I can’t believe tomorrow will be the first of December! This year flew by! We have had so many trips to the library this year; I am always so thankful for them and allowing me to check out like 35 books at a time. We go through so many books, especially this time of year! Not only do we have our homeschool books, but now we have holiday books too! I won’t share them all, it would be a crazy post, so I will share our favorites!
Granny Gomez & Jigsaw was one of my Wyatt’s top favorites this month. Granny Gomez loves her baby pig Jigsaw, and they are great companions. Until Jigsaw grows too big for the house, and has to move to the barn. The solution made me smile, and Wyatt smile too. It is a very sweet book. Wyatt has a thing for pigs right now so you will see quite a few pig books in this list.
The Pumpkin Fair is a fun, festive autumn book with an obvious emphasis on pumpkins. It was just a cute little read. And while I Want My Hat Back was pretty cute too, the end surprised us! Although maybe it shouldn’t have….
Every year, we read Thanksgiving in the Woods. It is our very favorite and we all talk about how cool it would be to actually have a Thanksgiving in the woods one year. This book is based on real life events – maybe I can crash their holiday one year.
Bowwow Powwow was a great book! I liked all of the representations of the different dancers. I liked this one more than Wyatt did. Same with In November. I love Cynthia Rylant though so I get as many of her books as I can get my hands on. In November, is just such a wonderful autumnal book to usher the month in with.
Yep – we have begun reading holiday books. Wyatt loved all three of these! I was not as much of a fan of the Peppa book but Wyatt loves Peppa so..yeah.
First, If You Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, Don’t! was hilarious. And who knew how closely a pirate could resemble Santa? Wyatt is also all about pirates right now, so it was cool to find a Christmas pirate book.
Christmas Cricket was delightful. We read it right before bed on a chilly night, and we were both feeling cozy and warm. This book is about a sad little cricket who escapes the cold rain by heading into a bright warm house. He feels tiny and insignificant, until he hears something that uplifts him.
Poppleton in Fall. This portly stylish fellow buys a new winter coat, tries to order pancakes, and watches the geese fly south. We also started the Heartwood Hotel series which is adorable. Wyatt really likes books with animals as main characters and this was a cute little read.
And that my friends, is a wrap of our favorite November reads!
Hi everyone!! Was yesterday tough for everyone else or just me? We had five days off of our normal schedule and Monday morning and physical therapy came very early. I am a creature of habit so I like having a routine, it was just…jarring to be up and moving so early- and without coffee. Today we have a lot to do but I am still going to finish this coffee first. Maybe even have a second cup, to be honest. I am drinking Seattle’s Best Breakfast Blend today and it has a very mild taste and is really easy to drink. Although not as easy to find, with my Miso sitting there in front of it. But I loves her so it is ok.
Hmm. When I left off we had visited my cousin’s for a get together that left me all emotional and sentimental. I get that way around the holidays, as I imagine most of us do. That was the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. Wednesday found us out and about again, at an early Thanksgiving at Billy’s brother’s house. Mike works for border patrol at the airport and had to work actual Thanksgiving, so we celebrated early with them. The kids had a blast. And so did Grandma!
Thursday, Thanksgiving, we went to my brother’s for dinner. I put my phone away and just enjoyed the day. It was a great time with lots of food and laughter. I made a wild rice pilaf with cranberries and apples and it was really good. Billy was in charge of the turkey – unfortunately we are sort of newbs at it and didn’t take it out in time so it was very frozen. Lol. Most of those attending are vegetarians so the turkey was just for Billy, my mom, and me (Wyatt is a nope on turkey) so…Billy went to the deli and picked up turkey lunch meat and we had sandwiches with our sides. It made me laugh. Billy ended up making the turkey over the weekend and we turned it in to soup.
By Friday Wyatt and I were ready for some down time. That was a lot of socializing for us both! Usually our days are so quiet and while we had so much fun we were in need of just doing a bunch of nothing. So we did. I even let him stay in his pajamas all day! We played games, watched tv, read books, laid around and it was awesome. Poor Billy had to work but at least he got to work from home.
Then Saturday. Billy and I had a much needed “date night” – or at least a night where a grandma watched Wyatt and we went out without him. I am telling you all, it was a wonderful night. Billy and I always love going to the owl prowls at the metropark, and have been going literally years. Like maybe even 15 years or so. So, that was our date! The group Saturday night was small, 6 people including us, which was perfect (9 if you count the interpreters). Everyone was very quiet and into the experience, which is important. Too much noise made will obviously scare the owls and any other wildlife away.
One of my favorite things in the whole world is standing still and quiet in a dark wood at night in the winter. The stillness, the quiet, the peace of the night. I will close my eyes and just absorb the night, listening for the night animals, feeling the cold air sidle around me, smelling the leaves underfoot and the evergreens around us. Then I will open them, staring up through the arms of the trees, at the stars in the sky. It is perfect to me.
Some owl prowls, we see and hear nothing. Saturday however, was a busy night in the woods! The moment we stepped out of the nature center to head for the trails, we heard the flying squirrels freaking out – followed very closely by the hooting of the Great Horned Owl! He was the reason for their distress, and while we couldn’t see him, he was so close. And kept hooting! They have a hunting ground of five miles so that we lucked out and heard him so quickly and so close was awesome.
Billy and I have been going so long to this metropark that we have become friends with the interpreters. There is a good-natured joke/myth that if Billy or I are on the owl prowl, that the group will not see owls. Like we are a curse! Lol. However, that is only when we are on Kevin’s prowl, not Roni’s. And like I said, Saturday was an active night!
This little screech flew in right over my head and landed in a nearby tree, maybe only 4 feet off the ground. He was so close! And he stuck around for quite awhile, letting us take photos even. I guess he was as curious about us as we were about him! They are super tiny, only about 7 inches in height. Roni was able to get close and grab this photo for me with my phone. It was amazing and otherwordly to experience.
After our magical moment, we were all sort of excited and chattering about how cool that was, walking along, not really looking for owls anymore because nothing could beat that moment honestly. Until the local coyote pack started howling and yipping. I had never heard them before like that, so loud and in chorus with each other, blending their voices in their night song. That was almost as cool as the owl, but not quite.
We did stop and look for owls again later, calling them to us, and a second owl flew in over our heads and took up a spot high up in a tree. It is always so cool to see them respond and fly in. They have completely silent flight so you have to watch the treeline carefully to see them fly in, but they will often call back to the recording.
Billy and I felt so refreshed and happy and uplifted after our walk. It was a pretty awesome night.
The next morning I wanted to take Christmas photos of Wyatt at a nearby nursery. I love this place – in the spring and summer I buy all my plants from them and this year they have started setting up seasonal vignettes for people to use for photos. Which is absolutely brilliant because you come to take photos, and leave with your arms full of other things.
Wyatt was cracking me up with his poses.
But I did get this one and I love it. (I love them all actually)
Despite being surrounded by so much cute mushroom merchandise for the holidays, I refrained from purchasing any. I did however buy an evergreen swag for our door and a bunch of holly. We are learning about holly next week in science so I felt we needed it.
Coffee update: It took me two whole cups to write this today!
How are you all? Did you have a nice weekend? I would love to hear your stories!
Hello! I hope that everyone had a great week! Ours was super busy for days but we had a blast. I need to spend some quality time with my Christmas to-do list today – so much to bake and make and do and see! I am super excited and I know my boyo is as well!
Read Last Week:
Last week I finished up the two books I had started the week before, and then made inroads into a third.
I enjoyed Lovelight Farms – it was a cute little friends to lovers romance set on a Christmas tree farm. I enjoyed it but I am not sure I will read any others in this series.
A Study in Charlotte was a really interesting take on the Watson/Homes theme. I especially liked the Watson family guide to taking care of and understanding their Holmes. Lol. It was a fun read but also really well done.
