Was Santa Good to You ~My Family and Friends, They Spoil Me

Christmas Eve.

We worshiped and celebrated the birth of Jesus.

We spent some time visiting with good friends.

Then we came home to prepare our dinner

and open the gifts under our tree.

The first package to arrive in the mail, came from friends in North Carolina. 

A beautiful Pashmina and coordinating Wallet.

Check out what it says on the hangtag,

“Always be yourself,

unless you can be a mermaid.

then always be a mermaid!”

Hubby and two of my long time friends know I love to wear blue.

A soft sweater and warm socks

to keep me warm in the New Year.

Would you like to see what’s in the cute carton?

A candle, appropriately named

“Dashing through the Snow”

It smells delicious.

A Nostalgic Aroma of Old-Fashioned Candy Canes

are brought to Life with Frosted Peppermint

and Sweet Ribbons of Vanilla. 

Sister-in-Law and my CA friend added a spark to our kitchen.

Cookies, Spice Rub, Christmas Baking Cups, Beverage Napkins,

Bee’s Wrap, Mini Rubber Scrapers, and more!

The biggest new addition to my Kitchen is a Cuisinart

Grind and Brew Single Cup Coffee Maker.

Thank you, Hubby.

Personal Care items are always a good gift.

Hand Soap, Body Wash, and Hand Cream are used daily.

A cute fingertip towel from my CA friend.

Notice the plastic wrap on the right.

No, they are not cookies…

They are Shower Steamers, like a bath bomb for your shower.

It releases fragrance for a spa like aromatherapeutic experience.

I tried the Lemon…it is so refreshing.

This box from the Grandchildren, aka their parents,

was right on time until the USPS sent it on a tour

of the Western part of our State.

We were happy to extend our Christmas an extra day.

 

Lizzie says,

“Is it for Me?”

Super cute fabric gift bag…

…it was stuffed with all these goodies.

Sweet and Savory Snacks.

Gourmet Olive Oil

Fresh new Kitchen Towels

And a Task Pad

Which this Papa and Gigi are fighting over.

So maybe he won’t mind if I write his “Honey-Do” List

On the cute note pad?

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

The best gift of all

is spending time with those that we love.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Christmas 2022 ~My Report Continued ~Christmas Day ~Both Near and Far

If your Grandchildren live far away,

you understand how much we cherish each and every photo.

Visiting Santa is certainly a highlight of the Christmas Season.

As the Christmas Season approached, it was the time to

bring out these sweet “Vintage” Christmas Dresses.

They had been hanging in the Armoire in my Sewing Studio.

The dresses were worn by our own daughters

on their first Christmas.

Emily’s dress on the left, Amy’s, is on the right.

Then this…

Emily’s little dress fits their daughter.

She wore it to Christmas Eve Worship Services.

This photo made my day!

Christmas Day we gathered with

Hubby’s Mother and Sister.

It is our family tradition to celebrate

Christmas at Grandma’s house. 

We all pitched in to prepare our

Christmas Meal…

Roast Beef

Ham

Potatoes

Carrots

Green Salad

Christmas Blessings to all of you.

We hope you had a lovely Holiday with those that you love.

Take care,

~Natalie

Christmas 2022 ~Here’s my Report ~Christmas Eve ~Christmas Eve Eve

It was a quiet Christmas Eve, just the two of us.

We planned a simple celebration, attending worship,

then preparing a meal at home.

We treasure the photos and phone calls from our family,

and the cards and letters from our friends.

Our holiday celebration…how it started.

We were invited to a dinner party on Christmas Eve Eve.

Our good friends had a change of plans due to the

Intense Winter Storm that halted all travel in our entire area.

While we could not take the place of their children

and grandchildren, we had a festive evening.

Wendy always sets a beautiful tablescape. This time

she used her Christmas Dishes.

They have a lovely home and we always enjoy their company.

She took me on a guided tour of her Christmas Decor…

So many precious pieces with sentimental value.

Wendy painted these little Winter Birdhouses years ago.

Old Saint Nick watches over the Dining Room.

These caught my attention.

Wendy created these for her grandchildren.

The sugar cones are filled with Christmas Candy.

Then decorated with frosting and sprinkles.

Fa La La La La Lasagna was the Star of our Menu,

Along with Roasted Vegetables and Garlic Bread.

At Christmastime there is always a sweet ending to a meal.

Christmas Eve Worship Service at Zion Lutheran.

We attended in the afternoon.

This is the photo that the Pastor took

during the Candle lighting.

When we got home, Hubby and I teamed up to

prepare our Christmas dinner.

He spatchcocked the Cornish Game Hens while

I prepared the Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf and Salad.

I love the lights on the Christmas Tree,

Especially when they are the only lights on in the Room.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Christmas Countdown is now Three Days ~Sanford Report ~Our Winter Weather ~In the Wood Shop ~Baking Holiday Sweets ~Tip of the Day

These little Cookies are a family favorite.

This photo showed up in my memories. It was taken

when Jack and his parents came for Christmas, three years ago.

What does your family call them?

Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cookies,

or Russian Tea Cakes?

By now, you all recognize this pretty tree

and can guess where I have been.

That’s right, I’m still going out to Sanford

for Physical Therapy twice a week.

We have now added exercises for

strength and endurance.

When Hubby is not driving me to appointments,

he spends time in his Wood Shop.

He has filled Special Orders, and has added several Trees

to his Inventory for anyone needing a list minute gift.

We are both happy to have indoor hobbies.

The forecast was for a Blizzard Warning for our entire area.

We even made the National News tonight.

Stay Safe and Warm, my Friends.

So it was another perfect day to bake…

‘Snowball Cookies”

and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Here’s your Tip of the Day.

Use your butter wrapper for a handy, disposable spoon rest.

A cream cheese wrapper works well, too.

It keeps your counter clean and you can

just wrap it up and throw it away.

I use a cookie scoop to insure the balls of dough

are all the same size and will bake evenly.

Be patient and wait for them to cool completely before

rolling them in confectioners sugar.

‘Tis the Season to spend time with your Family and Friends…

Enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of Christmas.

And most importantly,

Remember the Reason for the Season.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Monday Miscellaneous ~Winter Weather ~Game Day ~Wood Shop Report ~And In the Kitchen

After a four day Winter Storm, we kicked off our weekend

by homegating and a Bison Football Game.

This is my lucky Green & Gold Game Day Apron.

This week for our Football Food, Hubby made BBQ Ribs.

I prepared Homemade Macaroni & Cheese.

This is the view from my kitchen window.

We had nearly a foot of snow during the week.

We were happy to stay inside with our daily House Chores.

Lizzie doesn’t think Roomba is very smart.

He always gets stuck and calls for help in the same places.

Wood Shop News:

Hubby turns more Trees to fill special orders.

And the weather, here’s what we have to look forward to.

See those negative numbers?

Those are our high temperatures for the day…

And the low temps overnight.

Looks like Santa will bring us a little reprieve

On Christmas Day.

All of your online photos of Holiday Baking are impressive.

While I am still limited in the kitchen,

I was inspired to bake Christmas Cookies.

I mixed up the dough and chilled it overnight.

I baked them the next morning.

Christmas Blessings

to One and All.

Take Care,

~Natalie