Days of Play--Gifts in a Jar

I really like to give close neighbors and friends some holiday cheer that's cheap homemade.  I take cookies, breads, and drink mixes but some of my favorite gifts are gifts in a jar.

You've seen them--bread, soup, cookie and hot drink mixes in fun mason jars with raffia--now make some. 

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Measuring is a great "math connection" for kiddos and what can be better than making gifts for others, together?

Here are some great "gift in a jar" recipes that I've tried and loved (oh, and here's one Miss Frontier Kitchen made that looks amazing!  I heart orange cranberry bread!).

Hot Snow (for more drink mix ideas, click here)

10 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 8 ounce jars of French vanilla flavored nondairy powdered creamer
3 1/2 cups Nestle's Quick
2 3/4 cup nondairy powdered creamer
1/2 teaspoon salt

8 pint size gift jars

Combine all ingredients. Scoop into jars.

Print out the following instructions on card stock to attach to the jars with a ribbon and peppermint stick.

Stir 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa mix into hot water or milk.

Snowballs

Layer the following in a 1-quart jar:

3 cups vanilla wafers (Nilla) finely crushed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

Attach the following gift tag to the jar with a ribbon and a mini-bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream.

Combine contents of jar in a bowl.
Mix in 1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream and 3 tablespoons light corn syrup and mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Allow to stand 5 minutes.
Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.
Roll balls in confectioners sugar and allow to dry on wire rack 1 hour.

Store leftovers in air-tight container between layers of wax paper.

 Dirty Snow Soup

A hearty rice and mushroom soup to help you warm up after a day of play in the snow.

1 (2.75 ounce) package country gravy mix

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried mushrooms

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar. In small bowl, stir together bouillon granules, onion, celery and parsley. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add layers of wild rice, white rice and mushrooms. Seal with lid. Attach gift tag with a ribbon and wooden spoon.

Dirty Snow Soup
Empty contents of jar into a large saucepan. Add 7 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stirr occasionally. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Candy Cane Bath Salts

12 (12 oz) canning jars with lids

2 cartons (4 pounds) of Epsom salts

4 pounds of kosher salt

1 tsp glycerin, divided

12 drops peppermint essential oil

red food coloring

Empty one carton Epsom Salts into large mixing bowl.
Add 3 cups sea salt, stir well.
Stir in 1/4 teaspoon glycerin and 6 to 8 drops essential oil and mix well.
In second large mixing bowl, empty one carton Epsom Salts, and add 3 cups sea salt. Stir well.
Add 1/4 teaspoon glycerin, 6 to 8 drops essential oil, and red food color.
Stir until completely blended and color is even.
Hold canning jars at an angle, layer salts in jars, alternating white and colored mixtures. (**If you want, you could divide into three--and have white, red, and green salts to layer).
Add instructions to jar with ribbon and a candy cane.

Instructions:
Add 2-3 tablespoons to hot water for an invigorating bath

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Consider themes
Christmas Cookies
Make a jar of Gingerbread cookie mix, attach a cookie cutter to the jar and put in a basket with a The Gingerbread Man book.

Winter Fun
Get a saucer sled.  In the concave part of the sled, put a jar of soup mix, some hot cocoa, some inexpensive gloves/mittens, and a fire starter log.

Snowman Hat
Get a black hat.  Put in a jar of Hot Snow.  Add a large plastic carrot, two big black buttons, two sticks, and a red scarf.

Family Night
Get a basket.  Add a jar of pizza dough mix, cookie mix, a family game (such as Sorry or Uno) and an inexpensive holiday movie.

Final Thoughts

• If you don't want to use jars, use holiday themed gladware, fabric bags, or brown paper sacks decorated by your children (put ingredients in Ziploc bags before putting them into fabric/paper sacks).
• Make sure to wash jars and lids before you use them.
• If you make soups mixes with beans, make sure to rinse and inspect beans first.

