Thursday, Nov. 29
Today I'm thankful that I feel good enough to cook dinner for Alex and I (for the first time in weeks), and for the food that nourishes our bodies every day. It's such a blessing to be able to pop into Publix and buy fresh, safe and tasty food. So many people around the world and even here at home don't have access to or the ability to buy safe food or plentiful food. We're blessed as Americans to grow much of our food right here. And as a daughter of agriculturalists, I'm a huge proponent of American-grown food! :)

Friday, Nov. 30
On this Friday I am thankful for the Christmas season - which is officially HERE! And yes, it is CHRISTmas! I don't have a "Holiday tree" in my living room, I don't give "Holiday gifts," and our Christmas cards will say "Merry Christmas." I am a Christian and Christ is the reason for the season. I am thankful that we have the freedom to celebrate Christ's birth each year and rejoice in it the whole year through!

This & that

This week was full of some kind of random stuff. It hasn't been a bad week, but let's just say I am ready for the weekend!

My week began with a Capsule Endoscopy on my seemingly-endless quest to figure out what is causing the wackiness in my GI tract. For the Capsule Endoscopy, I had to arrive early Monday morning at my doc's office after enjoying a lovely clear-liquid diet on Sunday and fasting that morning. My breakfast that day was a camera. Yes, for real. I swallowed a camera the size of a horse pill. So down it went, and this is what I had to wear all day:

Super sexy, I know. The little pouch over my clothes wasn't so bad (a little strange maybe), but all the wires under my clothes were a little uncomfortable. And did I mention I had to wear this all day at work?

Now I'm just waiting up to 2 weeks for my doc to examine the color pics and video (video!) that the camera took while gliding through my small intestine. It should help identify if I have Crohn's or not.

In the meantime, I have been feeling a little better this week. Most importantly, my appetite is back and I'm not even feeling a tiny bit guilty for eating whatever I want. For 10+ days, I could barely eat and lost 10 pounds as a result, so I think I can eat a little guilt-free pizza or Zaxby's. (Note: losing weight this way really sucked and is SO not healthy).

On Wednesday, we had dinner with my mom and stepdad. It's so fun to have them only 45 minutes away when they're at the cabin versus 10 hours when they're at home in Florida. They drove down to Greenville to take us out, and had a little surprise for us: annual passes to the Biltmore!!! Yesssssss!!

I've been to the Biltmore twice, but never at Christmas and it's supposed to be ahhhhhhhmazing at Christmas. It was such a great surprise because Alex and I have been wanting to go, but it can be a little pricey. Now we can go as much as we want for the next year (Asheville is only an hour from us)! Thanks, Mom!!

Throughout this week, I've been verrrrrrrrrrrry slowwwwwwwwwly decorating our house for Christmas. We bought our tree last weekend at a choose-and-cut tree farm, but it was just standing there in our living room, naked, for a few days. Now it has lights and burlap trim. Still needs the skirt and ornaments. Baby steps. Everything else is down from the attic but strewn across our upstairs landing. It's driving me insane! This weekend, I've got to get it all put away and get busy decking my halls.

I hope you've all had a fantastic week. Cheers to the weekend!

It's Thursday and It's OK

This is another link-up that I love and I've missed out on for a few weeks. Happy Thursday, everyone - the weekend is in sight! Yahoooooooo!

It's OK...

• that I have no motivation to get my house decorated for Christmas. I love the festive feel the decor gives our home, but we're not having a party this year and honestly, Alex and I might be the only ones who even see it. I need to dig deep and find the Christmas spirit! 
• that Ellie thinks it's OK to sleep on our bed with us at night (it's not). But she knows enough that she has to wait until we're both asleep before she makes her move. Smart puppy. 
• that we still have Halloween candy leftover and I'm over it. But the not-wasteful part of me can't throw it away. 
• that Alex's golf gear is taking over our house (and he's not even playing professionally any more!). We're planning to sell some of it, but in the meantime, it's everywhere. 
• to eat whatever I want now that my appetite is back since I could hardly eat for 10 days straight. 
• that I have been thinking about our Christmas cards for weeks and weeks, attempting to get them done early - but just now ordered them this week.

