I have a secret to confess..I like cookies. I like to make them, I like to bake them and I like to eat them. This time of the year finds me in the kitchen making holiday treats for friends and family. Usually I do my oatmeal chocolate chip or peanut butter or even a snickerdoodle since they seem to go over pretty well. As for the much beloved sugar cookie?? I have to confess, I am not a fan of the roll out the dough and use cookie cutter kind. For some strange reason I have never really liked those oh so cute frosted and decorated staples of every holiday dessert platter. I don't know if it is the texture or taste but they just don't do it for me. No, it's not the work needed to do the cookie, but I will admit there is a lot more preparation and time needed than any of the other cookies. I just think it comes down to taste and over the years I have found very few frosted and decorated cookies that actually tasted good. They are either too heavy or too dry or too hard (my most common complaint) or too cakey for my liking. However....give me a soft warm drop sugar cookie and I'm in cookie heaven. Yes, there is a difference between the two. The rolled out version is a firmer dough that must be chilled and rolled out onto a flat surface so the individual cookies can be cut out of the dough with some form of cookie cutter. The drop version is a softer dough that can be "dropped" from a spoon onto the cookie sheet and pressed flat with the bottom of a glass. It is this type of cookie that I like to make and eat. Courtesy of Betty Crocker is this wonderful delicious recipe. For the record, I use regular sour cream and I would advise against trying the fat free version.
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking POWDER
1/2 tsp baking SODA
1/2 tsp salt
Extra sugar in a bowl
To make:
Set oven to 350
Mix 1 cup sugar, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and egg.
Stir in remaining ingredients except bowl of sugar.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into bowl of sugar, roll gently, until completely coated.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten to about 1/2 inch with bottom of a glass.
Bake 7-8 minutes or just until set.
Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet.
Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Undeserved gift
Saturday was a busy busy day. Well all Saturdays are but this one was start to finish full of things to do and places to be. Of course if Mom had been able to get this weekend off we would have met up in Chamberlain for our gift exchange and holiday time together but that has been rescheduled to the Monday after Christmas. Instead it was off to Yankton for a birthday party for my niece Raelynn.
The birthday party was not scheduled to start until 2 and it was ok if we could show up a little late since we did have to travel a distance to get there. The loving husband takes Hapkido classes twice a month and this Saturday was one of those days. He needed to be in Brookings by 10 for the two hour class. Brookings is one hour north of Sioux Falls so even if he left a few minutes early he would not get to Sioux Falls til 1 and Yankton is an hour and a half south of us. Complicating matters was the loving husband's Christmas gift I (he) got him. It was a very large and heavy gun safe. It was at Sam's Club and needed to be picked up. Jim's mom has a pick-up so he planned on driving the truck back, picking the safe up and dropping it off at our house and then taking the truck back the next day. After much debate and deliberating we came up with a plan of action for the day.
The plan was for him to do class and meet up with me and the kids at the Wellness Center and we would take both vehicles down so I would not have to drive back to Yankton the next day and pick him up after he gave the truck back to his mom. While he was at class I would get the kids ready and go to the Wellness Center and do the cardio box class at 10:15. We also offer our help to any of our fellow Tae Kwan Do students on Saturdays after the cardio class is over so if our usual 2 takers showed up I would do a short help session and then take the kids and feed them and be back by 1 or so and hopefully be ready to take off for the party.
As we all know, the best laid plans never play out as we want them to. When the loving husband left all children were awake....and that was about it. Weekends usually mean pancakes and eggs for breakfast but I really did not have time to make pancakes so I just did 2 minute microwave scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast instead. I wanted to have the kids dressed and fed and out to the car by 9:30ish or no later than 9:45 because it is a 20 minute drive to get there and another 5-10 minutes parking and getting 3 kids signed into the nursery. I quickly realized the kids did not share my time frame of events. They were stuck in slow mode with zero sense of urgency. Repeated attempts to persuade child A,B,or C to sit at the table and eat the food and please put on the clothing I have set out for you fell upon deaf ears. Did I mention this was a pool party so I also had to make sure I had every one's swim suits, towels, and swim diapers packed along with my gym bag and the birthday gift too. Yeah, it was one of those mornings.
During the time I was attempting to heard cats (wrangle children) my stress level started to climb. The closer I came to realize there was no way I was going make my timeline and would miss the class the crabbier I got. All I wanted to do was leave and no matter what I did or did not do I could not get things going in the manner I wanted them to. I began to do what all stressed out crabby people do, blame someone else. As I was going from task to task and back to task A and back over to task C and so on and so forth I started to mumble and grumble to myself under my breath. They were not nice mumbles and grumbles either. I was on the "poor me" road and having my very own pity party. Poor me has to do all this work and poor me has to get the kids ready and poor me has to pack things and poor me etc. and etc. Of course while "poor me" was getting elevated to martyrdom the not so loving husband was being demoted to the doghouse. It's HIS fault that..... and why didn't HE...... and doesn't HE realize that I.... and you get the picture. Don't worry, I never once picked up the phone and communicated my feelings to him, I know sometimes it's better to leave some things unsaid. I'd also like to say that the loving husband was the only target of my irritation but of course that would not be telling the truth. Sad to say my tone was quite sharp with the kids as I tried in vain to get everyone dressed and loaded. Poor Matthew, he seems to sense when I'm stressed or in a bad mood and he acts out. He was picking fights with Carolyn and of course she was playing right into it and Andrew decided to protest wearing clothes. I think I lost count of how many times I snapped at the kids and elevated the yell level up to playground level. It was not pretty.
