So Sweet You Will Gag

Less than 3 weeks to the big Day! Festivities, shopping and baking are at a fever pitch. Let's all hope we can hang in there without losing our minds. I know most of the kids' mind's are already lost. I would hate to be a teacher this time of year. I think last weekend was when my nephew stopped speaking in sentences and now only speaks in screeching exclamations that contain some combination of LIGHTS! PRESENTS! SANTA!

ZOMG THATHOUSEHASLIGHTS LOOKATALLTHEPRESENTS!!! ICAN'TWAITTOSEEWHATSANTABRINGSME!

We are extremely lucky to live in an area where our volunteer firemen not only save our lives for free, but whip up an amazing display of lights and sound, and tour Santa all over the immediate area to pass out candy, and make the kids go from babbling neanderthals to screeching demon elves. Got to love it! I of course being the crafty and fun Auntie that I am, will be hosting a cookie decorating party this coming weekend for my nephew and sister, and my girlfriend and her kiddos. It isn't the cookie exchange and wrapping party I originally planned, but I am sure it will be just as fun. I only have 3 more weekends to enjoy Christmas activities, and I plan on going for gold this year. There is really nothing better than sharing a holiday with an enthusiastic 6 year old. Last weekend I took him to see the "Arther Christmas" movie, and we both loved it. It wasn't as good as my first movie "A Christmas Story", but kids these days are different aren't they?

You'll shoot your eye out!!!

My cookie list is growing, so I am going to have to do some serious cuts to the list. Everything just sounds so great, I want to make it all, but I doubt I will have time. My tree is missing a few items to make it as perfect as I could imagine it, but I will leave that for next year. I just simply don't have any more money to devote to the decorations! We put up lights, but no big display like I wanted. Again, the Christmas Budget got in my way, so possibly next year we will have 2012 Christmas Light Spectacular! Or, we can buy fireworks and line our yard with them. That may be pricey, but it would look AWESOME! Beat that house around the corner!!!

But my home feels festive, and I get to do so many wonderful things with the kids, that Christmas cheer is coming out of my holly jolly butt! So before the big day has come and gone, I will count my blessings and enjoy my time. Being depressed this time of year is hard for me, because I get to do all of my favorite things like hang out with my family, cook, eat, and give presents. How could you not have fun!? I hope your Christmas cheer is as bountiful as mine, and if not, stop by my house, I have an extra basket full of cheer just for you!

A Beebs Is Born! and Food Holiday!

Rock On, Birthday Boy!

 First of all, the love of my life is celebrating the day he split his tiny little momma in two while she gave birth to his almost 10lb baby self. We believe because he wrecked her so badly that the last two sons born just fell out and hit the floor. Hard. That is what is wrong with them. It all makes sense! All joking aside, Beebs, I hope your day is filled with coffee, smokes, and WOW (a few of your favorite things). I hope you enjoy your day off, and I will take you to have your most favorite meal when I get home, Breakfast. XoxO

So it is Thanksgiving week already, and I am tired beyond belief. This week is a very short one in the office, and thankfully after Thanksgiving lunch on Weds, we are released to go forth and stuff our faces in a traditional family setting. Or if you are my family, you are spending the weekend in the Texas brush aka "the sticks", frying a turkey. Since my husband and I aren't joining my family, we are cooking a full spread for his family, and taking it over to them like some kind of Turkey dinner delivery service. Circumstances beyond our control are preventing us from hosting the shin dig from our humble abode, and that blows. At least I can still play Sims 3 while cooking. Depending on how festive I feel, I may not even feel like dressing up in the turkey costume.


I was coming home from my sister's house the other night, and as I neared the corner I turn at, I notice a house ablaze in Christmas Glory! They had inflatables, blow-mold light ups, and lights on their lights, while the played season appropriate music. I am willing to bet the fake "snow" they had falling was actually marshmallows from a million cocoa packets. Eff that! Challenge accepted! I know Halloween is our thing, and no one does it better... That includes the family that gives out freshly popped bags of popcorn... But how are you going to set up the freaking entire catalog of decorations, more than a week before Thanksgiving, and not expect a throw down?

Anyone with a bunch of stuff could do this...

My plan is simple, don't go with quantity, go with quality! How bout an effin' winter wonderland in my front yard?! I can't go into details, because frankly I am afraid that they will read this, and know it is on, and I want it to be a sneak attack! Muwahahahahaaaa! (Yes, I have lost my mind.) But the Beebs says we can battle the neighbors, but only if I help him put away the rest of our Halloween stuff. Terms accepted! Time to go get some plywood, paint, and Christmas lights. With Beebs artistic eye, and my crafty help, we should have a steady stream of cars driving around our block.

