The steps to making cupcakes for Christmas

I said I had already completed Step 1, but I think that I am way ahead of that now...

Step 1 - 2 months out, ask mom what the plans are for Christmas dinner. This is the step where you learn that you are expected to make cupcakes.

Step 2 - Think about all the super fun (and mildly ridiculous) things you can do while decorating cupcakes.

Step 3 - Visit Bakerella.com and get really excited about the idea of making cake pops instead.

Step 4 - Realize that cake pops are too much effort for the little bit of appreciation and the tons of complaining you will receive from your family. (I mean, how could I possibly think of doing something fun and interesting and different for this crowd - I am saving those cake pops for another special occassion - tbd)

Step 5 - Decide that you will make plain old boring cupcakes in flavors like "white" and "chocolate" but throw in a twist with a unique Christmasy flavor (like gingerbread - I'm just saying, it sounds like a good idea)

Step 6 - Remember when your granny bought you that candy making kit many, many years ago and decide that you were so freaking good at making those candies that you must make little chocolate candy toppers for your cupcakes.

Step 7 - (Previously referred to as Step 1) About 6 weeks out, purchase adorable candy molds from candy/cake company that is conveniently located right down the street from your house - I really should make more use of that place!

Step 8 - Stock up on candy melts and candy decorating "pens" (which are kind of expensive in my opinion - so they better not suck)

Let's decorate some candy!

[All done to this point]

Step 9 - After reading the local grocery circulars and stealing the appropriate coupons from your parents' Sunday Newspaper, head to your local grocery store to stock up on white/chocolate cake mixes, boring canned frosting, and all the fixins for gingerbread cupcakes (I mean, if that's the flavor that you chose)

Step 10 - Melt candy all over your kitchen in an effort to re-hone your candy making skills. (I am just guessing that this will happen)

Step 11 - Turn co-workers into candy and cupcake-tasting test dummies. (Guess there will be a lot of baking going on this next week...)

Step 12 - Evaluate your progress thus far and determine next steps.

Challenge Update

Raise your hand if you're a slacker.

 Not that we have that out of the way, where did we leave off with these challenges?

I called my mother the other day. As she picked up the phone, I said, "I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate you." She said, "Oh... I appreciate you, too. Why didn't you pick up the phone when I called earlier?" Then she began to tell me all of the days that she could watch my dog since she couldn't do it this weekend. While I feel better about myself, I don't know that this was a productive call.

What else did we miss?

Challenge #7 - Take a picture of one thing, person, place, or specific moment that makes you feel grateful. Share it with your social network.

Coming soon!

Challenge #8 - Send thank you notes to five people who deserve a little recognition.

Admittedly have not written those yet, but already know where they are going. Think it's you? Then check you mail next week.

Challenge #9 - Enjoy the people around you. Take a moment to appreciate their unique talents, abilities, and personalities.

This is today's challenge. I am suddenly glad that my boss went out to a lunch meeting, and Smelly McSmellerson with his BO/cigarette drenched sweatshirt left for half the day. I'm not gonna bore you with the details, but I do like most of the remaining people around me today. Heck, I'll even throw a bone to the AAE because despite the fact that she has an issue with being where she says she is, or telling the truth about when she is working, she actually works pretty hard. She's not that good at what she does (I've been told - and knowing my boss, the same has been said of me), but she tries. I'm going to ponder this topic just a touch more.

In general gratitude news, I am ridiculously grateful that Marilee is kind enough to take the pup this weekend so that Jerry and I can have a practice vacation - 2 nights away with mobile phone work alerts in the off position. Get jealous!

That's what's bugging me...

Breaking from the challenge for a minute to vent.

I keep reading posts on Facebook from someone who complains about needing to take a break from work for "Me Time." Ok, you don't even work full time. You are home alone more than you are at work.

I personally worked 53 EXTRA hours over what I should have last month. I worked 13 days in a row - it was supposed to be 11 until my comp day got denied and then turned into 13 when I ended up having to finish a job over the weekend. Of those 13 days in a row, 3 were weekend days,5 were at least 10 hour days, and I had to travel to California. I barely see my husband, let alone my dog (who seems to favor my husband more and more). I get interrupted with work while I am out with friends and family. I can't take lunch away from my desk, let alone make it through an entire dinner more than once a week without work interruption (a problem that has been somewhat resolved by turning off work notification on my phone once I leave the office). I work for someone who gets pleasure in treating others like crap. In my free time, I am work for free for an ungrateful client who asked for my professional help and then tells me that all of my suggestions are wrong.

But I can see how YOU need "me time."

Gratitude Challenge, Day 6

This morning as I drove to work, I attempted to listen to Star 93.3 because I hear they are playing Christmas music, and they are! But when they went to a slow song, I changed it to Q102. They may have only 10 songs in their entire library, but the morning show does draw me in, and I don't know why. Anywho, they do a segment where they get a random question and have to answer it live on the air. Today's question was something about who your most inspiring mentor is and why. I thought that the question went well with today's gratitude challenge...

Challenge #5-Take a few minutes to call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Tell them how much you appreciate them.

Ok, I have to admit that I am taking the easy way out just a little on this one. I am planning to call my mother this evening. I talk to her at least once a week when I join the family for Sundady breakfast. We talk about all the important things, like what's on the menu for Christmas or how many cupcakes I will need to make for Christmas.

If you haven't put all the pieces together yet, my mother is the reason that I love Christmas. I'm not greedy - I love giving way more than receiving. My mother and I actually used to drive around late on Christmas Eve delivering gifts to family members, particularly the young ones who still believed in Santa Claus, but whose parents may not have been able to give them much. I still remember the day when she called to check on the kids Christmas morning and asked if Santa brought them anything good, and the oldest one (too wise for that Santa-shtick) said, "I knew you would come through for us Aunt Sharon."

Whoa... back to the challenge. So, yes, I see my mom once a week, but I feel like we talk a little too much business. So I am going to call her this evening and tell her how much I appreciate her.

Gratitude Challenge, Day 5

Challenge #5 - Take five minutes to write about how grateful you are for all of the wonderful things that you currently have in your life. Don't long for what you don't possess-instead, take stock of all of the blessings you already enjoy.

I fear that my answers are redundant, but I am happy to do each of these challenges...

Here is a quick synopsis of all of the wonderful things I have in my life...
- My health (even if I am looking a little rough for finding door frames and door knobs easily with my knees and elbows)
- A wonderful husband
- A home that is rather cozy and which the husband and I can afford even if one of us were to lose a job
- An adorable little puppy with a rotten side who entertains us and keeps us on our toes
- Student loans that are paid off
- A nice car
- Incredibly loving and giving parents who are the first to offer advice and a helping hand
- Amazing siblings who I may not have gotten along with early in life but who are 2 of my best friends now
- Incredible in-laws with deeply kind hearts

Has is been 5 minutes (and then some) already.

Back to work I go!

Gratitude Challenge, Day 4

Challenge #4 - Write a short message of thanks for some of the “negative” things in your life.

Dear Boss,

Thank you for being such a jerk as to make me realize that it's not about the specific work for me. You took my dream job and stepped all over. But you also made me realize the type of person that I want to be (or not be) and that success for me is not what I thought it was. I appreciate that you have given me the insight and, now, the drive to go after bigger and better things than just worrying about whether I am doing the specific job that I have always wanted to do. 

Gratitude Challenge, Day 3

Challenge # 3 - Write about something you feel grateful for in your life today.

Saturday was a great day. We were surrounded by great friends and Jerry smoked some delicious turkey an pork. I hear the corned beef brisket was excellent as well.

Today (Saturday), I am grateful to have friends that enjoy a simple meal while sitting around playing video games and board games. I am grateful that having a good time does not have to equate to going out and spending a lot of money.

Gratitude Challenge Day 2

I am still working to sit down and type this out, but I thought about it ALL day on Friday, but here is challenge #2...

Challenge #2: Use the alphabet as a fun and quick format for making a list of things for which you feel grateful. Share this list with your social network through email, a blog post or a Facebook or MySpace page.

... Coming soon... I have so many things to be thankful for and so many things to say about them. I have started putting my thoughts into a word document and as soon as that's finished here it will be.

But rest assured that I thought about it and was grateful all day on Friday ;)

Today, I will be grateful...

A friend of mine posted a link to the Gratitude Challenge.

To boil it down, I will tell you that it is an exercise in being grateful. It is a 21-day challenge in which you express gratitude for different things each day.

Challenge #1 - Sign the contract and make the commitment to take note and give thanks for the next 21 days. Express why you accepted this challenge and what you hope to achieve from it.

Um... there is no actual contract, so you will just have to take my word as my signature.

Things have been feeling pretty rough lately. I have a rude and ungrateful boss who sees the world through the lens of negativity. He has been rubbing off on me. I was really excited when I took this job 10 months ago because it is exactly what I wanted to do. I love my clients. I love my office. I love the location. I love the opportunities I have experienced. I love the art director and publicist (who leaves us tomorrow). But I do not love my boss. I don't even remotely like him as a person and have said that if I had facebooked him first, I would have never taken the job!

Recently, on a business trip, I was fortunate enough to meet Jamie and Adam from MythBusters. They admitted that they weren't the best friends that they seem to be on TV. and then Jamie said something that completely stuck me:

You can work with someone that you don't really like as long as you respect them.

And the more I thought about that statement, the more I realized that he was right. I have worked with people before who I didn't like but from whom I knew I could learn a lot. They had my respect. My current boss does not have my respect - for a host of reasons too long to bore you with. I have one co-worker who I do not respect, but who my boss seems to think very highly of.

I have been upset for days over my situation here. But today, my soon-to-be-ex-publicist gave me a ray of hope when she told me that her friend (who I have never met and who holds a decently high title in his company) would personally contact his company's HR department on my behalf to recommend me for a job. It just proves that there is still some good in the world.

So today, I choose to be grateful.

For the next 21 days and that brings us to Thanksgiving... I'm just gonna leave that open for interpretation.