Week Forty-Nine: Christmas Card

Who decided that we have to send Christmas cards? I'm over it. I try to do so many fun things throughout the year that by the time Christmas rolls around, my focus has shifted from paying to send out a card no one keeps, to fun family activities that consume my time.

Horrible? Scrooge?

Yeah, probably. But guess what? I am ok with that! haha

The way I see it, the only people who aren't on Facebook that I'd like to send a Christmas Card to are the same people I'll be seeing on Christmas. I'll be able to print off a photo for them if they'd like, and see them in person, too!

Even with all of these Bah Humbuggy thoughts on Christmas cards running through my head, I decided that I would indeed make one. However, I'll just share it here on the blog and on social media and call it a day!

Honestly, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders once I decided to do it this way! How sad is that? Apparently stuffing, addressing, and stamping envelopes was simply too much for me at this very moment in time. Again....I'm ok with that. ;)

Some of you probably saw O's first encounter with Santa on Instagram. It was hilariously heartbreaking. He was SO sad. I didn't purchase that photo at the time, although I still might since they're available online, too. We went back for another try on a weeknight. It was so much more calm in the mall and there was no one in line behind us, so O got to slowly approach Santa with Mike and I before he sat alone.

After the redo with Santa, behold: Christmas Card 2014

Week Forty-Eight: Countdown to Christmas

A year ago, I was apparently very ambitious.

Last night as we unpacked the Christmas stuff and set up the tree, I found all sorts of cute stuff that I bought on clearance last year, tucked away, and completely forgot about. Among those things was a bag from Michael's. I grabbed it, wondering what the heck it was. 

Stockings. Twenty-five tiny little stockings. And some ambition. I think there was some ambition shoved in there too. 

It all came back to me. I remember seeing a blog post about an adorable little advent calendar that was stockings instead of a box with little doors or whatever it usually is. I decided I *needed* that stocking garland and set out to purchase it. Of course it was from Pottery Barn or somewhere like that. Of course it was on sale for $70+. Of course. That's when I decided that I would simply buy my own tiny stockings and make my own Christmas countdown! And here we are. 

It is December first. Time to start counting down to Christmas. I don't think last year me factored in the time it would take to make the garland with the stockings. Or think of cute things to tuck inside the socks. Here is a tentative list (both material things and ideas I could write on a slip of paper) of what I'll stick inside:

• Build a snowman
• Stickers
• Bake cookies
• Read a Christmas book 
• Color a picture to send to grandparents
• "Cap-ick" {chapstick}
• Visit Bentleyville
• Make glitter play doh
• Wrap presents
• Visit Santa 
• Festive window clings

In all honesty, I think we might just tuck ideas into the weekend socks this year and the days Mike and I will be home on vacation. Next year O will have a better understanding of looking in the stocking each day, so we can fill them all then. This year it just seems like more work than fun to try to fill every one and remember to check it every day. Bah Humbug?

No, but really. I love the holiday season and I love cheesy stuff like this. I'm excited that the stockings are at least hung! They look so festive! I just need to hang something above them so they aren't so lonely, and create and attach the numbers to the socks. My plan is to cut scalloped edge circles out of flannel or felt and write numbers on the circles with fabric markers, then glue the circles onto the stockings. 

Do you do a Christmas countdown with your toddler or big kid? What kinds of things do you do? 

-H

Week Forty-Seven: Thanksgiving 2014

There's nothing like the holidays to force you into taking a trip on the nostalgia express. {In a good way, of course.}

This Thanksgiving I started thinking about how far O has come in just one year and how much fun he is. 

How last year he took a nap during our thanksgiving party, and this year he was up until after 9.

How last year he was just starting to truly eat food and this year he was so distracted and excited he hardly ate anything.

How last year he was not running around chasing "doggies!!!" and this year...he was.

How last year we took nearly 100 photos and this year I took 2. Three if you count the selfie I took before we left the house. ;)

We had a lovely Thanksgiving and an excellent long weekend complete with shopping, the Children's Museum, and relaxing. Hope you all did too!