And I am only a bit of the way into Outfoxed but I loved the previous two books in this series so I am sure I will love this one as well. There is an entirely fox themed gift store in this little town, which to me sounds like a wonderful place to shop. I am all about the rabbits and foxes!
Reading This Week:
I love these cozy mysteries set in the highlands of Scotland. Hamish Macbeth is a comfort series for me that I love to return to again and again. Lochdubh is a quirky, crazy little town, full of personality.
For all the holidaying we did last week, we still managed to get in some down time together. Frankly, some days we were plopped lifeless in our bed recovering from the busyness but we were definitely happy and relaxed.
In movies we watched Enola Holmes 2, White Christmas, and See How They Run. I absolutely loved Enola Holmes 2. Millie Bobby Brown did a great job, the plot was interesting, and um, hello, Henry Cavill. However, I really enjoyed See How They Run! It is a movie that revolves around the longest running play ever, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Sam Rockwell is in it and I love him in everything he does and this was no exception. He didn’t have his quick mischievousness in this movie, but instead was a sad, drunk detective but also, a good one? Saorise Ronan played the constable who was the upright eager beaver with a great enthusiasm for her work. There was a Wes Anderson quality about this movie as well which we really appreciated.
In television we watched Derry Girls (the newest season), finished up the GB Baking Show, and that was it. Derry Girls cracks us up! It is funny and endearing and also very very moving. I usually finish up every season crying. It is set against the tumultuous political background of Northern Ireland, and while much of the show is mainly teenage hijinks and shenanigans, there is real depth and seriousness as well.
And that’s that from around here! What is going on in your world?
Now that American Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is definitely in the air!! And maybe just maybe we will get more snow! We had some last week – this week though has been like springtime in Michigan and no, thank you. It’s the holiday season and I for one would like some snow. Much like the characters in this week’s movie, White Christmas!
Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have been watching the same movies and posting our thoughts on them since September, when we started with spooky movies. Now, to celebrate the winter holidays we have moved on to holiday movies!
Sigh. I LOVE this movie so much. I have watched it every year for as long as I can remember, some years with blankets of snow outdoors, some years, like this year, that I am dreaming of our own White Christmas.
Is there anyone alive that doesn’t know the words to all of the songs? I can sing my way through this whole movie, although only in the privacy of my own home. When I googled where I could watch this movie, I was happily surprised to see that I could go to the movie theater and watch it. How cool that the theaters are screening it! However, then I couldn’t be in my pajamas with my tea and a blanket, so I opted for watching it at home. And, I could sing if I wanted to. Which I did.
In case you haven’t seen it: It’s post WWII, and army veterans and buddies Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) have become a famous entertainment act, and a pretty darn famous one at that. They get a letter from another old army pal asking them to go check out his sisters’ act and offer any advice. So, they help a guy out and visit the show. Enter The Haynes Sisters – Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen). As they perform, both men become almost instantly smitten. Phil and Judy cook up a plan to get Bob and Betty together; meanwhile, Bob is learning that it was Judy that contacted them, not his old army buddy Benny. Anyway, lots of other stuff happens, including an escape from the police, and then comes one of my favorite scenes.
I dream of old timey train travel! However every time I have actually taken the train somewhere (Chicago a few times) it hasn’t really been very picturesque or idyllic. Lol. Maybe I have missed that golden era. The four are on their way to Vermont, and are dreaming of snow. Much like me today.
They arrive in Vermont though to find absolutely no snow! They head to the inn the sisters are performing at for the holidays, a quaint little Vermont inn that makes a living off of people seeking fun in the snow. When they check in, they are told they aren’t needed as there are no guests because, you guessed it, there isn’t any snow. They are all standing about when in walks another old friend and army pal, but not just any ordinary buddy, but their old General. Turns out he owns the place and the four resolve to help drum up business to help the General out. It gets pretty involved, with Bob and Phil getting their entire act to travel out to this little inn for a special holiday show.
Then lots of other stuff happens, romance and singing and buttermilk by the fire, miscommunications, and a special plea on the Ed Harrison show for any of the General’s old Division who can get to Vermont by Christmas to get there, “to give the nicest Christmas gift to the nicest man”.
Then my next favorite scene where all his men who did heed the call surprise the General and well, they sing.
This part always gives me goosebumps and makes me cry. From here we head into the final scenes of the movie, including of course, the iconic scene where they sing White Christmas and the set moves and you can see the beautiful Currier and Ives style outdoor scene, where it is indeed snowing, finally.
This movie is so perfectly heartwarming and lovely. All the actors in it play their parts to perfection, and you can never doubt the dancing skills of Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen or the beautiful voices of Crosby and Clooney. This is such a Christmas classic, you just can’t go wrong watching it.
Next up is one of my all time favorite Christmas movies – A Muppet Christmas Carol. Yep, Muppets. When Lisa asked me to let her know what movies I absolutely needed us to watch, both of mine were intended for children. And done by Jim Henson. I’m not sure what this says about me but that is ok.
This morning’s brew is Seattle’s Best, Post Alley. It is seriously perfect today. This morning is chilly but I have the electric fire on to warm up the room. And we are on Thanksgiving holiday starting today! We both are ready for this break.
Last night was one of those nights full of so many different emotions. My cousin invited us over for a family get together, to celebrate his and my birthdays, just like when we were kids. We are a year and four days apart and as far back as I can remember, Brian has been there, a constant companion in my life. We were raised to be as close as siblings and when my brother was born six years after me, five years after Brian, it was the three of us together.
Brian lives in the house my uncle built with his own hands, where we spent every holiday growing up. So many memories in this very room, gathered in a similar circle in that very spot with Brian and Devin and Meghan and Michael, the final cousins to our group of five.
Watching my son play with his cousins in that room in that spot filled my heart to almost overflowing. Watching him play as part of a group of kids almost made me cry with happiness, as it is not something I get to see my sweet boy do very often.
I guess I am feeling sentimental this morning, reflecting about family and memories, the way that the holidays inspire us to do. My brother told me last night that he had similar feelings, with his daughter, my niece. Standing in front of the house, asking if they could please stay just a little to play some more he remembered doing the same thing, asking our mom the same question in the same place.
It was a good night.
Speaking of good nights – pizza night was a success! Last Saturday Devin and Chrissy and Mermaid Girl came over for our first attempt at pizza making with from scratch dough. We were going with just classic toppings for this time, and I went to a local Italian market to shop for sauce and cheese and pepperoni. I also liked the look of those chestnuts but I have no idea what people do with them. So I left them behind.
Billy made up the dough way ahead of time, per the instructions, and split it into separate balls so that everyone could make their own little pizzas later on.
The kids loved making the pizzas! In fact, Mermaid Girl made hers as well as her parents’ pizzas, and Wyatt made mine and his.
Jeanie from Marmalade Gypsy sent me the recipe (well one of them) that they use for pizza dough and wow was it delicious! It is a keeper for sure!
And that is where I am at this morning!
If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful one. If not, then I hope that you have a wonderful next few days and weekend!
This past week has been my favorite so far! Wyatt still is declaring his love of John Henry week but I know he is enjoying this section as well because he is a tree/nature kid.
We are also stretching last week into this week since this week is a short one due to the holiday. We both really need the break but this unit has been a good way to finish before five days off.
Hmm, where to start? Let’s start with social studies and Minnesota. Can I just say that I now want to move to Minnesota? It seems to have everything our family loves. We always talk about the basic information about the state, how to find that information, where the state is on the map, and what region it is in. Then we move on to the good stuff, the interesting facts and moments to remember. Wyatt chose for his favorite things about Minnesota the candlelight hikes that Zipper Bay State Park has, but especially the International Wolf Conservation Center. Wyatt loves wolves – I really need to get this kid to a wolf conservation center soon. I was surprised about the hike but not too surprised – he loves being outside, and night hikes especially in the winter because of all the Kid’s Moon Club stuff we did when he was really small. I need to start that up again! I, of course, want to go to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, as well as F. Scott Fiztgerald’s house in St. Paul. It’s pretty cool that Minnesota has both prairie and forests. I could totally see our family taking a long vacation through Minnesota one day soon.
Our science curriculum had perfect timing – we are “embarking” upon a study of evergreens and boreal forests. Or wait, was it me that had good timing? I even put up our artificial Christmas tree in Wyatt’s room to give a sense of being in a forest. Or at least near a tree. This week is Wolfenoot, a completely made up holiday so I plan to incorporate a little more wolves into our learning this week – it all just ties together so well! We will decorate the tree for December too. He will dig it.
For language arts, we read Let’s Go Home by Cynthia Rylant. I love her books so much. This one was a wonderful read about homes and how special each room is. Wyatt then had to write a little about his favorite room – his bedroom – and why. He chose it because of all his books and the tree!
Art this week we learned about an artist near and dear to my heart, Gwen Frostic. She is originally from my hometown, graduated from my high school, and lived eventually up north in one of my favorite areas. We visited her studios and printing shop two years ago and it was sort of a dream come true for me. So I was super excited to do a few lessons on her art with Wyatt. I could literally go on and on here, but I won’t bore you.
Billy was excited because this was a dream realized. He told me he has wanted to experiment with lino cutting for a while now and he got to do it. So Sunday afternoon art was more demo than hands on for Wyatt, but then today we turned some of the pictures into holiday cards and that was all Wyatt.
And the cards. They turned out super cute and I think we are going to make a few more.
What We Used:
This section contains Amazon Affiliate links. In addition to the curriculum I am creating for him, we also use curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful, The Waldock Way, and Blossom and Root for phonics, reading, science, and social studies.
Hey all! I hope you have been having a great weekend so far!
Read Last Week/Reading This Week:
I didn’t get as far as I wanted in my reading! I started two books and am halfway through A Study in Charlotte and over halfway in Lovelight Farms. I remember the days before Wyatt when I would three books at least a week. Now I am lucky to finish one! I am enjoying both of my reads though, very much, especially Lovelight Farms.
And when I finish I am picking this one up. I have read and loved the previous two in this series so I am excited to read this one. Plus -a fox! If you know me or read here often you know my weakness for rabbits and foxes.
I also want to mention that I participated in the Weekend Traffic Jam over on Marsha in the Middle’s blog last week and my Gift Guide for the Armchair Detective was picked as a favorite and featured on this week’s Traffic Jam post! I felt so tickled that people liked it; I had such a good time putting that post together! (and just bought myself the Agatha Christie character t-shirt with some of my birthday money)
Watching and Listening:
Billy and I are all caught up with both American Ghosts and British Ghosts! We are sad. At least we can expect a few more from the American version – I think?
We are also caught up on Miss Scarlet and the Duke and the Great British Baking Show. We started The Rings of Power and I do like it, I just can’t watch it every night. We also want to watch Enola Holmes 2 and Where the Crawdads Sing, and we have White Christmas all lined up for the ‘Tis the Season Cinema posting I am doing with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings.
As for listening, I finished up the podcast Down the Hill about the Delphi murders, which ugh. I hope they caught this monster.
And that is it from my snowy corner of Michigan! Hope all is well in your world!
The coffee is excellent today – Billy made it this morning and isn’t it always better when someone else does the making? We are back to Post Alley, our favorite. Billy also told me the other day that my coffee is always made strongest on Mondays – hmm. I wonder why that could be?
It was a bit of week around here. In the overnight hours of Tuesday/Wednesday Wyatt woke up with some quick illness that came and go very fast, like within two hours. I really don’t know what that was about, but it was an intense two hours!