At some point in all of this I realized I was indeed acting like a selfish spoiled brat with my whining and complaining. Unfortunately for me even though I realize what I'm doing I don't always make myself stop. It's like watching a train wreck, you know it's gonna be messy but you just can't look away. Knowing I was behaving horridly, I offered apologies to God for my thoughts and actions. Nothing fancy or formal, just basically your "I'm so sorry God, I know I should not be doing this I really am sorry." Just so you all know, I don't do the formal prayer thing very often. I usually just do the look up and talk to God method of communicating. I find that if I just start speaking to Him like I would to a person in the room with me I convey my thoughts and feeling so much better than if I try to kneel down and bow my head. I knew I was stressed and taking it out on others and all I could hope for was to make it through the day without causing further distress on others and ruining every one's day.
Well I made it to the Wellness Center too late for my class so I instead did a quick work out. That did make me feel better and the half hour I spent with the 2 red belts was very productive. I was still a little on the crabby side and not looking forward to the long drive with the kids but compared to the morning I was much much better. Due to the time and lunch efforts we decided to meet at a nearby Burger King and the loving husband agreed to stop by Taco John's to get us something tasty. We both are not huge fans of either McDonald's or Burger King so if possible we do TJ's and the kids do burgers.
After eating it was time to make travel arraignments. I have the DVD player in my van but the loving husband has the "daddy's car" factor. I don't know why the kids like to ride in the Malibu but they do. I expected Matthew and Carolyn would opt for the car but Andrew has now decided that he needs to do what the older kids do and made it a point to open up the door and sit in Jim's car sans car seat. That meant 3 votes for daddy's car. I happily helped load the booster and car seats into the Malibu. I kissed the loving husband bye and off he went.
I got back into my now empty van, looked up and said 'Thank you for the incredible gift you just gave me Lord". Alone, by myself, solo, oh the wonder, oh the joy, oh the indescribable feeling of happiness. I had a whole hour and a half of just me and whatever radio station I wanted to listen to. No breaking up fights, no listening to whatever annoying DVD the kids picked (and fought over) to watch, no having to answer strange questions or remind someone that "poop" or any form of the word is not appropriate conversation. This was exactly what I needed.
As I was driving to Yankton, I wondered in amazement at how I had been so blessed to get this precious alone time. I really did not deserve to be rewarded for my morning behavior. If one of my children had acted the way I did they would have received some sort of punishment or consequence. By all rights I should have been in the van with all children enduring the trip and all the misery I would have assigned it. Yes, I needed the break, and yes I could have asked the loving husband to take all children but no, I would never have done that. Crabby as I was I would never in a million years suggested to the loving husband that I wanted to drive solo just to get a break. I'm not sure why I don't always ask for the help, maybe it's my pride or the guilt I would feel "dumping" the kids on daddy. Either way, God knew what I needed and even though I acted horridly and reverted to a child's level in my petty (and unfounded) complaints, he still gave it to me. I took that time and de-stressed. I recharged the batteries that had been so worn down and adjusted my attitude. I had been shown mercy and compassion when I deserved reprimand and punishment so I let gratitude take hold of my heart. As a parent I hate it when my children whine and complain endlessly and go on and on and expect me to fix things for them. Actually, it drives me nuts when they do that and all I want to do is get rid of them ASAP. It still boggles my mind that I can do the same things the kids do and instead of driving God crazy and making Him want to brush me off at the first opportunity He listens to my complaints, looks into my heart and does what He can to fix it. My parenting skills suck compared to His, but I also strive harder to be more like Him when it comes to parenting. I can parent my children the way He parents me. I know it's hard and I'm going to make mistakes but at least I know He has my back.
ps. In case you were wondering about the rest of the day, it went great. The party was loud and chaotic with lots of crazy kids running around and then we got to go swimming and we had a blast. I even went down the HUGE water slide but that's a different post.
The birthday party was not scheduled to start until 2 and it was ok if we could show up a little late since we did have to travel a distance to get there. The loving husband takes Hapkido classes twice a month and this Saturday was one of those days. He needed to be in Brookings by 10 for the two hour class. Brookings is one hour north of Sioux Falls so even if he left a few minutes early he would not get to Sioux Falls til 1 and Yankton is an hour and a half south of us. Complicating matters was the loving husband's Christmas gift I (he) got him. It was a very large and heavy gun safe. It was at Sam's Club and needed to be picked up. Jim's mom has a pick-up so he planned on driving the truck back, picking the safe up and dropping it off at our house and then taking the truck back the next day. After much debate and deliberating we came up with a plan of action for the day.
