Holiday Happenings

I think this was my favorite Christmas. Usually our schedule is so jam packed it's hard to slow down and just enjoy the season. In 2020, slow down was practically the medically mandated mantra! For once, we actually did slow down and actually got to enjoy the days leading up to Christmas.

I've always wanted to find some simple frames for our past Christmas cards and then hang them on the stairs. I finally lucked out with these simple brass frames that came in a variety of sizes and they were just perfect. Digging out those old cards was so fun and once I had them all hung, I just sat and stared at them. Every time I walked by I smiled! Christmas cards are my favorite part of the holiday season. I stopped by 3 different World Markets and bought them out so we can keep up this tradition for years to come.

I went a little berserk and somehow became obsessed with Christmas gnomes. There were these adorable pillows at Pottery Barn and the actual gnome itself at Pottery Barn that I just had to have. But they matched our duvet cover and what else was I supposed to do? I have to admit making the bed was a little cumbersome and while it's fun for the holidays, I do think there should be a limit to how many pillows go on a bed. 

I wasn't the only one who got into the holiday spirit. Liesel decked out her room in the most amazing way! I had to take a video of her explaining all the little details:

As my job was winding down, I wanted to have Christmas taken care of so I had all the presents purchased looong before Christmas- before Thanksgiving actually! I was super thrilled with my wrapping job and decided it's one of my top 5 talents. If you look closely at the tag on this one, there's a silver present with a pink bow in the pile of presents- LOVE!!!

This one was my very favorite- the pink flamingoes in Christmas winter wear made me so happy. With four daughters, I love when the color pink can be used in interesting ways. The satin ribbon just happened to be what was left on the roll and it fit perfectly. Who wouldn't want to get this gift?

This is another one that just made me happy- it's a tidy little package with a fun tag. 

Whitney surprised me with Rudolph antlers and a nose for the Pilot. Reagan usually does that with her car and I've seen them around town but it never occurred to me to do it myself. As cheesy as it seems, it created just a little extra oomph to our holiday spirit. 

Only Sydney is in the dark about Santa and the Elf on the Shelf and it warmed the cockles of my heart to see her older sisters find creative places to place Lucy and then act all surprised when Sydney found her the next morning. It was such a fun way to start the day!

My Christmas house is definitely number 5!!! I love A Christmas Story and loved watching it with my family. 

This was going to be our last year of pictures with Santa in coordinated pajamas. However, going to the Santa house and standing in the cold on one side of plexiglass just didn't seem worth it. Instead, we let Sydney write a letter to Santa. She insisted on addressing it herself!

I have to admit I haven't felt the closure I should that the Santa pictures are over. Maybe we will revisit that for just one more year... even though they will all be in the know by then. Hmmm....

Brigitta was the first one ready to wear her Christmas pajamas and she's imitating the bear on the front.

Hers were the only ones with a wolf right on her bum.

These cute Grinch kabobs were on the lunch menu but the marshmallows on hand were huge and the bananas cut a bit thick and honestly I don't even know what happened to the strawberries. No matter since the girls made a game of balancing that grape on top.

So close!

It's a tricky balancing act.

Brigitta finally mastered it.

Sydney's Girl Scout troop did bell ringing for the Salvation Army. Gita and I slipped around the corner and grabbed some hot drinks from Starbucks, stopping for a photo by the tree all lit up in downtown Crystal Lake. 

We grabbed a quick selfie of the three of us after grabbing her when she was done. Sydney was so excited to be with friends again. 

I felt closer to the family and it felt less hectic. Most of the holiday pressure falls on me and it was nice to have a lot of the burden taken off my shoulders for once.