Chrsitmas 2013

New Christmas tree ornaments we got for our tree this year. If anyone knows where I can get a Unicorn Christmas tree ornament please tell me. Wendy loves Unicorns so we want to get one for her.

This year we traveled so much that I didn't get the tree up until 8 days before Christmas. So I didn't get to mail out cards, gifts or really do anything special like bake. I made 2 things and those were for parties we went to and that is it.

But even though it wasn't our usual Christmas - it was one of the best. I really can't imagine having a better one. 

52 Week Photo Project: Week 52

So I did 52 weeks of photography. Most of the time I just wanted them to little moments in my life. I think for the most part looking back on them they did. February 2013, Michael upgraded our phones to iphones and in doing so it opened my eyes to life differently.  Paying more attention to just the moments around me. Feeling my joy in those moments. All of them have just little stories with them. Some I won't remember next year and some I will. But all were my life. I love that I see it unfolding like this now.

I look forward to 2014. I know it is going to be a fabulous year!

Christmas

We had a marvelous day celebrating Christmas. Wendy was with us and we really had a fun, relaxing day. We ate, unwrapped gifts, played games, acted goofy, napped, and watched movies.  We went to church with her for Midnight service on Christmas Eve/Christmas. It was just a really beautiful Christmas full of love, laughter and joy!

Light a Light

Wonderful Christmastime

Coventry Carol

Wintersong

52 Week Photo Project: Week 48

Every Thanksgiving Michael and I watch The Polar Express after having our feast.  From the first time we watched many years ago, I wanted to find the silver bell. This year  I found one at Hallmark so picked it up and surprised Michael with it right after watching it. He loved it. 

Merry Christmas

May peace, love and joy be yours today and your blessings throughout the year. Wishing a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Santa's Elves

Michael and I are going to play Santa's Elves today and deliver a strata with roasted mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes, several of these little goodie trays and then a container of fudge.  We are even going to wear our Santa hats. 

On the tray: Maple fudge, sour cream cookies, chocolate fudge, 7 layer bars, thin mints and festive bark.

The Greatest Gift

During the holidays when I am busy making and baking gifts I will either watch Christmas movies on Netflix instant or listen Christmas music on Pandora.  This year I have been watching movies and one I watched was The Christmas Lodge. Not a fabulous movie, but still not horrible either.  Very pretty scenery shots in it too.  Anyway....this song was in the Christmas Lodge and the singer was in the movie.   

Christmas Treats

These are some new recipes I want to try this Christmas....

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Instead of making them into pops, I think I will just do little brownie bits.

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This I think I want to make and give as gifts in a mason jar.

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These are microwave caramels....which seems almost impossible to me, but I would consider it a huge blessing if it was true. So I think I will try them.

Memory Jars

Last year for Christmas I made probably about 24 Memory Jars. I have had really good feedback from everyone I gave them too and they all seem to love them and are enjoying capturing memories. The idea is taking little slips of paper and writing down a memory and stuffing them in the jar. At the end of the year, you and your loved ones pull them out to celebrate the end of the year and share in those moments were created throughout the year.

I found the idea on Pinterest, but it was just a plain jar with scraps of paper. I wanted it a little more personalized for the people I was giving them too. I looked through all my craft supplies and gathered paper, beads, stickers, tags, charms, ribbon, wire, clips, rubber stamps and anything else I could find for embellishments. I will say a scrapbooking roller adhesive saved me so much time and mess.  Like this one sold at Hobby Lobby.

Before wrapping I took miniature clothes pins and clipped together a bunch of little slips of paper that said things like: enjoying life, memories, celebrating, today..., and then just little clip art of hearts, snowflakes, tropical drinks with umbrellas, sea shells and so on - so that memories could be wrote on them, folded and stuffed in the jar.   I also clipped a little tag to a bundle of those slips that said:

The Memory Jar

A family gathering, an afternoon with a good friend, just a moment in the day that made you smile or feel good... memories that mean a great deal to us, but maybe get lost with the passage of time. The memory jar holds onto those memories for us. Throughout the year, write down just a few words about that special moment in time on a piece of paper and stick it in the jar. Then - this time next year - open the memory jar and pull out your special memories to enjoy with your loved ones.

You can download the slips and the tag that I used in my jars here:  Memory Jar Slips  and  Memory Jar Tags

They are a fun gift to make - easy and inexpensive. You can give them to not only family, but friends, teachers, neighbors, clergy, and so many others.

Christmas on Pinterest....

It isn't even autumn yet technically, but I am seeing so many cute ideas on Pinterest for Christmas.....

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This would be so easy and pretty as a centerpiece for Christmas.

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Love this idea of wrapping up 24 Christmas books and then reading them each night so cute!

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I want to do this for my niece and nephew for a stocking stuffer.

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This looks so yummy! Would be cute in a jar with ribbon and tag for a gift.

Memory Jars

These are something I created and gave as Christmas gifts this year. I saw the idea on of course Pinterest - even posted about it here. But I took it up a few notches in decorating the jars so they were more personalized.





 I inserted some little scraps of paper to write memories on and clipped them together with mini-plastic clothespins and added a little tag with this message:

The Memory Jar

Date night, a school play, a family gathering, a song on the radio ... memories that mean a great deal to us, but maybe get lost with the passage of time.  The memory jar holds onto those memories for us.  Throughout the year, write down just a few words about that special moment in time on a piece of paper and stick it in the jar.  Then - this time next year - open the memory jar and pull out your special memories to enjoy with your loved ones.

I am sure I will post them again next year at Christmas with pdf's of the note I included and the little papers. But for now just wanted to post a few of them as I loved making them so much. I made quite a few of them - all of them different.

EDIT - I have an updated post with more information on these here.

Meetings

We had a really good time for the holidays. Meeting my niece was a highlight of the trip.  She walked while we were there. On Christmas Eve I was sitting in the family room and I had a brightly colored package of kleenex - the little purse size pack. Chloe saw all those bright colors and wanted it so walked to me to get it. It was quite a few steps and it was a moment I am sure I won't forget. It was so amazing to see her taking those steps when she is just walking - to know she can get that thing in my hand just by going over and getting it.

It was just fun to see how her mind works. Wondered though what she was thinking. But just so happy to see smile and laugh.

After we left Minnesota, we met a friend on our way home. We had a great time - wonderful talks and laughs. She is an amazing person and I was just so happy to be able to sit in the same room and talk with her. She is going to come visit us out here in a Colorado. Michael and I can't wait to show her around our beautiful state.

Extraordinary Merry Christmas

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. arriving in Minnesota safely
2. that Michael is feeling better as he didn't feel very good traveling up here
3. meeting my niece for the first time
4. her reaching out and touching my nose and smiling like she knew who I was
5. spending time with my family

Grown-up Christmas List

My favorite Christmas song.

12 Tags of Christmas

I love Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas!

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