Winter Snow Song - Audrey Assad with Chris Tomlin

Don't forget to mute the music at the bottom of this page....

Free is always good!

Any idea what this...

and this....

and this ....





all add up to?  FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

That is.... after I stopped at Home Depot and raided their FREE trim bin! I picked up enough to do two wreaths and decorate our mantle. In spite of the sap on my hands and the mess in my laundry room, the free part made it worth all the time and effort. The wire wreaths I bought several years ago and I just reuse them every year. At the end of the season I pull all the branches off the wire and store the wreath for the next season. The fresh smelling wreaths smell so good too!

Any ideas how to get the sap off my hands?

Tweet for swagbucks!

http://blog.swagbucks.com/2010/12/twitter-tuesday-phrase-that-pays_07.html

Stairway to sore legs...

I have discovered something today...I don't like stairs! Especially these...

Yes...I know these are way too  long for attic steps! Why I decided to get down our Christmas decorations  today in these cold temperatures...I'll never know! Weren't we wearing flip flops last week? Flip Flops,tornadoes and now freezing temperatures...this is Georgia weather for you, all in the same week.

 I really need to get that man of mine to build real steps to my secret hide away our storage area. It would be a great place for my sewing room an extra room. I guess I take after my mama! Put an idea in our heads and we will have walls knocked out and  new rooms built in no time!

So, after climbling those evil stairs several thousand times...we have all our Christmas decorations down gracing our living room floor. These are the before pictures...see all the boxes? That's how many times I climbed and how many days of recovery it will take my legs. Who needs a gym membership?  After my many many trips up and down those stairs balancing boxes on my head while holding the rail with one hand, we are in the decorating mood !  I like the Christmas decor so much I might even leave it up way past ...Valentines Day? Can you tell I'm trying to get out of a good workout?  That's enough time to build those stairs...right?

The kids have been a great help today. I love watching their faces as they look through all our ornaments.  Talking about Christmas past and loved ones who have gone...anticipating our Christmas morning breakfast and that huge...really really huge Holcombe family Christmas. Outside paper ball fight!!!!!!!!!!! I guess I should check with my sister in law about that one? 

I'm off to make my Home Depot shopping list....

and the kids are making their Christmas list....

I guess I better get busy...I have plans to draw decorating to do!

Loaded Potato Soup....For my friends

With cooler weather comes huge pots of soup...well in my house that is! One of our favorites is Loaded Potato Soup. Potatoes,cheese,bacon and green onions....yummmmmmmmmmm! It's a simple meal served with a basket of rolls and a salad. So for your taste buds good pleasure here is the recipe...the great big family wow we have leftovers version.

Loaded Potato Soup:
Soup Base: Ingredients
Velvetta Cheese- 1...1lb loaf-The largest loaf (you can substitute this with shredded cheese...Velvetta just adds to the creaminess of the soup and I do both too) Cut into squares for easy melting
Chicken Stock or Broth- 2...  32 oz boxes
Heavy Cream or Half in Half- 1 ....2quart container/jug
Corn starch for thickening- I use about 1/2 cup whisked with water to form a thick liquid. I don't mix this until I'm ready to put in the soup base.
salt and pepper

Potatoes- 5 lbs washed and cut to a little larger than bite size pieces
I leave the skins on but peeling them is fine too.

Garnish:
Crumbled bacon
Chopped green onions
Shredded cheese


I start with two huge stock pots. The first pot I boil my prepared potatoes to almost(slightly) tender, drain the water and set aside . Over cooking will cause them to fall apart. In the second pot I add my chicken stock,heavy cream, and velvetta cheese. Cook on a medium heat and stir frequently to avoid scorching the milk. Cook until the cheese is melted. Sometimes I do add shredded cheese to the pot for a more cheesy base. Remember you will be adding cheese for a garnish too. I then add my cornstarch mixture and cook until the soup base thickens.You can add more cornstarch mixture if needed...add in 1/3 cup cornstarch mixed with water increments. Depending on how many are eating at our house I will sometimes add milk to increase the amount of the soup base. Sometimes I have to add more cornstarch too. The thickness of the soup base should resemble a thick pancake batter.
Add cooked potatoes to prepared soup base. Stir gently to avoid mashing the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes and serve. Top with cheese,bacon and green onion. Freeze any leftovers....if you have any!

Journey to a thankful heart...Please and thank you!

Day 30....Manners are not just for kids!

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If your a mom...You have probably had the pleasure of teaching your kiddos the glorious task of learning manners. Many times trying to get them to say thank you and you ending up saying it for them. Eventually they catch on and you are free to just smile with pride.

I have lived in the south most of my life. Nothing says manners better than a southern raised child...well most of them. Southerners have even gotten away from teaching their kids manners. As with anything you do, repetition is the key to learning. Same is true for manners...practice makes perfect!

This journey has taught me how lax I have been to show others my appreciation for the things they do to give of themselves. I have always loved to be recognized for my sacrifices...but have failed miserably at the return gesture. As I have been on this journey I have focused more on my please and thank yous. Because of that I have made a wonderful discovery...people are actually surprised to even get a thank you. Many times I have watched them get distracted from what they were doing ...almost as if they were saying "Did she actually tell me thank you?" It's really funny but sad to see their expressions! Have we gotten to the place in society where we feel we deserve to have others serve us? Yes, they may be getting paid for their services. But wouldn't they do a better job if they were encouraged by those two simple words? A little encouragement goes a long way!

 As I continue this venture to put a little smile on others faces and let them know what they do matters...my heart will continue to change and grow more thankful.

 Just like memorizing words from a page...manners practiced repetitively will come with age. Thank you Thank you Thank you.......

Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. I hope you take something away from this blog and make someone smile!

Journey to a thankful heart...The whispers of my heart

Day 29...The journey is almost over...or is it?

I am thankful  for my God who always hears me.
I never have to shout.
 I never have to repeat myself.
 I never have to wave my hands in front of him...except to praise him!
 He loves me and patiently waits to listen to the whispers of my heart!