Ideas to Make the Season More Festive

Here are some tried and true methods for making the season more festive and less stressful. (At least they work for me.)

1. Make Peppermint Whipped Cream. It adds a little oomph to your coffee in the morning. For extra punch add some cocoa to your coffee and make a mocha.

2. Make Cookies/Marshmallows. I have to make my Soft Gingerbread cookies every year. Well I have for the last 5 or 6 years. So I'm making it a tradition.

3. Sing Christmas Songs at the top of your lungs. Nothing chases the Grinch away like a silly reindition of the 12 Days of Christmas

4. Avoid the lines for Santa by going first thing in the morning on a week day. This is the only reason my kids have seen Santa or the Easter Bunny. I REFUSE to wait in line for hours for this.

5. Add glitter, sequins or lights to everything. Some pine garland/tree/wreaths don't hurt either.

6. Watch the cheesy Christmas Movies on Lifetime, Oxygen, or the numerous re-tellings of The Christmas Carol. Just keep in mind that some of those movies would seem really creepy if it wasn't for the Christmas sheen on everything. Ghost comes back to visit and help you see things differently? Horror story. Woman gets a kids Santa letter asking for a new mommy by mistake. She takes it as a sign to inject herself into the family. Another horror story. Fiance dumps you just before the holidays, so you hire an actor to pose as your soul mate, you fall in love with said actor after a weekend and end up spending your life together? A bit over the top. But all of these make sense during Christmas.

7. Enjoy the parties. Especially those with the White Elephant gift  exchange. Nothing like a silly random gift to make things more hilarious. Plus you can get rid of the shit you didn't want in the first place. Or the Christmas Chamber Pot you got at last years White Elephant party. (No, I didn't get it, but it's been re-gifted around the office for years. It's kind of a tradition now.)

8. Reduce your gift buying list by having a dinner out with whomever, siblings, family, friends, after the new year. It'll make the season less stressful because you'll be spending less. And then you have something fun to look forward to in the next coming months. Plus, you don't have to clean your house this way. ;) More time for cheesy movies and cookie making.

9. Enjoy all the "BIG" warm, snuggly sweaters. This is the time to cover up all those love handles, bumps, and extra you that you've suddenly ended up with (from the cookies and marshmallows) and no one can tease you for it. Cause they're usually in them too.

10. Just breathe. Remember it'll all be over in a few weeks.

Stuff - Good and Bad

Let's start with the bad.

So I’ve had a rough couple of weeks since I last posted. Squeaker gave himself a black eye and  fell down the stairs. (He’s okay!) Angel Baby has been more of “Demon Baby” with her whining and new potty issues. Why she has to constantly pee on her panties is beyond frustrating. I bruised a toe pretty badly and just last Sunday, I fell on the stairs. Well slipped down a few stairs and landed on my butt. So yesterday, I had a very sore coccyx. (Hubs was so hilarious when I mentioned it. “You said cock. Hee hee. Apparently, I’m married to a 12 year old. And we all had a really horrible stomach flu thing that stuck around for a full week. I’m happy to say that I lost a few pounds, but come on. There has to be an easier way.

Good news: my office’s holiday party is tomorrow. I can’t wait to go and have fun. I get to run the White Elephant and it’s always such a blast to see what present everyone fights over. 

Other great things? I’m almost done Christmas shopping. I only have my Mom and Step-Dad and Dad and Step-Mom left for buy Christmas gifts. However, I still have to get Hubs something for his birthday. Other than that it’s just wrapping and finishing up the gifts that I’m making. 

Yet more great things? I participated in the Holiday Mix Tape Swap that Meagan, Sara and Meghan were hosting.

I was matched up with Christine at A day in the life... We sent a few emails back and forth about what music we both liked/were looking for. She did a great job on my tape. It was great! Lots of oldies, newbies, and some that I've never heard before. 

