Halfway through December

Good morning everyone.  Christmas decorations here are very simple, partly because it just appeals to me and partly because our two 1 1/2 year old grandchildren are very busy, if you know what I mean 😱

Our table top tree is decorated with lots of clear light and the Chrismon ornaments stitched by my mom.  

We had a spur of the moment cousin sleepover this weekend.  I had easy meals on hand to serve but needed some fruit.  

So I made a simple winter fruit salad with ingredients already in our fridge- diced red grapes, clementine sections and an Ambrosia apple sliced very thin.  It was really good too! 

These 4 having supper.  After they ate, each one got a shower and then we moved on to this fun activity.

My daughter sent over a box of  cookie dough play dough she had bought from a fundraiser.  

The grands really had fun making lots of colorful cookies.  

I was amazed how good they tasted.  

While the kiddos made their creations, I put all the clothes they wore to our house in the washer and dryer.  

Then I laid them back out so dressing the next morning was very easy.  I keep clothes here but this was much easier than trying to match up 4 outfits from the toy room closet.  

One trip to CVS after church on Sunday - I used $15 extracarebucks, some CVS app and redbox coupons and 3 manufacturers coupons.  I spent $2.76 for 2 Charmin, 2 granola bars, 1 shave cream and 1 makeup face wipes.  And I got back $5 extracarebucks for my next trip. 

A fresh wreath, Irish dancing, a madhouse and CVS

Good morning everyone,
I am normally an early riser and am up and going even earlier today as I have a dental cleaning appointment at 8 a.m. I make my appointments months in advance and I guess this sounded like a good time then but now I am wishing it was later.  Never mind,  I'll go and get it over with.

My brother makes fresh wreaths every year and he brought ours Friday.

This is our 2nd Christmas decoration of 2016.  

I think it is so pretty.  Besides normal tree cuttings, it has pine cones and these dainty blue gray berries.  Whatever they are,  they look great on the wreath.





Our oldest granddaughter has been taking Irish Step Dancing classses for close to a year.  She danced in a Christmas recital this weekend and it was so sweet.
The youngest girls all wear these velvet skirts and tops with the thick white socks and lace up soft sole shoes called Ghillies.

Bath and Body works had a big candle sale this weekend.  I planned to go and buy 4 and be done.  But when we got there, our store was packed! The check out line wrapped all the way through the store and the shoppers trying to select their candles were elbow to elbow.

We just stood outside in amazement for a bit, then took a picture and walked on by.
I like bargains but I was not going to stand in line for hours to save $10 or so on unnecessary candles.

I did shop at a very quiet CVS on our way to church.
The diapers, Dove products and makeup were all deals.  The cough medicine is something my husband needs
I started with $15 in Extracarebucks, some store, app and manufacturer coupons.  Before deals, my total was $90 but I paid $26 and got back $15 Extracarebucks.  I'm happy with that as the mediocre was a $14 need.

December 1st

I'm working my way through that To-Do list and I found time to set up a bit of Christmas decor.
My son bought this huge poinsettia.  It's more than 2 feet tall.

So I put the poinsettia on one end of our dining table.  If more than 5 of us are eating here, then I may have to move it but this way it looks pretty but doesn't interfere with meals. 

The red and white card table cloth was crocheted by my mom years ago.  

And this is me in 1962.  

I'm struck by how pretty our humble little home looks in this photo.  My mom liked Early American style and our home looked so different from our neighbors who decorated with Formica dinettes, ceramic fish on their bathroom walls and panther shaped lamps on top of their TVs.  

We had hard rock maple furniture, milk glass,   braided rugs and cross stitched samplers on the walls.  

I think retro photos are so fun, did you notice the scalloped edge ❤️ 

Nothing interesting......

Hello everyone.  I've not done a bit of decorating in our home for Christmas yet but my daughter and son in law have been busy at their home.  This is their mantle,  simple and very pretty.  

I'm working on getting our home clean and doing some reorganizing.  I didn't even make a pretty list of my chores, just a list in the note section of my iPad.  

Some of it is completed but not as much I'd prefer-   So I better get back to work.  

This a busy time of year, isn't it? 

CVS, sunrise and easy breakfasts for the visitors and me

hello everyone- days are busy here so I'll just do a short post to catch up

My CVS haul this week- I used coupons on my CVS app as well as manufacturers coupons and $20 in CVS extracarebucks from previous purchases.  My total went from $89 to $6.00 when everything was subtracted.

2 gallons of milk, 2 mens hair trimmers, 2 boxes hair color, 2 deodorants, 2 juice, 3 facial tissue, 4 bags candy, 1 toothpaste, 1 Duo antacids, 1 vitamin C, and
10 giant KitKats because they were on clearance for 19 cents each. 

And I got back $10 in extracarebucks for my next trip.  

I won't be doing any Black Friday shopping but CVS does have some great specials.  If you'd like to check them out before tomorrow's paper arrives, their ads are always published early at www.iheartcvs.com 

My husband had an early morning appointment at the VA hospital in Oklahoma City this week.
(knee troubles )
 We watched a  beautiful sunrise in the rear view mirrors.  But my photo doesn't do it justice.

This week in the USA, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. 

We will eat our big Thanksgiving meal at our daughter's home and we are taking some of the food.  We will have some  company here, in and out,  for 4 days or so. 

That will include our 8 young grandchildren and I want to visit with all of them when they are here.  So I put on my thinking cap to come up with easy and family friendly meal ideas. 

One evening my husband will grill steaks and turkey sausage,  I'll add baked potatoes and a veggie or 2. 

Lunches will be sandwiches-

Breakfasts will be sweet rolls and breads to heat or toast,  bacon and sausage patties that just need needed and orange juice and milk. 

We bought lunch meat, bacon and sausage all on sale at the commissary as well as ready made orange juice.

The sausage was roll sausage that I sliced and cooked, then packed with layers of parchment between before freezing. 

All the bread products are from Aldi.  Aldi's taste good and are a good price,  even when buying a box full . 

There is also fruit, yogurt and I'll add scrambled eggs if possible. 

In a perfect world,  I would be making everything from scratch and fresh,  but to keep my sanity and keep everyone fed,  we are going to easy this time. 

The 4 oldest local grands already had one sleepover here this week- this is fresh from their showers, all wearing the 25 cent Star War pajamas I got on clearance a while back.  Cousin sleepovers are fun and even more fun when dressed alike

they enjoyed some Aldi doughnuts and precooked bacon for breakfast and all gave it their seal of approval. 

this grand is not much of an eater but he sure liked the doughnuts! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my USA readers