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.