Well Homemade Christmas 2010 was simply awesome. I got everything done and everyone loved their gifts. We ended up also getting the Squeak some bunk beds, and he loves them. We got new bedding to go with it, and it made his whole room look more put together.
We got ourselves some new shelving for our basement family room, which made that room look more put together. It has suddenly motivated me to get my whole house looking just as simplified, organized, and put together. I have gone through every Rubbermaid in my storage room and have gotten rid of the contents of ten of them (the 18-gallon size)! It has made me feel simply amazing. My next project will be to declutter the laundry room (corridor) and try to get it organized so that it stays that way... Then I will do the linen closet and the bathroom cupboards/drawers. Then the pantry/kitchen cupboards. When the weather gets a little warmer, I'll tackle the garage. Then I will be done, and my house will be much more livable. I get tired of seeing so much STUFF everywhere, and not having a place for it all. My number one goal of 2011 is to find a place for all my STUFF, or get rid of it if I can't.
I would love to post a picture of the before and after of our family room, but since the kids have torn the room apart in the last 2 minutes that I've been writing this, I'm not taking an after picture right now...
Other goals for 2011:
*Continue to work on my 101 in 1001 Project
*Daily personal scripture study and morning/evening prayer (are these continual goals in my life, or what?!)
*Monthly temple attendance
*No more yelling at my kids (the book "123 Magic" is really helping me with this one)
*Regular exercise and weight loss (I would really like to get back in pre-kid shape so I am able to participate in an alumni dance piece in April...)
*One major personal goal that includes several smaller ones and that I'd rather not share
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
Homemade Christmas 2010
(this is last year's tree. This year's tree is almost bare, because I have a 19-month-old who just *can't.leave.the.decorations.alone*!)
I haven't had time to write this month, because for some reason I got the harebrained idea to have a "Homemade Christmas" this year... I finished making my last homemade gift yesterday morning! So now you all get to see the results of my craziness!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Christmas Card
So in a forum I frequent (when the kids are asleep and I am procrastinating my to-dos, or when the kids are fighting and I am trying to ignore them...) I recently read a thread about Christmas letters. Love them or hate them? Me, I love them. Mostly because I love getting mail, and throughout most of the year the only mail I get are bills and ads... You all know I love me some internet, but I am still in mourning over the loss of writing and receiving actual letters. But that's a different post for a different day... Right now I'm talking about Christmas letters. Which I love (remember?).
While I had the best of intentions (which intentions included Christmas-Card-writing, -sealing, -addressing, and even -stamping-with-every-intention-of-mailing-but-not-quite-making-it-to-the-post-office), it wasn't until we had our bouncing baby boy four Christmases ago that we sent out our first Christmas cards. And of course those Christmas cards were a close-up shot of our cute kid. We even included a letter, AND we actually sent them (hey, once I get bitten by the motivation bug there's no stopping me)! Before we had kids, there really was no need for us to send letters or even pictures. Because for us, before the kids came, there was really only so much to report year after year. If I had written Christmas letters for the first 4-5 years of our marriage they would have read something like this: Dear family & friends, We're doing well. We're still in school. We're still working. We still don't have any kids. We still don't have any money. Merry Christmas until next year (when all will still be the same!). But kids provide the best material for Christmas letters! And so, we've written and sent Christmas cards/letters every year since Squeak was born.
But reading the thread made me feel a little self-conscious. After reading people's peeves with Christmas letters, I worry: are my letters too braggy? Are my letters too boring (surely other people are interested in my kids? Surely other people think they're cute, too?)? Are my letters too ____________ (fill-in-the-blank: long, short, preachy, secular, phony, real, etc)?
But you know what? After considering all that for more than a minute, I really don't care. I like writing them and I like receiving and reading them. So I will assume that everyone else does too. And if any of my friends/family members are too busy to read my one-page letter (and you call yourself my friend?!), or if they feel my letter is too [choose your adjective], well then they don't have to read it. Not my problem.
So this year, I will definitely (as always) send a letter full of cute anecdotes of my most-adorable kids and pictures to back them up.
I'm getting my Christmas cards from Shutterfly this year, for three reasons: 1. I have, in years past, received Shutterfly cards from loved ones and thought they looked elegant and classy and simple. I like that. 2. I have had excellent results with Shutterfly in other arenas (more specifically, Photo Books. I've used several websites to make photo books and Shutterfly is definitely the most user-friendly and has the best service (ahem, take notes, Fujifilm), and the books are of a great quality, too.). And 3. Shutterfly is sending me 50 free cards for writing this (but really, I was considering Shutterfly anyway, even before I heard about this opportunity. But offer me free anything and I will definitely take the bait!). Psssst! Shutterfly can send you free cards, too! See?
