Happy 2012!

The Playfriends hope everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Coffee Shop Craze!

The holidays are approaching and most of us are busy thinking of the many, many things we have to do – groceries for the big meals coming up, shopping for presents, preparing for parties, decorating the house, the list goes on and on. And this is all on top of the normal routine and responsibilities.

There are all kinds of ways to make the holidays easier, but one thing I try to do is get a little time away from it all to relax, breathe, treat myself, and indulge in some uninterrupted writing.

My favorite place to do that? A coffee shop.

Starbucks in the first place that comes to mind for most people, but I must admit it isn’t my go-to place. The music is too loud. I can’t think in there, whether I’m trying to write or simply figure out the next item on my shopping list. And there’s just something about the atmosphere (Yep, I’m one of those touchy-feely kind of people!). The high noise level and kind of hectic pace creates a pressure inside me, instead of letting me relax.

What I really love is any place that feels casual (and I’m not above one of those girly café places either). Music is fine, but at a background rather than screaming level, friendly employees, and I must admit, I’m a sucker for a delicious-looking (and tasting) bakery section. Panera (the pictures below were taken there), Barnes and Nobles (which oddly enough is a Starbucks but without the Starbucks atmosphere), and a few local eateries that don’t mind people hanging out. If I can’t get to one of those, I’ll settle for Atlanta Bread Company or Books-A-Million (our local one can’t seem to regulate the temp in their building).




















This time away is about pampering myself, and that usually means a hot drink (cocoa is preferable, but occasionally flavored coffees) and a sugary indulgence. I love to sip, nibble, breathe, and think. Soak it all in, regain some sense of equilibrium, and prepare myself to jump back in the race once more – no matter what time of the year it is!

So, if you had an hour to just relax at a coffee shop, what would you order?

Angel

PS. SP is blogging on the Desire blog again. Join her to share your favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

St Patrick's Day Quiz

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Playground!

In honor of my Irish heritage, we're going to test your St. Patrick's Day knowledge today. I'm giving away a signed copy of Caught Off Guard and an advanced copy of What Might Have Been to the person who gets the most questions right.* Post your answers to the comments and I'll announce the winner tomorrow. To keep things fair, please don't discuss answers on the blog.

And for fun, tell us if you've got plans for tonight. Drinking green beer? Got your green on? Have you had to pinch anyone yet?

1. In Ireland, what does the color green stand for?

a. Spring
b. Countryside
c. Hope

2. What colors are on the Irish flag?

a. Green, white, orange
b. Blue, red, white
c. Green, red, white

3. Where was St. Patrick born?

a. Ireland
b. Britain
c. Africa

4. What did St. Patrick do?

a. He was a great explorer.
b. He was a missionary.
c. He was a war hero.

5. What is St. Patrick best known for?

a. Driving the snakes out of Ireland
b. Leading the country to war
c. Discovering Ireland

6. What is March 17th?

a. St. Patrick's birthday
b. The day St. Patrick died
c. None of the above

7. What do Irish people say about Saint Patrick?

a. He watches over them.
b. He decides if they will get into heaven one day.
c. Both of the above

8. What symbol stands for St. Patrick's day?

a. Shamrock
b. Egg
c. Snake

9. What is a shillelagh?

a. Leprechaun's outfit
b. Wooden pipe
c. Short, stout, oak club

10. According to legend, what should you never do if you catch a leprechaun?

a. Kiss him
b. Take your eyes off him
c. Tell your friends

Free Glitter Graphics, St. Patrick's Day Glitter Graphics

* if there's a tie I'll draw from everyone with the highest number of correct answers.

Blast from the Past - Christmas trivia

This was first posted last December as part of my now-defunct Walkabout Wednesday series. I'm repeating it because (1) it's neat Christmas trivia and (2) I'm without internet service [using my apartment's business center to do this and can't tie up the computer for long] and I need a blog for today. So bear with me and enjoy the rerun.

