~~~~ Sew, help me... A bittersweet "Epic Girls Trip"... January 2018! ~~~~ UPDATE 1/7!!~~

[DMGeurts]

Wow you’ve been a very busy lady! Sorry I’ve been so absent- life has been a little crazy but I’ve finally gotten all caught up
I’m loving all your bags and matching ears. You really are very talented.
Your love for AK definitely comes across in your update/ plans for the day and the change in your shape is simply amazing. You’ve definitely anti-aged lol.
You’ve inspired me to find out more about Dave Ramsey so I can start the new year with a new budget. I’m to become a grandmother this coming March and I’d like to be able to help my daughter and son-in-law with things they’ll need for the new baby among other things.
Scary that your dad almost took a tumble and well done to your quick-thinking daughter. Doesn’t beat thinking about what could have happened! Glad all turned out ok. So happy for you all that you’re getting to spend some quality family time together

No worries at all - same here! LOL

Thank you - I am so excited to wear them on our trip!

Hehehe - AK is definitely our favorite!

Thanks - it has been a long road to finding my health and reducing size... I feel like it's now a life-long quest. LOL

Definitely - DO IT!!! It has been the absolute best thing we have ever done for our financial selves... The absolute security we feel now is something I have never felt in my life! Congratulations to you on the coming of your newest family member! You must be so excited!

Yes - we are now very careful where we park - something we never even thought of before!

Happy early Anniversary. 20 years

We love to go to The Melting Pot (well I do, Chris goes for me lol).

Love all the bags lined up like that. You need a small bag just for them.

I totally had my count wrong the other day lol. 54 Days and I cannot wait. I do a lot of my research, planning and board reading during the downtime we have from like 2am-4am. Everyone at work is probably ready for me to be done with Disney. Like that will ever happen lol.

Thank you - I have pictures to post from our Anniversary below.

Hahaha... Can't say I've ever been there?

Thanks! I wish it was that easy... I did the great majority of my packing yesterday - I'll post below... I am shocked I was able to get everything in there!

Woohoo!!! It's coming quickly!

Your bag collection is impressive.

I hope the shopping trip with your dad goes well.

Thank you - Josh gives me grief all of the time because it's sort of insane... But I have to remind him - people would be awfully disappointed if I only went to Disney with one bag - LOL... It just wouldn't be right.

It went OK... We had fun and we were able to finish everyone on his list.

Darn it!!! Hopefully you're able to scoop something up--I know you'll track one down!!!

Of course

Scary close call with your Dad! So glad for Allison's quick thinking/acting. Glad he ended up being OK.

Your bags, ears, and accessories are all TOO cute!!! I didn't realize when I saw it on FB that you had Magicbands tucked in with some of those outfits and those cute little gloves--to die for!!! Love it all, as always!

I can't even remember what your first reply was from??? LOL Whatever it was - I hope so. LMAO!

Yes - we were so lucky that she had the intuition just to step in there and get R' done.

Thanks! Yah - I had all of my MBs in there too. I can't wait to wear it all!

Yep, it's the Maharajah Jungle Trek which is the one near the entrance to Kali River Rapids and the Yak and Yeti Restaurant.

Wow, that's scary! My aunt (Mom's sister) tripped over a curb last week and fell and broke her shoulder. It doesn't take much!

Me too! I love all the patterns and how they all complement each other.

That's why I decided to limit myself to 4 bags in January. We are flying Delta and although we do get one checked bag free thanks to Jim's credit card, I'm still used to being able to check two. My second checked bag is usually filled with my bags!

They are all beautiful but I definitely can pick a favorite, the red and black Mickey/Pluto!

This made me laugh so hard. The looks on their faces is priceless.

Happy Anniversary! Jim and I hit 20 next year. We've been talking about a short semi local trip to celebrate but haven't figured out where we want to go yet.

Pixie Dust that this goes off without a hitch.

Perfect!~ We are going to look for them! They are so CUTE!!!!

Yikes! That is scary! I hope she is OK? I can't imagine how painful that must be!

Yah - we only get one checked bag, which we have to pay for... It's gonna be a tight squeeze. I already told V she is in charge of packing and bringing her own bags - I have no room in my luggage for any of their stuff. LOL As it is, I may have to put some of my stuff into their bags.

Hahaha - yah, they weren't thrilled with us at all... And we couldn't keep from laughing at them! LOL

Thank you - we wanted to do a short local trip - but I don't think it will happen... I think, instead - we are just going to "celebrate" when we go to Europe - it's close enough. LOL And justifiably a reason to celebrate.

Thank you!

All of the bags look great! I think the Up bag is adorable but then I also think Dumbo, Toy Story, SBWII, and the rest are adorable too. I can see why it’s hard for you to pick a favorite.

I read your AK park plans & wanted to let you know that we saw Rivers Of Lights a couple of weeks ago & really enjoyed it. I think your family would really like it too since you enjoy AK so much. It’s a peaceful, beautiful show. It doesn’t have the big wow factor of the other shows but we all really liked it. After we went to Pandora to ride FOP one more time. It’s an incredible ride. We also were able to ride Navi which said 15 minute wait but was more like 5 minutes. Pandora was really cool at night.

Thanks - LOL - they are ALL my favorites!! I can't choose just one. LOL

Good to know! I hope that we have the ambition to see it one night while we are there... And I hope we get to ride NRJ too - that would be fun at night.

I love how all your bags look. I can't really pick a favorite.
I'm wondering if you're over thinking your packing. Watch the weather and see what they're saying. Of course, I tend to over pack all the time.
My jacket looks much better. You really have to look to see where the grease is.
It sounds like it was a really close call with your dad. They tend to pile snow in the handicapped parking spots here. I had a close call Friday. As I was walking to my car I slipped on the ice. Luckily my car was close enough to grab onto or I would have been under it.
The picture of the boys is so cute. Max has that look like he's thinking Why just why?
Have a good day
Liz

Thanks - I know - I have the same problem. LOL

Probably - I always do. LOL I am trying to reign it in a little bit... I did 4 pairs of shorts and tees (I figure they are small)... Then 4 pairs of denim capris and 2 pairs of black capri leggings... Then when the time comes, I will pack 2 pairs of full length jeans and 1 pair of full length black leggings... For shirts - I just have a variety of long and 3/4 length sleeves... I'll be wearing my fall jacket on the plane and I'll have my denim jacket and a fleece jacket packed. It all fits - I did it yesterday... It's pretty sick though. LOL

That is awesome! I am glad you were able to get it out. I've already washed my white one once - it came out very nice. I am glad I Scotch Guarded it before I wore it!

Yah - it's terrible - that should be outlawed. We were very lucky that Allison had the reflexes to jump in there - because I just stood there unable to move.

Oh goodness!!! I am glad you are OK!!! Sometimes - not even falling can cause injury - and that's painful too! I hope you are OK and not too sore now.

Pretty sure that's exactly what MM was thinking. LOL Such a good sport.

Have a great weekend!

Wow that's a lot of bags to take, especially with all the accessories. I think I would just take the new ones you made and maybe leave a couple at home. They are all so great though I know it would be hard to leave any. I can't believe you didn't get that Minnie shirt. It would be so perfect with your SBW bag.

Love the dog's picture. We had St. Bernards when I was younger and we dressed them up too. It was so hard getting 2 dogs not to shake something off. We were laughing so hard it wasn't easy getting a good picture but we did it. We only did it one year though but sent it out as our Christmas card.

I don't know why handicapped spots aren't the cleanest. You'd think they'd realize that. My dad has balance issues already and doesn't like to go out of the house in the winter. When we bring him here we always drive him into the garage so we know it's safe for him to walk. The other day he told me he went out to try and sweep his steps. I told him he doesn't need another fall and his good friend will come over and shovel after work. He wanted it clean for the mailman! Hopefully your shopping with your dad will go smoothly.

I finally finished my shopping today. I've had a terrible cold that left me so tired to do anything so I did a lot more shopping online this year. I'm so relieved to be done and just have a few more packages to wrap now when they come. I laughed at the tree with all the presents. That looked a lot like mine when the grandkids were young. Now they don't get all the big toys so everything is smaller and easy to wrap.

Congrats on your anniversary. I told my husband when we finally get to Disney in 2019 we're getting anniversary buttons. Our trip will be a few months past our 45th anniversary then but we will wear them anyway. We went down for our 40th and got so many nice comments. So many people would ask the secret to 40 years. My husband would quickly reply "Yes dear". LOL

Hahaha - the funny thing is, only one of those bag sets aren't new for this trip. LOL I've been a busy girl! I found a perfect sized box at work the other day, which fits all of my Ears, so they don't get smashed in transit - then I was able to tuck all of my other accessories in around them - it worked pretty slick... My bags always just lay flat on top... I'll post pictures below.

Hahaha... Yah - we were laughing pretty hard too - they were not thrilled at all. LOL

Exactly... I should be more of a priority - you would think that those places wouldn't want the liability of someone being hurt. Shopping went well - we were able to get everything done!

WoohoO!!!! Glad to hear you are done shopping! We are too... I just got the last of the GCs I needed to buy yesterday - so I am DONE! I can't believe that Christmas Eve is only 1 week away!

I hope you're feeling better now?

Thank you - Hahahhaa! That is the truth right there... As I tell Josh - I am "always right"... LOL I also tell my co-workers that at Target too... On the days I work, it's not uncommon to be walking through our Target and hear a chorus of "Yes, Dorine..." said in a monotone, drone sort-of way. LOL

I hope you have a nice weekend!

Happy Anniversary! Hope you had a great dinner and evening out. I am so far behind here, I don't even know where to start. Love your bags and ears - all of them. We had a great trip to Disney, but as much as I love going at Christmas, we will not be going next year. We left the day after Thanksgiving and I kept thinking of how much I needed to do at home. Charlie agrees that we will "only" do 2 trips next year. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel this year because the girls and Andrew were not coming home, and Steve had dinner at friends. I couldn't justify making a big dinner for just the 2 of us, especially since we would be gone for a week. No black Friday shopping for me... its not as much fun without the girls along.

Still very far behind on decorating. The tree is up and the wreath is on the front door. Couldn't put lights up on Saturday because it was snowing - we ended up getting about 6 inches.

On top of all this, I've been having pains in my right arm and shoulder for a few months. I went to the dr in July and got a cortisone shot, but it really did not relieve the pain. Went back, finally, last Monday and dr sent me for an MRI. Turns out I have a tear in the rotator cuff and will have to have surgery in January. As a result, I'm not sure I'm going to be doing much more decorating since I won't be able to put it away until sometime in February.

Also, read today that the tiger cubs are out for viewing! When I asked 2 weeks ago, they said sometime in the spring, but they are already out!

You would love Hoop de do!

Thank you - it was very nice!

I am glad you had a great trip! Sadly - I understand how hard that must be to have a trip during this time... Though I enjoyed my trip with Suzi in 2015, I had the same issue - knowing I had so much to do yet and I had Allison's BIG trip just a few weeks after and Christmas right in the middle... I sure felt the insanity that year!

Hopefully you were able to get more decorating done... I know, if it were me - i'd probably call it "good enough" at some point. LOL I didn't go all out this year - just the living room, and a few towels in the bathrooms.

YIKES!!! How painful! Yah - I don't see decorating as a priority if it's that painful... Take a break this year, and allow yourself to rest - as hard as it is.

I hope we get to see them!

One day we will go - sadly - I don't think it will happen on this trip either...

Happy anniversary!!! It sounds like you had a lovely (and delicious) anniversary dinner. I'm glad.

I love seeing your physical fitness/wellbeing photos and seeing how much progress you've made. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- your dedication is so inspiring! Thank you for being so open and honest with us about your journey. I appreciate it.

We're looking into going paleo...my health has definitely suffered while living with my MIL and something has to change. This has been a rough week.

We're getting closer, I think, on the house. I went to look at appliances last night and realized that I can still get my double oven without having to enlarge the kitchen...the appliance package will be more expensive, but we'll still save several thousand dollars by going with an all-in-one range/double oven vs the double oven wall units with the separate cook top. It will save on appliances, square footage, cabinetry, granite, etc. So we're going to go that route. We've almost got the price to where we want it. A little part of me still thinks perhaps we should just suck it up and get something that we don't love but is less money so we have more wiggle room in our budget to work on debt....but at the same time, neither Mark nor I want to spend money on a house that we hate and we definitely don't want to move into a house that we're going to need to spend money on for updates, significant repairs, renovations, etc., in the next five years. So I'm a bit torn. But at least we're making progress. Our goal is to have a contract signed by the end of this month.

I laughed at the "before/after Dave Ramsey" pictures!

All of your park bags look great -- I love them!

Have a great weekend!

Thank you - I'll post pictures below - it was incredible!

Thank you - it is such a difficult journey to be on - we all have our "stuff" though - and I guess, this is mine... I am always happy to talk about it - as it seems my talking about it helps me too.

Paleo has been great for me... I am really enjoying it - though this last week has been a little rough. I hope you are able to find a solution soon - I know this has been so hard on you.

That is awesome! I knew you'd find some sort of solution... I know it isn't exactly what you wanted originally - but it does accomplish almost the same thing. I hope you can get started on your new house asap - as I know, having that "end date" will really help a lot too! Sending you lots of pixie dust for this!

Hahaha... Yah - those tree pics were pretty truthful. LOL

Thank you - I am so excited to carry all of them! It's going to be a fun trip!

Thanks Stephanie - same to you!

**************************************************************************************************************

Wow! It has been a crazy week here! It's just the time of year - as I am sure your weeks are much the same.

On Monday and Tuesday - I worked like a mad-woman in my sewing room... Putting in long hours as I knew those were the only two days I could dedicate totally to working uninterrupted. I've since been able to sneak up there occasionally for an hour or two, and making progress. I plan to put in a nearly-full day today to finish up last week's order.

Wednesday - I worked at Target... That was a sad experience. It's really gonna happen - they are closing our store. The reality is harsh. Our trucks have dwindled to almost nothing... We no longer get restocked in Seasonal, Pets, Softlines, Electronics, Hardware, Home... The only departments we are (barely) getting replenished in is Market, Chemicals and a very little bit of Health and Beauty. Our back stock rooms are emptying... And areas back by the loading dock that used to be filled to the rafters with pallets of TP and Paper Towels are empty - and the shelving has started to be disassembled. It's really just sick - and sad. Our community is just so sad about it... it's hard to believe they could do this to US... Despite everything - our community is still committed to rallying around us and telling us how much they loved our store - not just because it was Target - but our shopping experience was always so much above and beyond what you'd get at any other Target store...

Wednesday night was our 20th Anniversary... I splurged and purchased myself 2 new sweaters (I couldn't decide whitch one)... I ended up with a purple gradient one and the gray one that ties at the shoulders... I left the one that crossed in front, as I felt like it fit me awkwardly. I also didn't get the jeans - as I just needed something to try the sweaters on with. Both sweaters were on clearance and I paid a total of $26 for both after all discounts.

We decided to go out to dinner at a little Supper Club nearby... It's literally 4 miles from our house - and we've lived here for 12 years, and never been there. I guarantee, we will be going back... Though it's more of a "special occasion" place and not really a - hmmm, I'm hungry, let's go there place. LOL

The food was ridiculously amazing! The price wasn't that terrible either... Mine was a Wednesday night special of "Surf and Turf" for $26, and that lobster tail was HUGE! Josh had the Rib Eye steak, but I didn't take a picture of his... he was already growling that I had to take a picture of my food. LOL He doesn't get it.

Then, when our waitress found out it was our 20th Anniversary, she wheeled out his little cake for us... Totally unexpected, and just the sweetest gesture. And you can bet that I ate my half - diet or no diet - it was my 20th Anniversary. In my defense - I did only take a quarter of it to start with, and about 2 bites into it - I claimed the remaining quarter.

And then after we got home, we walked down to our local bar and each had another drink... I grabbed a selfie of Josh and I - which cracked me up - as he was visibly "sucking it in". Hahahaha! Love that man!

