"Truth be told, for a long time, I wouldn't give this recipe out. Then I realized that I was doing the world a great disservice by not sharing it. This is a twist on the traditional mashed potatoes served at every holiday meal. My in-laws have dubbed it Mubba-tatoes (Mubba's my nickname) and its the only kind my mother in law will eat. Last year when they spent the holidays with us, on several occasions I would discover that my father in law- a serious diabetic who shouldn't eat these- would be sneaking them in the middle of the night. They really are the best mashed potatoes you will ever eat.
8-10 potatoes
1 tsp fresh garlic
1 stick butter
1 block cream cheese
approx 1/2 cup sour cream
Boil the potatoes like usual, except when you throw the potatoes in the pot, include the garlic as well. When they're done cooking, add the butter and cream cheese. Mash until smooth. A Kitchen Aid does an exceptional job. After the potatoes are smooth, add sour cream. You might want to add some more- I usually do. But it depends on your personal taste. If you don't have any garlic, you can add ranch dressing with the sour cream- but only a few tablespoons.
These are in no way good for your physical health. But boy are they good for your mental health. Total comfort food."
I usually poke holes all over the roast and then sprinkle on the spices, squeeze out the juice of a grapefruit and orange and then wrap it in bacon to cook. I usually cook it in the crockpot for about 6 hours. (Mom does it in the oven). We don’t measure, but you can smell and judge what are good amounts of things.
On Christmas Day, we use the leftover pork to make Cuban Sandwiches. We also then fry the yucca and make yucca fries with a lemony garlic sauce.
Christmas Day Cuban Sandwiches
French Bread
Leftover Pork, pulled apart
Yellow Mustard
Swiss Cheese
Ham
Dill Pickles
Butter
We cut the French bread lengthwise and then spread mustard onto both sides of the bread. Then, we put on the pork, ham, cheese and pickles. Then we close up the French bread to make one big long sandwich and butter the outside of the bread. Then take a cookie sheet and a heavy iron pan and put it over the bread and press down onto a griddle at about 300*. Flip the sandwich when the bread starts to get brown the cheese is melting. Cut it up into smaller sandwiches and eat with yucca fries (pictured below) or potato chips."
It’s not Christmas morning at our house without Lemon Bread! We have this, and pull apart cake. Lemon Bread is my favorite, and pull apart cake is my husband’s. So, we do both. Oh darn, lots and lots of sugar-coated bread for us to eat.
Lemon Bread
3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup sugar 1 pkg yeast 4 1/2 cup sifted flour juice and grated rind of 1 lemon Glaze (directions below) 1/2 cup margarine 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup warm water 2 eggs, beaten
In small saucepan, scald milk. Stir in butter, sugar, and salt. (If you use powdered milk, you can skip this and just warm the ingredients in the microwave.) Cool to lukewarm. In small bowl, sprinkle yeast into warm water. Stir until yeast is dissolved. In large bowl, place flour. Add milk mixture, dissolved yeast, eggs, and lemon juice and rind. Mix well. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Place in a large, greased bowl. Cover with wax paper and clean towel. Let rise until doubled. Then, punch dough down. Shape as desired. Let rise until half double in size. Bake 10 mins at 325 and then 30-35 mins at 359.
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, juice and rind of 1 lemon. Pour over bread while still warm.
"No thanksgiving or Christmas feast is complete without the most AMAZING cream corn. If you have ever had cream corn in a can, completely throw that out the window! I had never had it and just the other day I accidentally bought it instead of regular canned corn. No wonder my in-laws thought I was absolutly nuts when I said I loved the stuff, They had only had the canned JUNK, which looked like the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. That went straight in the trash. You MUST try this recipe at your next feast. mmmmm I am salivating right now. This recipe reminds me of the holidays. ENJOY!
Cream Corn (Megan's Favorite)
20 oz. package corn ( petite white is the best)
8 oz. whipping cream
8 oz. milk
1 tsp. salt
6 tsp. sugar
Combine all together and bring to a boil and then simmer 5 min.
Mix together 2 tbs. melted butter
2 tbs. flour
Combine with corn, heat till bubbly. Put in casserole dish and Broil till brown."
What are the holidays about if not food?! (Don't answer that)What are your favorite holiday treats? Do you have something you always make at Christmas as gifts or for your family to chow down on? Let's share some festive recipes! (And if people don't email in I'll just post up a bunch of my favorites, yes I have that power! haha!)
"Oh man I LOVE Christmas Music. And I HATE it. Oh yes, Christmas music and I have the most powerful love-hate relationship of all time, more even than Claudio and Hero of Shakespeare fame.
I'll be the first person to delcare myself to be a music snob, I wear the badge proudly. But don't think for a second that I am going to judge you for listening to Kanye West or Mariah Carey. Too many people mistakenly assume that because I am a music snob I only listen to what they call "classical" music. Let's just throw that out right now. It's no that I only listen to stuff that is more than 100 years old, its that I only listen to GOOD music. There's a difference. Your misconception comes perhaps fromt he fact that very little bad music lasts for over 100 years, so naturally the good old stuff is stuff that I listen to. (And don't even get me started on the defifnition of "classical" music. Let me sum up. If you get to call everything that was written more than 100 years ago "classical" then I get to call everything that was written less than 100 years ago "pop". The minute you try to correct me as to what constitutes "Pop", hip hop, R&B, rap, country, tweenie music, boy bands, or whatever else you want to lecture me on, I will return with a lecture on the difference between Bach and Beethoven, who were incidentally seperated by more than 150 years as well as the purpose with which they composed music. There is so much more difference there than there is between Miley Cyrus and Tupak, seriously, Bach and Beethoven even altered their harmonic structures!)
But we should step off that soapbox and return to Christmas music. Also, I am going through these questions backwards.
3)What is your least favorite song, the one you can't stand? You know it, there is that one song that forces you to change the radio station when it comes on. Here's your chance to rant.
Once upon a time, I was called a "Music-Hating Grinch". That's right. Granted it was before I was accepted to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (which is a recent development ni my life) but it was by a fellow cast member in an opera. It was because I posted a blog post about the worst Christmas songs ever, which you are welcome to read if you would like. (personally I think its the best bit of writing I have ever done) http://ibeimomenti.blogspot.com/2008/12/top-ten-worst-christmas-songs-ever.html
Now the thing you have to know about this list, whether or not you choose to read it, is that its really about the sincerity of the music. I always judge music on its sincerity, but I am convinced that above all other music, Christmas music should be held to a standard of truthfulness and sincerity. I'm not so concerned if a song doesn't quite reflect my personal beliefs, but I get pretty up in arms about whether or not it reflects the beliefs of the people singing it. Like Niel Diamond (A Jewish man) singing O Holy Night. I have no patience for it. Maybe he can get away with Joy to the World, since the text reflects a Jewish belief in a coming Messiah. Or that crap about the Christmas Shoes, which is a fictional story written to induce a false emotional response. No wonder people think religion is a lie, if this is the crap they hear. The scriptures are pretty clear, Faith has to be in something that is True. Which is also why the Forgotten Carols top off my list of worst Christmas songs ever. Two words: Not True.
(Now you see why I had to go backwards. There is some stuff I feel really strongly about.)
2) Which Christmas song touches you the most or has the most profound message in your opinion?
Some of my favorites have already come up. Ally mentioned that text from In the Bleak Mid-Winter, which I absolutely love. The other bit of text that brings me to tears every time is from a Mack Wilberg arrangement of The First Noel. You can find it on one of the Tab Choir Christmas CDs, but I know it from having sung it before they did (Hah! Me First!)
Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our Heavenly Lord That He this glorious earth hath wrought And with His blood mankind hath bought. NOEL!
But you also just HAVE to hear the recording, I mean the sopranos do this soaring note and the harmonies just build into this glorious moment and I'm just sayin'. Wow.
1) What is your all-time favorite Christmas song or the CD you always throw in the first day of December? Or your favorite song to sing?
OK, here is where I confess to being one of those people that keeps Christmas music on my little ipod shuffle all year round. Sometimes its just a few, sometimes its a ton, and always it includes that recording of The First Noel. But come the day after thanksgiving the first cd I throw in is the soundtrack from the new Miracle on 34th Street. It's a great blend of music, and the very last song is this very pretty "Song for a Winter's Night" by Sarah Mclachlan. It's actually one of the few songs I could leave on repeat for an entire day and never get tired of it. But it's not very easy to find, so it's nice that its not done often and that I'm the only one really humming it all the time."
"Many years ago, I attended school at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. It was lonely, I'm not gonna lie. The town was built around a brewery. In fact, their claim to fame is that they have the longest stretch of bars in the world. 3rd Street in downtown La Crosse stretches for over 5 miles. And its all bars. During my time in La Crosse, as far as friends go, I had to choose between those who drank legally and those who drank illegally. I chose those who drank legally. I had two other friends who also felt that way- one was greek orthodox and the other was a devout non-denominational Christian who lived as she believed. One night, while all of campus was at the Campus Christmas Drinking Party, my devout non-denominational Christian friend and I enjoyed dinner and exchanged presents and goodbyes. Since I wasn't going to be returning after Christmas break, it was really the last time we'd see each other. She gave me a CD called Jingle Bell Jazz. She had found it at Williams Sonoma in the check out aisle- you know one of those $5 go to charity deals. Its a collection of several classic Jazz artists doing Christmas songs. Beautiful. We were both music majors- french horn players- and both loved listening to the rich sounds of Billie Holladay and Frank Sinatra- fully recognizing of course that being horn players, we'd never possess the talent that it takes to execute such music.
(Melissa, this is the picture I found when I googled it...is it the right one? It's on Amazon, I want to buy it if it's the right one!)
I brought the CD out to Provo with me when I transferred and introduced it to my new roommates. They all fell in love with it. We listened to it quite a bit during those years. Many nights we would sit on the couches sipping hot chocolate and listening to it. Or building our gingerbread houses- like the epic quidditch field we built one year. The CD not only reminds me of Christmas, but also of my dear devout non-denominational Christian friend who was a lifesaver during my freshman year of college, and of my Centenniel #224 roommates and the good times we had there. Now, when I'm feeling crabby during the Christmas season, Matt will turn it on and it immediately brightens my mood. I love it!
The Christmas song that I think is the most profound is "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day." Longfellow does a beautiful job expressing the meaning of Christmas in those verses.
The Christmas song that I can't deal with is Feliz Navidad. It reminds me of a certain choir teacher from my youth who played it all the time and he was a creep. Plus, it really is just annoying."
1) What is your all-time favorite Christmas song or the CD you always throw in the first day of December? Or your favorite song to sing?
"D. All of the above. Okay, not all of the above. Lucky for me, I have a 6 CD changer, and I throw them in and put it on shuffle. I couldn’t pick just one. Right now, “Celtic Women” is playing. We also really enjoy “The Jamaican Noel”, by a group that I can’t remember the name of. "
2) Which Christmas song touches you the most or has the most profound message in your opinion?
"Handel’s Messiah wins “most profound message”, hands down. But, one song that I enjoy thinking about is “Little Drummer Boy”. It’s not just a story about a little boy who played the drum. It is a story about Christ accepting our gifts, no matter how small they are. And, it is a story about how the greatest gift we can give Him is the use of our talents. It reminds me to not downplay how important what I can do is, even if it pales in comparison to the other gifts people give."
(Jessica, I found this video of two things you mentioned you like! I'm awesome. It's a pretty arrangement. I approve.)
3)What is your least favorite song, the one you can't stand?
"Christmas Shoes for my dead mother. I always yell “No” when it comes on the radio, and change the station. The other one is “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time”, which my husband finds amusing to sing to me. Oh, and wait, speaking of my husband, he seems to be missing his Alvin the Chipmunks CD. Gee, I can’t imagine what happened to it. (insert evil laugh). No, actually, I don’t know where it is. But, I’m not making much of an effort to find it, that’s for sure."
1) For some reason, I love Harry Connick Jr at Christmas time. He makes me happy. I think it's because my mom used to always play his songs when I was a kid (I think she's got a pretty big crush on him!), and now his voice just says Christmas and fun and excitement to me. I just want to throw a Christmas party and drink lots of hot chocolate and eat Christmas cookies! If you listen to this and you don't smile, I will wonder if you've got some Grinch in you.
2) In terms of Christmas songs that have really touched me, I think automatically of O Holy Night, which can always get my heart pounding. I'm sure most of you won't argue with me on that one. There's also great arrangement of The First Noel with Pachelbel's Canon that I love. But I couldn't find a version of it on youtube that wasn't a bunch of middle schoolers belting it out, so I will spare you the video and let you imagine it in your mind.
But one of my other favorites is Sissel singing "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" with the MoTab. The song is haunting, the lyrics are beautiful.
What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; Yet what I can I give Him... give my heart.
3) Christmas music I can't stand? I'm sorry but I absolutely despise "The Twelve Days of Christmas"- it is repetitive and obnoxious and must be destroyed.
And I will never understand the lyrics to "Baby it's cold outside." I once wrote a rant about this on my blog. This is not a healthy relationship- him trying to talk her into staying even though she's nervous about it. And then there's this exchange: Her: The neighbors might think... Him: Baby, it's bad out there. Her: Say, what's in this drink? And every time I hear it I think it's amazing how they've made date-rape seem so festive.
Hey everyone, I'm back! Sorry for slacking on the blog lately, I have been focused on making it through my morning sickness. But luckily I now have drugs and I'm feeling better, so let's get chatting!
It's Christmas time! Let's talk about one of the best things about Christmas: the music!!
1) What is your all-time favorite Christmas song or the CD you always throw in the first day of December? Or your favorite song to sing?
2) Which Christmas song touches you the most or has the most profound message in your opinion?
3)What is your least favorite song, the one you can't stand? You know it, there is that one song that forces you to change the radio station when it comes on. Here's your chance to rant.
Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la la la la LA!
"When I was young (yes I was young once) my grandma Gangee (yes we called her Gangee) brought donuts every Halloween, right before Trick or Treating. You young Moms may want to establish your own family traditions, although I have to say in the 60's high blood sugar wasn't as much of a concern (at least not in my house). So anyway, Gangee arrived with the donuts the year I had strept throat, and I couldn't swallow a bite. You know the rules, if you don't eat your donut, you can't go Trick or Treating for candy. After all the hours I had put into painting a large cardboard box tombstone gray, and inscribing the words 'Here lie the bones of Tom Jones, who should have looked before he leaped' - I was miserable. Luckily, my siblings were all taxed to cover my losses, kinda like nationalized healthcare, and I made out like bandit. Also had a great costume ready for the following year. Every cloud has a silver lining..."
I will never forget the Christmas morning when I sat under the tree, surrounded by gifts and family members tearing into their gifts.
And I had to lay down. You KNOW you are sick when you can't even scrounge up the energy to open your presents on Christmas morning.
I later ended up hospitalized for dehydration and high fever from my pneumonia. But the worst moment of all was not being able to open my gifts. Bah humbug!
"I currently have the swine flu. In fact, my mom, dad, and grandparents have it also. I'm feeling a lot better though. My grandparents are the ones I'm worried about, but I think they are on the downhill side of this yucky illness. We spent the night in the emergency room with my grandpa earlier this week so he could have IVs. Luckily, everyone was semi-feeling better for Thanksgiving. I was able to go out to The Hungry Hunter and pick up some prime rib dinners for our family. As of now, everyone is doing MUCH better. And our Thanksgiving day wasn't too terrible - I was together with my family, my grandpa was out of the hospital, there were no dishes to do, and we all watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving :) We still have a lot to be thankful for.
"I never got sick for the holidays. Lucky me. My sister, though, seemed to only get sick on holidays. She’d have 100% attendance at school, but still suffer all of the illnesses we did. She just saved hers for days off of school. I always felt bad for her.
I did have one Christmas, though, that ranks way up there for having a sick family member. I had a new baby just before Christmas, and we were excited to have him home on the big day. On Christmas morning, I woke up and knew something was wrong. He was yellow, and lethargic. I knew he had jaundice. We allowed our older child to open Christmas presents, but we knew we had to take him in. We loaded up a tray of cookies for the nurses, and figured we’d stop at the hospital to have his bili-levels checked, and then go on to the celebrations at my brother’s house. I figured, at worse, we’d have to take a light with us to his house. No, that isn’t the worst that can happen. The worst that can happen is you sit for 30 mins in a waiting room, holding your little baby, and then a nurse comes in, and SHE is crying, and you know it isn’t good. Different levels mean different treatments. Anything under a 7, they leave. Under a 10, they don’t treat, but ask that you come back for another test. Under 13, they send you with a billi-blanket. Under 20, they hospitalize with banks of lights. Once the levels hit 30, you are looking at brain damage in your child. His level was a 29. He still holds the record for the highest levels in our hospital, ever. I went from sitting there, wondering how long until we could go to get Christmas dinner, to wondering if my child would have permanent brain damage.
