Tag: Christmas activities

The Murphy ‘Halls Are Officially Decked!’

Carol 17 Comments

Photos today are courtesy of my nephew James.

As many of you know, I am selling my house and buying a condo. I just have a few Christmas items in the living room to keep me happy, but I won’t be putting up a tree and doing all the decorating I normally do. Right now there are 2 stacks of packed boxes in the living room with more to come. Each stack is as tall as me. Same in the dining room. An inspector came last Monday at 12:45. Last Tuesday an appraisor came at noon. Sigh! I’ll be so happy when this is all over. I move to Lakeland on January 10th. Today’s photos are courtesy of my nephew James up in Michigan. Thank you James!

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Meadowbrook Hall’s Winter Wonderland For Christmas

Carol 30 Comments

Photos are courtesy of my nephew, James, and his wife, Heather.

Meadow Brook Hall is a Tudor revival style mansion located at 350 Estate Drive in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It was built between 1926 and 1929 by the heiress to the Dodge automaker fortune, Matilda Dodge Wilson and her second husband, lumber baron, Alfred Wilson. Each holiday season the mansion is decorated for Christmas. My nephew, James, and his wife, Heather, went to enjoy Meadowbrook’s Winter Wonderland last week. They enjoyed the inside late in the day and then explored the light displays outside. Thanks for sharing James and Heather!

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How to Enjoy Christmas on a Budget

Carol 18 Comments

In 7 weeks, it’s Christmas!  Are you already planning for your holidays this year? Do you know all your gift recipients and how much to spend for presents?  According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) Holiday and Seasonal Trends survey (2021), Americans spent an average of $998 on Christmas presents and holiday non-gift items. That’s a lot of money, and many of us spend the rest of the year trying to pay off that debt. Considering the rise in costs in the last few years, this year can be even harder on the majority of us. Let’s look at ways to get through the holidays without going broke with savvy tips to make sure you don’t overspend .

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