The ending of another year

At risk of sounding very much like a broken record, I ask you: Where did this year go? Is it really possible it could have flown by so quickly?

And now I'm hunting about for some New Year's resolutions. I'm really trying to get beyond the usual lose weight (though indeed I need to do just that), exercise (ditto), and read my Bible more (definitely a deserving one). I need to lay out some challenges. Hmmm... I evidently will have to think about this a little more.

For today, we have a visit to the Dentist planned. It's going to require every ounce of control and concentration I have. No, I'm not the one actually being worked on. But just going there gives me the eebie-jeebies (which spell-check says I spelled wrong). I will also have to explain to them that though I was a very bad girl and didn't set up an appointment months ago like they wanted me to, I now have an infection in my tooth, and really need another appointment. Why is it that this whole explanation makes me feel all of five years old? I wouldn't skip a beat if it was just a pull, but Oral surgery? I don't think I can put it off too much longer though.

Tonight we have a family celebration planned. Hubby will be working late, so the kids and I will go to services without him. Afterwards, we plan to bring in the New Year with lots of snacks, games and other activities. We've decided the boys at least are old enough to stay up for the night; and since the Princess has no difficulty staying awake (she regularly talks to herself for an hour at least after going to bed) I think it will be a lot of fun. Last year we went to see Zoolights, but this year I prefer to stay off the roads, safe at home.

So how are you bringing in the New Year?

Christmas Pictures

As a child, I remember counting off the days of December leading up to Christmas day. I wouldn't dare do that now; it goes by fast enough as it is! Our Christmas wasn't officially over until this past Saturday when we had our get-together with hubby's side of the family. In spite of having a few out for sickness, we had around 50 people there. Which means I was too busy visiting to take any pictures;) But here are a few pictures of my own kids and our Christmas festivities.

Christmas eve happened to land on Wednesday night this year, so we had our regular church services that evening. When we arrived back home, the kids were anxious to start their Christmas eve scavenger hunt. Here they are, ready for their first clue.
The Princess seeks guidance from the Buzz Lightyear hanging on our tree.
Rub a dub dub, three presents in a tub...

The Professor likes to try out new recipes, so I had promised him he could make the hot chocolate for Christmas eve. He made dutch hot chocolate using a recipe he found on the Taste of Home site. It was quite good. The candy cane's melted into the hot chocolate and gave it a delicious peppermint taste as well. That's coming from a professed peppermint hater (myself:).

The Princess with a mouthful of homemade sugared doughnuts, one of my own childhood favorites.
We finished the night by reading some assorted Christmas stories, including Twas the night before Christmas. Since I still had some Christmas presents to wrap, I was up past midnight that night. But I did manage to make some pecan fudge in my sleep... I haven't decided if I'm going to share that story yet. It's true, but a little scary;)

Christmas morning began with reading the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Which was then followed with a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, sausage and eggs. My husband made breakfast Christmas morning. I almost feel guilty about that, but have decided instead to just call my mother-in-law blessed (referring to the virtuous woman here) and just enjoy it:)

On to the presents. Here's this years designated elf.

The Princess started piano lessons a few months ago, but really wants to learn to play the flute as well. So she received a much desired recorder to practice on for now.

The Artist put a Bible "like Dad's" at the top of his wishlist (closely followed by legos). So I ordered him one from Christianbook.com (a favorite site of mine) and had his name engraved on it, which he loved. In this picture it's blurred in order to keep our secret identities intact,lol.

The Professor loves books, so here he is with one on gardening, spys of World War II (I confess, I plan to read this one completely through myself) and an Atlas. These are all beautifully illustrated, hardback books that I found on clearance throughout the year. He's also holding a chia herb garden.
My boys also received a large lego set from their grandparents, and have been earnestly putting it together the last few days. It has 1,300 pieces, but last I checked, they were just about finished with it.

I am definitely enjoying our break from school. I've struggled the last week with a tooth infection, but thankfully had some medicine to make it more bearable, though it's wearing me out a bit. So I plan to make up for lost time in the next few days. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of completed projects to post next week.

I'm looking forward to visiting my blogging friends, and reading their after-Christmas posts as well. So post those pictures!:)

Happy 12th birthday to Mrs.Darlings Tink!

