run run as fast as you can..I'm NOT the gingerbread man

Chocbirdsongs Bizzie Lizzie

Chocolatebirdsongs Sunsinger (sunny)

Bizzie Lizzie is living up to her name, she should have been a thoroughbred, man can she run.

Chocbirdsongs Angelina Ballerina is expecting little ??? to arrive any day.

Christmas traditions are alive and well...

Farm funnies hubby and one grown young'un

stalked found and "bagged" the perfect tree for Christ-mas this year again WHEW!

I was the slacker. With achey bones and sore throat..I didn't make the donuts or hot cocoa,

nor did I budge beyond feeding horses and alpacas and breaking frozen water for our feathered flocks).

I even skipped out of going to a TSFL training and later our family Christ-mas reunion/potluck (about 40 of us).

The stockings aren't hung by the "chimney yet.

However one of farm funnies eager beaver book readers has finished reading our traditional Christ-mas book.

Each year we read The Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill.

(YIKES I haven't started mine, but don't tell anyone! Yep we each have our own copy now)

I found humongous stockings at our local $ store..

I thought the ones I made were huge. I think a whole person could stand inside these.

I couldn't resist buying them, just to see the look on every ones faces. when they see how big they are..

We each buy little odds and ends throughout the year then sneakily fill each others stockings

(Substitue guest like).

Bath beads,potholders,socks, goodies ( I sometimes buy bulk treats of things we don't usually purchase. Nutter butter cookies, hostess jelly donuts ...TWINKIES ...etc.

I divide the "stuff" so each person gets just one ,or a couple depending on what it is.

Sometimes I make stuff too.

( I wrap these items in foil, both to save me time and to seal them.

I may use sandwich sized zip lock bags,but then those have to be wrapped, WHY?

For the fun of UNWRAPPING,of course.

I never lable any of the stocking gifts from farm funnies hubby or myself.

Some of the family members do.

(I think my foil wrapping "paper" is a dead give away from us anyhow...)

Tomorrow think of something fun, some small gift to make or ? (Come jan 1st, pardon the pun, start SOCKING it away for next Christ-mas..just remember where you hide the "stuff" :-)

Make or do something fun each day. I've made a couple of fleece pillows (no sewing required)

I filled 4 large shopping bags with 25 gifts inside each bag.I gave a bag to each of our grandkids for them to open 1 package a day ,Starting dec 1st until Jesus Birthday.

Cake and ice cream is a fitting birthday celebration breakfast.

I do include Monte Cristo's,sausage,bacon,waffles. This year I am leaning towards homemade blueberry muffins and popovers perhaps .( I am making my list and checking it twice)

Most of the gifts in the chidrens bags were small fun things to do, a color book,a snow shaker, penguin socks,wind up cars, color your own mug..

In a day or so I'll share a recipe for bath fizzies and scratch and sniff stickers...

No kids or spouse or family ?

No matter,just look around you, who can you be a blessing for?

Pretend you have a large family and then deliver "stuff"to someone who doesn't have much ,or to a shelter,church ,fire station or ?

Bake cookies for a whole gang,then ship them to our troops...they will love you for it..unless you are a really bad baker...then buy cookies and decorate them with tubes of ready made frosting...

You will be blessed for giving, trust me....

Remember you can send a free card in the mail to someone you care about,the treat is on me...

go to http://www.sendoutcards.com/27588 simply follow the directions virtual Kody tells you.

Whatever you do make this be the most memorable Christ-mas ever,then do more next year.

(notice I didn't say spend ,shop )

movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_slQ36LXmc

music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POWUlJw8JVeU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7peBcpjd2M