Thursday - I had to go to the Orthopedic Dr. with Allison - she hurt her wrist at work several weeks ago, and has been on "light duty" ( = no overtime or bonus shifts)... As it turns out - it wasn't a work injury, as she thought it was - it appears to be that she has a bone that is slightly longer than what it should be - nothing that has to be fixed and something she can live with - but at least we now know the cause. She is still wearing her brace, but she is off "light duty" and is able to pick up shifts again. She is one happy girl!

After - we took grandpa out shopping... He had a LONG list of places he wanted to go... Lunch, Target, Walmart, CVS... We started with lunch - at Pizza Hut... Sadly - I did eat there, the salad bar... Not a great lunch - but our waitress was incredible and very helpful with Dad.

We then went to Target - and after lots of difficulty getting Dad in and out of the car at Pizza Hut - Allison and I slyly tried to get all of Dad's shopping done at Target - I know this is kinda mean of us... But he was just having such a difficult time transferring + it was cold outside - we wanted to limit that as much as possible. His mind is willing - his body isn't. Thankfully - we were able to get all of his shopping done there - and he was done anyways - falling asleep in his wheel chair - even though he wanted to go other places, he just couldn't. Once we got him home and in his recliner - all situated - he was like "hey, I thought we were going to CVS?"... Grrrrr... Sorry Dad - another day. He just doesn't understand that he can't do everything that he wants to do - like really truly doesn't understand it.

Friday - Josh had his back procedure at the hospital... So, I spent all day there with him for that. We had to be there and checked in by 7am! All went well and we were home, and Josh was resting comfortably by 1.

Friday night was my last holiday "outing" with my Target co-workers, where I found out our "Store Closing Party" - where all Target Team Members past and present are invited will be taking place while we are in Disney. Broke my heart... This store and these co-workers are such a HUGE part of my life and I won't be there. Despite that - we had a lot of fun at our "unofficial" holiday party... And 2 nights of drinking for me in one week... Let's just say - that didn't go over well and my body wasn't very happy with me.

While I was at my holiday party - Josh and the girls went to see Star Wars... They had a great time and therefore were my "sober" ride home. This worked out well.

Yesterday - I spent some time packing - like really packing... I've been so nervous with all of the varying weather conditions I need to pack for in January, that I am not going to have enough room/weight - especially with all my additional bags and Ears. When I was at work on Wednesday - I was able to find the perfect sized box where I can stack all of my ears, then tuck all of my other accessories in around them - it makes packing so much easier! And it worked so well! I also decided not to bring my VB Hanging Organizer with on this trip - it takes up so much luggage space, and I really needed that space for other things this time. I weeded down my travel items and managed to fit them all into my Large Cosmetic Bag...

I also packed everything else... All I have left to put in there are my 2 pairs of jeans and my 1 pair of leggings that I am still wearing.

I also started charging all of our extra portable batteries, and getting them all in one spot as they tend to "drift" after trips. LOL

Then last night, Cindy was able to grab all new Magic Bands for us... I got red, Allison wanted gray, and V wanted pink... Surprising right? LOL Not the colors I expected my girls to pick at all.

I also weeded through our ADRs this morning - I had a couple of them that I was holding until after I got FPs, because I wasn't sure on timing... So, now that FPs are done - I released all of my extra ADRs... There is still one possible ADR I might try to get, if I get it great - if not, it's OK too.

Looking ahead this week - it's the week before Christmas (duh)... I have a lot of work to do upstiars, and some meal prep to do for the week... I plan to do appetizers for lunch on Christmas Eve, and we ordered a Prime Rib roast for our Christmas Eve meal... Honestly I'll do most of the meal prep for this on Saturday, and Josh will do the cooking of the meal on Sunday. We decided to do lasagna for our Christmas Day meal - which is opposite of what we normally do, but Allison works on Christmas Day - so this works out better for us, as our "big" celebration will be on CE... Dad will be here for both.

I am sure I'll be back sometime during the week to check in - but I think I am caught up for now. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Prayers and Pixie Dust to all!

D~

 

[Terkina]

Sounds like you had a nice 20th Anniversary

Your new sweaters looks great.

The food at the little Supper Club looks good.

I'm glad to hear Allison's foot is better and that you found out what the problem is.

How great that the shopping trip with your dad went well even if he didn't manage to get to every store that he wanted to.

How great that Josh's back procedure went well.

Sounds like you had a good time at the Target party. What a shame that you can't attend the party that is scheduled when you are at Disney.

How nice that your Dad will be at your house both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.


Nothing is happening here at my end. It hasn't snowed here for several days so the amount of snow is slowly getting less outside. Now we have 23.23 inch of snow, 4 days ago we had 29 inches of snow.

The coming week I'm planning to bake Chocolate chip cookies and roasted almonds which I'm giving to my grandmother, aunt and parents as a Christmas present.
I'm also going to try and make a Swedish pastries called Dammsugare in Swedish which means vacuum cleaner in English.
Here is a picture of them I found on the internet.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I just spent two days in a row at Christmas parties where I ended up sitting for hours. My body is not happy with all that inactivity. I wear my FitBit everyday and usually reach my goal of 250 steps an hour and 10,000 steps a day. Friday and Saturday had pathetic numbers. I think I'll go out and rake leaves today to make up for it.

I worked at Target... That was a sad experience. It's really gonna happen - they are closing our store.

I'm sorry to hear that you are going to miss the goodbye party.

Are you going to try to find another part time retail job?

We decided to go out to dinner at a little Supper Club nearby... It's literally 4 miles from our house - and we've lived here for 12 years, and never been there. I guarantee, we will be going back..

Supper Clubs are one of those things that we don't see anywhere near where we live. We would go to them when we were on vacation in Wisconsin and they usually had very good food. But sadly, they are disappearing from Wisconsin, too. That is nice that you had a good one near you.

While I was at my holiday party - Josh and the girls went to see Star Wars... They had a great time and therefore were my "sober" ride home. This worked out well.

Didn't you want to see the movie, too? We are big fans and looking forward to seeing it soon, maybe next weekend.

Then last night, Cindy was able to grab all new Magic Bands for us... I got red, Allison wanted gray, and V wanted pink... Surprising right? LOL Not the colors I expected my girls to pick at all.

Is Allison going to decorate her band?

we ordered a Prime Rib roast for our Christmas Eve meal.

My sister is making prime rib for Christmas Eve. We have our big Christmas party on Dec 26th and last year I made tacos for our party. The kitchen was being remodeled and I had a working stove but everything else was in the bedroom. The taco meal was such a big hit that we are repeating it this year.

 

[Clio]

Sounds like you had a great anniversary celebration. The food looks really good. I like the purple sweater on you.
It sounds like it's really sad at work. It has to be a hard place to be working at right now.
I'm glad the Allison was able to get back to working at her usual pace.
It's been super busy at work. We also have more freight that wee need. Stuff was on back order because of the hurricanes in the fall and it's all coming in now.
We're having Christmas on Thursday. Three of us have to work Christmas Eve and that's the only day everyone is free. On Christmas Day I'm going to my daughter's. They're smoking a turkey breast for Christmas dinner.
Have a good day \Liz

 

[Bizzie71c]

Sounds like a wonderful anniversary. Love both the Grey Sweaters and that cake, I love cake, big part of my problem lol. I love sweets.

Where does one go if they want to order from you lol.

Packing, I just told DH that I wanted to pull the suitcases out and start going through stuff, the way my son has been growing there is a good chance he won't fit into any of the shorts I just bought him for back to school, its so bittersweet to watch him get older and miss my baby at the same time.

we have 2 sets of magic bands, our original ones, then we re-booked with gift of magic and I changed my band to the special ones they released with the package, well they sent me my original pink band, so I called and they sent three more all the special ones lol. so I told Carson we can take them all because they will all work, he's excited.

We are down to 48 days, and I want to make some ears, and a few shirts, and maybe a pair of custom shoes with my cricut, but I am trying to wait til after Christmas, seeing as I am hosting christmas and christmas day at my house, I figure I better focus on that.

Sorry to hear that Allison has been having trouble with her hand, Carson has an extra bone in his ankle that will eventually fuse but now when he is active in sports it hurts him and he has to wear a brace to play in until it fuses. Hopefully she will find a solution that works for her.

