Hobbit-ish Holiday Preparation

Hey Humble Readers...

First up, I want to remind you to scroll down to yesterday's post.  Check out my interview with author JR Vikse about his new book The Keeper Chronicles: Playing With Fire.  Make sure to enter the giveaway to win a free copy!

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On Sunday, Carla (of Sunday Night Chit Chat fame) asked if we had started thinking about or planning for Christmas already.  If we had started shopping for gifts already. 

My response was a resounding yes. 

I know you may think I'm nuts, but I have many reasons for starting my Christmas preparations long before Thanksgiving and Halloween. 

You must understand, I love Christmas. Love, love, LOOOOOOOVVVVE it.  Not in a "I want my tree up for three months" or "I start playing Christmas music in July" kind of way.  I love the tradition, the family, and the faith elements of the season.  The first Sunday in Advent marks the beginning of the church year, and like Lent leading up to the celebration of Easter, Christmas just isn't Christmas without the period of reflective contemplation that leads up to it.  And I don't want that time distracted by worrying about if I've remembered to get this person a gift or if I forgot to bake cookies for the youth group's cookie walk. 

For many years, I worked in retail, and the advent journey and holiday spirit can easily get destroyed in that environment.  You see a lot of people at their absolute worst... bosses, co-workers, customers.  People get cranky, stressed, and frustrated with the crowds, the cost, and the demands of the season.  The way that I try to alleviate all that for myself, and as much as I can for my family, is by doing extensive prep work.  I want to be able to focus on the spirit of Advent and Christmas, without the distraction of having to get this and that and the other done, wrapped, or baked. 

Honestly, I start thinking about Christmas in January or February.  If there are any crafts or special projects that I want to do for décor or as gifts, I like to start putting together a game plan early.  That way I can watch for good prices on supplies, and make good use of my time so I'm not rushing at the end. 

The planning begins in earnest just after Labour Day.  I have a document on my computer that I use to map the holidays. (This is where I show my anal-retentiveness a bit... I actually have one for each holiday and special day throughout the year.  Christmas is just the most developed.)  I have all my info in one place...

Menu - What are we eating?  Trying a new recipe?  Do I need to do a trial run? 
Guests - Who's coming?  Will I need extra seating?  Any extra dishes or cutlery needed?
Greeting Cards - Who am I sending to?  Ideas for picture?  Where will I order them from?
Gifts - family, friends, my Beloved's co-workers, neighbours
Stocking Stuffers - immediate family only
Special Events - outside events (Santa pictures, Advent events at church, parties, etc)

New this year to my planning sheet is Elf on the Shelf.  Last year was our first with Hermy, and we had a lot of fun just hiding him around the hobbit-hole.  This year, I want to do some more creative things with our Elf, so I've mapped out the 25 days that he'll be with us.  That way, if I need some specific supplies, I know in advance and can plan accordingly.  I knew that I wanted to incorporate some service to others in amongst the fun and frivolity that comes with the Elf, so I've planned one service project a week.  Ginny is old enough to understand that it's important to help others, so the food bank, our congregation's Angel tree, neighbour gifts, and necessities for the homeless are all a part of my plans for Hermy. 

Shopping for gifts, of course, is a big part of my preparation for the holidays.  I'm sure you're all aware we live on a pretty tight budget most of the time, so I want to make the most of the funds we have.  To keep things under control, in a season when it's far too easy to go overboard, I use the five-gift rule for our immediate family.  Everyone gets something to wear, something to read, something they need, something they want, and something from Santa.  The things the wee-lings "need" is generally something educational, and the things they "want" is a toy.  Santa gifts are also toys. 

I know that there's a risk in buying gifts early.  The wee-lings' interests might change.  There might be something that comes up last minute that my Beloved wants more than what I've already purchased.  Clothes may not fit (and exchanges after 60 days can get a little tricky).  Heck, I may even forget where I've hidden something... it's been known to happen.  But I've found that the benefits outweigh the risks.  By spreading out my shopping, I prevent a big hit on our budget, and no gifts go onto credit. 

My goal is always to be done with my shopping and planning by the end of November.  That way, I can focus my mind and spirit on the Advent journey, and on allowing the magic of the season to seep into my soul.

One thing that we've just really gotten into is year-round saving for Christmas.  Our Santa's Choice grocery order will arrive end of November or beginning of December.  We pay a bit each week, and it gets us a boatload of staples (pantry and freezer items, including our Christmas turkey).  This is our second year doing Santa's Choice. 

We have also started using this savings plan. 

Here's a link to a printable.  Most people do this from January-December.  We decided to do it September-August, so that we have a budget for the holidays.  We've only just started it, so we'll see how it goes. 

This whole rambling post has been about what works for me, so that I'm not only able to survive the holidays, but truly enjoy them.  How do you plan for the holidays?  Do you start early?  Are you a last minute person?

Sunday Night Chit Chat: Happy Hobbit Day!!

Hey Humble Readers...

Happy Hobbit Day everyone!  Today is my hairy-toed cousins' (several times removed, of course) birthday!  I should have planned a bit of a celebration, but you know what?  I kind of forgot *gasp* until just a little while ago. 

I was in a great mood all day, even with Pippin having a major meltdown at church this morning, until about an hour ago.  Then I had to use power tools.  That involved a lot of foul language, an injured finger, and a few ugly scratches on my newly painted bathroom walls.  But at least the new mirror is finally up, as are the towel hooks.  Whew!

Just realized that Pip was wearing the WRONG colours!
He's wearing Lions orange.  Bah!
Gotta find that kid something in Rider green. 

Today was a football day for the residents of this little hobbit hole.  Ginny was particularly excited because she got to wear her own "jersey shirt" this afternoon.  She's had it for a while but it was way too big last year, and way too warm to wear it until now.  Sadly, the Riders lost it in the last 30 seconds of the game (personally, I think they came to the game too late).  But Ginny was having a blast cheering for "da green guys".  At least she was most of the time.  Sometimes she would cheer for the wrong team, but she thought that was terribly funny. 

She told Daddy that she wants to be a
football player.  Too cute!

Tomorrow's post will be the second half of my interview with actor, director, author, and my friend, JR Vikse.  I heard a rumour that there might even be another give away... You better stop by to check it out.  :)

On to this week's chit chat.  Here's what I'm...

Reading - I'm about a third of the way into The Cuckoo's Calling.  Mystery isn't usually my taste, but I'm liking this one, and no, not just because JK Rowling wrote it.  The main character is intriguing, and I'm liking the grittiness of it.  Who knows, there might be more mysteries in my future. 

Watching - A Mike Holmes show.  Not sure which one, he has a bunch on HGTV.  But I love him, and what he does to make things right for people who have been screwed over by unethical contractors. 

Listening To - My Beloved, making his lunch for tomorrow.

Cooking/Baking - Tonight was a roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.  Pretty tame.  Tomorrow is Chicken Pesto Pizza and salad.  I'm also making a big pot of vegetable soup (for my lunches next week) and I'm thinking I'm going to try altering my favourite pumpkin bread recipe into something a bit lower carb.  I've been craving pumpkin bread.

Happy I Accomplished This Week - All my cooking.  The pesto, the tomato sauce, the plum jam.  I managed to get the hobbit-hole cleaned, and I remembered to go to the eyewear place to get them to fix my frames (yes, I had a screw loose). 

Looking Forward To Next Week - Hopefully seeing some movement on the scale.  Donating blood.  Trying a couple of new recipes.

Thankful For - Awesome sales (see the Bonus Question), children who fall asleep before the bedtime story is over, free movie rental from our cable company that allowed us to see "Silver Linings Playbook" (GREAT movie). 

***Bonus Question*** Have you started thinking about Christmas? Shopping yet? Planning anything??  Of course I have!  I started really thinking about it last month, and started my planning right after our little mini-vacation.  I have I have a few gifts already, including my Beloved's main gift.  I went out today, just planning on pricing out a few options, and ended up finding a smoking good price on what I was looking for.  Seriously, I saved more than 50% on it (sorry I can't tell you all what it is, but my Beloved reads this from time to time, and I don't want him to find out).  I was stoked.  I also got a few ideas for the wee-lings, and decided that some of the ideas I thought we would go with just wouldn't work.  I start early so that I can watch for good sales, and to spread out the shopping so that it's not as big a hit on our budget.  I actually have much more to say about how I plan for the holidays, but I think I'll do a whole separate post for that later in the week. 

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This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Pop over and check out what the others are chatting about this week. 

A Busy Day At The Hobbit-Hole

Hey Humble Readers...

I fully intended to get here earlier to post for the Monday Snapshot, but it just didn't happen. 

Considering that I dozed a bit this morning while Pip napped and Ginny watched Sesame Street I still managed to get a lot done today.  (yes... I am a bad bad mummy.  In my defense, she was on the couch with me the whole time beating on my legs so I knew where she was.)

All of the usual morning stuff (shower, beds made, dressed) for me and the wee-lings went smoother than normal, and by 8:30 I was able to be working on folding laundry!  Will wonders never cease?

I cleaned the kitchen, top to bottom. I even cleaned the oven.  It sooooo needed it.  Set off the smoke detectors three times while making dinner last night. 

Made a pan of some yummy treats for my Beloved (as a part of his Christmas countdown... he gets to take them to work tomorrow.  Smores Bars - think rice krispie treats only made with Golden Grahams, chocolate chips, and a few extra marshmallows).

Made some yummy Chicken tortilla soup in the crock pot! 

Fixed the Christmas tree... It only took about an hour.  I ended up just leaving the defective string of lights on the tree and adding new ones.  But I still had to remove the garland and a whole bunch of ornaments.  Glad it's done now.  It looks great.

I finished a craft project that I started a while back.  A felt Christmas tree, with felt decorations, on the wall, for the wee-lings to play with.  I'm not great with fabric crafts, so I'll just say that the results of this one was a tad rustic and leave it at that. 

Overall, I'm proud of how things went today.  I'm pooped now and I'm going to bed pretty darn quick. 

Here's today's installment for the photo challenge... the theme is "gifts".

This is the only gift under the tree for us, between now and Christmas Eve.  Part of the reasoning behind it is practical (keeping a two year old away from wrapped presents all day gets tiresome) and the majority of it is for spiritual reasons. 

This little box contains four smaller boxes.  And inside each of those boxes, there is a a short devotional reading.  On each Sunday in Advent we read the devotional at the dinner table and then hang that week's little gift-box on the tree. 

I love the magic of the Christmas season.  My kids will know about Santa and Rudolph and the Grinch.  I love the shopping, the wrapping, the food, and the anticipation for what is in those pretty packages. 

But it is, for me and mine, first and foremost a time to reflect on the gift of the Christ-child. 

Christmas Crazies

Oh Humble Readers...

I'm so frustrated I'm ready to cry. 

We put up our tree yesterday and it ended up being rather drama-filled.  And all the drama was centered on the lights, or rather our suspicious lack of lights and my Beloved's efforts to go buy me more lights to put on the tree. 

Finally, ten hours after we started (remember, there are to wee-lings in this hobbit-hole who needed looking after and feeding and putting to bed), we were finally done with the decorations, and the tree looked great. 

Fast forward to now...

A strand of lights on the front now only has one in three bulbs lit up.  They were working fine one minute, and then they weren't.  I've isolated the offending strand, but in order to attempt to fix it I would have to remove the beaded garland, and all the ornaments on the front two thirds of the tree. 

(Of course, my immense emotional response to this situation has been coloured by the fact that Pip was up half the night with teething pain.)

I'm tired.  I'm frustrated.  And I'm not feeling the Christmas spirit just now. 

Ugh!

Special Delivery

Howdy Humble Readers!

So, remember in yesterday's post I mentioned something about not being able to post on Monday because I was kind of busy?  Well, this is what was keeping me busy.

Our Santa's Choice boxes arrived!  I was so excited! 

We signed up around this time last year, and we've paid a bit every week until mid-October.  Our 5 boxes arrived and I had a lot of finagling to do to figure out where all our goodies were going to go.  My pantry and cupboards have never ever been so full.  My freezers are overflowing!

Holy cow!

Hokey Dinah!

Box #1 of the frozen goods

Two Turkeys!

What I like about this service is that you lock in your grocery prices a year in advance and I'm able to get things that we would never otherwise be able to afford in December with all the other holiday expenses, particularly name brand stuff.  Seriously, I know that a lot of this food will last us well into February or longer.  We've signed up for next year already, and I'm happy with the decision. 

Of course, with so much shifting, consolidating, and tearing my hair out over where to put those 8 boxes of cookies, I decided that I wasn't cooking dinner.  We indulged with some of my recent Kijiji (a Canadian version of Craigs List) income and splurged on middle eastern food for dinner from a new place a block away.  Fanstastic hummus!  Ginny couldn't get enough of it too. 

A Conundrum

Hey Humble Readers...

I'm looking for some advice.

But first, I need to say

BELOVED, GO AWAY! 

THIS POST IS NOT FOR YOUR EYES!  IF YOU READ THIS YOU WILL BE RUINING YOUR CHRISTMAS SURPRISE!

IF I FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS, YOU WILL JUST GET COAL FOR CHRISTMAS!  That's a promise!

Ok, enough exclamation points. 

There is an item that I know my Beloved would love, but at regular prices, it's just out of our budget.  It is the one item that I have been hoping and hoping would go on sale sometime before Christmas.  I was actually planning on waiting until Black Friday and hoping for a great price. 

Just FYI, for my American readers, the last Friday of November in Canada is really nothing like what it is for you.  The only comparison in Canada is our Boxing Day sales, the day after Christmas.  Only in the last couple of years have Canadian retailers started doing some major discounting on that particular day. 

Anywho, in my weekly perusal of the flyers, I discovered that Wally World has a pretty good price on this thingy.  It's about 22% off it's regular price.  I checked all the other usual flyers where they might sell this, and this is far and away the best price out there right now. 

Soooooo.... do I buy it now, or do I wait?  Do I go with a good price now, and be done with it?  Or do I wait and hope for a better price in a couple of weeks? 

What would you do?

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Be back later with a Foodie Friday post!

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Back In Action

Howdy Humble Readers!

I'm baaaaaack!

Beauregard the computer was finally returned to me last night, after I had to go into the computer store/repair shop and raise holy heck, and then had to call to speak with the manager.  Needless to say, I won't be going back there again and I'm going to make sure that everyone I know hears about their crappy customer service.  Three and a half weeks for a virus clean up was ridiculous!

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During my absence from the blogosphere, the Shire received its first snowfall of the year.  Yeah, it was earlier than any of us would have liked, but considering how easy we had it last winter, I'm not surprised.  Thankfully, it didn't stick around and we're back to seasonal temps for the moment.  It is forecasted to get pretty chilly this weekend (daytime highs of around freezing), but so long as the snow stays away until after Halloween, I'll try to be ok with things.

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One thing that is always a battle at this time of year is when to turn on the furnace.  I confess, I'm a miser when it comes to the utility bills, and the longer we can go without running the furnace the happier I am.  Not to mention the noise... living in a small condo with its own forced air furnace means that you hear all the furnace noises.  The longer I can go without that aggravation is a victory.  I'm hoping to get through to the end of the month before I have to turn it on, so that means we are bundling up a bit more in the house.  Despite my hobbit-ish tendencies, I'm wearing socks on a regular basis, we're all wearing more sweaters or long sleeved shirts, and Ginny has an extra blanket on her bed. 

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I've gotten a really good start on my Christmas shopping (thanks in large part to a bogo sale at Toys R Us).  The wee-lings are almost done and I actually have some really good ideas for what to get my Beloved this year.  He's normally so hard to buy for.  Now I just need to figure out my homemade gifts for the people at my Beloved's office. 

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My Beloved has had a couple of job interviews in the past few weeks, but no good results.  His experiences at those interviews solidified our conviction that the only way doors are going to open for him is if he gets his accounting designation.  So, we bit the bullet and he's now enrolled in the CGA program.  He needs to take 15 courses!  And he can only take one at a time. Yikes!  I'm in the process of trying to find out if there's any grants that he might qualify for to help with the cost.  We're taking this step on faith, in hopes that even just being enrolled will help move him up the queue for some of these job openings.  Who knows, maybe he'll get hired by a company who will help pay for his courses.

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AF is here, and she's kicking my ass again.  I just keep hoping that things will go back to the way they were before.  After Ginny was born, and my cycle came back, things were pretty much the same as they had been for most of my 30s, cramps on cd1 and cd5 with a fairly moderate flow.  After Pip, things are much heavier, and cramps are non-stop from beginning to end.  They aren't like the cramps I had in my teens and 20s (needed rx muscle relaxers to help control them), but I'm living on ty.lenol to get through. 

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Well, lunch time approaches, and I've got a little girl here who's saying she's 'hun-geee'.  I'm looking forward to getting caught up with you all.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to read some blogs this afternoon while my wee sweet girl naps. 

Things I Missed Talking About...

Howdy Humble Readers...

Well, that was a week of my life I'll never get back.  Jeez. 

It was just a doozy of a cold, and I guess I was due.  I haven't battled the Crud since my second trimester with Pippin (when I caught EVERY germ going around).  I'm feeling better for the most part, just a lingering cough (particularly at night), a gravelly voice and varying levels of plugged ears which are improving. 

I have been reading along with most of you this week, although I haven't made it to commenting.  I do apologize.  And there were so many blog posts I had planned, so many things I wanted to talk about this past week, like...

• Pippin's four month post.  I wanted to tell you all about how big he's getting (he's in size 3 diapers already!), about how much hair he's lost, and about how he's trying to sit up.  About how he's so fixated on sucking on his fingers that sometimes he can almost get his whole hand in his mouth.  About how he has this habit of not being able to fall asleep at night unless he fusses for 15 minutes first, like he's mad that he's tired and doesn't want to give in.  And about the beautiful way he laughs at his big sister (which I still haven't managed to get on video). 

• How hot is Michael Shanks?  Seriously.  For those of you who don't know him, he used to be in Stargate SG-1, and now he's in Saving Hope.  In SG-1, I thought he was kinda cute, but his character started out as such a dweeb that I never really appreciated him in a drool-worthy kind of way.  Now.... YUM!  Maybe it's the scenes with him in a tux or in doctors' scrubs. 
• Tuesday... 9/11, the fourth anniversary of when we lost Emily Hope (our first angel baby), and a year since we found out we were expecting Pip.  Whew... the emotions that day, on top of having a crummy cold, were pretty intense.
• A question for any of my Jewish friends (and it's probably super stupid)... why does it matter if laundry soap is kosher?  What makes the average laundry soap un-kosher?
• Have I ever told you all about my crazy annual craving for turkey?  Every year, usually in June, I start craving turkey.  I mean a full on turkey dinner.  Stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie, the whole 9 yards.  It kind of makes sense.  The last time I would usually have had a turkey dinner was Christmas.  (And no, a turkey sandwich made with deli turkey won't do!)  But by June, it's too dang hot, and turkeys are too dang expensive, to think about cooking the full deal, so by mid-September I'm thinking about turkey on a daily basis.  Thankfully, Canadian thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away!  October 8th baby!
• Christmas prep... Blame it on my years in retail, but now that the autumn is here, I need to be thinking hard about the holidays.  There are sooooo many crafts that I want to do!  Damn Pinterest!  I currently have one idea for a gift for my Beloved (which is stellar, as he is notoriously hard to shop for) and I'm toying with a couple of ideas for Ginny.  Pippin won't need much, and I'm sure he'll be spoiled by Gramma and Mama. 
• I have not forgotten about Foodie Fridays... I've just really let them slide by the wayside.  I am seriously hoping to resurrect them this coming week.  I have a new recipe that I'm trying this week and if it turns out well then I'll be sharing it with you.  And if it doesn't, I'm going to plan a backup post.  I promise!

I think that's about it.  I'm hoping for a good night's sleep tonight, but it totally depends on the wee-lings.  Yup, that's right.  They both caught the Crud.  Pip was feverish all day yesterday, and both of them have been snarf-ly and grumpy.  Ginny woke up in the middle of the night last night crying because she was stuffed up.  **sigh**  We will survive this.  :)

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Generosity

Howdy Humble Readers,

Things here in the hobbit-hole were better yesterday, with the wee-lings both taking naps and just being in generally better moods.  I don't know if the the lovely cool rainy weather played a part, but overall, things were much better. 

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Today I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others.  First, a lady from our church came by with three boxes of infant/toddler boy clothes, a box of childrens' books, and a box of toys.  I had just sorted through all that and started some of it in the laundry, when another friend came by bearing gifts... four large bags and a gift bag, filled with more toddler boy clothes.  All in great shape, some had hardly ever been worn.

I'm swimming in overalls, jeans, long sleeved tees, hoodies, stripey socks and shoes.  Seriously, my coffee table is lined up with seven pairs of boots, shoes, and sandals in sizes ranging from 4 to 6.  I am so incredibly grateful to these generous women. Seriously, I won't need to buy clothes for our wee little mister from age 1 to age 3 or 4.  And Ginny will even be able to wear some of this stuff this winter. 

Just when I start to worry about managing buying clothes, birthdays (our families have many b-days from Aug-Dec), and the holidays, this wonderful gift comes my way.  I'm immensely thankful!

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Ginny had a big moment yesterday.  For the first time ever, she recognized that she was in need of a diaper change and told me so.  Woo hoo!  Potty training here we come!

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Update on my parents' situation:  It was confirmed yesterday that my Dad is on drugs.  My sister and I called it almost two months ago.  We knew that something fundamental had changed, but everyone around us was saying no, he wouldn't do that.  Damn, I hate being right about stuff like this.  Thankfully, Mom has had the locks on the house changed, so at least she's a bit safer.  Good news... Mom just got a referral to a great lawyer. 

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I've had a couple of questions about what I'm crafting for Christmas... so here's the run down so far.  (All these ideas are from Pinterest... links included)

Felt Christmas Tree with Ornaments for the wee-lings.  Hopefully it will help keep them away from our big tree.  (this project is almost finished)

Terracotta Holy Family - made from terracotta pots, scraps of fabric, and wooden balls for the heads.  A cute, inexpensive addition to my collection of Nativity sets.  (have most of the materials)

Extra Sparkle -  (this one didn't have an actual link, but it's easy enough) glue one inch mirror tiles back to back, with a loop of ribbon.  Hang them on the tree after you put on the lights, but before you put on the rest of your ornaments.  Increase the sparkle and twinkle factor by up to 100%.  (having some issues tracking down the mirror tiles for a good price, and without having to pay ridiculous shipping charges)

Are you someone who starts thinking about Christmas super early, like me?  Or are you like my Beloved, adamant that Christmas is for December only?

And Now For Something Completely Different

Hey Humble Readers...

This is going to sound like a commercial or something, but I'm pretty excited about a decision/purchase I made today.  Even though I won't actually get to see it for another year. 

There's a company here in Canada (I believe they are connected with a parent company in the UK) that puts together these incredible grocery packages for Christmas.  You choose whichever package suits your needs and your budget, place your order, and then pay a small amount* every week until mid October.  Your package is delivered to your home in late November/early December.

Each package includes your turkey or ham, an assortment of all kinds of snacks and sides, desserts, and beverages.  All name brand products.  A lot of things that wouldn't be in the budget if we had to pay for it all in December, on top of all the other holiday season expenses. 

I'm looking forward to getting our shipment next year, knowing that a huge chunk of our holiday grocery bill has already been taken care of.  All I'll really need to shop for is fresh produce and dairy products. 

*my American readers may be a little surprised at what I consider a "small amount".  Pretty much everything costs more in Canada, across the board, but grocery prices are on the ridiculous side.  Yes, if I shopped the sales, went to several different stores, and managed to find coupons for the items I wanted, I might be able to save more than what this program offers, but I'm thinking ahead to life with one car and two wee ones.  Saving time and aggravation is worth something to me. 

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: To Do, To Do

Hey Humble Readers...

I hope that you're all cozy and warm wherever you are tonight.  It's crazy-a$$ cold here tonight, and I am so thankful that we have a warm, safe home in which to hide away.  Praying tonight especially for those for whom shelter isn't a given. 

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My to do list is growing exponentially every day... this always happens at this time of year.  Thankfully, I was able to cross a few things off my list today.  I have just about everything I need for my hand-crafted Christmas gifts... I should be able to have most of them done this next week!  Yay!

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Another thing crossed off my list today was getting our flu shots.  Ginny did remarkably well, only crying for a couple of minutes after the shot.  I seem to be having a more pronounced reaction to the vaccine than I ever have before.  I'm experiencing achy joints (my hands feel arthritic) and the injection site hurts.  Never happened before... hmmmmm....

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It took going to two different dollar stores, on opposite ends of the city to find the supplies I needed for Ginny's birthday party.  Who knew that it would be so challenging to find green balloons and streamers?

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I'm a foodie, and as such I have certain expectations of my grocery stores.  Is it really so unusual for a customer to ask for chorizo sausage?  Really?  The girl behind the deli counter had no idea what I asking for.  She had to go and ask her superior, and that lady had never heard of it either.  And this was at a major grocery chain.  I wonder what they would do if I asked for quinoa?  (I ended up finding the chorizo at Wally World... go figure)

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It appears that Ginny is actually cutting two teeth at the same time.  Fun stuff!  An amusing side effect of her having a new tooth... she spent a great deal of time today running her tongue over it.  Like she was trying to figure out what the heck was stuck in her mouth.  Also, we had decided to start gently breaking her of her thumb sucking habit (mostly when she's tired or unhappy), but we've had to let that go for the time being.  We'll give it a shot again after these two teeth come through.

Another For The "Can This Be Real?" File....

Evening Humble Readers...

Morning (evening) sickness seems to have made a reappearance, so I'm copping out a bit tonight.  Another 'ad' of questionable authenticity to make you ponder...

The sad thing is, my Christmas wish list is full of kitchen stuff.  I'm one of those freaks who loves kitchen gadgets. 

But my Beloved better not ever get me cleaning tools (vaccuum, etc) as a gift.  At least not if he plans on getting lucky ever again.  ;)

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Totally Random Stuff

Good Evening Humble Readers...

I hope that you have all had a good Wednesday... things here on the frozen flatland are sliding deeper into the deep freeze.  It's snowing pretty intensely right now, and it's supposed to keep on all day tomorrow.  I wouldn't mind so much, except that I have to go to a doctor's appointment.  I don't drive much at all during the winter, and given that we only have the one car, my Beloved may have to drive me and the wee girl.

*****
Speaking of Tilly the Toyota... she had to have a bit of work done on her today.  In the middle of the summer, when we took a day trip down to the Big City Down South, we caught a rock on the edge of the windshield, and it spidered several inches before we made it home.  As the weather has gotten colder, the crack has gotten longer and it was almost all the way across the whole window.  Knowing that it would only get worse as we go further into winter, we bit the bullet and had the window replaced.  We got a pretty good deal on it, and I'm glad it's done, but it was a bit of a financial hit just before Christmas. 

*****
Major victory this morning... my before breakfast blood sugars were exactly on target!  This is the first time in my entire experience with GD that my morning sugars have been that low.  I got close a couple of times toward the end of my pregnancy with Ginny, but never quite there.  I think we may have actually have hit the magic number for insulin (for now, anyway).  Woohoo!

*****
Ginny has a bit of a cold going on right now.  Her nose is a faucet, and she has the occasional phlegmy cough.  It doesn't seem to be slowing her down at all, but it does mean that anything I'm wearing has become her kleenex of choice.  Ugh...

*****
So I finally got started on my Christmas shopping for my Beloved this morning.  I have been hounding him since the summer to put together a wish list, and he finally has, so I was able to make some progress.  He's incredibly difficult to buy for, and the one idea that I did have is no longer available... anywhere.  Bummer.  At least now I have some direction.

*****
Ginny's newest obsession is bears... as in polar bears, panda bears, grizzly bears.  If she sees a pic or a glimpse of one on tv, she goes nuts.  Bouncing up and down, practically hyperventilating.  It's hilarious!  And it doesn't even have to be a 'real' bear.  A stuffy, a cartoon-type drawing in a storybook... anything. 

God Rest Ye Humble Readers...

... let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Saviour was born upon this day...

I'm sorry I haven't been around much in recent days.  We are slowly getting into a routine (and now that I've said that, my precious Ginevra will throw things all out of whack again) and I can't express how joyful we are this particular holiday season. 

I hope that you and your loved ones are happy and healthy this Christmastide, and that you have the time to truly enjoy the blessings of this season. 

I had hoped to have the birth story written by now, and it is in the works... my new goal is to have it done by New Years. 

From my Beloved, our sweet Ginevra, and me, we wish you a Merry Christmas (or whatever form your winter holiday season takes) and a blessed New Year, and we send you...

... tidings of comfort and joy!

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Procrastination

Good Evening Humble Readers!

I should be doing the dishes or dusting my oh-so-messy house, but I wanted to just come and hang out here for a bit.  No one tell on me, k?

*****
Breastfeeding isn't all rainbows and daisies yet... we've only had a couple of successful attempts at home, but things are trucking along.  The hardest part is getting her into a comfortable position for the both of us, especially when my Beloved isn't here to lend a hand.  She's also had some 'spit up' issues over the last few days.  Because it happens with both breastmilk and formula equally, I think it's more a case of her over-eating... she's like a little goldfish, I swear!  She just overfills the tank and it's gotta go somewhere right?  It almost always happens when I'm burping her. 

*****
My mat leave benefits have FINALLY kicked in, so we are no longer as desperate financially as we were.  I think I may have to do battle to get my money for October, but things are looking up in that part of life.

*****
Weight loss has slowed immensely, but that's okay.  I'm bouncing between two numbers that are still below where I was when we got married almost four years ago. 

*****
I am at a huge loss as to what to get my Beloved for Christmas.  I have a few small things for him, but what I really want to get him is not in the budget just now.  Any ideas?

*****
I have a new favourite tv commercial.  It makes me giggle like a 8 year old...

Way too cute, right?

*****
A question... did any of you mommas out there find that your skin changed during pregnancy?  I have always had oily/shiny skin, but since about halfway through the second trimester to now (and it's gotten worse since Ginevra's arrival) my skin has been crazy dry and rough. 

*****
Gotta run, the wee one is squawking. 

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: A Bit of This & That

Greetings Humble Readers!

Thank you so much for your compliments on the nursery.  I'm really happy with how everything came out.  I like to go in and just stand in the room and daydream.

*****
Today has been a day of extremes.  Extreme laziness, in that we decided to stay snuggled up in bed rather than go to church this morning.  We woke up to more snow, and it just felt like a good day to stay under the covers.  It has also been extremely productive.  This afternoon I baked 21 dozen pfefferneusse.  I did something I have never done before, and altered my recipe a little (used some whole wheat flour, and used splen.da in place of sugar).  They turned out well, which made me happy. 

