A little Tuesday Torture

For my friend Andrea who has a most amazing blog and loves Christmas just as much as I do 😀 😀

Check out her blog at  My Spoken Heart  you won’t be disappointed!

There are only 78 days, 15 hours, 57 minutes until Christmas!!!!!

210 Days to go…

There are only 210 days, 7 minutes,  and 52 seconds days left until Christmas

Just sayin

😀 😀 😀

 

Just a glimpse……

My crazy, yet loveable family….

Here is just a  glimpse into what I am forced to endure over the holidays.

😀 😀

Daughter #1 gave her sisters their gifts….it took the girls only 15-20 minutes to cut through the duct tape!!!

And from my mother….a fabulous thrift store find .99 cents each and and additional 50% off I might add!!! 😀 😀

She and I buy tacky gifts for each other each year and spare no expense 😀

As the title says this is “just a glimpse” into Christmas Day with my family…..and one wonders why I love my wine so much!
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.
Off to visit my brother and his family today, I can hardly wait 😀 😀

T’was the morning of Christmas

‘Twas the early morn of  Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; cause Grumpy cat ate him,

The stockings sitting on the couch with care,

St. Nicholas had certainly been there

The teenagers were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Ipods danced in their heads;

And mamma in her jammies, with coffee in hand

Had just settled down to write a her Christmas Blog

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the drapes and tripped on a gift

The moon on the breast of the 5 feet of snow,

The temperature damn near 30 below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a rather large racoon, and eight little ones ,

With a bag full of garbage, she grabbed it real quick,

I knew in a moment I’d have a big mess to clean,

More rapid than eagles I ran,

And I whistled, and shouted, and called them bad names;

Now, you rascals, you rascals you’ve made a big mess!

On with you, on with you go back to your nest!

To the top of the porch! To the side of the house they ran!

Now garbage was everywhere, everywhere, gawd such a mess!

As raccoons that before had entered my yard,

When I meet them again, shall send them packing again,

So down the driveway the little rascals did run ,

With a bag full of garbage, and my compost too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The skitter and scattering of each little foot.

As I pulled up my hood, and was turning around,

Down the chimney the little rascals came with a bound.

They were dressed all in fur, from their head to  their feet,

And their fur was all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of garbage they had in their mouths,

And they looked like they’d be having a feast.

Their eyes — how they twinkled! There cheeks how pudgy!

Their cheeks were full, their noses like a buttons!

Their droll little mouths were drawn up like a bows,

And the beards of their chins were covered in trash;

The stump of a pine cone she held tight in her teeth,

And the smoke it encircled her head like a wreath;

She had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when she laughed at me.

She was chubby and plump, a right jolly old racoon,

And I laughed when I saw her, in spite of myself

A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread

She spoke not a word,

And ran away; then turned with a jerk,

And giving a sniff with her nose,

And giving a nod, out of the yard she went,

She sprang to her feet, to her kids gave a whistle,

And away they all flew down the driveway like the down of a thistle.

But I heard her exclaim, as they ran out of sight

Happy Christmas to All!!!

 

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season and a New Year filled with Peace and Happiness!

 

Vegan Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Bet you can’t eat just one! 😀

You can make these cookies chewy or crispy .  Personally I like chewy.

These cookies freeze really well and thaw in no time.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup softened Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract or scant 1/8 tsp lemon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer beat Earth balance and brown sugar until well combined. Add Ener-G mixed with water, lemon & vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Mix in oats and coconut until combined. In a separate bowl whisk flour, salt, baking soda & baking powder. Slowly add to mixer and beat until well combined. Drop by teaspoon fulls and bake 12-16 minutes. Cool on pan before removing.

mjr.earthbalancenatural.com

I did it!

It’s official!!

After 8 1/2 hours of driving and shopping.

The Christmas shopping is finally done!!!  Yay Me 😀

I have a little tiny bit left to do, but will finish that up after work tomorrow.

Then there is the wrapping.   Ahhh gift bags!!!!!

So until tomorrow…….

Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly

Last minute

My name is Angie, and I am a last minute Christmas shopper.

There.  I’ve said it.

Now you all know.

I don’t like shopping

and have put it off a little too long this year

I will be joining the hoards of last minute Christmas shoppers today.

I only have today to get it all done!!

Wish me luck.

See you on Sunday.

Cranberry Mimosa

Ingredients

• Cranberry Juice
• Sparkling White Wine
• Optional green sugar for rimming glasses

Instructions

1. If rimming glass moisten glass and roll it in sugar
2. Pour cranberry directly into fluted glass – fill about 1/3-1/2 of the way
3. Top off with Sparkling Wine
4. Serve Immediately

www.whoneedsacape.com

MIA

I have been MIA for the last week or so, I don’t really have a good explanation as to my absence , however, Daughter #1 has moved into her own apartment, Daughter #2 has been cutting a couple of classes and Daughter #3 has joined the school basketball team, work has been busy and Christmas is just around the corner annndd Bentley Baby is visiting again.

I am also someone whom Daughter #3 has called “not very festive”…… I am festive at this time of year at least I try to be.  The last few years I have lost my Christmas spirit and I guess the “festive mask” I put on she can see right through.

I used to love Christmas and now I just like it.  Christmas for me has just too many memories and, well, I guess I get a little melancholy at this time of year.  I thought I hid it well.

I haven’t seen my #1 son in quite a while, and I miss him.

wah wah wah.  I know, I know Angies Grapevine is a happy place to visit, it still is ,look

See

Last one 😀

Life is full of choices
and I choose
Happiness

≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈

Thoughts on a Thursday about Elves….

I’m sure most people have heard of  the “elf on the shelf”, but I myself just learned about this last night at my daughters curling practice.  One of her coaches has an “elf” named Ginger.

The idea behind the elf on the shelf is really fun and quite creative from a parenting point of view.

This is a Christmas Tradition that I’d love to incorporate into my home even though my kids are getting a little older and two of them are in their 20’s.

 
The tradition begins when Santa sends his elves out to Elf Adoption Centers.  As soon as an elf is brought home and taken out of its box, given a name and the story is read the elf magically awakens and receives its Christmas Magic.

Elves are great listeners and watch over everything,  it is said that they report back to Santa on who has been naughty or nice. 

Gingers caregiver told us last night that if you touch an elf it looses its magical powers, and that you can sometimes give them back by sprinkling cinnamon and sugar beside them….

The elves use their magical powers to fly back to the North Pole each night and report to Santa what they have seen and heard.  While at the North Pole they play with the reindeer and sneak cookies from Mrs. Claus.

                                                     

Before your family awakes each morning, the elf will have flown back home and are quite playful they never hide in the same place.  

So I just learned there are also some very naughty elves, they are not all sugar and spice and everything nice.

On Christmas Eve, the elf quietly waits to hear Santa’s bell and when it’s heard will fly back to the North Pole until next Christmas while wishing everyone a Christmas of Peace and Joy.

I thought this was such an incredible idea, all the memories you could create year after year, not to mention the fun and magic brought into your home.

The Elf on The Shelf comes in a box with a hardcover book .. 🙂

Picchas taken from  www.thisblogrules.com