The most annoying Christmas song is...

I thought I would blog this today because ironically I was on Facebook and someone who just lost their spouse was walking through Kmart and Christmas Shoes came blaring over the PA... She's like who the heck makes a Christmas Song about a boy who wants to buy shoes for his dying mother. Shouldn't Christmas songs be beautiful. I kinda laughed because how true but I do like Christmas Shoes myself but I am not going caroling or anything.

So I asked my tween daughter and my husband for help and we played a little game voting from the scale of 1-10 (10 being the most annoying) Christmas Songs. Of course they aren't much help because my husband has well weird taste in music like Dr Demento and Neil Diamond... but that's none of my business haha. Well my daughter she is who she is at 12 with developing her musical tastes. We will just say she's still learning. I had to tell her what Nirvana was the other day *face palm* and then she claims to like My Chemical Romance, The Beatles, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, 5 Seconds of Summer, Oasis, etc... 

I have to say one of the most annoying songs at Christmas time is Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time... I knew I would lose to both of them if I played the Paul McCartney version so I played the Demi Lavato version and I still lost. I don't care who sings it I am just not a fan of this song. 

My adopted father loved him some John Denver and I never quite got the badge of #1 fan from his fan club if you know what I mean... I mean he's just got a certain style of music that I can't see myself listening to constantly. I love me some Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn but I can't do the whiney drunk country music much for myself. So I guess my next two songs won't be on my Christmas playlist like ever...

John Denver ~ Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas

My daughter just started telling me "turn it off just turn it off!" 

Do I even have to say why is an alcoholic singing about his daddy being an alcoholic? 

the other one I think my favorite Radio Station and probably a few others are overplaying 30 years late just a bit. Last Christmas by Wham I am not hating on the singer I promise. George Michael has some epic songs but *sigh* this one doesn't do anything for me.. How about you wake me up before you go-go? 

My husband thinks the most annoying Christmas song out of the ones I picked is Funky Funky Christmas by NKOTB (New Kids on the Block). I can't ever say I find NKOTB annoying I was a die hard fan then and I am still a fan now.. My friend +Pamela Leffler is traveling and she was listening to this very CD today and she said "... realizing some of this is just bad.. but I am singing anyways" So maybe the music isn't Epic, Great Music... Maybe even a little painful but come'on its NKOTB! I love me some Funky Christmas! Just as long as my husbands dirty socks aren't being used for stockings.. not that kind of funky Christmas. One day I hope my daughter and I can fan girl together with our favorite boy bands and Ed Sheeran... but today she is voting with her dad... 

What is the most annoying Christmas song to you? 

Creative Gift Ideas

Sometimes I get a creative bug up my butt and I come up with an idea that I won't let go of. My husband calls this a Honey Badger. Anyways our first Easter here I wanted to make Easter baskets for the kids (not just mine but her friends too) so I went to the dollar store got sand buckets, bubbles, shovels and other sand tools, and some candy and filled the buckets up and it probably cost me a few bucks a bucket.. He was amazed what I could do with $20 Then our second Christmas and I wished I would have taken pictures but I went to Old Time Pottery and got decorative Christmas boxes

Like these and filled each one with a Fireplace DVD for those of us who don't have a fireplace we could have a beautiful digital one. Then I made homemade cocoa in a Mason Jar.. topped it off with marshmallows I am pretty sure the marshmallows dried out but it was more there for the effect. I got inexpensive mugs that represented the people like my brother in law and sister are cat parents (you think I am a cat lady haha) so I got them cat lover mugs. an inexpensive blanket, With some with families I put in a travel game. It was like Christmas in a box. 

Being that we are a military family shipping was painful for each box though :/

The next year Rick wanted me to continue the tradition so I got a box and then bought popcorn cups at the dollar store, put in some popcorn packages, popcorn salt, candy and a movie. Movie in a Box?

I had an idea for teacher gifts too one year I made altered clipboards and it was something Skylar could help with.

 

For teacher gifts I got a big furry stocking and bought lots of school supplies (Don't teachers ALWAYS need supplies?) and I filled the stocking with supplies and candy :)

Ive done Ice Cream Sundae in a box... Noooo I don't put ice cream in there (a gift card will work), ice cream scoop, ice cream cones and bowls, a bunch of different toppings, and of course a gift card to either an ice cream place or just the grocery store... 

I guess my creative gifting started when Rick was deployed. My months of deployment were passed by Skylar and I coming up creative theme deployment boxes... For Thanksgiving I sent Turkey Spam, a box of stuffing, a can of green beans, and a can of cranberry sauce... with Turkey themed paper products... Of course he fed the Turkey Spam to his Iraqi cat friends and gave the other food products to the Iraqis (after all the Army and Iraqi's kept him fed and the cats kept him company)

What kind of creative gift ideas have you wanted to try or have you tried?

The best stocking stuffers...

 

Look at these really cool type of stockings I saw at Walmart! I thought they were nifty...

The story of how the Christmas Stocking came to be is that Saint Nicholas used to leave gold coins and oranges in the shoes of poor children.. I guess we finally got a clue that we were putting oranges in dirty shoes so why not put them in a clean stocking so the evolving again.

My kids make out pretty good on the stocking front. We celebrate St Nicholas Day so they get the above every year from old St Nick. Then for Christmas I get them a stocking filled with different goodies and Santa usually leaves one too. Some great stocking stuffers I have seen are things that are sentimental, jewelry, hair do- dads, tooth brushes, hair brushes, body wash, bubble bath (we have a couple of fans in the house), Razor things for the men, perfume maybe, gloves, and my husband gets a wallet every year. Things like that :)

Oh and the most awesome thing in our stockings Santa leaves his Santa Dollar behind its an actual dollar with Santa's face!

What do you get in your stocking?

Why I wait until the last minute to buy gifts...

I don't think that I am a super scheduler, hell I am horrible at time management. But I do like to have a timeline to get things done. It always has been an area of contention between Rick and I. I am a little bit of an organizer and I tend to think ahead... I also took Marketing in high school and a few college courses afterward. I know the marketing aspect of all those Christmas Tree's right after Halloween. Basic logic for you scrooges that say lets just get through Thanksgiving for most people that get checks every two weeks that means there is only two pay cycles before Christmas.. Not many people can buy everything within two pay cycles... am I right? So I learned from either my mom or my guardian or perhaps just gotten in the habit myself to buy Christmas gifts throughout the year. Yeah that bit me a little bit when Skylar was no longer interested in something but its okay I could return or resell it if necessary or even donate it. I am a bargain shopper too I look for sales and matter of fact I would say I am almost addicted to a sale I can't resist the 50% off sign haha. So I would rather buy it on sale. So I am fine with Christmas being up in Thanksgiving.. the longer I get the magic right? Plus I don't feel as pressured to rush those last three weeks of November and December to buy last minute gifts. My hubby isn't having heart failure from his debit card catching on fire and he sees all the money draining out of his account like blood running out of his face (haha!). So if I hit $20 here and there over a period of three months he won't kill me as fast! I also don't want to be paying for Christmas in July.. That's not what Christmas in July is supposed to mean. But we are on a budget like everyone else and money only goes so far... Tomorrow I will be running to Target to get a gift card for William's teacher for his Christmas party tomorrow due to our pay period. Friday is Skylar's class party so I will have to get a small gift card because that's all we can afford and frankly I think a teacher can have only so many Best Teacher Mugs.. also if I may be honest I am not thrilled with either child's teacher this year so they won't be getting favors from me other than the pat of the back... Thank you Mrs so and so you put up with my child ALL year and didn't kill him/her. See I have to wait to give that gift in May when I know my child and their teacher has survived the year. Waiting till Thanksgiving two years in a row hasn't gotten my house fully decorated. I think next year I am going to have to deck the halls (like our loft tree that takes a lot of time and effort) and spend more time on those and then I can put up the family tree Thanksgiving weekend by tradition. So other stuff first and put up the family tree last. Because I just don't have time to spend all that time decorating the whole house and then get to enjoy it for a week? Nah! With my Osteoarthritis, kid and husband schedules, my Fibromyalgia, etc... I need some leeway to work around. Hubby's just going to have to start being understanding. This year we didn't use Layaway except for two items and if we were to have to use layaway then that would also require time to pay things off so we wouldn't have a balance on our credit cards. I think Christmas takes time and planning or it just doesn't feel right. Best laid plans of mice and men often go ary... especially for me so yeah I COULD be the one at the store on the 23th and 24th getting stocking stuffers or Christmas dinners :)

+Richard 

The scents of the season... {what smells remind me of the Holidays}

I used to LOVE Yankee Candles and I thought I would never give them up and switch to Scentsy then I realized why am I spending $20 on a candle when I can buy a burner and switch out the smells? LOL ... No I am not a Scentsy rep and never have been but boy I have like 10 burners!

