Home Sweet Home

It’s been quite a while since my last post, but life has been running at the same rate as Speedy Gonzales. It has been crazy to say the least. I wish I had the patience to sit and write every mundane detail of my life, but let’s be real, I’d be bored to tears and so would you. So I’m skipping ahead to the exciting stuff. Less than a month ago, we went snowboarding with our besties up at Sunrise and had a blast. Renee hurt her knee the first day, but she was a trooper and even tried skiing again the second day. We went to a restaurant called Charlie Clarks for a steak dinner, which led me to write my first review on yelp.com, as we had the worst service known to man! Our motto and favorite thing to yell randomly for the rest of the trip was “F-YOU, Charlie Clarks!” We’re classy folks, no need to remind us.

Despite our exhaustion after skiing/snowboarding all day Saturday and Sunday and me being forced to go down a ridiculously steep green run, only to cry my eyes out once I got to the bottom (I can thank my loving husband for that), we were planning to look at 10 houses with our realtor on Monday. We hadn’t looked at any other houses at that point and really just wanted to get an idea of what was available. I don’t know if we should attribute it to our impulsive behavior, but we found the house of our dreams and put an offer on it that night. I justified the fast response by repeating to Brian and anyone who would listen over and over, that we looked at the best options in our price range that fit all of our criteria and we found our favorite. It’s not like looking for a wedding dress, where you can look forever because there are a million options out there. Our options were more limited based on our expectations and cost. Maybe I was just trying to convince myself, but I digress.

Luckily, we have the greatest realtor ever. His name is Jim Carlisto and works for Remax. He sold my parents home last year and has worked with quite a few of our close family friends. I also know his son, James because we used to cheer together back in the day. James is the one who actually showed us the homes and he has been really helpful with the whole process. We have been totally clueless since this is our first time purchasing a home, but it’s been a relatively easy process. I’ve determined that when I act like a helpless damsel in distress, people take pity on me and start talking to me like I’m 5. I should probably take offense, but let’s be real, if that’s what it takes to get me on the right page, we gotta do what we gotta do.

We are finally on the home stretch and it’s only been 3 weeks since we started the process. The inspection revealed only a couple minor issues and the appraisal went great. Now it’s just a matter of getting all of the underwriting done (whatever that means) and some other paperwork stuff, then we are scheduled to close March 20th.

Excited isn’t the right word to describe how we’re feeling about getting the heck out of our apartment and finally having a place of our own. We’re absolutely elated! We have packed up the majority of our apartment already and we spent all weekend looking at furniture stores, making a list of all of the improvements we want to do, then prioritizing them and listing the costs. More than once I’ve had to sit down and put my head between my legs because the thought of all we want to do is a bit overwhelming. At that point, Brian pats me on the back and reminds me that we don’t have to do it all at once.

On another note, I made another attempt to be a good, domestic wife by baking my first meat loaf. Let’s just say I touched the gross raw ground beef with my bare hands for no reason. Our oven apparently sucks, at least that’s what I’m blaming it on because I cooked it 30 minutes longer than the recipe called for and the freaking thing was still pink inside. Thanks goodness there is a Wendy’s across the street. If there was an award for most kitchen dinner screw ups, I’d have a whole shelf filled with the trophies. It’s a good thing my husband loves me for more than my ability to make a home cooked meal. It’s my Halo playing skills that sealed the deal. Infinity Slayer!

Ok, so I realize this comes a few days too late, but I wanted to recap 2012 and list my top 10

highlights (in no particular order)!

1. The Hunger Games

I’m basically obsessed with the books and movie. This is one of those rare times where I feel like

the movie did the book justice. I loved the outfits and the characters. My favorite part is when the

countdown for the games has finished and all of the tributes are sprinting in different directions,

picking up supplies and killing each other. It sounds chaotic and gruesome, but I felt a certain

amount of calmness because the whole scene is muted. It feels real, while shielding the viewers.

It’s a great movie and I suggest starting with the books, but at the very least, rent it on Redbox.

PLEASE. It will change your life. 

2. New Job

My dad worked for Salt River Project, a power utility in our area, for a huge chunk of his

professional career, but in October of 2011 he took an amazing job in Rochester, MN with another

utility. This past January, I decided to carry on the Mitchell tradition and started in the customer

service department. It is an amazing company to work for and I’m blessed to have a great job with

good benefits. I feel like a grown up! 