1.       Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Mariah Carey

2.       Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Dean Martin & Martina McBride

3.       I’ll Be Home for Christmas - Elvis & Carrie Underwood

4.       Silent Night - Sarah McLachlan

5.       My Grown Up Christmas List - Kelly Clarkson

6.       It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Harry Connick Jr.

7.       The Christmas Song - Peggy Lee

8.       Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Michael Bublé

9.       White Christmas - Bing Crobsy & Frank Sinatra

10.   Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Christina Aguilera

11.   Jingle All the Way - Lena Horne

12.   Shake Up Christmas - Train

13.   It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Norah Jones

14.   Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong & the Commanders

15.   It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas - Harry Connick Jr.

16.   Blue Christmas - Elvis & Martina McBride

17.   Jingle Bells - Michael Bublé & The Puppini Sisters

18.   Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

19.   Winter Wonderland - Dean Martin

20.   Joy to the World - David Archuleta

21.   Satariffic - Harry Connick Jr.

22.   All I want for Christmas is You - Michael Bublé

23.   It Ain’t Christmas - Joe

24.   Holly Jolly Christmas - Faith Hill

      I highlighted my top faves from the playlist in Green. Also, I have to say that in perusing all the other mix tape playlists I found out about a great group. Pentatonix. They are AMAZING!!! I had to go and buy their Christmas album on iTunes. If you haven't heard of them. Check them out here. 

      

     

Saturday Night Live

So I've been keeping up with Saturday Night Live this season and there have been a lot of hits and misses. Well I have to admit this last epsiode had some major hilarity in it. I couldn't stop laughing at the Legend of Mokiki. It just reminds me of all the stupid dance crazes that have hit lately and it just revels in it's idiocy and lameness.



And how awesome was Anne's monologue...well singolouge rather.



Though I'm missing Stefan. Every time Weekend Update comes on, I eagerly anticipate a Stefan appearance.



Of course, my favorite is the names of the places and when Bill Hader starts laughing and is trying to cover it up. Who's with me on the Stefan thing. LOVE HIM!!!

Cruise + Halloween Follow Up + Contest Shoutout

I'm back to my smiling, ash blond, no black eyeliner self today. Happy and content with another Halloween past. Granted, I would have liked to have been able to go to a Halloween party. But when your Hubs doesn't really care about Halloween and he schedules a TON of stuff on the weekends around it. Yeah. I'm not able to go to any parties.

Though to be fair last weekend, I was in Cozumel. So I guess I'll take that over being here and freezing.

On to Halloween. The Chillin's had a blast with Halloween. Squeaker didn't go trick or treating since he was out with his Amma at the time when we had to go out. Plus it was cold and wet and I didn't want to have to subject him to that anyway.

Angel Baby made out like a bandit. She got all sorts of candy. And even a king size candy bar! I bet that house won't ever get egged or tp'ed. Like ever.

Aren't they the cutest?

And as for contest shoutout. Lisa over at A Southern Belle Misplaced in Michigan is having a giveaway. She is an amazing stitcher and I'm impressed with her output of stuff. Really you should go check out her blog. Incredible.

Happy Halloween!!!

BOO!

Mustachioed Fun

So Amber over at Chronicles of Amber, sent me a mustache in my Halloween Swap box. Yes I know I've mentioned her in my last post. She's awesome. If you didn't already know that. And I promised her a pic of me in all my mustachioed glory. So for everyone in my corner of the blogosphere...

Now that I've thoroughly made an idiot of myself. Here's to a Fun and Silly Pre-Halloween/Samhain week.

Let's see some costumes posted. What are you going as? Me? I'm a Fall Fairy or a Greek Goddess. It'll depend on the weather here in MI. I'll post pics of Angel Baby and Squeaker after Halloween. But they're going as a Queen and Yoda.

Spooktacular Swap - Swag Time!

So as some of you may know, I joined in on the Spooktacular Halloween Swap hosted by Sara of Sara's Organized Chaos and Jamie of This is Me; Consequently. Well, I lucked out majorly and got the Bomb Diggity of all Swap Partners!!!! Amber of Chronicles of Amber.

You can all see the Spooktacular spookiness of my Swap stuff from her.

There were three additional boxes of candy. Peanut M&M's, Chewy SweeTarts, and a box of Mike and Ike's Berry candy. As you can see, I've mowed my way through three boxes of candy already. Eeek!

The Day of the Dead sugar skull pendant is really cute. In fact, I'm wearing it today!

It kind of reminds me of Ded Bob of the Ded Bob Sho at the Michigan Renaissance Festival.

And if you don't know who Ded Bob is. Check out his site. If you go to the main site. The password is "Hey what?"

I hope you are all enjoying the Halloween/Samhain season. I know I sure am! I watched Prometheus the other day. Nothing too freaky. Not Event Horizon type of shit or anything. (Though that was a great movie!) But it was a good prologue to Alien. The end of the movie was kind of a set up for another prologue type of movie. Kind of a sequel prologue. Prometheus as evidenced from the title was more about mythology and spirituality. Where do we come from? Why are we here?

Now that I've hijacked my own Swap post for a movie review, I'll call it quits here.

Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season. And I hope my fellow Swap participants got some sweet and spooky stuff!

School Buses

School Buses.

I swear this is what my Angel Baby thinks of school buses right now. I don't get it. She's never had a problem before. We live near a school and she sees them all the time. But within the last week, she's suddenly had this epiphany that school buses are out to get her. Apparently when the Hubs drops her and Squeaker off at my Sis-in-Law's in the morning, if they see a school bus she loses it!!!

We'll have to get to the bottom of it. Though who knows what goes on inside the mind of a three year old.

Shower

My Hubs and I have a standard size shower in our bathroom. Nothing major right? Well apparently my Hubs has decided, within the last year and a half, that our shower head needs to be constantly moved up. Mind you, we've lived in this house for almost four years.

So, picture this. I'm 8 months pregnant with Squeaker and I want to take a shower. No problem. I noticed though when I got in that the water was spraying at the opposite wall of the shower.

THE WALL people. Now really?!?!?!

So I adjust it. Proceed to shower and think nothing else on it. Other than my husband has suddenly lost his mind. I mention it to him. He says he usually moves it, he just forgot to put it back. Whatever. Fine. Then he and Angel Baby leave. So I go upstairs to finish getting ready. I take a step into the bathroom, barefoot of course, and I almost bite it. I had to do this crazy, kung fu, yoga type move not to fall on my ass. Cause, hello! I don't want to hurt the baby that's currently taking up residence in my womb.

I pulled my twat people.

I kid you not. I didn't even know you could do that. But, I'm here to tell you, that yes, yes you can.I yell at mention it, to The Hubs and he says he won't do that again.

Famous last words.

Not only has it been an issue since then. But last fall we noticed a brown spot on the ceiling of the living room.Turns out that the water on the floor, leaked through the tile and then the floor boards and finally through the dry wall of the ceiling.

So now, how do we solve the issue? Maybe by being more cognizant of where the shower head is directed?

Nope.

We have to have a hand towel on the floor by the tub so that it can sop up all the water from the shower.

I guess the good thing is that now there isn't water on the floor, so no more slip and slide bathroom time.

Crazy Wonderful Weekend

So this weekend left me exhausted and happy. Which I guess, is better than just exhausted.

I helped out my chapter, as you can see from my previous post. They got some great women at the end of everything. But I had to tap out early on Saturday morning. Yes, Saturday morning. 1:45am to be exact. The poor women probably had another two hours or so left. Ugh. But I think I may have thought of some little things to help streamline the process for next year!!! YAY!!!

Then to Angel's dance class at 10am. (A very worn out Momma here.) Then back home, grab all our stuff for the afternoon and night, and the dog. Then up to my Mom and Step-dad's for my brother's Wedding reception.

I was so excited to see my bro and my new sis-in-law!!! She's an amazing woman and I think they are going to make each other incredibly happy. (And I think they're going to start trying for a little one sooner, rather than later!!! Yay! More family babies, that I don't have to have!!!! Woohoo!!!!

