Wednesday, December 23, 2015

What I Wore

Only two more What I Wore posts left in the year!  I just can't believe how quickly it's going!  And since I've been swamped with Baby Shower stuff and Christmas stuff, I'm going to stop writing now and just leave you with the outfits for this past week!

December 16 - Pants
December 17
December 18 - Striped Top // Pants

December 18 (evening) - Striped Top // Skinny Jeans

December 19 - Skinny Jeans

December 20

December 21 - Red Puffer Vest Similar // Ripped Skinny Jeans Similar


December 22 - Lace Scarf Similar Here
This will also be my last post for the week as we will be busy Christmas Eve-ing and Christmasing for the remainder of the week, so Merry Christmas to all of you and I will see you back here next week!

*Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Favorite Ornaments

Each year, my favorite part of putting up Christmas decorations is taking the walk down memory lane as we hang ornaments on our tree.  My mom has bought an ornament for each of us kids every single year since we were born, and we have continued the tradition with our children as well.  That makes for a lot of ornaments on our tree, but we typically get a pretty big tree, so at this time we’re still able to fit them all on there!

Today I thought that I would share my very favorite ornaments and why they’re so special to me.

O N E

In April 1982, I graced everyone with my presence, and my parents got this sweet little ornament to commemorate my very first Christmas.  It originally had part of the picture in thread, but over the years, that came off (as did the original hook), so it’s a bit worn, but it will always be one of my favorites!  I mean, how could it not?  It’s almost as old as me!







































T W O

I’m actually not sure what year my parents gave this ornament to me, but I can remember it being on our tree pretty much always, so I would assume that it’s one of my earlier ornaments.  Anyway, it doesn’t have any real significance, other than the fact that this one was always my very favorite one to hang each year when I was a little girl.  I still love it very much to this day.







































T H R E E

December 17, 2008 – one of the saddest days of my life so far.  It was one week prior to Christmas and we had to put my childhood dog, Bill, to sleep.  He had been with us since 1995, when I was just 13 years old, so he was with me throughout my teenage years, and well into my twenties.  He slept with me every single night and he was such a good dog.  He saw me laugh, he comforted me when I cried, he watched me grow from an awkward thirteen year old girl into a less awkward young woman, he was with me when I had my first boyfriend, and he was with me when I had my last boyfriend.  He even stuck around to see me marry that last one!  I was devastated the morning that we had to put him to sleep and I stayed right by his side until the end.  That was the saddest Christmas I ever remember, and that year, my mom and dad gave this ornament with his picture in it to me.  It will forever be one of my favorites.







































F O U R

As you may remember from my Christmas Home Tour post, we were married in December of 2007, and we handed out personalized ornaments to commemorate our day.  We had many leftover, which now hang on the tree in our master bedroom, but we always hang one on the main tree on our living room as well.  They are all snowflakes, with personalized ribbon containing our names, champagne glasses, and the date of our wedding.  I love these so, so much!







































F I V E

Since we were married in December, we received several First Christmas ornaments as wedding gifts, and this one is my favorite because we were able to put a picture from our wedding in it.







































S I X

These next two ornaments need no explanation.  In 2011 we were blessed with a perfect baby boy, and this is his sweet little handprint from his first Christmas.  We made this together, and he loved sticking his little hand in the clay.







































S E V E N


In 2014 we were blessed with our sweet Olivia, and of course, she and I had to make an ornament just like her brother’s.  Her hand was quite a bit larger than his by Christmas since she was several months older than he was at his first Christmas.  I will always treasure both of these tiny hands frozen in time forever.







































I hope you enjoyed this personal little peek into our lives!  Only two more days until my favorite day of the year, Christmas Eve!
*Linking up with Journey of Doing, P!nky Persistence, and Katie Elizabeth for Countdown to Christmas and The Newly, Simple Luxury, and Keepin' Up With the Smiths for Bits of Cheer.


