Favorite Holiday Movies

Last night we watched Home Alone (the original, dated 1990)...and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Although it's not a classic "holiday" movie, it does takes place at Christmas-time. This prompted a discussion on our favorite holiday movies. My list goes like this:

1. Elf - "Smiling is my favorite" - what can I say! :)
2. Christmas Vacation - Too many lines to quote, everyone LOL's all the way through!
3. The Holiday - hello Jude Law...and those little girls are darling with their accents (makes me want to send Miss L across the pond one summer to return speaking like that!)
4. Serendipity - because I do believe "everything happens for a reason," and yet that you control your own destiny.
5. Home Alone - yep, my cheeks hurt after watching it. Plus, it takes place in Chicago - which I call one of my homes.

It's so easy {a Grandma can do it}

Everyone knows just how technology-forward my husband is. It is "his thing." We all have "a thing" that we're into. (Although, I'm not sure what my "thing" is, yet.) His interest for the latest and greatest piece of electronics is fueled by a mind wired like an engineer...and by his perfectionism, which ultimately translates into a great quality of life for all 3 of us!

One of the most progressive pieces of technology in our home is our remote control to the various media in our Living Room. At first site, it appears to be a small tablet, approximately 4" square. It is made by Logitech, a brand that he has come to enjoy. The remote features a touch screen and uses macros that he programs to customize the functions, based on our components. (This is slightly Greek to me, but I'm thankful he self-taught himself this stuff)

This remote is often the butt of jokes by his family. I'm not sure why - maybe b/c it looks intimidating at first site, or maybe that they enjoy razzing him. However, when I go to their homes - they often have 3-4 different reomotes. You know the drill - one remote for the TV, one for sound and another for the dvd player or something else - and no one knows how to operate all 3. Well, my husband uses technology to make a posh life for his princess. With the touch of one button- I press "Play Blu Ray" button - it turns all of the settings on the TV, Audio, and PS3 Player to the correct ones and I just have to hit play. Or, if I want to listen to the Holly (Christmas) Station on satellite radio - I touch the "Listen to Sirius" button - then logos appear for my favorite radio stations- Holly, Alt Nation, Coffeehouse, and so on.

In fact, my mom (Miss L's Grandma), has raved about this remote - the ease of use recently when she stayed at our home while we were at work. I'm sure future babysitters will be equally elated by this technology.

Soo...if you are tired of handling numerous remotes to play your child's Baby Einstein dvd, or if you need a last minute gift for the techy in your life...consider one of the few options available by Logitech. Below are a couple of photos of our remote...and yes, my husband put a holiday-themed background photo on the screen. {See previous post about our love for the holidays!}

Really? Really?

Since the weather has been soo mild lately, we decided to take a little family walk yesterday...and THIS is what we discovered just a short walk way in a neighborhood or two over from ours. "WOW!!" That is all that could come out of my mouth when we turned a corner with the stroller and saw this site.

Now, I used to LOVE purple. It has long been my favorite color; now I'm leaning towards pink these days. Either way - I wouldn't dare paint my house this color! And to make matters even more intense - these people had a purple mail box, purple planter boxes and purple flower baskets.

Who actually thinks this looks nice? Honestly, people! I guess this is why neighborhoods have associations with rules and covenants, so your new neighbor doesn't move-in and dramatically decrease your home value.

So, Sad! Needless to say, we will be taking that route again...just to actually see what this crazy people look like! On a side note- love taking walks here - the smell of wood burning fireplaces - is intoxicating to me!

I Wish I Would've Known...

We didn't learn about the Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards program until about 3 weeks ago. We learned from a fellow new mom about this program, which ultimately rewards you for purchasing pampers products.

So...once I received my first case of Pampers Swaddlers diapers shipped from Diapers.com (note: amazing deal on 232 swaddlers for $32.99 shipped!), I found the code for the Gifts to Grow program on each of the plastic packaging and entered them online, yielding about 200 points. Now the program has all kinds of items to redeem points for, such as shutterfly gift cards, etc.

