November 2009

What happens when we are bored

Posted by teresak on November 30, 2009 2 Comments

We live in a very small town and sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) we invent our own entertainment. How small is the town where we live? Well, I went outside while ago and heard geese. I looked up at the sky and they were obviously circling and seemed to be very lost. I heard the guy goose in front say to the others, “Okay, who knows where Randolph is? It wasn’t on the map because I checked before we left home!”

We aren’t on any major maps, but I promise, we exist.

Yesterday was great because Abby was here and she entertained us.

abby at tgiving 003

But this is what happens when we are really bored.

look really closely and you'll see a teeny tiny ponytail

look really closely and you'll see a teeny tiny ponytail

This person shall remain nameless because he would KILL me if he knew I put this on NanaHood. He cuts his own hair and obviously missed a spot. I grabbed one of Abby’s bows and made him a ponytail and snapped a picture. Pink goes good with camo, don’t you think?

The moral to this story is stay busy. Or as my grandma was fond of saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

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Thanksgiving aftermath

Posted by teresak on November 28, 2009 2 Comments

What happens when you start cooking at 6 in the morning, serve lunch to 30 people, play games, eat dessert for supper and go to bed way past your bedtime?

after thanksgiving 001

And this….

abby after thanksgiving 005Was it worth it?

Yep. Can’t wait to do it again at Christmas!

The bigger the mess….the more I feel blessed!!!!

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Black Friday Steals and Deals!

Posted by Char on November 27, 2009 Leave a Comment

If you are reading this, that probably means you decided NOT to brave the crowds in the shopping malls and department stores today.

Or maybe you already shopped and are home again – I heard some of the sales were starting as “early” at 3:30 in the morning this year. I apologize ahead of time if you were one of the 3:30 shoppers this morning, but I think that’s just a bit on the nutty side. (Probably because I value my sleep so much, and I get testy when my children wake me up at 3:30 a.m…. I can’t imagine SHOPPING at that time!)

Regardless of whether you were out and about…or not… you are HERE now, and I’ve got a bunch of fun links for you today. I’ve looked for links to deals, specials, sales, and even a few freebies and giveaways.

Ready? Here we go…

  • Check out our own NanaHood.com shop for a special Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal on custom photo cards. Only $9.00 gets you a custom photo card design that you can print for pennies at Walmart, Walgreens or a variety of online photo processing sites. And don’t forget that for every item you buy in the NanaHood.com shop enters you in giveaways for a NanaHood hoodie, tote bag, and books.
  • Over at HeavenlyHomemakers.com, Laura has a fabulous Black Friday sale going on. All here e-books are on sale. You can read about it HERE.
  • Here’s a giveaway link you’ll need to click on right away. Crystal over at MoneySavingMom.com is giving away 2 $100 Borders Gift Cards. Check it out HERE (and do it fast, because the giveaway closes around noon today).
  • Don’t forget all the giveaways over at 5MinutesForMom.com. A really fun one is the Pillow Pet giveaway.
  • Sign up to win in a Campbell’s/V8 Fusion prize pack from HomeEverAfter.com
  • Have you heard of etsy.com? It’s a website with thousands of crafters selling their wares. It’s all about handmade, homemade, vintage and more. And this weekend, you can search for special deals from hundreds and hundreds of artists and crafters! Go to etsy.com, and do a search for “etsyholidaysale” and whatever you might be interested in. Like, “etsyholidaysale, American girl doll clothes”, or “etsyholidaysale, tic tac toe”. Remember to use etsyholidaysale as all one word in your search!
  • Don’t forget to check out AMAZON.COM for all their special Black Friday deals! It’s a really comfortable way to shop and get good deals, without all the hassle of crowds and craziness!
  • Black Friday Ads – an listing of Black Friday online sales
  • A Nigella Lawson Cookbook giveaway and a fundraiser over at miahenry.com
  • A Curious George DVD, Book and Soundtrack giveaway over at momstart.com
  • And this is not really a special “deal” or sale, but we thought it was fun! With Capture the Magic, your kids/grandkids can receive photographic PROOF that Santa did in fact come by on Christmas Eve. Check out the link below to get more details:

    • Catch Santa in your house

    What steals and deals have you found today, online or off?  Let us know!

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May your stuffing be tasty

Posted by teresak on November 26, 2009 1 Comment

Thanksgiving Wishes for you

May your stuffing be tasty,

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump,

May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize,

and may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!

A friend shared this poem with me and I just had to share it with you. Extra calories don’t go to my thighs, they go to my stomach. But hey, they gotta go somewhere, right?

Abby was here last night and we tried out a new recipe that’s sure to add more than just a few calories but boy is it yummy.

Putting nuts on the cookie bars

Putting nuts on the cookie bars

We had these last Sunday night at a Thanksgiving dinner before church. My good friend Cherie made them and after I ate one I new I had to have the recipe. The recipe doesn’t call for semi-sweet chocolate chips but we added some anyway, just because we love chocolate.

Neiman Marcus Brownies

Butter Pecan Cake Mix (When I went to the store they were out of butter pecan mix so I used Carmel cake mix and it was just as good)

1 stick melted margarine

1 egg

Mix and spread in the bottom or a greased 9X13 pan

1 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened)

1 stick margarine (softened)

2 eggs

Cream together

Add 1 box powdered sugar

pour over cake mix, sprinkle with 1 1/2 cup of pecans.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 55 minutes.  The edges will start to brown, but the center will still be a little jiggly.

It’s better to let them cool for awhile before you eat them but I had a house full of boys last night and they couldn’t wait.

Have a great day and remember, holiday calories don’t count!


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Cooking, cleaning and dealing with a house full of boys

Posted by teresak on November 25, 2009 1 Comment

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for twenty or thirty people should not be a big deal when you’ve raised five children, but it is for me this year. When the boys are out of school they bring all their friends and hang out at my house, which is good except when you are trying to get ready for company.

Yesterday I went to the grocery and hauled enough food home to feed a third world country. Besides the one BIG meal it takes a ton of food to feed seventeen year old boys and their buddies. Of course when I got home no one was here to help me carry everything in so I hauled it all in and began putting things away. That’s when the first disaster occurred. A bottle of maple syrup fell out and burst. I dropped the strawberries and when the dust finally settled I had strawberries stuck to the floor in maple syrup. I thought about eating the strawberries straight off the floor, just to see how the syrup made them taste but decided against it for obvious reasons.

Then this morning I sat on a banana peel in my office where son number two had left a partially eaten banana in my chair. I do not recommend smashed bananas on your backside for a number of reasons. Mainly it feels yucky and bananas belong in fruit salad, not office chairs.

After cleaning all morning in preparation of cooking the boys came home from ball practice with a surprise for me.

Grant and Russell examining something in a box

Grant and Russell examining something in a box

This was my surprise.

salamander

I screamed and ran from the room.

“Chill, mom,” Russell said.

“It isn’t going to hurt you,” Grant assured me.

“I don’t care!  Get it out of here now!”

“Can’t we keep it for just a few days? Russell asked.

“Do you want Thanksgiving dinner?” I threatened.

“Yes.”

“Either it goes or I’m not cooking.”

They looked at each other, then at the salamander, then at me. They could tell I meant it!

I’m happy to report that the boys chose me over the critter.

Happy Thanksgiving again. May the only animal on your table (and in your house) be a turkey…not a salamander.

P.S. A few hours after I posted this the dog started barking like crazy. I was slicing a tomato and I went outside to see what was the matter. The UPS man was sitting in his truck.

“Do these dogs bite?” he asked.

“Nope, you are safe,” I said.

He walked towards me with a box. I had a half a tomato in one hand and the knife I was using to slice it in the other. Evidently I looked a little scary. He started to hand me the package and then stepped sideways.

“Would you mind pointing that knife somewhere else?” he asked.

I did and he handed me the package, then did 60 mph down my driveway.

Next time I’ll leave the knife inside.

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Thanksgiving week and being thankful

Posted by teresak on November 24, 2009 1 Comment

gratituesdayfall2

Col 2:7 -

Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving f or all he has done.

Have you ever searched the Bible for various forms of the word “thanks”?  If you haven’t I encourage you to do so. It might surprise you how often words of gratitude are included.

During the week of Thanksgiving many families count their blessings and give thanks, but what about the rest of the year? Even during these tough economic times our country has so many things to be thankful for. Here are just a few of the ones I’m giving thanks for this morning.

* Men and women who are serving their country and the loved ones they leave at home. I can’t say “thank you” enough for the sacrifice these families are making.

* Missionaries and ministers and their families. The personal sacrifices they make humble me.

* Charitable organizations and the good folks that make it all happen. Yes, I know there are charities who spend too much on administration and not enough on helping others, but for those that do things right and get the job done, Thank You!

* Ordinary folks who do extrordinary things. Teachers who love their students so much that they pray for them daily. Doctors and nurses who take the time to be kind and gentle with the elderly and patient with the young. Police officers and firefighters who look danger in the eye every day and give of themselves to the community on weekends and days off through Toys for Tots and other charitable organizations.

*Last but not least my wonderful husband of almost 30 years, my brother and his family and our parents (who I miss every single day), my children and their friends and spouses, and my precious granddaughter.

I am blessed beyond measure. Thank you Lord and praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Kindred casa to yours!

thanksgiving

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