"Mom, Are You Baking or Is That a Candle"? Sugar Cookies

I've have a few Cookies for Santa Yankee Candles placed through out the house so this afternoon Marcus wanted to know if I was baking or was it the candles!

Looks like it's the real thing!

Let's Make a Gingerbread House

We'll be making this gingerbread house this weekend.

Jewish Rye Bread! My Favorite Marcus

Marcus, our son, went to Big Lots for some staples. For a surprise, he purchased a loaf of Jewish Rye bread, knowing that I love it!

Looks fine on top but...

The wrapping looks like it hit some heat, the bread has been exposed and is stale. Yuck!

New Kitchen Hooks ~ Goodbye Chickens

The chickens were cute but we needed something more sturdy so my husband and I started looking around for replacements. He really wanted a panel with hooks on it but I thought that plain hooks would work best.

Bye-bye chickens!

Hello, pewter hooks! I can now display my aprons in the kitchen.

The hooks were only $3 at Target!

Last Night's Dinner Was Successful!

I wasn't in the mood to do a traditional fried chicken so when my husband asked what was for dinner I told him I was planning on putting the chicken in the oven. My husband and son love crispy chicken. Sometimes, it doesn't turn out that way!

Well, this batched did and even got Marcus to the dining table!

Do You Think Neal and Sophie Made a Mistake? The Young and the Restless

I haven't seen The Young and the Restless for almost a week so I thought I would catch up online while relaxing in my new sitting area.

So, I was surprised to discover that Neal and Sophie were getting married. Neal is a great guy but come on writers...no more original ideas?!

Cold Weather and Chronic Pain ~ Ugh!

I love the colder weather that we have in Las Vegas. But I hate the additional aches and pains that I suffer.

I had to have a Hot shower to start my day. I found myself wanting to stay in there for awhile.

How about you? What do you to keep going during the winter months despite your pain?

Marcus' Bedroom Re Do ~ December 2011

Marcus says that he's inherited my cleaning and organizing bug!

Marcus switch out his landline phone for this retro desk push button phone.

Do you notice the Bacon pillow? This is in honor of his nickname is Bacon Eating Kid.

He's already switched this area out with Christmas lights. The lizard is a Christmas gift that I didn't have a chance to wrap before he got to it first.

"Mom, Can You Make Some Snickerdoodles" ?

And I did! They're delicious!

What to Do With All of Those Christmas Bows?

Time to put those Christmas bows to good use!

My Christmas Present: A Sitting Space in the Home Office

I woke up to find some changes have been made in the home office.

It appears Marcus, our son, has redone his room and presented me with a sitting area, in the home office.

I love it!

Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner: Favorite Holiday Recipes

Kelly's Korner topic this week is Favorite Holiday Recipes. Here's one that we love anytime.

Here's an easy Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie recipe, courtesy of Better Recipes that everyone will love!

1 prepared pie crust (We use Keebler Reduced Ready Made Graham Pie Crust)
1 cup skim milk
2 pkgs vanilla Jello cook and serve sugar free and fat free pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tub sugar free whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip has a sugar free topping)

Method
Mix pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and Jello in a saucepan then mix until well blended. Add milk and slowly bring to a low boil. Let cool to room temperature then fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour and top with remaining whipped.

Exercise and Pain Flare Ups for Severe Chronic Pain Sufferers

Walking is my favorite way to relax, exercise and clear my mind. Mentally, I feel so much better after a walk around the neighborhood. Physically, I sometimes suffer from pain flare ups.

So, for me, exercise is great and sometime painful. But I keep it up because of the benefits to my all around health. My doctor told me that movement is important for keeping my joints working. Exercise also helps with my depression and anxiety.

I Need to Learn to Wrap Faster! The Bacon Eating Kid Got There First!

I was in a rush on Friday to start my work shift so I left my packages in our living room. Later, Marcus stuck his head in the office and said "Thank you Mom"! Oops!

Vinyl wall decal, aluckyhorseshoe, at Esty.