In January I went shopping at H&M clothing. It made me think about how my mom taught me to shop. She loves bargains and paying the lowest price possible for clothing and most anything she buys. Everyone knows about Black Friday. This year my mom found boots for me. Regular $190 for $48 and some glitter shoes regular $44 for $14, both at DSW on their 30% off sale. But other times can be good too. A great time to shop is in January. Most items are marked down once or twice and clearance racks have a percentage off. H&M was offering 30% off of all the clearance items…. and did we find some good bargains! The stores were ready for their spring and summer clothing. So they try    to clear the winter stuff. You can also find great buys at the end of July and August, when the stores are trying to clear all the summer stuff. I brought a skirt, dress, a top and PJ’s. My mom picked up a cute sweatshirt for Brooke. And PJ’s for herself. The items were regularly from $17.99 to $59.99. We paid $ 4.90-$7 each! It was Jackpot. We also found some foaming hand soap at Bath and Body for 50% off for $3.25!!

Another great way to save money is to sign up on websites for store emails. I received a coupon for Vera Bradley during my birthday month for 25% off. Some will text you the coupons, like Joann Crafts and Lord & Taylor. When you add those to the clearance prices. You can really save. So have fun shopping ~ and be sure to look for those Bargains!

Eleven and one half years ago we flew up to Massachusetts to meet a breeder of Golden Retrievers. We did not plan to bring a dog home with us that day.  The breeder began to show our family her dogs and some of the puppies. There was a litter that was eight weeks old and ready to leave their mama to go home with new families. There were two male dogs that were not really spoken for, and my dad held each one. He really loved one of them and asked the breeder if we could buy him. My mom wanted to wait for a girl and was not ready to start puppyville just then. But of course ~ my dad talked her into it! So the little puppy slept on my lap the whole plane ride home. When we arrived home my sister Brooke was taking a nap and my mom went in and surprised her with a puppy running on her bed. We were all thinking of names for him and Bookie came up with Bancroft. My Dad started calling him Mr. Bancroft. We also called him Banks.

At that time we had a two-year-old Golden name Tally Angel. Banks kind of thought she was like his mama. Tally was a little put off that we brought another doggie home. Eventually, they not only got along, but also loved each other very much. Banks used to take his toys and put it in her face. He ALWAYS wanted to play. He would bug Tally until she finally gave in and played, tumbled and ran with him. The two of them would wait on our front lawn in the afternoons for my bus to come home from school. I loved being greeted by them. I had a playroom in my house and the two of them would always sit under my desk. When my friend Helen visited, we would do crafts. One day we made a gum drop tree and Tally and Banks were sitting with their heads on the table waiting for a gumdrop to fall! Bancroft’s favorite thing to do was eat!

In 2011 we moved to a new home and Tally died 2 weeks before the move. Bancroft was very sad and depressed for several months. He would not even play with his toys. After a while he started to become himself again ~ only sweeter than ever.  Sometimes he would watch TV – especially when doggies were on.  

Whenever we walked in the house Bancroft would always pick up a shoe or one of his stuffed animals and bring it to us. It was his way of letting us know he was happy to see us. He also wagged his big fluffy tail. In fact my mother says he never stopped wagging his tail for 11½ years. He loved going for car rides and when my dad would go in a store, he would sit behind the steering wheel and it looked like he was driving!

He started slowing down a bit last year. We were giving him extra attention & love & caring, to comfort him.  My sister’s resue dog Montana  has been staying with us since November, so Bancroft got to know him and liked playing with him.  They were very cute together.

On Friday January 8^th, we learned that Banks had a cancerous tumor on the right side of his heart. It could not be fixed. His heart was failing. The doctor told us he was in distress and it would get worse. My parents made a decision to let him go peacefully and with dignity. We had to say goodbye. My sister & I were not there so we faced timed and told him how much we loved him. Later that night when my parents picked me up I was so upset. My mom called the Vet Center and asked if we could go back to see him. They had a comfort room and they brought him to us. His body was covered except for head. So I spent some time with him and said my good-byes. He looked very peaceful. I was happy to see him one last time. Tally and Banks were best friends and they were both my best friends. I miss both of them but hope they are back together again.

At holiday time my family puts up a tree and decorations, and listens to holiday music. But my favorite tradition is baking Christmas Cookies. My Grandma always made the best cookies and my mom used to help her. Now my mom is the main baker and I help her. Brooke likes to help shake the sprinkles on the frosted cookies. (That’s no surprise because she always likes to shake, shake, shake!!!)

In the last few years we decided to make all the dough a head of time and keep it in the fridge. We usually make five different batches. My very favorite cookie is the chocolate balls, followed by the cutouts. Others include peanut butter kisses, (but we use dove chocolate), thumbprints with raspberry jelly in the center, almond crescents or balls, and “cucidati’s.” You’re probably asking, “What the heck are cucidati’s?” (Pronounced cooch-i-da-tee’s)  Well, I will tell you. They are Italian fig cookies and they were my grandma’s “special.” They are a bit complicated and time consuming to make. You have to grind figs, dates, nuts, oranges, and other stuff. Then you roll out the dough and put a row of filling on top, roll it up and cut it.

My mom always sets out a big plate of them on Christmas Eve, which we have for dessert. I get to eat more cookies then usual! I’m going to share the thumbprints recipe below, because they are pretty easy to make. And keep in mind…they will taste delicious anytime of the year! Happy Baking! 

THUMB PRINTS                 Oven to 350°     Bake 15-20 minutes                                                                                1/2 pound of salted butter – 2 sticks     (or 1 stick butter & 1 stick margarine)                               1/2 cup white sugar                                                                                                                                                    1 tablespoon vanilla                                                                                                                                                  2 1/2 cups flour                                                                                                                                                   Strawberry or Raspberry  (or your favorite preserves)

Cream butter and sugar in mixer. (We use a KitchenAid mixer with the flat hook).            Add vanilla and then flour.                                                                                                                      Roll into balls about the size of walnuts shells.                                                                            While holding in one hand use other hand to press your thumb in the middle to make an indentation.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and press down in the center forming a space for the preserves.                                                                                                                             Use a teaspoon to drop preserves to fill the center. Bake until lightly browned on bottom.             When cool, remove from cookie pan onto rack. Cool completely before eating or storing.

YUM!

Looking back on 2015, it was a pretty good year. The only sad part about it was losing my Grandma Milly. She recently passed. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two years ago. She was the sweetest lady and a wonderful grandmother to me. She lived for 88 years and had three children, my Mom and My Uncle Gary and Aunt Dona.

There are 6 grandchildren Matthew and Ryan, Stacie and Stephanie and my sister Brooke and me! She never forgot our birthdays even if it was sent a day late!  Sometimes my cousins and I would fool around with Grandma and dance and sing… the words “A Milli, A Milli” from the rap song by Lil’ Wayne. (the rest of the words are not very clean –so I don’t suggest it)  My Poppi’s name was Donald and he passed in 2004.  We named our Subaru, that used to be Poppi’s, “The Donald.”

Grandma Millie always liked to keep busy. She loved cooking and baking. Her specialties were homemade pizza and Cucidaties (Italian Fig Cookies). Her kitchen cabinets were filled with cookies, mints, and many treats. When things got quiet, she would read.

She also sewed many American Girl Doll Outfits for me. After my Poppi was gone, Grandma volunteered almost everyday for Ladies Of Charity…as long as there wasn’t 3 feet of snow in Buffalo!  They sell donated items to the underprivileged.  She also loved beading crystals, so at Ladies of Charity she usually worked the jewelry counter, sorting, cleaning, tagging and selling jewelry. She enjoyed being there with her friends.

Her home always made me feel happy to be there.  She kept all of the cards that her friends sent to her. They were all in a basket in her living room. She loved her angel statues which where displayed all over here house. She also had a very strong faith and there were many prayer cards, religious statues and plaques around her house. She went to church every week and often went to breakfast with her very close friend Dorothy who is 96 years old and still driving!  Father Richard was the pastor of her church. Throughout her illness he would visit her in the hospital.  She loved his energy and outgoing personality.

I miss her very much but I have many good memories of her.

Last month In November we had a visitor from California who came to stay with us. He’s a tiny guy with a very small head and a lot of hair. You might think I’m talking about a person, but this is actually my sister’s little rescue dog, Montana – who starred in her Doritos commercial. Here’s the link if you want to take a look. It’s so funny!   https://crashthesuperbowl.doritos.com/video/4365

Brooke was coming out of a restaurant one day and a Rescue Agency had an adoption event just a few steps away.  She saw this adorable little pup and knew she had to have him.  She filled out the application and was approved and brought him home that day!!!  She named him Montana because that was the name of the street where they found each other!
Brooke bought Montana to stay with us from Thanksgiving until new Years, but he may even stay a little longer.  My golden retriever Bancroft was not quite sure what to do with his new little brother. He growled a couple of times when Montana ran around his head and tried to play with him.  Bancroft seems like he’s beginning to like him now. He’s super cute and super fast he looks like a King Charles Cavalier mix. He runs 100 miles per hour throughout our House. He has the sweetest little face and personality. I like when he sleeps in my room.  He also likes to nap with Dennis and Bancroft!

He loves to play with his toys. They are all over the house. He flips and tosses them runs after them. Montana also loves to play ice hockey. That’s when we toss a couple of ice cubes on the floor and he chases them and slides them around.  And then he eventually eats them.  We drressed them in their USC gear for game day…and they were both waiting patiently  for a treat!

When we are giving him a treat, sometimes he stands on his hind legs and balances himself for a minute or so. It looks like he dancing! When he tries to play with Bancroft, he gets up on his hind legs and puts his front paws on Banks. It’s so cute like he’s trying to hold onto him.  Last week Kay & I gave Montana a bath in my walk
-in-shower.  He was a little scared at first, but liked the warm water!

He seems to like everyone at our house and exploring our neighborhood.    I am so glad that my sister rescued him in LA and saved from a kill shelter! And am also SO excited that he is staying at our house for a while!!

Around this time of year, I love to pull out my holiday movies and just veg out and sit in front of my TV. A few of my old favorites from when I was younger include Eloise at Christmas Time (who is hilarious with her adventures), The Santa Clause 1,2 & 3, Polar Express (Ring that jingle bell), and of course Elf. Who doesn’t laugh at Will Farrell all the way though the entire movie!!! My favorite scene from that one is when he was eating a spaghetti dinner at his father’s house and he used sugar, chocolate & maple, syrup, marshmallows, M&M’s, and Pop tarts on top of it. I read that he had headaches and could not sleep from all the sugar he had to eat while filming!! But he was the Best!

Other Christmas romantic comedies that I love to watch are I’ll be Home for Christmas with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Holiday in Handcuffs (with handsome Mario). My absolute two favorites are Serendipity and The Holiday. I love the New York streets in the first and Amanda’s (Cameron Diaz’s) house in the second. Both will make you laugh & cry (even though Amanda can’t cry!) and wish it was Christmas all the time!