9, 10, 11, and 12

12 Drummers Drumming - a drum filled with random items with famous drummers hot glued to each item with a lovely note from the sender stating she was going to remain anonymous, but listed several things she has learned about me.
11 Pipers Piping - a New Year's hat filled with noisemakers (the piping tools).

10 Lords a Leaping - There were 10 plastic frogs that you push on their tails and they leap in the air with 10 different Lords pasted on their backs, i.e., Lord of the Rings, Lord & Taylor, Lord Voldemort, etc.

9 Ladies Dancing - 9 brownies with 9 laminated ladies sticking out of each brownie under a silver ornament meant to look like a disco ball. HILARIOUS.

Eight Maids A' Milking

Eight Milky Ways with a little girl pasted to them, along with a cow print pencil. Seriously funny...

Seven Swans A' Swimming...

Every day is my new favorite. This one consisted of a basket with seven of these acryllic swans filled with candy, all sitting on top of a blue CD (pictured) so it looked like they were on a lake. The kicker was the CD was Swan Lake. I can't believe the cleverness of it all! I have the BEST Secret Santa (or Secret MRS. Santa)!

Six Geese A'Laying...

Inside the 6-egg carton are 6 Cadbury chocolate eggs. Adorable...

12 Days of Christmas

Once again, this doesn't have anything to do with getting out of debt, but I wanted to share with you what's being done for me this year.

Someone is doing the 12 days of Christmas for me and I must say, they are giving me some of the most cleverist items I have ever seen.

This is the partridge in a pear tree (can of pears, with tree branches hot glued on the can, with a partridge ornament sitting on top).

Two Turtle (the candy) doves.

Three French Hens (plus they added a "french" Chick Fil-A gift card).

Four calling birds (four beautiful bird ornaments that are now on the Christmas tree in the living room).

And five golden rings (five glazed donuts). This is my favorite one so far for how clever it is!

Today is day 6, so I'll keep you posted on the adorable and brilliant gifts they continue to leave on my doorstep each evening.

A Debt Free Christmas

I'm convinced Dave Ramsey read my blog, because I got his newsletter in my email in-box this morning (I subscribe to it) and it was basically chastizing me for my last post. It's called "A Debt Free Christmas." Take a look:

http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/newsletters/company/121207.cfm?ectid=1107cnl_art1

Merry Christmas to you!

It's that season - we hear O Holy Night sung 52 different ways on the radio. We see Christmas lights on all the windows and now yards/trees/bushes of our neighbors. We give and receive presents. We send a family update to everyone on our address list, even though we may not have actually spoken to these people for 25 years. At this time of year, people as a general rule are either overly pleasant or really grumpy - not a whole lot of in-between.

This time around, I'm feeling rather BAH HUMBUG, as I have asked all those who usually give me gifts to not do so, as I am unable to give them presents this year. This is completely not my style and it kills me, especially when I see the perfect whatever for the perfect person, to not immediately snatch it up and wrap it and be giddy with happiness (and some relief) for finding that perfect item for that perfect person in my life.

Nope, attempting to get out debt really stinks because it means I have to focus on me, myself, and I during this giving season. Frankly, I'm not a fan of me, myself, and I, so to have to spend all this time/money on me, myself, and I puts me in the grumpy category this year.

I know I know I know - it's for the best and I'll be so much better off and all of that stuff, not to mention the home I hope to buy some day and doing this puts me closer to that goal. I'm just frustrated that it's all about me this year. Blech.

Me is SO overrated.

I love a free lunch...

I work at one of the greatest places on earth. My bosses (I have 3) are all aware of my goal of getting out of debt. In fact one of them inspired me to start this process to begin with. They have been extraordinarily supportive and are always offering thoughts and ideas and free lunches to me to help me get through this.

Yup - free lunches. I LOVE free lunches.

Today's free lunch was CPK. A new California Pizza Kitchen opened up at Val Vista and Baseline, which isn't too far from my office. My finance boss is working on closing out the month of November and I'm helping him out today. Because of this, he purchased lunch for the 3 of us doing this.

I think I can do CPK every day of the week. Nothing like that Thai chicken pizza to put me in a largely happy mood...

And when I don't have to pay for it?!? Fuhgetaboutit!

PS: You may have noticed that I'm always happy when I'm discussing food. All kinds of food really. I have to mention there are so many other things that bring me joy and happiness, but during this getting-out-of-debt process, the small things (like the tasty foods mentioned) are what do it for me.

It's probably why I'm so svelte and lean...