More Good Gift Picker Outers

It is cold outside and snowy, so I am content to stay indoors and read and putz.  I wander around putting away Christmas decorations..read..computer..read again..cook..read some more.. scan old photos..read some more..ahh this is January in Minnesota.  I have not seen another soul since last Friday…well other than Far Guy and Chance. I could have stayed in my jammies for the past four days.

I have lots of new material to read.  Daughter Trica is also a good picker outer of gifts that I have to read.  Books are perfect gifts for me!

Almost as good as taking a class..better if you are a slow learner like me.

Later in the spring I am taking a class by the fellow that wrote this book.  Far Guy will cut me out some blanks when the weather warms up. There are patterns for blanks and step by step instructions for whittling these cute little guys!

Far Guy was a great gift picker outer this year! *** I have to beg for his forgiveness.  Yesterday..I said he was not a good gift picker outer.. when he was such a good picker outer this year.  I am indeed blessed with many great shoppers in my family.

( Waving kisses to Far Guy so he forgives me and goes back to cooking.)

I am not quite sure how or what all this Kindle Fire does yet..but I can read..play Angry Birds and Sudoku and stay entertained for a really long time.

I need to buy a case..it is portable..so I can take it with me where ever I go.  I can read it even if the lights go out. I am not real great at their tiny on screen keyboard yet..I seem to have fat fingers.  I tried a pencil..it didn’t work. I wish it had come with a manual..there is an online one..I guess I should print it out.

I am cheap so I just downloaded some free books to read. 

For now it can just keep on snowing..it is warm inside and I have enough gadgets and books and projects to keep me busy for months:)

Good Gift Picker Outer

It must be a real pain in the butt to buy perfect gifts for everyone.

I do not say that as the gift giver..but as the gift receiver.

Our daughter Jen must lay awake at night thinking of cool gifts.

For our 42nd Anniversary we got keys..with all the addresses of the places we have lived over the years.  Thirteen keys will now adorn our Christmas tree every year.

Every time we play cards we play with two very old decks that the neighbors gave us.  They are getting really old..even the automatic card shuffler doesn’t want to shuffle them.

These may be too good to use.

Jen took Chances photo when she dog sat him for us when we went to Canada.  “The Fives” photo was taken a year ago, so both are photos by Jen.

Usually I buy myself at least one new ornament for the downstairs tree..I didn’t this year. Jen remembered.

A beautiful Waterford ornament will grace our tree.  I wrote her name on the ribbon too..so I will never forget.

One year I forgot  momentarily that she had given me a bunny ornament.  Luckily I blogged about it and she set me straight.

She is a really good gift picker outer.. and I am positive that she didn’t get that ability from me..come to think of it she didn’t get it from her father either…she must have been gifted with a supreme picker outer ability at birth:)

Last of the Red Hot Shoppers

I was so not ready to run out on Monday morning to shop.  I waited till Wednesday..then I hit Menards.

You see Menards had a 50 % off sale.  I knew I might be able to find what I was seeking there.

My list: Shiny Brites, a tree skirt, gift tags and wrapping paper.  The wrapping paper was a bust..I could have purchased Green Hornet or Transformer wrapping paper..there was not a plain piece of paper or one with whimsical little Angels or Birds left to be found.

My perfect Christmas wrapping paper exists only in my mind.  It has a white snow bank filled  background.  Cherub like children are decorating rows of trees with little birds and strings of cranberries and popcorn whilst forest creatures like deer and foxes and bunny rabbits look on. It has all colors on the paper so what ever color bow I grab works perfectly.

I got everything else on my list.

I really needed a tree skirt for the tall tree upstairs..I have a little tree skirt that barely goes around the tree that I purchased at a rummage sale for a quarter..this new one will be perfect.

The Shiny Brites are retro ones by Christopher Radco.  I now have two boxes of them.   Last year I missed the half price sale at Menards.  Two years ago I bought a box..at full price..I couldn’t restrain myself.

This year the retro ornaments are nestled inside these Shiny Brite tissue papers..now how cool is that?  Someday..in about 50 years these will be collectable too.

Next we hit the Antique Mall..a quick trip around looking for Vintage Shiny Brites..only one was found for $3.50..I passed.   John smiled as I walked up to his booth..he said “here look at these while I run home I have been saving some old photos for you.” I think John had a belated Merry Christmas..he now knows exactly what kind of old photos I will buy.  He had saved a whole bunch of old black and white photo Christmas cards…perfect.

Yesterday I was in another antique shop..a new gal was working.. I asked her if she had any old photos..she replied “ Someone must collect them..so we don’t have any.” The shop owner came out and said “Hi ..we have no old photographs..you have bought them all!” I did find four old photos there..sometimes  shop keepers have no idea what they have in their shops:) 

Gifts for Teens and Tweens

I do not begin to understand all the IPod..Xbox..DS3D..Justin Bieber world that surrounds “The Five.”

