Traveling for the holidays

November 26, 2010 By

It’s the holiday season . . .and road trips are rampant. And every road trip leads to a few more lessons on how to travel together. I don’t know about you, but there are just a few things that traveling together drives home for Alex and I.

First…Packing, while vital, should not be done as a couple.

Alex’s suitcase resemble a precise military march. It has order, it has simplicity, it has speed.

Mine has well, it has generosity. It has thoroughness. It has just about everything. But I did manage to bring the camera! Which was great since we were headed to the home of Davy Crockett.

Traveling for the holidays

Second… when dividing up the driving its best to volunteer to drive first. That way when you are halfway through the trip and already tired of the road, you can be the one taking photos not paying attention to the road!

Traveling for the holidays

Third…when going on a road trip, always plan for a slight detour. The willingness to deviate from the plan always leads to a better time and often times much better views. Oh and don’t forget a map for those times when the GPS system thinks you are insane and driving through a cow pasture. (trust us….we should know)

Traveling for the holidays

And last but hardly the least…never let the concept of getting packed, getting to your destination, or taking photos surpass the fact that the road trip is allowing you to spend time with loved ones. You would think this would be the most obvious of the lessons we learned, but its one of the hardest to stick to because it is the simplest step! Luckily for us we saw family that are lovely and generous in each and every way. There is something absolutely heart-warming about showing up after a long drive to a fluffy bed with generous pillows, a bathroom fully stocked (just in case my “everything” suitcase might have just maybe forgotten the shampoo and conditioner), water on each nightstand, and a little gift for you to remember your visit by.

The only downer about this entire visit – I think we disappointed Aunt Sallie and Uncle Ron when our “surprise” was not the news about a future little one. But we promised them we’d sure keep on trying! In the meantime I’ll keep playing down by the swing set myself…well myself and the camera.

Traveling for the holidays

Filed Under: Alex, Fall, Family, Marriage Adventures, Photography Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Celebrate Turkey Day!

November 25, 2010 By

I Am Thankful For…

  1. Family that live close by and are willing to eat late to accommodate Alex working 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. today
  2. The ability to have an abundance of food grace our table
  3. Friends and loved ones both near and far
  4. Apple Pie!
  5. My furbabies who wake me with kisses and snuggles every day no matter what is going on
  6. My husband who works hard to give me everything I’ve ever wanted before I can even think to ask for it
  7. Jobs that keep a roof over our heads, food on our table, and us way ahead of the game in many lucky ways
  8. And each and every one of you. You wonderful people who hop on this blog, who read my thoughts and stories, who comment on posts, who hop on twitter, and who “like” me on Facebook. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Filed Under: Fall, Marriage Adventures Tagged With: , , , , Share Something Y'all

Halloween recap

November 2, 2010 By

So as per usual Halloween this year was lo-key. Friday at work we dressed up in costume. Several people did an AMAZING job, but me . . .I decided to go with the cheap version. I basically dressed up in my normal weekend wear and added Alex’s hat. Halloween recapAin’t I cute?Saturday we went over to my parents’ house to celebrate my Father’s birthday. While technically his birthday IS Halloween, we decided to get together on Saturday since Sunday would be busy what with trick-or-treaters and more. Of course, this meant we had to get a birthday cake. One us kids ordered.Dad loved it . . .67195 10150108148929951 613304950 7513150 3209164 n Halloween recapSunday was occupied by the typical Halloween activities and some pretty serious discussions between Alex and I before we crashed for the night.What about you? What did all you party animals do on Halloween?

Filed Under: Fall, Family, Marriage Adventures Tagged With: , , , , Share Something Y'all

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

October 22, 2010 By

Per Hummy this is the recipe she uses and has gotten great results from over the years. It’s also evidently the recipe that is on the Libby’s Pumpkin Pie puree mix.

ALMOND PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz.) 100% Pure Pumpkin
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
  • 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
  • 1 cup of Almond chunks
  • Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. 