3. Minnesota

      

In August I decided to head out to Rochester, MN to visit my parents for the first time. The

weather was amazing, but my favorite part (other than spending time with my parents) was seeing

the difference in the style of homes. There aren’t cookie cutter homes like I’m used to seeing in

the East Valley. The land is hilly and some people’s backyards are the woods. It’s a different pace

of life and it was neat to experience something so different. My parents picked a really neat 

location to live. 

Then in November, Brian and I took our first plane ride together to visit them for Thanksgiving.

The high at one point was 17 degrees and I kind of wanted to cry, but we had a fun time bundling

up and standing outside of Target for the black Friday sales. Also, the Mall of America is amazing. 

4. Shooting a gun

When visiting my parents in MN, my dad took us to a shooting range and I was able to shoot a

gun for the first time in my life. Don’t ask me what kind it was, because I have no idea. All I know

is that I was a terrible shot when I had to stand and hold the gun. Apparently I don’t quite have

the muscles necessary to hold the gun up, let alone keep it steady. But I still managed to hit the

target, so I think that makes me a pro, right?  

5. Griffyn

In May, we adopted the most adorable Brussels Griffon puppy, whom we named, Griffyn Leigh

Crosby. She is a pistol and can run like Speedy Gonzales, but she is a sweet little cuddle bug and I

love her to pieces. 

6. New place

Since my parents moved to MN, I was forced to grow up and find a place of my own. Brian and I

found a cute little apartment in Chandler and although it is small and feeling smaller by the

minute (boy, I can’t wait to move into a house), it has been a great 1^st place. 

7. Buying a car

I had to make another grown up decision because my junky Volkswagen kept breaking down. So

after a lot of research and dealing with more than one scumbag dealership salesman, I bought a

cute, white Saturn Vue. 

8. Paying bills (I know, I’m a weirdo)

Since my parents kicked me out onto the streets when they moved, not only did I have to find a

place of my own, but I had to start paying bills on my own. Sucky, right? WRONG! The first of

every month is the best day because I get to pay bills. I know it seems crazy and of course I don’t

like to see my bank account decrease, but I get some weird satisfaction when I pay bills. I

genuinely enjoy it. 

9. Six flags honeymoon

One of my favorite things to do on this earth is ride roller coasters! The rush that comes from the

fear of possibly flying off the ride and falling to my death really can’t be duplicated. My husband

doesn’t share the same enthusiasm. We went to Magic Mountain on our honeymoon (it was

romantic, I swear) and I made him go on Lex Luther’s Drop of Doom (I’m not sure that’s the exact

name, but you get the point) which is essentially a ride that takes you ridiculously high, makes

you sit there above the park for what seems like 3 ½ hours, then drops you straight down toward

the ground. I laughed until I cried and I’m pretty sure my husband wet his pants. Ok, I’m kidding,

but he hated every second of it. ;)

10. Wedding

Last but not least, the most incredible and memorable day of my life! I finally married the love of

my life on 10/10/12, which was our 2 year anniversary. The highlight of the day was seeing my

husband cry for the first time when I walked down the aisle toward him. I’ve never experienced a

more special moment. What a blessing to know I’ll get to spend the rest of my life with my best

friend and the man of my dreams!

2012 was good to me and I sure can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for my new little family. :) 

Cheers!

Tradition.

I’m just gonna lay it all out there…I.love.Christmas. Now, maybe not as much as my father in law, who has somehow convinced my mother in law to keep a ‘Holiday Tree’ up all year long. The ‘Holiday Tree’, is a Christmas tree that is decorated for the current holiday. For instance, in October it had jack-o-lantern and skull & cross bone ornaments to represent Halloween. I’m sure that for St. Patty’s day it will be adorned with green shamrocks and for the 4^th of July, it’ll be covered in red, white and blue.  

My father in law loves Christmas, he passed down that love to my husband and my husband just reinforced the love I had already developed over the years from my childhood. CHRISTMAS IS THE BEST. 

Now, one thing I should admit is that I tend to have an unhealthy fear of breaking tradition. I don’t know what I think will happen if we don’t do exactly what we’ve done in past Christmases, but let’s just say I’m not willing to find out. 

Growing up, my family had a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve. Well, one year we were traveling on the east coast and our Christmas Eve was spent on a train. I was devastated! That is NOT how our evening should’ve been spent. We were supposed to be in our pj’s, drinking hot Dr. Pepper with lemon and listening to Johnny Mathis. I somehow recovered. 

This year is a little bittersweet. It is the first Christmas I’ll spend with my husband as a married couple; however it’s also the first Christmas I’ll spend apart from my parents. But I’m finding ways to keep my family near, by incorporating some of their traditions into our new Crosby Christmas Traditions.  

As mentioned above, I don’t typically stray from tradition, but it is important for Brian and me to establish traditions of our own. That is why I have been searching all over the internet to find the perfect recipe for our Christmas morning meal. Every year, without fail, my mother made Baked Apple Pancakes and it was special because she only made it on Christmas. Now, I never really liked the recipe, but that’s beside the point. Tradition is tradition! 

I want to make something sweet, like coffee cake or cinnamon rolls, but I want it to be unique and something special that will only be made December 25^th of every year. However, Brian doesn’t share a love for sweets like I do (which makes it difficult to fit in my pants when I make cupcakes and I’m the only one eating them), so I wanted to make a savory dish as well. 

So I can have a piece of my mother with me in the kitchen on Christmas morning, I decided to make her recipe that I’ve learned is similar to Monkey Bread.  

I thought I’d share the recipe here:

“Pull Aparts”

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg of whomp biscuits (For those not in my family, whomp biscuits are refrigerated buttermilk biscuits typically made by Pillsbury. The name comes from the action/sound that occurs when hitting the package on the side of the counter to get it to split open.)
• ½ stick melted butter
• ½ cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

• Separate biscuits, cut each into 4 pieces.
• Dip each piece in butter then dredge in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
• Place in greased baking dish with sides touching.
• Bake according to whomp biscuit package directions.
• When done, immediately turn out onto serving dish and eat warm. 
• *You can pile these on top of each other in baking dish. Mom prefers them layered so they get a little crisper

Looks easy enough, right? I’m sure it is, but you better believe I’ll have my mom on facetime speed dial just in case. My mother made this for us quite a few times, so I can attest to the amazingly delicious flavor and aroma this recipe creates. 

I can’t however, attest to the deliciousness of this next recipe because I’ve never made it and I actually took two separate recipes and combine them. I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll be a success because due to my level of laziness, I don’t plan on doing a trial run before Christmas. 

I’ve dubbed it the “Merry, Meaty Christmas Casserole”.

Prep Time: 10 min + chilling

Bake Time: 50 min

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients: 

• 7 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1 cup breakfast sausage

Directions

• In a greased 11in x 7in baking dish, spread ham into the bottom of dish
• Butter one side of bread, then cut slices into cubes.
• Arrange butter cubes of bread atop ham, then layer cheese over bread. 
• Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat, drain off any fat, and let cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper; stir in sausage, pour over bread and cheese. 
• Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I can’t wait to try this because it seems pretty straight forward to make and I’m sure it will taste heavenly! I’ll let you know how it turns out. 

Cheers to discovering new traditions and cherishing the old! 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

I like to think I’m a crafty gal. I see all the cute things on Pinterest and in my head, I convince myself that I can replicate them exactly. Well, let’s be honest, there has been more than one instance where my final product didn’t turn out even close to the example online. Whether it be a recipe or a DIY project, I’m lucky if end up with something that my husband doesn’t laugh at. But Saturday was the exception to that rule x 2! 

Friday night, Brian and I went to Hobby Lobby to find a tree skirt and a tree topper for our Christmas tree. None of the tree skirts really matched our style and even at 50%, they were still a little pricey. (I’m cheap, what can I say?) We did find a cute red, glittery star for the topper, but I was disappointed that we were leaving without a skirt because our Christmas tree didn’t look complete. Then it hit me. I remembered seeing a no-sew tree skirt on Pinterest. So as soon we got home, I turned on the computer and got to searchin'. I found a few different sites with varying instructions, but they all said at least 4 yards of fabric were necessary. 

Luckily Brian was in a good mood and headed back to the HobLob with me without a complaint. I wanted to include him in the decision making, so I let him pick out the fabric. We both agreed on red and black (those are the colors of our apartment, so we were naturally drawn to those) and Brian decided we needed a pattern to break things up. I offered a few damask prints that he wanted nothing to do with. Then we found the holiday patterns and I reluctantly agreed on a green fabric with holly berries. I was afraid it might cheese the whole thing up, but since it was going to be for ‘our’ tree, I thought it best to let Brian have what he wanted too. I mean, it’s 'our' tree skirt, so thats only fair. 

After using HobLob’s 40% off coupon every way we found possible, the cost of the materials still ended up costing almost as much as a full price tree skirt….Oops. Brian, of course just shook his head. I tried convincing him that even though it was more expensive, it will be so much more special because it was handmade and we’ll have it for years to come. Again, just a head shake. 

Oh well! I was on a mission and to be honest, I was super excited to have a project. Since the wedding, I’ve felt a little out of sorts because I haven’t had a project to focus on. 

After cutting out a big round circle from the red fabric, I cut 2 ½ inch wide strips from each color. So I had a million strips of 4 yard long fabric all over the place and in the meantime, my dooger decided to participate in the festivities and took a whiz right on the holly berry fabric. Oh the joys of being a dooger mommy. After I threw her in the garbage (jk, I would never do that..), I got back to work. :) 

About 5 minutes into actually constructing the skirt, I realized the project was going to be a major undertaking. This thing was going to take freaking HOURS. Ugh. But I wasn’t about to give up. I had just spent $58.00 on fabric and we needed a gosh darn tree skirt. So I sat there for 3+ hours on a Friday night diligently working. Of course I had the soothing background noise of my husband’s ‘shoot em up’ video game, but I also had my best friend, Woodchuck to get me through the night. 

I got a little bit over half way finished by midnight, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Must.get.sleep.

The next morning I was pleasantly awoken to my dooger barking up a storm, so I thought I’d get right back to my project and finish the dang thing. I was only at it for about an hour and a half when my husband woke up and I was almost finished. He, of course being the sweet loving man that he is, told me how incredible it looked and how happy he was that we didn’t settle with some store bought one. And really, that’s all it took. After cursing the project all night and morning, my outlook had changed just by hearing those encouraging words from my hubby. This will be the tree skirt that our future kids will know and expect to see under the tree each year. Our handmade tree skirt is just the beginning of the new Crosby holiday traditions. Oh how I love my husband for helping me see that! And as it turns out, the green holly berry fabric really added some pizazz! I should take the mister's advice more often. ;)

Here is the finished product. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out! It’s not perfect, but it was made with love for my family. 

Now our tree is complete. Oh and there is our dooger’s butt. What a nice addition to the picture. :)

So I guess this was one of those rare exceptions where my project actually turned out to be comparable to the DIY on Pinterest. Oh and speaking of DIY projects, I attempted to make eggnog from scratch for the first time on Sunday and although it smells like breakfast sausage, it actually tastes pretty good. So that’s two successful projects in 1 weekend. Maybe I’m doing better than I thought. :)

Here’s to the crazy, messy projects that sometimes turn out surprisingly well! Cheers!

Cooking Attempt #1

I did it. I survived my first attempt at cooking one of the Pioneer Woman's recipes. It wasn't perfect, but it tasted freakin' DELISH!

I got off early from work today and had already made my grocery list, so I headed straight for the store. Of course I picked up some unnecessary goodies (ingredients for cookies), but I was on a mission to get home and get cookin'.

Despite the 80 degree weather, I was in the Christmas spirit. I had the Christmas tree plugged in and lit a cinnamon candle, although that was partly because my dooger, Griffyn, had taken a HUGE dookie in the bathroom, but thats a whole 'nother story.

The recipe I attempted and somewhat successfully mastered was Ree Drummond's Bowtie Chicken Alfredo. It called for 3/4 cup of dry white wine and I bought a brand spankin new bottle of vino. So before I even got to cookin', I poured myself a glass of wine and got the party started!

This fancy $4.00 bottle of chardonnay really hit the spot. As you can see, I value fine wine and spend big bucks to get the appropriate flavor and aroma desired. Ok, lets be real. I know NOTHING about wine, as long as its white and isn't too sweet, Imma be drinkin' the whole darn bottle!

