Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Just a few more days and counting until Christmas. I promised my youngest son that we’d find some lights to drive by this weekend and I’m looking forward to that. It’s also time to bake some of our favorite cut out cookies and enjoy some downtime now that school is done until January. YAY!
Just a reminder that I take time off work the weeks before and after Christmas. I do continue to check the blog comments first thing each morning though, so if you have recipe questions leave them on the posts in question and I’ll answer them there.
Today, for the final week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Giveaways, I’m looking ahead to the new year and giving away (5) $50 Amazon gift cards so that 5 lucky readers can order themselves a new planner, calendar, or whatever else might still be on your wishlist after Santa visits.
To be entered, leave a comment on THIS BLOG POST telling me how many months of the year you actually used in your 2020 calendar or planner. (I’ll go first – mine is pretty much blank after March – and I’m guessing that I’m not alone in that. Here’s to actually making some fun plans in 2021!) The winners will be selected on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at 11:59 pm EST.
Here are the lucky winner’s comments:
ON THE BLOG this week: Sea Salt Pecan Toffee is the answer to your snacking and sweet tooth dreams. The end. Do I exaggerate? Sometimes, yes. But right now? Not really. There aren’t a whole lot of foods that I label as “The Best Ever” or “crazy insane amazingly delicious” but this toffee recipe is exactly that. All of those things.
Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Polvorones, Snowball Cookies …these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are known by many different names around the world. My grandmother called them Sugar Butter Balls.
Creamy chocolate fudge filled with peanuts and marshmallows makes a chewy, crunchy, salty, sweet Rocky Road Fudge that all ages will enjoy. This Rocky Road Fudge has everything I love about Rocky Road ice cream mixed into a rich chocolate fudge.
What I’m CRAVING: Have you heard of kardemummabullar? Neither had I – until my friend Sue shared them on her site. They are Swedish Cardamom Buns and they sound incredible!
What I’m READING: Shepherd’s Abiding by Jan Karon. This is the eighth book in the Mitford series and I continue to enjoy them all. The timing for this book couldn’t have been more perfect as it’s set at Christmastime. And as it turns out, Christmas in Mitford is as heartwarming as it could possibly be.
What I’m WATCHING: Santa Who? This was a great Christmas movie. While we’ve already established that I love a predictably funny and happy Christmas flick, this one was better than most. I’m honestly not a big fan of Leslie Nielsen, but he did a terrific job portraying Santa Claus with a case of amnesia.
“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” – Winston Churchill
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
Jennifer Martin says
Yikes!! I lost mine sometime in March. 😢Not that I would have used it, or at least I don’t think I would have because I didn’t rush out and buy another.
Amy Cooley says
I’m a huge calendar person! I use a wall calendar and a planner calendar throughout the year.
Amy Cooley says
I’m a huge calendar person! I use a wall calendar and planner calendar all year long.
Marceia Dickinson says
I had plans in my planner all the way up until June but had to erase them all in March so yeah my planner has been blank since March too. I’m ready to plan again in 2021!
Rose O. says
The closest I ever come to using a planner is our kitchen wall calendar – keeper of nostalgic notes and appointment reminders. If I were to win one of the Amazon gift cards, I would add that as a nostalgic note to December 2020!
Diane DeJohn says
I would be absolutely lost without my calendar. I have one in my office, one in my kitchen and one on my phone. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Joani Knuepfer says
Hi Mary,
I did continue to use my calendar planner this year to keep track of birthdays and other special days, and just to be able to know what day it was since they all seemed to be the same there for awhile during this pandemic.
I also am a home care nurse, so I did keep track of my clients that I visit each week as usual.
Merry Christmas and a happier 2021! I really enjoy your blogs and newsletters. Thanks for doing that! Joani
Barbara says
I’ve recently become a subscriber, and am pleased to find these blog posts interesting, and inspiring. As for “How Many Months Have I used My Planner,” i use it every day, a few times every day. Even being fully retired from any sort of work related things, I find it helpful to list tasks, and keep track of routines. Yes, there is some color coding, but the evening meal menu is always in pencil, part of being adaptable. A few days ago I set up the 2021 planner as well as a journal/morning pages notebook using papers on hand. I don’t recall the last time I actually used a purchased planner. Here’s to creativity, and following my mother’s admonition to “Use your Imagination.” Blessings to One and All.
Jeanie says
I continued to use all through this unprecented year…with reminders, thoughts..appointments that were made and then cancelled…continuously!
Here’s to a better 2021!
Theresa Hamby says
I used all the months in my calendar. I am always making notes (birthdays, things that need to be completed, travel plans, etc.) to get me through each week!
Sharon Lynn Wolfe says
I not only have a blank planner after February except for a few scratched out family events scattered throughout but I have a jar for 2020–“good things” there are literally 6 pieces of paper from January. That’s it! But, I interviewed and started a new job this week and I will have to organize and keep a schedule in 2021.
Nancy Bailey says
All year. There are always things to be done!
Sara Jimenez says
I will say my calendar has around 6 months with a few things in them. Life picked up a bit in October!
Marilyn Schuler says
I use a planner the entire year…would be lost without it !
Janet says
I think I used my planner every single month for something or other. Now that I look back, it was practically all for medical appointments! A couple for hair appointments ( exactly two all year), reminders of a couple of things…like when to cancel my Hulu trial. Here’s hoping there is more to write in 2021!
Sandy says
My 2020 desk calendar is used only when I tear off a bunch of months-old pages so I can use their backs for notes, shopping lists, etc.
Becky says
When your only outing is to the grocery store, you don’t need a calendar or planner. 🙂 But I can bake an awesome loaf of bread now and my cookies could win an award. I am thankful my family has not gotten sick and am looking forward to the vaccination being available. I will be so happy to have my life back. Merry Christmas.
Jenny says
I bought a beautiful planner for 2020. Something I haven’t done since using my phone calendar years ago. Then promptly “misplaced” it. I unearthed it a month ago while clearing out all the books and paperwork on my nightstand, and promptly got rid of it. What a bummer, didn’t get used at all. I still need a better system for my notes and personal “to do” items.
Jennifer says
I use mine every day. Have it open on my desk for both myself and my family when they wonder where I am after work or on the weekends. If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget. Plus it has Birthday, Anniversaries ect wrote in it so I don’t forget those either. Definitely a must for me.
Happy Holiday. Peace, Jennifer 🙂
Danielle says
I actually used all 12 months! I have my planner open on my desk at work and since I continued going into the office all year, I saw it 5 days a week!