Tuesday, December 23, 2025

I just want to say I am thinking about any of my blog world friends who are heading into a different or difficult holiday this season. Be kind to yourself. Go back and read my post if you need it! I wrote it before Thanksgiving and it’s about how to survive the holidays if you don’t feel festive.

My holiday at home will look different with one kid out of the house this year. I hope he spends the night Christmas Eve and I have asked him to, but I’m also keeping my expectations low, and it will be ok if he just comes for Eve and Day, too.

He requested chicken schnitzel for our dinner so I’m happy to do that!

I will be going to my hometown after Christmas with my sisters and their families and that will be a huge trigger as it will be the first year without my mom. She loved Christmas.

Did we use up our White Christmas with all of our early snow this year? I’m dreaming of a mild, balmy Christmas!

Tom proposed to me on Christmas morning 26 years ago! It was a pretty big surprise. I found out later he had talked to my dad the night before when we went to my hometown for Christmas Eve church.

I still love my ring. Ignore the old lady who modeled it for me.

The reason it was a pretty big surprise was that he had already given me ski pants for a Christmas present because we went skiing a couple of weeks before, so I thought that was it.

On Christmas morning, he told me his boss advised him that he couldn’t NOT give me something else on actual Christmas and that he had a little something else. He got down on one knee in my apartment and pulled a ring box out of a pocket and asked me to marry him. It was 1999 so we have no photos, no pop out of the bushes photographer, no video, no social media and I don’t even think anyone had their nails done in anticipation.

Christmas Eve 1999 – a week after getting engaged:

It was fun going to our family Christmas celebrations and showing everyone my new ring. And, that year was New Year’s Eve 1999 – remember the Y2K survival kits? We got to dance to Prince’s 1999! Tom and I haven’t changed much; we made it til midnight, but we partied like it was 1899, I’m sure.

We have had the tradition to put magazines in each other’s stockings and this year it was a challenge. I had to go to the back of Barnes & Noble to find some Tom would like.

If you are looking for a low-key fancy but super easy drink hack – get a jar of wild hibiscus in syrup and plop one in a glass of sparkling wine. I used to be able to find my jar at Fresh Market but they have been out. I found this at Total Wine.

I am taking a week off so I will sign off now and wish you peace, comfort, joy, and a merry Christmas.

Cheers,

Amy