What's Up Wednesday - 11/29/2023

In my quest to blog more frequently, I am linking up with Shay and Sheaffer on the last Wednesday of the month.  Make sure you check out their blogs as well. I have been reading both of them for years and they are 2 of my favorites.  I love reading blogs and to me it's an escape from reality.  It's like talking to a girlfriend and taking a sneak peek into their lives, closet and home.  

I have always wanted to blog.  I typically wrote a post every 6 months so right now I am pretty horrible, and no one reads.  But, in 2024 my goal is consistency.  Stay tuned, maybe someday you will be saying my blog is your favorite.  That would be music to my ears!

Here is what we have been up to lately.

1.  Thanksgiving 

I sat on the couch at my brother and sister in laws after a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  It came to me, if you host or cook Thanksgiving, you are truly an angel.  You welcome people into your homes, cook, entertain and prep.  It is so much work.  But to some, it's fun and they love it.  To the ones that host, we are all thankful!  From all people that hate to cook.... thank you for hosting!  There is a place in heaven for you.  

This may be a new tradition.  My husband's cousin takes a picture with the turkey every year and it cracks me up.  But then I got thinking how fun it is to see it through the years. So, here is our inaugural picture!

Our hosts

Shirt 

2. Prepping for the holidays

We decorated early this year.  I know this will make me look like a scrooge, but I don't love decorating for Christmas.  I love the house decorated, but doing the actual work of setting it all up always seems like a test to my marriage.  Every year I think it's going to be just like the movies with the Christmas music, the kids helping and all of us just smiling and gazing into each other's eyes as we find the perfect spot in the house decoration.  Yes, there is Christmas music playing. Yes, there are children but somehow, they help for a few minutes then find something else to do or they are fighting...They always help with the ornaments, and I do love unwrapping then and reminiscing.  When it's all up, its magical!

We don't have a ton of traditions in our house, but one is a family ornament every year from Shutterfly.  I have been doing this for about 8 years and I love it.  Usually around October they offer a "free" (you pay $8 for shipping) ornament, and I always take advantage of it.  I try and do the kiddos on one side and a family picture on the other.  (Always remember to add the year.) I love these and its never too late to start this tradition.  You can give these as gifts to grandparents, make an ornament from the places you traveled that year, pets, etc.  Anything you want to remember. Here are a few of ours:

A new addition this year is the poinsettia I found at Costco.  Costco sells everything big, apparently plants included! I have never seen one as large as this and I love it!  [These also make great hostess gifts!]

This picture really shows how large it is.  This is the view from the family room.

My mother-in-law also passed down to us the Elf tree her and my father-in-law won a few years ago.  They are starting to downsize.  This tree I have always loved in their house and I was so excited when they asked if we wanted it.  It now sits in the corner of our living room.  

The Christmas villages are also a favorite. My Mom and I collected these from JoAnne Fabrics years ago.  My father-in-law also collected the Department 56 houses.  We have a few that he passed on to us as he has been down sizing.  We have so many houses the kids each pick a few to put in their rooms each year.  

3.  All the holiday things

I started Christmas shopping, and I was able to get a few good things on Black Friday.  I am struggling with ideas for Mr. Sports.  He wants an Xbox and I am just not sure we are doing to do that... if we don't... he has about 2 gifts right now and zero ideas.  I hate buying gifts just to buy something.  When I asked him for ideas, he didn't have any either.  So... stay tuned. Miss Curly I was able to score new Croc's, crafts sets and some clothes.  I'll try and post some other fun finds next week.

We also experienced Festival of Lights at the Hamburg Fairgrounds over Thanksgiving weekend.  We have never been, and I highly recommend if you are in the area. I also recommend going Thanksgiving weekend.  It wasn't mobbed at all, and I was shocked.  There is a portion you drive through with the car and they it was so cool. They did a great job.  They have great displays.  Then you are able to get out and walk through a few buildings.  The kids can decorate cookies, do a Christmas craft, write a letter to Santa, a letter to the troops, see Santa, go on a train ride through the Grinch story and so much more.  There are so many fun photo ops and just a great place to make memories.  We will be back!

Our favorite!  Go BILLS!

Happy Wednesday and have a great week!