They rushed and put every light they could find in the hospital on him. I could hold him for 20 mins every 3 hours. My father-in-law came to the hospital to assist in giving him a blessing. My mother-in-law came with. They brought Christmas dinner to us. I remember sitting there, at that little hospital room table, barely able to taste the ham and potatoes. Our toddler amused himself, and the nurses, by running his new tractors up and down the hall. We had all sorts of visitors coming to see us, because that’s what people do at Christmas. I had a new, beautiful baby that I loved to show off (as all moms do), but I had to do it pointing through a glass window, and showing the little thing under all those blue lights. Don’t think, for a minute, though, that those visits people make to hospitals, to see perfect strangers, don’t mean the world to those who are in the hospital. People gave him quilts, and books, and little stuffed animals that he still has and loves. For me, though, I was encouraged by anyone who would come and tell me how beautiful he was, and was willing to say a prayer for us.
The ordeal lasted a month. He endured lots of tests, and had a team of doctors across the state working on his case. It didn’t act like normal jaundice. But, in a month, his body kicked in, and his liver started working, and we were done. He is an active little boy now, and shows no problems from his early trials. The whole thing effected me more than him. Every Christmas, I can’t help but think about that little, tiny, helpless baby, and the helpless feeling I had as I had to just watch him and now hold him.
It reminds of what a blessing the gospel truly is. The whole purpose of Christ coming down to earth was to allow families to be together. For all those mothers who have ever ached to hold their baby, that is the greatest gift of all. "
Ok friends, it's Nancy Beth here. Ally is in the throes of morningsickness and she has delegated to me the weighty issue of hot chocolate blog topic selection. In honor of her trial during this time of food and celebration, I would like to know if you have ever been miserably ill during your favorite holiday. (I know the no brainer is to post what you are thankful for, but I figure all the blogs will be doing that, and if we are nothing else here, we are unique.) So tell me, did ou ever have strep throat at Christmas, Chicken Pox on Halloween, or the dreaded flu on Thanksgiving? Did you have to endure a sick family member, spouse, parent, or child, in the midst of decorations and preparations? Did it ruin your holiday? Are you left with a greater appreciation for health and holiday now that you have endured it? Share with us and we will empathize and sympathize and maybe even patronize! (only in a very nice way.)
"When I was a kid, I had a few favorite toys. I remember for my 5th birthday, I had a party and McDonald's and I got one of those magic hair dolls. When you raised her left arm to the butterfly in her hair, her ponytail grew longer. It was so cool. And all of the girls were really jealous of me. My parents even bought the one with red hair, so it was just like me. I can't for the life of me remember what they were called. Sad.
Pretty Pretty Princess was also a favorite. I took a Pretty Pretty Princess play set to one of my friends for her birthday present. It was the hardest thing I had ever had to do. And to be perfectly honest, I don't think anything since has been as difficult, comparatively. Yeah, childbirth isn't easy, but I didn't have to talk myself into it like I had to with this one. I really wanted to be sick so I didn't have to go to the party. Her name was Stormy by the way. She lived on the corner of our street, about 6 houses down. It was the longest walk of my life.
And the ultimate, My Little Ponies. I only had one or two, but I loved them dearly. In May, I was in a thrift store and found several for a dollar or two a piece. I bought every single one of them for Charlotte. I sat on her bedroom floor and tried to convince her to play with them. She ignored me. Matt found me sitting on the floor playing with them by myself. I was slightly horrified that he caught me reliving my childhood like this. For the record, 6 months later, Charlotte loves the ponies and carries them around. So it wasn't a wasted 10 dollars."
"My whole life, I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll. I wasn't lacking in childhood toys at all, in fact, I owned, (and still own) nearly every piece of Strawberry Shortcake paraphenalia ever made. Not this new revised version either. The one with the cute dress and the oversized hat and the pink kitten with white polka dots. You know, the cute strawberry shortcake. I have her on a quilt that my grandmothers made for me, and I still sleep with it to this day. She's hangin' out with her ever so cute boyfriend Huckleberry Pie and his dog with the green striped ears. (Now that I am thinking about it, I really need to start making this my halloween costume for next year. How fun would that be!)
But back to the Cabbage Patch doll. It wasn't that I was lacking in 80's era trademark toys, it was actually that my best friend Lindy happened to be the only girl in school with TWO Cabbage Patch Dolls. And somehow, it brought our friendship into question, that she had two and I had none, and every other girl in our class had one. (or so I thought. that's probably not really true.) Of course, the dolls were something like $60, an obscene price tag really. And Lindy only had 2 because her dad tried to buy her love when her parents got divorced, and he bought her a brown haired one that looked like her, and then one day at the bus stop, a school bus ran over Lindy's foot, or something like that. (It wasn't nearly as destructive as it sounds, she was in a cast for a while but she could still walk and stuff. Maybe the bus only sort of rolled while she was getting on. 2nd grade memory is skewed not only by the time that has passed but also by the perceptions of 7 year olds). At any rate, the bus driver felt bad and went and bought her the 2nd one, and he bought her the most coveted doll of all, the blond one, with two pigtails, and her name was "Suzanne". And when I went to her house, we would watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with the Mousketeers and sing the theme song and play with the dolls. She always let me play with the brown haired one, whose name I can't quite remember, because she told me she like the bus driver better than she liked her dad. (Pretty sad, actually, that a little girl would have more love for the school bus driver that ran her over than she would for her own father). Whatever, I was just grateful to be best friends with the girl who had two CPDs and was willing to share with me.
And my childhood was just fine, really. I wasn't scarred by the lack of doll. My mom made me two homemade Cabbage Patch Dolls, they released all sorts of spin offs, like the preemies and the silky-hair version (my sister got one of those) and then there were the garbage pail kids and the whole thing sort of died out. Until last Christmas. I was doing my Christmas shopping when I discovered that they had re-released the original Cabbage Patch Doll, and I was so excited I decided to buy one for each of my nieces. I wandered around target with 3 dolls in my cart for over an hour before I realized as I kept gazing at the dolls that my nieces could care less if they ever got cabbage patch dolls. It was me that wanted one. Somewhere inside of my 32 year old body a 7 year old little girl was still begging with all of her heart. So I did what any reasonable 33-year-old-with-a-7-year-old-
trapped-inside-her would do. I wrote a letter to Santa and I posted it on my blog.
And guess what. Santa reads blogs.
Because this is who greeted me Christmas morning:
She came with a birth certificate and her name is Nola. And she has the Xavier signature on her butt (and the cute little butt dimples under her tiny diaper) and the little belly button, she even smells exactly the way I remember them smelling, and, well, she is just perfect. I even counted her fingers and toes.
I couldn't tell you which part of me is more thrilled, the 33 year old who doesn't have a real baby or the 7 year old who finally got the baby she always wanted. But since we are in fact the same person, let's just say that this year when Santa asked me what I wanted, I honestly couldn't think of a single thing."
"It was a purple popple for me. I wanted one so bad one year. And it had to be purple! Every chance I had I asked for it. It was Christmas Eve and my parents were letting us open one gift. My older sister said I should open a particular box from my Grandma. (My mom actually bought the gift and labeled it from Grandma, but whatever, it was the same to me). She told me it was a popple. I picked the box hoping it really was a popple and a purple one too! I was not disappointed. It was a small purple with pink hair and blue eyes! I was in love. For a long time that was my cuddle- and-make-me-feel-better stuffed animal. It always makes me smile when I think about that little purple popple now. "
Well, currently my Mom is on a frantic search to get the hottest toy for the grandkids this year...have you guys heard of Zhu-Zhu Pets?They are tiny motorized, computerized hamsters (and accessories) that are completely sold out EVERYWHERE, and are selling for quadruple their value on Amazon. I read somewhere that they are producing a quarter of a million Zhu-Zhu pets every day, but still stores can't keep any in stock. Which is bad news for my nieces and nephews.
Totally reminds me of the Beanie Babies craze. Remember? So now I'm having all kinds of toy flashbacks. Furbies, trolls, Puppy Surprise, Mall Madness.(Trolls still freak me out. I think it's the jeweled belly button that gives me the heebie jeebies)
What was your most desired toy as a kid? What toy still makes you happy when you think about it? You know the one, it's that toy that you would totally still play with if you had it. This week, before the holidays hit, let's talk about all our favorite childhood/vintage toys!
PS: We had a great baby week last week, thanks to all who contributed, especially the new contributors. I love it.
I've been thinking all week about what to send for baby week. And I pretty much got nothin. I mean, tons of my friends are pregnant or have babies (I'm going to a baby shower this weekend!) and billions of girls in my new ward, and we just got a new niece a few weeks ago, and don't think we haven't thought about it yet... and still, I got nothin! For something that I think about and hear about so much you would think I would have something to say about it. But one thing I have been mulling over the past couple of days is: boy or girl?
I decided long, long ago that I wanted to have a boy first. We even have a boy name picked out already. Probably for the same reasons other people want boys first- in anticipation of there being other siblings to follow so they can have an older brother, right, and also I hear that some people prefer the less-emotional boys but I'm really not convinced that either is easier. But a girl from my ward who's expecting brought up an interesting point in favor of girls. She talked about how bored she is at home when her husband is gone and how she doesn't have a lot of friends she can call up on a whim and that she really wants a girl to be her little shopping buddy. Ha! Great idea! (Plus girl babies are tons more fun... I mean who can resist the headbands with GIANT flowers on them) So now I am torn. And although I have always wanted a boy first I have this nagging feeling a girl is in store for me (can non-pregnant future moms even have that feeling??) So any opinions? Boys or girls for first baby??? Or what about... TWINS!!! Oh, if only...
"I have been trying all week to get up the motivation to write on this topic. And I still haven't found that motivation haha So I just thought I would leave a short blurb on the funny things Miley says and some cute pictures of Mrs. Miley and Mr. Austin. (The cutest kids on earth)
Miley Quotes: "I have polka dots in my eyes!" Said when looking in the mirror at her pupils. Miley tells me, I'm a good helper, and kisses my forehead. Yea... she melts my heart. She came up to me and said "you are smart" She then went up to my bread and said "you are smart too!" Hmmm She came up to me and said "Be nice, it's his first day at school!" 10 points to whoever can name that movie.
Well, I am sure that all of those things were probably only cute to me but there you have it!
Kids say the silliest things! Here are a few quotes from my 3 year old, Boyd:
A few days ago we were putting Boyd down for bed and as part of the routine both Aaron and I take a turn laying down for one song beside his bed. As Aaron was laying down with him, Boyd suddenly turns from Aaron to the wall and says:
"Look Monster! I don't care if you sleep next to me but don't take my blanket!"
During a dinner time prayer Boyd says:
"Please bless Daddy that he will be an Alphabet Pig for Halloween."
While driving to a friends house when Boyd really had to use that bathroom:
"NOT COOL, Dad! Driving on all the bumps..."
(Aaron wasn't meaning to drive on the bumps).
While eating dinner last night Boyd fell off the chair in slow motion and in a more scarred than hurt voice said:
"I'm tough, I'm tough!"
When asked to clean his room he came out saying:
"Um...I think I lost my super powers to clean!"
And this one there is no explanation!
