DDA Chapter 15

[tinknme]

It's A Wonderful Life comes on at 7, I just love this movie!

 

[yellowfish78]

Anne Marie - any good mail today?

 

[bethbuchall]

Has anyone else received their photo book yet?

Walgreens has 25% off photo calendars, so I made one for mil. I hope it turns out ok.

I received mine today. It was nice, but (I hate to say this) not quite as nice as I was hoping. It was good for the price, but to think that it would have cost me over $50 without the "FREE book offer" makes me think I won't order another from this company. I've never done a photo book before, so I don't know how the quality compares to others. I think that the photos are a bit too grainy (and it's definitely the printing, not the photo), and the colors aren't quite right. A couple of my photos are slightly overexposed (my fault), but they appear even more so in the book. Lastly, there was a sticker on the back marked "remove this easy to remove sticker to begin enjoying your book." Well, it wasn't easy to remove, and I still have sticker residue on the back of the book. I hope that isn't too harsh. It is a nice book, and I really like the idea of a photo book. I just can't justify the price for the quality. I am hesitant to try any other company, too, because I can't know the quality without paying a lot of money.

 

[PNO4TE]

Absolutely!

BTW, Alyssa didn't say a word about Santa. I thought she was really scrutinizing Mrs. Claus (a friend from church), but later when I asked her about the experience, she said Mrs. Claus was old, not like the young "Miss Jessica" from Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

I am glad you are enjoying the tree. And you will enjoy all the baking you have done too!

 

[bethbuchall]

Leighanna and I have had a day of baking cookies and making candy. I am tired and would like to quit, but Leighanna is full of energy and wants to keep going!
We've made sugar cookies, buckeyes, rocky road candy, dipped cherry shortbread cookies, and have a recipe for homemade marshmallow.
I am out of powdered sugar, so I will have Angie bring some home after work so that we can at least ice these sugar cookies.

Our tree has been up a few days now.
Our one cat Patches has been in it, up it, sleeping in it, and batting at it. So far no chewing of the wires!
Midnite doesn't touch the tree, she is our good kitty!

So far no broken ornaments, and we are enjoying the tree!
Elizabeth, go ahead and put up your tree! I am sure that your DS and DH love the tradition of it, and find that a very important part of Christmas!

It sounds like a fun and productive day! We make Buckeyes, too, though we haven't yet this year. Do you use paraffin in the chocolate when you dip them?

Our one cat is named Midnight, too. The other is Blackberry. Though we usually call them Middie and Blackie.

 

[PNO4TE]

Which reminds me, we've never used our wedding china!

why??? Your family would love it! (and all the pretty noises it makes when it shatters, possibly...)

 

[PNO4TE]

yes

Then I would be P I S S E D

 

[PNO4TE]

Me too! It was delish, and we had a very nice visit. So then I went downtown. The Christmas store was open and they didn't have what I was looking for. The Sportswear store was closed. Then back over to the mall. They were all out of the football ornament. A shipment comes in on Thursday. I felt like I was going in circles for nothing.

Now I'm home and it's time to do more laundry and wrap!

I am sorry you didn't have better luck! C. I. S. Sportswear will be open tomorrow...

 

[tinknme]

I received mine today. It was nice, but (I hate to say this) not quite as nice as I was hoping. It was good for the price, but to think that it would have cost me over $50 without the "FREE book offer" makes me think I won't order another from this company. I've never done a photo book before, so I don't know how the quality compares to others. I think that the photos are a bit too grainy (and it's definitely the printing, not the photo), and the colors aren't quite right. A couple of my photos are slightly overexposed (my fault), but they appear even more so in the book. Lastly, there was a sticker on the back marked "remove this easy to remove sticker to begin enjoying your book." Well, it wasn't easy to remove, and I still have sticker residue on the back of the book. I hope that isn't too harsh. It is a nice book, and I really like the idea of a photo book. I just can't justify the price for the quality. I am hesitant to try any other company, too, because I can't know the quality without paying a lot of money.

Sorry to hear you are not pleased with your book Beth. I agree about the sticker, it was not easy to remove & I still do not understand why it was placed there

I didn't add any extra pages, so I only paid for shipping & thankfully all the pictures turned out great. I like it so much I wish I had one for myself lol

 

[UP Disney]

It sounds like a fun and productive day! We make Buckeyes, too, though we haven't yet this year. Do you use paraffin in the chocolate when you dip them?

Our one cat is named Midnight, too. The other is Blackberry. Though we usually call them Middie and Blackie.

What is a buckeye?

 

[UP Disney]

I'm making brownies for Chuck and fudge for myself. I don't make fudge very often because I don't like standing at the stove for so long stirring. I moved my laptop beside me so that I can take quick breaks from it and pass the time better.

 

[bethbuchall]

Sorry to hear you are not pleased with your book Beth. I agree about the sticker, it was not easy to remove & I still do not understand why it was placed there

I didn't add any extra pages, so I only paid for shipping & thankfully all the pictures turned out great. I like it so much I wish I had one for myself lol

I'm glad that you like yours! Maybe I was expecting too much. It really is fine, but it was so expensive that I was expecting a bit more. It definitely would have been worth the shipping and handling if I hadn't used so many extra pages.

 

[bethbuchall]

What is a buckeye?

It's a candy/cookie with a peanut butter center dipped not quite all the way in chocolate so that resembles a buckeye (also known as horse chestnut).

My grandmother's "filling" is peanut butter, butter, crushed graham crackers, and powdered sugar.

I have used a little shortening in the melted chocolate chips instead of the paraffin that her recipe calls for, because I don't have paraffin around the house and never remember to go out to look for it. It helps the chocolate coat better and harden just a bit firmer. I think it works better with paraffin, but now my kids claim that my mom's buckeyes aren't as good as mine and blame the paraffin.

 

[PNO4TE]

It sounds like a fun and productive day! We make Buckeyes, too, though we haven't yet this year. Do you use paraffin in the chocolate when you dip them?

We usually make Buckeyes too, but I stopped putting paraffin in them a few years ago. Seems to work out fine anyway!

 

[bethbuchall]

We usually make Buckeyes too, but I stopped putting paraffin in them a few years ago. Seems to work out fine anyway!

Thanks! Maybe I'll try without the shortening, too, and see how they are.

 

[Pooh67_68]

We weren't up too late last night, (1 am) but I must have slept to long this morning, as I am getting a bit tired now. Talk with ya all tomorrow.

 

[UP Disney]

It's a candy/cookie with a peanut butter center dipped not quite all the way in chocolate so that resembles a buckeye (also known as horse chestnut).

My grandmother's "filling" is peanut butter, butter, crushed graham crackers, and powdered sugar.

I have used a little shortening in the melted chocolate chips instead of the paraffin that her recipe calls for, because I don't have paraffin around the house and never remember to go out to look for it. It helps the chocolate coat better and harden just a bit firmer. I think it works better with paraffin, but now my kids claim that my mom's buckeyes aren't as good as mine and blame the paraffin.

That's what I thought they might be. We make a chocolate/peanut butter ball that is similar. It has peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, nuts & maraschino cherries mixed together and dipped in chocolate. They are dipped totally in chocolate though.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Things change drastically in 15 years, my friend. What is important now might not be then. Put up the tree. Enjoy it sans ornaments if you want, but enjoy having the tree up with your DH and DS.

It's up. So far the only ornaments on it are ones that won't break. I am sure I have some breakable ones that I don't like that much, so I can find those tomorrow.

Tammi and I met at Bonefish Grill for an early dinner. We had a wonderful time (as usual). I consider myself very lucky to have found a close-by friend through you all.

Glad you had fun!

Speaking of close-by friends, guess who we saw at Super Target? Mac, Naomi, and the kids! I came around the corner and saw handsome Aidan sitting in the cart. I just knew it was him, so I said "Excuse me? Are you Mac?" It was so fun to meet them! Mya is just beautiful. The details of their trip are really coming together.

