Thankful for In-Laws

The good thing about marrying a vet who once loaned his house to his brother and sister-in-law while he was on an all-expense-paid, year-long excursion to the exotic lands of Afghanistan is that, when said brother- and sister-in-law move away while he's still overseas, it's easier for them to leave some pretty cool stuff behind.

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I Was Raised By Elves.

Actually, I was raised by the head elf himself: Santa Claus.

Actually, I was raised by a guy who looks strikingly like Santa Claus when he wears red clothing and wire-rimmed glasses and appears in photos with children rattling off their wish lists.

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STILL Shopping??

Well, folks, Christmas is upon us.

Some of us who like to be prepared and organized and responsible are ready. Some of us who like to be prepared and organized and responsible but fail miserably in spite of ourselves are not. Ready or not, though, here Christmas comes.


If on this 23rd day of December you still have a few names to cross of your list, here are a few ideas for gifts of the Xtreme last-minute variety.

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A White Christmas in 2009?

From jmtulsa on Flickr - pretty, no?

According to local meteorologist Julie Chin's latest forecast, Santa might just have more to land on than sand, clay and lakes when he visits Green Country Thursday night.

That's right, kids - snow is in the forecast.

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Ugly Sweater Shopping in Tulsa

Perhaps you've heard that I'm going to the Ugly Sweater Party at Joe Momma's tonight, downtown at 112 S. Elgin Ave. Of course, I waited until today to realize that no sweater ugly enough to win any sort of contest is within the meager sphere of stuff I own.

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What to Do in Tulsa This Weekend

Looking for the best in Tulsa events this weekend, holiday and otherwise? You're in luck. Here now, as heard every Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley, is what to do in Tulsa this weekend.

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Ugly Sweater Party, Y'all

Guys? I need your help.

So, Blake Ewing over at Joe Momma's was nice enough to put the name of this blog on this poster. I'm supposed to help judge this ugly sweater contest, too.

It's only fitting that I have a bodaciously ugly sweater to wear to help judge the ugly sweater contest. Thing is, and as any regular reader of this blog knows, I'm not a fan of The Shopping. The Shopping and I, we've never really gotten along. I'm like a dude when it comes to The Shopping - I usually have a good idea of what I'm looking for and I make a beeline between that item, the cash register and the exit.

So, I need your help. Where should I go to find the ugliest sweater in Tulsa? How does one go about this kind of shopping quest? How do I protect my delicate sensibilities during this course of this horrific ordeal?

Please advise. Pretty please. S'il vous plait. Porus favorus. Or something.

By the way, I hope to see all of your lovely, sunshiny faces at this Ugly Sweater Party at Joe Momma's Saturday night, starting at 9pm. Prizes, deals on beer, yummy pizza and pretty good company will abound.

TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Gardner's Used Books

I hope you're not tired of hearing me talk about Gardner's Used Books, because I'm certainly not finished talking about it.

My favorite used bookstore just started its 12 Days of Christmas Sale. Yesterday craft, holiday and cook books were buy one, get one free. Today, all horror and true crime are buy one, get one free. Later in the week all hardback books, no matter the genre, will be buy one, get one free. This madness will persist until Christmas - actually, well beyond Christmas.

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A Study in Burgers

So, there's this new cafe I found. It's called Gatsby's Grill, and it's on the north end of Gardner's Used Books & Music on Mingo between 41st and 51st Streets.

Not only does this place have killer fish and chips, macaroni salad, French fries, twice-baked potatoes, and pecan pies (okay, I might go a little overboard when I try a place for the first time), I found out tonight Gatsby's turns out a pretty darned good burger, too.

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What to Do in Tulsa This Weekend

If you're still not feeling the holiday spirit, I have the perfect remedy: Simply walk out of your front door at some point this weekend. With all of the festivities going on this weekend, you're bound to run into some holly, jolly-like thing to rosy your cheeks.

If you've been hearing sleigh bells since Halloween, there's plenty going on in Tulsa this weekend to give you some relief for your holiday fatigue. If it's a concert that you're pining for, some artsy goodness or a good movie, it's all happening in T-Town between now and suppertime on Sunday.

As heard every Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley, here's what to do in Tulsa this weekend.

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Your Thoughts on Men in Tights

Thanks to all who entered the contest for the family four-pack of tickets to Tulsa Ballet's The Nutcracker. It's all over now, and I'm about to pick a winner. I hope you're sitting down. We're gonna make it through this. Bear with me. My condolences.

None of that made any sense. See how quickly things can go downhill when I'm left to my own devices?

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Tulsa Music

Sure, I'd heard of Under the Mooch, an independent records and music store open here in Tulsa at 15th and Harvard since June 2006.

It's just that, having been raised a Starship girl (my dad, a University of Tulsa grad, spent a lot of time there with my mom when he should have been studying, thus ensuring that I started my music-collecting life at the former, technicolor, dual-building location with a Juice Newton cassette and a Selena CD - rock!), I never really considered trying any other local music outlet.

That was, until last week.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Tulsa Ballet's The Nutcracker

For $15, for Christmas one could buy:

• A nicer-than-Hanes pair of socks;
• A nicer-than-Fruit-of-the-Loom pair of underwear (men's only);
• A gift card, the near thoughtlessness of which is not redeemed by its 27-percent chance of taking up permanent residence in the back of a junk drawer;
• The hot toy of the year 2009, a Zhu-Zhu Pet - that is, if you can find one in a store where the fabled $8 price is charged.

Or, one could offer an experience, the chance to take part in a Tulsa tradition.

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This Week in Tulsa Parenthood

In case you missed me this morning on the 2NEWS Midday Show giving the rundown of things to do with your kids in Tulsa this week, here are a few things to tuck into your calendar.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Best Tulsa Memberships

Once when I was gushing about my family's Tulsa Zoo membership to a fellow stay-at-home mom, she said something eye-opening:

"The only reason we get to go to the zoo and the museums as often as we do is because our family gives us memberships every year for Christmas."

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What To Do in Tulsa This Weekend

Don't look now, but the holiday section of this weekend's rundown is as fat as St. Nick himself. You know what? Go ahead. Have a look. Then, try to figure out how you're going to do all on the list that appeals to you. It'll be a fun brain teaser for your Friday.

Besides Christmas stuff, there's tons going on in Tulsa this weekend, from live metal music to college basketball. Get your fill before Monday in this week's list of things to do in Tulsa, as heard every Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley.

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Jumping the Gun

Looking for something to do to get the weekend kicked off early? Try on a few of these events for size.

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Excuse me, ma'am. What's that in your tree?

Ever wondered what would happen if a toddler was allowed to decorate a Christmas tree?

To find out, visit my blog at Ttownmoms.com.

TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Philbrook Gift Shop

While I was doing research for this gift guide, I came across some rather original suggestions, ranging from the cute and unique to the downright strange.

One suggestion in particular was, I think, smart thinking. Leave it to the head mom over at Ttownmoms.com, Trisha Swindle, to come up with a clever, cost-effective way to shop with local vendors this holiday season without breaking the bank. Her idea? Shop for stocking stuffers at the gift shop in Philbrook Museum.

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Today in Tulsa Blogs

From time to time I find that I've spent an entire morning reading blogs. With all the banter and pontificating and re-telling and general memoir yumminess, it's hard to keep from it from time to time (read: more often that it makes me comfortable to admit. There's dishes and laundry and baby-raisin' to do around here, after all).

Everyone - that is, unless you're still one of those people who ask, "What's a blog?" and if you are, odds would have it that you're not reading this, anyway - has their vices when it comes to blog reading. Mine is The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Did you all see the Beef Stew with Mushrooms she posted today? Lord. Have. Mercy. On my thighs. Because that's right where a recipe by Ree Drummond typically heads - at least, that's true in my case. That all of the recipes on her site now print with ease thanks to HP, my hodgepodge, finders-keepers cookbook stuffed in a three-ring binder left over from college is expanding. Also, my second chin, it is screaming. These days, it's really been throwing its weight around.

Good thing second chins don't get a vote in my house. Stand down, chins!

Speaking of second chins, Hillary over at Life Yoga, a one-woman Tulsa yoga studio that specializes in private and small classes, has a set of resolutions we should all heed now if we don't want to be making lofty vows to ourselves to lose weight and get in shape come the morning of Jan. 1. While I personally have a hard time giving up all of the comfort food that's available around holiday time, I like Hillary's idea of starting family traditions to stay trim.

Start new family traditions. This year my mom and I came up with an idea to start taking a walk every holiday after our meal. We took an hour long walk a few hours after Thanksgiving lunch. All the boys were taking a nap anyways- so we didn't miss a thing and got to spend some great time together. And lets face it- we live in Oklahoma, it's probably going to be 70 on Christmas anyways...

However you choose to spend your holiday just know that it is an excuse to get together with your family and friends- not to eat whatever you want with no consequences. You will feel much better if you follow these simple steps- and will be able to make a much better New Years resolution than losing weight.

Okay, okay, Hillary, I give up - no five slices of pie in one day this Christmas for Tasha. Thanks for working to keep us healthy, woman.

For all my knitting friends, be sure to put on your creative thinking caps and enter to win a 500-yard skein of organic, fingering-weight merino from the folks at Clear Creek Lavender. The prompt: Name the new colorway. You have until noon or so on Wednesday.

77 Counties has a striking image of my beloved Theta Pond. I spent many an afternoon sketching and dodging bird poop at that pond instead of studying in the library, where I should have been. If you haven't yet checked out the 77 Counties project, do it now. The photos are choice.

My pal Carrisa over at And So She Blogs has a valuable lesson for all of you who forget to lock up (I live with one, too, Carrisa - we should start a support group). Plus, she's got delicious, buttery, sweet-smelling baby photos.

Michael Bates - or, as I like to call him, Bates (actually, I call him, "He Who Knows," but usually only in the confines of my feeble little mind) - has a reminder about tonight's showing of the newest Jack Frank show, Tulsa A-Z. Head to Batesline for details, and be sure to tune in.

Jeff Shaw over at Bounded Rationality has a review of a new restaurant downtown. I tried it a few weeks ago and I, too, give Zorba's Greek Grill two thumbs up.

For all you history buffs out there, boy, do I have a blog for you: Historic Tulsa. Check out three recent posts on midtown mansions: Parriot Mansion, Carl K. Dresser House (read: Tulsa wedding central) and Moore Manor, on the same tract as the Creek Nation Council Oak, the fabled birthplace of Tulsa. I love those old photos, don't you all?

The always snarky Irritated Tulsan has 25 Uses for Leftover Turkey. Here's a preview: Use No. 24 is pothole filler. Use No. 12? Monopoly game pieces. Use No. 1? Unmentionable here on this mostly family-friendly blog. Check it out - you won't be sorry.

Ever get the hankerin' for horseback riding? Ron over at Route 66 News has a little somethin' for ya - Route 66 Riding Stables. Check out his photos and review. While you're there, have a look around the site. Ron writes about everything from restaurants on Route 66 to Route 66 property for sale. It's a great resource and an even better read.

All these holidays got you thinking it's finally time to learn to boil water? Learn that and more in the cooking classes at The Stock Pot. Check Tulsa Food Blog for offerings and times.

Did you miss Garden Glow at Philbrook last Saturday? No worries - you can catch some pics over at What's Up @ Philbrook, a blog about Tulsa's world-class museum at 2424 S. Rockford, updated daily.

Speaking of Tulsa's world-class museums, take a virtual tour of the one on Gilcrease Museum Road, thanks to Yogi at Yogi's Den.

To what Tulsa and Oklahoma blogs are you addicted? Share and feast upon links in the comments.