Then, just this morning, I noticed the code on a package of bulk Pampers wipes. Unfortunately, we are down to our final pack in a bulk case we bought back in August. It saddens me to think that I missed out on all of these points thus far.

My suggestions:

• Purchase diapers on diapers.com (super cheap!)
• Sign-up for a Pampers Gifts to Grow rewards account
• Log the codes on the cases as soon as you receive the purchase, so that it's done and you don't need to worry about doing it mid-diaper change!

"I KNOW HIM"

Miss L had her first experience with Santa Claus yesterday. We made our reservation nearly a month ago, after learning about this "special Santa." The "Santa Experience" at the MOA- boasts a real traditional looking Santa. Instead of donning the big red suit and faux beard....this Santa is more of a "Kris Kringle" type. He is extremely interactive with the kids...now Miss L was a too young to appreciate this Santa, but I am certain future years will definitely yield lots of excitement.

Miss L woke up from her nap right before it was show time. This made for a not-so-interactive Santa experience. She did "good," just not totally herself. Of course, just 5 minutes after visiting with Santa, she was in great spirits. Below are a couple of photos from our camera, I will scan the professional photo in a bit.

Wendy's {Copycat} Chili

If you are a fan of Wendy's Chili, have I got a recipe for you. With our attempt at meal planning, we decided this Football Sunday would include some slow-cooked, simmering hot chili. Since we don't have a specific recipe in the family...we decided to find a mock recipe of Wendy's famous chili (we both love!). We have had great luck in the past making mock recipes of some of our favorites, such as Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce and Olive Garden Chicken Scampi...I'll have to post these later.

I say "we" a lot...because in this home, everything is a team effort. In this situation, it involved me researching the perfect recipe, grocery shopping, and then tending to Miss L, as I instructed Jeremy on what and how much of each ingredient to put in the big pot.

It turned out absolutely delicious and was VERY close to the real deal!

Here is a photo and the recipe below:

2 lb. ground beef, browned
29oz. can tomato sauce
29oz. can red kidney beans (with liquids)
29oz. can pinto beans (with liquids)
15oz. can diced tomatoes, (we processed them real fine)
1 c. diced onion
1/2 c. green chili (used one small can)
1/4 c. diced celery (approx. one stalk)
2 tsp. cumin
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 c. water

Add all ingredients to large pot. Bring to boil over low heat. Simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes.

Enjoy!
(Add shredded cheddar, crackers, sour cream, etc...if you wish, but it really doesn't need it!) Freeze leftovers.

Ugly Christmas Sweater

Two stores, 90 minutes and Twenty dollars later...and Jeremy now owns an Ugly Christmas Sweater. And it is UGGGLYYY!

He wanted to wear one to work, in an effort to create buzz surrounding the upcoming large staff Christmas Party! So, off to the M-O-A we went...not coming home without a sweater. Good thing, we have the store, Ragstock, with "1000's of Ugly Christmas Sweaters" per their large banners at all 3 locations at MOA.

This beautiful sweater works well for the big guy because features a knit-in Christmas Tree (no embellishments to cheat the way to the ugliest sweater!)...also, it's a VEST, and Jeremy's staff has experienced Jeremy in a sweater vest on multiple occasions...lastly, it has a gray cell phone pocket on the left side of the vest - perfect for the crackberry!

He is such a great manager, getting into the spirit and having fun with his staff! Suffice it to say - it was a big hit and required an encore presentation the following week!

Happy Holidays!

Ho Ho Ho!

Santa has visited our home every year since we've been married, always in the middle of the night, filling our stockings and placing presents under the tree or anywhere they will fit (ie. my bicycle in our front foyer in Indy one xmas)...this year marks a new era of Santa. The kind of Santa that you have to set out a plate of cookies and milk for...and the kind that places shiny, red boxes from American Girl store under the tree, instead of pink, sparkly boxes from Victoria's Secret.