"Daddy, we have ants way up in our heads to fix our whistles!"
I also have a 17 month little princess. She is darling and I have to day she is in one of my favorite stages because she is learning so much and is just so darn cute! And she knows it!"
For some reason when I think of babies I think of cute little animals...and I can't separate the two in my head.
Like this cute baby bear beanie found here. at Baby's Got Style.
For a boy, I love the idea of doing a nursery in green with this cute cloth turtle mobile from Baby Gap.
And finally, these Barnyard bathwraps from Pottery Barn. So cute. I want to SQUISH that baby in the green.
One day my baby will probably hate me for dressing and/or surrounding him with cute little animals. But I can't help it...instincts taking over...help!
Oh...and if I have a boy something tells me I will be needing to buy this:
I've been thinking all week about what to send for baby week. And I pretty much got nothin. I mean, tons of my friends are pregnant or have babies (I'm going to a baby shower this weekend!) and billions of girls in my new ward, and we just got a new niece a few weeks ago, and don't think we haven't thought about it yet... and still, I got nothin! For something that I think about and hear about so much you would think I would have something to say about it. But one thing I have been mulling over the past couple of days is: boy or girl?
I decided long, long ago that I wanted to have a boy first. We even have a boy name picked out already. Probably for the same reasons other people want boys first- in anticipation of there being other siblings to follow so they can have an older brother, right, and also I hear that some people prefer the less-emotional boys but I'm really not convinced that either is easier. But a girl from my ward who's expecting brought up an interesting point in favor of girls. She talked about how bored she is at home when her husband is gone and how she doesn't have a lot of friends she can call up on a whim and that she really wants a girl to be her little shopping buddy. Ha! Great idea! (Plus girl babies are tons more fun... I mean who can resist the headbands with GIANT flowers on them) So now I am torn. And although I have always wanted a boy first I have this nagging feeling a girl is in store for me (can non-pregnant future moms even have that feeling??) So any opinions? Boys or girls for first baby??? Or what about... TWINS!!! Oh, if only...
"So, I don't really have any baby friends or relatives at the moment. I would love one of my own, but I feel like I need to find a husband first. However, I don't need a husband for a baby dog. Now, as my cousin constantly reminds me, I know little Bary Manilow does not qualify as a baby. But this is as close as I can get right now.
I went to find Barry on whim one day in February. I had just broken up with a boyfriend, and was feeling sad and alone, especially with Valentine's Day on the horizon. So, just for fun, I decided to look up puppies for sale in the newspaper. The very first add in the paper was for chihuahua puppies. One left, male, mostly white. AWWW!!! So the 5 year old inside me said, I'll just call. I don't want to buy him, I just want to know more about him. Then they asked if I wanted to come see him. Sure, I thought. Looking won't hurt anything. I'll just go and look.
So I called my BFF Ally, and said, "Hey, you want to go look at a tiny baby chihuahua with me?"
Before I knew it, Ally and I were on our way to Saratoga Springs to go look at the little guy. A young family was selling him. The wife answered the door, and the husband was sitting on the couch...with the MOST adorable tiny white puppy I had ever seen in my life. At that moment, I knew I was coming home with a new baby.
Ally helped me name him on the way home. The kids at the house I bought him at called him "Licker". I decided we could do better than that. It was a close race between Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond, but the name Barry eventually won out. Ally was so supportive in my moment of insanity. I mean, it really is crazy to buy a tiny dog while living in an apartment in Provo. Luckily everything worked out, and it turned out to be one of the best spur of the moment decisions I ever made. Thanks, Ally! You are totally Barry's Godmother. "
"Not gonna lie, my birth story with Brody was a nightmare, as was my pregnancy with Charlotte. So, unless anyone is morbidly curious, I'll spare you the details. But, because of the length of time and the intensity of the pain killers I had to take after Brody, I don't remember a much of his early months. But, here's a story for you about when Brody started nursery, taken directly from my blog.
Late Monday evening, we heard a knock on the door. It was our neighbors. They're good friends of ours and its not unusual to chat with them. There was purpose in this visit, beyond idle conversation. The husband (we'll call him Fred) had a story to share with us. As it turns out, he was a sub in nursery the day before. His story unfolds as follows:
"So, usually Brody and I are buds. Yesterday, however, he was my nemesis. And he outsmarted me. I don't know how I feel about being outsmarted by a 2 year old. It all started with story time. He would have nothing to do with it. He wanted the toys and he knew where they were and how to open the cupboard. So, thinking it would deter him from his goal, I placed a chair in front of said cupboard and sat in it. He tried to muscle his way in, but being 1/4 of my size, had no luck. So he went and sat in the corner and stared at me. All of a sudden, this look crossed his face. He jumped up and ran over to the room divider. He snuck through it and waited just on the other side for me to come get him. As soon as I got through, he ran back and tried to move the chair. I got back before he managed it. So back to the corner he went.
Another look spread across its face. This time, he took off the other direction. He turned off the light. He spun around and looked at me, daring me to leave my chair and come turn it back on. I got him that time. Another teacher turned the light back on. Back to the corner.
He sat there a few minutes longer this time. Again, that same look spread across his face. He took off towards the divider. I was ready this time. As it turns out, it wasn't the divider he was after. It was the window. In one swift motion, he popped the screen out and spun around to look at me. I could see him thinking "I got you now. This one will take longer to fix."
He was right. It did. And he got back to the chair. He won that war. I've never met a smarter toddler.
