December 6, 2022

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














17 comments:

  1. What an adorable selfie of you. Cute, cute glasses and sweater :). Glad to hear that Mocha is recovering nicely.
    There are some nice things about getting older and one of them seems to be being able to simplify the holidays down to what is most meaningful.
    Thanks for sharing the recipes. Look delicious!

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  2. Christmas cards have been sent. House is decorated. I have a couple of things still to buy but will be doing it on line. I will start baking this weekend the cookies that freeze well and will be baking the ones that don't closer to Christmas eve. Between the trees and candles, the house is lit up every night and I love it. Have a wonderful day Billie Jo!!

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  3. Forgot to say I love the selfie and your glasses!!

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  4. A lovely photograph. I'm glad Mocha is feeling much better. X

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  5. Have to get parcels and cards in the mail this week! It will be such a relief!

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  6. Love your sweater and your festive glasses. The doggies are so darn cute. Your dinner has me hungry now. And I love your nativity set. I used to collect nativity sets but have gotten rid of most of them in recent years.

    Our tree is up and house is decorated. I went very minimal again, but am missing all the things I know are sitting up in storage. Cards are going out today. Have not started baking yet because I keep debating what and how much I want to make, or just buy things instead. It's feeling like a 'keep it easy' kind of year. lol

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  7. I need to address my cards. We have minimally decorated. Presents are for the most part delivered but not wrapped. This is definitely a slow, calm Christmas for us this year and I am okay with that.

    I too love a good Kraft Mac and Cheese. Delicious!

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  8. Love the snapshot...love your glasses...love Mocha's sweet little face! Your posts are helping to keep us all on-track with what matters most. Here? Well, let's see...tree up, but waiting for my son to come home to decorate it, baking? Nope, cards? nope, Shopping? mostly done! This week is the week to try and check off the to-do list, and then settle in. And you're right...keep it all simple and as it should be, is the goal. Looking forward to the recipe links - I always need inspiration!

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  9. I havent even started shopping - I'm just not feeling it this year. UGH.
    Glad little baby is healing from the dental work!

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  10. A really nice selfie, Billie Jo! Cute puppy! Love the glasses! Getting ready for Christmas is coming along. This year isn't as hard as last year (first Christmas after husband's passing) for sure. Our family celebration (when all the children and their family can be there) is this Saturday. I'm pretty much ready for that other than cooking and baking on Friday. Cards are mailed out. Will be baking treats for the neighbors and the guys at work next week and lasagna for a few guests on Christmas Eve. Enjoy the rest of your day and have a very Merry Christmas!

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  11. That's a great picture of you and Mocha. I'm not even close to being done with the Christmas shopping. I'm a last minute shopper. I always tell myself I'll do better the next year but nope. Always the same.

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  12. Love seeing your selfie! Like everyone else, I love those darling glasses! You must share their source if you don't mind. You give very wise advice here about the holidays that seems to fall on the Mama of the house. I learned a long time ago that I can't do it all, nor should I. So glad to see Mocha is doing well! Merry on, my friend.

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  13. That's a cute picture of you! I like your glasses. Mocha is so cute too!
    I'm doing pretty well with Christmas - the cards are sent, decorations are up, gifts are wrapped. I'm making chai tea mix for my co-workers and have to get labels made and get them wrapped. I've cut way back on baking - we don't need it anyway, but I do have some things to make before the actual day.
    Sounds like you are ready too!

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  14. Mocha is so sweet. My tree is up and my house is lit up too!! I've been wrapping as I buy and I'm about done shopping. I've sent out a few cards but not many. I've done NO baking yet but I will be doing some soon. We're doing things different this year and going on a vacation. We have never been away from home at Christmas so I guess we will see how it goes.

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  15. aahh, so glad your doggy is doing good after dental surgery. What a cute photo of her. Your chicken tenders look delicious, and isn't that Kraft mac and cheese Yummy? Your nativity set is very special. I used to send out Christmas cards, but the last couple years I've been sending them through e-mail, but want to get back to the postal thing, cause there's nothing like it. I love your Santa Header. And I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your big font on your posts. They are delightful, and too many times I go to blogs and can't even see the small font. They are hard to read with my tired eyes, so I thank you.

    Merriest Christmas season, Billie Jo.

    ~Sheri

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  16. That absolutely looks like my kind of dinner! I love the good 'ol blue box mac & cheese too. I'm so glad Mocha is doing well. ;)
    I've been having some bad back issues recently, so things have been going slower this year - but I have been giving myself grace. Going slow and still enjoying. I have one tree left to decorate. Presents to wrap. Just started making out cards. And I want to shampoo my carpets and do some deeper cleaning, as I host for most of the people in my life. But I'm making sure I do my advent prayers daily. Focusing on the real reason for the season to me. And I'm going to a holiday concert next week. I went Christmas shopping with my Mom today and I just kept thanking God to have her after her big surgery and complications. I truly wondered if we'd ever have our annual shopping trip. So I am focusing on blessings. I am enjoying the glow I do have decorated. And I love giving myself blog time to visit friends and share when I'm able too. I will be up at the Solvay hospice house tomorrow for my weekly volunteering, which brings its own kind of specialness to my life, by giving in those ways. I'm rambling...but love sharing with you dear Friend.
    Have a blessed weekend ahead. xoxo

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  17. I really like your attitude about Christmas. Especially after the kids left home there have been some years we haven't felt like decorating or doing much of anything Christmas-y. But now all of a sudden this year I felt like putting up a tree. I hope to have some friends over while our sparkly tree is up, but other than that, our main "company" will be our sons on Christmas day. I do need to get to wrapping presents!

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Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo