Holiday Decorating...

I love Christmas. And I love decorating for Christmas. And I really should discontinue all my catalog subscriptions... :) Land of Nod and Pottery Barn might be the death of my pocketbook this year.

I think I might have my friend Melissa see if she could construct something similar to these:

Land of Nod's Santa Sacks, $24 or $32

Santa left his bag behind! And yet, he remembered to eat the cookies.
Unique bags add a memorable twist to finding the gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. Each can be personalized with a kid's name (up to 9 letters); $6.
Tested in the North Pole to ensure maximum gift-holding capability.
100% cotton canvas; Machine washable. Color options - Large bag: Green w/Lt. Green cuff (Red personalization) and Small bag: Lt. Green w/Red cuff (Green personalization)

Judy Garlands, $29 each

Your name needn't be Judy to appreciate our charming holiday garlands.
Decorate trees, mantles or any place you want to spread a little cheer.
Each garland is 148" long; Felt construction. Style options: Tree, Mitten

Ornament Collection

I became a godmother in November when my nephew Blake was baptised. Truth be told, I'd be pondering for some time about a 'set' of some sort that could be given to him as he grows - instead of insignificant toys year after year. I'd thought about the train collection that Scott & Jamie are doing for my boys, but I figured they would do this for Blake as well, and they did.

So I'd thought about doing an ornament collection - an ornament every year so when he is older he has a complete set...great idea, except for it's January 1st and I've yet to get his first year's ornmanet. :(

And since it's January 1st, I'm cleaning and purging today - I came across pages I had torn from the Crate & Barrel catalog...too bad I didn't remember seeing their "12 Days of Christmas Ornament Set" (W2116; retail price $39.95) - that could be really cute for Blake. And then I remembered that Land of Nod also had a set. And yet both are sold out.

So, Jaime, note this for next year - and keep an eye on craiglist and ebay. :)

Crate and Barrel set (above)

Land of Nod set (above)

Holiday Hints: Surviving Santa

These tips for Surviving Santa were printed in the December-January 2010 issue of Parenting magazine:

Do a dry run
Days before, give your child a glimpse of St. Nick from afar, says Amy Stone, onwer of Jady Images in Miami. "When you come back for the actual photo, he'll be more familiar with what to expect."

Carry Supplies
Snacks and toys are key. Hungry kids are likelier to act out.

Distract
"Put a piece of tape on your child's finger if he gets fidgety," says Marlboro, NJ, photog Jill Caren. "Sometimes that's distracting enough that he'll forget Santa's even there."

Present his requests
Tie up his wish list with a bow, and have him hand it over, suggests Heather Dillon, a Scottsdale, AZ, photog. "It places the attention on Santa, not on him."

Think narrative gold
As the Santa at Holiday World, a theme park in Santa Claus, IN, says: "Sometimes those unposed moments make the best photos."

-Michelle Hainer

Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

I first heard of Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition when visiting our friends The Maxwell's last year. It seems like it is the "it thing" now in 2009 - I see and here of it everywhere. So in case you haven't been introduced, here is a note from the author:

From My Family to Yours,
This charming tradition began for our family when my children were very small. Like most children through the ages, they wanted to know how Santa really knew who was naughty or who was nice. Their answer, as in my own childhood, came in the form of a small pixie-elf.

The first time the elf arrived at our home, my children officially adopted him by giving him a name. Each year he would arrive around the holidays, usually at Thanksgiving. His sole responsibility was to watch the children's behavior and report it to Santa each night. The next morning after the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the North Pole and was now resting in a new and different place. My children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to spy him in his new position.

Over the years the tradition was perfected and rules were introduced. For example, to better preserve his mystique the children were not allowed to touch him but talking to him was a different matter all together. My children shared many secrets with the elf, and while he was under strict orders not to talk to them, the elf was under no such orders where grown-ups were concerned.

Unwittingly, the tradition provided an added benefit: it helped the children to better control themselves. All it took was a gentle reminder that the "elf is watching," for errant behavior to be modified.

I never dreamed this simple tradition would lead to so many treasured Christmas memories for our entire family. It is my earnest desire that The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition will bring as much joy to your family as it has to mine.

Enjoy this tradition, and MAKE IT YOUR OWN!

With my best wishes for you and those you love,
Carol



Most bookstores carry the gift set; I've also seen it advertised at the Catholic Supply, Hallmark, and other specialty shops. The gift set includes a stuffed elf and the book - which explains that the elf is watching for the best behavior. I've also seen that you can purchase just the book - so my friend Melissa found me an adorable elf at Catholic Supply (Item #521250; $8.95 each). (We have the one all the way to the right...)

A Letter from the North Pole

I've seen numerous resources for getting Santa letters...in an effort to compile:

"Google 'letter from Santa' and you'll find many sites selling customized letters. But few people know that the U.S. Post office can help too. Write a letter as if you were Santa Claus. Put it in a stamped envelope addressed to your child. Mail that by December 15 in a stamped, larger envelope to North Pole Holiday Cancellation, Postmaster, 4141 Postmark Dr., Anchorage, AK 99530-9998. Your letter will arrive with a "North Pole" postmark!"
- American Baby magazine, November 2009

Gingerbread Houses

I don't know why, but this is one tradition that my family has never partaked in - therefore, it's not a priority to me, and I *think* I can say with 100% confidence that I have never assembled a gingerbread house.

So when I saw this is the November 2009 issue of American Baby magazine, I didn't think it would be beneficial for me, but may be for some of you out there. :)

"Fake It...Pretend You Baked It! Assembling a gingerbread house is an activity better suited for older kids. With a baby, consider mail-ordering this finished, pretty centerpiece ($50, or $60 with the personalized sign; redenvelope.com)"

Nativity Playset

When we were young, we also had the Nativity Scene set up under the Christmas tree - I love remembering those sort of things, those traditions. I, too, have a nativity scene - in fact, I have more than one, but they are by no means kid-friendly. So I loved when I saw these two ideas:

Wooden Nativity Playset:
I saw this one first in Abbey Press, but they must not carry it anymore. However, I found what appears to be the same set by doing a google search. This information came from Amazon (retail around $25):
The Wooden Nativity Play Set is a great way to teach children about the first Holy Night. Made of high quality, durable wood and packed in an attractive retail pack, this 19 piece set will provide hours and hours of inspirational fun! Allow children the opportunity of having their own beautiful nativity set to play with so mom and dad's will not get broken! Recommended for ages three years and up.Magnetic Nativity Playset:
Another idea is a magnetic Nativity Scene. I've seen these two at Catholic Supply.

Above: Children's Magnetic Nativity Sceneset of 12; wood and felt figures. Let children play on your fridge with this adorable magnetic nativity set. Reposition for hours of fun! (Item #22938) $32.50


Above: 24pc Magnetic Advent Calendar: 24 adorable magnets to cling to your fridge! Children love to add figures each day! Makes a great hands-on set for your children to play & learn about the nativity. Wood/Paper. Canvas storage bag. (Item #18768) $17.95

Remembering a Home...

When I was younger, my mom had aerial photos of our house and our land. I loved looking at it to see how things changed, but also just to 'remember' the home that I grew up in. Sometime in the last 10 years, she's had another aerial photo taken - and both of them hang side-by-side on her living room wall.

I love the idea of giving a gift such as this - but an aerial photo isn't necessary. You could have a picture sketched in pencil, or have a picture painted. Or, you could have it done on an ornament - what a great Christmas gift! I think this would be especially nice if you have moved, but could always remember that first 'home'.

Ornament from Personal Creations

Description from the Personal Creations website: #3793; $29.95
A Personal Creations Exclusive! These Hand Painted House Glass Ornaments, brighten your tree with the image of the place that’s dear to you. Just send us your photo or upload your digital image through our website (see order form for details) and we’ll hand paint it onto our 3 1/2”Dia. glass ornament. We add any message on 2 lines, up to 25 chars. per line. Comes on a red ribbon for hanging. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

'We're Pregnant' or Ultrasound Ornament

Mike and I found out just a few days before Christmas 2007 that we were expecting; we hadn't had an ultrasound, but I had seen these kind of ornaments before then - what a special way of documenting that Christmas!


The first one I had seen was from Abbey Press (#45349; retailed for $14.99), but they must have discontinued it (?) because I can't find it. However, it was similar to these that I found:

This one is from http://www.grandparentgiftcompany.com/ ($10.99)

or http://www.baby-memory-books.com/ ($11.00), as well as other places.

All of them, including the one from Abbey Press, had this quote on the back side:
Ultrasound Ornament - We await our little miracle, at this glorious time of year. This glimpse of your beginnings, we will always hold dear. Grow healthy and strong, we are waiting for you. A sweet Christmas celebration, for a precious life anew.

Following this were spots for "Ultrasound Date" and "Baby's Due Date"

Christmas Cookies

I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the holidays...in my head, my mom did everything perfect. I noticed this when I was looking for new Christmas stockings this year - we always had ours hanging to the left, but many in stores hang to the right. To me, that's backwards.

So I'm also that way with Christmas cookies - I have difficulty branching out past the ones my mom always made...the molasses, sugar, peanut butter blossoms, etc. But Woman's Day featured some super-cute ones in their November issue. I've gonna have to try some of these new recipes. Here's pics of two:

And here's the link to all of them:

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food/Recipes/Give-the-Gift-of-Cookies.html

Pompom Gift Wrap

I saw this is the November 17, 2009 issue of Woman's Day - adorable!

"Spruce up your presents this Christmas with these adorable (and easy to make!) pompom decorations. Thanks to Laura Howard of the blog Bugs and Fishes (bugsandfishes.blogspot.com) for the fabulous craft idea.

materials: yarn (any type, cardboard, scissors)

- Cut out two "doughnuts" from the cardboard: 4" circles with a 1" hole in the center.

- Stack the doughnuts on top of each other. Wind a length of yarn through the center of the ring and around the cardboard until it's completely covered.

- Snip the loops of wrapped yarn around the outside edge of the doughnuts, then slide another length of yarn between the two doughnuts and knot in place. Remove the doughnuts, fluff up your pompom, trim the edges and secure it to a gift.

For a how-to-video, go to womansday.com/pompom "