Happy Day Before Christmas

Christmas. The season of happiness and cheer. Of family and festivities. That's what many say Christmas is all about, right?

The truth is, Christmas isn't always a happy time. I'm not referring to the "stress of the season" because we are oh so busy with baking and shopping and parties. I'm talking about sadness, tragedy, heartbreak. The Christmas season is not devoid of these things.

Last year my ex-husband J's brother was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in early December. Long before Covid became a thing, his family was dealing with this terrible news. They tried everything: surgery, chemo, radiation, rehab. None of it worked. They gave him months to live. His family prayed for a miracle, and he lived longer than the doctors expected, but on October 15 he succumbed to the cancer. He would have turned 49 the following month.

Two months prior to his passing, Grandma was told her kidneys were not functioning well and she would need to go on dialysis immediately. She refused. Her emotional pain was so great that she declared if her son died she wanted to die as well. Her five remaining children begged her to go for treatment. Brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, all tried to reason with her. She would not have it. She'd lost her mother 5 years ago, her sister 2 years later, and her husband of 59 years in September 2019. All these she'd managed as best she could, but the impending death of her son was more than she could bear. She gave up.

On December 16 I got a call from J. He was in hysterics. His mother was dying. I asked what was going on but all he could tell me was that, since the death of his brother, all his mother talked about was dying. I had to calm him down because he was absolutely frantic. After talking with his cousin, I found out Grandma had been taken to the hospital the previous week because her liver was functioning at 4% and she had sepsis. They began dialysis immediately, but it appears it was too little too late. Over the weekend she suffered 1-2 strokes (not sure how many, conflicting reports) and then a minor heart attack. At one point she coded and was revived, but never regained consciousness. The oldest daughter was asked if they should revive her again if she had another episode, and she told them no. There was no knowing if she had brain damage or how much. They again hoped for a miracle, knowing full well it didn't look good.

On December 21 they extubated her. She passed away in the hospital near midnight on December 22. J and his family are devastated. They lost their brother just two months ago, and now they lost their mother three days before Christmas. My kids are very sad as well, because they've lost their grandmother and because they know how much their dad is hurting.   

Despite the sadness and tears (and I've shed many), I can say there is still joy this Christmas. Not happiness; happiness is a product of our circumstances, and these don't warrant any happy feelings right now. But there is joy. Joy is a product of the Holy Spirit, and surpasses our circumstances. It's the joy of knowing this life, filled with disappointments and heartache, is not all there is. It's the joy of a Savior that came down from His comfortable home in heaven to reside among us (Matthew 1:23). He did it because He knew we needed saving, and He was willing to take the punishment for our sins (Philippians 2:6-11). We have joy because we have hope beyond the troubles of this world, and that hope comes from the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) whose promises are true. 

Loss teaches us to appreciate what we have and those we've had. It reminds us to look at those around us and hug them tighter, cherish them more fully. No, I can't say I'm happy today. But I have much to be thankful for despite my unhappiness. I hope you have happiness this Christmas, but if you don't, I hope you know the joy of the Lord.   

The Week In Review

It's been a week of ups and downs. That's fine if you like roller coasters. Me, not so much.

Monday we were awaken at 5:35 am to the police at my front door. Apparently, they'd received an "anonymous" call stating that there was furniture being moved around in my house and the sounds of a domestic disturbance. Both my son E and I were asleep and there was absolutely no sound coming from my home. I had to explain that my neighbor continuously accuses me falsely of making noises when in fact he is the one making all the noise. Thankfully, one of the officers has come on several occasions whenever my neighbor has called, and said the complaints have been determined to be unfounded. Nevertheless it was unnerving, especially considering what was coming up later that day. 

My son E had his dental appointment to remove his wisdom teeth that afternoon at 2:00. I am so incredibly thankful for the group of women in my Bible study class who prayed for my son's surgery. Everything went well, and while he was in a tremendous amount of pain that first day, it has lessened to the point where he is no longer in any pain. There is still some swelling inside his mouth which prevents him from chewing anything too hard, but he is able to eat. Good thing too - the medicines he is on (antibiotics and anti-inflammatory) make him sick to his stomach if he doesn't have any food in his system.

