Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas Eve Eve

Just a few things before the magical chaos that is the Christmas weekend hits us.

(1) Today is my thirty-first birthday.

(2) Yes, I've been slow to blog the last couple of months, but I've been enjoying my time to myself. I'll try to be better in the new year.

(3) Guess who won the Ugly Sweater Contest at my school this week? (No, just because I'm in my thirties now doesn't mean I'm going to alter my style of dress...yet!)

Merry Christmas to all!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Whew! Where has the time gone? It’s like I blinked my eyes, and suddenly they were glinting against the beautiful glare of Christmas lights everywhere. Now my birthday is less than a week away, and our family is elbow deep in holiday preparations.

Oh, how I love this time of year! So what have we been up to lately? I thought you’d never ask! ;)

First, armed with Black Friday fliers, both kiddos constructed their annual cut-and-paste lists. Ava actually invented these little beauties a few years ago (you know, before she could write down her wishes), and this time around Hudson became an expert gluer and plunged whole-heartedly into the project. How fun! Plus, they really help us shoppers find just the right thing!

Then it was time for decorating! Boy, I had a couple of eager helpers this year. Between the lights, the ornaments, the ribbon, and the bows, it was a pure Christmas fest. We started with the tree and worked out way through the house. We even played Christmas music and finished by watching a few holiday movies as well.

Last year, sadly, our usual Christmas tree train broke, leaving me worried about finding an affordable replacement. Luckily, I found something even better at Toys R Us this year. It’s a special train that attaches to your actual Christmas tree and becomes an interactive feature within the already decorated boughs. Cool, eh? We thought so. (And yes, I did consider writing a separate post about our attempts to install this wonder of Christmas trains, but decided against it. Let’s just say that three people in tears was well worth the end result..lol). Hopefully this one will last longer than its more traditional predecessor did.

Between singing Christmas carols, watching our favorite holiday flicks, and shopping for those special gifts, we also managed to add one more merry addition to our already Christmas-crazed home. Meet Happy:

Yes, we did it. We welcomed an Elf on the Shelf to our home. I’ve considered it for awhile now, but Ava finally put her foot down and demanded one. We found this little guy on a random day of shopping on Fourth Street, and haven’t regretted his purchase at all. Both kids try to behave so that Happy will have good things to report, and finding his new spot each morning has become a competition of epic proportions.

Of course, Happy’s first place of rest was a meaningful one: watching over Baby Jesus in our Nativity scene. Even among all the fun festivities that come with Christmas, we try to reinforce its true meaning. We read books about the first Christmas, play with our Little People Nativity set, and constantly reference the reason for the season. It’s not magical for nothing!

Well, there’s a none-too-brief recap of our December thus far. If you’re still reading, bravo—and have a delightful holiday season as well.

Favorite Things

Fall Edition!

Wait, is it December already? Seriously!?! Wow, this fall certainly seemed to fly by, and I'm still a bit in shock that my Christmas decorations are already displayed. Oh, well, for now I'll hold the holidays at bay and share what I recently enjoyed while the leaves turned so beautifully. Hopefully you'll find something you might like, too!

(1) I'm ashamed to say it had been years since I'd last had a pistachio, but for some reason I grabbed a bag off the shelf at Wal-Mart. After convincing both kids that it was perfectly okay to eat green nuts, we all became addicted! A perfect snack!

(2) As a high school teacher, I had a front-row seat for that recent feather-extension trend, and although I decided I was a bit too old to enjoy it, I was amused when Ava came home from kindergarten and announced that she wanted one. A turquoise feather in her sweet tresses? Adorable!

(3) Awhile back, I received a free sample of Revlon Crazy Shine nail buffer in one of my magazines. Since I rarely have polish on my fingernails (as a busy mom, it usually comes off immediately after doing dishes and giving baths), I decided to give it a try. The green side buffs, while the white side provides a professional-looking shine. Going into my first attempt, I didn't have much hope, but I was absolutely thrilled with the result. I've used the same buffer several times so far, and it still works like a charm!

(4) Okay, so I totally stole this Urban Outfitters beanie from another blog (can't remember which one!), but I like it because it has a cotton lining that keeps the head from being too warm or too scratchy. Perfect for both fall and winter temperatures.

(5) Since I gave my fingernails some love with the buffer, I didn't want to leave my tootsers out either. I found this Essie Turquoise and Caicos color at CVS, and I loved it. True, it's probably more of a summer color, but it paired perfectly with warm fall colors. Plus, it even goes with some of my Christmas outfits. Also? It's pretty.

(6) Nutcrackers are more of a winter item, but since I start thinking about the holidays during the fall, I decided to include this whimsical Shakespeare nutcracker. For years, I've collected nutcrackers, and he has to be one of my favorites. Plus, I can display him in my classroom after the holidays when we read Romeo and Juliet. (Insert clever Shakespearen quote here; I'm home sick with the kiddos and am running on little sleep, so my brain is a bit slow today.)