Have a wonderful Monday~

Merry Christmas

I love this song, even more so since I've become a mother myself. Surely Mary couldn't have imagined even half the things that would happen in the life of her son. From the many miracles he performed, to being viciously beaten and hung to die on a cross. She's one of those people who I wouldn't mind having a chat with one day in heaven. A mother just like myself, imperfect and human. And yet she was used of God to bring the greatest gift ever given into this world.

So on this day of giving gifts and spending time with family, I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas Day.

And with all my heart, I thank God for sending us the most precious gift of all, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 kjv

Living in a Winter Wonderland

The snow has visited us again. This time it fell rather lazily all day (yesterday). It was so pretty to watch. My husband and kids spent hours outside sledding, having a wonderful time. I stayed inside nursing my cold, snuggled on the couch with a comforter, sipping my mint tea. And I watched the snow fall.

Last week we really only got what I would call a dusting of snow. True, it was enough to shut the schools down for all but one day. And the library and other places as well. But then this is the Pacific Northwest;)

The snow is now in large drifts outside my house. I feel like I woke up in the Midwest this morning. Outside the snow is beautiful and bright. Though there is a topping of ice from the freezing rain last night. When Ginger walks around in it she makes a crunching noise as she sinks down through the ice. Sugar just glides all around being so light-weight, like she has little ice skates on. It's so funny to watch.

There were services at our church this morning, for those who could make it. We had around 80 people there, compared to the 800+ we had a few weeks ago. It was nice to be there after missing last week,and we still had our Christmas bake sale, just much smaller than usual. The Christmas play is cancelled once again however, due to more freezing rain being expected tonight.

I've been trying to get to the Post Office for days to mail out Christmas cards and a few packages. Friday was my best chance, but we were so busy finishing up school (in case you noticed my few days absence from blogging) . I ended up with just enough time to grab a few groceries before the snow hit again. So yes, my Christmas cards are still coming, they'll just be a little late. Some things just can't be helped.

Here's a few pics of our winter wonderland. Just had to take these for my friends out in Georgia. I'd send you some of our snow if I could...


EDIT:The snow in our backyard measures at 14 inches high!!! Oregon hasn't had a snowstorm like this in 40 years. They say there is an 80% chance of snow for tomorrow and Christmas day
as well. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

A few thoughts on homeschooling

I don't often post about our homeschool activities, which is perhaps a little strange considering it's where the majority of my time and energy goes. I guess my blog is the place for me where I choose to take a break from that area of my life.

My husband (bless his soul) made the statement the other day that he didn't know how I managed to accomplish so much in the schooling area. I, of course, took that opportunity to point out all the things that I don't do so that I can homeschool. Don't worry, I won't bore you with the details;)

And I don't mean that at all in a complaining way. I love teaching my children. I didn't neccessarily plan for things to be this way at this time, but I have wholeheartedly embraced it.

I admire Mothers who homeschool well with a set game plan. And I feel for those who try, and struggle to accomplish it.

There are those who greatly admire homeschoolers. I've been questioned by strangers who were totally fascinated by the whole process. Then there are those who just naturally assume that you do a shoddy job and that your children will suffer in life because of it. Which is interesting considering homeschoolers as a whole tend to test very well. And there are also those who you think would be supportive and encouraging, that are not always that way. Even in Christian circles.

This year is turning out to be our best year of homeschooling so far. I'm so happy with where we are at right now. We're using a new set-up this year, and it's such a good fit for us. It's more challenging, and has more projects, but I feel like my kids are getting just what they need.

Sometimes it stretches me a bit far. I do the basic house cleaning, laundry and cooking. But any extra things (which I have a long list of) just have to wait. I've told my husband that the top thing on my wishlist for Christmas is to be able to get to some of those things on my projects wish list. I think it's passed the mile-long mark already.

Right now we're trying to finish up all of our school projects before Christmas break. Which includes the following: biographical essay on Albert Einstein (P), report about Spiders (P), report about Goldfish (A), essay on the subject of Space in three parts (P), Life cycle of Flies chart project (A), Fables report (A), mold and microscope experiments, 5 units tests, and (of course) the regular daily lessons.

The Princess has a whole different program that I do with her. Her speech therapist has us do some things in addition to that. I admit that she is the most challenging to teach out of the three. She loves learning, and is a bit of a perfectionist already. But finding ways to get around the blocks in the road caused by her aphraxia require me to think outside the box. And I'm more of a by-the-book teacher.

