What's Been Going on Around Here Lately

Well there was some of this......

Then some of this......

(Note the recipient of the gift above)

Then there was this, packages sent to friends/family far and wide......this is about half of what I mailed.  You do NOT want to see my postage bill......lolz

And then we attempted to go to the special Ollie's(invitation only) sale last Sunday night.

We arrived at Ollie's at 1 minute to 6pm and there was a line that wrapped around the building.
WTF?!?

Not wanting to fight that sort of a crowd and not really going there for anything specific, we just turned the car around and left.

I have been to these yearly sales at Ollie's in years past but NEVER saw a crowd like the one on Sunday night!
Is it because the economy is improving and people have more to spend for the Holidays?
Or is it because the economy is still struggling and people need to find real deals and make their meager gift dollars stretch further?


We ended up checking out a new place called GABE'S that opened up here in the old Price Chopper grocery store building.

They seem to have a lot of merchandise that is returns from other businesses at very low prices.  But you really have to hunt through everything to find the gems.
I saw these shoes I REALLY wanted but they didn't have them in my size......

Hubs found some dress shoes for work though at a good price, which he needed.

They had some wooden signs to hang in/on your house too.

"I'm a Proud Coal Miner".
Now THERE'S a niche demographic! lolz

We got the tree up.
I'm not talking about this tree......

But this tree.......

This is our old tree.  We didn't set up the huge tree, wanting to simplify all the work this year.
It's pre-lit and we put on garland and the star.
College Boy put on 5 or so ornaments this week so we are just calling it done now.  ;-)

This week, in between dr. appointments and grocery/Rite-Aid shopping I've been gathering toiletries to take to our oldest son.
And I've been cooking since Wednesday.

First I had to soak our salt-cured ham.......a Virginia delicacy........

 

This is a 3 day process.  Today I'll finish it up in the oven.

There was peanut butter cookie baking for College Boy, then the "Christmas Crack" needed making.....

You know you can quit eating this anytime.......NOT! hahahaha

Then it was onward and upward to pie making......

It's not Christmas here without pecan pie.

But before that, there was nut soaking in whiskey.
This is but the first step in making a surprise for someone.........

Friday morning College Boy helped me hauled all that laundry detergent and shampoo up to the Food Bank and then I went to Rite-Aid to give my friends there some "Crack" and cookies.

But I forgot to take the food so I did a transaction instead.
I needed some Hershey kisses for my baking and Hey!  Rite-Aid sent me a coupon Friday morning for cheap Xmas candy(and I did the Playtex tampon +Ups Deals).

I won't bother detailing this one.
Let's just say I used a lot of coupons and spent down my +Up Rewards by $10(after $4 in new +Ups earned for the tampons)and put the .54¢ OOP on my free R-A gift card.

 

 

 

I went home after that and worked on the surprise food item and then took the plate of baked goodies up to R-A afterwards.

Friday evening was simmering the ham and later this morning I'll be baking it off.

What have you been doing to prepare for the Holidays?


Sluggy