So, my toddler schemes. And does it well, apparently. "
"My whole blog is devoted to my son, so rather than recreate the wheel, I dug up this post from a few months ago:
Just like J.M. Barrie, who believed that a baby’s first laugh was the origin of fairies, I believe that a baby’s first smile holds a special magic. It is a precious gift and the person the baby gives it to is very lucky. Will gave his first smile to my Aunt Linda. He was lying on the couch in my parent’s living room where we had all gathered after my brother's Farewell, and Linda came up from behind the couch and leaned over to look at him. Will was four weeks old and he had given a few practice smiles the day before, but this smile was different. He looked into her eyes and showed her his gums with that bright grin that I have come to know so well in the time since. In all honesty, I was a little jealous that my baby decided to give that precious gift to someone he had just met, but looking back I wonder if he didn’t see something familiar in her, that maybe he recognized that she had a difficult path ahead of her and wanted to give her encouragement. It was almost like he was trying to tell her something about where he had just been and where she soon would be. Of course none of us knew that she was sick or that she would only be with us another year, but even at the time I knew that something special had passed between the two of them. It was the first and last time Will was able to meet his Great Aunt in this life. I’m no longer jealous, in fact I’m grateful. I’m grateful that I got to witness that special moment that seamed one generation to the next in the eternal ebb and flow between our former lives, this life and the next.
The picture is a little bit blurry, but it was the first big bright smile that I caught on camera, so it is precious to me."
"Most of my blog posts on my personal blog site are about Katie. It's not that she's a girl, it's that she's the baby. If I had started blogging years ago, you'd see that I would have written about all six boys when they were babies, too. First moments are new, no matter how many kids you have.
One of my favorite times is bath time. There's nothing quite like the perfect skin of a baby. Add to it a bunch of bubbles and smiles, and everything seems right in the world for a few minutes.
Another of my favorites is dress-up time. We get to have dress-up time every Sunday for church, but sometimes we do it just for the photo op. This photo was taken by Daddy in the back yard. How I love getting just the right smile in a photo! Did you know that looking at pictures of your own children actually makes the brain release endorphins, creating a feeling of well-being?"
"This is the first time I've ever contributed to the blog, other than the stray comment here and there. I've always wanted to (I really ought to have done weddings week. As a photographer I've probably seen it all) but this week's subject made it absolutely impossible for me not to post. Because, you see, I have a beautiful baby. And a camera.
Beautiful baby+camera happy mom= lots and lots of pictures.
Jamison just turned one year old, and he is just amazing. I know I'm supposed to share a story, but pictures will convey the cuteness the best.
It was hard to narrow it down, but these pictures of him in our backyard eating an apple right off the tree are my favorite. I love it. love him. He loves me too. As long as I don't try to take the apple away."
I've got babies on the brain, ladies! As many of you know, I am expecting my first baby! I'm just barely pregnant, so I'm still in the surreal stage where I have no idea what I've gotten myself into. Plus I feel pretty queasy sometimes. It's icky.
So I need your help! Help motivate me! I need to hear why it's worth it...Let's talk about CUTE BABIES! I need you to tell me all the cute stories about your babies (if you don't have a baby, think nieces/nephews, neighbors, cousins, random baby at the grocery store, etc.)
I hereby open up the blog to all your cute baby stories and photos. (Let's not limit is just to babies...if you have a cute kid who is a little bigger than a baby that said something really cute, I want to hear it.)
Tell me something cute your kid said or did, send me your favorite baby photos, or tell me your favorite thing about babies!
Time to announce the winner of the Amazon gift card! In the interest of fairness, I assigned everyone who participated a number, and then used a random number generator at Random.org to pick a number.
No, seriously, more than you do. This is a contest and I win.
OK, maybe I'm coming on a little strong. But really, my favorite job ever was elementary school librarian. I loved it because I got to read stories out loud every day, and talk about books with the smart kids and reccommend books and discuss literature with teachers and help with book reports and teach about literary things like authors and perspectives and plot schemes. And some of the kids would actually come hang out in my library at recess and we would laugh and joke and read and now some of them are even my facebook friends and we still talk about books and life and lessons about life from books, only now I am just Nancy and they are just my friends. Because pretty much all of my friends have one thing in common. Books.
But I digress. I love books. And some great books have been mentioned already. I could go on and on about the merits of Chaim Potok and the Inkheart series. (and frankly I'm surprised Harry Potter hasn't been mentioned, considering all the JK Rowling did for literature, even if you don't like the books, she made it cool to read again!) and Anne of Green Gables: *sigh* was there ever a truer man than Gilbert Blythe? But let me present a few others for your consideration as well.
The last book I read (other than textbooks and scriptures) was a childhood favorite that is now out of print, but I treated myself to it when I found it used on amazon for $2. It's called "Wild Violets" and its a lovely little chapter book about a girl growing up during World War 2, here in America. It's just a sweet story, not profound or life altering, but it has its moments of tragedy and humor and the main character is beautifully written. It's like the author could see inside the mind of a 4th grader. Reading it makes me remember when I thought that way and I am in awe of authors who are able to give us those kinds of glimpses. If you want to borrow it, you are welcome to, but I must have it back.
You simply can not ask a librarian to narrow down a favorite children's book. I would simply start by pointing you towards the caldecotts and newberrys. (Have you read them since you graduated from elementary school? They choose new ones each year, and JK Rowling has raised the bar for book publishing, so I swear they are getting better and better. Like this year's Newberry, the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Fantastic.) But the Newberry's are limited to American literature, so then we have to talk authors like Funke and St Exupery and ...oh I could just keep going, but I won't. I will narrow it down by topic.
And may I preface this by admonishing you all: NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS MOVIE. Movies are a shameful thing to do to good books. Honestly, a producer rapes great literature in order to change it into a movie. They alter the plot, diminish the complexity of the characters, and turn profound lessons into commercial proverbs, one liners that appeal to the mind of the mindless.
