I Resolve To Not...

I do this every year. I'm terrible with resolutions, so I come up with things I know I will NOT be doing. It's easier that way, trust me.

I resolve to NOT...


.....leave the house on New Year's Eve. I stay home. In my sweats. And at midnight, my entire neighborhood lights up with fireworks. I don't bother buying any. I can just stand there and watch from my driveway. In my sweats.



.....stop drinking my Diet Coke. People are all, "You should give up soda!" and I'm all, "You should give up giving unsolicited advice!"


.
....give up McDonald's. It's delicious. Also, Taco Bell is pretty amazing too. Most fast food is.



....stop reading. It's what I do for me time. I never get when people are like, "Where do you have time to read?" Well, stop scrolling through Facebook and you'll figure it out.

.....learn to be a better cook. I hate being in the kitchen. It's not for me. I tell my daughter the hope for good meals lands on her shoulders because Mommy has given up. She plans on taking home ec in middle AND high school in hopes she can do better.



.....stop loving Disney. People think I'm nuts for wanting to go every year, but you know, it gives you something to look forward to. Plus my son absolutely loves Disney, and it's so awesome to see him excited.

What do YOU resolve NOT to do?

What Happens When You Have Older Kids On Christmas

How was your Christmas? I'm still cleaning up.

My kids are older, so it wasn't as chaotic as it has been in past years. When you have older kids, Christmas can be a little different.

Let me explain the ways.

1. You have to wake them up. It was about 830 and both kids were still passed out.

2. They'll mostly get things like video games. This is a plus because you don't have to put toys together! Or take them out of their packages.

3. And tons of food. My son eats all the time, so he got a bunch of chocolate and snacks. They'll be gone in like 3 days.

4. But if you have a girl, it might be makeup.

5. Oh, they'll also have to post photos of their gifts on social media BEFORE they open them.

6. Batteries will still be forgotten. I have tons of AA ones, but naturally this requires Ds. Naturally.

7. You'll be reminded that your kids are growing up, but will still think it's sweet that your tween is focusing on the one toy she asked for, rather than the make up.

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

Hey, It's Okay....


....to be re-watching Dawson's Creek on Amazon. It's a different experience to watch as an adult. I keep wondering where the parents are when girls ask to spend the night in Dawson's room.



....to have wrapped all the Christmas gifts. Woohoo! I'm ready for Christmas.



....to be excited to see Mary Poppins Returns next week. I've heard great things about it.



....to need to pick Natalie up from school because she's bringing home another class pet for the winter break. This time it's a guinea pig.



....to hope everyone enjoys the holiday season. After Christmas it seems time gets confusing, and I forget what day it is, or what I'm supposed to be doing. Maybe it's because the kids are home on Winter Break.



....to have seriously picked these up as gifts. I got one package for my kids, because their bathroom can reek after they go #2, so I hope these help! I found mind at Think Geek!

What Exactly Do You Do When Carolers Come To Your Door?

So, okay.

Carolers are awesome and such, don't get me wrong, but what do you do when they come to your door?

Source 

This happened to me a few days ago. I had just washed my hair and I air dry, so it was wet. I was in my pajamas with no bra on. I was reading a book. (Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks.) The rest of my family were upstairs on electronics.

The doorbell rang.

I shouldn't have answered. But supposed it was a package? There's a rise in porch pirates, so I couldn't leave it sitting out there.

So I answered. With dripping hair. In my pajamas. Without a bra.

A boy dressed as Santa stared back at me. I jumped. He jumped and nervously handed me a wrapped chocolate pretzel rod and a mint.

"Oh," I said, startled. "Thank you." And I went to shut the door because again I'm standing there with dripping hair, pajamas, and no bra. I didn't want to scar the lad for life. He couldn't have been older than 10.

But then he said, "Wait! We're going to sing for you!" and my heart dropped. I hadn't noticed before, but there was a group of people at the end of the driveway. Staring. At me. With dripping hair. Without a bra.

Would it have been rude to run into the house? Probably, yes. So I stepped out on the porch. It looked like it was a bunch of high schoolers, with some adults and small kids mixed in.

Source

I stared awkwardly as they began to sing. A few looked shocked to see me because when my hair has just been washed, I sort of look like a wet dog.

Source

Still, the show must go on, so the group sang "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" while my hair dripped on my bare feet. I crossed my arms over my chest so no one could tell I wasn't wearing a bra.

It is so terribly, terribly awkward to have a group of strangers sing at you, I'm sorry. I don't know the rules here. Do I join in? Dance? Am I supposed to offer them a treat? I didn't have enough to feed a group. The only cookies I had in the house were stale Oreos because no one likes to bake here.

I stared as they sang with what I hoped was a normal looking smile on my face. I worried I looked like this though:

The song seemed to go on forever. I surreptitiously tried to get a family member downstairs.

"Kids?" I hissed from the side of my mouth so as not to interrupt. "Anyone?"

No luck.

It was only me. In my pajamas. With no bra. And dripping hair.

I was so worried they'd start singing another song, so when they finished, I clapped enthusiastically and went, "Thank you, thank you, you did great!" and turned to head inside.

But really, was I supposed to tip them? I have no earthly idea.

I think it's a sweet thing to do, spreading Christmas cheer and all, and yeah, maybe you just don't open the door if you don't want to hear singing, but again, I thought it was a package.

"Merry Christmas," I told the group as they moved on to the next house. I swear I frightened some by my appearance and for that, I apologize.

So what do YOU do if carolers come to your door? And if you are a caroler, what do you expect from the people who you sing at?

The Phantom of the Opera+San Antonio Riverwalk Christmas Lights

"Think of me...think of me fondly.."

I saw The Phantom of the Opera for the first time as a senior in high school. I loved it and immediately wanted the soundtrack. I knew I wanted to see it again. Some day.

That day happened over the weekend. The show came to San Antonio, and my Mom got tickets! I told my daughter Natalie all about it.

"There's this Phantom. At the Opera. And he's cranky. And you'll see why."

My son and husband did not care to come. My husband is not into musicals. He'd be like this:

The Phantom played at The Majestic, which is beautiful. We've seen many shows there.

Natalie wanted to know what the brown thing covered up was. "You'll see," I said with a wink.


Not surprisingly, Natalie loved it too. So did my Mom.


"I know why the Phantom was cranky. The world didn't show him compassion," Natalie said.

The special effects were spectacular as well. The sets were amazing. Natalie found out the thing covered up was a chandelier.

The actors did a wonderful job. I am amazed on the high notes they can hit. I can barely sing the alphabet on key. If you haven't seen the show yet, you must! You won't be disappointed.

Would I see it again? Of course. I can watch the same musicals over and over. My next goal is to get tickets to Hamilton in May. Fingers crossed.

After Phantom, we decided to eat at Bubba Gump. Yup, I love Forrest Gump.

I completely forgot to take a photo of the food. I was hungry. But here's a photo of the brownie cake:

And of course they have a store.

Afterwards we walked along the riverwalk to check out the lights:

Oh, and those motorized scooters were everywhere. So not only do you have to dodge people walking, but now people on scooters.

We had a lovely evening, despite the crazed people on scooters. We'll be at The Majestic again in March to see The Beach Boys.

Have you ever seen The Phantom of the Opera?

SAVE With Ibotta When Purchasing Hatfield® Ham

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidaysWithHatfield #SimplyHatfield #CollectiveBias

"When you think Holiday, think Hatfield®! Hatfield® Ham has been an essential part in gathering families around the Holiday dinner table for generations, and Hatfield® Ham continues to deliver quality and convenience in offering various ham options & sizes. For a limited time only, receive a $2 Rebate with purchase of any Hatfield® Uncured Ham.

Be sure to also check out Hatfield’s NEW ¼ pre-sliced and ½ PIT Ham options to better serve your family, big or small."

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

Hey, It's Okay....



.....to have celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary. We went out the The Cheesecake Factory and got a cake from Carlo's Bakery.




.....to have survived my husband's holiday work party. I'm an introvert, so these can be tough for me. (But I did write a post on how to get through one if you're also an introvert.)




.....to have cooked a fancy meal for our anniversary. I'm kidding. I ordered pizza. My husband and I hate to cook.



.....to be going to see The Phantom of the Opera this weekend with Natalie and my Mom. My Mom actually is treating us, which is so kind of her. Natalie and I just love musicals and being with my Mom.



....to love the Honey Oat bread from The Cheesecake Factory. My kids do as well, so I made sure to bring plenty home. (It's $3.50 per loaf. So worth it though.)

Things You MUST DO At SeaWorld San Antonio's Christmas Celebration

Every year we look forward to checking out the lights at Sea World. They do a wonderful job decorating the park. It runs until January 6th. We usually go early in December so it's not overly crowded.


Here are things we must see every year when we go.

1. See all the lights. (Duh.) I mean, that's the whole point, right? There's 9 million of them set up around the park.

2. Meet Rudolph and friends. There's an entire Rudolph area. Plus you can even book a dinner to have dinner with Rudolph and his friends. We did this last year and recommend it.

3. Sip hot chocolate. Sometimes it can get chilly. We brought our cups we got last year and only paid $2 to fill up. (I believe the cups with hot chocolate are $6.99 to start with, but then only $1.99 for refills.)

4. Wear light up necklaces. You can buy them there, or cheaper at places like Walmart and the Dollar Store.

5. Check out the Coca-Cola bears. There's a bunch of them set out.

6. Watch a holiday show. We always love watching Pets Ahoy. They take rescue pets and train them to do tricks. It's pretty impressive.

7. Eat some holiday treats. They have cookies, cider, hot chocolate, plus more!

8. Be sure to come during the day to check out the decorations clearly. You could miss some when it gets dark.

9. Visit with a reindeer. They are gorgeous.

10. See it snow! Check your map to find out when it happens.

11. See the Tunnel of Lights. A music and light show goes off about every 20 minutes. Or you can just walk through it as is!

We always have a great time when we go. The lights truly are beautiful and get us in the holiday mood.


Where are you favorite places to check out Christmas lights?