News from the Nest, December 18

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Robert Burns from To a Mouse

The line actually is “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley”. But Mr. Burns wrote in his native Scottish and so that line has been anglicized for the rest of us.

In any event, no truer words were spoken. When we spoke last week we had just returned from our phenomenal cruise down the Rhine, visiting Christmas Markets along the way.

I had nine days to unpack, do laundry, grocery shop, plan meals for eleven of us for a week, finish Christmas shopping, bake cookies, get together with friends, do a wee bit of Christmas decorating, and, in general, prepare to leave for one week to spend Christmas with my entire family for the first time in twenty-six years. I closed last week’s newsletter with these words, “Well, my friends, my list is so long and I just don’t know where to start. So, my first order of business will be to start a list.”

What wasn’t on that list, but quickly made its way to number one was (you know where this is going, don’t you?)

1. Test positive for COVID and spend the better part of three days sleeping.

Which brought to mind my favorite quote of all time:

“IT IS WHAT IT IS.”

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But, it was also a good reminder of that lesson that the Grinch learned so long ago,

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came wihout ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Dr. Seuss

So, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that we are all healthy enough to spend Christmas together. Luckily, I tested negative yesterday, but Terry is still positive. So, the most important thing on my radar is that he be able to join us on Wednesday. If not, he will come when he can. We still have time before Christmas day.

For all the reasons, our home is not decorated for Christmas, for the first time in forever! We have one little pencil tree up in the den and my Santa painting over the fireplace, but that’s it! I’m at peace with it, but it was nice to stroll this post showing how we typically decorate for the holidays. But, not only is the exterior of our home a different color now, but my sweet Flora left us several months ago. What a difference a year makes!

From the Kitchen

• I’m going to pack the ingredients to make this Gingerbread Bundt Cake down at the beach for everyone. It is so moist and delicious.

• If you are feeling particularly Gingerbread-y, you might also like these Gingerbread Scones.

• As soon as finish this newsletter, I’ll be figuring out how many pies we will be making so I can get a headstart on the pie crusts. This is my go-to recipe and is chockful of tips for successful, tasty, and flaky pie crusts.

Last Minute Gift Idea

• First of all, make sure you print off these free gift tags!
  • Handmade Gift Tags
  • Gifts from the Kitchen Gift Tags
  • Gifts for Dogs Gift Tags
  • Handmade Knit Gift Tags

• You can make these Roasted Rosemary Walnuts, start to finish, in 15 minutes. And they are SOOO good.

• Give the gift of time! Give a gift card for yard work, teaching a skill, babysitting, or more.
• Mulling Spices are another quick and much-appreciated gift from your kitchen.

• Attach a tag to a gift of wine.

• Print off these little envelopes in which you can tuck gifts of cash, a check, or gift certificates.

• Many of these gifts that save the recipient money can be secured quickly.
• Bake some mini-loaves of bread. Here’s a recipe for Cranberry Apple Banana Bread and one for Apple Spice Bread. Both can be baked in mini-loaves.

All of My Gift Posts

I’ve been sharing these over the weeks, but here they are, all in one place!

• Gifts for Knitters

• Gifts for Creatives

• Gifts that save the recipient money

• Gifts for Book Lovers

• Gifts for those who love to travel

• Gifts for Wine Lovers

• Gifts for Guys who like to cook

• Stocking Stuffers for those who like to cook

• Hostess Gift Ideas

• Mostly Useful Gifts for Men

Start the New Year Off Right!

Finally, if, like me, you want to start the new year off fresh and organized, sign up for our 2024 Declutter Challenge. We’ve added items to the checklists and added a week to the challenge. We will focus on ridding ourselves of mental clutter for the seventh week! You can read about the challenge here. Remember, you can start the challenge at any point during 2024. If you want to start at the beginning of the year, go ahead and sign up, and you’ll receive the first email during the second week of January 2023.

Some Fun Finds and Few Favorites

Some of these links may be Amazon affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from the sale of these products to help defray the costs of operating this site, but the price you are charged is not affected. You can see my full disclosure policy here.

• This Mini Label Maker would be a great stocking stuffer for just about anyone, but especially someone who plans to get organized in the new year.
• I have had these Losei Ear Buds for several years and have zero complaints. They are an economical earbud option that works great…on sale at this writing!
• This Universal Socket Tool is a great stocking stuffer for the handyperson on your gift list.
• If you are looking for attachments for your Kitchenaid mixer, many are on sale right now.
• Need a gift for that person who has everything? Ancestry DNA kits are more than 50% off.
• I used this portable battery charger several times on our recent vacation. I could tuck it in my purse with my phone and it saved my bacon!

I’ll see you in 2024!

Well, my friends, I am signing off for the last time in 2023.

But before I head out, I wanted to wish each of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate this time of year!

As you are reading this in Cincinnati or Iowa, someone else may be reading it in Israel or South Africa at the same exact time. And that’s a really cool thing about this blog world…the interconnectedness of us all. 

In the words of some of my favorite little mechanical people, ‘it’s a small world after all,’ and our digital devices have made it even smaller. So, I send all my friends from around the globe special greetings this time of year.

As much as I cherish this season for the religious significance it holds for me, I also treasure it for the time we set aside to just be with those we love, to relish in our traditions, to reflect on our blessings, and to welcome in a new year…oh, and let’s not forget…to consume all sorts of home-baked goodies with abandon. So, my wish for you is to soak in whatever this time of year makes special to you and your family.

Many, many hugs to you and yours!

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!