Wednesday Hodgepodge~ December 3, 2025

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Hello friends!  I'm joining Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday's Hodgepodge. Each week, she hosts a weekly link-up that is a collection of questions for bloggers to answer. It's to help bloggers get to know each other better and have a little bit of fun! It's a great way to hang out with friends. So grab a cup of coffee or tea if you prefer and join in on the fun. 

So, what is a hodgepodge? A hodgepodge is an unorganized mixture of various things, a jumble of items that don't belong together. 

Here are this week's questions and my answers for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge~ 

1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)

Holiday spirit is spreading joy. Surrounding yourself with loved ones. Jumping in to do all the holiday stuff... shopping, baking, decorating, watching holiday movies, etc. Focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. 

If you would have asked me last week, I would have said a 10! Now, I would have to say a 4. We had a few upheavals in our life this past weekend that will take some time to heal from. We all feel a little broken and lost right now. I'm hoping we can get that holiday spirit back before Christmas. 

2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why. 

I love heat miser and snow miser from The Year without a Santa Claus. The banter back and forth is funny. I love how Mother Nature keeps them in line. 

3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition? 

I like gingerbread cake. I'm not a fan of gingerbread cookies, though. Every year, we each make our own gingerbread house to see who can make the best one. It's been a family tradition since the kids were little. We look forward to it. Even the dogs get excited. They try to eat the candy pieces that fall on the floor. 

4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-

sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Sprinkles, lightening bugs, Coke, Sneakers, Sub, Highway, Frosting, Both sauce and grave depending on what we are referring to. 

5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood.

We spent every holiday with family. We'd visit the grandparents and spend hours playing with our cousins. These were the best days. I'd love to go back and visit with everyone again. It would be so amazing to hear my grandma's voice again. To hear her laugh. We never know when the last time will be, so we take all those things for granted. I'd love to have just one more visit.

6.  I have no thoughts to add right now, so I'll just leave a photo of a cute little kitty.

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Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ December 1, 2025

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Good morning, dear friends! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was a little stressful thanks to some family drama before Thanksgiving Day. We are still dealing with it, but hopefully things will settle down soon, and we can find some peace and understanding. At least that is what I am praying for. 

So, let's get started with Happy Homemaker Monday with our beautiful hostess, Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to stop in, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and say hi.

The Weather in My Neck of the Woods~

We had our first dusting of snow yesterday morning. It has been freezing since Thanksgiving Day. We have a winter storm coming in tonight and into Tuesday. They are calling for ice and snow with an accumulation of 1-3 inches. Not too much, but a good start to the winter season. Our evening temps are in the low 20s. I feel bad for my sweet girls. I have quite a few hens that are still recovering from their molt this fall. Cold temps and bald chickens don't go together. 

Monday~ Partly Cloudy, 40*

Tuesday~ Snow & Ice, 37*

Wednesday ~ Sunny, 42*

Thursday~ Sunny, 42*

Friday~ Partly Sunny, 31*

Saturday~ Sunny, 38*

Sunday~ Cloudy, 42*

As I Look Out My Window~

The sun is just starting to rise. The sky is a soft blended mixture of pale blue and pink. The trees are bare and empty. The ground is littered with the last fallen leaves. 

Thinking and Pondering~

My brain is in overload. I'm so mentally drained after the past 5 days. I feel like my brain could explode at any minute. Liars, ugh, I hate them. They don't give a crap about anyone but themselves. They don't care about who they hurt. The innocent people they break into a million little pieces. My mama's heart is broken and shattered. Whoever said the terrible twos was the worst stage lied. Having adult children getting ready to launch is the hardest. You just have to stand by and watch as they fall apart. As their world shatters like glass. Hopes and dreams scatter in the wind. It was so much simpler when they had a scraped knee, and I could put a Band-Aid on it. When I could kiss the hurt and pain away. Now, I have to stand here, offer love and understanding, and watch them put the pieces back one by one. I can no longer come to the rescue and fix it. This is the worst feeling as a parent. 

How I'm Feeling~

 

Exhausted! Mentally drained. I just want a few days of peace, calm, and quiet. 

What's on My Nightstand~  

The Greatest Gift Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

My Bible and the Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections. 

My kindle 

What's for Breakfast~

An egg and cheese sandwich on gluten free sour dough bread and a couple cups of coffee, of course. 

Looking Around the House~

Christmas all done. The trees are up, and all the decorations are out. I do need to vacuum again, but overall, the house is pretty good. 

On My To-Do List This Week~

Laundry

Bake cookies

Organize sewing room 

Happening This Week~

Monday~ Hair appointment

Wednesday~ Wait for my son's new phone to arrive

Friday~ Lunch with my sister

On My Reading Pile~

Christmas Around the Fire by Ryan N.S. Topping

The Greatest Gift Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

Stocking Stuffer by 

Hot Cocoa and Hotter Nights by Alexx Andria 

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts

What I'm Listening To~

Classic Christmas music

On TV this week~

Netflix

Grey's Anatomy (for the hundredth time)

Call the Midwives

Blindspot

Your Honor

YouTube

Christmas Music

On the Menu this Week~

Monday~ Chilli

Tuesday~ Tator tot Casserole

Wednesday~ Leftovers

Thursday~ Spaghetti and meatballs

Friday~ Night out

Saturday~ ?

What I am Sewing, Quilting, and Creating~

Nothing at the moment. Things have been a little crazy here and there just hasn't been much time to focus on sewing or crafts. I had quite a few things I wanted to get done over the past few weeks, but they have been left sitting there.

My Simple Pleasures~

The early morning hours before anyone else is up. The house is quiet. The Christmas tree shines brightly with colored lights. I sit there lost in my thoughts drinking my cup of coffee. I can forget about all the problems circling around like vultures.

From the Camera~

Praying For~

My parents

My sister and her family

My husband and son

My daughter and our soon to be born grandson

Our country

Friends and family

Inspirational Quote/Bible Verse/Faith~

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ November 30, 2025

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Monique

Friday Book Review~ The Gingerbread House

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A Gingerbread House

Author: R.M. Whitaker

Publisher: Paper Elephant Publishing

Published Date: November 1, 2025

Print Length: 378 pages

The Gingerbread House by R. M. Whitaker is a wonderful Christmas romance story. It has all the perfect ingredients for a Christmas romance… a charming small town, a sweet romance, characters that you fall in love with and root for.

A.J. Banner left home and headed for the big city. She never thought she would head back home broken and defeated, but life had different plans. She returns to her small town home for the holidays, excited to spend the holidays with her friends and family. While celebrating the holiday season with her family, she runs into her childhood crush, Bensen Miller. Together, they spend a whirlwind of days enjoying the Christmas season. They work hard on preserving and saving a childhood landmark from destruction.

A.J. works hard to overcome her fears and doubts. Can she find what she's looking for? With her career and heart on the line, she must figure out what she wants out of life, what she feels is important now.

This is a sweet, charming story. It's a clean romance story, so there's no need to worry about graphic scenes. It's refreshing to read a clean romance story. There seems to be a trend now to go all out. The characters are enjoyable and very relatable. I enjoyed the storyline. It was a charming tale of preserving what's important and realizing that our life is made up of so many memories that shape us. You can always go home again.

This is a beautiful story about second chances, small-town communities, and the importance of love.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion. 

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ November 23, 2025

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Monique

Friday Book Review~ One Snowy Swedish Christmas: A Spicey Holiday Novella

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One Snowy Swedish Christmas: A Spicey Holiday Novella

Author: Elina Scott

Publication Date: November 17, 2025

Print Length: 131 pages

Since this is a novella, it's a quick, easy Christmas read. Overall, One Snowy Swedish Christmas is fairly good. I always have problems with novellas. I want a more developed storyline, but that's pretty challenging to achieve in such a quick read.

I  have to be honest. I was not a fan of the FMC, Casey. She was way too old to be acting like a spoiled brat. She came across as selfish and a little unhinged. I don't know too many grown adult children who would actively fly across the world to break up their mother's marriage at Christmastime.

The romance part of the story is not bad. It's a little taboo. Casey and her stepbrother, Erik,  start to have feelings for each other. Casey does try to avoid them because of the fact that their parents are married. It is a little awkward, but they're not related, so it is plausible. Casey doesn't want to get involved with her stepbrother at first. She doesn't want to destroy the happiness her mother has found, which Casey has finally admitted to. We see Casey mature somewhat during the Christmas visit to Sweden.

Since this is a novella, everything is fast-paced. The storyline moves quickly. I do feel like the relationship between Casey and her stepbrother moved a little too fast. They've met once before and suddenly fall madly in love in a few days. Her actions go against everything she believed with her mom and her new husband. She was so upset that her mom married a man after knowing him for a few months. Now, she's falling in love with a man in a few days. The plots contradict themselves. Yes, people can change, but not that quickly.

The story itself is not bad. It has some great potential. I would have loved to see more growth and understanding between Casey and her mom. The quick turnaround didn't flow that well for me. The love story between Casey and her stepbrother felt rushed and not authentic. If the story could have been longer and developed more, I feel it would have been better. I would have loved more details and descriptions of Sweden, so that as the reader, I could have felt like I was there.

Overall, the story was fairly good. It just wasn't for me. If you're younger and looking for a quick Christmas read, I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion.

                                                             

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ November 16, 2025

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Enjoyed this post? 

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Till Next Time,

Monique