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Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

LAST WEEK RECAPPED

GOOD MORNING sweet friends! Grab your coffee and join me.

Can you believe we’re only 3 days from Christmas? And only 10 days from a brand new year?!!!!! I just don’t know where this year went so quickly!!

That said, I am basically ready early for Christmas or as much as I can be and am enjoying each day as it comes for a change. I did make some pre-planning and organizational changes to the scheduling and shopping for the Eagles to ease my stress and well, if they don’t like it, they can find someone else to do my job. 🙂

BLOGMAS is in full swing with these completed posts: 

• BLOGMAS #1 days 1,2 and 3 ~ Holiday Schedule, Christmas Cards, Elf on the Shelf/NISSE & Wrapping Ideas
• BLOGMAS #2 days 4 and 5 ~ Christmas Music and Movies
• BLOGMAS #3 days 6, 7 and 8 ~ Real Tree vs. Artificial, Decorating & Favorite Ornaments
• BLOGMAS #4 days 9, 10 and 11 ~ Advent Calendars, Presents, PJ’S, Books, Last Minute and Homemade Gifts ~ updated with 2 new soups ~ FRIENDSHIP & SPICY BLACK BEAN CORN SOUPS
• BLOGMAS #5 days 12, 13 and 14 Presents, WISH Lists and Stocking Stuffers
• BLOGMAS #6 days 15, 16 and 17 Quiet Christmas or BIG Get Together, Favorite Family Traditions and Christmas Memories
• BLOGMAS #7 days 18, 19 and 20 Winter Wonderland, Lights and Parades, Christmas Markets and Fairs, Winter MUST Haves and TAGS
• BLOGMAS #8 days 21, 22 and 23 Christmas Menus, Party Foods and Favorite Recipes
• BLOGMAS #9 days 24, 25 and 26 12 Days of Christmas, Meaning of Christmas, Merry VS. Happy, Inspirations and Stories

Coming up this week will be:

• BLOGMAS #10 Christmas Eve, NORAD, St. Nick and Merry Christmas

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

We’re FINALLY getting some winter temperatures, but I’m fairly confident when I say we’ll NOT be seeing a white Christmas this year. 🙁 Highs this week will be in the 40’s with lows in the 30’s and a bit more rain.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY, WHAT’S ON MY MIND, PROJECTS, APPOINTMENTS & DVR/TV

TO DO: LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have a couple loads of laundry to get caught up on before the holiday and the cleaning is up to date besides the mess I’m sure to make in the kitchen each day as I finish last minutes gifts. TO DO: GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have a hair cut and pedicure this morning before I drop off the DHS gifts and food basket. I’ll squeeze in a SUPER small visit to the grocery store for 5 quick items before I shoot home to meet my neighbor who is bringing over hubby’s BIG gift and hiding it for me while hubby is at his Red Cross donation. Then I have a quick meeting tomorrow night with a ornament and cookie exchange. Tuesday morning is Taco Tuesday with friends and a gift exchange. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday will be baking for the neighbor plates. I still have the BRIGADEIROS, BUTTERFINGER COOKIES, HAYSTACKS, SLOW COOKER CANDY and BROWNED BUTTER TOASTED COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES to make. PROJECTS & TRAVELS Nothing on the calendar right now. RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Good through the end of the year! I’ll reevaluate at that time. DVR/TV I have quite a few Hallmark movies to catch up on and am looking forward to several new Food Network shows, but have had very little TV time. When we have time we have been binge watching EUREKA which is always fun. THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY Being ready for Christmas with time to spare so I can sit and enjoy the twinkling tree…the smell of a favorite memory food baking…the first snow of the year falling…the look on a friends face when they open your gift that you picked out special for them…

READING TIME

I finished GONE BEFORE GOODBYE by Reese Witherspoon and Harlen Coben – WOW a slow start, but what a bunch of twists and turns to a surprise ending! I started something lighter for now until Book Club meets on January 3rd, Merit Badge Murder Merry Wrath Mysteries #1 by Leslie Langtry. I’m not sure if she was trying to emulate Jana Deleon’s Miss Fortune series, but it sure has similarities. It’s not bad, but it’s not as good as Jana’s books.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀

	12/22 MONDAY	12/23 TUESDAY	12/24 WEDNESDAY	12/25 THURSDAY	12/26 FRIDAY	12/27 SATURDAY	12/28 SUNDAY
DINNER	CHICKEN STEW & BISCUITS	BUTTERMILK CHICKEN & BAKED BEANS	BLACK EYED PEA CHILI & CORNBREAD	PRIME RIB, TURKEY BREAST, MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY and  GLAZED CARROTS	CORN/YOYO clean out the refrigerator night OR you’re on your own	ONE PAN CHICKEN & VEGGIES	BEEF BARLEY STEW
DESSERT	SALTED  BROWNED BUTTER COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES	BUTTERFINGER COOKIES and SLOW COOKER CANDY	BRIGADEIROS, PEANUT BUTTER MOLASSES CRINKLES and HAYSTACKS	CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

A friend popped by yesterday with this beautiful flower arrangement that she made me.

And I made headway on my soup mixes.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

• LEMON BUTTER CHICKEN PARMESAN
• MODIFIED UNITED KINGDOM BAKED BEANS

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

• CHICKEN LEMONAISE
• SLOW COOKED CHICKEN ala KING
• ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE with CRANBERRY COULIS

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

This is usually a favorite thing for me to do, but to relieve a lot of stress on myself this year I’ve decided to forego doing these link parties until 2026.