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Christmas

Mr. H’s Surprise Part 2

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Two days ago, I wrote a post about the gift that Mr. Handsome surprised me with last week. If you missed that post, be sure to go back and read it before continuing.

When I left off, I had returned home and seen something very large in our house that had not been there before.

“Did you buy me a treadmill?” I asked Mr. Handsome, in shock.

“A what?” he responded, as if he had no clue what I was talking about.

“A treadmill,” I repeated.

“That’s really weird,” he replied, still trying to sound confused. “Little Buddy and I went outside to swing for a few minutes while you were gone, and I guess someone must have snuck in and left it.”

Now I know what you’re thinking. What kind of husband buys his wife a treadmill? But don’t worry, this wasn’t Mr. Handsome’s way of telling me that I need to lose a few pounds. I had wanted a treadmill for the past year because I really enjoy exercising, and I like having options, especially in the winter when the weather is blah and going outside is not feasible. (Let’s be honest, going to the gym with a baby isn’t an option.) But treadmills are expensive, and we had both agreed that we should wait a while before making such a big purchase. So you can imagine how taken aback I was when I came home to find a treadmill in our house.

For a few days, Mr. Handsome continued to pretend that he had no idea where the treadmill came from. I didn’t mind not knowing, but I knew that someone had delivered it because our vehicles are too small, and I felt like I should thank that person. So we worked out a deal. I would bake Mr. Handsome a blueberry pie (one of his favorite desserts) and he would tell me the story behind the treadmill. I finished the pie late in the evening and actually forgot to ask him about the treadmill, until he reminded me the next day.

He and one of his coworkers had been talking about gift ideas for spouses, and Mr. Handsome had mentioned that he wanted to get me a treadmill at some point. Well, it turned out that one of his coworkers had a treadmill in her closet that she was looking to get rid of. Her husband wanted it gone so badly that he even offered to deliver it. They didn’t want to take money for it, but Mr. Handsome wanted to give them something, so they suggested $40. I could hardly believe it! Some people might say that a low price for a big item diminishes the value of the gift, but I’m a sucker for a good deal.

It turns out that the massage was just a way to get me out of the house so they could deliver the treadmill. Both surprises together were probably the most thoughtful thing that anyone has ever done for me (aside from the elaborate beach engagement that Mr. Handsome planned four-and-a-half years ago). It’s not about the amount of money spent–it’s about the amount of time and thought that a person puts into something simply because they know how happy it will make you.

What was the most thoughtful gift (whether or not it was a surprise) that you have ever received?

Mr. H’s Surprise

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Last Friday, Mr. Handsome came home from work with an announcement: “Tomorrow at 11:00 in the morning, I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it?” I asked, intrigued.

“Just be ready to go tomorrow at 11, and I’ll tell you where you’re going,” he stated. “And make sure not to look at my phone before then.”

My personality is not one that likes big, life-altering surprises, and Mr. Handsome knows that. For example, if someone gifted me a vacation and told me about it a month in advance, I would be thrilled. But if I walked in the door and Mr. Handsome (or anyone else, for that matter) told me that I was going on a trip the next day (or even the next week), I wouldn’t be excited. In fact, I would likely decline the offer. But surprises that don’t involve travel (or being away from Little Buddy for more than a few hours, as that is something I would need to plan for well in advance) are lovely.

With all that in mind, Mr. Handsome orchestrated a wonderful surprise. He wouldn’t give me any details, but he knows me well enough to know that I needed the assurance that I would only be gone a couple hours and that he would be staying home with Little Buddy.

So on Saturday morning at 11am, I was standing at the front door, ready to go. I felt like a child on Christmas morning.

“Are you ready to find out where you’re going?” Mr. Handsome asked.

“Yes!” I replied.

He put an address in my GPS and then announced that he had booked me a massage. How sweet is that? He knows that I rarely get a break, and he had paid attention when I had told him a few days prior that I was having lower back pain from lifting our incredibly heavy (but incredibly adorable) son. So I was able to enjoy a couple hours of “me” time, plus a wonderfully relaxing massage.

When I returned, Daddy and Little Buddy were reading books. My heart almost burst when my 7-month-old son started laughing and smiling uncontrollably as he saw me walk in the door. After we ate lunch, Mr. Handsome laid down on the couch to take a nap with Little Buddy, and I headed for my home office to do some work. On the way there, I passed something that definitely hadn’t been there when I had left a few hours earlier. Was it…no, it couldn’t be!

Come back to the blog on Saturday to find out what I saw and to read the story behind it. But for now, I would love to hear your thoughts on surprises. Do you enjoy them? Perhaps you don’t enjoy any kind of surprises, or perhaps you would be thrilled if someone told you to pack your bags and head to the airport. Let me know in the comments section.

Merry Christmas 2018!

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Christmas Opryland Hotel NashvilleMerry Christmas to all of my wonderful blog readers! How are you celebrating? What I love about holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter is that they are celebrated by people across the world, each with their own traditions. It’s just really neat to me to think about millions (if not billions) of folks from different countries and backgrounds, although thousands of miles apart, all focused on the same thing at the same time.

This year, Mr. Handsome and I are on baby watch. Perhaps our son will make his appearance tonight or tomorrow. Although he still isn’t due for another two weeks, I have been having quite a few contractions. We haven’t decided for sure what our plans are for the day, but we are going to make homemade deep dish pizza for dinner, which is something that he always did with his family growing up, and we are planning to watch The Sound of Music later. (Mr. Handsome isn’t a huge fan of Christmas movies.)

 

Holiday Baking: Gingerbread Cookies and Royal Icing

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Soft gingerbread cookies recipe

Growing up with a mom who was raised by European parents, gingerbread was a big part of our Christmas celebration. Every December, we made gingerbread houses and spent hours baking and decorating dozens of homemade gingerbread cookies. We kept plenty for ourselves and shared the rest with the neighbors. When I married Mr. Handsome, I was saddened to discover that gingerbread wasn’t a part of his family’s holiday traditions. After all, who can resist a perfectly baked gingerbread cookie?

I really want our children to grow up enjoying gingerbread as much as I do, so I have kept the traditional alive and well by making gingerbread cookies every year. (We also make sugar cookies, since those are Mr. Handsome’s favorite.)

This year, I told myself at Thanksgiving that I wasn’t going to do any holiday baking, both because I am trying to eat healthy for the baby’s sake and because I’m about ready to pop. But when I was at the store last week and walked past the molasses and mini M&M’s, I just couldn’t take it. I had to make gingerbread cookies. It was a tiring process but completely worth the effort.

For those who love gingerbread as much as I do (or maybe you haven’t ever tried it–gasp!), my gingerbread and royal icing recipes are below. What’s your favorite type of Christmas cookie?…

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My Pregnancy Announcement for Mr. H

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Several readers have asked when I broke the news to Mr. Handsome when I found out that we were pregnant and how I came up with a pregnancy announcement. Just to be sure that it wasn’t a false positive, I took a few different pregnancy tests over a span of a few days before telling him. After all those came back positive, I searched online for cute pregnancy announcement ideas, and let me tell you, there are a lot!

I considered doing something with fishing–“Future angler to arrive soon,” “We’re expecting a new fishing buddy,” or “Our greatest catch is on the way.” Those were all pretty clever but a little too flashy for me. I ended up going with something slightly more sentimental….

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2 Million Pounds of ICE

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Am I the only one who feels like the holiday season flew by? It hardly felt like there was any time at all between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now we’re about to celebrate New Year’s. Can we really be coming up on 2018? I vividly remember ringing in the new millennium–and all the apprehension that went along with it–but that was 18 years ago! Yikes.

Well, now that I’m done reminiscing, I have some photos to share. Some of my in-laws are here for the weekend, so we have enjoyed showing them the city. We have 11 of the 15 family members, but it still feels like a small group. (Did I tell you that one of Mr. Handsome’s little sisters is expecting? He is the oldest, and she is number five, so there are several years between the two of them. She is the one who married in May.)

This morning, we headed over to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel to enjoy the many Christmas festivities and decorations.

In addition to walking through the indoor gardens, as Mr. Handsome and I did a couple weeks ago, we spent 30 minutes inside the ICE winter wonderland.

Located in a conference center that is being kept at 9 degrees Fahrenheit, this holiday attraction is an annual tradition at Opryland. The display features two million pounds of ice sculptures, hand-carved by talented artisans from Harbin, China. This year’s theme is A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Pretty much everything you see in these photos is made of ice, even the Christmas tree and giant strands of popcorn.

There was also a huge ice slide (about two stories high). My three-year-old niece and one-year-old nephew were too short to ride it, but all the adults gave it a try. It was short but fast.

In general, the adults definitely appreciated the ice display more than the kiddos.

At the very end was a massive Nativity scene. Although my niece was cold and ready to leave, she enjoyed identifying all the characters–baby Jesus, the Wise Men, Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, the angel, and the livestock.

Gift Ideas Galore

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Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, but finding gifts for all the folks on your list can be a challenge. To make it easier on myself, I keep a running list on my phone of gift ideas for family and friends. As I think of things throughout the year that a particular person would need or want, or as people mention items they would like to have, I write them down. It makes holiday gift giving so much easier! Here are a few of my best suggestions:

Something Homemade

Every year, Mr. Handsome and I make small, homemade gifts for our family members and close friends, often in addition to larger presents. Ideas that we have done in the past include: homemade BBQ sauce (from my Buffalo Wild Wings Style Wings recipe), jars of apple butter–using our recipe, homemade scarves, paintings, and Christmas wreaths (tutorial coming soon).

Something Practical

One way to come up with winning gift ideas is to think of what the people in your life really need. Maybe it’s a digital compass because they recently bought a car that doesn’t have one and have discovered they can’t live without it (my mother-in-law). Or perhaps all the fry pans in their kitchen are hand-me-downs from your husband’s bachelor days, and every time you visit their house, you feel bad for passing down peeling Teflon pans (my brother-in-law). And how about that person who is missing half their measuring cups, or doesn’t have a non-rusted cheese grater, or minces garlic by hand because they haven’t yet discovered a garlic press? The possibilities are endless, but if you can think of something that someone desperately needs, you’ll be a gift-giving hero!

Give the Gift of Safety

Last year, my brother and his wife gave everyone vehicle emergency kits. What a great idea! You can purchase them at your local auto parts store. Some of the must-have items include a first-aid kit, a tire gauge, jumper cables, a flashlight and extra batteries, and a combo seatbelt cutter and window breaker–which should be kept within reach of the driver’s seat.

Coffee

Any coffee lovers out there? Several weeks ago, I was perusing the home goods aisles at TJ Maxx and came across a section of coffee. The smell was divine! It just so happens that Mr. Handsome’s grandmother is a huge coffee drinker. Her favorite quote is, “Why drink water when you can drink coffee?” So I chose a bag of beans for her Christmas gift. One thing to remember is that some people don’t have a coffee grinder. When in doubt, err on the side of caution, and buy pre-ground coffee.

Can you think of any gift ideas that I haven’t mentioned? Go ahead and share them as a comment, as I’m sure we could all use more suggestions.

A Train Station, a Street Car, and a Bony Cow

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As many of you know, Mr. Handsome is a hobbyist painter. He took classes as a child but “put down his brush” for almost 20 years. Last year for Christmas, his coworkers bought him a starter oil painting kit (with guidance from me), and he started watching Bob Ross tutorials.Thirteen months later, he has created a couple dozen works of art. Painting has been a great stress reliever, and he has enjoyed branching out into different styles.

A few months ago, Mr. Handsome did a painting for my brother and sister-in-law as a wedding present, which I shared with you. For his brother and sister-in-law’s wedding, Mr. Handsome painted the old train station in the town where his sister-in-law grew up.

Inspired by our trip to New Orleans and our ride on a historic street car, Mr. Handsome created this work of art:

Out of all the paintings Mr. Handsome has done, my favorite is the bird he painted for my birthday last year, and my second favorite is this farm scene. He says the cow looks too bony, but I think it’s cute. He rolled his eyes when I gave it a prominent spot in our kitchen.

Christmas Gift Exchange

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The weekend before Thanksgiving, we gathered with Mr. Handsome’s extended family to ring in the holiday season. With everyone scattered in different directions this year, we knew we wouldn’t be able to get together for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we decided to kill two birds with one stone.

Lunchtime was our Thanksgiving celebration. We ate homemade soup and bread bowls, played board games, and chatted at Mr. Handsome’s aunt’s house (the one whose wedding dress I wore).

At 4:00, we headed over to a nearby church building to play air hockey, ping pong, foosball, and more board games (including Wits and Wagers, a new one recommended by one of my readers). Then we ordered pizza for dinner and did our Christmas gift exchange. (I know pizza isn’t super Christmasy, but we have some picky eaters in our bunch, and it’s hard to find foods that please everyone. We also wanted to minimize prep and cleanup time so we could spend more time together as a family.)

The aunts still buy presents for the few remaining kiddos, but the adults try to find a unique way to exchange gifts. For as long as I have been coming to family gatherings (four years), we have drawn names, which isn’t super unique. This year, someone came up with the brilliant idea of doing a gift card exchange.

Everyone purchased a $20 gift card to a random store, webstore, or restaurant and came up with a clever way to wrap it. The goal was to provide a hint at what the gift card might be and then have everyone guess.

The actual exchange proceeded like a regular white elephant or dirty Santa gift exchange. (We drew numbers, and everyone either chose a gift card from the pile or stole one that had already been opened.) Mr. Handsome’s grandparents gave prizes to those who brought what they considered to be the most clever gift cards. It was a blast.

How does your family do gift exchanges?