Monday, December 21, 2015

The Weekend Before Christmas

Happy Monday!  We are officially entering Christmas week and I can hardly stand it!  My brother and sister-in-law will be in town from Texas later today and I can’t wait to spend lots of time with them during the next couple of weeks.

We spent the weekend cramming in all of the last bits of Christmasy stuff that we haven’t had a chance to do.  Friday, each of the kids had their class parties, and then Friday night we had dinner at Panera followed by lots of driving around to see Christmas lights.  After we put the kiddos to bed, hubs and I put a fire in the fire place, thawed out some cookie cake (why yes we do keep some on hand at all times!), and we snuggled up on the couch to watch our annual viewing of Love Actually.  I seriously never tire of it.  So good.  Sigh…






Saturday we spent most of the day at home being lazy.  I didn’t feel super great and was worried I was coming down with something, but late in the afternoon (after a much needed nap) I started to feel a little better, so we ventured out for Mexican.  Unfortunately I wasn’t quite up for it, so afterward, we headed home, got back into our PJs, put another fire in the fire place, and snuggled up to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas followed by a couple of episodes of Parenthood after the kids went to bed.






Sunday morning I awoke feeling so much better, and I still don’t know what exactly was wrong with me on Saturday, but I’m thankful it never turned into anything major!  The kiddos and I did a little coloring to start the day, and then since Brian’s momma didn’t cook lunch, we took the kids out for Five Guys and to the playground to enjoy this amazing cool weather we’ve finally had all weekend!  I think it’s safe to say that they enjoyed it too!












Sunday evening, my parents came to our house for pizza and to begin setting up for the baby shower that we're hosting on Tuesday evening for my brother and sister-in-law.


I’m off today to hang with the munchkin since he’s on winter break, and he's going to help me run errands and put the finishing touches on the baby shower set up.  So exciting!

Enjoy your Monday!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending


Friday, December 18, 2015

Five On Friday

One week, people… ONE WEEK!!  I think it’s safe to say that we are well prepared and more than ready to celebrate our favorite day of the year next week.  And I’m also looking forward to lots of time off from work!  

Now we’re just praying that everyone stays well… 

O N E  

Well, our Christmas cards have been mailed (and hopefully received by now) so I can finally share them with you.  We did the gold foil thing last year, so this year I wanted to do something a little different.  I love how clean and crisp the white looks with our picture.









































T W O 

Wednesday night was the Christmas program at Jacob’s school, and it was just the sweetest little thing.  It doesn’t get much cuter than watching a group of four year olds acting out the nativity and singing their little hearts out.  Jacob was a shepherd boy, and he took his job very seriously as you can see in the pictures below.  Haha.




T H R E E  

You guys.  School pictures are in, and these two munchkins were so photogenic!  I think this might be my favorite school picture of Olivia so far… granted, she’s only taken five in her whole life, but still.  What a doll!





    







   


















F O U R  

Do not buy these.  I repeat.  DO NOT BUY THESE.

Because you will eat and eat and eat and you will not stop and even if you have impeccable self-control you will still eat the entire bag.   

They are divine.  Wait, is there a stronger word than divine??  If there is, then these are that instead.   

And they’re probably officially my new favorite candy ever.  EVARRRR.




F I V E  

This past week I recapped one of my favorite Christmas traditions – our annual Dirty Santa Scarf & Ornament Exchange.  Always such a great time with my girlfriends and something that I hope we continue until we’re looking like the Golden Girls.





































I also shared our visit with Santa earlier this week... and try not to laugh too hard when you also read about Olivia’s epic tantrum that went along with it.  It was painful.



Happy Friday, you guys!  I hope you all finish up with your last minute Christmas to-dos so you can have some time to relax and enjoy the rest of the season!

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures for Five On Friday and A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Santa Visit + Our First Public Meltdown

This past Monday we took the kids for their annual Santa visit.  Last year, we took them on a Saturday evening which was obviously a mistake because we had to wait in line for over an hour, so this year we thought that we would swing by the mall after work on a Monday to try and avoid the long lines.   