Hey hey - I'm back on the WBW train! After two weeks of not feeling too fab (and not blogging too much), I really hated missing out on this link-up. It's such a fun one!


This week's questions are all about: MAN Fashion! :)

What is your husband's style?

His style is a mix of preppy, casual, and what I like to call Southern (which yes, I know, can encompass anything from bowties to camo. And it does). 

He also likes getting dressed up...he LOVES a 3-piece suit! 
 

What is your LEAST favorite piece(s) of his wardrobe? 

I'm not even sure if he still has this shirt, but if he does, it has to be the Kenny Chesney concert t-shirt from probably 8 years ago (long before we met!). It is my least favorite because A) it was a concert t-shirt... B) It was faded and had shrunk, making it a little too short, and C) it had an obnoxiously large picture of Kenny in a Stetson on it. It was just all wrong and SO not Alex's style!! I never understood why he liked it so much.

 

If you have a picture show us!!

Sadly, no pic...IF it's still around, it must be at his parent's house. 
(I shall try to locate and destroy next time we're there...)

 

What would you love for your man to wear? 

My favorite look (and not one that he wears a whole lot, but will wear some in the summer) is a classic Southern boy outfit: a button down with the sleeves rolled up, khaki shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses. Ahhhhh, I LOVE it! 

All in all, I LOVE Alex's style. He is such a great dresser and always looks very dapper! 

Giving Thanks: Week 4

So last week, Blogger so nicely deleted my entire post on my daily giving thanks series - on Thanksgiving-eve, no less! I was SO sad. So some of these are repeats of what would have been listed last week!

Thursday, Nov. 22
Today is Thanksgiving, and boy do I have a TON to be thankful for. I am thankful for family - both mine and Alex's, who we're with today. I am thankful for tradition, especially the amazing tradition that my grandmother started decades ago when she started hosting TG dinner for 25+ people (oh how I miss the whole family today!). I am thankful for a holiday where you can say "Happy Thanksgiving" and no one can be offended; it's the one holiday that each American should celebrate with pride and love and a lot of thanks in their heart.

Friday, Nov. 23
Today I'm thankful for all the Black Friday shopping lessons my mom taught me over the years. I wasn't out to get a ton of deals today - I more or less went for the sake of going and tradition and all that. But I miss my mom, my shopping partner, on one of the only (probably the only) Black Fridays I've ever spent without her!

Saturday, Nov. 24
We're headed up to the mountains today to buy our Christmas tree - a tradition we began last year with my in-laws. I am thankful to live so close to the mountains after spending 25 years in hot and flat Florida. I'm also thankful for a Florida Gator win over the Seminoles!! It's Great To Be A Florida Gator!

Sunday, Nov. 25
Today I'm thankful for a day of rest. It's a day I need after a weekend of food (I THANKFULLY got my appetite back a little bit for TG dinner!), family, travel, cutting down a Christmas tree, a stressful football game, and still not feeling my best. I am starting yet another clear-liquid diet at noon for my  Capsule Endoscopy tomorrow, so I'm thankful for Gatorade, apple juice, and chicken broth. :)

Monday, Nov. 26
Today I'm thankful for my sweet friend Ashlee - it's her birthday! I love this girl. Our moms are best friends, so we've known each other our whole lives. And just like our moms were in each other's weddings, Ash and I were up there for each other on our big days. She is truly a lifelong friend.

Tuesday, Nov. 27
Today I'm thankful for my friend April. This was originally intended for last Tuesday, since that was her birthday (the big 3-0!). Although I've only known April for 3 years, it feels like a lifetime. She is one of my closest friends and we've gone through some of life's biggest milestones together: weddings, babies, buying houses, all that good stuff.

Wednesday, Nov. 28
Today I am thankful for my cuddly babies Penny and Ellie. They are the BEST at making you feel awesome and loved and important. I'm still not feeling 100% these days, but cuddling with them almost always makes me feel a little bit better. They are almost complete opposites at 4 pounds and 50 pounds, so it's a riot to see them play together. And boy, do they ever play! I'm going to have to get it on video and share. It's hilarious :)

Well this is really unfortunate because the stupid Blogger app just deleted a week's worth of Giving Thanks posts!! Ughhhhh.

If it magically reappears, I'll post. For now, I leave you with this cuddly pic of me and my girls. And lots of wishes for a very happy Turkey Day tomorrow!

Friday's Letters

Ahhhh...Friday is here once again. And doesn't it feel good?

I do hope that you have some fun weekend plans lined up - or just a weekend full of R&R. I have a little bit of both on the books. I am heading to mom's mountain house to see her and my stepdad today after work, while Alex is  heading to Columbia to watch Gamecock basketball tonight and football tomorrow. Then he'll head to the mountain house on Saturday. I'm planning to take our Christmas card pictures while we're up there this weekend -  hoping for good weather and puppies that cooperate! :) It should be a pretty relaxing weekend which is what I need after a week of feeling miserable. Plus, a girl's never too old for some mommy time, right?

I love this link-up and I've been out of the loop on it the last few weeks - so today I'm back!



Dear husband: thank you for being so patient and understanding this week as I have felt so horrible. Thank you for babying me a little - it's just what I needed. I hope to feel much better soon and then I promise I'll start cooking dinner again! :) Dear work potluck: can't wait to dig in today! Let the holiday eating gorging begin! I just hope my stomach cooperates since I haven't really been able to eat this week. Dear Christmas list: I need to add to you (for others, not for myself!). Why is it so hard to figure out what to buy certain people?? I can't buy the gifts until I know what to buy. Grrrrrr. Dear ulcers: just stop. Please. Dear custom Christmas card companies: I am overwhelmed by the options out there. Do I go with traditional? Modern? Single picture? Multiple pictures? Chevron? Polka-dots? Stripes? Yikes! Dear DIY Advent calendar: I have had you in my head for a year now. I just want you to turn out the way I've envisioned...k? Dear Target: I like the new Black Friday ads with the couple...but I miss the crazy bargain lady from the last few years. She was totes ridic and I loved her. Dear Erin Condren: can't you just have a sale on your planners already? I am desperately needing a 2013 planner, but can't bring myself to shell out $50 for one. I'm going to need a deal like I got last year. Dear followers: I hope you have one amazing Thanksgiving on Thursday -- and don't think twice about getting seconds (or thirds).

I am continuing with my weekly posts on what I am thankful for on each day of this month. Read Week 1 here!

Thursday, Nov. 8
Today I'm thankful for my Dad. He is probably the funniest guy I know (and it's not always because he's trying to be funny, if you know what I mean). He is also a fun guy in general, and everyone loves to be around him. He's usually the life of the party! No matter what, I'll always be his little girl.

Friday, Nov. 9
I give thanks for FRIDAY! Friday is the best day of the week, because you have the whole weekend ahead of you. The possibilities are (almost) endless. No matter how much you love your job, everyone still loves Friday. It's just what you do as a working American adult. 

Saturday, Nov. 10
I give thanks for my in-laws today as we head to meet them at the the South Carolina game. They are the best mother- and father-in-law I could ask for. They raised a boy into the wonderful, Godly, polite, funny, smart and good-looking man I married.

Sunday, Nov. 11
I am so thankful for my brother John Louis. He is one awesome guy and can always make me laugh for one reason or another. While he and I are nothing alike at all - seriously, you can't tell we're related - he is still the most genetically similar person to me on the planet and I love him!

Monday, Nov. 12
I am thankful for my gastroenterologist today. Even though I don't have a diagnosis or all the answers yet, we're getting there. The pieces of the puzzle are coming together. I am thankful for his wisdom and I'm trusting him to know what's going on with me.

Tuesday, Nov. 13
I am thankful for my two best friends today, Lesley and Lindsey. These girls are my soul mates in the realm of friendship. I've known them for 15 years and have shared most of life's milestones with them. I couldn't imagine middle school, high school, college or beyond without them. They're the closest thing I have or ever will have to sisters! Love them.

Wednesday, Nov. 14
Today I'm thankful for my grandparents and feel blessed beyond belief that all four of them are still with us! They have been such an inspiration in my life. I see the love they share - 65 years of marriage for my dad's parents and 60 years for  my mom's parents - and my hope is that I will feel as fulfilled as they are and have even half the life experiences they've had.

Pieces of me

I have a few random thoughts on my mind today. And because of the title of this post, I now have the song "Pieces of me" by Ashlee Simpson in my head. Remember this jam?



Taking you back to 2004 today. You are SO welcome. Maybe now this will be stuck in your head, too. :)

Anyway...

On Monday I had my first follow-up with my gastroenterologist after my colonoscopy, endoscopy, ultrasound and HIDAscan that I've had in the last 3 weeks. No diagnosis yet, but we have ruled out cancer (thank the Lord), gallbladder issues (and my kidneys/appendix/pancreas/liver seem to be fine too), and probably ulcerative colitis. At the moment, it seems like my doc is leaning toward Crohn's Disease, so I am having two more tests to check out my small intestine over the next 2 weeks. If they find ulcers all the way through my small intestine, I likely have Crohn's. If not, I probably just have some really pissed off ulcers. In the meantime, I have 2 new meds to help me deal with all the symptoms that have come storming back over the last week. And I hope they kick in soon because I currently feel like death.

With all of this medical stuff comes a lot of medical bills. I flipping hate insurance companies. Why is it so confusing?? I am a pretty informed consumer and I still cannot figure out everything most of the time. Plus, my workplace switched insurances effective Nov. 1, so now my deductible isn't completely met for the year even though it was fully met as of Oct. 31. Huh? Yeah, it's confusing and have I mentioned I hate insurance companies?

To make a long story short, my mind's on my money and my money's on my mind. I tend to stress over money - sometimes the stress is unnecessary and sometimes it's legit - and I'm pretty sure I speak for the majority when I say I hate getting bills in the mail. Especially unexpected medical bills that not even my insurance provider can decipher.

I'm sorry to be such a downer today. Yikes, I hate that. So onto something more positive that's on my mind.

Like Thanksgiving. It's only 8 days away! I am getting super excited about all the side dishes and turkey and ham and pies and sweets and leftovers that I'll be taking in next week and weekend.

And I'm starting to feel the Christmas spirit. I was in Target the other day and made a sweep through the Christmas section and heard the music and saw the trees...I'm starting to feel it, y'all! It's coming!

I hope your week is going good for ya - we're almost over the hump! Take care, loves!

How to buy Christmas gifts on the cheap

Truth: I can be a little cheap.
Well...cheap has a negative connotation, so I'll go with "thrifty."


I did a whole series of posts on our "Essentials Only Month" in July/August, during which we had $200 for groceries, gas, clothing and eating out for 30 days. I definitely used coupons to get us through, as well as Groupons, gift cards, meal planning...anything we could get our hands on.

But honestly, I use all those things all the time - not just during Essentials Only Month.

While I might be a little frugal with day-to-day purchases, the one area I don't mind going all out is buying gifts for others. However: my motto is if you can get a good deal on something, you can get that person more of whatever it is within your original budget (and look like a baller in the meantime).

With Thanksgiving - and BLACK FRIDAY - just days away, I thought you might enjoy knowing the ways that I plan to save money this holiday season while I'm shopping for gifts.

eBates

If you are an online shopper and you aren't using eBates, you are literally missing out on cash money. The way it works: before you make a purchase, go to the eBates homepage and log in. From eBates, you can click through to thousands of online stores (including Target, Groupon and Living Social - see below). Make your purchases as you normally would. Once you make your purchase, you'll get an email from eBates telling you how much cash back you're getting (for example, usually at Target, it's 2% cash back). Then, once a quarter, they will send you a Check in the mail for your cash back. It adds up fast, people - I am getting a check for $27.00 from last quarter! Literally cash money. It's free and there are no catches. And sometimes, some websites will have huge cash back amounts of 8% or even up to 40%. Sign up here!


Target.com Daily Deals

This one is easy. Go to Target.com (after going to eBates, of course!). Click on the daily deals link. There will be 5 or more deals listed that are only food for 24 hours. They're usually 40% or more and always have free shipping - even if it's furniture! They have cute clothes, toys, makeup, electronics, you name it. And it's a surprise every day! Love. 


Rue La La

I know there are a ton of flash sale sites out there, but Rue is my fave. It has a great assortment of items, from designer handbags (think Chanel and Louie) to wedding dresses to vacations to casual clothes. They've even had my wedding china on there. The boutiques are usually open for a few days, but they sell out fast because the prices are so good. Sign up here.

eBay

If you haven't ever eBayed - where have you been for the last 17 years?? To be fair, online auctions aren't for everyone. But no need to sell to take part - although that is an excellent way to make some extra $$ for the holidays. Tons of items are "Buy it Now" and you can get some of the best, most popular gifts right now for little bits of nothin'. For example: bubble necklaces. I have seen them on there for $8 including shipping, no bidding required.


Groupon and Living Social

Now I'm not suggesting you buy someone a restaurant Groupon and wrap it up (although you certainly can), but what you should look out for are the national and online deals. There have been deals for Amazon, Fandango, Old Navy, The Body Shop and other national chains, or deals on actual products that you order online. Heck, I got a 2-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens for $2. I have also noticed that a lot of local boutiques and stores will sell vouchers this time of year, so you can use the vouchers to by gifts for half off. Easy.


Cash in your reward points
If you get reward points for using your Debit or Credit card, cash in on those points now. A lot of people forget about them - don't let yours go to waste. I always redeem ours for gift cards, and then I use them to buy gifts (or a treat for myself - that way, I don't feel guilty about spending money on something for me!)


So now you know all my best secrets. You're welcome. I've already used most of these in my Christmas shopping this year and plan to continue to do so.

Good luck in your shopping - and may you score the best deals this holiday season. I'm pulling for ya!

It's OK Thursday

Well lovelies, Thursday has come again! I hope your week has been going smoothly and quickly (the best kind, right?) Linking up in one of my faves again today for It's OK Thursday!

It's OK...

• to feel upset about the election results. Even if your guy won, you should still be upset by the deep division in this country. This is serious, y'all. 
• to feel overwhelmed by the explosion of Christmas stuff when walking into pretty much any store
• to have lost touch with my calorie counter app. Whoops. I need to jump back on that train. 
• that I can't resist leftover Halloween candy (see above)
• that I'm ready for it to get really cold so our lawn will go dormant - is it weird that I like dormant grass better than green grass? It's just so much easier to maintain...
• that I know Ellie is pretty much the best puppy (or "young adult" - I guess she isn't really a puppy anymore) that you could ask for, but sometimes she drives me insane with her attempts at getting attention. This is how I know I'm not quite ready for kiddos!
• that I have already started googling "Black Friday ads 2012". Black Friday might be my favorite day of the year. 

I hope you have a fab Thursday! xo

I have been inspired by everyone's daily blog or Facebook posts about what they're thankful for. It's so refreshing to see all the blessings in each other's lives. I wanted in on the action, but I didn't want to overwhelm myself with a post everyday. I decided to do one post every week that I will have been working on each day with my daily thanks in the spirit of Thanksgiving!

Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 1
On the first day of this 30-day challenge, I begin with the highest, most important blessing of all: the love of Jesus and his forgiveness. Without him, I am nothing; I have nothing. With him, I have life and all the other blessings I will mention over the course of this month!

Day 2: Friday, Nov. 2
Today I give thanks for my husband! As a girl, I always wondered who my Prince Charming would be: what he looked like, what he was doing then, where he lived, what his voice sounded like, everything. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect fit than Alex. He is my best friend. SO thankful to share this life with him/

Day 3: Saturday, Nov. 3
On Game Day, I am thankful I'm a Gator girl! Now I know I'm biased, but there's nothing like a game in The Swamp. Very thankful that I spent nearly 6 years over the course of my two degrees in Gainesville and for the awesome education I received. The Gator Nation is everywhere!

