McScroogey

Yes, Folks… I have been slightly McScroogey lately. I am working on it.

My first confession is I can’t stand the concept of the Elf on the Shelf. It creeps me out first and foremost because the little elf is just creepy. Second, I don’t like the fact that we are becoming the type of world where parents need an elf to keep their kids in line. I don’t have kids, so I won’t go any further on this topic other than simply, le gross.

You all know about the parade here in town and how I was in a sad mood last weekend over it.

We got our Christmas cards in yesterday and that was a cheerful moment, but let me tell you: we are only half decorated and our tree still has one ornament on it. I am just not feeling the holidays for the third year in a row. Perhaps next year the military will let Christmas be ours to share in without deployment looming over our heads… and for sure Hubs had better be home and not delayed!

Dr. J reminded me this week that I chose this life- I signed up for it and for the most part I love our life. We get to move and see exciting things and experience things we never would have… and I am beginning to think Christmas I grew up with just is not going to be the Christmas we have, for a long time!

I had a great brunch with some of the Hospital spouses yesterday (Friday) and I think I made a new friend 🙂 That should help some! I am also working on a very neat care package for a special blogger out there (who lives somewhere sans Trader Joe’s… and sans their Cookie Butter!!! For shame!) which is definitely helping me feel festive.

How do you get out of funks when it comes time for holidays and your loved one being gone? Everyday we are getting new (CRAZY) information about this deployment and it seems that is all I can focus on… when I just want to focus on having Hubs home for the holidays. I look at that darn empty tree though and can’t help but think “Ya know what? It doesn’t look half bad that way, let’s leave it!”

Decorating just seems like such a waste to me this year… once again.

It’s safe to say I am at the bitter/anger stage of the emotional deployment cycle. TLC needs to have that as a show instead of the ridiculous homecoming shows. Eh, I won’t go on that tangent right now. End le rant.

I also have been away from blogger but am still over on the twitter and facebook (as well as that foresaken instagram!) so follow me over there! I am so far behind on connecting with you all, it’s just that we have been busy, busy, busy!

Monday Pick Me Up:: Photographing Through December, One Day At A Time

Happy Monday, my sweet friends! I awoke bright and early to call Nan after seeing something a little disturbing on the Facebook (You know, because she is my gossip buddy!). I’m trying my hardest to ask God to help me react well to something completely ridiculous from an old friend from my youth. You all know since I’m an open book, you will hear about it soon enough… I just don’t want to be a snobby wife right now and am hoping to let it go. Let’s just say she is a brand new military fiance and you can use your imagination for the rest! Help me find peace!  

Moving right along though: You all know I am OBSESSED with Instagram ever since I downloaded the app. I have found some beautiful souls on IG, people I don’t even know but that I am getting to know one picture at a time. One of those people is the lovely and talented Julianna Morlet whom I found through another blogger/tweeter/etsier/amazing lady and instagrammer who you all might now as BellaRellaJen!

I digress… Julianna created a Photographing December list for a fun picture everyday and it is keeping me going through what has been a rollercoaster of a month (and it’s only the fifth!)! Here is her list she created (from her site)::

I Have been taking part and it is keeping me motivated to count my blessings throughout the month as we prepare to say goodbye. So far I have the following::

 

Setting up Christmas; Nativity Scene; SCARVES!; our tree (so far, just the one ornament)

 

What is keeping you motivated through the holiday season, friends? I hope you are taking time from the hustle and bustle to appreciate the little things in the season or love and warmth, like todays prompt: JAMMIES!

My various lounge pants. It's how I roll.

How can a Monday be bad when it starts off with such a fun thing? Also, I am working on sprucing up some wreaths today! That should be fun… or frustrating! What is lifting you up today? Share it with your friends and then head on over and share it with Skinnie Piggie!

I think I might make this list a fun yearly thing! How cute will it be to look back through how things change every December? Or, how some things stay the same 🙂 I feel a shutterfly book coming in January, y’all! I wonder if instagram pictures can be used there?!? Stay tuned for my findings!

There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays…

This was made painfully aware to me this afternoon as I drove down Main Street here in Fallbrook. They were preparing for their Christmas parade and the street was already lined with chairs! EMPTY CHAIRS. It was about 1:30 and main street closes to traffic at 3pm.

When I got home and told hubs he said “cue the John Cougar Melloncamp Music ‘I was born in a small town, live and die in a small town!'” It’s no exaggeration that Fallbrook is a small town… it’s not even a town, it’s an incorporate of San Diego County. Who knows who runs all these parades they have if there is no local government in charge of doing it!

On my way home I snapped a few pictures to show Hubs and then I saw a sign “Kringle Corner” It wasn’t Kringle, I forget the name, but it was a family area. It immediately reminded me of St. Patrick’s Day and the parade in Ocean View, VA! Our family had a corner where we would all gather. We would hang out for hours before the parade started and we would have chairs up on the corner waiting for us.

I know this will sound awkward, but last year Hubs was deployed and I guess I stayed in more than I wanted to admit even to myself, because the fact that I was alone for the holidays was not made painfully aware to me until Christmas day when family began calling. This year, there are lights up, and people celebrating, and parties… I HAVE my husband home with me, and I feel more alone than I did last year.

How do adults so it? How do you move away from your hometown and get through the holidays? How do you celebrate in a town where you know no one, but that town is now “your home“? Today I learned Fallbrook is definitely not our home. We have this Christmas and two more in town. Maybe next year we’ll go to the parade and see what the hometown fuss is all about.

Oh, and the chairs? Here ya go::

A Long December… Please!

It is December and I feel like time is running away from us. This weekend we have Hubs’ departments “Christmas Party”. One of the chiefs in the department is retiring, so they are also honoring him and they were going to host it at the Chief’s Club on base. It would have cost $40 per person and the feedback numbers were too low so they are hosting it at a restaurant in one of the local casinos. It will be a change from the command events to just departmental. Such is life in the Hospital, I suppose!

This weekend we are also having a pre-deployment photo shoot. The date is sneaking up on us, friends. I feel like I won’t have enough time with him before he goes. He got a new set of orders, specific to his training. DRUM ROLL PLEASE… part of it is right here at Camp Pendleton, but they are on Lock Down, which means he will be right around the corner and we can’t have dinner or weekends together. I know he will be at training, but it would be easier if he were not right here on base! Word on the streets is they have wi-fi, so we can face time every night! Silver lining? We also have gotten word that there is a “graduation” type ceremony once they get through training that family can go to. Of course I want to be there to help welcome my Sailor to the Army!

Right now he is doing intense training on-line about customs and behaviors to avoid. Things like not giving a thumbs up because it’s offensive. Not accepting cigarettes (which he doesn’t smoke, so no worries there) but never turning down coffee or tea. Different things that can be considered insulting to the people over there.

It’s so much to take in.

We’re trying to enjoy each other right now and the time we have left together. We are booked with exciting things throughout the month to celebrate our first Christmas together as husband and wife! We are planning a pre-deployment get-a-way for a few days, a day trip up to Big Bear, and a night at the ballet to see The Nutcracker (which neither of us have seen live!) so each time I look at my planner, it is increasingly filling up!

For now, I’m off to decorate some more and get excited for our final month together!

The Little Things :: Like BEDDING!

I guess there are some people out there that don’t really care too much about their bedding. I am not one of those people. As a matter or fact, I often joke that if I ever had enough money I would never sleep in the same set of sheets more than twice! There is nothing like laying on fresh, brand new sheets! I know they say you should wash them before your first use, but you want to know a secret? I don’t wash them! Shhhh! I love the crisp cotton on my skin, snuggling up underneath them, and that “new sheet smell”!

I was giddy as a school girl when I came home today and saw this::

Do you know what is in that box, friends? Oh, just some Christmas bedding I happened to score on sale from Pottery Barn- producer of my FAVORITE bedding!

I could just look at it all day! The only thing missing is my red quilt, which will be in a different shipment! I couldn’t wait to get home this afternoon after getting Hubs and just curl up in it! On a side note:: we have a queen bed, but somebody (me) loves to wrap themselves up like a mummy so I order King quilts and duvet covers (as the duvet is King). Yeah, getting the duvet cover on a king size duvet is a work out in it’s own class! Someone needs to come up with a much easier design!

Something as little as bedding is all I need to be one happy chicky! I just hope the month goes by slowly so I can get the full enjoyment out of this Christmas bedding!

and

Feel free to follow me over on Instagram {TheYoungRetiree} for more little things throughout my days that make me giddy and grateful, goofy and genuinely blessed on a daily basis!

Monday Pick Me Up :: Mistletoe and More!

Monday is here again, friends and yes, I have been slightly bumming around the house, listening to Christmas music and mildly decorating as I go. I’m not a “knock it out in a day” type decorator when it comes to Christmas. I’m more of a “this table looks nice, let me kick up my feet” decorator. It will take about a week to get everything where I want it and then I’ll never want to take it down.

Today has been the worst Monday in a long time! I am just kind of “BLAH!” I had no sales in my etsy shop for Black Friday weekend which definitely has me in a damper seeing how I got quite a few items “favorited”. Hubs had to go back to work after spending some great quality time with each other for four straight days. Oh, and the current temperature in Fallbrook is 81*. Yes friends, I have my air-conditioning on!

But, I will not let any of this hold me down. After a quick stop at Lowe’s last night, I have mistletoe and a gaudy wreath to keep me happy!

Poor quality picture, but the sun was blinding coming in through the kitchen windows!

Back home the kids up the street used to sell mistletoe on the side of the road. We won’t be getting that out here, so this cute ball will have to do!

A fun tradition Hubs and I have is adding one gaudy decoration to our Christmas supply every year. We usually do this with raffle tickets from the Ship parties and we spend them on the tackiest, glitteriest ornament we can find on the prize table. This year there will be no such event so we had to track down something gaudy, and friends, we found the most beautiful “gaudy” wreath ever::

Gold, GOLD! Everywhere!

We got it being funny, but the minute I put it on my front door I really fell in love with it. Granted, I am covered in gold glitter as a result, but it really has that “je nais se quoi“! I mean, there are PEARS on it… in glittery GOLD! I’m not a gold person, which is definitely part of my distaste for the wreath… but I find myself walking out front just to look at this wreath. It definitely brings me up out of the dumps!

What is lifting you up, friends? Head on over and join the link-up with Skinnie!

 

The Little Things:: Like a HUGE dinner!

Happy “Coma day” friends! I hope you didn’t eat so much that you are still feeling it today! I know I kept it in moderation and was so proud of how differently I ate this year compared with Thanksgivings past! Hubs and I had a wonderful day full of little things that made it amazing!

We got up early and got everything ready and a cookin’! This jump of the gun led to us having “dinner” at about 1:30. We liked it better as Thanksgiving lunch (I was aiming for around 3-4, so we weren’t that early) and I think that is what helped our tummies not go to bed so full!

I love the smell of celery cooking! About to add the onion to complete for the stuffing addition!

While I let that sweat it our in the skillet, we were able to sit down and enjoy tradition we started a few years ago: Panera for breakfast! Talk about yummy:

Yummy cranberry walnut bagels with cranberry orange cream cheese 🙂

We of coursed watched most of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade… before we realized our turkey was almost done!!

Back in 2009 we bought this roaster when we hosted Thanksgiving in our tiny little apartment and knew a turkey just would not fit in the oven. It produced the best turkey then, and this year was no different! Thank you Rival, for helping make Thanksgiving that much easier!

There of course were Naps::

My boys napping during the parade!

Then it was time to get ready for a delicious feast and celebrate all the things we have to be thankful for:

I knew the counter space in our dining room would eventually come in handy! Also, notice that awkward three dish buffet? Another thing to be incredibly thankful for! All our food stayed nice and warm!

Then the turkeys came out and cooled down! Yes, we went with two tiny turkeys, didn’t even eat one, and have plenty of leftovers! I was not juggling a huge turkey though!

Don't they look pretty on our Turkey Plate?

Of course, I was most thankful that the table was able to be set for two with our Thanksgiving plates that were in storage in VA last year, and our nice glasses! It was so special to share another Thanksgiving with my amazing husband!

