Sunday, December 26, 2021

Sunday Stealing - Day after Christmas Style



I cannot remember the last Sunday Stealing I participated in but thought this one would be fun as it's a quiet Christmas night here at our house.  Our Christmas took place last Sunday and Monday, so it has been over for us for a few days.  It's more or less just been a regular day for us. 

1. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Making memories with our children and grandchildren.

2.  What’s the most annoying thing about this time of year/
Food!  My goodness, it seems there is never a break between meals.  And, then there's the whole deal of deciding what we are going to eat.  It seems to be never ending!

3.  Who do you celebrate the holidays with?
Our children and grans and this year one of Hubby's sisters and her husband came
 for a few days.

4. Do you travel during the holidays?
We do not and have not for many, many years.

5. Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?
Much, much prefer to GIVE!

6. Who is the hardest person to buy a gift for?
No one.  My daughter and DIL make my buying for the Grans pretty simple.  They send me the link to the items the Grans want, I click on it, purchase it and BAM it's done.

7. What is your traditional holiday meal?
I'm not sure we have ever had a traditional meal.  This year we had Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad and French bread.  I am not into fixing traditional Christmas foods.  ~shame on me~  But, I will add, my family is just fine with the food I fix.  All they have to do is just show up, so they likely aren't going to say a word but, rather, dig in!

8. Does your town get decorated for the holidays?
Yes, our town square is always decorated and this year it look extra
 festive with even more lights than usual.  We are a small rural town so we're 
real proud of the festive look.

9. Do you have a Christmas tree?
Oh! yes!  We have an 8 1/2 foot slim line artificial tree and it has pretty much been our 
only inside Christmas decoration for the past couple of years. 

10. If you have a tree, what is on top of it?
Ribbons, and all kinds of sparkly stems exploding out of the top of it.

11. Do you decorate the outside of your house with lights? 
Our front porch windows have lighted wreaths, and we leave the porch lights
on until bedtime to show off the other decor.   

12. What is your favorite holiday memory as a child?
I have a lot of memories but going to my paternal grandparents on Christmas Eve rates at the top. I had 4 cousins that were there also and we always had such fun.

13. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I'm not sure I have a favorite, I like most desserts except for banana pudding. ~smile~

14. Do you have a favorite holiday movie?
I haven't watched a holiday movie in a very long time but It's A Wonderful Life would
rate high on my list.

15. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
We always have a birthday party for Jesus before we do our family gift exchange
Our older two grans now read the Christmas story, we have a birthday cake
and it is a great reminder of the real reason for the season.

Wishing you a great day following Christmas!

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

The Wednesday Hodgepodge


I've missed the last two Hodgepodges but life got in the way as it sometimes does.  I'm so glad to be back today.

1. 'Tis the season to be jolly....so are you? 

I sure am! Shopping is done, gifts are wrapped, cards are sent and the tree is up. I'm not feeling overwhelmed but "cool, calm and collected" and trying to be very intentional about enjoying this most holy season. Our family Christmas will be on the 19th as that is when Bridget and the boys will be here.  They like to be at home on Christmas (and I don't blame them at all), so we celebrate when they will be here. But, it did take a week of my preparation time so I had to "get it in gear" and "get er' done!"

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so is yours all done? What's something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? 

Ours was trimmed last week.  The same "fairy" has been doing ours for around 25 years and she'll continue to do it "til death do us part." ~no joke~  I've pretty much pared down to just a tree and a big arrangement on the bar.  No more hours of putting up and taking down and it makes me all the more jolly. ~smile~

Hummm.....right off hand I can't think of anything that needs to be trimmed except for some of our landscaping.  Hubby is working on seeing that is done shortly.

3. Are you 'dreaming of a white Christmas'? Is that a possibility where you'll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? 

There's not a chance of us having a white Christmas and that is just fine by me. I don't mind a little snow but not at Christmas when families are traveling. 

If I could snap my finger I would not mind at all visiting Yellowstone National Park.

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day...will you be celebrating? How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner? As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? 