This year, since Miss L is a little too young to realize who this jolly big guy is...mommy and daddy have decided to take the reigns. We decided that we will each go out individually and shop for some special gifts from Santa to Miss L. Then, Christmas morning we can open each others gifts to Miss L and we all will have plenty of surprises. Knowing Jeremy, his creativity will be challenged and he will "out-gift" me, as he always does.
As far as my shopping list goes- we have less than 2 weeks until Christmas and I have to buy for Jeremy and the baby sitter. Not too bad. Now, just waiting for packages from Amazon.com to arrive to begin wrapping!

Ho Ho Ho!

Happy 4-Month Birthday!

We celebrated 4 months of life with Miss L last week. Every month gets more and more fun with her...in fact, every day is something new. She is giggling, rolling over in every direction and just a joy to be around.

On Tuesday of last week, Miss L had her traditional pediactric visit. Since the doc we had been seeing is on maternity leave, I made this appointment with one of the docs that checked her out in the hospital, Dr. Coch.

We very much enjoyed his visit while in the hospital; and this appointment solidified that we will be seeing him from here on out. As a doc at large ped. practice (25+ docs), he made us feel like his only patient...which was very comforting.

Doc is very pleased with the health of Miss L and all is well. Her stats are as follows:

• 11#, 2oz - 10th percentile
• 23 3/4" long - 25th percentile
• I forget her head measurement - also 25th percentile

Plus, we got 4 shots and the oral dose of the rotovirus. She did great- only a short period of "petite" screaming immediately after the shot...afterall, that is to be expected.

Helpful hints for other new parents:

• Bring Children's Tylenol with you and dispense at appointment while waiting for doc (as a proactive measure)
• Bring a bottle or prepared to nurse following the appointment, just in case; can be very comforting to little one

• Be observant of any post-shot fever -a temp higher than 101.5 degrees F for babies 3m and older

A Holiday Cookie Exchange

This weekend, Miss L and I hosted a holiday cookie exchange for some of the neighborhood ladies. I must admit...party prep now takes twice as long with Miss L. And I also must admit that parties at our home could never be made possible without the help of my partner-in-crime, Jeremy.

We sent out an evite 3 weeks in advance and planned for the lil' soiree on a Saturday morning in December.
Everyone brought 4 dozen cookies or sweet treats to share. With about 15 ladies bringing delicious baked goods, I knew this was going to be good! So, I provided foil lasagna pans for everyone to fill as they circled the table - starting with taking 3 treats on round 1, followed by 2 treats on round 2...and so on, until we had a platter of assorted cookies. See photo below...

A couple of party-planning notes, I am thankful I remembered to turn down the thermostat a couple of hours prior to the party. When you have a group of people together, the body heat warms the house...just fine! (Plus, I wanted to have the fireplace on!) Also, be sure to have index cards available for guests to write their recipe on, if they forgot recipe cards to share; as well as some sort of place card/marker to identify who and what the treat is!

A cookie exchanges or swap is a great way to enjoy a variety of cookies in your home during the holidays...but it is an even better way to share in the spirit of the season with friends - new and old! I highly suggest hosting one in your neighborhood.

Things my Grandma should have told me

Each month, we receive a newsletter from our MN realtor, Tom. This newsletter is usually filled with tidbits of information - such as what consumer products are on sale that month, seasonal recipes, gardening tips, etc.

One particular section I find most intresting, is the article titled, "Things my Grandma should have told me." Some of the mentioned advice has been told to me from one of my (many) grandmothers, other parts is brand new to me.

