Moske Monkey Business

Thursday, November 25, 2010

12 Days of Christmas- {Day 3- Most Meaningful Gift Ever Received}

It's hard to pick the most "meaningful gift" ever. I have gotten some pretty sweet gifts though, so I will share those.

One year my parents made a scavenger hunt and I had to follow the clues until I found Samantha...my American Girl doll...I loved her :)

One year my parents gave me white ice skates, an ice skating dress, and ice skating lessons. They also took me to NYC to ice skate in Rockefeller Center....yes, I had a WONDERFUL childhood!!

A few years later I got a trampoline. My dad had set it up while we were at church on Christmas Eve. I had no idea until I opened a "No Trepassing" sign. I LOVED my trampoline and cried when I sold it as an adult.

The first year that Joe and I were married stands out in my mind too. We sorta went all out. He got me Chanel sunglasses, a Coach purse, and Disney World tickets....it was AWESOOOOME!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Gobble. Gobble

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's' mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked.
Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard
for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and
unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird spoke-up, very softly, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

12 Days of Christmas {Day 2-Black Friday/General Shopping Tips}

Are you planning on waking up at 3 am on Black Friday and braving the crazy crowds? I have done this every year (since I was in college) and for me...it's just what you d0 :) Since I have so many Black Fridays under my belt, I thought that I would put together a list of helpful hints/tips.

1. Check out the ads.

Make sure and pick up a newspaper on Thanksgiving morning. They are literally stuffed with ads, circulars, and coupons.You will use this to plan your attack :)

2. Decide what is your top priority.

Compare prices for your #1 items at several different stores.

3. Map out your course.

Some stores open at 3am, some at 4am, etc. Decide where you need to go first. Most places will run out of the top items, so you better be in line to get them.

4. Expect a LINE!!

Dress warmly, get a Starbucks, and bring the adds along too. Most stores will price match if you can prove that another store is selling the same items cheaper. Be organized and have all coupons in a coupon keeper.

5. Know your limits and stick to them!!

Please do not go Coo-Coo Bananas buying DVD players if you do not need DVD players. Do not think that you need the $3 hand mixer if you already have one. Make a list and stick to it.

6. Make sure to warm up like this crazy lady!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

12 Days of Christmas {Day 1- Christmas Traditions}

I love, love, LOVE Christmas!!

I am SO looking forward to blogging each day about my favorite holiday!

Today I am talking about my favorite Christmas traditions.

When Joe and I went through pre-marital counseling through church, they talked about the importance of not only merging holiday traditions but also starting your own. It has been really fun to share with each other the things that made our holidays special, and it has been even more fun to make up our own. I can only imagine the fun we will have once we have munchkins running around!

Here is our Christmas Schedule:

Christmas Eve: Last year, Joe and I served lunch to the homeless. This was such a wonderful experience. I usually cook during the day, dinner at my Aunt's around 6, playing "Dirty Santa" (we play with good gifts though!), and then going to midnight service at church. After church we get to open up one present....pajamas!! This was a tradition at my house growing up and I wanted to keep doing it.

Christmas Day: Joe and I wake up and open gifts at our house, go to my dad's for breakfast and more gifts, and then to my Aunt and Uncles for early dinner and another round of "Dirty Santa". This time we play it with recycled gifts or something we haver that we don't want anymore. Sometimes we go to the movies on Christmas night.

All my family lives in Memphis or Olive Branch, MS so we do not have to travel very far. Joe's parents are in Minnesota and I cannot tell you the last time that he was home for Christmas morning. But....we are married now and I want to celebrate Christmas at OUR house. Luckily he agrees. We usually get up to Minnesota sometime between Thanksgiving and New Years. One day we may not live near either side of our family. In that case, the grandparents are welcome to come and stay with us for the holidays but we will always be at OUR house for Christmas :)

Some other fun Christmas traditions I have are:

*Making Chex Mix with my dad

*Baking cookies for my neighbors/friends/co-workers

*We always put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving

*I LOVE picking out my Christmas cards and sending the out and I LOVE getting them in the mail everyday.

*Watching as many Christmas movies with Joe as we can :)

*Picking an "Angel" from the Angel Tree and picking out gifts for a needy child or senior citizen

*Going downtown to see the tree at The Peabody

*I am sure there are a lot more that will get their own blog post :)

What are some of your Christmas traditions?

Fall Pics 2010

Joe and I (and Hanky) had our pictures made a few weeks ago by the FABULOUS Lindsey Lissau. Here are my favorites...I know, I have A LOT of favorites! Some of these are low-resolution...sorry!