for christmas for him from me

A Christmas for him... my man.  I can do this because he doesn't read my blog.  And he really only doesn't already know about just one of these gifts.  The Wrangler denim work shirts he asked for and the Harley Davidson safety mirrored sunglasses he always needs and always gets for Christmas or birthday or Valentine's day.  The universal remote he's needed for quite some time and I actually already gave it to him although he hasn't touched it to program it yet.  The pillow is a replacement for one he already has that is nasty.  I don't know why boy's pillows get yucky so fast... I swear he does go to bed clean.  We have both used the Chiro water pillows for a couple of years now and neither wake up with stiff necks anymore.  Plus they are super comfy. 

 

The light whips for our side by side I am having a friend make for us.  When we first saw these they kind of reminded us of someone who is just trying to get attention but on our last ride two of our friends riding with us had them on their machines and after it got dark we found they were pretty cool and useful.  Shaun and I had a flat coming down on pretty good hill and we were the last ones in the chain of four wheelers so they all pretty much went on.  Shaun broke out his handy little compressor and in no time we were back on the trail, even after one friend came back to check on us.  But all the way down through the valley below I could see the light whips and could tell exactly where our friends had gone.  It was really easy to tell who was who and where they were instead of just head lights and tail lights. 

 

So... that's what Santa Laurie is bringing Shaun for Christmas... so don't tell. 

 

 



merry christmas to me

I know that you're not supposed to buy yourself things for Christmas... so they say.  But who better to know what you want than yourself?  I got my Christmas present from Shaun a couple of weeks ago and believe me I have been enjoying it!  On a Sunday afternoon, he was taking a nap on the couch as I was putting white lights and two small alpine trees above our fireplace and watching a QVC special "deal of the day" that totally reeled me in.  They can usually talk me into just about anything but this one completely made sense.  He woke up to me saying PSSST and needing help getting down from the top of the fireplace.  I had to get up there because there is a plug up on the loft (which I think was a genius idea of mine when we were wiring the house, and it is on a switch) and I had to plug the lights in up there and got nervous about jumping down and scaring the day lights out of Shaun in his afternoon slumber.  So, he easily woke up and after helping me get down said... "what do you want for Christmas?"  I pointed at the Dyson vacuum cleaner being advertised on the tube and said "THAT!"  He said... "order it" and I said ... aaaiiiggghhht!  So and few days later I was happily playing with  my Christmas present from Shaun and doing a chore that I have always loathed doing until now... now that I have the proper tool to use.  It is amazing.  That said... I think he got me enough so the following Christmas gifts are to myself because I know that I will enjoy them tremendously and each in their own way.

I bought myself this little speaker... yes from QVC and you should have seen the hosts dancing and jamming to it!  I feel I've needed one for some time.  It will come in handy at home, on our upcoming vacation and at the day care where our famous dance parties will now be filled with music instead of low, barely heard tunes coming from my pc being drown out by laughter and joy from us all.  

I've talked about the Food Bible lately.  I rented it from the library and loved it and know it will be a fantastic and helpful addition to my world by being able to quickly look up foods to help certain conditions and things to cut out too.

I bought myself the 2015 planner from A Beautiful Mess, which is a blog I follow, sort of on a whim.  I am hopefully going to force myself to use it although I've had planners in the past that I didn't really use.  We'll see.  This was a limited time only purchase.  I didn't know that at the time until I was trying to link it and failing to do so today.  Maybe, along with my scrap spiral and inspiration journal that I carry around all the time, I will find it necessary to log appointments and daily things... maybe.  Or maybe I will use it sort of like this... except in a one year sense.  I love the description of the journal in that ad.

I made a stop at Wal-Mart to buy myself a couple of sports bras for our trip coming up.  It turns out that four wheeling can do a number on a female's uppers being jostled around on rough terrain and a whole week of it without the proper support just sounded insane.  Even small ones need to be still!  I've woke up in the morning on our adventures feeling sore and just holding myself on one occasion or two and feel a little smarter and more prepared this time!  I don't feel it's necessary to spend tons of cash on items like this so Wal-Mart comes in very handy for me!  I bought a two pack (and a three pack) and they even have a bit of padding.  It's going to be a lovely week of muddin' folks!!

Happy Christmas!  See... even though I don't have a tree up this year I still have the feeling of Christmas!  Even Shaun does... I caught him singing Rockin Around the Christmas Tree this morning in the shower.  I somehow found it odd and hilarious that he knew all the words!

Do you buy Christmas presents for yourself?

twelve easy diy's

Need some homemade gift ideas?  I have grabbed twelve simple ideas for you from previous posts of mine that you could almost make with things lying around your house and give as simple gifts to friends or family.  If you don't already have the stuff I bet you could make a quick trip to the grocery and be done with it.  

Nuts & Bolts (with a recipe link!)

Lavender Face Toner

Homemade Granola 

Easy Journals

Lip Gloss 

Magazine Organizers 

Make-It-Box 

Caramel Popcorn 

Recipe Notebook

Freezer Paper Stencil Shirts 

Therapy Pouches 

Tool Pouch

last minute valentines

Just because you may have waited until the last minute to send or get your loving Valentine something doesn't mean you're lazy, you don't care, or you are cheap.  It can be hard to know what to get someone, especially when they seem to have everything.  At the same time, it's not always necessary to spend a wad on jewelry or two hundred dollar roses or waiting outside in the cold at a restaurant for two hours just to get crappy serving and a cold burger.  Seriously?!?  Is it that important?  While I do have a romantic in me and will admit to a twinge of jealousy when several girls at the office got flowers and I didn't, I understand that those things may not be on our budget and truly deem it unnecessary to base a relationship on "things".   Personally I'd much rather a night at home with the fire on and a simple warm meal on the table with a special dessert that I made... just for him.  I will say that I did get my hubbo a little gift that he will probably think is corny but on the other hand may love it.  I have a few tips on ways to not spend a ton of money but still get the point of "Dear Valentine... I Love You" across.  Most of them involve the grocery store.  Good luck!