Elizabeth, put your tree up and enjoy it!! If mine can survive all the daycare kiddos and Mo and Lucy, surely yours will survive the cats. Our ornaments have been up about 2 hours and Lucy has already knocked off several. But I can't imagine a Christmas without a Christmas tree.

Children are different, because you don't leave them alone with the tree for 6-8 hours every day. Princess hasn't messed with their tree at all. Although she did plug in her little tree yesterday and got in BIG trouble for it. We had already told her she was NOT to plug it in - she needed to ask a grown-up to help her.

Nor have we...and we've been married over 20 years! I'm glad that I convinced my mom that I didn't need to register for silver.

We have china that we think belonged to DH's grandmother. It is all packed up in protective cases in our closet. We also have sterling flatware that is in a box. We have never used any of it. The sterling is gorgeous, but the pattern is REALLY ornate and I am too lazy to polish it.

Hi, all! Sorry I'm not around too much at the moment.

Elizabeth, I hope that your cats surprise you and don't mess with the tree. Ours used to bat at the lower ornaments when they were kittens, but they've never done any damage. Between kids and cats, the "good" ornaments have been at the top of the tree for a long time around here.

I can't put the good ornaments at the top because I am quite certain the tree is going to be knocked over. I have been trying to guess which direction it will fall so I can put the ornaments that can withstand the fall on the side most likely to hit the floor.

A few years ago the Uncles gave us a tree they weren't using anymore. The base was really wobbly, and when it fell over it broke some of my ornaments. The cats didn't cause it to fall, it just fell. That was the year I went out and bought our pre-lit tree, which Aurora eventually chewed and severed the wiring.

Year before last we bought a tree from target with separate lights. That's what we have up now. Last year we didn't have a tree at all. DH and DS got to the tree ahead of me when we came in from dinner so I wasn't able to assess what had happened while we were gone. The tree skirt was all bunched up, but beyond that I am not sure what all went on. At least the tree was still upright. We found some "back up" stockings to hang so Arabella can't ruin my Disney ones. I put an advent thing on DS's bedroom door, put some little candles and things around the living room (HIGH on shelves where the cats can't knock them off), and tomorrow I will work through the bins of ornaments to see if there are any others we can put on the tree.

I would still like to find the rotating tree stand, if not for this year then for the future. Since the tree is in a corner the side that faces the wall is usually pretty bare. If the tree rotated we could distribute the ornaments much more evenly.

We had a very nice dinner with the Uncles. They gave DS a pair of night vision goggles, so he is stalking the cats in the dark.
For our "family" gift they gave us a digital picture frame! I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Uncle1 said he loaded some of our WDW pics into it for me. The trip next August never came up, so I still have no idea if they are planning to join us or not. That would be extremely USEFUL information. I guess I will have to e-mail them at some point before I have to make ADRs and find out what the deal is.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Glynis - Good luck getting the info you need for the cruise! I have never done any cruise research so I am worthless on that front!
I am sure you will lose the rest of your "baby" weight soon! I dropped 20 pounds in 2 weeks just from nursing, and that wasn't until after DS was a month or so old. I came home from the hospital weighing EXACTLY 7 pounds less than when I went in. I lost his body weight - nothing more! So the amniotic fluid and the placenta apparently weighed NOTHING! Give yourself some time and I am sure more of the weight will come off without even trying.

My size 10 jeans are all too small. Which is a shame, because that is the only size I have. I do have ONE pair of 12s, but they are way too big and they are cut really weird. I can't remember now where or why I bought them. I must have ordered them online because there is no way I would have kept them if I could have returned them to a store.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Speaking of close-by friends, guess who we saw at Super Target? Mac, Naomi, and the kids! I came around the corner and saw handsome Aidan sitting in the cart. I just knew it was him, so I said "Excuse me? Are you Mac?" It was so fun to meet them! Mya is just beautiful. The details of their trip are really coming together.
.

So cool that you got to meet them! I love the fact that i have made such great friends from this board- Ive met some of you..and feel like ive met some of you!

I also met a friend on the (i think) community board..she lives about an hour away and we get together for girls nights alot!