Cookie Time

Two days before Christmas (is that Christmas Eve Eve?) the kids and I decided it was time to bake cookies for Santa.  When I grew up my mom always made sugar cookie dough and gingerbread dough, so that's what I did (isn't it funny how you're drawn to the traditions you grew up with?).  My munchkins had a lot of fun rolling the dough and choosing which cookie cutters to use.  

Here they are hard at work:

After all the cookies had cooled,  I mixed up five colors of icing, sanitized some paint brushes (I mean, I TOTALLY used the proper approved pastry brushes), got out all the sprinkles I could find, and let the kids have at it.

Tralee insisted that Santa wanted a rainbow cookie.  We didn't have a rainbow cookie cutter, so I took a knife to some dough and came up with the cookie below.  Tralee approved of it (phew!), and Santa told her later on in a letter that it was his favorite cookie of the night!

This was the work of Hunty.

Tralee lasted longer than Hunter.  Hunter decorated (if you can call one splotch of red icing on a cookie decorating) one or two cookies, then had enough.  Tralee  helped me till the cookies and icing ran out.

It was a fun cookie filled day!

Our Night Out on the Town!

My friend Audie and I are single moms a lot.  Our husbands travel for work, and just like last holiday season, they were both gone again this year.  So, just like last year, we planned a night out with the kids to eat at some place yummy, hang at the mall, and let the kids visit Santa.  We hit up Chipotle first, noshed on some food (guac and chips -- yum city!), went to the mall, noticed that the line to see Santa was ridiculously long, so we window shopped, bought some cinnabons (Have they changed their recipe?  They were not as good as I remember!), then went back to check on the Santa line.  We thought all the responsible parents would have taken their kids home and put them to bed at that point so we could hog Santa all to ourselves.  Nope.  The line grew since we first checked, so we decided we better get in it before it got any longer.  

Hunter was a little stinker while we waited.  Actually, he was a pretty normal two-year-old boy.  He did NOT want to sit still and wait in line when there was a whole huge mall to run around and explore.  I chased him around quite a bit.  Finally, towards the hour-long-wait (are we crazy for waiting that long?  It was either wait, or leave with a bunch of disappointed kids.  We waited), I strapped Hunty in the stroller while listening to him protest his trap.  Of course, when we excited the "North Pole" the line was completely empty.  Oh well.  Here are some pics from our night out:

Tralee waiting in line

Baby Anson.  Isn't he cute?  He's a handsome little nugget!

The kids and Santa.  Don't they all look SO EXCITED!  Sense the sarcasm.  At least Tralee is smiling a bit.

We got TWO smiles! 

Everyone got a book from Santa.  They wanted to read them right away!

Overall, it was a fun night, even with the long line.  Plus, Santa brought all our kids what they asked for, so it's a good thing we decided to wait to see him!

My Husband is Hilarious!

Every once in a while my hubby does something that REALLY cracks me up.  This video is one of those things.  His cousin hosts a free style rap competition every Friday on Facebook.  This is Jim's and his cousin's video for Free Style Friday.  They've both been away working for almost two weeks now, and won't be home until Christmas.  Their video examines that a bit.  Here it is:

Wet Clothes

Our dryer broke. . . AGAIN!  This is the fourth time in two years that it's on the fritz.  It's the second time within a month that it broke.  We bought it from a used appliance place that had positive reviews.  We got, what I thought, was a pretty great deal.  I guess it was all too good to be true.  Two weeks after we bought it, the dryer's heating element stopped working.  Luckily the dryer was still under warranty, but two years later the dryer has broke down three more times.  We also bought a freezer from said company, and wouldn't you know it, one month passed this company's warranty the freezer broke.  They wanted to charge us $200 to fix it.  That's how much we paid for it in the first place.  Needless to say, we're not heading back to this used appliance place. . . EVER!  I'm not even sure we want to fix the dryer again at this point.  It might be time to bite the bullet and buy a new one.  With four people and a dog, we kind of need a dependable laundry room.  What I would REALLY like is a little number like this:

Aren't they pretty?  I bet they're as functional as they are beautiful.  Hold on, I need a second to wipe the drool off my face.  Santa, if you're listening, how about this red LG front loading washer and dryer set under the Christmas tree?  I've been pretty good this year.  Actually, I probably could have been better.  Awe shucks!  Maybe next year.

While I'm in dream mode, how about a laundry room that looks a little something like this: 

Are those two washer and dryer sets I see?  I hope the laundry-doer/s in this family know/s how lucky he/she/they are.  Isn't it funny how excited you can get over appliances when you're the one that actually uses them?

Or this:

So pretty and fresh.

Check this little beauty out:

I would even love something like this if it meant the dryer worked:

The lady is pretty fantastic, isn't she?  I love all the pink!

So, we're currently on the market for a new dryer.  We're hoping to find an amazing deal on a reliable dryer (fingers crossed).  If you have any tips on where to score a great deal, let me know!  Hopefully I won't get any recommendations to the used appliance place I've sworn off.  That would be kind of funny.

Oh. . . and Santa (if you're still listening), if I someday get my dream washer/dryer set, I'll dress up like the lady pictured above to match my set every time I wash (well, maybe not every time. . . but definitely the first).  I probably won't look as fab as she does though.  I don't have a hat anywhere close to the awesomeness of Lady Kenmore's.

Tralee's Letter to Santa 2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Dear Santa,

I love you very much.  I wish I worked at your workshop.  And I can help you bring toys.  And I wish I could see your reindeer.  I wish Santa was my dad, and even my own dad at home so they could be twins.  And even they can have a great Merry Christmas.  I love you to get some princesses, and please give me a toy! I

What kind of animal do you like Santa?  You’re so sweet when you bring presents.  I want to be good.  And Merry Christmas to all!  I wish you were a great Santa, and you are!  Santa is a great great great man!  And even Christmas I will blow you a kiss.

Santa, I want a toy doggy that looks like Brady’s and even a rainbow Barbie House that has rainbows.  I do want toy pretend foods.  And you’re the greatest greatest GREATEST Santa in the world!

Love,

Tralee

Etsy Shop. . . .READY. . . GO!!!

My Etsy shop is up and running!  There are only a handful of items up at the moment.  For now, I'm just selling some of my printable art.  I'm totally new to this, so it might take some time to get the hang of.  I'm excited!  My goal is to post at least one new piece a week.  With a household to run, a husband to make-out with, two munchkins to take care of, a dog to pooper-scoop after, and all the other stuff on my list, I think that's a pretty realistic goal.

Go ahead and take a peek at what's for sale over at Leslie's Love Prints:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeslieLovePrints

Oh, and to celebrate the new shop (and the new year), here's a free printable to help you ring in 2012!!

Wish me luck!!

Busy Bees

We're buzzing around over here, getting ready for C-day.  There's been Christmas parties to attend, lists made and checked twice, and a whole lotta fa-la-la-ing.  It's all great fun, but not a whole lot of time for me to sit and sip wassail whilst reading Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and listen to a fire crackle in the background (if only we had a fireplace, I might put our buzzing on hold and actually do just that).

I have made some crafty little things, and one ultra awesome gift for some people that I'm super excited about.  The only problem is, said gifts and said people all read my bloggity-blog-blog, and I would hate to steal the surprise away from Christmas.  So, no pictures of my creations. . . yet.  Maybe when our jingle-bell-induced buzzing comes to a halt will I take a moment to share some crafty photos.  Until then, take a look at my two best creations:

I love his little tired eyes in the morning.

She was waiting for me to read Olivia to her.  I was snapping pictures instead.  Eventually Olivia's adventures in Italy were read.  That being said, how come a pig and her family get to go to Italy, and my family and I haven't been there yet?  That needs to be remedied.  Plus--spoiler alert--we won't leave Venice in ruins like a certain O-named pig!

I just like this one.  Don't you wish you could hang out with her everyday?  I'm one lucky mama!  And sometimes, I'm one tired mama who wants to pull her hair out, but mostly I'm just lucky.

Four more days!!!