Then home yesterday afternoon, for football and more sorority stuff. Wow, who'd have though advising would take up so much time. Luckily, the major amount of time, should be on the downswing. At least until elections in December.

So how was your weekend?

Sorority Recruitment Madness

Seriously. It's amazing how some schools handle Formal Sorority Recruitment. Having helped out this year with my local chapter, it's amazing how much time and effort is required. Granted, it's been a few years (cough, cough...decade) since I went through. But OH. MY. GOD.

All I had to do was show up at the house. Put out drinks and occasionally food. Then after the party, clean up and put out fresh supplies for the next party.

Not rocket science.

But when the parties start at 7pm and don't finish until 11:30 or so some nights? Yeah, I'm tappin' out at 9:45/10.

I give the actives a TON of credit for what they do. Talking to over 1100 women over six days of parties already. And they've talked to some of the potential women three times already. Eesh! And I thought recruitment with 40 potentials was tough. Psshhhh, that was a drop in a bucket!

Luckily tonight is the last night of parties. We have four Preference parties tonight. And following that, Bid Day on Sunday, which, I don't have to attend. Whew!

Though to be fair, if I was still 19-23, single and no kids. I think I could hang with the best of them. But now, I'm an old fart and want to be in bed by 10:30. (Honestly a little earlier than that wouldn't hurt either.) 

Enjoy your weekend and for some fun Sorority Movie recommendations*:

1. Legally Blonde - Classic by now
2. Sorority Wars - Cheesy, but a decent movie
3. House Bunny - Hilarious with a heart of gold!
4. Pumpkin - Sweet story. Kinda subversive though.
5. Revenge of the Nerds - More Greek than specifically sorority.
6. Animal House - Again more Greek.

*Note - All these movies have some grain of truth to them, but keep in mind they are no where near to how things really are in a Greek organization.

Kick in the Ass

So I've obviously not been posting. I was happy in just reading/stalking all of my favorite blogs. But Sara from Sara's Organized Chaos is having a swap. I LOVE swaps. But alas, can't enter because I haven't been actively blogging. So I guess, it's just the kick in the pants I need to figure out what to write. It's crazy how easy it is to slip out of practice of doing it. Honestly, I just haven't felt that there's been anything post-worthy.

Though, come to think of it.

Pros:
* Squeaker turned one last week. Where has the year gone? My little man is almost walking already. Eesh.
* Angel Baby has finished up her first year of dance and has started her SECOND year. Double eesh.
* I've started my second year of advising for my sorority.
* The Hubs and I are doing amazingly better than we were a year ago. Of course, when I'm not the size of a house and either incubating a child or recovering from giving birth to said child, it's pretty easy to feel all romantical and sexy.
* My brother is getting married to a wonderful, beautiful and charming woman that I'm so excited to call my sister. 
* Finally had my job reclassified. So I got a bump up in pay. And I'm actually working in grade instead of above it.
* Have a cruise planned for just me and the Hubs in October.
* I initiated into my Circle in April.

Cons:
* LUPEC is on hiatus until January.  I need a girls night out like a junkie needs his next fix.
* I've been lax in my cross-stitch project. And I'll have to put it on hiatus and start a new one soon. (Gift for Christmas)
* I haven't lost as much weight as I wanted to. But then again, when have I ever? I'll get there. It's just taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R!!!
* I  haven't had much chance to go to ritual lately. And won't be able to go to Samhain either (due to the cruise). Hopefully, I'll get to go to Yule.
* After LetterMo I really dropped off the Letter Writing Wagon. I hope to get caught up soon with all my pen-pals.

That's really all I can think of right now. So I guess when you put everything together, the pros outweigh the cons. And that's all you can really ask for isn't it?

Well? What's new with you?

Gotye - Somebody that I Used to Know

I'm seriously addicted to this song. I just hear it and can't stop thinking of Peter Gabriel.

"The TALK"

A co-worker shared this with me and I just had to share it with all of you.

