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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Thanksgiving Traditions

Our family traditions have changed a lot over the years and honestly even though it used to be crazy hectic busy to pull it all off I honestly miss it.  I miss the family all together, heck sometimes even the fights (and there was always guaranteed at least one on my mom's side).  No us "kids" don't know what all went down after grandma passed away and honestly I could care less.  What I care about is what my kid is missing out on.  Yes she gets those holidays with me my parents and my siblings but its just not the same.  She doesn't get the whole extended family.  Heck, there are relatives she doesn't even know, that's the sad part.  She knows know different but I do!  The kids would be off in a room to themselves playing a game while the adults finished getting things ready and then we all ate and then just sat around talking or playing games. May not sound like much to many but to me and some others it was the best.  Me and Alyssa have our own traditions that are just ours between the 2 of us.  Thanksgiving afternoon/evening is filled with decorating for Christmas with music and then its on to dinner and then curling up on the couch with blankets and pillows and hot chocolate watching Christmas movies (there's always one on somewhere on tv).

Ok so I decided to go on a hunt for Thanksgiving traditions and this is what I found:


Top 10 Family Thanksgiving Traditions

  1. Write Thankful Lists - When guests arrive for Thanksgiving, hand them a piece of Thanksgiving themed paper and have them generate a "What I'm Thankful For This Year List." It might be one thing or it might be a long list depending on the person. Then, before serving the big meal, you go around the table having each person say aloud what he/she is thankful for. You can turn this tradition into a family memory book by hole-punching the paper or placing the paper in sheet protectors along with photos of the family during the Thanksgiving festivities.
  2. Watch Football - Watching the traditional NFL football games is considered by many to be as much a part of Thanksgiving as a turkey. Each year, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys play Thanksgiving Day and John Madden hands out the famous turkey drumsticks. Add in some beer and snacks and you'll have some happy football enthusiasts at your party. And after dinner, have the gang burn off some calories by playing a family football game in the yard or by going to a local basketball court to shoot some hoops. Better yet, gather the family in the yard or local basketball court.
  3. Watch Movies - Released in 1973, 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' is the most watched movie on Thanksgiving Day. And why not? This heart-warming film shows the misadventures of Charlie Brown as he tries to host a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for all of his pals. As usual, Snoopy and Woodstock step in and end up saving the day by serving toast and jelly beans. There are plenty of other movies perfect for family Thanksgivings. Consider 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' or 'Home for the Holidays'.
  4. Buy or Decorate the Christmas Tree - If your family puts up a fresh Christmas tree, the day after Thanksgiving is the perfect time to go to tree farm to pick out this year's winner. Just choose the tree and mark it. Ask the farm to deliver it a week or two later to make sure that it won't dry out before Christmas. If your family puts up an artificial tree, the day after Thanksgiving is the perfect time to lug the tree box down from the garage or up from the basement. Set it up and decorate it with all those special ornaments gathered over the years.
  5. Break The Wishbone - After dinner is eaten, a long held tradition held by many families is making a wish on the wishbone from the turkey. Basically, two family members grab on to each end of the wishbone and pull while making a wish. It is said that whoever gets the larger piece (the one with the head on it) will have his or her wish come true. Of course, as superstition goes, the winner can't share their wish with others or it won't come true!
  6. Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - For almost 80 years, Macy's has celebrated Thanksgiving and beckoned Christmas with their big parade in New York City. Every Thanksgiving Day, the parade features giant helium balloons with characters like Snoopy, high school and college marching bands from across the U.S., beautiful parade floats and of course, Santa Claus waving to the kids from his magical sleigh.
  7. Serve a Thanksgiving Meal - Many families find that Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give back to the community and share their blessings with others. They volunteer at a local shelter or at Meals On Wheels to serve and deliver the Thanksgiving food gift of a meal to those less fortunate Americans.
  8. Make Thanksgiving Crafts - Most American households are filled with children on Thanksgiving Day. A great way to keep them busy and to have fun is to make Thanksgiving crafts such as turkey headbands or wall hangings. You can ask them to create a special thank you gift for the hostess or the cooks for all the yummy food. Perhaps consider a Thanksgiving cookie bouquet filled with iced cookies shaped like turkeys, cornucopias, and more.
  9. Shop 'Til You Drop - Many women have incorporated this tradition by gathering the family and getting up bright and early the day after Thanksgiving to go shopping. Toting ads from the 'Black Friday' newspaper, they run from store to store trying to get the early bird specials on their Christmas shopping list. This tradition isn't for the faint of heart since the day after Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
  10. Exchange Names for Christmas - What better time to draw and exchange names for Christmas gifts than when all the family is already gathered together for the Thanksgiving festivities.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Cravings!

So after a crazy horrible week!  All I want to do is curl up with some comfort food and hide from the world for a couple days.  Sounds great huh?  Well not completely possible.  Because today we have uniform fittings for Alyssa and laundry to get done (lets not discuss how far behind I am).  But maybe just maybe tomorrow I can manage to get the comfort food in!

Problem is I can't decide what I want.  Do I want chicken and dumplings the way grandma used to make them or chicken pot pie?  But I do know what breakfast will be tomorrow morning and that will be buttermilk biscuits with chocolate gravy.

Ugh ok guess I need to get my butt moving and get started on that laundry!

Later Gators!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

People of Exxon 3

I know I'm a tad behind but will be catching up today!  So without further to do here is the latest People of Exxon Pictures!  Enjoy!

"Big Cheetah"

"Lil' Devil"

"Complete with Batman Mask"

Monday, October 22, 2012

Halloween Idea Round up

Halloween Crafty Idea Roundup!  I'm always looking for something new and crafty to do and here are a few of the ideas I've come across so far!  :)

1)  Paper Mache Candy Bowl



      



       
     

Sunday outings!

Well we ended up going fishing again.  And this time I remembered my camera and not just the phone.





























I was trying to get a picture of her walking down the bank and well she fell!  LOL


This was her mad at me for the picture above!







The only thing we caught!  LOL



Sunday, October 21, 2012

A busy but fun saturday!

It started out pretty quiet and mild with me working the first half and Alyssa hanging out with her nana!  Then it was off to a birthday party for a friends grandson, then when we got back we ended up going fishing with a friend which turned in to a movie.  We had a blast.  But since I'm still only half awake I'll quit rambling now and get on with the pictures!

The Birthday Boy




She was getting mad at all the pictures


The comment just before this picture "Uh is there a hook on this thing"




And here comes that attitude out!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

People of Exon 2

Well its Saturday morning and what did I wake up to again this morning yep more commical interesting pictures!  I swear he's got a fun job sometimes!  LOL  Remember the quotes are the exact ones he sent with each picture so ladies before leaving the house wonder what a man would think before you leave!  Without further to do here we go:


Spandex not for everybody



How short can it go?



How many colors?


Ghettofabulous! (know him that so meant sarcastically lol)

Medicine Cup Craft Idea Round up!

Ok so we go through roughly 8 bottles of liquid zyrtec a month so we have a ton of those dosage cups that come with and well I now have a basket under the sink that has collected them all.  Well me laying here bored, because of my back, decided to see if I could find some crafty ideas to do with them and here they are!  Enjoy!

1)  Pom Pom Milkshakes from Pink and Green Mama




Finally I have a couple ideas of what to do with them!  Anyone else have any cute ideas?  

   

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Random Pictures from my phone!

Ok just one more post before I get going!  :)

How about some complete randomness?

Random Pictures from my phone from the last couple weeks!


The start of Alyssa's Pink Camo scarf



We have a love for crazy funky socks in this house!  If we have plain "normal" ones on its laundry day!  LOL


I absolutely love the pumpkins but its hard to find just the pumpkins but Alyssa loves her mommy so much she bought mommy a bag while she was out with her nana shopping!  :)


Alyssa's school is selling candy bars!  Lets not discuss how much mommy and nana have bought!  Or how many people my kid has pulled the puppy dog face on to sell the things!


Throwback day at school!


Her red circle scarf I made her for Red and White day at school!  


The start of my circle scarf


Should have made the ball of yarn before I start huh?  Can you find the remote?  Its in there somewhere I promise!  



Well I finally made that ball and thats what was left!  Now I've started on a new ball!


The clouds as the storm was rolling in saturday night!  I love storms!