Here are a few of my favorites from the November and December issues:

• A bag of sand or kitty litter should stay in your trunk during the winter; sprinkle it on each side of each wheel to gain traction in a pinch
• You can often loosen a rusted bolt by applying a cloth soaked in any carbonated beverage
• Use a melon baller to scoop olves from a jar or can (drains the juice w/o damaging olives)
• Cloves on pantry shelves will exterminate ants
• Periodically run ice cubes through your garbage disposal; it helps shake up and loosen any built-up grease
• Wrap bananas individually in foil and refridgerate to retain color and flavor
• Preserve freshness of cut flowers by dipping stems in hot water so they expand and absorb more moisture; add a few drops of oil of cloves to the water; or add one tablespoon of sugar to the water
• Acid vinegar makes a good preventative wash for areas where mildew might form
• Remove grass stains from clothing by first rubbing corn syrup lightly into the stains, then wash garment as usual

Learn something new? Me too! As my dad always says, you learn something new everyday!

One new cleaning solution I have been doing lately is sprinkling baking soda into toilet bowls, let sit then brush away for a quick, inexpensive way to sparkling fresh toilets. 

What tricks do you have up your sleeve?

That's a {Baby} Wrap

Baby carriers have been around since the beginning of time...or so it seems. Mother Nature has this amazing way of making moms and babies strongly desire to be together. And way back when...moms were savvy and creative and used a piece of fabric to secure baby to themselves in order to be a caretaker to other children and handle household duties.

Fast-forward to the modern world, now we have specific fabric contraptions sold in baby stores everywhere for this purpose in mind...as well as manufactured creations attempting to streamline the baby-carrying process.

Through our registry and gift giving - we have the Baby Bjorn (classic manufactured contraption), Moby Wrap (long piece of fabric), Baby Ka'Tan (another fabric-type with specific fabric pieces)...as well as a baby sling (which kind of lets mom do the hip-hugging hold while being hands-free). Through trial and error, we have discovered our likes and dislikes for each of the aforementioned products. Our favorite are the Baby Bjorn and the Moby Wrap.

The Baby Bjorn is an awesome, universal baby carrier. In fact, I keep this in my car for a random need - ie. Target run or Tigers baseball game. This is hands-down the easiest, quickest tool.

The Moby Wrap is intimidating at first. Unlike the Bjorn, the Moby offers a real closeness from user to baby, with fabric wrapped carefully to hold baby close. After carefully reading the instruction manual, I'm confident most moms are more confused. Which usually prompts a search on YouTube and finding another mommy offering her hands-on instructions via video. There is one way to wrap the fabric, but multiple positions. We have gone through times of enjoying it; and then a period of so-so, and now to absolutely loving it. Our most recent new favorite is the position allowing Miss L to face outwards seeing everything that I see. She has always been extremely alert and observant and this position feeds her need to see! Plus, I try to talk to her frequently explaining every little move we are making. We count as we go up and down the stairs, I describe the green, avocados we are placing in the fridge, etc. I truly enjoy this close opportunity to develop her language, and of course her knowledge for her surroundings.

Below is a photo of us in the mirror a couple of weeks ago - she just loves hanging out with mommy in this fashion.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It is hard to believe December is upon us. It truly is a favorite month for our household. It's also time for the annual Christmas display - me enjoying decorating the all-mighty Christmas tree and Jeremy enjoying the great outdoors with his extreme lighting of our landscaped trees. Decorating this year presented more of a challenge than previous years. We had to work our set-up schedule around a little girl; but also, with a new home, we had to find new places for all of our different decorative pieces.

For example, our main nativity set is on our new media console in our living room. Meanwhile, our Willow Tree nativity found a home in our family room on an end table. Outdoors - we have five sconces to decorate with wreaths and Jeremy had to strategically decide which trees he was going to light up and what color exactly.

Turns out- his lighted trees are a big hit, attracting quite a bit more traffic to our cul-de-sac! After the hours he spent outside in the cold, decorating those 3 trees; I'm glad others are able to enjoy his hard work. I am also thankful I have a husband who enjoys the spirit of the season along with me! Merry Christmas!