Back to the grind... sorta.

I hope you all had a fan-tabulous Christmas weekend! We had a great Christmas and a great do-nothing weekend that followed. Well, by do-nothing I mean we had no real plans. I certainly don't do well at do-nothing. I was definitely *doing* all weekend. But I was in my jammies while doing! I got completely caught up on laundry (quite a feat), and got the January budget rolling. We're also working hard to get our tax numbers ready to go so once the W-2's and 1099's hit our hands, we can send that junk off and get our much needed refunds. So anyway, lots of good housekeeping type stuff got done this past weekend. And I will post more soon, but I must say we are super excited about ringing in the new year - perhaps more than ever! We've got big plans for 2009 and honestly, 2008 sucked major ass. Of course lots of good things came from 2008, but we're definitely ready to punt that one away. Among other things, we're really excited to get back on the baby-making mission in '09. We took a much needed break from doctors and whatnot over the last year, but we're ready to get back in the game. So I'll get y'all up to date on all that fun stuff too. For now... back to work! We're busy bees here today. :-)

Merry Christmas!

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A very Merry Christmas to you!

I figured I better hop on here and send my well wishes before all the craziness starts... The hub's parents arrive this afternoon, so from then on out it's full speed ahead - Christmas style! I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas! This year we are going to the Christmas Eve service at church and then hosting a casual Christmas Eve dinner back at our house. Then we'll be heading over to my parents' house on Christmas Day for Christmas dinner. (How many times can I say Christmas?!) And then to the theatre to see Marley & Me later that night! But shhh... don't tell my mom - it's a surprise!

I tried posting it here but my non-tech-savvy-self couldn't get it to work. Check out this post for a fabu Christmas jig from my three sillies.

P.S. This is post #300.... Wowzas!

Merry Christmas!!!!

From Edward to Marley.

OK so I finally finished the whole Twilight series. Absolutely loved it. I wasn't sure where the fourth book was going initially, but I loved the ending. What an incredible series! I was actually in continuing ed. the other day and the chick next to me was reading one of the books (much more interesting than the lecture going on). So on the first break I couldn't help but ask her which book she was on. We totally had a Twilight geek-out session together - it was hilarious. I just wish there was more...

I have that same content, yet longing feeling I had after the 7th Harry Potter book. OK, not NEAR the emotions I felt after finishing Harry. Seriously, I saw a guy in the airport with the 7th book a good few weeks after I had finished it and I just started crying. Right there on the damn escalator. Again, LOVED the ending to HP, but was so sad it was the end. I've already hopped on Stephenie Meyer's site to read the unedited snippet of Edward's POV from the first book, but I've got to put it on hold for a few days... because I've got to get Marley & Me read in time for the movie next week!



I know, I feel like the last person on Earth to read it. I've actually had the book on my shelf for a couple of years, but just never got to it. Well, my mom is dying to see the movie (and they are not really go-to-the-movies people, but she's hell bent on seeing this flick in the theatre). So we're surprising her with tickets for the Christmas Day opening. I love going to a movie on Christmas... it's a great little escape. Kinda nice to get out of the house after being buried in wrapping paper and eating entirely too much food. I already got the passes (alla Costco, of course) and am going to go pick up the tickets this weekend. Anyone else going to see it? Well I'm only a few chapters into the book and I'm already crying. I know what's coming at the end and I'm going to freaking lose it...

Alright well I've got lotsa work to do here. We've got our Christmas party tonight down at the Aquarium, so I've gotta get outta here early. Another whirlwind of parties this weekend! Hope y'all have a good one.... TGIF!!!!

It's settled.

My heart now belongs to ELF's eyeliner and shadow stick. It was love at first application... and at only $3, it's a no-brainer for this penny-pincher. EL, we had a good run, you and I. I promise - it's not you, it's me. I still think your product kicks major ass, but I have to think of my wallet here, love. I know you understand...

It just might be love...

