I wrote about A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong last year but wanted to share this post again for this year since my daughter and I just watched it last week. It has become a Christmas tradition, along with the other Goes Wrong Show Christmas special.
Have you seen this one? If you have or haven’t, click through to read more about it.
This is part of the Comfy, Cozy Feature with Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.
Read more about it and join up to the linky here:
Teenage boys are not always easy to buy gifts for. I know because I have one and he sometimes shrugs when I ask what he wants for Christmas.
If he does tell me, it’s sometimes something way too out of our budget while also buying gifts for others.
Finding affordable gifts that a teenage boy might like and use can lead to an extensive search online and you don’t have time for that so I have done the search for you. Granted, I only have ten suggestions for you today, but there are other bloggers doing the same out there on the interwebs so don’t be afraid to search a couple places for these ideas.
(Some links in this article may be affiliate links. This does not affect the cost to you, but may provide commission for items purchased.)
1. Night Light Bluetooth Speaker, Bedside Lamp with White Noise Sound Machine, 16 Soothing Sound, Alarm Clock
This is something that I actually have added to my list for my teenager. I have not used it but it looks like a great idea.
|| Night Light Bluetooth Speaker, Bedside Lamp||
This is a combination lamp, Bluetooth speaker, white noise machine, and alarm clock.
My son sometimes goes through periods of insomnia and I think it would be great for him to have this white noise to drown out some noise and also the alarm clock to get himself moving in the morning, which he does fairly well on his own.
I don’t know if the idea of big blue light shining at night would be a great idea since it might keep some awake but I’m sure there is a way to turn it off.
2. Mini Drone with Camera,
Here is another fun idea. We did buy my son one like this one year for Christmas, but we never really got it to work well so I would love to look at this particular one for him.
The D70 drone comes with a camera (720P HD FPV) and is foldable. It has a headless mode, altitude hold, gesture selfie, and speed switch. It can fly 22 minutes with a control range of up to 130 feet.
Because it is foldable it is also easily portable.
3. Flipslide Game – Electronic Handheld Game
The seller says this is an addictive multiplayer puzzle game of skill with four thrilling game modes. Is it? I don’t know but it does look fun.
Sure it isn’t a Play Station 5 but it might be something fun your teenager can take with them on a car ride to entertain themselves.
4 . TOSY Flying Disc
Parents today often think their children need to get out and touch grass more and this is a great way to do it. Back in my day (yes, I am old enough to be able to say that now) we had frisbees and they were fun enough but these are frisbees that light up. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.
The TOSY flying disc has 15 Million Color RBG or 360 LEDS and several smart modes and is rechargeable. If nothing else, you won’t lose your teens if they go out in a dark field to play together.
5. Medieval Crusader Sword with Scabbard.
|| Medieval Crusader Sword with Scabbard||
Yes. I am suggesting a sword for your teenage boy.
I know. But hear me out.
Many boys like the idea of owning a sword and this one is for collection only. It has a dull edge and is for cosplay (for all you old folks, that is along the lines of dressing up.
In other words, they can’t harm themselves or anyone else with this sword but it will look cool on their wall.
6. Stanley Ice Flow Stainless Steel Tumbler with Straw, Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle
This is another item I’d love and this could be purchased for a girl or a boy, or a man or a woman (or a mom named Lisa. Ahem.)
There are a variety of colors and from what I understand Stanley products keep beverages very cold for a very long time which means your teenager could have this next to them during a video game marathon. They also have tumblers for warm beverages.
7. Funny Gaming Shirts
There are many options for funny gaming shirts online but here are three I found that I know my video game playing son would find funny. He did mention to me that you have to be careful that these aren’t designs that aren’t stolen from artists online so just be cautious.
|| I Went Outside Once || || My Perfect Day || I Paused My Game To Be Here||
8. Crave Box Snack Box
What teenager doesn’t love to have some snacks on hand any time of the day or night?
No, these aren’t the healthiest snacks but they would be nice for a once-in-awhile treat. There are 50 packages of a variety different snacks inside this kit.
9. MACHLAB Men’s Pullover Winter Workout Fleece Hoodie Jackets Full Zip Wool Warm Thick Coats
This is not only a warm coat but looks like a stylish one to wear anywhere.
10. PRINCE OF SLEEP Fleece Robes for Boys
I don’t know about your kid but my teenage son likes to sleep and he also likes to hang out in his pajamas when he has time so this one is a great idea and it comes in several different colors.
I truly do not know how November went by so fast.
I know that many of us say that about every month but November really did fly by for me.
We had some activities, but for the most part it was a relaxing month.
We celebrated two birthdays, an anniversary and, of course, Thanksgiving.
We took a field trip at the beginning of the month to a reptile zoo, which Little Miss was thrilled about.
The Boy and I enjoyed it too, but she was just in heaven. I’m sure we will visit there again in the spring or summer.
We did schoolwork and while there were some of it we didn’t enjoy, we are learning a lot of new things from a variety of sources this school year, so that has offered us some more chances for fun than other years.
I am moving a little away from a strict curriculum for some subjects and focusing on reading books on the topics or doing more hands-on activities instead of paperwork.
That seems to be a lot more relaxing for both the kids and for me.
The Boy still has to do some paperwork, but Little Miss is doing a mix of paperwork with reading various non-fiction and fiction books and exploring more of the things she is interested in.
I plan for us to do some lessons on cooking in December and January for both Little Miss and The Boy.
Even with our oven broken, there are many other ways to cook and that would be something to teach the kids in case they ever move into a place that doesn’t have an oven.
My goal this year for homeschooling is to focus on life skills and things that they will need to know how to do in life in addition to academics.
I still feel like I am not doing enough with actual curriculum, but teaching with less strict curriculum and more freedom in how we learn seems to be benefiting the children’s desire to learn and their overall feeling about school in general.
We still continue to use the curriculum, of course. We are just not as strict on using it every day. Some days we allow reading, art, music, and exploring to be our educational guide instead.
In a couple more days we will be moving into December and I love December more than I used to.
I once dreaded December because I knew cold weather came with it. It officially kicks off a winter that usually lasts a couple of months here in Pennsylvania and sometimes even more.
But now I know that December is when we can make excuses to watch cozy movies, read books full of Christmas happiness, and tell people who want to know if I want to go out in the cold for some sort of cold activity that I have family commitments for the holidays when I really don’t and just want to stay in and drink cocoa and watch movies instead of attending whatever function they want me to.
I’m joking about that last part, of course. I don’t really lie to people. I’m middle-aged. I just tell them like it is: “I don’t want to go out in the cold because I’m old now and I don’t have to do things that I don’t want to. So there.”
Our house is already decorated for Christmas. The Husband (my silly “pet name” for my husband here on the blog only) decorates every year the day after Thanksgiving. I would probably wait until December to decorate otherwise, but it’s nice to start the happy movies and books early.
We only decorate inside because our neighbors go all out for Christmas. Everyone in town (of like 600) loves seeing their lights, but the people driving on the highway down the hill from our street also love it because you can see them from there. They aren’t at the level of one of my husband’s co-workers who has a huge display every year. It’s one of those displays where people almost have accidents looking at it and it’s on a busy street too.
I’ll have some more photographs of their display later on this month, I’m sure, but here are a couple photos I took last year for now:
The weekend after this upcoming weekend there is a holiday event and book sale at the local library which I am looking forward to. I have a couple classics I hope to find there. There is also a light display at the local fairgrounds either that weekend or the next that we plan to visit.
So, while December was once not as fun of a month for me (until we got to Christmas), I now like several things about it, including:
What are you looking forward to in December? Let me know in the comments.
Christmas creates such a warm, cozy, and relaxing feeling in me and I look forward to carving out time well before it every year just to immerse myself in those feelings.
Last year I watched movies, read books, and participated in a few Christmas-related activities in our community and made an effort to truly soak in the season. I withdrew from social media, choosing to read a book or watch a Christmas-themed YouTube video, show, or movie during that time. It was one of the most peaceful stretches of time because I made a concentrated effort to focus on joy.
It was a restorative month that came right before a period of a month of stress when my mom went into the hospital to have her gallbladder removed.
I am striving for that restorative month again and hopefully this time I won’t be met with stress on the other side.
As part of this month of comfy and coziness, I will be blogging about movies I watch, books I read, or Christmas activities I participate in. I plan to blog some about Christmas memories as well.
Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs is the one who came up with the idea to join up and blog about our Christmas-themed experiences this year. She then suggested we open a page on each of our blogs where everyone who wants to participate by writing their own Christmas-related post can link up and we can meet new bloggers and continue the cozy feelings. I loved both ideas and am so excited to participate! It will be a much-needed distraction from life!