{Girls} Date Night In: Cookie Swap

Every year I host an cookie swap and it is one of my favorite holiday traditions.

The Skinny:

1. Each guest chooses 1 type of cookie to make and lets you know in advance so there aren't duplicates. 
2. Each guest makes 1 dozen cookies per attendee PLUS a dozen to share on cookies swap day (that means if 5 people RSVP, you make 6 dozen of the *same* type of cookie--5 doz to give, 1 doz to share).
3. Package cookies dozens individually (on paper plates, paper sacks, etc.) so they can be quickly and easily distributed. 

The Beautiful Part:
You leave the cookie swap with several dozens of DIFFERENT types of cookies that you can re-arrange and give to neighbors. I looks like you baked for hours :)

The Rules:
*Only make 1 type of cookie to swap (I've been known to break this rule BUT when I break it, I still make a dozen of EACH cookie.  So if I make buckeyes and pinwheels, each guest still gets 12 of each).
*Cookies only--popcorn balls, candy, fudge, caramels, etc. are really hard to divvy up.


The Event:

• Send an evite to several friends explaining the process and the benefits.
• The day of, make some tea, coffee, and cocoa, turn on Christmas music, and play hostess.
• This can be a quick drop off-take-leave event or you can draw it out.  Have time to chat, sample cookies, and perhaps give white elephant gifts.
• Make sure everyone leaves with cookies

Share the Love:
When the swap is all over, open up those cookies and layout a nice cookie assortment on plates.  Cover with wrap, add a bow and gift tag, and take to your neighbors.

{Holiday} Things I Love--Christmas Music

Every year I wonder what the "right" time is to start listening to Christmas music.  Because even though some people would rather rip their ears of than hear Michael Buble sing "I'll Be Home for Christmas," I simply can't get enough. That's what she said.

Though I know several families who break out Rudolph on November 1st, I try to make myself wait until the week of Thanksgiving.

If you are compiling a list of must-have Christmas songs, here are my top picks of songs and the artists I prefer to sing them!

10. O Holy Night~Glee
9.  Santa Baby~Calista Flockhart
8.  Baby It's Cold Outside~Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey (judge me all you want.  You know it's good) or Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone
7. Christmas Canon~Trans Siberian Orchestra (I walked down the aisle to this song)
6. Carol of the Bells~Trans Siberian Orchestra
5.  The River~Robert Downey, Jr.
4. Bells will Be Ringing~Bon Jovi
3.  Last Christmas~Taylor Swift (uh huh. I just said Taylor Swift)
2. Silent Night~Boyz II Men (I like to kick it old school!)
1.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas~Judy Garland

Of course I love, love other songs as well but these are my faves!

What I Think About--My Little Girl Growing Up

Whether you can believe it or not, I'm a mess.

M.E. is five today.

Five.

I keep trying to figure out where the time has gone.

Wasn't it just yesterday I found out I was pregnant?

It feels like it has just been hours since I first held her in my arms.

Surely it was just minutes ago that she started saying "mama" and "dada.

It can't be more than a few seconds ago that she started toddling around and exploring.

And now she's at that delightful age of begging to stay up until midnight (she doesn't even "get" what midnight is yet) and gearing up for kindergarten.  

Some times the days feel like they go slowly but the years go by so fast.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those moms who wants my children to stay babies forever.  I've loved every age and every new season.  I look forward to reading Anne of Green Gables together, having "the" talk, and going shopping for wedding dresses.

I look forward to the lifetime of companionship that mothers and daughters have (Yes, I know moms and sons have great relationships too).

But today, if only for today, while I can hope and dream about the kind of woman she'll become, I'm just a bit sad that these days don't last forever.

To me, being a mom is a glorious burden.  So much hope for the future rides on the lives of my children.  And yet I fear that I am not enough--that I won't do the right things, say the right things, or teach the right lessons.

Every day as this baby becomes a girl, becomes a young lady, becomes a woman I cry out to God and ask that He make me the kind of woman this little girl thinks I am.  She's watching me.

Happy 5th Birthday to our Big Girl!

Tuesday's Too Clean Tip--Cross Contamination

If you are like me you're probably whipping up a few extra special meals and goodies this holiday season.

Sometimes being in a hurry to make a lot of food for a lot of people results in some forgetfulness and negotiation of basic food handling rules.  The result?  Cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination often results in food poisoning.  Ick.

If you don't want to spend your holidays with your head stuck in the toilet, remember to follow basic rules of food preparation.

MEAT and POULTRY

• Buy "fresh" poultry as late as possible.  Store them in the fridge and cook within 48 hours.
• Defrost frozen turkeys in the fridge.  DO NOT defrost turkeys on the counter or in a lukewarm bath.
• DO NOT wash your turkey under the kitchen faucet. Bacteria splash from the raw meat and poultry to counter-tops, cutting boards, and utensils. Proper cooking will kill any bacteria, so it doesn't need to be washed.  
• Use a meat thermometer to make sure meats are cooked all the way through.

PREPARATION

• Wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER handling food. 
• Use separate cutting boards, knives, etc., for different meats and produce.
• Germs that cause food poisoning can also linger on surfaces for days. Make sure to use a CLEAN rag and antibacterial cleaner to wipe down surfaces tainted by raw meat and poultry.
• Immediately clean surfaces and utensils after using them.

LEFTOVERS

• Don't leave leftovers sitting on the counter or table.  Food poisoning producing bacteria grow quickly so eat and refrigerate. 
• Store food properly.  Keep meat away from produce. Try to adios leftovers within 48 hours of cooking them.
• By the way, there is an old wives tale that leftovers needs to "cool" before it can be refrigerated.  FALSE.  You should cool food before freezing so you don't get ice crystals and freezer burn but there is no need to let that leftover turkey "cool" for three hours before popping it in the fridge (unless, of course, your diet of choice is a nice stomach flu).

CLEAN UP

• Use different colored sponges or dishcloths for wiping surfaces and washing up. 
• If you have accidentally used the wrong sponge or cloth (or if you want to make sure germs are gone) place rags/sponges in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

When you are in your kitchen whipping up some holiday food magic, don't forget that cleanliness is next to godliness (I don't actually believe this but you see where I'm going...).

Calling All Bloggers

I hate to brag but I'm going to Mexico in January and I'd love some guest bloggers!

Interested in writing a piece for WITMIM? ?

Well, send me your submission to whereisthemeinmomm{at}gmail{dot}com by December 21st and I'll let you know if you made the cut ;)

Feel free to write about anything MOM, WOMAN, or WIFE related.  Recipes, craft ideas, opinion pieces, fashion finds or faux pas, ... your call.  For one week only I won't be following my general routine.

HOWEVER, each sumission must include:

• Your name and the names/ages of your children;
• Links to your blog (if applicable) or esty store;
• 2-3 good quality photos;
• E-mail in html format preferred.

What you'll get in return:

• This is not a big blog by any stretch of the imagination but you will get 1 day of my reader's attention (and I'd rather have 100 loyal followers than 2310 luke-warm follwers, BTW!).
• Hot silver gums (Okay, this is a "nothing" award.  M.E. decided "hot silver gums" were the coolest thing ever so now I hand them out like invisible trophies. It's kinda like Who's Line--the points don't matter--neither do the hot silver gums.  But it sounds cool, doesn't it?).

Once again, if you are interested send e-mail me your submission of your post by Dec. 21st.

whereisthemeinmommy@gmail.com

**Please note** I have the right to refuse submissions that are not in line with the mission and vision of this blog.  I also maintain the right to edit as needed.

Oh and one more thing, I'm all about controversial topics but keep the language PG cuz that's how I role!

Days of Play--Make a {Christmas} Wreath!

