Holiday Report

I am soooo excited!!! Hubby bought me a laptop for Christmas, I never, ever expected one! I've wanted one but figured it was an unnecessary item. I don't have a wireless connection set up yet....wish me luck! I received other nice gifts from family and friends, one special thing is always the photo calender my daughter makes for us. My mom & I look for that gift. I think I am over wanting to get gifts, I will never turn them down but I don't expect anything. To be honest I love giving gifts. What makes Christmas for me is watching the kids open gifts. I have 8 grandkids, ranging in ages from 9 down to 16 mos.....good ages for a bit, but the teen years are close by. Christmas Eve the kids & grandkids that live nearby attended church with me. After that we had our traditional evening with extended family at great-grandmas. Christmas day the kids & grandkids (ages 16 mos, 4 & 5) came over here to open gifts after we made breakfast. Everyone was gone by 2, and Kevin & enjoyed the quiet afternoon. The day after Christmas we got more snow. I did a little shopping (I had to use my "$10 off on anything over $10" coupon). Sunday we had an open house......a few friends and family members came over. Yesterday my bff & I went for lunch and hit the thrift shops, I picked up a case for my laptop, cordless phone with caller ID for upstairs, and some misc items. Last night we stopped at my sister in laws and had a nice visit with some of hubby's siblings. Tomorrow I have to work (my one day this week-next week my schedule is back to normal). We've been invited to a couple of family gatherings this weekend.....this is out of the realm of our normally quiet (very quiet) social life.

It's Slowly Getting Done

My little silver tree is in the downstairs bathroom.

My angel tree is up.

The mantle is done.

The nativity scenes are spread around the house........and that's as good as it's gonna get this year!!!

On tonight's agenda: wrap the remaining gifts and scrub the kitchen floor.

Tomorrow I will spend all day in central WI with my daughter to watch another Christmas program. This is the first year that I was able to attend all of the grandkids programs. Yay!!!

Helpful Hints II

***For easy snow removal (especially if it's a wet, heavy snow) spray silicone spray on your snow shovel or snow blower chute. The snow will just slide off.

***For really dry hands or feet apply Crisco (just plain, no flavor) to the affected body parts and cover with socks or gloves and go to bed, (it really does soak in quickly) you'll see a big improvement in the morning.

from the Home of the Walking Disaster

Yup, that's me.......I make a mess in whatever space I enter. I take that back, I cleaned the laundry room today. Ok, it doesn't really look that clean, but the pile of paper will be gone and the counter will be visible again after I wrap presents. I am FINALLY getting around to putting up a few decorations........no tree yet tho. Hubby needs to bring in our artificial one for me. Since I am pulling boxes out, piling them up, and moving things from one area into the next so I can decorate I create huge messes all over. I had the kitchen table all cleaned up 2 days ago....well now there is no where to eat again. :-( I have the rest of the afternoon, this evening, and most of tomorrow to accomplish something. Sunday I'm going to my son's to watch the grandkids Christmas program at church.

This morning I eked out some time to have 'coffee' with a friend. Kathy is so good for my ego. We only live about 15 miles apart but only see each other a few times a year. I have a special attachment for her b/c she took me to my first Christian retreat. :-) We stopped at the thrift store.......I got some bargains: a brand new GB Packer ornament for hubby, large glass jar for storing crafting stuff, small 3 drawer crafting 'box', anther brand new little gift for someone, brand new roll of wide red Offray ribbon, and new colored tissue paper all for $4.99. Woo Hoo! Then we went to the Honey Pot for coffee and we each found the gift we were looking for, then we were able to sit and play catch up. I showed off the washer pendants that I made and she was duly impressed. *wink* (she liked them, of course) (I'll post photos later) It was a nice morning.

Back to work for me..........gotta make this place look like Christmas in less than a week. My step daughter and her family are coming on Christmas Eve, both kids and the grandkids will be here Christmas day, and we're having everyone (who is willing to come over) here on the 27th.

Helpful hints

***Put an address label on your digital camera, that way if you misplace it and aren't sure of the brand (like me) or if there are others very similar it will have your name on it. (this tip from my bff)

***When you have to call a service tech and get someone from outside the country just ask to speak to a representative from the US. I tried it and it works!

More pet peeves

Last night after I got off the phone with a guy from India I thought of more things that annoy me:
11. Customer service reps from out of the country that I can't understand and repeat everything I say. I have NO Patience with them.
12. When my hubby forgets to flush the toilet.
13. People who say they scrubbed the floor, when in reality they MOPPED the floor.

Really, I am not always crabby.........really, I'm not!

Personality plus!

This is my daughter's youngest girl. Look at that smile.........you can't tell me she doesn't have personality! She'll be 2 in May. I haven't seen her since Aug so I am anxious to see her and her siblings on Sunday. Did you notice she has grandma's strawberry blond hair???? She's the only grandchild (out of 5) that has red hair. She gets it from her mom's side and dad's.

It's winter!

