My Home At Christmas 2012

The stockings are hung and the tree is securely upright, you can read about the fall here.  The house looks and feels magical.  I love sipping a cup of tea, while snuggling in a cozy blanket and gazing at the twinkling lights.  This is my favorite time of year! All my kids had a wonderful time unwrapping the ornaments and decorating the tree.    I have always let them decorate with their handmade ornaments, but I love the idea of having two trees, one I can 'martha stewart' and another the kids can decorate.  I may hit the after Christmas sales and see if I can snag one for a steal.  Do you have two trees?  Well, I will let the photos do the talking, I'm off to see my oldest in a Christmas play, then to see the Garden of Lights at the local botanical gardens.  Hope you are enjoying this fun, festive month as much as I am. 

2012 Holiday Planner

I don't know about you, but this time of year leaves me feeling rushed and frazzled.  All my kids are at a fun age, where I know they would enjoy doing lots of Christmas crafts, baking and even help with the decorating.  I want to be an intentional mom.  I want to do the things I say I will do.  I want to find time for the "fun" stuff of the holidays.  This year I'm on my game.  I have created a Holiday Planner.  I found a wonderful website called Organized Christmas that has tons of pages available FREE, to print, to make your own planner.  Inside my planner is shopping lists, wish lists, to-do lists, budget info, recipes, crafts, traditions I would like to start, events around town and menu planners.  You can tailor it to fit your needs.

This year,I also made a list of activites I want to incorporate throughout the month of December.  I went through all those pins on Pinterest and picked out my favs and made a list so I wouldn't forget this year.  

December Activities

1.       Make Gingerbread houses

2.       Make Ornaments from oriental trading

3.       Paper snowflakes from coffee filters

4.       Paper Christmas trees

5.       Ring bell for Salvation army as a family

6.       Adopt a family and buy them gifts as a family

7.       Use Pipe cleaners and buttons to make wreath ornaments

8.       Drive around and look at Christmas lights then go for ice cream

9.       Cut down tree and decorate while listening to Polar Express soundtrack, then watch movie when finished

10.   Popcorn and cookies and reading Christmas stories around the tree

11.   Take each child to dollar store to buy gifts for each member of the family

12.  Advent Calendar

Christmas Eve Activities

1.       Scavenger hunt  =Present with new pj’s, slippers,  movie, popcorn

2.       Hot coco bar

3.       Leave out reindeer food

4.       Santa foot prints

5.       Decorate Cookies

6.       Read The Night Before Christmas

7.   Church

Christmas Day Activities

1.       Christmas Can- Decorate a can/jar  to use year after year.  On Christmas morning each member of the family draws the name of another family member. They write a note to that person about why they love them, appreciate them, or anything they remember from the past year. Later each person reads their note to the entire family, and all the notes are saved in the Christmas Can from year to year.

2.       Read Christmas Story from the bible

3.       Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus

4.       Watch old family videos  and look at photo albums

5.       Stay in jammies and watch Christmas movies and play with toys all day.  Have all meals prepared ahead of time. 

I also made a list of what Elfie, our Elf on the shelf is going to be doing.  I can easily pull it out and cross off what we have done.  I also set an alarm on my phone at night so I don't forget.

25 Elf on the Shelf QUICK & EASY Ideas

1) Draw Faces on a picture with dry erase marker

2.) TP the Christmas Tree

3) Replace Stockings w/ Undies

4) Jacuzzi w/ Friends

5) Sipping on Syrup

6) TP Countdown

7) Glow Bracelets

8) Reading a Book to “Friends!”

9) Zip lining  from top of the Tree

10) Napping in the Tissue Box

11) Elf Locked Out

12) Elf eating a bowl of candy

13) Elf fishing for goldfish

14) Elf Leaves message if you did something naughty or nice

15) Rocking Baby Jesus

16) Roasting marshmallows  over a candle

17) Wrapping the Toilet with wrapping paper

18) Hungry Elf w/ Green Milk

19.) Elfie has a sick day- surround him with tissues and cough drops

20) Elfie traps kids in room with tape or streamers

21.) Elfie makes a snow angel with flour

22.) Elfie sitting on potty with yellow food coloring in toilet

23.)  Elfie having a tea party with other toys

24.)  Elfie coloring

25.)  Elfie writing a note in mirror

After finishing this little project, I can't tell you how much better I feel about the holidays.  Do you have any tricks to keep your calm this Christmas?  Do you have any fun traditions you'd like to share?

Tinker Bell Birthday Party

Yesterday was the big Tinker Bell Party.  I think I had just as much fun prepping for it as the girls had during the party. 

I made the invitations at home and ordered the wings, tutu's and leggings from Halo Heaven, they were part of the invitations we delivered.  On party day all the little girls came dressed as fairies.  It was adorable.  All the Tinker Bell accessories I purchased at Party City or Walmart.    I made the fairy wands and crowns with simple curling ribbon and wire garland, and magic wands found at Party City.  I didn't do much for party favors since I already purchased each girl the items included with the invitation, but I put together a small bag with bubbles, bracelets and a Tinker Bell necklace. 

 I kept the food very simple and served, cheese sandwiches, fruit, goldfish and juice boxes (wrapped in scrapbook paper).  For the mom's I made a simple salad (no pic) of spinach, pine nuts, crasins and blue cheese with a low fat Walnut Cranberry Dressing from Newman's.  I also threw together a super simple potato soup....hash brown potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese soup, 8 cups chicken broth and 4 oz cream cheese.  Put in crock pot and cook for 4-6 hours.  Add dill at the end.
  

I tried making my cupcakes from scratch and was disappointed in the texture and taste, so I ended up making another batch of Betty Crocker Funfetti.  The frosting recipe was AMAZING!!!  It is definitely not low-cal, but you can find it here at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I have never seen a recipe like it.

Since the girls were only 3 and 4, I didn't have much planned.  I brought toys  downstairs, so the kids would all stay in the living area and kept other parts of the house off limits.  That way, mom's didn't have to check on kids and I didn't have to have my whole house cleaned :).  It worked out great and the girl's all played nicely while the moms chit chatted.  I kept it small with only 5 guests.  It was the perfect size.

Well that's all the details....here are more pics.