I'm actually having a really, REALLY hard time deciding which cards to get. Shutterfly has such an awesome selection. I'm really digging their Flat Stationary Cards. They're printed on cardstock and they just look so stylish, so classic and tasteful. You should go take a look and help me decide which ones to order. And while you're there, you should order some for yourself. Just not the same ones I (eventually) decide to order. Because that would be awkward.
Speaking of awkward, I feel not at all awkward about shamelessly promoting a good product in order to get some of that good product for free. So if you have anything YOU want shamelessly promoted, I'll totally be your girl!
Thanks, Shutterfly!
While I had the best of intentions (which intentions included Christmas-Card-writing, -sealing, -addressing, and even -stamping-with-every-intention-of-mailing-but-not-quite-making-it-to-the-post-office), it wasn't until we had our bouncing baby boy four Christmases ago that we sent out our first Christmas cards. And of course those Christmas cards were a close-up shot of our cute kid. We even included a letter, AND we actually sent them (hey, once I get bitten by the motivation bug there's no stopping me)! Before we had kids, there really was no need for us to send letters or even pictures. Because for us, before the kids came, there was really only so much to report year after year. If I had written Christmas letters for the first 4-5 years of our marriage they would have read something like this: Dear family & friends, We're doing well. We're still in school. We're still working. We still don't have any kids. We still don't have any money. Merry Christmas until next year (when all will still be the same!). But kids provide the best material for Christmas letters! And so, we've written and sent Christmas cards/letters every year since Squeak was born.
(Because I just can't help myself, here's a gratuitous photograph of one of my cuties. This is what graced our Christmas cards that first year we sent them.)
But reading the thread made me feel a little self-conscious. After reading people's peeves with Christmas letters, I worry: are my letters too braggy? Are my letters too boring (surely other people are interested in my kids? Surely other people think they're cute, too?)? Are my letters too ____________ (fill-in-the-blank: long, short, preachy, secular, phony, real, etc)?
But you know what? After considering all that for more than a minute, I really don't care. I like writing them and I like receiving and reading them. So I will assume that everyone else does too. And if any of my friends/family members are too busy to read my one-page letter (and you call yourself my friend?!), or if they feel my letter is too [choose your adjective], well then they don't have to read it. Not my problem.
So this year, I will definitely (as always) send a letter full of cute anecdotes of my most-adorable kids and pictures to back them up.
I'm getting my Christmas cards from Shutterfly this year, for three reasons: 1. I have, in years past, received Shutterfly cards from loved ones and thought they looked elegant and classy and simple. I like that. 2. I have had excellent results with Shutterfly in other arenas (more specifically, Photo Books. I've used several websites to make photo books and Shutterfly is definitely the most user-friendly and has the best service (ahem, take notes, Fujifilm), and the books are of a great quality, too.). And 3. Shutterfly is sending me 50 free cards for writing this (but really, I was considering Shutterfly anyway, even before I heard about this opportunity. But offer me free anything and I will definitely take the bait!). Psssst! Shutterfly can send you free cards, too! See?
I'm actually having a really, REALLY hard time deciding which cards to get. Shutterfly has such an awesome selection. I'm really digging their Flat Stationary Cards. They're printed on cardstock and they just look so stylish, so classic and tasteful. You should go take a look and help me decide which ones to order. And while you're there, you should order some for yourself. Just not the same ones I (eventually) decide to order. Because that would be awkward.
Speaking of awkward, I feel not at all awkward about shamelessly promoting a good product in order to get some of that good product for free. So if you have anything YOU want shamelessly promoted, I'll totally be your girl!
Thanks, Shutterfly!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tootin' My Own Horn
Seriously, there is nothing better than chosing a the perfect gift for someone. It is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.
My step-mom leaves for the entire month of December (a whole different blog post, for a day when I'm not feeling all heartwarmed and stuff), and since I had her name for our family gift exchange this year, this allowed me be the procrastinator I
I received two of my purchases in the mail, yesterday and today.
As a sidenote, can I say how much I lurve (is that word so passé?) me some online shopping?! Aside from a whole bunch of diapers I bought online for Squeak about 3 years ago, I haven't really delved into the world of online shopping much. But boy is it fun! Shopping in my (same pair for the third day straight) pajamas while the kids sleep? Getting package after package addressed to me in my little mailbox, day after day? I could get into some serious trouble there, folks.
Annnnnyway...
As I leafed through the pages of one of my purchases, I got almost giddy. I am *so* excited to give my step-mom this present. I just know she will love it. And I thought of it all by my big girl self.
There is little else so thrilling.
Incidentally, if you're wondering, this is the gift which made me feel so satisfied. Step-mom is a Jane Austen fanatic who loves cookbooks. This book + Step-mom = True Love Always. Or at least that's what I'm hoping (expecting).
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