At our wedding, my dad's toast talked a lot about surviving Christmas in our family, and how Steve's ability to do so enthusiastically proved, that first year, that he was a keeper.
Christmas is, truly, the most wonderful time of the year. It's the time when almost everyone comes home. My cousin P, Steve, and I all fly in from California; my dad's youngest brother (who had broken his wrist and had surgery just the day before) and his family drive in from Kansas City; my mom's younger brother and his family drive down from Wisconsin; and all the family that still lives in the area comes together. This year, we were only missing one of Dad's sisters, and one of Mom's brothers and his family.
We have all kinds of traditions. Mom hosts Christmas Eve with the Kansas City crew and Grandma and Grandpa. We play "Pass the Bags" (pass on the word the) to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and sing Christmas carols around the tree, ending--always--with a candlelit "Silent Night".
On Christmas Day, we all converge on Aunt N's for my favorite meal of the year. The cousins spend the afternoon playing a new game someone got for Christmas, and for the last couple of years, we've been taking goofy group pictures. (This year, all the cousins converged on the local playground and climbed on everything.)
My Wisconsin cousins drive down the day after Christmas for round two of Pass the Bags, and a wild game of Dirty Bingo. This year, we also had a Bananagrams marathon.
Grandma rallied for the holiday and had a great time. My immediate family went to see Million Dollar Quartet (fantastic! go see it!), as a birthday gift from the kids to Mom and Dad. It was too quick a visit, but it was full of fun and family, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Favorite gift received: Ever year, the Kansas City crew makes a wooden ornament. For the past fourteen years, the theme has been various modes of transportation for Santa. This year, the ornament was a little wooden figurine of Grandma Peggy holding a song book turned to "Silent Night". Uncle E said he'd cherished the memory since first attending Grandma's Christmas Brunch probably thirty years ago, when my parents were first married. It made us all cry, of course.
Favorite gift given: It's a tie, I think. My sister found a place that will stitch names onto a blanket, so she, Steve, and I gave Grandma Peggy a blanket with all her grandchildren's names inside a heart. And then I made a calendar of pictures from Steve's and my honeymoon in France.
I love Christmas!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Made Up of My Favorite Things
Despite it being the "rainy" season here, my face has been feeling extra dry these last several weeks. I had half an idea to look for a moisturizer that's a little heartier than the lotion I'd been using. I was somewhat aimlessly wandering the beauty product aisles of Target to see if anything caught my attention, and I'd paused in front of the Boots Botanics display.
"Yes, Boots," a woman several years older than I am said to her husband, coming around the corner into the aisle. "It's really good."
Now, I didn't know a thing about Boots, but one endorsement (if by a total stranger) is one more than I had for any other product in sight, and it had the advantage of not being over $20 like so many of the moisturizing lotions around. So I tried it.
I have to say, so far, I'm impressed! I've only been using it for a few days, but I do feel like it's helping.
While I was there, not-eavesdropping on my fellow shoppers' conversation, another Boots product caught my eye, and I tossed it into my basket on impulse. As you do.
Soothing & calming eye base. I've been having this on again/off again allergic reaction (?) on my eyelids that I keep meaning to find a dermatologist to talk to about, but haven't yet. My eyelids will, every once in a while, get a little puffy and very itchy. It will go away with an application or two of a prescription eye cream I got from my regular doctor the first time it happened, back in March or April. Anyway, I thought soothing & calming couldn't hurt.
Again, I like! I didn't realize it was tinted when I bought it, but that helps with pesky dark circles. It is soothing and calming, and we'll see if it helps keep this odd allergic reaction at bay.
My not-new but still favorite (most favorite) beauty item is my mascara. One morning on my way to work, I discovered I'd forgotten to put on mascara. I'd done the rest of my meager make-up routine, including eye shadow, but no mascara. I feel like my eyes look so much smaller (and more tired) without mascara! But it wasn't worth going back for, certainly.