Sadly, just before we left for the dentist, I received a frantic call from my ex-husband J. His mother is dying. Back in October, J's brother succumbed to a brain tumor that was first detected in December of last year. Surgery, chemo, radiation, all tried but none worked.  He was a month shy of his 49th birthday. It was an extremely painful time for the family, but none suffered more than his mother. She had been told just a couple of months before that her kidneys were starting to fail (she is diabetic) and she would have to start dialysis. She refused. Her children begged her to reconsider, but she said if her son died she wanted to die as well. I believe that, having lost her husband in September of last year and finding out her son was dying of cancer, while her daughter had a double mastectomy in July, was too much for her and she was suffering from severe depression. At 77, her body can only take so much. Late last week she was vomiting and couldn't hold any food down. Her oldest daughter took her to the doctor, who told them her liver was only working at about 4% and she needed to go to the emergency room. Once in the hospital she was put on dialysis, but within a couple of days she suffered two strokes and a mini heart attack. As of today she is on a respirator, her vitals are stable but she is in a coma, and doctors don't know how much brain damage she's suffered or if there is any brain activity at all. She has been completely unresponsive since the strokes. The family is devastated. It's easy to say that the cause is her kidneys or the diabetes or the strokes or heart attack, but I believe she is dying of a broken heart. It has broken my own heart; no one can understand her pain unless they've experienced it themselves. We are all praying for a miracle, or for the Lord to take her away from her suffering. 

I did some more Christmas shopping on Friday, just last minute items and stocking stuffers. I was happy to go out. My neighbor left his tv set blasting from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm in his bedroom (which is directly below my master bedroom). While it's easy enough for me to close the bedroom door and not have to listen to it, I knew it would be the prelude to more harassment. I was right.

Saturday he got up at 10:30 am and began randomly punching the walls. I ignored it. Then around noon, he began blasting the tv set in his bedroom again while punching the walls. I was able to record him on my phone, then I called the police. My son needed to take his math test and he needed a quiet room to take the test in. My bedroom usually fits the bill, but with all that racket it was impossible. The police came, heard the noise and the recording, then tried to talk to him. Again he blamed me, said I was the one making all the noise, then told them I'm attacking him because he's Jewish. I had no idea he was Jewish. The man has a life size Buddha outside his front door; why would I think he was Jewish? Even his last name isn't Jewish. Once again, the Lord opened the eyes of the police and the sergeant recognized that the man is suffering from mental illness. He told me they would be investigating him to see why there are so many reports and complaints against him.

I'm so thankful for the gift my son R gave me for my birthday.

Monday morning I installed the Ring video doorbell beside my front door. It's been working like a charm. It allows me to see what is going on without having to run downstairs which is a huge blessing. 

And that brings us to today. We got home just a little while ago from having lunch with my daughter and son-in-law. They took me out today because tomorrow is my birthday. I didn't want my daughter to rush home from work to take me out to dinner, so instead we went out today. We had a lovely and pleasant afternoon walking around the mall after lunch and enjoying the gorgeous weather that December brings to South Florida. I am thankful that the Lord has seen fit to grant me another year with my loved ones. I pray that this next year I can live even more for Him, glorifying the Savior for all that He has done.

Have a blessed week y'all!

Recipe Time: Turkey Brine

I know Thanksgiving is over. We are in full Christmas mode. I also know some people like to have turkey again on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. I personally love turkey, but I've had turkey that falls short in the taste department. A dry turkey is not a yummy turkey. Years ago I learned about brining whenever I was watching Alton Brown on Good Eats. I did tweak his brine recipe a bit. That's what I love about doing things myself instead of pre-bought; I can modify it to my liking. This is how I make my brine. Feel free to tweak it to your liking, too.

Ingredients:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon (4 quarts) vegetable or chicken stock

1 tbsp. black peppercorns

1/2 tbsp. allspice berries

1/2 tbsp. ginger root

Several sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme

1 gallon ice water

I want to make clear that you want kosher salt and not table salt or iodized salt. There is a big difference. 

I typically use the Costco brand of chicken stock for my brine, but they were out. Instead I got the Swanson chicken stock which is also very good.

I used a total of nine cans and washed the lids thoroughly.

The rest of the ingredients are about flavoring the brine. The kosher salt is essential; everything else is pretty much about personal taste. I like adding fresh herbs to my brine but dried herbs would work as well. The brown sugar gives it a hint of sweetness, while the ginger root gives it some bite. 

Combine all the ingredients except for the ice water in a large stockpot, and bring to a boil. 

Stir to dissolve the solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Late the night before cooking, combine the brine and ice water in a clean five gallon bucket or a brining bag (you can find them on Amazon). Place your thawed turkey breast side down in the brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in a cool area for 6-8 hours.

Next day, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse inside and out with cold water, pat the bird dry with paper towels, and it's ready for your next step. Don't forget to discard the brine. I like to smother my turkey with herbed butter for flavor. I also roast my turkey in an oven bag, though I've done it without the bag and it's still delicious. You don't need to add salt and pepper to your turkey because the meat absorbed it from the brine. What you will have is a moist, flavorful turkey that is always a hit. It's really that simple! I hope you give it a try.

Preparing The House For Christmas

While I don't go as overboard as I used to do whenever my kids were little, I still love and enjoy decorating my house for Christmas. It's a process that I've simplified over the years, especially now that my kids are grown. Funny enough, my youngest son tells me he misses the big production that was Christmas years ago. Still, I think he appreciates not only the amount of work that goes into decorating, but the beauty of a slightly more subtle Christmas. My hope is that, while making the home cozy and festive, we don't forget the true meaning of the season: Immanuel, God with us.

To start, I first had to take down all the fall decor that had been out since September.

It didn't seem like so much whenever I had it out around the house! I didn't even attempt to count the pumpkins - suffice it to say, there's a lot. Of course, there's more than just pumpkins here. This includes throw pillows, kitchen towels, outdoor decor and flower arrangements.

It's bittersweet to take the fall decor down (especially the pieces I picked up at Hobby Lobby just a week ago on clearance), but it was quickly replaced with the excitement of putting up the Christmas decor.

Next, furniture needed to be relocated.

One of my bookcases moved over to the wall separating the kitchen and the laundry area. This would make way for the Christmas tree. I like having the Christmas tree in front of the sliding glass door but not blocking our way out to the patio. I also like decorating the bookshelves, but if this is covered by the tree none of the decor can be appreciated.

In the master bedroom, I took out the armless chair that is part of the sectional and replaced it with the leather chair and ottoman. Again, this is to make way for the Christmas tree. I could potentially leave the chair in the living room, but it would make the room look crowded which I don't like. I draped a minty blue throw over the chair and added the lumbar pillow to soften the look.

My bed went from this:

To this:

Much as I love the pumpkin pillow I picked up from Costco this year, I do love this little pillow for Christmas/winter.

I got this from the Target dollar spot last year, I believe for $5. It's super cute, but honestly I picked it up because the colors were perfect with my bedroom decor. The other side is plaid and can be used throughout the winter.

The poinsettias I found at Hobby Lobby look beautiful in this vase. I put them before I did anything else because I was dying to see how they looked, and I am thoroughly loving them.

I decided to put up whatever decor I had recently bought before bringing up the tubs with all my stuff. I found these plates at TJ Maxx and I love them so much I may never put anything else up here.

They have a winter scene, which means I can leave them up until the spring - which I fully intend to do.

I also put my new Costco and Hobby Lobby pillows on the sofa with my big green pillow that I got years ago from Target. It's exactly how I pictured it would look.

The next day began the intense decorating, along with some changes that eventually happen whenever I'm decorating my home. Come back, there's plenty more to come!

Christmas Decorating: The Garland

Decorating for Christmas used to be a four day affair. From morning to night for days after Thanksgiving all I would do was put up villages, vignettes, stuffed animals, light up Santas and snowmen, and figurines all around the house. I decorated the formal living room, dining room, family room and kitchen. It's a good thing I did little to nothing in the rest of the house; I might be decorating till after Christmas! I don't do near as much anymore, but what I do I thoroughly enjoy. 

I have decor from years past and a few new pieces as well. Some of the items are from the years that I sold Christmas Around The World and Kingdom Treasures. Both these companies did home parties similar to Tupperware. I probably did this for 10 years, and in that time I accumulated a vast amount of decorations. Many of these I no longer have; I knew coming into this house there would be considerably less space, and I wouldn't have a place to put most of it. Choosing what to keep wasn't a simple task; I loved pretty much everything I owned. Some items I couldn't part with, while others I couldn't decide so I kept them "just in case." I'll be posting my Christmas home decor and explaining what I did, why I did it, and if this look will continue in the future.

