pacemaker was actually a metronome (Pacemaker was the brand name), but this happened the Christmas after my granddad had gotten an actual pacemaker. In his heart.

It was just a little weird.

What’s your story? Write a post about how you’ve given up on a perfect Christmas, and link up below. And don’t forget to enter to win this beautiful Lisa Leonard necklace.



How do you do that? It’s easier than wrapping all your gifts in coordinating paper. You get one entry for each of the following:

• Leave a comment telling me about your imperfect Christmas plans or your funniest/craziest/most imperfect Christmas memory.
• Subscribe to Giving Up on Perfect by e-mail or RSS.
  
• Join the Giving Up on Perfect Facebook page and leave a comment telling me you did it.
• Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment telling me you did it. 
• (If you've already done these things, just leave a comment saying so. That will count.)
  

I’ll randomly draw a winner after midnight on Saturday, December 19, and announce it on Monday.

Until then (well, you know, after you link up and comment!), eat some broken cookies, print labels for that stack of cards and frame that picture of your crying baby on Santa's lap. It's all part of a not so perfect Christmas!

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Who’ll be my role model, now that my role model is gone?

When I was in seventh grade, I had this civics teacher. He was young and single and fun and yes, I did have a stupid crush on him, okay? He taught us about important things like Vietnam and animal abuse.

I thought he was wonderful.

And then came the day I discovered that, while he may be wonderful, he certainly wasn’t perfect. I found out, through an older friend from church, that he may have smoked pot in college.

[GASP!]

Did I mention that I grew up in a conservative family in a small town? It’s true. I was sheltered. But even though I can look at that piece of information with a completely different perspective than I had when I was 13, I will never forget how disappointed I was to learn that this man I’d looked up to had done something wrong.

I imagine that’s how many people have felt over the past couple weeks with the Tiger Woods debacle.

We’ve all read the stories and heard the commentaries and perhaps even held conversations ourselves. The whole thing has started me thinking about role models and the people we look up to.

Mark heard a man on sports radio talking about Tiger Woods, and he said something to the effect of, “You just can’t trust anyone. From famous athletes to politicians to Baptist deacons, everybody has secrets. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody is human.”

I can’t argue with that. (Especially since I’m not even sure why I put quotes around that little paragraph. Because while Mark did, indeed, tell me about what he heard, I honestly can’t remember exactly what the radio guy said. And so I made up that whole statement. Except the part about deacons. He definitely said that.)

But regardless of that guy’s exact words or if you love Tiger or hate him, all of this raises a valid point: How do we choose our role models?

In the past two weeks, I’ve seen two strong women portrayed on screen. Both hit me with a force that I found surprising; both have stayed with me and made me want to be a stronger person.

But while Sandra Bullock’s Leigh Anne Tuohy (The Blind Side) is based on a real person and Julianna Margulies’s Alicia Florrick (The Good Wife) is a composite of many actual political wives, neither is a role model. They’re both fictional, made up, not real. Even though I admire these characters, I still need and want to look up to real people, faults and all. And that’s a hard thing to do.

It’s easier to fixate on Photoshopped celebrities, characters in a book or people portrayed in movies. Those people don’t have blemishes, weaknesses, faults. They always say the right thing, do the right thing, are the right thing.

But they’re still not real.

So, even though I love seeing strong women portrayed in books, movies and TV (Julia Sugarbaker will always have a special place in my heart), I’m thankful for real people to admire. People like my mom, former colleagues, my cousins, my friends.

Even though they’re not perfect. Even though – and because – they’re real.

Who do you look up to? Have you ever been disappointed by a role model?

[For your entertainment, here are my favorite scenes from The Good Wife, The Blind Side and Julia Sugarbaker herself. And in case you didn't win today's round of Name That Tune, the title of today's post is from a song with the funniest video ever. Also known as Call Me Al.]

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

I'm only using tape and paper to wrap presents this year.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. (Kahlil Gibran)

Last night we had friends over for dinner. After we put our daughter to bed and polished off a pan of chicken enchiladas, I cleaned off the table and opened up our game closet. (Also known as our coat closet, but “game closet” sounds oh-so fancy, doesn’t it?)

We briefly considered Boggle and I pulled for the old standard, Scattergories, but we eventually decided on 90s Trivial Pursuit. As we set it up and debated whether or not reading the rules was in order, I said, “Mark got this for me a few Christmases ago, and I was so excited.”

As a matter of fact, I could tell you everything my husband gave me for Christmas that year – four years ago. Because he actually got me things I wanted.

See, my love language is gift giving. And while you might think this would make Christmas an automatic WIN for me, it does not.

Because nobody ever lives up to my expectations.

To read the rest of this article, please visit (in)courage.

And don’t forget about our Giving Up on a Perfect Christmas carnival and giveaway this Friday.

Have you ever eaten broken all the Christmas cookies? Or broken the news to your nephew that Santa Claus might not be real? Get frostbite while Christmas caroling or perform an embarrassing solo at the office party? Or accidentally electrocute the cat with Christmas lights?

No matter what kind of story you have, write a post and link up! Then enter to win a Lisa Leonard necklace. I hope to see you there, and I hope you have a wonderful, merry Christmas!

-----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

No more robbing Peter to play Santa

The first year Mark and I were married, we were so excited for Christmas. We were, after all, official grown-ups now, so of course we needed to buy presents for every single person we knew and loved.

And so, out came the credit card.

In the years that followed, that spending strategy became a habit, and we quickly accumulated several maxed-out credit cards and accounts – and then, slowly, paid them off.

For the past few years, as we’ve become more responsible with our money, I still haven’t been sure how to handle Christmas. So we usually wait until the last minute, crossing our fingers for a Christmas bonus, praying for a year-end windfall and eventually juggling our bills and paychecks to scrape out a modest gift budget.

A budget that’s usually blown – and paid for in January . . . and February . . . and sometimes March – because frantic, last-minute shopping is inevitably more expensive than thoughtful purchases made over time.

This year, though, I actually took a look at our budget in January. I realized that four times a year, Mark gets an extra paycheck (because I budget for four checks a month, but the year has 52 – not 48 – weeks) and I get two extra paychecks a year (again, I budget for two checks a month, but I get paid every other week, which means 26 checks a year).

Next, I made a list of all the “extra” expenses I could think of: Christmas (obviously), birthday presents, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, new tires and regular oil changes. These were the things that seemed to trip us up every year and put us behind financially, as we scrambled to find money to pay for what shouldn’t have been unexpected expenses.

[Looking back – and forward, to 2010 – I should have included the occasional baby or wedding shower and in-home party (like Pampered Chef, because yes, I actually like these parties).]

After adding up all those expenses and comparing the total amount to our extra paychecks, I was so excited to realize that the amounts matched up pretty well. It wasn’t perfect, and I had to lower adjust the amount I wanted to spend on gifts. But still – I was finally getting a leg up on Christmas (and the whole year’s extra expenses)!

I can’t say the year’s gone perfectly. We still have some under-budgeting and over-spending issues. And I have had to readjust and refigure and rethink several line items. But, I was able to “find” money for Christmas by Thanksgiving, which means . . . (yes, I do feel like this deserves a drum roll) . . . as of Friday, I had almost all of my Christmas shopping done!

Are you finished with your shopping?
How do you budget for Christmas?
And what should I get for my grandma?

If you’re still looking for gift ideas, Stephanie put together a great list of books written by bloggers. And I have a suggestion for Santa over on Blissfully Domestic.

Actually making a Christmas/gift budget works for me. For more good ideas, visit Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Christmas Tour of Homes

Welcome! Come on in!

If you’re visiting from The Nester’s Christmas Tour of Homes (or if you’re just here, making the rounds on a regular Monday morning), I’d like to invite you to come back on Friday for Giving Up on a Perfect Christmas. We’ll swap stories of beautifully imperfect (to borrow a certain someone’s phrase) holidays, and I’ll give away a beautiful Lisa Leonard necklace!

Now, on to the touring . . .

I didn't put all my ornaments up this year. Now that we have a toddling toddler in the house, I'm not sure how safe my treasures are - or how safe they are for that kiddo! And, of course, there are always the cats to consider. As in, what will they destroy this year!?

So far, so good. We've only had one casualty, and it was only an ornament down, not even broken.

In addition to my dozens of shiny, matte and glittery red ornaments, I did put a few special ornaments up. Last year, we got Annalyn that frame ornament and recorded her giggling. And then I accidentally erased it. (Talk about giving up on a perfect Christmas, right?)

The Snoopy ornament is one of mine from 1980, and the hammer is the first one he bought for his tiny Christmas tree the year before we got married.

Normally, I fill this large vase with plastic (although very realistic-looking, of course) apples and berries. In my attempt to be a little more festive this year, I dumped out the fruit and dropped (carefully) in some of the red ornaments.

I've read some blog posts recently about how buying an artificial tree is a cop-out. That's funny, because I don't know if I even know anyone who buys a real tree these days. Do you?

Makes me think of a slumber party I went to back in middle school. It was on New Year's Eve and my friend's family still had their [very real] Christmas tree up. Sadly, my embarrassing allergies were out of control that night, and my friend's mom ended up taking their tree down and tossing it outside!

I felt terrible, and the point of this rabbit trail is this: I put up a fake tree, but my tree-smelling candle makes it seem a bit more genuine.

