Ten on Tuesday (delay courtesy of the Teething Monster)

1. Here is where I would post an adorable Christmas photo of my kiddo - except that I can't find a single one. My normally happy kiddo decided to cut some teeth over our Christmas weekend, so smiles were a bit hard to come by, even amidst presents galore. But our Christmas 2010 synopsis deserves its own post (which is coming soon, I promise), so I'll save the details for later.

2. Instead you get these photos.

Finally, a smile!

When your kiddo is unhappy and starving, and his gums are swollen to the size of Rhode Island, you fix whatever meal works. Last night's dinner: five slices of buttered bread and yogurt (straight from the container, as you can see).

3. Apparently the bread and yogurt meal did the trick because everyone in our house overslept this morning. Dare I say that the Teething Monster might be ending his most recent rampage?

Puh-lease! I'm not that naive.



4. Confession:

I love the tradition of buying a new ornament each year. Justin and I started this our very first Christmas as a married couple, and now we get one for Kendry each year as well. But here is the thing: I don't buy them before Christmas. Instead, I wait until the after Christmas sales and get them on clearance. So am I really the smart little bargain shopper I think I am, or am I totally botching this tradition? And am I the only one who does this?

Regardless, look at the cute ones I found this year (i.e. yesterday):

By the way, in case you were curious, I have it on good faith that the official Hallmark Ornament Committee dictates that the 2 doesn't represent an age; rather, its for a 2nd Christmas. Thats my story and I'm stickin to it!


5. I've been itchin to show you my fun Christmas craft for 2010. I made this Christmas tree out of a styrofoam cone and craft paper several weeks ago. And no, I'm not creative enough to come up with this on my own - I took the idea from a scrapbooking magazine. The reason I couldn't show you until now is because I actually made two and loved them so much I sent one to my sister Angel as a surprise. Truth be told, I think I sent her the cuter one; but thats what you do for a sister. And I still adore the one I kept.

6. Justin bottled his now infamous first brew last week - without further incident, thankfully. Its supposed to sit in the bottles for a little while longer, but he cracked one open this weekend and seemed to impress even himself. He might just have a winner in his first batch!

7. My skin as been crazy dry lately, thanks to the cooler weather, so I finally heeded advice and busted out the rubber gloves for dishwashing. I don't have a real dishwasher (yet), remember? So my hands spend a lot of time in my kitchen sink. But thanks to Momma B (aka my wonderful mom) I still feel like a total diva, even when I'm wearing rubber gloves. I don't know where my mom finds these things, but I can count on at least one fun new pair each year, the pink being the latest.

I may have even busted out some "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" a time or two while wearing these babies!

8. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! We will most certainly be asleep by 10pm in this house.

9. And speaking of the new year, I have a great blog idea brewing - a blog-olution, if you will - for 2011 to be revealed next week. See you then!

10. This Week's Blessing: LOTS of cuddle time with my kiddo. I hate it when he feels lousy, but I love it when nothing but rocking with mommy will do.

Modern Day Christmas Story

Merry Christmas...a few days late.

I was catching up on my blog reading today when I came across this video. Enjoy!

My Grown-Up Christmas List

The hubs and I are not exchanging gifts with each other this year. On top of that, my own immediate family opted not to do an adult exchange this year and to simply draw names among the little cousins. So all things considered, there will not be too many gifts under the tree with my name on them this year, which is fine. But when has that ever stopped a girl from dreamin'? As a last ditch effort I may have whispered a few suggestions from my wish list into Santa's ear when I was sitting on his lap a few weeks ago.

1. The crafter in me wants a Silhouette SD electronic cutting tool. You would not believe what you can make with this amazing piece of machinery, or so I'm told.

2. The thrift store furniture restorer in me wants some Valspars Antiquing Glaze. It is sad that I want paint glaze for Christmas? Regardless, I am told this glaze is a must-have. Now guess which store carries it. Lowes. And guess which home improvement store is not within a 50 mile radius of my home. Lowes. However, should I not find this glaze under the tree or in my stocking come Christmas morning, my wonderful hubby has assured me when can make a pit-stop at Lowes on our drive back home after Christmas. So by this time next week I will have a jar of this stuff in my hot little hands.

3. The runner in me wants the BOB Revolution weather shield so my kiddo can ride with me come rain or cold. He got a little chilly during the Santa 5k a few weeks ago; this little contraption should help prevent that from happening again.

4. The reader in me wants a subscription to Country Living magazine.

5. The baker in me wants a few more of these Pampered Chef scrapers in my stocking. I have one in all three sizes and they are worth every penny.

7. The home improvement DIY'er in me wants a kitchen remodel.

8. The wife in me wants a spa day.

9. The mommy in me wants to be a mommy again.

"Think of all the fun I've missed.

Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed.

Next year I could be just as good,

If you'd check off my Christmas list.

(ba-doop-ee-doop)

Santa Baby..."

Ten on Tuesday, Christmas Style

{Ten Things I Love About Christmas}

1. Spending time with my boys.

2. Claymation Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Watching this movie every year is one of my favorite traditions. Last year Kendry and I watched it together and he fell asleep in my arms.

This year he refused to sit still long enough to watch the movie, although he seemed amused by Burl Ives' talking snowman.

I wonder what next year will be like. Will I be watching it with two kiddos?

3. Christmas jammies! I was up past midnight last night finishing Kendry's Christmas pajamas. I intend for this to become a new tradition - new jammies made by moi for him to open on Christmas Eve and wear that night. (Thanks to my friend Patty for this fun idea!)

4. Stockings. (You can see our homemade stockings here.) The last few years our stockings have been merely for show. We hang them above our fireplace and leave them there when we spend Christmas at my in-laws. This year we're packing up our stockings and taking them with us to the in-laws, where they will be hung by the fireplace in anticipation for Santa.

Who knew it could be so much fun finding stocking stuffers for my boys?! I have enjoyed that more than shopping for regular gifts.

5. Egg Nog.

6. Santa Bites. As a bake-aholic I had to include at least one tasty Christmas treat with my favorites. These are a cinch to make. Crush a full box of Oreos into very small pieces in a mixing bowl. Mix in 8oz of cream cheese until well combined. Roll the mixture into individual balls about the size of a walnut. Place them on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour. Once the balls have hardened, dip each one into melted white chocolate chips (or white almond bark), completely covering each one. Place them on wax paper to set. Once the white chocolate hardens they are ready to eat! Yummers! (For a minty touch: use mint flavored Oreos, or sprinkle the tops of the balls with crushed candy canes after dipping them in the chocolate.)


7. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. There is something so magical about singing Christmas songs by candlelight, remembering the true reason for Christmas.

8. O Holy Night. This has always been my very favorite Christmas song.

"...Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born."

Each time I sing these words I am moved to tears and truly want to fall on my knees before my Lord and King. Can you imagine what it would have been like to witness the angels announcing Christ's birth? Oh, hear the angel voices!

And speaking of angels...

9. The angel atop our tree. My Grandmother gave me my angel years ago and I adore it. When we place it atop our tree it reminds me of the angels who appeared to the shepherds, singing "Glory to God in the highest!"

10. Celebrating the birth of my Savior!

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

-Matthew 1:23-

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Jingle All The Way

Did you ever see the movie Jingle All The Way (circa 1996)? It’s the one where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle against each other to find this one specific toy for their kids for Christmas. {Yeah me for spelling Schwarzenegger right on my first try!} I remember the movie being predictable but fun, and at the time I found it a bit farfetched. Nobody in their right mind goes to all that trouble for one single toy, do they?

Now let us re-phrase that question: Nobody in their right mind goes to all that trouble for their kiddo, do they?

Yes, they do.

