Month: December 2018

Christmas With The Kids

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I only had to work one day last week – Thursday (12/27) – but boy was it a doozy. The work itself didn’t stress me out, but my coworkers sure did! One was playing his music louder than normal and the other would not stop clearing his throat frequently. In a two minute period he did it 9 times! Ugh. I could not wait to get out of that place!

Friday (12/28) was our Christmas with the kids. Originally ES was working and wasn’t going to be able to make it but he showed up. Good thing I bought an extra gift card just in case for a game we ended up playing (UNO Attack with prizes). :)

The kids got me a Funko Pop flocked Grumpy Bear and Joe a card game and a $25 Red Robin Gift Card which was nice. We’ll probably be eating there in the next week or two since I’m due for a free birthday burger soon.

The kids seemed to really like their gifts – we gave them each a Google Home Mini (we bought a three pack and are really enjoying ours), money, and some stocking stuffers.

After our dinner of ham and all the sides (including my homemade mac & cheese everyone raved about), we played the aforementioned UNO Attack and then Aggravation. I believe the kids ended up leaving sometime between 10 and 11 pm so it was a nice long visit. I recently subscribed to Spotify so I had a playlist of 30+ Christmas songs on repeat through the evening.

We were all suffering an introvert hangover on Saturday (12/29) so we didn’t shower or leave the house at all and Wookie spent most of the day napping.

Sunday (12/30) we ran a few errands in the morning, took down and packed away all the Christmas decorations in the afternoon, and went to see a few decorated houses in the early evening.

Haven’t done much today except more errands, doing laundry, and cleaning the house. Our “big” New Years Eve plans is having ribs for dinner and going to bed at a decent hour because I want to check the sales tomorrow. NYE isn’t that exciting if you’re not the partying type.

Christmas Break

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Friday (12/21) was the first official day of my Christmas vacation, but before I could consider myself truly off work, I had my company’s Christmas luncheon to attend. It was at the local steakhouse they’ve been holding it for years and I sat next to the company owner’s wife whom I really like. The VP of the company, the sales manager, the owner, my boss, and the other girl on our team were also at my table.

They decided to forgo the grab bag this year and instead sold raffle tickets. The winner got half the pot with the other half going toward the charity of their choice. Guess who won? The VP! He got teased a lot because I guess he wins stuff often. He also seemed embarrassed to have won and assured us his winnings would go toward some nice lunches for us in the office. HR told me he didn’t want the money – he just wanted to participate to be a good sport. I think that’s great, but in that case I think it would have been better if he hadn’t put his name on the raffle tickets. It’s just not a good look when a higher up wins something – one of the workers could use that money more (and more than a free lunch or two since I believe it was over $100).

I ended up with an overcooked steak because I forgot to specify how I wanted it cooked and the waitress didn’t prompt me, so that part kinda sucked, but it still tasted good, if a little dry. I decided to try and Peachtini and woo boy, did that go straight to my head! Half a glass and I had to stop, eat a roll, and drink some water. It was super strong and I hadn’t eaten at all that day so I only ended up having a single drink instead of two. By the time I was ready for the second one the party was wrapping up.

I almost forgot – every year they give out chocolate bars to everyone (Wonka bars they’re called, which are really Hershey bars (or in past years, Russell Stover) with an additional wrap over the original wrapping) and in three bars is a golden ticket that gives the winner an extra day off with pay. This year I won one! First time in the past five years. I am sure some people weren’t thrilled since I’m part time and only work three days a week as it is, lol.

Edited to add: My boss gave us $25 gift cards to Amazon, but they were late being delivered so we didn’t get them until we returned to the office after the holiday.

I can’t even remember at this point what we did on Saturday or Sunday so it must have not been terribly exciting.

Monday (12/24) (Christmas Eve) I did some cleaning and prepared some cheesy grits casserole and cranberry sauce to take to my parents’ house. We arrived there just around 6 pm and stayed until 10 pm. Despite that, we never got around to playing any games. We did Secret Santa and apparently by triple wrapping one of J’s gifts I had him convinced the present was from B, despite the fact that it was a bag of peanut snacks from Trader Joe’s that he had snacked on when he was visiting me here in November. He even told me he’d like some for Christmas!

