Last month Heidi over at Mustache Mama and Ashley Marie over at Chevron Stitches hosted the {You've Been Mugged} Mug Swap. I quickly signed up and was so excited to scour stores and find a mug for my swap partner - Lillies & Silk. But then life happened (or rather the opposite of that). So, I was unable to link up on Dec. 5th nor was I able to send the mug & gifts to my mug partner until last week, I think. I know, I am lame. Life can be lame sometimes, but you just have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and keep on going...

By the time I had received it and what with all that was going on in my personal life, I had forgotten all about the mug swap and when we were supposed to send (and receive) them. So, it was a lovely and wonderful surprise when I received a box at work. I was really racking my brain, like - what? I didn't order anything. Or did I, and just totally had mom brain? So when I opened the box up and all the careful wrapping and what not..the anticipation was killing me and then voila! Here is what Carissa of Lillies & Silk sent:




It really brightened up my day. I'm sort of glad that I received it first because, after all the life mess stuff I was enduring, all I could think of sending was a mug..and Carissa had sent not just a lovely mug but some treats as well along with her blog cards and note cards made by river & bridge. So, when I was finally able to get to sending out her mug, it was a much better package than I had originally intended. Except I wish I had gotten her the hazelnut flavored biscottis, but the store I went to was out of them - or well they had one left but it was all messed up and yeah, not gift worthy. Anyway, I hope she liked it (she said she did - yay!)

My original post today was too depressing or too full of itself - a little bit of both. We have a lot planned this weekend, but I really do hope to clean and purge and make some donations. I've gathered some unopened toys and would like to donate those to families. They're not fancy or the sought after trendy toys but hey, it's something. I wish people would forget all the consumerism stuff and just focus on the merriment and family togetherness part of the holidays..ok, see - there I go again with the depressing and too full of itself crap.

Anyway...there are lots of things to look forward to..I just need to remind myself of this, as we struggle in the day to day.

Also since it is Friday - it is Photo Friday (click on link to find out more)! This week's challenge is: Men.

Happy Friday! What are you all up to this weekend?