And if you wonder how I can blog in the midst of so daunting a job, I'd simply say that we find time to do the things we want or need to do. Some live on their cell phones or other technological wonders, some watch their favorite programs, some read late into the night. Whatever we choose to do with the small snippets of time we have here or there is not neccessarily because we have lots of time on our hands.

There are those who like to tell me how busy they are (in my regular life, not my blogging friends) and I have to chuckle privately at the obvious impression given that they (unlike myself) aren't able to loaf around all day... okay, so sometimes I get irritated with them and forget to chuckle. But I do manage to smile sweetly and keep my mouth shut.

It's not like me to voice frustration on my blog... other than my usual grumbling during our much-too-long rainy season:) But sometimes it helps to talk/blog things out. And my blogging friends tend to be some of the most encouraging and supportive people around.

Which is why blogging is something that I choose to do. Not always eloquently. But I suppose you all have gotten used to that by now;)

Gingerbread Houses

I admit I'm getting just a tad bit stir-crazy being stuck inside due to the weather. Yesterday we would have gone to the Library, but I had hubby take my vehicle because it has heat (very nice to have when the temp is in the teens). So after having my children do their fair share of household cleaning, we pulled out the supplies and made these gingerbread houses (that's called incentive;).

If you're a dyed-in-the-wool make your own gingerbread kind of person, don't read any farther,lol. Because we take the easier road and make ours with graham crackers instead. I started going this route a couple years ago when I needed an activity for 30 kids... that would be a lot of gingerbread. This is really great if you have little ones, it's easier for them to work with. Either way, it's messy, messy, messy. But it's all a part of the fun:) If you want detailed instructions, here's a link.

Here is the Princess's Kingdom (her words, not mine).

The Professor was intent on having a village.

The Artist stuck to your basic little house with some nice accents.
And that ends our parade of gingerbread homes;)

Technically, we could take another snow day today since all three local schools have called off. But I want to get all our book reports and other projects done before Christmas break (only 3 more days!).

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it's off to school we go...:)

My night out

Last night I ventured out into the cold to go to a ladies ornament exchange being held at the home of Mrs.Darling. I admit I was very tempted to ask my husband to drop me off, but he had plans with the kids and I didn't want to interrupt those at some indefinite time; besides, I can handle a drive in the snow 1 mile down the road, right?

Only five of us made it, compared to probably 20-30 if it had been better weather. No matter, it was still a nice time out. Here's the little snowman ornament I picked in the exchange:

It's a cute little thing. I love the shiny face, and the hat is made from a baby bootie, quite creative.

I was planning to take some of my bake sale cookies, until I realized that everyone else might do the same (considering we all have unused plates of cookies sitting around our house,lol). Instead I took this snowman cheese ball. I got the idea from Kristy, but I admit that I used a different recipe because I didn't have many of the ingredients on hand. But I loved the snowman idea.

School has been canceled yet another day. I have an extra kid due to that fact, which means one more kid churning out clay designs;) I'm thinking of making gingerbread houses this afternoon, but we'll see what the day brings.

They're talking of more snow coming tomorrow. As long as it clears up for a day or two so I can finish my Christmas shopping. And get a few packages mailed. Then the snow can come back and give us Oregonians a white Christmas. Wouldn't that be nice?

All Snowed In

So our predicted snow did make an appearance after all. Not only was Sunday morning Church canceled, but the Christmas play and bake sale as well. Now I have plates and plates of cookies hanging around my house... you can see what a problem that would present,lol.

We only have a few inches of snow though. I admit I used to just shake my head at these Westerners and their shutting down of things over a few inches of snow. I was raised in the Midwest where it has to be near blizzard conditions for things to shut down. But then our snow plows and salt trucks would head out at the slightest provocation, which definitely helped. And in this part of the country they also have black ice which is really scary. So now I think they're smart to take the precaution. Plus, I think they just said the wind chill factor is 13; the wind has been blowing something fierce for the last 24 hours or so.

So hubby is home from work as well. He planned to go in driving really slow, but they had already shut down the campus (his company is rather large). The kid's are loving it, and he made blueberry pancakes for breakfast (he is so good at cooking breakfast food), so I'm loving it as well.

