Christmas | The Laine List

I’m dreaming of Christmas cookies

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Laine

Some of us dorky girls decorating cookies!

My mother is a baker. Every year, in her small Georgia kitchen, she spends countless hours making several kinds of Christmas cookies that she treks to us in Upstate NY. Sugar cookies cut into at least a dozen Christmas shapes. Chocolate gingerbread cookies. Chocolate crackles. Thumbprints, both with and without almonds. “Fart blossoms” – peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses on top. Two kinds of kolaches. More that I can’t even remember.

All of this baking and traveling is followed up with a huge family cookie decorating party. Much fun.

But this year, suddenly and unexpectedly, there is some illness, and they can’t come. So now I’m faced with cookie baking. There won’t be a decorating party, but I will bake, although two kinds only. Sugar and fart blossoms.

Being faced with this made me wonder: where do other people get their cookies?

So I pose these questions: do you bake your cookies or do you buy them, or does someone make them for you? If you bake them, do you make them from scratch, or do you “slice and bake?” What is your favorite cookie? Do you have any other Christmas cookie traditions? A lot of questions, I know, but I would love to hear about what everyone else does!

Stream of conciousness Sunday: Christmas peace

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Laine

It’s been a while since I actually wrote anything, let alone wrote anything with any substance. I guess it’s the season of busy. And also not being able to get out of my own way. The last three weeks have been hell on my brain. I’m fillied with worry and upset. Trying to see the light through the dark. Not worry, and be happy and thankful for what I have. It’s hard though. My husband doesn’t understand my constant worry. My kids pick up on my feelings and become monsters. My cute little monsters. There is just constant noise – in my head in my space. I find myself yelling – I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE! BACK OFF!

I am looking forward to today, though, and looking forward to the week to come. I’m just going to do what I can to make peace with the holiday, and make peace with my family not being able to come home for Christmas, by creating my own family memories and happiness. Today we are going to get some breakfast and then decorate our house. We got the perfect tree. The best we’ve ever bought. Tomorrow I’m going to try to finish up some graphics projects and get some blog design comps to a client. And then I’m taking the rest of the week for me. I have cookies and bread to bake, the last of my shopping to do, tutu’s to make, and presents to wrap. My husband has Friday off so I think we are going to let Ben stay home and we can decorate cookies. I need a hair cut. I may even splurge and get a holiday mani/pedi. I can’t afford it though. And then we are off and running, this way and that.

I’m looking forward to peace, though.

I choose Santa

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Laine

Santa image courtesty of bjmcdonald on Flickr

Do you believe?

Close your eyes for a minute, and imagine yourself on a magical Christmas morning. It could be anytime – childhood, adulthood, whatever. Now let’s say this together.

I believe.

Now how do you feel? Magical? Nostalgic? Warm and fuzzy in your belly? Do you – like me – want to cry from overwhelming happiness?

This feeling is why I believe, and why I want my children to believe too. There really is no other feeling like it.

Our children ask, “who is Santa?” Well, he’s jolly old Saint Nick, of course! Kris Kringle! Father Christmas! Sinterklaas! All fun, happy jolly names for a guy who brings you shit. Which is cool, but I like to wonder, WHAT is Santa?

Santa is magic.

This is a special kind of magic. It’s the magic of wonder and awe. The simple act of believing that something magical can happen. It’s the magic of giving and receiving. Thinking of others – remembering that one small thing they said in a conversation 6 months ago, and making it happen for them. Or giving to people in need. It’s the feeling of being remembered – especially by someone who is outside of your regular circle of life. A stranger who gave your kids a Christmas. Santa.

This is what I have taught my son, and what I plan to teach my daughter.

Some people think this is lying to children, or that when children find out that Santa is not “real” it is traumatizing. So they refuse to believe or teach their children about Santa’s magic. I say why? This world is so harsh. Sex, drugs, violence, poverty – why do we have to be honest about this too? I want Christmas to be magical and untainted. I want, no I NEED to believe that there is a safe-haven where we can live in our own bubble and believe in peace and harmony. And I need my children to believe in that magic too. I need them to be able to take a step back and be filled with wonder and awe. To not be hard. To be kids. And I want to join them.

So, I choose Santa. Do you?

When did Macy’s buy Justin Bieber?

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Laine

I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. I’m not going to tell you that I didn’t enjoy the Justin Bieber Black Friday ad during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I did, and I laughed. Every one of the one hundred times they played it. If you haven’t seen it, here it is. If you have seen it, please enjoy it again. You’re welcome.

I even kind of enjoyed the “All I Want for Christmas” video. But kinda I didn’t. Watch it, and then we can discuss.

First of all, when did Macy’s buy Justin Bieber?

Second of all, who was in charge of this project? And why did they forget that Mariah Carey is 41 and Justin Bieber 17? Don’t get me wrong here, because I’m not trying to slam Mariah Carey. She’s still hot. But shaking your ass to a 17 year-old is just…inappropriate. And weird. And inappropriate. And I don’t know about you, but I’m sitting here doing some super fancy math and my counting fingers tell me that if there were some very unfortunate and also inappropriate situations, she is bordering on being old enough to be his grandmother. Extreme, I know, but almost true.

Am I totally off base here?

I want to thank Nicole from her social network for bringing this to my attention! Go check out what she had to say about it!

December is upon us…

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Laine

And so is the cray-cray holiday rush to buy everything we can, make ourselves crazy, and totally not enjoy time with our loved ones. In my attempt (let’s hope not totally futile) to relax and enjoy some time off, or, at least a little break, which I SORELY need, I thought I would plan it all out. ‘Cause you know, that’s just what I do.

Get out Skippy-Joan Jones (our Elf on a shelf) tonight. I WILL! I WILL NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!

Have a merry Christmas with my husband, kiddos, and family.

Clean my house from top to bottom. I only do this annually.

Do as little work and stressing out as possible between December 17^th and January 1^st. I can do this. I KNOW I can do this!

Deal with my dining room/office situation. Right now I’m mostly working at the dining room table, which doesn’t get cleaned off for dinner. So we eat in front of the TV. Which is embarrassing to admit, but there it is. The truth. I think maybe a rolling card would help my situation?

Start blogging on my business blog, and get marketing already! Laying foundation and groundwork only goes so far….

Work on switching gears more easily.

I will exercise.

So that is really it. I am leaving my calendar open and NOT filling it!

What are your goals for December?

The Laine List

Because I am Kicking this Life in the Ass

Tag Archives: Christmas

Stream of conciousness Sunday: Christmas peace

I choose Santa

When did Macy’s buy Justin Bieber?

December is upon us…