Christmas Lights and Milo's 1st Hair Cut

I have really been enjoying this Christmas season.  I've had quite the scattered brain though.  Every single project I've worked on is still in progress and I keep forgetting to take step by step pictures for tutorials.  I decided this year that I wasn't going to stress out about anything because I realize there seriously isn't any point in that so even though I'm completely scattered all over the place I'm still loving life and enjoying spending this Christmas season with my family.
So far I've started making, Gingerbread ornaments (which I have stated already), crochet Christmas lights, a rag quilt for my love.  I can't believe I've been able to keep that a secret so far.  I still want to make a wreath for my front door, candles covered in salt to look like icy snow (that probably won't happen), I have made little Christmas tree decorations that actually are finished.  haha Those are the only things that I've followed through with.  I want to make homemade sugar and gingerbread cookies.  I think I'm going to make cookies and some other kind of sweet treat for my adult family members again this year.  Last year I made gingerbread cookies and peppermint bark.  I'm thinking I want to change it up this year.  We'll see.

I know one reason I've been so scattered brained and haven't finished a lot of my projects is because I've been sick with an ugly cold that won't quite go away for the past week or so.  (Here I am losing track of time now.) haha
My son is right at 20 months old so he doesn't get that the tree is a pretty decoration that can be dangerous.
He listens pretty well when it comes to not touching the tree...  When I catch him in the act that is.  He's also tried opening one of his gifts already.
My David and I drove around with him Friday evening to look at Christmas lights and as we would come up to a house that was fully decked out in lights our son would get very quiet and then let out a little, "Owww.......  Purr-ty." <---(pretty)  It was so cute and fun for all of us.  We drove through the Sonic Drive-In and got a Peppermint milk shake and we all shared it as we drove around enjoying the holiday season.  The a house down the road from a place we use to live that seriously was built to look like a doll house and every year the elderly woman has her home decorated from top to bottom and even has Christmas music playing, It's beautiful!  We drove by the "doll house" and stopped the car and got out with our son to look at all of the lights.  No, we are not crazy people.  People stop at her place all of the time to look and oww and aww at all of the lights and decorations.  Anyways...  Milo absolutely loved it!  He was so excited and kept bouncing up and down in our arms, clapping his hands, talking gibberish in the most excited voice and of course made his Oww's and Aww's.  As we were getting ready to leave and start putting him back into his car seat he started throwing a fit!  It was pretty extreme but I couldn't help but to laugh and think it to be the cutest thing ever.  Normally, I wouldn't have laughed but I couldn't help it.  He was just so excited and happy and didn't want to leave and that was the first time EVER that he through a fix because we were leaving somewhere.
Here's a picture of the "doll house" that I found here on online and yes, it's a day time picture but just look at how pretty it is during the day and just imagine it at night! I'm going to try to drive back over that way and take my own picture when it's dark out.

Shouldn't be to hard because I want to drive around one more time before Christmas is over to look at more lights.  It's definitely one of my favorite things to do.  When I was a teenager, my best friend Sammy and I use to do that together every year.  I miss those past times but it's amazing having a child and getting to share that enjoyment with him now.


Saturday, 12/8/12
We got our son's hair cut for the first time ever!
I loved, loved, loved, LOVED his long hair with curling ends but it was always in his eyes (I hate that) and I finally got tired of people calling my handsome son a girl.
It was time, so David got his hair cut and after he was through we got Milo's hair cut.  I was so excited and when the lady cut that first clip....  I wanted to cry.  Of course, sentimental Momma wanted to cry.  I got a little pony tail with his curls and a few stray clippings in an envelope.  The lady that cut his hair also gave me a "My First Hair Cut Certificate".  So cute and perfect for his baby book.  Speaking of which...  I really need to break that out and go through and add more stuff.  There is so many different things in that book to add and write down it's really hard to keep up with it.
Back to Milo's hair cut.
He started out with that cover to keep the hair off of him but he didn't like his arms not being free so we just took it off of him and took his shirt off so it wouldn't get hair all over it.
He wanted to touch and figure out what was going on with his hair so it was a little hard to get him to sit still so we gave him his first sucker and that kept him quite pleased and calm.
He did so well.  I am so proud of him!  I am truly blessed.
This is his Before and After pictures.  Everyone keeps telling us how he looks like a completely different kid now and I would have to agree.

Before

During

After



We had more stuff to do in town but we definitely had to go home and gave him a bath to get all of the hairs off of him.  hahaha  It was really bad because he made such a sticky mess with that sucker.

Not much happened Sunday, we stayed home and worked on house work and David has been building a shed out back for his tools and such.  Man, I can not wait for the day that we move into a house with TONS of storage and closets!  We are so space deprived where we live right now.


