So this is Christmas...

We had a lovely Christmas this year full of quiet time, naps, presents and Mass. We stayed home for the big day, built an igloo for 4 and had a lovely time! Then off to the parents house, more presents, lots of dancing and laughs, and back home. All in all, it was a great time. I am terribly happy to be home, I love being at home, but the whole Christmas "ordeal" wasn't such an ordeal after all. Some times I dread this time of year just because of all that has to be done, and it seems a bit of a struggle, but I have found a way out of that.


My plan this year was to slow down, relax and enjoy, and I did just that. I was calm and relaxed and the whole thing turned out to be lovely. Christmas was so nice, just my little family. Lots of presents, my turkey turned out great, and there was a great nap to be had! We went to Mass, and it was so beautiful. I ended up crying, just because I started to think and the whole environment makes me a bit emotional.


Then it was off to my parent's house, and that ended up being pretty good!

Overall, it was a great Christmas this year. We have a week left of being off, and I know I could use more time with the kids. Well I say that now! I just find that being a much calmer person really helps in times when things can get a bit crazy.

Happy holidays to all!

Last day of School!!!!!!

And here we are, the last day of school for this year! I am way more excited than the kids are! Why am I so excited? Well let's see...I get to have my kids all to myself for 2 weeks! I love those kids. But the added benefit of no school is....no school lunches! They really get to me. Also, I get to sleep in, hang out in my jammies all day if I want. I get to go out and do fun stuff without being on the school time schedule. 2:45 school dismissal? That's practically lunch time! I get to watch Christmas movies, snuggle with the kids. Stay up late, turn the alarm clock off, go out for lunch..all that great stuff.

I love the fact that my kids love school, but I love it when they are home with me for those short little breaks. I don't cry when the kids go back anymore, because, let's face it, I have a nice life when they have school. But I do love to have them all to myself, and when they go back to school, I can look forward to that time to myself again. It's a Wonderful Life!

Oh Christmas cards...

They are on their way! I just printed off my little letter and I am off to write and sign Christmas cards. Some years I am super good at getting them out, some years I don't even send them, but I figure, as long as people get them before the end of the year...or February, it's all good! No one cares when they get them, as long as they get them? I'm not even sure people care, but I still send them because I am happy to announce to the world that I am happy! Take that world! Pamela is happy! Ha.

Why do I keep sending them anyway? I really wonder if half the people I send to even care that they get them. I love getting Christmas cards, I do! I just got one from my good friend Dawn, and she sent a picture, which I love! I love to hear about what is going on in her world because I don't get to talk to her very often. We may not see each other much, but she is always in my heart, she will always be my friend.

Some people, I just know that they don't care, so I actually stopped sending to those people. Not to name names, but I even took the time to make my own cards in a different language. Did I ever get a thank you? Nope. That isn't what bothers me the most - what really gets me was there was no acknowledgement that they even got it, nor did they EVER send a card back. Ok, that's my Christmas vent for now.

Aside from that, all plans are a go, Christmas will be lovely. I will get time alone with my sweet little family and I am even looking forward to going to my parents house.

So Merry Christmas for now - I'll probably be back before the actual day though!

Not my coffee!

I accidentally made coffee for my husband this morning with MY coffee. I am so scared that he might notice and request MY coffee from now on. I keep 2 canister's of coffee on the cupboard, MY coffee, which I buy for not so cheap, and I grind, and HIS coffee which is whatever is cheapest at Walmart. I know that his taste buds have been compromised due to the smoking(we won't even go there right now), but what if he does notice? I may have to do a blend for a while until I reduce it back to his coffee. He's a smart guy, but his observation skills at home are a bit lacking. (I actually hide his Christmas presents right in front of him.) So he wouldn't notice the blend I bet. Ok, calm down Pamela. Chances are, he didn't notice.

Update - he just called and didn't say a word about his coffee. Phew! What a load off my back!

Bliss vs Crave Cupcakes

I love cupcakes, and anything sweet really. So today I am reviewing Bliss cupcakes compared to Crave cupcakes. Just in case you are at the mall or out shopping and you need a sweet treat.

I don't like to waste my money and my calories on stuff that isn't that great, that being said, if you are in need of a high calorie, super yummy treat, pick Crave over Bliss. I find that the Crave cupcakes are really moist and sweet, but not too sweet. The icing is fantastic, and you can scrape some off if it's too much for you. There are also tons of flavors to choose from. My preference is the Nutty over chocolate, which is a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter icing. YUM!

I was at Chinook Centre and there was no Crave in sight, so I chose to try Bliss. What a waste of calories. I had a chocolate cupcake with caramel icing. The icing was OK, but didn't have a whole lot of flavor, and if I didn't know it was caramel, I wouldn't have been able to tell by taste. The cupcake itself was OK, but not super moist and yummy.

The price point is about the same, but if I remember correctly, the Crave cupcakes might be a bit cheaper. The icing is way smoother and more flavorful at Crave, and the cupcakes themselves are moister. (is that a word?) Anyway, Crave cupcakes win hands down.

The only thing I should mention is that Crave has a nut warning as they are not made in a nut free environment, but the Bliss cupcakes are nut free and have been made in a nut free environment is you have allergy issues. So if you have allergies and need a sweet treat, you can go to Bliss...but I still wouldn't recommend it.