Friday Photos

Hello! Happy Friday! The week passed quickly around here, as December weeks do. After Mocha's vet appointment on Tuesday, the girls and I had a wonderful visit with my Mom at her assisted living home. It is decorated beautifully for Christmas! This is the door to go inside. And the inside is just as festive and cozy! My Mom was so happy to see us. We had a wonderful visit and left just as her lunch was being served.

Isn't she beautiful? I can only hope to be as happy, pleasant, and lovely as she is when I am 85. Wednesday afternoon, Madison, Flynn, Steve, and I took a dear family friend to Pittsburgh for an appointment. We spent some time downtown enjoying the Christmas festivities, and Steve even took a selfie!

POV: Two middle-aged parents and the kids who aren't embarrassed to be seen taking a selfie with them. Thursday, we returned home, but not before stopping at an old favorite diner on the way. Pie and coffee pics courtesy of Madison.

Thursday evening found me showered in fresh jammies on my couch in front of the Christmas tree with a cup of coffee. I like going, but I like coming home even more. 

Have a lovely weekend. I am planning on wrapping. And napping. And preparing some meals. And watching some favorite movies like Rudolph and Christmas with the Kranks. How about you, my friends? Any fun or festive plans? Enjoy whatever you are doing. See you back here Monday!

Billie Jo

P.S. Thanks for all the comments on my glasses. They are actually glasses I ordered from Pair Eyewear. You may have seen them on Shark Tank! You purchase frames with your prescription and then can buy different magnetic tops with just about any design you can think of! I love them and have already ordered another Christmas top. I'm not affiliated with them or anything. They are just really neat!

Puppies And Christmas And An Easy Recipe For Dinner

 

Hello there! It has been some time since I shared a selfie here, but I snapped this one yesterday before we left for the vet. This little lady had a follow-up visit for her dental surgery last week. She is doing great! The vet tech said everything was healing perfectly. 

She still likes the extra attention, though. And Flynn is happy to oblige.

Kirby isn't overly concerned. He did, however, miss Mocha greatly when she was gone. 

Looking for an easy but delicious dinner idea? This one is so good! The other night, I made homemade chicken tenders with fresh green beans and added an old favorite, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, on the side. I am all about keeping it real here, and I really do like that orange powder in the blue box! I will link the recipes down below.

How is your Christmas planning going? You may be done shopping but haven't started wrapping. Or are you still shopping? Are your cards written out? You may not be sending cards out this year. How about your baking? Have you started yet? Or are you not baking this year? (Maybe you have a daughter who loves baking and is baking all your cookies for you!) No matter. Do your own thing and as much or as little as you wish. The older I get, the more I realize that I don't have to repeat the same Christmas year after year. Times change, and children grow. Things can be simpler. Christmas will come, and it will go, whether I iron my napkins or not. Ok. Bad example. I am not going to iron my napkins. Ever. But you get the idea. Show yourself grace this Christmas season, my friends. And enjoy some quiet time by the tree with a throw blanket and a cup of tea. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friends.

Thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

Baked Chicken Tenders

Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 

Good Monday Morning, my friends! How was your weekend? Our weekend was quiet and cozy. I wrapped gifts, did some laundry, watched TV, and finished online shopping. Still no snow, but it was a little chilly, so it seemed a bit more like December than March! Today I am sharing a few things I am enjoying around here this Christmas season. First up, these vintage Christmas records...

Isn't it funny how everything comes back around? I had a record player in high school, and now years later, I have another. These old albums bring the Christmas sounds of long ago back into our cozy home.

This is my absolute of all Mrs. Meyer's scents. It is Snowdrop, and it smells exactly like you think it would. Does that make sense? Steve found these at Sam's Club a while ago, and I have been waiting to break them out.

I don't keep as much candy around since we have fewer people living here, and let's face it if it is here, it gets eaten! But I do always have a crystal candy dish of Kisses at Christmas.

Have you smelled this? It is Yankee Candle's White Christmas, and it smells divine! Very crisp and very festive but not heavy and sweet. Love lighting it first thing in the morning.

And finally, one of my very favorite new Christmas treasures. This is a North Pole Radio from Mr. Christmas. I found this last year at Macy's and fell in love! It runs on batteries and has channels that report North Pole news and weather and play Christmas songs. It is just festive and fun. I gifted several and then found them at Target after Christmas marked way down, so I bought a few more and decided to keep one for myself. 

Oh, and if you are interested in the Danish Advent Candle I shared last Friday, here is the link to where Madison purchased them. 

Danish Advent Candle

What small things are you enjoying this special season? I'd love to hear about them. That is all for now. Today is homeschool, laundry, and a cup of afternoon coffee with some Pepperidge Farm Christmas cookies. Have a cozy day, and thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

December Is Here!

 Good Friday morning! I wonder when my mind will fully accept and understand that December and Christmas are here. I can't explain it. Time is literally spinning out of control. It is like that scene in movies where they use pages in a calendar flipping rapidly to show the passage of time! I want to hold up a sign that says, "SLOW DOWN~Middle Age Woman Crossing!" In the absence of that, I will have to slow down and focus on each moment of this festive time. 

First up is lightning and enjoying this beautiful Danish Advent Candle. I absolutely love this tradition that Nicolas shared with us. Madison gifted me this beautiful candle we light each evening during dinner as we count down the days until Christmas.

Another thing I like to do is search for vintage Christmas ideas and recipes. I love looking through images of the past and seeing if there is anything I can find to add to our celebrations. I enjoy these pictures' simplicity and coziness and like bringing that feeling into our home at Christmas.

Lastly, Thank you for your kind thoughts and comments regarding Mocha and her recent procedure. She is healing well and is enjoying her recovery time immensely.

As am I. 

Enjoy your weekend, my friends. Not too much planned here except for all the cozy Christmas I can fit in. I will see you back here Monday. Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

(Thanks to Pinterest for all the Christmas images.)