Happy Homemaker Monday - 12/16/13

Good morning!

I said I wasn't going to do this for the rest of December because of being so busy but I have some time to kill this morning so I will.  Joining in with Sandra at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.  I will not be participating in this next week and will be going on a blogging and Facebook hiatus while I enjoy time with family.  My son and husband will both be on vacation and so I have decided to go on an internet vacation and give them all my full attention.  So I will go ahead and wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to finding more things to write about in the new year.  See y'all in 2014!

As I look outside my window::

Snow lays on the ground as well as some icy spots.  It's freezing outside this morning.  More snow in the forecast tomorrow.  Snow is pretty but I'm ready for it to be over.  

Right now I am::

Sitting on the couch watching the local news and drinking a cup of coffee.  Waiting for my little princess to wake up so we can get on with our day.  

Thinking and pondering::

About Christmas and all the shopping that needs to be done.  I hate being a last minute shopper but that's how it is every year.  We have only purchased a few things for the kids and that's it.  Terrible, isn't it?  Shopping for others is so hard.  I don't know what to get my parents or my husband's parents.  What do you get for people who already have everything they need?  

On my bedside table::

My Bible which I have to remember to pick up and read more often than I do.  Sometimes I just read the Bible that is downloaded on my Kindle.  

A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury on my Kindle.  

On my TV tonight::

I imagine it will be a Christmas movie.  I love Christmas movies!

Playing on the radio::

A variety of Christmas music.  

On the menu::

Still have to decide for the week ...

Monday - kielbasa and pierogies

Tuesday - chicken and dumplings

Wednesday - 

Thursday - tacos and spanish rice

Friday - pizza

Saturday - 

Sunday - 

On my to do list::

Clean and organize the mess that has accumulated in this house.  

Laundry

Meal plan for the remainder of the week

Buy groceries

Christmas shopping

Looking around the house::

The beautiful Christmas tree sits in the corner of the living room, a few other holiday decorations around, toys everywhere, dishes on the kitchen counter ready to dry and put away. 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::

This weekend I baked lots of cookies and Christmas shaped Jell-O jigglers.

My simple pleasure::

A cup of hot chocolate or hot cappuccino after being out in the cold weather

Lesson learned the past week::

My son is very sensitive and always cries so easily over the smallest issues.  My daughter, on the other hand, seems to be very strong-willed and bossy.  It's been tough trying to find ways to parent these two but I am figuring out that I have to accept them for who they are and embrace it. 

From the camera::

 

Prayer list::

My husband who has been dealing with a lot of hip pain and also the typical pain and soreness from his arthritis.  It's hard for a wife to see her husband in so much pain all the time and not being able to do anything for him.  

My other family and friends that their needs will be met.  

Bible verse/Devotional::

 "And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." -- Luke 1:30 - 31

Snow

I'm not going to participate in the Happy Homemaker Monday today.  I'm just not organized enough for that today.  I will probably take a break from it for the rest of this month.  December is a busy time.  Preparing for Christmas, my husband is using a lot of vacation days throughout the month and I've been so caught up with trying to get this house in some type of organized order.

I did decide, however, to write about the snow that graced us yesterday.  I'm not a winter weather person because I do not like the cold at all; however, the kids seem to enjoy the snow and it was a nice change.  It was nice particularly because the snow came on a Sunday when there was no work and no school.  We were all able to just stay at home and enjoy the falling snow from the warmth of our home.  Of course, we took some time to enjoy it outdoors as well.

My son is already a veteran with playing in the puffy white stuff but this was the first time for my daughter.  As cold as it was she really seemed to enjoy it and kept saying, "I love snow!"

 

We only had a few inches and it's all starting to melt.  My son had a two hour delay from school today and fell once on the way to the bus stop all because of some icy spots.  The other kids fell too.  More snow in the forecast tomorrow.  

Snow was never my favorite thing but it really is nice seeing the joy in my children's eyes as they play and have fun with it.  That's enough to make me enjoy it ... a little bit.  

The Season Has Begun

Can you believe that it's almost Christmas?  22 days to be exact!  My son is counting down and reminds me every morning of how many days we have.  He's so excited.  My daughter, being only two, still doesn't quite understand what Christmas is all about but seeing the tree and the decorations are enough to get her excited.  When she sees Santa she'll say "Jesus" but that's okay.  It's the best time of the year for these children and I love seeing the holidays through their eyes.

