It was our first Christmas in our new home. We weren't fully moved in yet and there were still boxes to unpack. I did my best to deck the halls with holiday goodness, our stockings were hung and we got the cutest skinny tree for our family room.
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry christmas 2012
How quickly it's come to an end, 2012 zipped by and the holidays were a blur.
It was our first Christmas in our new home. We weren't fully moved in yet and there were still boxes to unpack. I did my best to deck the halls with holiday goodness, our stockings were hung and we got the cutest skinny tree for our family room.
It was our first Christmas in our new home. We weren't fully moved in yet and there were still boxes to unpack. I did my best to deck the halls with holiday goodness, our stockings were hung and we got the cutest skinny tree for our family room.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas Overview
Oh my, how the holidays have kept me busy, so much so, that I haven't had a chance to visit. I'm certain that all of you with young children must understand and feel my exhaustion, with school performances, class parties, holiday shopping, the constant entertaining, and lets not forget the 8+ birthday celebrations of friends and family, the "to do list" for Mom was never ending. I'll share with you an overview of my December including some of my favorite things.
Let's start with the advent calendar. The last time I spoke with you, I was in a race to make an advent calendar (geez! that was in Nov.). I did make that calendar and manage to fill it with goodies and notes with fun activities. I'm glad I pulled my act together and made it because this brought us together every evening after dinner for some holiday fun, something the boys really enjoyed.
I always look forward to getting a Christmas tree but this year's search for a tree was a bit stressful (yes I'll share the good and the bad with you). We bickered over which tree to get, finally settled on a tree when suddenly it began to rain on us. Dad was a trooper and strapped it on our van but the ride home was stressful to say the least. Our tree began to slip and slide as we made our way home on the freeway, I held my breath hoping we wouldn't lose it.
Despite the ill beginning to our Christmas tree adventure, we sure had fun decorating it.
I love pulling out all the Christmas treasures and this year, the boys made some really sweet ornaments that I'm sure to treasure for years to come.
This year I was in charge of the craft activity for Aidan's classroom holiday party. I wanted to include a lesson on "recycle, repurpose, reuse," so I chose this project. The class had fun with it and I really loved the end product but the prep work for a class of 19 students was a bit gruelling...note to self for next year, remember during December every second counts, choose much simpler project.
It's been our tradition to buy the boys an new ornament every year, you know so when they finally set up their own tree they'll be able to start with 18 ornaments of their own, that is assuming they move out at 18. Oh, and really mom, 18 year old boys just love setting up their own tree...so maybe not 18 but sometime later in life they'll have some of their own keepsakes (or their wives at will at least). This year in sticking with the "Repurpose" theme, we bought them these great upcycle ornaments made from old bike parts. I just love them!
We also decorated our yearly gingerbread house. This year I bought a kit that had the structure already assembled and all you had to do was decorate it. This was so much easier and we got to go directly to the fun part, I'll be doing this every year from now on.
We enjoyed some fun Christmas decorations including a new lamp that I filled with vintage baubles, some collage work I made for our bathroom wall and our Christmas card holder that was topped with a fun wreath Aidan made.
We enjoyed hosting several holiday dinners with friends, including Christmas Eve, having hot pot with good friends. Hot pot crab, mmm one of my favorite things of the season.
Christmas morning brought lots of surprises for the kids, including this letter from Santa. Yes, with all the fun we had Christmas Eve, we forgot to leave Santa cookies and milk. Santa was still good enough to leave lots of special treats. After a morning of opening presents we went to Auntie Sandra's house and had a fun filled day with family.
Oh and let's not forget, during all this holiday fun we also celebrated lots of birthdays including Daddy's big "40"
December was busy but good to all of us. We sure enjoyed our Christmas this 2010. Hope you all enjoyed your holidays as well.
Let's start with the advent calendar. The last time I spoke with you, I was in a race to make an advent calendar (geez! that was in Nov.). I did make that calendar and manage to fill it with goodies and notes with fun activities. I'm glad I pulled my act together and made it because this brought us together every evening after dinner for some holiday fun, something the boys really enjoyed.
I always look forward to getting a Christmas tree but this year's search for a tree was a bit stressful (yes I'll share the good and the bad with you). We bickered over which tree to get, finally settled on a tree when suddenly it began to rain on us. Dad was a trooper and strapped it on our van but the ride home was stressful to say the least. Our tree began to slip and slide as we made our way home on the freeway, I held my breath hoping we wouldn't lose it.
Despite the ill beginning to our Christmas tree adventure, we sure had fun decorating it.
I love pulling out all the Christmas treasures and this year, the boys made some really sweet ornaments that I'm sure to treasure for years to come.
This year I was in charge of the craft activity for Aidan's classroom holiday party. I wanted to include a lesson on "recycle, repurpose, reuse," so I chose this project. The class had fun with it and I really loved the end product but the prep work for a class of 19 students was a bit gruelling...note to self for next year, remember during December every second counts, choose much simpler project.
It's been our tradition to buy the boys an new ornament every year, you know so when they finally set up their own tree they'll be able to start with 18 ornaments of their own, that is assuming they move out at 18. Oh, and really mom, 18 year old boys just love setting up their own tree...so maybe not 18 but sometime later in life they'll have some of their own keepsakes (or their wives at will at least). This year in sticking with the "Repurpose" theme, we bought them these great upcycle ornaments made from old bike parts. I just love them!
We also decorated our yearly gingerbread house. This year I bought a kit that had the structure already assembled and all you had to do was decorate it. This was so much easier and we got to go directly to the fun part, I'll be doing this every year from now on.
We enjoyed some fun Christmas decorations including a new lamp that I filled with vintage baubles, some collage work I made for our bathroom wall and our Christmas card holder that was topped with a fun wreath Aidan made.
We enjoyed hosting several holiday dinners with friends, including Christmas Eve, having hot pot with good friends. Hot pot crab, mmm one of my favorite things of the season.
Christmas morning brought lots of surprises for the kids, including this letter from Santa. Yes, with all the fun we had Christmas Eve, we forgot to leave Santa cookies and milk. Santa was still good enough to leave lots of special treats. After a morning of opening presents we went to Auntie Sandra's house and had a fun filled day with family.
Oh and let's not forget, during all this holiday fun we also celebrated lots of birthdays including Daddy's big "40"
December was busy but good to all of us. We sure enjoyed our Christmas this 2010. Hope you all enjoyed your holidays as well.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Race For An Advent Calendar
With December 1st just around the corner, I'm determined to have an advent calendar for the boys. I found this one I just love but am a little sticker shy. Now really $99, just think of the goodies I could buy to fill it up for that much. So I've decided with the surplus of fabrics I have, I'm going to make my own with this design in mind. The only problem, I only have a few days to make it, so I'm in a race to finish it and fill it for Dec. 1st. Wish me luck!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Enjoying Holiday Crafts and Fun
The boys are off from school for winter break a total of 2 weeks. During this time thus far since there is 1 more week to go, we've had fun with crafts, baking and holiday decorating. Just lots of simple activities to entertain the boys while keeping my sanity.
The boys had fun making glittery pine cones. This was extremely easy, pine cones, glue, glitter and brushes and your set. So easy, yet entertaining for the boys. Best of all, we get to enjoy the beauty of the end product throughout the holiday season as I have them displayed in a pedestal bowl. Our dear neighbors came over for this activity which added that much more fun.
There was also coloring and construction paper fun that resulted in some great snowman art. Also displayed in our home. The boys just beam with pride when we display their handiwork.
Aidan also made a reindeer hat out of construction paper that we ended up displaying in the tree.
We baked cookies for Santa and the neighbors. Yummy oatmeal cookies with holiday M&Ms.
The boys helped place mommy's vintage baubles in a glass cylinder for display (OK this made me very nervous but we got through it. Next time will use baubles I'm not so attached to.)
We made a swag for the front door. We used the bottom branches that were removed from our Christmas tree for this project. This was more of a mom made it while boys observed..but it still was entertaining for them.
We also made a ritual out of putting the holiday cards we received in the card holder. The kids loved this and the challenge of getting them all to stay on the holder.
We also had a nightly ritual of opening up a treasure in an advent calendar and enjoying the sweet chocolate treat together. Yeah I know this was a special treat, nightly chocolate, thankfully it was just a small piece.
And finally, Christmas eve we put together a gingerbread house with help from Uncle Jess and cousin Zach.
The boys had fun making glittery pine cones. This was extremely easy, pine cones, glue, glitter and brushes and your set. So easy, yet entertaining for the boys. Best of all, we get to enjoy the beauty of the end product throughout the holiday season as I have them displayed in a pedestal bowl. Our dear neighbors came over for this activity which added that much more fun.
There was also coloring and construction paper fun that resulted in some great snowman art. Also displayed in our home. The boys just beam with pride when we display their handiwork.
Aidan also made a reindeer hat out of construction paper that we ended up displaying in the tree.
We baked cookies for Santa and the neighbors. Yummy oatmeal cookies with holiday M&Ms.
The boys helped place mommy's vintage baubles in a glass cylinder for display (OK this made me very nervous but we got through it. Next time will use baubles I'm not so attached to.)
We made a swag for the front door. We used the bottom branches that were removed from our Christmas tree for this project. This was more of a mom made it while boys observed..but it still was entertaining for them.
We also made a ritual out of putting the holiday cards we received in the card holder. The kids loved this and the challenge of getting them all to stay on the holder.
We also had a nightly ritual of opening up a treasure in an advent calendar and enjoying the sweet chocolate treat together. Yeah I know this was a special treat, nightly chocolate, thankfully it was just a small piece.
And finally, Christmas eve we put together a gingerbread house with help from Uncle Jess and cousin Zach.
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