'Roid Rage

Well, it's been a while since I wrote an actual post! Looking back last week I realized I posted baby posts all week but never even got a chance to post about the week! Plus I've got quite the backlog of recipes to post...lest you think I've forgotten about the challenge, I haven't! I've been busily cooking away, I've taken pictures of everything I've done so far, just haven't had the chance to get everything loaded up and posted! With the short work week and nice long break for Thanksgiving, the week is practically done already!

Our weekend was an absolutel whirlwind. I was sooooo sleep deprived last week that towards the end of the week, I didn't even trust myself driving! Friday we were out late at our small group but thankfully I was able to sleep in Saturday morning. I didn't get out of bed until 1pm! I had a lot of catching up to do. The next six hours were spent cleaning the house and trying to get it ready for Christmas decorating this weekend. We're going to haul the boxes down tonight so we can see what we need to get during black Friday shopping.

Saturday night we went out on a double date with friends and their little baby girl and then came back and tested out the new wii until 1am in the morning. Gotta say, best Christmas gift Hubs and I could have gotten each other. We've been having a blast!

We nearly didn't make the 11am church service the next morning we were out so late, as it is, we were a bit late. :-/

Sunday afternoon was spent doing a pile of returns and enjoying the Ravens game. Wish I could say the same about the colts but we won't go there...

Sunday early evening we had a thanksgiving dinner with one of our churches. I took a double batch of the pumpkin spice donuts and creamy pumpkin dip and both were inhaled. I had people begging me for the donut recipe again...I've taken them to 4 or 5 parties this year and had the same result everytime. Even non-pumpkin lovers go crazy over them!

Sunday late evening Hubs had a hockey game and that's where the fun filled weekend ends. The game didn't start until 9:45 and the team almost forfeited, as a number of players couldn't make it. We had 5 and no subs. The other team had ten and was a full team of cops, including the commissioner. Our guys played amazing, were even winning at some points, despite not having a single break the entire evening, save minute breaks between periods. During the third period, the other team got out of control (probably because we were still in the game, despite them having twice as many players as us) and one of their guys grabbed my husband by the facemask and whipped his head down to the ground and then back up and behind him so fast and hard that the helmet came off and my husband got a nasty muscle strain/whiplash.

This my friends is what they call 'roid rage. It's blatantly obvious that players on the other team use them. The sad fact, other than the fact that they use them, is the fact that they are all cops and when you call 911, these are the sorry excuses of men that are answering your call for help.

Men that can't control their anger over loosing and not only do the constantly pick fights and play dirty, but they gang up and try to knock someone's teeth out in a men's league for no other reason other than the fact that they're angry they're not scoring enough.

To make matters worse, one of their most blatant steriod users and most violent players walks off the ice, giving me the stink eye the whole way and then proceeds to cuss me out and say "what are you looking at b****" Effing C***... all while slamming his sticks around. I'll leave the rest of it to your imagination but to say I was displeased, would be an understatement. I didn't even say or do anything!If my husband and entire team hadn't walked out of the locker room together before he came out and walked out with me, I would not have been surprised at all if he had continued to get violent and get in my face. I wouldn't have put it past him to physically harm me! I felt like (and still feel like) I needed to get a restraining order! And this is a Baltimore City / County cop! Shame on him for his disrespectful and threatening behavior. Shame on Baltimore for employing such sorry excuses of men. And shame on the Commissioner for turning a blind eye to his teams sorry behavior, 'roid rages and inexcuseable violence.

My husband complained to the league coordinator who will be pulling the player aside and warning him against his behavior but I already know he'll deny it. Why anyone would expect someone to man up and admit to such behavior after he's already stooped so low as to commit such behavior is beyond me...

Needless to say, my weekend ended on a slightly lessor note, however, I am super super grateful for a husband that will stick up for me and not allow anyone to treat me like that. Any of you ever been in a situation like this? Honestly, I don't even know what to do next time I have to see the guy, he's one of those rink rat type guys who is always hanging around the rinks so I know it won't be the last time I see him.

Christmas Cards

Now that the holidays are upon us, I am debating our Christmas cards. I know you all have seen posts about Shutterfly all over the internet. Be prepared, you're about to see another one.

See, the year we got married, we didn't send out Christmas cards. We were married during autumn and by the time we were back from our honeymoon, our thank you cards were going out at the same time as Christmas cards and I didn't finish wading through thank-yous until January as it is. I had very good intentions last year but the swine flu struck me down for a good month and it was just too late to think about Christmas cards by the time I had energy to do them. If only I had known about Shutterfly's speedy process though, maybe I would have reconsidered!