B’s girlfriend pulled my name and she gave me a candle trimmer, lemongrass essential oil, and the game 5 Second Rule – all of which was on my list of ideas. I felt bad all Joe got her was a Dollar Tree gift card but B only wrote gift cards on her list of ideas (she wasn’t present when we pulled names). My dad (really my mom) got Joe a gift card for Binny’s and a bunch of sprinkles to be funny because Joe loves ice cream with sprinkles. Too bad we have so many unused sprinkles already at home! I seriously don’t know what to do with them all since when he eats ice cream at home he doesn’t use sprinkles. He only gets them from Culvers or an ice cream shop.

Tuesday (12/25) (Christmas) we went to an early morning matinee of Holmes & Watson which, unfortunately, was not good. It tried to be funny but really wasn’t. That’s the second time we’ve seen a Will Ferrell movie on Christmas Day – the first being Anchorman 2 in 2013 – that has sucked. I really thought since he and John C Reilly were so good together in Talladega Nights and Step Brothers that this movie would be hilarious as well but it was a huge disappointment.

After the movie we had Wookie open her presents and we exchanged stocking stuffers. I got some candy, salt and vinegar chips, makeup/hair stuff, a clip for my purse, microfiber cleaning cloths for my electronic devices, and these awesome crystal nail files.

I felt bad I only got Joe a few things when he got me a lot of little stuff, although I think he got more for me because I didn’t end up getting my iPhone as originally planned whereas he got the new laptop. I got him a box of Pot of Gold, a package of beef jerky, and a portable battery to charge his phone and tablet when he’s traveling.

We ate leftovers from my parents’ for lunch and made a steak to share for dinner. We just mostly hung around the house being lazy inbetween meals. I got my DS out and charged it and played Dr. Mario and Planet Puzzle League. Ever since I saw that you can download Dr. Mario to play on the new Nintendo Switch I’ve been wanting to play it again. I wish Dr. Mario was available in the app store. Why Nintendo isn’t interested in that market is beyond me; they could make a lot of money!

Earlier today (12/26) we ran to a few stores to see what was available on clearance. I wanted to get a candle holder from Bath & Body Works but they were all sold out and there was a crazy long line so we left. I did get this cute Christmas dress for Wookie at Petco, though. Gotta love 75% off after Christmas discounts!

As long as I refer to it as her jacket, she doesn’t want to tear me from limb to limb when I put it on or take it off.

After our little shopping trip I made a peanut butter cup pie while Joe re-caulked the master bathroom tub. He also re-caulked the kitchen sink which looks nice.

I’ve got work tomorrow, but then I’ll be off again until next Wednesday. We have the kids coming over for Christmas on Friday so we’re looking forward to that.

Weekend Wrap-up

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Saturday (12/15) we decided to head to Naperville to check out the Christkindlmarket. I’ve heard about it over the years but have never gone.

Unfortunately, it was super crowded so we didn’t stick around too long. We did buy some overpriced ($8) cinnamon sugar cashews. So far the best roasted nuts I’ve had was in the Miller Park in Milwaukee.

When we initially came out of the parking garage, we saw Empire (a burger bar) in the distance and it looked so cool we decided not to get any more food at the market and instead went there for lunch. We got to sit upstairs with the interesting view, but didn’t find the food itself as impressive as we would have preferred considering the price. We ordered their Empire Tots, Burger Cigars, and split the Empire Burger. First off, we were expecting a bunch of tater tots but got four very big potato patties covered in cheese, bacon, and a ranch drizzle with a fried egg and green onions on top. While that sounds good, I wasn’t a fan of the flavor combination.

Same goes for the burger. Something about the cream cheese mixing with the maple bourbon syrup produced a plastic-like flavor, like I was eating a beach ball, so Joe ate most of it. The Burger Cigars were by far the best part, save for the fact they were cold inside.

So while we really enjoyed the atmosphere, the food was lackluster enough that we don’t plan on returning.

After lunch we headed home and ended up watching Equalizer 2 that evening which we both enjoyed.

Sunday (12/16) we went to a morning matinee of Ralph Breaks The Internet which I thought was good. Was it better than the original? So hard to say. I liked that Disney was able to poke fun of themselves with all the Disney Princesses. I’m looking forward to seeing it again when it comes to DVD.

