BYOB!

This bag seemed to take FOREVER to make. All those rounds of seed stitch. I LOVE the FO though. It was totally worth it. I didn't take time to check gauge, and probably should have used smaller needles. So instead of a bag that I could take to the market, this should be more of a beach bag. It fits 4 towels easily.

I know this isn't the most flattering shot of the back of me and all the TV wires, but you should see how long this bag is.

And here it is stuffed with groceries. TJ's shoppers will know the sizes of these items. The bag holds a tub of alphabet cookies, a tub of mini meringues, a box of Kashi Mighty Bites, a bag of White Cheddar Puffs, a loaf of Cinnamon bread, and a bag of Honey-Wheat pretzel sticks.

I've finished a few market bags. Each from a different pattern. I was going to try to post them all together...sort of a comparison review. Now, I'm just hoping to get them all up on the blog. Do you have a favorite market bag pattern? What makes that one your favorite?

Christmas Traditions

I've seen this around a few places...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Anything I can recycle. I'm trying to knit or sew a few drawstring bags for little gifts.
   
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. The real kind seems to bother our allergies.
   
3. When do you put up the tree? Right after Thanksgiving, although this year we were a bit late.
   
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day or the next day.
5. Do you like eggnog? NO! And though it's not my favorite drink, we make Boiled Custard. It was Dede's recipe (my father's mother) and we made it every year. My brother loved it, but me...ehh. It's not the Custard's fault. I don't even like to drink milk.
   
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My sewing machine (I was 12).
7. Hardest person to buy for? My BIL. He buys himself everything he wants as soon as it's out. The iPhone, DVD's, a new Cannon.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? One for each year we've been married...plus a few extra. I thought it would be fun to collect these like I'd heard on a Focus on the Family radio broadcast. We have a nativity pocket advent calendar, a large white ceramic set that was a gift when we got married, a veggie tales set, the playmobil set (7&5's room), the little people set, a wooden set (that's in 3's room), a carved wood set that was a paint your own kit, but I like it unpainted, a crafted nativity that I made before we were married, a set made from clothespins that my dad made before I was born, a super cute mini nativity from my neighbor last year, and a precious moments set (not the fancy kind...this one is plastic figures for the kids to play with), and this year I printed off a set free from the internet somewhere (wish I remembered where). It's "The Nativity Story" a shadow puppet play set. I'll cut out the pieces and then we'lll back light it. The kids are really into shadow puppets this year. This will be a fun one. I love that they play with most of these sets.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? E-Mailed last year. Not sure about this year yet.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? That's a hard one...
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Probably a Charlie Brown movie.
    
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? August
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably not.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas Cookies! My Gram used to start making cookies right after Thanksgiving. And my mom's cousin G always sends a box from OR and I LOVE his lemon cookies.
16. Lights on the tree? Colored lights.
    
17. Favorite Christmas song? Right now...Away In The Manger...because how cute is that when a 3yo. sings it.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? My whole growing up years, we traveled to Napa for Christmas. The last few Christmas' we've spent at my SIL's...that's just an hour from here...I don't really call that travel...but we're not really home either.
    
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes, I can.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Immediate family gifts on Christmas Eve...gifts with the In-Laws Christmas Day...gifts with my family...different every year.
    
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? This year *glitter*. I sweep the floor at my Craft Store job. I come home covered in glitter.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Blown glass. We have some fancy ones we bought. And last year, M & I actually took a glassblowing class and came home with ornaments we made.
    
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I
24. Angel or star on top tree: A Star
25. Favorite meal: My Gram always made Swedish Pancakes for breakfast on Christmas Day! She'd get up so early to get started, and then keep a bunch warming in the oven. She was usually turning pancakes for 15!

Sheep Ornament

I HAVE to make these and these. What are you up to this Christmas?