I thought it would be fun to have this month's Walkabout Wednesday revolve around places with Christmas names. As you can see from the photo to the left, there's a place called North Pole, Alaska, and I bought this ornament at the Santa Claus House there.

But North Pole, Alaska is not the only Christmas-named place in the US. The US Geological survey says there are:


* 142 places named Christmas
* 260 named Joy
* 11 places in 8 states named Santa Claus (they are in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and Ohio)
* 963 Holly names
* 51 Noel names
* 5 Menorah names (okay, that's not Christmas, but it's a December religious holiday)
* 34 reindeer place names (and 27 are in Alaska)
* 22 states with places named Rudolph
* 24 North Poles
* 24 Mistletoes
* 5 Poinsettias
* 1 Wreath


And here are some factoids about places:

* Between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2007, the postmaster of Noel, Missouri processed 30,428 Christmas cards, which was double the usual volume of mail for this town

* Christmas, Florida, which is located between Orlando and the Kennedy Space Center, has a special mailbox to accept letters for Santa. They are handled by volunteers. All the streets in this town are named for reindeer.

* Santa Claus, Indiana is home to the Santa Claus Museum, Santa's Candy Castle and Santa's Lodge. The Candy Castle dates from 1935, but has modern technology and a webcam to the North Pole where kids can chat with an elf and verbally submit their wish list. You can't visit? Then go to http://www.santasgoodlist.org/ to play. The town also has quite the competitive spirit with a fruitcake eating contest and a fastest gift wrapping event.

* Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is called "Christmas City." It hosts a Christkindlmarkt like the ones in Germany and was given its name on Christmas Eve 1741 by Moravian immigrants. This year they're hosting something brand new -- the Peeps Fest! You can learn more at http://www.christmascity.org/.

* North Pole, Alaska is 12 miles from Fairbanks and was named in 1953. The North Pole Christmas in Ice Festival features ice sculpting contests and you can take a peek at http://www.christmasinice.org/. The Santa Claus House, where I bought my ornament, has a gift shop, Santa himself and real reindeer.

And speaking of reindeer, our very own Huntsville, Alabama is home to Reindeer, Inc., a company that's been exhibiting reindeer since 1980. They've had as many as 75 in the herd at times, and because Alabama summers are way hotter than a reindeer's usual environment, they are kept in air-conditioned barns. If you've seen the movie "Prancer" then you've seen one of Reindeer, Inc.'s animals. They've also appeared in a Mariah Carey video. Mostly, however, they appear locally to entertain kids at Christmas.

Have you been to the North Pole? Santa Claus, Florida? Have you ever petted a real reindeer? Share your Christmas place adventures with us today. I just got back from a weekend trip with two friends. The trip included a day at Stone Mountain which is decorated with millions of lights for the holidays including a tree atop the mountain itself.

Thank You

Today is Veteran's Day.

We'd all like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms.

It doesn't matter your age, occupation, political preferences or religion, these people give up so much - not to mention risk their lives every day - so that we can stay safe at home. All of them deserve our respect and support. If there's a Veteran in your life please tell them how much you appreciate what they've done for us.

Thank you to all of our soldiers, past and present!

Fireworks and Films

Happy 4th of July weekend!

I'm celebrating this great American holiday the traditional way - I'm taking off work, shopping and going to a movie. What? Expecting BBQs and fireworks? Not in my world. I'm an indoor girl and I have a well-established aversion to handheld explosives, unlike my neighbors. As it is, I've eyed the pawn shop by my house a few times in consideration of purchasing a firearm to peg off the pests that started blowing up stuff a week ago. I'm all for fireworks on the holiday, although I prefer the big, expensive ones set off by pyrotechnic professionals. I expect and endorse it on the day. I keep my neurotic dog by my side all night and all is well. But they'll be at it until July 10th. And apparently the best time to set them off is 11:30 PM on a Wednesday night.

