By Mel Lockcuff, Miss December 2014

Lately, I’ve written so much about Christmas trees, you’d think I’d be tired of it by now. But I don’t think I could ever tire of the Christmas tree. Every year I’m chompin’ at the bit, so excited to get it up; and I put off taking it down for as long as humanly possible. We’ve been known to still have our tree up come Valentine’s Day.

This week I thought I’d take you on a little tour of our Christmas tree. The kids insisted on a real tree this year; I can’t imagine going back to artificial. This Fraser Fir smells so good and brings back so many memories. With the amount of needles that are already falling, I am hoping that it lasts ‘til Christmas, though. I’m not gonna lie; it’s a little concerning.

Back to our tour, though… Normally, we have silver tinsel, icicles, and every ornament possible on the tree. This year we took a more laidback approach to decorating the tree. We added the lights and a little burlap. Funny story about the lights… We had good intentions when we purchased LED lights. We put them on the tree and couldn’t stand the way they looked or the way they blinded us if we turned our head a certain way when we were looking at the tree. So, we unwrapped the LED’s and added regular lights instead. While our tree may be a bit bad for the environment, it sure is easy on the eyes. When asked if white lights or colored lights are better, we add both. I love the white lights; my kids and Dan love the multi-colored lights.

Now for the special, sentimental portion of this post…the ornaments. I’ve often told Dan that if we had another house fire, if I had the choice to save something and everyone was safe, our Christmas ornaments are one thing I’d try to get. A good portion of our ornaments belonged to my grandma; in fact, I remember helping her decorate her tree with quite a few of the ornaments we hang on our tree now. The kids ask about the ornaments, and it’s fun to be able to talk about why certain ornaments are so special.

A few of the ornaments my grandpa made; he was a needlework pro and loved tatting, up until he had his stroke. Anything he created was so, so special. We have ornaments with dated years on them; I think my grandma must have gotten some of them from magazines she was subscribed to. Santa in a roadster… Need I say more? Anything with pictures of our boys, like one of the first times Jacob met Santa… the Empire State Building from a trip with my mom to NYC…

A glass snowflake ornament I bought for my grandma when I worked at the BonTon Department Store in New York… These red silk ball ornaments that Grandma had on her tree every single year (I know they seem so simple, but I just love them)… Ornaments from some of our family adventures… Ornaments we’ve made together or the boys have made, like smell good, cinnamon, holiday shapes or painted ceramic/wooden ornaments… The little fabric stuffed Christmas tree my school van driver gave me when I was just a little girl… Anything vintage.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. Of course, I can’t forget the star on top of the tree. Our Christmas tree brings a touch of cozy, a bit of merry, so many memories, and a whole lotta sentimental holiday spirit.

Do you have your tree up? What’s special to you about your tree?

By Mel Lockcuff, Miss December 2014

When it comes to Christmas trees, it seems everyone has an opinion…as with so many things in life. Some people prefer an artificial tree, and others prefer real all the way. Over the years, we’ve kinda gone both ways. Some years we’ve preferred to put up our artificial tree; other years we’ve put up a real tree.

 

After going and picking up a real tree this year and starting to decorate it, I’m leaning more and more toward not going back to artificial. The memories this beautiful real tree has evoked are just so amazing. Sometimes in the busyness of life, it’s easy to forget what used to be…

 May the Scent be with You

This is a given, but real trees smell so good. I can’t even tell you how many memories this scent brings back. Every time we walk in the living room, I feel like I’m back at Grandma’s house again. A real tree truly does provide such an amazing scent that fills a heart up with all sorts of holiday spirit.

Artificial trees don’t really smell…unless you hang some of those delightfully scented ornaments they have now…probably not the same, though.

Allergies

Scent brings me to my next point…Real trees can up the allergy factor, something I didn’t realize until a friend commented and told me so. Her family can’t enjoy real trees due to allergies. What a bummer but definitely something to think about when trying to make that decision between real vs. artificial.

Shaping

As I sat in our hotel room the other night, I had a random thought and realized that in getting a real tree, there would be no shaping required. Real tree for the win! Can I just say how much I despise shaping an artificial tree, garland, wreath, what have you? With real, there’s no shaping involved! It’s all naturally beautiful and already shaped the way it’s supposed to be. This is a game changer for me.

The Experience

Ok, so you could go and have an amazing experience picking up an artificial tree, especially if you find a great deal…or it may be fun just digging it out of the attic every year. However, the experience of going to pick out a real tree probably can’t be matched, whether you go to a tree farm, a nursery, or a tree lot. There’s just something magical about exploring the trees together, waiting to find that one tree that everyone loves and can’t wait to take home. It almost feels like you’re picking out another part of the family to share Christmas with…maybe that’s just in my crazy Christmas mind. But there really is something special about picking out a tree, loading it on top of the car, tying it down, and getting it home, setting it all up. And if it’s snowing? Well, that’s just an added bonus.

Affordability/Frugality

A good artificial tree will save you money in the long run because you don’t have to buy a tree every year. That’s one reason we stuck with artificial for quite a few years; we just didn’t want to spend precious funds on a tree that we’d have up for maybe a month. This is definitely something to think about when trying to decide. If you have land and can cut your own, though…that’s a definite option for having real.

So, what do you think? Does your family prefer real or fake? I’m a little biased in that I love real. In fact, I forgot how much I love a real tree until we picked up our tree this year. The scent alone makes me want to keep a tree in the house all year long…too bad Christmas only comes once a year.

By Miss December 2014, Mel Lockcuff

Christmas has always been a really special time of year. There’s just something about this season. It’s cold outside, sometimes we get a little snow (or we hope for snow), there are all sorts of delicious things to eat that we usually only get to enjoy this time of year, holiday movies and music fill the air, houses light up in all their Christmas glory, and the suspense and thrill of the holiday season…it’s all so magical in its own way. As I write this, I’m sitting in front of the Hallmark Channel and yet another one of my favorite holiday movies.

There are certain traditions I can remember, growing up, that have stayed with me. And then there are a few traditions we’ve begun with our own boys, a few of which we’ve carried over.

I can remember the most from the time my family moved to the farm on, from around the age of 12 and up. My brother and sisters were all grown by then, so I was the only one left in the nest.

Every year, Mom and I would trudge out to the woods to cut down our Christmas tree. We’d drag the cedar tree back to the house, and Mom would dig in the attic for boxes of ornaments while I loaded up the record player with classic holiday records. As we’d lift the cover on the old box of ornaments (even the box was vintage) and lift bits of tissue paper away, I always loved the scent that wafted up. It was a mix of old, vintage, cinnamon, and Christmas. There were certain ornaments that had a story, and Mom would tell some of those stories as we decorated the tree. I had my favorites like the ice cream cone ornament my brother had made out of a sugar cone and a round ball ornament. It had a bite taken out of it. Then there was the little cloth stuffed Christmas tree my school van driver had given me at one time or another. I still have that ornament to this day.(Insert photo of ornament) Mom even had a bunch of old glass ornaments that, if I remember right, Dad had dug out of a dumpster back in their earlier years of marriage. They were so fragile; she’d hardly let me touch them.

The farmhouse kitchen held all sorts of delicious memories. One of our favorite Christmas recipes was the sugar cookie recipe passed down by my grandma. I’d pull the built-in, sliding, wooden cutting board out of the cabinet, roll out my dough, and cut out all sorts of holiday shapes. We’d make angels, snowmen, bells, stars, Christmas trees, Santa, and more. After the cookies were baked, on would go the sugary, homemade frosting and sometimes a few sprinkles, if we were lucky enough to have them on hand. Those cookies are still a family favorite.

Of course, I’ll also never forget Christmas caroling with my little country church family. I remember, one year, we caroled to an older gentleman who lived in our community. He was a quirky kind of guy, always had a lot of junk sitting around on his property, his cows were always out, fence broken, and sometimes we wondered if he even took a bath. He was always alone. I remember asking if we could go caroling at his house, and I’ll never forget it. As we sang, if you looked closely, you could see tears falling from his eyes. It was a magical time. 

Now that Dan and I have our own boys, we’ve formed a few traditions of our own. One of my favorites is watching Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation every single year. It just never gets old. We have other fun traditions too, but last year, we also started the tradition of trying to find someone we can share the spirit of the holidays with. How we give just depends…but it was so much fun, that I’m looking forward to doing it again this year.

