Link Up!
So there doesn't appear to be a link up ... no worries!

Dear Four Day Weekend, Your my favorite Christmas present!!  Dear Stairs, You thought you had me down ... feeling better today!  YAY I can move my neck again!  Dear Cookie Making Elves, I kept waiting for you to show up the other night but you never did ... so I went ahead and made them ... 

I also made cinnamon honey butter but totally forgot to take pics ... Oh well.  Not only did I make the butter I got super creative on the container 

... okay so I recycled some glass jars and jazzed them up with some fabric and ribbon ... they were super cute!  Dear Michael's treat boxes, Can I just say how much I love you?  I think my cookies were not only the tastiest ones ever but the cutest ones ever too!!  Dear Wedding Photos, I finally organized you!  YAY!!  Dear Holiday Helper Headquarters, okay so I totally failed ... didn't get to 30!  Okay so I waited to the last minute to do some stuff but oh well ... it was worth it!  Plus why did every weekend have to be super busy??  Is it just me or did this month just FLY by?

Dearest Followers/Readers,

More wedding photos soon ;)

It's okay Thursday #29

It's that time of the week don't forget to link up with Amber & Neely!!

It's okay:

~ that I had to call into work today because I hurt myself falling down the steps at work - the saddest part is I was trying to be careful even concentrating and saying to myself ... don't fall don't fall ... totally fell!

~ it's okay to wonder how stupid you have to be to really think that the world is ending tomorrow.

~to be laying on my couch with ice on my neck watching Sex and the City on E.

What's okay with you today?

Holiday Helper Headquarters #12

Donate!

Last night, I went shopping for a little baby girl at the Ronald McDonald House here in Jacksonville Florida.  The Ronald McDonald House does have a special place in my heart because my younger cousin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease and the Ronald McDonald House was there for him and my family.  

If you aren't familar with the Ronald McDonald House here's what they do:

Our Ronald McDonald House program provides a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost.  Our Houses are built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on healing their child – not where they can afford to stay, where they will get their next meal or where they will lay their head at night to rest. We believe that when a child is hospitalized the love and support of family is as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed.

Allow Families to Face the Weight of Illness Together

Families are stronger when they are together, which helps in the healing process. By staying at a Ronald McDonald House, parents also can better communicate with their child’s medical team and keep up with complicated treatment plans when needed. They can also focus on the health of their child, rather than grocery shopping, cleaning or cooking meals.

Allow Children to Get the Best Care

When your child is sick, you want the best care possible - even if it is hundreds or thousands of miles away.  The Ronald McDonald House allows families to access specialized medical treatment by providing a place to stay at little or sometimes no cost.

I know that it has been a tough year and maybe even a tough few years for everyone but last night when I was shopping I thought - this has got to be a million times tougher for this family - the money I am spending is going to a much better place.  There is a child out there that I am making Christmas special.  My New Year's Resolution is to now help out more.  The holidays aren't the only time people are in need but it is definitely a good time to start.  Every child deserves a happy holiday season!

If you want to help - CLICK HERE for a link to the Ronald McDonald House Charity Donation page!

Would you change your perfume?

Would you change your perfume if your guy didn't like the smell?

When Paul and I met I wore Marc Jacobs Daisy and Calvin Klein Euphoria.  Out of the two Daisy was my absolute fave and I had just recently gotten it for Christmas from my sister Debra.  Paul absolutely hated the two scents.  If I wore it - he would say - yuck you have THAT on again.  At first, I thought - hey buddy deal with it - because I love this stuff.  But then I got to thinking ... I SHOULD care if he hates it.  Who wants to get cozy with someone that they think stinks.

So him and I went to the department store and we both tested some new fragrances ... he liked some that I hated ... I liked some that he hated ... then we found some that we both liked.  So I got those and gave away my Euphoria and Daisy.  I gave Daisy to a co-worker and every time she wore it I was like awe you are wearing (my) Daisy.  It was a little sad but what are you gonna do.

So what do you think ... would you change?

What have you ever changed for a guy?

Friday Letters #3

Link Up!

Dear Friday, you are here already?  I know for once I wasn't tapping my foot waiting on you.  Sneaky sneaky!

Dear Haters of "Happy Holidays", There is nothing wrong with saying Merry Christmas AND Happy Holidays!    Saying Happy Holidays doesn't take away from Christmas, you getting all angry and mean and nasty about someone saying Happy Holidays is taking away from Christmas.  If you want to get up on your soap box about keeping Christ in Christmas - good for you - I encourage people to stand up for what they believe in - but just remember when you're up there on that soap box ... WWJD.  