I was so thrilled to have stairs and a bannister to hang garland from. I decided not to decorate the bannister going up the stairs, just the rail at the top of the stairs. 

This garland is part of a collection from Christmas Around the World. I've had it for many years; House of Lloyd, the company that created Christmas Around the World, closed its doors in January 2002, so this garland is over 20 years old. The collection also included candlesticks, a decorative horn, and a wreath. The pieces are decorated with greenery, red velvet ribbon, and frosted fruits. If I recall correctly, it was part of the Victorian Christmas. This garland goes across the whole railing so the length is perfect. I attached it to the railing with twine so as not to scratch and damage the wood.

This also gives it a bit of a rustic feel, which is more in line with my decorating style.

It isn't a pre-lit garland, but I knew it needed some lights, so I picked up a strand from Hobby Lobby and added them to the garland to liven it up.

In the past I would hang our stockings from the fireplace, but now that we added another family member to the mix, there wouldn't be enough space on the fireplace for 6 stockings to fit comfortably. I also had the issue that, once filled, the stockings and stocking holders tended to fall of the fireplace. So this year I had an idea, and I love the way it looks.

All six stockings, hung with the same twine, fit perfectly and look so festive! There's one thing missing though; last year I decided it was time to retire the wreath that went with this collection. It pained me to get rid of it, but I had to accept the fact that it was looking the worse for wear. The fruits kept falling off, the ribbon had faded, much of the greenery had also fallen off and it didn't look as regal as it had once looked. 

As I put up the garland, I realized this is probably the last year I will use it as well. I fluffed it as best I could, but the ribbon isn't velvety anymore. It has done its job for these 20+ years, but it doesn't even fit my style anymore. I have a more rustic vibe going on in my home, and little by little I hope to transition some of my Christmas decor to reflect that. Not all of it, though. There are some items that will stay with me. Come back to see what else I've done! 

The Week In Review

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest weeks of the year in my house. Not only are we preparing a big feast, but Christmas decorating begins immediately after. This year was slightly different than most, and I'm sure the year 2020 will go down in history as the year when nothing was as it should be.

Ever since my kids were little, I decorated for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. To even insinuate that we could start decorating earlier was received with all manner of disapproval. Thanksgiving deserves our respect! Besides, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house, which meant putting out additional tables and chairs for the larger than usual group. Typically there were 25 of us, sometimes more. To put out  Christmas decorations in addition to everything else would create a cramped and uninviting space, which no hostess ever wants.

Fast forward to 2011. J and I had separated, and for the first time Thanksgiving was just the four of us: myself and my three kids. And it was so special. We ate, we played games, we watched movies. We told stories and laughed and had the best time, and we promised to keep Thanksgiving simple from then on. 

That's how we've done it since. In 2017 my (then) daughter's boyfriend C joined us. And this year we have the privilege of adding my new daughter-in-law AB to the family and to the Thanksgiving celebration. Yet even adding two new members to our family has kept our Thanksgiving small and intimate. This year is no exception - as a matter of fact, just about everyone kept Thanksgiving down to 10 people or less per CDC guidelines. I'm not upset about it either. For the first time in decades many families focused on thankfulness instead of shopping or football. 

There was one change to our yearly tradition, one that I felt was unavoidable. I put up the Christmas tree the Monday before Thanksgiving. The reason for this is simple: my daughter and son-in-law planned a trip to Georgia for the Thanksgiving weekend, and she asked me to sit my grand-dog Kuzco. He's an absolute cutie, and a good, quiet dog, so I said yes. The only problem is, he follows me around everywhere. I knew putting up the tree while he was underfoot would be next to impossible, and I didn't want to wait till they got back to do it. So instead, I broke with tradition and put it up early. 

Step one was to move one of the bookcases over to a different wall so the tree could go in front of the sliding glass doors in the living room.

 Right between the kitchen and master bedroom entryway is the perfect spot. 

Step two, put the tree together. We have an artificial tree thanks to our allergies. 

