A Cozy Day + New Calendars!
January 02, 2015
Happy January, my friends! I hope your new year is off to a great start!
First off ... did you remember to say "Rabbit, rabbit" yesterday morning? I did - just barely - at 12:14 a.m., having been awoken by Little Bear - who had been woken by fireworks going off somewhere nearby! And also, have you noticed your first bird of the year yet? Tradition says the first one you see in the new year will be "your" bird for the year. I saw a robin on the way to Mass, and I'm quite pleased with that. :)
Speaking of Mass, here I am with a sleepy Crackerjack, just pulling into the church parking lot. It was hard getting up and going but we were very glad we made it.
(Quick story: Just before Mass begun we were asked to bring up the gifts, something we've never done before! I had just finished praying my request that God help me grow more fully in faith and become more involved in my church. A lovely sign, don't you think?)
On our way home, we stopped at a local Staples where I had my new weekly planner all bound up nice and neatly! I am just sooo happy with it and will be showing you all what it looks like and how I organized it in my very next post. I know I keep saying that and I honestly don't mean to be a tease ... I just need to find some quality "snap-sit-and-write" time! "Snap" being the picture- taking part of the process. :)
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"There's nothing like staying home for real comfort." ~ Jane Austen
Oh, Jane - we are of like minds! Our New Year's was a quiet, homey day ...
This stuff might not look very appetizing but let me tell you, it smelled so incredible! It is a concoction of milk and cream and spices and marshmallow that cooked on low for a few hours and became this ...
(Disregard the mess surrounding the mugs, please - we had a bit of a whipped cream mishap!)
This is Spiced White Hot Chocolate - a recipe I found on (where else?) Pinterest. It is almost like a warm eggnog (the nutmeg is predominant) and just so rich and creamy ... very indulgent. I knew I wanted to make a white treat in honor of the Jan. 1st Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Served in blue mugs, natch. :)
Bill hung my new wall calendar - my hope is it will be a "family central" kind of calendar.
(And it's awfully pretty to look at!)
And because I am a nut for calendars, I also have this pretty engangement calendar set up on the kitchen counter ...
As well as this page-a-day calendar I found in my stocking ...
A daily dose of forgotten English and folklore - should be fun!
Here's a peek at the January page divider in my planner - love this vintage style.
And below are last year's domestic journal pages, a calendar of sorts as my notes and clippings are quite seasonal, all stored away in a binder ...
And here are a couple more pictures from our quiet (relatively speaking) New Year's Day ...
Earlybird asked for a "selfie" and I love it when he's ready to smile for the camera!
Pretty blue mug, creamy white hot comfort ... just a dash of cinnamon on top!
I asked the boys to watch this movie with me (sweetening the deal with that hot chocolate!) because it's one of my all-time favorites and they'd never seen it.
Love spending time with my boys - the youngers and olders!
A beautiful sunset to end a lovely first day of the year.
Well my friends, I hope you all had a nice New Year's, and that 2015 is kind to you and your loved ones. Enjoy your Friday and I'll see you here again very soon!
(p.s. Are we all excited for a new season of Downton Sunday night???)