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Good Morning friends. It’s a cold, gray and foggy morning her in the Pacific North West. Grab a cup of coffee and join me as we get this week going?

Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

2 weeks until Christmas? Are you ready? Is anyone ever truly ready? I just try and appreciate each day as it happens and like Ross said in the famous FRIENDS couch scene, PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT as necessary. 😀

It’s gray and foggy and supposed to be cloudy today, but at least the rain seems to have abated for the next few days, which is great. We’re used to wet weather here as a norm, but this year has been so much so fast! I’m looking forward to a non-wet week, but that usually means colder without the clouds to hold in the heat. As normal, I’m wearing Levi’s, a mock turtleneck with a flannel over shirt and UGG’s. High this week will be in the 40’s and lows in the 30’s.

I actually began feeling a bit stressed this past week with a few things (roof leaks on a brand new rook, tons of package to organize and wrap for the social worker to pick up last Saturday for the family I adopted, dead car battery…) but, things have begun to settle and life is returning to normal.

I’m also trying to get a hold of the roofer (AGAIN) this year for the same leak as last year on the BRAND new roof. I know how it’s happening, but he refuses to believe it – MEN! sometimes they are so exasperating!

Do you need some new holiday cookie recipes? There’s a COOKIE EXCHANGE going on over at What’s for dinner with some fun recipes. I shared several of our favorites yesterday.

BLOGMAS 2023 is in FULL swing. I hope you have time to join in.

Back to hot water and yogurt. I’ll just have to settle for smelling hubby’s coffee of a morning.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING I’m taking this week to finish up wrapping presents for the foster kids that we adopted at the Eagles as well as finish making some messy homemade gifts. Hubby and I are also spending a day in the “BIG” town an hour away to finish Christmas shopping. I plan to get caught up on the laundry and deep clean next week just before Christmas. GROCERIES & ERRANDS I was supposed to go into town tomorrow to pick up my new porch trees, but that was changed for me late yesterday so I’m adapting already early here on Monday morning. Looks like today’s schedule will be moved until tomorrow and tomorrow’s schedule will be moved to Wednesday. Thursday I have to deliver the gifts for the foster kids and will finish my Christmas shopping then so I can mail packages by Friday. PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS I have a phone call to follow up on that has been a cat and mouse game for the past week. I’m also trying to finish up my last jewelry tree and wrapping gifts. I have the Christmas cards addressed and am finishing up the notes on the insides so I can mail them tomorrow. RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING The menu is planned through December, but as with all things holidays I’m staying adaptable and changing as necessary 😀

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

We’ve been watching Holiday baking shows, Hallmark Christmas movies and a few old classics as well as CHEERS to fall asleep by.

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	HOT WATER & YOGURT	HOT WATER & YOGURT	HOT WATER & YOGURT	HOT WATER & YOGURT	HOT WATER & YOGURT	HOT WATER & YOGURT	HOT WATER & YOGURT
DINNER	TOMATO BEEF BASIL SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE	OUT	CHICKEN PAPRIKA & APPLE DRESSING	ALMOND CRUSTED PORK CHOPS with CIDER SAUCE	WHISKEY PINEAPPLE CHICKEN & KENTUCKY SPOON BREAD	PORK CHOPS with PINEAPPLE SOY SAUCE & BACON GREEN BEANS	CARNITAS with HOT PINEAPPLE SAUCE
DESSERT		CRANBERRY BLISS BARS

The owners have finally updated Herbie this year so he’s more festive. I noticed yesterday that we’ve got some seriously large mushrooms growing under the maple tree and I want to make some of these cute little gnomes I saw at a bazaar the other day. And I’m glad to have saved those Costco boxes to help organize the gifts for social services to pick up.

• MEXICAN STREET CORN CASSEROLE

• BEEF TIPS IN ONION WINE SAUCE
  
• BUFFALO CHICKEN MONKEY BREAD
  
• PINEAPPLE CHILI MEATBALLS