A few recommendations

for this Christmas season.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has a new Christmas CD out called The Spirit of the Season which is absolutely amazing. It's probably one of the best albums I have heard for quite a few years. I remember listening to the Choir singing last year during their Christmas Eve broadcast and they did most of the songs on this album. I was completely stunned by the voice of Sissel, and the musical selections. I think my Mom would really like this CD because it features many of the same songs used in a certain Julie Andrews Christmas Special we love.

If you want a really yummy holiday smell drifting throughout your home, try this. In a saucepan, add, a few sliced oranges, some cinnamon sticks, and a few whole cloves. Add water till about half way full and simmer away. You can continue to add water as it evaporates. After awhile (the next day) the other ingredients need to be replaced. It's such a great fragrance.

If smelling the above gets you in the mood for some homemade cider, purchase some apple juice and mulling spices. Using a tea infuser, you can simmer up some hot goodness.

If it's available to you, go to a store that sells Christmas stuff and marvel at their decorated Christmas trees. Or, stop by friends houses and check out their trees. Last night I was in Lisa's home for Book Club, and her tree is a stunner. We also discussed the book "Socks for Christmas", and ways that we can be more charitable during this time.

I am now trying to think of ways that we can do something service oriented for another family.

All of these things have really helped me get into the moods of Christmas.

What do you like to do at Christmas time?

Home again

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We sure did. Spent lots of good moments with my family and good moments finding fantastic deals. Thanks to people who let us sleep over, fed us yummy food, and let us enjoy them. I'm hoping to get all of the fall decorations out, and the Christmas tree up in the next few days. But since we're in the recuperation mode, and I'm feeling slightly under the weather (whatever that means), it might be awhile. Have a great day!

Seven random things

I was tagged by my fabulous relation, Eliza (who we really should see more of), to do this little write-up of seven random things of my life. Why stop at seven I ask myself? My life is completely random. But I suppose seven feels like a good number. So, I'll just stick with it.

1. I have a major fetish for kitchen bowls. Stainless? Porcelain? Ceramic? Plastic? Neon? well maybe not neon, but I have have far too many fantastic bowls. The thing about it is, is that you never know when you're going to need a certain bowl. One for bread, or maybe to hold some yummy decorations for sugar cookies, or any kind of salad. My line of reasoning is that it is better to be prepared.

2. One of my feet is significantly longer than the other. Which made it tricky to fit for toe (pointe) shoes for ballet, and is terrible now if I want to wear high heels. I have pull off the whole stuffing with toilet paper trick, and it's hard. So, if you notice, I am most likely to be wearing flip flops or sandals. Shoes that don't matter if one foot is an inch longer.

3. I can easily fall in love with a fictional character. I repeat, just in case you were doing a cyber double take, FICTIONAL. Don't get me started on Edward Cullen, and Luke Brandon. Maybe some days it's the strong and silent Mr. Darcy.

4. I have a thing for online shopping. Okay, okay, maybe "thing" is too tame of a word. But let's just say I like it. Nough said about that.

5. I have this spot on my stomach that is constantly itching. It's too wierd. I could scratch all day long and never be relieved. I've heard that my grandpa has the same thing, so future grandkids, watch out.

6. I really love to paint my nails. Both hands and feet. I always find pretty colors at the store and bring them home to find that they look basically the same as all of my other colors. I have a hard time branching out. No green, or blue, or orange (ick). Mostly reds, pinks, you get the idea.

7. I can watch the same movie or listen to the same song over and over. It takes me a LONG time to get sick of something. This drives Dusty NUTS. Sorry baby, you get to listen to Mika's Grace Kelly for the next year. Or until my new fave comes along.

PS. I tag.... Lacey, Bonnie, and Katie.

not quite Thanksgiving dinner, or regular dinner,

it was a Harvest Dinner! We had a rompin' good time. Grandma Challis came, along with Sara, Lauren, and Megan. Dinner was served from a pumpkin (which was my first time, and it actually worked out very well) along with harvesty type sides. We love to entertain, but it's been awhile since we are lacking significantly on dining room space. So, we moved the table into the living room. It worked very well. Should have thought of it sooner actually.





We like to break out the Martinellis whenever possible.





Tyson was a good boy during the dinner. Mainly he just walked around pointing at people's food or played on the couches. Later, he helped Megan load the dishwasher... (yeah right)

Last Night was Craft Night

My sister Sara came over (and after a trip to Roberts for supplies) we settled down for some craftiness. I got the idea from this girl's website, and she got her idea from here. You should look at these sites for great ideas in tons of different areas. After my brainstorming of colors and shapes had sunk in for awhile, I finished my first tree. It's about a foot high and I used white sewing pins to attach the buttons.





As those who know me know, I have a serious OCD problems when it comes to creativity. Why make one when you can make eight? Okay, I didn't make eight, but I made two more. Imagine it my way: all of the different color possibilities, so many buttons to choose, different pins... after I am finished choosing, making three doesn't seem so bad after thinking up twenty good combinations.
(I just had to add this little bit, because Sara and Dusty were teasing me about it)

I DO like how the other two turned out. The second one is about 2 feet tall, and has a white cone underneath. I chose some sparkly buttons that would match my new Christmas tree ornaments. For these I used tiny silver pins. These don't keep the buttons on as well, however, so I had to double them up per button.





This last one is still in progress. I ran out of red buttons. I've added some gold buttons for a little punch. I think these would be a fun gift for somebody. We'll have to see.

Some more of my boy

So cute, it almost breaks my heart. He has quite the little personality. He already has a funny sense of humor with us, but is shy around everyone else. He loves cars. Loves them. Who knew? He has found that he likes to dance and has this little high stepping trot he does to music. And we dance around the kitchen all of the time. He tries to snap too. (I didn't realize I snapped so much until I realized he was copying me) Like lots of children, Tyson brings me his shoes to put on, because then he knows we can go outside.

X-mas project

I know it's early, but I wanted to get it done while I had the idear fresh in my mind. I found the little pictures, believe it or not, in the Deseret Book ad. They felt so emotional to me. So I cut them out and put my own ideas with them. The actual album is about 5x5.

Our "real selves"

For Halloween we went as who we truly are. That's not meant to be profound or anything. Actually, the costumes should probably be reversed. :) The pictures of Tyson turned out badly, but you can get the idea of his costume from them. Can you tell who Dusty borrowed his hat from? You can't see them, but Dusty has the wings pinned onto his back too.

Saturday Afternoon

Last Saturday we met up with Sara, Megan, and Lauren to do some picture taking. It was a fun way to spend a fall afternoon. These were taken on the SUU campus, which has some very pretty spots nestled into it.