Show & Tell Monday: Christmas Talk and Our Christmas Card

Linking up with Becky today!

1. Tell us what your favorite thing about Christmas is.
Being together as a whole. It doesn't matter if you are family or not. I don't know one single person that would want to be alone on Christmas. I like to have great fellowship and good food! If I know that someone doesn't have somewhere to go on Christmas, I always invite them to come with me! I love being with my parents and grandparents in whatever we do. Seeing my little boy opening presents Christmas morning brings a huge smile on my face and in my heart.

2. Tell us what your plans are for Christmas this year. This year. This year will be like no other I have ever experienced. We will be traveling this Christmas. We are going to Kansas. The hubs is there working and we are going to visit him and family. I am excited but scared to travel at such a busy time. It's also going to be hard. Hard because this will be the first time that I will not get to spend Christmas with my parents. If you haven't figured it out by now, (if you are a long time reader) we have a VERYCLOSE relationship.

3. Show us a picture of Christmas in the past. Or present.
This set of pictures was taken last year! Brayden sure has grown in one year! Zane too!

4. Do you wrap your presents all in one box, or do you like wrap each present separately? I wrap all of it separately. I like to wrap gifts and make pretty bows for them! It also irks me that some people say that the gifts from Santa are not wrapped. I guess it depends on how you were brought up but in my little world, Santa gifts are wrapped. It's fun to see the kids sling that paper EVERYWHERE! lol

5. Tell us about any special traditions that you or you and your family like to do. Well, there are a few. We always try to make a gingerbread house every year. We also make sure to have a Christmas get together at my Grandpa's house. Although we won't be there this year. Every Christmas morning after opening our gifts we go to my Grandmother's house. I've shared about that here before.

I'm also linking up with that pretty girl Kristen from All in My Twenties and posting our Christmas Card!

Here is our Christmas card that I created all on my own! I am so darn proud that I didn't use a preset card this year! I used Vista Print if anyone was curious!

Show & Tell: Christmas List

Linking up with Becky today!

Today, I'm putting myself first. I'm going to post all about my wants. What I would like to have for Christmas. Take notes people. If you need my address, email me and I will quickly respond! I am totally kidding! I am not normally a selfish person but sometimes it feels good to just think of yourself for once. Try it sometime but don't make it a habit! ha!

I am all about practical gifts. My mother started that. As a teen, my mother would put deodorant, razors, lotions, toothbrushes, floss, and all kinds of hygiene products in our stockings! I mean, she'd add some candies and stuff too but we actually liked getting the D.O. for our B.O. and being able to have an ample supply of razors so my pits and legs wouldn't get woolly!

Nowadays my wish list still consists of practical items.

//Shoes//

I've been wanting a real pair of Toms for over a year now and I just haven't broke down and bought any.

//wallet//purse//

I've had the same purse and wallet since the summer. That's not like me but here lately I've been a cheapskate. Maybe Santa will bring me at least one of the two!

I've been wanting new dishes for over two years and now I have finally convinced the Hubs that the old Corelle dishes he had from college has got to go!

This phone is a want and need item! Bad thing is I'm not eligible for an upgrade. My current phone sucks a big dirty toe and only works when it wants to! Heck it even force closes on the home screen! WTH!

 //strap//cap leash//

I currently have a strap cover, but I hate it! It bunches up and moves and it gets on my nerves. So I've asked the hubby to bring me these beauties!

What's on your Christmas Wish List?

       

Show & Tell: Thanksgiving

Linking up with Becky today!

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Whew! Thanksgiving is over. It's kind of bitter sweet. On Thursday, we enjoyed great fellowship with family at my parents house. We also ate WAY too much food! My mother hosted her side of the family at her house. We ate, we played, and we even talked about our Black Friday shopping plans!

Yes, my mother dearest already has her Christmas tree up!

I made Sweet Potato Souffle for the first time! I'm pretty proud of it! I don't normally like to eat it, but this time I made it and knew I needed to try it. I actually liked it but I don't think I could eat it all the time! It's just one of those things you eat on special occasions like this!

