Ice Skating

My sister and her DH take all the nieces and nephews ice skating every Christmas. It was so much fun to laugh, I mean encourage all the skaters! I didn't skate because I didn't want to hurt or break anything for our trip, which we leave tomorrow! After skating we walked the mall and took in all the Christmas decorations and headed for the Food Court area. Here are a few pictures from the evening.

DS and niece
Three Musketeers Two cuties
DH and Brother-in-law
Hook 'em horns!
The nephew in black just finished his boot camp with the army.Finally getting the hang of it!The rowdy crew that skated.

Recipe for Your Personality

These are so much fun. Click on the link and give it a try.

The Recipe for Cynthia

3 parts Sensitivity 2 parts Originality 1 part Love Splash of Humor Finish off with whipped cream

What's" the Recipe for Your Personality?

Thursday Thirteen~New Year's Trip to Disney

Santa delivered to my family, my sister's family and my parents a week long trip to Disney to ring in the New Year. Here are 13 things I'm looking forward to next week.

1. Magical moments with family
2. Mickey and Friends
3. Holiday decorations
4. Dining Plan
5. French Quarter Resort
6. Parades
7. Fireworks
8. Character meals
9. Fun rides
10. Shows
11. Shopping!
12. All 4 parks
13. New Year's Eve on Main Street.

I plan on filling up several memory cards and will have lots to share with you when we return.

Thrifty Finds

This weeks finds. A nice red bushel basket. A sports garland for DS tree. Two spools of ribbon. A photo holder.
Pretty ornaments, gingerbread men salt and pepper shakers and a pair of holiday socks.

Build A ....

After visiting with Santa, we headed over to this store and made a new friend. Chip, the monkey, came home with us to celebrate the Holidays dressed as Santa.

I am so excited about Christmas. I can't wait!!!!! Everything is wrapped and ready. Tomorrow we have church and then spending time with the family ice skating. I hope I don't break anything!

Friday Fill In

1. Snow is nice but not here.
2. I'm looking forward to two weeks off and New Year's Eve.
3. DH is the best sweetie ever.
4. One of my favorite old TV shows is Beverly Hills 90210.
5. I'm done with my Holiday shopping.
6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is being with family, staying up late and sleeping in.
7. And as for the weekend, today I'm looking forward to seeing the movie PS I Love You with the girls, tomorrow my plans include 3 birthday parties and Sunday, I want to go ice skating with family at MC Mall!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday Thirteen~Christmas Decorations

Here are 13 of my favorite Christmas decorations. Thanks for looking! Snowman cookie jar from my secret Santa
Santa boot with a small tree. I bought a tiny string of battery operated lights and wound them into the branches.
From a student. It makes me smile.
I love gingerbread men!
A sweet gingerbread family.
Can't go wrong with Santa and the American flag.
More gingerbread men.
A sweet gingerbread house teapot.

Reindeer cookie jar.
A sweet deer family.
Santa print. I want more Santa pictures to hang in the family room.
Oops! Forgot to add the candles!
Our wall hanging.

Wordless Wednesday~DS and Santa

10 Favorite Things to Complain About

1. People who complain
2. Work
3. Maggie, aka Devil Dog
4. Drivers in my city
5. My computer
6. Not having enough time
7. Rude people
8. Waiting forever in a Doctor's office
9. Being put on hold forever when I call a place
10. DH not helping around the house

December Pay It Forward Winner

Congratulations to Ellinghouse! You are the winner of my December Pay It Forward Book Giveaway. Please send me your mailing address soon so that I can get the book to you.

Thank you for everyone that played along. Please check back next month for another chance to receive a book.

Have a good one!

Thrifty Finds

Here are my finds for the week.

This is a wicker organizer I believe for flatware. I am going to paint it and use it in my scrapbook room to hold cards and other small projects I am working on.

A cute red and white large check pillow. It is now on my front porch sitting in my rocking chair. A large wicker planter that I sprayed painted white and now holds extra rolls of toilet paper in our master bath water closet.

Have a great week!

Friday Fill In

Fill in the lyrics ... with the correct ones or ones of your own. Have fun!