Shopping for appropriate Christmas Gifts was a challenge. I am out of “the loop.”

Some packages were wrapped in Justin Bieber paper..with admonishments to unwrap carefully.  There was Justin Bieber Perfume ( yuk), blankets, posters and t shirts.  I hope someone responsible is taking care of the JB Fortune.  I don’t see the attraction..even after watching the movie..then again I have never swooned or screamed after any singer in my lifetime.  I did feel a bit like screaming one time at one of The Unbelievable Uglies dances back in 1968 but only because one of Far Guys former girlfriends was there.

I was totally in the dark about the one piece animal cap/scarf/mittens that the girls absolutely loved. 

Miss Paige’s was supposed to be a Husky.

Maddie’s  was supposed to be a wolf.   I really couldn’t tell much difference..the wolf may have been a little darker than the Husky.

This was a gift that I won in a giveaway just before Christmas.  It was a perfect gift for Maddie..and she loved it!   Thanks to Susan at City Gal Moves To Oz Land and to Michelle at Rockin Heart Jewelry. Maddie loves all things horses or hockey.

Maddie is our UND Fighting Sioux gal..she got a jacket, t-shirt, pants and a necklace.  She is not as wild and crazy about JB as her sisters. ( Perhaps someday she will be on the Women’s Hockey Team.)

Now a compound bow..that is a wonderful Christmas gift!  One that needed no explanation..I knew what it was and how it is used.

Noah  was very excited…he will need some place to practice.  I think I will shop for a bow..I have always wanted one..we can put a practice shooting lane someplace here in the woods.  It will be a good activity  to share with both of the boys.  Of course the girls could give it a try too:)

December 26, 2011

The day after..and I am tired.

Christmas Eve after church we sat napped through the Justin Bieber movie Never say Never..whilst the girls swooned and sang along with all the songs.

The boys and their parents spent most of Christmas Eve Day up North with Andy’s parents.  They arrived late at night and they sacked out in the Living Room.

It was all a success..we ate and we did dishes..we ate again.

Here are the five on Christmas Morning. These kids must all be growing..they can pack away the food!

I had just told them “If you kids don’t smile..we are never going to open any packages.”

The girls danced. They all played with their new toys. Cameras and IPods and Nintendo DS3’s and a compound bow.

Laughter and giggling commenced for most of the day..we played Pass The Pig..a simple game like dice except you use pigs.

My Mom and Dad ventured out and had dinner with us..and Mom made it down and up the stairs safely.

Sometime during the day..I was at my computer..Adam came by and said “Grandma could I please use your computer?”   I said “Of Course.”  He said “Oh yeah Merry Christmas Grandma.” I used to think he might be a UPS delivery guy when he grew up because he liked to push the truck (cart) around in the yard..now I  am not so sure..he sure knows how to schmooze his Grandma:)

Merry Christmas Eve!

The stockings are hung by the fireplace, the house has been decorated and every last ornament has found a place on a tree. The house has been cleaned and almost all dusted. No one should be able to write “Dust me” on anything.

My oldest ornament ..a pink and blue fish that used to be part of a twelve piece set that was usually given to Newlyweds..each ornament had a special meaning.  The fish  symbolized Christ’s Blessings.  If I keep looking someday I may find a whole box of these ornaments at a shop or at a sale.

The packages are wrapped and piled upstairs.  Yesterday one of my old timers moments caused me to search high and low for a gift that I bought last summer.  Now I remember why I don’t shop ahead of time.  I cannot remember where I put the gifts.  After searching every inch of the house for THREE HOURS looking in every drawer and cabinet at least twice..mumbling to myself..you really need to put clean out drawers on the “to do” list… I found it.   It was a miracle. I was ready to write a note that said “When I find your gift I will bring it over.”  I can just hear a certain someone laughing about that.

The Pumpkin Bread was baked and loaves were delivered.  A new recipe was tried for Flat bread.  I conquered it!! ( Thank goodness for cousins that can bake and share their recipes!!  Thanks Geraldine! )   The Beans were Baked..and frozen.. also another recipe from Geraldine!  The kitchen smells wonderful as I write this..Far Guy made his Caramel Rolls..it wouldn’t be Christmas morning without them.

Today I will make Flat Bread again..Cornbread Muffins and an Italian Sausage Cheesy Dip and an Apple Crisp. 

I have a few recipes for the grand girls to try..we are having snack food on Christmas Eve after Church..Crescent rolls, some with little sausages and some with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese sticks…with some marvelous dip.. oh and Herring.. a Christmas Eve staple at our house.

We got a little snow..about an inch..just enough to make it look a little like Christmas.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!  :)