Traditions are an important part of the holidays. They create happy memories and stories galore. Not only that, but sometimes they can involve sharing the gift of holiday spirit with someone who needs a bit of cheer.

I love this time of year. How about you? Does your family have certain holiday traditions you look forward to every single year?

The last post in this series is one that is near and dear to my heart. After 31 years on this earth there are a few things I’m sure of: my God, the ability of food to bring people together, and the fact that we genuinely need relationships in our lives. Not Facebook acquaintances, but flesh-and-blood, thick-and-thin, love-you-always relationships. I truly believe that the health of those relationships will help in determining a lot of our health in general.

I’m a very introverted person; one-on-one I do great, but in huge public settings you can generally find me close to an exit door. I don’t mind being alone; in fact eating alone in restaurants or even seeing a movie by myself is extremely relaxing. But there have been times in my life when that introvertedness has hurt me rather than helped me.

The thing with relationships is this: they’re messy. When you let people in and they start to know your junk and you know theirs, it’s hard. We will hurt one another. We will disagree. There will be times when we all just want to run and hide. I’ve experienced that many times in my life to the point of not ever really letting anyone in, other than close family, until the past 6 years.

And you know what? Those 6 years ruined my life in the best way possible.

I met women (and some men) who challenged me. They made me think, they made me talk, they made me share. I told them things and thoughts and actions I never thought I’d reveal to anyone. I hurt their feelings and they hurt mine. We hashed it out, grew stronger, and for the first time I started to understand that people were not made to be alone. Our lives are stronger and healthier and more beautiful even in the mess and the junk, and I could never go back to being covered up and protecting my heart from potential mess.

My plea to you is this: open up. Share your life. Share your hardest thoughts, with grace. Don’t just sit in comfort, because at the end of the day the beauty comes from daring to be you in front of others.

One final thought: how perfect of a time does this come at? The holidays are upon us, and this is the time of year that we all look forward to and dread simultaneously. Be willing to get a little messy. A little crazy. A little FUN. Take chances and dream big with the people you care about. Open up. You’ll be so glad you did!

By Miss November 2014 Heather Disarro

I’m a firm believer that fitness is an all-encompassing product of taking care of our bodies, our spirits and the ones we love. It is a constant pursuit of learning about ourselves and what brings us joy, a pursuit that is never-ending because we are always changing.

 

I realize that sounds daunting, but in my short time here on earth there are five things that have helped me to achieve higher levels of spiritual fitness. These are what work for me, but I believe they are good jumping-off points for anyone who’s just starting to realize the need for strengthening the spirit as well as the body.

 

1. Prayer and/or meditation. I personally subscribe to prayer in my faith, but realize that not everyone does. However, taking the time – even just 5 minutes out of a day – to focus on our faith and the importance of life is vital. It keeps the minutiae from ruling our hearts and centers us in ways that no amount of social media participation can do. Realizing how important every moment is only leads to good things in our lives and relationships; so do it. Wake up 5 minutes earlier, set an alarm during your lunchtime or sit for 5 minutes in your car before leaving work. The reality is that we all really do have the ability to use 5 minutes to better ourselves!

   Take 5 min to focus on your faith.http://wp.me/p2OwPW-3hj via @heathersdish

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2. Get outside! This is a carry-over from last week’s post, but the simple act of getting some fresh air can lift the spirit in big ways. Over the past couple of months I’ve been suffering from nausea that happens in the first few months of pregnancy, a condition that has not only made me feel sick physically but also spiritually down. And then I step outside, even just for some porch-sitting with my little, and it’s like life is normal again. A quick walk, a glass of water on a porch, or skipping nighttime television for conversation under the stars are all great ways to get some fresh air your lungs. I’ve been known to take my laptop outside and work on the back porch – trust me, it works!