Anyway, so shopping and a movie. As expected, I'm off to see the new Twilight: Eclipse. I didn't have the nerve or enthusiasm to go to the midnight shows or to take off early to see it any sooner. The mania has long waned, so today is soon enough for me. I'm excited because this was my favorite book of the series. Its being panned by critics and intellectual types, of course, but that won't stop it from demolishing box office records. I find that the more awful the reviews, the better I like a movie. I don't exactly go to the theater expecting some sort of life-changing experience or social commentary. I just want to be entertained for two hours.

So, how are you celebrating the holiday? Will you be going to see Eclipse with all the teenagers? (Thank goodness for our 21 and older seating at the local theater.) Do you have a favorite movie that was just ripped apart by the critics, but you love it anyway? Share! I'd love to pick up a few new guilty pleasures for my movie collection.

SP

Would You Rather...?

This weekend is Valentine's Day. I would think this was obvious given the stores are overrun with pink and red crap. And yet, as I stood amongst the throngs of people trying to select a card for DB, a man came up next to me and said "When is Valentine's Day?"

Sigh. "Sunday," I told him. He went into a panic and immediately started grasping at cards. His wife should thank me.

You know, Valentine's Day is the same day every year. It doesn't change like Thanksgiving or President's Day. Its pretty easy to keep up with. And yet it sneaks up on men every year. I used to work at Hallmark in high school. We'd have Valentine's stuff out December 27th, but the men would show up on Valentine's Day after work, like clockwork. We were always prepared with inflated balloons and pre-assembled gift bags and ribbon for them to buy in a rush. And would they! Prices they would normally scoff at - like the $50 3-lb heart box of Russell Stovers candy that no one had touched since we put them on the shelves. Sold out by 5:30. You could taste the desperation in the air as they rushed into the store, completely caught off guard by the sudden onset of the holiday they dread.

And they do dread it. They must. DB grumbles at every stupid, sappy jewelry commercial on television. They have all this pressure to deliver some grand romantic gesture. The same pressure doesn't really fall on women. The truth of the matter is that instead of overpriced roses and jewelry I'll rarely wear on some random day in February, I'd prefer a year of helping me keep the house clean, unloading the dishwasher, rubbing my shoulders when I've had a long day or maybe offering to cook or pickup Chinese when I've got no enthusiasm to cook. Unexpected flowers on a Thursday in July just because. There really is truth in those "Porn for Women" calendars. Unfortunately, that's not something they can sell in stores like teddy bears and candy.

Have you ever played that game "Would you rather...?" where you have to choose between two things (usually unpleasant)? Like, would you rather eat a bowl of live crickets or pull out your toenail with tweezers? Ouch. Anyway, I read a report not too long ago that said that one in five people would rather spend their Valentine's Day with their pet than a lover. It's no wonder. I'm not sure how excited I'd be if my guy looked at it as some obligation - some annual sacrifice to the sex gods for continued hanky panky and (at least in my house) biscuits and gravy over the next year.

Got any exciting plans this Valentine's Day? What's the best or most original gift you've ever received from your significant one? Would you rather spend it with your dog? DB is working, so I'm spending it with my pets whether I want to or not. I should be kind and offer to babysit so someone else can have a nice night. Hmm...

SP

PS. The winner of last week's FBF is Magnolia! Magnolia, please send your snail mail info to problemchild@writingplayground.com to claim your copy of Magnate's Mistress... Accidentally Pregnant! (which is in its 3rd week on the USA Today Bestseller List)

Resolutions!

It's that time of year. January 1, 2010 is upon us! A new year with new opportunities. I don't know what it is about this time of year that makes people want to start fresh. We eat the last of the Christmas goodies, toss out the tree, and bust out the exercise gear.

I know everyone is sleeping late after all the champagne, but pop in and share your resolutions or hopes for 2010. Maybe we can check back in the next year and see how we did.