Brian picked Olivia up from school, I picked Jacob up from school, and we met right at 5 o’clock, just before the evening rush.  It worked like a charm – when we arrived, there were only three families ahead of us.  Ah-mazing!   

During the wait, Jacob happily pointed at the “snow” and other decorations around Santa’s chair, and Olivia ate raisins with her freshly manicured fingers (seriously the cutest).  All the while, I prepped her for the big introduction – I spoke excitedly about sitting in Santa’s lap and we discussed how she could tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas.  She nodded in agreement the entire time, her little eyes shining from excitement.   

After that, everything went downhill.   

Right as we moved up to be next in line, Olivia ransacked my purse, opened my makeup bag, pulled out my brush, and proceeded to “brush” her hair AKA rip half of it out of the rubber band so it was sticking straight up in the air.  I scrambled to clip her bow over it just as the elf was coming to escort us to Santa so she wouldn’t look like a hot mess for her picture.  Sigh… 

As we approached, Olivia started leaning into my chest while Jacob trotted right up to climb on Santa’s knee.  I assured Olivia that I wasn’t going to leave her, and I tried to sit her on Santa’s other knee, but she clung to me like a koala bear clinging to a tree.  Double sigh… 

I tried and tried to reassure her, and Santa tried to convince her to sit on his lap, but she was not having it, so Santa finally had to slide over in his giant seat so Olivia and I could both join him.  Triple sigh…  

My first picture with Santa in probably two decades (because yes, I did take one in high school with all of my girlfriends). 



After our visit, we took the kids to the food court for Chick-fil-A and some time on the rides per Jacob’s request. 

When it was time to go, Jacob promptly jumped off of the ride, but Olivia just sat there, pretending to ignore me.  When I asked her to get down the second time, she looked at me and said, “NoOoO!” in her whiniest voice.  



I tried one more time to get her to come down on her own, and when she wouldn’t, I had to go in after her.   

She went nuts. 

We’re talking kicking, flailing around, falling on the ground, and screaming so wildly that I’m sure people were positive that I was beating her.  I grabbed her off of the ground and hightailed it outta there with what felt like hundreds of judging eyes on me.   

I thought for sure that she would settle down once we started walking, but her screams grew even louder, and she was flailing around so much that I had to hand her over to Brian because I was afraid I was going to accidentally drop her. 

She continued to scream at the top of her lungs all through the mall, and finally Brian ran ahead of us to get her outside before the mall police could stop us for child abuse.  (Later, we laughed that people probably thought he was kidnapping her since he was jogging through the mall and carrying her like a sack of potatoes while she was screaming bloody murder.)   

I was relieved to see that she had finally calmed down once we stepped outside, and she was pointing at the moon as if nothing had happened. 

We loaded her up, drove her home, bathed her, and put her little self straight to bed, thirty minutes earlier than usual.   

When I was getting her settled in the bed with her paci she said, “I tired.”   

Ya think?!  Your ten minute long tantrum was probably equivalent to running a half marathon.  Of course you’re tired!  I’m surprised you didn’t fall asleep in the car on the way home! 

I kissed her goodnight, and then let Calgon take me away went downstairs to clean, check Jacob’s book bag, and get everything ready for the next day. 

Granted, she does have two ear infections (one really bad one) and she has a tooth coming in, so I guess we’ll give her a pass this time. 

And hopefully this is the last ear infection and tooth she will ever get so that can be our first (and only) walk of shame through the mall. 

Yep, we were those people at the mall Monday night.  But we survived.  And now I have this funny story to share with all of you!  

And because this was originally supposed to be a post about our Santa visit, here’s a look back on pictures from Santa visits past... and I love that we see the same Santa every year!  I'm going to be sad when he retires...

2011 - totally oblivious

2012 - not amused

2013 - not too sure what to think

2014 - so excited