Butterfly Baby’s Neighborhood

What's your best advice on how to deal with the post-holiday blues?

Don't look at your bank balance. Don't set foot on the scales and don't even contemplate putting your skinny jeans on. Instead, relish the last few days of the Christmas tree light glow; continue to eat turkey and chocolate until bursting point; and enjoy all your new presents.

Post-holiday? Is it? Nah.

Avoidance is the key.

(At least it will be for another week...)

The kids had a blast and we, of course, had a blast watching them!

For the first time they had just the right amount of presents. Honestly, typically, we go overboard and they....<sigh> get bored of opening gifts because there are so many.  So not cool. Could you imagine ? Getting so many gifts you get bored of opening them??? I can't even fathom it. Not even a little. lol. Anyway, this year....there was none of that. When they were done, they looked for more under the tree but were not upset to find nothing else. 

Ben got some very cool lego sets, more Bionicals than he can count, play dough and those fusion bead things from Santa, a couple of puzzles....and just lots of other fun stuff.

Jaime got a pottery wheel from Nana, some clay stuff from us,  a FLIP video camera from Auntie Ceci and Uncle JR that she will not put down! (I'll post some videos from it later....along with pics). a music cd she really wanted, a couple of games for her DS, some make up.......and more!

Mom got me a bottle of my perfume, which is a traditional gift and thank God because I've been out forever! LOL She got Zak a drill bit set and he is THRILLED with it, she also got him a little log cabin for the toad and he promptly used one of the bits to  make a hole in the log cabin for Libertoad to get in! LOL  NIki got me a cool year in review type book. I love it!

Ceci gave Zak and I some money for Christmas and I am so psyched. She gave us enough that we are going to be able to put the car on the road..FINALLY. And I got to buy some alcohol, so I can make some real drinks. I am honestly...so sick of beer! ugh!!! lol. I mean, I love my beer...don't get me wrong.....but I like my girly drinks too. 

Zak and I did not get each other anything and we are going to celebrate our Christmas in June. I cannot wait! We're gonna buy a little tree and put it up in our bedroom and everything. LOL Although honestly.....not having gifts, not getting gifts, doesn't bother me....it truly doesn't. Seeing my kids happy and being with family is really gift enough.

All in all....a fantastic and wonderful Christmas!!!

I'll post some video and pictures a little later!

Oh....and guess what I woke up to? Another order in my Etsy shop!!!! YES!!!!! :-)

Almost a month?
Seriously?

the longest drought ever....since I started this blog.

I don't like it. I miss my blog..
and I don't even know why I stopped for so long....

The craziness of the holidays...
Having nothing to say....
I feel guarded, at times, on what I can write on this blog.....because at some point, everyone does stop by...
A wee bit sad about "life" in general for a little bit there.
Of all the friends and family I have, very, VERY few people read this....so why bother?

Because it's for ME and I LOVE having it.....and some people DO read it, faithfully.

So back to it, I go.....I hope to not let this happen again...a friggin' month. Just crazy.

Right off the top of my head.....what has been going on in the last few weeks...okay, okay..almost MONTH.

• Thanksgiving was nice...quiet, uneventful and just....nice. :-)
• Jaime made honor roll!!!
•  J got a web cam and I get to SEE HER TALK NOW!!!! Amazing....and I am so addicted to it. I love getting to "see" her, love getting to see her son....it's just an awesome thing.
•  A little girl I love dearly....is so growing up and it makes me miss her so bad.
•  I got my Christmas cards out---watch your mail, they are on the way!!--THAT makes me so happy.
•  Rode the roller coaster of Zak's work....had a potential multi million dollar client change their mind about moving to NH. It's not completely over with, though. They are not 100% sure what they are doing. They know they are leaning toward not New Hampshire right now, but it's not definite and they LOVE Zak. So if they DO decide NH after all, it will be Zak they use. That right there, is cool. That they dug him so much. But it was quite the roller coaster for  a bit. lol.
  
• Benjamin is going to be Rudolph in his class play....!!! I CANNOT WAIT!!! It's the 23rd.
  
• I injured myself really, REALLY bad. Fell off one of our high dining room chairs and fell about 2 feet ONTO the chair, right on my ribs. Pretty sure I did some serious damage.....it's finally better but it was almost 2 weeks of hell. Couldn't sleep...couldn't hardly walk....couldn't bend. Just sitting was painful if it I did it for too long...I'm still feeling it, but I can function now. Zak and my mom really stepped up and saved me. They did the laundry and dishes and were just amazing...thank God.
• My business is doing pretty good. I have made enough money in the last couple of months, to pay for Christmas. I am pretty freakin' proud of me! And I love having my business!!!! So nice to be doing what I love and get PAID for it! I haven't done much marketing, just because I keep getting clients and work without having to do much marketing, so I've just been working with the business I have and keeping things at a reasonable pace. After the new year, I will start putting a plan in place and I am really excited to see what kind of  business I do once I do some marketing! VERY exciting.
• I had started going to the gym and then hurt myself so I haven't been able to. THAT is a little frustrating.
• I am annoyed as hell that I STILL have not "reviewed" Bon Jovi's new album.
• Mariah Carey is coming in concert, within in driving distance of me, THREE TIMES in January. I am really bummed I will not be able to see her. She is one of my all time favorite artists and I've never seen her in concert and I would do anything to be able to. BUT....I think I am going to bust my ass with my shop and see if I can manage to earn the money to go. Kind of a birthday present to myself. Good Luck to me!!!
• Very excited about the new year and knowing it's going to be a better year for us.
  

Sooo...that's it. A little run down of the major things going on. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff or leaving stuff out.....meh...one step at a time, right? LOL 

Mystery Couple Starts "Magical" Chain Reaction

It played like a scene from a holiday movie -- a mystery couple, who didn’t leave their names or numbers, walked into a restaurant, finished their meal and then set-off a chain reaction of generosity that lasted for hours.

That’s just what employees at the Aramingo Diner in Port Richmond said a man and a woman did during their breakfast shift last Saturday morning.

“It was magical. I had tears in my eyes because it never happened before. I’ve been here for 10 years and I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Lynn Willard, a waitress.

Willard and other waitresses told NBC Philadelphia that the couple started the chain reaction by paying double: for their own meal and for the tab of another table of diners at the restaurant. There's no evidence that one group of diners knew the others.

“I could not believe it … and it continued and continued, it was very nice,” said Willard. “They asked us not to say anything until they left, but we said ‘Merry Christmas, that person picked up your tab.’”

For the next five hours, dozens of patrons got into that same holiday spirit and paid the favor forward.

The diner’s manager said not one person was concerned about price of the check -- which averaged between $12-$30.

“It was a surprise to all of us, the girls were even taken aback,” said Linda. “Those who took the check also tipped the waitress. So nobody had to do anything other than pass it on and that’s what they did. They just passed it forward.”

It’s a true holiday story that proves how a small gesture of kindness can create some magic.

Are any of my Voxy neighbors participating in Whiskerino? Two friends from Glasgow are doing it and while I can't grow a beard myself (not that I've really tried), it's fun to watch their daily progress. Plus, they're coming out to Nashville for the big finale and I'm *thinking* of taking a weekend trip! You know I love Voxy meetups, so let me know!

Whiskerino

...I'd wear these (and technically they're 4.5" heels).

That's right. You heard me. And you'd oogle my footwear, I'm sure of it. Alas, my walking technique is more refined with much less heel involved. Damn you Gwen Stefani & your cute shoes.

This is Sylvie's favourite. We have to watch it before bed every night. She nearly knows all the words.