This year, I would like to:

* Take better care of myself. (I use this resolution as a cover-all for exercising, flossing and eating better in addition to a justification for massages and pedicures). I'm not going to tack goal numbers or anything to it. Just want to feel better in general.

* Take better care of my house. I just... yeah. Declutter, simplify, clean, etc. Might use this as a justification for that Dyson I want. Or some new furniture. Say, I'm liking this resolution business already...

* Make more time for the people in my life. Real people, not the ones inside my computer.

* Read at least one book a month for fun. I hardly ever get to read anymore.

I'll leave it at that for now, though I leave myself room to revise as life changes. Never know what might be important a few months down the road.

What about you? Resolutions can be a dirty word, but what are your hopes and goals for 2010?
SP

PS. I am very late in annoucing my winners for my Christmas giving back blog. BUSY BEE is the winner of Eloisa James's "An Affair Before Christmas" for adopting a family this holiday. Please email me at smartypants@writingplayground.com to claim your prize.

PSS. If you don't check into the blog every day, make sure to scroll back and see if you've won a prize and don't know it. Occasionally we have gifties that go unclaimed. Don't let it be yours!

New Year's Eve

I love this holiday - the ending of one year and the beginning of another. While there will be plenty of time to talk about resolutions and how we're all going to do better at (insert your weakness here) starting tomorrow, today is for fun.

I don't know about you guys but I love the party aspect of New Year's Eve. Staying up to watch the ball drop. Fireworks and champagne. This year we waited to have our annual Playground Christmas party until tonight. There will be food, Rock Band, a few adult beverages and plenty of friendship.

Do you have big plans for tonight? How are you celebrating New Year's Eve? Will you be dressed to the nines to dance the night away or curled up on the sofa in your PJs watching the ball drop?

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy New Year!

Instigator

Happy Holidays!

The Playfriends would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Holiday Wishes... gone wrong. But with Prizes!

My holiday spirit is a little low at the moment -- all the last minute things tend to frustrate me (Hmm, seems that Angel and I are sharing that frustration thing right now). Sometimes you just need to let your inner Scrooge or Grinch out for a few minutes to let off some steam. So let's let them out to do thier thing, and then we'll all feel better going into to this "most wonderful time of the year."

It's time for the annual Christmas Wish game! (With a PC twist, of course.) Here's how it works: I'll make a wish. The next commenter will "grant" my wish, but in such a way as to make me regret wishing for it. For example -- Say I wish for a full body massage. You'd grant my wish, but inform me that it will be preformed by Frodo with his big hairy Hobbit feet. You'd then wish for something -- say a million dollars -- and the *next* commenter will grant your wish -- by giving it to you in pennies -- before making their own wish.

Got it? You can look at one of the past games if you need some ideas

Good Grinchy fun to release any of that holiday frustration before it ruins Christmas...

And because my inner Scrooge is already feeling better at just the thought of this game, I will be giving away prizes! I have a nice little selection here ready to go in the mail. Winners will be chosen arbitrarily by me with no guidelines up front. Could be best wish, best thwarting of a wish, most evil thought, or even the ones that make me laugh out loud.

Ready? I'll start --

I wish elves would come clean out my garage.

Go!

Giving Back

I'm going to try and do this without is sounding like a public service announcement. We'll see...

It is exactly a week until Christmas. A week! By now, everyone is buzzing about buying gifts, wrapping gifts, decorating trees, baking cookies, going to parties... its a busy time of year. I am no exception. This year, however, I've made time to do something different.

I'm volunteering Sunday. Normally, I try to do something around the holidays. Yes, I know I should do things year round, but the holidays tug at my heartstrings a little harder. Although stoic and sarcastic at most times, I'm really a mushball on the inside and get teary at the slightest nod to sentimental or touching things. Makes me crazy, especially around this time of year when every commericial is out to sell you something or make you cry, or both.

Normally my contribution involves me writing a check to the local Food Bank to feed people holiday meals. Maybe getting presents for Toys for Tots or cleaning out the pantry for donations. I've been known to adopt a family or an angel or a soldier. This year, in addition to my normal activities, I'm doing something new that requires only my time. It actually involves a semi-dangerous task I wouldn't normally attempt.

Dangerous, you say? Yes. I'm wrapping gifts at the mall on Sunday. The money we raise goes to support the Crisis Services of Northern Alabama. They provide safe shelter for domestic abuse victims, crisis hotlines and other services such as rape counseling. They have volunteers wrapping gifts at both local malls all month, so if you get a chance, stop by and let them wrap some of your gifts for a good cause. And as for the danger I mentioned, I have to tell you that it goes against my sense of self preservation to get anywhere near a mall within a few days of Christmas, but I am. For charity.

What are you doing to give back this holiday season? Share the wonderful ways you share the spirit of the season and one commenter will pick up a copy of An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James!

SP

Wish List

So, if you guys are anything like me, you spend the months of Nov and Dec trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. I've hunted sales, haunted online stores and made countless phone calls searching for those hard to find, perfect gifts. And so far, I've not only found everything that I needed (at the best price) but I've also managed to snag a few much needed items for other people as well.

But while I go out of my way to make sure that I know what everyone else's list includes, I usually have a hard time figuring out what to put on my own list.

Part of this is just being an adult. I mean, if I want something I generally just buy it. Sure, I go without things sometimes but never anything I truly need or really can't live without. Of course, this makes Christmas a little difficult on the ones that I love. This year, though, there's one item on my must have list.

A Nook. For those that haven't heard about it, it's Barnes and Noble's answer to the Kindle. It has a few extra features that I'm excited about - a color screen, the ability to add memory and a lending feature. However, it's back ordered until Feb 1st right now. And while I will be getting it (from my wonderful Zilla) I won't have it right away. I can't wait to get my hands on it!

And no, just because it's arriving in Feb doesn't mean it can double as a Valentine's present! :-)

So, what's on your Christmas list? Is there something that you're excited to find under your tree? Do you have trouble making your own Christmas list?

Instigator

P.S. Problem Child is guest blogging today at Tote Bags n Blogs http://authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com/ Stop by and say hi!

Holiday Rush

Oops! I’m running late on this wet, soggy Monday. I spent the weekend hostessing a party for our local RWA chapter here at my house (good times, good times) and then went to a friend’s house for tea Sunday where we spent several enjoyable hours talking about everything from where we are in our writing to kids to diets. You know, the usual writing women’s fare.

In the scramble to get the kids ready for bed and school the next morning, and the inevitable collapse after the weekends festivities, I completely forgot about blogging today! You’ll forgive me, right? :)

So let’s talk about Christmas activities. This weekend was my big one, then oddly enough, I don’t have anything else major until after Christmas, when I’m going to visit my parents in Florida. I’ll make it home just in time for the Playground Christmas party on New Year’s Eve (we had scheduling problems this year). What about you? Are you overloaded with holiday appointments or getting off easy with a party here and there?

Angel

Coming Soon!
Wednesday we welcome author Melanie Milburne!

Check out our Free Book Friday winner below!

Guest Blogger: Missy Tippens

I first met Missy at the 2008 Heart of Dixie Romance Readers' Luncheon when I sat at her table. Her first book had just come out a few months before and it was exciting to share the joy of that event with her. We've started a campfire in the middle of the sandbox to keep us warm, but rain may drive us into the playhouse today. Warm or cold, indoors or out, please welcome Missy Tippens to the Playground.


Hello to all my Alabama buds! Thanks for inviting me to play today. I’d love to give away a copy of my new release, A Forever Christmas, in a drawing from among those who comment today. Just let me know you’d like to enter!

