December 6, 2008

What would Christmas be without great music?  I can't imagine it!  I know some people aren't huge music fanatics, but I am, and for me, music is the backdrop for the whole season.

It's really hard to narrow down my favorite Christmas CDs to only 5, but I can do it! These are my favorites at the moment:

• Nat King Cole “Christmas Favorites” – “The Christmas Song” is on this CD, but there are other songs on it that I love even more, like “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “The First Noel”.  Nat's smooth voice on these classics just makes them warm and cozy favorites all over again.  This is the CD you want in the background when you're gathered around the tree with your family opening gifts.

• Avalon “Joy” – There are so many incredible songs on this CD! How about “Jesus Born on This Day” and “We Are the Reason” for starters? Then throw in “Don't Save it All for Christmas Day” and you've got a winner!  It was released in 2000 and half of the group's members have changed, but it's still a great recording.  If you love Jody McBrayer's voice as I do, also check out his solo CD “This is Who I Am” (2002).  It includes one of my favorite all-time songs “To Ever Live Without Me”.  You may recognize it by Jody's incredible lyrics: “It was all about a man, it was all about a cross, it was all about the blood that was shed so I would not be lost.  It was all about the love that was bigger than a life.  It was all about a freedom that was given through your sacrifice. ‘Cause you would rather die than to ever live without me.”  Thinking about that makes me teary; let's move on.

• Amy Grant “A Christmas Album” – This CD came out in 1983, I can hardly believe it. 25 years later, it's still one of my favorites. I don't know what it is about “Tennessee Christmas” but I love love love it. “Emmanuel” and “Heirlooms” are also songs I play over and over again at Christmas.  This is a fun but really warm and sentimental CD.

• Martina McBride “White Christmas” – Martina's voice says Christmas to me, and it just seems like her heart is in all these songs. I adore “What Child is This”, “Do You Hear What I Hear”, and all of the other classics on this CD.  Martina can't sing a bad song, and she does an amazing job on all of these selections.

• Rob Johnson “O Holy Night” – Rob's version of “Mary, Did You Know” is stunning!  The title track, “Welcome to Our World”, “Who Would Imagine a King” and “You are the Light” are also standouts on this CD that came out last Christmas.  Rob was the worship leader at my former church, and is now with another church in Keller that a friend and I visited for a while before I moved farther away.  We did visit again for last year's Christmas service, and grabbed up this CD afterwards. When Rob was leading worship for us, one of the things that we always loved about him was his JOY, and this CD reflects that completely.  It's joyful from beginning to end.  Who doesn't want more of that?

Oh, fudge!  I forgot Selah's “Rose of Bethlehem”. And Elvis' “Blue Christmas”!  And The Chipmunks!  And “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”!  There's so much music for such a short season!  Hey LilSis, what Christmas tunes are playing on your iPod right now?

~BigSis

December 5, 2008

I wonder if she had to address, stamp, and mail all the Christmas cards, do all the gift shopping, the wrapping, the shipping, the meal planning and grocery shopping, the tree decorating, the baking, the party planning, and the cleaning? If so, I'd like to know her secret…

But seriously, let's talk about stress and ways to try to avoid it this holiday season. If I'm not careful and don't make a conscious effort to stay calm during the holiday season, stress can take a serious toll on my body. I end up with stomachaches, headaches, a back full of knots, and sleepless nights. Even though this holiday season has snuck up on me more than ever before, I'm working hard not to let stress get to me this year. One of my friends actually suggested that I look into some of the products that Delta 8 THC has on offer. Apparently, their products promote stress-relief. This would allow me to relax properly, which is what people should be doing over the festive period. Now, I understand a little on cannabis, that there is a difference between THC and CBD and the effects they have on you. I've been told that you need a considerable amount of THC for it to give you that ‘high' feeling that so many people are worried about. However, I've never really experimented with either. So, perhaps before trying the THC products, I should try CBD products to see how I get on with them. In fact, I might very well head on over to somewhere like Thecbdinsider.com or a similar site to find more information on CBD (Cannabidiol) to see if that can have any benefit to my stress levels currently. Perhaps these are both things to look at.

Here are a few things I've found that might help us all create a more stress-free holiday:

• First and most importantly, make time, and even block out time on your planner, to eat right (not fast food on the run), exercise (even if you can only squeeze in 15 or 20 minutes), and get a good night's sleep (I'm know, we've heard it all before!)

• Create or purchase a holiday planner. BigSis has already given us some great resources for Christmas planners.