I'm pretty sure it is. But I figure I should hold my final review till I've gone through a full day of wear. I can hardly contain my potential excitement though! OK, let me get to it... So for the last, gosh, 16 or 17 years, I've been using Estee Lauder's Automatic Eye Pencil. It has changed some through the years, but it has remained the #1 eyeliner in my book for, well, my own personal forever. It was the one last "department store" makeup item that I refused to go without. Even though the refills cost me a ghastly $12.50 (ugh, I remember when they were only $8), I didn't care - it was that good. Now, when I pay about $1 - $5 for every other makeup product in my little bag, $12.50 is a huge chunk of change to me...

But ladies, behold! ELF has come out with its own version of this fabulous automatic pencil for only $3. It's part of their new Studio line... you know, the more *uppity* line that goes for $3 instead of $1. So anyway, when I reordered my supply of mineral makeup the other day, I added one of these new liners to my shopping bag to test it out. Could this be as good as my tried and true Estee Lauder version? I mean I have not switched to anything else in 17 years, people! That doesn't mean I haven't tried other things!

Well, this morning I broke out the new $3 liner and... WOW. That baby glided on so smooth that I started squealing. Could this be true? Could I have found new eyeliner love? After all these years? Well if this baby stays in place all day (has so far - 4 bathroom checks and counting) , I think I may be breaking up with Estee Lauder. I love you EL automatic eye pencil, but I just can't say no to $3. I'll be back with my final verdict tomorrow...

Hello, blogworld?

Is that you? Hi, it's me - Buford Betty! I know, I know... I've been away for SO long! My last post was about turkey day and now we're about to smack right into Christmas! My December has just been so busy - as it always is. The string of holiday parties started last Saturday and well, it's non-stop till Christmas. We literally have a party (at least one) EVERY Saturday and Sunday till Christmas - and even some Fridays. No rest for the weary! I don't know why this surprises me every year... but it happens every December.

Now I DID reach my goal to finish all my Christmas shopping by the end of November. Hallelujah! I did not, however, get all of that loot wrapped yet. I wanted to be bought, wrapped, sealed, tagged, etc. before December ever got here... but, well crap. It's here! Whatever. Anyway, it's not that I haven't had fun things to blog about... I mean I usually jot a little note to myself when something pops in my head that's blogworthy. I have a nice little list brewing here... but my work calendar and social calendar have been busy, so that's leaves you, dear blogworld, to suffer. Hehehe...

Well, we did have a fabulous Thanksgiving. We were over at my godmother's for Thanksgiving dinner. And then the hub and I headed up to Tennessee to visit with his parents for the weekend. It was a great long weekend. Oh and did I mention that I went Santa shopping with my mom the Wednesday before? Yes! That little taste of shopping was a bit dangerous though. Even though Santa was buying, it wasn't good for me to smell those lovely retail smells and see the incredible bargains to be had up close and personal. I'm much better left in the dark. Out of sight, out of mind y'know. But I got some super cute stuff from Santa - well, I don't have it yet, but anyway - yeah. That makes me think of a Santa question... I think I'll add a fun little poll on here (note to self).

Oh and did I mention that we got banned from using Facebook at work? Not that I'm even on it much at work, but just the fact that I *can't* get on it is annoying. Especially when I get an email alert about a message or something and I can't get on there to answer it... that sucks. Because honestly the last thing I want to do when I get home is look at a computer. I sit in front of 4 - yes FOUR - large flat screen monitors every day. It's amazing I still have any vision left. So really, the idea of sitting at the 'puter once at home is no fun. So my facebook time has dwindled. As well as my bloggy time. I'll get it in there somehow though! I have so much to post about - I just need to sit my butt down and make the time. This is the most random post ever. OK so while I don't have time to post everything I wanna right now, I will leave you with a few things and a super simple recipe that I used at Thanksgiving too. Hope y'all are having a great week! I've missed y'all! :-)

OK, my random ramblings...