did they like Star Wars? Carson is a huge Star Wars buff, has been since age 3, my nephews totally got him into it, he's kinda bummed because we can't go see the movie until after christmas.

Totally stinks about your store closing, co-workers can totally become family to you!!

 

[dalmatian7]

Forgive my ignorance, but what makes it a Supper Club and not a restaurant? I have heard the term before, but just thought it was an old term for a restaurant. Looks like it was a great meal and you look awesome.
My fitness hasn't been the best lately, but luckily except for some cookies I made last week, my eating has been good. I need to find a treat with the taste of gingerbread, but less sugar. I love ginger. Like pregnant woman craving love it. All the other cookies I can walk away from but those. I need to make a ginger and spice mix I can mix with water for work. Just drinking hot water right now (because I am trying to reduce the staining on my teeth from coffee and tea) is getting old. Ill have to peruse Pintrest on lunch someday.
Enjoy your holiday. I need to sit down with my DH and go over our Christmas Eve meal plans. We usually do seafood with a meatless entree or soup. I would like to go to mass not be cooking, so it has to be something he can just put in the oven while cooking the seafood. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Loving your latest fashion purchases. Sorry it's so hard going to work and seeing all those empty shelves
Hopefully your trip will cheer you and who knows maybe the new year will bring new adventures
Lovely photo of you and your husband (yep he's definitely holding it all in lol)
On another topic I had a look at the Dave Ramsey website and had a first attempt at doing a budget (the free version). Is that what you used to get on track and clear debt/live debt free in the future? Thought it funny that it was advertising "sale!!!" on homepage and I'm trying to be strong and not spend whille wondering if I need to buy in (if that makes sense)??

 

[CaseFace5]

Hey D!!! SO late to the party but I am here!! I just caught up on your whole PTR! The trip is coming up so soon and I can't wait to be able to finally meet IRL!

All your new bags are amazing!! I think the Toy Story one is my favorite though!

I'm so sad for you with the whole Target thing. I started working at my local Target last year to save for my wedding and I am actually starting back up tonight to save up some spending money for Disney. It's such a bummer that you are going to miss your get together with coworkers, but I hope you are able to see them at a different time soon. I'm sure you will all keep in touch.

You look incredible! I am so proud of your journey! I myself have lost 70 pounds in the last year and can totally relate to all the clothes being too big and having to buy new clothes. It's the worst because who budgets for that? I also know the exact feeling of looking at pictures and seeing the clothes be too big, it's such a surreal feeling.

I know you are pretty much at the end of this PTR but I wanted you to know I am here and following along! Looking forward to being here for the end and for being able to meet so very soon!

 

[DMGeurts]

Sounds like you had a nice 20th Anniversary

Your new sweaters looks great.

The food at the little Supper Club looks good.

I'm glad to hear Allison's foot is better and that you found out what the problem is.

How great that the shopping trip with your dad went well even if he didn't manage to get to every store that he wanted to.

How great that Josh's back procedure went well.

Sounds like you had a good time at the Target party. What a shame that you can't attend the party that is scheduled when you are at Disney.

How nice that your Dad will be at your house both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.


Nothing is happening here at my end. It hasn't snowed here for several days so the amount of snow is slowly getting less outside. Now we have 23.23 inch of snow, 4 days ago we had 29 inches of snow.

The coming week I'm planning to bake Chocolate chip cookies and roasted almonds which I'm giving to my grandmother, aunt and parents as a Christmas present.
I'm also going to try and make a Swedish pastries called Dammsugare in Swedish which means vacuum cleaner in English.
Here is a picture of them I found on the internet.

Thank you Lillian!

Wow!!! I am sure you will be back to having more snow soon. Tis' the season! LOL We are getting a bit today, and the girls and I have errands to run - it should be fun.

Those look so delicious! I bet they are wonderful! How did they all turn out?

I hope you have a Merry Christmas if I don't get back here to do another round of replies before the holiday.

I just spent two days in a row at Christmas parties where I ended up sitting for hours. My body is not happy with all that inactivity. I wear my FitBit everyday and usually reach my goal of 250 steps an hour and 10,000 steps a day. Friday and Saturday had pathetic numbers. I think I'll go out and rake leaves today to make up for it.

I'm sorry to hear that you are going to miss the goodbye party.

Are you going to try to find another part time retail job?

Supper Clubs are one of those things that we don't see anywhere near where we live. We would go to them when we were on vacation in Wisconsin and they usually had very good food. But sadly, they are disappearing from Wisconsin, too. That is nice that you had a good one near you.

Didn't you want to see the movie, too? We are big fans and looking forward to seeing it soon, maybe next weekend.

Is Allison going to decorate her band?

My sister is making prime rib for Christmas Eve. We have our big Christmas party on Dec 26th and last year I made tacos for our party. The kitchen was being remodeled and I had a working stove but everything else was in the bedroom. The taco meal was such a big hit that we are repeating it this year.

I know the feeling - my body doesn't enjoy when I am idle either. I hope you are back to normal now.

Yes - I am pretty bummed about it too... At least I will be in WDW - so that will make it better.

Probably not at this time... I am going to take my severance pay and use that time to make up the difference with my business - it's a small enough number that I think I can do it? I'll see what they end up doing with the Target building and maybe if something worthwhile opens there - I may apply... Otherwise, nothing else local interests me, it's nice being at a point in my life where I can be a little bit picky.

I guess I didn't realize how rare they are - but you are right, there are very few of them around anymore.

I did not see the Star Wars movie... Victoria had purchased 3 tickets several weeks ago (for her, Josh and I) - but she didn't know that my work party was the same night, so I gave the ticket to Allison so it didn't go to waste and went to my work party instead... Had the store not been closing - I would have opted out of the work party - but since there will be so few of them again in the future, I decided I wanted to be part of that this time.

Allison probably won't decorate her band... She is very much a "closet Disney fan" LOL... Sometimes she will wear Ears - but most often, she does her own thing, but enjoys the magic just as much as the rest of us do. On our 2012 trip, where the guy at the FQ bus stop made a rude comment about my outfit and everyone laughed at me - Allison was there for that, and ever since then, "her Disney side" is very underwhelming... It's OK - I understand... Had I not been the person that I am - I probably would have stopped dressing up all together too... but I enjoy it too much. I've definitely toned it down since that incident - and I am very happy with my outfits in Disney these days.

That is awesome! Don't you love how new traditions start from chaos? When I was a little girl, my Dad's family always gathered on Christmas Eve - those gatherings are some of my favorite memories... We used to gather with Josh's family on Christmas Eve, but in 2010, when they all moved - we were left here with no one to spend the holiday with - Dad was too far away for a Christmas Eve trip (and then get home and try to do Santa stuff too)... So, we started our own Christmas Eve gathering... I've made it perfectly clear to the girls that CE is "ours" from here forward until the end of time, LOL. In my memories - there is nothing more beautiful than eating a wonderful meal together, then sitting under a lit tree, with Christmas music playing and gathering as a family while opening gifts - something about those lights. LOL

I hope you have a Merry Christmas if I don't get back here again to do replies before the holiday. Oh - and I replied to your PM about our trip.

Sounds like you had a great anniversary celebration. The food looks really good. I like the purple sweater on you.
It sounds like it's really sad at work. It has to be a hard place to be working at right now.
I'm glad the Allison was able to get back to working at her usual pace.
It's been super busy at work. We also have more freight that wee need. Stuff was on back order because of the hurricanes in the fall and it's all coming in now.
We're having Christmas on Thursday. Three of us have to work Christmas Eve and that's the only day everyone is free. On Christmas Day I'm going to my daughter's. They're smoking a turkey breast for Christmas dinner.
Have a good day \Liz

We did - thank you - I love it. I think I may try to wear the gray one for Christmas... I am still struggling with what to wear under it??? The ties are at such an awkward location - it's impossible to not see what you are wearing under it. LOL

It's very sad and very difficult... As one of my former co-workers was saying yesterday while he was walking through the store... For YEARS we have taken such pride in this store - day after day - everything had an exact location always and the store was always so clean... It's still clean, but the shelves are emptying quickly - and everything does have a location - but sadly everything is no longer there. We will start disassembling shelving and moving the store forward next week. It's coming much too quickly.

Yes - she is picking up hours and bonuses... I love that my girls really understand that work = money, the more they work, the more they have.

Enjoy your Christmas celebration today! And have a Merry Christmas Liz if I don't get back here to do replies again before the holiday.

Sounds like a wonderful anniversary. Love both the Grey Sweaters and that cake, I love cake, big part of my problem lol. I love sweets.

Where does one go if they want to order from you lol.

Packing, I just told DH that I wanted to pull the suitcases out and start going through stuff, the way my son has been growing there is a good chance he won't fit into any of the shorts I just bought him for back to school, its so bittersweet to watch him get older and miss my baby at the same time.

we have 2 sets of magic bands, our original ones, then we re-booked with gift of magic and I changed my band to the special ones they released with the package, well they sent me my original pink band, so I called and they sent three more all the special ones lol. so I told Carson we can take them all because they will all work, he's excited.

We are down to 48 days, and I want to make some ears, and a few shirts, and maybe a pair of custom shoes with my cricut, but I am trying to wait til after Christmas, seeing as I am hosting christmas and christmas day at my house, I figure I better focus on that.

Sorry to hear that Allison has been having trouble with her hand, Carson has an extra bone in his ankle that will eventually fuse but now when he is active in sports it hurts him and he has to wear a brace to play in until it fuses. Hopefully she will find a solution that works for her.

did they like Star Wars? Carson is a huge Star Wars buff, has been since age 3, my nephews totally got him into it, he's kinda bummed because we can't go see the movie until after christmas.

Totally stinks about your store closing, co-workers can totally become family to you!!

Thank you - Yah - I have a problem with sweets too... I've found I can either have NONE and be OK with it - or have a little and snowball into craving them like crazy... That cake last week kind of snowballed me for a few days... Back at the NO sugar and doing fine now.

Sadly - I am not allowed to talk about my business at all on The Dis, it's considered soliciting. I hope you understand.

Yah - I am one of those people who keeps my Disney suitcase packed all the time. LOL Sort-of... When I get back this time, I will have to unpack it, because I won't need all of my Disney stuff for Europe... Though I do plan to bring 1 bag set for DLP - I haven't decided which one yet? We've managed to save almost double what we need for our new mattress, so I am considering talking to Josh to see if we can splurge on some nice new luggage for our trip over... My pink set has been to Europe 3x, Disney countless times, plus several other trips... It's still in OK condition - but it's pretty heavy considering how light luggage is these days, and it sure would be nice to upgrade... Not necessary at all - but nice.

They do grow too quickly... It's so sad! The funny thing is, I still see my babies in my grown girls - there are personality traits that have been there since the beginning, and it's sort of fun to see how that has transformed into adulthood.

Sooooo jealous!!! I love those bands so much and I would LOVE to have one... Maybe one day they will release some cute ones similar to that for public purchase.

Wahoo!!! Sounds like you are crazy busy with the holidays - it sure does help pass the time for trip countdowns though. I know, for us - we finish the holiday and then it's "Crazy Time" before our trip! It's my favorite time! LOL

Allison is working with a brace on, and that seems to help a lot. At least we now know what it is - that helps to know that she can't really do anything to prevent the pain or to make it worse - it will just always be there. Hopefully the brace helps Carson too!

I think they liked Star Wars??? I haven't let them talk about it around me. LOL

Yes - it's getting to be more and more of a reality as the days go on... Our store is emptying at a rapid pace when we don't receive much replenishment... They always told us that our job of "stocking shelves" was the most important job in the store - I don't think anyone really believed them or took them seriously until our job started to not exist anymore and our shelves started emptying... It's very sad to watch.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas if I don't get back here in time to wish you one before the holiday - enjoy hosting!!!

Forgive my ignorance, but what makes it a Supper Club and not a restaurant? I have heard the term before, but just thought it was an old term for a restaurant. Looks like it was a great meal and you look awesome.
My fitness hasn't been the best lately, but luckily except for some cookies I made last week, my eating has been good. I need to find a treat with the taste of gingerbread, but less sugar. I love ginger. Like pregnant woman craving love it. All the other cookies I can walk away from but those. I need to make a ginger and spice mix I can mix with water for work. Just drinking hot water right now (because I am trying to reduce the staining on my teeth from coffee and tea) is getting old. Ill have to peruse Pintrest on lunch someday.
Enjoy your holiday. I need to sit down with my DH and go over our Christmas Eve meal plans. We usually do seafood with a meatless entree or soup. I would like to go to mass not be cooking, so it has to be something he can just put in the oven while cooking the seafood. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday!

Well... Beats me? LOL No, really - I am not sure of the difference? I *think* it's because it's only open at supper time? And it's a bit fancier? Table cloths... nicer chairs... 4/5 course meals... I think??? Maybe someone else knows?

I know the feeling - I made the mistake of eating that cake at our Anniversary and wow - I had a few days of craving sweets again like crazy... Sugar is an addicting thing, and so difficult to avoid. I hope you are able to find something that can help with that craving... Have you tried Pinterest? That's my first go-to when looking to recreate recipes.

Thank you - I hope you have a Merry Christmas! And I hope you can find something easy for DH to make.

Loving your latest fashion purchases. Sorry it's so hard going to work and seeing all those empty shelves
Hopefully your trip will cheer you and who knows maybe the new year will bring new adventures
Lovely photo of you and your husband (yep he's definitely holding it all in lol)
On another topic I had a look at the Dave Ramsey website and had a first attempt at doing a budget (the free version). Is that what you used to get on track and clear debt/live debt free in the future? Thought it funny that it was advertising "sale!!!" on homepage and I'm trying to be strong and not spend whille wondering if I need to buy in (if that makes sense)??

Thank you - it's fun shopping for myself, yet still trying very hard to be budget-wise... These days, we have a "clothing/shoes" budget line item - so I am not using money budgeted for other things - which is very strange to get used to... I have a hard time overcoming the "guilt" associated with purchases like that, just from years of hiding my purchases.

It is very difficult watching our store empty... It's getting to the point where a person questions if they should go there to get something the need, because they may no longer have it. That is hard.

Thank you - I am sure it will... I am definitely looking forward to it - and so are the girls.

LOL - yah - he cracks me up.

Yes - we did use Dave Ramsey... You can definitely purchase his books or Financial Peace University - it is a little odd... Quite honestly - you can often find his books at Goodwill for very cheap - and you can easily do his program from the Total Money Makeover book. I do know that he has an app - "Every Dollar" which has a free version and an upgraded pay version - both are good and highly rated. We did do Financial Peace University - it's normally a $100 9 week class, but last Easter he put it on sale for $30 and I snatched it up - well worth the $30 I paid and even worth the full-price price tag (I don't often say that about anything).... Personally - we use our own Excel spreadsheet for budgeting that Josh built years ago - we tweaked it a little bit to fit it into the Dave Ramsey way of things - but it works very well for us. I am happy to email a blank one out to anyone who wants it - you just have to have Microsoft Office on your computer for it to work... Let me know if you want me to send it to you. Good luck - it has changed our lives in ways we never imagined.

Hey D!!! SO late to the party but I am here!! I just caught up on your whole PTR! The trip is coming up so soon and I can't wait to be able to finally meet IRL!

All your new bags are amazing!! I think the Toy Story one is my favorite though!

I'm so sad for you with the whole Target thing. I started working at my local Target last year to save for my wedding and I am actually starting back up tonight to save up some spending money for Disney. It's such a bummer that you are going to miss your get together with coworkers, but I hope you are able to see them at a different time soon. I'm sure you will all keep in touch.

You look incredible! I am so proud of your journey! I myself have lost 70 pounds in the last year and can totally relate to all the clothes being too big and having to buy new clothes. It's the worst because who budgets for that? I also know the exact feeling of looking at pictures and seeing the clothes be too big, it's such a surreal feeling.

I know you are pretty much at the end of this PTR but I wanted you to know I am here and following along! Looking forward to being here for the end and for being able to meet so very soon!

Casey!!!!! It's great to see you here!!! I am super excited to finally meet too... I think, on one of our trips, we tried to coordinate a meet - we were in the same park on the same day, but we just couldn't make it happen? That's how I remember it anyways. LOL Hopefully this time we can make it work!

Thank you - I was awake last night thinking... I think I am going to pull out my TS Ears and add rope to them? I forgot that I wanted to do that. Then they will be even better. LOL

Thank you! WOW!!! That is awesome! You were so beautiful in your wedding dress! It is a huge budget thing, to have to buy new clothes... I admit that Josh - I think - thinks it's a little unnecessary to buy new clothes - but I am like... C'mon dude - my clothes look ridiculous on me. LOL Here's to smaller clothes! Cheers! Great job my friend!

So happy to have you here and following along - I've missed seeing you on The Dis! And have a Happy Holiday too, if I don't see you back before then!

**************************************************************************************************************

Trying to stay caught up here, I still have 2 more updates to do (for sure) and January will be here in what??? 10 days???? Yah... Gotta get a move on this PTR!

Just a real quick - pop in to say hi!

I've had a busy week so far and it will continue through the holiday...

After a rough few days after our Annivarsary cake... Seriously how ONE dessert can make a person not only CRAVE but literally CAN'TTHINKABOUTANYTHINGELSE for days afterwards is insanity... Once again, demonstrated to me, how addictive sugar is and I am just better off not having any at all. Back into the swing of things and feeling better already... Still dealing with some bloat issues - but for the most part, that's gone too... I have no idea how I am going to deal with Disney food this time??? It's going to be tough.

A wonderful salad for you all - sort of a preview of our Christmas Eve menu.

I've been busy making fun headbands with some leftover knit fabric... Patterns for Pirates came out with a "slouchy headband" tutorial as a freebie for the holidays... I've made so many of these things over the last few days - literally a 10 minute project... So if you see me sporting many of these in the coming weeks - well, I love them, they keep my head warm. LOL And of course - I must show my Disney side!

Our store is emptying, much quicker than anyone anticipated... When you walk in the doors, it's so obvious - as we are starting to remove the excess gondolas where One Spot is... and all of our back walls in Softlines are now empty... It's hard to watch.

Josh's Dad sent us all new Christmas hats and matching light necklaces as a fun gift... I took it upon myself to take a picture - and then Josh wanted in on it - so we donned our "Christmas sweaters" and selfied... The girls each have a set too - it remains to be seen if they will wear them though...

That's about all... The girls and I have to run to the mall again this morning - final trip, I promise... We have an exchange that we need to do... Wish us luck. LOL

Today is all about washing table linens and China to get ready for the holiday. And grabbing the 2 things on my list that I haven't purchased yet.

I will try to get back here to wish you all a Merry Christmas before the holiday and hopefully do another update too! But it not - Merry Christmas!!!!

Prayers and Pixie Dust to all!

D~

 

[gopherdame]

I really haven't been doing much to get ready besides decorating and presents, but I am today. We always celebrate on Christmas Eve at my sister's. A few years ago we decided to quit doing presents as there were just so many kids. But not wanting them to not get any presents, my daughter and I decided to do games with prizes. We buy prizes throughout the year on sale or clearance. There are 13 great nieces and nephews if they all make it. This year we did really well and have 5 tubs of prizes! I like to use my Kohl's cash and Penney's coupons for this and also get clearance toys at Target. Some of the kids are getting older so it's harder to find prizes and they don't always want to participate in the kids games. So this year we saw the saran wrap game on fb and are doing that. Don't know if you've seen it, but you wrap candy and money in saran wrap. We made 2 balls and used a whole box of saran wrap. I think it will be fun!

Did you see the Fergus Falls Target on the news? All their toy shelves were empty! They said they had shipped it all to other stores. I guess people were upset so they said they were going to replenish the shelves. What a dumb idea right before Christmas!

I loved your new sweaters! I think you made the right decision on the other one though. It just wasn't very becoming. I know how it is when you want to buy new clothes after losing weight. Plus you got something pretty for your anniversary. Your dinner looked wonderful! I've been doing pretty well and have lost 7 pounds. I only have 4 more to get back to the 30 I lost before, but hope to keep going this time and lose a little more. I slowed down a bit with my cold but am back to exercising every day and feel a lot better now that I am. I am the same way with sugar. I still buy cookies for my husband but try to stick with ones I really don't care for. He even told me I don't have to buy ice cream for him anymore, as that's his go to snack at night. He wants to lose a little too and has been using the treadmill. I'm sure I will be eating too much for Christmas, but I just have to eat all the good cookies my mom still makes, lol.

Merry Christmas Dorine! Not sure I will be back before Christmas. I'm sure this will be a special Christmas with your dad. Will you be getting Jonathan too?

 

[CaseFace5]

Casey!!!!! It's great to see you here!!! I am super excited to finally meet too... I think, on one of our trips, we tried to coordinate a meet - we were in the same park on the same day, but we just couldn't make it happen? That's how I remember it anyways. LOL Hopefully this time we can make it work!

Thank you - I was awake last night thinking... I think I am going to pull out my TS Ears and add rope to them? I forgot that I wanted to do that. Then they will be even better. LOL

Thank you! WOW!!! That is awesome! You were so beautiful in your wedding dress! It is a huge budget thing, to have to buy new clothes... I admit that Josh - I think - thinks it's a little unnecessary to buy new clothes - but I am like... C'mon dude - my clothes look ridiculous on me. LOL Here's to smaller clothes! Cheers! Great job my friend!

So happy to have you here and following along - I've missed seeing you on The Dis! And have a Happy Holiday too, if I don't see you back before then!

Thanks D! I think we were supposed to try to get together during the big GTG during March of 2012! I just went back and read through my old PTRs and I think that was the one, so it's been a long time coming!!

A wonderful salad for you all - sort of a preview of our Christmas Eve menu.

I agree about the sugar! It's so tough to crack the cravings after even just a little bit. I have been limiting myself but the Holidays are so hard! That salad looks SO GOOD!!

I've been busy making fun headbands with some leftover knit fabric... Patterns for Pirates came out with a "slouchy headband" tutorial as a freebie for the holidays... I've made so many of these things over the last few days - literally a 10 minute project... So if you see me sporting many of these in the coming weeks - well, I love them, they keep my head warm. LOL And of course - I must show my Disney side!

Those are ADORABLE!! Oh my goodness, I would wear that all the time too!!

So cute!! Love that you guys put on your sweaters to take a picture!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I love your Santa baseball caps Family pic is needed for sure!!

Sad to see your store emptying out I have been working at my Hallmark store since I was 15, so I understand the emotional ties and attachments you have to the store. Sending a hug to you!

Good luck at the Mall!! Stick to the list

 

[Terkina]

Sugar is very addictive so if you manage to stay away from sugar that is probably the best ting to do.

The headband looks great.

How sad that your Target store is getting empty so much quicker than you all thought

The Christmas hats Josh's dad sent you all and yours and Josh's Christmas sweaters looks really great. Nice picture of you both.

Good luck with your shopping today


The Swedish pastries turned out really good. Thank you for asking

I was at the mall on Monday doing my weekly grocery shopping. I was there at 1pm and there was a lot of cars on the roads to the mall and a lot of cars in the parking area. I managed to get a handicap parking space without a problem (often people that don't have a HC-parking permit parks on those places) and got into the store. It was a lot of people and I decided that I don't want to come back there until after Christmas so I tried to get everything I need for the next week.

Today I discovered that I had forgotten to buy the nuts I need for my chocolate chip baking so I decided to go to a smaller store and get those. There were a lot of people there as well today, but I managed to find a parking spot and got what I needed at the store. I'm crossing my fingers that I have remembered everything I need so I don't have to go to the store again before Christmas.

One week ago we had 27.5 inches of snow. Today we "only" have 15.4 inches of snow. It has been around 37.4ºF and raining the last few days. Most of the ice is now gone, but I would like it to rain some more so all the ice will go away before we get more snow. They say it will get colder and below freezing point this weekend.

Today is the darkest day of the year and only 1 month left until we have the sun back in Tromsø. Time is going so fast. It's already a month since the sun disappeared and now the sun is starting to rise again a little each day.

