Decorating part deux

I got a bug in me last night to finish up alot of my decorating - or at least placement of the decorations I have. Now that I'm sort of done with that I realize I need ALOT more stuff! This house has much more potential for holiday decor than my past apartments.


I cleaned off the entry table & added a few festive ornaments ... the tupperware bins do not qualify & will be removed later tonight.


I added a few more trinkets to the mantle & set up the nativity scene on the table between the beautiful and festive orange chairs. I just noticed how festive my pillows look - they are in the holiday spirit in their red stripes!



And finally, the tree. You can't really tell how glorious it is from this picture. Maybe I should take pictures in the dark so you can see the happy glow of the lights. I have caught the cats under the tree a handful of times already... and one ornament pulled off and placed on the kitchen floor for me to find. I am hoping the kitties will lose interest quickly. Good luck, right?!

I love this decorating thing! It is great and just cheers you up no matter what kind of day you've had! I just like to sit on the couch with all my candles lit & the Christmas lights on and just hum Oh Holy Night to myself. Love.

Decorating... Part 1

As promised, I started my decorating efforts last night. Not a major effort, but some.

First, I hung poinsettia garlands over the mirror in our entry way. (don't pay attention to the crap all over the table.. it's a work in progress!)



Then, I cleared off the mantel & added berry & sparkly garlands. I hung a wreath on the wall but not convinced it's staying there.. or in that position. We'll see.




Then I felt the need to resurrect one of my favorite holiday photos - Mark & Freddie in her holiday finery. She loves it!



More decorating to come!

Christmas Begins..

I was a bit irked this year to see how many people (retailers included) found it ok to skip Thanksgiving & decorate for Christmas mid-November. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday and I felt like it should have its own decorations. A thumbs up to Nordstrom who actually posted a sign at their front doors explaining that they would not be decorating for Christmas until November 27th. Way to go Nordstrom!

Ok.. enough of that - I actually love Christmas. I like how cheery things look all the time. This is our first Christmas in our new house & I am fear that I may turn into a crazy person over decorating. My house growing up never lacked in full holiday regalia dripping from every outpost possible - but I have always found myself a bit more conservative in my decorating quests. A tasteful tree, a nice wreath, a nativity scene.. but far from over the top.

This year I am already feeling different about my approach to decorating - there will definitely be more of it! I have already made my maiden voyage to Michaels to buy garlands that were 50% off. And who knows what will loom in the future.

Christmas is a time of celebration and what better way to celebrate than to decorate like you're having a party! Pictures to come...

Birthday Treats... the adventure story

I am a big fan of channels like the Food Network or Bravo, Travel Channel - anything that showcases food or cooking. Recently while watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives I learned about Bacon Donuts (you have to imagine the heavenly choir singing on your own when I say "Bacon Donuts"..). So, I shared this new-found-treasure with my bacon-adoring husband - immediately his eyes sort of went watery at the mere thought of bacon as a topping on a donut. It's like Homer Simpson's dream coming into reality.



**Side Note... I should have learned long ago to watch what I repeat to my husband. After watching an episode of Paula Deen where she described how she puts little pea-sized pieces of butter in with her hamburger meat to keep it "juicy" he has made this hamburger regiment number one. So much for paying extra for super lean meat! Continuing on...



So, today is my husband's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!) and I asked him if he'd like to take a treat to work to share for his special day and he immediately answered "bacon donuts." I should have guessed. Onto the google-machine I went and spliced together my very own recipe for bacon donut holes. For those of you ready to jump on the exciting adventure... please continue reading.



Bacon Donuts, adapted

Ingredients:

2 tubes of Grands Biscuits

1 tbsp cinnamon

3-5 cups of vegetable oil



Cut each biscuit in quarters, sprinkle with cinnamon & roll into balls. Heat oil to 375 degrees ("deep frying" temp) - use candy thermometer for accuracy. If the oil gets too hot the holes burn.. we learned that first-hand. Drop 6-8 holes into the oil & let them cook for about 3 minute total. They will start to turn over by themselves but it's a good idea to make sure they're evenly fried on each side. Remove & place on paper towels to remove excess grease.



