A Few of My Favorite Things

So its the Holidays.  I figure I'm due for my "monthly" blog post so I'm going to list a few a of favorite holiday things:

• Snow (its become a novelty since I've moved to So Cal)
• Cold weather (once again, the move makes me miss cold weather)
• Coats/scarfs/beanies/gloves, etc. (So Cal...I want to wear them out of necessity, not just winter trend lol)
• Hot chocolate
• Christmas lights (putting them up and looking at others - by bike or car)
• Temple Square (its tradition to go there at least once a year. Love it. Not only is it beautiful but helps me feel the real spirit of Christmas even better).
• Presents (I love buying gifts-its ridiculous-especially for those babies! I just can't help myself)
• Christmas Carols (Silent Night, Holy Night...sweet reminders of my Saviors birth).
• SPARKLES (confetti/sparkly nails, sequins, shimmer, silver, gold, I. Love. All. Of. It)
• Christmas Parties (work, church, ugly sweater, but especially white elephant friend get-togethers)
• Holiday baking (peanut brittle & cookies galore-plus, baking is easier with last years Christmas present from my parents, a stand up mixer)
• Decorations (buying them, putting them up, etc. --just don't ask what happened this year with mine)
• The 1st Presidency's Christmas Devotional .I love feeling the Spirit of Christmas and refocusing myself of Christ and trying to be more like him in remembering others who need help and service.  Overall I like how around the holidays people are more charitable and selfless, worldwide.  There's always some sort of story that the Prophet shares that makes me think of what else I can do for others, and how I can "forget myself and go to work." I love my Savior and I love the way His gospel makes me feel, especially when I can do things for others.  Its nice to feel humbled and remember how I good I really have it and to think of so many ways that I can help others.  Oh, you can catch this year's devotion here. 
• "Sub-For Santa." I can remember as kid one of my favorite Christmas memories are "adopting" a family for Christmas.  I wan't able to contribute financially to this family, but I do remember putting food items in a open-top cardboard box that was covered in wrapping paper.  I didn't ever know who the family was, but I know that they were in need of assistance and we would put together a Christmas dinner for them and drop it off anonymously on their door step. I loved that.  It was so much fun to sneak our truck up to the house, ring the door bell and run.  I like the anonymous part too.  If was fun being able to somehow help someone else out without them feeling obligated to return something back. We started adopting a family as friends also.  We did it last year and are doing it again this year.  We picked an organization that helps families out whom have been victims of physical abuse.  We got to pick the family we adopted this year, a single mother with 4 kids, all under the age of 8.  She left her abusive husband and is now getting assistance from the Child Abuse Prevention Center.  I honestly have more than I need. I'm the opposite of simplistic (remember last year when I decided that "Live Simply" should be my motto...well that was a fail). Its good to be reminded that people really do have needs and that $20 set of Stila glitter nail polish really doesn't matter when you could so do much more with that amount.  
• Last but not least....Family time.  I seriously can't get enough of the kidlets.  My family is crazy and I feel like we all act like we're kids when we're together, but I love it...especially the acting like I'm 5...lol

Whew. Anyways, point being there are so many things that I love about this holiday, and I only listed a few, but I hope we all remember to be a little more charitable and giving this year as we set our sights on our Savior, his birth and the wonderful gifts He's given us and REMEMBER how blessed we really are.

Merry Christmas!

xoxo,

NB

R.I.P. Hamilton

I started to make a batch of lovely, yummy, holiday sugar cookies this morning. As soon as I turned on my Hamilton Beach hand mixer, it *poofed* and then...nothing. I though the plug may have tripped, but alas, no such luck. My college hand mixer was dead. I had just started to cream the butter, lame, so had to clean out the beaters and pull out my trusty (no fail) wooden spoon. I finished the cookies (ended up using my washed and sanitized hands as kneaders and tossed the too-much-effort-to-mix wooden spoon). Now, I have a lot of appliances that I got in college, as the near by Wal Mart that are still in working condition. I haven't felt justified enough to toss them and buy the ones I really want yet because they are still in good shape, just not top of the line. Anyways, so I happy that it had timed it parting with Macy's one-day sale. Yeah (I'm always looking for excuses to spend money on something I want...ask me about my William Sonoma waffle iron that I bought for our chicken and waffle potluck). Anyways. I couldn't open my pockets and fork out the $300 (one-day sale priced) 5 qt. Kitchen Aid Artisan mixer (in a myriad of lovely colors), so I settled for a black, 5 speed Kitchen Aid hand mixer.

It was $20 off and not as cute as the 7-speed Martha Stewart Blue Collection one (priced at $70), but suits me just the same (the blue was soooo cute!). Anyways, so today was out with the old, and in with the new. Rest In Peace Hamilton! You served me and my college roommates well! Its been lovely! Oh, and I'll have to let you know how I feel about this new mixer. Its cute. And hopefully I really like it and that it'll last me a long time (since I could have busted it over the the nearest Wal Mart for another $20 mixer...). Ahhh......now, next I need to shop for a hair dryer! Mine FINALLY died. Yeah:)

(I swear I'm trying to eat the cookie, not scream in its earz....)

FELIZ NAVIDAD

So, I wanted to post some pics of apt. We decorated awhile back and I love it! I waiting forever last year after Christmas to buy a Christmas tree (I'd really, really wanted one but didn't want to fork out the money before last Christmas). Well, I was overjoyed to set it up this year (and the wait paid off. I got my $200 tree for $50. Do people seriously pay $200 for a tree?). Anyways, here are the results of our decorating fest:

And did you notice the wonderfulness? Ha ha, at first I thought the tree was assembled poorly and was swing around, until I read that it rotates! Seriously. Its funny. There's a switch on the bottom to turn in on or off. Hahhaaa, thanks Martha Stewart (is that why its $200??)! Merry Christmas!!!