Then Wednesday was my birthday! It was extremely low key, with basically 100% laying around by Wyatt and I. I could have had worse birthdays, and in fact I have. It was actually sort of nice to be do absolutely nothing for a change and to spend the day with my little guy just chilling. I very, very rarely allow myself to completely relax and it was amazing. Billy gave me a book, my friend dropped off a gift, and my parents gifted me with money to spend on me. They were very specific that it had to go to me and not something for the house or a bill or Wyatt. We will see.
The other night I nestled up in bed with my cup of mint tea, my new book, and a cat and it was all very cozy. The wind was whipping outside and it was so cold outside, but warm and happy inside. And I am still loving our bedroom refresh! The other day was so grey outside but our room still felt so open and light.
I’ve done some online Christmas shopping this week and feel pretty good about where I am! I have one thing for Billy, two of my three nieces are halfway done, and for Wyatt, I need to get just a few things still. I still have more shopping to do but I like to know the kids are covered first, then I move on.
In all my relaxing time from my birthday I took an online quiz on my phone to see what my “booksona” is. It was actually a really fun quiz. It was interactive and different from most little silly quizzes. I mean it was still silly but it was fun too. And I have to say I agree with my booksona! It feels really accurate.
Tonight my brother Devin and his family are coming over here for dinner. We are using a recipe for pizza dough that Jeanie from The Marmalade Gypsy sent me that her partner Rick uses. We are all going to make our own individual pizzas. I think it will be fun! Last week we had a really laid back dinner at my brother’s house, soup and bread and homemade pumpkin pie. It was a very simple, perfect evening. Even though I had Wyatt dressed like Doc Boy from the Garfield Christmas Special. (well Wyatt is super cute in anything) And for a little bit of reality, that is Wyatt being sassy! Then, one second later trying to charm us. Stinker.
This weekend we have to do a lot of around the house stuff. Cleaning, getting groceries including the ingredients we need for our contributions to Thanksgiving and Wolfenoot, and work on the gifts we are making. Busy but also fun, with a nice break for pizza with family.
Next week is a little wild, and the introvert in me is freaking out already! Tuesday we have a get together with my cousin and his kids, my mom, and my brother and fam. Wednesday we have early Thanksgiving with Billy’s family, and Thursday Thanksgiving at my brother’s. It will be a lot of fun but Friday Wyatt and I will be doing a lot of nothing.
And that is about it for today! I hope all is well in your world!
This gift idea list is always my favorite to create! I have so many kiddos in my life and I love looking for fun, unique gifts for them all every year. I usually get them something I know they want, but also..a little something I want them to have too. I love the idea of potentially giving a gift that becomes an heirloom or is something they save forever. This list is made up of items I have added to a favorites list as ideas for my own family members and I love sharing these ideas with you too!
Yarr! Wyatt is OBSESSED with pirates right now and I know he is going to love this little pirate! I actually ordered this already, and it is in the process of being made. This shop, A Button and a Stitch, I included in last year’s gift idea guide and I love them so much I am including them again. There are all sorts of dolls, including special needs dolls and POC dolls. I emailed the shop owner to see if she could give this pirate AFO braces and she is! I am so excited, and I know he will be too. Update: it’s here and it’s perfect! I also immediately ordered two more dolls for my nieces.
And because I was looking for pirate stuff for Wyatt, I came across this pirate map making kit. I am thinking Santa might be delivering this as well to a certain little boy this year.
And since we are at sea, we can’t leave out mermaids. These dolls are so beautiful, the colors, the craftsmanship looks amazing, and that hair!! Dreamy.
This wooden warrior set looks so cool! All the kids in my life are huge into imaginative play and I love how well made these look! I would totally play with this if I were a kid! Perfect for little knights and shield-maidens! Note: These are from the Ukraine. All the reviews I read have said that the orders have arrived on time but it is something to consider.
I am in love with that cute colorful sock dragon!! I sort of want one – I mean it does say it is for kids and adults. It says it is for kids 8 and up but obviously use your judgement. I would consider this for a little bit older kid but I do know some 8 year olds capable of this project. It is just so happy looking, I love it!
