HOLIDAY TRADITIONS....LET'S TALK

This Month's "Let's Talk" Theme is Christmas Tradition with with Momfessionals Andrea and Erika! Last Year I told you all about our 9 Family Christmas Traditions.

Today, I'm excited to update and throw in a few more. Traditions mean so much to me and our boys are even becoming deep rooted in tradition and often talk about our rituals. When and if we deviate, we often hear about it. Case in point , our first "Un-tradition" of the season

Every year the day after Thanksgiving, we go chop down our Fraser Fir Christmas tree. Mr. Nine and I made a decision to buy a fake Fraser Fir from Balsam Hill and we could not be not be happier! However, when we asked one of them what he thought about it, he said "It's nice, but we don't have the memory of the chop down." Just insert the knife in my heart. The way I look at it though, they have the memories growing up doing it and as new chapters have started, sometimes so do traditions.  

Tree Lot photos of the past

However, these boys still have tons that stick including putting up the outdoor and ledge decorations and self done family pics the day after Thanksgiving. 

Family Photo of the past

Family Photo of the past

Family Photo of last year

This year...actually will be using a summer family photo for our Christmas card.

Grandma and her boys

The Toast! We are big "toasters" and Every Birthday gets toasted with Sparkling Grape Juice, a tradition since they were little. 2 of them have Birthdays around the Holidays so one always happens Thanksgiving weekend!

 2016

2009

The Santa Purse comes out about now and stays til December 25th. I love this thing with it's fluffy balls. The balls have gotten dingy over the years since I first got this filled with Bath and Body products about 15 years ago. I get oodles of complements on it where ever I go.

Finally, it was sooo nice having the 2 on the right home from college with us this weekend. Tradition is now sending them back with some goodies to study up for finals. They will be home in 2 1/2 weeks for a nice long Christmas break and I cannot wait!!

I'm excited to bring various Christmas posts the whole month of December including recipes, holiday cozy fashion and you can get excited with me about A gift idea of Christmas Money Jars on Monday, December 5th, My Christmas home tour on Monday, December 12, and Holiday Nails and how I do mine on Monday, December 19th. It's going to be a great Holiday Season!

And make sure you come back tomorrow when 3 of The Blended Blog ladies and myself showcase a Progresive Holiday Meal Blog Hop!! I've got dessert! It's going to be Yummy!!

HAPPY MONDAY!!

Linking up with Biana // Totally Terrific Tuesday // Show and Tell Tuesdays // Wordless Wednesday // Inspire Me Monday // Share The joy// Inspire Me Tuesday // Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party // Share It // Creative Monday's Blog Hop // Thoughts on Thursday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Feathered Nest Friday // Dishing It & Digging It // Tuesday's at Our Home // Hello Monday

xoxo

MOM'S CARAMEL CORN & LET'S TALK

Whoop Whoop, ready for inspiration inside the kitchen galore with this month's recipe sharing theme for Let's Talk with Momfessionals Andrea and Erika! Not only do I have "The" recipe for the delicious caramel corn that my sweet mama so graciously decided to share with you little pretties but also a couple requested memorable recipes on 
this all fine Fall Day!!!! 
Yum  

A week ago Friday, in my Friday Favorites, I told you how it is tradition that every year my mom makes her fantabulous caramel corn and I hoard and hide it as to indulge in it all my myself. She makes it in fairly small batches and that is what makes it so fresh, crisp and never sticky. Kids, I have been known to eat the whole container full in one setting. Husband caught onto me this year...sorry babe.

 When I see this container in the Fall, I know what is inside!!!!!

Ya know, that is what I love about recipes, especially in the Fall and Cold months, there is just so much darn love that goes into them and I feel it makes them extra good.

Our matching Aprons

So besides having the honor of sharing Mom's Caramel Corn Recipe with you today, I'll share a couple more from posts past that have sweet sentimental meaning behind them. They are also two that would work stupendously for your Thanksgiving get togethers coming up in gasp...3 1/2 weeks!! 

What you'll need for the Caramel Corn

MOM'S CARAMEL CORN

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 quart (14 cups) unsalted popped corn
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 stick butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda and the vanilla. Stir until very foamy. Put the popcorn that has been popped in a roaster or very large pan. Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn and stir until coated. Bake for 45 minutes total, stirring well after every 15 minutes. Dump onto waxed or parchment paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

How Cute in my new Fall Mug!!!

More Recipe Love

The Most Requested Thanksgiving Dish of all and one I make Every Year...and tastes just like the side at Ruth Chris

 RECIPE HERE

Cherry Delight...Memories of Family Get-Together's and Great Holiday Dessert...

