Christmas Eve

Good morning -- Merry Christmas (!!)  Let the celebrations begin ...

I prepped the dreaded pork ribs yesterday -- it's the worst part.  You have to slice the ribs raw and that's tough -- always a little extra bone piece to maneuver and they are slimy and wet.  I worry about a knife cut every time.  I decided to problem solve some of my dread by doing it the night before.  Makes today feel infinitely simpler.

I also problem solved my craving for pumpkin cake (GF).  I couldn't decide to make it or not and realized what I didn't want to make was the icing.  I made it as a bundt cake and all is solved.  The only bummer is it seems like the outside is a little burnt smelling -- I think I over sprayed the non-stick and it burnt.  That's never happened before, but I can't think of any other explanation.  The rest of the cake seems fine.  We'll see ...  I'm the only one who'll eat it.  Most will get tossed by Thursday anyway.

I LOVE lime and I guess that's why most cocktails I like have lime juice.  I squeezed 2 Costco bags of limes yesterday.  So many limes, my fingers puckered and I have little micro cuts from the acidity. Worth it though -- no more squeezing needed.  We're having Cosmos and Moscow Mules -- yum.  I'm a Cosmo girl today, but the boys voted for mules.

P.S.  I did make a quick run to Costco before it opened because it always opens early on the holiday weeks.  I got a great space, no line check-out and then exited to a MAD HOUSE.  Parking lot I was in was full, other lot was filling fast, people circling.  Yea, Problem Solving ... my new best friend.

Update on the MojiLife scent machines -- STILL loving the big one and the scent is going strong.  I decided to change to a Christmas scent so I opened one of the mini-machines (per the influencer suggestion to use a partially finished pod in the mini) and it's NOT a machine.  The mini is just a holder meant to be placed where air flows.  Well, duh, no wonder is was so inexpensive.  Glad I didn't order a lot of them.  The electric one is where it's at.  I have a mini for my car and that's fine, but I wouldn't want them for the house -- maybe a closet or small bathroom, but not a room.

Also, when I tried the mini I couldn't get the pod in to save my life.  Turns out, it's a defective pod and slightly too big for the mini.  Another one worked fine.  I had to take the pod out of the package to use it.  Nothing major, but worth noting.

Still ... get a big thumbs up from me.  So much better than anything I've used before.

The agenda today is pretty sweet ... trail run with Duke, cook some stuff, make some cocktails, gather the family and MERRY CHRISTMAS.  Easy peasy and FUN.  This should be a relaxed holiday.

Merry Christmas -- hope your day(s) are filled with everything that gives you peace, joy and makes you feel good.  My intention today is to remember all those feelings come from INSIDE and I can choose them whenever I want to feel good.

((As much as I'm looking forward to Christmas, there's a battle with my mother that rearing an ugly head (she loves to stir over the holidays).  I'm choosing to feel good by focusing on all the good around me and letting go of focus on her drama -- trying hard on this one.))

Merry Christmas XOXO