Corduroy!

As a child, I loved two things. 1. My mommy reading to me. 2. Stuffed animals. And one of my favorite book was Corduroy. A delightful little story about a Teddy bear in a big toy store who has been passed by time after time because he was missing a button on his overalls. But one day, Corduroy went on a search for his button. After a crazy night of searching, Corduroy wakes up to a little girl wanting to take him home. She fixes his button and tells him that she loves him just the way he is.
I must have made my mom read that book to me a thousand times, and one year for my birthday I begged my mom to get me a Corduroy bear. She wasn't able to find the same bear but bought me a brown bear with a sweater and I named him after the book. I still have him on my bed today.
   Well, I was closing down at my store the other night when my cashier sees a bear hanging from a peg and hands it to me. I look down at this adorable little bear and realise....its Corduroy!!! A real Corduroy bear, overall and everything!!

The next day Michael brought him home for me!!

Payback?

All I normally hear from my family now when we get together is "why haven't you been blogging?? Just do it, its fuuuuun!" Well, I have been checking your blogs every day sisters!!! And nothing!! So I ask you, is it payback for my 'seasonal' blogging?

Valentine's Day success!

I'm not normally the type of girl to go crazy over V-day. Its just another day. Why should your love for another person be wrapped up in this one day? Isn't love about loving the little day to day stuff? Well, this is my second Valentine's day with my man and we had to start out day out by working. Very busy day too, lots of husbands doing last minute V-day runs. Half way through the morning Michael comes to me and says that somebody trashed my desk and I had better go look at it. In a fit of anger at people trashing my desk I go to the back to find 12 beautiful red rose's from Michael.

Awww, and that's whats fun about Valentine's day!!!

My treat to Micheal was making home made chocolate dipped strawberries. Very easy, very delicious.....very addicting!

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Winterhaven Tinkle Time

As the holiday season roles in once again, so do fun family outings that make Christmas so special!!! This year, I was invited by my oldest sister Kelly, my awesome brother-on-law Joshua and my adorable niece Isabel to visit Winterhaven's magical lighted neighborhood. I went with my amazing boyfriend as well and we decided it would be a great idea to stop by Starbucks first to get a nice warm drink before being outside all night. Well, it didn't quite happen that way. I tend to find myself a creature of habit especially when it comes to Starbucks; Cinnamon dulce frapp with extra coffee and no whip. Simple!!! But also cold. So, I consume this delightful beverage before we arrive in winterhaven. We park, excitedly jump out of the car hearing baby Isabel scream "lights! Lights! T Em! Mike! Lights!" But as soon as we started walking...it happened! I had to pee. This is not something a person who gates port a potties. We started walking snd the first thing we see is a port a potty an instead of stopping I decide I can wait. But as we kept walking though the neighborhood, we came across this house that aa doing an amazing, get this, water show!!!! And my lovely boyfriend thought it would be a great idea to mention that we were in fact standing in front of alot of gushing water. After hearing all that I decided to search fire a potty, and we found one. Let me paint u a picture of how this one was set up. The port a potty was put right on the side of the road, undetneath a HUGE light post so that EVERYBODY could see, and about 25 people standing right in front of the door. My worst nightmare. I was reminded of a dream I once had where I was at church and the only available toilet was in the middle of the foyer. Horrifying.
I overcame my fear that night, not forever, just that once though. The rest of the evening after that was magical, being with family; the people I love. That is what Christmas is all about, having to pee just makes its more exciting!

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Tis' The Season!

"Here mimi, I help you!" Said the adorable two year old named Isabel.

Everybody in my family knows how big I am on holiday tradition. So I was thrilled to be invited over by my mother to help decorate her (very fake) tree. And normally I would throw a FIT if there was no real tree...oh wait a minute, I did. :) But the fake tree my Mom chose was beautiful! And so, with Isabels exited and helpful hands, we decorated the tree and ya know, it might be the prettiest one yet!

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So Many Choices!

Hmmmmm?

TaDA!

Muffins!

 After moving out on my own I discovered a lover for baking.  I'm not sure why.  Growing up I never had a desire to bake, cook or do anything in the kitchen except sneak crackers when nobody was looking.  I found that food always tasted better when prepared by the loving hands of my mother.
  But when you move out, you don't come home to the smell of fresh made brownies, or leftovers in the fridge without having to prepare it in the first place. You don't have the opportunity to bat your eyelashes and say,
              "...but you’re my favorite mommy, and you make it so good!" I tried urging my mother.
But nope! You just have yourself, or Starbucks pastries when the occasion calls for it.  So I took on muffins. I started with a simple Banana muffin first. Turned out ok. Then I tried again.  I got better.  Then my confidence started growing and began tip-toeing out of my comfort zone.  I did Pumpkin Pancakes with an Apple Cider Syrup! I even did Pot Roast!  But my most recent experiment was so that I could take something to "Iron Chef Secret Ingredient: Almonds" Day.  I scoured Allrecipes.com and found one that sounded delightful!!  Pumpkin Cream Cheese filled Muffins with a Butter Pecan and Almond Crumble topping. Yeah! That's right! I choose that!! 
   Now, pretty much everything I've been baking with has involved Pumpkin. Some may think it's because I like Pumpkin, but not. In fact, I'm really not the biggest fan of it.  But to me, Pumpkin means Holidays! It means the seasons changing, the weather cooling off and the wind kicking up...blowing reddish yellow leaves around.  It means holiday movies full of family values; The Walton marathons; Miracle on

34th Street

on Thanksgiving night and Family Channel classics like The Christmas list. It means tradition; my family coming together.  And as my family knows...these things are very important to me.  I must be in the spirit.
   Not only does my baking help prepare me for the holidays, it relaxes me. And I enjoy it!! Who knows...maybe one day I'll be a famous Muffin Maker!!

Lalaloopsy!

  When I was younger, (and when I say younger I of course mean a couple of years ago) I had some difficulty finding the right words to say.  I knew what I waned to say, but somehow that ONE WORD that made the whole sentence have a point was always the one that got trapped in my brain and refused to come out!  So, to compensate this issue I created a new word!

                Wooie
 Seems simple right? Maybe a little silly.  But it caught on and spread like wildfire through my family. Everything was Wooie. Though as the years passes, so did wooie. Its uses became less and less frequent and only uttered when my parents really get stuck with their words.  I had grown out of Wooie.

  Retail can be draining, especially around the holidays and for me that can get extreme.  so we have to find joy in the little things as they spring our way.  Recently I was helping this adorable young mother find the right doll for her daughters Christmas gift.  She was looking for a certain Lalaloopsy doll.      Right?! that's what I said!   She assured me it was "the next big thing!!". But she didn't realize there were about 10 different versions of this doll and had stupidly bought the one with the elephant when the kitty was the most 'popular' one.  She handed the doll over to me and as I looked at it, I fell in love!!  It was adorable!
  Now, for anybody who has seen the movie Coraline, that's what this doll look like. Big button eyes, sewn together and on the very last stitch, LaLaLoopsy came to life!!!
  I wanted one.  I told people I wanted one reassuring them after that I was joking of course.  But it was true, I wanted one.
  So the next day work was just as crazy and stressful as normal, not to mention the fact that I had back to back interview all morning as well. During one of my trips through the hallways with an applicant, my fabulous boyfriend, Michael, as me a strange question, " Purple or Orange?"    Purple of course.  In the next passing, "Elephant or Owl?"  Elephants...they're kinda purple.  I thought nothing of these questions as the day went on until Michael excitedly pulled me aside and presented me with my very own Lalaloopsy doll called Peanut Big Top; the prankster with purple hair and an elephant. I was thrilled!!!
  It made my day. Not only did I get my doll, but I also discovered a new word to bring happiness and joy to millions, just like Wooie did!!!!
              LaLaLoopsy.
 Whenever you are sad, lonely and think work just can't get any worse....just say it. Say it and you will smile and giggle to yourself, or maybe even out loud so that people look at you strange. But just try it and see.

                                                         LaLaLoopsy :)