Then, as I was getting to work, I realized I'd also forgotten deodorant. I don't think I'm a particularly sweaty or stinky person, but I'd like to keep it that way. Deodorant is non-negotiable. I ducked into the Albertsons near the office to pick some up, and grabbed mascara while I was at it. (Why not?)
The only reason for this particular mascara was that it was least-expensive option the grocery store had to offer.
And let me tell you, it is fabulous. I have actually gotten compliments from people--totally out of the blue--on how long my eyelashes look. It became a make-up bag staple.
So... that's that. A peek into my make-up routine. (The rest of my routine consists of a powder foundation, a little eye shadow, and, if I'm feeling sassy, a bit of cream eyeliner.)
"Yes, Boots," a woman several years older than I am said to her husband, coming around the corner into the aisle. "It's really good."
Now, I didn't know a thing about Boots, but one endorsement (if by a total stranger) is one more than I had for any other product in sight, and it had the advantage of not being over $20 like so many of the moisturizing lotions around. So I tried it.
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| Boots Botanics Day Moisture Lotion |
I have to say, so far, I'm impressed! I've only been using it for a few days, but I do feel like it's helping.
While I was there, not-eavesdropping on my fellow shoppers' conversation, another Boots product caught my eye, and I tossed it into my basket on impulse. As you do.
 |
| Soothing & Calming Eye Base |
Again, I like! I didn't realize it was tinted when I bought it, but that helps with pesky dark circles. It is soothing and calming, and we'll see if it helps keep this odd allergic reaction at bay.
My not-new but still favorite (most favorite) beauty item is my mascara. One morning on my way to work, I discovered I'd forgotten to put on mascara. I'd done the rest of my meager make-up routine, including eye shadow, but no mascara. I feel like my eyes look so much smaller (and more tired) without mascara! But it wasn't worth going back for, certainly.
Then, as I was getting to work, I realized I'd also forgotten deodorant. I don't think I'm a particularly sweaty or stinky person, but I'd like to keep it that way. Deodorant is non-negotiable. I ducked into the Albertsons near the office to pick some up, and grabbed mascara while I was at it. (Why not?)
The only reason for this particular mascara was that it was least-expensive option the grocery store had to offer.
 |
| Super Thick Lash |
So... that's that. A peek into my make-up routine. (The rest of my routine consists of a powder foundation, a little eye shadow, and, if I'm feeling sassy, a bit of cream eyeliner.)
Friday, December 16, 2011
Play Food
As a follow-up to my earlier post about naughty kittens, I just have to document pictorial evidence of Renny's latest shenanigans.
I guess we're going back to one-bowl-at-a-time feeding.
I guess we're going back to one-bowl-at-a-time feeding.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Making All the Cookies
I had two invitations to be social this weekend. When given the option of going out dancing at a club or baking Christmas cookies, I am probably going to choose Christmas cookies every single time.
(My only disappointment was that the cookie-making was at a friend's house, and I couldn't bring my shiny new stand mixer to the occasion. I did bring my trusty old hand mixer, and he performed admirably.)
We baked from noon until about eight in the evening and made five different kinds of cookies: snowballs, gingersnap men with lemon zest frosting, orange drop cookies with orange zest frosting, dark chocolate with sea salt easy fudge, and cranberry-and-walnut roll-ups.
Grandma Peggy would be proud. Snowballs were unanimously voted the favorite cookie, and have been declared a new holiday tradition by several friends. They were the cookies most often nabbed slyly off the cooling rack by passers-by, too.
The gingersnap "men" were the most fun. We had traditional people-shapes and teddy bears and Christmas trees and stars and X-Wing fighters and a Millennium Falcon. Some of the teddy bears got nerd glasses and ties, and there were people-shaped Mario and Luigi. I love my friends.
There is so much photographic evidence of our baking extravaganza, but I had forgotten my camera, so I'm waiting for the pictures to be emailed or posted to Facebook.
We had so many cookies, I delivered plates to three of our neighbors. It felt so Storybook Christmas to me! I'm not sure I've given Christmas cookies to neighbors before.
Because it was my contribution to the cookie-making:
Grandma Peggy's Snowballs
1/2 lb unsalted butter
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 C pecans, ground (measure before grinding)
2 C pastry flour (alternately, 1 C regular flour and 1 C cake flour)
1 lb powdered sugar
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, nuts and flour. Mix. Shape into balls the size of a large marble. Bake in a slow (300°) oven for 25-30 minutes. While cookies are still hot, put them in a 9x13 pan with powdered sugar. Turn the cookies gently "every so often". These are best if left in the sugar until they are cold.
* This recipe is from Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Jim's first cookbook, purchased at Marshall Fields in July 1947. It was then taken verbatim from recipes Grandma and Grandpa printed out and stuck between the pages of the cookie cookbook they gave me as a wedding shower gift.
(My only disappointment was that the cookie-making was at a friend's house, and I couldn't bring my shiny new stand mixer to the occasion. I did bring my trusty old hand mixer, and he performed admirably.)
We baked from noon until about eight in the evening and made five different kinds of cookies: snowballs, gingersnap men with lemon zest frosting, orange drop cookies with orange zest frosting, dark chocolate with sea salt easy fudge, and cranberry-and-walnut roll-ups.
Grandma Peggy would be proud. Snowballs were unanimously voted the favorite cookie, and have been declared a new holiday tradition by several friends. They were the cookies most often nabbed slyly off the cooling rack by passers-by, too.
The gingersnap "men" were the most fun. We had traditional people-shapes and teddy bears and Christmas trees and stars and X-Wing fighters and a Millennium Falcon. Some of the teddy bears got nerd glasses and ties, and there were people-shaped Mario and Luigi. I love my friends.
There is so much photographic evidence of our baking extravaganza, but I had forgotten my camera, so I'm waiting for the pictures to be emailed or posted to Facebook.
We had so many cookies, I delivered plates to three of our neighbors. It felt so Storybook Christmas to me! I'm not sure I've given Christmas cookies to neighbors before.
Because it was my contribution to the cookie-making:
Grandma Peggy's Snowballs
1/2 lb unsalted butter
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 C pecans, ground (measure before grinding)
2 C pastry flour (alternately, 1 C regular flour and 1 C cake flour)
1 lb powdered sugar
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, nuts and flour. Mix. Shape into balls the size of a large marble. Bake in a slow (300°) oven for 25-30 minutes. While cookies are still hot, put them in a 9x13 pan with powdered sugar. Turn the cookies gently "every so often". These are best if left in the sugar until they are cold.
* This recipe is from Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Jim's first cookbook, purchased at Marshall Fields in July 1947. It was then taken verbatim from recipes Grandma and Grandpa printed out and stuck between the pages of the cookie cookbook they gave me as a wedding shower gift.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Animals Behaving Badly
I love my animals. I love my animals. I love my animals.
The handful of years of my life I didn't have a pet living with me seem so far away. The first thing I did when I got my own apartment with fewer than three roommates (sometimes, roommates can be like pets, especially when they spend evenings doing gymnastics over the back of the couch...) was to get a cat. Or two.
When I bought my condo, it wasn't six months later before I started researching dogs.
And when one of my cats moved out with my ex-roommate, it only took a month for Steve and me to find ourselves with a new kitten.
Memory comes with rose-colored glasses, doesn't it? Chloe chewed her fair share of things as a puppy--several pairs of shoes, a DVD case or two, her own leash completely consumed--but she has been such a well-behaved dog once that first year was over that I hardly remember her as anything but angelic. (And a little crazy. She's still a little crazy.)
Monet was really playful as a kitten. She would do fantastic leaps and twists in the air, sometimes full aerial somersaults, while jumping after cat-toys-on-a-stick. The first day we had her, she went completely missing out of the kitchen we'd blocked off, for the entire day. And then she showed up for dinner like nothing was amiss.
Thinking back to the early days with each of my animals, I can find evidence that they weren't the perfectly well-behaved critters they are today. But somehow, even knowing that, I feel like Renny might just be the bad kitten to top them all.
He climbs on everything. Everything. He very deliberately knocks things off of shelves. He gets himself into the bathroom garbage and pulls every piece of kleenex out. He picks up his (full) water bowl and carries it around the bathroom, splashing water across the entire floor. He eats Chloe's food.
He climbs Chloe's crate, which is up against the back side of the kitchen counter, and gets onto the counter to lick the yogurt out of my breakfast bowl.
And worst of all? Renny ruined Christmas.
Okay, not really.
But he climbs the tree (something Monet and Cymbeline did, but the difference there was that they just sat contentedly among the branches) and knocks all the ornaments out. He pulled a stuffed moose I'd had since childhood out of the trees, and tag-teamed with Chloe to completely destroy it. (The moose's muzzle and one arm were ripped off, his eyes got eaten, his scarf was torn in half, and one of his feet is hanging by a thread.)
I had to un-decorate my tree, so it's sitting empty, with lights. But somehow Renny found a way to kill the lights around the bottom quarter of the tree, too. And he chewed two holes in my tree skirt.
I hope next year, I can do Christmas right. Christmas is my favorite time of the year!
(As I type this, he just jumped into my lap and curled up into a tight, little ball and started purring so loudly I can hear it over the news on the TV. This is why we put up with his shenanigans!)
On the other hand, Renny and Chloe are great friends. They jump and play and chase and bat at each other, and they're so happy about it! Renny and Monet may not be bosom buddies yet, but they're getting along much better.
So do I really have anything to complain about? Probably not. I do love my animals.
The handful of years of my life I didn't have a pet living with me seem so far away. The first thing I did when I got my own apartment with fewer than three roommates (sometimes, roommates can be like pets, especially when they spend evenings doing gymnastics over the back of the couch...) was to get a cat. Or two.
When I bought my condo, it wasn't six months later before I started researching dogs.
And when one of my cats moved out with my ex-roommate, it only took a month for Steve and me to find ourselves with a new kitten.
Memory comes with rose-colored glasses, doesn't it? Chloe chewed her fair share of things as a puppy--several pairs of shoes, a DVD case or two, her own leash completely consumed--but she has been such a well-behaved dog once that first year was over that I hardly remember her as anything but angelic. (And a little crazy. She's still a little crazy.)
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| All but the clip. |
 |
| Dog bed: destroyed. |
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| Sorry, Mom! |
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| Lounging on the table like it's not off-limits |
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| Just gotta play! |
He climbs on everything. Everything. He very deliberately knocks things off of shelves. He gets himself into the bathroom garbage and pulls every piece of kleenex out. He picks up his (full) water bowl and carries it around the bathroom, splashing water across the entire floor. He eats Chloe's food.
He climbs Chloe's crate, which is up against the back side of the kitchen counter, and gets onto the counter to lick the yogurt out of my breakfast bowl.
And worst of all? Renny ruined Christmas.
Okay, not really.
 |
| Decorating to It's a Wonderful Life: Tradition! |
But he climbs the tree (something Monet and Cymbeline did, but the difference there was that they just sat contentedly among the branches) and knocks all the ornaments out. He pulled a stuffed moose I'd had since childhood out of the trees, and tag-teamed with Chloe to completely destroy it. (The moose's muzzle and one arm were ripped off, his eyes got eaten, his scarf was torn in half, and one of his feet is hanging by a thread.)
I had to un-decorate my tree, so it's sitting empty, with lights. But somehow Renny found a way to kill the lights around the bottom quarter of the tree, too. And he chewed two holes in my tree skirt.
I hope next year, I can do Christmas right. Christmas is my favorite time of the year!
(As I type this, he just jumped into my lap and curled up into a tight, little ball and started purring so loudly I can hear it over the news on the TV. This is why we put up with his shenanigans!)
On the other hand, Renny and Chloe are great friends. They jump and play and chase and bat at each other, and they're so happy about it! Renny and Monet may not be bosom buddies yet, but they're getting along much better.