We also both decided that the event would be open to people who celebrate other holidays this time of year, not only Christmas. Erin and I are fans of alliteration, however, so we stuck with the name Comfy, Cozy Christmas for the feature.
We do ask that only posts about the holiday season be added to the link.
You can find the link to the page for this fun feature at the top of the page or HERE.
That page is where you can add your links.
I hope to see some of your Christmas posts listed there!
I don’t like using my blog to promote myself or my books too much but today I did want to share that all of my Spencer Valley Chronicles ebooks are on sale starting today and going through November 27.
All four full-length novels are 99 cents and the Christmas novella (Beyond the Season) is free.
I have descriptions of each novel on the link called My Books at the top of the page or HERE.
You can order the books from that page or you can find links on Amazon HERE.
Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing is not on sale this week but it will be next week when I get ready to release Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage, which releases on December 5.
I also wanted to mention that The Apron Strings Book Series authors are holding a scavenger hunt where you can go to their websites and find clues that will give you the chance to win several gifts, including books by each author.
The Apron Strings Book Series is a Christian Fiction series that begins in January of 2024. A new book will be released each month throughout 2024 and will focus on the story of different women from each decade who are all connected by one cookbook.
I am writing a book for the series. Cassie will be released on August 15, 2024.
You can learn more about the series in our group on Facebook.
You can learn more about the Scavenger Hunt there and on author Amy Walsh’s website HERE.
I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving and have a wonderful weekend!
Flames are curling around the logs in my wood stove as I write this, creating a cozy, warm glow that we need as it is very cold and raining outside.
Tomorrow, temperatures are supposed to be higher and more manageable so we might not need a fire. By Thursday (Thanksgiving) night, we will be back to lighting the fire to keep the house warm.
Heating oil has been through the roof for two winters now so we have been glad to have a wood stove that heats much of the house and helps us cut down on that bill. We have electric heat upstairs so that helps some but this year the state deregulated electric so now that is also going up.
I don’t usually write share a tea and chat post in the middle of the week but this week I felt like I wanted to just chat with visitors to my blog.
Don’t worry, this isn’t an affiliate post, which you might be seeing more of from time to time here on the blog. I am not really a fan of affiliate posts, to be honest, but our family can use all the financial help it can get so I’ve decided to at least do a few a month. I doubt I will make anything, honestly, but I’ll never know if I don’t try.
That’s one thing I wanted to talk about in this post – to assure my regular readers that this blog isn’t going to become just an advertising blog. I will link to some products I like but they won’t all be affiliate links. Sometimes I just want to show you somewhere you can grab a copy of a book or a journal or find a movie I liked. I am working with a couple of different sites but many of the links I provide won’t be affiliate links – just informational ones.
And I won’t even link to products all the time. I don’t have time for all that, for one, but I also like just sharing for the fun of it and not to get something in return.
With that being said, I’m going to go back to rambling now.
Tonight I am watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman as I write this. I’m watching the Pilot episode which was a 90-minute movie first aired in 1993.
I used to watch this show every Saturday night when I was a teenager. It’s not holding up too bad – at least based on this pilot episode. Of course there would be people who would call it racist or cultural appropriation, or who knows what, these days, but for me it was one of the first show where I saw Native Americans portrayed as they are, not as stereotypes. It was a show that also showed the prejudice against them by white settlers and the army. It showed me that what our country did to the Native Americans was wrong and, in almost every way, unforgiveable.
I need the escape right now so I am sure I will continue watching it the rest of the week.
Life is heavy sometimes lately, right?
Like it isn’t just me?
So many people, including my family, are struggling financially. Where it was just a few here and there before, it’s not a lot of people around me and a lot of us are embarrassed to say anything.
An author friend and I finally had to admit to each other we are broke and can’t send out books for free or giveaways anymore. It feels good to be honest, even if I am embarrassed that I’m a grown woman who feels like I should be more financially secure at this point in my life.
Every time I feel like we are ahead, though, we get kicked back with either heating costs, things shutting down, rising food prices, or a doubling of our health insurance premiums.
I don’t want this post here to be too much of a downer, so I’ll say that even as I worry and we stress there are good moments too.
There are some successes and a lot of laughter and joy in our family.
