Things Loved In December

Ah, December.  How can one month be so amazingly fun and magical, yet so ridiculously hectic and overwhelming?  She's a tricky one, that December. 

Of course when it comes to Things Loved in December there are all my usual favorites:  busting our my Mariah Carey Christmas CD, putting up the tree and decking the halls, receiving holiday cards, celebrating with friends and family, and Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha Latte.  These are givens.  Here are a few other things that had me feeling the love this month:

1.  For starters, let's put Starbucks' Skinny Peppermint Mocha Latte on the list! 

I was thrilled to see that a lower calorie version of my favorite winter drink is now being offered by my crack dealer. 

My weekly Starbucks order in December 2011:  Grande, nonfat, no whip Peppermint Mocha Latte (290 calories).
My weekly Starbucks order this December: Grande Skinny Peppermint Mocha Latte (130 calories).

You see that?  Starbucks gave me the gift of -160 calories and -2 words for Christmas this year.  Thank you, thank you.

2.  Speaking of Starbucks, I was there one morning in early December, waiting for my overpriced latte that I absolutely consider an unnecessary indulgence, when I saw it.  Taped to the front of the counter was a smattering of little paper candy cane shaped cutouts, each with a gift request written on it for a person in need this holiday season.  One in particular caught my eye:

"Girl, age 4.  Dora anything."

I couldn't take my eyes off of it. 

My chest tightened and I had to remember to breathe.  All I could think of was this four-year-old little girl, bursting at the seams with all the wonder and excitement that is Christmas, and all she wants in the whole wide world is anything that has anything to do with her favorite cartoon character, Dora the Explorer. 

Dora anything.

That weekend Kate and I went shopping and she helped me pick out Dora gifts that would go to our little four-year-old friend whom we would never meet.  As we stood in the checkout line, I felt for the little red construction paper candy cane in my pocket--the one I couldn't possibly leave Starbucks without--and wished with all my heart that this little girl asking for "Dora anything" would feel nothing but overwhelming love and joy on Christmas morning. 

3.  Another joyful moment this December was seeing Kate perform in her very first Christmas pageant!  Her daycare organized a fun little show for all the kids and Kate's class (along with the infants, and 2 and 3-year-olds) all got up on stage and sang Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday to Jesus.  It was the cutest thing!  After their performances the younger children cleared the stage to sit with their parents while the older kids performed--but Kate didn't want to leave the stage!  At one point, while waiting for another group of kids to come on stage, Kate was the only child up there--all alone, just running around and enjoying herself in front of a huge room full of total strangers.  We'd never seen this side of her before!  Usually when she's around people she doesn't recognize--heck, even people she does!--she clings to me or G for quite awhile until she "warms up" and feels comfortable enough to navigate the space without us.  But not this time!  After the awful, miserable, heart-ripping struggles we endured a year ago when we decided to switch daycares for Kate, it was absolutely incredible for us to see such a powerful display of how comfortable Kate truly feels at her new daycare.  We were so proud of her!

Kate (23 months), owning that empty stage.

4.  Another very proud moment for me this month was seeing my youngest sister, Amanda, graduate from college.  There are ten years between us and we've always had more of a mother-daughter bond than a sister-sister bond.  I remember getting her ready for her first day of kindergarten, helping her with reading homework in elementary school, and bawling my eyes out during her high school graduation ceremony.  I know eventually I'll need to see and treat her as a peer, but to me she will always be my first baby girl.  I am so proud to see her achieve something she worked so hard for! 

Me and my baby sister--the college grad!

5.  Words with Friends.

A friend introduced me to this game about a week ago and I think it's safe to say I'm slightly addicted.  Not Starbucks addicted, mind you...but close.  For anyone who doesn't know, Words with Friends is basically a Scrabble app for your iPhone or other compatible device (I think you can play it online through Facebook, too), and you can play with any of your friends who also have the app.  What I like most about the game is that you play your turn whenever it's most convenient for you--at the check-out line, while you're making dinner, waiting at the dentist, etc.  Your opponent isn't sitting impatiently across from you, urging you to hurry up and go.  What I like least about this game is that I'm a total rookie and up until a week ago I had no clue that XU, NU, HIST, SH, OY, QAT and AY were words.  However, now that I am getting my ass handed to me by G's cousin, John, I am well aware that they are--and that I have a lot to learn.

Honorable Mention: G and I saw the movie We Bought a Zoo on Christmas afternoon and we both really liked it!  It's a great feel-good movie, and I especially love that it's based on a true story.  Plus the two little girls in the movie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones and Elle Fanning) are so darn adorable they're worth the price of admission right there! 

My Christmas Wish

Merry Christmas everyone!

One of my favorite holiday sentiments, from one of my favorite designers of unique cards and gifts, Curly Girl Designs.

Season's Greetings...

...from our playground to yours!

Our 2011 holiday card (from Tiny Prints).

