White Christmas

There's no telling how many years I will go before I stop using the family name during the holidays. I'm a sucker for cheesy and I just can't help myself.

But this year, all cheesiness aside, we really did have a white Christmas!

A White white Christmas. . .

Make it stop.

Ben's whole family came over for the holiday, and we had a blast.  Here are snippets.

Kaelyn had a great time with Grammama and Papaw....

We were lazy, piled in the living room and watched a few movies.

Opened some special gifts... (this was a photo album book from Lu that Kaelyn is now obsessed with. Precious)

Kaelyn's play table from Santa. Her face when she walked out and saw it is on video. SO excited. Be still my heart.

And this.
This. Is a lesson well-learned.

We all dove into our stockings first on Christmas morning, naturally.

Which is where Kaelyn found her mini M&Ms.

Let's see if you can detect a pattern here:

"This is my breakfast, right?!"

"Why would I want to open another gift? I have my chocolate right here?"

"Look! A toy. I can't play right now people, I gotsta hold on to the goods. "

She has a problem, and I'm not even kidding. The girl loves chocolate like the Desperate Housewives love drama. She just can't get enough of it. Fact.

I did a horrible job of documenting most of the rest of our gathering. I have no idea how Mike and Sissy eluded the camera, but it wasn't very hard because I was too into the moment to get it out the majority of the time.

And I also have no idea how I'm going to get rid of the glorious ring'o'flab that has permanently placed itself around my middle over the holidays.  I may or may not have eaten fudge for breakfast, and I plead the fifth in whether or not I used a couple spoonfuls of bacon grease, sour cream, ranch dressing, and crumbled bacon in my twice baked potatoes for Christmas dinner, with a few scallions for color. But its a vegetable and it's good for you. Amen.

We hope yours was merry and bright.

It's time to ring in the New Year. I have a sneaky feeling this one is going to be good!!!

xoox

dae



Then and Now

Two things:

Santa is so much better looking this year.

And no smile, but no tears!!! It's a Christmas miracle!

dae

Finders Keepers

Edition: These are a few of my favorite things.



Moroccan Oil.

My hairdresser used this the last time I went in, and I was floored. The bottle says:
-Revives Hair
-Strengthens and Conditions
-Reduces drying time (hallelujah!)
And oh, does it. But that's just the beginning. On my Top 5 list of best hair care products. Now if it would only make the grey disappear...



VS Pink Boyfriend lounge pants

A friend bought me a pair for my birthday, warning me that I would be addicted to them. I wore them the entire weekend, then I went out and bought another pair a week later. If you come to my house, chances are this will be my outfit. They are the most comfortable lounge pants I own. (And unfortunately, I own a lot.)

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

One of the best books of all time. There are two books that I re-read I love them so much. This will be my third.

Boursin Cheese

Ben and I polish off a whole round in one sitting. And it's a crowd pleaser on a platter at the Christmas parties. Who is addicted to cheese? I am.

May your holidays be filled with lounging around with a wheel of cheese,

dae

xoxo

"I don't KNOW if I've been bad or good!"

Take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours...

Just don't be late.

Let me be perfectly honest.  I don't like to be late. I don't even like to be tardy. I like early.
Early is good. Planning is a prime stress reliever for me.

So when Christmas card season rolls around, you would think I'd have all my proverbial ducks in a row and know that I need a decent family photo, a cute card layout, and with a few clicks of a button, be good to go, right?

Like I said, you would think.

Instead, I do this to myself every year. I wait, I stress, I dforget to get a picture, I stare at my daily mail and everyone else's cards flowing in and think, I'd better get with it!

Then I realize it's December 15th and if I don't pay an arm and a leg for some expedited shipping, I'm gonna be that card that shows up sometime after the new year. Um, embarassing!

Enter Shutterfly.com. My little Christmas elf. And the elf got even more clever this year, running a Free 50 opportunity for us little bloggers!

Fifty free Christmas cards? Sign me UP!

Shutterfly has saved me on invites, birth announcements, thank you cards, Christmas cards and gifts galore. Last year I did calendars for the grandparents, and had no idea a cute little gift that keeps on giving could be so easy!

So of course this year I'm eyeing a few things from here http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards , here http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/  or here http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards , knowing that I'll get something nice, something easy, and something fast.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm gonna go figure out how to get myself, a one and a half year old, a hyperactive dog, and a camera shy husband to all cuddle up for a second (tips and pointers welcome).


HoHoHo, and Merry Christmas cards!!! :)
xoxo dae

One man's trash is another gymnast's treasure.

After the completion of the swingset, we had an extra log laying around.

We had no idea what to do with it, so we just left it laying there. (Naturally).

So the other day, Kaelyn and I were out back taking a few trips down the slide, and she decided that she'd just show me exactly what can be done with a castaway plank.

Mom, step back. I'm about to get my balance beam on.

This takes focus,

Concentration,

I am one with balance, and with nature...

I am about to do a round-off backhandspring double twist...

And this dismount!!!!

In yo' FACE.



The Thankful Slacker

Reasons this season I am thankful beyond words and have been a bad blogger, in no particular order:

Our little turkey.

Temps under 70 and cute jackets.



Family.



Being able to go to Ben's brother's house for the Thanksgiving festivities, and while the other boys and girls went to the Alabama/Auburn slaughter game, I got to hang out with these girls, and let's just say that at the end of our evening we weren't crying. (Sorry guys).

Chubbalove faces in toboggans.

For my rustic, outdoorsy, sexy beast of a husband. And that he proved he can feed his family if we were stranded out in the wild.