1. Away in a manger, no room for anything else!
2. Dashing through the snow, in a brand new Jeep!(I wish!)
3. Hark! The herald angel sings.
4.It's coming on Christmas in 2008.
5. When I was small I believed in Santa Claus, Though I knew it was make believe.
6. That Christmas magic's brought this tale of childhood wonder.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting DS a haircut and then seeing Santa tomorrow my plans include shopping at thrift stores and Sunday, I want to relax around the Christmas tree!

Thursday Thirteen~Christmas Movies

Here are 13 of our favorite Christmas movies that we watch during the Holidays!

1. It's a Wonderful Life

2. White Christmas

3. Holiday Inn

4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas

6. Frosty the Snowman

7. The Holiday (I bought this one after Thanksgiving)

8. Home Alone

9. The Santa Clause

10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

11. You've Got Mail

12. Polar Express

13. Elf

What do you like to watch???

Happy Holidays

Welcome to Springmont Cottage! Please come in and enjoy your visit. I appreciate all the kind words you have left for me. I read everyone. I also enjoy going and visiting your blogs and making new friends. So, look around, leave a comment or two and have a great evening!

The picture above is our front door wreath. What is on your front door?

Lights in the Heights

This was our second time to attend this fun event. It's quite amazing! In a historic part of town, a small neighborhood joins together to create a holiday display. The houses are decked out. Parties are spilling out of houses. Music and performers are everywhere. On lookers are walking around with cool beverage in hand. Children are laughing while being pulled in strollers and wagons. Three streets and several blocks long were blocked off to car traffic. Illuminaries lined the streets. The house above is the house that hosted the party we attended. Mr Jay has an incredible house. It's very gingerbread looking. If you look very closely you can see in his front right window the lamp from the Christmas movie, A Christmas Story. Everyone walking by stopped pointed, laughed and took pictures.

The evening got started with a parade down the three main streets. Here are some pictures from that.

There were horses!Santa was there!A scooter group! I want one like this one!Floats with happy children!Marching bands!Dance teams!

After the parade you wonder around the streets looking at everyone house all decorated. Some houses had entertainment on their front porches. Bands, carolers, musicians keep the party going all around the neighborhood. We also spotted two art cars that my DS loved. For some reason I can't get my pictures of the houses or cars I took to upload. Just imagine all cute, cottagey, front porches with either swings or rocking chairs for the houses.

Thanks for looking! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Thrifty Finds

Didn't find a whole lot this time. I was in search of Christmas decorations but I didn't find anything. Oh well there is always next week. However, I didn't leave empty handed. I picked up this cute teapot trivet. I'm not sure I like the blue. I might paint it black. I found three almost new spools of ribbon to tie up Christmas packages and a fat stack of notepads. I will be making my lists and checking them twice!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We sure did! I will be sharing pictures later this week of the fun we had.

Christmas Cactus

After seeing this plant popping up at different houses for the Holidays, I had to get one. I have never noticed this plant before. I usually have the poinsettias all around. I picked this one up at our local grocery store. I had to read up on it to find out how to take care of this beautiful flowering plant. I usually kill indoor plants because I either water them to much or forget to water them. I am hoping to not kill this before the New Year.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Friday Fill In

1. I love Christmas.

2. Clear, white is/are my favorite color(s) for the Christmas tree lights.

3. The candles in the window have clear bulbs.

4. A Christmas Story is one of my most favorite Christmas movies.

5. My favorite Christmas lyric(s) is/are It's the most wonderful time of the year!

6. I'm dreaming of a magical Christmas.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finish decorating tomorrow my plans include a Gifted and Talented teacher workshop and then Lights in the Heights and Sunday, I want to go to church and then watch Christmas movies.

**My answers are the bolded words. You can play along on your blog. Just let me know that you have played and I'll come read yours**

Have a great day!

Thursday Thirteen~December

Here are 13 random reasons why I love December!

1. Santa

2. Decorating the tree

3. The real reason for the season

4. Family Birthdays

5. Christmas music and movies

6. Christmas dishes

7. Gifts to give and receive

8. Baking

9. Spending time with family

10. Time off from work

11. Cards filling the mailbox

12. Christmas Eve

13. Christmas morning!

Why do you love December?

Wordless Wednesday