BLOGMAS 2016 - Day 14 { Advent Calendar }

Advent Calendar, yay or nay?

Let me start by saying that when my kids were little, we always did advent calendars.  I would either buy the chocolate ones from the store, or I had my own that I would fill with candy and chocolates for them.

As they got older, they lost interest, and I stopped doing them.  It's so sad when you think how your children grow up and suddenly the things you all enjoyed sharing together, are now just a memory.  I so wish they were still little.


This was one of the advent calendars I had made, we used it back in 2008.



I fear this post is quite boring, but I just really don't have any advent calendars to share. If we were still using one, I would have shown you what was in them, and nowadays with Pinterest etc, I feel like there are such adorable ideas out there for the little ones. Just wish we had all this when mine were growing up.

Anyway, do you still use an advent calendar?

BLOGMAS 2016 PROMPTS

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag
Day 2 - Christmas Movies on the Must Watch List
Day 3 - Christmas Wishlist
Day 4 - Christmas Playlist
Day 5 - Pictures and Memories of Christmas Past
Day 6 - Pot Simmer Recipes
Day 7 - Cookies to be Baked (can be a recipe you make every year, or some you want to try)
Day 8 - Favorite Family Christmas Recipe
Day 9 - How do you decorate?
Day 10 - Real Tree or Artificial Tree
Day 11 - Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Day 12 - Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas?
Day 13 - Christmas Cards (do you send them, show us your favorites this year, or tells your favorite cards to send whether vintage, or bright and colorful)
Day 14 - Advent Calendar
Day 15 - Christmas Party Food Ideas
Day 16 - Winter Tag
Day 17 - Christmas Wishes
Day 18 - Homemade or Store Bought (What are you giving this year)
Day 19 - Recap of Christmas 2015 in pictures
Day 20 -  Christmas Decorations Reveal (show us your tree, your home decor, your mantle, anything you want)
Day 21 - Holiday Family Traditions
Day 22 - Preparing for the big day (show us your wrapping skills, are you making lists, getting the house ready for guests?)
Day 23 - Post whatever you wish
Day 24 - Christmas Eve (Are you opening presents tonight, is this your big celebration, what are you doing)

BLOGMAS 2016 - Day 13 { Christmas Cards }

Good evening friends, hope you are all keeping warm.  I'm absolutely frozen here in North Texas, this is ridiculous, I feel like I'm back in Idaho hahah

I've had a nice hot shower, I'm all snuggly in my warm pajamas and fuzzy robe and I have a hot cup of Herbal tea, Winter Spice.  I'm actually trying it out, I just got it when I went grocery shopping and I'm not quite sure I like it.  But I won't waste so I'll drink it.

Anyway, today we're talking about Christmas Cards.

I have to say that my favorites have always been the homemade cards, or the vintage looking cards.  Old Santa, and I don't mean as in age, I mean as the old looking Santa.  Do you know what I mean?

People kind of look at me funny when I say that, but I honestly think they've changed Santa's image the past 10 years or more, and I just don't like it.  Anyway, let me show you some of my favorite Christmas cards.

BLOGMAS 2016 PROMPTS

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag
Day 2 - Christmas Movies on the Must Watch List
Day 3 - Christmas Wishlist
Day 4 - Christmas Playlist
Day 5 - Pictures and Memories of Christmas Past
Day 6 - Pot Simmer Recipes
Day 7 - Cookies to be Baked (can be a recipe you make every year, or some you want to try)
Day 8 - Favorite Family Christmas Recipe
Day 9 - How do you decorate?
Day 10 - Real Tree or Artificial Tree
Day 11 - Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Day 12 - Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas?
Day 13 - Christmas Cards (do you send them, show us your favorites this year, or tells your favorite cards to send whether vintage, or bright and colorful)
Day 14 - Advent Calendar
Day 15 - Christmas Party Food Ideas
Day 16 - Winter Tag
Day 17 - Christmas Wishes
Day 18 - Homemade or Store Bought (What are you giving this year)
Day 19 - Recap of Christmas 2015 in pictures
Day 20 -  Christmas Decorations Reveal (show us your tree, your home decor, your mantle, anything you want)
Day 21 - Holiday Family Traditions
Day 22 - Preparing for the big day (show us your wrapping skills, are you making lists, getting the house ready for guests?)
Day 23 - Post whatever you wish
Day 24 - Christmas Eve (Are you opening presents tonight, is this your big celebration, what are you doing)

BLOGMAS 2016 - Day 12 { Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas? }

I can't believe we are already on day 12, Christmas is literally just around the corner, oh my word.


Right, well today's prompt is about the kind of Christmas you enjoy, whether the quiet one or the Loud with lots of family and party Christmas.


I would have to say that for me, I like both.  For many years, while we were still an active duty military family, it was just the 4 of us.  So they were quiet holidays, but fun and memorable nonetheless.


After retiring, we've been able to live near family both in Idaho and Texas, and so our last few holidays have been loud and family filled, which is very reminiscent of our Childhood Christmases, and what I've always been used to.


Though I love the crazy busy holidays, I also find myself feeling overwhelmed and looking forward to some peace and quiet.


As always, this year will be one filled with family, lots of food and a special visit from my niece's fiancee Steven.  We're very much looking forward to that :)

BLOGMAS 2016 PROMPTS

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag
Day 2 - Christmas Movies on the Must Watch List
Day 3 - Christmas Wishlist
Day 4 - Christmas Playlist
Day 5 - Pictures and Memories of Christmas Past
Day 6 - Pot Simmer Recipes
Day 7 - Cookies to be Baked (can be a recipe you make every year, or some you want to try)
Day 8 - Favorite Family Christmas Recipe
Day 9 - How do you decorate?
Day 10 - Real Tree or Artificial Tree
Day 11 - Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Day 12 - Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas?
Day 13 - Christmas Cards (do you send them, show us your favorites this year, or tells your favorite cards to send whether vintage, or bright and colorful)
Day 14 - Advent Calendar
Day 15 - Christmas Party Food Ideas
Day 16 - Winter Tag
Day 17 - Christmas Wishes
Day 18 - Homemade or Store Bought (What are you giving this year)
Day 19 - Recap of Christmas 2015 in pictures
Day 20 -  Christmas Decorations Reveal (show us your tree, your home decor, your mantle, anything you want)
Day 21 - Holiday Family Traditions
Day 22 - Preparing for the big day (show us your wrapping skills, are you making lists, getting the house ready for guests?)
Day 23 - Post whatever you wish
Day 24 - Christmas Eve (Are you opening presents tonight, is this your big celebration, what are you doing)

Happy Homemaker Monday - 12/12/2016

Happy Monday Y'all!!!

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, ours was pretty amazing, nothing spectacular happened but we finished decorating for Christmas, we watched our National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, which is a family tradition to do each year, we got our real Christmas tree and I watched more Christmas movies.

I think I'm ready for the season :) 

As I look outside my window:::
Beautiful morning.  We have had really cold weather the past few days but it seems to have warmed up a bit today, thank goodness.   

  
Right now I am:::
Still in my pajamas, warm robe and slipper socks.  I'm so cold still even though it's warmed up.  I'm typing up this post while enjoying my beautiful Christmas tree twinkling away :)


Thinking and pondering:::
Oh friends, I have such a busy December.  I'm afraid I've bitten off more than I can chew, and have committed to quite a few things in the next few weeks leading up to Christmas.  I'm already tired just thinking about it, honestly LOL


   
On my bedside table:::
The usual, though I need to give it a clean, it seems to be collecting all sorts of bits and bobs that shouldn't be there.
 

On my tv:::
General Hospital
Dr. Phil
Vlogs
Lots of Christmas movies on the DVR.  I've been recording them off Hallmark and just watching as I can.


Listening to:::
This category was titled "playing on the radio", but I don't always have the radio going, so I think "listening to" makes more sense.  Right now I'm actually listening to nothing but silence, well, unless you count the keys on the keyboard as I type this up.
     