Yesterday our daughter was talking to a friend on the phone and they were playing an online roleplaying game (safe one. I checked.). Little Miss said to her friend, “I just think you need to break up with him.”
The friend said back to her something like, “I will but messing with him is fun right now.”
God bless whomever that young lady dates later in life.
Little Miss was watching Bambi on her phone the other day and I quickly texted The Husband:
“Should I warn her about Bambi’s mom? I mean she about flipped out when she thought Chance was going to die in Homeward Bound. I should probably tell her.”
The Husband: “She has to grow up sometime. She’ll be fine.”
I look at her and it’s getting closer to the scene and I finally say, “Listen, about Bambi’s mom…”
“Yeah, Mom, I know. She dies. It’s fine.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, good, I’m glad you know.”
“I’m more upset that they have a man voice acting Flower’s voice.”
“You can’t enjoy the movie because a man is voice acting Flower? Not because Bambi’s mom died?”
“Yes.”
A quick Internet search later to double check I am right: “Honey, Flower is a boy. Bambi just called him Flower because he thought he was a flower. Also, his voice was done by three different male actors of different ages.”
She lets me know then it is fine that a male voice actor provided the voice and she can now enjoy the movie.
We are going to my parents tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner. What are you doing? If you are in the United States and celebrate it, of course.
Whatever you do, I hope you have a good one. I’ll touch base again this weekend and see how it went.
I’m so glad to be able to just sit down and chat with you all today.
I’ve been doing a lot of writing about many different things the last few weeks but today I just want to write about nothing. Okay, so most of the time I write about nothing, but…go with me on this.
I started this post on Thursday. It was chilly outside but not as cold as it was earlier in the week. Friday we were supposed to have warmer temps again and get some rain and we did – late in the day. Then temps dropped sharply again today and we will be back to lighting the fire at night or even during the day this next week.
I really do like having the fire and enjoying its warm glow during the colder weather. The only thing I have to watch for is that too much wood doesn’t get loaded into it that the living room becomes a sauna and that has happened a lot in the past. We are supposed to get the temperature up to 300 degrees at least once during the day to burn off the creosote in the pipes so our smallish living room can get a bit too toasty when we do that.
All day Friday I wanted to sit in front of the fire and read a book but we didn’t start a fire since it wasn’t cold enough and I didn’t have time to open a book. I finally opened a book at almost 11 but then remembered I still had editing to do on my book.
My brain was a racing mess all week. It jumped from thing to thing to thing that I needed to do.
“Oh, I promised this group I’d post this.”
“Oh, I promised I’d write this post.”
“Oh, I need to get that one post ready.”
“Oh, I forgot to make the corrections on my book and it comes out in only two weeks.”
“Oh, I forgot to plan our homeschool lesson.”
“Oh, I wanted to make soup for that lady The Boy rescued this past summer.”
“Oh, I need to outline my next book.”
“Oh, look the animals have fleas again despite using the same flea medicine we’ve been using for years.”
“Oh, look we have a full on flea infestation in the house now.”
“Oh, I forgot that one bill.”
On and on it went and still it goes. Today I am desperate for a small amount of time where my brain only says, “That was a nice chapter,” or “I liked that video. It was peaceful,” or “Bob Newhart is so funny.”
I’m craving calmer days where I don’t feel like I’m plugging my finger in another hole in the dam of life which is about to burst and send me careening down a river of trials.
I don’t know if that is going to happen any time soon so I am going to enjoy some pockets of peace instead, stealing those quiet moments when and where I can.
Today (Saturday) The Husband has taken Little Miss to a makeup gymnastics class and I am watching Darling Desi’s latest video, will make some tea, and will hopefully read another chapter of Little Women.
Then I need to make the corrections from The Husband and my mom on Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage before it goes to another editor this upcoming week.
After that, I really hope to watch a cozy movie and work on some upcoming blog posts, but I don’t want to feel as rushed as I did all week long.
The rushing really hasn’t helped any situation – I haven’t sold more books (in fact I’ve sold almost none this entire month), I haven’t brought any more money in for my family to help as we struggle that way (in fact I have spent money will trying to bring in money so that has defeated the purpose), and I haven’t solved even one problem with the rushing and worrying.
This upcoming week will be Thanksgiving and we will spend the day with my parents. My brother and his wife will be home because my sister-in-law has to work the night shift (she is a 911 dispatcher) and it is also their anniversary. My brother is going to spend time with his wife before she has to go to work.
Thanksgiving is also my husband’s birthday which means the pies we make can be for his birthday and Thanksgiving.
Since Erin (from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs) and I are kicking off our Cozy Christmas the week after next, I’ll also be spending some time to plan out my posts and grab onto the cozy feel of the season as much as I can, despite all the oddness going on in my life.
In addition to trying to figure out finances, my animals have fleas right now and our normal OTC flea medicines (both are very well-known, high-quality medicines) are not working. It’s possible we have an infestation in the house so we are working to solve that issue without having to set off one of those awful bombs that requires everyone to leave the house for two days.
While things have been stressful here, there have also been some lovely moments. Little Miss has made another one of her cozy forts for us to snuggle in at night when we want to read. Adding an extra pillow to the floor has helped this old lady with sciatica issues be able to sit there and I’m sure we will find time to snuggle tonight and this week while reading books.
I’ve pulled out my fluffy, very warm, blue blanket my husband bought me for Christmas our first Christmas here and put it on the bed and it’s been wonderful to snuggle under it while reading Little Women with a booklight at night.
We’ve had some nice family nights with my parents, playing charades and laughing while we all try to figure out what the other person is trying to describe. My dad is the best at charades, I should add. Mom and I are probably the worst.
Later today I hope to make some sweet potato and butter squash soup, which Little Miss has been asking for. She lost a tooth the other day and that reminded her of her dental surgery earlier this year and how I had to make her a variety of soups to eat while she recovered so she asked for sweet potato soup again.
I also hope to make potato soup at some point this week. I had planned to make it last week but never got around to it.
It will be a week of soups, I think, because I also have some frozen roast and potatoes to add to the Instapot to make vegetable beef soup later in the week.
Today I am closing my post with the Darling Desi video because the end of the video really hit me this week in a place I needed it.
How was your week last week?
Did you do anything fun?
Try any new teas or warm drinks?
Let me know in the comments.
My November Author Newsletter is available today on Substack.
It features announcements, an author interview, and a giveaway.
You can find a link to it here, by clicking the photo below.
Welcome to another Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot hosted by me, Marsha in the Middle and Melynda from Scratch Made Food For Hungry People.
I cannot believe next week is Thanksgiving! Can you?!
It seems like school just started and now here we are rushing toward the end of the year.
I’ve been super busy lately with writing blog posts, editing books (past and future ones), and managing social media.
Last week a reel I posted on Instagram to promote the blog posts Erin (Still Life, With Cracker Crumb) and I were doing for autumn (Comfy, Cozy Cinema) went viral.
The reel was simply a clip of the documentary Tea With The Dames that Erin and I wrote about on our blogs but for some reason, it started to be shared and watched and commented on to the point it has 6 million views, 331,704 likes, 148,939 shares and 2027 comments.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what goes viral on social media, but I am guessing the reason this clip went wild is that people, one, love the dames (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright, and Eileen Atkins) and, two, people simply need something happy and joyful to see these days with all the horrors and negativity going on in the world.
If you want to see the Instagram post you can find it here:
I enjoyed the documentary but I don’t know if I thought the clip was worth 6 million views. Ha! Ha! I am really glad it made people happy, though. A couple of people even messaged or left me comments to tell me how much it uplifted their spirits during dark times. I suggested they watch the full documentary to further improve their mood.
If you would like to see the documentary, you can find it streaming for free on Tubi or you can buy or rent it here: https://amzn.to/3SKEL7d
You can also buy a DVD of it here: https://amzn.to/3QJQgct
Now, on to our most clicked link for this week:
My Latest Trip To The VA and the Chanel Exhibition by Frugal Fashion Shopper
That Was October 2023 by Is This Mutton
Thanksgiving Activities To Do With Your Family and Friends by Grace Filled Moments
Wordless Wednesday: Finishing Up Fall by My Slices of Life
We will be taking a break for Thanksgiving next week so please return with us on November 30th to link up your posts.
Also, don’t forget that we are looking for a couple more hosts for this feature. Contact one of us and we will put you in touch with Marsha. And please take the time to hop around to other blog posts that link up here.
(Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. I only recommend items that I love, actually use, have used in the past, know someone else has used, or want to use in the future. Clicking the link does not mean that you will pay more for the item, only that I make a tiny commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for helping my family bring in a little extra, much-needed money.)