*****
Today has also been productive in that I had my Beloved pull out the Christmas decorations.  We are going to get the tree set up tonight after dinner, and I'm going to work on decorating the house over the next couple of days.  I know it's early, but I figure with a newborn in the house, I'm not going to be all that into decorating in a week or so. 

*****
Bad news of the automotive variety.  We discovered that our lovely Tilly (the Prius) does not have a block heater.  Now, I know that many of you who don't live north of the 49th parallel haven't a clue what I'm talking about, but a block heater is essential (basically you plug the heater in and it keeps the oil from freezing) in this cold climate.  Of course we didn't think to ask about it when we bought the car in July, because really, WHO THE H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS SELLS A CAR IN CANADA WITHOUT A BLOCK HEATER?!?!?!?  The car is three, almost four years old, where has it been up until now?  The bottom line is we are going to have to play roulette with the cold weather or shell out $250 to have one installed.  And the likelihood of being able to get one installed this week... slim to none.  So, we are seriously hoping that the weatherman is wrong and that we won't hit -30 in the next couple of days.  Argh!

*****
Today was the Western Conference Final in the CFL.  The Saskatchewan Roughriders were playing the Calgary Stampeders, in Calgary, at McMahon Stadium... an outdoor stadium.  It's snowing.  It's -18, but feels like -29 with the wind.  You can certainly tell that the cold was getting to the players.  The lead bounced back and forth, and it stayed really close the whole way through, but the game just ended at 20-16 for the Riders!  The whole game hinged on two plays.  Incredible game!  It looks like we will have a rematch of last year's Grey Cup between Saskatchewan and Montreal.  Woohoo!  Next Sunday... Grey Cup... in Edmonton.  Let's see how Montreal handles the cold...

*****
Tomorrow's to do's... chiropractor appointment, make shortbread, make meatballs, clean the kitchen and bathroom, work on decorating the house for Christmas, watch a couple HP movies in prep for seeing HP7.   If I get it all done, I'll be VERY surprised.

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Making Progress

Hey Humble Readers!

Things here on the flatland are pretty quiet these days.  We've finally had a bit of a stretch of nice weather.  It feels like autumn should, and I have always loved this time of year.  (mental note: I must remember to clean up the balconey before the rain starts again)  I've been slowly making some progress on my to do lists.  Just a few things a day, but I'm getting there. 

*****
The ultrasound earlier this week went very well.  I know that these things are notoriously wrong, but the Halfling is measuring in the 90th percentile (I can't figure out what that means in practical terms).  At least I can stop worrying about the baby not gaining weight as I lose it.  I was nervous beforehand, but then I always am until I see that little heartbeat.  I know at this point it's silly, but I truly keep expecting the other shoe to drop.  I have this fear that one day there won't be movement, that I'll go see Dr. U and the baby will just not be there anymore.  He/she will just have vanished.  That this will all have been something I made up in my head. 

*****
Speaking of weight loss, I am starting to get a little concerned.  I'm dropping weight like mad.  I'm down 6 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight (according to my scale... the doc's scales weigh me a least three pounds lighter all the time), although I did go up about 6 pounds in the first trimester, so all totalled I've lost 12 pounds.  Dr. U isn't concerned, but this is just so unexpected.  I have always expected that I would gain at least a bit when pregnant.  I'm eating all the time (three meals and at least two snacks a day... way more than I normally would). 

*****
Thanksgiving is this weekend for those of us north of the 49th parallel.  I want to do something different this year, so I'm thinking about making a sausage stuffing.  Any suggestions?  I normally just do the usual bread, celery, onion mix.  I have also become obsessed with pumpkin desserts.  Well, desserts of any kind, but I really want to find a good pumpkin dessert that I can make with Sple.nda.   It's only going to be the two of us, so I'm planning on freezing a bunch of the leftovers for next month.

*****
I'm thinking that I might put up our outdoor Christmas lights next week.  I know it's early, but I think I want to do it while it's still nice out.  I won't plug them in of course, just get them out there.  One other piece of Christmas planning that has recently been taken care of... we are getting a free (artificial) Christmas tree!  Our last tree was a cheap-ie that we bought our first Christmas together, and it dropped more needles than a real tree would.  We tossed it last year after the holidays, fulling intending on buying a new one this year.  With the hit our finances took last month, we were thinking we were going to be going without a tree this year.  I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago at work, and one of the new girls told me that she and her husband had bought a new tree last year, and were wanting to get rid of their old one.  She wants to give it to me for free!  It's a 7' tree, only a few years old.  I'm stoked!

Picture Tag

Good Morning Humble Readers...

I have been tagged!  By the wonderful Mrs. Dreamer at The Dreamer and the Realist!  The world cannot go on until I tag others!

So here's the deal...

1) Go to your photo files, select the 8th photo folder.

2) Select the 8th photo in that folder.
3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.
4) Then challenge 8 blogging friends to do the same!

Now the eighth picture in my eighth folder is one that you all have already seen.  It was a picture of the beautiful evil pot that crushed my toe a few months back. (btw, my toe still bears the marks of that pot, and it aches from time to time.  Cast iron and human flesh should never come in contact.  Full Stop.)

So, instead I played a little picture roulette.  Just spun my little mouse around until I landed on something... and it ended up being this.

