Sunday, December 29, 2024

One thing.. I hate.


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                                                   Free photo stock..not mine.

 Well there are more than one..but honestly on TikTok.. seeing the young people..and their Xmas HAULS..is disturbing.

So many gifts.. so much $$$.The above so tame and lovely..the hauls.. what is it with this excessive overabundance of gifts? 

I love seeing the ones where they get a puppy.. where people don't have much and someone comes through for them..When someone is ill and gets better..when a sentimental gift is offered..everything within reason.

All the sweet charming moments ..not the overspoiling of our youth.I don't know if you have seen any..but wow..too much..Like thousands of $$$...




Christmas eve day gave us the perfect snowfall..glistening sparkly snow..
It meant doing a system restore for our Christmas family to arrive.
I kid you not he does it all:)
We had so much fun at my daughter's Xmas eve. A house full of people..
Delicious food.. sit down meal for 14.
Some homes have 14 matching chairs.. we don't..
so it's a bit of this and a bit of that.No one notices.
The tables are set with love and attention.
I look at all the Littles so big now..
In the blink of an eye..
Lucas Max Oli Noah
Adamo Giuliana William
The table will just get bigger and bigger..as we get smaller an smaller:)

Perfect Hallmark Christmas weather.



I love when that happens.

Funny thing..at my daughter's on the eve.. we were satiated.. lucky to have such great food before the meal and at the meal.. after the meal..some fun games were played.. late in the evening my daughter took out all her beautiful bite sized desserts and we did each take one but there were so many.
We were just too full.



And my dessert table?
As everyone was leaving after brunch..one of my daughters exclaimed..mom we forgot the desserts..:(
And so we had.
Can you imagine?
Next yr..I am making a bûche de Noël and putting it in the middle of the table.
How will we be able to forget then:)
And that's it.
Shortbread because how can we not.
And Dream bars...Because I remember my mom making those.

The weather has turned foggy and mild with some rain..it will be like this for a few days then a deep freeze again.

Happy New Year to you..
Health and happiness.
2025.




New hobby Sun Sprouts..


Our new welcome mat.


20 comments:

  1. I'm ALIT with all the SNOW and Happiness, and will return to savor what I skied down in a Slalom of Riches! Much love from the chilly Heartland, and an appointment for the afternoon to take in all this largesse and wonderful.

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  2. A lovely post, Monique. For Christmas dinner we were 13 around the table. Still some littles, but they are all growing so quickly. Then another dinner yesterday with my parents and siblings - 8 of us - how blessed I am to have both parents living and doing well. Dad will be 91 this next year, and Mom 89. Aging is hard.
    I'm so glad that our children are not into excessive gifts for their families. Books, a few toys, some clothing, nothing fancy. We play games, laugh, and talk. It's been a wonderful Christmas season, minus the beautiful snow you have. Rain and wind instead.
    Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year:) I cannot imagine the joy of having my parents:)Yet I know the joy of family since my girls and their families:)Blessed to have siblings also.I have one..and never see him.I was literally brought up as an only child.. we were close at one point and then not:(I am so glad we are not "haul" people:)That was our Christmas..:) Yours..just not your parents and siblings:)You have great genes!

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  3. Happy and Healthy 2025 to you and your family.❤️

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  4. That angel looks just like you! Right down to the pretty treats. I smiled about forgetting the desserts. Sometimes it is just too much. We paused and enjoyed a little later. Your Christmas sounds perfect, surrounded by beautiful family, fabulous food and outside a glorious white Christmas view! Does it get better? You are blessed in so many ways, Monique. Fortunately, you know it.

    I don't go to TikTok but I know exactly what you mean about the excess and I agree. It should not be about the gifts but about all the other things that make Christmas so special. Family, fun, celebration, tasty treats!

    Sending joyful New Year wishes to you and your family. May it be a happy one, filled with joy.

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    1. Jeanie that dessert angel was gifted to me manay many yrs ago..and she looks like the giver:) But that made me smile..The overload of $$ gifts is shocking. Paris Hilton cleaned out Chanel..Oy ..Oy..Oy..

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  5. What a winter wonderland you have, Monique. The first photo looks like a snow tsunami! I'm glad you were able to get to each other's homes on Christmas Eve and Day. We had a white Christmas too, thankfully, but then it turned warmish with fog and rain and now we look out at green again. I rarely look at Tik Tok (only when you recommend a recipe :)) so I haven't seen the mega hauls. What a shame and sad to be so boastful. As our boys get older not many toys any longer. Just for Bo :) Mainly clothes and sports equipment. It's over in such a flash! On to cozy and hygge now as we wait for spring. Love the sprouts! They make such a lovely garnish on so many things and healthy too. A very Happy and Healthy New Year to you and J! ♥♥

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    1. WE are in slush and thaw and fog..the complete opposite of Christmas weather:)M gave me the sprouting set for Xmas.. The first batch I did.I had no idea they were mucilagenous seeds..Turned to jelly lol this batch faring far better.Indoor gardening for now.I am glad the Razor was a hit:)It was here also..just not in many yrs..You're lucky to have a Bo:) Nothing but the very best to you and yours Susan:)xo

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  6. The snow is beautiful! And that is the best welcome mat! :) Wishing you all the best for 2025! xo