The Tale of Despereaux. I have actually forced several people to read this book. I feel that strongly about it. In fact, I own no less than 3 copies so that I can always be ready to lend it out. Its about a mouse who saves a princess because he loves her. And it is beautiful. Peter Pan. I know you grew up on the cartoon or the musical or both, and I was frankly never interested in reading it until I had to for a show, but I learned my lesson very quickly. There is a reason this has been done again and again, there is a reason for the cartoon and the spin-off and the other spin off and there is a reason for all the setting of it. Its more than a good story and its more than well written. And the older I get, the more I understand it.
Tacky the Penguin (well, anything by Helen Lester). These are my favorite picture books. I feel a great kinship with Tacky, who grew up in a nice icy land with his friends Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect. (Seriously, you could simply put my siblings names instead and the story would make just as much sense. :) But Tacky, who has a wonderful knack for screwing everything up, always manges to make things right in the end, and the books simply teach us to not judge too harshly, after all, Tacky is an odd bird, but a nice bird to have around. Helen Lester's other picture books are just as fun,and the are all brilliant for read-aloud, with voices and accents and sidekick puppets for commentary if you so choose, particularly "Hooway for Wodney Wat" and "Princess Penelope's Parrot" I've had more than one grown up request a re-read of these as well, in fact I've even found myself performing them at facutly meetings from time to time.Oh that pesky final question, its a tough one. What book should be on everyone's list to read before they die? I honestly can't say. I have recommended enough books to enough people, I know nothing is for everyone. I had a 6th grader hate Tolkien and love Dumas, I had a roommate who hated Rowling but loved Locke and Rousseau. I even have dear friends that I love and respect who read the Twilight books which I personally can't stand. I pride myself on being able to recommend books for most people, and I will admit that my own biases come into it, and I hope people agree with me, but in the end, I know exactly what I really hope. I hope every one of them finds a book that they love. Honestly, there probably isn't one book that everyone should read before they die, but there has just got to be a book for each person. Whether or not you love fantasy or historical fiction or adventure and mystery or biographies, you should love something. I'm not sad if someone hates my favorite book, I'm just sad if someone hates reading. Just find a book that you love, one that changes you a little every time you read it, or that reminds you of better times, or that brings you hope for better times, and love reading it. Find a book that opens your mind and recognize its vallue for simply that. Or find a book that makes you angry, and figure out why, and love the lessons you take from it. Find a book that echoes and confirms the things you already believe in your heart, or find a book that tears down your pre-conceived notions. There are so many books out there, whoever you are and whatever you do, there will be at least one that speaks to you. So go out and find it. I won't tell you which book you must read before you die, I will simply say you must read before you die. If you are one of us that loves books, you are one of the lucky ones. If not, I hope you will find something that speaks to your heart and become an old friend, even if its just one book that you read once and take with you for the rest of your life."
"I so want to be a major book worm who loves the challenging classics. And I do love the classics...just as movies :) Like Jessica, I love, and find the most enjoyment in young adult fiction. The ones I enjoy the most however, are the Mormon love story novels. I could spend hours in that aisle at Desert Book. Or the sampler section of the HBLL. So onto the last book I really loved: "An Unexpected Love" by Michele Ashman Bell. It's actually a three book series. The story combines action, romance, missionary work, travel, and an eating disorder (which fascinates the psych major inside of me). I also just plain love this author. A lot of her books continue with a common character, or relative of a character we met in another of her books.
My favorite children's book is actually a series of books; The Baby-Sitter's Club. I discovered these books in third grade. Around the same time, I was also reading Sweet Valley High, but my mom saw them and decided, since I was seven, that it was too soon for me to start reading about girls like the Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. I guess she didn't want me to see them as role models and begin behaving like a precocious, boy-crazy 7 year old. I saved that for when I was 12. However, the BSC was just about right for my maturity level. And I'm not gonna lie, every once in a while when I'm subbing for elementary school, and I'm on my lunch break, I've gotten caught up in a BSC book. And now that I'm thinking about it, "Mary-Anne's Bad Luck Mystery" may have actually been the last book I read...and loved hahaAnd finally, everyone should read "The Last Lecture" before they die. So SO SOO good. Really, If you haven't read it, go out and read it when you can. It will change your life. Randy Pausch is an inspiration. By the way, if you want to see the video of The Last Lecture, you can go here. "
"1. The last book I read that I totally loved was, um, let me see, I don't know! It has been too long since I read a really good book, and I don't remember the order of the last few I read that I loved. I re-read Pride and Prejudice not long ago, and I really love that, along with all of Jane Austin's books. I also really loved everything that Gail Carson Levine ever wrote. One book I haven't seen mentioned yet that I love is My Antonia, by Willa Cather. I couldn't resist a pioneer story about a second-generation Bohemian girl, as it gave me a glimpse into my ancestors' lives.
2. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgsen Burnett, was a favorite book of mine as a youth. As I read it again a few months ago, I realized what a gem it really is. The story follows Mary, who is orphaned and sent to live with an unknown uncle in England. There, she finds healing through learning to do for herself, free time in the great outdoors, the love of a neighboring family, manual labor, and helping her cousin, who needs healing even more than she. Plus, it has a plot that will keep you guessing throughout the story. Other favorites were the "Shoes" books. Tennis Shoes, Dancing Shoes and Theater Shoes by Noel Streatfield were very influential in my life.
3. Everyone ought to read The Christmas Box, by Richard Paul Evans. Not only should they read this before they die, but when they are in their 20s or 30s. It is so motivating, and puts what is valuable into perspective."
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Every Monday I post a discussion topic. Girls email their responses to the topic to hotchocolateshop@gmail.com, and then I post them up and we all enjoy it and discuss it. Topics range from boys to life lessons to recipes...and to infinity. We're girls, we never run out of things to say.
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