Who knew?  Not me, so we will not be celebrating but I do make some of the best brownies on planet earth.  A dear friend gave me her recipe 40+ years ago and it is the ONLY one I have used since.  They are a bit chewy, NO icing, full of walnuts and I bake them in the Pampered Chef brownie pan so they are perfectly formed.  They are not overly chocolate but, as for as "me and mine" are concerned, they are purr-fect!  And, easy peasy to make, no mixer involved, just stir all ingredients together and into the pan they go. They are always a "hit."

No, I was never a Brownie but I had a lot of friends that were.

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. 


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go..........

This was the first song to come to my mind as our little town is all decked out with lights and murals and many homes are sharing in the spirit.  It adds to my "jolly" state seeing all the decorations, especially the lights.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 


Isn't he just the cutest? The assisted living facility where Daddy lives asked that all the residents get Christmas sweaters to wear.  When I asked Daddy if he would like to have one, he was very much on board.  He's not into a pull over but loves this cardigan.  He wears it to all his meals and any time he leaves his room.  It thrills me that he still enjoys the Christmas spirit.  He even went to a carol sing-a-long they had yesterday. Due to his very limited sight he will often opt out of participating in many of the activities. ~teary eyed~


 

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Prime Purchases




All I can say is WOW!  It really does seem that this past year has flown by and that we just finished celebrating Christmas last year.  I've finished my shopping, made 50+ pounds  of fudge,  and the tree is up with a couple of other touches of Christmas.  I'm at the point of decorating that "less is more." If you haven't finished your shopping maybe you'll see something here that will be the perfect gift for someone on your list.

KATE  SPADE  SUNGLASSES


These are my all time favorite sunglasses!  There's no telling how many sunglasses I have owned over the years but these fit me perfectly, they are cute and I love them.  They aren't inexpensive but hopefully I will enjoy them for a long, long time. And, they come with a VERY nice case.



FIDGET  TOYS




Our Grans love fidget toys and these are some that I have gotten them for Christmas.  The boys will get the squiggly interlocking ones and the girls will get the other ones and they come with a dandy carrying bucket to store them in.  We'll likely all enjoy them, they are a bit addicting. ~chuckle~




FLEECE  LINED  LEGGINGS


If you are looking for a nice warm legging then you might like these.  They are fleece lined and  thick.  They come in other colors as well.  They are made very well.



PEPPERMINT  BARK  SKINNY  SYRUP


If you have never used Skinny Syrup then you are missing out.  I use it to flavor my coffee and what better flavor for this season than peppermint.  AND, it's calorie free!  I mean, what's not to like about that?  It's my favorite right now!  And, it's so inexpensive and one bottle will flavored a whole lot of cups of coffee for sure!  And, if you are not a fan of peppermint, it comes in a lot of other flavors as well.



SKECHERS  JOGGERS


Ladies, if you are looking for a great pair of joggers then look no further!  No joke!  These are made of rayon, polyester and spandex and are soft and smooth as silk.  The fit is perfect and they are pretty much identical to the Lululemon joggers that are $99.  These are $22!!!  Get yourself a pair!

AMAZON


NUTRIBULLET  BREW  CHOICE  POD  AND  CARAFE


If you sometimes need a pot of coffee rather than a pod of coffee then you might want to check this jewel out.  It just came out and I love mine.  There are many occasions when I need a pot and it's great to have just one machine that does both.  It has a 12 cup carafe and makes a 6,8, and 10 ounce single cup.  I'd prefer it make 8, 10 and 12 ounce but..............  It is very compact, and  doesn't take up a lot of counter space.

AMAZON


TURTLENECK  TUNIC  SWEATER


And, once again, my blogging buddy Katie, over at The Preppy Empty Nester recommended this a short time ago and I ordered 2 of them.  They are great with leggings, very soft and I love the big turtleneck. Just so you know, it runs VERY big.



IRON  FLASK  INSULATED   MUG



If you love insulated mugs as much as I do then you might like this one.  It holds 12 ounces so it is just the right size as far as I'm concerned, but it also comes in 16 and 24 ounce.  It comes in several colors and the handle is high enough that it fits nicely in your car cup holder.  It comes nicely boxed and would make someone a great gift.