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    1. It's pretty ugly out now..Wuthering Heights fog and thaw..But the weather came through for Christmas..All the very best to you too:) The mat will last and last..so big and heavy:) Love it:) x

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  7. It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas--as long as we have our family, we're good! Eh? The snow pics are so pretty. It does make for a magical Christmas when there's snow. I'm anxious to hear more about your Sun Sprouts. Let us know what you think of them. That welcome mat is perfect for you! Monique, I know what you mean about going overboard for Christmas. My daughter begged all the grandparents to keep it simple because when there are too many gifts, it seems to distract from the true meaning of the holiday. It was very hard, but we only gave our littles 3 modest gifts, and money for their savings. Those little girls were tickled pink with those gifts. I had to laugh when you said you forgot to put out your desserts. I'm sure everyone was stuffed with no room for dessert, anyway. I hope you were able to save a few sweets for New Year's Eve! I hope and pray it will be a blessed New Year for you and your family, Monique!

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    1. Hi Pam..it's all turned to fog and slush..here in the country..still some snow..but we wandered off to a neighbouring town..snowless:)Highways too!I hope and pray nothing but the best for you and yours also:)I have sprouted before but never in jars ..never fancy like this.My daughter included several bags of seeds..LOL the first seeds I picked..I did as directed soaked overnight..WELLLL..they were mucilagenous seeds..only viable on trays and lightly sprayed.. I had jello seeds:) THis new batch looks good;) I will report back.WE love our new heavy duty weighs a ton mat:) Of course we do right? Smart daughter you have:)

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  8. I am so grateful for the decades you have shared your families love, you brought tears to my eyes...

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    1. I wish the very best to you and S and pups for 2025:) :)

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  9. Rachel Scott commented on "...3 days away..."
    13 hours ago
    Almost Happy New Year.....2025, don't think I ever thought about writing that year, especially not in the 1950's! Ha! I see you and yours had a wonderful Christmas. I love that you include so many photos, being a visual person. I made 550+ cookies(depending on how large or small one cuts the bar cookies: 15 recipes), plus 3 cakes, 2 decorated. Whew!! And, I had to buy the cutest cookie cutters that made 3-D house scenes...made 15 of those. And, now I need your cookie recipe for the trees...and how you made them look knitted/like fabric! Lovely idea. And, I am sorry that people have to be mean.....just no reason for that. Susan Branch does what you are going to do and now that she is on BlueSky, you have to register. Thank you for your blog and the tiny falling stars that the mouse makes....charming.

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    1. Dear Rachel..I inadvertently did not check mark your comment as safe:). A learning curve:). But in doing so I discovered I could mark a comment as spam:) So I will do that for you know who..So a few IG French sites were showing this Knit sweater.. tree..whatever trick..I am going to put it here so you can see:)
      https://www.instagram.com/p/DDXS1hEtDEm/

      Laura. such a great feed:) Look at it..Eye Candy..Inspo..all of it...The recipe I used is a simple sugar cookie..
      Wow you really went all out! KUDOS..Happy New Year!!!

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  10. I, too, check in now and then just for the falling stars---those sweet sparkles floating down the black sky, or the blue---such an elegant addition to the perfection. What wonderful celebrations, and what endearing and familiar memories they will be---our yearly forgetful is almost always "the forgotten thing"---ranging from a perishable gift I left off wrapping til the last moment, or one of the two cranberry sauces---I try a recipe for homemade now and then (best one uses orange juice, and then gently-stirred-in supremed sections at the last moment before the table) and Chris was a staunch Ocean Spray guy---he liked the unmolded can sliced, or if we spooned it gently into a compote, I made sure that the little "pleats" were showing. Just last year, I started downstairs at the last moment, for ice or whatever, and paused on the stairs, "What am I going down for?" Immediately DDIL's voice came down, "Look in the microwave!" to a great peal of laughter from the whole table.

    One of the funniest memories of the family-I-married-into is of a Thanksgiving at the In-laws, with the whole crowd gathered. I hadn't been in the family long, and so I asked FIL to please get me the can opener for the two cans of cranberry. I got busy, and when I looked for them, I couldn't find them or the opener, but a trip into the beautifully set dining room revealed those two little opened cans, one set daintily on each side of the centerpiece, like two pillar candles. Chris was videotaping all the frivolity, and you can hear my longest-drawn-out Southern drawl asking his Dad, 'What were you gonna DOOO, Darlin'? Put a SPPOOOOONN in 'em?"

    I must get to this important day---just seeing all your own celebrations BRIGHTS me even before I get out the pretty plates or click on all the party lights. We've celebrated on England Time for the past four years, having our toasts at seven, here, along with Big Ben on the TV and all the lights and party-goers in the streets of London. And then bedtime at a reasonable hour. Much Love and Bonne Annee' to you, everyone you love, and everyone who loves YOU.

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    1. We will be in bed way before the midnight hour:)I have never loved NYE as I should..Parties ..were not me except for 3 my daughter hosted.. then,later in life, I LOVED having the boys over for a sleepover while the parents partied.. But we all know how fast that period of life goes by:)Your pillar cans brought a smile to my face Rachel..We will have fondue as we do every yr.. A quiet little dinner:)All the very best to you and yours in the coming year.I so appreciate your poetic comments:) Thank you.

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