There's Still Time

Don't worry. Don't panic. There is still lots of time left. Lots of time to watch Elf together after dinner, pop popcorn and drive around looking at Christmas lights, bake snickerdoodle and molasses cookies, drink cocoa by the fire, wrap and deliver presents to family and friends, and read Christmas books from the basket by the couch.

So don't worry if you feel anxious and stressed. There is plenty of time remaining to enjoy every moment of this blessed Christmas season!

Like families used to do.

Thanks, Pinterest for the images.

Things I'm Loving Now

What's not to love about December and Christmas? Here are a few special things I am loving around here lately. : )

 This is so fun!
It is Scrabble but with extra Christmas fun.
We got our game from Santa, but I did see it on Amazon.

 Bath and Body Works favorites always smell so good.

 Please try this!
It is soo good.

Mornings by the tree with my Rudolph mug are cozy and warm.

 An Etsy shop called MadeByCleo makes the cutest holiday dog collars with sweet little bows and charms.

I found these at our local grocery store and had to get them.

My mom used to buy them for me and my sisters every year!

I know I should be beyond Charlie Brown sheets, but these just make me smile!

They are very soft and cozy too.

I found them on the Vermont Country Store website.

And they have them in King size too!

And finally, I am loving the early evenings when darkness comes early.

I know the days will gradually grow longer, so I am savoring these afternoons and evenings with the Christmas tree lighting our living room, as we gather together in our little cozy home.

What are you loving these days, my friends?

Thanks for visiting!

Weekend Plans

Hello and happy Friday! I am sitting by the fire this Thursday evening, sipping coffee, as the snow falls outside. December evenings have arrived. Our weekend plans are simple, but fun. Friday evening we will attend mass for the holy day, and then return home to a dinner I will put in the crockpot early in the morning. We are having a beef roast with onions and potatoes, and hopefully, a few carrots if I can find some in the refrigerator!

Saturday is quiet before mass, and then we will probably go out to dinner before returning home for a cozy evening with cocoa and Christmas movies. Sunday is a special day! We are celebrating Madison with a Tea Party Bridal Shower. We are looking forward to visiting with family and friends and showering our bride-to-be with love.

Meanwhile, it is all Christmas, all the time around our house lately.

Just For Fun!

Happy Wednesday!

It's Christmas!

Drink some Christmas coffee.

Or have a cup of festive cocoa.

Even tea if that's your thing.

Watch some Christmas movies.

Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town are my suggestions.

Take an afternoon nap.

Read a festive Christmas mystery.

It is the best time of the year, my friends!

Don't feel pressured by all that commercialism and frantic push to spend and rush around.

Your Christmas belongs to you.

Spend this time the way you want.

If that means snuggling inside and enjoying the twinkling lights on the tree with Christmas music in the background, good for you.

That's exactly where you will find me.

Our (New) Home At Christmastime

When we looked at this house almost one year ago, I thought of how I would love to decorate it for Christmas. Last week, we finally did. I opted for a simpler, more classic, less cluttered approach this year. I added a few new pieces to some of the special and favorite decorations we have accumulated over the years. We are loving the first cozy days and nights here in our Christmas home.

Weekend Plans

I decided to bring back my "Weekend Plans" posts on Fridays, despite the fact that we usually have little to no plans on the weekends. Go figure. Anyway, this weekend ushers in the magical month of December, and I am happy about that. Sure a little voice in the back of my head reminds me of the gifts that need purchased and wrapped and all that, but now I am able to shush that voice with a cup of coffee and a warm Christmas throw. Thanks middle age. You are awesome!

This weekend Steve and Rhett will continue their hunt for the elusive big buck while the rest of us relax at home with Christmas music playing in the background. Saturday we have mass, and then Madison and Nicolas are attending a Holiday Ball and I plan on a perfectly cozy night of ironing in my Christmas jammies. 

Sunday is supposed to be warm here, so I have plans for the guys to decorate the outside of the house with some reindeer and ribbon. We never used to decorate outside, as our old house sat so far off the road that no one could see it. This house lends itself to some tasteful outside decor. Says the woman who has no intention of actually doing any of the decorating. Sunday night we will watch our Steelers and hope the right team shows up to play. You never know with those guys. I am thinking of making a pot of soup for dinner on Sunday too.

So that is that. And now a quick look at what we have been up to here in our cozy little home.

A Newer Approach To Preparing For Christmas

Christmas comes every December. We wait for it, dream about it, and prepare for it. Recently I realized that although Christmas comes every year, I don't have to prepare our family to celebrate it the exact same way. We grow and change. Our lives and family circumstances evolve. It is alright to change the way we choose to enjoy this most special time of year, while still keeping our focus on what is important to us.

When I was a young mother of little children, I found it necessary to schedule our December in a very detailed way. I planned the shopping, wrapping, baking, Santa visiting, and picture taking well in advance. I even made a handwritten schedule complete with dates and events and little festive stickers. And that worked for us. Then.

Now, I am an older mother of older children, and our focus remains the same: Keeping December centered on our family and the cozy time we spend together preparing for the most blessed Christmas Day. My approach, however, has changed. Gone are the detailed lists and scheduled events. Now we are much more relaxed about what we do and when it happens. We are still focused on our little family and spending these precious days together.

So what will these December days look like around here? Well, because these days seem to pass so quickly, I plan on spending them here in our cozy home sipping coffee and cocoa from Santa mugs, playing Christmas games, listening to classic Christmas music and watching our favorite Christmas movies. We will venture out to do some local Christmas shopping and to Mass, and we do have a special wedding shower for a special bride to be! Other than that, we will be right here. Safe and sound. Together.

How about you, my friends?

What season of life are you in?

And how will you spend your December days?

Thanks for visiting!

Disney World At Christmastime

This was our first visit to the Most Magical Place on Earth at Christmas. Imagine combining two of your favorite, festive, happy things and Disney World all decked out for the holidays is the amazing result. Here are way too many photos of our recent family trip to see that very special mouse.

Nine...In Disney World!

My baby turned nine last week. Nine! We celebrated her during our recent trip to Disney, and she was thrilled! Flynn brings such joy to our days, and we were so happy to bring joy to her all week long.

Disney does an amazing job recognizing any special event you may be celebrating...especially birthdays!

Thankful

Thankful for family vacations together~memories made~coming home~being home~families and loved ones~food in the fridge~water and heat and clothing~a church~ a priest~our faith~friends who are really family~health~physical and mental~puppies~coffee~and friends made in this wonderful world of Blogging.

Have a wonderful, cozy Thanksgiving Day, my friends!

We will be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, cooking a turkey with all the fixings, sharing our first Thanksgiving in this house, eating pumpkin pie, and putting up our tree.

What are your plans?

Whatever they are, wherever you'll be, enjoy every moment with your people.

Monday Morning

We interrupt our regularly scheduled posts concerning cozy November evenings, changing leaves, and cute little puppies. This week is all about a special little mouse who is having a birthday! Yep. We are taking a trip down to Florida to celebrate two very special birthdays...Mickey Mouse turning 90, and our sweet little Flynn turning 9! We are blessed to have some awesome people staying here and caring for our puppies and our home, and are looking forward to spending some family time together, as well as meeting up with some special people too. : ) In the meantime,

Selfies on the way to Mass are still a thing around here.