Let's Discuss Santa

First of all, let me say, you know it is time to post a new blog when you are getting hate mail via facebook from people for not posting. :) Kind of makes me smile and also feel like a loser all at the same time.

Moving on................



So Santa. My WHOLE life, Santa has always delivered presents wrapped with beautiful bows and gift tags. The big stuff (bikes, power wheels, THE dollhouse, trampoline) were never wrapped. They were always put together with a big bow on them.

All my friends I grew up with, well...Santa did the same thing at their house. Never thought a thing about it.

Until this year, when my world got rocked. My sister-in-law (whom I love dearly) explained to me that Santa does not have time to wrap presents. The presents are always just placed under the tree, ready to be played with or tossed aside.

Apparently, Santa always did that at her house growing up too. And at Hubs' house.

WHAT!?!?!?!?!

Wait.

No, seriously.

WHAT!?!?!?!?!

Santa was visiting Ansleigh at Nana and Papa's house this year. T and AC were being visited by Santa there too. Needless to say, to be consistent, Santa delivered the presents not wrapped, put together, ready to be ignored (in Ansleigh's case).

I chalked it up to just being something weird. A fluke. Whatevs.

Then, I started looking through pictures on facebook from Santa visits and noticed that the other people I am friends with from Prattville (sis-in-law's hometown), well....Santa delivered all their presents unwrapped and put together. What the?????

So I'm wondering, does Santa only deliver unwrapped presents to Prattville and surrounding locations or does he do this world-wide?

I mean, I've never heard or seen of such.

How does the Big Guy deliver the presents to your house? Or were you always too bad to get anything?

If You Love Your Husband...

If you love your hubby, you'll go visit Nessa-friend's blog and enter this giveaway:

http://baptistness.blogspot.com/2009/12/note-to-self-housewarming-edition.html

I mean...who doesn't want a free tshirt to display our lurve for our husbands?

My Playlist

I've been having a little bit of trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. Didn't really feel it when I started buying gifts (in, uh, er....October). I didn't really feel it when I put up the tree (the weekend before Thanksgiving). I didn't even feel it when the presents were wrapped and under the tree and sparkly and color coordinated.

I had the cheerleaders' party at my house. At the last minute I ran out and strung some lights in the bushes to not appear to be a scrooge. I felt it a little baking 140 Christmas cookies, watching the girls decorate gingerbread cookies, and then watching them open gifts playing secret Santa. But then POOF! All remnents were gone the next morning while I was cleaning up the mess.

I've been listening to Christmas music trying to boost my spirits. Christmas music is different than any other kind of music. Everyone (generally) loves it. It makes us happy and lifts our spirits. The awesome thing about Christmas music is that you could find the same song in almost every genre (rock, rap, country, Christian, kid, etc.) of music. A version for everyone's taste.

So what's my playlist? Here it is:

1. Hallelujah (Light is Born) by Barlow Girl
2. Silent Night by Taylor Swift
3. O Come All Ye Faithful by Rush of Fools
4. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch by Jim Carey (The Grinch Soundtrack)
   
5. 2000 Decembers Ago by Joy Willams
   
6. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by N*Sync (oh those college days!)
   
7. Joy to the World by Whitney Houston
   
8. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (Home Alone Soundtrack)
9. Christmas Shoes by FM Static
10. Oh Holy Night by Kelly Clarkson
11. Baby it's Cold Outside by Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
12. Angels We Have Heard on High by Christina Aguilara
13. Santa Baby by Taylor Swift
14. Bells Will be Ringing by The Eagles
15. All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
16. Here With Us by Joy Williams
17. Let it Snow by Dean Martin
    
18. Do You Hear What I Hear? by Carrie Underwood
    
19. Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill
20. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Sarah Groves
21. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by Shane & Shane
22. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Jessica Simpson
23. White Christmas by Michael Buble
24. Carol of the Bells (Home Alone Soundtrack)
25. Mary Did You Know by Clay Aiken
    

Christmas Presents

Tis the season to spend all your money buying people stuff that they may or may not even like.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE giving to others. I'm one of those people. I invest a lot of thought into what we give each and every person (and not just for Christmas either). I want them to enjoy what we give them. I want them to be able to use what we give them. I want them to be surprised at how much thought we (ME) put into the gift.

Of course, I start planning late August/ early September for who we need to buy for and what we will give them. Because Ansleigh's birthday is in December, we (I) usually purchase her birthday present in September, her Christmas stuff in October, and everyone else in November....early November. Then I wrap and wrap and tie some bows and try to make everything look special.

Because I spend so much time on most of the gifts, I have really been thinking lately about the best presents I have been given. What were they? Why were they special? Were they the expensive ones? Something I desperately wanted? Maybe.

So here it is....my list of the best Christmas presents I have EVER gotten.

1. Bow Baby (who is much more of a tot now than a baby). She was due January 6th. We weren't going to be able to travel for the holidays. I was depressed and lonely. I went into labor 3 and 1/2 weeks early. I convinced myself it was Braxton Hicks. 48 hours later, I was holding my sweet precious baby in my arms. I got her for Christmas. And got to see our family. And was lonely no more. To be honest, she is the most special thing I have ever seen. She's been a bit pricey too :) and was for sure someone I was desperate to have.
2. The world's most amazing dollhouse....at least to me. I was somewhere around 2nd or 3rd grade. I had seen it in some dress shop in Gadsden that my momma always made us go to. I didn't mind so much because I played with the dollhouse the whole time. I enjoyed it but didn't ask for it. Didn't really think I'd ever get it. Little did I know, my parents scrimped and saved and spent every last penny to buy me that dollhouse. They spent HOURS putting the thing together Christmas Eve while we were sleeping. When I got up that morning, I saw it and fell in love. I can't even remember anything else I got for Christmas. I played with it for years and years and years. I still have it. And I plan on giving it to Ansleigh when she's old enough to enjoy it and not destroy it. The dollhouse was the Playmobil Grand Mansion. It isn't made anymore. And FYI, it currently sells on Amazon for $1,375.75. :) She better love it!

Of course, there have been other gifts over the years that have meant a lot to me (the necklace Anthony gave me our first Christmas together), the Coach purse my sister gave me when I was so desperate to have it, etc. But the two I explained have been my favorite. One, a gift from God, and the other, a gift from Santa (aka: the world's most sacrificing parents).

What have been your favorites and why?

Groceries

I just got home from the grocery store and I'm frustrated. I feel like I only have so many options when it comes to buying food for my family:

1. Buy whatever is on sale with whatever coupons I can find and just eat it. No matter how processed or fattening it is. At least I saved money.
2. Buy a few healthy foods and the rest of the cheap stuff. Still not spending a ton.
   
3. Buy all healthy foods (lower fat, lower calories, lower sodium) to keep myself from getting fatter than I already feel and spending a nice amount of moolah.
   
4. Buy organic and fresh and spend half a pay check to feed the family for two weeks.
   

Why??? Why does it have to be that way?

As a consumer, I want the healthy, organic, low fat, low sodium foods for cheaper than what most people buy. Since fewer people buy those options, shouldn't they lower the prices so they can sell more? Probably not but I want them to.

I don't want to have to scrape by in every other aspect of our budget just so we can have healthy food that doesn't take three gillion hours to prepare. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently, it is.


Also, as a side note, I went to the store (in the rain) in a hoodie with my hair piled on top of my head and was recognized by a student at Heritage. Wow. Embarrassing. Also, I had on zero make up. Gah! What a skank!!!