November and December can be so hectic. We go from stressing about what type pies to bake or how we’re going to cook the turkey on Thanksgiving, straight into worrying about shopping for Great Aunt Myrtle for Christmas. We have community activities, church events, family gatherings and lots of parties. And we usually have to take a wrapped ornament and/or food to each event! It takes a juggling act to keep up with it all.

Oh, yeah. And then there’s the writing, too. Sometimes it becomes an afterthought…

…unless you have a deadline. And a deadline is a great thing to have! :) I had a February deadline this year and have a January deadline this coming year. So I’m learning how to plan my holidays to include my writing schedule. And even if you haven’t sold yet, you can set deadlines for yourself. Don’t let the whole holiday season slip by without investing in your writing career. Consider it a gift to yourself!

First, I’ve found the best way to handle a deadline is to figure out how many work days I have (leaving a few days open for the holiday), then divide it into the total number of words I need to have written. 30,000 words left to write, and 30 work days to do it? Write 1000 words a day. And don’t get up from the computer until you’ve done that. Oh, and in case you’re thinking about it… Don’t pop over to the Internet and start shopping online, either. :) Don’t answer the phone. Don’t worry about the pile of dirty laundry. Write those thousand words. Then you’ll have the whole rest of your day/evening to fill with holiday prep.

Right now, I’m spending the days while my kids are in school working on my writing project. Then I use the afternoons to work on blogs posts, phone calls, email, etc. Of course, soon the kids will be out of school, so I’ll have to make adjustments. Luckily, they like to sleep late. :)

I took a few days off at Thanksgiving, and plan to do the same for Christmas. What about you? Do you have a plan for writing through the holidays?

Don’t forget to comment to be entered in a drawing for my new Steeple Hill Love Inspired release, A Forever Christmas!

About the book:

Sarah Radcliffe’s quiet Christmas back in her hometown will be lost if she agrees to direct the church’s Christmas pageant. But when she meets two little boys determined to gain their father’s attention, Sarah agrees to help. Then she discovers that the dad in question is Gregory Jones, the man she loved and lost.

The single dad is working himself to the bone to give his boys the Christmas of their dreams, when all they want is some family time. Time that includes a new mommy. If Sarah can learn to open her heart, she may receive the most wonderful present of all—a family of her own.


Missy Tippens is a pastor’s wife and mom of three. She has a story included in Blessings of Mossy Creek, published by BelleBooks. After ten years of pursuing her dream, she made her first sale of a full-length novel to Steeple Hill Love Inspired. She still pinches herself to see if it really happened! Her debut novel, Her Unlikely Family, was a 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year contest finalist and is now available in large print from Thorndike. His Forever Love was a June 2009 release from Love Inspired, and A Forever Christmas is available now!

You can find Missy at http://www.missytippens.com/. And she blogs all over the place: http://www.lifewithmissy.blogspot.com/, http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/, http://www.writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/, and http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/. She’s also on Facebook, MySpace and Shoutlife, so be sure to give her a holler!

P.S. Be sure to check back here on Saturday for a list of the entire week's winners!

Turkey Hangover

I don't know about you all, but I'm beat. Thank goodness I don't have to work today. This is actually the last official Black Friday I have at work as a holiday. Next year its changing, so I'll either be working, or using vacation. I know a lot of people do have to work today, especially those working in retail. I remember DB having to leave for work at 3AM with the flu when he was at Best Buy. Just wasn't worth the money they were paying him.

To all of you out there working today - bless your heart. I'd give each of you a homemade cookie if I could, not that it would help, but its the best I can do aside from staying home and not adding to the retail madness. A small consolation and a sugar high.

There's something about Thanksgiving that drains my energy reserves. Maybe it's spending all day with my family. Emotional overload there. Maybe its the hours of scuttling around the kitchen for a twenty minute feeding free for all. Or the mountain of dishes that come after it. Or the five to six thousand calories the average person consumes on Thanksgiving. You can blame it on triptophan if you want, but I think it has more to do with eating four days worth of food in a few short hours.

