Thankful Thursday ~ 12/31/2020

 

Here are some things that made me thankful/smile/excited this week:

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~ Christmas!  We had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas!  The girls are getting older now so we slept in until around 7am and I actually had to wake them up!  I love the Christmas season and all the preparations and time spent together.  Things were a little bit different this year but still GOOD :)

~Mary, Did You Know!  The Ladies Choir at Church sang "Mary, Did You Know" this past Sunday morning after having one practice!  Yikes!  We were worried about coming in at just the right moment but we managed to pull it off :)  Here's one of my favorite versions of the song, that we sounded nothing like.  Nothing...

~New Computer!  I mentioned earlier in the week that my oldest daughter, Kaylee, got me a new computer for Christmas!  It didn't get here until this past Monday but that is OK.  I'm still super excited to have my own computer again!  It was just so hard to use my kindle for everything.

~Bible Reading Plan!  I will be attempting to read The One Year Chronological Bible in 2021.  I'm very excited about this because my Mom and my Aunt Donna will be reading along with me!  I'm hoping that having the extra motivation and support will help me be more consistent with my daily Bible reading.  If you'd like to join along, here is the Bible we will be using.  There is even a Kindle version.

~Calendars and Planners!  I have my new wall calendar and a new blogging planner all set and ready to use come tomorrow!   My new calendar is Landscapes and my planner is in my favorite turquoise color.  I'm a geek about these kind of things :)

~New Year's Eve!  I want to take this little bit of space to say goodbye to 2020 and say hello to 2021...It has been real but I'm ready to leave 2020 behind!  I pray that 2021 will be kinder and more gentle to us all :)

What are you thankful for/smiling/exited about this week?  Tell me all the good stuff! 

Colletta

P.S. I love for you to stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Wondering Wednesday ~ Christmas Favorites ~ 12/23/2020

Welcome to Wondering Wednesdays hosted by A Baker's Perspective, a weekly post to learn more about me and other bloggers.

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Today’s question is – What is your favorite part of Christmas?

My Answer -  Oh my!  This is a very hard question!

I think my favorite part of Christmas is on Christmas morning.  Before we open any presents, we all find our spots in the living room to sit.  Then my Mom will read the account of Jesus's birth from Luke 2.  It reminds us that more than anything, Christmas is about our Savior coming to Earth to ultimately die for the forgiveness of our sins.  It is such a beautiful time.

Other than the reading of Luke 2, I think I would say that the preparations for Christmas are my favorite part.  The shopping, wrapping, cookie baking, Church activities, etc., etc., etc.

What is your favorite part of Christmas?

Colletta

P.S. I love for you to stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Tuesday 4 ~ Christmas Traditions ~ 12/22/2020

Head over to Tuesday's Place for the questions and to visit everyone's answers!

Christmas is fast approaching for millions of people...

1. Do you have a favorite Christmas carol and if so is there a particular version you especially like?

My favorite traditional Christmas carol is "O Holy Night", no particular version.  My favorite secular Christmas Song is "Jingle Bells" by Shedaisy.  You've got to listen to it!  For your pleasure:

 

2.  Do you have a special dinner for the holidays? What foods are included?

On Christmas Eve, we have sandwiches and finger foods.  On Christmas Day, we usually have ham or roast.  This year we're having both!

3.  Holiday movies ... which do you like to watch?

My absolute favorite Christmas Movie is "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, etc.  I have to watch it every year :)

4. What traditions do you continue to keep year after year for the holidays?

I've mentioned in a few other posts this year that we get each of our girls an ornament every year.  We started 20 Christmases ago and have continued the tradition.  The idea is for the girls to have ornaments for their own trees one day.

Colletta

P.S.  I hope you can stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 12/21/2020

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello, and Happy Monday! 

The weather outside is:

We got the snow that I was excited about last week!  Everyone was home so I didn't have to worry about them traveling to or from work in the nastiness; we could just enjoy the snow day.  The temperatures have stayed right around freezing so a little bit of the snow has melted but we still have a good couple inches of covering.  I'm hoping it stays around for Christmas!

On today's to-do list: 

I'm getting this post up a little late because I've already been to the bank, the Post Office and 3 different grocery stores!  I am done shopping for EVERYTHING!  I'm not stepping foot into another store until after Christmas!

Happening this week:

Other than the normal day-to-day tasks this week is CHRISTMAS!  We'll be having Christmas dinner here at home.  The hubby got a ham from his work so we're having ham and roast with mesquite rub for something a little different.  We still have cookies to make so that will take up most of the rest of the week.

Currently reading:

Nothing.  I haven't picked up a book (or my Kindle to read) at all this week.  (DITTO for this week)

On the TV:

Hallmark Christmas Movies (LOTS OF THEM!)

Justice League

Listening to:

I featured "A Christmas to Believe In" by Matthew West on my Songs on Sunday post yesterday.

On the menu week:

Monday ~ Ham, fried potatoes

Tuesday ~ Chicken, Stuffing

Wednesday ~ Keilbasa, mac n cheese

Thursday ~  Christmas Eve

Friday ~ Christmas Day

Saturday ~ Spaghetti, garlic bread

Sunday ~ Church Potluck

In the Craft Basket:

I'm currently working on a Prayer Shawl in Red.  I'm hoping to get it listed in MY SHOP within the next few days.  Sorry not a very good picture

Picture From the Camera:

Delilah Sue

Bible Verse/Devotional

"5 in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth."  Luke 2:5-6

Have a great Monday!

Colletta

I'd love for you to stop by and give THE SHOP some love!

Thankful Thursday ~ 12/17/2020

 

Here are some things that made me thankful/smile/excited this week:

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~ A Snowstorm!  It might not seem like something to be happy about but this is the first big snow of the season and I'm excited!  Laken spent the afternoon sled riding and the rest of us hunkered down inside :)

~More Gin Rummy!  Last week I wrote that my Dad and I played Gin Rummy together.  Today, during the snowstorm, we played some more.  Someone asked if my Dad lives with us and in fact we live with my Dad AND Mom.  We are a "multigenerational" home.

~Cookies!  Another snowstorm pastime was making cookies Wednesday morning.  They were just Chocolate Chip but with the snow falling it was so Christmassy :)

~Stickers!  Kaylee learned how to make stickers with her Cricut!  She made me some custom name stickers.  After the new year she will be opening her Etsy Shop and offering all kinds of artsy stuff.  I'll be sure to update you when she is up and running :)

~The Christmas Tree!  We put up our little Christmas tree in the Family Room on Thanksgiving with the girls' ornaments.  Today we put up the live Christmas tree in the main Living Room and decorated it.  With the snow and Christmas music it was so nice to spend the time together :)

What are you thankful for/smiling/exited about this week?  Tell me all the good stuff! 

Colletta

P.S. I love for you to stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Songs on Sunday ~ O Come, O Come, Emanuel by For King and Country

I'm so excited to be featuring Christmas songs this month!

Enjoy!

Colletta

P.S.  I'd love for you to come visit my SHOP!

Thankful Thursday ~ 12/10/2020

 

Here are some things that made me thankful/smile/excited this week:

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~ Presents are wrapped!  Pretty self-explanatory but the presents have all been wrapped with care and are awaiting Christmas.  It is so hard for me to wait and not give early gifts!

~Daily Bible Reading!  I'm reading the One Year Chronological Bible and being that it is December 10th, there are only a few weeks to go until I start over "In the Beginning" :)  I can say that days go better when I'm in the Word!

~A Cricut!  Kaylee ordered a Cricut Maker and it arrived yesterday!  She is so excited to be back at creating and being artistic.  That is what she loves.  I can't wait to see wait she creates :)

~Christmas Movies!  Last year I just wasn't into watching Christmas movies.  This year I've done a complete turn-about.  We've been watching Christmas movies non-stop.  Hallmark's movies are my favorites but Lifetime has a few good ones also :)

~Gin Rummy!  My Dad taught me how to play Gin Rummy many, many years ago.  Every once in a while, he'll pull out the deck of cards and talk me into playing a hand or two.  The other night we ended up playing 500 Rummy together.  I cherish the time we spend together :)

What are you thankful for/smiling/exited about this week?  Tell me all the good stuff! 

Colletta

P.S. I love for you to stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Wondering Wednesday ~ Christmas Traditions ~ 12/9/2020

Welcome to Wondering Wednesdays hosted by A Baker's Perspective, a weekly post to learn more about me and other bloggers.

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Today’s question is – Do you have any family Christmas traditions?

My Answer -  One of my favorite traditions that we started the year our oldest was born is to get each child a Christmas ornament that commemorates that year in some way.  The idea is that when they get their own house and have their own Christmas tree, their ornaments go with them and become cherished memories.

This is Kaylee's 20th Christmas!  I can't believe it!  So, she has 20 ornaments.  This is Laken's 14th Christmas so she has 14 ornaments so far. It is always so much fun to get the Christmas ornaments out each year and remember what was going on in their lives.

Another tradition that started way before I was born, with my Gram, was the making of Nut Horns.  Nut Horns are a little cookie make from a yeast dough and chopped walnuts.  The walnuts are rolled up within a triangle of the dough and baked.  Confectioners sugar sprinkled on top is optional but I love it!

One more tradition is Christmas Caroling with my Church family.  The Sunday evening before Christmas we walk around our little town and sing carols at doorsteps.  It is all very Hallmark Christmas movie-like!  Although we do get the occasional Scrooge who shuts the door in our faces  :(  Bah-Humbug!  After we're about as cold as we can stand, we go back to the Church social hall for hot chocolate and cookies.  Good times!

Do you have any family Christmas traditions?

Colletta

P.S. I love for you to stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Tuesday 4 ~ Gift of the Magi ~ 12/8/2020

Head over to Tuesday's Place for the questions and to visit everyone's answers!

Let's talk about gifts this week.

1. Whether it's Christmas, Chanukah or a birthday party nice gifts can be hard to pick out.  Is there a safe go to gift you think will fit anyone? 

Well, there is the Gift Card easy-peasy route but that isn't much fun, is it?  As for a gift that will fit ANYONE, I think that would be hard to pick.  Everyone is so different.  It should be interesting to read others' answers :)

2. Is wrapping a gift a necessary part of the excitement of giving and receiving?

I don't think wrapping a gift is necessary, but seeing a wrapped gift come my way is super exciting!

3. What gifts given to you did you love the most?

I have a silver tray that my Grandmother always put cookies on at Christmas.  It was given to me after Gram passed away and I cherish it.

4. In the O. Henry book The Gift of the Magi, a man sells his pocket watch to buy some beautiful hair  combs  for his wife's long hair  but she has sold her hair to buy him a platinum pocket watch chain.

Have you ever saved long and hard to buy someone a special gift? Would you be okay with a holiday that  didn't include gifts? Would friends and family understand?

These days, it is so easy to charge gifts and pay later.  I don't know how popular saving first is these days but I do think it is the wise way to go.  I would be perfectly fine with a holiday that didn't include gifts as long as we get to spend the time with family (and have good food!)  My 13 year old would NOT be understanding if there were no gifts!  She's still young and has a lot of growing up to do :)

Colletta

P.S.  I hope you can stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 12/7/2020

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello, and Happy Monday! 

I hope you had a great first week of December.  Things around here have been CRAZY!

The weather outside is:

It is Sunday evening as I type this.  The temperature is about 29F and snow is in the forecast.  I love the crisp air.  There truly is something to enjoy about every season.

On today's to-do list: 

Being that today is Sunday, it was a quiet day.  We had Church in the morning and then picked up a grocery order this afternoon.  It was our first time trying curbside pickup and I loved it!  I shopped from my kitchen table and didn't even have to get out of the car when we got to the store.  Do you use grocery pickup?

Happening this week:

I mentioned last week that Laken's schooling is now fully virtual.   She has two zoom classes a day.  The rest is done on her ipad.

Kaylee's cricut should be coming tomorrow (Monday).  She is super excited to start creating and getting items listed in her etsy shop.  I'll let you know more about this later!

The hubby is on vacation this week.  Yay!

We're pretty much done with our Christmas shopping except for stocking stuffers.  We still like to put stockings together for the girls.  If you have any great ideas stocking stuffer ideas for a 19 and 13 year old girl, let me know!

Currently reading:

I decided to give up on Christmas reading.  I've been watching so many Christmas Hallmark Movies that for now I need something other than Christmas to read.  I've not yet started "To Catch a Suitor" by Sarah Adams, but I loved the first book of this series "To Con a Gentleman" and am certainly looking forward to spending some time with this book soon.

On the TV:

Hallmark Christmas Movies (LOTS OF THEM!)

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Listening to:

This week I featured my first Christmas song of the year "Noel" by Lauren Daigle.  Lauren is one of my very favorite artists.  I hope you enjoy "Noel" as much as I do.

On the menu week:

Monday ~ Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday ~ Deer Steak, french fries

Wednesday ~ Irish Stew

Thursday ~  Ham, Noodles

Friday ~ Chicken, Rice

Saturday ~ Pizza

Sunday ~ Church Potluck

In the Craft Basket:

Currently in my craft basket is a Baby Pink Beautiful Shells Baby Blanket for my etsy shop.  I also still have one pot holder to make for a Christmas Jingle Gift.  I already have the four dish cloths and one pot holder made.

Picture From the Camera:

Bible Verse/Devotional

"And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city."  Luke 2:3

Have a great Monday!

Colletta

I'd love for you to stop by and give THE SHOP some love!

Thankful Thursday ~ 12/3/2020

 

Here are some things that made me thankful/smile/excited this week:

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~ Thanksgiving!  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration last Thursday.  My sister-in-law out did herself with the meal and the company was great :)

~December!  Once again, I'm geeking out about changing the wall calendar to a new month!  There is just something refreshing about turning to a new page.  Am I the only person who still uses a wall calendar for quick reference?

~Christmas Presents!  We have all our shopping done and are just waiting on a few items to be delivered that we ordered online.  Now to wrap everything :)

~Etsy Shop!  I reopened my ETSY SHOP.  Kaylee started talking about opening a shop for her artwork and I got the Etsy bug again.  So far I've sold a "Think Pink Prayer Shawl".  If you get a chance, stop by :)  I'll let you know when Kaylee gets her shop up and running!

~Sleeping In!  Now that Laken's school is completely virtual we get to sleep in a bit each morning.  I do want to try to keep Laken (and me) on some kind of schedule though.  Any ideas?

What are you thankful for/smiling/exited about this week?  Tell me all the good stuff! 

Colletta

Wondering Wednesday ~ Christmas Season ~ 12/2/2020

Welcome to Wondering Wednesdays hosted by A Baker's Perspective, a weekly post to learn more about me and other bloggers.

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Today’s question is – How early do you start celebrating the Christmas Season?

My Answer -  Usually I start celebrating the Christmas Season around Thanksgiving by listening to some Christmas music while we prepare Thanksgiving Dinner.

This year, like so many other people I've seen, we started celebrating the Christmas Season a lot sooner.  We started listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies in the beginning of November.

My husband and I usually "officially" kick-off the Christmas Season with Black Friday shopping.  This year is so different.  We were almost completely done with our shopping before Black Friday even hit.  We did a lot of online shopping this year, too.  It isn't quite the same but it IS exciting to see the delivery truck pull into the driveway!

We're just trying to go with the flow this strange, strange year...

How early do you start celebrating the Christmas Season?

Colletta

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 11/30/2020

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello, and Happy Monday! 

I've been busy making some new items for my etsy shop which I reopened last week.  I'd love for you to stop by and give THE SHOP some love!

The weather outside is:

It is about 40F and raining today.  Earlier this morning it was pouring but now it is mostly just gray and foggy out.  I don't mind this weather.  In fact, I enjoy all four seasons in their own way.

On today's to-do list: 

I usually go for groceries on Monday but I absolutely HATE getting groceries in the rain so I pushed it back until tomorrow.  I'm working on a "Think Pink Prayer Shawl" for the shop.  I still have my Bible reading to do.

Happening this week:

Well, Laken's school went fully virtual as of today.  I knew it was coming but Laken is NOT thrilled.  She is a people person.  Kaylee is still working overtime especially with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales going on.  Doug is still off today for Deer Season but goes back to work tonight for 4 days of third shift.  He works off and on in December.  I think he told me he only works 9 days in December and the rest is vacation time!  I love having my family home :)

Currently reading:

I'm currently reading "Mistletoe Kiss" by Andrea Boyd.  I haven't done much reading this week.  I totally failed at the HoHoHo Read-a-thon!  lol

On the TV:

Hallmark Christmas Movies (LOTS OF THEM!)

Little Women

Maine Cabin Masters

Listening to:

This week I featured "Truth Be Told" by Matthew West.  I'm so excited to start featuring Christmas Songs next Sunday!

On the menu week:

Monday ~ Ham, Fried Potatoes

Tuesday ~ Turkey and sides

Wednesday ~ Kielbasa, Noodles

Thursday ~  Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Friday ~ Deer Steak, Cheesy Potatoes

Saturday ~ Pizza

Sunday ~ Church Potluck

In the Craft Basket:

The Think Pink Prayer Shawl is currently in my basket.  I've also made some scrubbies and an all white baby blanket for my shop.

Picture From the Camera:

Laken's Christmas 2020 Ornament

Kaylee's Christmas 2020 Ornament.

Bible Verse/Devotional

"This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria."  Luke 2:2

Have a great Monday!

Colletta

Christmas Cards 2020 ~ An Invitation

I saw this on facebook and thought it would be nice to extend it to my blogging friends as well :)

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I want to restart a tradition. Send me your name and address to collettaskitchensink@yahoo.com and I'll send you a Christmas Card.  Let's bring back Christmas Card sending; good old fashioned paper cards to display like when we were little. 🌲

Come on guys!!! Tis the season!!!! 🌲🎅🏻 🎄

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Colletta