I've always thought of photo cards as expensive, but was pleasantly surprised with the cost and design possibilities in their Christmas & holiday card selections. In fact, I'm having trouble narrowing it down! Honestly, I've never used Shutterfly before, but I think that it's all about to change! I plan to use our anniversary photos that we took during the summer but am having trouble narrowing down the pictures too! So many good choices! Our favorite photos are both landscape and portrait so that didn't really help me cut out any favorite design possibilities. These Shutterfly Christmas cards will be our first Christmas cards that we ever send out as a couple and I'm really excited that they will be so spiffy! Here is what I've narrowed it down to so far:










The Plaid Bliss and Pine cone designs are my favorite, I *think*. Ask me in five minutes and it may have changed again. Help me out here! Which one's are your favorites?

Friday Feature: Christmas is Coming!

Ok, so clearly the baby posts are boring to most people? Or perhaps it's the temptation? ;) Anyway, we'll take a break from those and enjoy the fact that it's Friday! And next week kicks off Thanksgiving and black Friday/cyber Monday shopping and most importantly, the Christmas season officially starts today with 97.1 starting up the Christmas music! Yippeeee!

I used to be of the camp where I strictly adhered to the Charlie Brown line "it's not even Thanksgiving yet". The past couple of years I've been internally debating my position on when Christmas should start and I have come to the conclusion that I'm ok with slowly starting it up before Thanksgiving. I will stick to decorating our house and getting our tree Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas baking starts in full force Thanksgiving weekend but Christmas shopping and music? I'm totally fine with starting it up now. Which brings us to today's Friday Feature:

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album

OMG guys the Glee Christmas album is so good! No matter your feelings about the show, the music renditions in general are always excellent, but the Christmas album is so incredible! Their rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is amazing and O Holy Night just gives me the chills!

Has anyone else checked out the album?

Baby Favs #3

Well, clearly not everyone enjoys baby shoes as much as I do...but that's ok, we'll move on to the next category and maybe you'll find something that tickles your fancy a bit more! Clothes is clearly one of the biggest categories...we could go on and on about the cuteness at baby gap but I will limit myself to just a few pictures:











I die...the cheetah print coat? Gah! So cute! We walked into baby gap last night while out spending a leftover groupon I had and I seriously could have walked out with one of everything. Hubs was no better than me! Seriously need to stay out of that store until we have kids!

Staying out of baby gap does not however, help my adoration for several designers I have frequented on etsy. Jess over at Joyfolie has done a number of adorable boleros and dresses but I won't taunt you with pictures of her summer line that has sold out. I will be sure to dedicate a separate post to her fall/winter line that promises to be full of faux fur, velvet, corduroy, gorgeous necklaces, jackets, dresses and tights. Can't wait!

In the meantime, we'll start with another one of one of my favorites! First up is Allthenumbers, I adore her dresses and outfits and have bought several. Moms and girls go crazy when they see her gorgeous designs:











Seriously girls, the quality is impeccable! Many of the dresses are designed to grow with the child, so they can first be worn as a dress and then later, it can be worn as a tunic or shirt. She also offers reversible dresses, so if your daughter spills or stains one side and you don't have a back-up change of clothes, voila! New outfit on the spot! And I love those little madras rompers, I will totally be putting our sons in those.

Next up is a gorgeous gorgeous shop, Swans Creek, that seriously carries the dreamiest, most elegant little girls options. So perfect for the holidays!






*swoon* I would have loved to worn clothes like this when I was a little girl, that dress just makes me want to twirl! Definitely a dress worthy of a little princess!

Kid Collective designs such adorable, colorful dresses. Ironically, lately one of my favorites of their designs is a charcoal dress but really, my favorites constantly change. I don't think one can really pick just one favorite...












Another one of my top pics, Mountain Aven Baby, does beautiful clothes, including my favorite, the reversible dresses. The first two photos are of the same dress, reversed. Such a cute christmas dress!





Switching gears over to the boys, is We Choose Joy who has adorable little onsies (first 4 photos) and JoJobeth Designs who has adorable little ties (last 3 photos):









Last but not least we have Evy's Tree, Amy does gorgeous hoodies for all ages.








I'm going to go ahead and cap today's post here, but seriously girls, so many cute options! If you have links to share for other places I have missed, PLEASE pass them along as I am always interested in checking out new stores!