Coco Chanel was Right.

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As the frenzy of the holidays begins to wind down, I was heartened to hear from one of my nieces.  She recently moved and is still in that stage of paring down possessions that somehow seemed important enough to pack up and carry, but which now are appearing a little less essential.

Her life is very full.  She's going to school, working, building her own business, trying to keep up with friends and family....

Maybe she just doesn't have time to take care of a bunch of "stuff", when she's taking care of her life....

Maybe her priorities are spot on - spending more time on building her life and less (time, money and effort) on building up a storehouse of "stuff".

Coco Chanel was right.

Less       is       more.


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Another Fabulous Brownie to Try

O.k., I'm just giving up ALL the brownie secrets!!

This one was inspired by my sister's love of a Haagen Daas (sp?) special creation flavor from a couple of years ago: Dark Mayan Chocolate.

Yep. Dark Chocolate. With cinnamon.

So.....

Get a Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix.
Prepare according to package directions, using the 3 egg version. And use jumbo eggs.
(Just do it. Really.)
Add four tablespoons of ground cinnamon.
Mix well.
Bake as directed in a 13x9 pan.
I added Dark Chocolate Christmas M&M's to mine, but they pretty much sank to the bottom of the pan and the red and green ran all over so they looked, um, not so appealing. The taste, however, more than made up for the looks.

Enjoy!!
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Back to Commercials.....

In case Santa doesn't give you exactly what you want .....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdrE1VMxzoE


I know a few women who wouldn't mind finding THAT in their stocking!!

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Just Christmas Fun...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dnrosVyamY&feature=fvw


You just gotta trust me. And turn your speakers up. :)

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Linus Was Right

Finished my Christmas shopping today... I think! Except for that teddy bear for Willa... can NOT find one not made in China! Dammit!

Then there always seems to be that unexpected (forgotten??) present that pops into my head at the last minute. So that one is still lurking out there.

But, for the most part, it's done.

This year it's especially important to be timely since so many things have to be mailed (thank you, USPS, for those flat-rate mailers) or have to be dropped off at St. Patrick's Center next Saturday.

Shopping for my St. Pat's family has been so fun this year - I got a mom and her six-year-old daughter. The mom's list was so short and practical. The daughter wanted only the "Hannah Montana movie". How can you not love that?

So there are a few things in the boxes that will be unexpected and, I hope, good surprises. I'm looking forward to getting everything wrapped through the evenings this week. Sometimes I wish I could see their faces when they open things up, but mostly I'm just glad to be able to do even this one small thing to bless someone else.

Being there for someone else, giving without expectation of reward, honoring the birth of Christ by works of charity; that's Christmas.

Because the real gift of Christmas isn't in the presents. It's in the Gift.

Linus was right.

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

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My New Idea

My sister and I were talking a while back when the subject turned to over-booked women who complain about being overbooked.

Not over-worked, mind you.

If you're female, you're probably over-worked.

Over-booked.

As in over-scheduled, compulsively (frenetically??) rushing from one activity to another as if a spare moment of relaxation were tantamount to heresy, but then complaining (whining!) (bragging??) loud and long about the drain of it all....... oh, dear!

Puh and leeze.

Just who is it who is in charge of their calendars, eh??? As if those of us with brains have not long ago figured out that the "one-uppers" could do us all a favor and turn into "shut-uppers".

So my new idea is to "One-down" the next "one-upper" I run into.

The very next time I run into one of these activity-obsessed b!tchers, I'm going to refuse to play the "I'm so busy" game, and instead just smile. And perhaps mention how transparent one's priorities truly become when one is living
a life of meaning, not just movement.

Then maybe I'll fill her in on the secret:
No one is holding a gun to her head.

The headless chicken routine has worn thin.

Senseless scurrying scuttles sanity.

Serenity is in.

It's one-downmanship, and I think it could catch on.
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