Getting out in front of it!

I have made a real effort this year to get out in front of Christmas.  Meaning not waiting to the last minute (for once) and making December a month for enjoyment.  I was so uplifted to read this post about just that idea!  November was a busy month filled with planning, parties, and sickness for my whole family.  High and low moments for sure.  Here's a quick recap.

My husband turned 30 the week before Thanksgiving, and we enjoyed a fun morning at the park with a (thankfully) healthy Amelia.

I can't believe he's 30!  I know it's still young, but I've been dating my husband since we were 16 and it's just amazing to me how quickly the years have flown.

I sent him out that afternoon so I could work my trickery.  He was pleasantly surprised to come home to family and friends!  I even found his college roomie who he hadn't seen in over 6 years.  Score one for me!  He truly deserved to feel loved and blessed, and I'm so happy he had fun.

Dirty 30 Pudding cups!  Thank you, Pinterest.

A collage of pics on the front door to greet him.

Another Pinterest score!  Had to make it my own with these delicious organic pops!

Thanksgiving!  Mission accomplished.  If you read about my fear of cooking a large, dead, naked bird you will be pleased that we succeeded in roasting it to a golden brown.  I'm not ashamed to say that I hid in the other room while my husband prepped it.  I was just relieved to shove it in the oven!  But, man, it was delicious.  Well worth my fretting.

We had a lovely holiday weekend with my in-laws.  Amelia was content to check out the Black Friday ads and build play-doh every morning.  

I have a few more Christmas goals to mark off my list before December rolls in next week.  

• Complete decorating the house
• Get Christmas tree next weekend (if available from our favorite church)
• Buy stocking stuffers
• Wrap Christmas gifts 
• Mail gifts 

That sounds like a tall order, right?  I'm just relieved to have the major shopping completed (I love you, internets) so I can stay out of the malls and not suffer from a case of Want-itis this year.  It's challenging not to impulse shop for everyone right until the last frenzied moment.

We are working hard on baby step 2 and are getting close to getting that credit card down to a $0 balance - hooray!

What are you goals this week?

"It was once..... ALIVE!"

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!  I hope you've got a feast of plenty in your future and lots of time with friends and family.

This is the first year I will be hosting Thanksgiving, and the FIRST time roasting a turkey.  Needless to say I am afraid.  Very afraid.

I bought the turkey last week and have been mildly obsessing about it since.

I shoved him to the back of the fridge in hopes he wouldn't ask me for a drink or a snack.

(Don't judge me by the copious amounts of beer in my fridge.  We just celebrated my husband's 30th birthday, more on that later!)

Am I the only person afraid of 18 pounds of dead bird just sitting in my fridge?!?  Maybe I'll be okay once he's roasting.  But, we're about to get pretty personal... and let's just say... I'm on edge.

Thankfully, my husband and mother-in-law will be available to wrestle the "thing" into the oven.  I'm just more of a baker and sides individual.  No harm in that, right?

Here is the recipe I'll be following for the turkey.  I was smart to assign everyone a dish, so I'm only doing stuffing and cranberry sauce.  Don't want to bite off more than I can... ahem.... chew.

It's also helped to keep us on somewhat of a budget, although it's challenging whenever a holiday meal presents itself.  I was thankful for my binder of coupons this week as I stocked our cabinets.  It's a really smart time of year to stock up on baking goods, chicken stock, canned fruits and veggies, and delicious in season produce.  You know you'll use it (or donate it) so shop smart and strategically now.

What are your turkey day plans?