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