And, that wraps up 2021 Prime Purchases!  I always enjoy putting these posts together and always hope that an item I recommend will end up in your cart as well.  

Be intentional in your enjoyment of the Christmas season!


Wednesday, November 10, 2021

The Wednesday Hodgepodge




This is Joyce's 441st Hodgepodge entry.  Folks that's a whole lot of Hodgepodges.  She started this fun link back in 2010.  Thanks Joyce, you are "all that and a bag of chips."

1. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you had thought about it maybe another five minutes before hitting publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? 

When our first grandchild (a boy)  was born in 2008,  I decided I would start journaling and perhaps one day give the journal to him.  I told my daughter my thoughts and she told me I should start a blog instead.  Well, I hardly even knew what a blog was, much less how to begin one.  But, 13 years later and here I am.  I named my blog after my grandmother name, CiCi and thought it sounded neat with Corner.  I love the name of my blog and it has never entered my mind to change it.  

2. What bill do you least like to pay? 


I don't really mind paying any of them that I can think of at this time.  I do often think of the amount of money we spend to have cable, internet and cell phones, but I don't want to be without any of them, so I continue to pay for their services.  ~big smile~

3. What is your favorite word? Okay okay, calm down. How about one of your favorite words? 


This caused me to chuckle.  My daughter would likely say my favorite word is "just."  I didn't realize "just" how much I used it when I first started blogging until one day she gave me some helpful criticism.  Once she made me aware of it, I have been real conscious to not overuse it.  But, I have lots of favorite words that's "just" one of them. ~chuckle~

4. Is the glass half full or half empty? Elaborate. 


I guess it depends on what day it is.  But, I would be quick to say that the older I have gotten the more the glass stays half full.  It's harder on some days for sure.


5. Were you here for that very first Hodgepodge post? If so, were your answers then similar to what they are today? Tell us what was happening in your life in November of 2010? 


I do believe I was here for the VERY first one but, for the life of me, I could not pull it up and finally just gave up. ~frustration~ 

I'm sure I was giving thought to the upcoming holidays and Hubby was hunting (pictured above), something that he rarely does now.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 


Yesterday was my Dad's 92nd birthday.  My brother and his wife drove over for the day to join us in celebrating him.  We served cake and ice cream to all the residents at the assisted living and he felt very celebrated.  All in all, to be 92 he is doing well.  Somedays he says he wants to make it to 100, other days he says he's ready to go to his heavenly home.  I pray that when his time comes that the good Lord will take him very quietly and quickly.  Until then, I pray his days will be filled with as much happiness as possible at this point in his life.

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

A Grateful Hodgepodge


It's Wednesday and that means Joyce provides the questions and we provide the answers.

1. Three things you're grateful for this first week of November? 


1. That I serve a God that has whatever  is out of my control under His rule.

2. Thus far, I am enjoying good health.  I do not take that for granted as it is almost daily I hear of someone with a grave prognosis or a life altering illness.

3. Family - I can't imagine a life without  family, through it all , we're stronger together.

2. Is Daylight Savings Time a thing where you live? Do you think we should continue setting the clocks forward and back? Why or why not? If you could add an extra hour to your day would you want it added morning-noon-night? Do you think it likely you'd be more productive or more likely that you'd just waste more time? 


Yes, Daylight Savings Time is a "thing" here in NE Louisiana.  I wish the powers that be would just leave the time alone, I always have about a 2 week adjustment period when we "spring forward" and when we "fall back."   I prefer mornings so I'd choose to have an hour added to my mornings but I'm pretty productive as it is, so don't think it would really matter.  I'm far more productive in the mornings and early afternoons than any other time of the day.


3. Who is  your favorite author? Your favorite book by your favorite author? 


Hands down, Francine Rivers, my favorite author and Redeeming Love my favorite book.  And, I hear it has been made into a movie and will be released in early 2022.  I don't have my hopes to high because I do not think I've ever seen a movie that I thought was near as good as the book.

