Done.

Done with the Christmas shopping.

Finished up some gingerbread cookies today, too. I used Martha's recipe, and while I had some doubts while mixing it (cripe, molasses has a strong smell), they turned out beautifully. They actually taste quite a bit like the honey-flavored Teddy Grahams, but with a gingery-bite aftertaste. Very very good.

On a related note, I am sooooo happy that I had my mother-in-law's old mixer for that. I would have burned up my dinky hand mixer trying to use it. Yeesh. Next time, when I go to adding the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/molasses/honey mixture, I'll switch to the dough hooks first, though, because even her mixer was struggling with the stuff by the end, and I REALLY don't want to ruin that mixer. Not b/c I have to give it back, because she's said I don't, and to just toss any parts of the appliance that I don't need, but b/c I really don't want to try to replace a decent quality mixer right now!

(I am pretty excited about the new coffeemaker and food processor from my folks. THANKS! Can't wait to see how much easier the carrot pancakes are with the food processor!)

The kiddos are pretty excited about Christmas - well, sort of - they don't quite get that it's a specific day coming up. They love the tree and lights, though!

The Nester inspired me to do a garland for our mantel. It doesn't rest on the mantel, but drapes above the mirror that is set into the area over the mantel. It's not as pretty as hers, mind you - but adding some ribbon from one yard sale and flowers from another means that we now have some color where there was some desperately needed. It does break her rules about fake flowers (they have to look alive or as if they once were), but oh well. Baby steps, you know. Next step, figuring out what to put over the kitchen cabinets. Not fake ivy. But again, it needs color. Maybe some pics tomorrow...someone might have some ideas.

I was also proud of myself for digging in the Bag Of Ribbon (same source as above) to fix a situation where the picture I wanted to put in a frame was smaller than the frame was meant for. Grosgrain ribbon made for an improvised mat, and yay! It works. I'll hafta post pics of that too.

Mount Union plays tomorrow (today, ack!) in the Stagg Bowl (Div. III National Championship game). ESPN, folks - go watch! 11:00 AM Eastern!

Only a few days left before Christmas. I thought that staying home would mean I'd have had time to do more to prepare - make this, do that, etc. No, not homemade cards and gifts for all (Despite the gingerbread cookies and ribbon-rigged photo mat, Martha Stewart I most assuredly am NOT. Though if she wants to come give lessons... I can see it now:

Martha: We need to get out the mixer.
Me: It's right there.
Martha: (eyes the not-quite-fitting bowl on the stand) Where's the bowl for it?
Me: Oh, it's long gone. I just use that one. It doesn't quite fit, but if you guide the bowl, the beaters don't bang into it *too* much.
[You should have heard the racket while I was figuring this out with my glass mixing bowl. Oy.]
Martha: Do you have another mixer?
Me: (handing Martha my $25 grocery-store-aisle hand mixer)
Martha: We need to go shopping.

See? It could be good. I could score a Kitchen Aid mixer or something.)

Where was I? Oh - anyhow, despite being at home instead of employed, I really had no more time than I had then. The kids' ages likely had something to do with that, I'm sure.

Which means, of course, that I forgot to add in the kids' lines to the imaginary dialogue above - the "Give me cookie PLEASE? Milk? Lemme have the milk PLEASE? Turn on the small tree PLEASE? Big tree on? Lemme go outside? Lemme go swingset PLEASE?...."

The sounds of the season, right? :)