Salty Language Podcast

5. Douchebag / Hoe-bag
4. Shit
3. Prick
2. Twat
1. FUCK! or any derivative of it, even multiplicating it. Such as "Fuckity, fuck, fuck." or in this gem here:



This is my top 5 favorite curse words.

Why am I posting them? Well, to let you all know what they are. Plus, I want to pimp out my friends at the Salty Language Podcast. They did their top 5 curse words in the last episode. They also do movie reviews, and hilarious and pointed commentary on the stupid fucks of the world! And of course, they would love it if you weren't a stupid fuck and checked them out. You can find them at one of the places below.

Salty Language on:

Facebook
Libsyn
Twitter
Tumblr
iTunes

or email them at saltylanguage@gmail.com

Proper Mug Utilization for the Home & Office

In case you forgot how to use a mug, the helpful people over at The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild have come up with an instructional video.



Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Blog vs. Real Life Disconnect

I talk about things that I’m passionate about to my IRL friends. And they just look at me blankly. I talk about LetterMo and how it’s modeled after NaNoWriMo. And They look at me like, “What language was that?” I never realized how odd it is that I blog. And maybe it isn’t odd. It’s just that the people I talk to on a regular basis don’t blog, don’t journal, don’t write letters, don’t DO a lot of the same things I do.

And that’s FINE! I love all my IRL friends. I just have to remember that they may not be interested, or need more clarification, explanation, whatever.

It’s just amazing to me that not everyone has this deep need to get their words out. I get this feeling, that I have to get out what’s in my head, heart, soul in order to let go and move on. It’s almost like an itch that needs to be scratched. And I think why I’m so surprised is that in today’s society it’s common for people to put out their most inner thoughts on social media. Hell, what is Twitter if not blogging in microscopic form? But to ask someone to write more than 140 characters, they can’t comprehend it. It’s weird, to me at least.

It’s funny, my Mom always told me I’d make a great writer. I never really thought about it. And I never sat down and thought out a story, or plotline, or anything like that. But then I ran across an article online or something that said something to the effect of “Blogging is essentially published writing.” And that made me pause. Am I really a writer? Is this need to get stuff out of me, what Real Writers like Neil Gaiman and Juliet Blackwell feel? Only they have entire worlds to get out, I just have a rant, rave or some other nonsense.

Do any of my blog readers have the same feeling? Do you think of yourselves as writers? What do your IRL Non-Blogging friends think of your blog?

LetterMo

I started with GUSTO. But then, halfway into the month, I haven’t received a single letter. Well, I did get an email from the soldier I adopted, (I’ll explain in another post) and it’s to be expected, hell he’s in Afghanistan, he’s got better things to do than sit down and write a letter in longhand. And though I didn't post my mail address on there, I did post asking for people to send me a note on the side. And I've gotten two or three responses from that. But it seems as though the LetterMo forum has become yet another popularity contest; a sort of free-for-all swap meet when it comes to letters. Now, I know we all have our hobbies, writing, reading, watching movies, knitting, whatever. And when we find a group of like minded people our first (and probably most natural) inclination is to jump in and try to meet as many people as possible. Again, nothing wrong with it.

It’s just not for me.

I want pen-pals so I can form a connection. A deep connection that isn’t translatable to a post card or an art piece. Granted, they are always fun to receive. But I’m not going to send them, so it’s kind of one sided for people. And I don’t want to disappoint anyone. So, I don’t respond to the massive amounts of:

“Write me!”

“I’ll send you a post card to complete your collection.”

"Navigating these boards is too boring, I just want a massive list of addresses, so I can essentially send out a form letter, just in an artsy package."

I want to find a few people that I can have an amazing correspondence with; sort of a Best-Friend-in-the-Mailbox kind of thing. Instead I’m being shunted to the side because I’m not marching along to the same cadence as everyone else.

I’m sure I’ll find someone there that is interested in the same thing; a nice, thought out letter, specific to the person and their interests, a person more interested in the substance of the letter, rather than the number of items in the mailbox.

I've found a few prospects, we'll see if things progress.