Fast forward fourteen years to the present day, December 15, 2010, and I could be starring in this movie with Arnold. Actually, these days Arnold looks a bit old to be the father of a toddler, so maybe I could star with someone like Brad Pitt. Ahhh yes, me versus Brad Pitt in a Christmas shopping battle - thats a much better visual.

Justin and I aren’t big on buying Kendry more toys because he has more than he can handle already. We also decided to buy him just one large present as his gift from us this year, something memorable that would last him awhile. And if it did happen to fall in the toy category, we wanted it to be an outdoor toy because our house sure ain’t getting any bigger. Behold, the perfect gift: the TONKA TOUGHEST MIGHTY DUMP TRUCK!

Not only is it a Tonka (aka one tough toy) and perfect for outside play, but Kendry has recently started calling every truck he sees a “dunk truck”.

I imagined Kendry emerging Christmas morning to find this enormous Tonka truck beneath the tree, wrapped in a huge red bow. I could already see his eyes light up. I saw him playing with it all Christmas day and even attempting to climb into the bed of the truck. (By the way, this Tonka truck is apparently HUGE so it may actually be possible for a small child to sit in it. Yet another awesome selling point, don't you think?)

I found this truck on Amazon about two months ago and put it on my shopping list for Christmas, figuring I would wait until we got a little closer before I purchased it.

(insert forehead slap here)

In my defense, I didn’t think I was waiting too long to get this ordered because I am on Amazon Mom which gives me special shipping benefits, so getting it here before Christmas would be a cinch.

(another forehead slap)

Today I logged on to Amazon ever so excitedly to get the truck ordered and what do you think I found? “The vendor is out of stock for this item. Please see another vendor.” What?! So I quickly went in search of another Amazon vendor, only to find a single one that wants $99!! Yesterday I could get the truck for $29.99.

At this point I’m thinking “Okay, don’t panic. I’ll just go find it at another store like Walmart, Kmart or Toys R Us.”

Or not.

Apparently this truck is a popular toy this year and EVERYONE is sold out. The best I could find was on ebay and it would cost me at least $55, assuming it was a legitimate sale and the seller could actually get it to me by Christmas. Too risky.

Yes, I am aware that my kiddo is only 19 months old. He will not likely remember anything about this Christmas, nor will he burst into tears if his beautiful yellow Tonka Toughest Mighty Dump Truck isn’t sitting under the tree come Christmas morning. But his mommy might be shedding some tears here shortly if she can’t find this darn truck somewhere.

So to all the Brad Pitt daddies out there who were smart and bought the Tonka Toughest Mighty Dump Truck before I did, you’d better watch out. This mommy is desperate!

On a more serious note, if you are reading this and happen to know where I can still find this truck please let me know. Otherwise I am looking at the Fisher Price version.

Is it just me or does the name Fisher Price sound pretty rinky-dink compared to TONKA?

**UPDATE**

Grandma found one online AND my local Kmart had two left, so Kendry gets his Tonka for Christmas!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Remember these four words this holiday season: RED. VELVET. WHOOPIE. PIES. These babies are to die for! Not only are they are my fave {red velvet}, but they are festive in appearance, and - let's face it - the name is oh so fun to say over and over.

Whoop-eeeee. Whoop-eeee. Whoop-eee-pie!

You can find the recipe here.

2. I recently came across this quote on another blog and I am totally going to find a way to display it in my house, more as a reminder to my OCD self than as an explanation to my guests for why my house is in disarray.

"a perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life."
-Mary Randolph Carter-

3. I'm in the doghouse today. While working in the basement the other night I apparently bumped the door closed on the fridge holding the infamous brewing carboy, thus throwing off the delicate temperature regulator that is a slightly open fridge door on a fridge that is not plugged in, with a heating pad plugged in nearby and lying on the bottom shelf in the fridge. We're talking about one high-tech contraption here, folks. And I may have screwed it up.