Day 4: Sunday., Nov. 4
Today I'm thankful for my church and the friendships we have made there. I am so glad we quickly found a church in Greenville and that it's is the place we have made our church home, where we got married, where we've made deep friendships, and where our kids will be baptized one day. I love everything about First Pres!

Day 5: Monday, Nov. 5
Even on a Monday as I begrudgingly pull myself out of bed, I am thankful for my job. I love what I do and who I work with. After having a job for 2.5 years that was tough in so many ways, I am even more thankful for my current position that has been an answer to prayer.

Day 6: Tuesday, Nov. 6
Today I am thankful to live in a country where we have the freedom to vote. No matter how small we may think our voice is (or how confusing and seemingly messed up the system is), we have the opportunity to cast our ballot and make our voice heard.

The "I voted" sticker: this week's hottest accessory

Day 7: Wednesday, Nov. 7
Today I give thanks for my Mom. She has been my rock and my biggest cheerleader my entire life. Not only did she bring me into this world (before the era of the epidural), she has been there through everything: losing my first tooth, dance recitals, cheerleading tryouts, shopping for prom dresses and then eventually my wedding dress. I am so blessed to have such a great mother and friend.

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Expectations of Marriage

It's Wedded Bliss Wednesday again! Today the questions are all about what I expected marriage to be (before I was married, that is!). Join in and link up!


CHILDHOOD EXPECTATIONS OF MARRIAGE!

1. When you were a child what did you imagine YOUR Prince Charming to be like?
When I was really little, I thought my Prince would be a lot like my dad: outdoorsy, rugged and a farmer! But I knew he would have dark hair (no real reason, just what I always pictured in my head!). 
 

2. Does you husband match your prediction as a child?
Alex is not what I would call "rugged" or very much "outdoorsy", and he definitely ain't no farmer! :) But he is one hotttt brunette.

3. What about when you were a teenager and knew it all about love, does your relationship match that scenario you had during those rebel years? 
 Yes and no. I wasn't terribly rebellious as a teenager, but my taste in men sure did change between dating my high school boyfriends and when I started dating Alex. I did think I knew it all about love in some ways, though. Isn't it hilarious to think that you will marry some boy you think is cute in 9th grade?? I mean, I know some people marry their high school sweethearts, but I think the vast majority of us THANK GOD for unanswered prayers (to quote Mr. Garth Brooks), know what I'm sayin'?
 

4. What love movie would you best match your relationship to? Why?
Definitely Pretty Woman...HA! Kidding. 
Hmmmm....I have never thought about this. Honestly, it's probably because I've never seen a movie where I thought, 'That is so US!'. Once we started dating, we never once broke up. There was no rekindling of love or chance happening to bring us back together or cutesy way we met. It's just been us, together, from the beginning. To tell you the truth, a movie about our love story would be pretty predictable without any curveballs or twists. Just the way I like it!

When I was in Florida week before last for my reunion, I got to meet my best friend Lesley's brand-new sweet baby girl, Avery Anne, for the first time. It was the highlight of the weekend, reunion and all, for sure!

Love her! And she loves me too - look at that smile!

When I first laid eyes on her, I burst into tears. {I know, what a sap.} Seeing that tiny baby made it real that my best friend is a mommy. That baby isn't just any baby - she is the offspring of my best friend since 8th grade and her awesome hubby. A miracle.

Jazz hands! She's going to be a dancer!

Even at the age of 10 days, she was swift enough to steal my heart. I loved her instantly. 

Avery is just too precious. I only wish I lived closer so I could cuddle her more often! I look forward to being her "Aunt" and spoiling her. Love that little girl.

Lesley and I toasting to motherhood (her first drink in 10+ months!)

Get your vote on

{I write this as I stand in a 200+ person line}
Make sure you vote today, regardless of crappy weather, long lines, other commitments or time constraints. The Presidential election only comes around every 4 years. There is nothing more important than exercising your right as an American!

This election will affect generations to come, for better or worse, so please make your voice heard no matter how small you think it may be.

May you rock your vote and may we all get on with our lives sans-political ads starting tomorrow!

That is all. Happy Election Day!

