Tooting my horn

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Baby Mac & Bubby: The reason for Grandma's BriefsI don't often toot my own horn, but today I'm going to do just that. For you, the readers of Grandma's Briefs. Honest.

I realized as I wrote my most recent post for Grandma's Back Room that many of you may not even know a Back Room exists here on Grandma's Briefs. Which is unfortunate because there's some good stuff there, if I say so myself, including holiday posts on this and that.

There's also some great holiday content in the News to Use tab, a tab many of you may have never clicked on. The same can be said about a couple other spots here on Grandma's Briefs, places you may not know exist.

So today I'm going to toot my own horn and direct you to some of the lesser known spots on my site, starting with those that have holiday content—features meant for this season of all things shiny and bright.

For starters there is, of course, the Grandma's Briefs Holiday Guide. It's a rundown of some nifty gift suggestions, based on items I've received the last few months. It's not every item I've gotten for review, just some of those I sincerely thought would make a great gift for someone or another. (There used to be giveaways in the Holiday Guide, too, but those are done, over, awarded. The early holiday birds definitely got the worm there.)

Another spot for holiday news is, fittingly, my News to Use tab. Most recently—meaning yesterday—I added some great gift suggestions that might help you finish up the last of your holiday shopping. Or, if you're like my husband, get started on it.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Grandma's Back Room is a great spot for holiday content, too. It's the place I typically post all my reviews, giveaways, sponsored posts (that still have a personal bent despite my being paid to write them) and, one of my favorite things in the Back Room, the posts I write in hopes of winning awesome prizes for myself. Check out the top post in the Back Room to see what I mean.

For holiday content of a more culinary sort, check out my Recipe Box. It's filled with goodies I've made for years, many for Christmas as well as other holidays...and regular days. (You can also get an easy rundown of only the holiday recipes I've shared on my site at the bottom of the aforementioned Holiday Guide.)

Outside of recipes, news, and reviews—holiday-related or otherwise—you can find the best of the best ideas and anecdotes from grandmothers around the globe by clicking on the tab for the Grilled Grandma archives; awesome shots of my glorious grandsons in the Brag Book; more than you ever cared to know about me by clicking on, crazy as it may seem, the About tab; and links to some of my favorite places online in Links I Love. (By the way, if your blog isn't listed as a link I love, please don't take offense...I'm woefully behind in updating, so if you want to be there, please just say so).

Speaking of archives, you can always click on the link marked "Click for archives by month" in the sidebar to the right to find every single post I've published on the front page of this site since its inception in July of 2009.

There you have it: My horn-tooting, just for you! Enjoy...and feel free to toot back what you find interesting, awesome, silly, or sick ("sick" meaning nauseating or cool, your choice). Or, let me know what you think is missing on Grandma's Briefs and what you'd like to see more of. I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks for indulging me in this rooting, tooting good time!

Today's question (from The Christmas Conversation Piece):

What gift have you wanted for years but still haven't received?

It goes on and on, my friend

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I placed the last of our Christmas decorations on Friday, setting out all the Santas, the last of the village, the table centerpiece, and the kitschy this and that that goes here and there. The holiday decorating was done.

Or so I thought.

As Jim and I pulled into the driveway after church yesterday, he said, "Ya know, I'd really like to put some white lights in the trees out front." To which I agreed...and thought of all the other decorative things I'd like to do to in order to crown our home sufficiently Christmas-y before Bubby, Baby Mac and their parents arrive on Christmas Day.

So much for being done. Just like the song, holiday decorating doesn't end.

Song? What song? you may ask. I'm talking about the following little earworm ditty, which you may recall with much disdain after just one bar or so:

Like holiday decorating and that obnoxious song, there are plenty more things that never end—some good, some bad, some just the way it is:

• Watching one's weight. You may watch it go up, you may watch it go down. But always, it's watched...often with much trepidation...especially around the holidays...especially if you can't stop eating those <cuss> Ferrera Rocher. (Not that I have been; I'm just saying.)

• Yard work. Spring, summer, fall, winter, there's always—always—more to do in yards front, back, and side.

• Home improvement. There's always—always—something else that needs repairing, replacing, remodeling, repainting, recaulking, redoing.

• Learning. You can always be smarter.

• Self improvement. You can always be more emotionally stable better.

• Grocery shopping. You may think you're done...only to realize you forgot something. Even if you do get every single thing on your list, you're not done and will have to go back again. Maybe the next day, maybe the next week, but you will have to go back. The most dreaded chore of all truly is Never. Ever. Done.

• Parenting. It never ends. I scoff at those who look (or looked) forward to that magical age of 18, when the child supposedly becomes an adult, leaves home, no longer needs you. Yes, I scoff...and chuckle...and await the cries of "Why didn't you tell me it never ends?" Well, those of you with youngsters, I'm telling you now: It never ends!

• Grandparenting. I'm assuming on this one as I'm still fairly close to the starting line, but I'm figuring it's much like parenting: There is no finish line. And that's a good thing.

• Aging. And that's a good thing, too—at least considering the alternative.

I could go on and on, my friends, as I have no doubt this list itself is a list that doesn't end.

There is one thing that does indeed end, though, and that's my time allotted for writing this post. So consider this The End.

(Oh, one more thing: Enjoy your earworm. No matter how hard you try, the replaying of that song doesn't end. It will be stuck in your head all day. You're welcome.)

Today's question:

What would you add to the List of Things That Never End?

The Saturday Post: Cracked-up-carols edition

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Enjoy these mashups of a different sort in which musica intima vocal chamber ensemble combines religious Christmas songs with secular ones.

Better yet, I dare you to try and sing along.

Today's question:

Of all holiday tunes, which one do you most enjoy singing (not listening to)?

Friday feel-good

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Seems that yesterday's post caused many readers to tear up a bit. I offer no apologies for that since I judge the success of a post by how many folks I can make cry shed a few tears myself while reading the comments. Let's just call it even.

Crying now and then can be good for the soul, I've been told, so I appreciate that we can help each other out in such ways now and again.

But, enough crying.

Today I offer up a wee bit of levity for one and all by way of my newly donned holiday briefs on the site banner, a festive holiday poem, and a simple holiday question from "The Christmas Conversation Piece." (Oh, and a laughing holiday horse—or is it gagging?—thrown in, too, just for kicks.) Consider it a Friday feel-good of sorts, simply because I adore alliteration. And because I hope it brings a smile to your soul on this final day of the work week.

Here goes...

Christmas Pie

Lo! now is come our joyfull'st feast!

Let every man be jolly;

Each room with ivy leaves is dressed,

And every post with holly.

Now all our neighbours' chimneys smokes,

And Christmas blocks are burning;

Their ovens they with bakemeats choke,

And all their spits are turning.

Without the door let sorrow lie,

And if for cold it hap to die,

We'll bury it in a Christmas pie,

And ever more be merry.

~ George Wither

photo: stock.xchng

Today's question (from "The Christmas Conversation Piece"):

What is your favorite Christmas sound?