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.)

Mocha And Movies

This little lady had a big day yesterday. She had to have her teeth cleaned and some possibly removed. I have learned that little dogs, especially Yorkies, are prone to periodontal disease. I dropped her off bright and early. Our vet is excellent, and the young lady I left her with put me at ease. They called me later in the day and told me Mocha was waking up and had done very well. She also told me they had to remove 15 teeth! 

I could barely wait until it was time to get her, and boy, was she happy to see me! Once her excitement wore off and we had our instructions and medication, we headed home.

After a happy reunion with Kirby, who didn't know what to do all day without her, Mocha settled in for the night. Right where she belongs.

This time of year does lend itself to cozy nights in front of the tree, doesn't it? It also reminds me of evenings long ago when I had a little Madison who loved Christmas as much as I do. I remember giving her a bath, dressing her in her fresh pajamas and robe, and sitting down with her by the tree to watch the classic Christmas specials. It was cold and dark outside but cozy and warm inside. Every evening starting around six o'clock or so, one channel played the classic Christmas movies like 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, Red Boots For Christmas, Jack Frost, Santa Clause Is Coming To Town, The Year Without A Santa Clause, and of course, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman. Those nights with her are some of my most treasured memories. They must also be Madison's because she sent me this last week. It is a schedule of Christmas movies on AMC and looking closely, I see some of those very same memorable movies listed! And they begin early like they used to, so little ones can watch them before bed. There are others, of course, but so many classics and favorites. 

You can save this to your photo stream and enlarge it, or visit AMC's website for the details. This may be what we need this year. We can snuggle in, revisit old Christmas traditions, and reconnect with the calm, peaceful things that bring joy this time of year. With all the technology available and the pressure to constantly go and do today, we need to make a conscious effort to do something that years ago was the norm. That is, coming home after a long day of work or school and turning off the outside, so we can gather together on the inside and enjoy the peace of Christmas. And maybe some cookies and cocoa too.

Have a cozy day, my friends,

and thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo