Favorite Christmas Lines…

December 8, 2009 Leave a Comment

I love Christmas…ahhhh.  The smell of cookies baking, the sound of music playing, the twinkling lights.  Christmas is a feast for the senses!

But there’s something else I love about Christmas — all of the movies.  Actually, I’m more of a movie line gal.  My fab4 have been known to quote specific lines from Christmas movies year-round.  May sound strange, but that’s how we roll.

So, in honor of our love of Christmas movies, here is my family’s “Great Christmas Movie Lines” list (in no particular order):

* “Smiling’s my favorite!”  [Elf]
* “Bumbles bounce!”   [Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]
* “Mousetrap. You roll your dice, you move your mice. Nobody gets hurt.”   [The Toy that Saved Christmas]
* “You’ll shoot your eye out!”    [A Christmas Story]
* “Make work your favorite.”   [Elf]
* “I’m going to be a dentist!”   [Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]
* “Buzz-saw Louie!”   {The Toy that Saved Christmas
* “Did you accuse me of being ‘skillful and delicious’?”   [The Santa Clause 3]
* “…the Bumpus’ hounds!”    [A Christmas Story]
* “He’s an angry elf.”   [Elf]

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Merry Christmas!

December 26, 2009 Leave a Comment

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, was refreshing! No busy, big meal to prepare. No rushing around. The day was spent casually baking some cookies, popping meatballs in the crockpot, mixing up some snacks, and taking it easy. After a beautiful church concert we came home to wrap presents and eat. Then it was off to bed.

Wait, no midnight wrapping while watching the 5th run of “A Christmas Story”? Nope {said while smiling}.

Today, Christmas was another laid-back day. Oh, sure, we had a crazy-fun morning. Who wouldn’t when your son is thrilled to his eyeballs with more Legos and your daughter is in heaven with her frills and books!

After the frenzy of wrapping paper being ripped and bows being saved {despite the 300 bows still in the wrapping box}, we settled ourselves for a nice winter’s…er, lounging. No napping yet. Legos had to be built by MrC, Odyssey and Duggar trivia had to be absorbed by Catz, hoop earrings had to be worn by yours truly, and a Kincade puzzle was long overdo to be solved by Hubby.

The Christmas music played in the background while four happy and relaxed people played, snacked, and laughed together. Ahhh. This is Christmas.

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Christmas Vacation: And So it Begins!

December 21, 2009 Leave a Comment

As last Friday was the end of school and work for my family for 2009, this weekend became the official beginning of our Christmas break.  Yay!!!!!  I know it’s only been a little over two weeks since we had our Thanksgiving break, but it felt like a month. 

So, in honor of our time-off, I’m going to hold “The 12 days of Christmas Vacation.”  There will be laughs, there will be fun, and most assuredly there will be chocolate!  Who knows, I may even have to extend this into 15 days.  It couldn’t hurt, right?

To start the whole shebang, my Fab4 broke out the cookies {okay, they’ve been out for a whole week}, fired up the Christmas movie machine {can ya hear the engines revving?}, and we did something amazing…we watched some Christmas movies! {That sound you hear is an engine sputtering.} Okay, maybe not so amazing but definitely a must on this family’s list. 

Anyway, the movie that started the marathon on Saturday was “The Santa Clause”, an annual fave, followed by “The Santa Clause 2″, with “Disney’s Prep & Landing” bringing up the rear.  After church on Sunday {and a fabulous dinner of breakfast and mac ‘n’ cheese at Cracker Barrel}, we ended the night with “The Toy that Saved Christmas.”  Sigh. I love Bob and Larry.  They’re so cool.  {Mmmm. That reminds me…I need to make onion dip.}

So that ends our first installment, okay kids?  Tomorrow is day three…are you up for it?!  Can’t wait to see what will be in your ‘sights’!

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Christmas Crafts: Card Hanger

November 27, 2011 Leave a Comment

It’s the 3rd day after Thanksgiving, and I’m ready for the glitz of preparing for Christmas!  In my house it’s time for huge, plastic boxes to come out of storage and their contents be put on display. Snowmen and gingerbread boys are placed on the mantle, miniature trees all decked out adorn the bar, and lights and garland get draped above every doorway and window.  As far as senses are concerned, I’m highly visual. So this, my friends, is eye-candy heaven!

