We definitely like us some food around here.  These are the sides that wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them.

1. AK-Broccoli Rice Casserole-When I think about Thanksgiving this is the side that I think of: Broccoli Rice Casserole.  If this side is not made during Thanksgiving, it’s just not Thanksgiving to me.  I could seriously eat my weight in this stuff and I am always first in line to take leftovers home.  I’ve had this before made with Jalapeno Cheese Whiz and OMG…SO GOOD.  However I do believe they discontinued Jalapeno Cheese Whiz.  I’m still pissed.
2. Der-Mashed Potatoes-Please don’t hate, but I’m not in LOOVE with thanksgiving food. I don’t like turkey unless it’s on a sammich and all the other stuff I could honeslty take or leave. But I’m a sucker for some creamy mashed taters on any occasion!
3. Court-Cornbread Dressing-A few things about this dish before I tell you why its my own fav.  1.  Cornbread dressing is where its at.  Its dressing, not stuffing because it never goes IN the turkey.  And cornbread, first fried in a cast iron skillet and baked in the oven until golden brown is the way to go.  2.  This is closest recipe I could find online to my mom’s, Mimi’s, superawesometopsecret recipe.  3.  I opt out on the onions.  No can do on that.  Now that you know all the rules, please know that this is my ultimate side for Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general.  I can’t do with out it and am slowly learning from Mimi the actual art that makes this dish so good that I eat myself silly each year.
4. Sarah-Green Bean Casserole-Green Bean Casserole is a MUST for me. I have loved this stuff for as long as I can remember, and, unfortunately, my in-laws don’t agree that this is a Thanksgiving staple. However, when we do spend the holiday with them, I always make and bring my own because, you know, it’s not Thanksgiving without green bean casserole…and it’s ALWAYS gone at the end of the meal…seems to me like this SHOULD be their new staple since it’s obviously a hit!

What food is it that makes your holiday?

PIE! Who doesn’t look forward to the pie at Thanksgiving?! Well we sure do!  And these are the ones that make us salivate come Thursday of next week.

1. AK-Cherry Pie-So I know all of you will probably be like what?! That’s not a Thanksgiving pie!  Well see, the thing is, I’m not an all pie loving kind of person.  I like two kinds of pie, cherry and apple.  And to make things worse, I’m a crust snob.  I only like pie that has been made with homemade crust. So generally my mother, the queen of pie making, will make me a cherry pie at Thanksgiving and at Christmas and this is the only time of year I have pie.  Then she makes pecan pie or pumpkin pie for the rest of the fam.
2. Sarah-Buttermilk Pie-Like, AK, this is not your “typical” Thanksgiving pie; however, it’s the only dessert I look forward to during the holidays! (I’m more of a stuffing and mashed potato’s girl.) My MIL makes the BEST buttermilk pie I’ve ever had, and you can bet your a$# I will be fighting for multiple pieces of this bad boy on November 25.
3. Court-Cheesecake-This is definitely not even your typical pie, much less, Thanksgiving pie.  However; to clarify or even possibly to start a debate (bring it) a pie is anything with a crust and filling, so cheesecake is really in the pie family 🙂  Anywho, Ben’s Dad makes the best homemade plain cheesecake for many special occasions that have included Thanksgiving.  LOVE IT.
4. Der-Dutch Apple Pie-My favorite pie, Thanksgiving or not, is hands down Dutch apple pie. The brown sugary crumbly topping is Heaven on Earth I tell ya.

Cherry Pie picture courtesy of  tasteofhome.com
Buttermilk Pie picture courtesy of homesicktexan.blogspot.com
Cheesecake picture courtesy of whatscookingamerica.net
Dutch Apple Pie picture courtesy of tasteofhome.com

We’re going to let you guys in on a little Tipsy secret, we are TV people!!!! We watch a lot of TV and we talk a lot about TV, but oddly enough, our favorites are all different!

Here’s ours, what are yours? (And how often are you hooked on the tube?)

1. Der: Modern Family, I’m completely head over heels for Modern Family. The characters on that show could not have been more well cast and every single week I am laughing out loud at the shennanigans that goes on with that show. My only complaint is that I honestly wish it was longer than 30 mins.
2. AK: The Good Wife, Only in its second season, The Good Wife has quickly turned into a “watch the night of” show for us in our household.  That’s a big deal, because we TiVo EVERYTHING and rarely watch things as they are on live that night.  But The Good Wife, it’s that good, I’m telling you!
3. Sarah: Private Practice, this is literally the only show right now that I HAVE to watch the night of. The story lines just keep getting better and better…and if anyone saw the previews for this Thursdays episode, I know you’re on the edge of your seat right now!!!
4. Court: The Office, This is a show I know a lot of people have jumped ship on; however this remains my absolute fav on the air right now. I laugh my ass off to the antics, one liners, and shit the characters do on this show….”you went over my head and then you lied to my face. So my head and my face have taken a beating”. Bahahahaaaa!

