Why is this so hard?

Christmas cards are a big deal to me.  A big deal.  I love getting them.  I love sending them. I spend hours (Do not judge me.) planning this out every year.

It all starts with getting a good picture.  Y’all.  This is difficult.  Photographers, I have so much more respect for you now that I have two children.  Sit up straight!  Look at the camera!  Smile!  Mommy needs some eggnog just to recover.

Then after all of this outfit picking and yelling encouraging, no one EVER looks good in the same picture.  Ever.  

See what I mean?   

This year we had some professional pictures made, so I think I will use one of those.  The pressure has been lifted.

Then to make it even BETTER, Shutterfly is offering 50 free cards to bloggers.  That’s right.  FREE.  And to top it all off, I love Shutterfly.  I have ordered gifts and prints from them before and the quality is great.  I also love that their website is so easy to use and gives you so many design choices.  I like easy and I like choices. 

I mean, look at these designs!  I like this one:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/oh-holy-night-religious-christmas-card-5x7-flat?fg=2048&sortType=1&storeNode=93479

And this one:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/snowflake-damask-holiday-card-5x7-flat?fg=2048&sortType=1&storeNode=93479

And this one too:

\http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/with-love-chartreuse-christmas-card-5x7-flat?fg=2048&sortType=1&storeNode=93479

You had me at the monogram, Shutterfly.  You had me at the monogram.

If you have a blog, you should totally take advantage of this deal.  Sign up here:  http://bit.ly/sfly2010

I cannot wait to pick my final design and send them out!  There are so many good choices. 

Maybe this won’t be so hard after all. 

All things holiday

I am finally doing my Halloween post.  My computer at home has been unable to log onto/find the internet.  I don't know why.  I don't know how to fix it.  Remember...technology hates me. So, I am at the mercy of waiting until Andy gets home to use his laptop.  Thanksgiving is next week and I have pictures with Santa to share, but I feel guilty doing so without doing Halloween first.

So, here it is.  Our Halloween in pictures:

Minnie and Mickey were ready for our church's Fall Festival!

Bella loved jumping.  Props to our church for having preschool bounce houses.  All rough 10 year old boys were avoided this way.

Bella also enjoyed the candy.  Hayes enjoyed my cell phone.

On Halloween we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.  We love that our church's event is not on the 31st, so we can enjoy Halloween the old fashioned way too. 

All that walking was obviously worth it to someone.  And yes, I have let Bella have some of the candy too. 

And now that I have given Halloween the attention it deserves, I can move on to...Santa!  I am normally very against doing Christmas activities before Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't say no when there was NO line for Santa.  We went to check out Santa yesterday (aka-Mommy needed to confirm that he had a real beard.) and the place was EMPTY.  That was enough to convince me to throw my "Thanksgiving has its place too." convictions to the side and go for it.  We got dressed up in our Christmas attire and went for our yearly visit. The results speak for themselves...

I know the quality if the picture is bad.  I had to take a picture of the picture with my phone.  But two kids smiling really makes up for it.

I am a bad blogger.

I haven't posted in awhile.  I am a bad blogger.

When I dreamed of this little project, I thought I would blog everyday.  I obviously overestimated the amount of free time I have.  I also overestimated the amount of fascinating blog topics found in my life.  I do not blog everyday.  I don't know if I ever will.  I do shower everyday.  I count that as success.

I have not been blogging recently because I have been busy doing this:

and this:

and this:

Bad blogger...good Mommy.  Now that is a success.

**Halloween pics coming soon!  (Like, tomorrow.  Maybe.)

It's November

It's November. Wow.

In many ways, it doesn't feel like November to me.  That may have something to do with the fact that it was 86 degrees here today.  I went to the grocery store and while loading my car, I got sweaty...in November.  To be fair though, I get sweaty every time I take two kids to the grocery store to buy a cart load of groceries.  It is no easy task. 

Despite the crazy weather, I am determined to do fall-y things.  I have made three loaves of Pumpkin Apple Bread this season.  Snuggle on the couch, get a cup of coffee and a slice of this bread, and it's easy to pretend there is a chill in the air.  I like to trick myself with this little treat.  (Oh, yes.  That sentence was planned.  Pun intended people.)

Here is the recipe I use.  It is SUPER easy.  If it wasn't, I wouldn't do it.  I do not like cooking. Or baking. Or any other kitchen activity.  Oh, wait.  I do like eating.  Anyway, try it.

Pumpkin Apple Bread

(Based on a recipe from September 2006 Working Mother Magazine.  I have changed the amounts of some ingredients and added a couple things, so I guess it's my own now.)

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk.  Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Magic.)
1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1.  Put your oven on 350 degrees.  Coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3.  In a small bowl, beat egg.   Then add in buttermilk, apple, and pumpkin.
4.  Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients.  Don't overmix.
5. Pour into pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes.  Check it with a toothpick to see if it's done.

Enjoy any fall morning.  Cool weather optional.