It was fun opening presents yesterday.
Mom was surprised to find the Dyson vacuum cleaner we bought her.
The wheel on her Eureka vacuum cleaner had just cracked last week. It was a timely gift although the Eureka does still work even with the cracked wheel.
She and we were also showered with fabulous gifts from my brother and his family as well as our kids.
I love the Fit Flop slippers that I put on my wish list that Tif bought for me.
OK, I confess. I also bought myself a pair of Fit Flop sandals that I just happened to find at the NEX in my size. Wow!
Art got these compression socks and cordless screwdriver that Jon bought from Art's wish list. He's planning to wear the socks on long airplane flights.
We received so many wonderful holiday treats from friends and neighbors that the lemon pie will have to wait a couple of weeks.
This is only a small sampling of what lovely people shared with us! There were Rice Krispies treats, Crispix party mixes, muffin tops, strawberry shortbread, a tapioca dessert, pumpkin bread, jerky meats, seasoned pretzels, all kinds of cookies, etc.! Sigh... Looks like it'll be more like three weeks before I get to use the stand mixer.
Mom was surprised to find the Dyson vacuum cleaner we bought her.
The wheel on her Eureka vacuum cleaner had just cracked last week. It was a timely gift although the Eureka does still work even with the cracked wheel.
She and we were also showered with fabulous gifts from my brother and his family as well as our kids.
I love the Fit Flop slippers that I put on my wish list that Tif bought for me.
OK, I confess. I also bought myself a pair of Fit Flop sandals that I just happened to find at the NEX in my size. Wow!
Art got these compression socks and cordless screwdriver that Jon bought from Art's wish list. He's planning to wear the socks on long airplane flights.
Art and I bought this stand mixer during the Black Friday sales. The crazy thing is there's very, very few recipes where I use a mixer. I do have a certain lemon chiffon pie recipe that I've been wanting to make. I also use a mixer for cornbread. I know. I know. I've lost my mind. Ah well. I like looking at it.
We received so many wonderful holiday treats from friends and neighbors that the lemon pie will have to wait a couple of weeks. This is only a small sampling of what lovely people shared with us! There were Rice Krispies treats, Crispix party mixes, muffin tops, strawberry shortbread, a tapioca dessert, pumpkin bread, jerky meats, seasoned pretzels, all kinds of cookies, etc.! Sigh... Looks like it'll be more like three weeks before I get to use the stand mixer.
We will now be getting the house cleaned and organized in preparation for the new year. Mom is happily anticipating using her new vacuum cleaner. Someone asked me if she really used a vacuum cleaner much. YES! She is constantly focused on cleanliness and vacuums every week without fail.
We really enjoyed all the gifts we received and ummmm... bought for ourselves.
What special gift did you receive that really brought a smile to your face?
i have always wanted a kitchen aid mixer but the price is a killer!! you picked my favorite color, i am suddenly loving red!!
ReplyDeletelooks like a wonderful day!!
The mixer and the vacuum cleaner were killer Black Friday sales. We had to get up at 3:30 to get them, but it was worth it!
Deletethos are two things I have wished for, a Dyson and a kitchen aide, lol, but I doubt I will everget them, I cooked and baked so much years ago the mixer would have helped then butnow, not so much,, the gift I received that meant the most to me was having my children all here with me,
ReplyDeleteSigh... I would trade it all for all of our family to be here too.
DeleteI love that my son, dg in law and 4 grands are here visiting on their way to Mexico to do humanitarian work for 10 days. They'll stop on their way back...and I love my new flat screen computer monitor!
ReplyDeleteI love mine too! It's great having a larger screen, isn't it?
DeleteI love the picture of your mom opening he vacuum. It looks like you had a very fun Christmas and that you will be celebrating for a while with all the treats.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a long while of treat eating... slowly....
DeleteYou had a lovely Christmas, just wow! I realize I don't get a lot of gifts, I just give a LOT of them! I did get a beautiful platter that is just my style.
ReplyDeleteWe actually don't exchange a lot of gifts at all. We only exchange wish lists with my brother and sister-in-law and then one of our kids (daughter, son-in-law, son or partner). Other that those two, we have an aunt and just a tiny little something here and there.
Deletethat mixer looks convenient, when it comes to anything to cook if I have to mix anything I'm usually too lazy to do it.
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Adam. You're the one with the muscle!
Deletewhat a nice xmas you had! did you see the custom kitcheaide i had made? i love it!