Friday's Letters

Whoop - it's Friday! This week has seemed long to me at times, and has seemed to fly at times, making it a confusing one. Do you ever have weeks like that? Nonetheless, I am excited it's Friday! We have some plans with friends we haven't hung with in a while, so I'm pumped about that. Happy (almost) weekend!

Linking up today with Ashley for Friday's Letters!

Dear husband: you rocked your first month on the job and shattered your own goals as well as your boss's goals for you. Well done, love! So proud of you. Dear Lesley: I miss you and baby Avery SO MUCH! I wish I could see you both everyday. Dear Lindsey: you will find him. Promise. Dear punk trick-or-treaters: thank for leaving your candy wrappers in my flower pot! Your parents should be ashamed. Dear November: I think you're one of  my favorite months, because you have Thanksgiving, the weather is consistently cool, and you officially usher in the Christmas season (when appropriate - after TG!). Dear Gators: last weekend sucked, boys. But I have to say - we're doing better than I expected this year! Now let's win out! :) Dear followers: thanks, really - you don't know how excited I get when I see that I have a new follower! Thanks so much for reading!

Have a very lovely Friday!

Am I the only one who is in slight disbelief that Halloween and October 2012 have come and gone?

We had a very simple Halloween this year. Nothing special or crazy, not even any costumes (unless you count the bunny ears I threw on during my office's trick-or-treating for kids on Monday - yes, the same ones Ellie is wearing in this pic!).

We made a last-minute decision Tuesday night to carve one of the pumpkins that has been decorating the front stoop. But hey - we had a jack-o-lantern, candy, and the weather was cold. What more can you possibly want for Halloween?

I was disappointed that we didn't get nearly as many trick-or-treaters as we did last year. Weird, considering there are dozens more houses in the neighborhood this year than there were in 2011 (we live in a new construction phase of a neighborhood).  But whatevs - more candy for meeeeeee!

I still enjoyed getting to see all the kiddos dressed up in their costumes. My fave ? Probably the tiny Katniss that showed up with her hair in a braid and what I think was an actual, functioning (read: can hurt you) bow. Bad-a** for a 4th grader. (Side note: do 4th graders read the Hunger Games??? Because that shi cray. Can't say I would let my kid read that. But that's neither here nor there).





My pups got into the action, too. Penny has a smorgasbord of Halloween costumes to choose from, and we went with the lady bug this year. Ellie doesn't do clothing. So I just stuck those bunny ears on her for a hot second before she took them off.  Penny really got into her role as the Official Trick-or-Treater Greeter, while Ellie had a seizure with every knock.




The main thing here is that now that Halloween is over, we are going to be hit in the face every single day for the next two months with Christmas music, decorations and ads. While I love Christmas, it makes me sad that it's so commercialized and the true reason for the season is masked. Plus, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and nowadays it's like it doesn't even exist! In the 21st century, Thanksgiving is basically baby Christmas: a trial run for holiday baking, a mid-way point for decorating your house, and the signal that if you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet, you're a failure. Such a travesty.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.

Suffice it all to say: let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas. (Oh wait - I think Target beat me to that a few weeks ago with their "It's gonna be BIG" ad. I give up!!).

It's OK!

Well well well...here we are in November already! Riddle me this: where has 2012 gone? Yikes!

Linking up again with Neely for It's OK Thursday!

It's ok...

• that I probably ate more candy than I handed out last night
• that instead of cooking dinner last night, I decided Chick-Fil-A was the better idea because I had the October calendar coupon that was expiring
• to only buy Halloween candy that you like to eat...which is good since I have so much left over!
• to be irritated with the builder of our neighborhood (which is still under construction) that they decided to make the exteriors of the three houses directly across the street from us almost the exact same color schemes. They're totally different floorplans, but it irks me. You have hundreds of color combos to choose from!!
• to really really feel like I am behind on my Christmas shopping now that Halloween is over
• to love Christmas but not want to be slapped in the face with Christmas ads, music, and decorations quite yet...let's celebrate Thanksgiving first, people!
• to be excited for "Fall back" this weekend and the extra hour of sleep, but to dread the early darkness each evening. Soooo depressing.