Friday's Free Advice

I love to be pampered.  Let me repeat myself: I love to be pampered.  I can’t think of any better gift than a spa package, complete with massage, facial, mani, pedi, an “I can’t get my nose out of this” kind of book, and a venti something in my hand.  Stuff like this makes me giddy, and by nature, I am not a girl that gets “giddy”.  However, putting my feet up and allowing someone to rub my worries away for sixty minutes, is the quickest way to my heart.   

It didn’t take too long for my husband to figure this out.  When, after one gift-giving mishap, he gained significant insight into what makes me tick, and he hasn’t let me down since.  Now, while I love a good massage, things like bills, groceries, gas money, (you get the picture) seem to take a financial priority to that of spa days and pedicures.  Still, I have these needs.  I can’t help myself.  So, what’s a girl like me to do?

Well, I have learned the art of self-pampering.  I do believe that it is possible to carve out time amidst piles of laundry, dusting, vacuuming, nap times, snack times, sibling rivalries, writing, and dinner making.  Some days it is as simple as making myself a hot cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon, and pausing for five or ten minutes.  Anything to bring myself back into focus - centered, rejuvenated - and ready to keep plowing through the never-ending list of chores and motherly responsibilities.

I can’t claim to be an expert, by any means, but because of my love for pampering, I have come up with various and creative ways to make sure this need of mine gets met.  Thus, I have decided to make Fridays my Free Advice days.  You can take it or leave it, it’s up to you, but I’m going to throw my two cents out there anyway (does that still make it free?).

My first Friday Free Advice is communicating to your spouse, significant other or a family member, what makes you tick – what replenishes you and fills your love tank.  In order to successfully do this, you need to know what your love language is.  And you can find that out by taking this test.  It can be completed in about five minutes, or less.  Next, share your results.  Your husband may want to take it too.  Believe me, discovering our different love languages (I highly recommend “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman), revolutionized my marriage.  Suddenly, we knew how to love each other in the unique ways we receive love.

In any case, sometimes the first step to successful pampering, is to know what it is you need, and then communicate it (appropriately) with those closest to you.  When I’ve had a bad hair day, the best thing my husband can do for me is wrap me up in his big, strong arms and hold me for a while, no words necessary.  

Have fun discovering your love language, and don’t forget to share it!

The Cool People

I think I moved a few rungs up the ladder of coolness after my family gave me a pair of Uggs for my birthday.  They are divine (as far as a winter foot accessory goes), and I feel slightly glamorous each time I slip them on my feet.  Although, I can’t seem to fight the compulsion to explain that I did not buy them myself (because the thought of paying almost $200 for a pair anything knocks the wind out of me), but they were a gift. 

The only glitch I encountered was figuring out how to wear my brand new, gray Classic Cardy Uggs.  I don’t trust my judgment on matters like these, and the first few times I walked them out the door, I wore them exactly as they came in the box.  I didn’t want to take any chances.  Then, one morning I thought I would be daring, and started playing around with the buttons, thinking perhaps I would wear them straight up the leg instead of folded down around the ankle.  Of course, I had an audience of three – Sydney, Brooklyn and Jackson – who were quick to give me their input and fashion expertise.  “Down!  Wear them down, Mommy!  They look much better down.”  They seemed to agree on one thing for certain, I should wear my Cardy Uggs folded down.  I crinkled my nose, tilted my head and followed their advice (daring, I know).

Later that day I was having dinner with friends, one of which who also received the Classic Cardy Uggs recently as a gift.  Hers were folded down (sigh of relief coming from me).  She is probably on the top of my list of friends with amazing taste and a flair for fashion.  I went ahead and asked her for some Ugg mentoring.  What I learned from this brief coaching moment was that only dorks wear their Cardy Uggs all the way up the calf.  The cool people (and I gotta be cool) wear them with two buttons clasped and folded down (another sigh, and a quick kudos to my girls who saved me from being a dork earlier that morning). 

Thank you to my parents and my sister for my warm, cozy and fashionable Uggs, and to my children for making sure I wore them the way the cool people do.  Where on earth would I be without my family? 

Oh.  I know. 

Uggless and, most definitely, uncool.

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Very few things make me want to get up and make a fool out of myself like Amy Grant’s CD Home For Christmas.  Bought in 1992 (yes, you read that correctly – nineteen ninety-two), this CD is probably considered a Christmas heirloom these days.  My college roommate and I played it continuously throughout the holiday season of our freshman year.  We rocked out to “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”, transforming our hair picks into guitars.  We were the original guitar heroes.  Then, of course, our eyes wet and throats choked up with tears, we would sit on the floor, in our dimly-lit dorm room and listen to the song “Breath of Heaven”.  To this day, when I listen to that song, (hands down the most played tune I own on CD) I can’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.  I laugh as I recall our deep thoughts and musings through tears on how anointed that musical composition was.  I cry because I still believe it is one of the most anointed songs I’ve ever heard.  

