Mindless Monday

Good Monday morning!

The Gallery Pics will tell the tale!

Is it just me, or does the day after Christmas get here faster and faster each year?

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO! SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO! - How many of you watched (and loved) the movie Julie and Julia? I know. Me, too.

Well, I'm going to try something similar in the year 2012.

No. I'm not going to get a gigantic cookbook and try every recipe in just a year. (Are you nuts? Have you even met me?)

It is a much more simple task I aim to complete.

My sister, Bev, gave me a Paula Deen Recipe Calendar yesterday. It's beautiful. My goal is to try the Recipe of the Month... and make my family eat it!

That's right. Every month highlights a new and exciting Paula Deen recipe I have never attempted.

I will reveal January's Recipe of the Month Monday, January 2, 2012.

Oh, and since this is my "goal," I'll be using my "rules." As long as I fix the dish within the month it is featured, it "counts." (In other words, get ready for a play-by-play on the new recipe the last day of every month!)

It should be fun! Right?

RANDOMNESS #1 - The Christmas Card Count stands at 61... which is pretty good. I know a lot of people who cut back this year, and NOT sending out Christmas cards is a great way to free up finances and time.

I did away with some things that gave me some free time BEFORE and AFTER Christmas. (I didn't put my three Cherished Teddie scenes up this year... Santa's Workshop (kitchen), Nativity Scene (living room) and Santa's Train (music room). I have over 100 boxed pieces, and taking them out and putting them back into their respective styrofoam/bubblewrap home takes a while. A long while.

There were also several large boxes I didn't even open this year. I don't even remember some of the things I "didn't put out."

And that's okay. It helped my feelings this year!

RANDOMNESS #2 - My inflatables will be put away today, and while I usually wait until the day after New Year's, I will begin slowly de-Christmastizing this week, I think.

But today... Well, today we are getting ready to use the RAVE movie tickets Santa left in our stockings as is our annual tradition.

We had planned on going to Lucia's or Joe's Italian for lunch, but after a quick call last week, that plan was crushed. They will be closed the Monday after Christmas. Heavy, heavy sigh.

However, the general consensus of The Faulkner Five and Melia... Mugshots. I haven't been to Mugshots yet. Austin and Roxie have declared it has the best hamburgers EVER, so the rest of us are anxious to go there today.

RANDOMNESS #3 - I also did not get 12 pictures of inflatables for The 12 Days of Inflatables this year. When I did spot a new or unique inflatable, I didn't have my camera... and when I was riding around with my camera in my lap, I didn't spot any new or unique inflatables.

It was a vicious cycle, I tell you.

Have a great Monday. After our lunch and movie, I will begin getting The Boy ready to go to Europe. He leaves Wednesday, you know. On an airplane. Going across "the pond." Without his family. One more heavy, heavy sigh.

I'll be back tomorrow with a recipe and more pics.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda