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2013/Baby Gray/Christmas/Santa/tradition

The Best Day

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Last Thursday, Baby Gray and I made our annual trip to see Santa. We started our day with our Purple Christmas gift drop off. Baby Gray loved shopping and picking out the gifts. I can’t wait to do more like this with him.

We skipped our regular Santa (I mean, why not? We haven’t stuck to any other Christmas traditions this year.) and headed to a different one that was close to where we were dropping off the gifts. He was so jolly and awesome. It worked out perfectly. I’m glad I didn’t let my neurosis convince me to drive all the way across town.

He even got Santa to do a gig ’em! He loved it!

I also wanted to take Baby Gray to shop for some of his own Christmas gifts, and that store was in the same mall as where we saw Santa. We ended up finishing everything in one place.

We truly had the best day. Baby Gray loved all that we did.

I love that we are able to spend time together and make these memories.

2013/baking/cupcakes/Recipes/tips/tricks

A Sprinkle of This! A Sprinkle of That!

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

I posted this photo on Instagram and Facebook yesterday, so sorry if it’s a repeat for you, but people loved the idea!

When I am doing sprinkles on cupcakes, I put them on a cooling rack in the sink. Sprinkle away and wash the mess down the drain! Works like a charm! (Feel free to pin or share.)

2013/Baby Gray/Christmas/Elf on the Shelf/Teddy

The Teddy Chronicles

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Teddy Elf has been so fun to have around. It’s work to make sure he’s moved and make sure he has the supplies needed each day, but it’s worth it.

If you’re following along on social media (Facebook, Instagram, or #teddyelf), you’ve probably seen most of what Teddy’s been up to. If not, here you go:

We enjoyed the very first Christmas story together.

Teddy brought materials to make & mail cards.

He thanked Baby Gray for being a light for Jesus while Mr. Gray was sick.

He brought supplies to make teacher treats.

Baby Gray loved handing them out at school!

This list was the biggest hit! I’m going to do it for other things throughout the year!

Teddy brought treats for Baby Gray’s school friends.

Teddy helped us take our Purple Christmas gifts to drop off for our child.

Teddy took a short hiatus while Baby Gray stayed with grandparents over the weekend.

He’ll be back with more ideas for spreading love and joy this week! We’ve got lots of fun treats to bake, make, and deliver!

If you’re interested in the wording or notes Teddy brings when he comes, check social media. They’re all there, except for the note he brought when he first arrived (it’s here).

2013/Baby Gray/fashion/Fashion Friday/hat/independent/toddler

Back in Action

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Baby Gray’s fashion antics haven’t been showcased in a while–but it’s not for lack of material! He is lovin’ the abundance of head-wear in stores these days. He has to try them all on (all).

He even dressed himself when we bundled up for the holiday stroll parade. His super power must have been warmth.

And then, well, there’s this.

I think he’s covered all the bases.

food/hometown/products/Recipes/soup

Use Your Noodle!

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Our hometown is near a couple of little towns filled with great foods handmade with love by someone’s grandma. My favorite of ~~almost~~ all the foods is the homemade noodles. They’re perfect for soups because they don’t soak up too much water and get slimy.

I don’t make it to that part of the world very often, though, so I don’t always have ~~someone’s Granny’s~~ homemade noodles on hand. A while back, I saw some in WalMart that looked similar enough to give ’em a shot. They were with the “ethnic” foods, rather than the pasta, which gave them even more credibility, in my opinion.

On one of my grocery store runs for Mr. Gray supplies last week, I grabbed a bag to try in the soup I was making.

They were pretty stinkin’ close! While I’m not a fan of WalMart, I am a fan of a good ol’ fashioned standby!

The soup I made? Super easy veggie noodle soup:

Melt a pat of butter in a soup pot
Add onions and celery; simmer until tender
Add baby carrots
Cover with chicken broth
Bring to a boil
Add noodles
Reduce heat and cook until veggies and noodles are tender

It was perfect for our home full of sickies!

anniversary/Aunt B/New Orleans/products/salve/Sephora/Smith's lip/tips

Keepin’ Up with the Smith’s

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

(Yes, that needs an apostrophe.)

Mr. Gray and I went to New Orleans on an anniversary trip a while back. While it wasn’t my favorite city in the world, we had a good time, and I came home with some fabulous lip salve (I have a thing for all things salve). It was similar to some I had been hunting since Aunt B’s wedding when we were getting our make-up done.

Long story short, I brought this home, and I loved it.

It melted in my car; I reshaped it. It melted in my purse; I reshaped it. I banished it to my nightstand drawer. It was gone. I have no idea what happened to it. I was on the hunt again.

It took me forever to find, and only a few places carried it. Instead, I kept finding this (the tin is white; the lighting is bad).

Well, I figured, this must be better than the other, or it wouldn’t be as widely sold. It must be more popular than the Menthol and Eucalyptus. It has to be better. So, as I’m wont to do, I meandered the Sephora site long enough to fill my basket with things I didn’t need–and the Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm. When it came in, I could hardly wait to use it. I didn’t have tin open good before I knew it was not going to be a replacement for the Smith’s Menthol and Eucalyptus Balm I’d had before.

I hunted it down, ordered, and rejoiced (can I get a hallelujah?) when it arrived. At long last, it was here! I use it for my lips (obviously), cracked hands, small scrapes and cuts, anything possible. I love it!

Now to find a use for that tin of Minted Rose.

