Updated Calendar

I still use an old-fashioned wall calendar to remember appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I spent a few minutes yesterday adding names in all the right places so I'm able to send timely cards to friends & family. Of course, there are many electronic calendars that keep track of this info annually as well, but I find the wall calendar works perfectly for me.

Christmas Traditions

I'm a little out of order on my posts for yesterday & today. So, first off, Happy New Year! Hopefully you're enjoying a nice day off to rest and relax before tackling your new year to do lists.

I wanted to share two of my favorite family gift-giving traditions that were every bit as much fun this year as they've ever been. The first is our annual secret stocking exchange with Matt's family. All of the adults trade names and get to spend $20 to fill a stocking with goodies. This year Chelsey (Matt's sister) drew my name. I got a bounty of goods: paperback book, tons of harry & david treats like moose munch, chocolate covered pretzels, popcorn, etc, travel size bath & body works goodies, post it notes, a magnetic grocery list for my fridge, Wine Spectator magazine, and more! I think she may have gone a wee bit over on the 20 bucks, but who's counting, anyway?? I drew Lynn (Matt's mom). I filled a re-usable grocery bag as my stocking with a paperback book, lip balm, post its, picture brag book, travel size lotions, & some other small goodies. We exchange a couple of other gifts in addition to the stockings, but it's what I look forward to most with the Swendimans!

On the other side of the family, we held our 4th Annual Selby Mall Dash on the day after Christmas. We've usually done it on Christmas eve, but calendars didn't permit it this year. Anyway, all of the adult kids (me, matt, my brother don & his wife, tina) have 60 minutes to spend a crisp $100 bill any way we'd like...but only on things for ourselves! It's so much fun to splurge for an hour on things that we normally won't buy for ourselves totally guilt-free! This year I scored a new pair of slippers, a wallet, a cashmere sweater, a mandolin slicer for my kitchen & noah's ark cookie cutters! All for $107...not bad! Matt got two new games to go with the Wii that Charlie and I got him for Christmas!

So again, I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with family & friends. Best wishes in the coming year! Any resolutions or traditions you'd care to share??

Grow

I've never been a big fan of New Year's resolutions, but I have decided to focus on the idea of growth for the coming year. Kind of a four corners approach if you will: Grow spiritually. Grow as a spouse. Grow as a parent. Grow my business.
Grow.
Wishing you health, happiness & growth of your own sort in the coming year.

The Eve of Christmas Eve

Ah, perhaps my favorite day of the year. May you enjoy peace & calm, time with family & friends, and comfort & joy during this magical holiday season.

Easy Hostess Gift

If you're like me, you often find yourself scrambling for last minute hostess gifts as you head out to myriad holiday soirees. Determined to be better prepared this year, I decided to purchase a 2 lb. box of some of the best toffee you'll ever taste from Lowrey's, a gourmet candy shop in my old hometown. The toffee keeps very well in an airtight bag & is at the ready on my kitchen counter when I need to whip up a small gift for a friend. I keep a stash of small boxes on hand in my craft drawer to make the gift giving even easier. Friends always seem to appreciate the tasty treats & I love having a plan in place for easy holiday giving.

My Rock-Star Traveler

We made it back yesterday from a quick trip to Washington DC together. Charlie was an awesome traveler and I learned a lot from his first flight...definitely some things I will do differently next time. I'm working on a post to highlight what worked & what didn't on the trip, but in the meantime, here are a couple of pics of Charlie on the mall - with the Washington Monument & the Capital Building in the background. He was totally zonked out, but it was fun for mommy!

Quote

"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." - Socrates