Gift Card Snow Globe

I asked for advice on my Facebook page last week about what to get Kate's daycare teachers for Christmas, and got all sorts of fabulous ideas!  My favorite suggestion came from my friend Allison who posted an idea (compliments of The Creative Mama) for giving a gift card inside a DIY snow globe.

I know that gift cards are a favorite thing to receive, but simply handing one over has always seemed so impersonal (and boring) to me.  This idea was the perfect solution!  I took a Ball canning jar, filled it with red glitter, miniature ornaments, and some red beads.  Next, I glued a Target gift card that says "Merry Christmas" to the lid so it would stand up straight in the jar.  Lastly, I filled the jar with water, screwed the lid on, flipped it over...and it became a festive holiday snow globe filled with a gift card!

Kate was in awe of our little creation--and her daycare teachers loved them, too!

Bringing Some Color to Christmas

For years my Christmas decorations have been strictly limited to golds and bronzes (with maybe a smidge of red) because I liked the monochromatic look and it best matched the rest of our house--case in point:  Christmas 2006,  Christmas 2007, Christmas 2008... 

Well now we have a toddler, so our formerly neutral decor is currently splashed with all the colors of Fisher-Price and Playskool...and I don't see that changing any time soon.  Oh well. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Time to add some color to our Christmas! 

When it comes to Christmas, holiday decorations, shopping everything, I have a tendency to take it to a whole 'nother level faster than Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes.*  At the risk of blowing funds already set aside to ensure Kate's "Sweet 16" rivals that of a Kardashian, I knew I had to keep my budget for colorful Christmas decor in check.  A couple packs of colorful ornaments and some gift-wrapping supplies later, and color had successfully (and inexpensively)  infiltrated our holiday!

I twisted some colorful curling ribbon around these gold and bronze Christmas trees to give them a little splash of color:

Kate picked out this red stocking with colorful jingle bells to hang alongside mine and G's plain cream colored ones.  To make them all a little more cohesive I pinned colorful Christmas bows on ours and stuffed them all with colorful confetti picks. 

One of my favorite things to do for Christmas decor is to wrap some of the frames on our photo gallery wall to look like presents.  Instead of our typical gold and bronze, I chose something a little more playful this year:

I purchased two $5 packages of miniature jewel-toned ornaments.  Most of them went on the tree to start dotting all of that gold and bronze with a bit of color, and I hung the rest of them on this lampshade using coordinated curling ribbon.

I made these sequined elasticized bands a few years ago to be napkin rings, but they didn't quite work.  They look great, however, stretched over the glass shades of the chandelier!

I made the colorful garland hanging from the windows out of felt Christmas tree ornaments (3 for $1!) from Target, strung on gold curling ribbon.  It's hard to capture their impact in pictures, but they give the whole space a fun and playful punch of color!

Close-up of the felt Christmas trees (and my first attempt at using faux snow):

I'm sure we'll add even more fun and colorful things to our holiday decor each year, but this gets us off to a good start! 

(Check out this post to see some neat pictures of this year's Christmas tree.)

*You know what holiday comes after Christmas, right?!  Awards season! Woot!!

Gift-Wrapped Christmas Care Package

G's sister Lesley lives in Seattle, and isn't able to make it home to Wisconsin this year for Christmas, so we're sending a little holiday care package her way--gift wrapped from the inside!

First, line the inside of the box with holiday wrapping paper.

Fill it with goodies!

A few finishing touches.

All sealed up and ready to mail!

Gift-wrapping the inside of the box is my favorite way to add an extra personal touch to a care package--and it's so easy to do!  You can check out other gift-wrapped care packages I've sent (and see more detailed instructions on how to do it) here and here.

Only 6 more shopping days until Christmas!  Who's ready?

The Magic of Christmas

Christmas is magical.

I don't know any better word to describe it.

This time of year always gives me this feeling that I can never quite articulate--a feeling like my insides are filled with glitter and twinkle lights, and I'm never more than 2 seconds away from bursting into laughter or tears over the sheer beauty and joy of it all.

Magical.

I begin decorating for Christmas as soon as we get home from dinner on Thanksgiving Day.  While most people are succumbing to their turkey comas, I'm manic with excitement over unwrapping treasured ornaments, pulling out stockings, and filling the house with bursts of Christmas cheer--the tree, of course, being the focal point.

If Christmas is magic, the tree is the wand.  Nothing takes my breath away quite like a Christmas tree decorated with lights, love, and memories.  Our tree has been up for three weeks now and it still makes my eyes well with tears when I look at it.  I don't know why!  There's nothing particularly remarkable about it...other than it's ours. 

I was so ridiculously excited to show Kate our Christmas tree the morning after I put it up.  I couldn't wait to see her reaction at the sight of such a beautifully unexpected thing in our living room!  I checked it before she woke up to make sure the lights were on, and as I carried her down the stairs I prepped her, saying, "Mommy put the Christmas tree up last night!"

