Perspective and Perfection in 2012, and The Difference

"...with an eternal perspective...all will be well."

"...be patient with yourself.  Perfection comes, not in this life but in the next life.  Don't demand things that are unreasonable, but demand of yourself improvement.  As you let the Lord help you through that, He will make the difference."

Be kind to yourself, and enjoy the beginnings of a new year.
Love,
A.

Five Breakfast Ideas To Warm Your Belly

This next week, before you set in cold weather to work and make your final Christmas preparations, we wish you

five warm and delicious breakfasts

to enjoy.  

They've been tried and given our belch of approval. 

Dress warm,

travel patiently,

be kind,

give generously,

and have

a very Merry Christmas.

 5} 

Pumpkin Spice Egg Nog French Toast

You can substitute the Pumpkin Spice egg nog for regular egg nog, if you prefer.

4} 

Apple Cider Pancakes

I prefer to use either the 1/4 C. applesauce (in place of oil) or the finely chopped apple, and not both.

 3} 

Crepes

A word of caution:  I routinely make a second batch, and eat my crepes standing near a hot pan because it's a challenge to keep any on the table.

 2}   

The Perfect Oatmeal

This one cooks itself.  I substitute the cinnamon for an equal amount of Homemade Apple Pie Spice, and it's great without any toppings if you don't have them.

 1} 

Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

In our opinion perfectly 'gooey' and crunchy (crunchy on account of the caramelized cinnamon swirl), and so yummy we may have to make them our traditional Christmas morning breakfast.

Two Tips For Black Friday 2012

I enjoyed the month of November, and I was happy to look at the calendar this morning and see "Thursday, December 1."  There are a few things that are just better in December, and in memory of November I wanted to share 

Two Tips Born Of BLACK FRIDAY 2011.

I think everyone should experience all that is BLACK FRIDAY at least once.  I'm often encouraging Little Man [Big Brother] to "try it once"...

You do not like it?  

So you say.  

Try it!  Try it!  And you may.  

Try it and you may I say.

---Green Eggs And Ham

Black Friday is trending earlier, and next November this November, you may find yourself cramming a turkey leg into a dinner roll as you race off to the nearest supercenter to pitch your camping chair, before noon Thanksgiving Day.  

But, you may find among the deals that the one item you've been saving for all year has been deeply discounted (!), and a few hours of your time will have been worth the money you saved.

TIP #1:

{Get your hands on a physical copy of the Black Friday ads for your area. 

They will come bundled in what will be THE thickest edition of the newspaper you have EV_ER seen.  You can attempt to navigate one or two store websites for sale hours and Doorbuster reveals or you can have all of Black Friday for your area laid out before you to thumb through, mark with black Sharpie, roll up, and take with you.

TIP #2:

{Shop EARLY, and clear your schedule.

The aisles get narrow and the checkout lines get long, into the afternoon.  So long that you'll find yourself giving all of your coupons away, because 50% off of a few inexpensive items will still only amount to a few dollars, which you'd gladly pay to avoid standing in a line for 1+ hours...

which leads me to

Why hasn't anyone thought of
Shrinking that Black Friday checkout line?

The last time I bought something from an arts and crafts expo I had my credit card swiped through a card reader attached to a computer tablet, and my receipt emailed to me.

Imagine a dozen employees working their way through the backed up checkout line with a device that could ring up your purchases where you stood, if you were paying with a card.  That would be nice...you might just stay and shop a while, knowing that you could make it through the line before dinner time...

What is your top Black Friday tip?