Are you the type that buys your Halloween early to get the best selection and then you end up eating most of it yourself and have to go buy more to actually hand out to the kids?  Yeah we are too.  These are our favorite Halloween candies, or just what we want to be eating right here right now!

1. Melis-Brach’s Mellocreme Pumpkin-I love these things. Yes, they are pretty much just sugar and food coloring in the shape of a pumpkin but for some reason my tastebuds cannot get enough. Its probably a good thing they aren’t available year round.
2. AK-Jelly Belly Sour Cherry Jelly Beans-I honestly don’t have a specific halloween candy so much as just a favorite candy genre.  That genre would include anything that is sour.  And last week I read a tweet about jelly beans and haven’t been able to stop thinking about these.
3. Sarah-Caramel Apple Tootsie Pops-I was introduced to these suckers in high school, or maybe junior high…anyway, LOVE them (and the funny thing is that I hate real candied apples, and apples in general)…these bad boys are only available at Halloween, so every year I have to stock up!
4. Court-Runts-Man I love these.  However; PICK OUT THE BANANAS and put all the apples in my belly.

What is going in your belly this Halloween?

We all have them, you know, that one song that you absolutely HAVE to listen to when you’re on a road trip.

Here’s our road trip songs, what are yours?

1. AK, Pat Green “Carry On“: Oldie but goodie…my favorite line is “Billboards and Bullshit got her down”.  It’s one of those roll the windows down and blare it kinda songs.  Hopefully it’s sunny out.
2. Sarah, O.A.R “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker“: I CAN NOT get enough of this song and it’s perfect for road trips because it’s almost 9 minutes long! So basically, by the time you listen to it a few times (you know, to figure out all the words), you’re probably at least half way to your destination.
3. Melis, Hank Williams Jr. “Bartender Song“: During one of my many years spent in college, a group of friends and I decided to take a road trip to Colorado. For some reason we listened to this song almost once an hour on that 20 hour drive, don’t ask me why. But now when I think road trip this song always comes to mind…
4. Court, Explosions in the Sky “Your Hand in Mine“: This is actually not a roll your windows down sing along.  Its all instrumental and has lots of highs and lows.  Pretty EMO song, but I love it.  Ben introduced me to this band and it’s since been one of my favs.  I think I love listening to this song because its 9 damn minutes long and its great to listen to while reading or riding along.

You know you have a favorite cookie that you could eat a gagillion of if left to your own devices right?  We do too.  Here are ours.

1. Sarah-I can take or leave a cookie, but these are definitely a weakness of mine. For whatever reason, they only get made around the holidays and I can NEVER seem to get enough of them!
2. Court-Favorite cookie EVAH.  So simple, so sweet.  This works out pretty well–since you can really only get these at the mall.  So I can say, bake a whole freaking dozen to my god damn self.  So, while at the mall, love to grab one of these.  My love for these has also been passed down to my son.  I am such a proud mom.
3. Melis-I admit I have absolutely no will power when it comes to cookies of any kind, which is why I don’t usually keep cookie dough at my house. But when I do make cookies, Otis Spunkmeyer Cranberry Oatmeal is always my first choice. They are just sweet enough to satisfy my craving without giving me a sugar overload. And with the oats and fruit in them I can pretend they aren’t quite as bad for me (yes, I know I am delusional…). And with the Otis Spunkmeyer frozen cookie dough, I can just pull out one or two cookies to bake at a time, so I don’t end up eating 2 dozen cookies one sitting.
4. AK-Chocolate Susans are only available at Randalls (a grocery store we have here in Texas).  I became addicted to these when all us Tipsy girls (minus Melis, add Der) worked together.  These cookies were a tradition for all birthdays or celebrations of some sort at work.  I generally have to avoid the cookie area at Randalls now so that I don’t start this addiction up again.

chocolate susan pic courtesy of Austin360.com

You’ve heard the old school saying, “A woman’s hair is her crowning glory.” HAHAHAHA…I’m not saying that’s a fact, but I do know that almost all women have their favorite hair “stuff”, be it a product or an accessory.

Here are our favs, what are yours?

1. AK, Scunci No-slip Grip Flat Headwraps: I don’t generally wear hair accessories and I don’t think I’m devoted to a product as much as Melis is but I do have one hair item that I wear without a doubt during all my workouts and it’s this no slip grip headband. I can’t stand to have hair in my eyes when I’m working out and these babies definitely do the trick and stay put!
2. Melis, Biolage by Matrix Hydro-Foaming Styler: I use hair mouse EVERY SINGLE DAY. If I don’t, my hair sticks to my head and I look bald. Trust me, It’s not a pretty sight. I can’t even put my hair in a ponytail without mouse, its that bad. I have used many different volumizing mouses in my life, and this is by far my favorite. It gives a lot of volume but it doesn’t make my hair stiff. Not to mention it smells A-mazing.
3. Sarah, Goody Ouchless Elastics: I’m a ponytail girl true and through…they’re easy, fast, can be cute, and it gives me an alternative to washing and styling my hair every single day! These are my go-to pony tail holders because they’re big enough to hold my massive amounts of hair without damaging it.
4. Court, Frizz-Ease Hair Serum: This is the OG of products for me, but its stayed an ol’ faithful for me. I always have a three step process for my curls that begins with a serum and this legend always makes its way in the mix.

Tipsy Favs this week is highlighting our go-to music…the album we can always fall back on as an all time fav when we don’t really have anything else to listen to or the album we listen to with some sort of obsessive compulsive disorder or ALL OF THE ABOVE!

1. Melis-Glee Soundtrack-I am a self proclaimed GLEEK and you can find me singing along loudly and off key any time I’m in my vehicle to one of the many Glee soundtracks that I am the proud owner of. I have perfected Defying Gravity, except for that last high note.. gets me every time.
2. Sarah-George Strait-George Strait is THE MAN…that’s all there is to say. His sound hasn’t changed much (if at all) in the 25+ years I’ve been listening to him and I love him for that…this is one of those things that if I had to choose 1 artist, he would be it, and this CD is a good overview of all his greatest hits!
3. Court-Deathcab for Cutie-I’m a total emo when it comes to music. This band defines alternative for me. This band also holds a special place in my heart because Ben and I happen to both adore them. Anywhere anytime I’ll belt out these well written meaningful lyrics.
4. AK-Faith Hill-I’m a huge Faith Hill fan. I have all her albums, I’ve seen her in concert, etc.  This album specifically got a lot of flack for not being country enough or whatever but I have to say it really came along at a turning point in my life and I listened to “Stronger” probably more times than any other song ever.

We Tipsy Ladies love our loungewear and we are very particular about what we lounge in.  We thought we would share with you our old standbys in the loungewear department today.

1. Court-Soffe Shorts-I started wearing these In high school and more or less never stopped.  8 dollars and tons of lounging. They come in any color too. A neon yellow version of these made their way into my Halloween costume two years ago (80’s aerobic instructor).
2. AK-Cafe Pasqual T-Shirt-I have this t-shirt from Cafe Pasquals in Santa Fe, NM and I swear to you that it is the most comfortable t-shirt I own.  It is just big enough to be loungey but not overly sloppy and it is SO SOFT.  I have no idea why this t-shirt is my favorite t-shirt in the world, but it is definitely my go-to loungewear at home.  And it’s SOFT.  Did I mention how SOFT it is? It also reminds me that I must go back at some point for more Huevos Rancheros.  If you haven’t been to Cafe Pasquals in Santa Fe, NM for breakfast, you simply must.
3. Sarah-Reversible Flipside Pant-Love, love these yoga pants and I wear them around the house almost daily…it’s hard to find lounge pants when you’re tall b/c they all end up being cropped pants. They’re soft, comfy, come in Tall sizes, AND seem to go on clearance a lot!
4. Der-Capri Legging-Best $6 I ever spent… if I did a cost per wear ratio on these I’m positive I’m a big winner.

We are some picture-taking fools. If there is an event or even just a casual dinner, we always have a camera to document what is happening. Here’s what we use to capture our everyday, what do you use?

1. Sarah-I’ve had a camera very similar to this one for 3 years and I love it for several reasons: 1) it’s resilient 2) it takes great pictures 3) it has a wide viewing screen that allows you to preview your pics without squinting!
2. Der-I got this camera for Christmas last year after much begging and pleading. See, my track record wasn’t too good for not breaking previous cameras I have owned. Now, almost a year later it’s still kickin and taking great pictures. I still have so much to learn about the settings, etc but I’m just happy that it’s still intact. I would like a small take in your purse type camera too, any suggestions??
3. AK-So this is one of those camcorders that also takes pics and my father-in-law got it for us when my son was born as a baby gift/Christmas gift/both of our birthdays the following year gifts hahahahaha! And we love it.  We love the pictures it takes and we love the videos it takes.  For my son’s first birthday we setup a “photobooth” by putting it on a tripod and swiveling the screen so you can see yourself and using the remote control it comes with.  Can’t say enough good things about this camera.
4. Court-Ben and I have a small cam that we try to remember to bring with us at all times. But that rarely, errr, never happens. Anyone who knows me knows I’m constantly snapping shots with my iPhone. Works for now and I always know I’ll have it on hand.