Real jeans, anxiety flareups, and surprise! It's a baby jacket...

 This is very unusual, but I'm writing this blog post in the evening. Anne is upstairs asleep, after being comforted for an hour by yours truly following a sobbing spell (Anne's, not mine, though based upon how my day went, it could have easily have been me :0), Mike is at rehearsal, and Henry is at an audition for a kids part in the December play. I am drinking wine. A BIG GLASS of wine, and it's not working fast enough. This was one of the most difficult days I've ever had as a librarian, and I'm thinking that it's going to take some time for me to normalize afterward. Let's circle round, though, shall we?

Over the weekend, I experienced more This Back To School Thing Is Really Happening sentiment. I took Anne shopping for school clothes, just her and I:

"I like girl time, Mommy. I do NOT like *boy* time."

Something tells me that will change, but for the time being, there you have it. We arrive at JC Penney, and Anne makes a beeline into the girls section. She comes out carrying a jean jacket. And jeans. REAL jeans, with sparkly pockets.

"Mommy. I love these. Can I get them?"

When, oh when, did my little baby get so big?!

Now I may cry again. This was not a good idea. :0

We also procured many tops, both long-sleeved and short, some comfortable cotton pants, a back pack, lunchbox and new matching water bottle. And declared her ready for Kindergarten.

She went to Pre-K last year, so its not like this is her first time going to school. But this year she'll be going a full day. And she'll be at the same school as Henry. It just feels very official.

A new chapter of my life has begun. And now I really am crying.

It's the Anne/baby thing. But it's also work. I had an incredibly long day today, so I'm feeling a wee bit vulnerable.

Nothing truly bad happened today. It's just that I've felt all summer like I was always super distracted, much more busy than anticipated, and hanging on by a mere brain cell. As the summer progressed, it got worse. A LOT worse. 

And in the last week I have felt nearly suffocated by anxiety. With the fall semester officially beginning next Monday, the pace of our lesson planning and last-minute logistical nightmares has grown frenetic. Today was BAD. The lower half of my body actually ached from sitting so much (which I HATE) due to hours of training on new citation management and ePortfolio software, and then panicky time-sensitive things that HAD to get done before our appearance at the new instructor orientation later in the afternoon. I could barely eat, frantically shuffling food across my desk as I worked, my stomach in such turmoil over worrying about everything. By the end of the work day, I felt like a wrung out dishrag, both physically and emotionally.

The way that we're going to be teaching in the fall is totally new; new for us, new for the university, since the curriculum is dramatically changing as of this semester. So everyone is scrambling, no one knows exactly how this is all going to work, and there is a lot of anxious tension in the air. I'm going to be responsible for providing a 1 credit hour Library Lab for 15 sections of English Composition. That's a lot more teaching than I've ever done before. There may be other instruction requests that come up as the semester progresses too, and we'll have to squeeze those in where we can. I'll also be meeting with students, grading over 300 assignments, and somehow writing a book. Taking a day off until Thanksgiving week is pretty much not a possibility. Needless to say, I haven't been sleeping well. And on Monday and Wednesday mornings, my first class is at 8 am.

#purgatory

#ALLthesouls

I don't mean this as a litany of "Look how crappy my life is!!" Because it isn't. I know it isn't. I have a fantastic life. I have a beautiful, loving family, fantastic friends that I love as if they were family, and I work with people that I genuinely like and care about. I'll be busy, but my situation is a good one. But anxiety? She is there, my friends. This has always been a personal demon of mine, and I'm just trying to deal with it as best I can.

When I got home, Mike had dinner ready and on the table, and a wine glass chilling in the freezer. Is it any wonder that I married him?! Afterward, Anne burst into tears about something she saw on TV, and I spent the early part of the evening comforting her and cuddling. But truth be told, I really needed that too.

*group hug*

I'm doing what I can to try and keep my spirits up. In the meantime, I've been knitting. And JUST under the wire on Sunday afternoon, I finished my Olympic/Ravellenic Games project!

*drum roll*

I knit Elizabeth Zimmerman's famous Baby Surprise Jacket for Sam's niece. I mentioned in a recent Tea Time that you knit it flat, in a blob-like configuration, but when you are done, it miraculously seams into a perfect baby cardigan. Here is the before photo, with sweater fully knit, but still on the needles and waiting to be bound off:

It seems to be begging for help and TLC.

And here it is bound off, with 2 small seams:

This is a very happy baby sweater!

I mean, did you ever?! I love the pattern. And I finished it within the timeframe of the Olympics, and so this means that I won Ravelry's version of a gold medal:

:0

So that's a brightener, to be sure. I'm about to embark on fall socks and scarves.

#happyknittingdance

How are you doing, dear reader? Come commiserate and join the group hug. :)

Need a quick gift for someone receiving a sacrament in May?

I just love this time of year, don't you? Springtime, new beginnings, Easter...and sacraments of initiation coming up in May. Last year, I just reveled in Henry making his First Communion, I enjoyed that so thoroughly. This year, we don't know anyone receiving a sacrament, and it'll be quite a while until Henry reaches Confirmation age (at least the way they do it in our diocese) or for Anne to receive First Reconciliation, so I'm living vicariously through others. :) I *am* however, on the prowl for birthday gifts for Anne, whose birthday is May 18th, so I was looking and had a few ideas that will work for those needing a gift for First Communion or Confirmation.

Saintly Silver on Etsy, whom I've mentioned before *heart* has a section of Quick Ships of already assembled dolls, ideal for anyone needing one in early May.

She's got 32 dolls listed in the Quick Ship section right now, which is pretty awesome. They usually are on a 6 week schedule to ship, since her order queue is so long and her shop so popular. But she prepares ahead for her rush periods, of which the May sacraments are one. She has boy and girl First Communion dolls (like the one pictured above), with the Anima Christi prayer on the back and a "In Honor of your First Holy Communion" notation. She also has angels, St. Patrick, Mary, and the Holy Family ready for immediate shipment.

Allison also has her rosary shop stocked with rosaries, most of which are ready to ship (just make sure to check for the "Made to Order" indication and avoid those if your deadline is pretty tight). This one in particular is ideal for First Communion, no?

I love the chalice center. But she has a ton of in-stock selection, all beautiful! I like the availability and selection given that First Communions are a mere 4 weeks away.

Do you know anyone receiving First Communion or Confirmation this year?

A few pre-Advent sales not to miss...

Hi all! This is going to be a fairly brief Tuesday post since I'm still catching up at work and I have to leave early to take Henry to the allergist. And then I'm off tomorrow, so I'm queueing up the Catholic Book Club post to be ready, I'm *that* dedicated to keeping my promises on blog content. ;-)

#TypeA

But I wanted to share two sales with you that I have already either done damage at shopped :) or will be shopping this coming weekend. Great gift opportunities as we approach Advent and Christmas season!

My own personal Yarn Unpacker...

If you know anyone who is a knitter or crocheter, Knit Picks is having their biggest sale of the year all this week, through Monday December 1st. I was fanning myself in my office yesterday morning when the sale went live and I grabbed a sweater quantity of a cashmere/merino wool blend for 50% off. And a gorgeous alpaca/merino tweed for a cabled cardigan for Mike. I know it's hard to guesstimate how much yarn someone would need to make something, but 5 skeins of something in worsted weight would be a good amount for a hat and mittens, and 10-15 is generally a sweater quantity. A 100 gram hank of fingering weight yarn will make a gorgeous pair of socks. Just some ideas. ;-)

And of course, any shopping with the Catholic Librarian wouldn't be complete without mention of rosaries...

This is a gift, but I like it so much I want to keep it for myself :0

The absolutely lovely Etsy shop Rosaries by Allison will be having specials all December long, beginning with Small Business Saturday on November 29th. I adore Allison's rosary designs, and frequent her shop for rosaries for myself and others. She will also custom design anything you have in mind! For the coupon codes for the sales, "like" her shop Facebook page and you will see them there as the dates come up. I'm planning on heading over to her shop on Saturday since there are a few rosaries that are simply calling my name, and I'm not telling you which ones, so that I have a hope of them still being there this weekend. ;-)

Happy shopping everyone! I'll chat with you tomorrow for the Book Club!

Fall is in the air, in a number of fun & crafty ways...

Happy Wednesday everyone! I had a few ideas marinating this morning for what I wanted to write about today, and decided how to sort them out while on the reference desk. I like to use my morning routine and commute for this, when I listen to podcasts and read my Magnificat, both of which often provide fodder. As I was driving in this morning and listening to Catholic Vitamins, I was thinking about how things have very subtly changed this month. My crafting projects are all geared toward the weather cooling off and holiday gift giving, people are beginning to talk about events coming up in September and October, and as I pulled onto campus it was very evident that fall is already here at this university. Early move-in is happening now, and a giant tent is erected in the middle of campus to welcome new students and pass out needed materials. So, how is the life of your Catholic Librarian reflecting our transition over to (in my opinion) the most beautiful season of the year?

For one, shoes. :0 Well, shopping generally, I suppose, because I also need some new cold weather additions to my wardrobe generally. I'm not really what you would call a "shoe person," shoes are purely functional to me, and I own very few pairs. However, vanity does provide the impetus for me to seek out shoes that flatter my somewhat large feet. I do like *cute shoes*, I just pick some and then hope that they last several years so that I don't have to buy new ones again for awhile. I'd rather spend extra money on things like yarn and rosaries. ;-)

But my fall work pumps from last season, which I *love*, are showing clear signs of wear. They certainly got a lot of use, so I knew I should procure a new pair for when the weather turns. I found a pair I liked, and headed to the store after work yesterday, armed with a coupon:

Cute, right? But even more devastating was their sister, also available in my size:

I mean, did you ever?! The gray checked pattern?! LOVE. Despite the somewhat warm conditions in my un-air conditioned car yesterday, fall was certainly in the air as I motored home with my new shoes. Because yes, I bought both pairs. :0

Fall is also certainly present in my current knitting projects, both those in-progress as well as those that have recently come off the needles. I cast on for a fall cardigan for Anne, I make her one every year:

I'm going to repeat those same 4 colors throughout, and border it in a slightly darker green. It's coming out really cute, and Anne keeps absconding with and cuddling the yarn, which I'm taking as a very good sign. :)

My twin nephews' birthdays are coming up in October, and I'm going to be knitting them winter hats with ear flaps and ties:

Yep, haven't cast on yet :) but soon this yarn will be transformed into adorable blue hats. Recently off my needles (and a year in the making) is an autumn tweed sweater for myself:

It's blocking currently, which of course will enhance it's shape since it's wool, but it's designed to be a boyfriend sweater, a roomy pullover. When I soaked it, it lengthened quite a bit, which is very pleasing, and I was able to shape the neckline as well. I will photograph again when it is dry and I can try it on. Excited!

So, the above, along with Henry's confetti socks, which are coming along nicely:

We have a heel and part of a foot!

...are what I've been working on of late during my lunch and evenings. Lovely things to keep us warm when the nights turn cool, which they likely will start doing even before the end of August.

I've also been plotting some rosaries that I want to make as gifts, which led me to think about praying the rosary generally. I almost wrote about that today. So how about tomorrow? Prepare to discuss how you work a rosary into your prayer life please! I'd love to hear from you. :) Talk to you tomorrow!

Catholic tchotchkes for everyone!

Happy Wednesday everybody! I've been writing book reviews on Wednesdays for the past 3-4 weeks, but sadly this Wednesday I didn't quite complete my current read, so that will debut a week from today instead. In case anybody wants to read along, my current review selection is Finding Grace by Laura Pearl:

This is a lovely coming-of-age story for Catholic young adults, TONS of interesting moral fodder in here plus interwoven inspiration from the saints - excellent! Look for all the details next Wednesday.

This Wednesday I have shopping on my mind, of the online variety, because is there any better way to shop when you're an introvert? I think not, dear reader. Since I am a person of the crafty persuasion (although if you ever saw me wielding glue in any form along with felt and uncooked macaroni or some other such three dimensional object you would doubt the veracity of that statement) I have quite a fascination with Etsy. I absolutely love handmade items, whether they are made by me or someone else. Every year I like to carefully choose some handmade gifts for my kids in crafts that I stink at am not particularly gifted. ;-) I like to tuck these things into their Christmas stockings, and as you know, I am a bit nuts about starting Christmas shopping right around the vernal equinox.

I've been doing lots of browsing and favoriting of new shops and items, and so thought it would be fun to share my ideas with all of you. I'm certain I'll do another one of these posts prior to the holidays, since this is certainly not an exhaustive list of Etsy shops that I find intriguing. But below are a handful that I've either purchased from recently or am plotting a purchase from soon. Perhaps it'll give you some ideas, and you can leave me your own ideas in the comments!

I've written about saint dolls before, because I sort of love them. Henry has a small collection of wooden ones that he displays, and Anne also has a few. I think this is a lovely way of helping children to keep their favorite saints in mind to intercede for them when something is bothering them. The store that I have previously purchased these from is no longer open, so I was looking around for alternatives. Thus began my obsession with St. Luke's Brush:

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

I mean, did you ever? The detail is *exquisite*. And the selection is second to none. Every saint that immediately came to my mind could be found there, including my confirmation patron St. Cecelia, and my favorite guy ever, St. John Paul II. Here is Henry's favorite saint:

St. Dominic Savio

And she has a custom listing for any saint you want. She will paint it. A-mazing. I found several that I want for my desk at work. :0 Including that St. Kateri featured above, she's beautiful!

This store also carries hand painted rosary cases:

...and I fixated on this First Communion one right away for Henry. I haven't ordered yet, and hand painted items can certainly add up in price because of the sheer amount of work and talent that goes into them, but I plan to carefully select a few saints to purchase in the fall, and will report back in. :)

I also found a few store selling soft saint dolls, and I'm interested in these for Anne. My friend Sarah on Twitter brought Saintly Silver to my attention:

Lovely St. Therese of Lisieux

These are made from felt and are very reasonably priced. She has an excellent selection, and will also custom create any doll you like that she doesn't have listed.  These would make wonderful squeezeable additions to a child's bedtime collection. :)

I also found Sanctus Stitches and while a bit more expensive, check out the detail:

We can tell she is one of my favorites: once again, St. Kateri :)

Gorgeous! Anne could create all sorts of adventures for this St. Kateri, just as she would any of her other dolls. I am positively *itching* to order this.

For rosaries, I have recently purchased from the lovely Rosaries by Allison:

Our Lady Star of the Sea

...and she is just the sweetest and does a beautiful job. She has some gorgeous designs which you should zoom right over to go look at :) and she will custom design anything you like. I have a few Christmas gifts tucked away from this store. *shhhhhh...*

Finally, a secular addition that is absolutely adorable. Anne loves the apron that I wear when I bake, so this immediately spurred me into looking for a child's apron for her, because seriously? PRECIOUS! I ended up ordering her one from  Designs by Dragon Lily:

!!!

I mean, SO CUTE. She was having a Christmas in July sale when I ordered, so I picked out an angels and 3 Wise Men design for Anne that I know she'll love. But so many cute patterns and extremely reasonable prices. She also sells makeup bags, which I'm thinking of getting for myself.

So, now it's your turn. Do you have a favorite Etsy shop? Do detail in the comments. :)

Little girls who unfasten their diapers in the night...

Precious Anne. :) Who *is* in fact potty trained, but can't go through the night yet, and we're fine with that. She was in need of some new summer sleepwear, and so I made a pilgrimmage to Carter's on my way home from work Monday. Well.

I hate this seasonal clothing problem that we all must suffer through. As in how all the summer stuff is being eliminated long before the 4th of July. The climate here is so different from season to season that it's not helpful to need a new winter jacket in January, to find bikinis and short skirts already out in the stores, know what I mean? And this is what I encountered in Carter's. Short sleeved nightgowns already on clearance with stock looking like nightgown-clad locusts had just breezed through the store. I mean, clearance prices are great, but finding what you're looking for in your size is now a problem.

I come home with 4 nightgowns, plus a 3 piece short/pant/top set bearing flamingos. Because...who can resist flamingos? They were even pink and orange! But I digress. One of the nightgowns is the style I was looking for. You know, a nightgown, it's not that complicated. The others were, well, like this:

Mike took one look and arched a dubious eyebrow:

"Are you sure that's a nightgown? It looks like a dress."

Female clothing styles may often confound my husband, but on this one, he is right.

"I'm sure. It's part of their princess line of sleepwear."

*sigh*

I mean, it's adorable, don't get me wrong. Come night time, I asked Anne which gown she wanted to wear, and she picked one of the princess offerings. I put it on, and she floated down the stairs like a fairytale queen. However, 2 nanoseconds later...

"Ow Mommy! This hurts!"

I look over to find Anne, her arms extended out in second position, looking miserable.

"What hurts Honey?"

"My arms!"

She fingers the frilly tulle at the sleeves. I tried to convince her that it didn't actually hurt, but she wasn't buying it. She didn't want to take the gown off, mind you, but the princess life isn't as cushy as we all think, apparently. I put the others immediately into the wash, hoping to soften them up before wear. Meanwhile, the next morning:

"Mommy! My diaper came unhooked!"

And this is what I was worried about with nightgowns. Easy diaper access = potential crib sewage situation. *second sigh*

Last night, I convinced her to wear the more traditional nightgown, and I could tell that she liked it and that it fit comfortably. I was still worried about the diaper situation, but praying for improvement.

4:45 am this morning:

"MOMMY!" *sobbing!*

*third sigh*

I get up and head into Anne's room. She's standing up. That is a good sign 0% of the time.

"What's wrong Honey?"

"Can you hold me?!"

Shocker. Her diaper was fine, something had just spooked her. I rocked her and got her some water, then she went contentedly back into her crib.

So maybe the diaper situation won't actually become a crisis situation. The nightgowns are coming out of the wash tonight, so here's hoping for some softening. And some more selection next year, when we have to shop for summer nightgowns in February.

*fourth sigh*

Adventures in healthy grocery shopping, Take 1...

Good day, all! Yesterday afternoon I had my first experience of attempting to stock "real foods" in our house for my 10 day real food pledge. How did I do? Read on, dear friend...

I left work around 3 pm, using some comp. time, so that I would have plenty of time to shop and not feel rushed. Those of you with children know what I mean: DIVIDED ATTENTION. It's a wonder I leave the house fully dressed each morning with my kids constantly clamoring for attention when I'm trying to focus on tasks at hand. And in the grocery store, this inevitably means that you get out to your car with the bags and realize you forgot to get 3 crucial ingredients for dinner that very night but you mysteriously have a package of Little Debbie cakes that you know you didn't put in the cart.

So anyway, I was blissfully ALONE with my list and the thoughts running through my own head as I headed into one of the big grocery store chains in this area. This store in known for being fairly "crunchy" in its volume of organic food, so I figured I'd find (most of) the crazy stuff I was looking for there.

*picture me wandering through an aisle muttering "agave nectar?" under my breath*

I can sum up my experience into these simple points. Shopping for non-processed food:

(1) Takes longer. Looking for wheat crackers made with 5 or fewer ingredients? Good luck.

(2) Also takes longer to check out.

"Um..."

"Cilantro."

"Ah, ok."

"Um..."

"Red onion."

"Ok. And, what's..."

(3) More expensive. $9.99 for a tiny container of real maple syrup? Ouch.

(4) Society is working against us. It is not always easy to find even simple things that haven't been processed to the very inch of its life. Ever look at the list of ingredients on a typical loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread? Do it. You will be shocked.

(5) All of the stuff you will read about eating real food will tell you to shop at the periphery of the store. I didn't really put a lot of thought into that, but that is in fact what happened just based on what I was looking for. Fresh produce, meat, fish, and dairy products all line the edges of the store. I've never been particularly adventuresome in this area, but that is now changing:

"Um, excuse me. I'm looking for pork...*consults list* shoulder?"

"Yes, we have some over here."

"Those are all 7 lbs. and up and I need 3-3 and a half pounds. Is there like a...substitution system for pork that I don't know about?"

"We can cut one of these in half for you."

"Really?!"

"Sure, come to the meat counter."

The meat counter. I felt like the next step was to head back to my homestead.

The other things on my list were also fairly close to the edges of the store. Frozen foods, for some vegetables that weren't in season. The baking aisle for spices, bagged tea and honey. The beverage aisle for carbonated water. Cereal aisle for rolled oats. The only time I dipped into the middle of the store was to get shampoo for the kids, and then to the canned food aisle for black beans and pureed pumpkin. Oh, and whole wheat pasta in the ethnic food area.

I was sweating my total, but I did the very best I could to pare back what I got. I selected regular vanilla yogurt to make my overnight oats instead of the Greek that I wanted, and I didn't get any fresh mint, figuring we could grow some this year in our garden and I could experiment with it then in a much cheaper way. My one splurge was pumpkin pie spice ($4.99 for the tiniest container you can imagine) to make Pumpkin Fluff Dessert Dip. My total?

$70.62.

I let out a sigh of relief. I was hoping to come in under $70, but I knew I would certainly be way above $50. I got enough food for 4 dinners (more if you consider leftovers), many breakfasts and some items for lunch that should last about 2 weeks. I was pleased.

When I got home, I had the house to myself for about a half hour. I prepared and put some Spinach and Cheddar Mini Frittatas in the oven, so that I could have those for breakfast on and off for the next several days. I was told that they keep well in the refrigerator. I also brewed iced tea and made the pumpkin dip. I was on fire.

When my family got home, they were very curious about my endeavors. Mike and I were planning to split some leftovers from dinner the past 2 nights. Although the kids ate those two dinners, they weren't overly thrilled about reprising their cooperation. Each child spotted the new bag of apples and asked for one. I was pleased. Then they asked after the frittatas. 

"Eggs and cheese? Oh yes! But what's that green stuff?"

*pause as I consider whether or not to tell them the truth* "Spinach."

I might as well have said that the frittatas were seasoned with Anthrax. They backed away in horror.

"Spinach?! Never mind." 

"It's GOOD, trust me. You can't even taste the spinach in eggs."

They were dubious, but agreed to try a frittata. Next thing I knew, I was sitting down to my leftovers and glanced over at the kids' plates. They were empty. Henry was requesting seconds.

My children ate spinach? Board up your windows everybody, the pestilence must be coming next!!

This, my friends, is a GOOD feeling. We'll see where these 10 days take us, but I'm excited! Tonight, we're having black bean patties with pineapple rice. Mike gave me a look when we realized that we will need to bust out our seldom used food processor for this shindig, but I was not dissuaded. I'm tired of hurriedly throwing together odd-tasting, artificial food during the work week. Next!

This morning, I heated up one of the frittatas and had a piece of toast with, get this, REAL BUTTER! *halo* This is living, people!

I will keep you apprised of how things are going, here in the continuing saga of Life of a Catholic Librarian: The Children Are Forced To Eat Brussels Sprouts.

;-0

We all need a little retail therapy, so read on to be enabled...

I'm still an emotional basket case, which I think is the prevalent mood this week, so I thought I'd write a light post on some happy shopping that may inspire Mother's Day ideas to cheer us all up.

Right after Easter I was feeling the urge for a new rosary (and thank God, because I've been praying with it non-stop since it arrived last week) and so I contacted the talented Carm over at Unbreakable Rosaries on Etsy. You all know my adoration of Blessed Pope John Paul II, and I don't have a rosary with his likeness on it. Carm has gorgeous, wire-wrapped rosaries (so they will not break, even when coiled up in your pocket or purse and then tugged out to pray on every day) listed in her store, but she also takes custom orders, and I was feeling specific. :) So I gave her my modest price range and asked if she could make me a rosary in cheerful, Easter colors for the Aves, large clear crystals for the Paters, a John Paul II centerpiece, and any crucifix design that she thought looked lovely with it. This is what she made me:

Isn't it stunning? I LOVE it, and I have barely put it down since it arrived last Monday. I had it with me for our sump pump crisis, some sleepless nights with Anne, and now for this very difficult week. I've been praying with it every single day and sleeping with it under my pillow at night. See "Emotional Basket Case" referenced above, supra. The Centerpiece has John Paul II on one side, and Benedict XVI on the other (love!) and the crucifix has cut out hearts on it, with tiny Alpha and Omega symbols on the crossbars. I simply adore it. So, for the Catholic mother in your life, check out Carm's work. :) There is really no other way to say it other than that she is a true artist, and a joy to work with.

Totally unrelated to rosaries, but also very apt Mother's Day gifts, is what I'm about to talk about next. A few months ago, I went to a craft fair with my mother-in-law and kids and we met a vendor selling handmade cold-process soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs, and fragrance roll-ons. I'm a sucker for handmade soap, as is my mother-in-law, and so we bought several bars.

Flash forward to recently and I've been using the soap. LOVE IT. So moisturizing and the thing smells so good that the entire bathroom benefits from its presence in our shower. My mother-in-law also raved about her bar, how good it made her skin feel. So, for Mother's Day, I decided to get in touch with the woman who made them and order baskets for both mothers.

So I did. And she's a total doll. She made me up custom baskets for each mother with 2 soaps, a sugar scrub, a body spray, and a loofah. I also added in 2 bars of soap for myself, plus a few lip balms.

She gave me an outstanding price on everything and included an amazing number of samples of other soap scents plus a sample of her hemp lotion.

Well. It went over big. :) Henry wanted to eat the soap it smelled so good, and Mike (who uses lotion every night on his hands and lower arms) loves the hemp lotion. And the surprising thing is, so do I! I usually hate how greasy lotions make me feel, but this sinks right in and is divine. I was able to pick up from her house since she only lives about 20 minutes from me, but she also has a web page here. The business is called "Soaptini" and via her online form you can order using Paypal. If you live in western New York you can arrange to pick up, like I did, very easy. I highly recommend her stuff. Her name is Kim and she's a real sweetheart. She got started making soap because one of her young sons has a severe skin condition. Her products are all natural. She has a great variety of products and a huge inventory of scents. I've tried:

Oatmeal Stout (beer soap): Absolutely divine.

Cherry Almond: Words cannot capture how good this smells.

Brown Sugar & Butter: !

Monkey Farts: Ok, I hate the name, but she did it to appeal to kids (and it does, Henry has a bar) but it smells FAB, like banana cream pie.

Chocolatini: This is the one Henry wanted to eat; smells like a brownie.

Aloe & Clove: This was the scent in the sample lotion; very fresh and true to its name.

Check out "Soaptini", great Mother's Day gifts. I *need* more of the hemp lotion and have already messaged her on Facebook about picking some up next week. :) Search for SOAPtini on Facebook to like her page and get updates.

A busy bee with Christmas shopping

In the spirit of the holiday (New Years resolution 2012: no crazy, chaotic Christmas season this year) I started my Christmas shopping a few months ago. Not a lot, but I picked up some things when I could so that we wouldn't have a lot to do in December. This also has the benefit of spreading out the expense.

Christmas is always tight for us financially. We live on a budget, and while we certainly have a sufficient amount to spend on entertainment and simply our "wants," we're always conservative about such things and watching our bank balance. Sometimes I feel like, being in our late 30's, we should be past this stage in our lives :) but alas, I think it is this way for many, many people. The reasons are manifold:

(1) Student loans. This is far and away the main reason, nothing else even comes close. I made a significant dent in mine even before Mike and I got married, and we've steadily chipped away at them over the years to the best of our ability, but it's a very depressing and humbling reality that it's going to take at least 10 *more* years before these are paid. I know that we are not alone in this burden. I'm grateful that we do not have credit card debt and we just put as much on the student loans every month as we can. Every time the principal balance shrinks I try to focus on the positives of that rather than how far we still have to go. That's all one can do.

(2) We own a house and thus have a mortgage. But I'm grateful for our house and the fact that it will be paid off in about 10 years is a cause to rejoice. I'm also grateful that although we own 2 cars they are both paid off, though we're going to need to replace at least 1 of them in the next few years.

(3) Our flexible jobs. If we were willing to move and for Mike to work more hours, we'd certainly be making more. But we want to be near our families and have one of us at home with the kids as much as possible.

Thus, Christmas is tough on our budget, especially now with 2 kids. Hence, this year I wanted to really focus on the thought behind the gifts that I give, rather than worrying about whether I'm getting each person "enough." I've found this to be very soothing on my peace of mind.

I'm making a few things, but I'm trying not to go overboard. I love homemade gifts, but last year I made myself nuts, so I didn't want that side effect either. The things that I am making are by special request so I know that the recipient will really like them. Otherwise, I've picked out 1 thing that I think the person will really enjoy.

With the kids it's tougher. You just want to give them everything they could ever want and watch their eyes light up. But of course, we won't, yet I still want Christmas morning to be fun for them.

What I decided to do was select their gifts very carefully. And even this winnowed down allotment added up quickly over at Amazon! We can afford it, but it's why December and January are so tough anymore. Each child is getting 3 gifts. Henry is receiving 2 Lego sets he's been wanting, plus a Super Mario Bros. K'nex building set, I think it's a race track. Anne is getting a talking zoo, a Fisher Price mailbox, and the Disney Princess Castle. Each child is also getting a few books, Henry a few movies, and Anne a tiny baby doll, for their stockings. I also have a few peg saint dolls for each child from Cam's etsy shop (I just ordered St. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick for Anne, she's taken a real interest in her saint board book and has fixated on those two; appropriate since one of her namesakes is St. Therese, and St. Joan of Arc was her favorite saint :)).

And that's it. I ordered a few books and movies for Mike that I know he'll love, and I made him a pair of socks recently.

He's a Steelers fan. :) I still have a few other family gifts to procure, but I'm not stressing. I'll get a few at a time, and pick one carefully for each person.

I've noticed that I feel a lot more relaxed this holiday season. I don't feel all worried and frantic. And that's the way it should be.

Stop the madness!

When I had a lull at the reference desk this morning, I flipped over to MSNBC to glance at the news. I don't know why, because I got all depressed seeing the majority of the headlines. Seems like all news is BAD news these days, kwim?

At any rate, I spied an article about Black Friday, so I read it. The article was about Target employees protesting that the store is opening for Black Friday, on, well, *Thursday*. Thanksgiving day, to be precise. 9 pm on Thanksgiving.

And apparently this is the new thing this year. A handful of other popular retailers are opening at 8 pm Thanksgiving. I knew, I just KNEW that the midnight thing last year was a bad step on a slippery slope. For as long as I can remember, Black Friday doorbusters began somewhere in the realm of 4-6 am Friday morning. Suddenly, last year it was midnight. I heard lots of complaints from people that that was too early and interfered with Thanksgiving dinner, since people wanted to go wait in line. (I think such people are absolutely out of their minds, but I suppose that is neither here nor there).

And I KNEW that this year it would be earlier. Once that step was taken to push the opening time back to midnight, the floodgates were opened. 8-9 pm Thanksgiving evening.

Here are the two positions:

Con - This is an outrageous infringement on a family holiday about GIVING THANKS that is now being run amuck by corporate greed. Employees are being given no choice but to work, and despite being paid more than usual, this is unconscionable. Nobody needs a jump start that early. What is so different 8 pm Thanksgiving night that wouldn't be the same early Friday morning? The store will still make a lot of money.

Pro - Target will lose a ton of business if they don't open at the same time as their competitors. Employees are well compensated for working a holiday, in addition to extra bonuses. People should be grateful that they even have a job in this economy, and have the opportunity to make more than usual to boot. If they don't like it, they can find another job.

So. I'm sure you'll be unsurprised to learn that I side with the Con position. :) I mean, it's a free society, the store's management can open whenever the heck they want. But the point is I don't think we want to be going down this road. Are they really going to be making MORE money by opening on Thanksgiving, or will it just spread the same sales out over a longer period of time? I think it'll just be the same, but obviously they disagree. I just think that some things should be sacred. Black Friday will always be Black Friday, but Thanksgiving is about family. Why take away the joy of that day? There's just no need.

In Christmas preparations generally, we've lost that sense of joyful anticipation. Everything is so hectic and *rushed* anymore. It feels like we as a society don't sit back and simply enjoy things enough. I've noticed in Children's Liturgy of the Word (when I'm excitedly lecturing them about the liturgical calendar, because that's what I *do*) every time I ask the children what season is next in our Church calendar they say: "Christmas!"

And of course, it's not. :) It's *Advent*. Nobody remembers Advent anymore. Before the excitement of Christmas morning comes the quiet expectation of the nativity.

It's a shame that Black Friday (still pre-Advent, but the spirit is the same) has become a crazy fest, but it is what it is. I wish the stores wouldn't open until Friday morning, but they didn't consult me, so there you have it.

We'll see what the reports are after this year, but I fear that the opening time will creep sooner and sooner until Thursday morning will commence "Black Friday." I just find it all very sad.

A trip to Target...

Mike: "Hank did you pick something out for Cameron's party?"

Henry: "Yeah."

Mike: "Oh, Battleship. Do you think this is something he would like?"

Henry: "Yeah. I mean, I guess so. I mean, I don't know."

Mike: "Where are Mommy and Anne?"

Henry: "In the GIRL aisle." *shudder*

Mike: "Ok, well..."

*Anne runs by the end of the aisle, me in hot pursuit*

Mike: "Right. I think it's time to leave."

The bellydancing librarian blearily slogs on...

The past 24 hours have been interesting. Let me just start off by saying that Cam and baby are doing well; she has the flu, which brought about a false labor alarm. He could still use to bake another week or two, so this is good news (except for poor flu-stricken Cam).

So, yesterday after I posted, I headed out of work early. I had some comp. time coming, and I had a bunch of errands to do. Off I rushed.

First stop, the public library to drop off some book donations. That went surprisingly without a hitch.

Second stop was JoAnn's. I simply needed 2 buttons. 25 or so minutes later, I emerge from JoAnn's, scowling porkily. Our JoAnn's is being remodeled, and in the mean time, I can't find a damn thing. I then spent far too long picking out buttons for Anne's new cardigan, and then waited in line for 10 full minutes to pay $1.25 for my buttons. Of 2 cashiers, one was being commandeered by a customer with a mystery problem and the other didn't move particularly quickly.

Third stop was a local grocery store for a small roaster chicken for dinner. Obviously, cooking was just not happening last night.

Fourth stop was very needed by the point I reached it: the liquor store. When I brought my 2 bottles of Chardonnay up to the register the woman working there asked to see my i.d.

*angels sing*

I thanked her profusely for asking and whipped it out excitedly. Yes, I am finally one of Those People that gets all happy when asked for photo identification. Because just maybe I actually look like I'm not yet 21 years old. *snorts*

I got home and unloaded the car. I tidied up the house and then called my mother-in-law to bring the kids home.

Much exhausting parenting work commenced. Mike got back from teaching, we ate. I got dressed for a private dance lesson I had scheduled with Claire to get started learning to play the zills (finger cymbals). Mike folded some laundry while I wrangled the children, and during this time Anne threw 2 temper tantrums. This is becoming A Thing with her all of a sudden, and I'm not enjoying it. Although I have to say, maybe it's because she's our second kid, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it did when we went through Terrible Two stuff with Hank. I used to get all stressed out and anxious when he threw temper tantrums. When Anne throws herself on the ground, screams, and flails, I just go about my business. Which makes her even madder, but oh well.

Around Anne's bedtime I kissed everyone goodbye and headed to the dance studio. I've been belly dancing for almost 5 years but I've never learned to play the zills. My instructor doesn't like to play them and doesn't teach them. I've always wanted to learn them, so she offered to teach me the basics so that I could see if I liked it.

I arrived feeling quite excited and ready to make tinkly music. I got the basic zill pattern down quickly. But...that excitement was tempered pretty quickly when I realized how difficult it is to play the zills *while dancing* at the same time.

Soooo...I'm not sure how I feel about them. Certainly, it's something that I will need to practice quite a lot if I want to become proficient at it (I'm sure Mike will just love this little foray in my dancing career). I have a few relevant DVD's and drum rhythm CD's on my Christmas wish list to continue my training. We'll see. I just like to dance and don't want anything to make my movements feel encumbered, and the zills are certainly doing that, at least so far.

I used to think that I HAD to learn the zills to really feel like a belly dancer, but I no longer feel that way. I know many dancers whom I admire and respect that choose not to play the zills. I also see dancers who do know how to play them who also dance beautifully without them. I do want to continue to work on it, but I don't feel any pressure to do so. Maybe it'll come together, maybe it won't, but I'm glad that I'm trying it.

After that, I went home to knit and crash. Was pooped.

This morning, ugh. Anne had me up at 1 am, and I had to be bright eyed and bushy tailed at work at 8 am for two back-to-back English Composition classes. I dragged myself to the classroom at 7:45 am, worried that I ALREADY felt exhausted.

Our instruction room gets hot really easily, so I didn't turn on the projector right away, since nobody was there yet. Everybody straggled in a little late, and I was feeling loopily "ON." Sometimes when I teach I can tell that everything is going along really great, and other times it falls flat. Just like dance performances, really. This morning all of the planets were in alignment. I had their attention, I was engaging, I was telling funny stories and they were laughing. I go to turn on the projector.

It doesn't work.

Sigh.

It's barely after 8 am and I'm already having to improvise even more than I usually do. Luckily, the class was very small, so I went to Plan B. I made them all navigate to the things I was going to show them and I wandered around among them while I talked, making sure that they were staying on track.

In the midst of all of this, I had a library school student there to observe me and the instructor is a new adjunct that I've never worked with before.  When it rains, it pours.

It actually went really great (thank you God.). Between that class and the next one I found an ominously out in the open plug that explained why the projector wasn't working. No, it wasn't the power plug, I'm not quite that ditzy. Although I wouldn't put it past me. It just wasn't properly hooked up to the instructor workstation, and since I didn't try to turn it on until after class had already started, I didn't exactly have lots of troubleshooting time to work with. But I did get it fixed prior to the next class.

The next class shockingly went just as well. I came up with different funny stories and they laughed at those too. I was on a roll, people. This doesn't happen all that often, so let's celebrate it. The instructor was very pleased with how the classes had gone and complimented me very nicely ("You handled that technical glitch so beautifully, I was so impressed!" It was all I could do not to exclaim: "Dude, I'm just as shocked as you are!").

*ties on Super Librarian cape*

I head back to my office to scarf down some food and prepare for a reference shift. It was only 10 am. We won't pause to reflect on how ridiculous it is that I ate lunch during this time.

11 am finds me at the reference desk where I am bombarded by needy students. I was still on a high from my classes and was quite enthusiastic in my assistance of them. I mean, I'm always nice to them, I'm just not always ENTHUSIASTIC about doing so. This included several technical forays into mysterious printing problems that I'm totally unqualified to deal with (but I did identify the problem and provide a solution for them) and an engineering student whose question I couldn't even come close to deciphering. But the Super Librarian spirit pervaded and brought her to a relevant database! I even located some print sources for a law review student and he gave me chocolate as a thank you. It was like a reference shift straight out of The Twilight Zone.

But here I am, ready to go home and feeling as though I could fall asleep right on my office floor. It's this working-in-a-coal-mine librarian workload, I tell you. Oh, and all the belly dancing. And getting up with a saucy toddler at 1 am. You know what I mean.

Loading up my Advent shopping cart

Ohhhh, Advent is getting closer, and I'm getting so excited. I'm on all kinds of online Catholic store email lists so the other day I headed over to Aquinas & More Catholic Goods to start a shopping cart. I do this all the time even when I don't intend to order that day - I call it "shopping with no money" and it's so, so pleasurable. :) I do it with yarn a lot.

So far I have several Advent calendars in my cart, a chocolate one (a must-have every year for Henry) plus a more traditional one with little windows of pictures to open, a Christmas board book for Anne as well as the new Sunday missal for myself, and the Magnificat Advent Companion. Anne has just started to actually flip through books, rather than just eat and destroy them. The one Advent calendar I'm looking at for Henry comes with a little prayer booklet as I was hoping to get him some kind of devotional for Advent targeted to kids. Does anybody have any suggestions for something like that? I want something for him that he can read each night before he goes to bed.

I'm waiting to hear back from a friend of mine (my new Godchild from last Easter vigil :)) on something that I want to get for her and then I'll send the order in. Aquinas & More actually sent me an email concerned that I had put things in my cart but hadn't checked out; they were worried that I was having a problem. This made me gulp; they can see me shopping with no money? :)

Adventures in Bath & Body Works, and looks like I'm still a parish catechist...

This past Saturday, Henry and I traveled to our local Bath & Body Works for a little Mommy/Son bonding time. As Henry gets older, he wants to do so many things with Mike. You know, "boy stuff." He looks up to his Daddy. But one thing that he really enjoys doing with me is going to Bath & Body Works. He isn't into lotions or body scrubs, which I'm sure is no surprise. He just really likes scented candles and hand soap. He's also a fan of the little anti-bacterial gels they have there. He has a good time going around and smelling everything, and then bringing me the ones he likes for me sample as well. And it makes hand washing following bathroom duties much more pleasant for him if he likes the soap.

So Saturday we went just he and I, so that we could take our time (shopping with Anne, especially in any store that carries items made of glass, is not so fun) and enjoy ourselves. I sniffed all the new fall scented body products while Henry darted around admiring the Halloween scents.

"What's that you have, Honey? Ah, a soap called 'Vampire Blood,' nice."

I ended up getting myself some of the seasonal "Dreamy Vanilla Woods" scent. It's very nice, and I'm picky about my lotion/body spray scents. I do NOT like florals, and I don't like musky scents. I love vanilla, but not all vanillas are created equal. This one is a deeper vanilla, not foody, but very creamy. Anyway, that was a long description for body lotion. In the mean time, Henry had a load of the fall scented anti-bacterial hand sanitizers for me to smell, as well as a slew of candles. The little hand sanitizers were 5 for $5, so we picked out some of those, plus 2 small candles, which were on sale. I also got Wallflowers for both Henry and Anne's rooms. Anne really needs it, what with her diaper pail nearly requiring a gas mask to empty. All of the scents that we chose were fall-themed. :) Pumpkin Cupcake, Orchard Walk, Candy Corn, Vanilla Buttercream. If I want to eat it, I'll buy it. We had a great time.

On Sunday I wanted to take Anne to Mass again, but she was napping, so it was just Henry and I. And I was dwelling on the fact that I really dragged my feet this summer deciding what to do about Children's Liturgy of the Word. You may remember that late last spring, as we finished up the program for the summer, I was toying with discontinuing my participation and perhaps becoming a lector instead. I just didn't feel like I was enjoying it, and it seemed so much like babysitting to me because people tend to send their kids that are really young and can't sit still.

Well. I did think and pray about it over the summer, and I still felt undecided about what to do so I did nothing. Typical. Sunday, as Henry and I sit down in our pew, I open the bulletin to see my name in the list of catechists to be "commissioned" next Sunday in honor of the religious education season beginning again. Uh oh.

I figured that was my sign. Maybe I should continue to participate for another year. That was confirmed today when I received an email from the director of religious education. One of the most dedicated volunteers to the program is away for an entire month, and it's just me and another woman that they have to cover Children's Liturgy of the Word until late October, and they'd like to start the program up again the weekend after next. I couldn't exactly tell her *now* that I don't want to do it this year. If I really felt strongly about it, I should have spoken to her this summer so they could have recruited somebody else.

So, I'm signed up for 2 dates coming up. I don't think God speaks to us using big signs or anything, it's just subtle, everyday stuff. And so I figured this was my nudge. Hopefully, it'll go well this year. If not, then I really need to completely plan out what I want to do instead, and let the program coordinator know right away.

Wish me luck. :)

Shopping will abound

We're hosting our parents for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, so naturally I'll be doing lots of tornadoing around and obsessively cleaning and drinking wine. You know, the usual. I do love Thanksgiving. It's just such a warm and cozy kind of day. And I always take off the day after Thanksgiving. I usually lose my mind and meet my mom out to do a little shopping. I don't really need anything on Black Friday, but the experience (with a companion) can be kind of fun.

There is one place, however, that I will not go. And that is THE PLAZA. We have a shopping plaza near here that has grown exponentially in the past 5 years. Every time you turn around, a new popular store has been added into the configuration. Yet the parking lot remains the same size, kwim?

2 weeks ago, I left work early since I had some comp. time coming to me, so that I could run errands before heading home. So it was about 3 pm. And I wanted to stop at AC Moore to return something (Holiday Homespun yarn is gorgeous, but I cannot crochet with that stuff if you put a gun to my head; it's difficult to make anything when you literally cannot see the stitches you allegedly just made). As I neared THE PLAZA I noted the long traffic lines, but I figured things would clear by time I finished at AC Moore. Oh, silly, silly me.

I return the yarn, poke around for a bit (naturally) and then head to my car. It was just rainy and miserable and I was anxious to get home to Mike and my babies. I pull out of my parking space and toward the nearest exit. Oh dear. There appear to be about *30 cars* also trying to make left turns out of that exit as well. And I can see that the street onto which they hope to turn is also clogged up and the going is slow for those trying to add themselves into the line. I swivel and try the exit at the back, thinking I'll get to the back of that line of cars snaking toward the traffic light. Oh dear. The line of cars on the street snakes all the way past this exit as well, AND there are 20 additional cars trying to make lefts into it.

I say a bad word, and make my way toward yet a third exit out onto the main thoroughfare, accepting that it will simply take a few extra minutes to get out onto the street. There commences *20 minutes* of waiting in this line, since new cars are appearing at every nook and cranny trying to edge their way into the line, AND the cars out on the main road are all clogged up by non-synched red lights so maybe 2 cars are able to get out onto the road with every green light. I literally couldn't get out of that *insert bad word* parking lot.

I say another bad word. At one point, as I innocently drive straight in my line, a giant pickup truck appears from a side nook and tries to barrel through the line, nearly hitting me. I felt so shaken after that, I determined to go right home, instead of stopping off for my last errand. And I swore that I would NEVER GO TO THAT PLAZA AGAIN until after the holidays. And I mean it. I won't go back until January. I don't care how good a sale Target is having, I'd rather eat nails than go back there. They could give away free money for all I care. It's simply not worth it.

So therefore I'll be avoiding THAT PLAZA on Friday. But I'll probably end up meeting my mom at the crazy mall for lunch and a few stores. Because it's just not Black Friday for her unless we wait in line for 2 hours to eat at the Cheesecake Factory.

BUT. The really good news is that Knit Picks is having a Cyber Monday sale. OH.BABY. It starts at 9 am EST, so I'll have my tea at my work computer and will be obsessively reloading their page until the sale yarn comes up. Because I *need* more yarn, right? If it's on sale, it doesn't count. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I'll be on a blogging break until aforementioned Cyber Monday, so have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Busy weekend with baby clothes abounding...

I was on a mission this weekend: I wanted to organize Anne's clothes.

I've noticed already a huge difference with regard to boys and girls clothes. For one thing, due to the generosity of family and friends, I hadn't had to buy a single Onesie for Anne since she was born. Her closet is overflowing with frilly dresses and pink sweaters. People seem to love buying girl clothes. I always love buying boy clothes though! I will grant, once they move from the toddler sizes to the boys, things do get less exciting. But I think the small clothes are super fun for both genders. Anyway, I digress...

Hank was so chubby as a baby (I just looked back at his baby records; he weighed 20 lbs at 4 months old!) that he lived in sleepers and an occasional pair of sweatpants. Anne, on the other hand, has a much more extensive wardrobe. And due to a total lack of time, it was a complete mess, which I just couldn't take anymore. So Saturday morning, I set Anne up on the floor with some toys next to me and set to work in her room.

30 minutes later, her drawers and closet had been transformed, and I had a shopping list of what she needed to fill in a few holes for the upcoming winter. Mike stepped into the room cautiously. He knows what I'm like when I'm tornadoing:

"How are you doing in here, Honey?"

"Great! Ok, there is a new system for Anne's clothes. Come over here so that I can demo for you. On the far left we have short-sleeved Onesies, and I've weeded out the ones that are too small. We have a few long-sleeved Onesies (a magnificent invention by Carter's for those of us that live in the Northeast) and here is the pile of pants. She'll be wearing a lot more pants now that the weather is cooler; see, like that pair of purple stretch pants she's wearing right now? On the right are her socks, bibs, hats and hair accessories. In the next drawer down, we have sleepers, arranged by size from left to right, smallest to largest. The burb cloths have now moved to this drawer over here. In the closet, there are sweaters, jackets, a snow suit, and all clothes that are 9-12 months, since those are way too large right now. I'm headed to Carter's now to pick up some more long-sleeved Onesies."

He just stepped aside to let me breeze by since he knew I was on a mission. Upon arrival at the store, Anne was sleeping, allowing me to browse to my heart's content. I immediately snagged 2 packs of long-sleeved Onesies, 1 pack of short-sleeved Onesies in 6 months size, and 2 sleepers that she totally didn't need but that I simply could not resist. One has a cupcake on the front. I mean, seriously? How could I not buy it? I have a bit of a cupcake theme going on with her. Just wait until you see the next hat I'm going to knit her.

In church news, I haven't blogged about it, but I have actually brought both kids to Mass with me in recent weeks. I'll say this: it's not as bad as it could be, but it's not fun. Nor is it conducive to actually hearing anything that goes on during Mass. Not that the kids are loud, because they aren't (right now, that is). But my attention is just so divided, I'm sweating the entire time I'm there. Yesterday, I just had Anne with me, since I allowed Henry to stay home with Mike to "help" him put in a new hot water tank. Anne was sleeping upon arrival, which is always a good thing.

About midway through the homily, I glance over into her car seat tote and my heart nearly stops beating because I see a pair of wide blue eyes looking back at me. She was actually quiet until the Creed, when I had to take her out. She did pretty well, actually. I was happy that she contented herself just looking around, since getting out the pacifier inevitably ends with a distinctive "plink!" two pews away when my head is momentarily turned, and an usher has to come to our rescue. She did really, really well.

Next week, I start Children's Liturgy of the Word again, so Hank will be in tow to "help" me set up and take down, and Anne will stay home with Mike since there's no way I could manage her while also teaching. I'm a little apprehensive, but I know how much the parish appreciates my volunteering for this, and I do like being involved. I just so often feel like I'm babysitting (10-15 kids!) instead of passing along any real catechesis, but I do what I can with it...

P.S. Anne's Onesie in the picture above was made for her by Allison of A Broken Fortress, who sells her handmade baby items at Lila's Locker on etsy. :)

Let it snow!

Our first official snowfall in this region was recorded on Black Friday, but I'm happy to report that today marks the first significant snowfall, and it's lovely. :) I love the beginning of winter, it feels very cozy and festive.

And I've definitely been in the Christmas spirit. Being on a limited budget, I've been squirreling gifts away since mid-October. We have a solid savings account, but our strategy is that that money truly is for emergencies and rainy days. We live on what comes in my paycheck every 2 weeks, and what Mike makes teaching philosophy as an adjunct instructor (meaning, 1 or 2 classes per semester) at a nearby Catholic college. We've had a lot of unexpected one time expenses this semester. Car repairs, an engineering licensing exam for Mike, increased text book costs, that sort of thing. So it's been even tougher than usual to acquire Christmas gifts.

But certainly not impossible, and my goal this year is to get everyone small things that I know they'll really treasure and enjoy. Quality over quantity. :) I thought I'd give a mention to my favorite places to shop for quality gifts.

My first priority was getting some new toys for Hank from Santa, and for those, I did go the uninteresting route of Toys R Us and Target. I actually found great deals at both of these places prior to Black Friday. Although I have been to Toys R Us on Black Friday in the past, I wouldn't dare go near Target. I happened by our local store on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and even then, I wouldn't make eye contact with it, for fear of getting sucked into its evil vortex of 2 hour lines. But generally, in their ads, you'll find some good prices and coupons.

I like to get people books, and so good old Amazon, with its wish lists, is a favorite of mine. It's definitely my old faithful.

Most excitingly, I am a huge etsy fan. If you've never shopped there, you simply must poke around. It's a place to sell homemade and vintage items, and you can find the most interesting things on there. I have several sellers that I frequent, and I've mentioned most before, but it bears repeating at this holiday season. :)

For the lady that likes headcoverings in your life, I have 2 favorites. One is Garlands of Grace, and the other is Happy Homestead. Melissa at Happy Homestead, in particular, is very fast in shipping things out, if time is a concern.

For Catholic rosaries and jewelry, you must visit my friend Cam at Full of Grace Creations. I've already bought a few gifts from her this week, and I may send Mike there to look for an anniversary present in January. :) Her items are beautiful and thoughtfully made. My favorites are the necklaces.

Another wonderful rosary supplier is Carm at Unbreakable Rosaries. She makes wire-wrapped rosaries and guarantees their construction for life. Each is unique and gorgeous, and would make fabulous gifts for the praying Catholic in your life. I think that in particular, these are great for confirmation gifts.

I've also bought Catholic goods, mostly books or other liturgical seasonal items, through the Catholic Company. I've always been happy with what I've bought there.

So, happy shopping! And stay warm. Seems like a good night for a nice cup of hot chocolate...

Thanksgiving weekend recap, and we wait in joyful hope...

Well, I'm back. :) And I had a *wonderful* holiday, and a fabulous vacation. It was so, so nice to be away from work and with family.

So. A recap. I did lots of cooking and baking with my mother-in-law, and I didn't cause anything to explode. This is good. Mike handled the turkey, as he does every year, and it turned out very well. It's amazing what a little olive oil and rubbed sage will do. I always handle the broccoli casserole, a family favorite. We also made fresh stuffing, green beans amandine, and mashed potatoes with gravy. My mother-in-law showed me how to make pie crust, and I may be brave and bold and attempt an apple pie for Christmas. I say this with much trepidation, because I am a terrible baker. I mean, TERRIBLE. I'm a decent cook, but baking eludes me. I think that ideal baking consistency requires much more precision than cooking, and most of the time I'm just not that exact. And a liquidy cream cheese ball just never did any good for anybody.

This weekend we made a pie plus cutout cookies. My mother-in-law bought me a stand-up electric mixer as an early Christmas present, and already it has proved indispensable. She praised me as being a very good dough roller outer, so maybe there's hope for me yet.