Glaze:

1 1/4 c Powdered Sugar

1/4 c Maple Syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together - if it comes out too thick, add a bit more syrup or a bit of milk (tsp at a time) until it is a glaze consistency. Dip each donut hole into the glaze -we chose to only dip half but that is up to you. Set on a piece of parchment/wax paper (glaze-side up) and sprinkle with chopped bacon. We used almost an entire package of bacon for this batch but that is at your discretion.



Let the holes set for about 30 minutes or so & either enjoy right away or place in an air-tight container for sharing later with friends! Makes 64 donut holes (wow! that sounds like alot!)



Enjoy!!!

(ps: sorry for the lack of pictures... I couldn't get it out of my husbands cell phone!)

Getting Healthy

It occurs to me that the holidays are looming somewhere close and that always sends my metabolism into hiding for a few months. I always find it amazing that in two fell swoops (namely Thanksgiving & Christmas) that I can go from a fairly normal, healthy girl to Hilda the Bohemoth Woman who's jeans are way too tight and has the energy of a slug baby. NOT THIS YEAR!

As soon as the sun decided to get it's lazy butt out of bed an hour earlier... so did I... and I started running in the mornings again. I always feel so much better when I run in the mornings - I am ready for bed at 8:15pm, but definitely feel better. Plus, I love our neighborhood early in the morning - when people are just starting to get up and move about. Houses are quiet, streets are still, sprinklers are doing their thing - it's very peaceful. Well, until I come running through with a quasi-asthmatic wheeze desperately trying not to keel over while singing the lyrics to one or another Miley Cyrus song. But enough about that..

I am also very excited about the prospect of the new workout DVD that is to be finding its way to me sometime "after the 17th" - the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred. Compliments of my bestie, Kaija, I am guaranteed results from this bad boy. My Question is, does she yell insults at you from the DVD? I secretly hope so!

And last but definitely not least - I am going back to Weight Watchers. I joined WW a bit over 2 1/2 years ago and was very successful at it... and then decided I didn't need it anymore and I figured that I could do everything on my own. It is humbling how wrong I was. So - I am back and with a vengeance!

Watch out holidays! I'm on to you and your wiley ways!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is pretty big around my workplace - all the departments dress up in different themes. It gets pretty competitive. We had some pretty good groups this year but none can compare to my departments Lucha Libres! Yes, that is correct - there were 10 luchadoras, a referee and a ring girl.

We ruled the place! But.... we still came in 2nd to a duo that dressed up like Dog the Bounty Hunter & his wife, Beth.

They really can't be beat!

Happy Halloween everyone!

AKA... Houses for People

It appears I'm on a good-deed kick these days.



On top of my Baking Gals efforts, I am also volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. I've wanted to do this for over 5 years now but never could seem to get myself signed up. So, 2 weeks ago, I finally went to the Orientation Meeting and discovered that there are many different opportunities to volunteer for within Habitat for Humanity. I feel so silly thinking all I could do was build a house! I immediately signed up for a bunch of different teams.



First, I am working with the Hospitality team. They are the group of bright & smiling faces you see when you first get to a building site. I am one of those crazy people that wakes up in a great mood and can actually hold a conversation without ingesting a pot of coffee. I love mornings. My husband would not be good at this. After many expletives & throwing something at someone, he would be escorted off the premises and banned. So... I will be doing this solo.



Next is the Family Selection. Feeling overwhelmingly blessed that Mark & I were able to buy our house this year I feel like this is a great place for me to donate some time. The idea of meeting families & working with them on their paperwork and discussing home ownership and all of that makes me super excited. I will, however, warn them about yards. They are a never-ending source of chores & items on the to-do list. Our yard is a mess. And due to the recent rain, it is now a mess with lots of growing weeds. They are pretty & green though... so if you squint it looks like grass!



Hopefully my recent stint of generosity will inspire someone to get up and devote some time on someone or something else. I feel like I have been blessed with a very charmed life and it is good for me to remember that not everyone has been so fortunate. We're all in this together - let's help eachother out.



And now we'll sing Kumbaya. :)