   Getting some fresh air can lift your spirits in big ways. http://wp.me/p2OwPW-3hj vis @heathersdish

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3. Music. I joke that my parents made us listen to hippie music growing up, but the reality is that they imparted a love of all genres through the fact that we listened to oldies most days. As I write this I’m rocking out to some James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel and Jim Croce. There’s something about those acoustic guitars and simple lyrics that brings me so much joy, and the fact is that I hardly know what’s even popular these days. Now hippie music may not be your thing; maybe it’s country, rock, classical or something cool I’ve never even heard of. But listen to what you love, regardless of what’s popular, breathe deep, and enjoy!

   Listen to the music you love. It’s good for the soul via @heathersdish

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4. Do what you love. It took me a really long time to figure out what hobbies make me really happy, and with the rise of Pinterest (which is certainly not evil) and crafting blogs I still find myself thinking I should be creating awesome art for our walls or homeschooling my wiggly toddler boy to be doing the hobby thing right. But that’s just not for me! Not to say that it won’t ever be, but what I love doing right now that really relaxes me is cooking, playing the piano, learning the ukulele and spending time outside. Even more than that – I make no apologies that I don’t scrapbook our entire life, that I don’t decoupage everything under the sun or restore old furniture like it’s my job! So think about it – what do you come alive doing? Throw off the ideas we’re fed of what we should be doing – what do you LOVE? And then start there!

   What do you come alive doing? Then do it. via @heathersdishhttp://wp.me/p2OwPW-3hj

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5. Laughter. This is going to be a piece that segways into next week’s post, but laughter really is the best medicine…for life. It’s been proven many times over that those who genuinely laugh more tend to have more positive attitudes, a better sense of humor and increased relational health. Plus, it’s fun! So whether it means spending more time with loved ones, watching comedic shows or movies, or just looking for more ways to smile more – do it! The reality is that it certainly won’t hurt

   Take time to laugh. It’ll do the body and soul good! via @heathersdish

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I’d love to hear what you think in regards to spiritual health! What works for you? What are your go-tos? Or are you like I once was, and in need of a spiritual fitness awakening?

 

By Miss November 2014 Heather Disarro

The easiest thing in the world for me to do is keep up on my physical fitness. Note: I didn’t say I have a 6-pack and a year-round beach body. But working out and staying in shape and healthy from a physical standpoint has been a way of life for the past 17 years for me. It started off as a necessary evil to play sports, but even after my competitive glory days it was a deeply ingrained habit I just couldn’t (and didn’t want to) shake.

Over the years it’s looked different: long-distance running, weight lifting, yoga, Pilates, Cross Fit, HIIT (high intensity interval training), walking. Changing it up has been a great way to keep myself interested and keep my body guessing. I can’t imagine ever subscribing to just one way of working out; and with the availability of options out there I don’t ever have to!

The one thing that has always been my biggest motivator, though, is getting outside. Do y’all realize how lucky we are to live in such a gorgeous state? Even if there aren’t a variety of trails or walking paths or parks right in your backyard, it’s likely that you can still get outside and find a place to run or walk. Or, if the weather is overcast, maybe open a protected window while following along with an indoor workout.

Regardless of what you do, that fresh air does wonders for improving your mood and creating a fun distraction!

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get outside! What is YOUR favorite mode of exercise and how can you do it outside?

By Miss October 2014, Deborah Brauser

My last “Guilty Pleasures” confession for the month of October is about something I grew up eating in Kansas – casseroles!

In fact, we ate all kinds of crazy concoctions. Many called for cans of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup; one even used crushed up Doritos chips. All were super delicious. As I got a little older I learned they were also super easy to make, adding a little of this and a little of that into a deep baking dish, stirring, and then cooking. Voila! Dinner was ready.

Through the years I’ve moved around a LOT and discovered that this wasn’t exactly a food experience shared all over the country. In Los Angeles, friends couldn’t even get past the fact that I liked meat, so I thought they were the strange ones. (Ha!) But people on the East Coast also wrinkled their noses when I talked about the beloved casseroles of my childhood.

A friend’s young son even asked incredulously while watching me cook, “You’re going to put all those different things into one dish?? You sure eat weird stuff.” But then curiosity got the best of him and, after trying my nacho chicken casserole, admitted to enjoying it. A casserole convert!

Since moving to Arkansas, I don’t see that many casseroles at get-togethers and pot-luck dinners here. Interestingly, when I cross the border to the West, I’ve noticed that Oklahoma seems to have more of a taste for those Midwestern “throw-it-all-together” dishes.

Now that I finally have a house with a big kitchen that’s making cooking fun again, I’ve been going through old family recipe books. And I recently came across my favorite favorite.

When my brother and I were growing up, my mom made us a super tasty chicken and rice casserole a lot, which we loved. But for some reason I stopped making it and even thinking about it years ago. After coming across the recipe again, I made it one night and the onion-y smell and distinct taste instantly transported me back to happy childhood memories. Success!

So, for my last post as the October Blogger of the Month, I’m sharing the recipe for this fantastically delicious concoction. I’m including it as written, which isn’t exactly the healthiest version it can be but it is authentic. (Just substitute as needed. Or save up calories for the indulgence. It’s worth it! J )

Mom’s Chicken & Rice Casserole

-1/2 stick Land of Lakes unsalted sweet butter, sliced
-1 cup uncooked rice (note from Mom: use Riceland extra long grain white rice!)
-1 pkg Lipton onion soup
-2 1/2 cups water
-chicken (use Tyson frozen grilled ready “Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast”)

1) Pour out chicken to 1 layer full on a plate, microwave using defrost setting just until unfrozen, set aside
2) In casserole dish, place butter slices, spread rice over butter, sprinkle soup mix evenly, add the water, then put the chicken on top (don’t worry that it looks like a watery mess at this point)
3) Cover completely with a lid and bake at 350 for 1 hour
4) Uncover and cook 10-15 minutes more, checking as you go to make sure it’s done
5) Eat up!

Thanks so much for letting me hang out with you all this month. It’s been a lot of fun! And feel free to share any wonderful casserole dishes you’ve discovered…

By Miss October 2014, Deborah Brauser

As I’m running around trying to get ready for another overseas business trip, my Mom calls with an urgent message, “Are you getting your money transferred to euros ahead of time? And if so, how many are you taking??”

Mom and Me in Spain

I think the most fun part about the upcoming trip to Berlin, Germany is how excited my Mom and my Aunt Darlene are. My Mom has tagged along on at least 1 of my big trips each of the past 3 years, but this will be the first time that my Aunt will be part of the group too. She has never been outside the country and keeps calling it the trip of a lifetime. So my Mom and I have been spending a lot of time comparing notes to make sure we can show her a good time – in between my work schedule of course!

I’ve always loved travel and believe it all started when I was very, very young and was left at home with my Grandmother instead of allowed to go with my parents on a trip to California and Disneyland.

Grumpy Little Me in Mouse Ears

Yep, my parents met Mickey Mouse without me!! I’ve written before about this incident, but it’s funny to think that that long ago feeling led to me never wanting to miss out on, well, ANYTHING ever again.

Once I was a little older, my folks would pack up my brother and I on weekends and we’d all go exploring the fun and sometimes down-right odd attractions around our state (Kansas). We visited the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, the World’s Largest Hand-Dug Well, the Dalton Gang Hideout and Escape Tunnel, Boot Hill in Dodge City, Dorothy’s House and Land of Oz, and a giant 160-foot electric shovel nicknamed Big Brutus.

Big Brutus

Later, we made several cross-country trips, including 1 particularly memorable time we sat inside the family van in the middle of rush hour traffic in New York City. Wowza!

But the biggest highlight came when I was 16 and somehow talked my grandparents into letting me tag along with them on their first trip to Europe. They said if I could figure out how to pay my way, they’d let me go with them. Thankfully, they had signed up for a budget tour that saw a different country almost every day. So I was able to save up the needed funds and then experience a colorful buffet of new locales.

Grandma and Me in Gondola in Venice

Although it took a lot of years, I was finally able to start making overseas trips again as an adult, including several by myself. But no matter how busy I am covering conferences, I always hear a little voice saying, “Are you missing out on something fun that’s going on?” And away I go. A few hours open in between lecture sessions? Let’s go exploring! An interview’s been canceled? Plenty of time to ride London’s giant Ferris wheel!

And now I’ll soon be traveling to Germany with two family members determined to see absolutely everything. They may even wind up wearing me out! But that’s okay. We can all sleep when we get home, right?? 😉

Mom and Aunt Darlene