• Make sure that your planner has a place to keep your Christmas card list. It sure makes the Christmas card giving a lot easier if you keep a list of who you sent cards to and who you received cards from each year. My planner has a section for this and it has really helped me these past three years. (And yes, I think it's okay to omit some from your list if you are cutting back.) We can't send cards to everyone we know! It's just not possible, so don't stress over it.

• I love this 9 Steps to Stress-Free Holiday Giving article from iVillage. Get a pencil and paper out for this one and take just a few minutes to go through these 9 steps. It's some really good advice from a professional organizer. She really simplifies the entire gift buying process.

• The 10 Tips to a Stress-Free Holiday from 1stHolistic has more great advice. Beth Tebak starts off this article with the most important tip of all, RELAX!

• Whole Living has some GREAT articles on stress relief, all in one place!

Being organized and prioritizing all your errands is obviously a major part of not getting stressed out during the holiday season! This time of the year should be for celebrating the true meaning of the season and for enjoying friends and family. So, relax!

~LilSis

December 4, 2008

Is it just me, or are the Christmas specials airing earlier and earlier each year?  On Monday, we had the Shrek Christmas special followed by the Grinch.  On Tuesday, we had Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and on Wednesday we had Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  At this rate, we'll be out of Christmas shows to watch by the weekend!

Rudolph and Herbie

Rudolph

I know that retailers put Christmas merchandise in the stores as soon as possible in order to get every possible sale.  That makes sense to me.  But I don't get why these TV shows come on so early.  Are the networks afraid that the ratings will be lower if the shows come on later in the month, thinking that we'll all be at parties instead of gathered around the tube?  It doesn't bother me, it just baffles me.  I've missed my favorite (Rudolph) several times because it came on while I was still doing Thanksgiving dishes! Well, not really, but almost!  Next year, will we be watching the Grinch before we go out to watch the Fourth of July fireworks?  Just wondering.  What do you think?

~BigSis

December 3, 2008

If you're like me, you've already received loads of catalogs in the mail with terrific offers for free shipping.  I usually don't even take the time to glance at all the catalogs I receive, but since I need to do some Christmas shopping online, I've been browsing through them when I have a few minutes. Here's my top five list:

• My favorite is the new December 08 bliss “wrap up your shopping in a new york minute catalog.” This catalog is jam packed with so many great gift ideas! It is worth your time to browse through it! This ‘Best of Bliss' Set for $55.00 is one of my favorites. (Order $75.00 or more by December 18 and get FREE standard shipping to anywhere in the U.S.)
  

  Best of Bliss Set

• Another favorite of mine is L'Occitane. I absolutely love the Almond Supple Skin Oil and the Amber Eau De Toilette; just to name a few. BigSis has recently been turned on to their Shea Butter Hand Cream , which is a best seller, and she loves it! At $25.00 a tube for over 5 ounces, it would make a great gift. (They are offering free standard shipping on ALL orders over $25.00)

• Origins products always make great gifts! I could go on and on, and on if I start listing my favorite Origins products. They also have some great gift sets! If you have a “hard to buy for” friend or relative, you just cannot go wrong with this Ginger Fest Gift Set for $35.00! (Receive free standard shipping on ANY order through December 16)
  

  Origins Ginger Fest

• The Crate and Barrel 2008 Gift Guide is full of wonderful holiday items to either keep for yourself or give as gifts. (Free shipping on orders over $100)

• I've used Franklin Covey planners for years! I love their selection! They have some great holiday savings that I want to take advantage of since it's time to order the 2009 planners. (They are offering free shipping on orders over $60.00)

So, for now, those are my top five favorites!  I'll be keeping my ‘eyes open' for more free shipping offers and holiday savings!

~LilSis

December 2, 2008

If you're like me and just realized that we have only 3 weeks from Thursday until Christmas is here, you're probably freaking out a little.  Or a lot!  You're probably also wishing for a way to get yourself organized so that you won't forget anything, AND your stress level will be under control a little bit more.  I found a few things that might help.

• Real Simple has a 26 day Holiday Blogathon going on right now.  What?  They didn't invite BigSisLilSis to participate?  Even though we're crushed, I do have to say there are some great tips there from some great blogs on all kinds of Christmas topics.
• i-village has a Christmas Planner broken down into the 1st week of December, the 2nd week, the 3rd week, Christmas week, Christmas morning and after Christmas.
• FamilyFun.com shows us how to transform a 3-ring binder into Ann's Amazing Holiday Planner.
• If you have a little time on your hands and are super-duper crafty and stampy, check out this tutorial for a beautiful Christmas Planner from Christine Rowland, a Stampin Up Demonstrator.
• How about a video for those of us who need a visual?  I have a jillion things to do but I sat here and watched this whole 7 minute video on making a cute Christmas Planner.  I couldn't stop watching it! Plus I really enjoyed the music from Josh Groban.
• TwoPeasInABucket's member gallery has this Christmas Planner that is absolutely gorgeous.  There aren't any instructions, but it's certainly inspiring to look at.  I'm pretty OCD and overly-perfectionistic, but this project is beyond me for December 2nd.  Maybe if it was July 2nd I would attempt this jewel.
• OrganizedHome has some Christmas Planner notebook ideas that are pretty practical.
• And last but not least, the FlyLady offers a Holiday Cooking and Decorating Schedule.

We'll send more tips and tools your way as we find them.  Meanwhile, take a deep breath, make a list or two, and enjoy this blessed season!

~BigSis

December 1, 2008

“Oh, You better watch out,

You better not cry,

You better not pout,

I'm telling you why;

Santa Claus is coming to Town!”

Doesn't TomTom look like he's in the mood to sing Christmas carols? Nope, I didn't think so…He better get in the Christmas spirit, though, because he's got more Christmas hats to model for us!

BigSis, we can't wait to see Gaby & AshyPoo in their festive hats!

~LilSis

November 30, 2008

We're back home now, and our long week of celebrating Thanksgiving and BigSis' birthday in Las Vegas is winding down. Here's how it all went.

First, in Vegas:

• LilSis had a smooth flight in on Tuesday, but BigSis and SisMama got stuck in Amarillo on Monday for over 4 hours due to mechanical problems. There was a problem that caused hydraulic fluid to spill out all over the runway as the plane was about to take off, and the jet had to be towed back to the gate. Southwest doesn't have mechanics in Amarillo, so the part and the mechanics had to be flown from Dallas to Amarillo, and then it took them a couple of hours to fix the plane. Thankfully, they did a great job and BigSis and SisMama got to Vegas safely, although they lost half a day of their time there.

• Once we all got there, Vegas was fun fun fun! And no, we didn't get into any trouble. There was no reason for you to worry, Big T. It was a very “G Rated” trip. Although we were very much looking forward to a fun night of indulging in gambling (something we don't have much experience with) and scoring some great casino bonuses. How that turned out, well, it'll be revealed in just a bit.

• We were not thrilled with the service at our usual favorite hotel so we decided to check out as many others as we could on this trip. We really liked Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino and love that The Miracle Mile Shops are attached to the casino. We tried to get out to look at the “infamous” pool on the 6th floor but it was closed due to the weather. We loved Caesar's Palace and The Forum Shops and just might stay there on our next trip. We each fell in love with a purse from the Coach store at The Forum Shops but we resisted buying them. (It took every ounce of willpower.)
  

  BigSis wanted this one!

  

  Lil Sis wanted this one!

• We did see Luciano Pavarotti, Elvis, a girl who looked like Sarah Jessica Parker, two hookers, and two drunk Europeans.

• The weather in Vegas was not great, especially on Wednesday…BigSis' birthday! How dare it be rainy and cold and windy! Still, it would have made a great time to admire the beauty of some of the most beautiful casinos in the strip.

• BigSis came away with about $60 in winnings against around $80 total in losses, so a net loss of $20 in slot machine fun isn't too bad! You can't even see a movie and buy popcorn for that! LilSis and SisMama didn't fare quite as well, but none of us are big gamblers so we can't cry about our small losses. We've been told you can win money without depositing any money while gambling online, so perhaps to avoid some more losses, we'll take a look at some online slots in the future instead!

• If anyone EVER recommends to you that you take the Deuce mode of double-decker transportation, DON'T DO IT! Let us just say that we had a terrible experience with it, and lost about 2 hours out of Wednesday. Nuff said. Don't do it. Take a ding dang cab.

• We had some fabulous meals in Las Vegas! On Tuesday, our dinner at The Palm at Caesar's Palace was by far the best! They had the best creamed spinach that any of us had ever eaten. The recipe is also in The Palm Restaurant Cookbook. Wednesday, we had a great birthday lunch for BigSis at Taqueria Canonita in the Venetian (delicious mushroom tacos). And The Studio Cafe in MGM Grand actually has one of the best breakfasts in town (excellent omelets and hashbrowns).
  

  The Palm in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

Then, back at home:

• LilSis made her first homemade pecan pie. She made the 2008 Thanksgiving Pecan Pie from Cookie Madness and the Eagle Brand Basic Pumpkin Pie . They both turned out great!

• LilSis and her family had an excellent Thanksgiving dinner, in spite of her flying in that afternoon and spending 2 hours in traffic getting home from the airport. The turkey was perfect and the Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes were the big hit, as usual. Thanksgiving dinner was great and everyone was thankful to be together.

• BigSis and SisMama also flew back to Texas on Thanksgiving, but opted for the Furr's Cafeteria buffet instead of cooking, since they'd done the family meal on the previous Sunday. The pros: no cooking, no clean-up, and only $9 per person. The cons: it was good but not like homemade.

• On Black Friday, BigSis and SisMama braved the crowds at Galleria Mall to see the lighting ceremony for the largest indoor Christmas tree in the country. Can you say “crowd control”? Great googly moogly there were bajillions of people there!

Ok, girls and boys, start your engines! The Christmas season is now here in full swing! Since we had a late Thanksgiving, we have a short period of time until Christmas. In the coming weeks, we're going to focus on Christmas, of course.

BigSis is organizing a bake sale on December 15th at her office building to benefit the Dallas SPCA, and her team's goal is to raise $3000. She will have much more to share about that project in the next couple of weeks.

LilSis and SirHoney have to get busy putting up the exterior Christmas lights. It just hasn't felt like Christmas yet in California since it's been 75 degrees and sunny almost every day. LilSis also has to get busy on shopping since she has to ship all their Christmas gifts.

We hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving week, and that you'll stay with us throughout the Christmas season! We love Christmas, and we'll be talking about shopping, decorating and merry-making!

November 27, 2008

THE PILGRIM AND THE INDIAN

Okay, just because we are celebrating Thanksgiving, a very traditional holiday, doesn't mean we can't laugh, right?

~LilSis

November 27, 2008

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

George Washington wanted Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated on November 26th each year. If he would have gotten his way, we would be celebrating BigSis' birthday on Thanksgiving Day every year! However, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln asked that all Americans set aside the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

Regardless of which day we celebrate Thanksgiving, we feel it's important to remember what this day is all about.  We are thankful and grateful for being blessed. On this Thanksgiving Day, we want to share this favorite quote. It says it all.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It turns a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  Melody Beattie

~LilSis

November 20, 2008

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week! And, guess what else that means? Vegas, Baby!  SisMama, BigSis, and I will be in Vegas for BigSis' birthday celebration! They will be flying from Dallas to Vegas on Monday; then I'll join them on Tuesday. We will celebrate BigSis' birthday, which is on Wednesday, then we'll fly back home on Thanksgiving Day! It will be a quick trip but fun, fun, fun!  We're staying at one of our favorites, MGM Grand.

MGM Grand

We're SO bummed that Elton isn't going to be in Vegas while we're there this time. I was just thinking about the last time we saw him. It was Summer, 2006 and SisMama treated us to the Elton John Red Piano show, which we all LOVED!

I've seen him three times and still haven't managed to get on stage when he sings “Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting”. And believe me, I've tried!

Before the show, we took Daddy and Sis Mama to the Toby Keith I Love This Bar and Grill at Harrahs. Daddy loved that place. He tried their famous chicken fried steak and he said that it was the best chicken fried steak that he'd ever eaten. Good Ole Comfort Food!

Toby Keith's Famous Chicken Fried Steak and Country Gravy

Sorry, I got a little sidetracked; I get excited talking about Vegas. Back to Thanksgiving…I'm feeling a little guilty about going to Vegas right at the holiday and leaving SirHoney and BigT in charge of the food!  Don't feel too sorry for them, though. SirHoney will pick up the “cooked” turkey from our favorite spot, Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad, on his way home from golfing. They do a great job at roasting a turkey so I won't feel too guilty that I didn't cook it myself.

I'll make these Refrigerator Potatoes before I leave on Tuesday so they will be all ready to heat up on Thursday.  I know, I know, make ahead mashed potatoes? Don't knock it til you try it. My family LOVES them! (If you're trying to watch your fat and calorie intake; run far, far away from these potatoes!) They are really hard to resist! The men in my family love these so much that I have to double the recipe and make ten pounds.

That leads me to the other side dishes.  If anyone knows of a couple of good side dishes that freeze easily so I can make them ahead this weekend, please leave a comment.  I probably won't make stuffing this year and we aren't big sweet potato eaters, so I'm drawing a blank! I would like something green; maybe some type of spinach dish instead of the traditional green bean casserole.

Thanksgiving Day, I will arrive back in San Diego at noon and home by 1:00.  I can't wait to see if dinner is all ready for me when I walk in the door!

~LilSis