coffee maker giveaway!

The Secrets in the Sauce has an awesome giveaway!go here!  for your once in a lifetime chance at a super duper one cup at a time coffee maker, this means no more warmed over coffee at 6pm! ooohhhhh i hope i win, and oh yeah, good luck to you too!

not i

we had a friend visit last evening, she just got back from visiting her sister in Montana where they live in a one room cabin and have no indoor plumbing!! by choice! and they like it! (insert horrified/disgusted face here)

she told us stories of the need to go berry picking in pairs, apparently bears wont bother you if you are talking back and forth.

she gave us the scoop on what to do if you see a mountain lion (raise your arms up as high as you can and walk backwards away from it maintaining eye contact) 

and gave us the age old line the animals are more scared of you than you are of them, i guess this does not apply to a mountain lion, never run from a mountain lion.

sounds like a super fun vacation (did i mention the part about  -24 degree nights) but please, please dont ever invite me to join you in rural Montana. you can bet your boohiney that the answer will be a firm but polite "No Thank You".

clean it, fix it

mommys toys!

my Dirt Devil Kone hand vac makes me want to clean everything in sight, this may be the most motivating christmas present EVER!! 

the rest of our christmas day was spent at Aunt Amys house where food, good cheer, and gift cards were abundant along with a couple of doggies and ALOT of potatoes .

merry christmas to all

merry christmas, my friends. let us not forget the true reason for this season of anticipation and hope.

"Today your savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ the Lord." luke 2:11

another cry for help!

i have 1 more gift to make and my sewing machine is on the fritz! the tension knob is not working properly! if i cant fix it, TONITE, im going to have to  *gasp* buy a gift! 

help me, help me!

what do i do, i have already taken it apart and i cant figure out whats causing this problem! 

how much?

i have been designated to bring mashed potatoes to the family christmas dinner this year. my question for you is how many potatoes do i make for say, 20 people, what like 1 1/2 potatoes per person or what? i have never made that many mashed potatoes before. 

i guess im going to have to use my BIG pot, the one i make greens in.

 i should have just volunteered greens, at least id know how much to make.

yesterday i....

blogged, of course

cleaned up more of Ds "clay mess" i found little fingerprints all over the kitchen and bathroom.

went for a walk and to The Birdhouse (fun nature store on main street)

recieved 2 christmas boxes and a case of bibles

painted the top cabinet fronts in my kitchen (i will show you when its done)

skimmed the Madison Courier

worked on christmas gifts

drank a pot of coffee

made spaghetti

washed dishes

went to Branson on the Road country christmas concert at church  (sounds cheesy but is actually so much fun)

and had dessert with my husband and son at Frisches Big Boy

whew, i wonder whats in store for today!

christmas in 5 days!

must bake

must craft

must clean :(

but insted im looking at my friends' blogs and consiedring a trip to The Lumber Mill Antiques, whos with me?

a better question is who is going to clean my house?

pre party pics (wordless wednesday)

crying!

do you wanna cry?

go see Heather at mindless junque! shes got a tear jerker for ya (not bad though) regarding her oldest daughters Santa experience.

i dont cry about things happy or sad, it doesnt bother me when other people do but i hate crying, she made it happen.

we dont even "santa" at our house and it made me cry.

christmas list

heres my sons christmas list.

a mini train set (2 bucks at walgreens)

Wall-e (saw it at wal-mart)

a jump rope (saw some kids jumping rope last summer, thought it looked like fun)

a "giant" pencil (like one you buy in a zoo gift shop, i think he likes the big eraser on it)

grand total: less than $25

other than totally violating my buy nothing challenge this list is a piece of cake (and a bit odd toward the bottom, a giant pencil?) im so glad hes little and easy to please.

plus, Wall-e is kinda for me too, have you seen that movie? its so cute.

this week

The Boy ran in to the computer room the other night and announced tht he had drawn a picture of me. then looked at it and said "oh, i forgot your hair" and proceeded to draw ONE hair. im glad i have a good self image.

thursday night: i was just pulling out the vacuum when i noticed the living room was flooded with pink light, looking outside i grabbed my camera and went out into the front yard snapping like crazy and being the worlds worst mom. the poor boy was convinced that i was going for a walk without him and all i was interested in was getting the shots before the light was gone. we walked (quickly) in the bitter cold. down the street and around the corner so i could get this shot. and again worlds worst mom, neither of us had our hats or gloves on, but at least i was wearing my apron.