2013/Baby Gray/Elf on the Shelf/football/haircut/Johnny Football/Las Vegas/movies/Mr. Gray/NFR/Teddy/Tuesday 10

Tuesday Ten on Ten

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

I’ve kind of taken a shine to the ol’ Tuesday Ten!

1. We’re having so much fun with Teddy the elf! Baby Gray love, love, loved his shopping list for our child from the Purple Christmas Tree. He was able to be in charge of our whole shopping trip–he loved it!

Yes, he’s touching the elf. We don’t have the no-touch rule. Teddy helps us with the assignments he brings.

2. We leave for Vegas Friday morning, and I’m in no mood to shop for anything new or fun to wear. It’s probably a good thing. I’ll just style my closet–creativity here I come!

3. Mr. Gray is on the mend, and I am so grateful. He is almost back to his normal self! I sure have missed that man! (I know he’s glad, too!)

4. Tomorrow is facial day and haircut day. How’d I manage that? A whole, wonderful, glorious day with two of my favorite things!

5. Baby Gray is in love with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The book? Yes. The movie? Yes. So in love.

6. I usually watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Bridget Jones movies when I wrap Christmas presents. It’s just a thing I do. We don’t have a DVD player, so I have to use the computer. Yeah, it’s broken. I had to dig out our white MacBook, circa 2006, (why do we even still have that?) to watch my movies. Anyone selling a DVD player?

7. I can’t believe I sent an Evite for an actual adult gathering (that wasn’t a home sales product party). I’m almost ashamed to admit it.

8. Mr. Gray laughed at me for being sad that Saturday was Baylor’s last game at Floyd Casey. ~~I may or may not have cried.~~ It’s definitely not that I’m a Baylor fan, but it made me miss Grammie and Papa. I’m pretty sure Papa got God’s ear about the Bears when he got there because they have had some tremendous improvements since he’s been gone.

9. I hope we get bowl tickets for Christmas. Also, if you haven’t seen this yet–go now. Read. I’ll be here.

So clever, right?

One last thing, #JohnnyRepeat.

10. I read a blog post about what happens when a blog post goes viral and now I’m not so sure I want any of my posts to go viral (how cool would that be, though?). It sounded pretty technical, and I’m not sure I’ve read up enough to be prepared. In any case, be sure to like and share anything you read. Maybe we can break the internet together.

2013/Baby Gray/Elf on the Shelf/meal plan/Monday/prepare/Teddy

Monday Love

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Nothing beats a productive day, and I love my Mondays for just that reason! It is often my most productive day because it helps us set the week off in the right direction. This Monday seems even more rewarding: everyone is healthy and off to school and work–Teddy even tried to join in the fun! He loaded right up with Baby Gray’s teacher treats!

My usual Mondays:

Complete meal plan
Grocery shopping
Wash and prep produce, meals
Meetings and appointments while Baby Gray is at school
Dinner at home

While this looks different from before Baby Gray started school (I didn’t plan anything so we could get prepped for the week), it still carries the same principle. We can enjoy more time together when everything is set and ready to go from the start.

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in the summer and gathers its food at harvest.” –Proverbs 6:6-8

2013/Baby Gray/Christ/Christmas/faith/family/friends/love/Mr. Gray/tradition

Fab Friday

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

I’m going to be really honest here. This week has been hard for me. Yes, you read that right, my husband is the one who has a kidney infection, and this week has been hard for me. It has been so incredibly hard to watch my husband be sick and not be able to help him; it has been hard to be cooped up at home; it has been hard to miss Christmas traditions and festivities. Those things are of the flesh (saying them aloud makes me feel really selfish). Despite how hard it has been, I have been extremely grateful–joy is not found in our circumstances!

I’ve been keeping a running list in my head of all the things that make this life fabulous:

1. The birth of a Savior: I’ve been preaching it here since October, but am I really living it? Am I so caught up in traditions, parties, and celebrations that I’m missing the real reason myself? Maybe I was. I love that I can rest in the fact that no matter how our Christmas looks on the outside (don’t laugh at that piddly garland I tried to hang on our front door), the Christmas story is alive and well. Jesus came to this earth to save us–with or without our traditions.
2. Health & healthcare: Our health (all three of us) is generally very good. It is such a blessing we take for granted. But oh, my good gracious, I have never been so grateful for our healthcare providers as this week. We were able to been seen quickly, in several instances, and get some relief for Mr. Gray. The days we have spent in doctors’ offices this week were absolutely exhausting. I am so grateful this is not our normal lifestyle.
3. Family: I am so grateful for our family and how they step in and fill the gaps for us. A good support system makes all the difference in the world (friends, I didn’t forget you–you count here!). I don’t know how to do life without our people.
4. My husband: Y’all, I have taken out the trash more times this week than in our entire marriage. I am well taken care of. Even when he was feeling terrible, he was worried about me and how I was doing. The heart of this man makes him a keeper, for sure.

5. Baby Gray: Oh, this boy. Even when we’re not feeling 100%, this kid keeps us in stitches! I don’t think five minutes goes without him checking on his daddy as he flies by!

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

–1 Thessalonians 5:18

(emphasis mine)

2013/Baby Gray/books/Christmas/jammers/tradition

Wrapped & Ready!

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Friday evening, I gathered up all our December books and got them ready to wrap. My favorite part is getting them in order and remembering all my favorite stories for the season.

We started the December books Sunday night with some new jammers to boot–I wanted him to enjoy them all month instead of just Christmas Eve!

Granted, he didn’t like the PJs, so he might not enjoy them at all, but it’s the thought that counts!