Back to the recipe. So I started with the chicken and I think its safe to say that I am still a novice when it comes to cooking it correctly. I've decided there is a fine line between undercooking and overcooking and for the life of me, I can't seem to find that freaking line! I'm way too scared to serve my husband pink chicken, partly because I know my parents taught me better than that and partly because I don't want to clean up his puke in the middle of the night. So I stick my knife in the middle of the chicken breast and if I see even the tiniest hint of pink, I tell myself to give it another minute or so, but I'm too paranoid so I really end up leaving it in the pan for 5 minutes and next thing I know, I'm serving a meal full of tasty rubber for dinner.

Isn't it deceiving? At this point the chicken was so chewy, it would make your jaw tired within the first 10 seconds, but it looks so scrumptious. It was sautéed in butter and it was perfectly browned on the outside. It wasn't until I tried cutting it into strips that I realized how utterly inedible it really was.

This recipe had me at garlic. The two things I require in just about any meal, whether home cooked or ordered at a restaurant are jalapeños or garlic. I like my food spicy and I like to ward off vampires with my breath. This recipe called for two cloves of garlic, so I minced 3 cloves just to be on the safe side. I mean, come on, you can never have too much garlic.

The alfredo sauce consisted of half and half, cream, white wine, butter, garlic and shredded parmesan. The smell that wafted through the kitchen was incredible! Ms. Pioneer Woman mentioned that chicken broth could be substituted for the wine, but I think that would've really taken away from the flavor. Plus, then I wouldn't have a way to justify my midweek drinking. :)

The one thing I forgot to pick up at the store was bowtie pasta, but I figured I would make the recipe my own by using whatever I had at home. Well, I had three half empty boxes of rigatoni, shell and penne, so I decided to be artistic and I used them all. They taste the same, am I right?

Once the sauce had thickened a bit, I added the pasta and chicken. Then I topped it off with some more parmesan and parsley, just to make it look nice. To be honest, I don't really know if there is any other point to parsley. I've never noticed that it has a distinct enough flavor to really stand out in a meal. In this case, I think it sort of spruces up the otherwise bland looking dish.

I popped some garlic bread in the oven and had I added some type of veggie, I think I would've made my mother very proud with this meal. But veggies taste gross, end of story. So I made a very carb-o-licious dish and it tasted AMAZING! Brian agreed that the chicken was overcooked and thought the sauce was a bit too runny, but overall he enjoyed it.

For my first try, I'm giving myself a pat on the back. I have some definite room for improvement, but this recipe will be added to my recipe book FO SHOW!

Oh and not to toot my own horn or anything, but as I was making dinner, I was also being a hardcore multitasker because I was making snickerdoodle cookies from scratch for my hubby. I found the soft snickerdoodle recipe just by googling it and I was pleasantly surprised, as was Brian. They are his favorite cookie and for weeks I've been telling him I'll bake them and I just hadn't gotten around to it. But after realizing how fast the prep and bake time was and tasting their heavenly deliciousness, I know this recipe is a keeper.

Although I hate the cleanup (thats what a husband is there for, can I get an AMEN?!), cooking and baking is really a lot of fun. Tonight was also a little special because its rare that I get home in time to have dinner ready and on the table when the Mister gets home from work. I felt like I should've been wearing pearls and heels. June Cleaver better watch out, Mrs. Crosby is in the hizzle.

Now lets just hope my next post isn't so monochromatic.

Cheers!

Julie and Julia:: Melissa and Ree Drummond

I’m a wife, so I cook dinner. Wait, let me rephrase that. I’m a wife and I attempt to cook dinner. I knew I should’ve paid attention when my mom dragged me into the kitchen when I was younger. But at the time, I was more interested in my social life and the relationship status of Cory and Topanga than slaving away in the kitchen. Biggest regret of my life!

Thank goodness my mother-in-law bought me a crockpot as a bridal shower gift. I’ve attempted to cook chicken on the stove twice and I’ve ended up with overcooked, rubbery chicken, so I’ve given up and I do all my meat cookin’ in the crockpot. Now not only have my skills, or lack thereof, limited me to the slow cooker, but I have a very boring imagination. I make the same 4 meals each week. Monday: chicken enchiladas with green sauce, Tuesday: beef enchiladas with red sauce, Wednesday: shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches, Thursday: shredded chicken ceasar sandwiches, Friday- Sunday: we go out to eat(my favorite days of the week). For the days that I forget to throw stuff in the slow cooker, mac n cheese and hot dogs is my go to meal.