1.  For an easy meal I recommend Chicken Florentine Pasta from The Pioneer Woman website.  Minimal ingredients, easy to make in under 20 minutes and delicious along with crusty bread and a bottle of wine.

2.  Our local Kroger sells OPI fingernail polish.  Pick up a hot bottle of red polish for an after supper pedi!

3.  Most grocery stores also sell dvds or you can rent one through Redbox as you leave the grocery.

4.  You can always visit the floral department at the grocery store.  I personally love what some people call "filler flowers" simply put in a mason jar on the table.

5.  Stop by the lotion section of the store to get some vitamin E oil for a massage.  Don't forget to give the massage later.

6.  While you are on the lotion aisle, hop to the bath section for some soothing bath salts.  Tub for two?

7.  Pick up cupcake liners and pipe cleaners for kids to make Valentine flowers. 

 I posted a DIY on Giggle Box blog HERE.

8.  Browse down the candy aisle for some soothing chocolate or your loved ones favorite.

9.  Head to the reading section, every grocery has one, for a copy of their favorite magazine.  Be it Cosmo or Bike Fever, make it something they will enjoy reading over the weekend.  Mine would love a good Wheels and Deals if they still made it!

10.  Since Valentine's day is on a Friday this year and public establishments will be crazy, why not pick up a gift card for their favorite restaurant for a later date night instead of fighting traffic and angry lovers and winding up coming home half exhausted from dining out.  Grocery stores have them in the check out aisles. 

11.  If the grocery store Valentines aren't good enough for you, try a nice robe for either of you.  Steinmart has both men's and ladies robes at very good prices.  Thank me later that I already ran around and did the research on this one of who carries men's robes!

If you can't find that any of these tips satisfy you... maybe you are just too spoiled for my taste.  

Or maybe your hopes are set too high.

I like things simple and cheap but most of all, done from the heart.

DC Stocking Stuffers

We are due to have our Christmas Party at the DC on Monday, since we won't be here Christmas Eve or Christmas day.. obviously or I'd probably be here by myself.  I like to get the kids a little something for Christmas from me.  This year, as you saw yesterday, I made stockings for each child and they got to decorate them so naturally the plan was to grab a few things here and there that would fit into their stockings for Christmas.  So after the pizza party and dancing to Christmas music commences we will take down the stockings and the kids get to take them home with them along with all the goodies inside!  YAY!  Here's what I got as stocking stuffers for them this year.

 

 

 

I LOVE these Monster Finger Puppets and they are so into monsters too!

 

Smarties are always a good choice of candy.

 

Magic Towels in super hero and princesses.  Wash cloths for home.

 

Motts fruit snacks... because they're a little better than candy and they love them.

 

Glow in the dark stars.  I plan to give each child five or six for their rooms at home.



Gift Guide: For the Birders

 

Today's gift suggestions are designed around bird people.  People who like to feed wild birds, identify wild birds and watch wild birds.... people like me!

 

Black Oil Sunflower seeds can be found at any feed store or Walmart.  A true bird winner.  And while you are at Walmart, pick up a scoop and maybe even a bird feeder for your recipient.  This bird feeder is available on Walmart dot com.  I like it because it has a cage on both ends to put suet cakes that attract birds like woodpeckers and chickadees to feeders.

 

Magazine subscriptions are great because it will bring the giftee bird learning joy all the year round.  Bird Watchers Digest is issued six times a year and has great articles about birds.

Birds and Blooms is every month and has fantastic pictures, tips and stories from fellow birders.

 

These binoculars are a little pricey but are essential for birders to get a really good look at birds far and near.  These I found at Academy HERE.

 

I am drooling over Bird Feathers the feather identification book.  Being the "finder of feathers" that I claim to be, I would love a copy for myself because sometimes I am not quite sure which bird a feather came from.

 

Bird guides by each state is brilliant!  Author Stan Tekiela has a bird field guide for each state.  It's been a rare occasion that I have seen a bird that wasn't in my Tennessee book.  Look up Stan Tekiela on Amazon dot com to find your state's book.

Gift Ideas for Fathers day

 

 

Father's Day is Sunday, June 16th.  I decided to share my mental list for Father's Day gifts with you pictorially!  Just in case you may need an idea or maybe a place to shop.  All of them aren't included as they are pretty simple to figure out where to get them... example... the liquor store.  You can also find most of these items locally as well as online.  I am sharing the online locations with most.

 

These are ideas that I have for my Father as well as Shaun's Dad.  They each will be getting something from this list so blood Sisters please ask before you buy. 


Bluegrass Music - this is the band we saw at Bluegrass Underground in April!  very good!

Wine Bottle Stoppers - because a glass a day keeps the doctor away!

Liberty Overalls - for working in the shop.  easy to find his size here.

Manly Journal - men write things down don't they?  I figure this one would be easy enough to make but you can purchase it if you don't want to make it

Backyard Horseshoes - hours of backyard summer fun

Summer Work Shirt - thin and comfortable to work in

Alligator Pond Decoy - ok.. it's funny! but it is said to keep blue herons from eating the fish.