A Simple Life: Weekend Happenings, Broiled Grapefruit, The Gift of Wrapping, Blog Linkage

Good Friday morning!

As promised Monday, I have some more Christmas Tree Farm pictures from ROXIE'S camera to share this morning.

In Josh's professional opinion, the tree was at least "this high."

The reindeer were magnificent this year.

The Chick decided to photo bomb Austin and Melia's romantic "sittin' in the sleigh' photo.

And The Lovely Melia asked the age-old question, "You want me to get down on my knees in the dirt and do WHAT with this saw?" (She was a trooper!)

RANDOMNESS #1 - I have to say it. The Redneck Nutcracker Theme we have going on outside our home has left me feeling a bit undone.

I didn't pick out the Redneck Nutcracker inflatable. Mikie did. He gave no thought as to how we could tie the theme in with our remaining 10' Christmas Penguin inflatable, beautiful purple/red/gold Santa flag, outdoor poinsettia display and gold curly ribbon wreath.

As you can plainly understand, there is NO way to tie in the theme with the Christmas Penguin inflatable, beautiful purple/red/gold Santa flag, outdoor poinsettia display and gold curly ribbon wreath.

I was left with no choice but to buy a NEW Christmas flag.

Nutcrackers aren't my favorite, but this guy was colorful and festive.

Okay. The outdoor poinsettia display wasn't going to work either. (Especially since I had spent my poinsettia budget on a new Nutcracker flag.)

I went to Roxie's room (which is full of nutcrackers), and borrowed her short Nutcracker inflatable to stand guard at our front door. (This was given to us by our friends, the Laws, a couple of years ago as a joke. We chose to embrace him!)

He's a Serious Nutcracker (if there is such a thing)... not a Redneck Nutcracker.

Next, I found three moss-covered stars I had purchased from a florist at the end of last season. I thought, "Perhaps moss-covered stars are generic enough to display with nutcrackers... serious and/or redneck."

Roxie was quick to point out the stars looked like STARFISH and not the star the Wise Men followed to the stable which housed Baby Jesus.

Roxie was right. They definitely had that "ocean vibe" going for them.

Since I am not only known as The Enchanting Belinda, but also The Creative Belinda, I bought three red glittery "JOY" ornaments which I thought would tone down the starfish/ocean feel of the stars.

And BEHOLD! Joyful starfish.

There are several more problems going on in our front yard as I type this, but I'll save those for Monday's post.

I'm thinking a Nutcracker Door Mat might pull EVERYTHING together...

Because as it stands right now, I have a Redneck Nutcracker/Joyful SpongeBob Theme going on...

And that just isn't right!

RANDOMNESS #2 - In other news, the Christmas Puzzle Table has been set up and the new puzzle has been started. Mikie didn't wait on The Boy and went to work on the 1,000 piece masterpiece last night.

I looked for a Nutcracker Puzzle. I really, really did.

But in the end, I had to go with the Caroling Snow Family. It speaks to me.

Mikie may have started the Christmas Puzzle without The Boy, but I think there is still plenty to do!

RANDOMNESS #3 - The Boy is coming home tonight around 9:30 p.m. I am SO excited. I would kill and prepare the fatted calf... but to be honest that sounds like an awful lot of work.

Maybe I'll just bake him a plate of cookies.

Yeah.

Much more doable.

RANDOMNESS #4 - After many, many requests, I'm going to share the Faulkner Family Winter To-Do List today. (And when I say many, many requests, I mean one.)

These are the activities we hope to accomplish as a family within the next three months!

Annual Family Christmas Movie Night
Faulkner Five Movie Night (5)
Faulkner Five Game Night (5)
Date Mikie (10)
Date Austin (3)
Date Josh (3)
Date Roxie (3)
Christmas Tour of Homes
Palisades Christmas
Christmas Tea (2)
Faulkner Christmas Celebration
Smith Christmas Celebration
Christmas Scavenger Hunt Party
Carols by Candlelight
Day After Christmas Movie
New Year's Eve With Friends
Mountain Trip
25th Anniversary Trip
Matthew's Birthday Celebration
Katie's Birthday Celebration
Zac's Birthday Celebration
Austin's Birthday Celebration
Mr. Faulkner's Birthday Celebration
MamMa's Birthday Celebration
Faulkner Men Hunting Weekends (2)
Theater Movies (3)
Out-to-Eat Family Meals (3)

It looks good. We'll see how it goes!

Blog Linkage

1. Go to Nesting Place under My Blog List and look at today's post entitled "The Best Christmas DIYs and Crafts Ever." (They aren't kidding. They really do have the BEST!)

2. Go to Six Sisters' Stuff under My Blog List and read today's post entitled "50 Delicious Cookies for Santa." (May I recommend the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle? The Boy and I LOVE those.)

3. Go to "the anderson crew" under My Blog List and watch their family movie in the post entitled "a family film" dated December 3. Such a cool idea.

Broiled Grapefruit

I have to admit, I am not a grapefruit fan. The bitterness which goes hand-in-hand with eating a grapefruit has never appealed to me.

However, I know the grapefruit is full of nutrition and goodness and all that stuff.

I decided to try this Pinterest recipe hoping for a more delicious grapefruit.

I was a little disappointed, but if you're a grapefruit fan, I can see where this recipe might make you happy.

You will need the following:

1 grapefruit
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Ginger (to sprinkle)

1. Cut grapefruit in halves.

2. Go ahead and cut the grapefruit segments, but do not remove.

3. Spread 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over each grapefruit half.

4. Lightly sprinkle ginger on top of the brown sugar.

5. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes.

That's it.

I made the mistake of tasting the grapefruit while it was still warm. It was very bitter.

Five minutes later, I ate another bite. It was much, much better... but still no cigar.

Five minutes later, it was as sweet as it was going to get, and I ate the entire grapefruit.

For me, this recipe makes the grapefruit edible, but not necessarily enjoyable.

I think you will have to decide for yourself.

The Gift of Wrapping

I found this tradition in this month's Southern Living magazine. It was shared by Beth Ann Fennelly... and I thought you might enjoy it.

One of my earliest, happiest Christmas memories concerns a box wrapped in a Victorian teddy bear paper. I was 6 and had to have a Madame Alexander doll. On Christmas morning, I opened the teddy bears to find my much desired companion. While I hugged her, my thrifty mother smoothed the wrapping and laid it aside.

When it turned up under the tree the next December, it was like spotting an old friend. Thereafter, the teddy bears always adorned a favorite gift. Every year, the paper shrank as it was torn and trimmed. Eventually, it might stretch to cover a book, or, later still, earrings. Nowadays the remnant is the size of a matchbook, but still Mom affixes it to a larger piece to wrap something special.

The home-wrapped gift has gone the way of the handwritten thank-you, I'm afraid. It saves time to have presents store-wrapped or popped in one-size-fits-all bags with puffs of tissue. But I'll have to cut corners elsewhere. For me, wrapping is not only a meaningful flourish - it is also my deeply centering preparation. Wrapping must be done in secrecy, so in those busy weeks of shopping and parties, those hours are the only ones I spend alone. And when wrapping gifts, I'm thinking about their recipients - how creative my son is with his Legos, how gracefully my ill friend has struggled, how much I owe my mother. It seasons me for the season. I don't wrap gifts for others, not really. Wrapping gifts is the gift I give myself.

The Enchanting Belinda says, "I especially love the phrase, 'It seasons me for the season.'"

It's a lovely tradition.

Weekend Happenings

1. We're doing the "basketball thing" tonight.

2. The Boy is coming home tonight. (Did I already mention that?)

3. Saturday, Roxie may or may not be donating ten inches of her hair to Locks of Love.

She is conflicted.

4. Josh will be working Saturday, but all of the Faulkner Children are reporting for "raking and hauling off leaves" duty from 3:30 until 5:00 p.m.

And then maybe I'll feed them dinner.

5. After church and a family lunch, Mike and I are going to the Fultondale Christmas Tour of Homes Sunday afternoon. (Last Sunday became too busy with other activities for me to enjoy the Gardendale Christmas Tour of Homes, so I just bounced over to our neighbor Fultondale.)

It was a win-win.

There could be some surprises here and there, but "The Plan" has been written in ink!

As always, we'll see.

Have the most excellent holiday weekend. I'll be back Monday morning with basketball pics, Christmas Home Tour pics, more Traditions and maybe a new recipe or two!

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

P.S. I thought I'd leave you with a few "Blast From the Past" Christmas pictures! (FOUR YEARS AGO!)