Black Friday Working instead of Shopping

With only 23 sleeps left until Christmas, it's time to really buckle down and get some shopping done!  I love to shop for my family and friends!  This year, though, I work in retail (second job), so it was my first time ever to work on the other side of the register on Black Friday.  The last time I shopped on Black Friday was 2009 and before that was 2007.  It was quite a switch to be working, though.

I have to say... people were really nice where I work.  It is an upscale department store, not the kind of place where you go to get really good bargains, necessarily, although we had a few sales.  I work in the home department with all the china, bedding, crystal, small appliances, table linens, and tons of Christmas things... everything from beautifully decorated trees to ornaments, Christmas dishes, figurines, snow globes, gourmet candy, Waterford, Swarovski, Lenox, stockings, tree skirts, and so on.  I will be leaving soon, though, because I no longer need the second income.  I have enjoyed it, though.

I heard about crowds, fights, people using tasers, and all kinds of chaos again this year, so I think I will stay home from now on, or wait until the afternoon.  I also think it's sad that some stores are opening on Thanksgiving - not even waiting until Friday.

But I love buying gifts.  I love Cyber-Monday, too.  I really have to start making it look a little more like Christmas around here!  I've got some Christmas crafts to work on, Christmas cards, too.  I love it!   Did you brave the crowds this year?

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How to Roast a Turkey

Speaking of having only a few sleeps left until Christmas, that means that one other holiday is really close now!  Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving dinner!  Turkey, dressing (we call it dressing instead of stuffing), cranberry sauce (the jelly kind, not the berry kind), gravy, rolls, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, squash casserole, deviled eggs, black olives, and dessert!  That's what you might find on my menu... if I were cooking this year.  But, someone else is going to cook this year, and it might even be you.  So, here are a few links that will help you roast a terrific turkey!

Mom's Roast Turkey - rosemary, thyme, and onions, as well as a few other key ingredients, make this a special bird.

The Best Way to Roast a Turkey - the simple way.  No fuss!

The Perfect Bird - kosher salt, peppercorns, and a bay leaf might be what makes this recipe perfect.

A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey - the basting is the key to a juicy turkey.

Cooking Turkey for Chickens - five easy rules to cook a moist, delicious turkey.

Enjoy!

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Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Image Credit

 

Christmas is going to be here before we know it!  I love giving gifts!

Have you started your shopping yet?

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Haunting Halloween

I don't post very often lately because I'm working a second job.  I work in a large department store in the local mall in the home department.  At our store, there is a rumor about a ghost who lives in the second floor bathroom.  One of our custodial staff, a man, also claims to have seen her.  I'm sure other people have, too, but I haven't heard their stories, only his.  He says that he called out to see if anyone was in the lady's restroom so he could clean.  Hearing no one, he went in and started working.  Then out of nowhere, there is a woman (wearing cowboy boots) who walked right by him and out the door without looking at him or saying anything.  He thought he had been alone in there, so he came out and asked who else had seen her, but no one had.  So we assume she's our restroom ghost.

Tonight, Halloween, I was in the stockroom organizing some products for about an hour.  When I was almost finished, I heard this wailing.  It happened twice. Loud and mournful.  Scared the crud out of me!  When I came out of the stockroom, I asked a co-worker if she heard anything, and she had only heard a loud bump.  I was telling my department manager about it, and she says, "Oh, yeah, that's our ghost.  I hear her all the time."  What?

I guess she really exists!  I'm a believer!

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Wordless (almost) Wednesday

My sweet angels with their homecoming paraphernalia.

I'm linking up with WW.

Homecoming Part 5

Where my kids go to school, the seniors wear white and silver mums for homecoming, and the girls often add a color of their choice.  Although this year, my daughter has a boyfriend who got her a mum, I wanted to make one for her anyway.  I decided to add a little pink to it.  I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.  She liked it, too.

Here's a closeup of the three flowers.  There is a bear in the middle.  I put a tiara on her, although you can't really see it in the picture.  There are two pink hearts on the top right, a homecoming arch on the top left, and a senior start on the bottom.  I also used silver star garland.  I wish the backing showed up more because it's the part I thought I really did well on.

Here is the entire mum, complete with three foot ribbons in different patterns, colors, and styles, a boa, bells, trinkets, and curling ribbon.  It sort of looks gold, but there is no gold in it.  I guess it was just the lighting.  I wish it showed up better, but you get the general idea.  I had fun making this!

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