I made my first wreath this fall and fell in love.

It was cute, unique, totally my style and cheap!  But then I repeat myself.

Consider making a wreath today.

Kiddos can help you pick colors and trimming and can even help design the layout. 

Step #1--Buy your supplies.

We went for a less-is-more candy cane color themed wreath.  I nearly caved to the maroon and gold poinsettias with sparkly cardinals but Matt would have hated it.  So M.E. and I negotiated and the theme "candy cane" worked (bribing her with an actual candy cane may or may not have helped).

I got everything at Michael's for 50% off.  I've listed the BEFORE discount prices.  Wreath 5.99.  Berries 1.99.  Ribbon 1.99.  Ornaments 2.49.  Pointsettas 1.99.  Final price after discount: $7.22

Step #2--Lay out your supplies to get a "feel" for the finished look.

Step #3--Weave the ribbon and berries through your wreath.

Step #4--Add your flowers and ornaments.

#5--Hang on your door and take more photos than necessary :)

30/30--Lessons Learned

On November 7, 2010 I started my 30/30 adventure.

I chose 30 items from my closet and promised not to wear anything else beside those 30 pieces (minus outerwear, underwear, and accessories) for 30 days.

My purpose for doing this was two-fold:
1.  I am constantly fighting the inner, materialistic "me" and I thought using only 30 pieces would greatly help my attitude.  In essence, I wanted to learn to be grateful for what I have and not constantly look for new "things" to make me happy.

2.  I wanted to become more adventurous with my clothing.  It is really easy to have simple, go to outfits. But what happens when you can't wear those?  Well, you get creative.

Tuesday I completed my challenge! {Insert congratulations, cheesecake, and happy dances here}

After 30 (somewhat long) days, I've definitely learned something about my clothes and myself.

What I learned about clothing:

• I have enough clothing.  30 different outfits from 30 pieces and I didn't even wear all of them more than once.  If you've got more than 30 pieces of clothing, you've got enough too!
• I didn't do a good job with my picks.  I'm a jeans and sweaters girl and I didn't have enough of either. I had too many work clothes and not enough weather-appropriate gear. This is code for "I froze 19 days out of 30." None-the-less, I made it work!
• In an effort to play it safe I chose too many neutrals.  And I learned that too many na-na-na-neutrals is ba-ba-ba-boring!
• I should have stuck to the Real Simple clothing basics list.  I had a black blazer, black dress, and a denim jacket but I put them back.  Why oh why did I do that? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
• I love my accessories!  Yay for scarves, hats, necklaces, and bracelets!  I've said it before (and now I have pictorial proof), accessories make the outfit.  Bonus that you can find them cheaply!
• My most-often worn pieces were from thrift stores--not bought new off the shelf.  Let that be a lesson to us all!
• Though I tired of wearing the same pieces over and over, it was surprisingly easy to have such limited choices.  I didn't have to agonize; I could grab-n-go!
• I really, really, really love my red MaryJanes.

What I learned about myself:

• I'm not very creative about putting outfits together.  I play it safe WAY too much!  Ironically, my "wildest" outfits were my most popular ... hmmmmm...........
• I am not grateful for what I have.  I have a feeling I'll love my clothes a lot more now.  I can't wait for more options in the morning!
• I am capable of looking at other people's outfits and putting together something similar. 
• I get grumpy when I don't feel like I look good.
• I feel great when I feel like I look great.
• I didn't miss shopping {that much}.

It's amazing what a little "out of the box" challenge like this can do for your life perspective.

Thank you Kendi from Kendi Everyday for hosting this event and congrats to all the bloggers who participated {and finished} the challenge!

My 30/30 Re-Cap 

(Dedicated to the brown blazer I bought for $3 but proved to be worth one hundred times it's value.  Oops, I meant, dedicated to Matt and M.E. for taking pictures and dealing with clothing emotional Reagan)

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway. ---->Click Here<---- If you want $50!