I've had this tree since 2004; it originally was pre-lit but the lights went out years ago. I was going to replace the tree several years ago but oh my word, trees are expensive!! I got this tree on a Black Friday sale for just $114. It's a 7.5 foot tree, very full and beautiful. My daughter and youngest son did me the enormous favor of removing the old lights so I could keep the tree, and here it is 16 years later. 

It was my intention to take pictures as I decorated the tree, but I ran into a slight snag. I would buy the regular clear lights every year from Walmart or Target, and every year I had to replace a few strands because the lights would go out. The box of lights is only about $3 but if you have to replace some of them every year they really aren't such a good deal. I bought the Costco LED lights this year because they have a 5 year warranty. I got four boxes, figuring I'd add these to my existing lights and replace as those went out. I started with the LED lights to see how they look, and oh my! This picture doesn't do them justice. They are pure white, the brightest lights I've ever had on a Christmas tree. They're gorgeous! I put up all the LED lights but as this is a 7.5 foot tree and I had only 400 lights it wasn't enough. So I got the clear lights from my stash. There were four strands, one of which only half the lights worked. I grabbed one of the strands and started putting it on the tree. To my horror, I realized these older clear lights looked yellow next to the pure white LED lights. It was absolutely awful! I had to drop everything and run to Costco where thankfully they still had boxes of lights and I picked up a couple more. It was worth it, though. My candy cane tree makes me smile all day long.

The next few days were Thanksgiving focused. I brined and roasted the turkey, made the dressing the night before, got up early Thursday morning to make the chocolate pudding pie and put the turkey in the oven, then made mashed potatoes and crescent rolls. My daughter made sweet potato casserole and a pumpkin pecan bread, and my oldest son and daughter-in-law brought cornbread and cookies. There was lots of food (and leftovers!). We had a great time together visiting. 

While they were all here, my oldest son gave me my birthday gift. My birthday isn't till next month, but since he won't be here he decided to give it to me early. Not to be undone by their older sibling, my other kids also gave me their presents. 

My youngest son E gave me a gift off of my Amazon wishlist:

I saw one of my favorite YouTubers, Mandy in the Making, using one of these rotating graters. I immediately added it to my wishlist! I'm not the biggest fan of pre-shredded cheese, but shredding by hand is no fun either. This takes the hard work out of shredding cheeses and vegetables. I'm so excited to use it!

My daughter knows my love of Disney so she indulged me with this:

Isn't it sweet?! I'll show off better when I post my Christmas home decor tour. 

My oldest son surprised me with something I've wanted for awhile. 

I was floored! My doorbell stopped working for I don't know what reason, and I wanted to get one of these video doorbells so I don't have to run downstairs whenever someone is at the door to see who it is. I haven't set it up yet because I have a four-legged shadow that goes nuts the minute I go near the front door, but I'm super excited to have this up and running!

The rest of the week was spent in decorating for Christmas and a small grocery shopping trip on Friday after my son R and his wife left for Central Florida where they live. I'll do a separate post on all the Christmas decorating because, as per usual, it's a lot! Have a blessed week y'all.

Recipe Time: Chocolate Pudding Pie

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! It's the big day, and everyone is feeling thankful despite 2020 and all its mishaps. Many are having smaller than usual Thanksgiving Day festivities and keeping it simple. I'm glad; hopefully we'll stop focusing on football and Black Friday and start focusing on thankfulness and family. 

I want to share a quick and easy crowd pleasing dessert: Chocolate Pudding Pie. I can't take credit for this one; it's off the book Quick Fixes From Brand Name Mixes. It's also a recipe that's probably all over Pinterest. Some call it pudding pie; this book calls it Creamy Chocolate Pie. Regardless of the name, it takes just a few minutes to put together and stick in the fridge, and on a day like today where there's so much going on, simple is often the best way to go.

To make this pie you will need:

1 3/4 cups cold milk (I use Lactaid 2% but any milk will do)

2 pkgs. chocolate or chocolate fudge pudding mix, the 4 serving size

1 tub Cool Whip (or in my case, Great Value whipped topping. It's all the same)

1 pie crust - graham cracker or chocolate flavored, your choice

That's all you need. You might even have these things in your cupboard, but if you don't they're easy to find in your grocery store. Let's put it together.

Step 1: Pour your milk into a large mixing bowl.

Add your pudding mixes and beat with a wire whisk. You can use your mixer if you prefer, but I didn't want to dirty more than I had to.

Get it as smooth as you can, but keep in mind it's gonna be thick.

Fold in the whole tub of Cool Whip or whatever whipped topping you're using. If you have the time you can make some homemade, but this is supposed to be quick and easy.

It'll look kind of like a chocolate mousse whenever you're done. Avoid the temptation to eat it straight out of the bowl.

Instead, as a special treat (and because it's Thanksgiving) get yourself an Oreo pie crust. I found this one at Walmart for just $2.00. Again, you can make your own, but why?

Spoon the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out. I like to put a dollop of the filling right in the middle as a decoration, but you can line the top with Oreo pieces, chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, anything you like. Once again, keeping it simple here. Once you're done, put it in the fridge to set.

Keep in mind that this pie needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours to properly set. Overnight is best. It took me all of 10 minutes to grab all the ingredients, make the filling, put it all together, and clean up. And what did it cost? Like I said, the pie crust was $2.00. The Jello pudding boxes were $.98 each, and the whipped topping was $.82. I already had the milk on hand, so I spent a grand total of $4.78 to make the boys in my family very happy. And they are worth every penny and then some. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

The Week In Review

I'm so far behind on my week in review post! I think I'll blame Thanksgiving and all the preparation for the upcoming holidays. So many distractions!

On Monday I went to TJ Maxx to see about some bottlebrush trees for my Christmas village. I'd seen some at Hobby Lobby but I wanted to see if I could find them cheaper anywhere else. I'd already confirmed that Amazon had them but for more than double the price. No bottlebrush trees, but I did find this:

I have been wanting a floor lamp for ages, but they are pretty expensive. I'd found one on Amazon for $86 but it was out of my budget for that month. I waited till the next month, when the price rose to $130! No thanks. I waited again to see if the price would drop, but it never did. I saw another one at Target that I liked, but it was $119, still more than I wanted to spend. As I went around TJ Maxx, I spotted this lamp all by itself, with no price tag anywhere. When I inquired, I was told it was $69.99. I knew that price was way better than anything I'd seen anywhere else, but there was a bonus: Mondays are Senior days at TJ Maxx, and I could get an additional 10% off my purchase. So this lovely came home with me for $62.99! It is a perfect addition to my office.

I spent the week cleaning and preparing for Thanksgiving, while at the same time placing orders for Christmas presents. As soon as they come in, they get wrapped and hidden. I've got a neat little stash, but there's still more to go.

Another thing I've been doing is applying to jobs. I haven't worked since we moved to the new house. My old job was part-time, and since I live about 45 minutes from my old digs, it didn't make sense to keep working there. It was my intention to start looking for work once we were settled in this house. Then a pandemic hit. I've put off looking for work but I really can't anymore. Of course there isn't a whole lot out there, and there's a lot of people looking for work. I'm leaving this in God's hands; He has always come through for me, and I know He will come through again.

Friday was grocery shopping day, and time to get everything I needed for Thanksgiving. I took my weekly trip to Walmart with shopping list in hand.

I'm making the Pioneer Woman's Green Beans which are my favorite, so I bought a big bag of fresh green beans. The chocolate pudding, Oreo pie shell and Cool Whip are for a chocolate cream pie, the boys' favorite. I also got potatoes for mashed potatoes, fresh herbs for the dressing, and yes, a jar of turkey gravy. I'm perfectly capable of making gravy, but with so much food to make, I'll take a shortcut here and there. This is one of them.

There were regular groceries to get as well. Most of it was salad fixings and fruit. As I run out of stuff I like to pick up whatever else I need.

I didn't buy the turkey till Sunday. I don't have a lot of freezer space and I didn't want to try and stuff a big turkey in there (pun intended). I always get my turkey from Publix, and I was so glad to see them at $.49/lb. I got a nice 15+ pounder for under $8. While I was there, I also picked up some sweet tea because Publix sweet tea is the closest to homemade I've ever had. And yes, I'm perfectly capable of making sweet tea too. Shortcuts people, shortcuts. Besides, it was BOGO - can't pass that up!