The day after Thanksgiving we took all the decorations out of the attic and started to set everything up.  The artificial pre-lit tree we've had for the last 7 or so years had a few strands of lights that stopped working.  My husband,who already tried fixing it last year, decided instead of fussing over it again it was time to get a new one.  The new one is smaller than the other but it's perfect.  The kids busied themselves decorating most of it.  There are still plenty of bare spots around the tree but that just leaves more room to add onto our ornament collection in the years to come.  We have a tradition of buying a new ornament or two each year and that's something we still have to do for this year.  We don't have many decorations for the house but what we have is enough.

 

 The angel that sits on top of our tree was a gift from my mother-in-law years ago.  She keeps watch over us during the Christmas season.  

The stockings are hanging from a shelf in our living room.  In the middle is our porcelain nativity scene, also from Mother-In-Law. 

 A little garland wraps around the bannister.  Excuse the boxes.  They have to go back in the attic.

And here's my homemade snowman behind the door.  I love this!  Thank you Pinterest!  

We have a collection of stuffed toys too.  The children had fun adding window cling stickers to the living room window.

Our next step is getting the outside decorating done but since my husband has been fighting a horrible cold he hasn't had the chance.  I love how the neighborhood homes are already setting up.

I started a new tradition with the kids.  I bought them each an advent calendar.  Every day you open up a door and there is a small chocolate candy surprise.  My uncle bought one for me when I was little and I've been wanting to do the same for my kids.  I also found an advent calendar you can do with Bible verses but we have some catching up to do there.

Also, this time of year means lots of food, candy, cake, pies, etc. will be consumed.  A good reason to break a sweat with the 30 Day Challenge.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 12/2/13

Good afternoon!  I wasn't going to participate in this today because I'm so busy and it is the last day off for my son before he heads back to school but I figured I might as well try and take a little break.  We've been so busy around the house with Thanksgiving, cleaning up after Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas and enjoying each others company while my son and husband were off.  This is my first time getting on here in days.  So here I go joining Diary of A Stay At Home Mom again. 

  As I look outside my window::
Cold.  Bitter.  Maybe some snow this week?

Right now I am::
Taking a break from the cleaning.  My son is playing across the street at a friend's house while the little one is napping.  

Thinking and pondering::
Of the fun I had yesterday with three friends from middle school/high school.  I met them right after moving here from Long Island and they've been great friends to have.  We lost touch for awhile but got back together thanks to social media.  We met up for brunch and had a good time.  Hoping to do it again soon.  

On my bedside table::
I finished reading Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury and I'd like to download another book to my Kindle this week.
My Bible

On my tv tonight::
Bakery Boss

Playing on the radio::
A mix of Christmas music

On the menu::
We are turkeyed out.  We've had leftovers every day since Thanksgiving, except yesterday when we treated ourselves to pizza.  Unsure of what to cook tonight and the rest of the week.  I must decide!

On my to do list::
Clean, clean, clean!
Create a Christmas present for my hubby.  One he knows he gets every year.
Figuring out what to get everyone for Christmas.
More decorating.  
Parent/Teacher conference - my first one as the parent instead of the student.  

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::

Saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it would look cute on the inside of our plain white front door.  I cut out the eyes, mouth, buttons and nose with construction paper and made the scarf from wrapping paper.  A little corny but I'm happy with it and the kids love it.  

My simple pleasure::
On these cold almost winter nights it's been great curling up on the couch with a hot cup of tea, a book or my Kindle and my husband rubbing my feet ... yes I'm SPOILED!  

Lesson learned the past week::
I've allowed certain people and certain situations to bother me too much and I've held onto the pain it's caused for quite some time.  My husband, who is so easy going and able to brush things off his shoulders, has reminded me that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.  Aside from him and our children no one else and nothing else should matter.  It seems so much easier for him to have that thought process but not so much for me but I have to learn to let it all go and live the life I need to live regardless of how others are going to judge me.

From the camera::

Prayer list::
My husband who is having a rough time getting over a cold that we've all been passing around.
My mom who is also sick. 

Bible verse/Devotional::
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" -- Romans 8:38-39