Once we got back we decided to take Wookie to the dog park since it was relatively warm compared to how it’s been lately. Unfortunately it was super muddy on the path leading to the park so I had to carry her into the park. She got a little dirty in the park but not too bad.

Once we got home Joe washed my car which was really nice.

Korean Fried Chicken

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This weekend I wasn’t in the mood to look at Christmas lights (as originally planned) so we didn’t do much in the way of “fun” even though we still enjoyed ourselves. Joe was in Denver again during the week so I made crockpot chicken taco soup on Friday (12/07) since I knew he’d want something home cooked.

Saturday (12/08) we did a crap ton of grocery shopping hitting a total of five stores in the morning. I found this awesome mint Oreo hot chocolate at Meijer. Can’t wait to try it!

I also picked up a $2.89 bottle of Moscato from Aldi at a coworker’s suggestion.

Unfortunately, I didn’t care for it, although it’s better than most wines I’ve had. I’m thinking of getting some fruits and turning it into sangria.

That being said, I had a total brain fart and forgot to buy a ham when we were at Meijer so we ran back over there on Sunday (12/09) morning before going to Costco. Then we came home and had breakfast before heading out to Schaumburg to do a little more shopping. I wanted to go to Bed Bath & Beyond for a placemat for Wookie since I saw they carried them online. Had a 20% off coupon so the one I picked out was just over $5.

Isn’t it cute? I was so happy to find something small since her bowls really don’t take up much space.

I purchased a few plastic hinged pill containers from The Container Store to replace the screw-on lid ones I had been using. I keep xanax in one and melatonin in another and they are so squeaky and annoying to open which I do daily for the melatonin so I’m so happy to have the new containers.

I also got two of the larger ones to keep pain relievers in upstairs. It’s the little things, seriously.

We hit a few other stores just to look around (At Home, Michaels, and Home Goods) before deciding to look for somewhere to eat lunch. We just so happened to be in the same strip mall as a new Korean fried chicken place called Bonchon. We tried their chicken strips in half soy garlic and half spicy and both flavors were delicious! They came with some very delicious creamy coleslaw. I’m pretty picky when it comes to coleslaw but theirs was awesome. We also shared an order of their Bulgogi (marinated rib-eye) tacos which were also very yummy. They only give you chopsticks which was a bit challenging at first but we got the hang of it well enough. I was going to ask if they had forks, but no one else was using them so we stuck with the chopsticks. Interestingly enough, the music playing inside the restaurant was all hip hop and rap and while I don’t go out of my way to listen to that genre, I wasn’t hating it.

I wanted to try the pork buns but Joe was hesitant so maybe next time now that he knows the place makes good food.

Today (12/10) I got it in my head that I should do a deep clean of the master bedroom so while all the bedding was being washed I used the shop vac to vacuum the mattress and topper, cleaned the blinds, and also threw the drapes in the wash. I used the shop vac to clean behind furniture too. It’s safe to say the bedroom is cleaner than it’s been in a long time. I am interested to see if it helps us sleep better. Last night I actually slept from 10:30 until almost 8 am. Lately I can’t seem to sleep past 6 am so that was refreshing, although it might mess me up for bed tonight. I hope not!

Oh, on Friday I decided to sign up for the three month trial of Spotify Premium for 99 cents and so far I am liking it better than Pandora. Earlier today I was looking at a list of all the albums released this year and saw that a few of my favorite artists (Orbital, Moby, Owl City, and deadmau5) have new music out so I created a big playlist of music to listen to this week at work. We’re also having steaks for dinner which we almost never do so yea, life is good.

Decorating for Christmas

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Friday (11/30) after cleaning I put together a new Christmas scene on top of the CD cabinet with all new decor I picked up from a few places this month.


(Click to enlarge)

I really love how it came out! Total OOP was $26.10 before tax. Breakdown is as follows:

Reindeer – $13 @ Home Goods
Merry Christmas sign – $3 @ Target
Big silver glitter tree – $2.10 @ Walgreens
Small silver glitter trees – $1 each @ Target
Nutcracker – $3 @ Target
Red berries – $1 each @ Dollar Tree
White table runner – $1 @ Dollar Tree

I also bought this cute Santa gnome from Target earlier in the month.

I really don’t care for gnomes normally but every time I was looking around their Bullseye Playground I’d see him and think he was so cute, so I finally gave in and got him since he was only $5.

