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!

Songs on Sunday ~ Christmas to Believe In by Matthew West

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!

Saturday at the Shop ~ 12/19/2020

I've been really busy this week adding new items to MY SHOP.  Below are some of my new listings.  Just click on the picture to go to the listing.  I also love to make custom orders!

I finished up the Cafe Latte Prayer Shawl I was working on last week.

I also made and listed a Medium Thyme Prayer Shawl.

I also relisted the Heather Gray Prayer Shawl.

I have the yarn for a few more Prayer Shawls in my stash.  I just need to decide what color to make next.  What do you think?  Red or Black???

I hope you'll stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Colletta

Book Blogger Hop ~ 12/18/2020

Q.  Do you have any bookish ornaments on your Christmas tree? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

A.  I don't have any bookish ornaments but my daughter does.  Each year we get our girls an ornament that represents something about their year.  One year, we bought Kaylee a notebook ornament off of a shop on Etsy.  (She is always writing stories.)  It actually has notebook paper inside that she can write memories in.  So cute!

Do you have any bookish ornaments on your Christmas tree?

Bookishly Yours,

Colletta

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

Wondering Wednesday ~ 2020 Goals ~ 12/16/2020

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 – Did you meet any goals you set for 2020?

My Answer -  I did!

I set my Goodreads goal for 26 books and I met that goal in either October or November.  Of course, that was the last book I read this year...

I had big plans for 2020 as I'm sure lots of people did.  A great big wrench was thrown at us, wasn't it?  

I'm excited to set some new goals for 2021.  I'll probably write a 2021 Goals post sometime so stay tuned.

Hopefully, 2021 will be little a little kinder to us all!

Did you meet any of the goals you set for 2020?

Colletta

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

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 12/14/2020

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello, and Happy Monday! 

Are you all set for Christmas or running behind?

The weather outside is:

This weekend has been very temperate.  We did have some heavy rains last night but I didn't mind :)  The forecast for mid-week is calling for some decent snowfall.  If we get what they are forecasting, it will be our first heavy snow of the year.  Don't tell, but I'm kinda excited!

On today's to-do list: 

We picked up groceries on Saturday so I don't have to do that today.  It is going to be a pretty down day.  I do want to write Christmas Cards out sometime so today might be the day.  I also have a package to get to the post office today.

Happening this week:

It is a pretty normal week for us.  One note-worthy thing on the schedule is that we'll be baking our Christmas cookies this week!  I can't wait to have some fresh, warm cookies straight from the oven.  Maybe it will start feeling more like Christmas... 

Currently reading:

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

On the TV:

Hallmark Christmas Movies (LOTS OF THEM!)

The Meg (again)

Listening to:

I featured "O Come, O Come, Emanuel" by For King and Country on my Songs on Sunday post yesterday.

On the menu week:

Monday ~ Ham, fried potatoes

Tuesday ~ Chicken, Stuffing

Wednesday ~ Weiner Winks, French Fries

Thursday ~  Sausage, Eggs, Cinnamon Rolls

Friday ~ LumberJack Snacks

Saturday ~ Pizza

Sunday ~ Church Potluck

In the Craft Basket:

I'm currently working on a Prayer Shawl in Cafe Latte.  I'm hoping to get it listed in MY SHOP within the next few days.

Picture From the Camera:

Kona Mae

Bible Verse/Devotional

" Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,"  Luke 2:4

Have a great Monday!

Colletta

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

Saturday at the Shop ~ 12/12/2020

I've been really busy this week adding new items to MY SHOP.  Below are some of my new listings.  Just click on the picture to go to the listing.  I also love to make custom orders!

This is a solid Baby Pink Beautiful Shells Blanket.  It measures 36X36.

I also made a Beautiful Shells Blanket 36X36 in Pale Blue.

Below is a Prayer Shawl in Ombre Pink.

I wanted to make some baby hats to coordinate with some of the blankets I have listed.  This listing is for a set of three in girly colors.

And some boy colors...

This is a super cute Christmas/Valentine hat.  Again, I can make custom orders for different sizes.

I finished off this Granny Square Baby Blanket that measures 30X38.

And some coordinating beanies :)

Right now I'm working on a prayer shawl in Cafe Latte.  I'm hoping to get it finished and featured next week.

I hope you'll stop by MY SHOP and give it some love!

Colletta

Book Blogger Hop ~ 12/11/2020

Q.  What was the last book you started to read but couldn't finish? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

A.  The last book I started to read but didn't finish was "Mistletoe Kiss" by Andrea Boyd.  It wasn't that I didn't like the story but that I've just been really busy lately.  I might still go back and finish it or I might move on to something else.  I'm not quite sure...

What was the last book you started to read but didn't finish?

Bookishly Yours,

Colletta

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

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!

Songs on Sunday ~ Noel by Lauren Daigle

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!

Book Blogger Hop ~ 12/4/2020

Q.  How many blogs do you own?

A.  I only run one blog, Colletta's Kitchen Sink.  

I've started a few others over the years but they didn't stick like this one has.  I've been blogging on Colletta's Kitchen Sink for almost 12 years!  Hard to believe :)

If you blog, how many blogs do you own?

Bookishly Yours,

Colletta

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

Tuesday 4 ~ Tea Parties ~ 12/1/2020

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

Happy December, Everyone!

Let's discuss tea parties.

1. Do you invite people over for coffee or tea?  

During this crazy time in the world, we haven't been inviting anyone over.  Not a good idea right now... :(

2.  Entertaining is a good way to serve others. The bible encourages it in talking about how to be a good person:

Isaiah 58: "“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?      Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? " 

 Do you entertain often?

We don't entertain, per se, but I do enjoy serving others.

3. What kind of refreshments do you offer to guests?

The normal coffee, tea, or cold drink.  Hopefully, I would have a homemade baked good on hand to offer as well.  I do enjoy having guests.  Hopefully this will be possible soon!

4. Do you enjoy tea and/or coffee? How do you take it?

I do NOT like coffee at all.  I like the smell of coffee brewing but even the slightest hint of coffee flavor and I don't like it.  I do, however, enjoy tea.  Vanilla Chai is my very favorite followed closely by orange pekoe.  I like cream (milk) and sugar in my tea.

Colletta