On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  Speedy Ghoulash
Tuesday - Chicken Stew  
Wednesday - Salisbury Steak Meatballs with Mash
Thursday - Instant Pot White Bean Chicken Chili
Friday - Hubby and I are going Christmas shopping with my brother and sister in law, so making Pizza for the kids
Saturday -   Slow Cooker Thick and Chunky Beef Stew
Sunday -  Slow Cooker Parmesan Meat Sauce with Fettucine Noodles


On my to do list:::
Kitchen.....dishes, dishes and more dishes.
Housework.....Vacuum living rooms and tidy up anything out of place
Homeschooling....work with kids to catch up, though they have winter break next week so they'll have to work then.
Christmas baking.....making Italian Christmas Cookies and Snickerdoodles today
Baking.....Making Sandwich Bread today for us and for my sister in law
Christmas.....Make a list of who I'm sending Christmas Cards to
Blog....Blogmas post for today, Grocery Haul, Thrift Store Haul

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Part 14 of the Sophie's Universe, is well under way.  I've also been making a few of the Messy Bun Beanies. 

My simple pleasure:::
Sipping Eggnog while watching Christmas movies


Lesson learned the past week:::
That no matter how young I feel, my body is certain to remind me of my age  hahahah
Oh sciatica, ohhh pains and aches.

  
Looking around the house:::
I am so happy with my home at the moment.  Last year I didn't really decorate for Christmas, except for getting the trees up and that was because my brother was visiting from South Africa and I wanted to get them up before he left.  This year though, I'm going all out again and decorating as I always do and I love just sitting and looking at the decorations.  Makes me smile. 

From the camera:::
Marley is scared of this snowman, because it plays music. It's quite funny when he forgets about it and starts trying to bite it only to set it off. hahaha

Bible verse, Devotional:::

BLOGMAS 2016 - Day 11 { Stocking Stuffer Ideas }

Welcome to Blogmas Day 11, and today it's all about stockings and stuffer ideas.

I have to be honest, I tend to be so bad when it comes to the stocking stuffer and some years I even forget until the very last minute, so I am trying to stay on the ball this year and not mess that up hahaha

Here are my ideas for stocking stuffers this year, for hubby and the kids.....

For the hubby:

Travel Coffee Mug (he needs a new one for work)
Book from his favorite author
Favorite Candy
Movie
Gift Card
Magic The Gathering Cards
Dice

For my 17 year old daughter:

Fuzzy socks
Lipgloss
Hot Topic Nail Polish
Make up
Chocolate
Bath bombs

For my 13 year old son:

Fun Ear Buds
Beanie
Beef Jerky
Cologne
Steam Wallet Gift Card
Candy

BLOGMAS 2016 PROMPTS

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag
Day 2 - Christmas Movies on the Must Watch List
Day 3 - Christmas Wishlist
Day 4 - Christmas Playlist
Day 5 - Pictures and Memories of Christmas Past
Day 6 - Pot Simmer Recipes
Day 7 - Cookies to be Baked (can be a recipe you make every year, or some you want to try)
Day 8 - Favorite Family Christmas Recipe
Day 9 - How do you decorate?
Day 10 - Real Tree or Artificial Tree
Day 11 - Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Day 12 - Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas?
Day 13 - Christmas Cards (do you send them, show us your favorites this year, or tells your favorite cards to send whether vintage, or bright and colorful)
Day 14 - Advent Calendar
Day 15 - Christmas Party Food Ideas
Day 16 - Winter Tag
Day 17 - Christmas Wishes
Day 18 - Homemade or Store Bought (What are you giving this year)
Day 19 - Recap of Christmas 2015 in pictures
Day 20 -  Christmas Decorations Reveal (show us your tree, your home decor, your mantle, anything you want)
Day 21 - Holiday Family Traditions
Day 22 - Preparing for the big day (show us your wrapping skills, are you making lists, getting the house ready for guests?)
Day 23 - Post whatever you wish
Day 24 - Christmas Eve (Are you opening presents tonight, is this your big celebration, what are you doing)