Christmas Morning

Christmas morning is always special.  Especially after only a few hours of sleep.  The excitement in our children's face and voices is priceless!

They usually wake us up and are anxious to go out and look at their "stash".  However, I torture them a little.  I make them wait until we get the cameras ready and we put the same Disney Christmas CD we've played since my son's first Christmas twelve years ago.

It usually goes the same way.  They run out look at the presents, look for notes from Santa, start playing and putting things together, etc.  It's a great day!  They stay in pj's all day long, until its bedtime again.  We make a special breakfast for the four of us and usually my brother (single and without children) who normally stays with us on Christmas Eve. 
Then we prepare an all-day brunch/lunch/dinner.  Our family comes over, grandparents, aunts, uncles, second cousins.  We spend the day with family, playing with our new gifts and loving every minute.

What are your Christmas traditions?

Christmas Decor

I have been accumulating vast amounts of decor for every holiday at ridiculously low prices since I discovered "after-Christmas" sales a few years ago.  The only problem is that it is a large contributing factor to our not "fitting" in our current casa.  We have too much stuff!

My husband says I'm a hoarder, but my kind friend says, no.  She says I am not a hoarder because I actually use all the stuff I have.  I don't have it put away.  I think I have to agree with her. 

I constantly give away things I don't use.  The only things I don't like to give away are furniture and household items because we own vacation rental properties that must be furnished and I like to keep things in case I could possibly use them there and not have to buy again.

Besides, I love entertaining and decorating for all holidays and events, and in order to do that inexpensively, you must own the things you are using.  I own round tables with their corresponding tablecloths, chairs, dinnerware, glassware, flatware, chafing dishes, serving platters, and the list goes on.

I use them constantly and enjoy having friends and family over.

I don't like to share my items...and its not because I am selfish.  It's mostly because if I lend my items, even to family, they don't come back in the same condition.  Since most of my things were purchased in sets, if I start lending them out,  I will have incomplete sets, broken items and my tables and events will not look the same. My tablecloths will get become worn out and ugly.  I really do like to have my tables and decor looking perfect and beautiful.

I have purchased so many different holiday accessories over the years, that I think I've reached my limit.  With what I bought this year, I think I will have to give away or keep some of my older things away next year, unless we buy a bigger house.

Another thing I discovered this year, from Ina Garten of the Barefoot Contessa, is to put light strands in vases and wrap them around tree branches.  For many years during this time I collect Christmas tree branches and put them in vases as my natural foliage.  This year I added the lights and they looked spectacular!!! I received many compliments on those.

Christmas

I love the holiday season.  Although as a parent of young children it is stressful, we manage and have a great time in the process.

I ordered several craft projects for my daughter during the holiday. 

Our favorite was the wishing ornament.  I ordered it from Oriental Trading.  I don't remember the cost, but the kit includes 6 clear ornaments that open.  It also includes glitter, slips for wishes, bows and bells. It's very cute and we did it as a family.

Each of us got an ornament.You can write as many wishes as you'd like.  The idea is to write your wishes for the next year on the slips and put it in the ornament.  All the ornaments are hung and put away at the end of the season.  The following year, you open your ornament and reflect on whether your wish(es) came true.  Then you do the same thing again.  You write your wishes for the new year.
It's a cute activity and I look forwarding to hearing what my children wished for and whether their wishes came true!