We reached the bottom of the stairs and I watched as her face lit up at her first sight of it.  She stared in wonder for a moment, then turned to me and whispered, "I found it."

I laughed and replied, "Yes you did!"

"Go say hi?" she then asked tentatively. 

"Sure!" I replied as I transferred her from my hip to the floor.  "Let's go say hi."

Kate grabbed my hand as we walked across the living room, stopped in front of the tree, and then she cheerfully greeted, "Hi Christmas tree!" 

We spent the rest of that morning gathered around the Christmas tree while Kate ooh'd and ahh'd over the ornaments.  "Look at that one!" she said as she pointed to one of them. 

"Yes, Mommy sees it." I replied. 

"That's pretty," Kate gushed. 

"Yes, that's a pretty one," I agreed.

"Ooh, ooh, look at that one, Mommy!" she said excitedly as she moved on to the next ornament that caught her eye...and the two of us sat there, pointing out our favorite ornaments and ooh'ing and ahh'ing over the magic that is Christmas and the wand that is our tree. 

Kate admires our tree every single day, and her ritual rarely changes.  She takes me (or Greg, or Grandma Pam) by the hand, leads us to the tree, and points out all her favorites, saying, "Ooh, look at the one!"  We discuss the ornament's shape, color, and pattern, and if one falls off the tree Kate knows exactly where it fell from and insists that it's returned to its proper spot.

I watch as her eyes sparkle with wonder while she examines the red glittery one for the 1,634th time that day and exclaims, "Look at this one, Mommy!" as if she's seeing it for the first time all over again.  My 2 seconds are up, and the tears and laughter spill as I hug her tight and burst with all the joy and glitter that's inside of me, because I know without a shadow of a doubt...

The magic of Christmas lives inside of Kate, too. 


Kate: 23 Months



Kate & Mommy, trimming our tree.



The pictures in this post were taken using my friend Beth's camera tips for getting a glowing effect from your tree--check it out over at Unskinny Boppy and join her "Show Your Glow" link party!

Living Room Revisited

You may recall about a year ago when I revealed that I sold my beloved dining room table (because God told me to).  That decision took our great room from its former living room/formal dining room combination to one large family room with tons of wide open space for Kate to play--a decision I've never once regretted!

Before my little Eat Pray Love epiphany, our living room was confined to the space in front of the arch, and our formal dining room lived in the space behind it.  While I was happy to sell my dining room table...I wasn't quite as eager to say goodbye to the linear chandelier that hung above it.  I love that thing and was convinced I could make it work in the space.  To do so--and to reach my overall goal of having a lot of wide open space for Kate to play--I pushed the loveseat all the way back to the chandelier and added a console table behind it.  This well-lit seating area now makes the perfect little spot for storytime!  

Our family room today (click to enlarge).

Baskets under the console table hold blankets for the whole family...and yes, that includes baby blankets for Elmo, too.

So long formal dining room, hello reading spot and wide open spaces! (click to enlarge)

This orange table runner is not only my favorite color, it's also a $6 steal from Pottery Barn!  Folded in half and draped over the ottoman, it adds a fun pop of color to the space--and hides stains!  (Which are inevitable, I'm telling you.)  A tray full of Kate's favorite books sits on top of the ottoman at the perfect height for her to grab. 

A new chair filled the space to the left and added extra seating.  Hanging above the chair is one of my favorite photographs of me and Kate, transformed into a beloved piece of artwork by Modern Bird.  That 12x24" slab of wood is easily the most talked about and admired piece by guests in our home!

I kept the floor-to-ceiling photo gallery wall from our former dining room intact, mainly because I put a lot of work into it and didn't want to take it down and patch the holes, but also because it's really our only spot to display family photos.  While the rest of our house is very kid-friendly, I decided it wasn't necessarily a bad idea to teach Kate that occasionally some things are off limits.  We used the photo wall to teach her "no touch"--something she needs to understand when we're at other people's homes and there are things she shouldn't touch.  She quickly understood that she can look at the photos on the wall...but "no touch."

A mix of frame finishes, and black & white and color photos.  See, you really can mix it up!

The couch (facing the TV, of course) finishes out seating for the space:

The hardest working wall in the house!  Kate's toybox (far right), G's ginormous TV, and the only other piece of new furniture we bought for the space--storage cubes from Target to hold even more of Kate's toys and keep them easily accessible for her.  And of course, lots of wide-open space in front for playing!

Some of Kate's most beloved things:  books, puzzles, a ModTots birdie plaque (okay, that one might be mine), her Laugh & Learn Puppy, blocks and cubes, Baby Tickle Elmo, her favorite Alpha-books, B. drum & music set, and fabric bins filled with balls, Little People animals to go along with her Noah's Ark, and her B. Zany Zoo activity cube.

And there you have it--our randomly stained, rarely picked-up updated, kid-friendly family room!