Ok. This marshmallow catapult. We got a similar one for Wyatt at the Renaissance Festival over the summer and it is such a fun toy! Wyatt and Mermaid Girl both had fun playing with the display ones at the festival and Wyatt enjoys playing with it at home. You can use it with marshmallows, pompom balls, etc. Soft things in our house. Plus if you have cats and you shoot off pompom balls the cats love it… to chase! No shooting at actual animals please.
Another version of a Renaissance Festival purchase. My niece got a little archery set and she loves it so much. This shop has two sizes, small and large.
I had hoped to share Billy’s nature satchels here, but they just aren’t ready yet! He has been working on his own version of adventure bags made from leather, but it’s been slow going, as things made with love are. Anyway, I also really like this one! Most kids I know love to collect on their walks – acorns, leaves, rocks, twigs, chestnuts – anything of interest and this bag can hold more than their little pockets, or their parent’s pockets for that matter!
I am in love with this art box!! I 100% need it for my own little artist, although with his birthday in March, it might be a birthday gift. It comes with art supplies too!
I love this simple puzzle. You can buy one, or you can purchase one base and a set of the puzzles themselves. I love the bright colors and adorable illustrations.
Gah! I miss being able to dress Wyatt in sweet little clothes sometimes! I love these cute little slippers for toddlers. They come in other animals as well, but I of course love the foxes best.
You can never have too many rainbows around!! Perfect for hot cocoa season. I also like the double handle for a firmer grip – for Wyatt it would also be good OT!
I hope you enjoyed this list of ideas!! A few tips for Etsy shopping. Make sure to check country of origin and shipping dates, and shipping costs. If you have any questions message the shop owners – most are so quick to respond and if not, that could be a red flag. Also, if you install the Etsy app on your phone and allow notifications for this time of year, you will get notified when an item you have favorited has gone on sale!
‘Tis the season to watch movies..fa la la la la, la la la la. Or something like that. I got lost with all those las. September and October were all about the spooky – November and December are all about the holiday season, heartwarming and cozy. Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have teamed up again to share our opinions on different movies and I am enjoying our foray into the holiday movie season! You can find Lisa’s impressions here.
Last week we watched The Man Who Invented Christmas – this week Lisa’s choice introduced me to the world of the Mischief Theatre Company and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong.
I have to admit feeling a little lost at the beginning, because I missed the first few minutes due to my child, but basically it was just as the title states – A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. Apparently an acting troop decides to hijack a television production, and replace all the professional actors with themselves. However, they have no idea what they are doing and things keep going very wrong for them. The actual actors who were supposed to be in the show keep popping back up (that is what was confusing me, I was like who are these people and why do they keep showing up), Bob Cratchit has to very obviously read all of his lines from any prop he can find, special effects keep going wrong.. the list goes on. The Bob Cratchit character was my favorite, and he made me laugh the most. Throughout the whole production, there is also a whole extra layer concerning the actual actors and their real lives. So for a short little show there is so much going on!
And quite frankly, I needed a laugh yesterday. The night before, Wyatt had woken up in the middle of the night with one of those quick random illnesses kids get, with a very slight fever (99) and throwing up. I was up all night, I talked to pediatric neurology at 1 am..it was just a long night. So yesterday morning we were all exhausted after our long night. And to boot, yesterday was my birthday! Needless to say, it was the most low key birthday I have ever had. By the time tv time rolled around for Billy and I, I was ready for something light and easy to watch. And A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong worked out very well for us!
It reminded Billy and I of the spoof type movies, with Leslie Nielsen, like Airplane and Naked Gun – just done in “the British way” (anyone watch Muppet Christmas Carol? It’s my favorite version of the Christmas Carol and it is on the list for later!) You can watch A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong free on YouTube, and it is a short little 50 minute production full of gags and pratfalls and silliness.
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 