A Christmas Tree!

I love the holidays, though not in September. There is a time for everything and for me personally, December is the time for Christmas. I wait until December to let myself go with the holiday festivities, like finding a Christmas tree.

When I was growing up it was usually me who pushed for the Christmas tree come December 1. My parents were huge believers in waiting well into December (like the week of Christmas) before getting our tree. I think their reasoning was that they didn't want to get the tree so soon that it was dead by Christmas morning. Bah humbug I say! So December 1st would come and I would start prodding my parents for that tree. It normally took me about a solid week before my dad gave in and insisted that I go with him to pick out the tree. So we'd hop into our truck, sometimes with my brothers, sometimes not. I would make my dad traipse all over the tree farm until I found the best tree. Then he would chop it down and haul it home.

Since Andy and I have been married we haven't had a Christmas tree. Either we were traveling, or living in a group house where no one cared, so it never happened. This year we are in our own house with no excuse not to get a tree. So once again, on December 1st I told Andy that it was time to get a tree. Just like my dad, he insisted we wait. Lucky for me though, Andy is easier to convince than my dad, so late in the afternoon on December 1st we hopped into our truck and went to the tree farm. We had the best time walking all over the farm looking for the right tree. Finally, we decided on bluest Colorado Spruce that we could find. And let me tell you, it is BLUE! So for the first time in 4 years of marriage we have our own Christmas tree that was chopped down and hauled home. I have never been more proud of a blue tree!

Eggnog

Eggnog is one of those things that people seem to love or hate. I just happen to LOVE it! I look forward to eggnog all year long. The moment is appears on shelves in the grocery store I snatch it up.

There is something about that thick spicy creaminess that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It is what marks the holidays for me. I'd love to say that Christmas trees or carols on the radio is what does it for me, but it's not. It's having a bit of white froth on the top of my lip while I glug down some cold eggnog. Oh boy, that's heaven!

While I do love the store bought stuff (I love it all!), I also enjoy making it at home. I have tried a few recipes, but this one seems to be a winner. The eggnog we made last year tasted like straight booze. While that is fun for parties, I prefer my eggnog to taste more like eggnog. This recipe calls for rum, but I only added half a cup rather than the whole cup. If it were up to Andy he would have added two cups, but this was for me not him, so we did it my way.

What I really liked about this recipe is that the eggnog is cooked. Traditional eggnog is raw, but that weirds me out when I'm the one making it. Sure I'll drink your raw eggnog, but I won't make and drink my own if it is raw...I am strange.

It was fun to make this recipe with Andy. There were just enough components that we were both busy with cooking. We went through a few different steps, but it was definitely worth the work. I think Andy even enjoyed the end product...though he added more rum to his glass.

What about you? Are you an eggnog lover or hater? Any great recipes or experiences?

A Redneck Christmas!

Andy and I went to a Redneck Christmas party last weekend and it was a blast! Go figure that our Virginia friends would throw such a party. They are not rednecks by any means (...mostly), they just enjoy a good time, and no time is better than when you are dressed as a redneck. It is also a good excuse to grow facial hair, eat fried chicken, and drink cheap beer. Gotta love Virginia!

I found this beauty of an outfit at a Goodwill thrift store. I love putting costumes together from Goodwill clothes...and usually while I'm at it I find a cool thing or two for my actual wardrobe. I was supposed to be 'barefoot and pregnant' for the party, but never found stuffing for the pregnant part of the costume.

 Guacamole with crispy bacon for dipping. I will definitely make this combination again!

A redneck party just isn't complete without KFC. It's finger lickin' good.

With the lovely host and her awesome sweater.

Even the dogs were in costume! So cute. And you can't have a redneck party without Busch...gross.

 We enjoyed some moonshine spiked cider. It was pretty awesome stuff.

Oh you know...just some redneck couples enjoying a Christmas party.

Have you been to a Redneck Christmas party before? This was my first, but I hope to attend more. Maybe California will have parties as cool as Virginia. I can only hope.

Etsy Gifts for Men

Etsy Gifts for Your Dude under $45

Tis the season! It's about that time to hit the pavement and fight the dreaded crowds. I love shopping, yes I do, but I hate holiday shopping. Maybe I'll try something different this year and shop for gifts online. (Good idea eh, who ever though of that!?) I'm a strong supporter of Etsy, so enjoy this list of 8 pretty sweet gifts for men (in my opinion) that also helps to support the small business community.

 For the technology man. A leather ipad case...with a sweet engraved bicycle. $45 Here.

 For the adventure man (ie: my husband). A personalized engraved knife. $26 Here.

 For the hairy man? A genuine shaving kit with handmade soap. $31 Here.

 For the musical man (you lucky lady!). A personalized engraved guitar pick. $18 Here.

 For the clean man, or the coffee lover. Coffee body wash! $7 Here.

 For the cellphone savvy, or the texting man. Thumb-free gloves. $25 Here.

 For the commuter man, or coffee lover. A personalized engraved travel mug. $16 Here.

 For the hip working man. Some brightly colored skinny ties. (yes please!) $19 Here.

Vermont

Andy and I went to Vermont for Thanksgiving. My mom and her partner moved to Burlington, VT and this was our first time visiting. We stayed in their lovely yellow house with a purple garage door. We ate turkey in low candle light and sipped on red wine with pie. We also visited a chocolate factory and a brewery, walked along Lake Champlain (we took the ferry too), watched a glass blower make some art, and we even saw some snow flakes on our last day. It was a relaxing visit to see my mom and explore a new place. I had forgotten how beautiful New England is...despite the cold.