Mommy Madness - Christmas Favorites!

I'm all about the hoppin' these days and this one looked like so much fun I couldn't resist.  I saw it the first time over at Ashley Plus Three and followed it to Life with the Lebedas!
Now all I've gotta do is write something.  Easy right?  Suuuure.
This hop is all about Christmas favorites, and I'm all about Christmas so here goes!

• Decorating!  I love decorating.  I've got Christmas lampshades, figurines galore, candles, even the dreaded Christmas sweaters, that I pretty much refuse to wear anymore, because the only time you can get away with wearing old lady clothes is when you're NOT an old lady!  I put garland on everything, from the mailbox and lightpost, to the banisters and light fixtures inside.
• Kisses!  No, not those, the Hershey's kisses.  All the fab flavors they come out with during the holidays.  This year I tried the cherry ones!  So much better than the chocolate covered cherries!
• Christmas Music!  I adore Christmas music.  Except when you work in the mall for 14 hours a day from Halloween until January.  Then it just sucks, but I don't so I do!
• Candles!  I love candles all the time, but there is O.N.E. that I adore.  I had a whole case of them that I bought from Home Interiors when it was still Home Interiors years and years ago and every year I've burned one.  I think it's Cranberry Peppermint or something, but this year I'm on my last one so I haven't lit it yet.  I'll wait til Christmas day!
• Staying home!  Yes, finally!  This year the in-laws are coming here, so I can enjoy Christmas morning, then a nap, then a visit, then a nap, then some lazy time, then a nap.
• Riding around seeing everyone else's decorations.  The lights at the James Center make me feel all warm and fuzzy and that's how you're supposed to feel at Christmas right?
• Candles in the windows.  Love them!  Leave them on all the time even when they make it hard for me to sleep.
• Snow!  I so hope we get snow for Christmas this year!
• Spending the day with my husband and youngling.  They're my loves and my life.

I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, but that's what I can think of at the moment.  Usually I'd put gifts on the list, but there won't be any of those this year.  We've managed to do a little something for the past three years, but our finances are at an all time low.  Trying to keep the house from being foreclosed on and the utilities all turned on continues to be a struggle and I've pulled about every miracle I can out of the hat.  We've cashed out retirement plans, used all our savings account, I've even sold anything I can stand to be parted with to bring in some extra funds.  The guys at the bank look forward to me bringing in rolls of pennies now!  Although I am thinking about selling my wedding rings since gold is at an all time high.  That would go a long way to helping out and then maybe I'd have a little bit extra for a Christmas present for the kiddo!

I'm holding out for an insurance payment for $1500 that they are dicking around with, trying to come up with any reason possible to not pay it, and hopefully (fingers crossed) my disability will come through soon which would be a pretty big initial payment and a monthly payment that would make the house payment from then on every month.  Until then, we'll keep doing what we can, but even that won't keep me from enjoying the holidays.  As much as I wish I had some money to spend on a thing or two for her, she's my little angel baby and she understands how it is.  I'm so looking forward to the day I can make up for this Christmas and her 18th birthday too when she got zip for the big day!

Anyway, we've learned that Christmas isn't about the "stuff" it's about the time.  The spirit.  The whole experience of Christmas and that's what matters.  That's what we enjoy and that's what I hope for every one of you, my lovely bloggie buddies!