Dear Starbucks, I am living proof that we can all live without you.  My new schedule means your drive-thru is too packed for me to stop.  I feel like we have a love hate relationship anyways ... you want to charge me for soy now even though I have a registered Starbucks gift card and I am a gold star member but ... you make tasty drinks which no one else can replicate.  Now you sell a $400 gift card for $450 because it's made of steel.  Really? 

Dear Shia, Sometimes I wish you had some of those rose tinted glasses everyone else seems to wear ... seriously where do I get a pair?

Dear IRS, Why do you have to make filing out a W-4 so complicated.  Too many - I end up with a bill ... too few - I end up giving you an interest free loan all year.  WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SAY ... to pay your fair share of taxes with married and no children pick THIS!?!?

Dear Pandora, Seriously I just heard this song like 2 songs ago ... what the heck!  If I wanted to listen to the same thing over and over again I would just hit up some of my playlists on itunes!

Dear Readers, Sorry I have been grouchy all week.  I have really tried to pull myself out of it by going to bed early but nothing helps.  I have no appetite and I am just fed up.  Maybe it is my subconscious p-oed that I didn't take any time off for the holidays.  Yes I say HOLIDAYS because there is more than ONE that I could have taken time off for - see why am I so touchy?  Sorry.

Dear Christmas Cheer, I promise you'll break through this blah external shell I have going on.  

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It's Okay Thursday #28

It's that time of the week don't forget to link up with Amber & Neely!!

It's Okay...

that I feel like the only thing stressful about my holiday season is those Holiday Helper Headquarters posts I have committed myself to doing - blah!

that I forgot to announce that I have officially changed my name ... okay I mean last name ... my name isn't Shia.  But seriously, I felt happy and sad about changing it - I mean I've been me my whole life and now it kinda feels like I am starting over.  I've perfected every way of signing my old name ... heck we did nothing but that when I was young - so I got this!  But now ... I sign like uhhhhh.  My 3 year old niece, Kaelyn, is in (pre) pre-school (there is such a thing) and she has learned to write her name and all her letters - so on Saturday she was like I want to spell your name Aunt Llissa ... okay M E L L I S S A ... now I want to spell your last name ... okay R O N D uh O wait I ... she stops and looks at me ... Aunt Llissa do you not know how to spell your name?  With the most sympathetic voice and look on her face ... I almost died laughing.

that I have a love/hate relationship with my new work hours.  I mean I come in earlier so I get to go home earlier but seriously the morning takes forever to end!  GRRRR!

to wonder if it is just the free version of Pandora that plays like the same 10 songs over and over again.  If I buy the app - is it better - or did I just pay for the same thing I was getting for free?

to hate when the funny radio morning show starts talking about politics then takes calls regarding the topic - I don't want to hear this crap in the morning - I just want to laugh while I stop every 2 seconds on the interstate.

to be so sick of food - seriously do you ever go through this? - right now I just have no appetite for anything - no craving for anything - nothing - I am so sick of everything I eat.

What's okay with you today?

Don't forget to link up!

Holiday Helper Headquarters #11

Be kind!

We've all heard the heartwarming story of the NYC police officer who bought a homeless man some socks and shoes - no matter what is done with those shoes nothing can destroy the kindness.  We live in a world where kindness is rare but 'tis the season!

Today I was going through Starbucks' drive thru and I got to the window and the cashier pointed at the car in front of me and said ... do you see the woman in that car she said Merry Christmas and paid for your order.  I've heard of this happening before but never experienced it.  So I said, tell the car behind me Happy Holidays (I mean come on not everyone celebrates Christmas) and I paid for them.  I looked in my mirror waved to the guy behind me (no joke he kinda looked at me like I was a weirdo but hey).  As I was driving out he beeped and waved back once he got to the window.  I felt so good about it.  Did I do anything as kind as the NYC police officer?  No, I mean if you are in the Starbucks drive thru you can pay for it but even small acts of kindness fill your heart.  

Once my family moved to Florida, the holiday season never felt the same because we didn't have snow.  Snow sets the mood people ... our first Christmas we were wearing shorts and had a BBQ ... seriously!  So I kinda get in a holiday slump ... like pooh doesn't FEEL like it.  Until a few years ago, my mom knew a family that didn't have much and what they did have was stolen.  Someone broke into their home and stole all of their Christmas presents.  Three kids - no presents from Santa.  My family went out and bought them Christmas presents, a Christmas tree and decorations.  Afterwards, I told my mom that Florida has never felt like the holidays until now. 

Every year, I try to do something to help someone.  Last year, I donated money to our local animal shelter (where we got Kitty).  Let's face it with no funds - the animals don't get to wait for new families.  I give clothes and household items every year to Vietnam Veterans of America.  They will come to you and pick up your items - you just leave them in your driveway or near the curb.  

