My Holiday Week in Review

I'm feeling a mix of emotions now that that Christmas is over and the New Year is almost here. I will be sad when I take down the tree and pack up all of the decorations. I'm sad that it's probably going to be a long time until all of my family can get together again. I am however, glad that my work life will go back to normal, and the rushing around for Christmas gifts are over. Whew!!

One of my favorite gifts this year:
I love the Willow Tree Collection! My mom says it creeps her out that the figures don't have faces, but I think it's the simplicity of it all that I like.

I did some shopping the day after Christmas, only I didn't venture to the mall (I am not that crazy!). Hallmark always has their Christmas stuff at 50% off, and that is the best time to stock up on wrapping paper (I am a wrapping paper snob--I only like Hallmark's!) and other goodies!

And now that the Holidays are coming to a close, I have caught Mike's cold. It started with a sore throat last night and continuously got worse as the night wore on. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. I am off to Walgreens to buy some cold medicine and then hopping back into bed to attempt sleep again. I need to feel better by tonight (which probably won't happen) because we have plans to go out with friends and I really don't want to miss it.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

I hope all of you have a blessed Christmas! It's my wish that you'll find joy and comfort in celebration of the birth of Jesus. For me, knowing that he was born to be our Savior is immensely comforting, and even though my walk with Jesus is sometimes difficult, I know He is for me and will never leave me. How's that for a Christmas gift?

Not Me Monday

MckMama has the cutest posts every Monday about things she did "not do", and it reminded me of the funny, idiotic, crazy things that I find myself "not doing"! Like this:

*I did not only put in one contact today, and I certainly did not take out the other one at work and proceed to walk around blindly all day.

*I did not spend my Panera gift card on lunch only to be repulsed at the smell of it.

*I did not leave most of Christmas wrapping until today.

*I did not win a sweet giveaway (more details to come)!

*I did not wear my boots to work today and then forget to bring my heels to change into.

*And lastly, I absolutely did not seriously fathom putting on my pj's and crawling back into bed the minute I got home.

Snowy Sunday

My day with the girls at Naked Plates was put on hold due to the nasty weather. It;s only about 8 degrees out and with the wind chill, the temperature feels below zero. So I made a quick trip to the grocery store and then settled in for a day of sharpening my culinary skills (ha!).

I made these super easy no bake cookies called Haystacks. Yum...and of course, I licked the bowl.

I don't bake that often so no bakes seemed the way to go. Although I have some dough in the fridge so I can make Linzer Tarts later on, but that's going to be an interesting endeavor. And if they don't turn out, oh well. At least I gave it a try!

My mom stopped by with some treats for my dog Cami, as if she isn't spoiled enough, and my mom also happened to pick up this cute hat for me.

I normally don't wear hats because I think they look ridiculous on my small head, but this one actually looked decent! Thanks, Mom for everything.

I hope you guys are staying warm and cozy wherever you may be today and are enjoying your Sunday!

Not so thrilled

GR is in the middle of a snowstorm!! It's been snowing non-stop since the middle of the night, and rumor has it we are due to get 12 inches of snow. Mike even got stuck at the bottom of our driveway when he came home for lunch.

Now, here's the part where you get to hear why I am not so thrilled. My boss won't close the store, even though the police have issued statements saying that everyone needs to stay off the roads. Is it worth keeping the store open? I have a 22 mile drive to work, and you can only imagine what this is going to be like. She has closed the store before, so I am having a hard time understanding what is stopping her now. Associates feel like they have to come work because the store is still open, and therefore putting themselves at risk. Is is worth it? Even from a business standpoint, I don't think there is going to be enough traffic to drive sales. We would probably be paying more in salary costs than we would be getting in sales.

Am I just being a huge baby about this?

Random Thursday

Thursday is just a ho-hum day of the week, don't you think? It's not as bad as Mondays, but it definitely isn't Friday!

Work has been surprisingly nice and smooth. The worst part about this time of year is the endless supply of cranky customers, but (knock on wood) I haven't had very many. It's amazing how some people, though, like nothing better than to make someone else's day miserable! I wish that I could tell those people exactly what's on my mind..oh, wait..I'm getting off track!

My Christmas shopping is almost done. Every year I say that I am going to have it done 2 weeks before Christmas, and it never happens. This year, no different. I only have a couple small things to get, so I should be done this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, I am off from work! Yay for me! I can finish wrapping presents, and spend some time just hanging out. On Sunday, my chicas Jeanie and Cheryl and I are going to paint some pottery at Naked Plates and then out for dinner. Girl time = fun time.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Tagged

Thanks, Amber for tagging me!! Ok, so here goes:

The Rules:
*Link to the person who tagged you.
*Share 7 random/wierd facts about you.
*Tag 7 people at the end of the post, and include links to their blogs.

1. I don't like white socks. All I used to wear was white, but now I can't stand to even have white socks on my feet. I have no idea why this is. Maybe it's just a phase.

2. I love Italian food. I could eat pasta all day, every day. I never get sick of it.

3. I've been watching soap operas since I was a little girl. Currently, I still DVR General Hospital and All my Children. Even though this probably zaps hundreds of brain cells everyday, I can't miss them.

4. I have a phobia of going to the car wash. I don't mind if other people are driving, but if I have to take my own car, I freak out. This is why Mike has to wash my car for me.

5. Sometimes I get so nervous or flustered that I can't speak. Words come out of my mouth that aren't even in the English language. I could tell you some funny stories about this.

6. I am indecisive. I have the worst time making a decision. Not about big things, only small things, like what I want for dinner. Dinnertime is fun time at my house.

7. I am a total homebody. I could stay at home, curled up with a good book or movie any day of the week.

There you have it! 7 things you never knew about me, or maybe didn't want to know! Ha!

I am going to tag: Jaime, Stacy, Kim, Krysta, Holly, Becky and ??? (I don't have a seventh person!).

The Purpose of Christmas

Today I was snuggled on my couch, coffee brewing, snow and wind blowing hard outside, Christmas tree lit, and I was reading The Purpose of Christmas when I came across a part in the book that stopped me cold. It was an "aha!" moment.

It said this: "What, this past year, are you thankful to God for?" and "Since it's Jesus' birthday, what gift will you give him this next year?". These 2 questions really made me stop and think. I've made an effort this Christmas to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas, but I've never thought about what I'm going to give God this next year. Honestly, I've thought about what I want God to give me! I've really got it backwards, don't I? It's so easy to get caught in that trap of asking God for this, or asking Him for that.

I'm taking those questions very seriously. I know that I am thankful for my family, my husband, God, etc. But I am thankful for the times when I have been hurt, disappointed, and sad, because they have shown me that in my weakness, I am made strong. I am thankful for any struggles in my life because they give me a reason to hope. ANd although I have several things that I want to give to Jesus in the upcoming year, the one thing that stands out most is FAITH. Unwavering faith. Solid faith. 100% faith.

Feelin' It

I heard this song on the radio the other day, and I couldn't get it out of my head. It just reminds me that I have to let go and trust God with everything. EVERYTHING.



By Your Side--10th Avenue North

I can't stand it

When I say I can't stand it, I actually mean myself. I can't stand myself today. I think I should have stayed in bed so the outside world wouldn't have to deal with me.

To say that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed would be an understatement. I woke up at 11 (remember me saying how I can't sleep past 9?--I stand corrected), and when Mike asked me how I liked the new tv, all I could say was that I thought the picture looked grainy. I should have thanked him for getting the old one out of living room and setting the new one up. Instead, I chose to be a brat.

After running to the grocery store, I come home where Mike helps me get the groceries out of the car, and then goes back into the basement. Um, hello?? I need some help with the groceries! I say this to him and he makes a remark about me being able to handle the 3 bags. I then retort that he can't just sit on his butt and play video games all day even if it is his only day off.

See, what I mean? I'm a grouch today and shouldn't be talking to anyone, especially MIke. I hate feeling like this. I think I need to go back to bed.

Ugh..snow

I am going to have a breakdown. I don't mind the snow most of the time, except for when I have to drive to work. I live about 22 miles from work, so it's not exactly right around the corner. I am terrified everytime I get in my car, knowing I have to get on the highway when the roads are bad. There are several tricky curves on my route to work, and they scare the daylights out of me. I grip the steering wheel like it's my lifeline.

I think this fear comes from the time in college when I was driving home from Kalamazoo in a snowstorm, started fishtailing, and spun right off the highway and into a ditch. Couple that with the fact that 2 years ago I had a really crappy car and it didn't drive well to begin with and it was 10x worse in the snow. I am freaked out to drive when it snows heavily!! There have been times when I have had Mike take me to work because I can't handle it. Today might be one of those days.

The snow needs to stop!

OMG

So, I'm doing some laundry this morning before I go into work, and I head downstairs to our laundry room. I throw a load in, and then head back upstairs. But not before a large box caught my eye.


A new tv!!!! I started cracking up. Mike and I decided that a new tv was going to be our Christmas gift to each other this year, but I was NOT taking him seriously when he told me yesterday that he bought one. He said it with this "not so serious" tone in his voice and I kept thinking that he was joking around. Well, he really wasn't joking! Santa has come early to the Marshall household.

Fun with Giveaways

Several of the blogs I've been reading (my list of blogs to read keeps getting longer and longer...) are having giveaways and I wanted to share them with you! Now, you'll have to forgive me for not linking them correctly, as I'm still trying to figure it out. But I will definitely put the addresses in here so you can visit the blogs and sign up for the giveaways if you want. And trust me, you'll want to.

Jill (averittbabyjourney.blogspot.com) is giving away an awesome Christmas basket in honor of her 100th post!

And MCKMAMA is doing a giveaway for a Rebel Camera and more! This would be an incredible prize....

Retail Etiquette, #1

Tis the season...

Black Friday was a breeze this year! No upset customers, no lost children, and I actually left with a smile on my face.

Today, however, not the case. I had to help one of our associates with a customer when the customer wouldn't take no for an answer. So I come over and tell the customer the exact same thing that the associate had told her. ANd then I apologized for her inconvenience, and she snapped. Big time.

Retail Etiquette, Rule #1: DON'T YELL AT THE ASSOCIATES! THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB AND IT DOESN'T MAKE THEM MORE APT TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU SCREAM AND MAKE A SCENE. Thank you.