Home Video Date

Good Thursday morning!

The Gallery Pics are of the COMPLETED Faulkner Family/Friend Christmas Puzzle 2010! Josh isn't a puzzle guy, but since we (Code for I) wanted 100 percent participation from the Faulkner Five, he cheerfully agreed to put the last puzzle piece in place. (His hair was a mess. Thus, the hoody.)

Roxie has requested a Faulkner Family/Friend New Year's Puzzle, so I'll be puzzle shopping today and/or tomorrow.

ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! - I will be posting my annual Year in Review tomorrow. You don't want to miss that. It will be the Faulkner Five 2010 in a nutshell. A big, long nutshell, but a nutshell nonetheless!

RANDOMNESS #1 - All of my guys received Fort Red Rock Paintball gift certificates for Christmas, and today they will all be shooting at each other having the time of their lives. Since Roxie had basketball practice, I was unable to watch the fun... but fun I know they will have!

NOTE - It's a FANTASTIC paintball venue, and gift certificates make a great birthday/graduation/Christmas present. You need ten people for a group rate, and we found another family whose boys were up for the paintball challenge. If you are interested, go to www.fortredrock.com for more info.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Roxie and I are helping with a friend's birthday party today. The young lady is having a Spa Party.

Semi-Funny Story - When her older sister had a Spa Party a few years ago, I was in charge of the "Sparkle Make-up" Station. One by one, the little girls sat down and told me exactly what shade of eye-shadow, blush, etc. they wanted on their pretty little faces. Well, except for one young lady.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Miss Belinda. Now, what color would you like today?" I asked.

"No. I already know your name. I mean WHO ARE YOU?"

I had obviously not given her the answer she wanted. "I am Miss Nancy's friend, and I told her I wanted to help with Mary Elizabeth's party," I replied. "Now, what color would you like today?"

"So you don't even have a kid here?" the little girl persisted.

Busted! "Uh, no."

"But you're helping anyway?"

"Yes. Now, what color would you like today?" I had flop sweat from all the questioning.

After one final LONG look, she allowed me to apply sparkle make-up ALL OVER her dainty face.

Nancy later told me the same little girl went home and told her mother, "Miss Nancy had professionals at the party today."

"What do you mean 'professionals,'" her mother asked.

"The lady who did my make-up wasn't a helping mom. She was a professional make-up lady."

I have to tell you, I was more than a little flattered from that seven year-old chick's expert opinion... which once again proves I need to get out more!

Blog Linkage - I hope y'all have had time to go through some of the homes on the Nesting Place Christmas Home Tour. I'm still looking at about a dozen a day. I've also jotted down some of my favorite new blogs from looking at the homes. I'll share four with you today.

1. Go to www.designingdomesticity.blogspot.com.

2. Next, visit www.thisblessednest.blogspot.com. (Cute, cute name, but I love the blog, too.)

3. Ready? Now type in www.hookedonhouses.net. Absolutely beautiful.

4. And I love this one. It's a mother/daughter blog and they show you how to design on a dime, and they do it very elegantly. Go to www.twocarolinanesters.blogspot.com.

Enjoy!

Home DVD Date

Since New Year's is a time when many people reflect about the past year, break out the scrapbooks, pictures and home DVDs.

Take one child at a time, make a big bowl of popcorn, snuggle under the blankets and spend one-on-one time looking at the scrapbooks, watching the home DVDs and talking, talking, talking about the past year.

Vacations, birthday parties, baseball games, etc., etc., etc. Spend an hour or so reminiscing about all the good times your family had that year. Talk about God's many blessings bestowed on your family in 2010.

And it's more than okay to talk about the sad times, too. The sad times can make family even stronger, and that's a very good lesson for your child to learn at any age.

Have a wonderful Thursday. Don't forget to visit again Friday. I'll have Weekend Happenings, the Faulkner Five Year in Review 2010 and maybe, just maybe, a picture of our NEW YEAR'S FAULKNER FAMILY/FRIEND PUZZLE! I know. It's almost TOO exciting, isn't it?

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda