Inside Marcy's Mind
Having hosted the Aging aint for Sissie's podcast for two years, I wanted to expand what I could discuss. This podcast will touch on the fun of aging and whatever has crossed my mind! Please join me as I walk through life! #retirement #travel #fun #aginggracefully Link in my bio! Listen now!
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Inside Marcy's Mind
Unwrap the Season with Festive Fun and Organization Tips
As November comes to a close in the heart of Chicago, let's embrace the holiday spirit together. With Thanksgiving arriving unusually late, I've decided to start our Christmas decorating a bit earlier. Craig and I are also eagerly anticipating our upcoming festive river cruise down the Rhine to experience the magical Christmas markets. Another joyous occasion awaits us as both Alec and Kyle return home for an early Thanksgiving celebration, where we'll indulge in family traditions like visiting the Field Museum and savoring dim sum in Chinatown. Amid these festive plans, I'm excited to prepare a delightful cheesecake with pecan praline topping to share with loved ones.
Navigating the chaos of holiday preparations can be daunting, but fear not! I'll be sharing my top decluttering tips to keep your Christmas essentials organized. From Craig’s unique spin on gift wrapping without bags to my personal strategy for preserving cookie sheets for holiday baking, there's plenty to learn to make your holiday season smoother. We’ll explore eight key areas to declutter, ensuring everything from ornaments to baking supplies are in perfect order. With these practical insights, you'll be ready to enjoy a clutter-free and joyful holiday experience.
To keep the festivities light-hearted and fun, we'll also cover the do's and don'ts of kitchen storage, especially the pitfalls of using the top of the refrigerator as a makeshift shelf. As a special treat, I'll share a historical tidbit on the evolution of eggnog, despite my personal dislike for the homemade concoction. And, of course, no holiday season would be complete without discussing our favorite seasonal beverages. For me, the festive season officially begins with a peppermint mocha from Starbucks—an indulgence I’m looking forward to savoring today. So, grab your favorite holiday drink and join me in this festive chat, celebrating the joy of the season.
Hello and welcome to Inside Marci's Mind. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host. Well, it is the end of November and I don't know how this happened. I hope everything's going well with you. Life here in Chicago is going quite fine. We've had lovely weather. Honestly, yesterday I was walking to the dentist and people were not even in coats, so does that tell you something? It's a little scary what's coming, but we had a day of really good rain. Today it's raining right now, so I might have to stop my podcast because Mr Backus, the runner, who runs it early in the morning, might come back sooner rather than later. But I hope all is well with you.
Speaker 1:Today we're going to talk about a couple of things. We're going to talk about things that you shouldn't put on the top of your refrigerator. I don't think you should put anything on the top of your refrigerator, but if you do, don't put these things. We're also going to talk about holiday decorating and what you should purge before you commence your decorating and you know I love a good purge. So if you haven't purged your holiday decorations, I'm going to give you a few little how-tos on that one too. But before we get started on all that fun, let's talk about what's been going on with me in the last week.
Speaker 1:Sit back, grab your coffee. I've got my coffee and I already have it in a Christmas mug. It's got a pretty old fashioned Santa on it. I really love it, and we'll chat about why. I already have a Christmas bug in a moment. So sit back, relax and let's get started. This bug in a moment. So sit back, relax and let's get started. Well, we are.
Speaker 1:You know this year a couple of things. Thanksgiving is really late, like it is really late, so I know that that cuts off the Christmas holiday decorating time. So that's that's one thing. Living here in the city Actually, the city is really good. It wasn't till about a week ago that decorations started showing up. Um, the tree that I see on my way to the gym in water tower or Jane Byrne park it's called now, but it's water where the water tower is here in Chicago came up and they're wrapping all the trees because this Saturday is the big millennium parade for lighting the million lights down Michigan Avenue, which, like right now, I'm looking outside my window and I live on the 36th floor over Michigan Avenue and it's dark, and next week it'll be bright and lit because of all the wonderful holiday lights going down the street.
Speaker 1:So I decided that I wanted my holiday decorations up early and I'm lightly decorating this year. It's not a heavy decorating because Craig and I are leaving a week from this Friday. We are leaving on a river cruise down the Rhine to the Christmas markets. So how fun is that? Right, like very holiday ish. But by the time we get home, december 10th, at that point decorating seems ridiculous.
Speaker 1:And last year we lived in our mother-in-law's house while we were redecorating this and it's, you know, basically an empty house. Nobody lives there. So this year I just wanted my decorations a little early and my biggest decoration is lights that I put all the way around the condo inside. Just beautiful, tiny. It's a string of 250 and they're small lights and they go all the way around. So that is, and I keep that on all the time. I love. That Makes me happy.
Speaker 1:I have some other happiness coming um on Friday. I'm sorry I've been saying um today and I try not to do that, so I will try to be better about that. Friday both of my children come in. Alec and Sharon are coming and Kyle are coming for the weekend we are celebrating an early Thanksgiving, since Craig and I are flying out the day after Thanksgiving. Our cousin Sue is having an early Thanksgiving and I thank her very much for including the five of us. We have not been together in a very long time. All five of us the four of us were together last time was at my mother-in-law's funeral, so not a happy occasion. And then, as you know all, my oldest, kyle, separated from the family for about a year and a half and we are very, very grateful and very, very thankful to have Kyle back in our family unit. It's not an easy thing having a child walk away and having them walk back is magical and it's great and to have them here I didn't think this was going to happen for a very long time, so I'm excited.
Speaker 1:We're going to do some Chicago things. We are going to the Field Museum, kyle's favorite museum since Kyle was little, because we've been coming here since the kids were little, since Craig's family was here. So Field Museum, kyle's favorite. We're doing that, I think. On Friday we're going to take the water taxi down the river to Chinatown and have some dim sum, another one of my kids' favorites.
Speaker 1:Saturday night we are having a early Thanksgiving. I will be making the dessert Saturday night. We are having a early Thanksgiving. I will be making the dessert. So I'm bringing a cheesecake and a choice of a pecan praline topping, if you want, on it. So I'm going to bring that and some little cookie treats as well. What else are we doing?
Speaker 1:Oh, on Sunday we're going to go out to my mother-in-law's home. We're getting ready to put it on the market and the kids have very fond and great memories of not only the home but the prairie and the pond, and they'll go out for a walk on the prairie. I'm sure I'm going to go to our storage unit and look for my Christmas tree while they're doing that. And then Sunday night we are trying a new restaurant here in the city of Chicago. I'll let you know how it is. It's called Hawksmore. There's one in New York. It's the newest steakhouse here in Chicago and they are known for their Sunday roast, which is one of my family's favorites. So we're going to be going there and then the kids will be flying home. We will have next week. I will record for you next week.
Speaker 1:And then Craig and I are hopping over to Europe for a little while, looking forward to my trip in Europe. I so, since it's a Christmas market trip, I ordered a whole bunch of cute Christmas sweaters. They're they're not ugly gaudy Christmas sweaters, they're really beautiful Christmas sweaters. I ordered them. I ordered myself a new coat waterproof, warm winter coat, which I'm excited about anyways, and it's in a beautiful burgundy red. And I got a beautiful burgundy, red and green plaid scarf. I'm going all out. I'm taking my Christmas jewelry. I am doing this Christmas market Christmas cruise in Christmas fashion, I'll tell you that much, and I'm going to look good doing it. So I'm excited about that. We'll get ready and packing for that.
Speaker 1:Been very busy with my church obligations I am the head of the chair of the stewardship committee and we wrapped that up on Sunday. I spoke at all three services and that was really gratifying and fulfilling. We have to do the follow-up work now phone calls, thank you notes, et cetera but I think it was a successful campaign and I was able to do what I always do, which is create a footprint, to do it again. That's one of my when I worked and in my life. I like to create footprints. I do not like recreating the wheel, I don't mind people and and I don't mind adjusting a wheel that was created for me and I don't mind people adjusting the wheel I've created for them. That's what it's meant for. But to do all the work and not write it down and not be able to follow a pattern or at least something, is really hard for me. So I'm really good about that. So that's what I'll be working on the next few weeks here the pattern of what we did and how we did it.
Speaker 1:Again, walking through the city is getting very festive. It's been very warm. Today is the flip switch. The funny thing about living here, you know, living in California, craig and I lived a few places but living on the West Coast, all of your storms come from the ocean. Right, there's no state before California except for Hawaii and we do get the pineapple express that comes from there. But it's so funny for me to live here in the Midwest where they're like, well, there's a storm over Iowa. I'm like, well, who cares, it's Iowa. Well, eventually that storm comes to us. So it's kind of funny, because this morning storm I've been watching since yesterday afternoon and then I'm told it's going to swing over the Lake Michigan, it's going to go up into Canada. The same storm. It's swirling around, it's going to come knock us back in the butt tomorrow, but with possible snow because it will be a lot colder, coming from Canada. So weather has always been interesting to me, but this is kind of a fun one. It's going to swirl around. We have a. I mean people literally. I walked by a couple of guys in shorts yesterday. Now is it California shorts weather? No, was it Chicago shorts weather? Abso-frickin-lutely, it was 60 some odd degrees yesterday afternoon. So anyhow, the weather nerd in me just enjoys this immensely. It's going to come around, it's going to get us and that's what's happening here in Chicago.
Speaker 1:And since we're getting into the decorating season, let's talk about what we should purge and also, you know, I have one thing on top of my refrigerator and it's the holder for all the plastic bags. It's got sections for snack bags, quart size bags, sandwich bags and gallon bags and I don't have room for those in my drawers. So I have a really nice holder to put on top of my refrigerator so it looks good. I cannot stand crap on top of the refrigerator. But we're going to talk about if, if you have to put stuff on top of your refrigerator, what you shouldn't be putting on top of your refrigerator. So refill those drinks, get that coffee warmed up and, if you're driving, keep your eyes on the road and let's get started. Well, you know, there's nothing worse when you're a podcast host than starting to podcast. I started this section and I got about four minutes into it and realized it wasn't recording, so my apologies to myself because you have no idea, but now you know.
Speaker 1:Anyways, is it the most wonderful time of the year or is it the messiest? It's a hard call. Getting ready for Christmas isn't always easy, but taking a little time out to declutter Christmas essentials is important. After all, you don't want to get left scrambling for supplies on Christmas Eve. And here are eight things to declutter before Christmas. Even if you just tackled a few of these right now, you'll still be way ahead of the game, and I believe this wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1:One of the things I purchased and this isn't part of this, but it's part of my life I purchased one of those big Christmas wrapping holders that zips clothes like a big, giant suitcase, especially living here in the condo. I have all our Christmas wrapping in there, I have tags, I have scissors, I have everything that is needed, and I created this long before I moved. We've always had this because I like to have kind of a wrapping station in our house at Christmas. But now that we have a smaller house, I have the wrapping station in this bag and it's great because Craig and I pull it out. We have the wrapping paper. We're very big about no bags in this house we wrap gifts.
Speaker 1:It's a competition between Craig and Alec and Kyle. Now, craig has always been an amazing wrapper. He doesn't even use scissors, he only uses a straight edge and tears blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and matches stripes and it's. We don't use weird wrapping. It's either solid colors, stripes or things that can be matched and used and mixed and matched in half a box, one color, half a box. They're just amazing and the kids have taken after Craig. I hate wrapping. Craig, as a matter of fact, wrapped last night because we um, our church has a ministry of buying presents for those who would not have a Christmas otherwise. So we chose a family of two and we have a mother and a daughter, and so Craig did all that wrapping last night.
Speaker 1:But I I really want to get into what to purge. So the first thing you need to get rid of are broken ornaments. Whether it's that charming Santa ornament that's missing a wire for hanging or a silver bell without a clapper, it might be time to nix it. While your holiday memories may last a lifetime, your ornaments probably won't. So it's a good idea to declutter them every year. Especially applies to glass ornaments, because there's nothing like cutting yourself on a broken glass ornament to ruin your festivities. So there's enough hazards this time of year. Get rid of those broken ornaments. If it's something like a bell and it doesn't have a clapper, put it on a gift, you know. Use it some way that way.
Speaker 1:But either recycle, reuse or get rid of Christmas decor that seemed better days. Is your tinsel looking sparse? Did your elf on the shelf fall last year and lose its hat Toss? Any Christmas decor that is not in good shape, it doesn't look nice or most decor can easily be replaced with something higher quality that will last longer. So that's another thing, you know.
Speaker 1:And when I moved I had to downsize. You know, from like 12 big rubber tubs I downsized to two boxes of Christmas things. I kept all the things that were important, sentimental, had memories, obviously ornaments the kids have made things like that. But you know, get rid of stuff that doesn't look good, that's sad, that's tired, that doesn't have a memory attached to it. And you may say, well, everything from Christmas has a memory attached to it. Well, then, take a picture, get over it. So sentimental, aren't I?
Speaker 1:Tangled and broken string lights. Oh, for God's sake, throw out those lights. If you think you're going to replace it with those little like what are those fuses that come with them, it never works, never. I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever been able to fix a set of string lights. If you can, hallelujah, praise the Lord for you, I cannot. I throw out lights right now. The lights I put up this year. They seem to work and then during the day they just go off, but then I push the button on the thing and they go back on. So I'm not sure what's happening with them. But this year is their last year. They're going because I'm not doing this again. But they're up and they're around and they do work. So I'm keeping them. But come on, get rid of lights that don't work.
Speaker 1:Fake Christmas trees I'm not saying to get rid of them. I have a fake tree here now in the condo because I'm not dealing with pine needles and crap in my condo and getting it up the elevator, down the elevator and God knows where. I would even buy it in the city. I have a fake tree and I have what's called a pencil tree, so it's super thin and the reason I do is because we don't have a lot of room. So I still get a tree, I still get the look. It's easy to decorate because it's not very big. It's tall but it's not fat and you know what. But if your tree is faded, the lights half the lights in the middle don't work these types of things. It's time to upgrade your tree.
Speaker 1:Now, this is something I believe wholeheartedly in baking supplies. I really go through. I've already done it. I've gone through my baking area. I've made a list of what I need to get. Of course, it's butter right now from Costco, best place to buy your butter.
Speaker 1:But I go through all of my baking supplies. I look at my pans. I have cookie sheets that are not allowed to be used for anything but cookies and I hide them from Craig and I hid them from Alec. I've had these for quite some time, when we lived in California and Alec was still living with us. I hide them because those guys are the hardest on cookie sheets. They ruin them when they're making their Tostitos or fish sticks or what have you. Yes, craig loves fish sticks. He had them last night because I didn't make dinner and he shares them with Pickles the Cat, who ate an entire fish stick. He takes the breading off, just gives her the fish. That's pretty cute.
Speaker 1:Anyhow, back to baking supplies. Go through them. Make a list of what you need. Do you have everything you need for baking this holiday season? And make sure you have parchment and I buy parchment specifically for making cookies that fits the size of my cookie sheet and I love that and I use it just for that. I have parchment for daily cooking and use, but I love to have just a nice sheet that sits flat and fits on my cookie sheet.
Speaker 1:So go through your baking supplies. Make sure you're set up your cake pans. You have things like sprinkles, flour, sugar, baking soda, frosting icing. Throw out anything that's expiration date. Check your vanilla. Check your peppermint. Check your spices. Make sure you have fresh spices. I know it seems like spices and flavorings last forever. They don't and they can make or break something I made Chex Mix years ago to take to our friend's beach house for New Year's or Christmas or something and I used the Lowry seasoning salt that had been in there.
Speaker 1:It was a giant container. Craig got it at Costco and I didn't even taste it. Made the whole thing. It was a giant container. Craig got it at Costco and I didn't even taste it. Made the whole thing. It was a terrible batch, ruined an entire batch and you know how expensive it is to make Chex Mix now you know what cereal costs A whole batch because of expired and gross tasting seasoned salt. Test your seasonings. Make sure everything's good. Season salt. Test your seasonings. Make sure everything's good.
Speaker 1:Niche holiday attire. Are you going to an ugly sweater party? Is your ugly sweater from last year still wearable? Do you want to make a new one? I have an even here. I have a basket in my closet that's in this way back section of my closet. That is my holiday go-to, my holiday gear. Now it's going to grow exponentially because of the holiday sweaters I bought this year for my crew, my holiday cruise. But I do have a holiday like t-shirts and things like that. Go through it. Make sure you know to be honest with you. Go through it, but you don't wear them enough to wear them out. But if you're going to do an ugly sweater, I think you should make a new one for the party. If you're going to one of those party Almost empty wrapping supplies I talked about this at the beginning of the episode Make sure you have everything you need.
Speaker 1:You need tape, you need tags, you need markers. You need all the things that you need Scissors my kids know this about me. I bought a gajillion pairs of scissors in our house. Obviously there are the sewing scissors that if anybody touches them they die. That is a given in any household with somebody that sews or does anything with fabric. You have fabric scissors. So I made sure Dollar Tree I don't care where you buy have a ton of scissors in your house, because there's nothing worse than looking for scissors and not being able to find them. Like I have a scissor, a pair of scissors, in where I keep my powder that goes into your water that gives you more hydration. I have a pair of scissors right there so I can cut those Bam. I also use those same scissors to cut the squeezy treats for the cats, because that box is right next to them. I have scissors everywhere I might. I have scissors in my closet hanging on a hook because you have to cut tags off of clothes. So I have scissors everywhere I need them, including my wrapping area. So make sure your wrapping supplies have been gone through.
Speaker 1:Get rid of old crumply paper. I know a lot of you people are using bags. Bags are the worst. Wrap your gifts. There's something it's so personal to wrap a gift and Craig does it and he puts so much love in it. So if you have someone in your house that enjoys wrapping, let them wrap. If you have to do the bags, do the bags for, like cat and dog toys. But I really like the wrapping. But that's because I have a house full of wrappers, I guess. Uh, last year's gifts that are collecting dust.
Speaker 1:You know, if you get a gift and it's not your thing, try to return it. And if you can and that's okay I'd rather have somebody return something I got and get what they love. Don't let it just sit around your house and if it has it's time to either re-gift it, which is totally fine. If you're re-gifting something that you got that you, you know the person you're giving to will love it. If you're doing it just because you're freaking lazy. I say nay, nay. But let's say you got a collection of beautiful tea and you're not a tea drinker. I'm a coffee drinker, I'm not a tea drinker but you have a friend who loves tea. Well, regifting that is a beautiful thing. They're going to love it. You're not going to use it. I think it's great. So just make sure no tags are on it. So that is my, that is my how to declutter before Christmas. I have one more thing, because I Just thought this was really interesting what you should not put on top of your refrigerator.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to lament on it, but again, I think if you're going to put stuff on top of your refrigerator, try to make it look neat. Like I have that bag holder. It's a very attractive bag holder. It's flat, so I don't even think you would notice it's on top of my fridge. But if you did, it doesn't look bad. It's not bags of chips and all. I'm sorry you guys, that just drives me berserk bananas berserk. Okay, I had to take a quick break there. Craig came in from his run soaking wet, which I knew was going to happen, poor guy. Anyhow, let's get to talking about what's on that fridge and what shouldn't be there.