1. How much do I love Costco? More than you know. Our torrid love affair gets hotter and sweatier everyday. So I only recently discovered (or paid attention really) to the fact that you can get movie ticket vouchers there for $7.50. And there are NO exclusions. AND they're good for IMAX movies! Our local theatre has an IMAX screen. So the hub and I budgeted for a date night this month because he wanted to see that alien movie thing with Keanu Reeves - The Day the Earth Stood Still or whatever. Yeah, totally his pick. Anyway... our theatre has it showing on IMAX. So my old non-budgeting self would have gone on Fandango to get tickets - and those would've been $34 for two (after the fees and junk). BUT my shiny new budgeting self got two vouchers from Costco (you just ask for them at checkout) for $15 and went over to the mall yesterday to trade them in for our tickets. So I saved $19 by doing that - hellz yeah! Three cheers for Costco!

2. That leads me into what's on tap for this weekend... Friday night is date night with the hub. Saturday morning we're running the Jingle Jog 5k. Any other peaches running?! Gertie will be running alongside me with some Christmas flair - I promise to take pics! Charlie was supposed to run, but he has managed to injure his knee. The hub was at the vet with him yesterday. He's on some pain meds and we're just watching it for now, but the run is definitely out. Poor Charlie - say some puppy prayers for him! So does Belly get to take his place? Well, I say heck no because she is an absolute pill to run with... but she is daddy's girl and the hub is saying he's taking her. That's fine - he can run with her. Here's bettin' he tosses her into a garbage can before mile 2. Oh and I got some awesome Christmas knee-high socks for the occasion. I will take some pics of those too. Then SaturDAY I'll be in a wrapping frenzie! Frenzy? However you spell it. Saturday night we have a Christmas party at a friend's house... Church Sunday a.m.... A kid's birthday party at noon... and then our small group Christmas party Sunday night. Phew!

3. I'm almost done reading Breaking Dawn. I flew through the first three books, but had to slow down on this last one since we've been so darn busy lately. I don't think I ever mentioned my thoughts on the Twilight movie either... I thought it was good, not great. Liked, not loved. Edward was completely drool-worthy and worth the ticket price alone, but as with most movies based on books, the book is soooooooooo much better. I think, just the way it's written, it's so hard to translate that on film - especially in a 2-hour window of time. I don't think the intensity of Bella and Edward's relationship comes through. Though I have to say, I did find Jasper freaking hilarious. He's like Edward Scissorhands, minus the scissors. So I have a new-found love for Jasper after seeing the film. So overall... if you haven't read the book, I'd skip it. I just don't think I would've "gotten it" if I hadn't read. I mean I love me some vampires (again - tried and true Buffy fan here), but I think the movie was lacking. Oh I'll still totally buy it on DVD so I can look at Edward.... but yeah... I'm hoping they put a little more edge into the second film. Sounds like they're trying to spit that one out by the end of next year.

4. OK lastly (I told you these were random)... here's a recipe for corn casserole that I made for Thanksgiving. It's so stupid easy, but a huge hit. My favorite combo! Plus it's made with stuff most people have on hand - and if not, these ingredients are cheap. This is an old Paula Deen recipe, so you know it's good (terrible for you, but good)...

You'll need:
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn
1 stick butter
1 cup sour cream
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

Melt the butter and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a baking dish. (I've done this both in a regular 9x13 dish and a square dish (9x9) and I think it comes out better in the 9x9). Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Yum-o!!!!!!!!

5. Wait, one more... Back to my thoughts on a poll re: Santa... So when I was growing up (and I guess I still am because Santa still comes if we're spending Christmas at my parents' house), Santa would lay out my gifts - all across the floor, all along the couch, whatever the case may be. He didn't wrap. Now Mom and Dad's gifts to me were wrapped and under the tree, but Santa came and left everything out unwrapped. I realize this is a heated debate... much like real vs. fake Christmas trees, or which way the toilet paper is supposed to hang, but I must ask, What does Santa do (or what did he do) at your house? Wrap or not?