Books and Boardgames Gift Guide

Welcome to my last post of 2022.  I don't know about you but this year flew by for me.  This year has been kind to us. Our biggest blessing is having our #1 and Adorable Jonathon back in Texas. I love having all my chickadees within driving distance.

Here's a birdseye view of what I am up against in Emptynesterville.  My friend Lori dropped off this delicious box of Godiva chocolates.  Evidently, the Mister has been snacking on them. He then did his best to cover up his crime.

Gadgets and Gizmos Gift Guide

 

I hope that you had a good week.  Have you finished your holiday shopping?  Mine is done.  I have to pick up a few more things for myself, and I'll be able to call it a day.

Did you watch Harry and Meghan?  I enjoyed learning more about Meghan's childhood and the royal romance through their own words.  What did you think?  I'm dying to know.  Leave your thoughts in the comments.  

Prime Time Best of 2022

I hope that you enjoyed your weekend.  We crossed some last-minute shopping off our list and had some friends over for chili night. 

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I participate in a monthly link-up over at The Other Side of the Road.  Bloggers gather together with their posts detailing their purchases from Amazon.  It's amazing what great things some of them find.  In December, we were asked to list the most popular items sold throughout the year.  Stop over to Tanya's blog to get the latest scoop on other bloggers' buys.

Here are a few items that I bought this month. 

Gift Guide for Great Girlfriends

 

I hope you had a good week and have managed to stay healthy. A lot of colds/flu are going around.

I had a wonderful day on Friday.  I spent it with my friends, Miss Deb and Kristin.  We attended a Holiday House tour in Dallas.  I took a bazillion photos, which I will share with you next week.

Gift Guide for the Millennial

I hope that you had a good week.  Like most of the country, we've had the craziest weather.  I don't mind the cold, but when it is accompanied by the wind, I refuse to go out and do my walk.  So for two days, I stayed in and watched workout videos. 

Yup, you read that correctly, watched.

I hope that you aren't one of those doubters that believe you actually have to do the videos.

Talk about old school!

I am posting this early because I am off for an adventure with a couple of buddies tomorrow morning. 

I'll give you a hint.

Three words: Christmas House Tour.

Christmas House Tour/Thanksgiving Recap

 

How was your Thanksgiving?  Did you overspend on Black Friday?  Our Thanksgiving was fabulous, and I definitely over ate.  At least, that's what my jeans are telling me.  

I am proud to say I did not overspend on gifts on Black Friday.  Whether I overdid it on purchases for myself is another story.  I come from a long-standing family tradition of one for them -  two for me. 

Today's post centers around Thanksgiving Day and a mini-Christmas tour.  

And the best part of all... 

I won't try to sell you one thing. 

 

Hot Gifts for the Cool Chef

 

Happy Black Friday!  How was your Thanksgiving?  Ours was wonderful, and I will give you the full lowdown next week.  I need to get my photos organized and also get a recipe for the best side dish the Mister has ever made.  

Master Bedroom Reveal

 Hello, dear friends.  How's life treating you?  All is well around here.

I promised you a peek into our master bedroom. I included links with each photo.  Also, the paint color is Aleutian Blue by Sherwin Williams. We used it in Massachusetts as well.

More Hostess Gifts

 

Welcome back to my blog.  Did you have a good weekend?  We've had some cold, rainy weather, so we hunkered down and took care of some work around the house.  

This is our first Christmas in our house.  Last year, we were in San Miguel and the only decorating that was done was outside.  We are trying to determine whether to get a big tree or a small one for a tabletop.  If you are wondering why, see above photo.

The Friday Files

TGIF!  We woke up to some brisk winds, chilly temps, and rain.  It's my perfect kind of day when I don't have to be anywhere. 

Yesterday, I joined two of my buddies, Miss Deb and Miss Cindy, for the Neath the Wreath Holiday Market.  We got there when the doors opened before the rush.

Hostess Gifts/Take 1

 

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope that you had a good weekend.  Our girls and Adorable Jonathon came for lunch on Sunday.  It was a beautiful day, so we enjoyed the Mister's delectable feast al fresco.   I can't tell you how much I love having us all in the same area.

I have some food pics, but unfortunately, my guest photos were off-limits.  

Reading, Writing, & Listening

 

TGIF!  Did you have a good week?  Mine was very good.  Chowdah was with us, which always makes Millie happy.  She even took him to camp with her and got to play with the big dogs kids.

Millie has to touch Chow at all times. 

My two assistants dealing with the exciting chaos of Blog Central.

Prime Time

 

Welcome back to my blog.  Did you have a good weekend?  Saturday was rainy, so we stayed home, and I caught up on laundry and Real Housewives.  Sunday, our #2 took us to lunch at one of her favorite places, Bellagreen.  The food is so delish.  We then topped the afternoon off at my beloved Homegoods.  I didn't come home with any goodies because most of the inventory was Christmas-related, and it was too early for me to think about decorating.

Our warm welcome home greeting.

The Friday Files

I hope you had a good week!  All is well here.  I am happy to say that the construction part of our kitchen reno is done.  I am having the bar chairs reupholstered, and I am hoping they will be finished before Thanksgiving.  I am planning the big kitchen reveal then.

We are expecting a chilly, rainy day today.  The Mister is at the grocery store right now.  We have been eating a lot of takeout lately while the kitchen was in reno mode.  I'm hoping for a soup night while sitting around a roaring fire, watching Doc Martin.

Reach for the stars, Katie!

My Favorite Reader - Jude

 

I hope this post finds you well.  How was your weekend?  I had a very good one.  Friday night, I met some ladies from the 'hood for happy hour at our village wine bar.  It was great to catch up with them.  

Saturday, we met our favorite parents-in-law, The Adorables, for a delicious lunch at Jose On Lovers.  My daughter always asks if we talked about them.  I honestly tell her that we don't.  I don't think she thinks we have lives outside of our children.

We hit a hiccup in our construction process.  Hopefully, we'll get back on track today.

The Mister takes deep cleansing breaths when he is out in his precious garage.  It's hard for him to see such chaos in his pristine space.

Sweatah Weathah

 

I hope that you had a good week.  Ours was busy and looked a lot like this.  We are doing a little refresh on our kitchen.  It's going to be a 4 to 5-day process.  We are replacing the countertops, backsplash, sink, faucet, and hardware.  

It was either the kitchen or a facelift.

The Mister flipped a coin.

The kitchen won.

I told him he was too old for elective surgery, anyway.

Designer of the Day

 

Did you have a good weekend?  Ours was fairly busy.  We woke up to rain on Sunday, which made me jump for joy.  

 

I met my old tennis buddy, Madonna, for lunch.  Who says you can't go home again?  We picked up right where we left off nine years ago.  She is such a character and never fails to make me laugh.

On Saturday, we headed to Dallas to check out #1 and Adorable Jonathon's sweet love nest.  We took them out to lunch at R&D Kitchen, a favorite of my #1's.  Our absent member, #2, was vacationing with the rich and famous in Palm Springs.

I couldn't be happier that my family is settled in one state.

The Friday Files

Did you have a good week?  Mine was very busy and a lot of fun.  Monday brought a catch-up lunch with an old tennis buddy and MOB.  Tuesday, I stayed home and pretended to do housework.  On Wednesday, I headed to Dallas for lunch and a little shopping.  

One of my favorite stores in the Big D is St. Michael's Woman's Exchange.  I could walk around this shop for hours.  Not only did I achieve my task of buying a baby gift, but I also met one of my readers.