These are a few of my favorite things...

The kids were watching "The Sound of Music" last week. I love the simple list of things in the song "Brown paper packages tied up with strings, Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes", etc.

With Christmas ON THE HORIZON, I was thinking of some of my favorite things.

When I was a kid, Christmas was really a simple holiday. Lots of baking and visiting, singing carols and circling all of the toys we wanted in the Sears Wish Book. I actually don't recall getting any of those toys that I actually indicated I wanted, but it never bugged me at all.

Some of the favorite gifts that I DID receive were books. I would read whatever I could get my hands on! The best gift ever was the boxed set of Little House on the Prairie books. I was about 8 or 9 years old, and I read them all, one by one, then started them right back over again! I still have them; they're sitting on my dresser right now. Thanks, mom!

Anyway, I'm always looking for tips to make Christmas easier, more simple, and cheap. Here are some tips that I've come across this year.

The US Catholic site has this post: ’Twas the fight before Christmas : A survival guide to a fairly happy holiday. Of course, what's a family get-together without a little drama?

I love homemade gifts, so etsy is a great go-to website to find unique gifts, and support the indie crafters at the same time. This is one of my faves right now. It makes me laugh. And it's cheap, too!

Here are a few ideas on Mahalo, and BellaOnline has some frugal Christmas ideas, too.

Craftbits has some cute and simple crafts for gifts and decorations. I think I'll try out the stamped candy bar wrappers. Cute, yummy, and cheap! (I think I see a pattern forming.)

And when all else fails, Martha Stewart will always come through with ideas and inspiration.

Some good music...

These guys are the real deal, and I'm so glad their single is out! I saw Matt Lopez and Brad Hull when they performed with Jason Deere to promote his "Joseph" CD, and they were great musicians and their harmonies were...uh, harmonious! Add Tim Gates' voice to the mix, and I think they're here to stay.

I love this!

Online shopping is one of the best thing ever invented. Now, with my customizable Blastoff page, I can shop online and get cash back, discounts, and special offers.

I can shop stores like Target, Barnes & Noble, and even Bass Pro Shop.

From my Blastoff page I can search Hulu to find the most recent Medium episode. You know, the one I missed because I was too busy yelling at the kids to go to bed to be able to watch it.

I can also update my Facebook status. I know you want to hear what I had for dinner last night.

So, why just surf the net when you can Blastoff into cyberspace?

Blastoff is your personal launch pad into the best of the web. A fully customizable homepage that puts news, games, videos, music, and more right at your fingertips. Blastoff also pays you cash back on every online purchase, and when you invite your friends to join, you get paid every time they shop online too. As your network grows, so does your income.

Blastoff is completely free, tons of fun, and easy to use.

So don't delay-Click here to Blastoff today.

CRAZY!

And then it was October. I think I missed September. Really. I don't even remember it!



I've been busy with, well: kids, chickens, Mellisa's kids, PTO, and it still feels like I'm more behind than ever.



But, since I should be doing something productive, I'll forget about work and share some of my new favorite things:



The Black Apple is awesome. I love Emily Martin's art! Now Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching has Black Apple patterns. Makes me want to take up embroidery.



This is my favorite song right now. Something about the guitar. Mmm.



Sunflower seeds. I just read in a magazine that if you crave something salty, eat sunflower seeds. The magnesium in them gives you a natural energy boost. I can totally justify my addiction to seeds now. Need I say more?

When I'm in a scrapbooking rut, I go here to PageMaps. Love it!

Can't wait for conference!

First Day of School. Whew!

Now, I can take a deep breath and just feel my blood pressure going down...