My Alaskan girlfriend sent my kids two very large packs of multi-colored clay for Christmas, and they have been steadily making things with it the last few days. I love watching their creativity, and it's keeping them busy. So maybe I can get to a few of those projects I've been saving for Christmas break. Especially with a pair of strong muscles here to help me with the lifting:)

Only 10 more days til Christmas... Have a wonderful Monday!

Recipe Fun Friday- Parade of Christmas Cookies

I have been wanting to try some new Christmas cookie recipes this holiday season. This week provided just the excuse I needed: our church is holding it's annual Taste of Christmas cookie sale. The money raised from this goes to our Church's Bus Ministry. We have approximately 200 people (kids and adults) that come on our buses each Sunday. And this happens to be a ministry that's especially close to my heart as a Sunday School teacher. So there you have it, the perfect combination: a good cause and a desire to bake! So on with the cookie parade...

Here's my favorite little red-headed Elf cutting out Gingerbread guys and gals. An old favorite that I haven't made for a couple years. We always used to put cinnamon buttons on ours when I was growing up, it just wouldn't seem the same without them.
These Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints are even better than the candies, with just the right amount of sweetness, and the yummy cherry in the middle. They are simply delicious! I made a couple dozen to keep myself... for my families enjoyment of course.
The Professor making Muddy Snowballs. Rest assured, all hands were washed and sterilized beforehand;)
More sugar cookies made from my new snowflake cookie cutter. Simple yet pretty.
The snowballs and gingerbread completed...
I also plan to make some cookies-on-a-stick. If you're wondering how I have time to make all these, the answer is that I make up all my doughs beforehand, then pull them out and bake a couple dozen at a time (at sometimes odd times). I do find baking extremely relaxing, so when I need a break from homeschooling and running to and fro, I pull out the dough and take a time out. Unfortunately, it does make more mess to clean up:)

If you'd like to join us in Recipe Fun Friday, stop by Nikki's and link up.

Have a wonderful weekend~

Tis the Season- MY Ebay Tips

I am by no means an Ebay professional. There are many people who make a tidy sum selling on Ebay, but I'm not (for the most part) one of them. The truth is, I do my Ebay selling and buying in spurts. Of my 208 feedbacks, only one has been in the last 6 months. Sometimes I forget it's there;) Then there are times like now when I'm anxious to make a little side money for Christmas and so I start digging around in my closets for those things I've been meaning (for the last 6 months) to put on Ebay.

There was a short time when we were able to find a supply to meet a demand in a particular category. We made around $25 an auction (all profit) and it was a nice little side job. At the end of the auction, we would literally just click the "sell another of these items" button, and we were ready to go again. That lasted for about 6 months and then it pretty much dried up. But at the time it was an incredible help.

Anyway, if you're much more knowledgeable than myself in this area, you can skip right over this post. But if you're like Brandi, and interested in selling but not sure of how to get started, I might just be able to help you out a little bit.

So here are my tips, listed in random order:

1) Always take pictures of what you're selling. Take care with your presentation of your item. An example: Make sure the area is well lighted. You wouldn't believe some of the murky pictures people put on their listings. Or they take a picture of a clothing item folded rather than hung. People want to see what they're buying. Plus, they judge who is selling the item by the picture. If they are finicky like me, and want to buy clothing from a home that's clean (minus the mold smell and dog hair) they will get their impression by your presentation. One of my favorite places to take my pictures of smaller items is on my dining room table. It has a beautiful tablecloth that makes anything look better in a picture. Or on my bedspread. Or I even lay out solid colored sheets of construction paper and lay the item on there. An example of the importance of pictures: I recently saw a collectible that sells for around $25 dollars listed without a picture (they were newbies;). It was listed at $10 but the auction came to an end without any bids. They relisted (again without a pic) but a few days before auction end this time she (finally) put up a picture. Within a few hours she had a bid and her item was sold. I cannot tell you how hard it was for me NOT to email her and say put a picture on that listing... but she obviously caught on, lol.

