Merry CHRISTMAS everyone!

I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas eve tonight and a beautiful Christmas morning! What will you be doing? My family and I will be watching The Nativity Story. I cannot wait to watch my favorite movie again! 

Have you ever watched The Nativity Story?

Are you excited for Christmas morning?

What is your favorite Christmas song? Mine is "Mary did you know?".

Oh! And don't forget to check out South Kakalaki Girl giveaway! 

Did you know....Christmas Style!

That......did you know that the tradition of sending printed cards at this time of year began in Germany more than 600 years ago?

That.......each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone?

That....in A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ?

That.....according to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington?

That.....Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850?

That....the world’s largest Christmas stocking measured 106 feet and 9 inches (32.56 m) long and 49 feet and 1 inch (14.97 m) wide. It weighed as much as five reindeer and held almost 1,000 presents. It was made by the Children’s Society in London on December 14, 2007?

That....Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold?

That....Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836?

That...Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870?

That.....early illustrations of St. Nicholas depict him as stern, commanding, and holding a birch rod. He was more a symbol of discipline and punishment than the jolly, overweight elf children know today?

That.....there are approximately 21,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States. In 2008, nearly 45 million Christmas trees were planted, adding to the existing 400 million trees?

That ........approximately 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold each year in the U.S?

That....In 1962, the first Christmas postage stamp was issued in the United States?

That.....Christmas purchases account for 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S?

That.....The traditional three colors of Christmas are green, red, and gold. Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth; red symbolizes the blood of Christ, and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty?

Sooo.. I must apologize for this pinterest photo post. It is very unlike me..but I am totally out of photo inspiration at the moment. Don't worry...I'll get my sister's camera snapping photos again real soon!

Did you know any of these fun facts about Christmas?

Which did you think was the weirdest? 

What are you doing for Christmas?

Finding....Dory?!

I just found out that "Finding Dory" is coming out in June of 2016. Okay. That is really awesome..but, do I have to wait that long?! Oh gosh! I will be a lot older. Thankfully, I have younger siblings. I'll be in that movie theater. Believe me!

What about you? Did you like "Finding Nemo"? 

Are you looking forward to "Finding Dory"?

Working away!

 I almost started to do a "Lately I've been..." post, but I can't bring myself to do it. Everyone does that when they don't know what to say on their blog. (By the way, I can see why.. haha). First off, I want to thank everyone who passed my tag around. It has been really exciting watching other bloggers post on what they do to beat Winter boredom! In fact, there has already been an new tag "born" from mine. :) Shall we say awesome? Oh yeah. Then something even more amazing than beating Winter boredom happened...I don't have to beat it right now! ALL of the snow we had melted! Though...these pictures are not exactly what it looks like outside at the moment..it is a bit browner..and colder. Oh well. I guess I'll just try and get more up-to-date photos next time. *grin*

How are you enjoying your weekend??? I almost set my alarm to wake me up for school last night, but then I remembered....tomorrow was Saturday! (Now today. ;) ) I almost did the happy dance! haha.. I was able to read a bit more that evening and then snuggle down for a morning without "beep beep". I've spent most of the day working with my dad and sister on our new home project; putting in laminate flooring! Quite an adventure, but one worth the memories. :) I can hardly wait for the restful Sunday ahead!

What is your alarm clock set to? (Music or the loud beeping?) I usually have music, but I think I need  to switch it because I don't wake up enough before I hit the snooze button..haha!

What kind of home projects do you do with your family?

How do you feel about weekends? (I'm sure I know your answer for this one)

It's Thanksgiving!

  I highly doubt that you have forgotten this...but, if you have, I just wanted to remind you. 

Today is Thanksgiving!!!

I pray you all have a blessed Thanksgiving stuffing yourself! 

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?

 Do you travel, or stay in the comfort of your home eating your favorite dessert? 

Here we go...caroling?

I don't know about you, but something about Christmas coming and snow makes me want to sing!

My older sister asked me if I would go caroling (she was asking me some random questions...she is so funny sometimes..haha). I told her if we had like a ton of people so nobody can hear me...hahaa...I like singing and all, but not in public!

What about you? Are you brave enough to go caroling?

Winter Wasteland Tag

I've made up my own tag! I am getting sick of doing the same things while the snow keeps on falling..so I thought, why don't we all join together and share our ideas?! This tag is very simple really. All you have to do is share 5-15 things that you like doing in the Winter, then tag 5-10 people. Also, if you try something on one of the tag posts let people know!  

What do you usually do when the snow starts falling and you are unable to get out of the house? Do you pick up a book, look at blogs online, catch up on schoolwork, or mope? 

If you don't know what to do with your case of Winter boredom, then scroll down!

 Here is a list of things to do....

