You can hear most of my Christmas Eve soundtrack at playlist.com: Christmas Eve Playlist 2010. Songs that were unavailable there are linked on YouTube.

Joy To The World – Point of Grace
I Celebrate The Day – Relient K
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Mannheim Steamroller
Handel’s Messiah – Relient K
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Mannheim Steamroller
O Come, All Ye Faithful – Celtic Woman
We Three Kings – Mannheim Steamroller
One King – Point of Grace
The First Noel – Josh Groban (and Faith Hill)
Angels We Have Heard On High – Point of Grace
O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Frank Sinatra
Not That Far From Bethlehem – Point of Grace
O Holy Night – Celtic Woman
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear – MercyMe
Silent Night / Away In A Manger – Relient K
Carol Of The Bells / What Child Is This? – Point Of Grace

What songs are you listening to this season?

I spotted this sticky note posted in the bathroom of a fast food restaurant in Hays, Kansas. It says, “You are more than the make up on your face. Your’e beautiful.”

I was in the midst of an eleven-hour road trip and had been awake since 4:30 a.m. but was still in good spirits. Seeing the note made me smile a little brighter, though!

Have you ever heard of Operation Beautiful or seen a note like this?

“If you can’t say something nice… don’t say nothing at all.”
-Thumper, Bambi

&

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
-Philippians 2:14

Happy Thanksgiving!

Plays    Song – Artist
407      On a Night Like This – Dave Barnes
320       I Have and Always Will – Dave Barnes
208       Beautiful – Bethany Dillon
156       Shadowfeet – Brooke Fraser
153       Beautiful One – Jeremy Camp
122       Twilight – Shaun Groves
119       Long Live the King – Aaron Shust
105      Me & Mrs. You – Michael Bublé
98         Can’t Grow Tired of Your Love – Dave Barnes
96         What Am I Gonna Do – Dave Barnes
89         Love at First Sight – Michael Bublé
81         Someone’s Somebody – Dave Barnes
75        Nothing Fancy – Dave Barnes
66         Try a Little Tenderness – Michael Bublé
62         Alejate – Josh Groban
58         How Sweet It Is – Michael Bublé
57         London – Brandon Heath
57         Wonderful Maker – Jeremy Camp
54         Beautiful of Heaven – Charlie Hall
54         Tell Him He’s Yours – Michael Bublé
51         Save the Last Dance for Me – Michael Bublé
49        Call Me Irresponsible – Michael Bublé
46        Something Beautiful – Needtobreathe
43        All I Ask Of You – Andrew Lloyd Webber
43        Love Never Fails – Brandon Heath

Artist                   Song Count    Total Plays
Dave Barnes               6                    1077
Michael Bublé           7                    472
Jeremy Camp            2                    210
Brandon Heath         2                    100

Most of the time, I enjoy being single. Something I dislike, though, is being left out because I do not have a significant other to do social activities with my friends and their sweeties. Some friends vanish when they start dating someone. Some manage to squeeze in “hang out time” until wedding plans get busy. After the wedding, the happy couple moves or is busy spending time together, with their families, and with their “couple friends.” If I was friends with the wife first, the two of us might get together occasionally (especially if I ask often). If I was friends with the husband, we don’t really hang out anymore unless we travel in the same social circles.

I’d Like to Tell Them…
You should understand I knew you were fantastic long before you met your sweetie
You should understand I am absolutely thrilled that you are happy together
You should understand sometimes I just miss my friend

I understand we are all busy
I understand we both prayed for you to find this person (and I don’t regret that!)
I understand wanting to spend lots and lots of time with your sweetie
I understand friendships change over the course of time
I understand life has seasons and this is a crazy one
I understand we still care about each other
I understand quality time means more to me than to some
I understand wanting to have “couple friends” when you are part of a couple
I understand, but that does not make me miss you less
I understand.

Life Lessons (or How to Cope)
Step 1: Realize that not everything is about me.

Step 2: Weigh the opportunity cost. If I am upset, hurt, or annoyed by the changes to our closeness, I can choose to stew in that emotion or I can put more effort into staying maintaining the friendship.

Step 3: Decide that my close friends are, of course, worth the extra effort that it may take to get through this hectic season without losing touch completely.