{Holiday} Things I Love--My Nativity Set

I am not a collector of things.  I'm not knick-knacky and cutesy.  I love the way all that "stuff" looks in other people's homes but just the thought of having to dust one more item sends me into a panic attack.

Yep, at my house--less is definitely more.

I was pretty surprised when I first saw "Willow Tree" figurines and kinda loved them.  I'm not exactly sure why but I wanted some.  They don't match my decor but something about the faceless people feels really homey to me. (Still, I didn't get carried away.  I have a couple and that's it. No need for the whole collection).

When my mom learned there was a nativity scene of Willow Tree people she asked if she could slowly build me a collection.  I nearly jumped out of my seat with excitement because I'd seen the set and loved it but didn't want to pay for it because I'm cheap readily gave her my consent. I'm just nice like that.

So my mom slowly got me pieces. Mary, Jesus, and Joseph on year one.  Year two the creche.  Year three the shepards.  Year four the stars.  Year five the wise men.

And then my mom got sick.

Now she doesn't remember that she started my collection for me.

She doesn't remember it isn't quite finished.

She's forgotten about the other stars, the angel, the angel stand, and the animals.

Last year my mother-in-law lovingly offered to finish the set for me but I just couldn't let her do it.

It might be weird but I love my set just as it is.  I love the memories I have of excitedly waiting for my new pieces each year.  I love that it's from my mom.

Every year I unwrap my nativity set by myself.  I open each piece slowly.  It's kinda like opening a memory.

When I got my nativity set out this year I got all weepy.  Even now my eyes fill with tears as I realize the beautiful reason this nativity set is so beloved to me.

My nativity set is a symbol of my relationship with my mom.

It is no longer growing. 

It is humble.

It is not finished. 

Something is missing.

Yet it's perfectly perfect just the way it is.

My house has great Pre-War II bungalow built ins (which we added, of course, since we just built our house last year).  This one is in my entry way.  I never dress up my nativity scene.  I think the pieces are a bold enough statement on their own.

I use one of my other figurines as the angel every year.

And that's why I love my nativity set.

What I Think About--Christmas v. Xmas v. Happy Holidays

Every year the same drivel gets hashed and re-hashed on the news (because apparently there are no real injustices or humanitarian issues to address).

Should we say "Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or "Xmas"?

Seriously people, who cares?

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I personally say "Merry Christmas" because I love Jesus and I think Christmas is about His birth.

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But I also have "Xmas" on my Christmas boxes :GASP:

Now before you pull our your "Put Christ back in Christmas" bumper sticker, let me explain something to you.

We refer to God as the Alpha and Omega (It's biblical).  Did you know those letters are the beginning and the end of the Greek alphabet?  Is anyone offended that we'd refer to God with a O with a line through the middle?  Hardly.

Well in Greek X means "Chi" and is literally the start of the spelling of Christ.  So when I write Christmas XMAS- Christ is still in there.

So back off.

If the plan to use X was a huge conspiracy to make Christmas NOT about Christ, the attempt failed miserably (though I might add that attempts to minimize Christ by making Christmas totally consumer driven has worked beautifully--especially among Christians!).

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And now the dreaded "Happy Holidays."

There is a lot of debate about why people say "Happy Holidays."

Some people claim that we say the generic term because there are a lot of holidays during the season so it's more politically correct.

Ohers feel like it is a personal way to attack Christians by claiming Christmas isn't about Christ.

And still others say it because "holiday" is short for HOLY DAY.  And Christmas is a holy day, is it not?

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

But does any of this matter?  Is it *really* worth getting worked up about?

Will saying "Happy Holidays" really cause a fellow Christian to stumble or an unbeliever to NEVER know Christ?

I have a feeling Christians would get a lot farther if they chose their battles.  If they fought for salvation issues--not heart issues.  Sometimes the best witness is to lovingly defer, not fight.

So here's my thought:

This year, instead of boycotting stores that say "Happy Holidays," what if we SHOWED the love of Jesus to people by serving them, not debating common vernacular?

What if we cared more about their salvation than we cared about their Christmas salutations?

What if we let the season be more about HIM that what others say or do? 

What if we got as riled up about human trafficking and poverty and war as we do "Happy Holidays?"

What I think is that the Christmas v. Xmas v. Happy Holidays debate is a ruse to give Christians, who would otherwise be involved in nothing and stand for nothing, a soapbox on which to stand and feel like important "good" Christians.  

Heck, as long as we can argue about linguistics, there's no need to take a stand about what REALLY mattered to Christ--loving people!

So to all those near and dear (and far and estranged) Merry Christmahanakwanstice (I had a student from a multi-religious family wear that shirt once).

30/30--The End!

Phew.  Today is my last day of the 30/30 challenge.  YAY!

Today I wanted to wear my Express gray frilly coat.  It is a fave but for some reason it just didn't "go" with most of my other 30/30 choices.  I tried it several times and it just didn't work.

I paired it with a black T, jeans, heels, and a pink and purple scarf and it's fine but this isn't my dream outfit.  Oh well, tomorrow morning I'm going to open my closet and a world full of fashion possibilities will greet me.

And I promise not to say "I have nothing to wear" for at least 30 days!

Tuesday's Too Clean Tip--Christmas Trees

Freshly cut Christmas trees smell divine, don' they?

But cleaning up after a freshly cut Christmas tree can be a disaster!

Ergo, I have a lovely fake tree and I burn a pine smelling candle from Gold Canyon Candles called "Sleigh Ride."

Perfect solution .... for me.

If you love a fresh tree, like my dad, here's one way to help keep the needles on the tree.

Water your Christmas tree.

You're welcome.

No really, water is pretty essential so don't take it for granted.

Source

 Follow these steps:

1. When you get your tree home cut at least one inch off the base.  You need to do this for every tree that hasn't been cut in the last four hours.  Resin forms on the bottom of trees and keeps water out so if you didn't *just* cut that tree down (or if you just got it from a tree lot), cut off 1 inch minimum.
2. DO NOT cut the tree in a V shape, at an angle, or drill a hole through the base.  This does not help with water absorption and makes it hard for trees to stand in their bases.
3. Find a tree stand that fits your tree; don't cut the base down to fit the stand.  The outer parts of the bark are really important (which is why trees have it) so if your base doesn't fit, get a new one.  
4. Your stand should be able to hold around a gallon of water.  (Yes, your tree might drink a gallon of water in a day). You'll want to refresh the water often; check it at least every other day.  If you are feeling particularly festive, give your tree a drink of 7 UP or ginger ale. **Try not to give your tree water from your water softener.  The sodium in water softeners can dry out your tree**
5. Be smart about where you put your tree.  Keep it away from heat sources: furnaces, fire places, heating vents ... All of these will dry your tree out (not to mention the fire hazard).
6. Use low-heat (LED) lights.  And turn them off when you go to bed and leave the house.
7. If your tree dries out, you can "refresh" it by cutting another inch off the base.  Doesn't that sound dreamy?  No?  Okay then, just keep it watered and you'll be fine through Christmas.

Country Wings in Phoenix

29/30--Easy Peasy!

One more day and I'm done.

Today I pulled out khakis and a white long sleeve shirt and a green ruffly shirt and it was wrong.  All wrong.  Even Matt agreed.

But the white T and khakis seemed so boring.

Matt had a point: I never wear that so even though it seems drab, it's unusual for me.

And it was easy.  After 29 days of missing sweaters and MaryJanes I was ready for easy.

Plus, I wore it with my fave necklace. For some reason I've totally neglected my necklace lovey this whole challenge.  Until today!

Want to know what else is easy?  Signing up to win my giveaway. <---Click that link

Seriously.  $50 could be a click and two comments away.

