Holidays!

Skipping Christmas. Kinda.

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Every year for Christmas, The Robinator and I say we're going to travel NEXT year for Christmas.  We claim it's because it is entirely too much work to say we don't have kids.  We decorate the house inside and out (I get ridiculous with like 4 trees), host a party, do beaucoup gifts, and make sure my nephew has a Christmas to remember.  (The kid gets TWO Christmases...I mean really...where they do that et?)

I cook a prime rib dinner, set a beautiful table and wear myself thin.

So you can see why we thought skipping Christmas would be okay today.

Well...when we started talking about it...our family started kirking out...

"No Christmas?"

"Wait, so yall not hosting a party?"

"What about gumbo?  You still gonna make some gumbo?"

"Wait...Christmas game night tho!"

"None of Robby's eggnog martinis?????????  YALL.FOOLS.TRIPPING."

The noise got so loud, even though we'd book the trip, we had to have Crunk Christmas early.  *sigh*  These people...

Everybody left Christmas Eve and we packed and were on the road to the airport for a 5:30am flight Christmas Day!

It was soooooooooooooooo nice.  We did EVERYTHANG!  LOL! We had amazing meals, tea, shopped, did the true tourist stuff, got jiggy at a fancy bash, and just had the most amazing time ever.

So much so...we think we're going to skip Christmas again next year.  LOL!  But don't tell our family.  They be tripping.

 

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A Little Bit of Christmas!

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I will ALWAYS love Christmas.

I hope.

Are you ready?

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Holiday Menu Spreadsheet Download

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This is the spreadsheet I use every holiday meal to get ready.  I work on it a little at a time starting as soon as a cool breeze hit and I'm in a holiday mood.  You can download this to help you too.  It is a lifesaver when it comes to shopping!

Add sheets along the bottom with your recipes so you have everything where you need it to be and just prop up the iPad in the kitchen with "The Color Purple" on in the background and get your cooking on!

HOLIDAY MENU SPREADSHEET

(You happy, Kristen?)

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The Eating Holidays are Coming!!!!

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It's that time of year again when I want to completely redo everything to get ready for the holidays.  I just get into the thought process that people are coming so I need to be ready.  LOL!  Not like people aren't always visiting year 'round mind you.  Year 'round is okay for what it looks like...but when them SAME people come for the holidays it has to be mo'betta.  Don't ask for a rationale behind this way of thinking because there is none.  Seriously.  None.

But I know you probably feel me and are looking around your dining room to see what you need to do too.  LOL!  Cuz that's how we roll.

This starts with me bringing home this piece.  It was soooooooo heavy and we just loaded that sucker up any way we could.  Just slid it all cross the back of the truck.  We got it home and maneuvered it to the garage where it stayed while I worked on it.  It was a challenge because whenever I needed to move it, I couldn't without The Robinator and his schedule made that hard to be consistent.  But I finally finished it.

I stripped the top layer of the finish off and then lightly sanded it.  Then I put two coats of Minwax weathered grey stain on the top of it.  For the base, I painted it with Dixie Belle's Haint Blue.    It's the loveliest neutral color with just the tiniest bit of blue in it.  So much so that you only see it as blue in perfect lighting conditions.  LOL!  I'm talking blinds closed and ceiling light on.  Any other times it looks white.

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Because I'm going for a rustic farmhouse look in there, I distressed it lightly.  I only did that after we decided to keep it because it was too heavy to take it to my shop.  I mean...this thing is crazy heavy and we're just not built for moving stuff that can't get scratched up.  We're more of the college students you find on Craigslist kinda movers where we just pray for the best and get the worst possible outcome.  Who knew I needed so much additional storage though?  I certainly didn't and now, I have much more.  I have a whole drawer dedicated to linen napkins so I'm not scrambling looking for 8 that match and end up having to use two sets of 4.  *sigh*  And who knew I had enough small placecard holders and napkin rings to fill an entire drawer?  Not me that's for sure!  But I do.  LOL!  So yeah...next thing is to find a rug I can live with, get some cushions made for those two barrel back chairs and some kinda window treatments which don't make the room feel stuffy and I'll be ready for the eating holidays!

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Holiday Season 2016

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This holiday season was so epically satisfying. Except for the bronchitis...it was perfect. Kids, family, framily, friends, good eating, amazing gift giving and receiving, hugs, kisses, games, dancing, laughter, giggles and just being so super comfortable in your own skin.

Our nephew goes to a charter school and had more days off than normal public schools and, with working parents, daycare can be a challenge so he spent the two weeks before Christmas with us.  We had an absolute blast with him keeping Santa front and center.

We hosted Christmas dinner and had a holiday party the day after, which was a lot of fun playing games and just catching up with everyone.  

After Christmas, we headed to Houston to bring in the New Year with family and checked out Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Silos in Waco, Texas too!  A good time was had by all.

The house was deep cleaned before we traveled for New Years and when we returned it was great walking into a perfectly ordered home.

And now...we rest and regroup. Make plans, go over financial goals for this year and focus on being ready for any eventuality this year may bring.

I hope it's the same for you. Just be better cuz if I know you...you were already good cuz I only know GOOD people. If all these GOOD people focus on being better? MAN...that will spread far and wide. BE.BETTER!

Happy New Year from The Robinator and I. We hope to see as many of you as possible in 2017 so we can hug your neck and remind you that we're in your tribe. Count on us for what you need from us be it support, encouragement, or just a good time chilling, relaxing and laughing.

LOVE YOU!!!!!!