ReplyDeleteCustom Kitchen Aid? No, I didn't. Could you send me the link?
DeleteYou all look so happy with your nice and practical gifts!
ReplyDeleteI love having wish lists so that we get exactly what we want.
DeleteI wanted a Kitchen Aid mixer SO much, but Dick didn't like the price, so he bought me a different kind a few years ago. It is not the same thing at all. I very seldom use it, and I certainly don't leave it out to look beautiful as I would with a Kitchen Aid.
ReplyDeleteI also want a Dyson vacuum, but he won't buy one. He is very funny that way. He drags me kicking and screaming on trips to wherever (Iceland next) but he won't buy me the things I want, preferring to buy me less expensive substitutes. I don't dare make reference to his Jewish ancestry, of course, because it is SO not politically correct.
Hi to Art and all the best to your mom,
Luv, K
PS — My Scottish ancestry, however, is up for all kinds of jokes in the family, and from close friends.
ReplyDeleteYou are TOOOO funny, Kay! Actually, Art says he wanted to get me the Kitchen Aid because that's what his mother used in their restaurant and it was used constantly for years and years.
DeleteMom used the Dyson upright today and needed a lot of explanations from Art. There were so many attachments and it was very different from the Eureka so it was confusing for her. I think she's happy with it now though. I hope.
What lovely fun that mixer is. I long to have a big blue one, but I rarely use the four I have now. LOL
ReplyDeleteSeriously, what a lovely holiday this was for all of you.
You have four of them? Wow!
DeleteThat mixer comes out every Christmas for cookies. Nothing creams butter and sugar like a KitchenAid.
ReplyDeleteI'm eager to make something, but I'll have to wait until all our treats get eaten first.
DeleteIf you ever want to send Mom somewhere, she can come here. Tell Art long pants also keep your legs warm. Dianne
ReplyDeleteI'll be sure to tell mom. I'm sure she'd get your carpets vacuumed in a jiffy.
DeleteI love my KitchenAid. Mike did not generally believe in practical gifts, but he did give one a few years ago because i wanted one so badly. You are just as cute as you can be. That smile lights a room.
ReplyDeleteAwwww.... Olga. You are too kind. Thank you!
DeleteI broke down & bought a Dyson a few years ago when I had shoulder surgery and couldn't push the heavy old vacuum. Your Mom will love the Dyson. Light as a feather to push/pull and the amount of stuff that fills the container is amazing.. Best household appliance I sever bought. Vacuuming is actually almost fun.
ReplyDeleteI always look at the big mixers, but I know I would never use it enough to justify the amount of space it takes up. Make sure you do use it every couple of months.My sister has one and she did not use it for about 8 months and found it to be leaking oil from the motor. I contacted Kitchenaid after I saw online that this was a common issue. They told me that the mixer has to be regularly used or the ring that holds solid grease starts to degrade & melt down. We bought some new grease and I took the motor apart, cleaned it up & now it works good as new. I just wanted to let you know because kitchenaide will not tell consumers about this potential issue & you aren't going to be using yours on a daily basis. Just bring it out once a month and run the motor for a couple of minutes & it will be fine. Who knows, maybe when you start using it, you will turn into a regular baker.
Same thing applies to Cuisinarts. My niece put hers on the counter but never used it. Found that the seal on the bowl, where it connects to the motor, had dried out and wouldn't work when she tried to use it. I have a friend who said that it is better to wear out an appliance than let it rust out from disuse. Good point.
DeleteThis is WONDERFUL advice! I'll be sure to make cornbread every couple of months. :-) My daughter hadn't used her large Kitchen Aid stand mixer in almost a decade. Happy to say it worked well though. We were lucky.
DeleteTerry has a Dyson vacuum for our house that he says does a great job. I just clear out of his way when he vacuums. He does a much better job than I ever would. That is why our carpet has lasted so well all these years.
ReplyDeleteSince we don't need anything, and I buy stuff for the grandkids all of the time, we do little in the way of "Christmas" shopping. This year I did buy and give gifts to a family at a local shelter for women. That was much more fun than to buy more "stuff" for people who have far more than they already need.
It's true that we really don't need any more things either, but I like looking at the mixer. So silly, I know. I would trade it all for having our entire family together. Thank goodness for Skype! You're wonderful to share your joy with the local shelter for women.
DeleteKay, it looks like you all had a pretty wonderful Christmas!! I'm glad! We had a really great Christmas too with the little grandboys, their parents and our other daughter and her husband. HUGS!!
ReplyDeleteI would trade all the gifts, including the mixer to have my family here. Sigh...
DeleteYou were all very, very good this year to have gotten such swell gifts. Your Mom really does look excited about her vacuum. Good tools make any job easier.
ReplyDeleteMy best gift was spending such quality time with my family in Florida.
Sigh... I wish we had our family with us. :-(
DeleteI'm really jealous! Not of the gifts, which are grand, but because all of you look even younger with every photo entry! Is sake the secret?
ReplyDeleteAll the parents went to my son & DIL's place at Kansas State because they finally have a place big enough for a tree and a new baby kitten. Kitten loved the single, fresh, whole, raw green bean more than purchased toys. I still give the 26-year-old kid a little set of legos to put together. They made a special beef stew (has a whole bottle of wine in it,) frozen, for me to take home because it is really healthy. They are quite a coordinated pair in the kitchen.
Be sure and have Art take the leg compression gadget to the next cardiac doc visit, just to make sure it is okay to use in general and for that specific model. My brother wears special compression dress tall socks when traveling, much like what floor nurses wear while working.
It was lovely sitting in the hotel's indoor hot tub with a full window wall view of the 9 inches of snow outside!
Have fun getting ready for the New Year!
DrumMajor
I can tell you the secret to looking younger, DrumMajor. Are you ready? Make sure the photographer takes your photo from far away and NOT to use the zoom! That's my rule. And no candids please.
DeleteThank you for the advice about the socks. I told Art to ask his cardiologist in a couple of weeks.
What wonderful gifts! I can see that your mom will enjoy her new vacuum cleaner, and I learned a lot from the comments others have made about the Kitchenaid. I would love to hear what you think of it. My most favorite gift this year was the cordless headphones that my guy and I purchased. We can now both listen to programs with the volume at our own favorite level! And nobody else hears anything. What could be better? Oh, and I love my new gloves that have something on the fingers and thumbs that allows me to use my cellphone to take pictures without taking them off! :-)
ReplyDeleteCordless headphones? Hmmmm... That really sounds great. I'll put it on my wish list for next year.
Deletewow, simply amazing. All of you got what you wish for! Happy Boxing day and happy new year!
ReplyDeleteHappy Boxing Day to you, Wenn and a Happy New Year, too!
DeleteAW, what a great Christmas! Now bring on the KADOMATSU!
ReplyDelete(Glad mom is happy. A content mom is a great thing)
Oh gracious! So much to do for New Years!
DeleteKitchen aide mixers are the best. this month mine made six kinds of cookies, bread dough, and pie crust. My favorite appliance.
ReplyDeleteWe gave our daughter a vacuum cleaner.
I know what an amazing cook you are. I imagine you'd be able to furnish a bakery with delectables no matter what kind of mixer you had.
DeleteIf you find you don't use the Kitchen Aide mixer then let me know when you put it up for sale on eBay:) You all look so happy with your gifts. Just a reflection of the enjoyment you have together.
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Annie!
DeleteI'm green with envy! I've always wanted a red Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but even in the sales they're fiendishly expensive here and I can't really justify the expense. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours, whether you use it or not.. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Art.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amanda. We did have to get up at 3:30 for the Black Friday sales to get the mixer and vacuum cleaner, but we're glad we did. It made the price more reasonable.
DeleteWe're cleaning out the house, too, with the help of our daughter. She is taking a lot of stuff back to Seattle: Terry's mother's dishes and my silver flatware that I never use.
ReplyDeleteToday she and Terry are taking loads of paper out to a commercial shredder. When the storage areas are all cleaned out we are going to put in a second guest room in the basement.
Sorry about the osteoporosis. It's hard to regenerate bone, as my mother in law experienced. She was also a thin person. She did very well until she broke an arm that never healed, but she was also quite old by that time. I have heard that weight-bearing exercise is the key. One good exercise that I really like is hiking with two sticks, so you get both and upper body and lower body workout.
I have used pressure sox like the ones Art got, but what works best for me is getting up at least every hour and walking around a little. And avoiding salt.
BTW: I love those sandals. They look perfect on you.
I need to get my head organized to start the New Years clean-up. Sigh... Lucky you've got your daughter helping.
DeleteWhat a fun post! It is a great time of year.
ReplyDelete