Saturday Meanderings

As I write this, we are stuck at the airport in Charleston, South Carolina. Our return flight home is “delayed” creating missed connections through Dallas. Oh well, the joys of airline travel. We (the entire family)are here celebrating my husband’s birthday, which falls on December 13th. It has been a wonderful week and now it’s time for our weekly Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things (except airline delays!)

Charleston in December

I hope to write another blog post about Charleston in December, but here are some photos from our trip. The camellias are in bloom and check out this beauty, the Christmas Carol camellia. I have tried to grow them in Phoenix, but they failed in the heat.

Holiday house decorations did not disappoint with the abundance of magnolia leaves in wreaths and garlands. Charleston is such a walkable city and I could have spent all day, just roaming through the lovely neighborhoods and house snooping.

Cleaning before vacation

Do you deep clean before you leave on vacation? The thought of coming home after traveling to a messy home is not an exciting prospect. One of the cleaning projects is really my least favorite, but it always feels good when it’s completed~cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer! Admittedly, I do not clean these spaces as often as I should. The recommended frequency of cleaning a freezer is 3 months; 3-4 months for the refrigerator.

With a separate SubZero refrigerator, freezer and refrigerated drawers, this is a several hour project. I wish I took before pictures as there were some interesting finds, especially in the freezer. A year old piece of last year’s Mary Berry Christmas cake for example!

Perhaps the photos above don’t look particularly organized, but it’s 1000% better than it was.

Another project is organizing the front hall closet where all the linens and tablecloths reside. When I opened the door and several things spilled out on me, it was just time to pull everything out and focus on this space.

In 2020, I did a blog post about this unusually shaped closet and apparently that was the last time it received any attention. How do things get so messy in 2 years?

Labeling Light Switches

Though not an obsessive labeler, I do like to label light switches, especially when there are multiple options. It was nearly 8 months ago when we remodeled the pool house. FINALLY, the switches are all marked. Project done! If you need a labeler, check out this one.

Frost Warnings

This week the temperature in Phoenix will drop significantly. Adding frost coverings hopefully will protect my plants while we are gone. Usually I put Christmas lights inside to help add some warmth, however, I did not this time. Keeping my fingers crossed that all is well.

Saltine Toffee

My cousin, Donna, always makes saltine toffee for family gatherings, and she was kind enough to share the recipe. I admit to being a bit skeptical making it, but it is a huge hit and oh, so easy to make. Only 5 ingredients (Saltines, brown sugar, butter, chocolate chips and nuts), anyone can make this yummy treat.

Sally’s Baking Addiction has good step by step instructions on how to make this. See it here.

Cute Cheese Ball

Last week I shared a Hedgehog cheese ball and this week, look at this cute snowman cheese ball. Jen, from Tatertots & Jello, share this 15-minute recipe here. Not sure what my fixation on cheese balls is lately, but both of these recipes look good.

Christmas Party Food

My friend, Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse has quite the spread for her annual holiday party. Wow! I wish I lived closer to her. What I like about her post, is that the food is a combination of store-bought and homemade. She gives the resources and recipes. See it here.

How to Take Better Holiday Photos

The holidays are the perfect time to take more photos of family, food and friends. My friend, Pam, from An Artful Mom has great suggestions on how to capture that perfect moment. See it here.

12 Festive Christmas Cocktail Recipes

In the past, I’ve had good luck with cocktail recipes from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles. Her post this week includes 12 Festive Christmas Cocktail recipes that all sound rather delicious. If you are looking for a holiday-themed cocktail for yourself or your guests, you can certainly find something here.

Well, I am STILL stuck at the airport and not sure we will even get on a plane today. The only good news is that it allowed me the time to complete this Saturday Meanderings post and say hello to you! Let’s pray we get home soon.