So, that's a bit of my home. If you want to see a few more pictures, check out last year's Tour of Homes post. And if you're new here and want to read more, check out these posts:

Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today.
"I learned more from the stains than I did the paper."
Cleaning when the clock is ticking...
It's all about the chili.

Thanks for stopping by today. Merry Christmas!!

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Saturday Review: The Familiar Stranger

When I got the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance’s monthly list of books available for review, I wasn’t sure any of them looked like something I’d pick up off the library shelf. But I went ahead and requested one.

Not because I need another book on my to-read list. But because I am trying to broaden my reading tastes. (Yes, Chelley, that means I will – someday soon, I promise – read Harry Potter.)

So when The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry arrived in the mail, I wasn’t exactly jumping up and down. [Although, let’s be honest, it would take a whole lot of something special to get this girl off the ground.]

The main reason I hesitated to read this novel was my suspicion that it would be sad. Real sad. And I was right. Berry’s book certainly has its share of sad – and then some.

But that’s not the end of the story. Thankfully, the story is one of redemption and second chances and a whole host of other not-sad things.

The reason I picked up the book in the first place – aside from my nearing deadline for writing a review – was actually one of the endorsements on the back from another author whose blog about writing fiction I subscribe to.

Christina Berry is a woman who really understands how men think.
The Familiar Stranger had me from the very first sentence,
and it kept me flipping pages right through to the end.
It’s a terrific debut novel and I’ll be watching eagerly for her next one.
~ Randy Ingermanson, Christy award-winning author of Oxygen

I have to agree with Randy. The author did a great job (as far as I can tell) of getting inside not only the female protagonist’s mind, but also the man in the story, too. And she doesn’t pull any punches. Don’t expect to fall in love with the main character’s husband in those first few pages, but do expect to be hooked!

For a few days, I read this in every spare second. Even toward the end, when I was pretty sure I knew what would happen, I just kept reading. (And, for the record, I was mostly right, thanks to my vast consumption of stories in all mediums. Still, Grey’s Anatomy has nothing on this complicated story!)

Here’s the summary, and you can read more about the author on her website.

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

Have you read any [unexpectedly] good books lately?

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

C is for Cookie

These are not my cookies.

(Image by summerlovin)

The first Christmas after Mark and I got married, we decided to make cookies. I don't remember if we mixed up a sugar cookie recipe or if we went store-bought, but I distinctly remember lots of frosting, cookie cutters and sprinkles.

Yes, we definitely had sprinkles.

Actually, now that I think about it, if we took the time to mix up frosting and cut out candy cane and tree-shaped cookies, I'm pretty sure we used an actual recipe for that cookie dough.

And there was A. Lot. of cookie dough. Which made A. Lot. of cookies. I remember starting the process so excited and all newlywed-y, but by the time we got finished, we were so sick of cookies! We had cookies on every surface of that tiny one-room apartment. Lucky for all of our friends - because they all got a plate of those puppies. Or, trees and candy canes, as the case may be.

Since then, I haven't done much Christmas baking. Sure, I make all sorts of side dishes. And my Brownies From a Box never fail. But cookies? No, not so much.

So when I started reading about the fun cookie [recipe] exchanges going on this week, I was kind of bummed out. And then I was delusional thought I'd just whip something up, so I could join in.

And then I forgot.

But today I saw Jessica's First Cookie Recipe Exchange at The Mom Creative, and I remembered again. And I decided to stop by the store after work, get some cookie dough and frosting in a can, and write about how you don't have to be fancy to have Christmas fun in the kitchen.

And then I got to the store.

They were out of the frosting I wanted, and they didn't have any red and green sprinkles. So I bought almond bark and pretzels instead. And M&Ms.

You never know when you're going to need M&Ms.

Long story not short but finally to the point? I made almond bark-covered snack mix. Does it have a name? I don't know. My cousin makes it, and I call it . . . YUM. Here's a picture:

And here's the recipe, if you can call it that:

3 cubes of almond bark
Half cup of cheerios
Half cup of little marshmallows
Half cup of broken pretzels
2 packages of M&Ms

I might be wrong on the "half cup" part. Basically, I melted those three cubes and started dropping the other ingredients into the bowl. Possibly at random. And when it looked good? I put it in the fridge.

(You don't have to put it in the fridge unless you're in a hurry. To eat the YUM.) Makes 4 servings. Or two really big ones.

So, that's what I've got for you. If you have your own (real) cookie recipe or want to look at a couple or hundred, check out The Mom Creative's First Cookie Recipe Exchange and Blissfully Domestic's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies.

This post will also be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

What's your favorite kind of Christmas cookie? Have you made any yet this year?

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Does anyone actually use boughs of holly?

What does your house look like in December? Is it covered, top to bottom, in red and green and holly and ivy? Or are your Christmas decorations few and far between?