2) Patience is a Virtue in the whole Ebay experience. It takes 7 days for your item to come to an end (unless you include buy-it-now) and many people (myself included) wait until the very end to bid. Sometimes because they are watching other auctions, or even bidding on the same item and waiting to see if they win it. Or they simply don't want to start the bidding snowball. I have a Little Tikes Christmas train set (that I got for a steal) that is on auction right now. I started it at $19.99 and there isn't one bid on it yet. But what you won't see is that 6 people are presently watching it. Most likely at least a few of them want to get it for the starting price, and so are not planning to bid til the last moment. And so it goes. Some things (like gift cards) usually have bids within a few hours. The gift card bidders love to bid things up to near the amount within the first few days (don't ask me why). I don't pay much attention to my auctions (except for watching for bidders questions) until the last 24-48 hours. Also, be aware of the fact that some people will take the full amount of time to pay you (accepted time period is 7 days). I sold a Lot of items that went for $150 once in which the buyer took as long as possible to pay me. What bothered me the most was that he didn't contact me to let me know his intentions (something I always require in my listings). But he did pay the 7th day. And if all else fails, re-list. The right person may not have happened along that particular week.

3) Word your listing with care. Describe your item thoroughly. Even if the picture seems to tell it all. Use your adjectives (ex: in excellent condition or worn gently). List even small defects (ex: page is slightly dog-eared, small amount of wear on cuff). Anything that someone could complain about later. This also gives you legitimacy in bidder's eyes. Also, put in disclaimers to protect yourself. If you are selling "as is" say so. Many people will not bid if you do not offer returns. But you can offer to accept returns with criteria: returns accepted only if item is misrepresented in listing. OR Will accept returns but buyer must pay return shipping (in a case of someone mistakenly buying a wrong part;I've been there before). Also, put your payment expectations. I require payment within 7 days, but contact (through Ebay messages) within the first 24 hours.

4) Feedback is your reputation. Your feedback score tells bidders whether they can trust you, and what kind of seller you are. Sometimes keeping 100% feedback means bending over backwards. I've had a few people who were clearly in the wrong in their demands (even according to Ebay officials) but to smooth the waters, I accepted their return or did a partial reimbursement. Like anywhere else in life, their are some scammers and dishonest, or maybe just outright cranky people who frequent Ebay. But if you plan to be a seller or buyer for the long-haul, you definitely want the best rating possible. I have received emails from several people who told me they skipped over other auctions (one at a $50. lower bid) because of my 100% feedback. They simply felt they could trust me. And I have done the same thing.

5) Make shipping a priority. People like to get their items quickly. After all, don't you get impatient having to stand in line for 20 minutes to pay for your item at the store? Well, multiply that by days. If you looked at my feedback, you'd find that almost every one of them mentions my fast shipping. It is a huge plus. I ship within 24 hours for the most part. And people appreciate that. Someone may even email you ahead of time and ask you to ship that same day. Try to be flexible (especially if it means a nice sell). One thing I do to help this is to group my auctions 4 at a time so that I don't get overwhelmed by having to get too much out. And you can also have your packaging ready to go ahead of time (minus the address to fill in). You can buy your postage online through Ebay, but I just take care of mine at the Post Office. I always email my buyers right away with an intent to ship time, and then email again after I ship the item.

6) Your starting bid. While Ebay will encourage you to start your item as low as possible, be conscious of the fact that it just may sell for that. It's better to list for the least amount you're willing to accept. If you want to be cheap, do so through your shipping. DO NOT pad your shipping (other than minimal supply cost, though I myself don't even do that). People HATE (yes, I speak for the people) when someone lists something for a great price, only to find when you check the listing that they have heavily padded the shipping price. I see auctions that don't sell for that reason often. And it gives you the air of dishonesty.

7) Use Buy-it-now. This is an option I really like. Not everyone has time to wait around for an auction to end. Or to be at the computer on Saturday afternoon at 2:37... So buy-it-now gives them the option of getting what they want right away. And some people will hunt and hunt through listings for these (I do myself at times). Even better, sometimes you can get great deals this way. Some are listed very reasonably. Or they may even take offers (though the seller can take the full 48 hours to get back to you, and you are fully obligated once you put in the offer).
There are buyers who are willing to pay you more for an item than you might get at auction for it through this option as well. You can list an item at auction with buy-it-now as an additional option (only 10 cents more) but it will go completely to auction if someone puts a beginning bid on it.

