Merry Christmas!

We had such a great day!

Woke up, opened our stockings and mommy made cinnamon rolls and baked brie with a strawberry glaze.

Then we opened the massive mound of Christmas presents! Mommy got some clothes, a PINK food processor, a photo printer, a PINK french press and a Coach bag. The hubby got a Blackberry charger, a "Smartcard" reader, , some clothes, shoes, and an elliptical. And I don't even know if I can begin to name everything the munchkin got... A few dolls and a ton of accessories, a Barbie, Barbie Bug, My Little Pony, Leap Frog Click-Start system with a couple games, a TON of PlayDough stuff, and even more clothes... Among a bunch of random little things.

Then Mommy had to get in the kitchen and cook, cook, cook... Looking back at it, I think I went a little crazy with dinner... I made: Mock-Meat Loaf, Yorkshire Pudding, Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Squash Risotto, Mini-Mincemeat Pie, Green beans, Mashpotatos and Mushroom gravy... Oh and plum pudding!

And if that wasn't enough work... We had to hurry and clean the house and pack pack pack because we're heading up to Cleveland for a week! UGH! I am just pooped, but I wanted to make sure I got on here to write a quick blog lettin everyone know I'll be gone till the 3rd... And just wanted to say that I hope everyone had a merry Christmas... And everyone has a happy New Year!

Christmas Day Menu!

Christmas Day Breakfast

Baked Brie w/ Strawberry Glaze

Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas Dinner

Yorkshire Pudding

Mashed Potatoes

Mushroom Gravy

Butternut Squash Risotto

Green Beans

Christmas pudding

Mini mincemeat pies

Pumpkin Pie

Unlike Thanksgiving I'm not making everything from scratch... Since we're leaving for vacation the day after Christmas I really wanted to keep the mess and work to a minimum. Plus, I just really didn't want to be in the kitchen all day long... So I went to my local British Market and got Yorkshire Pudding mix and Christmas Pudding

Walmart did it again...

* Dec.23rd, 7:47pm *

Ok... So 28 days ago I order my husband an elliptical from Walmart and have it shipped from "site to store" for Christmas. A week later I receive an email from Walmart letting me know that my order had come into my local store and I had till 6pm on December 24th to go and pick it up.


Well something like an elliptical would be a hard thing to hide for 3 weeks, so I decided to wait till today to go and pick it up. Well unfortunately for me, Walmart is soooo unorganized that they somehow managed to LOOSE my damn item. Now mind you this was my husband's big gift... AND I've already paid for it... And just BAM, they misplaced my elliptical! Since they don't even sell this thing in their stores, they pretty much gave me 2 options:
( 1 ) Cancel the order
or
( 2 ) Wait till it just "shows up"

WHAT!?! This is my husbands BIG gift! Ugh, and this is actually the 2nd year this has happened. Last year the weight machine I bought him got placed on back order and I ended up not receiving it till Mid-January! Ugh, I have the worst luck!

* Update: Dec.24th, 11:45am *

I can't even begin to explain how pissed off I am right now! So the girl I talked to back in the "site-to-store" section yesterday said she'd look into it some more and talk to a couple managers to see if they can locate the missing item and would give me a call today at 10am... Well she called at 10 this morning saying "I'm really sorry but we were unable to locate your item and will be issuing you a refund" WHAT?!? This is my husband's big Christmas present! And all you can do is issue me a refund?!? Ok, I really didn't want to take it out on that poor girl cuz she was really nice about the whole thing, and it really wasn't her fault. So I ask to speak to a manager. WOW! I mean I understand it's Christmas-Eve and you're probably stressed out but this woman was a total BITCH! I flat out told her I was trying to be incredibly nice considering HER store LOST my husband's Christmas present that I already paid for! And now it's too late to reorder it or even run around to different stores to find it! All I was wanting her to do was to call around the other local stores to find me one. But she coped a major attitude with me telling me, "Ma'am, I clearly don't know off the top of my head if another store will have this item". DUH YA MORON! I'm asking YOU to freakin call the other stores cuz this is clearly YOUR stores fault and not mine! Grrr... So I've talked to her, and 2 ladies at their HQ office and they are supposedly looking for one... We'll see if I get a call back.

* Update: Dec.24th, 5:00pm *

Oh man has it been a LONG day! Contacting HQ was useless they never called me back! I called 3 other Walmarts and they were all pretty bad. One manager even told me I shouldn't have waited till the last minute to buy one. No crap, ya think? In the end Walmart only sells the item online... I tried calling JC Penny's, Kmart, and Target who all carry the item online as well... But of course they don't sell it in the store. I did get a hold of Dick's Sporting Goods who told me they DO sell it in the store... But checked and they were all out. Crap! Apparently ellipticals are popular items this year! And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I gave up hope and finally told my husband about the Christmas present he wasn't going to get... The manager from the Walmart the elliptical was supposed to be shipped to called me back! And shockingly they had "found" an elliptical just an hour before they closed! So I ruched down there, battled the crowd of last minute shoppers and wound up getting an elliptical! Too bad now my husband knows what he's gettin for Xmas. )-:

25 Days of Christmas: Day 24

Charging station for cell phones, iPods, PDA's, PSP's, Etc.

I found this great tutorial on the Joann's Fabrics site.

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• 1/2 yd Cotton quilting fabric
• 1/2 yd Warm & Natural® batting
• 1/2 yd Decor Bond iron-on interfacing
• 1/4 yd 12-gauge clear vinyl
• 1 pkg Velcro®
• Basic sewing supplies
• Sewing machine
• Iron

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut two pieces of quilting fabric 15"Hx14"W. Measure and mark 8" up each side; also mark the center of the
top. Draw a line from the sides to the center top and cut.
2. Use the cut fabric pieces as a pattern to cut two pieces each of batting and interfacing.
3. Fuse iron-on interfacing to back of fabric and pin batting to front and back panels.
4. Cut a 6"x18" piece of vinyl for pocket.
5. Cut a 3"x18" fabric piece for vinyl pocket top. Fold in half lengthwise wrong sides together and press. Fold
edges into center and press to make four layers. Stitch to top of vinyl.
6. Pin pocket onto bottom of front, dividing evenly into three pockets and stitch allowing it to pleat at bottom.
7. For small pocket, cut two pieces of fabric 31⁄2"x51⁄2". Stitch all four sides, leaving an opening; turn & press.
Place pocket above vinyl pockets, fold in small tucks on sides forming a 3" square and stitch in place along
sides and bottom.
8. To create power strip holders, cut four pieces of fabric 3"x5". Fold long edges and stitch as in #5. Cut two 3"
strips of Velcro® and sew loop portions to two fabric strips and hook portions to two fabric strips. Pin one
hook and one loop strip to bottom of charging station front 4" in from one side, and another pair 4" in from
other side. Position Velcro® so the fabric strips wrap around a power strip and hook together to hold the
power strip in place.
9. For handle, cut two fabric pieces 3"x8", fold and stitch as in #7. Cut one 8" strip of Velcro®. Stitch hook portion
to one handle strip and loop portion to other strip. Pin handle, right sides down to top of front at point.
10. Pin back to front, right sides together and stitch, leaving a 4" opening for turning. Turn, press and stitch closed.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 23

I wish I could find a tutorial for this... I've seen these for a while now bug have yet to find a tutorial... Kinda a weird Christmas present I know... You gotta be on a REAL personal level with friends to give them this. HaHa. But in a strange way I think it's cute. I mean it makes since right? You put your babies diapers and whipes in a case? So why not your stuff too?