We’ve been taking annual professional photos so long that my children have almost gotten used it. Through that experience, I’ve adapted a “let it go” philosophy and learned the secrets to getting great photos. That does not mean they are always perfect and everyone is thrilled about taking them. A part of me accepts I might not […]
Christmas catch up and welcome New Year
This is a very late Christmas catch up post, on New Year’s Day. We rung in 2014 on Monday with an evening out, because finding a babysitter on New Year’s Eve is impossible. So I spent New Year’s Eve writing, hoping to catch up here and get even with the calendar. Then time got a […]
Christmas around the house
For the first year, all the greenery in our home is real. Real wreaths, real accent trees all around the house, real garland inside and out and sprigs of tree trimmings in vases. It seemed like the year to keep it real, in so many ways. It was much easier than digging through boxes in […]
Winter birthday party full of crafts and fun
My middle girl turned seven Saturday. With cold temperatures, winter birthday parties can be tricky. Backyard parties allow the most guests for home parties. But in the cold, kids want to stick the inside more. This year, my girl recalled the hot chocolate and Frosty the Snowman movie party she had when was four. We […]
Merry making and merry eating
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. Here’s a glimpse into the merry making, baking, building and homemade goodness that happened here. Dolls were sewn, up until the very last minute. They are from Sewing for Children, with bit of my own adaptations in the dresses. My oldest daughter, who helped me play santa this […]
The BIG SANTA truth talk, and growing up
I’m sharing this post because I believe this conversation, when a child learns the truth about Santa, is such a huge milestone. I worried about I how I would handle it when the moment came, and the truths about Santa, the Elf on the Shelf and the Tooth Fairy came to light. I think it went […]
Teacher gifts for Christmas
This is what the girls and I pulled together this afternoon for teacher gifts, using apple butter we canned in the fall. The apples were from a swap I did, in return from pears from our pear trees. Everything else we used today we had on hand. The girls took ownership of the whole process. […]
Snapshots of the Season
I’ve been taking it day by day during this bustling season. Only accomplishing what must get done, keeping a lazy eye on those to-do lists and not letting them takes us over. So these days, dinner might not get made on time. But we did make a plateful of beeswax candles. “Mom, I have a good idea. […]
Elf on the Shelf bed and our advent box
Let me start by saying we have the 1.o version of Elf on the Shelf. Meaning we have had our Eddie the Elf for four years, before posting sneaky elf happenings went viral on Pinterest. Until now he had a simple life of landing on spots up high in our house, where the temptation to […]
Snapshots from the making of a merry Christmas
I hope everyone had a merry, merry Christmas! After presents were opened we had a pancake breakfast, packed up and hit the road to Georgia where we visited with family. We are back now, and I’m here to tell you all about it. Below are some snapshots into our last minute makings from Christmas Eve […]