Step 4: Be the social instigator. Invite friends to do things we both enjoy. Initiate social events for groups of friends. Try setting up a standing appointment. I have coffee* with two girl friends on the second Thursday of the month. Sometimes one of us misses or we cancel altogether, but the recurring plans mean that we still get together more often than when we tried to remember to set up one appointment at a time!

Step 5: Recognize that there is a season to let a friend go, but still remember and appreciate the past relationship.

*For us, “having coffee” means we will get together and talk and, at some point, we will discuss having coffee. Coffee consumption does not always occur, but that is still what we call it.

What it is: An app that lets you create lists, doodles, or other documents in your own handwriting.

Likes: UYH Gold offers the ability to change colors and line styles, a special setting for lefties, embedded lists (lists with sub-lists), lets you attach entries to an email, and the ability to move items between lists. I particularly like to change colors or even line styles between entries and use small doodles to enhance my lists and notes.

Dislikes: I would like the ability to sync or back-up my notes to my computer. In addition, Christmas-themed background is visible year round. I would like the ability to toggle the specialty backgrounds between hidden and unhidden.

Other: UYH Gold is currently $0.99 on iTunes but all you cautious, type-A people may like to try out the free UYH before buying the gold version

Bottom line: This is one of my favorite, most used, and most recommended iOS applications.

If you try UYH or UYH Gold, leave a comment to let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: UYH is not my application (except that I bought it for personal use, of course!). This is a tool and how you use it is up to you. Do your own research and make wise decisions!

If a link to your file breaks, look for the space you accidentally added to the file name. If you must ask the web designer, she will find it in under 5 minutes and you may feel silly.

What it is: A student planner application for iOSx on iPhone or iPod Touch; .

Likes: The ability to view tasks by class, due date, and priority, having professors’ office hours available, seeing what classes and task due dates occur on a given day. For people with an iPod Touch, this app works offline but you will need wifi to share notes or back up your data.

Dislikes: the only priority options are high, medium, and no priority; when viewing the schedule you cannot tap on classes or tasks to view them.

Other: I am not sure how I would use it, but there is also a Notes section. While taking class notes by tapping a small touch screen does not appeal to me, I could use the area for capturing photos of diagrams drawn on the board, short notes, or even audio recordings. There are also options for sharing the notes via email, Facebook, or file sharing with a computer.

Bottom line: I would have loved to have this app when I was an undergrad. This could be a handy tool for students trying to manage a number of classes and assignments with varying due dates. When I last checked, this app was free, so why not try it out? Also, be sure to take advantage of the email backup feature in the Settings.

If you try inClass, leave a comment to let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don’t own or have any vested interest in this or any other apps nor am I responsible for how you or anyone else choose to use them. Do your own research and make wise decisions!

• 13 babies were born to my friends
• 11 couples* got married
• 6 couples* are currently engaged
• 6 showers attended** (the laws of physics insist that I can only be in one place at a time)
• 6 months since my promotion to accountant
• 5-year anniversary of working in accounting
• 5 weddings attended (see previous comment on physics)
• 4 graduate classes completed (bringing my total earned hours to 16)
• 4 college football games attended
• 3-year anniversary of moving into my apartment
• 2 babies currently expected by my friends (that I know of)
• 2 times my tips were published on Lifehacker

*Where one or both people are my friends or acquaintances.
**Includes both wedding and baby showers.

Since I don’t want to sacrifice space to display a traditional Christmas tree (or store one, for that matter!), I decorate a potted shrub that I have managed to keep alive for over four years.

This miniature Christmas tree glows with a tea light candle inside and the vase was made for me by a college roommate.

I love red twinkle lights, they give off such a warm and cheerful glow!

Red, cinnamon-scented candles are my favorite. Have you noticed a theme here? My Christmas decorating style is all about warmth and and lots of red.

How do you decorate for Christmas?

Growing up, decorating for Christmas was a boisterous family affair and we all took part in decorating the tree and arranging the Nativity set. Now my Christmas preparations take on a more relaxed feel because I thoroughly enjoy the entire process. Every year, I put on a Christmas movie or upbeat Christmas music and spend a leisurely evening (or sometimes two!) decorating my home. I thought I would share a few photos of what I did this year.