A HOLIDAY PERSPECTIVE

Is everyone getting in on the frenzy in getting ready for Thanksgiving?  We've made our plans, dinner here with the kids and then dessert as well with the extended family.  Once again we are having our Most Creative Dessert Contest and I've heard my little niece Maggie has been planning hers for weeks!  Psssst...one of the children always wins and we have little gifts for all of them.  They take it SO seriously!

In my head I have been setting my table, choosing napkins, glasses and pondering centerpieces.  I've seen a few tables where the center is decorated with a weathered wood plank topped with greenery, candles, flowers, whatever you can dream of.  I like that idea.  We've come a long way since just having a vase of flowers!

Although the days seem to be flying by, I think I've had a good perspective about not getting caught up in the rush of the holidays.  First of all, I know I'm easily influenced by others getting ready and the bombardment of TV commercials, magazines articles and just listening to people talk about their plans, and then having those fleeting feelings of anxiety that I'm behind the eight ball.  Well, I'm not letting that happen to me this year...well, I'm going to try really hard!  Thanksgiving is easy for me, Christmas just gets chaotic and I don't need to spell out why.  Even when I have a head start, those last minute details crop up.  By the time the celebrations start, I feel very exhausted.  So, I'm going to try, really, really hard to relax, not fuss a great deal and try to let the season just unfold at an easy pace.  Famous last words!

I've had a slow week, but interesting as always.  When I woke up Monday morning, I thought, wow, I really have nothing on the agenda all week.  It felt great.  I saw a lot of lazy days just getting caught up on a few projects and some organizing, doing a little baking and making some more involved meals.  Then mid week I came down with the stomach flu out of nowhere.  I'm grateful there was nowhere I had to be and I could just weather it out.  I'm back to having more than toast and tea and my legs feel a little less wobbly!  Boy, it really hit hard.  

So...I really didn't do much all week.  The Husband and I did get out for a nice dinner last Saturday which I was really hoping for.  We tried a new Italian restaurant a few blocks away and had a great time.  I forgot to mention that the weekend before, my sister in law had the whole family over for a casual dinner; chicken casserole, pulled pork sandwiches, baked mashed potatoes (my contribution), salad and pumpkin pie for dessert.  It was a nice get-together, the wine flowed and we talked about our holiday plans.  Good times.

I finally hit on a place for The Husband and I to get away to.  So much time has passed since we started talking about it, it has now become our anniversary get away that we always take in December (26 years on the 14th!).  This is a picture of downtown Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  I came across an article about it in Midwest Living and then Cindy from Applestone Cottage recommended it to me.  It's a quaint little town just north of Milwaukee.  Every Friday night between Thanksgiving and Christmas there is a festival.  With over 75 specialty shops, 25 restaurants, sleigh and carriage rides and historical sites, I think we are going to have a great 3 day weekend.  We leave the day after Thanksgiving.  I promise to take lots of pictures!

I leave you with a picture of the new shoes I found at Marshall's.  Yep, that trip put a little hold on my Christmas shopping.  I vow I will not gift myself with anything else until long after the holidays!  But aren't they the cutest?!  They sort of shimmer.  Ooh la la!

Well, I am going to relax a little and see if I feel a little less queasy to go to the gym with The Husband tonight.  He is SO good, he goes every night.  I hope everyone has a great weekend! :)

I'm joining Claudia's Favorite Things party at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.