• If it isn't too cold, play outside in the snow! It is a lot more fun then you think. ;)
• Use this time to find a new hobby. Maybe you never had the time before, but now you do! 
• Read a reallllyyyy good book. If you don't have a growing book list, message me. I'll help! =)
• Write letters to your penpals, grandparents, Aunts, or any relative. People love a good letter. 
•  Catch up on schoolwork..I know..but, it is a good time to do so. Maybe math, history, spelling...whatever! Use this time to get ahead in your classes or catch up.  

• Clean your bedroom! You feel much less enclosed with a clean room. Put some Christmas music on too! It helps a lot. :D
• Start working on your Christmas gifts. If you are an online shopper or a handmade gift maker, this is a great time to get started.
• Message a friend. Maybe s/he has a case of winter boredom as well. Just a tip though, don't talk about Winter. It doesn't help. ;)
• Play a game of Scrabble (or any board game) with your siblings! It is a lot of fun. 
• Read your Bible and talk with God. Find a warm, quiet spot to be alone with Him. It helps sooo much with your attitude!
• If you have a blog, make a list of blog posts that you want to do that month. That way, if you run out of ideas, you'll have a backup!
• Make a treat for your mail person. Make them feel appreciated today!

I tag.........

Clara

Autumn

Jessica

Sophie

Amanda

Sarah

Rebecca Jane

Keep on tagging ladies! We can beat Winter Boredom!

Humpty Dumpty Jumped Out of the Fridge!

This is the story of an egg. Just an ordinary egg with a silly face drawn on it. *going back in time music* It was a normal day.  I was making dinner. Sloppy joes and a chocolate caramel sea salt cake. As I was mixing the chocolate batter for the cake I noticed that I forgot the egg. I swung around, danced to the fridge and grabbed an egg. Then it happened...the poor little egg with the silly face jumped right out of my hand, trying to run away. What the egg didn't realize was how high and dangerous that leap would be. splat.  As you can see, he didn't make it.... sliced through the middle..such a sad way to go. And, that was the story of the egg with the silly face... *fading back into time music* 

Hahaa, I'm back. Did you enjoy my silly retelling of my dramatic moment in the kitchen? Well! I continued making my cake...it turned out quite yummy if I do say so myself. *grin* I even made my first ever caramel. I actually didn't have heavy cream, but salted caramel coffee creamer sounded like a good enough substitute. Besides, my caramel was going into a frosting, so it didn't have to be perfect.

Also have you ever watched "What's my line"? It is a old t.v. show where someone would come in to the television set and 3 people would have to guess that person's job. There are quite a few crazy jobs! I especially liked the one where a guy had a job climbing into jets engines to make sure everything was running smoothly. Yeek!!

Have you ever made caramel?

Do you like shows like "What's my line?"

Have you ever drawn on your eggs? 

Side swept bangs??

Well, hello! I am so glad that you are reading this blog post right now. :) I've been doing a lot of holiday thinking lately, as I'm sure you have been too. It seems for me that this year is really hard for me. I usually can find what I want to get for my family members fairly quick. But, this year, I've only had a few ideas. Well, I guess I'll have to start thinking harder. ;)

I've just recently *gasp* run out of books to read! I usually read the "Christian heroes than and now" series, but I found out that I've read all of the books that the library system has in my state. :( *Cue crying* So, I need your help. What kind of books do you like reading? I'm not big into fantasy...are you? We went to the library and I couldn't even find a single book to read, which is really odd for me. I'm usually able to find lots of books. Maybe I've gone to the same library for too long? ;)

 And, the biggest question of all. I am looking into cutting my hair. I really like the side swept look of bangs, and I found a DIY way to do it from pinterest. (I'm not addicted...don't worry. :D) What do you think of the look below? I couldn't believe it. I got an email from a really good friend, and she told me she was getting bangs. And, I never told her what I was thinking. Sometimes, we are very alike. :D

I wish I had red hair. ;) 

 What family member is the hardest to find gifts for? 

At your house do you draw names, get a gift for everyone, or just not exchange gifts at all?

 What do you think of side swept bangs?

Challenges of time change...

See that dark cloud up in the left corner? That isn't a cloud..it is my finger..haha..

November is here folks, and with it brings a lot of exciting new challenges for me! One of which is starting NaNoWriMo... It is a novel writing challenge. I am aiming to finish a 50,000 word novel by the end of this month. Yeek is right! That means 1,500 words each day.....um....yeah, lets see how this goes, right? ;) Haha!

 I just figured that if I don't get 1,500 each day, I'll at least try my best to get close to it and that is better than not writing at all! Though, I need your help..I'm horrible with coming up with titles for books. I mean, horrible! So, even though I'm not giving out any information for the novel yet, I'm depending on you to help me with title names..I know, so kind.