Around 10pm Thursday night, Moma, my Uncle, and I headed out to get in line for some Black Friday shopping! We got in line at our local Belk store. It didn't open until midnight, but because of the deals, it was a crazy line! The first 250 customers got a gift card! The amount ranged from $5-$1000! There was one $1000 card for each store! Well, my mom and I got $5 and my Uncle got $10! We also racked up on some shoes and clothes and other misc. deals! After that we headed to Target and then we went to eat at the trusty Waffle House! We were home by 4am. We stayed as far from Wally World as possible. We did that last year and it was a nightmare! This year I don't think the deals were all that great. There wasn't any awesome deals on anything I was looking for. (3DS mainly) So maybe next year will be better.

Saturday Zane was awfully sick! He woke up several times in the night sick. Finally that afternoon he was feeling a bit better. I wanted to get out of the house so we decided to shoot guns in the back yard! (thank goodness for living in the country) Our target was our pumpkins from Halloween. We shot the little chipmunk .22, the Hubs shotgun, and a 9mm. It was my first time shooting a pistol. I was nervous but I liked it.

After unloading a ton of ammo into that poor pumpkin, we came inside to decorate for Christmas! They boys helped for a total of 20 minutes. Then they gave up because they think I put too many decorations on a tree. What do you think I said to that? NO WAY! You can never have too much! I also worked on making a deco mesh wreath! More details about that this week! P.S. Buy your deco mesh at Walgreen's! $7.99!



Next Week's Show & Tell: Show off Your Christmas List & Tell us About It!!

       

Show & Tell Monday: Cold Weather Activies

1. Tell us what you like to do when it's cold outside.

If we are not working and there's snow on the ground we are usually on the road to see the big white blanket! We usually end up with a group of people and take sleds to go out and play! Most of the time we end up in or around Highlands, North Carolina. They always get the best amounts of snow around!

Me in Highlands, NC late at night enjoying the heck out of the snow! Obvi!

2. Tell us some of your favorite "winter" recipes.

One of my favorite recipes is one I've posted on here before. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins! They are the BOMB{dot}COM! They are good to take on the road or a great quick breakfast! I make a huge batch to share and huge batch for our house to eat for about a week!




3. Show a picture of something that makes you think of the cold.

Zane enjoying his first real sled ride! He couldn't get enough of sledding! He did say that he preferred the plastic sled to the wooden one because it was MUCH faster!




4. Tell us /show us some of your favorite accessories/outfits for the winter

It's nothing much! Jeans, t-shirt, and a hoodie, unless it snows. I then break out the big jacket with fur around the hood! Here in South Carolina the winters are pretty mild. Oh and I always have a scarf and my Bogs (boots)! Best insulated boots I have ever owned!




5. Tell us if you had the option of snow or no snow, what would you pick?

SNOW! Duh! I love to play in it! Now that Zane is old enough to play in it makes it even better!




Next Weeks Questions: Gobble Gobble


1. Tell us about your family traditions for Thanksgiving

2. Tell us about your favorite foods

3. Show us a picture that reminds you of this holiday

4. Tell us, do you wait to decorate for Christmas before or after Thanksgiving?

5. Tell us what you are thankful for this year

Show & Tell: How I Met Your Father

Hey Y'all! I know, I've been gone WAY TO LONG! Sorry! I just fell out of blogland for a week. It was nice but I missed everything! I missed YOU the most!

What have I been up to? Well, LOTS!

We got kittens. I'm not too thrilled but Zane loves them! We drove to NC to visit the hubs! We went to the NC Renaissance Festival. We made another pumpkin in prep for Halloween. I painted my nails for Halloween. We drove around looking at the leaves, what's left of them anyway.

We've got a busy week and weekend ahead of us so bear with me this week! I've got posts in store and I cannot wait to share them with you! Today I am spending time catching up on all your blogs! I've missed y'all!

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I'm also linking up with Becky at From Mrs. to Mama!