As my family works to position yuletide wall hangings and set up train tracks around the tree, the world takes on a different view in my mind.  It’s as though I wear blinders to what could be a stressful time of year.  Along with the lights, color, and twinkle of the season, I choose to see what matters most: people.  The faces of family and friends, their mouths turned up into smiles and laughter, fill my heart with warm fuzzies that seem to stretch all the way to my fingertips!

I long for the welcome sign of the mail truck every day as I wonder who might be sending us a greeting from near or far.  One of my favorite activities leading up to December 25th is displaying Christmas cards we receive.  Setting them on a counter or bookcase just doesn’t do them justice in my opinion, so I hang the cards.  They look so festive that way, don’t you think?

There are a myriad of ways to do this from attaching them onto ribbon to letting each one dangle individually. I found a ton of photos on Pinterest, one of my guilty pleasures and an easy way to lose one’s self online.  The creative ideas I’ve seen there are simply endless!  Here is one of my favorite card hanging suggestions from Dinks:

This is another one of my faves from Tater Tots and Jello.  I think I’ll make this next week with the kids…

How do you display your cards?  Do you hang them up or set them out or mount them in some other way?  Do you put traditional boxed cards in one location and photo cards in another spot?

Speaking of photo cards, have you ordered yours yet? I have yet to order mine. You too?  Well don’t lose heart…there’s still time!  This year I’m falling in love with the photo cards from Tiny Prints. There are so many choices {and I am so very decision-making challenged}, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to a handful.  I love the colors of this one and the many photo window options…

This one looks like a postcard! How cute is that?!

Okay, this photo card is too adorable, already in “ready-to-hang” ornament form. Perfect to hang right on your Christmas tree!

Let’s not forget there’s also an option to design your own card.  Simply select the card color, layout, fonts, and embellishments and you’re good to go!

Right now Tiny Prints is offering 15%-20% off your orders with code CYBER20 until 11/29!!  And even if you order from Tiny Prints after that date {like me, Miss Undecided} you’ll still gain a gorgeous set of Christmas photo cards.

Hey, when you get your photocards, would you please send me a link? I’d love to see them!!

 

Disclosure: In exchange for this honest review, Tiny Prints has offered to give me my own set of Christmas photo cards.  Their offer does not in any way affect my opinion. {I still think their photo cards rock!} If you’re curious, please feel free to read my full Disclosure Policy here.

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Christmas Cookie Week 2008

January 5, 2009 Leave a Comment

I know, it’s been over 2 weeks since my last post. Being new at blogging, I’ll have to figure out how to blog AND enjoy the Christmas season next year. And even though it’s already 2009, I still want to share our Cookie Week.

The week before Christmas, my chicklets and I made cookies here at home. And I don’t mean we spent one day baking or made one batch or chose one type of cookie. Our house became a cookie-baking factory. This is what we made:

* Chocolate Macaroons
* Sugar Cookies with Pistacios and Cherries
* Florentines
* Monster Cookies
* Swedish Christmas Cookies
* Sugar Cut-Outs
* Cheesecake Petit-Fours
* Spritz Cookies

This has never happened at my home before. In the past, I’ve bought the prepackaged dough (and there’s nothing wrong with that) and made one or two of those. Of course, that was when we did school until right before Christmas.

But not this year. I decided to eliminate as much stress as possible from our Christmas season, so structured school has been on an extended holiday. Yeah!

So in my efforts to make these weeks off exciting, our kitchen was overrun with almost everything baking-related. I said almost.

In my past, I was a hamburger helper gal. I really had no interest in cooking or baking. If I’d had a family that did not require food, my stove would have become a desk. Or a bookshelf. Or a craft counter would have been cool.

But then I became domesticated. (No, not like a cat.) I started enjoying cooking and baking. Part of that came about because of a line I once read: “A good meal is a daily love gift to your family.” I definitely wanted to communicate love to my family.

