You would think after 2 months of holidays and non-stop cooking, I would be "over" cooking. But It is just too cold to "project" so I thought this would be a good time to expand my Cooking 101 section a bit. Besides, everyone needs easy, oven-warming recipes this time of the year!!!
So check out Cooking 101...I am sharing my FAVORITE and super simple quiche recipe!!
I need a heated shop! The high yesterday was 21 so there will be little "projecting" around here!!
I mentioned earlier that this is the time of year to do indoor projects. So for the next couple of weeks, when weather doesn't permit much else, try doing a few little things inside that will make your life easier and a little more enjoyable.
Like this......
Happy INDOOR projecting!
This week I am linking up with OneProjectCloser.com's Creativity Unleashed Party! I love looking at all the other links...soooo many creative people out there and link parties are the perfect place to find inspiration!
Well, I ALMOST made it. I watched the Duke vs. A&M game and didn't get to bed til after 11. But that was it! As much as I would love to ring in the New Year, I prefer being hangover and sleep-deprivation free New Year's Day!
Unfortunately the "strep bug" has hit my house and I am feeling a little iffy this morning. I'm hoping it is just post-Christmas fatigue. Katie has been in bed with it since this past weekend and my grandson had it the week before they came for the holidays. So who knows.
But just in case, I started taking my Christmas decorations down this morning. That is an all day (sometimes 2 day) job and the last thing I want to do IF I get sick is sit and stare at work that needs to be done.
I doubt I am the only mom in the world that goes in to overdrive if I think I am getting sick. I clean the house, throw something in the crock pot and make sure my sheets are washed JUST IN CASE!!! It's like company is coming, only it is in the form of a nasty bug or virus!
Fortunately I am a pretty healthy work horse so the worst that happens is I feel like crap for a day or two....I've come to the conclusion that it is probably from the all cleaning and the stress from the THOUGHT of getting really sick.
Anywho...here is my resolution for the year. Don't make any resolutions.
Just live in the day and enjoy every minute of it. Know that some days are going to be rough but don't let those cloud the great days.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope your year starts out wonderful and gets better every day!!
And don't forget your ham, black-eyed peas and greens! Not sure I really believe in the nonsense, but who wants to take the chance...besides, it is an easy meal ;)
...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...
Except mom because WOW what a mess!!!!
Wrapping paper under couches, leftover food in the fridge, molding bread in the cabinet, dust bunnies breeding under the tv cabinet!
How does the house go from this...
...to total chaos in just a few hours!!!
A lot transpires between the early peaceful hours Christmas morning and mid morning when all are in full swing!!!
First stockings...always fun stuff like screaming monkeys, toys for the little guys, makeup and lotion for the girls and mildly "inappropriate" gag gifts for the older boys! Then breakfast and primping because as I posted earlier, we all shower and primp, put our PJs back on and take family pictures!! It is usually the only time of the year when I get my entire family in one place at one time and I want a picture!!!
I have TONS of pictures to share, but for some reason my son's camera was set on some kind of format that won't let you pull them into Photoshop or any other program...so I have to wait for him to convert them to jpegs. (Keep in mind I am still waiting on the video from LAST Christmas!) But after he does, I will share a few pictures of the family all dolled up in the pjs!!!
Sarah and family came in Sunday. There is always last minute shopping to do, baking to be done and cookies to decorate. Mitchell got in early Monday after pulling an all nighter from Phoenix.
Christmas Eve we made our annual trip to see Santa, which always fun!!!
I do all my holiday prepping and baking two days before Christmas. Our Christmas day meal consists of meat and cheese trays, dips and chips and lots of desserts...so Christmas day cooking is at a minimum for me...just a lot of setting out and cleaning up!!! And waaaaay too much eating!!!
Sarah and the family went home Christmas day this year so I was able to clean up a little and relax Christmas night for the first time in a week!
Even with all the hard work, long days and total chaos, I really do enjoy the holiday! I love that all my kids are "back in the nest." Even if it is just for a short time!
I usually take the Christmas decorations down the week between Christmas and New Years. But Mitchell won't be leaving until the weekend after the first and he wants it to stay up...so up it will stay! It just seemed to go by so fast this year due to the late Thanksgiving so another week of "the spirit" is fine with me!