I just know that after all that, the last thing I want to do is get up at 3AM to stand in the cold and dark to go shopping. If I want something that badly, I'm going to order it on Amazon and have it shipped to my house. A lot of people also go to the movies. Seems a shame to pay for a movie just to fall asleep halfway through.

How are you spending your post-Thanksgiving weekend?

SP

P.S. Don't forget that next week we kick off a whole week of fabulous guest bloggers starting Monday with Debra Webb!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving MySpace Glitter Graphics

Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a wonderful day filled with family, friends, football and way too much to eat!

Happy Thanksgiving Animations provided by MySpaceGraphicsandAnimations.net

November is...

National Novel Writing Month and there are only 5 more days after today. I know lots of you are doing NaNo WriMo too, so please comment and let us know about your progress. I hope all of you win because it's extremely neat to paste in those words and see things come alive with the winner's screen. I know because at 11:45 last night I got this:

So because my brains are totally fried after writing 50205 words in 24 days, I'm posting today about bizarre November holidays. Did you know that...

November 1 is . . . . . Plan Your Epitaph Day
November 2 is . . . . . National Deviled Egg Day
November 3 is . . . . . Sandwich Day and Housewife's Day
November 4 is . . . . . Waiting For The Barbarians Day
November 5 is . . . . . Gunpowder Day
November 6 is . . . . . Saxophone Day and Marooned Without A Compass Day
November 7 is . . . . . National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day
November 8 is . . . . . Dunce Day
November 9 is . . . . . Chaos Never Dies Day
November 10 is . . . . Forget-Me-Not Day
November 11 is . . . . Air Day
November 12 is . . . . National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day
November 13 is . . . . National Indian Pudding Day
November 14 is . . . . Operation Room Nurse Day
November 15 is . . . . National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
November 16 is . . . . Button Day
November 17 is . . . . Take A Hike Day
November 18 is . . . . Occult Day
November 19 is . . . . Have A Bad Day Day
November 20 is . . . . Absurdity Day
November 21 is . . . . World Hello Day and False Confessions Day
November 22 is . . . . Start Your Own Country Day
November 23 is . . . . National Cashew Day
November 24 is . . . . Use Even If Seal Is Broken Day
November 25 is . . . . National Parfait Day
November 26 is . . . . Shopping Reminder Day
November 27 is . . . . Pins And Needles Day
November 28 is . . . . Make Your Own Head Day
November 29 is . . . . Square Dance Day
November 30 is . . . . Stay At Home Because You're Well Day


So let's all have a parfait today as we get ready for Thanksgiving.

If you could adopt one of these holidays as your special cause and raise money for it, which would it be? Would you knock on doors to raise cash for Square Dancing? Increase public awareness of forget-me-knots? Organize a 5K race for Gunpowder Day? (Can we say starting pistol?)

Just another PC holiday...

Exercising my usual astounding powers of forethought, I’m living in a construction zone at the moment.

Yes, folks, it’s just a couple of days before Thanksgiving, and my kitchen is ripped to hell and back. In preparation of putting our house on the market, we’re replacing the flooring and countertops in the kitchen. We thought we were using good forethought – this is something that needed to be done last year, and no one would purchase this house with the current floors and countertops, so let’s go ahead and replace it now and get a little enjoyment out of it ourselves. Plus, we won’t be trying to deal with construction as we pack stuff, *and* I’m not knee-deep in a book at the moment.

Forethought – working overtime here at Casa PC.

So, with days to go before Thanksgiving, and my birthday, and the arrival of my b-i-l from Scotland, my kitchen is a disaster area. I can’t even make a cup of tea without it being an epic journey, full of hardship and trial.

And though the workers swear this isn’t going to take very long, how many folks here want to make a bet they won’t finish before they decide to knock off for the holiday, leaving me in this construction zone trying to prepare Thanksgiving dinner?