 RECIPE HERE

Weekend update: Our football boy and his team won under the Friday Night lights 49-7....onward to the next round but playing the #1 team in the state...let's hope for a BIG Upset..can you imagine how crazy we'll go in the stands?

Recipe's From the Heart are a Great place to start!!!! Happy Week ahead Friends!!

Also Linking up with Biana // Creative K Tuesdays // Tuesday Talk // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Full Plate Thursday // Recipe Sharing Party~YUM // Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday // Two Uses Tuesday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Thursday Favorite things Blog Hop //Best Of The Weekend Wake Up Wednesday // Handmade Hangout // Simple and Sweet Fridays // Throwback Thursday // Share It // Too Cute Tuesday // Sweet and Simple Fridays // Grace At Home // Inspire Me Monday// Creativity Unleashed // Two Cup Tuesdaye // The SITS Girls // Clever Chicks Blog Hop // Snickerdoodle Sunday // Dishing It & Digging It // Diary of a Real Housewife // Feathered Nest Friday // Weekend Potluck

xoxo

LET'S TALK: ENTERTAINMENT

Let's Talk Entertainment with Andrea and Erika! Whether Netflix, prime time TV, the lounger movie theater, magazines, books, bloggers, concerts, music; we have a plethora of entertainment these days. Really anything at your fingertips and I happen to LOVE it all!!! I am a child of the 70's, teen of the 80's so you know how different we had it back in the day. As a kid, encyclopedias were my jam!! We had 2 tube TV's with 3 channels, 4 with PBS. No remote, had to get up to change it every.single.time!! Yet, we never complained. Drive in movie theater night and a brown bag of dads home popped popcorn was such a treat and music was on vinyl or 8 track. Things are different now, some say better, sometimes you feel not, but choices abound, that's for sure. 

Before I get to some favs of mine and speaking of entertainment, Do head over to my Dear friend, Emily's Blog Simply A Rough Draft where she is interviewing a middle aged crazy woman today......me, lol

Sweet Emily

I told you about my top 3 favorite movies of all time HERE. I could literally make this post a mile long with all the entertaining type things we enjoy, but I won't bore you, instead I'll throw out some of my favorites in various categories. It's a mishmash for sure cause this category had my head spinning. 

Books

Way too many books to choose from but one thing I will say, since two are away at college, I am reading much more than the past few years and loving it.

My Favorite Book of all time

Books Turned into Blockbusters 

Confession: I LOVE YOUNG ADULT BOOKS, Series especially. After a son got me hooked a few years ago on Twillight, I had to read al the books and see all the movies, Here is the order of my favorites

1. Twilight

 2. The Hunger Games

3. The Maze Runner

4. Divergent...did not like this ending

TV
I LOVE TV, sometimes I feel like current shows are not as good as the ones I loved growing up but there are still plenty of goodies. My husband and I DVR so many shows it's almost full.

MY FAVORITE SERIES OF ALL TIME:
PARENTHOOD

Oh Zeke, I miss you!!

Favorite NEW Show of the Season
THIS IS US
The whole Fall line up is not out yet, but I think this will be my it show!! It's reminiscent of Parenthood

MORE FAVORITES

THE CHICAGO TRILOGY

THE GOLDBERGS

DWTS

K, who is with me...a Dancing with the BLOGGERS??!!!! (DWTB) Yeah, I'm in but only if Derek can be my partner.

And when nothing is on HGTV to the Rescue!! 

MUSIC

We love Music of all kinds and usually try to go to a concert every summer. This summer, it just never worked out with dates and venues but next summer, we'll give it a whirl

Some fav concerts of the past: Luke Brian, Barry Manilow (yes) and Cole Swindell 

SONGS

I have so many favorite songs and I wrote a post about My Life as a Mixtape but it's hard to narrow down but here ate first few that popped in my head:

Copacabana by Barry Manilow // Don't Stop Believing by Journey // Middle of A Memory by Cole Swindell // Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker // That's My Job by Conway Twitty // Hey Jealousy by The Gin Blossoms // Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew // Rocky by Dickie Lee // Hotel California by The Eagles // Dani California by The Red Hot Chili Peppers // Wicked Game by Chris Issak // You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban // Jolene by Dolly Parton // Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears // Suspicious Minds by Elvis // Da Doo Ron Ron by Shaun Cassidy 

FAVORITE OF ALL TIME: THE SONG Of MR. AND MRS. NINE, Our Wedding Song

ME AND YOU by Kenny Chesney

COMEDY

Bucket List Dream: DANA CARVEY!!!!

my Favorite Comedian ever!

3-D-No

One year for Mr. Nine's birthday we saw a 3-D movie, nope not really 3-D movie fans. Just give me my blanket, candy and the comfy Lounger theater seats and entertain me Hollywood....AND CUT!!

HAPPY MONDAY!!

Linking up with Biana // Totally Terrific Tuesday // Show and Tell Tuesdays // Wordless Wednesday // Inspire Me Monday // Share The joy// Inspire Me Tuesday // Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party // Share It // Creative Monday's Blog Hop // Thoughts on Thursday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Feathered Nest Friday // Dishing It & Digging It // Tuesday's at Our Home // Hello Monday
xoxo

LET'S TALK: 29 things I Wish I'd Known in High School

The minute I saw Andrea and Erika's were doing their monthly Let's Talk and Show and Tell Tuesday's topic on School Days and advice to your younger self..I knew I had to re-run my post from this time last year about all the Things I wish I'd known in High School, especially or those of you who haven't read it and as a reminder that Life is Now, not in the Past.....

I also Had to Link  up with Spiel The Beans

With our two boys off to college, it was even more important for me to address this topic again.

 

Gonna be hard to not see those sweet, smiling faces everyday

HERE GOES with what I wish I'd Known waaaay back then:

High School was ok, heck, it was often FUN as can be. I faced many of the issues kids do today. Yet, today it's magnified and social media has created a whole new existence. Kids say the cruelest things. There is so much more pressure, deadlines, and stereotypes and the bullying is horrendous. Our boys are pretty good about going with the flow but definitely have been hurt. I know it is especially difficult for girls. I want them to know that by NO means does High School define you. It is a tiny chapter in your life that you have to make the most of. Today is my life and the one I love and while I look back on some things with fondness, others I don't even have much of a memory today and I truly only miss a handful of people. The true people who care are the ones sitting across the dinner table from you, working down the hall, taking the time to catch up with you or giving you a hug. 

I practiced many on this list, others I wish I had and I certainly hope kids today can look at a list like this and realize to not sweat the small stuff!

1. It won't matter later on that he was on a high school football, basketball or wrestling team or she was a cheerleader or you had a 4.525 GPA

2. Chill with the eyeliner.

3. Don't tell your mom you hate her; you will regret it.

4. Innocence is beautiful.

5. Call your grandma just because.

6. Some people will never like you; don't let it bother you. Kill them with kindness anyway.

7. You were beautiful before he told you.

8. Don't believe stereotypes. Get to know people personally instead of judging them.

9. Don't let one mistake define you. But learn from your mistakes. 

10. Eat home-cooked meals. You will miss it one day.

11. Your mom can see a fake friend before you can.

12. Your dad can see a crappy boy before you can.

13. Enjoy your metabolism while it lasts and eat the dang doughnut. 

14. There is more to life than Friday night.

15. If your parents buy you something, whether it's a Hamburger or a phone, say thank you.

16. Try hard to keep your best friend. While you'll make other friends later on, she probably is the "BEST" best friend you'll ever have. 

17. Prom is not the "best night of your life," but go anyway.

18. High school years are not the best years of your life, However, enjoy high school while it lasts, you will miss some of it.

19. Stop comparing yourself to others; that will never do any good.

20. Learn to forgive. Also learn that not everyone deserves your trust.

21. Learn to apologize.

22. He most likely isn't the love of your life. 

23. Stop pretending to be someone you are not to impress people.

24. Keep a journal. Seriously, you will love reading it one day. 

25. Take your studies and SAT prep classes seriously. Knowledge is power! 

26. Write thank you notes for everything.

27. Tell your favorite high school teacher she (or he) Rocks. Teaching is tough.

28. Nothing good happens past midnight. My parents always said this and it is so true.

29. His plan is greater than yours (Romans 8:28).

To all of the high school girls (and boys) reading this--I hope you never forget that even though life sometimes stinks, you will have plenty of moments that make you forget about the hard times. You will have moments of laughter, joy, and thankfulness that compensate for the time you failed your math test or the "one" broke your heart. Be willing to adventure through life, and go through the bad with a smile knowing the best is yet to come. Embrace your innocence and stop trying to grow up. You only get to be a kid once; so enjoy the end of the beginning while you can.

Senior, Fall 1988

25 years later

The High School "Men" on their first day last year!!

And now a new Chapter will begin and I'll start thinking "29 Things I Wish I'd Known in College!"...

                                                                           xoxo

 "One day you’re 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life."

~ONE TREE HILL