8) I love Paypal. Once you sign up, it's totally convenient, and incredibly easy. And other online sites will let you use your Paypal account to make purchases (Amazon is one). It gives you protection, and makes the whole payment end of the transaction go smoothly. I only accept Paypal for my auctions payments.

9) Don't be intimidated. Selling on Ebay is not hard. It may seem like it takes a long time at first to list, but once you get the hang of it, you'll fly through the process. I probably take an average of 10 minutes to post each of my listings. Some items that are worth more, you may want to take more time for dressing it up purposes. I also use a basic template (with all the same disclaimers) for my clothing or collectible auctions.

10) Do a little homework to find your niche. You don't have to, but it helps, especially in the beginning. Check completed listings to see what things sold for. You will notice that the very same items can sell for drastic differences. I print up the successful auction listings on higher-priced items (already completed) and closely duplicate the wording (and sometimes even the timing). Mind you, I'm not talking clothing or such here. More like a collectible. Regardless of all your strategising, your item might not sell for as much. Sometimes it's just a matter of chance. But knowing your item's potential and selling points can definitely pay off if you plan to sell on a regular basis.

I'm going to list my Ebay name here, and hope I don't regret it;) I thought about getting a secondary one to use for this post, but I don't want to affect my present feedback. You'll notice some of my auctions are started quite low, because I pretty much am selling those items as if it was at a garage sale. Which reminds me: Shipping prices have gone up. Unfortunately, that has affected sales. People have to consider if they want to pay $5 dollars for a little girls dress, and then add another $5 to pay for shipping. OR people think you're padding your shipping. It's a little frustrating, but it's part of the whole deal. Offering combined shipping to save people money on multiple wins can help. Offer parcel post AND priority. And like I said before, Re-list if it doesn't sell. The right person may not have come along. You can balance your little sales with bigger items to make it seem more worth your time. Watch garage sales and thrift stores (or even Craigslist, my BIL makes big money that way) for possible items. After all, you're already shopping there anyhow:)

My husband's company likes to give him small bonuses by way of restaurant gift cards (Starbucks is the most common) and movie certificates. These are all re-sellable on Ebay and do quite well. So that is what you will periodically also see in my listings. So if you're interested, here it is (and no I did not choose this I.D., the hubby did) : gew6463. If you go to Ebay and put it in, you can see my listings (bid if you like:), or just see how I list in my own personal style;) I tried to link to Ebay here, but it keeps automatically going to my homepage. So just google it.

One more hint: When buying on Ebay, read the listing carefully. Make sure you are getting what you think you're getting. Most sellers are legitimate in my experience, but there are a few scammers. Also, do NOT respond to emails that say you bought something that you didn't bid on at all. A few people have been tricked that way. You can directly contact Ebay and I have found their customer service to be mostly good.

And if you plan to list for Christmas, NOW is the time. You might even want to do a shorter listing (which are at 50% off listing price right now), and also mention that it will arrive in time for Christmas if needed.

*EDIT I just checked Ebay, and my Christmas train set just sold at Buy-it-now for $30... I paid $5 for it at a garage sale. Not bragging here (truly I'm not) just saying that you really can make a little money on the side if you find the right products. Okay, I'm all done now. Really.

Spreading the holiday cheer

Yesterday the kids and I thought we would help Sugar (our puppy) get into the spirit of the holidays. I had picked up the cutest little doggie Santa suit from a local discount store. It even had a little hat to go with it...

Well, she didn't care for the suit. AT.ALL. And when we put the finishing touch of the hat on, she became as one possessed (kind of like that Bible story of the pigs who jumped off the cliff). Of course, it didn't help that the hat was too big, and rendered her unable to see a single thing. If she had only waited, I would have taken it off (right after the picture of course). Instead, she flopped blindlessly around the living heading straight for my solid wood coffee table that she likes to hide under. But I was pretty sure she wasn't going to remember to duck...

So the hat had to go. But I did get her to calm down (somewhat) for this picture.

HONESTLY, no puppies were harmed in the writing of this post.

Tomorrow I'll be posting about selling on Ebay. At least, that's the plan..;)

A new week begins

I was planning to post about selling on Ebay today, but I can't seem to pull my thoughts together in that area.