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Immediately sprinkle on layer of almonds. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Hope everyone enjoys! There are also great ways to make this from scratch using Sugar Pumpkins (they are smaller and sweeter) and you can find these in any pick your own patch. Since this isn’t something I’ve done I can’t vouch for it, but I’ve heard that making a pie this way tastes 100% fresher and yummier than the from a can version I’ve provided you here. Either way go eat your pie!
Filed Under: Fall, Family Tagged With: , , , , , , , 1 Comment

They’re spooky and they’re creepy

October 21, 2010 By

Halloween week you are coming to a close. Tomorrow will be Alex’s family recipe for Pumpkin Pie straight from his Grandma’s mental cookbook. But today, oh today we have to talk about all things Scary. Terrifying. Haunted!

halloweennest02 Theyre spooky and theyre creepy

OK I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a wimp. No really, I whimper at needles…and I’m getting subjected to these today, but yes I have a tattoo. But I digress as that’s a whole ‘nother story. I FREAK OUT when bugs come near me. This is why I rarely go camping with the hubby though he loves the outdoors. (Duhr…the man owns a car excuse me Jeep that can literally come apart and be re-built just for fun. And was originally built for the military…Alex made me add that part) I have such a vivid imagination that I typically dream in color which is why I also routinely scare myself awake. My mind is a horror movie waiting to happen. So the one thing at Halloween I avoid like the plague is haunted houses.

Ahhhh the glorious tradition of Haunted Houses. Despite a time-honored tradition of Halloween being the perfect time to scare one silly, I fail to see the “entertainment” in scaring myself. This is surely ironic since I live in the state that is home to America’s #1 Haunted Attraction. Yet I find myself continually drawn to attend these houses of horror. My favorite being the one a Disney World. Who can resist that fun little ending? (And no, I’m not spelling that out here just in case you have never been …. the surprise at the end is fun!)

Why yes I am a mass of contradictions, why do you ask?

As the month comes to a close and Halloween draws ever closer Alex has decided that now is the time to look up just where we ought to go! I say “The couch!” (Not that anyone ever listens to me.)

Since I absolutely refuse to go to Netherworld Alex has located a few perfectly good alternatives including a haunted corn maze, a haunted house across the street from the mall, and a free one. He’s playing on my weaknesses that smarty-pants!

So I’ve turned to you my friends, may I call you friend? I hope so since I consider you as such. I turn to you to help me decide which haunted house I should subject myself too. All are reputed to be on par with one another in terms of the “Scare” factor.

Should I go to:

  1. The Haunted house by the mall. Terrifying with loads of crowds and an angel of death who beckons you into the door, but also near great shopping AND a bar. Which I may need afterwards.
  2. The Haunted Corn Maze. The maze is fun in and of itself, just the haunted parts that weird me out….Children of the Corn anyone? Plus it’s near my house and I have coupons. Oh and they have an s’mores bonfire at the end.
  3. The free Haunted house. I don’t know too much about this one since its brand-spankin’ new to my part of town. But it’s free. Of course this may mean a LOT more crowds. Who knows…this one is a gamble.

So my friends . . . Where should I go? Where would YOU go?

Filed Under: Fall, Marriage Adventures Tagged With: , , , , 3 Comments

Cobwebs in the corner, zombies in the street

October 20, 2010 By

Well we’ve discussed candy and costumes, now its on to Decor!

I know I’ve talked about it before, but I LOVE to decorate for the holidays. With that being said, due to a number of budget constraints I’ve had to cut back a LOT (read that as zip, nadda, zero decorations) for Halloween. Still, I love to drive through the neighborhoods and see what everyone has put out.

I have neighbors who go with the classic cobwebs everywhere look

draft lens7607262module63600162photo 1255805849Halloween 1 Witch on Doorstep Cobwebs in the corner, zombies in the street

To the more southern tradition, at least in my eyes, of using Christmas lights for every holiday!

Cobwebs in the corner, zombies in the street

And then we have the neighbor who seems to have a slight graveyard issue in his front yard, not that you can ever tell because this and some orange garland around his mailbox (which becomes remarkably easy to find at night) are the sum of all decor.

Cobwebs in the corner, zombies in the street

And then there is our house. Our poor, pathetic, lamely decorated for Fall and fall alone house. I’m hoping to go nutso with the Christmas stuff only because I already own it all!

So my question for you is two parts 1. how much do you actually DO for decor this time of year and 2. how much do you SPEND? As you can tell, I fall into a big fat “0″ for both of those questions. :-p Although, Thanksgiving is already handled!

Filed Under: Fall, Marriage Adventures, Our House Tagged With: , , , , , , 8 Comments

Trick OR Treat gimme something good to eat

October 19, 2010 By

Sugar and spice, peanuts and caramel, big and small, round and square, bar, cup, and a handful of bites make up the sugary sweet section of my pantry right now. But it’s that time of year, where you prepare for the goblins, the ghouls, the celebrities, and all sorts of strangers to grace your door with one simple request…

“Trick Or Treat!” They’ll cry with glee. (Hopefully none of them will follow through with the Trick portion of this tradition.)

photo CandyBars large(1) Trick OR Treat gimme something good to eat

So I’ve prepped myself knowing we’ll get trick or treaters to come to our house. And since this is our first year in our house,  I choose to hand out mini-candy bars. Mostly because they are easy to find, easy to hand out, and  I can snack on them if they aren’t taken by the end of the night. YUM! Still, I know some people choose to hand out a larger variety of items on this holiday.

Why just the other day on the radio in my hometown people called in to spell out the WORST and the BEST treats they had ever received. On the BEST list were items like and iPod (I need to be trick or treating in this neighborhood that is for sure!), the full-sized candy bar, and real dollar coins mixed up with your chocolate ones. The WORST list included a toothbrush (come on, really? You are just asking to get tricked with that kind of treat), Dum Dum’s,  and by far the most interesting item on either list were the dollar alcohol samples of vodka and rum. Yes, I did just say that someone handed out alcohol chasers. Evidently parents were unaware until their children arrived home and the parents sorted through the candy to pull the bad and inappropriate so no one knows exactly who decided this would be a great idea…

Anyhow – so as I’m evidently in the boring but classic style with my oh-so-popular mini candy bars hand-outs, I want to know what y’all have experienced.  For me, it was always the house that handed out apples as the worst because they would get crushed. The best was the house that either gave out two handfuls of candy each or the house that gave out bags of popcorn. YUM!!

So, I’m curious what is the BEST and WORST treat you’ve ever received?

Filed Under: Fall, Marriage Adventures, Our House Tagged With: , , , , , 6 Comments

Playing Dress Up

October 18, 2010 By

Halloween is the perfect time to indulge your childhood ability to be whoever you want to be! In fact, some of my favorite costumes are from when I was younger and able to go all out thanks to supportive parents who were also, luckily, creative despite the rules. You know, nothing R-rated for violence, etc. Which ruled out all the popular costumes like Freddy, Edward Scissor-hands, and half the women’s costumes you see today.

Still – I loved being everything from a 50’s girl with my poodle skirt

Adult%20Lavender%20Poodle%20Skirt%20Outfit%20with%20Lavender%20Sequin%20Belt Playing Dress Up

To a princess (the one and ONLY time my mom got me in fluff with the exception of my wedding gown)

fancy dress costumes 6 princess posy z Playing Dress Up

To one of my more creative moments, a conjoined twin!

 

2938796990 0cc1a04520 o Playing Dress Up

Obviously not me, but still same principle!

 

This year, Alex keeps going on and on and ON about his favorite costumes.

His fallback idea of Ace Ventura…

 

Footprints Filmworks Ace Ventura Playing Dress Up

totally can see it!

 

And this year’s goal of Waldo.

 

waldo id by imboeboe Playing Dress Up

Alex's Dream Costume

 

Could someone please explain to me where my redneck cowboy came up with these ideas?

So what about you? What is your favorite costume you’ve ever worn? Or perhaps its a going TO where for this year. Either way, please share! If you have pictures you can post them up on the Facebook page in a Halloween photo album. Just create your own and upload away!

Filed Under: Alex, Fall, Family, Marriage Adventures Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments
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