Enchanted

We went to see the movie Enchanted and I left humming and dancing (at least I had a spring in my step)! It was absolutely charming and perfect for all ages. It's a great escape from all the holiday chaos. Treat yourself! And as we walked out of the theater we saw that it was snowing outside! What a magical day. It's beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas...

Holly Hobbie and Friends

When I was little I had a Holly Hobbie doll and Holly Hobbie wallpaper in my bedroom. I remember sleeping with Holly every night and I even remember the way she smelled. Thank goodness for memories. There is now a new line of Holly Hobbie toys and I have to say that I am impressed. The new Holly is the old Holly's great grand daughter, I believe, and she is made to look like today's girls. Blonde and freckled, she is kind and spunky and shares some great adventures with friends in her 3 movies. I love the movies and values plus LeAnn Rhines sings her theme song! You can't beat that! So, if you are looking for a new "role model" for your daughter that is still "cool" (without the Bratz trashiness) check out Holly Hobbie and Friends. I enjoy her as much as my girls! Now if they could just create a Nancy Drew doll...

Crock Pots

We received a crock pot as a wedding gift many years ago and I remembering thinking "What am I supposed to do with THIS?" I was not impressed in the least, but the years have taught me that a crock pot can be one of your best friends. I only know a few recipes to use in our new crock pot (we gave the other one away!) but I use them quite a lot. Live and learn. Hey, if you have a crock pot recipe that you would like to share, please do! Anyway, this recipe for Triple Chocolate Mess is fabulous!

Triple Chocolate Mess

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 small bag chocolate chips
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup water

Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients. Pour into crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve in a bowl with ice cream, if you like. Personally I like it just the way it is!

I have this going in our crock pot right now. It's raining outside (and we have a leak in our roof- but that is another story) and the weather forecast is 3-4 inches of snow, so I couldn't be happier! Jeff is making a fire in the fireplace and we will spend the rest of the night eating toasted tuna and cheese sandwiches and watching Ratatouille (great movie!). Poor Jeff will monitor the roof, but I know we are in good hands.:-)

Our trip to Germany and Sweden

Tonight we dined in Germany, well, at least we ate some German food! It was another successful meal from the book, Passport on a Plate. I love this book! We ate Apple Cinnamon Pancakes along with Sausage and Apples. Everyone loved the meal!

Tomorrow is St. Lucia Day! The girls (and I) will wake up early to prepare breakfast and then I will crawl back in bed. Then Mandy will put on her crown of candles (made of paper) and Katie will put on her little crown and carry a candle and they will proceed to our bedroom. Mandy will then serve Jeff and me breakfast in bed. I wish I could skip the food preparation, but there is always next year.:-)

Santa!

We went to see Santa at the new mall last night. He was in great shape and high spirits! I love the fact that the girls still believe in him. Time is running out for Mandy, I fear. The fact that we homeschool has helped her keep the faith, and I am so glad. We went shopping the other day and the lady that waited on us told us that she was in her 20s and she was determined to believe in him forever! I still believe, too. I feel so sad for those Scrooges that doubt the magic of Santa! Every Christmas Eve I still listen to hear reindeer paws on the roof.:-)

Christmas Caroling

Our homeschool group went Christmas caroling last week. We are certainly not professionals by any means and our singing has much to be desired, but the ladies and gentlemen didn't seem to mind. They really enjoyed seeing the children and it was a nice experience for everyone. Mandy and Katie passed out Hershey's Kisses while wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas."

Snookie and Me

It's 4:00 am and Snookie and I are still up. He sits in front of the computer with his eyes closed, but he is still awake. I would like to think that he wants to be with me, but I really believe that he likes the warmth of the computer. He is such a good boy. He only needs food and water and a little bit of love. A little is all he desires as he really likes to be left alone to nap (unless he sneaks outside for kitty adventures). My friend, Lisa, asked me if he was a Maine Coon (a very expensive show cat she told me) but I told her we just got him at the Animal Shelter. We are so happy that we were able to save him. We visit the shelter every so often to visit the animals. We like to bring them treats so they see that not all people are bad.