Friday: the church cookie walk is tomorrow. you buy from the united methodist women a bakery box and stuff it with as much christmas goodness as it can hold and i will stuff as many blondies in there as my family willl let me.

this is my contribution to the event 2 dozen decorated cookies. 
the stars went fast last year so you gotta get there early if you want some stars, there would be more stars but some just didnt pass the inspection. you have to eat the misfits right away you know, and dont you dare try to pass them off to Santa.

 CHRISTMAS TIDBIT: my dad use to tell us that Santa would be tired of cookies and milk by time he got to our house and that he would rather have pretzels and beer.

you tell me

heres a little question that i keep rolling around in my head.

how can i live more simply?

what do you do? what have you pruned from your life to make it more simple? what are your simple living tips? and what is the strangest or funniest thing YOU do in the name of frugality?

we've got spirit, yes we do...

i have Kelly at close to home to thank for this. she think im full of it (christmas spirit that is) and has named my buy nothing challenge as the reason! thanks kelly!

heres the rule breakdown.

#1 you gotta love christmas to get this award

#2 the person you give this award must also love christmas

#3 link back to the person who awarded you this high honor

#4 list 5 things you love about christmas, unless you get on a roll and cant stop then list as many as you want

#5 pass the award on to as many people as you want 

#6 leave them a comment telling them what they won

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT CHRISTMAS!

#1 hello, jesus! 

#2 twinkling lights. 

#3 tins full of cookies.

#4 santa photos, what, they're funny!

#5 christmas cards, you never know who you will find when you open the mailbox.

i would like to award......Tricia because i totally dig her wine bottle christmas tree. she has severe allergies that prohibit real trees and also petro-chemical plastic trees, like mine and has found a unique solution. 

i also want to award messy nester for bringing all of our attention to avdentconspiracy.org.

check it!

wow! i got wind of this web site via my messy nest, a blog i enjoy.

so check it!  it promotes spending less on meaningless material gifts this christmas. you know im all about that, because its Jesus's birthday why should we get all the presents. 

i also discovered this one in the process of reading the last one. it gives no buy gift ideas, so check that one too.

more christmas making

isnt she a cute little creature? each of my brothers girls are getting one of these, plus, i have to admit a couple of things i bought from my avon lady prior to my "no buy challenge", a couple of bath paints and disney princess lip glosses, i did however make the little bags i put them in.
these are the rest of the packages going to N.J. this week, all made, by me. 2 are the girls', the others are a purse, sorry i didnt take a pic of that one, and one of those cute key wristlets, and a cd for my brother, with a super cool playlist just for him.

quiet?

im alone!!!!! hazzah!!!! dad took the boy to gramma rockys for the day!!!!!

now what do i do with myself?

i can take a shower and shave my legs without someone whipping back the shower curtain and poking their head in because the dvd stopped.

i can walk around the house eating cookies and not have to try to hide them in the folds of my sweatshirt so no one else sees them.

i can play my music without countless requests for "bob and larry" (veggietales sunday morning singalong cd) 

and last but not least i dont have to be suspicious of the quiet.

lucky again!

want to see what i won? i got the third place prize.

Megan had a giveaway and i was so glad to win one of her beautiful fine art photo prints.

so head on over to her blog and see what i won and you have to check out her stunning photos of NYC you will be glad you did.

in december i will be,

a baubled, bangled chrismas tree, 

with soup bowls draped all over me.

merry once, merry twice,

merry chicken soup with rice.

we love the Really Rosie video for chicken soup with rice