I did something a bit unusual for me last night. I stayed out til 3 am at a girlfriends house. We both homeschool, and in spite of the fact that neither of us have "outside" jobs, we still haven't been able to get together for a real visit in such a long time. Homeschooling and our kid's extracurricular activities are keeping us both running here and there, or busy at home. It really was a last resort to visit after our families were snug in their beds.

And that's how six hours flew by. Strange, because it seemed like such a short time.

And as much as I'll miss those hours of sleep, the trade-off is well worth it. I find this sort of thing tends to invigorate me mentally. Which reminds me just how much I need to take these occasional time-outs.

And the house was still standing when I came home;)

So, since I don't have a real post today, I thought I would point you in the direction of Marva's new blog Marva's Marvelous Mixes. And congratulations Marva on your new venture!

Happy Monday~

Recipe Fun Friday - Snowmen and frosted trees

I'm not exactly listing a recipe today. These cookies can be made with any sugar cookie dough. I made mine homemade, but I'm sure some people would much rather just grab pre-made cookie dough from the store. Anyway, these were cute, so I thought I would share them. Plus Nikki's forcing me to do it as part of her giveaway requirements... just kidding!:)

Here's the link for these weather-ready Snowmen. Those are ear muffs for those of you who are wondering;) They're a little heavy on the candy for my liking, but just one won't kill ya.

These trees were made with dyed sugar cookie dough, with the sides dipped in white chocolate after baking. Simple, but a nice touch.
If you'd like to join us in Recipe Fun Friday, stop by Nikki's and link up.

I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION that Nikki's cousin Angela is having her first giveaway. Specifically a blog makeover by none else than her wonderful hubby Dustin (I'm just repeating what I've heard:). I would SO love to win this. I'm really hurting in this department. And DO NOT tell me to learn to do it myself. That's why there's blog makeover people...;)

Have a wonderful weekend~

I could kick myself

Okay, so I know that I just posted a short while ago, but I need to let off a little steam.

Have you ever had your thrifty ways come back to bite you? I hate it when that happens.

There are truly very few material things I wish for in life. But I came across something about a week ago that reminded me so much of the happiness of my youth, I simply longed to buy it. You know, nostalgia will get you every time.

So I went on Ebay and, sure enough, they had it (they have everything). Anyway, hubby had told me that he made a little money on the side and to buy it as my Christmas gift from him.

But could I? No!

I sat there squabbling with myself that I had just missed a buy-it-now price at $23 instead of the $27 that I could get it for now. So while I went back and forth...

The price on this item has raised to $60-$80!!! It's a limited edition item, so (obviously) there are only so many available. The big sellers have realized this, so up goes the price.

And to think that I could have had it for $27 :(

Errrrr... Sometimes I wish I could lose the thrifty mentality for just a few moments.

And no I'm not going to say what it is. If there's still one floating out there somewhere for a reasonable price (and I've checked all over the web), I don't want anyone ahead of me in line.

Yes, I'm that paranoid. *sigh*

Ramping up for the big one

Tomorrow night I'll be running a children's Christmas party at a different church than my own. I've been doing this party each year for about 6 years now. The parents of the kids will be going to a Christmas banquet, and they have us come in so that their own people won't have to miss out. We're expecting around 70 kids, and it will last about 3 hours, which gets a little long for some of the kids. So we definitely have to have it planned out to keep them busy and distracted.

So far I have Christmas crafts, games, a raffle, playdough, snacks (pizza & cake), a coloring contest, songs, and my personal favorite of making gingerbread houses. Fortunately, I have a great crew of helpers (including my husband). My husband and I will have the biggest group of around 40 kids (4-10 years) and it can be a little challenging to work with the different ages in one group.

I should add that we are paid to do this. And with my husband and I both doing it, it's definitely a nice addition to the Christmas fund. Plus, I'm quite fond of the children there. We all have a great time together. But it still is a big relief when it all comes to a successful end.

I only have one little worry... it seems to be my turn to have the slight flu bug we're passing around in our house. No throwing up, just nauseous stomachs and a sore throat with general achiness. So I'll be alternating chicken broth with hot tea and water, and popping tons of vitamin C. Which seems to work much better for me than all those OTC drugs that just make me tired (like I'm not tired enough already).

I am feeling a little stir-crazy from being cooped up in the house more than normal. Hopefully tomorrow night will make up for that;)

Don't forget to post a recipe for Recipe Fun Friday tomorrow... which means you would also be entered in Nikki's giveaway:)

Good News in the Puppy Department

I have to admit I was getting nervous when our puppies hit the 8-week-old mark right before Thanksgiving, and we still had 7 left. Last Friday night we put an ad in the local newspaper (online), and by Saturday night they were all sold!

Now I'm feeling just a tinge of empty nest syndrome. I didn't expect them to go so fast. And it's NOT that I miss having to buy truckloads of dog food, or cleaning up their messes. But I do kind of miss how all 8 of them would follow me around the yard in this little pack. They were just the cutest little things. *sigh*

Next Saturday we will be delivering one of them to a little girl for her 1st birthday. I cannot tell you how happy I am about the homes they all went to. We met each family and they were such nice people. I really enjoyed how excited the kids (and adults) were about getting them.

Of course, we kept one of the puppies. We chose the littlest one of the litter because she is small and petite like Ginger. But she has a white coat which I think will be so pretty when she gets older. Anyway, here's a picture of SUGAR:

She's a cute little thing, don't you think?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I should say it's beginning to look somewhat like Christmas, since I wasn't able to finish my Christmas decorating this weekend. You could say, in a way, that my Saturday went to the dogs... but more about that tomorrow (that's what you call a cliff-hanger; I know you're all breathless with anticipation;).

Until a few years ago (maybe 4 or 5) I really didn't have that many Christmas decorations. I guess having babies, and being very sick during the whole process, made me feel like getting a tree up was a big enough accomplishment.... and it was. But between those after-Christmas clearance sales, and the thrift store, I've managed to accumulate quite a bit in the last few seasons. I admit I haven't the patience to decorate with anything that takes much work to arrange or put together; I do my quick switch of the season, and then it has to carry it's own weight;)

Anyway, here are some simple-but-homey Christmas decorations. With commentary of course:)

This Snowman is one of my favorite decorations. He's actually a ceramic bathroom trash receptacle I came across at the thrift store, but I thought he would look adorable holding some holiday greenery. I need to get a few more sprigs to fill him out.

My middle child loves nutcrackers, so we both keep an eye out for a new one to add to the collection each year. One of the books here is called the ADVENTure of Christmas. It has some wonderful ideas for activities with kids, I'm hoping to be able to do many of them this holiday season.

I love the brassy colors of this Yankee candle wick lamp; now if I could only figure out how to light it..;)

I dearly love small blankets and throws like this one. They seem to be considered a little old-fashioned nowadays. Which is fine with me; it means I am able to find beautiful ones for every season at the second-hand store.

My favorite shelf

The kid's big, comfy chair. This blanket is sooo soft. It's the perfect snuggling spot.

I haven't quite decided where to put this nativity scene. It's made by Avon, and I simply fell in love with it when I came across it at an after-holiday sale.

When I found a set of 4 Debbie Mumm snowflake plates at Goodwill, I had no idea how much they cost originally. Would you believe a set of 4 of these is selling on Ebay for around $40! Unless my math is wrong, that $10 a plate-wow! I'm going to be hunting for more this year (at a hopefully more reasonable price).

More nutcrackers standing guard.

Okay... who called in the military? Obviously, this was one of the boy's idea of decorating the base of the tree, lol. It's not sticking around, I assure you.

I was leaning towards getting a real tree this year, but we decided to wait til next year. I tried with and without the flash, but for some reason I can't get the lights to show up very well for the picture. The kids loved decorating it as usual. And the Princess has a little bag for myself already setting under the tree... I wonder what it could be? :)

And now is the perfect time to mention that my dear blogging friend Nikki (of Nikki's Notes) is having a Christmas giveaway. She loves to crochet, and I've been envying her finished projects for a while now. Especially the poinsettia-themed items... which just so happens to be the giveaway item this time. So be sure to stop by her blog and leave a comment. And if it just so happens that a poinsettia design would totally clash with your Christmas decor (okay, I know that's stretching it a bit) tell her to forward it to me if you should happen to be the lucky winner. Because she's assured me that she will not be taking any bribes... not that I would ever consider doing such a thing;)

Now I have to go restart my Nat King Cole Christmas CD. The kids are getting just a little tired of it, but I never will. And it's common knowledge that Mom's vote counts the most, lol.

Have a great Monday~