Oh, and trying to *find* everything I moved out of the way for the workers… good dog, it’s a nightmare.

It’s probably too late to order Thanksgiving dinner from a local restaurant, so we may be having PB&J sandwiches. I’m sure that’s what the pilgrims actually had on Thanksgiving anyway. They were probably too worn out from the harvest to actually cook. Right?

~sigh~

The holiday season is definitely starting off with a bang (mainly from the guys working in my kitchen) and will most likely end with a whimper (from me, on the couch in the fetal position).

Make me feel better – tell me about a time when your careful “forethought” backfired in your face…

PC

Writing During The Holidays

This week is Thanksgiving, something I’m sure none of you have forgotten. As women, we are usually the ones responsible for the planning and plotting that goes into holidays, even if they aren’t being held at our house. The same is true at our home—I do the planning, my hubby does the inviting (usually without telling me until the last minute). But it all works out in the end. In the past few years, we’ve ended up with a house full of family and friends who eat, talk, laugh, and play games all day. Something I enjoy with a heart full of gratitude.

But all this partying makes it tough to get any writing done. First there is the cleaning, then purchasing supplies, then cooking… the list can extend to infinity sometimes (or at least feel like it). Since I’m also in the middle of NaNoWriMo, all this extra party planning can really cramp my writing style. I’m sure even you non-writers find time short during this busy season. So what’s a wanna-be author to do?

Here are a few tips:

1. Up your NaNo word count.

I know this sounds counter-productive, but for those of you trying to write during the month of November (NaNo or Not) do your best to up the amount of words you pull out on the days you do write. For success in NaNo, the goal for each day is 1667. But I always make my goal 2000. This way, I can manage a few days off during the month without guilt or getting really behind. So push yourself to do more, and enjoy your reward later.

2. Take it One Small Step at a Time

It can be overwhelming to sit down and face a 2000 word goal, but how about 500 words? Oftentimes, I don’t write my whole goal in one sitting. I do a large portion of it in the morning, when the house is quiet and empty. Then I do the rest in much smaller chunks. Thirty minutes while the kids do homework or clean their rooms. 30 minutes while the hubby watches a television show. Just 30 more minute before bedtime, then I can sleep. You’d be surprised how much easier it is to tackle any large project in smaller steps.

3. Be Prepared

For plotters, this is much easier. But it is also doable for pantsters too. Before putting down your pen for the day, take a few moments to write out the first few sentences of your next scene. Make sure your notes on the coming pages are complete and you have a decent map for where you are heading. This will make jumping into the next session much easier (no staring at a blank page wondering what the heck you were thinking to have them break into the warehouse so soon…) and your writing will flow more quickly from the start.

I find a To Do list essential for big projects and my writing is no different. This way, I can see how much time I have, then jump into whatever task I have time for, without worrying I’ll forget what else needs to be done.

4. Utilize the Buddy System

Find a writing friend who needs to accomplish as much as you do at this time. Vow to keep each other accountable. Daily emails require you to send in those totals, even if the sum is 0 (and embarrassing enough to force your hands to the keyboard). Set up times for write ins (getting together for the sole purpose of writing—bookstores are great for this).

And don’t forget a reward. Plan an outing to get your nails painted or a massage when all the hard work is done. A night out to dinner with some girlfriends. Or form an accountability group where everyone pitches in $10, and the top three performers during the holiday season get to split the pot for After Christmas shopping! This will give you a tangible reward, other than the relief you’ll feel when you see all those words on the page.

My hope is that you’ll be able to be as productive as I hope to be this holiday season. We’re all busy. I know that. But you can still manage something (this is me giving ME a peptalk here). So tell me your best advice for getting writing (and other holiday tasks) done during this busy time.

Angel

I'm also blogging today at The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood. I'd love for you to stop by and say hi!

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