Oh, and I went to get my hair cut on Saturday. I should have taken a selfie but I didn't think about it. Us older folks forget about those things because we didn't grow up with a phone attached to our hand. My hair was getting really long - it was all the way down to my shoulder blades. It's just on my shoulders now and I'm enjoying having it shorter. It grows like a weed so it won't be short for long.

And that was my week. I've started decorating for Christmas - can't wait to share that! Stay tuned!

Mid-Week Trip To Hobby Lobby

 One of my favorite areas to decorate is my Christmas village. I used to have a very elaborate village. It started near the front door, went around the corner till it reached the Christmas tree in the living room, then continued on as a gingerbread village in the dining room. Ah, those were the good ole days, when my house was decorated to the nines! I keep it much simpler now, partly because my kids are grown, and partly because it was a 4 day affair to get all the decorating done. I'm not about that life anymore. I still love to decorate; I just don't have the energy I had back then.

My Christmas village is smaller now, but I still want it to be special. I've been watching village tutorials on YouTube, and one of them mentioned using lots of trees to make the village look more realistic. I have trees, but I wanted to add even more. I'd seen a set of bottle brush trees at Hobby Lobby for $12.99, but since all the Christmas decor is 50% off it would be $6.49. Whenever I'm looking at something to buy, I try to compare prices to be sure I'm getting the best deal. I tried logging on to Amazon while I was in the store but I couldn't get a good connection. I decided to leave and check prices when I got home.

That was a week ago. Amazon's prices started at $13.99 with no discount. I went to Walmart but all they had were single trees that were $1 - $2 each. Target had nothing. TJ Maxx didn't either. Bottom line, Hobby Lobby had the best price. Period.

So, off I went to Hobby Lobby this morning, expecting to get 1) a set of bottle brush trees, and 2) a small Christmas tree for my entryway. That's it. I was determined not to spend more than $25 if I found anything else, but I didn't expect to find anything else. 

Well, I was partly right...

I found the bottle brush trees; they'd moved them from where they'd been originally and I almost had a crying fit, thinking they'd run out. It brings 7 trees and 2 small bushes, and they match the ones I already have. I also got the little Christmas tree for the entryway. It was $4.99 after the 50% discount.

I decided some lights would look cute on the tree, so I got a small box of fairy lights.

Lights are only 25% off, so the lights cost almost as much as the little tree. But I really think twinkly lights will make all the difference.

I walked around the store and looked at all the gorgeous Christmas decor, but I resisted getting anything else. I admired, I ooh'd and ahh'd, but I kept walking. I was strong. Till I got to the fall clearance section...

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm the self-proclaimed Queen of Clearance. There was no way I was gonna pass up these sweet deals.

I saw these eucalyptus stems whenever Hobby Lobby first put out their fall decor, but they were $9.99 each. Yes, everything was 50% off, but I had already picked out some fall goodies and I was at my budget max, so I'd left these behind. When I saw them again today in a bin marked 80% off, my heart skipped a beat. That's right, I paid $2 for each. I'm stoked y'all!

Then I spotted these beauties:

It is such a pretty bouquet! The original price was $14.99, but I snagged it for only $3. Three dollars y'all! And I knew exactly where I wanted it.

On the little wooden shelf in my entryway, I put this monogrammed pumpkin next to the plant that is always there. I decided some fall florals would be much nicer for this spot.

I put them in this yellow pitcher first. I liked it, but I didn't love it. They didn't fit properly in this pitcher. Besides, this pitcher gets used on our Thanksgiving table. I wanted these here on Thanksgiving day. I wondered what other vase I could use for my flower arrangement. Then, as I went up the stairs, I saw the answer.

I got this gray pitcher from Kirkland's several years ago. The color and size were perfect.

I love how it looks with the monogrammed pumpkin! I've found myself going downstairs a few times just to look at it. Yes, I like it that much.

This is what I see now when I walk in from the garage. It makes me smile. And did I mention? My total bill was $24.58. I kept right under budget. Yay me!

I realize my fall decor will only be out for another week or so, then Christmas decor goes up. But fall will come again, and I can always put these florals back up after Christmas for a short time. Meanwhile, I am going to keep enjoying my new bargains. 

The Week In Review

 You know the holidays are approaching when I keep thinking I want to get a post up on my blog but it doesn't happen. I like the busyness of the season but it can distract me and stress me out.

And this week has been stressful. After Tropical Storm Eta literally blew in from the Gulf, my allergies went into overdrive. It always happens after a big storm, especially one as windy as this one was. All the dust and tree debris gets blown everywhere, and even though we got massive amounts of rain, it wasn't enough to totally clean all the allergens out of the air. Hence I've been dealing with itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and worst of all, asthma. I'm feeling better today but the dry cough persists. Which is annoying whenever I go anywhere because anyone coughing gets people's attention. I want to scream out, "Y'all, it's not coronavirus okay?!"

On Tuesday I put up the shelves I'd bought the week before from Ross. The guest bathroom went from this:

To this:

And finally to this:

I haven't really decorated it because in a couple of weeks I'll begin decorating for Christmas so I wasn't too concerned about getting it perfect. 

By the way, I'm so excited to begin decorating for Christmas! Now that my oldest son is married I needed a stocking for my new daughter-in-law. I checked Amazon first but I didn't find anything I liked that didn't cost over $20 or came in a set of 4+ stockings. So instead I went to Hobby Lobby. They have such a good selection of all different styles, and right now everything is 50% off which is right up my alley. This is the stocking I settled on.

The stocking I have for my son R has a reindeer on it. I wanted something similar but this was the closest I could find. It's super cute, and was only $5. I thought about getting all matching stockings for the whole family but that would be an unnecessary expense in my opinion. I'd rather spend that money on gifts.

Since I was already at Hobby Lobby I looked around and found this very pretty poinsettia arrangement for $6.99.

It's kind of hard to see against the granite but it's white and gold, which I think will look beautiful in my bedroom.

I wanted to get a few more small picks for the Christmas tree. I like using them as fillers and to make the tree look a bit more realistic since our allergies don't allow for a real tree. These were just $.99 so I got 5 of them.

They're small pinecones and greenery that's flocked. My tree isn't flocked but I like adding some little accents like this.

Finally, I found the cutest little pillow:

I got a red and black buffalo check throw for the sofa last year, and I think this will look adorable with it. I wanted to see how it looked with my new Costco pillow as well:

I love it! Then I remembered: the big pillow in the back is reversible! So I tried that out too.

Now I'm really itching to start decorating! I'll have to see how the three pillows look against the red and black throw but this is just so stinkin' cute! 

I was looking at some tutorials for Christmas villages on YouTube. I'm wanting to up my village game this year. Miriam's Manner gave me some really good ideas for adding more snow to my village and how to put it on so it looks full and realistic, and I knew that's what I wanted to do. So I took a trip to my local Super Walmart because the artificial snow on Amazon was ridiculously expensive. I'm not paying $25 - $30 for fake snow. 

This value size bag of Buffalo Snow was $5. I've used it before and it lasts. I also got some snow flurries to sprinkle around for more effect. While I was there I did my grocery shopping and picked up a few more items for Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, I can make pie crusts. I've done it before. It's not rocket science. But when you've got a turkey to roast, plus mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, salad, crescent rolls...y'all, I will take shortcuts wherever I can! Boxed pie crusts it is, LOL! I'm thinking of making a pecan pie and maybe an apple pie. My boys will all want a chocolate pudding pie I'm sure. And the day after Thanksgiving I like making turkey pot pie. It's pie season y'all!

I also went ahead and bought the Stove Top stuffing mix. I'd gotten a couple of boxes of the Aldi's brand but even though it's pretty good, it doesn't compare to Stove Top. This twin pack box was $2.97, and the other boxes of stuffing will get eaten, trust me. We love us some dressing with our fried chicken.

Ladies bible study was on Friday. We studied the parable of the Great Banquet found in Matthew 22:1-14. It was an impactful study. This coming Friday is our last session, and I'm going to miss having this study time with my group.

Then Saturday our new church has a Friendsgiving day brunch for all the children's ministry volunteers. E and I had such a sweet time of fellowship! We both sat by ourselves because with our allergies we didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable if we sat near them and started coughing or sneezing. Well, a couple of ladies came and sat with us and we had some uplifting conversations with them. It was like God was showing us that this is where He wants us right now, and I'm thankful for the confirmation.

That was my week! I hope y'all had a blessed week as well. This coming week is Thanksgiving prep. I'm so excited!