The plan was for him to do class and meet up with me and the kids at the Wellness Center and we would take both vehicles down so I would not have to drive back to Yankton the next day and pick him up after he gave the truck back to his mom. While he was at class I would get the kids ready and go to the Wellness Center and do the cardio box class at 10:15. We also offer our help to any of our fellow Tae Kwan Do students on Saturdays after the cardio class is over so if our usual 2 takers showed up I would do a short help session and then take the kids and feed them and be back by 1 or so and hopefully be ready to take off for the party.
As we all know, the best laid plans never play out as we want them to. When the loving husband left all children were awake....and that was about it. Weekends usually mean pancakes and eggs for breakfast but I really did not have time to make pancakes so I just did 2 minute microwave scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast instead. I wanted to have the kids dressed and fed and out to the car by 9:30ish or no later than 9:45 because it is a 20 minute drive to get there and another 5-10 minutes parking and getting 3 kids signed into the nursery. I quickly realized the kids did not share my time frame of events. They were stuck in slow mode with zero sense of urgency. Repeated attempts to persuade child A,B,or C to sit at the table and eat the food and please put on the clothing I have set out for you fell upon deaf ears. Did I mention this was a pool party so I also had to make sure I had every one's swim suits, towels, and swim diapers packed along with my gym bag and the birthday gift too. Yeah, it was one of those mornings.
During the time I was attempting to heard cats (wrangle children) my stress level started to climb. The closer I came to realize there was no way I was going make my timeline and would miss the class the crabbier I got. All I wanted to do was leave and no matter what I did or did not do I could not get things going in the manner I wanted them to. I began to do what all stressed out crabby people do, blame someone else. As I was going from task to task and back to task A and back over to task C and so on and so forth I started to mumble and grumble to myself under my breath. They were not nice mumbles and grumbles either. I was on the "poor me" road and having my very own pity party. Poor me has to do all this work and poor me has to get the kids ready and poor me has to pack things and poor me etc. and etc. Of course while "poor me" was getting elevated to martyrdom the not so loving husband was being demoted to the doghouse. It's HIS fault that..... and why didn't HE...... and doesn't HE realize that I.... and you get the picture. Don't worry, I never once picked up the phone and communicated my feelings to him, I know sometimes it's better to leave some things unsaid. I'd also like to say that the loving husband was the only target of my irritation but of course that would not be telling the truth. Sad to say my tone was quite sharp with the kids as I tried in vain to get everyone dressed and loaded. Poor Matthew, he seems to sense when I'm stressed or in a bad mood and he acts out. He was picking fights with Carolyn and of course she was playing right into it and Andrew decided to protest wearing clothes. I think I lost count of how many times I snapped at the kids and elevated the yell level up to playground level. It was not pretty.
At some point in all of this I realized I was indeed acting like a selfish spoiled brat with my whining and complaining. Unfortunately for me even though I realize what I'm doing I don't always make myself stop. It's like watching a train wreck, you know it's gonna be messy but you just can't look away. Knowing I was behaving horridly, I offered apologies to God for my thoughts and actions. Nothing fancy or formal, just basically your "I'm so sorry God, I know I should not be doing this I really am sorry." Just so you all know, I don't do the formal prayer thing very often. I usually just do the look up and talk to God method of communicating. I find that if I just start speaking to Him like I would to a person in the room with me I convey my thoughts and feeling so much better than if I try to kneel down and bow my head. I knew I was stressed and taking it out on others and all I could hope for was to make it through the day without causing further distress on others and ruining every one's day.
Well I made it to the Wellness Center too late for my class so I instead did a quick work out. That did make me feel better and the half hour I spent with the 2 red belts was very productive. I was still a little on the crabby side and not looking forward to the long drive with the kids but compared to the morning I was much much better. Due to the time and lunch efforts we decided to meet at a nearby Burger King and the loving husband agreed to stop by Taco John's to get us something tasty. We both are not huge fans of either McDonald's or Burger King so if possible we do TJ's and the kids do burgers.
After eating it was time to make travel arraignments. I have the DVD player in my van but the loving husband has the "daddy's car" factor. I don't know why the kids like to ride in the Malibu but they do. I expected Matthew and Carolyn would opt for the car but Andrew has now decided that he needs to do what the older kids do and made it a point to open up the door and sit in Jim's car sans car seat. That meant 3 votes for daddy's car. I happily helped load the booster and car seats into the Malibu. I kissed the loving husband bye and off he went.
I got back into my now empty van, looked up and said 'Thank you for the incredible gift you just gave me Lord". Alone, by myself, solo, oh the wonder, oh the joy, oh the indescribable feeling of happiness. I had a whole hour and a half of just me and whatever radio station I wanted to listen to. No breaking up fights, no listening to whatever annoying DVD the kids picked (and fought over) to watch, no having to answer strange questions or remind someone that "poop" or any form of the word is not appropriate conversation. This was exactly what I needed.