So do I really have anything to complain about? Probably not. I do love my animals.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Sew good
In junior high, I took a sewing class. I made things like pincushions and cross-stitched pillows and an apron. I altered a big, green sweatshirt by sewing a triangle of red, patterned material to the inside of the front, stitching a cross-hatch pattern across it, and cutting little X's in each square so that corners of the sweatshirt folded back and the red fabric peeked through... in the shape of a Christmas tree. (I'm not describing this well, and a Google image search was unsuccessful. Hmm.)
I have made myself not one but two poodle skirts by sewing a poodle patch and an artful ribbon "leash" onto a circle of fabric.
(Please excuse poor picture quality. You can hardly see the poodle, and can't see the leash at all! This picture is circa 2006, when my company still had fun for Halloween. My whole office dressed up on a 50's theme and we had Grease playing on a little TV all day long.)
This is all to say that my sewing skills are minimal at best.
But one of my go-to daily blogs is New Dress A Day, and I really admire her ability to recycle old or thrifted clothes into something cute and wearable. I don't have a sewing machine, but I decided to try my hand at altering an old dress I don't wear anymore.
This sweater dress was a little too schoolgirl/Puritan for me. The neck was too high and kind of choked me. The sleeves were too wide. But I liked the idea of the dress.
So I took my trustyseam ripper scissors (I don't even have fabric scissors, only plain old regular paper scissors, let alone a seam ripper!) and snipped out the collar and sleeves.
Don't mind the blurry kitten...
And voila! A sweater dress by itself, worn over a button-down shirt from my wardrobe.
Simple alterations, to be sure. But I did get a compliment or two today, so there's that. Maybe one of these days I'll get a sewing machine and tackle a real project.
 |
(Please excuse poor picture quality. You can hardly see the poodle, and can't see the leash at all! This picture is circa 2006, when my company still had fun for Halloween. My whole office dressed up on a 50's theme and we had Grease playing on a little TV all day long.)
This is all to say that my sewing skills are minimal at best.
So I took my trusty
Don't mind the blurry kitten...
And voila! A sweater dress by itself, worn over a button-down shirt from my wardrobe.
Simple alterations, to be sure. But I did get a compliment or two today, so there's that. Maybe one of these days I'll get a sewing machine and tackle a real project.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Disneyland at Christmas
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| On the tram headed to the parks |
Bad idea. We both got off the ride feeling a little queasy. Last time I do that!
We needed a low-key follow-up. The new Ariel ride looked pretty cool.
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| Artful shadow |
We strolled through an unpopulated section and took our picture by the rapids.
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| Not getting wet on this ride today! |
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| Really awesome fallen leaf. ♥ |
No fewer than three different people commented on our Oswald shirts. Apparently, Disney's California Adventure is getting a 1920's Los Angeles makeover and will be featuring several classic characters, including Oswald. Love it!
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| Wearin' Oswald at Oswald's |
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| Disneyland noms are the best. |
...and to hit up Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for some entertaining photo ops, as is our tradition.
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| NOT ready for my close-up! |
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| Wheeeeee! |
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| Sleeping Beauty's Castle |
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| Main Street Christmas Tree |
Then it was back to California Adventure for our second round of drawing lessons. (Our FAVORITE attraction!) First time, earlier in the afternoon, we learned Piglet. This time...
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| Dale! |
We had gotten fast passes to World of Color, which we had never seen. One word: AMAZING.
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| World of Color |
We had 15 minutes from when World of Color ended to fight the crowds, get to the exit of California Adventure, cross the courtyard, fight the lines (which were ever-long) to get into Disneyland Park, and make it to Main Street for the fireworks. At 8:41, we were at the back of an endless line. Fireworks were to start at 8:45. And you know what? WE MADE IT. I know, I couldn't believe it, either! I was so surprised, in fact, that I didn't take any pictures. I did try to catch the "snow" on Main Street, but my teensy point-and-shoot didn't feel like cooperating.