This is one of the most beautiful things to be thankful for: Dinner with my husband!

Then of course we have our world class carver::

He is a Pro... for the most part!

The funniest thing to happen all day happened while he was carving away! You can kind of tell the electric carver is plugged in on the wall behind him. All of a sudden it stopped working and Hubs said “That’s awkward!! It must have overheated!” All I could think of is “Well, why don’t you use a regular knife? It’s a five-pound turkey for heaven’s sake!” We bantered back and forth and then at the same time realized and said “Oh, it’s unplugged! Problem fixed!

Of course, no Thanksgiving is complete without dessert! We went the cobbler route::

Deliciousness in a bowl!

I hope you enjoyed your day, friends: wherever you are and whoever you were with! I’m off for breakfast with my love (which will consist of cookies in the kitchen) followed by Pilates and DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS!

Follow me on instagram (TheYoungRetiree) to see it all go down live 🙂 Have a happy weekend! Don’t forget about 30% off in my shop until 11pm tonight with “BLACKFRI30” then 25% tomorrow with “THANKS25”!

Thanksgiving 2011 :: So Very Much To Be Thankful For

Most of you will not be reading this on Thanksgiving, as you will be spending time with your loved ones, cooking up a storm, and of course watching those NYC Rockettes on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade! It is so important that we pause and remember all of the things we are thankful for in our lives on this busy day, during this busy season, and of course throughout the entire year. So often we get caught up and we forget what is really important.

The day becomes about baking the right pies and if we’ve having corn or carrots (both of which are high in sugar and should be eaten as a vegetable in moderation!) and if we are stuffing the bird or just baking the dressing separately. We are so caught up in the sales ads in the paper and getting ready to leave the house by 9 to get in line at the doors of our favorite stores.

This year, my heart is so heavy and calling to mind all of those things I have to be thankful for is what gets me through. There are a million reasons to complain::

• deployment looms over our heads and every second can so easily become one second closer to D-Day instead of one more precious second with my Prince Charming.
• We have sparse decorations and I am neither crafty or wealthy enough to decorate the way I want. It is hard to remember we’ve been “together” less than a year, and as Newlyweds nobody has every decoration they ever wanted! As we break our our Christmas Decorations though we will discover we have more than some folks married 15 years have and the spirit will fill our house!
• We are away from family and my heart aches to be with them… they are with me in spirit though, even though we shall sit at a table for two.

There are a million reasons to be thankful::

• Our health! We both have good health and that is certainly not something to take lightly.
• Our Family! It might be just the two of us right now and our three furbabies, but it is our little family and we are always there for each other.
• A roof over our heads: we are blessed with a house big enough for our love!
• Food in our bellies: we will dine this afternoon on quite the feast! (and then again tomorrow… and then again on Saturday!)
• Creativity: I have found such joy working in my shop! The process of coming into my little space and creating something is amazing. I can’t wait to grow my supply inventory and learn some new techniques!
• The love we have for each other! I have an amazing husband who takes me for all the good and all the crazy. Who could ask for anything more?

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! What are you thankful for?

30 Day {Instagram} Photo Challenge :: Day 3, Happiness Is

When I saw the prompt for “Happiness” today, I wondered how I would create a picture exemplifying it. Then it hit me when I was in the kitchen this morning. This is the happiest time of the year! Friends, family, loved ones gathering and sharing in the joys of time together. This Christmas is our first one together as a married couple and that makes it even more special. For me, happiness is::

This means that very soon we will be baking real gingerbread cookies, decorating the house for the holidays, listening to classic Christmas music and enjoying our final days with each other before deployment. We need to make the most of these happy days and when the house smells as amazing as it does now, there’s no way we can’t find happiness!

What is your happiness?

You Jive Turkey!

Friends: can you believe Thanksgiving is only a week away? Well, a week and a day! Where does the time go?!? Today I blogged over on Happy Homefront and shared a mashed potato recipe that just might save your sanity next Thursday! I would love it if you were to head over there and read it and perhaps shared it with your friends! You know you want to!

Also, follow me over on pinterest and particularly my “Jive Turkey” board for any of your last-minute goodies!