Christmas isn’t Christmas until I’ve rocked around the Christmas tree at least a dozen times (pick in hand) and bawled my eyes out to Breath of Heaven just the same.  I honestly hate doing it alone.  It was way more fun with my college roomie.  Maybe it’s time to pass on my pick and fabulous dance moves to my children, although I suspect I may be scaring them a little bit when I get all jiggy with it.  Oh, well.

I’m so thankful to Amy, my college roommate - who is still one of my dearest and most cherished friends ever – for e-mailing me yesterday just to say hi and share this memory with me.  College just didn’t realize our coolness and the awesome dance moves we created in our cramped up shoebox of a dorm room.  We were way ahead of our time.  I’m thankful for my lifelong friend, lifelong memories, Amy Grant, and the fact that I’m still limber enough to pull off a good ol’ “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” jig.

Christmas is all about giving, and today I’m remembering the gift of laughter my friend Amy has always been quick to give to me.  She inspires me to smile when I want to cry, dance when I want to pout and give when I want to hold on.  I wish I could wrap up a dozen gingerbread lattes, Bath and Body Works soaps and lotions, and thirty minute deep tissue massages and send them all to you, but that won’t happen (for obvious reasons).  Instead I’m just going to share a little laughter (hopefully), and a quick run down memory lane.  Maybe it will inspire you to do the same – to share a laugh or two with some friends (me included…that would be nice!).  Or, perhaps you’re just dying to rock around the Christmas tree.  Believe me, it’s catchy and it’s fun (just don’t rock out so hard that you knock your tree down).

In any case, I’m going to head downstairs now, pop in my Home For Christmas CD, turn up the volume, grab a kid or two, and start rockin’ out.

"Rockin' around the Christmas tree.  Have a happy holiday.  Everyone dancing merrily in the new old fashioned way!"

(Music and Lyrics by Johnny Marks - 1958)

An Early Christmas Gift

Nope.  This is not another giveaway.  I apologize if I got your hopes up, but don’t let that keep you from reading on.  This post is a pre-holiday treat that I hope you will enjoy.  

Once November hits I officially become glued to my day planner.  It seems that holiday activities don’t wait until the traditional Christmas month of December.  Oh no.  Starting November first it seems we are inundated with television commercials, storefronts and e-mails announcing holiday markdowns and savings.  On top of which I find my schedule filling up faster than a stocking with Christmas goodies:  concerts, school activities, holiday bazaars and parties.  And somehow, someway I’ve got to squeeze in our annual family Christmas picture, order cards, go shopping for three eager children, husband, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, etc.  One word.  Exhausting.  Three more words – I can’t wait.

We’re in the middle of a major office/playroom remodel (more on that another time).  For the past three days I’ve been sorting through toys, books, papers and files.  I have successfully filled a giant garbage bag with miscellaneous items, and it feels good to throw stuff out.  One of the projects I just completed was going through all of our children’s books.  I love books, but especially a really good children’s story.  We have so many, and of varying categories.  One of which is a stack of Christmas storybooks.  I’m pretty picky when it comes to children’s literature, and the ones we have are true Christmas treasures. 

My pre-holiday treat for you is a list of my top ten favorite children’s Christmas books.  Perhaps this list will give you some gift ideas.  I have chosen these particular books because of the content of their story or poem, and the quality of artwork.  The following books, to me, put a warm fuzzy in my heart, bring huge smiles on my little ones’ faces, and in their own special way make the season bright.

Amy’s Top Ten Children’s Christmas Books

• Snowmen At Christmas – written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner.

• The Night Before Christmas – Clement C. Moore’s classic Christmas poem brought to life with the charming and winsome artwork of Mary Engelbreit.

• The Legend of the Candy Cane – written by Lori Walburg and illustrated by James Bernardin.

• Away In A Manger – the classic Christmas carol illuminated by the “artist of light”, Thomas Kinkade.

• Silent Night – yet another beautifully illustrated rendition of the traditional Christmas hymn by Thomas Kinkade.

• The Little Drummer Mouse – written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer.

• The Miracle of Jonathan Toomey – written by Susan Wojciechowski and illustrated by P.J. Lynch.

• Christmas Cookies – “Bite size holiday lessons”, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jane Dyer.

• The Spirit of Christmas – written and illustrated by New York Times bestselling author, Nancy Tillman. 

• You Are My Miracle – written by Maryann Cusimano Love and illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa.

I’ll close with an excerpt from The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman:

That’s when the Spirit of Christmas smiled.

“Remember, this all began with a child.

Because it took nothing but love to begin it,

It’s not really Christmas if love isn’t in it.”

Your tree may be large as the room will allow

With a big yellow star on the uppermost bough,

But of one thing I’m certain,

I’m sure of one thing.

It is love that makes the angels sing.

Happy reading and pre-holidaying, my friends!

My Favorite Fall Things Winner Is...

Drum roll please…and the winner is…  

Sister Sheri!

I had every intention of doing the drawing and posting the results this morning.  That didn’t happen.  In fact, I had considered beginning this post with a diatribe of excuses as to why I’m so late in posting: crazy morning getting out of the house, left home without the pictures for this post, unfinished Bible study material, etc, etc.  But reconsidered because, really, who cares about the excuses, right?

Congratulations to Sister Sheri.  May you enjoy the mulling spices to the very last drop of cider you make with them!

Your answers inspired me to add on to the fall favorites list.  Here are a few more “Favorite Fall Things”:

• Halloween:  Dressing up, decorating and handing out candy to the kids.

• Candles:  Scents of apple, pumpkin and cinnamon.

• Finding acorns and other nuts on the ground.

• A hunter green velvet robe:  There is nothing as cozy as wrapping your body up in velvet!

• Hot beverages and baking with pumpkin:  Tea, hot cocoa, Chai, muffins, cookies and pancakes.  Sounds yummy!

• Fall leaves.

• Decorating:  Centerpieces using pumpkins and other gourds.

And finally…

• The anticipation of the holiday season.  (And may I add a big “ME TOO” to that one!)

 

Happy Fall!

A Chance To Win One Of My Favorite Fall Things

Oprah has her favorites, and the world waits on the edge of their seat to discover what they are every year.  Julie Andrews sang about “raindrops and on roses and whiskers on kittens”, and Lola (from Disney’s “Charlie and Lola”) has her favorite and her best.  Well, I have my own list of favorite things.  They usually make their appearance once October rolls around and the leaves begin changing colors, transforming the world around me into a rainbow of reds, yellows, oranges, and purples.  Fall is spectacular and even saying the word “autumn” puts me in a warm and fuzzy mood.  So, the following is a list of my favorite fall things.  These items (necessities) help make this season of transition more comforting and memorable as the weather shifts from the heat of summer to the frigid temps of winter.   

At the end of the list, I’ll let you know what the big giveaway is going to be and how you can participate in the contest.  Enjoy!

Amy's Favorite Fall Things:

• Going to the Pumpkin Patch.  This is quite a Slater tradition.  We look forward to seeing the goats and chickens, running through the hay maze, taking hayrides through muddy, brown fields, picking out our family pumpkins, and sharing a bag of kettle corn between the five of us.  The kids talk about it for days afterwards (Joel and I included).

• Fall colors.  I look forward to not only seeing nature clothed in the beauty of a fall color pallet, but also I love wearing those colors too!

• My comfy sweats.  Curling up in my favorite chair, wearing my soft and worn comfy sweats with a book or cup of cider is like heaven on earth.  What in the world would I do without my comfy sweats?  (Joel just snorted over my shoulder.  Apparently, my comfy sweats are a year-round favorite thing – which is very true, I might add – but putting it on the list today still seems highly appropriate to me.)

• Comfort foods.  Fall is when I break out all my casserole, soup, and crock-pot recipes.  The smell of homemade macaroni and cheese or corn chowder with corn bread wafting through the house puts everyone in a good mood.

• Grandma Hubbard’s Apple Dumplings.  I only make these in the fall.  They turn an ordinary apple into a dessert experience beyond your wildest imagination.  Top them off with a little homemade ice cream, and you’re well on your way to dessert narcolepsy. 

• Long walks in the brisk fall air.  I so enjoy walking outside and taking in the beauty of nature, but I especially love long walks during the fall season.  If I were a photographer, I think I might spend hours capturing all of the breathtaking sights of fall on film.  Plus, the fresh, cool air clears my mind and my senses too!

• “Thanks for Thanksgiving” children’s book.  Written by Julie Markes and illustrated by Doris Barrette, this charming book ties in the beauty of fall and the warmth of Thanksgiving into a precious and uplifting story.  Reading this to my kids puts a smile on my face.

And finally…

• Williams-Sonoma mulling spices.  You have not experienced hot apple cider until you’ve used Williams-Sonoma’s mulling spices.  The symphony of flavors, the aroma, the sweet taste of apples make each sip as soothing as the very first.  Thanks to my mother-in-law who got me hooked on them, this is a must-have for fall.  Mmmmm.

And because I’m so crazy about the Williams-Sonoma mulling spices, I decided this would be the perfect fall giveaway.  Simply leave a comment along with one of your own favorite fall things, and the winner will be picked on Monday.  (Note: Only those living within the continental United States will be eligible to win.)

 

So, leave a comment.  And may you have warm, cinnamon-y dreams of hot apple cider and perhaps your own favorite fall things.