Christmas Favorites Link Up!

Hi everyone!  I am linking up with Katie from the The Babbling Brunette  for her Christmas Favorites Link Up!    

Wrapping paper or gift bags?  Both.  I am a terrible wrapper And there are some things that just work better in bags!!

Real tree or artificial?  Real tree but since we are living with my parents it's fake and multiples of them!!

Do you have a Nativity scene? Actually no. Sad I know!  We really should get one!

Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.  This is one of my favorite things about Christmas!  I especially love picture cards. It always fun seeing things people did or how the kids have changed!  

Favorite things to eat at Christmas?  Sweets of course. I love baking do I love to make all kinds of different things. Love peppermint bark especially!!

Clear lights or colored on the tree? I honestly as if this year don't really have a preference. Guess maybe it's because I haven't had my own tree to decorate. 

Favorite Christmas song?  

I really like Kelly Clarkson's song

Angel on the tree top or a star?  

I can't remember what we have!!  At my moms it fancy toppers that match the theme of the tree.  Yes I said theme.  

Easiest person to shop for? 

My kids!  

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

There are so many but each year they get better as I watch our kids. 

It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on Thirty Fourth Street? Miracle on Thirty Fourth Street.  

I am actually really embarrassed to say this but I haven't actually seen either one in its entirety that I can remember. I know it's sad and I should put it on the To Do list!!

Gloves or mittens?  Katie talked about a thing called Glittens which I thought was genius, but for me right now all I have are mittens - when I can find both of them!

Shopping, at the mall or online?  Both - Last year the majority was online.  This year more was in stores.  It just all depends on my mood and what I am looking for I guess!

Christmas Morning, Sleep in or up at crack of dawn?  Crack of dawn - I have two kids that don't sleep!

When it comes to decorations, are you a Griswald or a Grinch?  We are more Griswald inside the house and Grinch outside the house.  We at least have one string of light up usually!

Link up and join in the fun!!
Merry Christmas Eve!!

Happy Friday

Holy cow I can't believe its Friday!  Yikes!  I think I completely missed this week!  I was sitting here feeding sissy and say the blogger ap on my phone and thought oh snap I have blogged all of once this week!  Blog fail!  Goes right along with my mom fail of sending two different shoes for Kid Clammy to daycare (both right feet too...at least they were both tennis shoes?!?!?!). Any how in with 5 on Friday ... Christmas edition.  

1) Kids pics with Santa!  

2) More Elf Fun!

"Elfies"

A note to try and help behavior!  

Toilet Papered Christmas Trees

3). Boots I asked for for Christmas!

Hopefully I was a good girl!

4). Citrus Lane

I am so excited that we joined!! I have been seeing on quite a few blogs how much all the moms and kiddos are loving these boxes.  We got our first box the other day - although I am ashamed to admit we haven't opened it yet.  With all the hustle and bustle we just put it off to the side to be opened at a later time.  But I am sure we will love whatever is inside!

5).  IT'S FRIDAY!!! (that's all - oh and only 5 days till Christmas!!)

Weekend Fun

What a fun weekend we had - though it wasn't anything over the top like a surprise trip to Disneyland, a NASA trip to the moon or winning a million dollars - it was none the less good.  We had dinner with friends and looked at Christmas lights on Friday night.  Yes this house has full on train set in the front yard complete with two huge trains and cable cars.  Kid Clammy could have sat there for hours and watched!  Saturday we had our family pictures taken - wish I had a sneak peak to share - but nothing yet.  Well you have can this for fun - it was second runner up to for our Christmas card.  

More work was done on the house.  Sunday the kids and I went with my parents to Sonrise Church's "Christmas in the City" musical performance.  Oh my goodness - both kids LOVED it.  They were rocking out to the music! It is always so fun to see things through a child's eye!!  Then I made a ginormous dent in the wrapping of Christmas Presents.  I really think this my least favorite part of Christmas!! I am not very good at it - I don't do pretty fancy bows - I can't get nice sharp corners and edges and it kind of drives me batty.  The last present I wrapped last night looks awful - it was a big box and the paper didn't fit right so it is pieced together and I was over it by that point.  Its a hot mess!!  

We had some more Elf on the Shelf fun. They took "Elfies" with the kids last night. 

All in all it was a fun and productive weekend!  Hope your's was good too!!

Five on Friday

Linking up with the fabulous ladies for a little high five on Friday thrown in with some Friday letters for the fun of it.

1) Crossing some thing's off the winter bucket list with family pictures this weekend. Hopefully fingers crossed they turn out well.  We are actually having professional ones done this year which is a first. Super excited!!

2) Got my hair done for said pics!

                                         

3) Going to look at Christmas lights tomorrow night. Partial check off the bucket list. 

4) Ordering Christmas cards this weekend. Trying to decide which ones. Man I really should be more on the ball with these things. I blame the fact that Thanksgiving was a week later than normal!

Option 1

Option 2

5) It's Friday!  What more do you need?  

Letters...

Dearest Eli and Sissy Elf - Kid Clammy and I are having so much fun with you!  Dear Kid Clammy and Sissy - we are already enjoying the holiday season.  This being Sissy's first Christmas I can't wait to see what she is going to do.  Dear Teething - would you stop already and just pop that tooth thru I mean 10 months in and nothing. Come on!  However on that note Dear Time- slow down!  How are we less than two weeks from Christmas!  Where did the holiday season come from!  It's just crazy how fast time goes in general and I swear it goes even faster after you have kids.  Dear Hubby - love you!!

Fall Bucket List Update - and Winter Bucket List

*Go to the Pumpkin Patch (had a great time)

*Use our 2nd day free at Lego Land (went with some friends and had fun - did more things than the last time)

*Take Kid Clammy to Disneyland for the Halloween time (decided to postpone this with the timing of the house and what not)

*Family day at SeaWorld for Halloween festivities (ended up just the kids and I but we had a lot of fun)

*Picnic in the park (should've looked back on my list sooner to get this done)

*Date Night with Hubby for our Anniversary (already started this one in the works yesterday) (Went to Morton's for dinner on our anniversary and then went to see Paul Rodriguez for a comedy show date night)

*Have the kids pictures taken in their costumes (they turned out so cute)

*Enjoy the sites and changing season around me - (meaning take more notice of the leaves falling, changing color etc.) (just the other day we were raking and playing in the falling leaves outside - too fun)

*Go on more walks with the kids to enjoy above mentioned sites (total fail)

Winter Wonderland Bucket List

*Explore different areas of Christmas Lights

*Have fun with Eli the Elf and now his sister that joined us.

*Christmas Baking

*New Years at the Desert

*House Projects

*Go to Seaworld

*Go to the Zoo

*Enjoy the Holiday Season (they tend to overwhelm and upset me)

*Drink lots of Hot Cocoa and Apple Cider (maybe even some spiked)
*Gingerbread House
*Christmas Movie

Weekend Recap

Weekend Recap…

First of all let me start off my saying I am sad this is the last “weekend shenanigans” with the Great Sami!! However I am sure there are exciting things to come on her blog and I can’t wait to see what they are!!

Thankfully it was a pretty mild weekend!!  Hubs and I had a date night on Friday night.  Much needed and very nice.  We went to BJ’s for dinner

Yummy

Then we went to Target and did a little shopping.  What to exciting?  It was a perfect night!

Used my kohl’s cash and finally got my stand up mixer. 

Mixer

I know I know I should have waited to see if Santa brought it to me but since the hubs still hasn’t asked what was on my wish list and he has not dropped any hints, AND I have been saving my gift cards for awhile now – I bought it myself!!

Kiddos and I did some shopping hubby did some working (at work and house).  We did some present wrapping then on Sunday celebrated our “gottcha” day (see this post here) as a few people have called it on Sunday night – a few days late but we were together (sort of).  Kid Clammy was having a tough time so he and the Hubs spent most of dinner in the car while the rest of us ate.  Yeah for terrible threes!!

 

 Gottcha

High Five For Friday!!

Linking up with some great lady bloggers today for a little High 5 on Friday!!


1) I am just excited that it is Friday!  Crazy week and I have had so many #momfails this week it's crazy. Happy to put it behind me and enjoy a weekend!

2) Kohl's Cash!  Get to use this a reward for all the dollars I spent on Black Friday Thursday!

3) Starbucks. I haven't had one all week and this my friends is huge for me. Yes I realize how much money I save blah blah blah. So this is my treat for the week. Funny that I don't even drink coffee. But this time of year I love me a peppermint hot chocolate!

4) These litte gems are ordered and on their way from Screaming Owl.  I know I have said it before but I love this website and the deals they offer!! Check em out!!  www.screamingowl.com

Necklace

Screaming Owl

Necklace

5) Ordered kitchen cabinets for the house today! They will look similar to this!! 

Have a great weekend!!