What a difference a day can make! One day it's 40 and the ground is bare and the next we are covered with snow. We had rain & snow mixture starting Tuesday night and part of the day on Wednesday. It was really a wet, heavy snow. Hubby was pushing the snow thrower. I am really blessed that I don't have to do any of the snow removal.Yesterday it was soooooooooo nice to be able to stay indoors all day. I worked on some cards and wrapped gifts. It was a nice quiet day, I appreciate that. Today I saw lots of trees with BIG branches broken off under the weight of the heavy snow. Last night it got cold...........6 degrees this morning when I left my house to watch the 5K concert. Thank goodness for remote car starters.......I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. The concert was fantastic, they didn't just do the simple songs you think of when you think 5 year old. Two of the songs had motions only, the kids did not sing. I could see they loved doing it too. I will have to send a thank you to the music teacher, he's wonderful. After the concert I brought my 4-1/2 year old grandson home while mom & dad are working. He's watching a Pokemon movie now. We had to stop at Hobby Lobby to get something for my bff and, of course, we had too look at the toy aisle. First he picked out Pez candy ($1.79), the he spotted a foam sword and shield ($4.99 ea) and I had to buy one for brother since he will be here tonight.........I was kicking myself for his purchase, but.......... At the check out he spotted a package of bouncy balls ($2.79). I said if he wanted the balls (he calls them Poke balls) he'd have to put the swords and shields back.............HE DID!!!! I am so thrilled.......he didn't even put up a fuss and want all of it, just chose what he wanted most. Sometimes life is GRAND!!! Oh, I almost forgot......he needs boots. I stopped at the thrift store on the way to the concert and found 3 pairs of boots in his size. Now you can't tell me that God did not put those boots there for us!!!

My snowman pendant

Here he is.......isn't he cute? I am so lucky, I was the first one to pick up our fused glass items so I got to see everyone's. They were all GREAT!!! That was really a fun class. I want to go back in the spring to make more pendants.......probably something abstract and with earrings????

The Christmas countdown begins

I love Christmas, the decorations, the family time, the meaning of it, watching the kids big smiles when they open a gift. I use to go all out and decorate every room in my house (family room, living room, kitchen, bathroom, some outside lights) but not anymore. I love the decorating but not the putting away. This year we have no outside lights (hubby does not do a thing and I don't know when I'll have the time) and no decorating inside yet either. I am telling myself it is early yet............

Last night we decorated cookies with my 4 & 5 year old grandsons. I'd save a lot of money on colored sugar if I'd do it myself but it wouldn't be half as much fun.

This week's schedule is hectic too:
After Sunday school today I have to drop off candles from my candle party and pick up my fused glass pendant. WOOHOO J will be here all afternoon (he stayed overnight last night).
Monday morning I'm reading/helping in his classroom, then he'll come home with me for the afternoon.
Tuesday I'm working and making washer pendants at night. :-)
Wednesday morning is the 5K Christmas concert and J will come home with me for the afternoon. We are going to bake banana bread for his treat at school the next day.
Thursday I pick J up from school at 11 and he be here all afternoon again and I will have both boys at night.
Friday - nothing scheduled........but I have to finish shopping for my side of the family and then wrap gifts.
Saturday I have to make 3 pumpkin rolls to take along to my daughters for Christmas. EVERYONE at her house loves it.....inc. her 1 yer old daughter. We will probably have J overnight on Saturday. I'd like to take the boys to the Rahr West museum for a craft project, they enjoyed it the last time. That evening is the live (outdoor) nativity that I REALLY want to take J to see.
Sunday morning we'll leave about 10 for a (nearly) 2 hour drive. I sure hope the weather is good. That is usually the only time my mom gets together with us. She is 80 and not in the best of health.
Have a good week!!!!

Snowball cake

My daughter in law made this a couple of weeks ago and it is YUMMY!

Kraft foods has a video showing how to make this. Feel free to bring me a piece in order to show your gratitude to me for sharing this with you. LOL

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 egg
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
Make It!
HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter, in 2-1/2-qt. ovenproof bowl, as directed on package; scrape side of bowl. Beat cream cheese, egg and granulated sugar until well blended; spoon into center of batter in bowl.

BAKE 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in bowl 10 min. Loosen cake from bowl with knife; invert onto wire rack. Remove bowl. Cool cake completely.

MEANWHILE, beat dry pudding mix, powdered sugar and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to use.

PLACE cake on plate; frost with pudding mixture. Cover with coconut. Keep refrigerated.

Fused glass class

Wowieeeeeeee! We had a fabulous time making fused glass pendants tonight. A local artist held the class in her studio, a beautiful studio!!! Next week when I get my pendant back I will post a photo.........so don't forget to come back. Amy has a lot of neat classes that I'd love to take, I have to pace myself tho.......it costs me $ to hold onto the creative shirttails of an artist. LOL Next week we are making pendant washers. Shelly makes beautiful pendants out of ordinary washers. I'll be posting photos of that too (I hope). If you want to see her work here is her blog. http://accentuate-n-ink.blogspot.com/

First snowfall

Today, Dec 3, I woke up to see a tiny bit of snow on the ground. No, I don't have a photo.....we've seen plenty of snow here and this is not photo worthy. The sidewalks are bare.....why can't the snow always fall like that??? I guess winter has to come eventually, we've had a very mild fall.
Busy week here: Monday I had a dr appt. then babysat all afternoon for my grandson. HE asks to go to the thrift store every time I have him. Monday he found a toy drum....he asked mom if he could take it home. "Absolutely not" was her reply...which is what I anticipated. That's ok. Tuesday I had to work and our Red Hat Christmas party was in the evening. We had a great time! Wednesday I worked again and babysat at night. Today I am off to the dermatologist, babysitting in the afternoon, putting together and mailing out St Nicks packages for some of my grand kids, and taking a fused glass pendant class in the evening. Friday I am working and doing NOTHING at night!! Saturday I need to stop at the phone company and see about getting a different cell phone, then help with babysitting at church, late in the afternoon 2 grandsons are coming over to decorate cookies, and J will spend the night. Sunday we'll attend church and Sunday school. Monday I help out at the 4K class and bring J home with me again.
Geez............I need a break. Thanks for reading and letting me vent. LOL