(WARNING - SCROLL DOWN FAST TO SKIP DEAD ANIMAL. I just feel like that's fair)

And yes, I put a blocker on the deer's face because it bothered me, and I could. Deal.

And no, there will not be any antlers in my living room. The End.

Christmas decorating. (Isn't my house. But let's just pretend that it is!)

(http://www.uniquechristmasideas.org/)

And lastly, Holiday Baking

(http://www.kraftrecipes.com/)

More on that and a few recipes later!

For now I'm off to slip on some Uggs and sweatpants, and make some homemade hot chocolate. Rumors are it may snow in Nashville. Bring it!

xoxo dae

Holiday Butter

..words that are just meant for each other.  Like turkey and dressing, pecan and pie, or Thanksgiving and elastic waistbands.

Grab these:

1 stick soften unsalted butter

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

1/2 t. zest of a tangerine (or an orange, but I highly recommend the miniature version), 

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 T of fresh rosemary leaves, minced

Combine it all in a small bowl, stir.

Serve it softened with your dinner rolls. 

(Or you can roll it into a log in some waxed paper, chill, and serve it in sliced little medallions, fancy-style, but I'm a spreadable herb butter type of gal.)

Holiday heaven.

May the thankfulness and feasting begin!

xoxo dae

Daddy's Girl

Those two just melt me.

They look like cute baby cabbages!

Who doesn't like brussel sprouts?

I mean, except for everyone in my family other than me.


How to fool your family and get them to eat anything you want, Volume I

This stuff knocked my socks off. It was unbelievably good, and the rest of the family thought so too. I was honestly sad when it was all gone.

Brussel sprouts - 1; Picky eaters - 0.  Amen.
(Oh, and Ben was also anti-butternut squash before this as well. So I guess I can consider this a double play. Awesome.)


Autumn Mac and Cheese


(adapted from HowSweetEats on Tasty Kitchen blog)

•½ whole Small Butternut Squash, Peeled And Chopped Into Cubes

•1 whole Large Apple, Peeled And Chopped
•2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
•¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
•½ whole Sweet Onion, Chopped
•2 cups Brussels Sprouts, Chopped ( I used frozen)
•1 pound pasta ( I used regular macaroni, but recipe calls for whole wheat)
•1 Tablespoon Butter
•1 Tablespoon Flour
•2 cups Milk
•8 ounces, weight Cheese, Grated (I Used Sharp Cheddar)
•½ cups Parmesan Cheese, Plus More For Topping
•¼ cups Panko Bread Crumbs

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lay chopped squash and apples on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping once.

While the squash is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and Brussels sprouts with a pinch of salt and pan roast for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently. Heat a large pot of water to a boil, and begin to cook your pasta.
Set aside squash/apples and sprouts/onion mixture. If pasta is cooked, set it aside as well. Reduce oven heat to 350F.
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the milk while continuing to whisk, and begin adding the cheeses as well. I find that adding cheese in batches about 3 minutes apart works best. Continue to whisk together so the cheese melts and doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray. Toss all ingredients together, and pour into baking disk. Top with panko and another sprinkling of parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Wing! Wide!

This little spook of mine had a one heck of a weekend.

The Grandparents came for a visit, and came bearing gifts. Big gifts.  Gifts requiring assembly. Gifts that keep on giving.

Gifts that have inspired daily shrieks of "Wiiiiiiingg!! Momma, wiiing!! Wiiiide!!"

I walked outside with the camera on Saturday to start documenting the gift assembly, and that Papaw was the only one actually working. The other three were hitting golf balls as is their usual habit, but as soon as they saw me, the Three Stooges dispersed into different directions so that they would not be caught on camera. 

Sorry peeps. Truth. Love ya'.

Truth as evidenced by shots like this.

Yes, Chris, you look like you are really working. It's stunningly clear! Be careful! Don't hurt your back! 

PS- love the boots and hat. Killer combo.

When it came down to it, there was one true worker that emerged. 

She was as excited and enthralled at helping build whatever was lying all over the ground as she could be. She hammered, screwed, and carried things as fast as her little legs could carry her.

She and Papaw were the dream team.  

And she only turned around and accidentally hit him with a plank of wood once. 

Several hours and several hundred nuts and bolts later, we had a new and exciting view in our back yard. 

And when I say this girl was as excited as she could be, I mean she came out of our back door and saw her new swingset and had arms flailing, screaming as she ran towards it.

You know those moments when you see your baby so happy, you just cry a little? It was one of those moments.



Ben and Dave helping Kaelyn on the first official slide down.

Which then started the "Mo'! Wiiide!! Wet's gooooo!!!" excitement. Her excitement was contagious.

Thank you Grandmama and Papaw!

We also went and had some big fun at the Hoedown at church. The place was packed with games, rides, and candy.

And candy.

Did I mention the candy??

The mini-cheerleader and I scooped up some ducks, 

shoveled rice to find toys and candy, (because, let's be honest, that child really needed another bag full of candy...) 

and had to be bribed with Tootsie Rolls to come out of the bouncy house.

We were having such a good time.

And then. Then we found another ride.

This sweet face is because she was completely mesmerized ....

This time around I guess she found the perfect pony. Loved loved loved it. 

The scarecrow on stilts, not so much. 

I laughed so hard when I saw her "back AWAY" face when she looked at him. Oh, the big, big world through the eyes of a child.

It was a beautiful Fall weekend, and after all the excitement of wings and wides, well...

We all took a nice wong nap.

The End.

xo dae