So, obviously this is a shot from Christmas time.  It's a close up on one of my 12 nativity sets.  Yes, I said twelve.  This is my cutesy little snowman nativity set.  Pretty darn adorable if you ask me. 

I got started collecting nativity sets several years ago when I was working for a Christian bookstore.  I ended up being the gift product buyer for the store, so I was always able to bring in different and interesting sets to add to my collection. 

My favourite set is my Jim Shore set.  (You've probably seen some of his work in your local Hal.lmar.k store)  It always gets set up under the tree.  I still need to get the completer set for it... the little drummer boy, the palm tree and the camel.  Too bad I don't have a pic of it, huh?  Maybe next year.

Now, because I'm a little short on time today, I'm going to just toss this one out to all my bloggy friends.  Check out your picture files... you know you've got stuff you haven't shared! 

Post Christmas Blahs...

Good Morning Humble Readers...

Maybe it's the inevitible let down after Christmas. Maybe it's the symptoms of PMS (yes, I'm PMS-ing. Temps tanked, phantom symptoms fading). Maybe it's the crappy couple of days at work I've had (Boxing Week shoppers are the worst! A customer, and I use that term generously, actually reached across the counter and slapped the hand of one of my cashiers yesterday. In what world is that acceptable???).

Whatever it is, I'm feeling blaaaahhhh.

Don't get me wrong, we had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve was busy. We cleaned the house, I cooked & carved a turkey, did a little grocery shopping, I prepped a breakfast casserole (which didn't turn out at all... what a waste), and got my sweet potatoes started. We went to church, and then came home and did our traditional Christmas Eve appetizers and movie (I had to get my Ralphie fix).

Christmas morning was fun. My Beloved really loved his presents (his main gift was a framed print of a picture of the Cal.gary Fl.ames locker room, with his name on one of the jerseys), and yes, humble readers, I got my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer! (Used it on Christmas morning to mix my sweet potatoe casserole)

The drive to my MIL's was nice. Very pretty actually, with a pale blue sky and the fields and trees covered in snow.

Mom C loved her new computer. We had all chipped in to get her something more up to date (her old 'puter didn't have any usb ports and was painfully slow). I ate too much and drank too much wine. I won a round of cards, so now I have a wallet full of dimes.

It really was a good Christmas. I'm just tired, and not looking forward to going to work today. I'm hoping that when I wake up tomorrow morning, AF will have arrived and I can move on to a new cycle, with new hope. This cycle's hope is a little worse for wear.

Christmas Meme!

Both Kristin and Alana posted this and I thought it was just far too cute. So, of course, I jumped on board.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then post this on your blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? As stated in my previous post, I am a wrapping paper gal. For a lot of years I just used plain brown paper and then changed up the colour of ribbon. This year I have some very pretty shiny red paper that says "Ho Ho Ho" all over it.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial all the way! This is one hobbit who doesn't do well with live plants, and real Christmas trees are no exception.

3. When do you put up the tree? Early December, whenever I have a couple of days off together.

4. When do you take the tree down? I'm more inclined to take it down before New Years, but that's a result of working in retail for as long as I have. Growing up, the tree stayed up until Ukranian Christmas (January 6, Epiphany)

5. Do you like eggnog? Absosmurfly. I will confess to thinning it tho. Half nog, half milk.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My red and white plastic typewriter. Heavens, I loved that thing! I was going to be a reporter, just like my favourite aunt.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My sister's husband.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My Beloved. This year was a bit more challenging, but it usually only takes a few days of serious shopping, and I have him set.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Heck Ya! I collect them. I have 8 different nativity sets/figurines. Watch this space for Show and Tell this week. All about my collection.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I always have the best intentions, but they never seem to happen. Maybe if I wrote them up in September?

11. Worst Christmas ever? There were a lot of lean Christmases when I was a kid, but I don't remember any really bad ones.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? For a classic, it has to be White Christmas, which I have yet to watch this year. For fun and our relatively new traditional Christmas Eve fare, "A Christmas Story" with Ralphie and his bb-gun.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I usually try to start mid September. I try to buy a gift or two each paycheck between then and December. This year, I started while we were in New York.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I've thought about it often, but I don't think I've ever actually done it.

15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade potatoe, cheese & bacon (yes bacon, the only time I willingly eat it) perogies! Yummmmmm

16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely, multicoloured. But they CANNOT blink! Blinking is aggravating.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? The furthest we travel these days for Christmas is down to my MIL's house, about 45 minutes away.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course. I remember being five years old and being convinced that I saw Rudolph up in the sky. It turned out to be the radio tower a few blocks away, but I was oh so excited.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was a kid, we were allowed to open one gift Christmas eve, usually new pj's from Grandma, but the rest were in the morning. Now it's all done in the morning, usually before sunrise.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Have I mentioned I work in retail? I could go on and on, but the worst is people who get snarky because they failed to plan and can't find that one thing they are certain we should carry at our store.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I don't really have a theme. Generally, I don't put gold coloured ornaments on the tree.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? There has to be turkey... and sweet potatoes... and stuffing... and perogies... and cabbage rolls... and ham... and...

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A Kitchen Aid stand mixer!

Now it's your turn. If you play, please leave me the link so I can read your answers.