Is it REALLY Time for Christmas Already?

Christmas is 7 weeks away, but the retailers and their extravagant decorations would make you think otherwise. Everywhere I turn I see Christmas displays in stores and hear holiday music piped through the speakers. I know November seemed to arrive pretty quickly, but sheesh, I haven't even thought about December yet. I guess the early displays and decorations are the retailer's way of sending (not so) subliminal messaging to their patrons to start spending money. I sort of keep harping on this, but I just don't appreciate feeling like I'm already behind or not doing my part to create a "magical" Christmas. Whatever that is....

Charlie Brown would not approve.

Before I go any further, let me pause to say that if you're the baking type, you really should make these white chocolate gingerbread blondies. No, seriously. I'm not kidding. You NEED to make these; your taste testers will bow before you, with tears in their eyes and thank you profusely (and hopefully with gifts). Martha Stewart may have exhibited some poor financial choices in the past, but she knows her baking stuff. Try these now. And, if you can't find molasses in your grocery store, because it's not with the sugar, like you might expect, it's by the pancake syrup. I learned that lesson the hard way and have been able to help a few fellow molasses fetchers with this bit of advice ever since.

Oh, one more thing: if you do choose to make these, I used only 2 sticks of butter instead of the 2 1/2 it calls for because I made these before and they were sort of greasy on the bottom from the excessive amount of butter. 2 sticks worked perfectly.

I made those blondies and some double chocolate chunk cookies for the bake sale at Caroline's school's Craft Fair today. Since I'm a neurotic freak and like for my bake sale goodies to be nicely presented, with clean edges, I ended up with a fair amount of blondie corners and sides left last night. Knowing how poor my will power is when brownies or blondies are involved, I really knew that I should just throw them away. Somehow Caroline talked me into keeping them. I reluctantly obliged, but for safe measure I put them in the freezer and tried to hide them.
And do you know what? They taste awesome frozen, straight from the freezer.

Our day has been jam-packed with activity, but this is the last soccer game, so the weekends to come will be not as eventful. Caroline and Craig are at a birthday party in Maryland; Craig has a long time friend who has a son that is a few months older than Caroline. He's having a party at one of those inflatable jumping places and kindly invited Caroline. I went to the party with them last year, but decided to sit this one out.

Instead of joining in the birthday fun, I used some of my baking earnings (I was also graciously given $20 for baking that going away pumpkin cake yesterday) to buy myself some lunch at Panera and then I got a much needed hair cut. I forgot how tasty Panera's black bean soup is; I ordered that along side half of a mediterranean veggie sandwich. I was starving and practically inhaled it all. Unfortunately I also managed to inhale a piece of feta from my sandwich which caused quite the coughing fit. A lady beside me kept inching further away as if she thought I had the swine flu or something. It wasn't that kind of cough. Sheesh. I'll be sure to wear a mask the next time I choke on a piece of feta.

After my hair cut, I paid visits to Target and Kohls but couldn't find anything to waste my money on. I did find some *almost* perfect jeans at Kohls. They were dark wash denim with a bit of stretch and on clearance for $8. The only pair left was in the right size and I liked them, but they were about five inches too long. Oh well.

This morning I also volunteered at the Craft Fair, helping at the food table. In my usual clutzy fashion, I spilled the last of our coffee that someone was hoping to purchase. It dripped down the table and on to the floor, making quite the mess.

I'm so classy.

I like to keep things real, you know that.

I'd hate for anyone to think I'm really as perfect as I appear.

Ha!