Friday, December 30, 2011

Christmas Fun

Christmas is over for another year. We had a wonderful time with a few new things that hopefully will be traditions in future years. Instead of our usual dinner of Japanese and then obnoxious drive in search of Christmas lights I hit upon the perfect game plan that will be used from now on. We ate dinner at a wonderful little Itallian place where most of us enjoyed wine or a cocktail. We then stopped at Starbucks for coffee to go and I provided the generous addition of Baileys once back in the car. The lights have never looked so beautiful and the kids have never been so accommodating. I've decided that once our family increases with marriages in the distant future, we will procure a bus and driver and it will be a highlight each year.
I cooked a Christmas Eve brunch as another new experience. I detest the smell of breakfast so my family rarely has the treat of a breakfast at home. Planning for a noon meal fixed that and the champagne toast probably helped as well.
Our Christmas was great and the kids were happy with all that they received. What a wonderful feeling as a mom, right!!
The decorations will remain for the next week or so. The kids want everything up until they leave for school so I'm game. I will be taking down some of the decorations that I installed for others during January so I will get to mine when I am able.
I bought myself a new iPad after Christmas. We had one but never really used it. After watching the kids on theirs I couldn't stand it. So, gals let me know some apps that are highly recommended. I do not have the patience to spend hours browsing the app store so please let me know ones you love.
Happy New Year to you wonderful readers who kept me in your reader!!!! I'm very excited to come up with new resolutions that will probably be broken by the end of the month!!!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Pearls Round II

Just thought I would see if I had even one reader left out there. If I do, you can see that I have deleted all the previous posts. For the sake of prying eyes as well as no longer relevant topics, I think starting anew is a great idea. I seem to be in that new phase of life that I dreaded so much. This is our second year as empty nesters and I think we are getting the hang of it. I still feel the urge to vent about clothes, hormones and food so I am taking suggestions for future topics.

Things are great around our home. My darling daughter is graduating with her masters this weekend. I'm so very proud of her and loser boyfriend is so far in the past it almost seems like a dream. She is contemplating her future and sending out resumes. We paid for her apartment though March so she has a bit of time to get things in order. Son number one is doing great as a junior in college this year. His grades are much better and he is working without thinking the world is ending. Still has his precious girlfriend and hopefully will figure out what the heck he is going to do with that history degree he will have. He has almost completely ruled out law school and thinks he will go into sales or something. Son number two is in the midst of his second year as an architecture student. What a tough program! He made the five and a half hour trek home for Thanksgiving for two days. Once home he told me that the three other members of his project group stayed at school. Poor things worked through the whole holiday. He set up a drafting table in our kitchen and never left it except to eat. He rushed back to school because their project review was on the following Tuesday. He got in last night for the start of Christmas break and is really looking forward to doing nothing!

I have actually finished ALL the shopping, wrapping, decorating and Christmas cards early this year. What a great feeling. Probably paid more for everything but I just wanted to have all the time to spend with my darlings once they are home.

Is anyone else addicted to Pinterest? I just cannot seem to tear myself away. What a great design tool for determining what your style is and also for keeping notes on things you love. Wish I had thought of something like that. Those guys are probably going to be the next Facebook moguls.

I have kept up with all the blogs I love but have not made many comments over the last few months. My New Years' Resolution is to get back in touch with all the bloggers I enjoy so much. Hope I can recapture a few readers in the process! I might even jump on the OOTD bandwagon!