Luckily Brian doesn’t have very high expectations.

I’ve only been a wife for a little over a month, so I know I’m not expected to be Giada or Rachel Ray, but I need to add some variety and some veggies for goodness sake. I’m currently obsessed with The Pioneer Woman and her blog http://thepioneerwoman.com/. Not only is she talented in the kitchen, but she is flippin’ hilarious! If I can master her recipes, I will die a happy woman.

So that’s my goal. Once a week, (I don’t want to be too ambitious) I’m going to pick one the recipes from her blog and do my best at recreating it.

Don’t you fret, I’ll definitely document what I’m sure will result in a horrendously messy kitchen (which I’ll make Brian clean up) and meal that hopefully tastes good, even if it looks a hot mess.

Here’s to a new cooking adventure!



Oh and for anyone who wants to buy me a Christmas present (hint hint, Mom), I have something else to add to the list:

You'll shoot your eye out.

I should probably start off by saying, if you're reading what is my attempt at a somewhat entertaining blog, I appreciate it and probably owe you a drink just for stopping by. I want to document all of the craziness that has been my life since I half decided and was half forced to grow up this past year. But so much has happened and I cant figure out where to begin.

I think its best to start with life now and at some point I'm sure I'll find an appropriate time to reference an event or two from the past.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know..." Ok, lets be real. I've spent the past 22 years of my life in this blazing desert and I never once experienced a white Christmas, but you get the idea. Its Christmas time and this year more important than ever because I got myself hitched and my hubby and I finally get to start our own family holiday traditions.

We bought our first fake Christmas tree, which Brian didn't love. But come on people, think of the money we will save by investing in this cheap, on sale, Target tree. I'm a little bias because I only ever had fake trees growing up. They look great for years, whereas a real tree may smell nice, but it sheds and lasts a few weeks. Brian thinks I'm missing out on the experience of Christmas by opting out of a real tree, but we found a compromise.

The Bath and Body Works candle that smells just like a honest to goodness, real Christmas tree. 

This marriage thing might not be too hard after all. I mean, if we can compromise about something Christmas related (keep in mind, we put up our decorations November 1st. I'd say we're a little  hardcore), then everything else has got to be as easy as pie. Speaking of pie, I love the holidays and all the yummy treats that accompany them. I'm putting on the pounds just thinking about it. Yummm....

Thanksgiving is a less exciting holiday, but still not to be ignored because of the obvious reason, food. Brian and I spent our turkey day in Rochester, MN. Not only was it our first trip on a plane together, which turned out to be a whole bunch of nonsense, mostly because I booked a flight under my married name while failing to change my drivers license from my maiden name...lets pretend Brian isn't still saying, "you should've listened to me when I told you to go to the DMV"...but it was our first major holiday as a married couple and we got to spend it with my lovely parents at their new home in what I like to believe is the coldest effing place in the world. 

Here we are freezing our unmentionables off, while standing in line for the Black Friday deals at Target, with no particular deal in mind. If my memory serves me correct, it was approximately 17 degrees outside. Mmm...yeah...thats freaking cold. 

But now that Thanksgiving is over its time to focus on the best holiday of the year. "Ring-a-ling, here them sing. Its Christmastime in the city." I can't get enough of the cheery holiday tunes on 99.9 KEZ, the mall is the absolute best place to be (oddly, it makes Brian happy when the mall parking lots are outrageously full and we have to drive around for an hour just to find a spot), and I finally have a reason to drink all the hot chocolate I want. What could possibly be better?

We have already purchased, wrapped and hidden all of my parents Christmas presents. We plan to send them on a scavenger hunt Christmas morning. But we haven't gone shopping for anyone else. What do people want this year? What do I even want? The older I get, the shorter and less exciting my wish list gets. Here's what I've come up with so far:

What can I say, V Mars is my homegirl. 

Super cute toggle coat from Old Navy. 

But thats all I could come up with thus far. Pathetic. What would the 8 year old me think of this? I'm sure she'd be appalled. 

Well, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! 

Until next time.