A few weeks ago, I joined Pinterest and began pinning with the rest of the women my age in the Midwest. I read a Star Tribune article about the growing popularity of Pinterest about a week after I joined.
My co-worker, Anna, is also a huge fan. She and I decided to set aside a Saturday afternoon for crafting. We began by spray painting a Christmas star my parents gave me (it was gold and my Christmas color is silver). We also fixed the ties on my guest room curtains. Lastly, we decided to reuse a teacher gift we both received.
As a Christmas gift, we both received this bear.
The bear was a little awkward and plain. We decided to repurpose the bear as a Valentine’s bear. I think it turned out very cute in the end.
Maybe my cute bear will one day show up on Pinterest???
I enjoy cooking and making yummy food. I have always wanted a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, but I worried about whether I would use it often enough or have space for it in my kitchen.
For Christmas this year, my brother and Alaina bought me a beautiful chrome KitchenAid. I have already used it twice to make different recipes. I love that my arm doesn’t get tired when I mix anymore. I can’t wait to make Chewy Sugar Cookies. You can find the recipe here.
After our Italy trip, lots of people have been asking where we are headed next. Truthfully, Italy was our big dream, and we did it. We didn’t have a “next” trip on the list.
There are lots of places we want to go…California, New York, Boston, Hawaii…but the best place to go for spring break has always been Florida. It is the warmest place to visit this early in the spring, and we haven’t been there since we visited friends in Tampa in 2009.
This year we decided to tackle Orlando…and DISNEY! We have friends who honeymooned at Disney World, and I was inspired to do Disney as a couple. I am ready to enjoy the magic!
You may remember my post from two years ago about the kitchen remodel. If you weren’t traveling the Sutherland Road at that time, you may read about it here.
At the end of our project, I wanted a new microwave, but we were unable to afford it. At the end of last year, we decided to use our credit card reward points to purchase a new microwave. Jesse and a friend went through the process of installing it (I didn’t want to stand there holding something heavy for any period of time), and we gave our old one away on Craigslist. It may take awhile, but we always finish our projects eventually!
Some of you may wonder at the title of our blog. Six months into our marriage, Jesse’s car died. We were able to trade in Cameron for Urma. We have owned Urma for 5 years, and we have driven 100,000 miles in our car. On average, we drive 20,000 miles a year.
Let me use the last four week as an example.
We began celebrating Christmas with the Smith-Sutherland family. We met at a water park in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. For the first time in two and a half years we were ALL there. This is quite the feat because one of the Smith families now lives in Kenya, but they were able to travel home for the holidays. From Lake Geneva, we drove to Chicago to continue the Christmas festivities.
At the WaterparkThe Smith Kids
We returned home on Monday because we had to work Tuesday-Friday. On Friday afternoon we drove to Neenah, Wisconsin for the Lashbrook family Christmas. My grandparents from Indiana also joined us in Wisconsin. We played games, exchanged gifts, and even went to an arcade for one evening of fun.
Christmas EveChristmas Day
We drove back to Minnesota on Wednesday to celebrate a friend’s wedding. Saturday morning we flew and drove to Upland, Indiana for Jesse’s grandma’s wedding. We celebrated New Year’s Eve with the Sutherland family and enjoyed the reception, post-reception party, and after the post-reception get-together.
Grandma Sutherland's Wedding
Sunday morning we drove to Chicago for the immediate Sutherland family Christmas before returning to Minnesota on Monday.
The Best Gift of Christmas
The next Friday I drove back to Neenah, Wisconsin to celebrate a baby shower for my sister-in-law Alaina.
We do a lot of traveling but always enjoy the time it gives us to spend with friends and family. Now, our suitcases are finally unpacked, and we are looking forward to some time at home!
I love my job, but there are days when my job is really hard. This week especially I put in lots of above and beyond hours and still wasn’t able to finish everything on my to-do list.
With all of its challenges, Christmastime is a great time to teach second grade. Many families in my class write nice cards and send their students to school with great gifts! Plus, parents volunteer at our parties and comment over and over again that they have no idea how I do it day after day after day. In short, I feel very appreciated.
Today, though, I had one of those funny moments that made me laugh out loud. The students were all gathered around wanting me to open the various things they had brought for me, and they were teasing me about how great it is to be a teacher because you get so many presents.
In a serious way, this little girl looked at me and said, “Mrs. Sutherland, you’ve given me the best gift of all.”
I replied back (slightly sarcastically), “And what is that?”
I tend to not be the most creative person. I always like things to look cool, but I never quite have the right vision or materials to complete crafty projects.
I have recently been inspired by a few of my co-workers to try some outdoor holiday projects. It began when I attended a workshop on making a kissing ball.
You begin with a foam ball and attach ribbon. You soak the ball in water and begin filling it with evergreen pieces that are all the same size. One of my co-workers donated all of the evergreen from her outdoor trees.
Next you fill in the gaps with two different kinds of greens. I purchased these in bundles at a local Home Depot.
The next step is fun add-ins. I added mini red ornaments, silver sparkly pinecones, and thin silver wire.
When it is all done, you hang it as a decoration. I opted to hang mine outside because it should last longer.
I’ve always seen kissing balls and admired them at the store before but thought they were too expensive. After the cost of materials, the time spent on the project, and the mess, I now know why they are so pricey.
After finishing the kissing ball, I decided to add spruce tips to my outdoor pots. I am very pleased with this year’s outdoor Christmas decorations!
This year we decided that one Thanksgiving was not enough. The Saturday before Thanksgiving a part of our small group combined our efforts to create a Thanksgiving dinner before Thanksgiving.
We had a 13 lb. turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, scalloped corn, salad, rolls, apple pie, and pumpkin creme brûlée. It was a feast…and a great time of being together as friends.
Jesse and I have loved getting to know you and Matt through our small group. We love that you enjoy hosting people at your house and getting together to do fun things.
You also are incredibly generous with your gifts. As a professional photographer during a very busy season, you were willing to take time for us. Jesse and I can’t wait to post your pictures all over our house.
We have uncharacteristically been home most of the weekends of September, October, and November. We made two back-to-back road trips Up North and to Neenah. Usually, we are traveling here and there and everywhere.
We have enjoyed our time at home, but it has also been a bit boring. I really have very little to blog about when we just hang around home. Thankfully, we will soon enter the holiday season where we will travel to Neenah, Minnesota, and Indiana within 7 days. Let’s hit the road!