Oh, and we can’t forget the seasonal pillowcase set I purchased earlier this year. Switched the fall one to winter:

Saturday (12/01) morning we headed over to Bath & Body Works to get a few candles since they were on sale for $8.95. I was pretty shocked to see how crazy crowded it was in there at 8 am. Despite the long line it only took about twenty minutes to buy my two candles (both Marshmallow Fireside because I really don’t like most of their scents). We then headed to Walmart and Target. While at Target we met with a guy who was buying our Xbox 360 drum set for $15 via Offer Up. We bought it for around $12 and paid $7 for the drumsticks (which I included in the sale) so not bad considering we were only out $4 for a few years of use. We never used it anymore because it was hard to master. I’m happy to have the space it frees up in the closet.

I got a chance to play with the Nintendo Switch at Target and was really liking it. I tried Mario Kart but I could see myself liking the Bomberman game (at least the battle mode) but I’m not sure it’s worth spending $300 on the system and who knows what else on games.

After shopping we had a quick breakfast before taking Wookie in for her annual exam and vaccinations. She got the three year rabies shot so while the total bill was higher than last year (just under $300, yikes!), we won’t have to do that test again until 2021. Her exam also included the Bordatella vaccine which is annual, as well as parasite tests so those will have to be repeated next year. The vet did say her teeth didn’t look as bad as I thought so we probably won’t have to take her for a dental until next year which is nice. She was given pre-meds to prevent her from having a reaction to the vaccines which worked like a charm as she didn’t get sick at all.

After her appointment we brought all the Christmas decor out of the garage and decorated the inside of the house while listing to Christmas music.

We are loving the new 7 ft slim tree we got on clearance for $15 next year. We also bought a red tree collar to replace the tree skirt Wookie ate last year. She won’t be able to chew on that!

We took our time setting everything up so it spanned about three hours total. This is probably the earliest we’ve decorated for Christmas in a very long time. It definitely helps having a tree that doesn’t crowd the living room so it probably won’t bother us having the tree up for nearly a month long like it has in the past. Plus we don’t have to shift things around in the dining room like we have in the past.

Sunday (12/02) we did a little shopping but decided to skip a trip to the Apple store like originally intended. We had made a deal earlier in the week that if Joe pulled the trigger on ordering a new laptop for $800, then I would upgrade my phone in lieu of us exchanging gifts, but now I’m not so sure I want to do that. He already ordered the laptop though so he’s been bamboozled haha (although not intentionally).

As I’ve mentioned previously, I want to have a nice phone for our planned Disney trip in early 2020 and while the phone itself would be fine, I worry the battery won’t be great since at that point it would be around 14-15 months old. I could get a phone now and then trade it in for the newer model next year, but that seems rather wasteful so I’m really hesitating. I do want a new phone, particularly for the improved camera, but I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot regarding our trip. I keep going back and forth on this. I wish the iPhones weren’t so damn expensive these days. I thought my iPhone 6 was pricey at $400 and yet the 256GB iPhone XS, which is the model I’m interested in, is $1150!!! Ugh. As of this writing I am probably going to hold off until next year October. Let’s just hope my phone holds out until then. I haven’t updated to iOS 12 because I’ve heard it slows the phone down, plus I would lose an app I use daily. The problem is some of the apps I use sometimes require me to update them to keep using them and I worry at some point they won’t work with iOS 11. Hopefully that doesn’t happen until next year!

After shopping and getting a few treats from Trader Joes, we stopped at PDQ for lunch and split the Grilled Hawaiian and Pimento Crunch sandwiches, both of which were so good. We especially liked the Pimento cheese. We made a quick stop to drop off some donations for our dog park group before heading home to relax the remainder of the afternoon.

Today (12/03) Joe worked from home so he took a morning break so we could get some breakfast from McDonalds and go to Savers. I’ve been looking for a red sweater to wear on Christmas. Unfortunately it was a bust despite trying on a few promising sweaters. I did, however, grab two Vera Bradley items for a good price.

The purse was $7.50 and the wallet was $4.

Later in the evening we made a quick trip to Dunkin Donuts where I got some delicious Oreo hot chocolate before we went to Cosley Zoo to check out their lights because the Ozinga Merry Mixer was on site. We didn’t stay long though because it was seriously freezing cold out.