As I was driving to Yankton, I wondered in amazement at how I had been so blessed to get this precious alone time. I really did not deserve to be rewarded for my morning behavior. If one of my children had acted the way I did they would have received some sort of punishment or consequence. By all rights I should have been in the van with all children enduring the trip and all the misery I would have assigned it. Yes, I needed the break, and yes I could have asked the loving husband to take all children but no, I would never have done that. Crabby as I was I would never in a million years suggested to the loving husband that I wanted to drive solo just to get a break. I'm not sure why I don't always ask for the help, maybe it's my pride or the guilt I would feel "dumping" the kids on daddy. Either way, God knew what I needed and even though I acted horridly and reverted to a child's level in my petty (and unfounded) complaints, he still gave it to me. I took that time and de-stressed. I recharged the batteries that had been so worn down and adjusted my attitude. I had been shown mercy and compassion when I deserved reprimand and punishment so I let gratitude take hold of my heart. As a parent I hate it when my children whine and complain endlessly and go on and on and expect me to fix things for them. Actually, it drives me nuts when they do that and all I want to do is get rid of them ASAP. It still boggles my mind that I can do the same things the kids do and instead of driving God crazy and making Him want to brush me off at the first opportunity He listens to my complaints, looks into my heart and does what He can to fix it. My parenting skills suck compared to His, but I also strive harder to be more like Him when it comes to parenting. I can parent my children the way He parents me. I know it's hard and I'm going to make mistakes but at least I know He has my back.
ps. In case you were wondering about the rest of the day, it went great. The party was loud and chaotic with lots of crazy kids running around and then we got to go swimming and we had a blast. I even went down the HUGE water slide but that's a different post.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Shop til you drop
Thanksgiving is now a fond memory. Oh what a fun day. The total number of people was just over 100 and there were very few leftovers. I was actually planning on posting photos both on this post and my Facebook page but my main computer has been acting up lately and frankly, I didn't trust it to actually download the photos without locking up so sorry to say to those who participated in the crazy Schwarz family photofest...maybe at a later date. By crazy I mean my niece and nephew were striking all sorts of unique poses and when it came time to take actual pictures of my mother in law with her children and grandchildren well let's just say we got a few strange looks from others as we tried (I mean we really tried) to assemble a sensible and typical pose. I have a great shot of two of my nephews with their elbows resting on top of my head, a couple of "holding a big fish" poses with the same enterprising individuals and there now exists a great cleavage shot of me thanks to someones offhand comment about where my wonderful 16 year old nephew was actually aiming when he was taking pictures of the grown-ups ( it is amazing how fast a camera can snap a picture when the subject is joking around). Not to be outdone I have a great photo of the loving husband and myself. If you look real closely you can see we each posses a pair of rabbit ears courtesy of my sister in law who miraculously did not appear in said photo. We did get a few keepers but oddly enough I never managed to get one of our family, just one of me and the loving husband.
In addition to eating and playing photographer I did manage to get gift ideas from those on my Christmas list. The Sioux Falls paper is full of Black Friday ads and all it takes is for people to page though and make comments. A few carefully placed sheets of paper later and those who needed the lists went home happy. The ads were carefully packed up and transported back home with us so I could come up with my shopping strategy.
At the gathering, I am one of a very few who actually participate in the Black Friday shopping madness. I get the looks and comments from those who wonder why on earth I get up so doggone early and go forth into the shopping madness. Years ago, both before kids and before moving to an area close to major shopping, I too was one of those who questioned the sanity of anyone wanting to do Black Friday. Not anymore.
When we lived in Michigan we were about 2 hours (including traffic) from the mall so I was forced to do any Christmas shopping on weekends which I HATED so I was always trying to buy gifts in October or November but no one had any idea what they wanted for Christmas so I was always guessing or trying to find it locally. A real pain in the butt if you ask me. When we first moved back to South Dakota we were about 3 hours north and west of Sioux Falls but we did have a small mall in Aberdeen along with a few big box stores so I could at least shop during the off-peak hours or in the evenings when it wasn't so busy. Yankton is about an hour and a half south and west of Sioux Falls so it wasn't practical to do early shopping when we were down visiting for Thanksgiving.
All that changed when we moved to Brandon 5 years ago. Brandon is about 20-30 minutes drive from the mall depending on traffic. Sioux Falls also has a lot more shopping choices than just about any other town in a 200 mile radius ( 350 if you go west) so I can actually look at the Black Friday ads and realistically visit those stores unlike years past when I could look but only shop at about 5 stores max. The first year was more of a curiosity thing than anything else. The loving husband had taken the day off as vacation so I decided that what the heck I could get my fat butt out of bed and take care of a few gifts while the kids slept. I decided that hitting JC Penny by 5 was doable so I set the alarm and off I went.
The store was not as busy as I had imagined and the racks were still full of items. I have since found out that the kids clothing gets picked over quite quickly so the earlier the better but on that first shopping trip I still managed to get clothes for the kids that fit. I also found gifts for others on my list too. I kept finding things that were on doorbuster sales so they were 50-70% off . Items that I would never even consider because of cost suddenly became affordable. This was fun. I approached check out and although I still had to wait in line, it was not nearly as long as it would have been several hours later. I got my purchases rang up and then looked at my receipt...and the thrill hit. I had saved over $200. Not only did I save a big chunk of change but I had wiped out over half of my list in less than an hour and didn't have to chase after two small children. This was better than fun....THIS WAS AWESOME!!!! I collected my free snow globe and free donut hole and off I went to do more shopping. By the time I got home, Jim and the kids were finishing breakfast and it was just after 9 and I was done. Thus began the love of Black Friday.
I'm not sure if it is the fact I like to shop or the high I get when I find that great deal but Black Friday is more fun than hassle. Now to be fair I do have to put in some work beforehand but that is totally worth it. To do Black Friday right requires planning and strategy. First is to know when the stores open so you can pick a start point. Second is to decide what it is that you really really want. Third is to find out where else they sell it in case your first choice is out. Fourth is to map out a general time frame of where it is you plan on going and what it is you are going to buy. There are things that are out of your control like traffic, parking, and line waiting but if you know what it is you want when you enter the store then you spend a whole lot less time in there which give you more time to get to the next destination. I confess that I'm not a total die hard stand in line for hours freezing my butt off kind of person. I did do Toys R Us once and decided never again. It just wasn't worth the wait for the items I did buy. One year the loving husband got up at 3 and stood in line to get a great deal on our flat screen TV. He first started at Best Buy but quickly realized that he was not going to get one of the magic coupons so (because he did his homework) he jumped in the car and headed over to Lowes where he was one of the lucky 8. I willingly stayed home and ventured out late (6am) so he could get it. I will laugh because after he got the TV he was asking if I needed him to go anywhere else for gifts. He got the shopper's high.
This year my sister in law Julie decided to try the shopping. We got to JC Penny's at 4:15 and people were already walking out with bags. We spent about an hour or so shopping and I have to laugh because when she saw how much she saved she got the shopper's high. Our longest stop was Old Navy which in years past has been one of my shorter stops. We (I) made a shopping mistake by standing in line together for close to an hour. What we should have done was split up and one of us gone out to another store while the other stood in line. Yes, that's what people do on Black Friday. We could have been done shopping a hour earlier if we had done that...oh well.
All told we spent about 7 hours shopping and went to 9 different stores. Julie finished all her shopping and I got about 95% done. Some of the items on my gift list either needed to be purchased from certain web sites or did not need to be bought right away (gift cards). Next year I'll be on my own again since my wonderful sister in law only gets that day off every other year but she has told me that she'll be back again. As for me...I can't wait until next year.
In addition to eating and playing photographer I did manage to get gift ideas from those on my Christmas list. The Sioux Falls paper is full of Black Friday ads and all it takes is for people to page though and make comments. A few carefully placed sheets of paper later and those who needed the lists went home happy. The ads were carefully packed up and transported back home with us so I could come up with my shopping strategy.
At the gathering, I am one of a very few who actually participate in the Black Friday shopping madness. I get the looks and comments from those who wonder why on earth I get up so doggone early and go forth into the shopping madness. Years ago, both before kids and before moving to an area close to major shopping, I too was one of those who questioned the sanity of anyone wanting to do Black Friday. Not anymore.
When we lived in Michigan we were about 2 hours (including traffic) from the mall so I was forced to do any Christmas shopping on weekends which I HATED so I was always trying to buy gifts in October or November but no one had any idea what they wanted for Christmas so I was always guessing or trying to find it locally. A real pain in the butt if you ask me. When we first moved back to South Dakota we were about 3 hours north and west of Sioux Falls but we did have a small mall in Aberdeen along with a few big box stores so I could at least shop during the off-peak hours or in the evenings when it wasn't so busy. Yankton is about an hour and a half south and west of Sioux Falls so it wasn't practical to do early shopping when we were down visiting for Thanksgiving.
All that changed when we moved to Brandon 5 years ago. Brandon is about 20-30 minutes drive from the mall depending on traffic. Sioux Falls also has a lot more shopping choices than just about any other town in a 200 mile radius ( 350 if you go west) so I can actually look at the Black Friday ads and realistically visit those stores unlike years past when I could look but only shop at about 5 stores max. The first year was more of a curiosity thing than anything else. The loving husband had taken the day off as vacation so I decided that what the heck I could get my fat butt out of bed and take care of a few gifts while the kids slept. I decided that hitting JC Penny by 5 was doable so I set the alarm and off I went.