Friday, we went shopping. Yes, shopping. I know, I know, it was Black Friday. But as you know, I do enjoy a Black Friday tradition. I refuse to get up at 4 am to do anything except nurse a baby. However, I'll get up at a normal time on Black Friday, battle plan in hand, and wait in a few long lines to get a handful of non-electronics items. People get stampeded for electronics items, and well, I'm just not willing to do that. This year, I thought maybe I'd get Hank a board game or two real cheap, and I had a kitchen goods item in mind for my mom. My mom had also asked me to pick up a Perfect Pillow for her (marked down from $80 to $19. 97) so I was set to go. My mother-in-law generously wanted to get me some warm nightgowns, since I'd mentioned that my usual flannel pant and top sets were getting a bit uncomfortable now that Baby CL is growing bigger. So off we went, bound for Bon Ton at 9 am.

My local Bon Ton is divided into 2 separate stores, the regular department store and a home store. We started out in the regular store, which is a good thing, otherwise we may have lost our nerve. My MIL got a nice purse for herself, I got Chutes & Ladders for Hank for $4.97, and we found a great selection of long nightgowns. I found some really cute ones. They're a bit matronly, no doubt about it, but SO COMFORTABLE. I'm totally in love with them. I got 2 long-sleeved cotton ones that extend to my ankles, and 3 micro-fleece that are a bit shorter (they go to about my upper calves), but so cozy and warm you can hardly stand it. And the funny thing is, Mike thinks they are the most attractive sleepwear that I now own. Everytime I don one of the floor length cotten numbers, I get happy raised eyebrows, which I find amusing since these things are the complete opposite of Sexy Sadie. Think: Grandma Moses. Anyway, all were 50% off, so we were thrilled. We waited in a line that took about 10-15 minutes to sail through. Life was good.

Off we happily went to deposit the packages in my trunk (Stalking of Us to Our Car, Incident #1) and headed into the home store. Quickly, I grabbed the Perfect Pillow and found the item I wanted for my mom. Marked down from $100 to $39.98, I'll have you know. See? Now you want to go shopping on Black Friday too. We attempt to find the check-out line, and this is the first time we get alarmed. I thought I saw the end of the line, but realized it went all the way to the back of the store. We get to the back of the store, and realized that it snaked off to the right. We go off to the far right corner, and see that it snaked back toward the front. It was ugly. We got in line and hoped for the best. Inevitably, as we waited, bored out of our skulls, we noticed other things that caught our eye that the line crawled past. Oh look, Christmas tablecloths. Oh, a cute snowman decoration for $2.97 (grabbed one of those. He was cute and a door buster, so can you blame me?) I also managed to nab a Pyrex 9x12 pan with accompanying snowflake carrying basket all for $9.97. By time we got up to the cash register, an hour and fifteen minutes had elapsed. That's probably the longest line I've ever stood in.

We limped out to the car (Stalking of Us to Our Car, Incident #2), and then walked over to the nearby grocery store for a few weekend baking supplies. Finally, the person stalking us to our car was actually able to get our spot (Incident #3), and we hustled on to the mall.

The mall is a scary, scary place on Black Friday, my friends. The one we were traveling to is the largest in our area, and quite popular year round. We were going because my mom and my aunt wanted to meet us for lunch there. I knew it would be bad, but I had a plan: Sears. Usually, there is always parking at Sears. I felt confident in my Plan A.

About 30 seconds after our arrival on the grounds, I knew that Plan A was a big, fat failure. There was not a spot to be had anywhere. I drove around stubbornly for about 5 full minutes, figuring that eventually, we would happen upon a small empty spot. I have a Honda Civic, he squeezes nicely. Nothing.

Finally, I got desperate. I started watching people. Are they just arriving or leaving?! Oh LOOK! Someone is pulling out up ahead... Crap. Another car is already waiting. It's very difficult for me to lower myself to following people to their cars, but at this point I realized that I had no choice. Stalking began in earnest, when suddenly:

MIL: "I think those people are loading up their car."

CL" "WHERE?"

MIL: "Yes, they're closing their trunk."

CL: *zooms!*

Within 3 seconds, I had backed up, pulled into the row, and had my blinker on. The universal sign for: "Look elsewhere, Buddy. I've got dibs on this one."

Finally, we pulled in. We had a long walk to the restaurant area, but I felt vindicated and happy. Although my feet were sore.

And that was my Black Friday. For the rest of the weekend, we baked, relaxed, got and decorated our tree, and ran a few other small errands. It was really, really nice.

Of course, we all know that one of my favorite liturgical seasons began on Sunday: The first Sunday of Advent. I have a Magnificat Advent Companion this year, which I've already put to good use. My brand new Advent wreath is out, with fresh candles, and all feels right with the world. I love Advent. It truly is a time of hope.

Holiday shopping, oh joy

Yesterday was a bit of an overcast, chilly day here, and my mom called to see if I'd like to do a bit of holiday shopping. I'm always game for such an activity, so I quickly agreed. Hank and Mike were secured watching Sunday afternoon football, and off we went, Target and Toys R Us bound.

Well. We arrive in Target's parking lot to see that perhaps they are giving away free bars of gold, if the chaos therein was any indication. We managed to find a parking spot only in the very back, and struggled through the wind and rain all the way to the front door, past many dour looking souls trying to find a spot closer to the doors. Whereupon, before we even tick a single item off our list, my mom announces that she's hungry. This turned out to be a very fortuitous decision, given that what occurred thereafter required us to have a full artillery of strength. We split a personal sized pizza and some lemonade at the cafe, and set off.

We were having a difficult time finding many of the items that we were looking for, and that did not get any better as we approached the toy department. I was looking for 2 Fisher Price items: the Trio Batcave, and the Imaginext castle/fortress. Both were on sale at excellent prices. Unfortunately, both seemed to have been taken with the swarm of locusts that had very obviously gnarled its way through the toy department prior to our arrival. We struck out with every single toy that we originally had our eye on. I had a gift card to use, and really wanted to apply it toward a Christmas purchase, so I ended up getting Hank a V Tech VReader, which is an adorable new eBook reader for kids. It was marked down $5, so I snagged a blue one. But we left Target feeling a bit deflated.

Our arrival at Toys R Us miraculously showed a much calmer parking lot, much to our surprise. There, also armed with a gift card, I picked up both of the toys I wanted for Hank (a remote-control Buzz Lightyear marked down $20, and some books marked down $5 for his new VReader). We spent a lot of time analyzing gifts for my nephews, and by time we were done, I was falling down exhausted. This was before we glimpsed the checkout lines.

There were about 5 open, which is much better than usual, but yet every one was completely stopped up. Each person currently being waited on had some sort of complicated coupon or otherwise involved inquiry about the price of something they were purchasing. 20 minutes later, we were finally able to check out and head to my mom's car, barely able to walk.

And this was a pre-Thanksgiving Sunday. Last year, we lost our minds and went to Toys R Us on Black Friday, and let me tell you, I learned a thing or two. Here is my list of rules for Black Friday shopping:

(1) Always bring a partner in crime. You will need them to:

(a) Guard the cart with your purses as you dart into an aisle completely clogged with desperate shoppers and their carts, which inevitably will be right in front of the item you want to look at. Or vice versa. And,

(b) Gossip with as you wait 30-60 minutes in the checkout line.

(2) Have coffee beforehand. Or perhaps whiskey.

(3) You may arrive to find that there are no carts. WAIT FOR ONE. Yes, you will feel like a stalker, but trust me, you NEED one. Do not try to navigate the madness with just your bare hands. You will be sorry.

(4) Mentally prepare yourself for the fact that people will be in your way every single moment until you arrive safely back in your house. You will also be in theirs. Once you accept this, you'll feel a lot calmer.

(5) Don't have your heart set on a single, specific item. That is reserved only for those crazy people that line up outside the store at 9 pm on Thanksgiving night. Unless you want to be stampeded by them, you're not gettin' that TV. Resolve this within yourself now. You'll still get some great deals on other gifts, and that will have to be good enough.

There you have it. Only 10 more days until Black Friday 2010. :)