We all know the holidays really aren’t about presents.  But sometimes…yes, they are. :smile93

So what nifty new toys did Santa bring you this year? :smiley11

To be honest, I never expect much for Christmas, because…well, you know, I seem to perpetually be on Santa’s Naughty List. :smiley57  But also because we don’t tend to do big family get-togethers where many gifts are exchanged amongst many people.

But that’s okay, because the things I do get tend to be things I really want, or at the very least I appreciate them more. :smiley56  And that’s definitely true this year!

My favorite bit of booty, I think, is the new under-the-shelf radio/CD player/iPod dock I got for the bathroom.  Yep, for the bathroom.  I’ve always had a radio in there because I love to have music on when I shower, but being the old-fashioned “boom box”-type, it was kind of clunky & in the way.  This one is so much sleeker, & as I said, also hooks up to my iPod, which the old CD player didn’t.

I’d actually gotten this for my birthday, but it sat in the box until the day before the Day Before Christmas, when I finally got it installed.  And I LOVE IT!!!  It fits perfectly under one of the window shelves I had built for The Kittehs, taking up zero floor space.  It turns on at the touch of a button—radio or CD player; I haven’t actually tried the iPod yet, but I’ll bet it’s fab, too :smiley89 —so I can turn it on even just while I’m washing my face, or even have it on while I’m moving around upstairs because I can hear it from every room on the second floor! :smiley13  And it has the ability to pre-program up to 10 radio stations, whereas the old one used a dial & pull-up antennae.  (What can I say?  It was a leftover from my high school days; totally out-dated, but still works like a charm. :smiley68  I’m not even getting rid of it, just moving it to another room. :smiley23 )

Can you tell I really, REALLY love it? :smiley88

I also got an adorable porcelain Edward Bear (a.k.a. the original Winnie-the-Pooh) figurine/coin bank.  I love it, too, but probably only because I’m crazy for all things Pooh & Friends. :smiley33

And a 12-month collection of seasonal notepads, sticky pads, & page markers…  Squee!  In case you didn’t know, writers are ga-ga for office supplies.  Especially of the cute-as-a-button variety. :smiley81

Last but not least, I received a lovely Christmas present from my very own subconscious.  On Christmas morning, I awoke with a smile on my face after spending the night dreaming about my Darling Dwayne.  Ooh-la-la. :smiley15

Now, nothing dirty, you gutter-brains! :smiley2   In fact, in the dream, Darling Dwayne & I were traveling, but since it was coming up on Madame Mommy Dearest‘s birthday, we were browsing airport gift shops for something she might like.  I found a Mylar balloon I knew she’d love, but the florist shop was out; Darling Dwayne even helped me sort through all the boxes of flat balloons they had in stock to try to find one.  Then as we were leaving that store, we noticed some loose balloon floating toward the ceiling—you know, as they’re wont to do if one lets go of them. :smiley73  Darling Dwayne lifted me up so I could reach the dangling ribbon, & we joked about walking away quickly so no one would catch us “stealing.”  After that, I left the balloon with him & ran to the bathroom, & when I came back, he had two birthday balloons for MMD.  I asked how he got the second one, & he said something along the lines of, “The Rock has a way of getting what he wants.”  And he gave me that sexy wink he’s so well-known for.

Hey, it made me happy. :smiley62

So how about you?  Did you have a wonderful Christmas?  And what did Santa bring Mistress Heidi‘s naughty, naughty Darlings? :smiley44

Sweet & Sour Champagne Mojitos

1/2 cup blood orange juice
juice of 1/2 a Meyer lemon
2 ounces light rum
16 mint leaves
champagne

Combine juices, rum, and mint in a blender. Puree completely. Strain.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of juice mixture into each glass.
Top with champagne.

(Serves 4)

It’s possible you don’t like citrusy stuff as much as I do, but dang, does this sound good! :smiley69