I hope you have a wonderful Turkey Day weekend, and stay safe. Don't forget, every time you tell someone the tryptophan made you sleepy, your nose will grow, because the turkey didn't do it, the rolls, tators, stuffing, and other carbs are to blame. Also, if at all possible stay far far away from Black Friday. The trend this year is Grey Thursday... be hip! hahaha

Mutiny on the Birthday Cake

I have officially and unequivocally had it with the upper management of my office. The amazing part is, I am having more fun being less of a nice person, and more of a solid gold b*tch. They can only blame themselves for this startling transformation from the outspoken, yet team playing employee to the John Wayne of employees. (meaning I am not taking shit from anyone...) As of this moment, mutiny is on the horizon.

Walk the Plank Ye Scurvy Dog!!

I like being a nice person. I like getting along with people and having good working relationships. But the 3 chiefs of this one room teepee are making me crazy(er). It won't be long until I lose my mind, and verbally lash out to the next person that says or does something that pisses me off. It wouldn't be so annoying if they didn't go out of their way to do things totally incorrectly just so they can make sure you waste your time. It does nothing but make me angry. I have better things to do than to waste my time for some over paid micromanaging office d*ckhead. Breathe in..... Breathe out....

In other news, my hubby's birthday plans are in full swing. I love spoiling him because he mostly deserves it, and because I love seeing his child like enthusiasm towards his cake and presents. When I met him, he disliked birthdays and most holidays. When he learned what a big deal, and how fun celebrating could be, he jumped right in with us. So I try to do something special for him. My issue is, his big day is on a Monday, and most of the cake jumping strippers and petting zoos take off on Mondays. Maybe I'll have better luck with the bouncy house?

Bouncy, Bouncy. Oh such a good time.

 We still don't know what is happening for Thanksgiving here, but that will fall into place eventually. I have started collecting delectable recipes for the sole purpose of busting my family's guts. Everyone is so different in their  likes for desserts in our family, I've come up with a great idea that will help solve the issue of variety. Mini Pies! I can make pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, and even chocolate creme for the kids, plus they are smaller portions than you would normally be served from a pie. So, I can make full batches of  each flavor, and then split them to be distributed amongst the two families. (and maybe a few extra for our house) I leave the pecan pie to my sister, who makes the most beautiful pie you have ever seen.

This isn't even the prettiest one!

Pies are nice, and stuffing is yummy, but the one thing that makes me do a happy dance of gluttony is my mom's gravy. She measures nothing. It is water, flour, salt and pepper, and meat juices and drippings. She can't really tell you how she does it either. She is a gravy witch with magical gravy coming from her fingers, oh and her home made German Chocolate cake makes her a demi god in our eyes.

Made by mom with love, and eye of frog??

I am going to begin a collection of my favorite holiday recipes on my main page for those looking for what a Beebs eats during the holidays. Merry early Christmas!

The Gauntlet Continues... Into The Holiday Abyss

Guajalote! (pronounced Wa-ha-low-tay.)

Well hello November. Cooler weather? Check. Thoughts of turkey dinner, and pumpkin pie? Check. Christmas shopping, and my Hubby's birthday? Sorta check, and kinda check. October was busy, but it flew by in a blur of parties, illnesses, and Halloween candy. Now I have November to tackle. I will actually have around 2 weeks of down time this month, so I will try to fill it with crafting and present shopping for next month. Where we thought we may be going out of the state for a visit to family, ticket prices thwarted that idea. Honestly, shouldn't it be a crime to charge $1,300 for two people to fly on a super cramped plane with no meal. I would much rather our loved ones use the cash they were going to spend on our tickets for more important things like extra presents for my nephew and some industrial sized heaters for this winter season. I have a feeling they will need them! (if recent weather patterns are anything to go by) We will have to arrange something less expensive. I hate to disappoint my nephew for the second time this year, but I just don't think it is monetarily feasible. Who knows, maybe a Fristmas miracle will happen, and the hubby and I will be packing long johns for a trip soon. I wonder how cold it is up there during New Years?

Colder than a polar bears toe nails.

My husband and I have begun the breakdown process for Halloween in the house. I am debating on how soon I want to pull down the Christmas stuff. I think while we are in the attic we should pull down the tree and other items I use. I am going to be using a new color scheme on the tree, so I won't be needing the old ornaments. I like variety, and after 4 years of the same coppers golds and silvers, I am ready for something new. When I collect enough sets, I will just rotate them out. Our first tree started out red and silver, and then purple and silver. This year I have a more whimsical approach in mind.

This is my inspiration.