The store was not as busy as I had imagined and the racks were still full of items. I have since found out that the kids clothing gets picked over quite quickly so the earlier the better but on that first shopping trip I still managed to get clothes for the kids that fit. I also found gifts for others on my list too. I kept finding things that were on doorbuster sales so they were 50-70% off . Items that I would never even consider because of cost suddenly became affordable. This was fun. I approached check out and although I still had to wait in line, it was not nearly as long as it would have been several hours later. I got my purchases rang up and then looked at my receipt...and the thrill hit. I had saved over $200. Not only did I save a big chunk of change but I had wiped out over half of my list in less than an hour and didn't have to chase after two small children. This was better than fun....THIS WAS AWESOME!!!! I collected my free snow globe and free donut hole and off I went to do more shopping. By the time I got home, Jim and the kids were finishing breakfast and it was just after 9 and I was done. Thus began the love of Black Friday.
I'm not sure if it is the fact I like to shop or the high I get when I find that great deal but Black Friday is more fun than hassle. Now to be fair I do have to put in some work beforehand but that is totally worth it. To do Black Friday right requires planning and strategy. First is to know when the stores open so you can pick a start point. Second is to decide what it is that you really really want. Third is to find out where else they sell it in case your first choice is out. Fourth is to map out a general time frame of where it is you plan on going and what it is you are going to buy. There are things that are out of your control like traffic, parking, and line waiting but if you know what it is you want when you enter the store then you spend a whole lot less time in there which give you more time to get to the next destination. I confess that I'm not a total die hard stand in line for hours freezing my butt off kind of person. I did do Toys R Us once and decided never again. It just wasn't worth the wait for the items I did buy. One year the loving husband got up at 3 and stood in line to get a great deal on our flat screen TV. He first started at Best Buy but quickly realized that he was not going to get one of the magic coupons so (because he did his homework) he jumped in the car and headed over to Lowes where he was one of the lucky 8. I willingly stayed home and ventured out late (6am) so he could get it. I will laugh because after he got the TV he was asking if I needed him to go anywhere else for gifts. He got the shopper's high.
This year my sister in law Julie decided to try the shopping. We got to JC Penny's at 4:15 and people were already walking out with bags. We spent about an hour or so shopping and I have to laugh because when she saw how much she saved she got the shopper's high. Our longest stop was Old Navy which in years past has been one of my shorter stops. We (I) made a shopping mistake by standing in line together for close to an hour. What we should have done was split up and one of us gone out to another store while the other stood in line. Yes, that's what people do on Black Friday. We could have been done shopping a hour earlier if we had done that...oh well.
All told we spent about 7 hours shopping and went to 9 different stores. Julie finished all her shopping and I got about 95% done. Some of the items on my gift list either needed to be purchased from certain web sites or did not need to be bought right away (gift cards). Next year I'll be on my own again since my wonderful sister in law only gets that day off every other year but she has told me that she'll be back again. As for me...I can't wait until next year.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I'm thankful for....
Yesterday I blogged about the actual Thanksgiving day feast and activities and today I'd like to actually write about what I'm thankful for. I know that the next few days will be busy busy so I doubt I'll find time to look at e-mail much less sit down and actually compose thoughts. OK, for those who know me the thinking thing is a little of a stretch but at least I try.
I'm thankful for.....
Waking up each morning
in a bed
located in my own bedroom
situated in my house
that has heat,
electricity,
running water both hot and cold,
and indoor bathroom facilities
along with a kitchen that has working appliances
including a refrigerator that has food in it
and a pantry stuffed with items that are not always the most healthy .
I'm thankful for.....
A loving husband
who is and always will be
the love of my life.
And the most awesome
wonderful,
caring and faithful
father any 3 children will know
Who has a job in this tough economy
that earns enough
to provide for the basic
and not so basic
necessities of a happy home.
I'm thankful for...
Motherhood
so challenging and stressful
yet so wonderful and rewarding
all at the same time.
Three unique and special beings
with love in their hearts
and laughter in their lives
each one different than the other
yet similar in so many ways.
My love knows no boundaries
my heart has no limits
and each is as special to me
as any priceless artifact or buried treasure.
I'm thankful for....
Friends
both old and new
Some have been there for years
others a few months.
They listen to me
they give advice to me,
laugh with me
cry with me,
and pray for me.
I would not be
the person
I am
without
their love
and support.
I'm thankful for...
God
and his son
Jesus.
It is though Him
that I
find the strength
and the energy
and the wisdom
to make it through
even the toughest of days.
I'm thankful for...
The men and women
who choose
to honor the rest of us
and fight for the
freedoms
we take so much for granted.
Because of them,
I can worship
God
in any way I want.
I can write a letter
to the editor
and not worry
about living to see it printed.
I have the right
to express my political opinions
by going to the polls
and voting.
I even have the right
to protest
and denounce
what my government
has decided to do
if I don't agree with a law
or policy.
I'm thankful for...
The air I breathe,
the water I drink,
the warm sunshine
and cloudy days
that makes
rain and snow possible
and the promise that
tomorrow's generations are working
to fix the problems
today's generation
and the ones before
have created
both locally
and globally
I'm thankful for...
