Friday Favorites – My Video Attempt at Keeping America Bow-ti-ful…and Poo.

Question:

Why is “My Favorite Things” a Christmas song?

There’s no mention of Santa or Wise Men or the sweet baby Jesus or even a pair of shoes. Is it because it’s about gifts? Hold on. It’s not really even about Christmas gifts. Sure, there’s a brown paper package tied up with strings, but if my Christmas gifts were wrapped in brown paper and tied up with strings I’d be pissed. Is it the snowflakes on the eyelashes or the silver white winters that deem it Christmas worthy? Weak. It’s a fine song — very singable — but all I know is that it irritates me whenever I hear it this time of year. And since it’s on just about every Christmas CD I own I’ve spent a good portion of the past few weeks being irritated. (That being said, Kelly Clarkson’s rendition is pretty awesome…or it would be in May.)

But it brings me to the point of the post (stick around long enough and I do eventually get there): Favorite things.

Here it is Friday already, and since it’s the last Friday before Christmas I figured I’d make this week’s Favorites’ post Christmas themed. Unoriginal, I realize. I don’t know about you, but in another ten days I’m gonna be so ready to write about something else.

Like kitty massages. Maybe I’ll write about kitty massages

So pour yourself a mug of eggnog, my friends, and fire up the carols (except for that one)…heeere we go.

1. Christmas cards

I take my Christmas cards very seriously. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I used to take my Christmas cards very seriously. Last year I even devoted an entire post to it. But I’m kind of over it. In fact, this year I had grand plans to pull off the perfect Awkward Family Christmas Card and just go to a cheap-o photographer in matching pjs and have some pics taken of us with our eyes closed or in a family dog-pile, but we just couldn’t all make our schedules coordinate. And by ‘make our schedules coordinate’ I mean it just seemed like too much effort. So I threw a bunch of pictures on a card from the past year that everyone who I send a card to has already seen on Facebook and called it good.

And then I saw this (and wept tears of awesomeness):

And this (which I dissected yesterday in a post that quickly became my #2 all time most popular…and is still climbing):

And I felt like crap.

Because I love Christmas cards. I do. Especially unique and clever — even crazy — ones like these. These awesome examples have restored my enthusiasm. 2014 will be my Christmas card bitch. Stay tuned. (And will someone please remind me of that statement in about October of next year?)

2. This photo of my girls from Christmas 2001

 

Thing 1’s first Christmas with a little sister.

She was thrilled, obviously.

Okay, if you’ve stopped laughing, I have to tell you the real story.

There was a TV screen up on the corner of the wall to Thing 1’s right. Every time the photographer would snap a picture it would appear on the screen. We’d gritched at her to keep your head still and hold your position! so much that she was terrified to move her head to look at the screen, so she just moved her eyes. Hence the I’m so over my baby sister look.

I know.

It’s much better if you think she’s just really over her baby sister (and if you look at the claw-like grip she’s got on Thing 2, maybe she was kind of over her).

Sorry to have exposed the truth and pulled back the Oz curtain.

But still, no matter what the reason for her expression, it never fails to make me laugh and is a definite Christmas favorite.

3. Christmas presents

I know, WHO DOESN’T LOVE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS I ask you?? But that’s not what I’m talkin’ ’bout.

One of my very favorite things this time of year is wrapping Christmas presents. And I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

I looove Christmas wrapping paper. In fact, I have a slight wrapping paper hoarding problem:

And I spend way too much just enough time picking the perfect ribbon to go with the wrapping paper, but like I’ve said many, many times on this blog, the depth of my interests and activities isn’t the Grand Canyon. Or even a creek.

But it’s come to my attention lately that not everyone takes their wrapping as seriously as I do. In fact, I’ve recently learned that some people do not even put bows on their packages. *she faints*

I cannot sit by quietly and let this happen. So for those of you who go *choke* bow-less, you are welcome for what you are about to see. For those of you who will forever use (gasp) stick-on bows, either go ahead and skip to #4 or enjoy the shot of my cat’s butt.

*apologies for the sofa arm in the shot, my camera man was a 12 year old who was kind of pissed off that I took her away from her 48th viewing of the episode of iCarly from 2010 that she was watching.

 

Okay I sound like a total idiot. “One side…one side” is also known as alternating sides, Michelle. Aaand I think you now all know why I write instead of speak.

4. Poo

And finally, I leave you with this. Our family’s favorite Christmas ornament, made by Husband’s grandmother in the 1970’s.

She obviously wasn’t familiar with the Disney spelling.