Merry Christmas to you too

 

[Bizzie71c]

I completely u derstabd about the soliciting. I didn’t think about it

Isn’t Snapchat fun!! I think me and my friends use it more than Carson does lol. The hats are cute!!

We do a bunch of little side trips, but I do have the tendency to leave my stuff in suitcases since I won’t be wearing it. I know the daytime weather in feb will be warm (much warmer than Ohio) but I’m u sure about the nights so I’m not sure how much to pack. I’ve been putting my outfits together. I have a few cute pair of Lula roe leggings.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

 

[Ladyfish77]

Wanted to pop in and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! I've been busy with work, and also have a cold, so things have been crazy. Then on Sunday early morning my store was broken into. Luckily they didn't take that much considering what they could have taken, but it's still a major hassle to fix the broken door and file all the reports.

I'm looking forward to a quiet Christmas with my DH and the boys. Nothing fancy planned, just fun down time.

I like your new headbands. So creative! Enjoy Christmas.

 

[lovegrumpy]

Wishing you and the family a Very Merry Christmas!!!!!!

 

[DMGeurts]

I really haven't been doing much to get ready besides decorating and presents, but I am today. We always celebrate on Christmas Eve at my sister's. A few years ago we decided to quit doing presents as there were just so many kids. But not wanting them to not get any presents, my daughter and I decided to do games with prizes. We buy prizes throughout the year on sale or clearance. There are 13 great nieces and nephews if they all make it. This year we did really well and have 5 tubs of prizes! I like to use my Kohl's cash and Penney's coupons for this and also get clearance toys at Target. Some of the kids are getting older so it's harder to find prizes and they don't always want to participate in the kids games. So this year we saw the saran wrap game on fb and are doing that. Don't know if you've seen it, but you wrap candy and money in saran wrap. We made 2 balls and used a whole box of saran wrap. I think it will be fun!

Did you see the Fergus Falls Target on the news? All their toy shelves were empty! They said they had shipped it all to other stores. I guess people were upset so they said they were going to replenish the shelves. What a dumb idea right before Christmas!

I loved your new sweaters! I think you made the right decision on the other one though. It just wasn't very becoming. I know how it is when you want to buy new clothes after losing weight. Plus you got something pretty for your anniversary. Your dinner looked wonderful! I've been doing pretty well and have lost 7 pounds. I only have 4 more to get back to the 30 I lost before, but hope to keep going this time and lose a little more. I slowed down a bit with my cold but am back to exercising every day and feel a lot better now that I am. I am the same way with sugar. I still buy cookies for my husband but try to stick with ones I really don't care for. He even told me I don't have to buy ice cream for him anymore, as that's his go to snack at night. He wants to lose a little too and has been using the treadmill. I'm sure I will be eating too much for Christmas, but I just have to eat all the good cookies my mom still makes, lol.

Merry Christmas Dorine! Not sure I will be back before Christmas. I'm sure this will be a special Christmas with your dad. Will you be getting Jonathan too?

I love the game idea! How awesome is that? And how fun to shop all year to fill those bins! Great idea!

I didn't see it on the news, but someone showed me a picture and told me how upset everyone was... I will say - the other Targets have been coming in to take some of our stock too... We let go of a huge amount of Legos the other day to go to another store... Like store managers coming with their pick up trucks and loading them up on our loading docks... Thankfully we haven't given away as much as Furgus Falls did - but still... We barely have enough left on our shelves as it is - after Christmas, I wouldn't mind so much, but even as it is - I ask myself if my Target will have the item I need yet or if I need to go somewhere else. We are dwindling very quickly... We start closing off sections of the store on Tuesday.

Thank you... Josh made a point of reminding me last night that I just got TWO new sweaters and TWO new down jackets... The sweaters I could have done without... Maybe? LOL And probably one of the jackets too... But man, I look at our budget and there is ROOM there - I know I shouldn't think that way, because we still have debt to pay off... But those items - didn't even cause a hiccup to our lives in any way.

Congratulations to you - this is a hard time of year to lose!!! I know for a fact that I am not losing at the moment, but maintaining OK. After the weekend though - I am back at it... We have a trip coming up quickly! LOL You guys are doing great though and I am so proud of you! Keep it up!

Sadly - no - we will not be getting Jonathan... I am feeling a lot of guilt about it - and Dad has made a few comments about how "it won't be the same" - but Josh really had to remind me that I can't do everything all of the time for everyone... Something had to give - and this time, it was not having Jonathan for Christmas. I wish I could have made it happen, but there was no one else that could drive him, except for me... Both girls are working and between preparing two meals, and transporting Dad, logistically there is just no way for me to transport Jonathan too... It sounds like we won't have him now until mid-January, as next weekend and the weekend after, they have plans... His foster family is a family to him, so he will be with family... Just not with us.

Merry Christmas to you too!! I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Thanks D! I think we were supposed to try to get together during the big GTG during March of 2012! I just went back and read through my old PTRs and I think that was the one, so it's been a long time coming!!

I agree about the sugar! It's so tough to crack the cravings after even just a little bit. I have been limiting myself but the Holidays are so hard! That salad looks SO GOOD!!

Those are ADORABLE!! Oh my goodness, I would wear that all the time too!!

So cute!! Love that you guys put on your sweaters to take a picture!

Has it really been that long??? WOW!!! Yes - it has been a LONG time coming then!!! Very much looking forward to it!

I've been having a little here and there yet... I really struggle a lot with how much to allow before trips, because I know I will be eating stuff that I don't normally eat while in Disney - and there's a bit of "if I don't have a little before, I could get sick while I am there"... So, I do try to "acclimate" myself before trips. For me, it's harder to have a little than it is to have none at all.

Yah - I am having a lot of fun making them! I have a whole stack, LOL. I need to stop.

Hehehe... Yah - and his Dad sent us new shirts and Santa hats too... So we will wear those for Christmas Eve, I think. I love that he sends us matching stuff all the time - we have some pretty awesome things that coordinate. Gosh - thinking about it - it's probably insane? LOL

I love your Santa baseball caps Family pic is needed for sure!!

Sad to see your store emptying out I have been working at my Hallmark store since I was 15, so I understand the emotional ties and attachments you have to the store. Sending a hug to you!

Good luck at the Mall!! Stick to the list

I agree - but as of now, the girls refuse... Sigh. Angsty teens! Allison did wear her lights to work today though - so that's progress. LOL

Thanks... It's so tough. I guess, in a way, it's sort of easier to watch - so you get used to the idea "slowly"... But man, it's going a lot quicker than anyone thought it would.

Thanks - I did great at the mall... Just a return.

Sugar is very addictive so if you manage to stay away from sugar that is probably the best ting to do.

The headband looks great.

How sad that your Target store is getting empty so much quicker than you all thought

The Christmas hats Josh's dad sent you all and yours and Josh's Christmas sweaters looks really great. Nice picture of you both.

Good luck with your shopping today

The Swedish pastries turned out really good. Thank you for asking

I was at the mall on Monday doing my weekly grocery shopping. I was there at 1pm and there was a lot of cars on the roads to the mall and a lot of cars in the parking area. I managed to get a handicap parking space without a problem (often people that don't have a HC-parking permit parks on those places) and got into the store. It was a lot of people and I decided that I don't want to come back there until after Christmas so I tried to get everything I need for the next week.

Today I discovered that I had forgotten to buy the nuts I need for my chocolate chip baking so I decided to go to a smaller store and get those. There were a lot of people there as well today, but I managed to find a parking spot and got what I needed at the store. I'm crossing my fingers that I have remembered everything I need so I don't have to go to the store again before Christmas.

One week ago we had 27.5 inches of snow. Today we "only" have 15.4 inches of snow. It has been around 37.4ºF and raining the last few days. Most of the ice is now gone, but I would like it to rain some more so all the ice will go away before we get more snow. They say it will get colder and below freezing point this weekend.

Today is the darkest day of the year and only 1 month left until we have the sun back in Tromsø. Time is going so fast. It's already a month since the sun disappeared and now the sun is starting to rise again a little each day.

Merry Christmas to you too

Trying hard to stay away from most of the sugar... Maintaining through the holiday is my goal and it seem to be doing that - though I haven't stepped on the scale.

Thank you, thank you and thank you.