The end of a day
and the promise of tomorrow
falling asleep
safe and secure
with a full tummy
and warm clothing
and the knowledge
that
I
am
loved.
I'm thankful for.....
Waking up each morning
in a bed
located in my own bedroom
situated in my house
that has heat,
electricity,
running water both hot and cold,
and indoor bathroom facilities
along with a kitchen that has working appliances
including a refrigerator that has food in it
and a pantry stuffed with items that are not always the most healthy .
I'm thankful for.....
A loving husband
who is and always will be
the love of my life.
And the most awesome
wonderful,
caring and faithful
father any 3 children will know
Who has a job in this tough economy
that earns enough
to provide for the basic
and not so basic
necessities of a happy home.
I'm thankful for...
Motherhood
so challenging and stressful
yet so wonderful and rewarding
all at the same time.
Three unique and special beings
with love in their hearts
and laughter in their lives
each one different than the other
yet similar in so many ways.
My love knows no boundaries
my heart has no limits
and each is as special to me
as any priceless artifact or buried treasure.
I'm thankful for....
Friends
both old and new
Some have been there for years
others a few months.
They listen to me
they give advice to me,
laugh with me
cry with me,
and pray for me.
I would not be
the person
I am
without
their love
and support.
I'm thankful for...
God
and his son
Jesus.
It is though Him
that I
find the strength
and the energy
and the wisdom
to make it through
even the toughest of days.
I'm thankful for...
The men and women
who choose
to honor the rest of us
and fight for the
freedoms
we take so much for granted.
Because of them,
I can worship
God
in any way I want.
I can write a letter
to the editor
and not worry
about living to see it printed.
I have the right
to express my political opinions
by going to the polls
and voting.
I even have the right
to protest
and denounce
what my government
has decided to do
if I don't agree with a law
or policy.
I'm thankful for...
The air I breathe,
the water I drink,
the warm sunshine
and cloudy days
that makes
rain and snow possible
and the promise that
tomorrow's generations are working
to fix the problems
today's generation
and the ones before
have created
both locally
and globally
I'm thankful for...
The end of a day
and the promise of tomorrow
falling asleep
safe and secure
with a full tummy
and warm clothing
and the knowledge
that
I
am
loved.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgving
Well this is the week. On Thursday I will gather with a very large group of Jim's family members and celebrate this wonderful holiday. This is something that his mother's side of the family has been doing for a lot of years. The hall in Lesterville, SD is reserved and that is where (depending on the year) roughly 100-120 family members gather to give thanks and reconnect with each other. The first time I went I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of individuals milling around greeting each other, laughing and talking all at once. Before the meal begins, the whole group gathers in one large circle with each family unit standing next to each other. We then start at 1 and go around the circle until every member is counted. Those who are not present at roll call but will be in later that day are also counted. After roll call is taken then we hold hands and sing the Lord's Prayer (it is a Catholic gathering) and then a Thanksgiving prayer is said thanking the Lord for the blessings of this year and remembering those who can't be here and those here in spirit. After that is done the eating begins.
I could do pages and pages recounting all of the wonderful stuff there is to eat. Yes, we have the turkey(s) and mashed potatoes and dressing (Let's just say it's not Stove Top Stuffing) and ham too. As you can imagine, this is a potluck affair so there is a multitude of items set out for all to enjoy. Usually I do a green bean casserole and Jim does the sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I've also been known to contribute a dessert or two, but not pumpkin pie..they have quite a few pie makers in the family. Because this is the Czech/German side of the family there are koliches (tasty pastries) to eat and dumplings too and a big dish of sauerkraut to put on the mashed potatoes (oh, I LOVE that). Those that don't do much in the way of food usually bring the beverages. I'm still amazed that for all the alcohol setting out, no one gets plastered and very few kids sneak a drink. There is of course tons of pop and juice drinks for the non-drinkers.
After stuffing ourselves silly, the fun begins. Usually the kids play some version of tag or hide and seek, If the weather isn't too cold or the outside too muddy then a football game of some sort takes place along with any other outside type game that kids might like to play. For those inside, there is the annual Trivial Pursuit game or some sort of card game. I think we have photos of one of our children sitting on a lap learning how to play poker. For the past few years we have brought the Sioux Falls paper with us and let individuals look over the ads. Just in case someone is still hungry, there are a few big bowls of chex mix both sweet and salty to snack on along with any veggies left over on the relish trays. Did I mention we have lots of food? This is the time photos are shared and babies admired and exciting news is announced. For quite a few years hubby and I were the subject of much ribbing as to when we would announce our engagement. We did announce one pregnancy (Carolyn) at this event and Andrew was only a few weeks old when he made his debut. I still laugh at how we set the carseat with a sleeping Andrew down on a table in front of my Mother-in-law asking her to watch over him for a few minutes while we got the coats off the other 2 kids and the food over to the serving area. When we returned a few minutes later he was being shown off as the newest grandchild and youngest participant. It seems we add new members every year.
