Happy Homemaker Monday 12.26.16

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Good Afternoon!!  Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  Mine was pretty quiet.  We stayed here, and I made brunch instead of a big dinner and it was really nice.  Ben still was very excited about Christmas, and was up really early, I know that won’t last forever, and as he said at the end of the day, “this was the best Christmas ever” it makes it all worthwhile.  At the end of the day, as I was relaxing I heard the news of the passing of George Michael.  Another musical icon from my high school days!!  See my tribute below.  Enjoy the rest of your week as 2016 winds down.  Can’t believe another year is coming to close.

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

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LOL CHUCKLES AND GIGGLES:

 

RECIPE I WANT TO TRY/HAVE TRIED:

I haven’t tried anything new in the past week.  I was glad that I did take the time to bake for the holidays.  Usually we bake early in the month, but I didn’t get the chance to do that.  I would have truly missed all these little bits of heavenly goodness had I not baked.   As every year since I started making Roshky myself, the nut ones just do not cooperate with me (they are the unsightly globs covered in powdered sugar at the bottom right). When I bake them, they don’t stay closed, and just do not look appetizing, yet the taste is still there.  I am determined to get those right one of these times, after all I am Polish!!

 

FAVORITE VIDEO(S) FROM THE WEB:

As I am writing up this post, I am listening to music by George Michael and Wham! and it’s really taking me back.  I was able to see Wham! in concert probably my junior year.  It was at Popular Creek, which was an outdoor theater where they had assigned seats, and a grassy area where you could bring blankets to sit on to watch the concert.  Yeah…we had the grass seats, lol.  My best friend’s sister took her and I to the concert, and it’s one of those events I have not forgotten over the years.

I think I grew up in one of the best eras for music.  With the launch of MTV and music videos it really changed the way we listened to music.  Not to mention, MTV just played music videos, all. day. long.  They had special premiers of videos as new artists came on the scene or they released new albums.  I love my 80s music!! I remember this one like it was yesterday.

And Yes. Yes I did have a Choose Life T-shirt.  I personally was crushing on Andrew Ridgely.  George Michael was just far too beautiful for me 😀

What I loved about the videos in the 80s is that they were like little movies.  I have so many favorites.  Here is another one, so much fun!!

I continued to follow his career as he went solo.  This is one of those songs that no one knows what it really means, and everyone has their own interpretations.  Whatever your take is on it, it’s just a good song, lyrically and musically, and the provocative video just spices it up.

This last song I recently came across as I started using Pandora. George Michael AND Elton John together. Enough said.

The choir in heaven has received yet another beautiful voice. RIP George Michael thanks for the memories and being an integral part to the soundtrack of my life.

FAVORITE PIC FROM THE CAMERA:

 

QUOTES:

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Happy Homemaker Monday 12.20.16 Tuesday’s Edition

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Good Evening!!  This is my Tuesday edition, since I was working with the boys to finish their semester until 10:30 p.m. on Monday.  I don’t have honor roll students here, but they finished and they passed all their classes!!  Being a new school for all of us, I am very pleased with that.  But next semester, we hit it hard and end strong!!  Looking so forward to my three weeks off, but don’t know when I’ll get a chance to actually relax.  It’s that time of year!!  The twins are having their annual hot chocolate get together with their friends tonight.  That’s where she makes home made hot chocolate, and they have snacks and just hang out, always a fun time.  Hope everyone has a great week!!

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

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LOL CHUCKLES AND GIGGLES:

RECIPE I WANT TO TRY:

This just looks delicious!!  I love cherry cheesecake, and wrap it in some chocolate!! Yes please!!

 

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN: 

I just saw that our library is starting an Adult Coloring Club every Thursday night.  Definitely something I am going to check out!!

Last weekend we went to The Living Christmas Tree at our church.  They put on this production every two years.  This was the third time I have gone.  This is a fairly small church, but this production is pretty awesome.  When I was younger I took piano lessons from a lady named Mrs. Allen.  Her husband was the original Pastor of this church.  Now it is Pastored by Paul Vale, her son-in-law and her daughter Suzie.  Mrs. Allen was such an awesome lady, so friendly, and soft spoken, and a great piano and voice teacher.  Sadly, Mrs. Allen passed away over the summer.  So this year’s Living Christmas Tree was dedicated to her.  It’s her children that put this production on.  The first part of the show is a little play.  This year’s theme was Home for Christmas.  So the story was lead by her daughter Suzie, her son-in-law Paul, and son Scott.  It was a story about a family going back to the home that they all grew up in.  The house is for sale, but they spend one more Christmas in it together reminiscing.  I have to tell you, I do not know how they did it, because by the end, I had tears in my eyes just knowing Mrs. Allen and how much she loved her family.  But it was so beautifully done.  It was a story that everyone could relate too, but had such a deeper meaning for them.  The story had some funny parts in it and songs to really bring it to life.  The second half of show is where the choir stands in the huge lighted Christmas tree and sings Christmas carols, and this is directed by Mrs. Allen’s other daughter, Sally.

Here is a picture of what it actually looks like the picture on the left is with the singers in it during the performance, and the one on the right is what the structure looks like after the show.

At one point they sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic for all the service men and women serving in the military, and the lights flashed red white and blue, that was really good.

Here is a video of another song that they did.

 

FAVORITE VIDEO FROM THE WEB:

 

FAVORITE PIC FROM THE CAMERA:

 

QUOTES:

 

 

Happy Homemaker Monday 12.12.16

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Good Afternoon!!  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!  Our decorations are all up, and we had a wonderful winter storm this weekend, leaving everything covered in a blanket of white.  But with that we have some frigid weather coming our way.  But the snow was pretty coming down, and always gets me in the mood for the holidays.  Enjoy your week ahead!!

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

 weather1212

 

LOL CHUCKLES AND GIGGLES:

 

  

RECIPE I WANT TO TRY:

These are just adorable, and easy too!!

 

  

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN/SPECIAL TRIPS: 

On Friday, we took a little trip to Lafayette, Indiana to Purdue University.  Every year they hold an online art contest for high school students nationwide.  Out of 800 submissions, one of Elijah’s photos was chosen for this exhibit.  So he was invited to the Open House and Award Ceremony that was held at the Patti & Rusty Rueff Galleries in the Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual & Performing Arts building on the campus of Purdue University.  Elijah did not receive an award, but just being chosen out of 800 submissions is a pretty big deal.  This is the third year that they held this contest.  The building and the gallery was very nice.  Being that it was an online competition, they had a section of the gallery cleared out and the submissions were projected onto the wall of the gallery as the exhibit.  They did have a half wall constructed with the event name, and all the artists listed on it, which was pretty cool.  You can see Elijah here:

I shared this pic on another post, but this is the photo that was entered:

Ben to the 7th Power

They had these really cool sculptures on the outside of the building, with this huge open area with concrete benches lined up along a brick-laid courtyard type-deal.

It took us about an hour and a half to get there, but the trip was nice.  I enjoyed driving around the college town, and seeing the beautiful architecture of some of the frat houses as well as the neighboring areas.  The houses were old and beautiful.

We have been doing school work on the weekends, which has been a bit of a bummer, and something the boys aren’t used to, but they have been knocking it out.  So we took our break and made the trek out to see the reindeer in town on Saturday.  It was fa-reezing!!  But they are adorable.

Sunday, we went to the Living Christmas Tree at the church we attend.  I will write about that in an upcoming post.

 

FAVORITE VIDEO FROM THE WEB:

A friend of mine shared this on FB with this introduction. A beautiful introduction to a beautiful song, and one of my favorites too!!

May we all find some “light” this holiday season and feel its warmth deep in our souls. Deep enough to be the better version we all want to be, and that the people around us, family and strangers, so badly need us to be.

May it start with this version of one of my favorite songs, made into a Christmas song.

“He came to rescue me, Hallelujah!”

 

Love this!! Just watch.

 

FAVORITE PIC FROM THE CAMERA:

Olivia found this idea on Pinterest, and recreated it in our kitchen.  It was done on a white fridge, but we live in the Midwest, our snow doesn’t stay white for long, lol.  Is it Frosty? Or De-Frosty?

QUOTES:

 

Happy Homemaker Monday 12.05.16

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Good Evening.  Very late post, but it’s been a busy, busy weekend, and we had our first snowfall!!  Couple of inches too, it was absolutely beautiful!!  We are in the end of semester crunch right now, working diligently to get everything done for school.  In the midst of that, also putting up holiday decorations when we can.  I thoroughly enjoyed shampooing the carpets, they turned out very nice too.  Still need to do the stairs yet, and the couch.  Getting these projects checked off my list here and there, so that I make Santa’s nice list this year 😀

Hope everyone is doing well.  Have a wonderful week!!

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

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LOL CHUCKLES AND GIGGLES:

 

 RECIPE I TRIED AND ONE I WANT TO TRY:

So I did try the Chicken Tamale Pie.  I didn’t make mine in a skillet, so it was more like a casserole.  My little food critic liked it, Liv and Elijah weren’t all that impressed with it, and I wasn’t either.  It isn’t horrible, and it is easy to make, so we’ll see if I make that one again.

What I’d like to try…Hot Chocolate Float…yes please!!

 

 HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN: 

We went to the Illuminated Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday night.  Met my sister, her husband, my nephew and his fiancé, and my Aunt out there.  It was pretty cold. But it is unbelievable at the amount of people that come out for it.  The floats seem to be getting better.  There are a few traditional floats of local businesses, the school band but the majority of them are these illuminated structures (thus the name).

It ends with Mr. and Mrs. Claus pulled by real reindeer (who are adorable, the reindeer that is).  Mr. and Mrs. Claus then greet people after the parade at our City Hall.  This year there was a bit of a surprise.  Our entire City Hall was covered in lights, and when our Mayor hit the switch and it was amazing!!  Taking a picture doesn’t do it justice, and it’s hard to time it with the switching of colors, so I took video of it instead.  Me and the boys went out on Sunday while it was snowing to get some good pictures.

This is the tree in front of city hall.

My Uncle is the event planner for our town.  This corner of town was decorated by him.  Yep, that Santa is huge!!  He comes into down laying on a flat bed truck, lol.  They just built this little stage where they hold concerts in the summer.  I thought this would be a great place to take family Christmas pics, nudging my daughter to get out there with her brothers.

 

During the parade one of our local mascots was walking around, so Ben took a pic with him, he’s so cute.

These are the trees around a Veteran’s Memorial that is in front of the school.  They hold special services here for Memorial Day and Veterans Day with the local American Legion.

Our Mayor has done so much for this town, and he keeps going.  Growing up, we didn’t have half these things going on.  As teenagers my friends and I couldn’t wait to get out of this small town.  But I have to say, I’m really happy to be back.

 

FAVORITE VIDEO FROM THE WEB:

Love this.  Just goes to show, behind every great man, there’s an awesome woman.

 

FAVORITE PIC FROM THE CAMERA:

First snow fall brought out my adorable snowman, Frostbite.  My kids surprised me with him 6 years ago.  (Yes, I still need to get the patio furniture in the garage) 😦

 

More Lights

 

QUOTES: