I knew this was going to be a crazy week, but it was even busier than I had planned on. Things are now starting to wind down a bit... a few more things to do tomorrow and then I'm on the downward slope up until I head home for Christmas. I'm not quite counting the minutes, but it's definitely one of those "exactly 1 week from today I'll be on a plane home" kind of times. I said that more than once this last week!
So, here's the beginning of my catch-up posting for my December Daily.
Day 13:
I don't get tons of Christmas cards, but the ones I do get are usually from close friends or family, so I like to stick them into my book. I also did a little page on the left about my new tradition here in Utah - the American Crafts warehouse sale! I've stopped in a few times... they have amazing deals and this last week I even picked up some of their brand new goodies. It's so fun... restraining myself is definitely a challenge.
Tuesday morning was also a snow day - it wasn't a lot, but it was enough that I hung out working online at home a bit until it cleared up before heading down to Provo. We haven't had a lot of snow this year (knock on wood) so it was kind of a noteworthy event :)
And finally for Tuesday, Shimelle's prompt was about Christmas music. Since I listen to it pretty much non-stop during the season, this was fun to write about. I included the album covers from my favorite Christmas albums.
Day 14:
Wednesday was the day that I gave myself permission to let some things go. I realized that I wasn't doing a very good job of reducing stress and enjoying the holiday more. I was overcommitting, and it was all things I was asking myself to do - no one would know if I didn't do a few things. I was sitting at the stoplight on the way home and saw the lights in the big trees at the police station on the corner, and it was just beautiful and relaxing. I felt the Christmas spirit just rushing back in, so I pulled out my phone and took a quick picture before the light changed.
The funny thing? Almost everything has still gotten done this week! It's just been a bit less stressful. Of course, all of this was after a very late night on Tuesday when I wouldn't let myself go to bed until I finished the last of my big, must-do projects. Next year I need to either plan better or be less ambitious, but at least it's done. Yay!
And Thursday, Day 15...
I wrote about Shimelle's prompt for the day - my itinerary for the month and who I'll be seeing for the holidays, as well as a little about our team Christmas party at my boss' house, which was really fun. I'd never played Bunko before, but it was a blast - especially with 18 of us!
And on the left, I added a bit about my first ever homemade cheesecake. I had absolutely set my heart on making a peppermint bark cheesecake, a la Cheesecake Factory. So I found this recipe - a riff on Dorie Greenspan's cheesecake. But, I realized it took forever to make and cool / chill so I had to make it Thursday night for the party on Friday. But I didn't get home from my boss' house until about 10:30pm.
So, I resigned myself to a late night, knowing we were getting a half day at work after our department party on Friday. But then, I realized I didn't have a roasting pan big enough to do a water bath for my springform pan I was baking the cheesecake in. So, at 11pm I threw a coat over my PJs and put on my boots and headed down to Harmon's to get a disposable roasting pan. But, it worked! And my first ever cheesecake came out almost perfect. I worked up in the attic while it baked and the scent of peppermint floating through the house was just divine. I wish it still smelled that good... waking up to it on Friday was lovely. On Friday evening, I topped it with a thin layer of hot fudge, peppermint whipping cream, sprinkles and my homemade peppermint bark. Mmm.
And the best part? After the party last night... I have leftovers :)
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