I’ve decided to start making Christmas hard tack candy again for Christmas gifts. Everyone who remembers years ago when I made it has been asking for it. What a compliment, I think. I’m going to go to get the flavoring and ingredients tomorrow, and since I collect various jars, and have plenty of old blue Mason jars, that would also be a gift, since they are really hard to find now.
Personalized jewelry
One of my favorite types of jewelry is the necklace. I love the new, trendy look of layering necklaces because it allows me to wear several of my favorite necklaces at the same time! I have a very large peg-style rack (think old-fashioned, accordian-style hat/coat rack) hanging on the wall behind the door in my bedroom that is overflowing with necklaces. At the time that I put the rack there I thought it would help me keep them from getting all tangled-up, but to be honest, they still get easily tangled. I find that frustrating.
But, I digress. I was writing about how much I love the necklace. I especially love the personalized necklaces that I have been given as gifts over the years. I enjoy them so much that I have made a point of buying some for my nieces over the years, and they always tell me how much they love them, too. I especially like the ones that include a gemstone that represents the birthday month of the person that I am giving the necklace to.
I used to buy sterling silver necklaces because they are so pretty when they are new and clean. I have found that they tarnish quickly, however, even though the so-called experts say that if you wear the silver frequently they won’t tarnish. I find that my sterling silver still tarnishes, and then the tarnish rubs off onto my skin or clothing. I have stopped buying and wearing sterling silver now, and buy white gold instead because that won’t tarnish.
Oyster shell crafts
I love doing crafts when I have spare time. My crafts are diverse and seldom do I make the same thing twice. I come up with an idea and then I’ll make it, and after I make one, I don’t make another. I think I do this just to see if I can make my idea work and then when I do, I move onto something else.
My dear friend Rhonda sent me a box of oyster shells that are really unique. They are a whole lot different than clam shells…a much rougher texture. Inside, they look like there is abalone in them, so some of the colors are beautiful.
Now, I have to figure out what to make with them. I keep looking at them and I have a feeling I’m going to come up with something soon. I am tossing a few ideas around in my head that might work. It would be nice to send Rhonda a gift made out of them.
Holiday shopping
Tomorrow I will attempt to battle the crowds and go shopping, something I’m not even looking forward to. I did get my youngest son the BMX bike he wanted already. He found one he’s wanted for months online, so I got that one for him. I think he’ll be a happy camper!
Baby shower
A very close friend of mine has a daughter that is about to have a baby and we mothers got together and threw her a baby shower. She got some really nice gifts for her baby which is due next week. She is going to have a baby girl and has decided to name her Savannah, that is a very old fashioned named for these times but I really like it. I hope if she has another child she does not name it Dallas or Tulsa.
Gifts and Calls for Mother’s Day
So far this morning, I have gotten at least ten phone calls from “kids” and family wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day. Even some young people who have grown up with my kids, have called! It’s awesome that they would still after all these years, consider me a sort of “extra” mom.
My sons bought me a beautiful rose bush that I fully intend on babying, since in the past, I’ve not had much luck with rose bushes. My youngest daughter called and sang me a song over the telephone that she had written just for me and this day! My oldest daughter is taking me out to lunch this coming week, and then we’re going shopping also!
I’m staying at my moms house, so the kids all are also wishing her mother’s day wishes also. This afternoon I plan on taking her shopping for some summer outfits and then we’re going out to lunch before my brother and sisters arrive at her house with gifts for her. I’m looking forward to spending time with the family and also.
To all my readers who are Mom’s, I wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day! Pamper yourself or let others pamper you. Ya’ll deserve it!
The gift of a Wedding DJ in Miami FL
My favorite niece is getting married at the end of summer and my oldest daughter who is very close to her cousin and I wanted to give a special wedding gift to the couple. We’ve been checking out Wedding DJ Miami FL and seem to have come up with the perfect gift. Both my niece and her soon to be husband are really into music of all kinds and since they were worried about what they would do for entertainment, since they are on a tight budget, my daughter and I wanted to help out any way we could. This seems like a special and logical gift for them.
After we looked at various sites and one we came across had the best services we had seen up to date, which included DJ Wedding Reception Packages. I liked that idea. We can put the music into the hands of the DJ and not worry about all the planning and the headache of making sure everything went smoothly. With the package, the DJ will put it all together according to what kind of music the couple want to have playing at the reception. Also lighting and the other extras that make a reception special would be included in the package. Can’t go wrong with that!
I think that the gift of music is something that I would like, and my daughter agreed that she would have liked the options a DJ can work with. I have a feeling that we are going to save a lot of time, money and also stress by hiring a professional that knows what they are doing. There are a whole lot of options to choose from with these packages, and now all we have to decide which ones we know the couple would like!
Happy Christmas Eve
Though my kids are either in their middle to late teens and two are adults now, each year as tradition, I “track Santa” for them. I’ve been doing this since they were old enough to talk and ask me to do this special thing. To this day, I still find a television station or a radio station that will tell where Santa is at each given hour. Now with internet, it’s much easier to do, if not for them to find a smile or memory in, but for me. My oldest daughter has taken the tradition over with her children, even though my grand kids are older also.
Right now, Santa is dropping off gifts to the people in a country I can’t begin to pronounce let alone spell. I know I’m more excited about this than the kids, but I’ve noticed them paying attention to where Santa is when I holler it out so they can hear me in their rooms. The house echos with, “That’s cool, Mom”, or a “He has a long way to go, Mom”, along with other acknowledgements, from various rooms. I’m loving having them all together for Christmas.
So, to your house from ours, we wish you a very Happy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
And the shopping crunch begins
With only four (actually less) days left to finish my shopping, as I look at my lists it seems rather hopeless. I wonder why I do this to myself. But I know it’s the procrastinating nature I have, yet I must say I do work well under pressure.
Each year, I make a vow that I am going to start my shopping at the beginning of the year and be all “together” by Christmas eve to enjoy the holiday. And each year, something comes up where the money is needed elsewhere. We don’t get my husband’s bonus pay until about a week before Christmas, which we depend on for gifts and the holiday trimmings. We’re fortunate to have this extra money.
As usual, this coming year I’m going to once again try and pick up the little gifts and also am planing on using my crafty ideas as gifts too. I would much rather have a gift someone made than one that is bought in a store, and it seems like as prices soar and money matters take a knocking, this is the way to go.
Shopping for residential address plaques
Since my daughter moved into a new home, I’ve been looking at residential address plaques that I think she may like since there isn’t one on her house. It’s hard to tell which house is hers and even her mail man has been messing up when delivering the mail. It’s been bothering her since she had to change her address and important mail has ended back at the post office for her to have to go into town and get. To me, this is basically the mail carrier’s fault, but people do look for a name and address when trying to find the right house.
Personalized address plaques are a nice gift. It has both the name and address on the plaque and it gives it sort of a homey touch, I think. I haven’t asked my daughter which kind she wants though, so I’m holding off on buying one. I don’t know if she and her husband want their last name on the plaque for privacy reasons. Which us understandable to me.
I personally like the bronze address plaques and think that one would look really nice on my daughter’s house. There are so many various plaques to choose from, I might just wait and let my daughter look at them and choose the one she wants. That way, since it’s her choice, I’ll know I got her exactly what she wants.