#EasyChristmas

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

Super easy and tasty.

Mix a package of cake mix (I used Funfetti cake mix for these)

1/2 Cup oil

2 eggs

(white sugar for dipping)

Mix all the ingredients together. 

Once mixed, shape the mix into a ball, and then roll into a log shape. 

Refrigerate for an hour or so then slice and dip in a bowl sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. 

*These work well with as cookie cutter cookies

Decorating...naturally!

Hot glue pine cones to twine for a natural (and cheap) garland  for the Christmas tree.

 So easy! 

And beautiful. 

 

                                                           

Tara and I are signing off for 2018. Our kids are making their ways back home, so it's time for these Really Real Housewives to put our tips and advice to practical use. May your holidays be full of blessings and love. We'll be back in 2019 with more tips, advice, and the occasional whine.

Until then...

Tis the season of STRESS!

I loved Liz's post last week. We are still moving (since we moved only a short way from our old house and it isn't sold yet, we are taking our time moving some things every day and organizing as we go--we sure have a lot of junk!) and I'm only bringing over what Christmas decorations I can handle putting up before bringing more. December 12th is coming! I'm looking forward to it and hope I can get enough done that I don't have to keep decorating while they're here.

Besides the move, I'm also stressed about presents, parties, expenses, work, etc. At least I got my Xmas cards out early to give everyone our new address. And I finally decided we wouldn't travel for the holidays, even though I really wanted to, so I just finished up the easy gifts, wrapped them, and will ship them tomorrow. But I still have so much to do! It never ends! I like being busy, but this is ridiculous!

So I've come up with some ways to de-stress during the holidays (and beyond):

• listen while you work - I love music. I like to sing, too. Whether just listening to some soothing holiday music or belting out my current favorites, music is a big de-stresser for me and makes the work less of a chore.
• watch while you work - then there's the other option of watching a Christmas special or other favorite movie or show while you get your wrapping/cleaning/online shopping done. I scroll through the guide and schedule shows to record on my DVR - then I can watch them later and FF commercials, they stress me out too!
• get physical - I was doing well with my eating plan (diet) and lost 10 lbs this summer. But as soon as we got back from vacation and began our selling/moving process, my scale and my diet went into storage. It worked before, and it will work again--starting right after the holidays. In the meantime, exercise is a great stress reliever, so I set an alarm on my phone to do some exercises each night. I hope it works!
• organizing and prioritizing - writing down my to do items in a nice neat list, I feel I can accomplish them. I also know my limitations, so my daily list is reasonable. When I cross things off the list, stress recedes.

Some people bake, some jog or do yoga, and some take long baths... How about you--any de-stressing ideas or techniques? Please share!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Enjoy a Holiday

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My boys and I getting our tree. I took it from my son's Instagram.
I hadn't even thought to post one. That loses me Mom of the Year, right?

As you can probably tell by the picture, Christmas is coming!!! If the picture wasn't a big enough hint, I'm sure you've noticed the decorations adorning the streets, the homes, the stores...and you don't need me to remind you that you that the clock is ticking...closer and closer to The Day. I know I feel a bit of panic when I start to think of all the things I need to do to make this an amazing holiday for my family. 

The planning and the work and quickly spin out of control. I have had Christmases where I was still putting out decorations on Christmas Eve. 

That's crazy. 

Christmas Eve should be reserved for cooking and last minute shopping and wrapping. 

It was a real downer to look at Christmas and sigh (the bad, tired kind of sigh). I love Christmas. It's a magical time of year. But I was ruining it with stuff. It was then that I invoked the December 12th rule. Whatever I didn't have set out by December 12th stayed in storage. Eventually, by setting a deadline, I was inadvertently sorting stuff out. I was cherry picking the important stuff to make sure it was getting set out in time. After stuff stayed in the boxes for a few years, I decided it was time to donate them. 

This year, I had all of the decorations I planned to use out by December 1st and not a single person has noticed it didn't take me two weeks and twenty-some boxes to get there. 

Minimize work. Maximize fun.