Glad you were able to get your shopping done among the madness - I also thought of something last night that I forgot, and I need it today - so I am going to have to go out myself... I am praying my Target store still has some cream cheese - as I have NO desire to try to brave any other store... I dont' know what I am going to do next year and the subsequent years??? As Josh said - I will probably make a HUGE profit in our budget alone by just NOT going into a Target store as often once ours closes. LOL

WOW!!! That is a huge loss of snow... I don't know what we had either - but a lot of ours has melted too. Starting on Monday - it is supposed to get much colder, and by New Years, they are predicting -30s.

Yah for getting the sun back!!! I hope it goes quickly for you!

Merry Christmas Lillian!

I completely u derstabd about the soliciting. I didn’t think about it

Isn’t Snapchat fun!! I think me and my friends use it more than Carson does lol. The hats are cute!!

We do a bunch of little side trips, but I do have the tendency to leave my stuff in suitcases since I won’t be wearing it. I know the daytime weather in feb will be warm (much warmer than Ohio) but I’m u sure about the nights so I’m not sure how much to pack. I’ve been putting my outfits together. I have a few cute pair of Lula roe leggings.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

Thank you.

Yah - I started doing Snapchat when Allison was in Europe - she had free data over there during her summer stay, so that is how we communicated all the time... Same with Victoria and Myrthe... Myrthe and I Snapchat at length daily - that is how I stay on top of daily life with the Littles. It makes all of us feel more connected - and it's a great thing.

Well, I have a bunch of everything packed so far, LOL... A few shorts outfits... A few capri outfits... And I will be packing a few jeans/long sleeved outfits... I will have 3 jackets with me - a fleece, my Levis denim jacket and my heavier fall minky lined windproof jacket... If it gets really cold - I know I can layer my fleece jacket under my fall jacket. I hope that will be enough. If not - I may have to go shopping while I am there. LOL Josh would FLIP! LOL I ordered a little bit of fabric yesterday morning, as a "last minute" thought I had for a shirt to coordinate with my Toy Story stuff... Allison saw my sketch of it - and promptly told me I was "nuts" - so now I am a little apprehensive about it... Hopefully I am brave enough to wear it. I love outfit planning though - it's my favorite part!

Merry Christmas to you too! Enjoy your day!

Wanted to pop in and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! I've been busy with work, and also have a cold, so things have been crazy. Then on Sunday early morning my store was broken into. Luckily they didn't take that much considering what they could have taken, but it's still a major hassle to fix the broken door and file all the reports.

I'm looking forward to a quiet Christmas with my DH and the boys. Nothing fancy planned, just fun down time.

I like your new headbands. So creative! Enjoy Christmas.

Thank you Cathy - same to you.

Oh my gosh - that is so TERRIBLE!!! Seriously!!! As if you didn't have enough going on in your life right now. I am so saddened to hear about this... Sending you lots of hugs and Pixie Dust!

Enjoy your down time - you deserve it!

Merry Christmas my friend!

Wishing you and the family a Very Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Thank you - same to you and yours!

*************************************************************************************************************

I wanted to stop by this morning to get caught up before the holiday.

I have a busy day ahead of me and I am not sure if I will make it back again? LOL I probably will - I cant' seem to stay away, just covering my bases. LOL

I finished up most of my last order before my Christmas break - I still have one little thing left to get done... I don't plan to send this one out until after the holiday - so I am just letting it sit for now, I have a few days to work on it.

I've had a nice couple of days, just spending time with the girls and getting stuff ready for Christmas... Our tree is starting to look a little like the picture I posted a few weeks ago - and it's a little embarrassing. In my defense - because of the box our tree is sitting on, I've put no gifts behind the tree like I normally do... So they are definitely spilling out into the living room.

Today is a pretty big meal prep day for me... Only two things on my list - but the mashed potatoes take some time to do - as I have to peel and boil them... And the trifle normally takes me hours - because the custard is so labor intensive. Here's my list from over the last few days...

In other news... V has a boy in her life (Carter) - that became "official" last week. We are hoping to meet him soon - he lives about 1.5 hours away, they met through a girl that V works with... She took my car the other day to visit him - and on her way home, she hit something - well actually something hit her... So, I guess I will be taking my car in to have a repair estimate done on it. Sigh. It's not nearly as bad as the pictures make it look... The grill doesn't have any damage, just my hood.

That's about all that's news here...

I have to brave the madness of "day before Christmas" shopping today - as I need ONE brick of cream cheese for my potatoes... I had it on my list - but I thought it was to remind myself for Allison's cheese ball she made to take to work... Not for me. LOL But it was for me. I think I am losing it.

At least I get to wear my cute new Santa hat from Josh's dad out in public... I am so excited about that - I've been wanting to wear a Santa hat these last few days.

Oh, and I said a little bit in a reply above... I ordered some fabric to make a shirt to coordinate with my Toy Story bag... I was SUPER excited about it, until Allison saw my sketch - and she said I was "nuts"... Now I am second-guessing my idea. I'll probably make it anyways, wear it once - if I am brave enough to wear it at all? I'll definitely share it here though, and let you guys weigh in your opinion.

I am off all next week between Christmas and New Years... However - I do work at Target, and I will be taking the remaining time to work on the above mentioned shirt and to finish up all of my last minute trip stuff - so I will definitely stay busy. I also plan to finish up the last of my 2 updates on this PTR... Though I will likely keep it open to our chatter until I leave.

Wishing you all the Merriest of Christmases!!!

D~

 

[Terkina]

Congratulations to V for having a boy in her life.

I'm so sorry to hear about your car. Crossing my fingers it won't cost too much to fix it.

Good luck with the masses out Christmas shopping today.

I can't wait to see your new shirt.


My new computer couldn't make a recovery disc which I wanted to make just in case I would need it in the future.
So I set my PC back to the state it came in and then it wouldn't go on the internet. My computer is a Dell computer. My last computer was also a Dell computer and I got so good support for my old PC that I just had to get a new Dell PC because of the good support. Well, since I couldn't get my computer on the internet all of the sudden I had to call support last night. I got help and after about 45 minutes on the phone I got my computer back on the internet. Crossing my fingers it will stay on the internet from now on.

I had to go out of the house today to pick up the Christmas gift from me to Ulf that my sister who lives in England had with her to Tromsø. Ulf want's a long night shirt and they doesn't sell those in Norway. Last time he needed one we bought one when we visited London, England. So I asked my sister if I could order a night shirt and get it mailed to her house so she could take it to Tromsø. She was kind and said yes. I also decided to get my car washed since it's 26.6ºF outside and it's going to stay around that temperature for the coming week. When it's cold outside the car will stay clean longer since it's not so dirty out side. The car wash is near the mall and there was a lot of cars on their way to the mall. I'm so glad I didn't have to stay in line with all the cars that where on their way to the mall.

Last night it started snowing again. We got 1.5 inch of snow during the night to today. It's not snowing today.

 

[andera42]

I need to check off my grocery list too and clean the house because I am hosting. Breakfast here on Christmas morning, 5 out of 6 kids live local and 5 grandkids. So 14 people at my house. I love having the grandkids and I'm so blessed to have them live close by. Sorry about your car, I hit a deer a few weeks ago... first time that has ever happened. And I just got my car back yesterday, luckily the damage wasn't too bad, but the cost is always$$$. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

 

[Clio]

Sorry you couldn't have Jonathan for Christmas but he'll probably be happy with his foster family.
Too bad we don't live closer. I have an extra brick of cream cheese in my fridge you could have. It looks like you'll be busy the next few days.
I have to brave the crowds on the roads to go to work in little while. they are feeding us all weekend,though.
Congrats to V. for meets someone. Hope you get to meet him soon.
Speaking of things running into cars, my daughter saw on her way to work Thursday when a deer ran out a side street and into her Jeep. There's a big dent in the left quarter panel where the gas cap is. there was deer fur stuck to it. He managed to side swipe the whole left side. She was not hurt and the deer was okay. This was the second time her Jeep was hit. The first time someone didn't use her parking brake and the car rolled into the Jeep. Of course the girl didn't have insurance.
Have a Merry Christmas and try not to work too hard.
Liz