4. It's National Sandwich Day...will you celebrate? How often do you eat a sandwich? What's your favorite? 


I may celebrate, I'll be having lunch with friends today and I just may order a sandwich and if not, I may fix myself one for dinner.  I eat sandwiches 2-3 times a week and my most favorite is grilled cheese. Now, it's not just a piece of cheese between two pieces of bread.  No, it's at least 3 different types of cheese and sometimes even pimento cheese is added and then grilled.  Oh, my goodness, talk about a gourmet sandwich!  In recent years the grilled cheese has taken on a whole new taste.

5. Have you started your Christmas shopping? If so when did you start? If not when will you start? Do you give more or fewer gifts than you did five years ago? 


I started my Christmas shopping about 2 weeks ago.  We do give a few fewer gifts than we did five years ago. ~does that make sense~   I try to be very reasonable in the gift giving with the Grans.  They get from their other grandparents, plus their parents and sometimes other family members.  Enough is enough and their parents are most appreciative because they can certainly only play with so much and toys can easily get out of control.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 


Now, have you ever seen such cute kiddos and doggies?  I mean, they are growing up and will likely never know just how much this CiCi loves them.  The girls are so rockin' their hats and Clancy is such a great big brother to Coleman and Case.  They are top priority to my prayers everyday.  I pray God's hedge of protection over them and that they will all  follow His path for their lives.  I won't turn around twice and Clancy and Hanna Beth will be graduating from high school. ~big tears~


Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Prime Purchases



Okay folks, Christmas is 7 weeks and 4 days from today.  How can that be? Maybe I can help you with some of your gift ideas today.  Enjoy!


MINI  GLASS  DOME WITH  WOODEN  BASE


This is so cute and will hold some of my fudge for some lucky person at Christmas. I have some 5" round tins that I mold it in and it will fit perfectly in this and make for a nice presentation.  I can think of a lot of great uses for this and it's very affordable.

AMAZON


CASUAL  CREWNECK  SIDE  SPLIT  SWEATER



Ladies, this is the cutest sweater!  I saw it on my friend, Katie's Prime Purchase blog last month and immediately checked it out and ordered not one, but two.  I got this olive one and a white one.  It's a bit oversized but not in a sloppy way.  And, it washes beautifully!

AMAZON


DIFFUSER



I love this diffuser and this is the second one I have bought.  I wore my first one out.  I love to diffuse Sleep Ease (a mixture of essential oils by Eden's Garden) during the night. It sets on my night stand and I do believe it promotes better sleep.  I love the woodgrain of this one and if you use a diffuser then I highly recommend this one.  This one does have a light ring (as shown) but I do not use it since I use it at night.  But, if I diffused in another area of our home then I think the light feature would be neat.

AMAZON

 

LEMI-SHINE  APPLIANCE  CLEANER



I love one cleaner for all appliances and I'm not really sure when all this appliance cleaning started. I mean, I never use to clean appliances until the last few years.  Anyway, this cleanser was recommended to me and it's all I have ever used for our washing machine, garbage disposal and dishwasher.  It sure beats buying 3 different kinds and as far as I know, it does a good job. I mean, these appliances are all still working very well so I suppose keeping them clean may be aiding in how long they last.  We all know that appliances today last about one third of the time they use to last. ~boo~

AMAZON


FLANNEL  SHEET  SET

I've heard about flannel sheets for years but have just never thought about getting a set.  Well, a few weeks ago I was with a couple of friends and somehow our conversation turned to sheets.  They were both big fans of flannel sheets and, at that time, I decided we needed to give them a try.  With colder weather around the corner, it seemed like a good time to try them.  Well, we LOVE them! These are very thick and super soft and I feel all cozy sleeping under them.  Who knows, we may sleep under them year around.  We'll see about that next spring.  Meanwhile, if you have been giving flannel sheets a thought then I highly recommend you give these a try.  They come in some great colors. And, perhaps they would be a good Christmas gift to someone on your list.  And, another big plus, they are absolutely never cold.  When I crawl in the bed they feel so warm and regular sheets are so cold to me until my body heat gets them warm.