I was thinking the other day that after the holidays there really isn't much to do for the next few months but "hunker down" and wait on spring to arrive! Even though I will be celebrating a milestone birthday next month, it just seems that January and February are "human hibernation" months. Honestly, if it weren't for bowl games and the Super Bowl (and of course that horrible need we all have to earn a living) I might just curl up in my bed with a stack of books and not get up until the first daffodil blooms! That is my sign to start prepping flower beds and planning my spring projects!!!
I hope all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and have a fun and safe New Year!
To cap off the Christmas season I want to share my Christmas tree.
First, THANK YOU BRIAN!!! For the last few years I have struggled with my tree. It was a beautiful 9' pre-lit tree, but about 2-3 years ago sections of lights started going out. I add the large colored lights every year, but I hated having to add the small white lights so I would spend HOURS messing with it trying to get the white lights to work. That just made my whole "tree" process frustrating!
This year Brian surprised me with a brand new 9' pre-lit tree. TOTALLY AWESOME! It was up and fluffed and fully lit in no time and ready for decorations.
So again, thank you Brian! You always know exactly what I need!
Now, on to the decorating!
My tree consists of just a few elements. The white lights. The colored lights I add. Draped beading. And ornaments.
That may not seem like a lot, but each and every ornament is special! When my oldest daughter was a baby, my mother began the tradition of giving her a few special ornaments every year...Lenox, Precious Moments, Thomas Kincaid, etc...most representing something important for that year...an ornament from my parent's travels or an ornament representing a special time or event in the child's life.
She continued this tradition with each of my children.
A little Lenox moose ornaments the year the boys shot a deer....
A Precious Moments White Sox ornament for Mitchell...
A Jim Shore Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus....
Precious Moment ski ornaments the year we all went skiing.
Beautiful glass globes made from the ash of Mount St. Helens.
A Precious Moments plane ornament for Matt (he is a pilot)...
Boyd's Bear football and baseball ornaments for both Mitchell and Matt..
....the Cinderella glass slipper and Jim Shore "kitty" ornaments for "Kitty Kate." Ornaments for each "baby's first Christmas" and something special the year each graduated from high school and college. And soooo many more!!!
Every year beautiful and expensive ornaments...each representing a special time or event! Just too many to photograph and feature...all so very special!
My oldest is now 32 and I have given her all her ornaments! But I still have the ornaments for my sons and my youngest daughter. And since they are 25, 24 and 16, you can imagine how many I have since each child has received 2-3 ornaments a year.
It is a spectacular tree adorned with ornaments filled with meaning and love!
It is one of the many traditions I am so grateful for! And honestly, one I look forward to each year! And while a 3 or 4 year old child may not seemed too thrilled with a simple little ornament, it is a tradition that will mean the world to them when they are older!!
Start your tradition now. Whether it's pajamas on Christmas eve or special ornaments or caroling or reading a special book every Christmas eve!
It is never too late! Don't think about the years you missed, think about the years to come! It goes by fast and while your children will be hard pressed to remember what gifts they received every year, or whether it snowed, or what you made for dinner...they will NEVER forget the traditions...the special things you do each and every year!
Christmas wreaths are one of the simplest and least expensive ways to decorate!
Every year I add a few here and there. I featured the one I made this year for my funky little clock here.
A few years ago I decided I didn't want to spend so much time and energy stringing garland and ribbon on my bannister...so I made 6 identical wreaths. Now I just fluff them up and tie them on! Simple and beautiful!
I decorate my interior doors and dining windows with small "candle wreaths" tied with festive ribbon....simple and inexpensive! And since these are so inexpensive when they are on sale, I don't mind going with a "fad" like teal and green peacock feathers!
In three of the den windows I have large wreaths tied with festive ribbon.
I added these last year.
And then there is the BIG one above my fireplace. It is hard to tell just how big this thing is because my fireplace surround is massive. I love that it is lighted so at night it is pretty even when you can't really see all the decorations on it!
Keep in mind, I am NOT a florist...it honestly doesn't take a lot of creative talent and ability to make these. A wreath, a little Christmas garland, a few holiday picks and flowers and some festive ribbon. Simple.
I would suggest finding an "inspiration" piece (check out the blogs or Pinterest), take a picture of it to your local hobby store (don't forget your coupons!) and have the floral design person help you get the supplies you need! Most hobby stores have someone there who will gladly help you find the garland and picks you will need to achieve the look you want!
I make mine with zip ties or floral wire. So when I get the urge to change the colors, I simply snip the wire or ties and take everything off the wreath.
Only ONE week until Christmas!!!!
Gift wrapping for Christmas can be a messy, tedious and tiring job. Especially if you are like me and let lots of gifts pile up before you finally break out everything you need.
Last year I decided to make it easy on myself...specifically my knees. An hour or two on the floor wrapping gifts was killing me!
On top that, I just got sick of dragging out the mess...then trying to find the tape and the scissors and the labels...it was driving me NUTS!
So I set up a "wrapping station" in my room.
It is still a mess...but at least it is an organized mess and it is all right there at my finger tips!
Last year I borrowed a table from a neighbor, but this year I splurged and bought one of those 5' plastic fold-up tables from Sam's. I put it up over the truck in my bedroom and I can leave my scissors, tape, and all the wrapping goodies all right there! After the holidays I take it down and store it in the attic with all my leftover wrapping stuff!
And while we are on the subject of "making things easy," let me share my little wrapping "tips."
Wrapping gifts can get expensive...with all the paper and bows and labels and tape. So I have found a few cost saving ways to wrap Christmas gifts and still have beautiful gifts under the tree....
First...the paper. You can buy lots of really pretty Christmas paper just about anywhere. And I am going to strongly suggest that you skip it...no matter how cheap it seems!
I stick with 2-3 papers, all in the same "color theme," and I buy it on sale at Hobby Lobby every year. Each roll runs around $3.50 a roll (after 50% off) but the paper is heavy and there is a lot of it on one roll....about 60 s.f. per roll. Look at the "square feet" on the rolls you normally buy...most only have 10-15 s.f.! And if it is light weight you will waste a lot when it tears!
Second, the ribbon. Again, I buy it at Hobby Lobby. Not the little "Christmas bows" but the big rolls of craft wired ribbon...anywhere from 2-3" wide and it is usually 90-100' long...that's A LOT of ribbon! I have some ribbon I know I have reused for 5+ years...and it is still as beautiful as the new ribbon. And since I stick with red, silver and gold, it pretty much goes with any paper I use. I just wrap the ribbon around the wrapped box, then tie a big bow...the wire ribbon makes it super easy to fluff and form to get a really pretty bow! After we unwrap gifts, I just pick it all up, roll up each individual piece and then throw it all in a plastic tub to reuse next year!! And the next year...and the next....
My daughter likes the butcher paper and twine wrapping. It's pretty...and it can be dressed up with candy canes or sprigs of evergreen! And it is inexpensive as well since you can buy rolls of brown paper and huge rolls of twine (jute) at Lowe's for a few bucks. Check out the huge rolls of brown paper in the paint section! Go to Pinterest and search "gift wrapping." You will find all kinds of beautiful and creative ways to dress up brown paper wrapping!!
Labels. Not a big deal, but having to find and buy labels can be a pain. So every year I wait until vistaprint.com has a special on their return address labels. They will usually run a deal where you can get 240 labels for $5, shipping included. I just order one that looks "Christmasy" and then instead of a return address, I order TO: on one line and FROM: on another. Perfect little gift labels that are super simple and super inexpensive! BTW, I always put my labels on the BACK of the gift, so it doesn't matter if they aren't all fancy.
Tape. I buy tape on sale with coupons throughout the year. And I discovered a nifty little secret. If you break away the plastic tape dispenser around a roll of tape, the roll will fit perfectly in your heavy duty desk top tape dispenser, which is a must if you are like me and only have two hands!!! This is awesome because that kind of tape is often on sale whereas the tape that is specifically designed for dispensers is not!
I know some people like to do fancy, crafty, scrapbooky kinda wrapping. And I think that is wonderful for special gifts. But I have 5 kiddos, 2 grandkiddos, my mom and Brian to buy and wrap for...so there isn't a lot of time for doing special wrapping on ALL my gifts. And I like to spend my money on giving, not wrapping!
Happy shopping and wrapping!
I have spent the last few days redoing my laundry room! I will feature it after Christmas. A few simple, inexpensive changes have made a world of difference.
But I have to share my "laundry birdies!" I featured my obsession with wall murals here...one of the easiest and least expensive ways to add a little "wow" to any wall or room!
So when I painted my laundry room, I decided to add a tiny touch of "wow." I printed these little birdies off the internet months ago...not sure what I wanted to do with them until today....
I'm not quite done with the laundry room so I don't want to feature it just yet. But I did want to share the little bird murals because this is a simple project that can easily be done during these cold winter days when you are cooped up with nothing to do!
Just print off a design on regular paper (google whatever trips your trigger), trace it onto the wall with sewing trace paper and then paint it with latex paint! I happened to have black paint laying around, but you can use the small bottles of acrylic paint you buy at the craft stores or even the little pots of latex sample paint at Lowe's ($2.99!)
Simple....
Simple...the older I get, the simpler I try to make it. It takes one day to set out all the decorations and hang wreaths (I'm up to 19 now!) and one day for the tree. Then I get to sit back and enjoy my very own holiday wonderland!
Here are just a few "simple" ideas for easy decorating for the holiday....
Outdoor lanterns. I bought 4 of these on summer clearance a few years ago. I gave two away and kept two. I painted one black. These are great for both Christmas and fall decor! In the fall, I fill them with pine cones and add a "fall" pick and bow. For Christmas I just switch out the bows and picks and add a few ornaments. I don't even have to pack them away...they are pretty year round, even without holiday decorations!
This candle holder is another example of something that is used year round. During the holidays I set it in the middle of a foam wreath adorned with holiday garland and picks. Simple....
Don't forget your guest bath!!! I stick with colors that match the bath decor...a few little hand towels, glass rocks with a candle, a holiday soap dispenser and a few little knick-knacks! After the holiday, I just store it all under the cabinet! Nothing fancy but very festive! It takes about 2 minutes to decorate this room for Christmas....
Okay, I need to explain this one. All of my kids hunted when they were little. The boys and Katie all shot their first deer when they were 8-9 years old. Me...um, never happening. But they loved it. So I have all these antlers hanging around that I really don't have anywhere to "feature." Right now they are all hanging in my garage. A few years ago I broke the base plate on one of them and then got a quirky little bug and decided to do something fun.....
I glued and painted the base red, painted the antlers glittery silver and stuck a red nose on it! IT'S RUDOLF!!! I was going to do the others and put little name plates on them...Rudolf, Donner, Blitzen, etc But my grandson is only six...not sure he would find much humor it it!
A few berry stems and picks will dress up any vase! And a beautiful Lenox angel from my mom! Not every tree ornament has to be displayed on a tree! Sometimes they are just as beautiful sitting out on a shelf!
This little guy traveled all the way from Colorado. Every year when Brian and I vacation in Colorado in the fall I pick up something for the holidays! This year it was my snow birds, last year my little snowman!
Again, simple little touches that are easy to set out and store!
You won't find this happy couple in any home decor department. My grandmother made the Raggedy Andy and Ann dolls for my oldest daughter...32 years ago!! Last year I made little Pilgrim outfits for the fall and Santa outfits for Christmas. Sometimes the most precious holiday decor can be cherished heirloom pieces dressed up for the holidays!!
Garland, pine cones, ornaments...the simple touches here and there are what make a house feel "festive."
A little garland and a few little snowflake ornaments.
A simple little "Santa" cover for the lamp shade. I made it out of the scraps from the Raggedy Santa outfits!
Garland over the front door....
A trio of Snowmen.. And the tree? FIVE DOLLARS at an auction...and it works...seriously!
These are just a few of my holiday decorations...
Keep in mind...I have been collecting and decorating for the holidays for MANY years. In recent years I have avoided the "fad" decor in favor of more traditional pieces that I know will last many years. Fad decorations are great here and there...but they shouldn't take up so much of your budget that you don't have the ability to add quality pieces every year!
And remember...you can buy holiday decor at garage sales, clearance sales and auctions throughout the year!
In the next week I will feature my simple holiday wreaths, simple and inexpensive gift wrapping and the crown jewel, the tree!
