Merry Christmas from my family to yours...

It was very nice to have my family all under one roof this year for Christmas! Kbug helped me with putting the gifts under the tree and getting ready for the morning, yes, she went shopping with me this year but had forgotten some of the things we had bought her and her brother. lol

This morning I woke her up and told her it was CHRISTMAS...what was she still doing in bed at 7am?LOL She said, that since Dad and I had not made our coffee yet she was waiting....that has been the tradition since I was a child; Mom and Dad had to have coffee ready before any gifts were allowed to be open. I told her we were ready and to come up stairs and wake her brother up. :) So...the opening frenzy began. Now, Dad makes us have a garbage bag handy so as they open their gifts they can toss the trash into it...saving a big mess at the end. I, for one, LOVE to have the wrapping paper laying all around as they open....but I relent and let him have his way with this one. (I know which battles to fight. LOL) I still find it funny that it takes me hours to wrap the gifts and only mere minutes before they are all done unwrapping them. LOL

This year Kbug got a tablet with case and keyboard as her one big gift and we got the son, D, some small gifts and paid for his plates for his car. All in all, everyone was happy. The son was surprised to see any gifts for him under the tree...he thought the plates were to be his only gift from us. :) I love still being able to surprise them. LOL I am not going to list all their gifts, I am just going to say that they were both very pleased with them all.

We found out yesterday that we have a leak of trans fluid in the car, so that meant no driving it out to see my parents and spend Christmas Day with them, which has been a tradition since...forever. I know they understood, but it still hurt my heart. The good thing was that the son took his sister out there since he and his girlfriend were going to be going out there before they headed out for a dinner and a movie of the hobbit. It was after all this that hubby and I found out that not only is there a trans leak in the car, but we were totally out of oil too! Now, I have no clue how that happens in the new car without any warning lights or bells going off...but it did. So, I will be calling the dealer tomorrow to check on our warranty and to complain....they did the last oil change, so something should be done on their dime I believe.  The true blessing here is that we were not stranded out on the road somewhere with a broken down car...Yes, I am counting all my Blessings right now. :)

In my family Christmas is all about the kids...so, it was a wonderful Christmas had by all here. I hope that you and yours were able to have a wonderful and blessed Christmas as well. I am including some photos for you to enjoy. :)

 

This next one is of Kbug and the Doctor Who scarf I made for her for Christmas....

And, yes, believe it or not...that is a happy face from our teenage daughter. LOL

May you all have a wonderful day and a Blessed New Year!
Peace, Love and Christmas Blessings....

 

Just got checked...by God!

I have been moping around the house feeling crappy...because I just cannot seem to get into the whole Christmas thing this year. I have gone Christmas shopping, done the family party thing, baked goodies and even made a couple gifts this year, but I cannot pull myself out of this Holiday slump.

I prayed the other night for God to help me, to help me bring this all into perspective and to help me get back into the Spirit of the Season. See, I know it's not about what I bought people or how much I did or didn't spend on the gifts, my parents raised me to know the true meaning of Christmas and to believe in the spirit of Santa....but to know the true meaning of the season is to know God and to know his Son's story. I don't talk very openly about my beliefs, as I feel that they are mine and mine alone to be shared whenever I feel and with whomever I choose. That may sound snotty, but it is not my intention. I just think that too many people try to prove just how "Christian" they are around this time of the year more so than any other time of the year. I have my belief in God all year round...it does not intensify or dissipate certain times of the year.

OK, anyway...I digress, I was telling Hubby just how I was so ready for this Christmas to be over and so forth when my phone rang. My good friend, B, called me to let me know about a group of 5 siblings who were recently abandoned by their parents. Yes, their parents just up and left them in the home with no money...no nothing and one day when they returned from school (which is amazing that they continued on the right path left alone like that.), they were locked out of their place of residence. Yet, they still continued to attend school. It wasn't until a teacher at the youngest child's school (she is 8 yrs old) noticed that her clothes were dirty...very dirty that they questioned the little girl and she told them everything. The children are ages: 17 girl, 16 girl, 15 boy, 13 boy and 8 girl. An elderly couple, in their 70's I am lead to believe, have taken the children in. They cashed out their savings and such to buy new clothes and beds/bedding for the children. Until things get sorted with the state they are going to have to lives 7 people on a budget of just under $1,000 a month.

So, here I was asking God for help and telling my hubby how much I wanted this season over with when this call comes in. WOW! I have not one thing to complain about this year...at all! I am Blessed to have my family with me, great friends, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and 2 vehicles...hubby has a job and we have medical insurance. All our needs are being met, it's sad that I cannot say the same about those 5 children. How a parent can just pick up and leave is beyond me, I mean to not even drop them off with a family member, friend or hell even a stranger would have been better than what they did. I understand that people with addictions don't always think right, but still...these are their own children. (shakes head in sadness)

I will be going through our clothes and such here to see what we can donate, I am going to be making goodies for them and maybe some hats and scarves too. I am no longer looking for a reason to celebrate this season, I know that the true meaning of this season is Faith, Love and Togetherness. It is also all about giving and not the receiving.