AMAZON


EXTRA  STRONG  SUCTION CUP  HOLDERS



If you are looking for a really STRONG suction cup hook, then look no more.  This is what I  use to  hang Christmas wreaths on our porch windows.  I have used these for the past 5 years and just found them in this bronze color this year.  My other ones are clear.  I have never had one of them fall.  I hang 30" wreaths on them. 

AMAZON


SMART  CUTTER  CHOPPER




I cannot remember where I saw these but I think it was a TV ad.  These are the coolest kitchen gadget and I'm a real sucker for kitchen gadgets.  These serve as a pair of scissors, a knife and a cutting board.  You can slice carrots, celery, green onions, just to name a few. Having the platform on the bottom blade acts as a cutting board.  I don't know who came up with this design, but it is a genius idea.  And, again, would make a great Christmas gift.  It comes in the nicest box ready for gift giving.

AMAZON


SELFIE  STICK  AND  TRIPOD WITH  REMOTE



If you are in the market for a really neat selfie stick then look no further.  This one serves as both a selfie stick and a tripod and it is very portable.  A friend of mine was using theirs a few weeks ago while I was with them and I knew I wanted one. It extends to 40 inches.  It comes with the neatest remote and easily bluetooths to your smart phone.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a good time with this.

AMAZON


And, there you have it for another month.  I do hope you saw something that peaked your interest and as always, thanks for stopping by.

Friday, October 29, 2021

Lea's Favorites




Every so often I like to share some of my favorites with you.  I always enjoy knowing about other folks favorite items, as they just might become one of my favorites too.  So, here's a few of mine, in no particular order.





Oh, my goodness! I LOVE the sweet and salty combination of these.  And, just one of these generally gives me the satisfaction I want and a bag will last me a while.  Now, don't get me wrong, I truly could eat the entire bag as they aren't that big.  But, I exercise self control. ~chuckle~  Sometimes I have a hard time finding these.  I recently found this really big bag at Sam's and grabbed it like it was gold.  Every so often I find the small bags at Wal-Mart but not often. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, you can order it here.


I have recently started using this gel eyeliner by Bobbi Brown.  I've used pencil eyeliner for years and years but I really like this gel.  I use an angled eyeliner brush to apply it and it glides on very smoothly.  And, it seems that the "tails" on eyeliner are making a comeback and while I'm sure not going to wear thick ones, I'm sort of enjoying a "thin tail."  Many moons ago I was an expert at thick eyeliner with thick tails. ~big smile~  This color is called Dipdown - a black brown and can be ordered here.
These a new favorite of mine.  I do not own a pet but these pet Swiffer cloths that fit on the Swiffer mop are the BEST.  I've been using a regular dust mop under our beds, in the corners and behind furniture, etc.  But, these are sooooo much easier to use and they grab dust and lint so well.  I just saw them one day while I was looking for Swiffer Duster refills and decided to give them a try.  I've always just used the regular Swiffer dry pads on my mop but these are a notch above for sure.  There are just places that these are better than a vacuum. ~in my opinion~ I get mine at Wal-Mart or you can order them from Wal-Mart here.




These are the Taj Mahal of lounging pajamas! They are  Cool Nights by Soma.  I do not sleep in pajamas and never have, can't stand anything on my legs.  I prefer a sleep shirt.  Anyway, these are my "go to" after dinner when we're doing nothing but staying home.  Fabulous fabric, washes beautifully and you can order them here.






I make labels pretty much everyday of my life.  I ran across this little jewel a few weeks ago and just had to have one.  It's the Niimbot Label Maker.  It is a thermal, not ink, label printer.  You bluetooth it to your smart phone and operate it totally from your phone.  It took me longer than a few seconds to figure it out but it really isn't difficult at all.  I did go to You Tube and watch an instructional video on how it works and that served me much better than the directions that came with it.  I have already made a whole bunch of labels with it and it comes in the coolest colors. You can order here.


That's all for now, so go and have yourself a wonderful Halloween weekend!