Whatever you do this holiday season, take a minute to do something kind for someone.

Holiday Helpers Headquarters #10

Hang lights!!

Okay our lights weren't quite this awesome but I forgot my camera cord ...

I'll post pics of the house later.

So this is a true story.  Saturday, I went with my sister to look at Christmas lights with my niece Kaelyn.  Which then lead to my sister convincing me that I should help her hang Christmas lights on her house.  She told me that the hooks were already there from the previous year - sounded easy enough.  

So we got back and I helped put Kaelyn to bed, read her a bedtime story and then go out to the garage to get started.  I walk in and my sister has some of the lights untangled.  However there is one strand that doesn't work and is no joke in a ball like this ... 

okay so it wasn't that big - but it was still a mess.  So she tells me that we don't have to use that strand and that I can just use the tangle free strands.  So I start on the side of the house get around the corner and have to start over for fear of not making it to the end of the front of the house.  Start over ... get all the way around the front of the house minus like a foot and we are out of working lights.  So now what?  We start trying to fix the broken tangled strand.  

Meanwhile, I have only almost fell off the ladder about 100 times.  Debra is making fun of me ... you are only 2 feet off the ground ... we are cracking up.  At this point I think I need a tetnis shot for all the rusty nails (yeah not "clips") that are poking me sticking out of the roof.  

While we were hunting for replacement bulbs the neighbor next door turns off their lights - we are then cracking up saying that the neighbor was afraid we'd steal a few of theirs so they beat us to the punch by unplugging them so we wouldn't know which bulbs worked.  Honestly, it was probably due to the fact that it was 10:30 pm by now.  Oh yeah we started at 8:30 and Debra told me it wouldn't take longer than 30 mins to do.  We finally find a new replacement bulbs from the Christmas tree lights and get a little more than half the strand working.  

So we decide to take them all down (by "we" I mean "me" since I was doing all the work as Debra texted and took pics of me falling off the ladder) and start over using the 3/4 strand on the side of the house.  Finally, I make it to the end of the front of the house and then a good amount on the other side.  All in all ... it looked pretty good at the end.

Then Debra tells me that they have a Merry Christmas sign to put up in the window.  So after battling with that thing for another 15 - 20 mins.  We put it up in the window.  Debra goes outside ... looks at the sign from the road and says that we need to put it up higher.  She comes in and goes to pull up the blinds.  Which then come crashing down.  We again are cracking up.  I'm holding the million pound blinds while she is yelling ... I am going to pee my pants ... she takes off down the hallway yelling I'm peeing my pants.  Again, we are cracking up because she sounds just like my niece. So I spend about 30 mins trying to get the blinds back up.  While we (again I mean just me) are trying to put up the blinds I say that Santa needs to bring Debra a husband with some tools because she only has a hammer that she took from our parents' house so we don't even know if we can get the blinds back up without a screwdriver. I get one side in ... can't get the other side in.  Try starting with the other side ... same problem.  Debra has to call her friend's boyfriend to come over to help since he lives the closest.  He comes over ... pulls down a little hinge and places the blinds right in!!!  OMG!!!!   

Okay we get everything back up ... then we realize the Merry Christmas sign is crooked.  At this point, it's 11:30 p.m. - I have a 2 hour drive home - so we just say oh well.  I go to leave and shut the door ... Merry Christmas sign falls out of the window.  Debra comes out of the house cracking up - I've had enough ... she now has other help so I leave thinking in the morning I am going to get a call from her that the Christmas lights fell off the house.

I have no idea how Kaelyn didn't wake up at all through all of that.  I think the funniest thing we thought about afterwards was like ... I wonder if our parents had to go through all this craziness to make Christmas special for us.  We'd be sleeping in our beds and our parents are cracking up in the living room because they knocked over the tree or something crazy like that.  

I call Paul on my way home thinking by now he thinks I have run off and tell him about it and he says ... were you guys drinking?  Um NO totally sober which makes it even more hilarious.

So here's my recommendation ... even if you think hanging lights or decorating will be a hassle ... do it anyway.  The craziness is worth the memories.  Just don't get mad when things go wrong ... it's too funny anyways to get upset because it's totally like National Lampoon's Christmas vacation.  Also, while hanging lights at night and people are driving by ... Debra and I are cracking up because we're thinking there is some kid in the car saying ... look my those people are HANGING UP their lights!  (Because the lights were plugged in so we could use them to see where to hang them!)  When do you ever see people hanging up lights at night??  

Do you have any funny holiday decorating stories?