I thank God for bringing this situation to my attention, it truly was the slap upside the head I needed.

Peace, Love and Giving,

Cold...when did we get so cold?

I'm curious, just when did we start to notice that cold was COLD? I mean, when did we grow out of the 'Hey, its winter and lets go outside and play' phase? Was it a progression or was it something that just happened over night?

I remember my parents having to fight with me to get me to come inside all year round and in the winter, OMG, they would have to almost lock all the doors and windows to keep us from going outside because it was "too damn cold out" for any human or animal. LOL Did your parents have the same issues with you when you were a kid? Do you have the same issues now with your own kids?

I have seen a change in my own kids as they have reached the age of those teen years; they are not so keen on going outside and playing in the cold white crap that we so loved as children. It's sad really that they aren't begging to go outside and wreck havoc on the neighborhood....but, I guess what is even sadder is that we as the parents sit and worry about the neighborhood wrecking havoc on our children these days. :(

Am I the only parent or person who sees this these days? I have great memories of all the seasons, playing with friends and such, as a child/teen. I remember praying for a snow day just so me and my friends could get together and launch a massive snowball fight or build the perfect snow fort. I remember waiting for that perfect snow where it was just right to build a snowman or two...or three.

Now the kids pray for snow days so they can sleep in or stay home and play games all day. SMH...am I the only person who gets a little sad at this?

Now a days I am not a fan of the cold...I can deal with the snow, but HATE the cold. This makes me feel old...VERY OLD. LOL 

I hope you are all staying warm and safe out there and that kids everywhere go out and build at least one snowman this year! :)

Peace, Love and SNOWMEN!

WARNING...FOOD PORN ENCLOSED

Hey there Bloggers! :) Well, remember that list of goodies I told y'all about, the one for the Family Christmas party and the goodie boxes? Remember how precise I was? HA! I have yet again changed my mind. No real surprise on that, is there? (I can hear some of you laughing and agreeing with me in a mildly sarcastic "Noooo....YOU? Change your mind? HA!") And, just so you know, I appreciate that...it just means you are paying attention. lol

I have revised my goodie boxes more than the treats for the party, I have actually made the list of goodies a bit smaller and more manageable for me. Yup, I hear that sarcastic laughing of disbelief going on out there. lol I was going to wait to make the goodie boxes til closer to Christmas, but then I decided that since I will be baking anyway this week that I am going to just make them up and deliver them....making less work for me close to the big day. Right? You all agree? OK...Ok...the laughter can stop any time now folks. lol

Here is what I am making for the Family Party.....

 

 

 And, I am going to be making some cupcakes as well....with little candy penguins on them in honor of the daughter. lol We went and got most of the ingredients today, but I did realize as I was putting the pics in that I forgot to get the nutter butter cookies for the large penguins. Oh well, I gotta run to the store tomorrow anyway. LOL

 

For the goodie boxes.....

 

 

Plus some peppermint cookies that my friend, Sarah, has requested...and, well, since she is pregnant...I am going to do this for her. :) The daughter and I are looking forward to doing all this. OK...maybe I have put a lot on my plate and MAYBE I will end up changing my mind on when I will be doing the goodie boxes and what will all be going in them...BUT, the ones for the family party are a definite. :) And, well, they will be made first since the party is this Saturday. I love working with chocolate...for the obvious reason of course, but also because once I make the goodies, I can store them very well in an air tight container in my fridge...and because the family is distracted by all the cookies and such, they don't touch them. LOL See...there truly is a method to my madness. :)

 

I decided this year that I am going to give my friends home made gifts, and I figured that what better way to do that than to make these goodie boxes.? I mean, we all get people stopping over and such during this time of the year and it is always nice to be able to share goodies with them, right? OK..OK...I hear the snickering and know that some of you...ok, most of you, are thinking..."Share? WTH are you talking about Lu? These are MINE...ALLLLLL MINE!" LOL That's ok too. :) Just as long as they are appreciated and enjoyed is all that matters. :) 

 

WOW...totally off topic...but I just heard our snow plow go down our street twice while I was typing this blog. WOW! I'm now afraid to look outside and see just how much snow we have gotten. lol I am happy that the son has a place to crash tonight after work so he doesn't have to drive back in this crap at midnight and then again tomorrow morning for work. It also saves him on gas. :) I am really thankful that his buddy and his buddy's parents give him this opportunity, it is truly a blessing. Hey...maybe I will make them a goodie box to say Thank You. :)

 

Ok, enough blogging....I'm sure you are all now hungry and cursing me out due to the content of this blog....maybe I will put a disclaimer in the title. :) (just changed the title to the warning. lol)

 

Have a great night everyone and please, be safe out there. For most of us, this is not the first time we have driven in snow and ice....but however that has never stopped others from becoming blooming IDIOTS. :)

 

Peace, Love and Chocolate!

 

'Tis That Time of Year....with photos and everything. ;)

Good Day Bloggerville! I hope that you are all having a wonderful day and if you are one of the many stuck with the snow and icy conditions, I hope you are all safe and warm. Thankfully, up here in NW Indiana, we are just dealing with the cold; and really, there are days that I wish it would snow and the cold would ease up...BUT, I don't dare say that too loudly or repeat it in fear that it just may happen and then I somehow get blamed for it. ;)

A week from tomorrow (Sat) is my families Christmas party, which my parents are hosting this year. I would love to say that my mom put me in charge of desserts, because it would seem better to place the blame somewhere else, but alas...I volunteered for the job. Am I crazy? Crazy like a fox! I figured it would be more in my wheelhouse to do desserts, especially this time of year, when cookies and such are the must do/have of any good Christmas party. :) See, there is a method to my madness. :) It's not that I was looking for an easy way out, its just that I love to bake and I have been struggling to get into the Christmas mood; and so what is a great way to join the two than baking for the Christmas party?! My immediate plan was to bake my arse off and have such wonderful creations that they would have the family talking in awe of it for the next year....but then reality set in. LOL

Keep
It
Simple
Silly

Yup, that is my motto for everything Christmas this year. (OK, so I'm struggling with that when it comes to Christmas lights and such...but then again, who isn't. LOL) I did Google Christmas cookie ideas, and let me tell you this: You think that Pinterest is the Devil? Nooooo.....no, my friends, Google (especially when it comes to Christmas anything) is the true evil one here. lol I got sucked into Google like the frickin' Bermuda Triangle last night, but I also came away with the realization that SIMPLE is the way to go....that and 2 great cookie ideas to boot. :) So, here is my plan of attack...

I have decided to make sugar cookies (both cut out and just plain round), which will be frosted and decorated in proper spirit of the season. Then I found these ADORABLE penguin cookies:

Are they not the cutest thing EVER? They are simple to the point of an OMG that is so SIMPLE! Nutter butter cookies, melted chocolate and you can use fondant or if you are like me and not fondant friendly, just use icing. :) I think I will let Kbug handle these, yup...that EASY folks. :) And, then I am going to make these cute and easy reindeer cookies:

Told you...CUTE and EASY! :) You can even use..GASP...the cut and back sugar cookies in a roll for these. And, of course there will be the traditional chocolate chip cookies for the true traditionalists in our family....like my Dad. LOL I am going to make a dozen or two cupcakes too and frost them and then top them with some sugar penguins I found at Jo Ann Fabrics a couple weeks ago on their awesome sale. :) Now some of you may be thinking, "Simple?! This all is not simple Lu...", but for anyone who knows me or has even just met me in person or through Face Book....they know that YES, this is tone down 100 notches from my usual ambitious list of things I wanna do for Christmas baking. ;)

My mom was going to have Kbug and I make up a gingerbread house village for center pieces for this party, but thankfully she came to her senses and got on board with the whole K.I.S.S. train and decided to make them activities for the younger generation at the party...which can then be taken home and enjoyed in their own homes for the Holiday Season. :) Yup, my mama is one smart cookie...see, I come by it naturally. :) She also acquired, in her after season stock up last year, some homemade candy/cookie snow globe kits; which all I have to do is bake the cookies and WALLAH! Kids can construct them at the party and again, take them home to share within their house. ;)

It's also nice to get a lot of the baking done this next week for some of my goodie boxes that I make up for friends. I will be adding some fudge and I think some cake balls and one or two more goodies...all pretty simple in the making tho. :) I have friends that look forward to these goodie boxes each and every year now, along with their kids and or spouses. LOL I really do enjoy baking and giving of those bake goods too. There are times that the kids and hubby rant about how good it smells in the house and how it makes their mouths water at just walking through the front door....(lets be real, they get their fair share too), but these goodie boxes are made with love for the special ones in our lives and it makes me feel good to put all that love into gifts that even though they don't last too long, put smiles on my friends faces and love into their heart...love from me and my family. :)

OK...I got a bit mushy there at the end, sorry. LOL I seem to be really into blogging and talking this morning. lol And, no....I'm not on caffeine, I am still on the decaf train. :( lol

So, I leave you this morning with these questions...do you bake during the Holidays? Do you make certain people gifts? Do you do all your shopping online? Do you brave the stores for the greatest deals? What do you do that is a tradition or special to you for the Holiday Season? Share...please! :)

Have a wonderful and Blessed Day....