december daily: days 5, 6, and 7.

I am so happy that I am actually keeping up with this ablum! That is an achievement at this busy time of year. This layout for December 5 is after we finished decorating our tree.

The kids opening their 'December 1st' presents from Grammie on December 5th. What can I say...except are weekdays are a little crazy!

December 6 is all about peppermint ice cream. We all enjoyed a bowl of this delicious treat.

Yesterday brought our Christmas card photo shoot.....outside....in -20 weather...just the perfect day for an outdoor photo shoot. It's not Christmas unless my kids are outside freezing their hineys off for mom and her camera!

December daily album...

I am finally doing something that I have wanted to try for the last few years...and that is to make a "december daily" album. The purpose of this creative project is to document the simple joys that make up the month of December. Each day of the month of the album has a page to represent something about that day. I chose a 6"x6" album from a company called "Little Yellow Bicycle" along with coordinating paper, stickers and other pieces. For my December 1st entry, I chose my December 1st blog post on Christmas trivia to represent that day.
December 2nd was spent with my friend Danine wrapping Christmas gifts. Although I forgot the camera that day..I still documented the day with this page. And I happened to have the perfect embellishment.....a little wrapped present.
I had Tyler write his Christmas 'wish list' to Santa on Day 3 and placed the list in this little pocket envelope for the entry for December 3rd.
On Day 4, Ron and I received a Christmas card in the mail from my parents and I used the actual card to become the page for December 4th. I cut the card to 6"x6" it fit into the album. leaving the most important parts of the card to become the background.



I have pictures to be printed for Day 5 and 6, so those pages are not completed yet. I will share when they are ready.



I love the idea of keeping a December Daily. My inspiration for this project comes from Ali Edwards...a well -known scrapbooker, scrapbook author and former editor at Creating Keepsakes Magazine.

December Daily: Christmas Trivia...

1. Best Childhood Memories: My favorite memories of Christmas as I look back is how our family always spent the holidays with our grandparents and extended family. My paternal grandparents hosted dinner for their 3 sons and their families and I have many fond memories of these dinners....the smell of the turkey, my grandmother's mashed carrots, the sounds of my Grandfather carving the turkey with an electric knife and the shouts of "Merry Christmas!" that rang through the house as each family arrived and the stomping of snow off of boots. And after our Christmas dinner with my paternal grandparents, my parents would pack us up for an hour long drive to visit our maternal grandparents where we would spend the night and I would share a bed with my cousin Kelly. My maternal grandparents had 6 children....3 married and with families of their own......to pack into their house over the holidays which meant lots of noisy commotion and laughter. Warm memories and happy times. {as a side note: Don't you LOVE my dad's shirt (he is the man on the right).....it is so vintage 1970's}.

2. Best Childhood gift from Santa: My dolls. I absolutely loved DOLLS as a little girl. My very favorite doll for a long time was Thumbelina. I also remember other dolls received for Christmas that I cherished: Baby Alive, Lazy Daisy and Baby This n That. I was never really a 'barbie girl' although I owned a few.

3. Favorite Christmas Cookie: Hands down: My mother's cut out sugar cookies.....warm from the oven.

4. Icky Christmas Memory: The year that me, my brother and my dad were all sick with pneumonia. I think we were all too sick to eat our turkey dinner and we missed a family sleigh ride....my mother was the only healthy person in the house that year.

5. It's not Christmas without: Our knitted Christmas stockings, homemade eggnog and English Trifle for dessert on Christmas Day.

6. Christmas Pet Peeve: Those who brag about how much they spend/buy for Christmas....as if that has anything to do with the Christmas spirit. We keep Christmas simple in this house: 1 gift from Santa and a stocking.

7. Our Church Service: Is usually the 4pm service. However, in the last few years we have not attended. I would love to attend Midnight Mass now that my family is a little older....if I could manage to stay up that late!

8. My Favorite Christmas CD: I enjoy the classics at Christmas...Bing Crosby is a must. The last few years I have been buying the Starbucks Christmas CD and we so LOVE the music on these cds. For instance, the first song on this year's CD is a duet with Willie Nelson and Norah Jones singing "Baby, it's Cold Outside". A fun combination, don't you think?

9. Real or Fake: Although we did REAL for many years, we have now switched to fake. I do like the fact that there are no sticky needles tracked all over the house with a fake tree. But I still LOVE a fresh tree.



10. I spend Christmas Eve: with my family. We enjoy staying home, having hors 'deuves for dinner, sipping eggnog and putting on our Christmas jammies early. I will usually read a Christmas story or two with the kids and then we leave out cookies and milk for Santa.After everyone has gone to bed....I turn out all the lights except for the Christmas tree lights and have a cup of hot tea and remember beloved family members that have passed on.....and then my thoughts turn to Baby Jesus.



This post was inspired by the lovely & talented Sarah over at Clover Lane.

Menu Plan Monday...

It's Menu Plan Monday again...(except that it's Tuesday already!) and I took a peek through my freezer to see what could become this week's menu. Yesterday I found the package of 5 lbs. of chicken I got on sale for $6.73 at the local grocery store. The price works out to about $1.50 a pound, which is an extremely good price for chicken. I got out my stock pot and made a huge pot of homemade chicken soup. I keep my chicken soup very simple and classic..chicken, fine egg noodles and carrots. We ate soup for dinner last night and then it went into the kids' lunch today.

Monday-Homemade chicken soup with fresh rolls

Tuesday-Homemade waffles and sausages

Wednesday-Meatloaf (from the freezer) mashed tators, corn and carrots.

Thursday-Pork chops, baked potato and sweet potato with green beans.

Friday-My vote is Panago Pizza.

Saturday-Dad cooks. Likely bbq steak, mushrooms and caesar salad.

Sunday-Our leftovers night. Hunter & I have a Christmas party and potluck to attend after skating and we are taking taco soup and homemade chocolate dream cookies.


Kelly at the Party Dress has done it again with this 'feast for your eyes' "Reindeer Game Night". I just love how this party idea looks and what fun!!!
I think I am going to have a girlfriends night soon, except I think I might ask my guests to come in their Christmas jammies.

(Images: Top, myhomeideas.com, bottom, thepartydress.net)

dear molly & rigley...

Please leave the toilet paper alone.

Thank you.

a visit...

We are so lucky to have my parents visit us over the Thanksgiving holidays. They are the only company we receive on a regular basis from the Maritimes. I would be so lonely without their visits. We have so much fun while they are here. My mom is the ultimate in "Grammies". While she is here...she always has a 'project' of some kind planned for the kids...whether it be making cupcakes or pancakes, or taking the dogs for a walk, or walking to Chapters with the kids....browsing at books and getting a hot chocolate before the walk home.

My Dad keeps us busy as well. He is the 'Grandfather' of grandfathers. However, his pursuits are a little different....he takes on the homework questions, plays card, and goes for walks with the grandchildren. He loves to tease us. The kids also know that an endless supply of Grammie's homemade pancakes and bacon follow Grampie wherever he goes. Usually this breakfast gets served up at around 8 am....and little people know to be at the table when Grampie sits down.

Here he is getting yummy kisses from the new little puppies. Ha! Doesn't he look so thrilled?

In my opinion, their visits always go by way too fast. We are always wishing they could stay for 'just a few more days'. But there is always the next visit to look forward to....thankfully.

Menu Plan Monday....

I love 'Menu Plan Monday'. It's an exercise that just makes my week feel so much more oranized. My blog posts for 'MPM' were inpsired by Laura at "I'm am Organizing Junkie". She is a Canadian who writes a fabulous blog on getting your home & life organized. If you would like additional inspiration for 'Menu Plan Monday', please go visit her site to find links to more menu plans than you could ever imagine. Your head will be spinning with ideas...trust me!

(image: myhomeideas.com)

Here are some of the meals that will be served at our house this week:

Monday: Pork Chops, rice, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots & ceasar salad.

Tuesday: Ribs & baked potatas with yellow & green beans and carrots.

Wednesday: Grilled ham & cheese paninis with coleslaw

Thursday: Taco Soup

Friday, Saturday & Sunday...Mom's away....so Dad cooks!

Yes! I am off to a scrapbooking retreat later in the week. Yahoo! I can't wait. Lot's of rest, relaxation and creative 'me' time.