I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas season and are making the best of any and all situations.  Don't forget to take a few minutes out to help a loved one, neighbor and/or even a stranger out this holiday season.  We are not alone in hard times and everyone deserves a helping hand and to feel loved. 
I would like to also encourage you to donate to your local toy drive this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas and God bless!

Recipe for Sugar Cookies.

Today has been a great day!  I got to sleep in because David woke up with Milo this morning.  He's actually been getting up with him for the past week.  I'm so lucky to have such a great man in my life!
I hung around the house for about an hour when I woke up then played on the computer while feeding Milo.  Afterwards it was nap time for David and baby so they laid on the couch while I started making homemade sugar cookies!  I made the dough and put it in the fridge to chill.  David left for work early because he wanted to get his hair cut and I started on the dishes.  About 3 or so hours later I got the dough out and started rolling it out on the table and used my Halloween cookies cutters that I got at a Liquidation Outlet for a whooping $0.50!!!
I only had 2 mishaps today.  The first crumby thing that happened was, when I was washing dishes my cell phone was on the counter next to the sink and it got wet and died on me.  I didn't even know till hours later but it dried out and started right up! :) Yay!
The second crumby thing was, Milo and I were playing in the bedroom and he grabbed my face and stuck one of his fingers in my left nostril and ripped it out really fast and of course scratching the inside of it and gave me a bloody nose.  I didn't even realize that he had scratched me that hard until my nose was dripping blood.  I've never had a bloody nose in my life and the first time I get one it was giving to me by a baby!  Really now?  The up side to this story is that it didn't bleed very long and I didn't get blood on anything!  Yay again!
I warn all new mothers though, just because your baby is cute and cuddly like a puppy don't be fooled because they have retractable claws like kitty cats!

Did anyone know that tonight is a Harvest Moon?
Once my phone came back on I got a million voice mails and text messages and one of the messages was David telling me to go outside and look at it.  Isn't he the sweetest?  Don't be jealous you know he is!
It was weird turning my phone on earlier and getting all those missed calls and texts.  The reason for being so weird is because I NEVER get calls and messages unless they're from David when he's at work.  Just figures I become so popular when my phone is off on a fritz.  hahaha Oh well it was like a big surprise of love all at once.

I feel like I'm forgetting to mention something else but I can't remember so I'll get on with the cookie recipe.

I found a recipe online and made some adjustments to it so yes... I am going to claim it as my own.
This was the first time I've ever made homemade sugar cookies and I think they turned out wonderfully!


Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Margarine (Country Crock)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg
2 1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Powder

Directions:

• 1) In a medium bowl, mix the butter and margarine together.  Don't melt it!  Mix it at room tempature or slightly chilled.  (Mine was slightly chilled.)
• 2) Add sugar, mix together.  
• 3) Add vanilla and egg, mix together.  
• 4) Add your baking soda and baking powder and mix.  
• 5) Slowly add your flour and mix well each time you add more. (I hand mix everything.)
• 6) Chill your dough for 3 - 4 hours. (I chilled mine 2 hours in the fridge and 1 hour in the freezer.)
• 7) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• 8) Oil your cookie sheet, (I take a paper towel and rub margarine all over it.)
• 9) Take your flour and dust your flat surface that you'll be using to roll out the dough, (I use my kitchen table because the bigger your space the easier it'll be.)
• 10) Grab a big blob of dough, mush it together into a ball (doesn't have to be perfect, remember the more you work your dough the warm/softer it'll be and you want it to remain as chilled as possible.)
• 11) Lightly dust your dough with flour, (helps it from sticking to your surface.)
• 12) Dust your rolling pin, (same reason, it helps it from sticking.)
• 13)Start in the middle of your dough and lightly push the dough in all directions, (don't "push" down on the dough, you'll be surprised how well it flattens it's self.)
• 14) Take your desired cookie cutter and cut out your shapes and bake them in the oven for 10 minutes.
• 15) When you take out the cookies let them set for about 6 or so minutes (until they feel cool enough to touch.)

Repeat steps 8 thru 15 until your dough is all used up.
(I like to take a paper towel and wipe off the cookie crumbs that are left behide once you take them off the cookie sheet and re-oil your cookie sheet each and everytime.)

Icing:
I cheated on the icing, I bought vanilla cake icing and spooned it out into a small pot and warmed it on the stove until it was liquid.  I used a non-stick pot and the lowest setting on the stove top because if it gets to hot to fast it clums up and hardens.  Very gross and hard to clean!)  When your icing is melted pour it into a small bowl and use food coloring to dye it your desired color.  Then I used a teaspoon to scoop a little bit of the icing and spread it over the cookies.
Well there that is  I hope ya'll enjoy! :)