1. Tell us about how and when you met your love and what attracted you most to him. It's a funny story. Steve and I have known each other since we were kids. My cousin lived beside him. Then years later we hung out with the same people in high school. He dated my best friend while we were in high school. Us three were like the musketeers. Always together. He is two years older than me. He would take us to parties and places all the time. He graduated and we went on to college. That summer my best friend cheated on him. He was so sad. Somehow I ended up consoling him and we became close friends. My best friend knew all of this and she was okay with it. She obviously didn't care too much about him. But I did and she knew it. We were cruising town one night and she encouraged me to ask him out. I told her she was crazy! That's not a girl's place to ask a guy out. Well she worked me up and convinced me to do it. I did, he said yes, {sounds weird!} and we've been together ever since! Oh and I'm not sure what attracted me to him at first, maybe his charming personality! Ha! If you knew him, you'd know that's a joke!

 

2. Show us the very first {or one of the first} pictures you guys ever took together. {Feel free to show us more than one} OH MY! I had the photo and now it's gone! Yikes! I hope to fix this issue tonight!

 

3. Tell us some of your favorite memories that you two had together. Dang! There are so many! How to chose? I think the BEST memories I have would be ALL of our random road trips. {before having Zane} We would take off on a Friday with no destination in mind. We would end up in some crazy places! It was fun none the less and our conversations while riding were the best!

4. Tell us your favorite qualities about this man, what makes him "the one." He's true to what he says. He's the most honest stand-up person I know. He does what he says he is going to do. Sometimes he can be too outspoken, but hey I get like that too. He is an amazing father to our son! He loves my Mama just as much as he loves his own! I first realized this when we were just dating! I knew he was then one!  

5. Tell us what your "date nights" typically look like. Our date nights are usually few and far between. If we get a chance to go out on our own we typically go to dinner and a movie. Sometimes if it's the weekend we will go hang out with friends without kids. Sounds crazy but that's what we do. I've even convinced him into shopping on a date night! haha Gotta love him!

Next Weeks Questions: Careers/Your "Job"

1. Tell us what you studied in college. Is your job now related to what you studied?
2. Tell us what your everyday job looks like.
3. Do you have a picture of you at work? Show us.
4. In 10 years, what do you see yourself doing? Same thing? More? Tell us.
5. Tell us what you have learned, and what {if any} recommendations you may have for those looking to go into the field you are in.

Before I go, I am working on getting the Hubs to do a vlog! But I need your help!
I need you to ask him questions! ANYTHING CAN BE ASKED!

Show & Tell: When I was 17

When I was 17...
It was 2001

• Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.46
• it was the year Dale Earnhardt died
• Monsters, Inc. and Shrek were released
• Hanging by a Moment (Lifehouse) was #1 on the Billboard
• Minimum wage in SC was $5.15

1. When you were 17, tell us what kind of car you drove, where you worked, and what you were usually up to on the weekends.

When I was 17 I drove a '91 hatchback Mustang. I loved that car! (for no payment of course!) I worked at a fish/seafood restaurant. I was the one who rolled the fried foods in batter. It was a nasty job! I also was a receptionist at a Great Clips. I swept up hair and took names! haha

2. Show us a picture of you when you were 17 {roughly}.
I was right around 17 in this photo. I had bleach white ugly hair. This picture was taken inside of a truck {obvi} while we were watching the truck pull! I was probably three sheets to the wind too! I need to find a better picture...maybe later.

3. When you were 17, tell us what you wanted to be when you "grew up."

I wanted to be a suscessful hair stylist. I wanted to work for Great Clips and move up in the company. That didn't work out so well.

4. When you were 17, tell us the kind of boys that you dated. Did you have a type? Do you have a relationship you remember well? Tell us about it.

This was the year I was still in my wild days. I wasn't worried about dating but I did hang out with a lot of guys. I was attracted to the guy with the biggest truck and the ones that always wanted to be outside doing stuff. (no, not that you perv!)

5. When you were 17, tell us where you pictured your life 10 years from then. Did it turn out the way you expected it to?

I was not a planner when I was 17. All I cared about was having money and getting freedom to go and do as I please. Boy, was I wrong! If I could go back to being 17 again with what I know now, I would change the way I did many things. But I am thankful to where it led me today.

Next Weeks Questions: Shopping

1. Tell us your favorite stores to shop at.

2. What are you "signature pieces" to wear.. your go-to outfits?

3. Show us your style through pictures {of you or pinterest finds}.

4. Show us your favorite celebrity style icons.

5. If you had to spend money on clothes or home items, which would you choose?

6. Show us your favorite accessories.

7. Tell us in one sentence your philosophy behind shopping. {What makes you buy an item}

Show & Tell: The If Game

The If Game

1. If you could relive any memory in your life, tell us what it would be, and what/if anything you would change about it?

I'm about to get real sappy for a moment. Forgive me. (Moma, Don't cry when you read this. Better yet, skip this one.) The one moment that I would choose to relive would be the day that I left to drive to Iowa to be with my husband while he was working out of town. I chose to quit my job and keep our family together. The reason that I would relive this moment is because that day was the last day that I saw my little brother. I can remember hugging him tight and telling him I loved him. I can also remember wishing that I would have stayed a little longer to have spent just a little more time with him before I left to go to Iowa. That morning I was visiting my parents before I took off and he had just showed up right as I was getting into my car. He had asked for a haircut. I didn't have time to do it because I was leaving to journey up north. I also can remember once I got to Iowa he called me and told me he had went to get his haircut but he didn't like it and wished that I was there to do it for him. That made me sad but also made me feel good at the same time. My brother never really needed me for anything. He was always an independent person. It felt good that he needed me to at least give him a good haircut! I love that kid!

2. If you could be any celebrity or well-known person, show us who you would be.

 

What? You don't recognise her? She's funny as hell! Let me help you out just a little bit!

Yeah, now you know who I'm talkin about! Melissa McCarthy! LOVE HER!

3. If you won the lottery, tell us would take the lump sum or take the money overtime, would you continue working or quit right away, would you reveal who you are, and what are some of the first things you would spend with your money?

I think I would take the money over time. I say that now, but if it really happened who knows what I'd do! I know one thing I'd do...I'd pee my pants with excitement! I would reveal who I was because I would be proud that I won! I would be selfish with my money at first. I'd buy a huge lot in Alaska with a big house at least 4 bedrooms for vacations there! Then I would donate some of the winnings to a few charities; Susan G. Komen, Ronald McDonald house, and our local Children's hospital. I will save some of the money for Zane's college education and the rest would pay off debts and be put in the bank. I don't think that I would quit my job at all. I love my job and I know I would miss it once all that money is gone!

4. If you could live anywhere, show us where it would be and tell us why.

Y'all I could live anywhere and long as my son and my husband were there with me. This is obvious with all the traveling that we have done since we've been together.

5. If you could have one magic power, what would be and what would you do with it?
Ya know, this is a tough question. I've answered it before and usually my answer is to cure cancer and illnesses. But I feel like when I say that it sounds like I want to defy God and that is not at all what I want to do. So I think I would choose to fly. That way I can be anywhere in an instant. If I want to be in Kansas with my cousin Amy, BAM, I'm there. If I want to be in Florida hanging out with Jen and her family, BAM, I'm there. If I want to be in Colorado giving big southern hugs to Monica, BAM, I am there! If I want to be in Lousiana farming it up with Kelli, BAM, I'm there on a big green tractor! So you get the point! I'd be able to get anywhere in just a click of my heels! Wizard of Oz style!!

Next Weeks Questions:When I was 17...
1. When you were 17, tell us what kind of car you drove, where you worked, and what you were usually up to on the weekends.
2. Show us a picture of you when you were 17 {roughly}.

3. When you were 17, tell us what you wanted to be when you "grew up."

4. When you were 17, tell us the kind of boys that you dated. Did you have a type? Do you have a relationship you remember well? Tell us about it.

5. When you were 17, tell us where you pictured your life 10 years from then. Did it turn out the way you expected it to?