I love the smell of Sugar Cookies (I just hate to bake them)
Banana Bread
Cinnamon anything
Caramel
Pine but not in the scentsy
Rosemary
Apple Pie
Cocoa
Snow
Peppermint
Pumpkin Pie
Gingerbread
Vanilla
and a real wood fireplace <3 p="">
What are your favorite smells? What smells remind you of your childhood holidays? What are your favorite smells of the season?

Movies we enjoy during the Holidays...

I don't know if its a Christmas movie but I think it is.. It at least has a scene about Christmas and its one of my favorite movies of all time. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_Me_in_St._Louis

The animated classic set with the Land of Forgotten Toys, Santa, Rudolph and Frosty of course

Polar Express is near and dear to me..

http://youtu.be/YgmVNxoWm98

Other great ones we enjoy are the original animated The Grinch that Stole Christmas (or the Jim Carrey one), Jim Carrey Christmas Carol, Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street, Charlie Brown Christmas, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and my kids and my husband are particularly fans of Elf and Muppets Christmas Carol. 

What are your favorites?

My Grown Up Christmas List

Rick, the little kids, and I were shopping for each others gifts. I took Skylar first and had her pick out gifts for Rick, William, and her best friend. Then Rick took her in to get a gift from her to me. I picked out something for William to Rick because William was tired and cranky. He's a typical male when it comes to shopping. Anyways while we were shopping Skylar said Mom the best Christmas present would be to see Mackenzie again (her older brother). I gave her a big hug and said me too baby me too! I would give up all the presents for years to come just to see Mackenzie.
So Dear Santa, That is at the top of my grown up Christmas list.. Let me babies see their older brothers. Let my husband see his sister and aunts again. My grown up Christmas wishes are that no child goes without Christmas or food. That no families are torn apart by evil, sin, and disease. If my life wasn't torn apart I wouldn't have Rick, Alex, James and William though. So if its your will.... My grown up Christmas Wish is that our military was home even if its just for one day during the holidays. That no one dies in vain or at the hands of another. That the ill could get proper medical treatment. That everyone could find the spirit that I love and believe. My grown up Christmas wish is that no one would ever feel alone that they know the love of another. So Dear Santa even though my childhood fantasies seemed to be out of reach I hope that you can keep this letter close to your heart and know that truly this is what we need here... for Christmas and every day after. Peace on Earth.
Love Bella I believe! 

My childhood dream Christmas gift.

Most little girls dream of horses... My grandfather owned a farm so I had a horse..
There was a year I asked for an electronic diary... I didn't get it till I was like 16.. way out grown of it at that point sadly...

What I dreamed of getting and never stopped wishing for was an American Girl doll. Yes you've heard me talk about it before but I am serious... I wanted the doll. My Guardian wouldn't spend the money on the doll but fed my love to read these doll's stories and they had several other things you could buy as well. I had it all.. Samantha's stories, Kirsten, Molly, and Addy... I had their books and like stationary and diary.... I never had that moment to own Samantha or Kirsten (my favorites) and their worlds... beds, dolls, clothing galore... As another blogger said even in the 80's and 90's it was easily someone's 401K. In the 80's and 90's it was mainly only available by catalog order that could have also played a role... My grandmother did get me a nice doll but it wasn't Samantha and Kirsten. When my daughters friend introduced her to the dolls I was ecstatic and she got her first one for her birthday.. I got it locally through another mother though. At least I made her dreams come true.. oh and one year a few years ago... my husband surprised me on my birthday finally with Samantha...

(Skylar's first American Girl doll)

(McKenna her doll she got for Christmas)

and finally my Samantha from my handsome husband

Where are you Christmas?

I grew up a ward of the state but the Christmas' I remember were like this Norman Rockwell painting. I would get to see my biological family and spend some of Christmas with them and whatever quarrels would be a truced.. Strangers came to dinner and all were welcome. Many happy memories of Christmas and the traditions.. 

When I married Adam Christmas drastically changed... My guardian told me she didn't really want me there because I was embarrassing to her new son in law who was a California Senator. Then the next Christmas it was her grand daughter Abby had a rash she was afraid was Chicken Pox and didn't want Mackenzie to get it. Even though no males in Adam's family has ever had the Chicken Pox and Mackenzie was still vaccinated. So I was uninvited then there was the drama we had to go to Adam's grand parents house.. really my first holidays away from family (guardian and biological) and my grandfather had passed away. My sisters nor I wouldn't be able to be close to my biological mom on Christmas. The first Christmas away from family was a disaster it was traumatic. 

I quickly learned that not everyone has peaceful Christmas' even when a newborn is there. I learned that Norman Rockwell holiday is just a fantasy ... just a painting. It was hard. It IS hard.

Then Adam took Mackenzie... So my first year without Mackenzie I woke up in a cold sweat screaming. I had a nightmare that Mackenzie woke up and was looking under the tree saying he wanted mommy but I wasn't there. I wasn't under the tree. 

The second Christmas without Mackenzie I called Adam to see if I could give Mackenzie presents. I actually didn't know how to reach Adam I took a chance he would be with HIS family. His mother came on the phone and they both told me what a horrible mother I was and how I abandoned Mackenzie (not true). To mail the gifts... little did I know a month later Adam would be dead. So that was the last conversation I had with my husband and there was words of hate exchanged. Something I have to live with. 

I still really believed in Christmas... I wanted to give Skylar beautiful and magical Christmas' so I worked hard. Even when money was tight I did things beautiful for her. My oldest sister would have wonderful dinner parties for Thanksgiving and Christmas and that was a blessing until the stress and drama just got to me. I had to limit the amount of people I am around ON Christmas. My boyfriend would just wanna play games and not spend time with Skylar and I so I said fine its just me and her.. From that moment on I said I am not going to be stressed on Christmas, I am going to limit myself socially (which is rare), and I am going to make it magical for Skylar (now for William too). 

Since I have married Rick, Huntsville has so many events especially when we were active duty.. Nutcracker Ballet, Galaxy of Lights, Santa's Village.. this that and the other.. It was stressful just trying to see it all. It was stressful setting aside the money for it all.  I don't stress about money because I don't want to give it that type of power.. As long as my kids are provided for and the utility and main bills are paid then I will survive. More and more when I reach my emotional limit I call a time out and I stop. I no longer get upset if we miss something. Its disappointing sure but its not what Christmas is supposed to be about. As the kids get older its hard to find them dress clothes for Christmas and afford them. This year Skylar chose a pair of pajamas we found at the Salvation Army and I was just simply supposed to find the matching pair for William which was on disneystore.com but I waited to long. I am very disappointed that my kids now won't have matching pajamas or church clothes but its not the end of the world... If its not super important to them then it shouldn't be for me. I will have to find some alternative. I have had to put Christmas in perspective not just the commercialism but also what I can emotionally handle.

A favorite Holiday recipe

Our holiday menu for Thanksgiving or Christmas generally goes like this..

We feel its best to stick with tradition and have turkey for Thanksgiving but we usually buy a ham too.. For Christmas we may just decide with ham. We don't get too adventurous with the turkey the prepped half cooked turkey's from the grocery store deli work fine for us. I have made a turkey the old fashioned way a few times but this works just as good and it is still a whole turkey...

We have canned green beans... James prefers them over fresh or frozen.

I am not a fancy stuffing type of girl I love me some Stove Top :)

The only kind of sweet potatoes I will eat are Senator Russell's recipe *You can find many of these recipes here on this link*

Rick prefers white potatoes so he will make mashed potatoes for himself. +Michelle Jorden  has got us loving the garlic mashed potatoes.

Rolls, Biscuits, Banana bread or Zucchini bread.

Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

and of course at least for Christmas Jesus and St Nick need birthday cake so I make my cinnamon tea cakes to celebrate their birthday.. 

and Krumkake

My kids have school itis..

Skylar doesn't love school. She's only in Elementary school and I worry about her finishing high school that's how much she hates school. She gets good grades but hates school. She is not a morning person so she is always dragging butt in the mornings anyways. Well the closer we get winter break the more she struggles.. Even William is struggling and doesn't want to go to school and this kid LOVES homework...It doesn't help they are having upper respiratory issues (allergies, sinus drainage, sore throats, a little cough, stuffy nose). So yeah I can always tell when Winter Break and Summer break are getting close because its harder and harder to get my kids moving... Do your kids get school itis? 