Menu Plan Monday

I started planning my menu this completely in August. It really helped me to cut back on my food budget. Early in the summer, when I clicked over on a linky from Works for Me Wednesday :: Rocks In My Dryer, I found The Grocery Cart Challenge. I love the tips I'm learning. And, with the tough economy, some of you might be wondering how to cut back a bit. Head over to Gayle's blog, and then consider a menu plan. I usually plan my menu on Friday or Saturday and get the groceries Saturday or Sunday. Right now that depends on my work schedule. I like to get the groceries on Saturday so that Sunday can be a day of Sabbath at our house. I've pretty much lost that for this season of life, but I'm hoping to cut back at work after Christmas. Anyways, on to the menu....

Breakfast
Monday: Cold Cereal and sliced bananas.
Tuesday: Egg Burritos
Wednesday: Sweet Potato Waffles (from the freezer)
Thursday: English Muffins
Friday: Plain Old Oatmeal
Saturday: Eggs, Sausage, and Biscuits (from the freezer)
Sunday: ???

Lunch
Monday: Muffin-Tin Monday ( I saw this on a blog somewhere...fill each muffin cup with something different and the kids can eat together...I may have to use mini muffin tins as mine don't share food well. We'll start with celery with a PB dip in another cup, Craisins, Goldfish, Pretzels, Cream Cheese Dip, Dried Apricots, and some M & M's for dessert. I'll have to see if we need all 12 cups full or if this is enough. I could add grapes, cheese cubes, crackers, and a small cookie if we're still hungry. This is a great way to empty the cupboard of things that otherwise wouldn't be enough for everyone.)
Tuesday: Lunchables
Wednesday: Mac-n-Cheese @ the park in Travel Thermos. =0) They've been dying to use these for a hot lunch to go.
Thursday: Burritos after the library
Friday: Ham Sandwiches after CBS

Dinner
Monday: Mexican Lasagna (doubled for the freezer)
Tuesday: Chicken Spaghetti (doubled to trade with Jen)
Wednesday: Stromboli
Thursday: Potato Soup (from freezer)
Friday: Enchiladas from Jen
Saturday: I'll probably let M order pizza while I'm at work
Sunday: ???

***I have a large freezer in my garage. This SAVES me many days. I'm more than happy to double a recipe when I know that some busy day I'll have a frozen dinner ready to go. This is also how I do pancakes and waffles. I'm NOT a morning person. But my kids LOVE breakfast. Not just cereal. I'll make up a big batch of pancakes and freeze most for future use. We're not so much about the white flour, especially before school. My kids are wiggly enough without white flour and syrup. I make these and we have them with honey or fruit spread. I Heart My Freezer!

What's his name?

We've tried so many names. The kids liked Bebo for awhile (after a CD in our playlist), we tried Rusteez (from Cars), and then Harvey, but none of them stuck.

Sometime in the last few weeks though, we've decided on Rex. Like in T-Rex. Not sure why, but it works. We still call him Kitters, Kitty, and whatever, but if someone asks...now we have a name.

Rex has some strange behaviors. I grew up with 2 cats, so I know they can be strangely finicky, but he seems to take the cake. Rex likes to drink from the shower. He'll go to the master bathroom and meow until I turn on the shower...just enough to wet the floor, then he'll go in and drink. He's horrible at climbing onto the counters and trying to drink from our cups. He's even tasted my coffee. He's broken 2 glasses too. I think he's worse than the kids.

Over Thanksgiving we discovered that he LOVES whipped cream. Now, I know this isn't good for him, so I'm not feeding this to him regularly, but someone in his past must have. He comes running when ever he hears that squirt can of whipped cream. And today, he ate refried beans from one of the kids burritos. I didn't know cat's would do that!

We're still enjoying this furball. My only worry is that the kids love him too much. He doesn't have many hiding places in our house. And just in this week, the kids 'pretended' to give him a bath, but they really put him in the tub. He also climbed into the cupboard space of our kid kitchen...so the kids locked him in there. Poor thing. I hope our love makes up for the abuse. I'm doing my best to look out for him.