Boy, I sure am. I have won several giveaways on fellow mommy blogs in recent weeks. My first win was a couple of months ago, and I won a SoftBums diaper with 3 organic bamboo inserts. Then I won a pair or adorable bloomers for Miss from the Etsy shop Three Yellow Starfish. I ordered them sized so they’ll fit her this summer. More recently I won a one-year subscription to the online meal planning site Relish! and a few days ago I won a sterling silver charm bracelet with my choice of eight charms from The Charm Factory!

I have mentioned before how my hands are so chapped and cracked from washing them so much, especially when I was sick. Even though my hands have gotten to the point of splitting and bleeding knuckles, I never like to put lotion on my hands because I can’t stand the greasy feel I get from it. I am always on the lookout for a good hand cream that will not leave my hands feeling slimy. I try to get actual “hand cream” rather than general lotions or creams, thinking that a hand cream will be made to absorb quickly. I have often been disappointed in this, but now, I have found a great solution! The other day I got a tube of Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Creme. It soaks into my hands quickly and doesn’t leave them feeling gross. I have only put it on at night for the most part, but my hands are already so much better!! No more bleeding, no more cracks, and they feel so much better. Just thought I’d share!

Last night was a nice relaxing New Year’s Eve for my family. I made stuffed poblano peppers for dinner and my hubby and I relaxed for the evening watching football (Yay Cyclones!!). I had some sparkling grape juice (way too sweet, gross!) and the hubby had some sake (the man loves sake!!) and we went to bed before 9. We read for a while (me – “The Man Who Ate Everything” by Jeffrey Steingarten, Ben – “Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing” by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn), but definitely had lights out by 10. Today, Ben will make chili and we’ll watch lots of football (Go Spartans!!).

Once upon a time, the big plans for New Year’s Eve were all important and sometimes very elaborate. I have celebrated New Year’s Eve in many ways and with many people. There was the year I went to a bar in Windsor, Canada (I believe I was still under 21). I can’t remember the name of the bar, but I remember spent a ridiculous cover charge for “food,” a cheap bottle of “champagne” and a few chintzy party favors. Then there was the year I drove up to Michigan and celebrated with my best friend and many others in her basement. The first year my hubby and I lived together we had a party at our home and invited all of our wonderful friends from our early days in Durham. I recall these different New Year’s Eves as being fun in their different ways. Many other years I’ve had a wonderful time on New Year’s Eve too. And then some years were utterly forgettable. But the one thing they all had in common, until recently, was that I always, always, stayed up past midnight to “ring in the new year.”

Hm. That has all changed in recent years. Last year, I was pregnant and tired and in bed by 10. This year will just be more of the same I’m sure. And really, I don’t mind. I no longer feel like there is something magical about staying up until midnight. About watching the ball drop, counting down those last seconds, or kissing my beloved at exactly midnight. I won’t miss the noise makers or the cheap sparkling wine that tastes disgusting. I don’t feel like I’ll miss something important if I’m happily slumbering in my bed at 11:59 as the clock rolls over to 2010. In fact, what I feel I’ll miss if I do stay awake is those precious hours of happy slumber that could have been had! So, I’ll kiss my hubby at bedtime like I always do and wish him Happy New Year, though it will still be a few hours until it’s official. I’ll wake up tomorrow in the new year (hopefully) refreshed from a full night’s sleep, and I’ll feel just as thankful for all the blessings of 2009 and just as hopeful for a wonderful 2010 as I would if I had stayed up to officially welcome in the New Year at it’s birth. Happy New Year everyone. Bring on 2010.

Hello again. We got back yesterday from our travels to spend Christmas with my in-laws. We had a great time, but were pretty lucky I think to have had such good traveling conditions, considering the snow/ice storms going on in our neck of the woods. We managed to beat the ice on Christmas Eve and drive to the Farm with only rainy conditions, with temps above freezing. Whew! Then we woke to ice-covered everything on Christmas morning and reports that roads were closed through much of western Iowa and impassable around where we were. Yikes! It made for great sledding conditions though, and all the kids (big and small) had a blast sledding on the big hills at the farm and being pulled around in a huge tube (intended to be pulled behind a boat!!) behind the 4-wheeler. Miss had a wonderful time playing with all her cousins too. We had manageable road conditions for our trip home yesterday, although road weren’t really “good” until we got into Wisconsin. Iowa really needs to get on the ball with the snow removal! Anyway, we made it home safely with wonderful memories of Miss’s first Christmas. I’ll upload some photos and post them soon, but for right now, I’m too pooped and would like to just lie on my couch while Miss naps (read: I’m going to take a nap :). Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday!

The holidays are a time to be spent with family. Unfortunately, my family lives approximately 10 hours away and my in-laws live about 5 hours away (both driving distances). So, tomorrow night we begin our holiday travels. We will be driving through the night to go to my parents’ house. Why through the night, you ask? Two reasons. One is that my husband’s work holiday party is tomorrow night. The other is that it is much easier to drive that far with a baby when she is sleeping the whole way. Easier for us, and also easier for her. So, we will probably hit the road at around 10 tomorrow night and we’ll stay with my parents for about a week. Then we’ll be back home for the week before Christmas and leave on Christmas Eve afternoon to go visit my in-laws and spend Christmas weekend with them.