Speaker 1:The top of your fridge is not an ideal place for storing kitchen items. It gets warm and it's just not a great place, not only aesthetically, it's not aesthetically pleasing. This should not be a surprise. Don't keep your medicines up there, but a lot of people do. Don't keep your medications up there. It gets hot. The warmness is not good for medication. So I do know people, especially if you're keeping them up there for your elderly parents and you're filling them when you come to visit whatever, don't put them up there.
Speaker 1:Heavy items it's ridiculous to put anything heavy food processors, your kitchen aid. It may seem like the ideal storage area to keep it up and out of the way. Trying to get it up and down. Well, first of all, my shoulders are a disaster, so I wouldn't want to do that. But no, I have a torn rotator cuff in one arm and the other one hurts. So no, no, but it could damage you or yourself trying to get it down, even if you're strong and you have great shoulders. So nothing.
Speaker 1:Heavy Things you use frequently when you're organizing your kitchen. You want to put the appliances and items to use most often where they're easily accessible, so storing the mixing bowls or things like. And who wants dust all over your mixing bowls? Mixing bowls should not be really kept out. To be honest, have you seen the amount of dust in your house? Do you want that in your mixing bowls? No, so don't put them on top of the fridge.
Speaker 1:Perishable food Well, that's an easy one. It's hot up there. You don't want things that you know perish easily. Bananas, anything like that. Bread, don't put it up there. Wine, don't put it up there, it's hot.
Speaker 1:Cleaning products, first of all. That would look hideously ugly, and cleaning products may seem like a good candidate for storing above the fridge, but if they leak or spill, they could damage your fridge, the food itself or make a disaster to clean up. Yeah, who wants a bottle that falls over and bleach starts running down? No, no, no. Fragile items Again, not a good idea. Up there, it's hot. Plus, getting them up or down, your chances of breaking them. So don't don't keep that up there.
Speaker 1:Anything that's hard to clean. So, like cookbooks, a box of your recipes, my box of recipes. I love my box of recipes. First of all, my sister, cindy, gave it to me when I was about 13 and I still have it, and I have her original recipe she put in there. And then I have my mom's recipes and I have recipes that I've used and I love it and the recipes are torn and worn and very happy.
Speaker 1:But don't put them on top of your fridge. You can't clean them. Grease gets up there. Anything that's paper cookbooks you don't want up there. It's not a great thing for placing on top of the fridge. So those are my. Don't place them on top of the fridge things. It's a quick little gathering and if you have to put stuff up there, put it in an attractive container. Please don't put chips up there with chip clips. You have these beautiful kitchens and then crap on top of the fridge. It just doesn't attract. For me, obviously it's a Marcy Pet P. Okay, I'm off my soapbox, so hang in there. We're going to have a did you know? Moment in just a moment.
Speaker 1:All right, let's talk about eggnog. Culinary historians believe that eggnog began as a posser, a drink made during the Middle Ages with hot milk that was curdled with ale or wine and then sweetened and spiced. Eventually, a combination of raw eggs, milk and sugar, more similar to what we drink today, became popular in the American colonies. Of course, the American colonies spiced it with rum and or whiskey and by the 19th century it became a holiday season favorite. Is it your favorite? It was mine when I was a kid. It's not mine now. I loved it as a kid. Craig makes it every Christmas Eve in the blender and I wouldn't. He'd use his raw eggs. He makes it homemade and I know that should probably be good. Just disgust me. I will not drink it. I think the kids drink it. I don't know, but I'm not drinking homemade eggnog. No, thank you. I want mine with chemicals from the grocery store.
Speaker 1:What are some of your favorite holiday drinks? Mine is I get a peppermint mocha from Starbucks, probably once, maybe twice. But when I have that my Christmas season starts. So I haven't had it yet. I had a mocha, but not a peppermint mocha. Maybe today I'll get myself a peppermint mocha. I've got some errands I've got to go do today, so maybe I'll start my holiday season today. Wonder what starts yours. Well, season is starting. I'm wishing you a happy week. I'll be back here, same bat time, same bat channel next week. Talk to you soon, go out and do something positive.