As the afternoon wears down and the leftovers are again warmed up for anyone wanting another meal people start to trickle out. Soon there are only a handful left and they finish the job started by the early comers and wash the dishes, put the tables and chairs away, and clean the floor. Good-byes are said and the lights go out. Another year will have passed. Oh what fun and exciting memories. I can hardly wait.
I could do pages and pages recounting all of the wonderful stuff there is to eat. Yes, we have the turkey(s) and mashed potatoes and dressing (Let's just say it's not Stove Top Stuffing) and ham too. As you can imagine, this is a potluck affair so there is a multitude of items set out for all to enjoy. Usually I do a green bean casserole and Jim does the sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I've also been known to contribute a dessert or two, but not pumpkin pie..they have quite a few pie makers in the family. Because this is the Czech/German side of the family there are koliches (tasty pastries) to eat and dumplings too and a big dish of sauerkraut to put on the mashed potatoes (oh, I LOVE that). Those that don't do much in the way of food usually bring the beverages. I'm still amazed that for all the alcohol setting out, no one gets plastered and very few kids sneak a drink. There is of course tons of pop and juice drinks for the non-drinkers.
After stuffing ourselves silly, the fun begins. Usually the kids play some version of tag or hide and seek, If the weather isn't too cold or the outside too muddy then a football game of some sort takes place along with any other outside type game that kids might like to play. For those inside, there is the annual Trivial Pursuit game or some sort of card game. I think we have photos of one of our children sitting on a lap learning how to play poker. For the past few years we have brought the Sioux Falls paper with us and let individuals look over the ads. Just in case someone is still hungry, there are a few big bowls of chex mix both sweet and salty to snack on along with any veggies left over on the relish trays. Did I mention we have lots of food? This is the time photos are shared and babies admired and exciting news is announced. For quite a few years hubby and I were the subject of much ribbing as to when we would announce our engagement. We did announce one pregnancy (Carolyn) at this event and Andrew was only a few weeks old when he made his debut. I still laugh at how we set the carseat with a sleeping Andrew down on a table in front of my Mother-in-law asking her to watch over him for a few minutes while we got the coats off the other 2 kids and the food over to the serving area. When we returned a few minutes later he was being shown off as the newest grandchild and youngest participant. It seems we add new members every year.
As the afternoon wears down and the leftovers are again warmed up for anyone wanting another meal people start to trickle out. Soon there are only a handful left and they finish the job started by the early comers and wash the dishes, put the tables and chairs away, and clean the floor. Good-byes are said and the lights go out. Another year will have passed. Oh what fun and exciting memories. I can hardly wait.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Chocolate chip cookie brownies
Sorry for the lapse in posts...life gets so busy sometimes. I thought since the festival of the really huge bird was around the corner I'd post one of my favorite dessert recipes. This is super easy and only requires a few ingredients and surprise surprise does not involve pumpkin or graham crackers.
To make:
1 box of family size brownie mix (13 x 9)
1 package chocolate chip cookie mix
Chocolate frosting
Ingredients needed:
water
vegetable oil
3-4 eggs depending of brand of mix and type of brownie (cake vs. traditional)
1 stick of butter
Set oven to 350
Spray bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
Prepare brownie mix according to directions. Spread in pan.
Make cookie dough according to directions on package.
Drop cookies by rounded spoonful into the brownie batter; press down lightly.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side of the pan comes out almost clean.
Cool completely and frost with chocolate frosting.
There you have it folks, an awesome take with you totally delicious dessert. If you want you can make the frosting from scratch but the canned stuff works just as well and is a lot easier to take with if you are traveling to some one's house. You can also use frosting other than chocolate if you don't want to go for the chocolate overload. If you buy the Betty Crocker brand of chocolate chip cookie mix the recipe is located at the bottom of the package but like I said earlier, any brand works. Enjoy!!!
To make:
1 box of family size brownie mix (13 x 9)
1 package chocolate chip cookie mix
Chocolate frosting
Ingredients needed:
water
vegetable oil
3-4 eggs depending of brand of mix and type of brownie (cake vs. traditional)
1 stick of butter
Set oven to 350
Spray bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
Prepare brownie mix according to directions. Spread in pan.
Make cookie dough according to directions on package.
Drop cookies by rounded spoonful into the brownie batter; press down lightly.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side of the pan comes out almost clean.
Cool completely and frost with chocolate frosting.
There you have it folks, an awesome take with you totally delicious dessert. If you want you can make the frosting from scratch but the canned stuff works just as well and is a lot easier to take with if you are traveling to some one's house. You can also use frosting other than chocolate if you don't want to go for the chocolate overload. If you buy the Betty Crocker brand of chocolate chip cookie mix the recipe is located at the bottom of the package but like I said earlier, any brand works. Enjoy!!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
3 years
You came into my life.....
It was love at first sight.....
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I watched you change....
and grow....
Oh what a fun ride it's been.
Happy 3rd birthday Andrew.
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