50 Smackers {A Giveaway}

A while back I posted that I'd host a BIG giveaway when I hit 100 followers.

Then I hit 100 hundred followers the day we got carpet, the day family was flocking to town.  Then it was Thanksgiving and all of a sudden it was December 6th!  YIKES!

So even though I'm late, let me just tell you a

Big Huge THANK YOU for letting me ramble and feel important!

And as my way of giving back, I introduce my fabulous blog giveaway:

50 Smackers!

Source

That's right ladies--50 tubes of Lip Smackers Lip Gloss.  Coca-Cola, Cookie Dough, Watermelon, Sugar Plum ... all your favorite flavors are there!

Who doesn't want 50 tubes of lip gloss?

WHAT? 

You don't want 50 tubes of chapstick?

Fair enough.

When I was a freshman I found out (the hard way) that I'm allergic to Lip Smackers.  My lips go so inflamed I looked like the Joker.  I had to walk around for months putting Aquafore on my lips and everyone teased me and said it was KY Jelly.  True story.

Oh well. If I'm not the only one opposed to Lip Smackers I might as well give away 50 Smackers.

As in this guy:

Fine Print: You won't get a $50 bill but a check or card.  I swear it's good.  I just hate mailing cash (though the mail men don't seem to mind ..... hmmmmmmm........)

The Truth:

I was going to give away $100 but then I heard about a cause on WayFM that broke my heart and I gave half the money to them.

It was totally worth it.  If you haven't heard of The Room at the Inn fundraiser for Cure International, please click the link and read all about it!  You can provide a healthy pre-post natal cost of an infant in Afghanistan.  **Warning**Photos on sight are heartbreaking**

---------------->CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION<-------------------

So if you want a chance to win 50 Smackers, here's what to do:

Mandatory (Leave a separate comment for each step and make sure to DO each step or you'll be DQed): 

1. Become a follower with Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment telling me you are my new follower (if you are already a follower, thank you. Please leave me a comment saying you are still checking up on me).
2. Tell me what you'd spend the $50 on

Optional (you know, to better your chances):

• Like me on Facebook (be sure to leave a comment)
• Blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your post in a comment)
• Post about this giveaway on your facebook page

This giveaway ends Sunday December 12 at Midnight.  Winner of the $50 will be announced Monday Dec. 13th at NOON so check back!

The super fine print:  This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only (sorry).  And you cannot be related to the blogger.  Sorry, SD!

28/30--Oh My {and a meal plan}!

Ruffles, and roses, and beads--Oh My!

Reds, and blues, and patterns, Oh My!

This was a fun outfit. 

I felt vogue and shiny all day.

And that's what I call successful dressing :)

I have several of these rosette pins that I add to necklaces and shoes.  A quick-o change-o!

The Polar Express was on TV.

For the record, I love this skirt.

And I pretty much <3 these bold tights, too!

Meal Planning.  Generally I'm a fan but these past two weeks I have been snowed under.  Don't worry.  I've still been feeding my family.

A little late but here's this week's cooking adventure:
Monday--Garlic Parmesan chicken salad
Tuesday--Orange braised chicken thighs with green olives and rice
Wednesday--Salsa beef wraps (and our annual Sweaters-n-Nog party!  Bring on the buckeyes!)
Thursday--Breakfast for dinner (DH will be on a business trip.  Boo!)
Friday--Grilled Cheese and tomato basil soup
Saturday--Lasagna and salad
Sunday--pepper steak and fingerling potatoes

27/30--Blue Christmas

We *finally* got our tree decorated today.

Between finishing the basement, working, school, and life in general I've been feeling pretty far behind and overwhelmed.

But the "Blue" in Blue Christmas has everything to do with my scarf--which makes me anything but blue!

The belted scarf look is something I've been seeing on fashion blogs.  I wasn't so sure till I tried it.

Now, I'm a believer!