My Favorite Christmas Cookie

My Favorite Christmas Cookie is probably one you've never heard of its called Krumkake.. Its a norwegian cookie I guess. It looks like an American ice cream cone but its not strong enough to fill with ice cream. I guess people have filled it with whipped topping like a Lady Finger... but the ones I have eaten are barely strong enough to be held.. they seem to crumble so easily. 
They are sweeter and softer than an ice cream cone too! My Guardian used to make them often while growing up and finally in the last few years I finally had gotten an Krumkake iron off of Amazon and learned how to make them myself. Of course I don't think the cookies ever taste the same as the guardian used to make since she probably had an old antique Krumkake iron... 
If you ever want to have a new adventure and try a new treat buy a Krumkake iron! an old post on Krumkake here

Of course I love those Royal Dansk cookies as well. My guardian used to sometimes buy the Pepperidge Farm cookies and share some with me it was like getting a delicacy :) We liked the Milano and the Pirouette

I am not a sugar cookie fan.. I will eat them but not often and I hate to bake them. Mine never turn out well. I leave that up to Rick. A few years ago an Army wife introduced me to Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookies. She said her dad used to make them every Thanksgiving and Christmas and when she was on her own she asked her dad.. he said the magic is on the back of the bag of peanut butter chips and she never knew they were that easy.. So James, Skylar, and I got hooked on these cookies as well. 

https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=5366

The Polar Express

Last night William and Skylar's school had a Polar Express party... Skylar checked out of school yesterday and didn't feel good so she didn't go. We were told to wear our Pajamas and that cookies and Cocoa would be given out (Of COURSE!) William doesn't do movies so well and I won't say he sat through the whole movie but he did STAY through the whole movie. Which is major for us. I am crossing my fingers he can see Star Wars next year.

I have seen Polar Express many times but this time I am much more impressed and it had deeper meaning. Perhaps its because its getting close to time for Skylar to have her own journey on the Polar Express I don't know. I have loved the book the movie is based on all of my life along with Good Night Moon and Where the Wild Things Are... I even cried a few times during the movie... The magic of Christmas has changed for me over the years too.. I have had to adapt to new magic and creating magic for myself. Nothing will ever be like it used to be. I wasn't like Billy (in the movie) but I had what I thought was a Norman Rockwell upbringing. It wasn't picture perfect but even the family feuds were at a cease fire for just the two months, we all got along, wishes were granted, and even strangers came to dinner. So it was very much like a Norman Rockwell upbringing. My first Christmas away from my family was hard enough because my grandfather had just passed so it was my first year not seeing my cousins, grandparents, and my mother.. my mother was alone. I had to spend Christmas with my In Laws far away from my family and it was a disaster constant fighting and arguing... it was night and day compared to my Christmas's where even the Guardian and my birth mom would get along for the better of Christmas spirit. Anyways enough on the negative reflection.. Just thought the movie had a deeper meaning for me... now Rick and I feel like we need to decide between the Polar Express in North Carolina and the Polar Limited/ Chattanooga Choo Choo for next Christmas... Its time for us... its time..

Saturday, December 6, 2014 St Nicholas Day!

Its St Nicholas Day! Surprisingly it isn't very popular here in the states wouldn't most American's want to spoil their children ridiculously? My Guardian's mother is from Germany and her father is from Norway so I grew up with some extra special cultural traditions that they passed down. Some I have found on my own in order to share the German and Norwegian cultures with my kiddos since they are no longer around. 

St Nicholas would leave children often coins and oranges in their shoes so for St Nicholas Day Barnaby and Merry (Our Elves) brought stockings from St Nick.. Filled with their ornament for the year, some school supplies, chocolate, chapstick, and a craft... Skylar hasn't yet come down this morning to see Barnaby and Merry after she was asking about them so much.

I hope you all have a Happy St Nicholas day and be sure to share his story with your kiddos.

Snow blew in their door from the North Pole.. its magic snow it doesn't melt ;)

They left the kids new stockings. Skylar decorated herself with 1D and William's has Mickey Mouse

Ooh they got new clothes.. Merry is sporting her Georgia Bulldog Sweater dress and Barnaby has his aviator jacket on. Did Santa let him drive the sleigh? Or has he been doing reindeer training?