On the way out of the park, I got stopped by TWO people asking me to take surveys about my visit. And even though I was dead on my feet by that point, I did it. You're welcome, Disneyland.
There's Always Room for Dessert
I've been wanting a stand mixer for ages. We registered for one for the wedding, but didn't get it. We did get gift cards, and it was my intention to go in and buy the mixer with gift cards. I just didn't get around to it.
On Cyber Monday, Amazon had the leveled up version of the mixer I wanted, and for $100 cheaper. On top of that, there was a $50 rebate. I didn't wait until I got home from work so I could use my gift cards; I bought the mixer right then and there before it sold out!
My shiny, new stand mixer arrived today, and the first thing I did was make a batch of "caramel" cookies. (Quotes present because I'm not sure what about them is actually caramel, but that's what they're called in the recipe book.)
The kitchen smelled awesome. Then I baked the second half of the dough on a dark pan and promptly burned them, a full minute before their 8-10 minute window even started. Sigh. I've become a decent enough cook, I think, but I'm afraid I don't have much baking mojo.
The burned cookies are ever-so-slightly improved when dipped in the delicious pumpkin mousse I also whipped up tonight, though!
Recipes for future reference:
Caramel Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
2/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and bake thoroughly.
Scrape dough out of bowl and onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll dough into a log, about 2 1/2 inches wide; completely wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm at least 20 minutes or up to overnight. (I would recommend longer rather than shorter; I stuck mine in the freezer for about 40 minutes and that was not enough... the dough got really sticky about 3/4 of the way through.)
Cut dough into 1/8-inch-thich slices and arrange on several large ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 8-10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
1 Weight Watchers Points Plus per cookie. (From WW Weekly, 11/27)
Pumpkin Mousse
1 cup fat free milk
1 package butterscotch pudding
15 oz pumpkin
1 container cool whip
pumpkin pie spice
Mix everything but cool whip, then fold cool whip into mixture. 8 servings, about 3 WWPP per serving when made with fat free/sugar free ingredients. Delicious with cinnamon graham crackers dipped into it, or the above caramel cookies. Or just with a spoon!
On Cyber Monday, Amazon had the leveled up version of the mixer I wanted, and for $100 cheaper. On top of that, there was a $50 rebate. I didn't wait until I got home from work so I could use my gift cards; I bought the mixer right then and there before it sold out!
My shiny, new stand mixer arrived today, and the first thing I did was make a batch of "caramel" cookies. (Quotes present because I'm not sure what about them is actually caramel, but that's what they're called in the recipe book.)
 |
| Mixed up a batch of cookies! |
The kitchen smelled awesome. Then I baked the second half of the dough on a dark pan and promptly burned them, a full minute before their 8-10 minute window even started. Sigh. I've become a decent enough cook, I think, but I'm afraid I don't have much baking mojo.
The burned cookies are ever-so-slightly improved when dipped in the delicious pumpkin mousse I also whipped up tonight, though!
 |
| With pumpkin mousse. |
Recipes for future reference:
Caramel Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
2/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and bake thoroughly.
Scrape dough out of bowl and onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll dough into a log, about 2 1/2 inches wide; completely wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm at least 20 minutes or up to overnight. (I would recommend longer rather than shorter; I stuck mine in the freezer for about 40 minutes and that was not enough... the dough got really sticky about 3/4 of the way through.)
Cut dough into 1/8-inch-thich slices and arrange on several large ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 8-10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
1 Weight Watchers Points Plus per cookie. (From WW Weekly, 11/27)
Pumpkin Mousse
1 cup fat free milk
1 package butterscotch pudding
15 oz pumpkin
1 container cool whip
pumpkin pie spice
Mix everything but cool whip, then fold cool whip into mixture. 8 servings, about 3 WWPP per serving when made with fat free/sugar free ingredients. Delicious with cinnamon graham crackers dipped into it, or the above caramel cookies. Or just with a spoon!
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