Okay, maybe the sarcasm is uncalled for; I really am sorry, and I still can't figure out how I bumped it. But something tells me that if this brew doesn't taste good it can't be blamed entirely on my negligence.

4. I may have said this last Christmas too, but the Sawyer Brown "Rejoice" Christmas CD rocks!

5. The biting is back! Kendry was doing so great over the last month, but in the last few days he regressed to being a serial biter again. Which brings me to #6...

6. Kendry added the word "sorry" to his vocabulary this weekend. Unfortunately when it comes out of his mouth it sounds more smug than apologetic. He obviously doesn't get its meaning yet.

7. Almond Rocha, spritz cookies and peppermint bark, OH MY! I am so excited to do my Christmas baking this weekend!

8. Waiting in line at the post office during the holiday season sure makes for some fun people watching.

9. This Week's Blessing: Meeting up with my sis-in-law's family tonight at Locomotive Park in Lewiston to see the beautiful lights. The boys had so much fun running around. And just for tonight I won't complain about the fact that it was 50 degrees here today (in December!) because it made for a beautiful night spent outside.

10. I will wrap up this week's TOT with a Christmas medley from Straight No Chaser. My brother introduced me to this group last Christmas. I'm sure you will love them as much as I do.

Somethin' is Brewin' (Part II)

Continuation of Somethin' is Brewin':

At this point I started to question my gift a bit. Truth be told, I really dislike beer. Acquired taste? I think not. Even the smell is nauseating. So why would I want to encourage a hobby such as home brewing? On the other hand, I do enjoy a tasty hard cider, which Justin insists is nearly the same process. So, being the great wife that I am, I conceded to go along with his enthusiasm.

Justin did some online window shopping for the remaining supplies and equipment he needed. Then he visited a few brewing stores - 2 in our area and 1 in Spokane. In fact, our 5th anniversary weekend getaway (planned by Justin) coincided ever so conveniently with a visit to Jim’s Brews in Spokane. Funny how that happens.

By Thanksgiving Justin had purchased all the necessary equipment and supplies for his first brew.

The Big Brew Day finally arrived on Sunday, December 5th. With the kiddo down for his afternoon nap and my kitchen freshly cleaned, Justin took command of the kitchen and got to work. As I expected, there were the last minute “I’m not as prepared as I thought” realizations, like when Justin forgot about the 4 bags of ice needed for the process - he rushed off to the corner store while I held down the brewing (like a pro, if I do say so myself...and I do). But otherwise Justin seemed to know exactly what to do and how to do it, so I retreated to enjoy my winter Sunday afternoon.

Fast forward two hours. The kiddo is still napping and, thanks to a late bedtime the night before, should comfortably nap for another hour, or so I hoped. I was working a Christmas craft at the dining room table, sipping egg nog and listening to Christmas music. Justin had moved his work station to the carport and basement as he was now using our giant cooler and basement fridge. From where I sat it looked like his first brew was going quite smoothly.

Side note: In case you can’t tell, I know absolutely nothing about the brewing process. Justin informed me ahead of time that he might need my help here and there, but other than offering an extra set of hands when needed I really have no intention of getting involved in his hobby. I don’t know what each stage of the brewing process is called. I don’t know any of the terminology other than the early mix being called the 'wort'. {And you wonder why beer grosses me out?} The only gadgets I can name are the funnel (this one is so large it could double as a hat), the bottles (duh!), and the carboy.


Ahh, the stupid carboy.

But first, a little background. Justin’s colleague actually gave him a good hand-me-down carboy several weeks before. However, in his research Justin finally realized he would need to buy a whole brewing kit in order to have everything he needed. Most kits come standard with a carboy so, like it or not, we ended up with two. Justin opted to use his new one on Big Brew Day.

Now, where was I? Oh, right, I was sipping my egg nog, singing along with Bing Crosby and thinking how much I love Christmas when suddenly it happened: the horrific crash which shall heretofore be known as The Carboy Heard ‘Round the World. I knew immediately what the sound was, even before I heard the “Shoot! Darnit! Aww man!” shouts coming from the basement. {You and I both know that wasn’t really what he was shouting, but lets not dwell on that detail, mmm’kay?}

Cue kiddo waking up early from his nap due to said shouting. Augh!

I quickly, albeit somewhat timidly, ran downstairs to check out the damage and found a fuming husband standing in a puddle of water and tiny shards of glass every which way. All he would tell me is “the stupid thing slipped right out of my hands”. Strangely enough, I wanted to cry for him right then and there. He had been so excited about this day and now it was ruined. But as they say, there is no use crying over spilled beer. Or is that milk?

{Just to clarify: he didn't actually spill the beer itself; rather just the water in the carboy. His brew was still in the stock pot.}

After he assured me he didn’t need help I retreated back upstairs to tend to Kendry. A few more minutes pass and I hear more crashes and shouting downstairs. {Are you kidding me with this?!} Fearing Justin had been careless and cut himself on some glass, I once again headed downstairs, this time with kiddo in tow. Thankfully, no cuts - just some extra fury over the fact that he retrieved the shopvac to clean up his mess, only to find that the hose for the vac had been left at his parents' house. When it rains it pours.

Finally Justin remembered that he had the extra carboy. After cleaning up the mess and sterilizing the new carboy he was back in business. However, in his frustration with himself he started to cut a few corners - pouring the yeast in at the wrong time, failing to strain the wort properly. Needless to say, when it was all said and done, with the brew properly stored and sealed in the new carboy, his frustration continued for the rest of the day, and a little bit into the next.

Sing with me now! "I'm just a little black rain cloud..."

Still too early to joke about it? Oh, alright.

Justin was certain he completely botched his first brew. And perhaps he did. But like any good cowboy, he hopped right back up on the horse by ordering a replacement carboy on Amazon the very next day, and he is already talking about what to do differently the next time around.

My tip? Don't drop the stinkin' carboy!

Follow-up note(s):

(1)In the days following this brew Justin observed his carboy cap bubbling, which apparently indicates that the yeast is doing its job properly. You never know, this could be an excellent brew. Not that I intend to taste it.

(2)As for those secondary crash noises, I was cleaning up the basement last night when I discovered that a porcelain vase had been shattered. Hmmm...I wonder how that happened.

(3)Lo and behold, there is something out there called a carboy carrier. Sounds like an excellent investment to me.

Merry Christmas from the Gimlin Family

Paper Ornaments Christmas Card

Make unique Christmas cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Somethin' is Brewin' (Part I)

I’ve mentioned before how difficult I find it to shop for my husband. You have to understand that the man is quite frugal, so the very idea of someone spending money to buy him a birthday or Christmas gift often invokes a negative response. Don’t get me wrong – its not that Justin is not grateful for gifts he receives, he simply doesn’t want it to be a big deal, particularly when the money could be spent on what he deems to be more important things. For this very reason, I aim to keep most of his gifts practical. Yes, I am the wife who has given her husband socks and underwear as part of his Christmas gift. (Don’t knock it till you try it, folks – a healthy surplus of underwear and socks means more time between laundry loads for me. Ulterior motive? You betcha!)

So when Justin turned 30 this year I found myself in a bit of a pickle. There was no way I was going to let his 30th birthday go by without a really great gift. But with Operation Fund IVF Cycle #2 underway, I also had to get creative with my limited budget. Enter the spark that ignited the creative genius behind this gift:


I found a nice set of two pilsner glasses online.

**idea lightbulb above my head!**

Justin really enjoys a good beer. In fact, one of his favorite venues in Clarkston is the Riverport Brewery, where you can bring in your own food, sample a few microbrews and watch sports on the big screen until the hour your wife dictates you must be home.

Interestingly enough, when Justin goes to the Riverport Brewery it is usually with his buddies from work. And it just so happens that two of those buddies are DIY home brewers themselves.

Can you see where this is headed?

With the pilsner glasses ordered I headed over to Amazon for resource material. My buys:
1. How to Brew

2. Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew

When Justin’s birthday finally arrived I had him open the pilsner glasses first, followed by the books. His initial response to his gift was his usual laid back “Thanks, honey. Now lets go to dinner.” I held my tongue and didn’t express my disappointment. I had really put a lot of thought into this gift and I was so sure he would positively love it!

Its a good thing that I did hold my tongue. Justin tried out his super cool new pilsner that very weekend, and his eyes were glued to his How to Brew book for the next week. Within two weeks he was telling me about another book he found online about grains/herbs you can grow in your own garden to incorporate into your home brew. He was also coming home with hand-me-down brewing supplies from his buddies at work.

At this point I started to question my gift a bit. Truth be told, I really dislike beer. Acquired taste? I think not. Even the smell is nauseating. So why would I want to encourage a hobby such as home brewing? On the other hand, I do enjoy a tasty hard cider, which Justin insists is nearly the same process. So, being the great wife that I am, I conceded to go along with his enthusiasm.

To be continued...

Ten on Tuesday

1. Kendry has graduated to his big boy seat at the dining room table. Its not like he wasn't part of our meals before when he sat in his high chair, but something about him sitting at the table with us makes it feel more like a family meal.

And it makes me ponder when we will have another kiddo (or two or three) seated at the table with us.

2. I just found out that my very favorite Christian fiction writer, Francine Rivers, has two books in a new series out. I checked out the first one today. Talk about quality holiday reading! (If you are curious, I have included a link to the book Her Mother's Hope in my reading list to the right.)

3. Remember the sweater vest controversy from last week? Well, this week I bought the most adorable houndstooth newsboy cap for Kendry on ebay - FOR FREE, mind you. (Every once in awhile those online surveys pay off; I got a $10 credit to my paypal account. Easy peasy money, baby!) Its a wee bit big yet, but still positively precious!

I can just see it now:

Interviewer: "Mr. President, we at GQ Magazine must know where you developed your keen fashion sense."

Kendry (aka Mr. President): "Well, Bob, I owe it all to my mom."

4. I may be in my own little world but its okay - they know me here. :)

5. The Christmas baking frenzy begins in one week!

6. The mommy in me is just itchin to buy myself a Christmas sweater. Oooo, can't you just see me baking my Christmas goodies in a fun Christmas sweater?

Maybe something subtle.

Or not so subtle.

7. We may have started a new New Year's Day tradition last year when we spent a good portion of the day cleaning out and organizing our basement. Between storing items for family, accumulating more tools and supplies for painting our house, everything being displaced in the Memorial Day Flood, and the hubby recently shattering a glass carboy into a million little pieces on the basement floor (another story for another day), the basement is WAY overdue for some attention.

8. How sick is it to be excited about cleaning your basement?

9. A happy birthday shout-out to my sis, Jaimee! I love you, Jaim!

10. This Week's Blessing: Spending Monday evening as a family, simply enjoying the holiday season. We visited Justin's Grandma and set up her Christmas tree, followed by a visit to see Santa. Then we returned home and enjoyed hot cocoa at the dining room table where Kendry feasted on his very first candy cane. Moments like these are what this time of year is all about.

Bring on the Cards!

I love getting Christmas cards. I enjoy seeing which of my family and friends gets them out first. FYI: This year's winner is my girl Amanda who always finds the most adorable cards.

And I get a fun chuckle out of whomever gets theirs out last (don’t worry, I won’t mention any names - you know who you are).

Somewhere along the line I inherited this Christmas cardholder, complete with an angel at the top. Two days ago it stood empty; not so today.

(Please excuse my yucky door; new doors are on our current home improvement list.)

{On a side note, if you collect the Christmas cards throughout the season like I do, take a look at what Brittany over at Pretty Handy Girl made to display her cards. I am all over this idea for next year. Anyone want dibs on my over-the-door angel cardholder?}

Last year we did our cards at Shutterfly. Their selection is awesome!

Would you look at how little my kiddo was just one year ago?

Our photos were taken by my talented sis-in-law, who has now started her own photography business: Andrea Lopez Photography. (Andrea: If you are reading this, I want to schedule another family shoot with you sometime in the very near future.)

But I digress.

I LOVE SHUTTERFLY! Not only is it the greatest (and easiest) place to upload and share your photos with family and friends, but they have fun projects and gifts that you can make with your photos. My all-time favorite is the photo book I made for my kiddo earlier this year that includes pictures of all the members in his immediate family. Most of our family members live at least a few hours (if not 2,000 miles) away so I wanted Kendry to remember their names and faces. The best part is that this book has become one of his favorites, which makes it worth every penny.

I have also used their photo calendars as Christmas gifts the last few years. This year I am contemplating making one for myself.

Did you know you can also do invites on Shutterfly? These will come in handy for my Tacky Christmas Sweater party next year. Yes, despite the hubby's protests I am determined to host one of these parties some day.

So why all the talk about Shutterfly? I just signed up for their giveaway of 50 free holiday cards when you blog about them. Yes, I am a sellout. But free is free, baby! And I am already in love with their cards, so why not?

Here are some of my faves from their huge collection of Christmas 2010 photo cards:

Now if only I knew which photos I want to use for the card.

No pressure, but when can we expect to receive your Christmas card this year?

Santa Baby

Tonight we took Kendry to see Santa. As Kendry does not sit still for very long we weren't really sure what to expect in terms of a photo op.

We should not have been worried - Santa always knows how to get kiddos to smile.

And adults as well!

"Stop me if you've heard this one, Santa..."

"...a reindeer, a snowman and an elf walk into a bar... Wait, why are you laughing? You haven't even heard my punchline."

Run Run Rudolph

About a week ago a colleague told me about a Santa 5k run scheduled for Saturday, December 4th. Mind you, it has been two months since my half-marathon on October 2nd. Since then I have been on one 4m run and have boycotted the gym entirely. For the first month I used the excuse that my body needed the break. Now that its two months later I will be honest - I'm just being plain lazy. However, I have been getting the itch to dust off the old running shoes, so I agreed to participate.

Not even the chilly weather on Saturday morning deterred us. And by "us" I mean me. Kendry was along for the ride but I'm certain if he were able to decide for himself he would have preferred staying cozy warm at home.

Costumes were recommended, much to Kendry's disgust. Keeping the antlers on him long enough for a photo was no small feat.

The race wasn't officially timed but I was only 5 seconds off my pace from the half-marathon. And the big bonus: it got me excited about running again.

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

"...a man after midnight!"

Oh, how I love ABBA. But thats not what this post is about today.

Nor is it about dealing with a greedy child during the holiday season; although I might recommend The Berenstain Bears book "Get the Gimmes" if you are dealing with that problem yourself.

Nope, this is about MY greed. You heard me right - I am greedy. But before you judge me, allow me to explain.

A few months ago when Justin and I decided we were ready to do another IVF cycle we agreed that in doing so we would be making the cycle itself our 5th anniversary and Christmas gift to each other. Now, when its only August, and you envision yourself pregnant by Christmas, this compromise seems perfectly logical. But as the holidays near and you start seeing the beautiful (non-maternity) winter sweaters in the store window, the awesome kitchen gadgets in the Bed, Bath & Beyond catalog, and the leopard-print Snuggies on sale at Rite-Aid - I already have one Snuggie, but I am convinced the leopard-print would make my collection complete - you start to wonder why you agreed to let your husband off the hook for buying you a Christmas (and anniversary) gift. Oh right! Its because you can't afford it after dishing out more than you care to admit for fertility treatment. (Don't get me started on the fact that it is now December and our IVF cycle has been postponed twice!)

Alas, an agreement is an agreement. And to be honest, I have no desire to track down a Christmas gift for Justin only 23 days before Christmas. The man wants for nothing - or at least he never vocalizes his wish list items - so he is impossible to shop for. A mission like that requires at least 6 months prep time, which I don't have.

So whats a girl to do in a predicament such as this? Sign up for some awesome giveaways, of course - and then blog about them to increase my entries in the giveaway!

The first giveaway is from Wonderfully Wordy and Perfectly Imperfect for some incredible vinyl lettering. Here is a peek at what Shelley can do:

This scrolled tree is my fave:

LOVE IT!

The second giveaway is from The Frosted Gardner for some adorable office organizers. And we all know how much I love to organize. How cute would this be on my desk?

And last, but definitely not least, is the $25 gift card from Dream Home DIY. I just love watching them complete project after project in their home, and I have already got my hubby brainstorming on how to build me a hutch just like theirs. I would use the gift card for Hobby Lobby, a store that everyone keeps raving about and I have yet to visit. But I have recently discovered that there are - wait for it - 2 Hobby Lobby stores about two hours from my house. I sense a road trip coming on.

You can't win if you don't enter, right? Gimme gimme gimme (please)!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Hello again! I never actually made a conscious decision to take a blogging break for the last two weeks; rather, it was just so busy that I decided to go with the flow and post the details later.

Now for the details:

2. SNOW!! We got our first dose of good snow the Sunday before Thanksgiving. As it didn't start sticking until the evening it was too dark to take Kendry out in it. So at 7am Monday morning the boys geared up and headed out to the back yard. Kendry wasn't too sure about the bulkiness of his snowsuit and boots at first (think the little brother in Christmas Story: "I can't put my arms down!"). But my kiddo will do (or wear) whatever it takes to spend time in his favorite place: outside!

As any supermom would, I had cocoa and mini marshmellows waiting when they came back inside.

3. Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but I had actually been praying for some snow before Thanksgiving. This admission alone can earn you some dirty looks around these parts. How people cannot love snow, I will never know.

However, by Wednesday I was praying for it to stop since we had a 3.5 hour drive ahead of us. It didn't stop. It was a 4.5 hour drive instead, with a toddler who refused to sleep.

4. Kendry had his 18 month check-up two weeks ago and measured as follows: height of 35.25 inches (99%), weight of 28.5 lbs (81%) and head circumference of 50 cm (95%). This little sprout barely fits in these 3T jammies I bought that same week.

4. Wretched driving trip aside, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Justin's family and enjoyed some much-needed relaxation time. I didn't even venture out for the Black Friday deals - although in taking a look at my Christmas shopping list this week I'm thinking I probably should have.

5. Now for the Thanksgiving photos!

Oh wait, there aren't any because we forgot our camera at home. Grrr! I suppose you will just have to trust me when I tell you that Kendry looked adorable in his Thanksgiving sweater vest.

6. Recent dialogue:

Justin: Those sweater vests you keep making him wear are going to turn him into a nerd.

Me: But he will be the cutest nerd ever!

7. Two weeks ago we were given the option of trying for a December IVF cycle. Woo hoo! Of course we said yes.

8. One week ago we were advised not to proceed with a December cycle and take a break for a few months to let my body get back to normal. (As if I could ever be normal!)

9. See, I told you its been a busy two weeks! But honestly, we believe that when its the right time, God's time, everything with our IVF cycle will fall into place just so. And apparently December was not the right time. Instead, we get to stay at home and fully enjoy the Christmas season.

10. This Week's Blessing: Kendry successfully used the potty for the very first time on Thanksgiving Day! He hasn't used it since but we are making progress here, people!