I do this for just us in the house, because we don't normally have a party for the Holly Jolly season. We leave that to my parents and my sister, who have Christmas Eve and Christmas day taken care of. I will have plenty of people over helping me in the kitchen for the usual seasonal baking extravaganza (hint-hint! I pay in cookies and other goodies) I am pretty sure that us making tamales is not on the schedule either. It was fun, but omg was it exhausting, and messy. Maybe this year I'll have my lady friends over for a cookie exchange and wrapping party... Dang it! Here I go having great ideas! I guess I am going to add another event to my list, because that sounds like fun. I am going to stop while I am ahead. Forward March!!! Left, right, left, right, left, right, left…

What Not To Do When You Invite Kids To A Party

The Party? It was successful. Cake! Food! Decorations! Punch! Yea, it  all worked out very well. Almost everyone dressed up, and not much food was left. Note to self: don't make so much non-alcoholic punch. (Only the kids drink that...) I was happy with the way everything turned out. I kept going till I couldn't move another inch, and thankfully was near our bed when that happened, because I literally passed out from exhaustion. It has been 2 whole days since the party, and I am still tired. I have never had a hangover from too much work. I think I would have felt better if it had been a hangover from alcohol. That way I could have at least made sense of it. Oh well, a long weekend in Fredericksburg weekend after next will help!

The Mad Lab

So the next big event is Halloween, and it looks like we are going to have quite a crowd helping us pass out candy. We can thank my husbands Mad Lab for that. It is so awesome this year! The extra touches really make the difference. We have plenty of pictures to share of the party, but this one seems to be my favorite for now. I don't think anyone got pictures of the food, but I was elated that everything went to plot! The biggest complements I received was from the Tasty Bat Wings. Most were put off by the black color, but the honey teriyaki flavor seemed to be a winner. As usual, the brain mold was eaten by a few brave souls. It is peach flavored, but looks almost too real. Gotta love it! The sleeper hit of the buffet table was the spider pizzas my Co-Birthday girl made. Recipe: http://www.heb.com/recipes/Pizza-Pillar/4534013 She just made them into spiders, and they went quick!

Score!!

It wasn't the stress of cooking that got to me this time. It was the details. For instance, I had kids coming to my party. But I didn't have anything for them. So I ran out and got stuff to make treat bags. But I also didn't have activities for the kids. Just candy. Kids + Candy = Hyper kids. Hyper kids + Boredom = Destroyed house. My super smart 6 year old nephew saved the day with asking me to turn on the Wii. Magically all 5 kids, no matter the age, played Mario Kart the rest of the night. Thank goodness! Next year, I have a better plan. Step 1: Have activity for kids to do. Step 2: Turn on game system so adults can enjoy adult time. Step 3: Give the kids candy bags on the way OUT!!

Party Favors For 2012

I had so much fun at the party. It was a blast, and I appreciate everyone coming and making it that way. But I had a serious party hang over, and it wasn't from drinking!! Sunday, I woke up and felt like I had done 1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, FLOOR! When in reality, I had 2 drinks all evening. It took me 3 days to get over my exhaustion hangover. It is a sure sign I am getting older. Thankfully, I had few things to do other than enjoy one of my presents (Sims 3 for PC). I have spent the past few days in a cloud of tired. Just today I am feeling back to my perky old self. I guess I am finally showing my age. Gee, thanks 31!

This is what I think of aging. Take that, fact of life!

It's Getting Weally Weally Spooky In Here

I wish all my great ideas were cheaper. The creative flow apparently doesn't come with a price limit. Sigh. Just when a great idea strikes me, I realize having a fountain installed in the backyard would be a bit pricey, not to mention time consuming. The alternative would be to get a plaster statue and set it in a bucket with a airator pump. It would work, but it won't have the same effect I suppose. I guess I will have to wait another year.

Yay!

Sad. Just sad.

Bit by bit the house and the garage are coming together for the birthday / Halloween festivities. The menu needs to be finalized and my co-birthday girl needs an intro to our Karg party preparation process. Beebs and I both have projects that we are working on. Of course because you can't have the 20+ people that will be attending this shin-dig all crowded in the awesome garage, and the rest of the house be it's normal scary self! Starting today, no more mopping or doing the dishes. In a couple weeks, we should be looking mighty scary 'round here! As easy as that sounds the house would smell rather rank in a few days. I don't think I could handle that.

Just say no to stinky houses!

The family, as usual, will be chipping in and helping with all the details. Sister is making the cake, and Daddy is making a prop coffin. In the end everyone in our family will have leant a hand in some way, shape, or form. I always appreciate helping hands, and there is still so very much to do, and fewer days to do it in. Before we know it, the party will be upon us, and I and my never ending lists will be shweaty and exsausted. Is it almost time for the mini vacation?? Yes! In less than a month, my sister and I will be spending a long weekend doing girl stuff like shopping and drinking beer. Well okay, redneck girl stuff anyway. We are also pondering the possibility of skipping Thanksgiving with our mish-mosh clans and visiting our family in Rhode Island. It is in the possbilities column of our agendas, so lets keep our fingers crossed that I can actually get the Beebs to leave the state for the first time in 10 years. Well, the Mad Dr. Beebs is cracking the whip, and demanding that I add more spider web to the display. Back to the grind...