Cool People Care

This is something I need in my home! Buy it here for only $15. And go check out Cool People Care. We need more of this at this {and every} time of the year.

{Via Kerflop.}

Look For Pie In Your Path

As a big believer in miracles and that God is mindful of each of us individually, I got downright giddy {and teary} last night when I read Maya a story from the life history of Louisa Mellor Clark. Louisa was a pioneer woman who, with her family, crossed the plains in a handcart company in 1856.

Her mother was ill before the trip even began. And, of course, on such a difficult journey, her health only became worse. They had very little food, it was cold - conditions were miserable. At one point in the journey, Louisa's mom sat down on a rock and said that she couldn't continue on. The handcart company had no choice but to go on without her, but Louisa stayed behind with her mother. After watching their traveling companions disappear into the distance, Louisa left her mother and walked down a path a little ways away to say a prayer. She prayed for their protection. She prayed that her mother would have the strength to carry on with the journey.

After a few minutes, Louisa started back up the path from which she had come. And there in the path sat a perfectly made pie. In the middle of the road. In the middle of nowhere. Louisa snatched it up and took it to her astonished mother. They both knew it was a miracle. Her mother ate the pie and decided that they should carry on with their journey. They soon met up with her father, who had come back to look for them. They rejoined their party and eventually made it to their destination.

I LOVE love love this story. First of all, because I absolutely believe it happened. 100 percent. Because I believe in miracles. And even though God might not put literal pies in our path, he most certainly puts figurative pies in our path. All the time. The little things that bring us comfort and joy in our days. The big things the protect us and sustain us. These are all "pies" from God. Created just for you. Because He knows you. He knows what you're up to. He knows what you need. And he'll provide it for you.

So watch for pies in your path. If you're looking for them, you'll most definitely see them. {And don't forget to say "thanks" for them!}

{Read the story here.}

Holiday Eating Tips

'Tis the season! Holiday goodies are everywhere! Jori sent me these fabulous tips last year and I thought they were worth passing on...

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. it's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.


8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?


9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.


10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

More Cheap-Chic

I recently picked up a couple of these monogrammed mugs at Anthropologie to give as thank-you gifts and I'm thinking they'd make a great little Christmas gift! Who wouldn't want one of these? First of all, a mug of your very own! Second, anything received in an Anthropologie box is automatically fabulous. Best of all? They're only $6 bucks! Fill them up with candy or hot chocolate mix or a small gift - or give them as-is. I guarantee all your friends will love 'em!

25 Days of Christmas Activities

You must go see the 25 Days of Christmas Advent Envelopes over at A Peek Inside the Fish Bowl. She makes her envelopes, which looks beyond my skills set. But you could print the ideas and put them in a ready-made advent calendar. Or if you're spontaneous, print them up and throw them in a jar - pull one out for a different Christmas adventure every day.

See the full instructions here. Here are her activity ideas:

1. Make paper snowflakes and decorate the windows
2. Buy a gift for a family in need via World Vision
3. Paint everyone’s toenails
4. Buy a toy and bring it to Toy Mountain
5. Pick some puppets and mum will make up a bedtime story
6. Pick out a really nice Christmas tree (but don’t squish any elves that may be hiding in the branches!)
7. Decorate the tree and drink eggnog
8. Go to Upper Canada Village to see Lights at Night
9. It’s family game night!
10. Make a paper chain for the tree
11. Dance and sing to Christmas music
12. Candlelit bubble bath
13. Make Christmas cards for family and friends
14. Is the sky clear? Get out the telescope for some star gazing, if not, go for a nighttime walk with your lanterns.
15. Let’s go ice skating today!
16. Bake a batch of Christmas cookies.
17. Bake another batch of Christmas cookies and share with neighbors.
18. Fancy dress for dinnertime
19. Make a list of ten things you are thankful for. Hang it where you can see it every day.
20. Make and hang edible gifts for the birds and squirrels.
21. Watch a Christmas movie in the fold out bed!
22. Breakfast in bed!
23. Check out the Christmas lights downtown. Don’t forget the hot chocolate!
24. Unwrap one present after dinner (mum and dad get to pick which one)
25. It’s Christmas Day. Remember you have a family who loves you. And that’s the most important gift of all.

{Via Kerflop.}

Ornament Swap

I know I'm not the only who gets downright giddy when one of these arrives unexpectedly on your door:

Yeah, baby! I was *so* doing the happy dance. And inside? This lovely ornament! It's gorgeous! Thanks Tara! I absolutely love it.

And thanks, Jori, for organizing the swap! Swapping rocks.

Martha's Holiday Calendar

December 1: Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey. Spray paint gold, turn upside down and use as a sleigh to hold Christmas cards.
December 2: Have Mormon Tabernacle choir record outgoing Christmas message for answering machine.
December 3: Using candlewick and hand-gilded miniature pine cones, fashion cat-o-nine tails. Flog gardener.
December 4: Repaint Sistine chapel ceiling in ecru with mocha trim.
December 5: Get new eyeglasses. Grind lenses myself.
December 6: Fax family Christmas newsletter to Pulitzer committee for consideration. December 7: Debug Windows.
December 8: Decorate homegrown Christmas tree with scented candles handmade with beeswax from my backyard bee colony.
December 9: Record own Christmas album complete with 4 part harmony and all instrument accompaniment performed by myself. Mail to all my friends and loved ones.
December 10: Align carpets to adjust for curvature of Earth.
December 11: Lay Faberge egg.
December 12: Erect ice skating rink in front yard using spring water I bottled myself. Open for neighborhood children's use. Create festive mood by hand-making snow and playing my Christmas album.
December 13: Collect dentures. They make excellent pastry cutters, particularly for decorative pie crusts.
December 14: Install plumbing in gingerbread house.
December 15: Replace air in mini-van tires with Glade "holiday scents" in case tires are shot out at mall.
December 17: Child proof the Christmas tree with garland of razor wire.
December 19: Adjust legs of chairs so each Christmas dinner guest will be same height when sitting at his or her assigned seat.
December 20: Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in confectioner's sugar to add a festive sparkle to the pasture.
December 21: Drain city reservoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
December 22: Float votive candles in toilet tank.
December 23: Seed clouds for white Christmas.
December 24: Do my annual good deed. Go to several stores. Be seen engaged in last minute Christmas shopping, thus making many people feel less inadequate than they really are. December 25: Ready a color-coordinated manger scented with homemade potpourri.
December 26: Organize spice racks by genus and phylum.
December 28: Take dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble.
December 29: Release flock of white doves, each individually decorated with olive branches, to signify desire for world peace.
December 31: New Year's Eve! Give staff their resolutions. Call a friend in each> > time zone of the world as the clock strikes midnight in that country.

{I wish I knew who to give credit for this hilarious lil' number. I'd like to shake their hand. My super-funny Aunt Val sent it to me back in 2001 and it has been bringing me Christmas Joy ever since.}

Christmas Quiz

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or artificial? Fakey fake fake!!!
3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day
5. Do you like eggnog? LIKE eggnog? There is no like. I LOVE me some eggnog.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Allison Karlene, my first Cabbage Patch Doll (age 5)
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Several - all kid-friendly
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Mom. She has everything!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My kids. They WANT everything. {And I want them to have everything!}
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm. I'd say a sparkly hot pink mini-dress from one of my HS friends. She's the queen of "scratch your head" gifts. {Still is, I hear, although thankfully, we haven't exchanged more than cards for years now...}
11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I guess I prefer the mail - something tangible to hold onto is nice. But I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em! I love Christmas cards.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Nora's Christmas Gift
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Late September/Early October. But very casually.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Most likely so!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I've never met a Christmas treat and/or meal that I didn't like. Except fruitcake. Keep fruits and vegetables out of my baked goods!
16 Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear on the tree, but the old school colored lights on the house!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Here again, I'm more than happy to blast pretty much any Christmas tune. "A Baby Just Like You" by John Denver holds special significance for me, though.
18 Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home, stay home, stay home! I DO NOT travel for Christmas. I can't imagine anything I'd like to do less.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen {and Rudolph?}
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. In fact, Maya asked me today why we put a star on top of the tree, and I got to tell her all about the Star of Bethlehem. {And I think she even listened! She actually seemed interested.}
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One traditional present on Christmas Eve {new PJ's} and the rest on Christmas.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Crowds and traffic.
23. Favorite Christmas tradition? The Mason Family Pajama Race. We get new PJ's on Christmas Eve every year, followed by a race to change into your jammies. I warn you not to come by during the pajama race unless you want a peepshow courtesy of my Mama. That woman has no shame and will do anything to win.
24. Up early or sleeping in? Up EARLY!!! Even before there were kids in the picture, I'd have everyone up and at 'em by 5am at the latest.
25. Who hands out the gifts? ME! That would be me. And don't think you're going to do it, because you're not. I hand out the gifts. Period. Unless we're at Chris' house. In which case no one wants to do it and his brother Sam eventually gets dumped with the "honors".
26. Does Santa wrap your gifts? No. Gifts from the family are wrapped, but nothing from Santa {including the contents of the stockings} are wrapped.
27. Do you tell the Christmas story? Yes, on Christmas Eve. I think we're going to need to start acting it out one of these years.
28. Do you leave cookies for Santa? Of course! Cookies and milk! And a note. And Santa writes back. And we keep all the letters {along with our Christmas photo/letter from that year} in our "Nativity Box" so we can look back from year to year.

Alrighty, then. Let's hear all about Christmas at YOUR house. Tag. You're it!

We Whisk You a Merry Kissmas

Tip Junkie always tickles me with her clever ideas. Her 24 Quick & Cheap Gifts are fantastic. I particularly love the Hershey's Kiss-filled whisk. "We whisk you a Merry Kissmas" indeed! That's so Cottam, right there. I'm all over it.

Snuggle Up With a Cheap & Cute Gift Idea

I picked up a couple of these Performance Fleece blankets today at Old Navy. They're all rolled up and tied with a red ribbon - perfect for slipping some popcorn and hot chocolate packets and maybe a movie rental gift card into for a cozy little gift. They're only $10 bucks and come in several cute patterns.

{Of course, I'm partial to the black & white. It's an obsession of mine right now!}

"Celebrate Someone or Something Every Day..."

I love Erin Condren Designs. I love their colorful designs. I love their unique layouts. I love their attention to details. I really love their slogan: "Celebrate someone or something every day". {Yet another excellent contender for a 2008 theme - we may have to go to monthly themes, I'm feeling so inspired this year.}

Speaking of inspired, don't be surprised if you see a little bit o' Erin Condren in my Christmas Card design this year. I think the designs are fabulous. Here are a few of my favorites...

{Do browse the website for all sorts of fun personalized things - from "call me" cards to giftwrap to calendars.}

All Growed Up

Just when you thought he couldn't get any handsomer, Chris goes and gets his braces off! Mercy me, those are some good lookin' pearly whites!

Worth every penny!

{But now that he has to retire "Oh, you've got the metal ones? Mine are the clear kind." from his list of conversation starters, how will he ever manage to stay hip with the young folk?}

The Journey Is The Reward

I love this necklace, inscribed with "The journey is the reward". What a fabulous thought - there's another contender for my 2008 theme, right there! It would be handy to have it hanging around my neck as a reminder.

{Get it here.}

You Had Me At "Judy Garlands"

Any product called "Judy Garlands" is welcome in my house! These are darn cute, too. Choose tree or mitten {my favorite} design.

Gap Goes Crazy {Stripes}

If you knew me 10 or 12 years ago, you have probably seen me in my crazy stripes sweater. It was a favorite of mine in my late teens and early 20s. A very favorite. A "signature piece", I'd even say. So I was somewhat amused when I saw that Gap was bringing the crazy stripes back for another go 'round. I wasn't planning to buy the new version. Been there, done that. But now I see that they're sold out online. And I hear they're flying off store shelves. Which somehow makes me want it more. I'm weird like that.

{There's a whole bunch o' stuff in the line - babies, kids, men's, accessories - even a crazy stripe Vespa! Check it all out here.}

Laundry Woes {And Woah's!}

Does anyone else wonder why I blog about laundry so much? Maybe if I blogged less and did laundry more, I wouldn't have the problems that I do. But. Here we are. I just finished sorting an enormous pile of laundry{laundry that has been sitting for weeks or more on my bedroom couch}, according to it's owner. I don't know why I did this. Perhaps it's just the perfect opportunity to shuffle the laundry around some more, but not actually DO anything with it. Perhaps I needed to find out who is the main laundry culprit in this family. As if I needed to ask. Of course, the girl's pile almost reached the ceiling. I'd expect nothing less of Miss Change Her Clothes Twelve Times A Day. But what did surprise me is how large my hubby's pile was. I didn't know he was in on the conspiracy. I was also surprised to find my exercise clothes in the pile. Which means I work out more often than I give myself credit for {Not so.} or that pile has been sitting there gestating for several weeks now. Laundry depresses me. But. The piles don't magically disappear if you leave them there long enough. {I was really, really hoping...} So today I head to laundry rehab. I will wash, I will dry, I will fold, I will {this is key!} put away. Today. I will. I really will.

{I really hope I will...}

Happy Birthday, Honey Bun!

Please join me in wishing a happy, happy birthday to one of the greatest guys on the planet: my adorable hubby Chris, the original 100% Cottam. I wish I had a pic of him when he was a lil' boy so you could see that he's always looked like this: always the freckle-faced, huge-smile, mischievous-twinkle-in-his-eye Chris. Everyone who knows Chris loves Chris. And it's easy to see why. Here are some reasons I think he's the best:

• He's always up for an adventure.
• He has big {HUGE} dreams.
• He keeps things exciting - even the little things.
• He has a crazy sense of humor and will do {or eat} almost anything for a laugh.
• He's extremely friendly and kind.
• He loves to be in the thick of whatever is going on.
• He's a great sport.
• He always looks for the good in everyone and never sees the bad.
• He finds the fun in every situation, even the un-fun situations.
• He's an amazing Daddy.
• He's the perfect partner in crime.

I consider myself very lucky to have had Chris in my life for over 10 years now - very lucky, indeed. {In fact, his birthday also marks the 10-year anniversary of our engagement - almost to the day!} Happy, happy birthday, babe! Keep dreaming big!

25 Days of Christmas {Movies}

ABC Family is smack-dab in the middle of their countdown to the 25 Days of Christmas - Christmas movies every day! They're showing lots of good ones - get the full schedule here. I'll be setting my DVR so my kids have lots o' good shows to watch while I'm busy wrapping, baking and, hopefully, sometime in this life, folding laundry! :)

One For Him, Two For Her

Is it just me, or are girls a lot easier to buy for than boys are? {And not just little boys! Grown-up boys are just as bad!} I think there's a serious lack of toys for boys in the reasonably priced range - everything is expensive! {Again, grown-up boys included!} So, as usual, for every one suitable gift I find for Mason, I find 2 for Maya. Here are a couple of additions to their Christmas lists...

I think Mase would really dig the Little People Fun Park. Of course, I missed it when it was on sale for $14.99, but it's still early...I have faith another sale will come around.

Maya hasn't even seen the movie yet, but she saw the Enchanted Fairytale Wedding Giselle Doll and has been begging for it already.

Of course, she wants the Enchanted Fairytale Wedding Robert Doll to go along with Giselle. What's a princess without a prince, after all? {Oh my, when did she turn into a princess??? This time last year she was gung ho for Buzz Lightyear. What has happened?}

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

Thankful For: 2 fabulous brothers. Who are goofballs. Who are lots 'o fun.

Thankful For: My 2 boys. Thankful that they look and act so {SO} much alike. They are definitely related.

Thankful For: A boy who parties 'til he drops. For a boy who loves to suck on his finger and snuggle his blankie. For a boy who is so {SO!} very kissable.

Thankful For: A hubby who's willing to Deck the Halls while I take a nap. My, it looks pretty!

Thankful For: The funniest kids in the universe, who get so {SO!} excited about the little things and remind me to stop and enjoy them.

Thankful For: A boy who thinks he's hilarious, and a girl who has already perfected the "Moooom! That is, like, so {SO!} stupid!" look. And she's only 4.

File Folders For Procrastinators

I'm going to see about shoving my clean laundry into the "Really, Never!" folder, since it's been sitting in a pile on the couch for a solid week now. Mercy me. I need to get on top of my game.

I really do want these folders. I think they're quite hilarious.

{Via The Rach.}

I Like Traditions

In fact, I'm willing to stand out in the cold and rain for the sake of tradition. Which I did today.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Austin holds it's Children Giving To Children Parade. That is NOT our parade pictured above. It's much more po-dunk and charming than that. {Plus, Time's Square isn't in Austin. Didn't you know that?} Everyone brings toys for "Blue Santa" and the kids get to walk out into the parade to put their toys into Santa's Sleigh {or one of his collection trucks, as the case may be}. We go every year. This was to be our 4th year. I was insisting up on it.

Even though the temperature has literally dropped 40 degrees {from the 80s to the 40s} in the last couple of days. Even though we were having torrential winds and downpours of rain. The parade goes on, rain or shine. And we were going. Rain or shine.

Even though my kids don't have coats. And we don't own umbrellas. A quick trip to Target in the pouring rain and $100 {$100!!! How much do umbrellas cost?!} later we had 2 jackets + 3 umbrellas + 2 pair of gloves + 2 very important bags of Skittles. We were going!

Even though Chris was running late and had to meet us there, so I had to maneuver through sheets of rain, Mason in his stroller, Maya manning her own hot-pink umbrella, 2 gigantic toys in tow, along with a thermos of hot water and all the fixings for hot chocolate, all while carrying the worlds largest umbrella. {Which must have made up the bulk of my impromptu $100 trip to Target, it was that huge. And I've got to learn to read price tags before throwing things into my cart.}

But.

Even though we were all frozen to the bone and shivering and blue half way through, I was happy we went. Even though Mason's lil' lip was quivering and Maya was alternating hollering about being so cold we had to leave, but wait, let's just see one more float, and I left with a horrendous headache, I'm so happy we made the effort.

Because it's a tradition. And, as I told Maya as we slogged through the blinding {really!} rain, we don't miss the parade! And we're going next year. Rain or shine.

"Your Life Is An Occasion - Rise To It!"

We caught Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emproium to cap off our Thanksgiving festivities {which included gorging ourselves all day long, a "friendly" family turkey bowl, and LOTS o' karaoke, my specialty!}. It was a cute lil' movie. Mr. Magorium was a lovable guy, and full of all sorts of wisdom, including the title of this post, which is bound to become my theme for 2008 {watch for it!}. Another favorite: when asked if they were going on an adventure, Mr. Magorium replied "We already are!". And we are, aren't we?

Up, up and away. I'm off to rise to the occasion. {And by that I mean crash for the evening. I've got to rest up for my shopping extravaganza.}

{Photo via the fabulous Ali.}

So Much To Be Thankful For...

"Through gratitude, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love."
~ Bonnie D. Parkin

Happy, happy Thanksgiving! I love taking a day to reflect on the things that I'm most grateful for, because all of our blessings truly are "...messages of God's love.". A few of those "messages" I'm especially grateful for...

• A hubby who "gets" me and supports me and loves me and cracks me up.
• Kids who are such treasures and truly teach me more than I teach them.
• Parents who love me and taught me to love myself and to be myself.
• Extended family that teaches me and amuses me and makes me feel like I'm part of something special and important.
• Faith that brings me peace and joy every day of my life.
• Friends who are there to listen, advise and make me laugh. I have an amazing support system of women in my life that I couldn't live without.
• The opportunity each day to live and enjoy this amazing life.

Hope you have a moment to count your blessings, big and small, today. Happy Thanksgiving!

In My Dreams...

My Mama and I spent a little while poking around Anthropologie this morning. It's always such a depressing experience. Everything is so beautiful. And SO my style. And SO expensive. If I had the money to spend, I could do some major damage at Anthropologie. Instead I seek out inspiration at Anthropologie and do my best to replicate looks using a Target and Forever 21 budget.

Some things, though, you just can't replicate. I'll never find a coat like this at Target. This is the coat of my dreams: the Everett Climb Parka. In my dreams, you know, because I'm all about climbing mountains. But even if I wasn't, the winter temperatures in central Texas really necessitate a "parka". {And every good parka has 3/4-length sleeves, right?!}

{Get it here. But if you do, don't tell me about it. Because I will die of envy.

Grateful.

My theory: if I'm not using up a box of thank-you cards each month, I'm not thankful enough. We're all so blessed. And we're all so grateful, really we are! But expressing gratitude is oh-so much better than just feeling gratitude. Pick up any of these cute sets {at Target, of course} and let everyone know how thankful you really are...

{green, merci, cowboy, mod, floral}

In Love With: Crayon Apron

Not only is this adorable, it would be super functional for my lil' budding artist. What a smart idea.

{Get it here.}

Alongside Your Eggnog...

How about a glass of chocolate mint milk? Or pumpkin spice milk, maybe? Mmm. These delicious-sounding concoctions were spotted alongside the Egg Nog at Super Target today. I decided to take the chocolate mint for a spin. Good ol' Market Pantry. They are so darn clever.

A Super Gift For Your Super Kid

How fun are these personalized capes?

Hot pink for the girls,

blue for the boys.

{In fact, I think I need one of these for myself...}

I Like What You've Done Here...

I have no knack for decorating. That's just how it goes. But I do know what I like when I see it. And I really like this! I could do something similar in my house - using red rather than pink, since I've got the red sofa thing going on. I really, really need a funky chair in my life. I really do. :) And I love all of the different pillows - they look perfect together. But I feel like if I tried to do it, it would look mismatched and awful. At any rate, this inspires me. Very beautiful, indeed.

{So it's appropriate that it's via Absolutely Beautiful Things, an absolutely inspiring blog.}

The Best Thing About Holiday Meals...

...is that something containing chopped Snickers bars and Cool Whip {and little else} is considered a salad. Side dishes are known to contain more sugar than dessert and are often topped with marshmallows or contain copious amounts of bacon. These are things I can totally get on board with.

Here are the "salad" and side dishes I'll be making for Thanksgiving:

Caramel Apple Salad

1 small bag of miniature Snickers candy bars
6-7 granny smith apples
1-2 container’s of Cool Whip

Cut the Snickers candy bars into small bit-sized pieces. Cut the apples into bit-sized pieces. Mix all together with the cool whip and serve. This kind of tastes like caramel apples and it is delicious.


Holly's Sweet Potato Casserole

3 large sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 c brown sugar
1 c chopped pecans
1 T cinnamon

Boil potatoes until tender. Remove skins when cooled. Put into a large bowl and whip them until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with Topping. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Famous Wright Creamed Corn

large package (24) frozen mini corn on cobs
large onion, chopped
lb. bacon, chopped into small pieces
can evaporated milk
salt, pepper to taste
8 oz Velveeta cheese

Cook bacon until quite a bit of grease is in pan. Add chopped onion. Cook until most grease is gone and both are browned. Set aside. While onion/bacon are cooking, take each corn cob and cut about 3/4 of corn off, then scrape the rest off. It's quite a laborious job, but oh so worth it. After all cobs are cut and scraped, add corn to onion/bacon mixture. Add can of evaporated milk and Velveeta cheese. Cook well on low for about 20 minutes.

{This recipe is from Kristi's in-law's - everyone in their family raves about it, and I can't wait to try it!}

Home{Made} For the Holidays

I think it's common knowledge that I'm not much for DIY. I don't craft at all, have no clue how to sew, and cooking/baking from scratch is left pretty much only for the holidays. But I really do enjoy doing it for the big holiday meals. This year I'll be making my mother-in-law Susie's to-die-for rolls, Boston Market-style cornbread, famous Wright creamed-corn, Holly's Sweet Potatoes and a trifle of some sort {strawberry shortcake is the consensus, I believe}. Just in case you're still deciding what to make, I thought I'd share a few recipes. I'll start with the bread recipes today and do the others tomorrow.

{And if you need even more inspiration, e-mail me for last year's holiday cookbook. It's full of treasures! natcottamATyahooDOTcom.}

Susie’s White Bread Recipe

1 Tbsp. Yeast ¼ c. Oil
½ c. Sugar 4 to 5 C. Flour
2 C. Warm Water ½ tsp. Salt
1 egg

Place yeast and sugar in bowl. Pour 2 cups warm water into bowl. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Place flour, egg and salt in large mixing bowl. Pour liquid into dry ingredients until well combined. Knead bread dough until flour is absorbed and mixture is not sticky. You may have to add flour to get to this point. Let rise for about 1 hour.

Fashion into loaves or dinner rolls. If in loaf form, shape into 2 loaves and put in loaf pan to proof. Bake in 350 oven for about 45 minutes. If dinner rolls, shape into preferred shape, let rise, and bake for about 15 minutes.

Boston Market Cornbread
2 (8 1/2 ounce) boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 (18 ounce) box butter recipe cake mix
5 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 can creamed corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and mix all dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased cupcake pans or mini loaf pans.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the pan (until pulls away from side a bit). Remove from pan and serve warm.

On My Wishlist: Heart Coat

I checked into Erin Featherston for Target today. The verdict? Some very cute pieces! I picked up the swiss-dot tunic, and I'm adding the heart bag to my wish-list {it's HUGE!} as well as this coat.

It's hard to tell in the photos, but it has heart pockets and a big heart on the back. It's so adorable.

Target has free shipping on Erin Featherston purchases over $50 right now, so it's a good time to order, hint hint! {I do hope my hubby reads my blog...}