Top Ten Tuesday - 4th of July

Is it hard to get back in the swing of things after a long weekend or what? I could definitely go for another day or two to hang out and eat and nap. Anyone else?

Since that’s not going to happen, I’m going to hold on to that holiday feeling with a look back at my most memorable 4th of Julys. (4ths of July? I don’t know about this one…)

1. The one where the corn field caught on fire. We visited my parents’ friends in Wichita and sat in their backyard watching their neighbors shoot of fireworks. I remember that we got to play with sparklers and snakes (the fireworks kind, not the reptile). And I remember that somehow, their neighbors set the field behind their house on fire.
2. The one where my granddad died. It’s interesting to me (although, I’m pretty sure, not technically ironic) that my granddad, who instilled such a fierce patriotism in our family, died just before the 4th of July. I remember, the night after his visitation, standing out on my grandparents’ driveway and watching a fireworks display in the distance.
3. The one where my cousin got married. I was a personal attendant, not a bridesmaid, which would have bummed me out if I hadn’t gotten to hang out with my cousin and her friends the whole weekend. Despite taking place outside in the middle of the summer, the wedding was beautiful. (And not even that hot!) My favorite memories are from the reception, though, from my aunt shaking it to Brick House to swing dancing with my cousin Craig.
4. The one where we missed the fireworks. The first summer after we were married, my parents came up to visit for the 4th. In typical fashion, we arrived at the town’s event super early, endured a painful performance by a local musician and then, just before the fireworks were finally going to start, we headed home. Because my parents were tired of us getting eaten up by bugs and decided it wasn’t worth it to stay. Not my favorite 4th of July.
5. The one where Mark didn’t shoot his hands off. The summer after I graduated from college, I worked for the Chamber of Commerce. It was our job that year to put on the town’s Independence Day event, including the fireworks display. The guy in charge of the large – and dangerous! – fireworks needed help, and of course my accident-prone husband volunteered. He managed to not get hurt, have a lot of fun and come home with several hundred dollars worth of fireworks. Which he and a friend proceeded to shoot off in our apartment complex parking lot, narrowly missing both our car and the wives!
   

6. The one where we made a flag cake. Though we’d moved back to Kansas City, we hadn’t made many friends yet. So the summer after the summer I graduated, we headed back to Kirksville to visit our friends. And we were so proud of the berries and whipped cream flag cake we made! (And thankful the boys didn’t have nearly as many fireworks to play with this year!)
7. The one where the boys almost blew up a 6-year-old. A couple years in a row, we celebrated the 4th of July with our Sunday school class, where unfortunately, crazy firework-shooting behavior was encouraged. And you know what they say: It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye. Well, nobody lost an eye, but I recall some firm words being spoken after an errant bottle rocket flew much too close to the kids!
8. The one where my feet swelled up like balloons. The summer I was pregnant, I took an extra day off around the 4th. I spent my time off registering at Babies R Us and nesting like a madwoman (in other words, organizing every cabinet in the house). By the end of the weekend, my ankles were as big around as my calves. It was quite attractive, and thought I didn’t know it at the time, a sign of things to come.
9. The one where my friend got married – again. After being betrayed and abandoned by her first husband, my friend married a great guy in Hawaii – and then again here. She was sweet enough to ask me to photograph her “home wedding,” and it was so much fun. But more importantly than capturing every moment with my camera, I loved finally seeing her happy again.
10. The one where we saw the ocean. Last summer, we took a family vacation to Florida and Georgia. We didn’t actually watch any fireworks on the 4th (thanks to a cranky toddler, of course), but we did get to watch that not-yet-cranky toddler sit in the ocean for the first time.

And of course, this year, the one where Annalyn saw fireworks for the first time. I was worried that she'd be scared, but she loved it!

For more lists of fun stuff, visit OhAmanda’s Top Ten Tuesday.

How was YOUR 4th of July? And what’s been your most memorable one?


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The most perfect Valentine's Day ever . . . almost.

When I was a freshman in college, I decided that it was time for Mark and me to get engaged. After all, we’d already planned to get married after my sophomore year, so we needed to get the ball rolling. Wedding planning takes time, you know?

So I told Mark about this. Don’t be alarmed. He started asking me to marry him when I was just 16, so this was only good news for him.

Shortly after that conversation, we flipped the calendar to February. Which, as you know if you’ve ever been in any sort of relationship, means expectations and plans and all that good stuff.

Chocolate may even get involved.

I assumed, because my experience with romance novels and chick flicks told me it would happen this way, that Mark would propose on Valentine’s Day. And so, I planned accordingly.

A few weeks before the big weekend, I made lasagna at home. It was no Pioneer Woman dish at that point, but it was (and still is) Mark’s favorite thing I make. I froze two servings and took them back to school.

I like planning events, and this Valentine’s Day was to be quite the event. I had a white sheet to use as a tablecloth, and I draped it over a coffee table from the dorm lounge. I [illegally] lit candles and had a bag salad ready to dump into a bowl. My friend Nicole picked up breadsticks from Fazoli’s, and I had an elaborate plan to get Mark out of my room while I threw it all together.

Except . . . my plan didn’t work out quite right. I asked Mark to return a couple movies I’d rented, but when he got to his car, he realized he needed directions. So he came back up to my room and knocked on the door.

Because I thought it was Nicole, delivering the breadsticks, I opened the door without a thought. And Mark saw me with scissors in my hands and rose petals scattered behind me.

He thought I was mad at him and destroying the flowers he’d brought me!

I was actually cutting open the bag of shredded cheese for the salad, and the rose petals were to decorate our makeshift table. From a rose I’d bought myself.

We laughed when he came back and told me what he'd thought, but I was so sad that he’d been worried. (And I was worried that he thought I was such a crazy woman that I’d cut up his beautiful flowers!)

Then to top it all off, the poor guy did not, in fact, propose. He gave me a Martina McBride CD with the song Valentine on it. The song that I’d sung at our spring concert the year before. The song that I’d really been singing to him from that stage in our high school gym.

I’m ashamed to tell you that my first reaction was not, “Awwwww! That’s so sweet!”

No, I behaved sort of like the kind of crazy woman who might cut up a bouquet of roses. I wasn’t angry or too ugly about it. But I wasn’t gracious and kind, that’s for darned sure.

We still had a great weekend together, and I am still proud of the way I pulled together that little romantic dorm dinner. (And I still love that song, by the way.)

But we would have had a much better start if I’d been giving up on perfect holidays back then!

I don’t think we’re doing anything at all for Valentine’s Day this weekend. We’ll probably rent a movie and order a $10 pizza. And I’m tossing around the idea of starting potty training. So, it’s going to be exciting.

Do you like Valentine’s Day? How will you celebrate – or boycott – the holiday this weekend?

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Top 10 Highlights of Our Merry Christmas Marathon

Whew! Three weeks of hectic holidays is a bit much! But we are blessed with lots of family nearby and a month full of celebration. And so the season tends to go on . . . and on . . . and on for us.

I have tried to write this holiday recap so many times. But for some reason, I just can’t quite get my brain organized. I think it’s a victim of too much holiday cheer.

And so I must rely on the old standby: A LIST. I’ll try to make this an abridged version, but let’s be honest: I don’t do short. So sit back, get comfy and take a tour of our crazy Christmas! (And then, please, tell me all about yours, too!)

1. Visiting Iowa for my brother’s Christmas program. We also got to spend the night with Chelley (and meet her kitty, Dinah) and hang out with Triple and Cory. The trip was too short, but the good news is we headed north after the state was hit with a blizzard.
   
   
2. My 31st birthday fell on a Friday this year, which if you know me at all, you know that means perfect timing for a wild and crazy night on the town. Unfortunately, I’m a little old for that. Mark helped Annalyn learn to say, “Happy birthday, Mommy.” Then Smitty and I went to dinner, walked around Barnes & Noble and realized that we are too old for anything wild or crazy.
   
   The following night, Mark and I enjoyed way more cheese, garlic and bread than we really needed, thanks to an Olive Garden gift card from my parents.
   
   
3. You may recall that I auditioned for a solo at church a while back. It turns out I was part of our Christmas program, and it went great. Well, I don’t know for sure. Because I forgot to have Mark bring the video camera. But lots of people said it was good, so I’m going to just go with that. Plus I got the chance to wear my super cute, found it in less than 30 minutes, got in for less than $30 on sale new dress.
   
   
4. Christmas Eve was spent with my parents, and the most exciting part of the night was when they gave Annalyn fuzzy pink slippers. You’d have thought they were Cinderella’s glass slippers! That girl LOVES her slippers!
   
   
   
   
   
5. Santa didn’t bring too much for Annalyn this year (trying to stick to the budget and all that), but our sweet girl loved each and every present. From her Minnie Mouse bowl and plate to her new sweater and jeans to a new Veggie Tales video to the Laugh ‘N Learn Playhouse she decided is actually Mickey Mouse’s clubhouse, she was thrilled with them all.
   
   Aside from the playhouse, though, I think she enjoyed watching Mark shovel the driveway most of all. (Based on the two days of heating pad and Aleve that followed, I don’t think that was the highlight of Mark’s morning.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. On the Saturday after Christmas, we had the chance to visit with our friends, John and Katie. Since they moved across the country three years ago, we only see each other about once a year. And that is not nearly often enough! Thanks to the snow, our short visit was even shorter, but we were so thankful for the time we got to spend with our dear friends. I’m not sure what the boys talked about, but Katie and I covered potty training, discipline, whining, jobs, church and in-laws in short order. I’m really hoping we can see them for more than an hour or so later this year.
   
   
7. For months now, Smitty, Mark and I have been looking forward to The Big Day. While you might think I’m referring to Christmas – and while that would be nice of us – I’m actually talking about the release of Sherlock Holmes. We were bummed out that it didn’t come out until after my birthday, but it worked out after all, because I got movie passes for that birthday! So, the day after Christmas, Mark’s brother was kind enough to watch Annalyn so the three of us could head to the theater. The movie was great, and the company was the best. It was one great night.
   
   
8. As I mentioned yesterday, New Year’s Eve was a quiet affair. During a heated game of Taboo, I got “sweltering” after just a word or two from Smitty. We were on fire! (Ha. Get it? Heated . . . sweltering . . . on fire?! I know. This may be why my New Year’s Eve party was a small one.)
   
   
9. On New Year’s Day, we hung out at my parents’ house. My brother and sister-in-law couldn’t make it down on actual Christmas Day, so we moved our celebration back a week. There was a delicious glazed pork loin, some au gratin potatoes from a box that were much tastier than they should have been, presents (Yyay for new rugs! And a George Foreman grill! And a play kitchen for Annalyn!), board games, snacks and sandwiches. And then, even though I wasn’t sure the day could get better, my parents generously let me talk them into keeping Annalyn for the night.
   
   Which allowed Mark and me to do one of the things young parents crave most: take a quiet, leisurely trip to Target.
   
   
10. Mark’s birthday landed on a Tuesday this year, so it wasn’t quite as exciting as mine. But one Outback Steakhouse lunch, one bacon shirt and one Jim Gaffigan DVD later, I’m pretty sure he was as happy as anyone going to work on his birthday can be.

Okay, I’m stopping at 10. But honorable mentions definitely go to Christmas at Grandma’s (with green punch and a cousin for Annalyn to play with/fight with), Christmas with Mark’s family (with delicious Pioneer Woman lasagna and Blissfully Domestic bread – yum!), and Christmas with my extended family (with a jam session, three kinds of corn and my cousin’s husband Chad sitting on Mark’s lap and calling him Santa).

And did I mention our most exciting gifts: big girl panties and a Mizzou Snuggie?!

This list that lasted longer than the actual Christmas season will be linked to OhAmanda's Top Ten Tuesday.

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You know, that show with the girl with the dark hair?

We had a small gathering for New Year's Eve: Smitty, my brother and sister-in-law, and Mark and me. It was an exciting night.

We spent more time than makes sense trying to figure out exactly what TV show Smitty was talking about when she said, "You know, it's that show with the girl with the dark hair and the light blue eyes. I think it was on NBC. She was pregnant. Or something? You know which show I'm talking about, right?"

It was Studio 60. I cannot begin to tell you how relieved we were to put that to rest.

After eating enchiladas and way too much junk food than we should, we finished the night with a couple board games. Smitty and I beat James and Lauren pretty badly at Taboo, but in their defense, they've only been married for a year and a half.

And Smitty and I have pretty much been married for a decade and a half.

All in all, it was a great night spent with some of my very favorite people. Mark wandered across the street to hang out with the neighbors for a little while, but when he came back, we closed the night by laughing our heads off (I'm talking the silent, shaking laughter with tears running down our faces.) at Jim Gaffigan.

Though I'd had big dreams of a fancy party with fancy appetizers hors d'oeuvres, keeping it simple ended up being better than I would have guessed. And I did get to try a new recipe.

After reading about Southwest Corn Dip on the Pioneer Woman's blog, I decided that sounded exactly like something we would enjoy.

And we did, but oh my goodness, did it make a lot?! I guess I should have known when the recipe called for four cans of corn, but good grief! It made two HUGE bowls of dip, and we barely made a dent in one! (Luckily, I had two family gatherings the following two days to go to, so the dip went to both events. But I'm not even exaggerating when I tell you I STILL brought home one almost-full bowl!)

Moral of the story? Half the recipe. Unless you are actually feeding an army. Specifically, an army that loves corn. In that case, make the whole thing.

Here's the recipe, but you can also see it at Tasty Kitchen.

Southwest Corn Dip

• 4 cans corn (15 oz.), drained
• 1 can chopped chilies (4 oz.), drained
• 1 can chopped jalapenos (4 oz.), drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 whole red bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 bunch(es) scallions, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 bag finely grated Mexican cheese (8 oz.)
• ½ bunch(es) fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (or to taste)

Mix it all together, adding the sour cream and cheese last. Refrigerate for an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

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

How did you spend your New Year's Eve?

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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?

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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!

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Merry Christmas to all!

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

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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?

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The Christmas Can-Can

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!!

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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?

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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?

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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?

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