 And, how are you doing with time change? It is barely 5:30 and already getting dark...not fun. It is going to take a few weeks for me to stop saying "it is really 6:30.." Also, those snow flakes I was going to taste..it was too cold. I didn't go out. But, I did look out the window and thought about how they might taste. Haha...

Have you had any snow?

Do you have a cold?

How is your schoolwork going?

SNOW?! // dentist

 Yup...that is right. Where I live the weather man is forecasting snow for tomorrow... and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it yet. Sure, I have my snow pants, gloves, boots, hat, and coat all ready and waiting for the white fluffy stuff. But, after the long winter we had last year, I just don't want to welcome it.

 I am praying that it is just like how all first snows are; light, wet, and quick to melt away. Oh dear, how my feelings of snow have changed in the past few years. When I was 10, I have pictures of me trying to catch a few flakes on my tongue from the first snow. Even younger than that I can remember wanting to make a snowman with a half of an inch...and now I am complaining...oh what has growing older done to me?

So, I've decided to be thankful for the snow rather than dread it. I may just run out there and stick my tongue out again trying to catch one of those hopeful little flakes. (I'll tell you if they taste any different, haha)

Is there any snow in your near future?

What are your thoughts on the cold stuff?

And, something random here, have you ever had a tooth pulled? I am going to have two taken out next week..... :P  I am not looking forward to it.

1 year!! // quiz

So, today is my one year blog anniversary! Thank you everyone for a wonderful year, I never would have thought that I would gotten to having 41 followers.. Seriously, you all make me so happy! :D I wanted to think up something really fun and different for my one year anniversary and I thought, why not have you take a quiz to see how well you have really been reading my posts! *wink wink* There will be NO reading over past posts..please. :D

Are you ready? 

Get set....

GO!!!

1. What are my feelings on dogs?
2.  What book do I go to for comfort?
3. What did I do for my birthday?
4. Who won my giveaway in July?
5. Do you remember the first blog post that you ever read?
6. What is my favorite food?
7. What kind of cake did I have for my birthday?
8. What happened to me on my camping trip in September? 
9. What is my favorite hobby?
10. What is the weirdest food I've ever eaten? 

Comment below with your answers!!! 

 

DIY homemade applesauce!

 I've been busy enjoying Fall (as you have seen from my last few posts...haha!) and one of my things that I wanted to do this Autumn was make some applesauce! So, a few weeks ago I did, and today I'll be showing you how to make your own applesauce for the yummy holidays that are coming up!

   We got a 50 pound bag of apples and I enjoyed getting my feet wet in making my first batch of applesauce. I thought I was going to make it on my own, but thankfully, my younger sister stepped and helped me peel the apples! Oh, and the rest of my family were really good taste testers. ;)

  As we went along, we squeezed all of our apple peels to make a big mug full of REAL apple juice. We boiled it down and added it to the applesauce so we could get that flavor in it. I tasted some of it...it was really good... hahaa!

After a while of cooking, I got my spices out! A bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and maple go a long way to make a taste that you won't forget. I honestly didn't follow a recipe at all. I just used what the recipe had but changed it to what I wanted. I also made a lot more than the recipe called for, so, I seriously made it up as I went.

 If you have a hand-blender, get it out! It will help speed up the process like, a lot!

Add your spices to your taste and get it to the consistency that you want. I didn't want runny applesauce nor chunky. So, I choose the happy medium. ;) Too bad that we aren't living in the age of smell-o-photo...you might faint by the wonderful smells! Your family will thank you for making the house smell like Thanksgiving. Mmmm!!

 Now, you can't forget to wash those jars!! If there is any bacteria in them...well, all of your hard work will be wasted. And, we don't want that, now do we? I wash my jars, and then put them in my boiling water to steam out anything I missed. It is also best to have hot jars to put your hot applesauce into...because hot and cold just don't mix well. If you have a cold jar and boiling hot stuff inside of it and then add it to boiling hot water..well, goodbye yummy food and hello mess! :D

 You don't want to actually boil your lids..just simmer. It helps kill anything yucky and also makes the seal on the jar a lot tighter. :) You then carefully fill your jars with applesauce and boil the jars in a big pot for 15-20 minutes..it depends on where you live. 

 Look! You did it!! I made 11 quarts of applesauce and lot of memories. I can't wait to eat it with some turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving!

Pioneer Women applesauce recipe

• 6 pounds Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Cut Into 8 Slices
• 1 cup Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
• Juice Of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, More Or Less To Taste

Optional Ingredients: Nutmeg, Maple Syrup, Allspice, Butter

That is the recipe I used as an example. It worked fine for me! If you have any questions comment below!