Archive for 2009

December 15th, 2009

Making My List & Checking It Twice

Last night I was feeling completely overwhelmed with Christmas because I’ve felt like I wouldn’t have time to get everything done. Today I’m feeling a little better because I think I’ve got a handle on things. I’ve made my list, shopped for a few presents, and made a plan for some of the other things I need to get.

I’ve pulled out a few of my go to holiday candy recipes and added a new orange creamsicle fudge recipe thanks to Hubby’s awesome aunt. I’ve decided that I just don’t have the time or the funds this year to shop for everyone and their uncle, so only immediate family, grandparents, etc, are getting purchased presents. Everyone else will get a small box of handmade goodies, and I’ll label them from the baby. Besides, who doesn’t love handmade gifts? It doesn’t take long to make my fudge and sausage balls, so I know it’s something I can pull off while the baby is sleeping.

As for family members that are getting purchased gifts I’ve been trying to think of practical gifts this year versus the usual “oh maybe they’ll find this interesting” kind of gift. Like I know my step mom (wow it’s weird calling Lynn that after 9 years of her being my Dad’s gf) knits like crazy. She also crochets and all that good stuff. She’s got a loom, one of those wheel things, and she even spins her own wool, but I know she does use store bought yarn, too. I’m thinking about making her a basket full of knitting supplies.

Even though my dad does use the Tractor Supply gift card I normally get him every year I wanted to do something else this year. I might do something practical like making him a basket of things he can use throughout the year. Maybe I could order some of the spa filters that his jacuzzi uses, and then add some other cool stuff to the basket that he uses a lot.

I know there’s only one gift that I’m totally lost on. I have absolutely no clue what to get my sister and her husband. They’ve got a baby on the way in June, but I don’t want to get her baby stuff. I want to get her something specifically for her since pretty soon everything coming her way will be geared towards the baby. You’d think since I was that pregnant woman just a couple months ago I’d know what a pregnant woman would like to have right now, but I don’t. I think I’ll have to do some definite thinking for her gift.

December 9th, 2009

Exhaustion & Shopping

I feel like I’m about to fall over.  That would mostly be because Elliana decided the middle of the night last night was play time, and it took me 4 hours to get her back to sleep.  I had counted on her morning nap today as rest time for me as well, but she decided she didn’t want to sleep this morning either.  She’s been up for 2-3 hours then down for 30 minutes all day.  Now she’s finally out again, and I’m trying to get some stuff accomplished before she wakes up again.

I’d love to rest my eyes, but I don’t think I’ll get to do that until Hubby gets home and can take over for awhile.  I never thought I’d ever be so happy to get that few minutes to myself in the evenings to take a shower or close my eyes for an hour.  Thank goodness I don’t have to cook dinner tonight since I made a big pot of “gut bomb soup” last night.  That’ll feed us for a couple days, and I’ll freeze the leftovers.

Pre-baby I used my crock pot at least a couple nights a week.  Post baby I’m finding myself using it almost every night since I just don’t have the time to stand in the kitchen cooking dinner.  My wonderful Hubby does cook on the nights I can’t or haven’t had the time to crock pot something.

Then again when do I have the time to do anything?  Most of the time I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  The good news is I probably won’t need any fat burners anytime soon. The bad news is I don’t have time or energy to do anything!

I’m surprised I’ve got the time to shoot out a blog post here and there.  I haven’t even had time to do my Christmas shopping yet.  Seriously I haven’t bought the first gift for anyone outside of our household.  People are just going to have to understand this year if they get their presents late.  I just don’t have the time to order the stuff I want to buy, and I’m not dragging the baby out to the store in the Christmas season rush.

December 3rd, 2009

Thursday Thunks Dec 3 Edition

I haven’t “thunk about it” in awhile due to everything that’s been going on, so let’s see if I can get back into the swing of things while the baby’s sleeping.

1. Sometimes when you are sitting around doing nothing, a thought randomly pops into your head. How many measuring cups do you own?
Good lord I own about 10 of them. Some of them are for cooking, others are for crafts, but I still own way too many. I seriously need to get rid of a bunch of them!

2. What is your favorite ice cream topping? I have to pick just one?
I guess I’d have to say hot fudge if I have to pick one, but I’m more of a banana split pile a bunch of stuff on top kind of girl.

3. Egg nog – is it digestible?
Totally! I looove it, and I’m so glad it’s “eggnog season”. I’m even happier that I can have it now that I’m not pregnant.

4. Were you one of the insane humans who went to a store last Friday?
I wasn’t there at the crack of dawn this year simply because I wasn’t dragging the baby out there, but we did venture out Friday evening after the madness was over.

5. There are 12 months in a year, anywhere from 28 – 31 days in a month, depending on the year, of course. Each day holds a special meaning for someone, some days hold a special meaning for everybody. Do you have a 2010 calendar yet?
Yep I have 3 of them…one for work, one for personal, and one for the baby’s milestones, dr’s appts, etc.

6. Kids are funny sometimes and say the darndest things, but it’s ok because they are kids and they are so adorable. A two year old is cute when they say a swear word. Admit it, they are. What was your favorite nursery rhyme growing up? Hey – if you don’t have a favorite, just work with me here and pick the first one that fell off the wall and broke like an egg or came out of the sky like a cow who just jumped over the moon.
My favorite was the one about the mean little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead because my little sister totally fit the description of that little girl. She even had the little curl that hung down the middle of her forehead!

7. Most of us have some type of machine that people like to call ‘vehicles’. Some are blue, some are yellow, some are red. Some have trunks, some have beds and some even can’t decide if they are a car or a truck. We put gas in them, check the oil and drive them all over the place and stop them in places called parking spots. Picture in your mind the machine you currently own and if you own more than one, picture the one you last drove – when was the last time you had a new tire on it?
Hubby got new tires in September, and we’re due for tires again. Because he travels so much and drives our only vehicle up and down the mountain everyday we go through a new set of tires every 2-3 months.

8. For those of us on Facebook, do you wish to share your Facebook identity with us? Sure. Click here to see my profile.

9. Santa’s coming! Where’s the best place to hide presents? Any clever little tricks for keeping those nosey people from ruining the surprise?
When I was a kid the best hiding place for all the toys was at Grandma’s house where they could be locked away in rooms we weren’t allowed in.

We won’t have to worry about hiding the presents for another year or two, but I know exactly where we’re going to hide them. We have a locked storage closet in the baby’s nursery/her future room, so presents will be locked up in that closet right under her little nose! We’ll just have to make sure we get them moved out of the closet before she goes to be on Christmas Eve.

10. Have you heard that the world is going to end in 2012? Some people think that the world isn’t actually going to go BOOM! and be no more, they think that the “end of the world” is actually going to be a worldwide takeover by a certain country and/or religion, which all has to do with the current president of the USA. Do you agree?
I believe no one knows when the world is going to end. I do believe we’re seeing signs of the times, but I don’t believe the world is going to suddenly end in 2012.

11. Butterfly, butterfly fluttering through the air, please don’t land on my freshly washed hair. What brand of shampoo did you use this morning? (and for those of you who still stink.. think of yesterday morning… and if that still doesn’t apply to you – go get your stinky butt in the shower!)
I’m usually a Dove girl, but lately I’ve been using a bottle of Garnier Fructis 2-in-1 my Mom picked up for me while I was in the hospital. I just don’t have the time for two separate products at the moment!