So I have tried harder to like making food. Now I love cooking and baking. No, I don’t always care to cook. But baking has become more and more a fun activity for me. Probably because I enjoy eating what I bake. I really do.

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Christmas Eve

December 25, 2009 Leave a Comment

Christmas Eve…it’s here.  All the baking, all the decorating, all the joy and happiness and love…was it all for this one night?  Was it for tomorrow?  No, not at all.  All the prep was for every day since Thanksgiving for as long as we can make it last.  For some it will end right after Christmas.  But for me it will keep going.

The love…the joy…the Gift He gave me and you…Jesus.  Mmm, He makes my heart sing.

Merry Christmas.

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My Life as a Shoebox

November 18, 2011 4 Comments

This week, all across the USA, people are filling shoeboxes full of goodies so that Operation Christmas Child can send them around this great globe to kids in need.  Sharing God’s love with children is what it’s all about.  Well, that and having some fun in the process.

For months, volunteers with OCC have been working hard to accomplish a massive goal: to collect more shoeboxes than ever before!  But last week many of us {me included} had the opportunity to have some fun while promoting OCC as we became…human shoeboxes!

Donning a large box painted in brilliant red and green, I took on greater Orlando with my own personal photographer, TechDaddy.  The purpose: to spread the word about and direct attention to Operation Christmas Child.

One important stop was to visit my VeggieTales friends at Lifeway Christian Store, a partner with Operation Christmas Child.  Here I am, sprawled out in the children’s section, reading to Bob and Larry.

DSC_1944_SusanLifeway1

They were wiped out, having just been promoting their newest DVD, The Little Drummer Boy.  Bob stayed focused though he kept making comments about how terrific my hair smelled.  Larry, on the other hand, crashed after 2 seconds and proceeded to roll back and forth on the carpet, occasionally listing items that would be perfect to fill a shoebox.  Here’s another shot of me showing how totally comfortable it is to lay on the floor. In a box.  Junior Asparagus came over to read along.

DSC_1950_SusanLifeway2

After Bob finished informing TechDaddy about how a Speedlite {with a Gary Fong diffuser} would help my Nikon to capture indoor shots so much better, we took off for one of my favorite places: Walt Disney World!

Walking down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, wearing my shoebox, was a magical experience as I drew quite a bit of attention.  My favorite part of this visit was when folks would say “Look! Operation Christmas Child! We’re filling our shoeboxes next week!!”  That was so awesome!

Here I am in front of Cinderella’s Castle.  {Note: Never, ever try to step up on a bench wearing a box unless you have “tech” support nearby. Thanks to my awesome husband for lifting me up. We have got to show the outtakes of that graceful maneuver.}

DSC_1651_SusanCastle1
On our walk through DisneyWorld we heard that two Disney bigwigs wanted to meet us.  Can you guess who they were?

DSC_1668 SusanMickeyMinnie_watermark

Mickey and Minnie were fabulous!  They gestured {because they don’t speak} that they loved my shoebox and then the Big Cheese joked that I was “gifted.” Hahaha!

Did you like those shots?  You can go to the Operation Christmas Child Facebook page to see more pix of volunteers across the country dressed as shoeboxes. They are all awesome, but you won’t want to miss the one in the Grand Canyon.  Oh yeah…and the giant fish.  And Paul Bunyan and Babe.  Oh, just go see them all.

If you haven’t turned in your shoebox yet there’s still time!  Go here to find your nearest drop-off location and take your shoebox by November 21st.  Or, if you feel you’d like someone to pack your shoebox for you, check out Build-a-Box.  And remember, you can follow your shoebox to learn it’s final destination by making your shipping donation online.  If you have filled a shoebox and turned it into Operation Christmas Child, I thank you. You have blessed a child.

Have you filled a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child?

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A Visit from the Christmas Lizard

December 6, 2008 Leave a Comment

It’s a beautiful day here in the south and I’m finishing up with decorations inside. While the rest of my slugs family are playing Xbox. While sprawled across my bed.

So earlier this week the whole family trimmed the Christmas tree, decked the halls with plastic boughs and holly, and hung the lights inside and out. But as there are always extra decorations laying around (“We can’t throw that away…it’s been here since I was little!”), I chose to find a place upstairs to display this one last string of lighted snowflakes.

Okay, the reality is we already stuck the empty Christmas storage boxes up in the attic so I have no place to toss them. So there.

Anyway, as I glance around the playroom, something catches my eye in the corner. Something little, dark, and fast-moving. “It better not be a roach”, I think to myself. ‘Cause I’m totally unprepared with bare feet. And not carrying a heavy brick-like implement for smashing.

I see it move again and realize it’s just a lizard. That’s right. Just. This is the south, folks, and any critter that dispatches roaches with lightning speed is alright with me.

So when I see this reptile I suddenly remember lizard #1 from yesterday that Mr C saved from a slow, playful painful death at the furry paws of Holly, one of our cats. She had already caused the dismemberment of his tail when my son rushed him to me, “resuscitator of all things small and crawling away from felines.”

Lizard #1 had also been found upstairs in the playroom. Hmmm.

I was making my way over to lizard #2 and wondering how these creatures made it into my house, let alone upstairs, when I suddenly tripped. Over a scarecrow. That had been brought inside yesterday awaiting it’s journey to a magical land.

Okay, it was waiting for Spider X to pitch store it in the attic.

Anyway, I had seen lizards scaling Mt. Cornhusk…I mean the scarecrow… just last month when it graced our front yard. No problem. Just take the little guy back outside and you’re done, right?

Uh, no. That would have been too easy.

So I decided to grab my camera and take a couple of shots of lizard #2 a.k.a. Gordo (yeah, I named him).

Whoops. Bad move.

Gordo decided to re-enact the Great Escape as soon as I moved. It’s really not difficult to catch a lizard, unless you’re trying to save it’s tail from being separated from the rest of it’s body. So I tried to be gentle.

This was my undoing as I chased Gordo around the playroom and eventually onto the scarecrow. Suddenly he knew he was on home turf and showed me by quickly slipping into a hole in the pants.

Enough of this! I took the smiling scarecrow down to the patio and proceeded to search for the lizard. It ended up looking like I was frisking this stuffed guy on a pole. Embarrassing, really.

So I decided to leave Gordo and his hideout outside in hopes he would leave.

Thank goodness that was over.

Until I went back upstairs to clean up and found Gordo’s smaller neighbor, lizard #3.

Oh, great. Well, I chased down this one and kicked him out let him go, too. But his tail wasn’t so lucky.

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More Days of Christmas

December 29, 2009 1 Comment

Yikes, look at the calendar! So I missed posting on each day of Christmas…I can live with that.  I guess I’ll post a recap of the last three days, though it seems like a blur.

Hmmm, we…ate chocolate chip cookies…watched “The Nativity Story”…drank peppermint mocha {just me}…built Legos…watched “The Secret Agent”…baked more cookies…read new books…played on the Xbox…worked on a puzzle…drank peppermint hot cocoa & hot caramel apple cider {Catz & MrC}…worked on insurance stuff {way too long}…drank Virgil’s root beer {yum}…had home church…watched crazy cat rodeos…typed a book review for mentoring {me}…watched “War of the Worlds”…baked and ate monster cookies…went to mentoring group {me}…prayed…ate…slept.

Yeah, I think that covers most of it.  This is the first time that we haven’t been sick during the weeks surrounding Christmas. It’s been a blessing! Well, I’m off to enjoy some more family time while Hubby is on vacation…woo-hoo!  Hope you enjoy the rest of 2009, too!

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Christmas Funnies

December 31, 2009 Leave a Comment

That title above might be a bit misleading…sorry ’bout that.  I’m not referring to the funnies as in “the funny pages”.  In this post I’m going to point you in another direction.

Seeing as my foursome are still on an extended Christmas break, I’m a bit too busy to post in great detail every day. 

Okay…truth is, I’m feelin’ lazy. Happy?  But I love a good laugh and especially love sharing laughs with others, so until my funny bone gets back in gear you might like reading about the cat, the lizard, or the squirrels.

In any event, hope you enjoy the rest of 2009!

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