All I Want For Christmas...

The topic of today's Friend Making Monday is All I Want For Christmas...

My list includes... a home, preferably a gorgeous Victorian one.

Photo courtesy of blogtherockies.com

Clarity and confirmation regarding the next phase of our lives, and a smooth, EASY move. Please, please, please, Lord!

But the top of my list every year is always a joy-filled, healthy, strong family.

Most years, I find that the things I want or need the most can't be found at the mall or ordered through a catalog. In fact, the only consistent place I can get what I want and need is from God's Holy Word. The B-I-B-L-E. God's promises cover a wide range from peace in the midst of storms, to enduring grace, His strength when mine falters, true joy, purpose for my life, guidance and comfort, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and eternal assurance. In light of all of that, the true meaning of the Gift given to us, Jesus, and the genuine reason we celebrate Christmas takes center stage. Jesus...the lover of our souls. As one of my favorite songs from the Supertones declares, "He'd rather die than live without us." Jesus was born to bring us hope, so that He could give His life for us. That's Christmas.

A Toast to Making Wonderful Memories

Isn't this bird so festive and Christmasy? He was a decorative member of the Christmas Victorian Tea. (You can read more about it and the decor on my creative blog, The House of Beauty and Culture.)

I'm not sure what's come over me, but I'm loving bird decor. I bought my first bird from Joann's on clearance to inhabit my thrift store bird cage. Then at an ornament exchange, I was given two calling birds. And I have become slightly obsessed with the 12 Days of Christmas. Rather than spending $24.00 on paper ornaments from Ballard Designs, as lovely as they are, I decided to make my own. This is a project en processe (sounds fancy, eh?).

The family and I are currently enjoying an early holiday celebration up in Englewood, NJ, a cute town right outside of NYC. Mr. Nice Guy had a gig up in CT, so we tagged along for the weekend to visit with Grandma.

Making Memories...last night I took the two older children outside during the snowstorm (we had waited all day for the blizzard to show up.) It felt like we were on a set of a movie, the setting was so perfect. Glittery, untouched snow sparkling in the street lights. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse... Just the three of us battling it out while Mr. Nice Guy took photos, our raucous laughter disturbing the tranquil night. Nighttime snowballs fights are exhilarating!

It reminded me of an evening soon after Mr. Nice Guy and I got married. A rare snowstorm blanketed the city, and we decided to hike a few miles to the grocery store, just for the fun of it. We laughed like little children, eyes bright with wonder and excitement, holding hands while crossing the empty streets. Until we came across some guys engaged in a serious snowball fight. I encouraged Mr. Nice Guy to join in as one snowball whizzed by our heads - no need for us both to become the new targets! Many minutes of hilarious fun later, he rejoined me as we continued our trek to the downtown grocery store. We didn't actually need any groceries but decided to pick up a few snacks for movie watching, just in case we were snowed in for a few days. The return trip was just as fun, as I shared childhood stories of snow fun. Sledding down big, bumpy hills and returning home half frozen. My mother sticking our feet in the warm oven to thaw out. My father building a real igloo for my brother to camp out in (and he did, though my mother dragged him indoors in the early morning so fearful that he would freeze.) My sister losing a shoe in a snowdrift and trying to find it - we never did, even after the snow melted in the Spring!

So last night, though it was past the children's bedtime, in the interest of making wonderful memories and loosening up the overly serious and perhaps rigid parental personal I have, we played in the snow. It was so much fun. And the children kept thanking me over and over when we came in to thaw out over mugs of hot tea. The look of wonder on their faces, their eyes bright with excitement, their peals of laughter and squeals as the cold snow found exposed skin was priceless. A pre-Christmas toast: to many more moments of making wonderful memories!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Friend Making Monday: Survey!

I love questions, which is what today's Friend Making Monday is all about! Here's some more info about me:

1. Favorite website

Hmmm...I check the news, my e-mail, Facebook and catch up on my favorite blogs. 2. Favorite color

I finally met someone who has the same dilemma that I do - I do not and never have had a favorite color. I like certain colors at certain times or for certain things for specific reasons. I'm more a color-texture-pattern-color combination person. 3. Facebook? {Post a link or share your name if you want some new Facebook friends!}

I am trying to keep my Facebook friends list filled with people I know personally, especially since some of my friends are teens... I've had some crazy posts come through from friends of friends that I didn't know, & it is hard to know how much info/photos pass through to your other contacts. 4. Favorite Christmas song? The Christmas Song, isn't that the actual name of the song? "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."

5. Christmas tree: Real or fake? I'd like to experience a real one some day, but ours is not only fake, it's WHITE!

6. Hottest celebrity? My husband is so ok with this (though he thinks it's kind of funny), but I think Dr. Oz is HOT!!! He's number one on my celebrity list.

7. Favorite restaurant? We don't go out to eat much, preferring the food we make at home, but I like the occasional Mexican restaurant or even Panera for a hearty soup & sandwich.

8. Favorite magazine? I like home & design magazines, Martha Stewart's Living, Better Home & Gardens, Ballard Designs catalog

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays? I like to have a glass or two of eggnog, but Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte is my favorite treat.

10. Favorite Christmas movie

Home Alone is my absolute favorite Christmas time movie for some strange reason. I think it's because of the house, the snow...I don't know!

Enough about me - what are your answers to these questions?

Friend Making Monday: Thanksgiving Edition

It's the Thanksgiving Edition of Friend Making Monday over at Amber's...

1. Turkey or Ham?

Turkey, maybe some meatballs too per hubby's request, but no ham 2. Favorite side dish

Sweet Potatoes and Stuffing 3. Favorite dessert

Something, anything PUMPKIN 4. Black Friday: Are you going or not?

I think so 5. If so, what's on the top of your list?

Not going for anything in particular, just for the fun and to look around. I like not having any pressure to get an item but the benefit from the specials if I'm there for them. 6. Going out of town or staying close to home?

After several years of trips taking more than double the normal time due to traffic, we are staying home and are soooooo glad about it! 7. Hosting or helping?

This year it's a small gathering, my mother-in-law is our only guest. We like to vary the holidays - last year we travelled on both holidays, so we're low-key this year. 8. Name one family tradition at Thanksgiving

We express what we are thankful for, pray together and thank God directly for His goodness to us. With our young children, we're still in the process of creating traditions - seeing which ones work for us, end up being meaningful. 9. What do you do after dinner?

Relax, hang out, chat, s-l-e-e-p!!! 10. What are you most thankful for this year?

For God's provision throughout the year - He's been so good to us through some challenging times

Butternut Squash Soup

The focus of today’s Friend Making Monday is sharing a favorite recipe for this time of year.  The browns-oranges-reds-yellows outside plus the crisp weather makes me want to snuggle up to a bowl of soup.  A dear friend from South Africa introduced me to this soup, and when I went searching for a recipe to make it at home I came across this one on the Web:

PAUL'S FAMOUS BUTTERNUT SOUP (serves 6 as a starter)

1 fresh butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups of chicken stock (I use chicken broth) 
Half a cup cream
1 tsp curry powder
A squirt of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper

1. Toss the chopped onion and garlic in a pot and sauté, don't burn or caramelise. They must be translucent but still white.
2. Add the peeled butternut and chicken stock and bring to the boil.
3. When the butternut is soft, mash (as in MASH, don't liquidise or pulverise!)
4. Add the other ingredients and stir.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. And eat.

Beware of adding to much salt. It's the cream that makes all the difference.

Last week I was too lazy to look for couldn’t find the the recipe, so I boiled the cubed squash in the broth, mashed it, forgot about the cream and added some apple juice, with some curry powder and a dash of salt.  My family loved it!  (My South African friend’s recipe called for apples, and apple juice or applesauce works great.)  This is an easy way for me to get the kids to eat squash and gain the benefits of beta-carotene and the many nutrients it contains.  Enjoy! 

Wordless Wednesday: Mr. Personality

Joining Wordless Wednesday on Jolly Mom today, featuring our youngest aka “Mr. Personality…”