TWELVE FIVE

Picture it is December 5^th 1980.  Some of you may not have been old enough to remember that day, some of you (most of you) weren’t even born or thought of yet but this day was a very significant day in my life.  While I don’t remember it – I know a lot of people who do.  December 5 1980 there was a little girl (me) waiting for a permanent home.  I had been in a foster home (Mrs. Bean – I think) for 10 weeks.  From what I hear she was a special lady – taking in kids temporarily until they got a permanent place to go.  In the mean time there was a couple – a wonderful couple who couldn't have kids of their own for multiple reasons so they sought out for adoption.  One day when the stars aligned (starting December 4^th) they got a call “we have a baby”.  The couple went to the adoption place where they met a cute little girl (me again).  They were then told “go home and think about it”.  SAY WHAT!?!?!  So they did – but instead of thinking they starting shopping.  When they started the adoption process they said they would like a child ages 0-2 – so they had no idea what they were getting until they met said child.  Talk about a surprise.  They bought a crib, rocking chair, all the basic essentials to start.  The next day they came back December 5^th and took me home.  My mom was scared to death – they went to hand me to her and she made Dad take me first.  The stars had aligned just right – they happy couple were taking home a baby girl and I was getting the best home ever!!   The surprises just kept rolling – they didn’t tell anyone they had gotten “the call” so they went to the grandparents house and just rang the doorbell and there they stood with a baby girl in their arms.  Happy tears erupted from all and so the life of three began.  Twelve Five Nineteen Eighty was in fact a very special day and each year we have a dinner to celebrate the changing of lives forever – for better!!  So today a shout out to my parents – I love you with all my heart.  God could not have aligned the stars any better!! Thank you for you love and the life you have given me!!

Hump Day

Happy Hump Day!! Dang it for the absence around these parts lately.  I have been writing post after post and saving them as drafts because not one is complete yet.   Hope you all had a Happy, Thankful and Delicious Thanksgiving!! I know I did!!  I will hopefully recap our holiday weekend a little later – probably about the time you all stop caring – but I did take some pics of the yummy pies that I can’t wait to share.  I am no food blogger but I love to bake pies because it was something I would do with my grandma back in the day.  Anyhow – I am stopping by to say hi.  I hope to be back tomorrow with a post about something special and near and dear to my heart!!

Wednesday or Friday and Thankful

I know that today is Friday I mean Wednesday but it could almost be classified as a Friday.  Its actually a little confusing really. Yes the "day" itself today is call Wednesday - so Happy Hump Day  - however since it is a holiday tomorrow (holla) and lets not forget Friday too that means a glorious FOUR whole days off of work - so technically today is my Friday!!  Great things are happening and coming this weekend of course. 

First I have gone from this ...

to this. 

This is big news since I have have pies to make.  Second there is this...Thanksgiving!! Yum-o.  So much delicious food to be consumed tomorrow and the days following.  We are spending this Thanksgiving with the Hubby's family this year.  I am bringing pies and green bean casserole.  The only two staples to a Thanksgiving dinner that really matter - you know what I am sayin?  Then there is the all so famous Black Friday Shopping.  I don't do this every year because lets face it Cyber Monday is pretty bad ass too and you don't even have to leave the comfort of you couch for that one (unless you have to go to actual work).  I will be partaking in black Friday festivities this year - so wish me luck with that.  We are also planning on spending a day or so in the desert as well as work on the house.  It is sure to be jammed packed but that's OK. 

 

Now a few things I am Thankful for - in no particular order.

-Family
-Friends
-Friends that have become Family
-My Health
-This Blog
-Our home we are putting sweat equity into
-Peppermint Bark Balls

Just to name a few!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Count you Blessings!!

Welcome Monday!!

Monday you should feel oh so lucky that I am but even loathing you today. While yes I have to work it's only three days. Oh that is music to my ears. This means some great things are on the horizon. For instance. 

3 days until Thanksgiving 

3-4 ish days until Black Friday Shopping. I haven't decided if I am partaking in this or just going to wait til cyber Monday. But either way Christmas shopping shall be finished. 

30 Days until Christmas

26 Days to finish shopping and don't forget wrapping this my friends is a little frightening. (I don't want to be shopping the days before)

1 day yes 1 whole day until the cast comes  off.     

At the moment this is what I am most excited about. Excited to be able to write normal again. Excited to be able to dry/straighten my hair again. Excited it won't take me five minutes to button 3 snaps on Sissy's onesie. Oh life will be so much easier. 

As for a weekend Shenans recap

Hubby worked very hard on the house. 

Plumbing and gas lines finished. Appliances purchased. Walls torn down and being rebuilt. Tile floor in the bathroom. The kids and I just did a little bit of this and that. Hope you had a great weekend!!

Friday

High five for Friday

One. I managed more than one blog post this week. 

Two. Finally our my new cover on my phone. Thank you Otterbox for lifetime warranty. 

Three. More progress on the house. I know you can't tell much by the picture. This is currently the kitchen. 

Four. I have made more progress on my Christmas shopping. I have this ap called Santa's Bag. Love it!!

Five. Got this little special delivery from my dear sweet Bestie the other day. Chocolate covered strawberries and bananas!  Yum-O!!