If I had to guess, I'd say your answer probably has something to do with how many years you've lived on your own. Or perhaps it's related to how your family celebrated holidays - or how many boxes they sent with you when you moved out on your own!

Most of us, I think, collect our holiday decorations bit by bit over the years, building a collection that brightens our homes, reflects our values and preserves our memories.

This year, I'm excited to be adding to my collection with a few pieces from Dayspring. Have you seen their Jesus is the Gift Snowflake line? Red is my favorite color, so I might be biased, but I think these items just might work with anyone's Christmas decor. Check it out:

Aprons are all the rage right now. You can hardly pass a blog giveaway (including mine!) without seeing another cute apron. This one's on sale for $15.99, and the half apron and child's apron are both even less!

Okay, now raise your hand if you've been invited to a cookie exchange this year. I was, but it fell on my Everything Happens When I Go Out of Town weekend. But I have a feeling I'll still have the chance to display some Christmas cookies, fudge or other sweets on this cute plate. (And it's only $10.99!)

After I got these tea towels, I started thinking about my regular towels. Then I started looking at them. And thinking some more. And I am pretty sure they are more than 10 years old. Well, they still dry my hands and the dishes - but these new towels are way cuter!

Until Monday (December 14), you can get 25% off any purchase from Dayspring. Just use the code: GIFT25. And if you'd like, you can get to the Dayspring store from the banner over in my right sidebar.

I love my new Christmas decorations, and you can visit The Diaper Diaries for more loved things. But now tell me: what's your favorite Christmas decoration?

-----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

If you hold your mouth JUST right...

Annalyn has been trying to jump this week. I don't even know what's "normal" for gross motor skill milestones anymore, but I'm finding this even more exciting than when she started walking backwards a couple weeks ago.

And cuter, too - because when I asked her to try to jump, she concentrated so hard, even holding her mouth crooked. You know that helps, right? Holding your mouth right?

I don't know where that phrase comes from. In my mind, I can hear my mom and my granny saying it. Is it a southern saying? Or just something my family said?

What about you? Do you have to hold your mouth just right when you're doing something difficult or new?

-----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

I got a feeling (woo-hoo!) . . .

And you’re welcome for putting that little ditty in your head. I couldn’t help it. I do have a feeling that next week’s going to be a fun week. Just look at all the bloggy excitement taking place:

The Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash – Jerri at Simply Sweet Home has invited us to participate in the weeklong carnival she’s holding with four other bloggers. From homemade gifts and crafts to trees, recipes and traditions, they’ve got it all covered.

The Christmas Tour of Homes – Formerly hosted by BooMama, this virtual homes tour has moved to The Nester’s place! On Monday, link up a post with photos of your house, all decked out for the season. And remember, as The Nester says, “It’s not a contest! No perfect decorations allowed.”

My Favorite Things: Six Weeks of Free Stuff – Every Monday until the end of the year (including next Monday), Sarah Markley is giving away some of her favorite things.

Around the Table with Tami – Every Tuesday in December, Tami is hosting a virtual cookie exchange, and every Thursday of the month she’s hosting a gift idea exchange. She’s giving away Homemade Gourmet products during each carnival.

And don’t forget that Simple Mom is helping us create a more peaceful Christmas with her 12-week checklist of ideas, from budgeting and shopping to traditions and decorations.

Last, but most certainly not least, is my very own carnival. On my very own birthday!

Okay, so the birthday doesn’t really have anything to do with the carnival, other than sharing a date. Or maybe it does. Because though my parents worked hard to prevent the usual disappointments associated with a December birthday, it can still be a bummer to be born just one week before, you know, Jesus.

But just like we decided that we don’t really need handmade costumes and intricately carved jack o’lanterns for Halloween or fourteen elaborate side dishes and a Martha Stewart-approved centerpiece for Thanksgiving (not that there’s anything wrong with that), let’s give up on a perfect Christmas this year.

Did you forget to buy a present for someone? Break all the Christmas cookies? Break the news to your nephew that Santa Claus might not be real? Get frostbite while Christmas caroling or perform an embarrassing solo at the office party? Or accidentally electrocute the cat with Christmas lights?

Or what about the year that you just plum forgot the real meaning of Christmas and got too caught up in the busy-ness and the business of shopping and cooking and decorating and partying and hosting and mailing?

Spill the beans. Let the electrocuted cat out of the bag. Tell us all about it.

Let’s Give Up on a Perfect Christmas. Join me next Friday, December 18. We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, and we’ll give away this Lisa Leonard necklace!

In the meantime, tell me how your Christmas season is going so far. Are your Christmas cards in the mail? How much shopping do you have left to do? How many Christmas cookies have you already eaten? And most importantly (and a question I need to answer, too): Have you made time to hold on to the holy?

----------------------------------------

Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.