A Little Sweeter at Home

Today is Thanksgiving, or as some say, Turkey Day. Today is a day to spend time with friends and family, give thanks for all that you have, and of course, eat way too much food. 👪🙏🐷 In fact, according to the Calorie Control Council, the average American eats 3,000 calories on Thanksgiving -- for dinner alone. When you add in the calories from drinks, dessert, and appetizers, the total calorie count is closer to 4,500. You read that right, 4,500 calories! 😮 Being from the South, the food is exceptionally delicious, and we probably eat at least 1,500 additional calories for a total of 6,000. I just made that up, but we put extensive effort into having delicious meals. This meal is one way we show our friends and family how much we love them, and each dish is made with extra love and butter.  💓 Our not so traditional Thanksgiving lunch. More importantly, this is also the time of year that we give our resources to others. We provide our time to organizations who need workers for the h

When I think about the times I have been away from my home, whether taking a vacation or visiting friends, I have always felt happy to return home. No matter how nice the hotel or friend's house is, It is never as comfortable as your own dwelling.  In particular, I have a very modest fixer-upper that you can view at holyhooptiehouse.com. As you can see, I do not live in a home that looks like it belongs in Architectural Digest. Far from it! Yet, it is always just a little sweeter at my house.  In fact, I have only lived in my "Hooptie House" for a couple of months; however, it is starting to feel like home. Even with a long list of things I want to change about it, it is still my place. A place that I can relax and unwind after a long day at work. A place that I can hide away from people when I need to escape the hustle and bustle of people and things around me.  Now, my home is far from perfect, and if I were to have you over, you would see all of the projects I have to