Tina
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Posts posted by Tina
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For a while I used to pick up a new Christmas CD every year. Narrowed my pile a couple years ago to the best ones. :)
I also try to read one or two Christmas novels.
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I've made this trifle and it's yummy if you like coffee: https://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe/Desserts/American/Cappuccino+Mousse+Trifle/72878
What about this one? https://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe/Desserts/Christmas/Peppermint+Brownie+Trifle/728047
I like Pampered Chef recipes when I'm in a hurry because they use shortcuts like brownie mix :D.
The apple brandy skillet cake in the second link looks scrumptious and easy!
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I've always assumed that it is a tradition left over from when (in Europe) oranges and exotic nuts (like brazils) were expensive once-a-year items. Even domestic nuts take a lot of gathering and might have been expensive. I remember the orange in the toe of the stocking being special when I was small. I suspect that they were expensive in the mid-sixties, only ten years after rationing ended in the UK.
When we were kids that's what the stockings from the Moose or VFW were filled with.
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Little Pet Shop sounds like a winner to me.
Is there a computer game about a vet center or an aquarium? A trip to an aquarium? I once bought a beautiful book, written and illustrated by a homeschooler, with beautiful ocean fish- one for every letter of the alphabet. National Geographic has some hand sized books about animals of the woodlands, birds, hawks, etc. or just a book about various fish? Perhaps there's a few of those that would give her ideas in stocking her aquarium?
A real aquarium or perhaps there's a board game about fish?
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Gift cards for fast food, movies, gasoline. Jerky, food items he loves that you don't normally buy. (In my house it's Jif peanut butter, pop tarts and Fruit Loops). Sci-fi paperback, geeky t-shirt, shave cream, razors, etc.
Thumb drives, portable charger, etc.
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We don't have anybody local who could stay with the children overnight :( Because of the extent of our younger two boys' special needs, we typically hire a couple teenage guys (DD's friends) just to help DD16 with the boys so we can go out for even a few hours. So, three sitters for two boys. They are actually fantastic with our boys, but I'm not sure they're old enough that I would feel comfortable leaving them overnight with the kids (or that their mom would be comfortable with it -- and she's a great friend, but has five kids of her own, so I won't ask her to stay, lol). We have only one family member that lives within an hour of us (the rest are 10+ hours from us) and she has a farm she takes care of and can't be away from overnight.
Trust me, I've thought about it :p
Well a few gift cards for nice restaurants could be used later together.
Mani/pedi gift card? Some sort of spa treatment?
Someone to deep clean the house once or once a month, or do whatever tasks you don't like?
Boy, if you could find someone to come in and fix healthy meals for a week, that would be nice! But who?
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Growing up, we never did stockings that I remember. My Mom hung them up, but they were empty.
I loved going to my friend's house. Her parents were what I called Waldorf-inspired, although neither of us attended Waldorf schools. She would always get really good colored pencils or watercolors, drawing pads, a few good books, etc. for Christmas. Her stocking always had art supplies which would have been my dream stocking. :)
I was on an art theme for dd and dil this year. Can't think of a craft for my sons tho.
Last year I bought make up brushes and make up for the theme.
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I can't believe I forgot to have my sister bring me up some containers of candy coated chocolate covered sunflower seeds! They've been a Christmas tradition for us for years!!
And those Jo-Jo's are pretty darn good!
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I don't get wrapping things that go in a stocking. The whole point (IMHO, of course) is that the stocking is the wrapping!
Oh, no! The tradition is the white tissue paper! lol
When the kids were young, the stocking was filled with inexpensive trinkets. But now that they are grown, the stocking is the main thing. So-- some things may cost more than they used to, but most of the toiletries and food items are the same. And half the time I have plastic bag of stuff that wouldn't fit in the stocking sitting with the stocking! Jerky, jars of peanut butter, cereal and pop tarts are big! :)
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How about some outdoor activities? Skiing, sliding, or snowshoeing.
If marshmallows aren't a problem, how about making a set of marshmallow shooters together and having a friendly battle outside?
Nerf war inside?
We head to church for the candlelight service every Christmas Eve.
Visit some older folks you know, even briefly and drop off a card or something? We used to use Halloween as an excuse to visit 4 or 5 older couples that we never found time to visit otherwise.
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Frozen bananas dipped in chocolate?
I enjoy date bars as they satisfy better than other sweets, and one doesn't leave me craving more.
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Bought two Suspend games but won't get to play it. One went home with my sister as a white elephant, and the other went out of state with my son. Almost want to get a third one! Settled for the Hive- Crawling with Possibilities instead. lol
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My DH has a messenger bag he loves, and it is getting ratty after a decade of daily use. He has searched online for a replacement, but they don't make the model anymore, and none of the new ones has the features he really wants (namely a zipper across the main compartment under the flap)
I managed to find his beloved bag on ebay in as-new condition.
this reminds me of one of the best gifts I received.
I grew up using my mom's sewing machine. After I married she picked up another brand one for me used, but of course with two little ones I had no time to sit down and learn a new machine. A few years later she found one just like hers at a garage sale and cleaned it up to gift to me. Best gift ever!!
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Christmas Eve will be swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and salad. We usually make it for the work crew on Christmas Eve. Maybe it will be the Friday send off meal.
Dh is going to want the prime rib we have in the freezer for Christmas. Haven't thought beyond that. It will just be our immediate family on Christmas Day this year, so just a handful of us.
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Last year I got some gourmet flavored caramel sauces along with the fuzzy socks and one or two other small items for the staff. This year I will have someone who's been here a year and a brand new person. Thinking of a mani/pedi GC and some small items for the young woman who's been here a while. How's that sound?
I should run grab an amaryllis for her! She loves flowers.
The new person will probably get a gift card.
We got a woman technician recently. Just give her gift cards like the guys get??
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Can you think of any hobby he might like to try? Maybe something to start a small business? For example, I know there's some way to convert VHS tapes to discs. I think there's still a market for that! I don't know. Just something you think he's suited for that he hasn't tried yet.
I'm trying to think of something artsy/craftsy for my oldest to expand his experiences beyond work (for his dad, lol).
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A good flannel shirt and some pajama pants. We don't really do gifts for us.
Just ordered a card game- Famiglia for he and I, too.
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The guys always get jerky.
Growing up we always had boxes of raisins and underwear.
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Not current, but when I am planning here's a list I keep to refer to. Excuse the notes that remind me where the recipe is. ;)
Beef meals
hamburger/rice hot dish (with tomatoes) hamburger cookbookround steak rollups, mashed potatoes
Gerri’s hamburger rice dishmazetti
pot roast
beef/pork ribs with BBQ sauce
meatloaf, baked potatoes, scalloped corn
Hungarian goulash CP
Polish cabbage rolls CP
Cabbage burger bake-in notebookHungarian cabbage stew
Beef stew
Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes
Hamburgers, beans, coleslaw, fried potatoes
Meatballs and ‘gravy’ over noodles JB
Pizza hotdish (Rigatoni casserole) St Matts
Shepherd’s piePorcupine meatballs CP
Beef Stroganoff StMRoast beef hash
Swedish meatballs
Chicken/Turkey meals
chicken and dumplings (also CP)
honey curry chicken SD
turkey dinner
turkey tetrazzini
smothered chicken- Fanny Farmer
Chicken enchiladas
Lacquered chicken CP
Teriyaki chickenChicken and noodles CP
Baked breaded chicken
Chicken and barley bake JB p. 420
Garlic lime chicken SDGinger chicken delight StMatts
Chicken cacciatore CP or Savory Chicken casserole FFarmerHawaiian rainbow chicken StM
Sweet and sour chicken StM
Foreign/pasta
beef/pork chow mein, eggrolls, fried rice
tacos, spanish rice (double)
spaghetti/lasagna (sauce CP)
pepper steak
sweet and sour pork over rice CP
crock pot lasagna
Chinese beef and pea pods CP
Quick stir-fry sauce –notebook
Stuffed shells
PizzaWet burritos
Japanese curry
Pork meals
pork ribs with BBQ sauce
ham, scalloped potatoes
ham/French fry hotdish
tangy pork over rice CP
baked pork chops SP
Caribbean pork ribs (need teriyaki sauce)
Chalupa (need dry pinto beans)-notebook
Stuffed pork chops
Fish
orange seared salmon with almonds—notebooksalmon patties
tuna noodle casserole tuna cheesy mac
mahi/mahi, tilapia, walleye
SL ideas in notebookSoups
tomato soupBean with ham soup
split pea with ham soup
chicken noodle soup
hamburger vegetable soup
chili
Wild rice soupBeef barley soup
Cream of cauliflower soup JB
Pb vegetable chicken soup JB
Lentil and brown rice soup JBblack bean and rice soup CP
wonton soup WTM-- in notebook
Asian soup-notebook (need bok choy, pork strips)
Baked potato soup-notebook
Savory lentil rice tomato soup-notebook
Lynette’s tortellini soup-notebook
Minestrone soup-notebook (with tiny meatballs)
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I went to the dr less with the one I had at 42 than the ones I had in my 30s.
If you have other kids--built in helpers! I needed my boys to help find 'the girl' everytime she vanished--which was often. lol
You know yourself better and aren't so worried about things in general. More relaxed.
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These go along with White Christmas and Meet Me in St Louis.
I watch a bunch of oldies:
It Happened on Fifth Avenue (dh will actually watch this one every year with us)
The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant version here)
Christmas in Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck)
Remember the Night (Barbara Stanwyck)
Christmas in July
A Christmas Wish
The Family Man (Nicholas Cage)
Tenth Avenue Angel (Margaret OBrien)
Others I watch although they aren't really Christmas:
Pocketful of Miracles (Bette Davis)
Boys Town (Spencer Tracy)
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They tasted ok. I think the extra density worked because it was a fruitcake cookie. My friends gobbled them up and offered to get rid of the rest of the evidence. I was trying to add to my regular cookie repertoire and I’m miffed that I botched these.
ETA THIS is why I cook and don’t bake 😟
Looks like they were popular! No failure when folks gobble them up! :drool5:
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Oh, I totally hear you with those teen boys. I definitely benefit from having the 2 girls to bring the energy up.
My personal Christmas bummer is that I don’t think my oldest is going to make it home. That will completely change our Christmas morning energy and it makes me super sad.
My middle son will be gone, too. :(
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Vegetable soup
meat loaf
casseroles- use more veggies and fewer noodles-- or rice, if you like
tacos
swedish meatballs
shepherd's pie
Spanish rice
salisbury 'steak'
Prayer request / foster baby UPDATE 2 in 41
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Praying.