• our halls are decked

    It is no secret that I love Christmas decorations. Few people don’t. If it were up to me, we would keep the twinkly lights and glittery ornaments year round. And also daylight savings time. Both make things merry and bright.

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    Every year after Christmas, I hit up a sale or two to pick up a few things for the following year. Last year, I got these white trees for a steal. Then I stole SK’s lamp to give them a new home.

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    Don’t worry. He will get his reading light back when I store all the decor (in February). We (and by “we” I mean “I”) also collect new ornaments from places we visit during the year. Wells and G really enjoy unwrapping all of them when we decorate the tree. My personal favorites are the ornaments the kids make at school and Sunday school. I try to date each of them with a sharpie as soon as they make it home, but I have missed a few. It goes in the same guilt pile as their incomplete baby books.

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    Growing up, my family had a live tree. In my book, the way they smell makes up for the mess they make. The last few years our tree hasn’t smelled as wonderful as my childhood memories, so I supplement with candles and cleaning products (Mrs. Meyers Iowa Pine, Nest Holiday and Thymes Frasier Fir). It would really just be easier to go outside. At this point, you have probably noticed my Beyonce wreaths. If you like it then you should put a wreath on it.

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    We spend Christmas Eve and day with our extended family. When Wells was a little fella, we decided to have our family Christmas early so we could make some memories in our own home. Yep. Santa comes early. Everyone knows he needs a test run to make sure his reindeer and navigation system are operating properly. #duh

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    Speaking of Santa, the boys get to ask for three things for Christmas. Why should children get more than baby Jesus? It is his birthday, after all. This year they both asked for remote control helicopters and professional soccer/football/baseball clothes. Graham also asked for another science project. He thinks our house is his lab. I am hiding all the Sudafed.

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    One year, all I wanted was an Easy Bake Oven. Instead, Santa brought me a Sesame Street cooking set. It had tiny pans and cake mix that required a real oven. Really? Who lets a five year old use an oven? The plastic box with the tiny light bulb is dangerous enough.

    I’m not bitter. Really.

    Let’s just say it’s at the top of my mom’s guilt pile. Right above my incomplete baby book.

  • friday FIVE GOLDEN RINGS

    Happy Friday! Time for a festive five…

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    1. So Delicious Coconut Nog

    The marketing team for this stuff deserves a Christmas bonus because it really is so delicious. Obviously, real nog is better. But, it also will make you super Santa sized. This kind only has 90 calories per serving. I hope the coconut maids keep a-milking.

    2.Veggie Tales: Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas

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    This is a great holiday movie for kids. Bonus- Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty is the narrator. Nothing says Christmas like talking cucumbers except talking cucumbers with beards.

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    3. Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay Cologne

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    This stuff smells like Christmas to me. It is great for men and women. If you still need a gift for your guy, look no further. Get him a bottle and then borrow it immediately. Win win.

    4. Janet Hill Prints

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    I ordered this print a while back and am on a mission to frame it tomorrow. Janet Hill is so talented and has tons of fantastic prints in her Etsy store. I chose this one because it is sort of Christmasy but not over the top. Plus, I like big bucks and I cannot lie.

    5. Bow Ring

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    How perfect is this bow ring from Madewell? I think it would make a fun gift so I ordered one to give myself. I also hope that when I wear it, it will remind me to do things like water the tree and mail our Christmas cards. It IS the season of hope.

    I’m so happy to be linking up (at the last minute) with April and the gang again this week. Hey, maybe my bow ring will remind me to write my Friday post earlier next week.

    PS- I was also going to include Mrs. Meyers Iowa Pine candles and cleaning products but remembered I’d already posted it here. I would take a bath in that stuff if I thought furry woodland creatures wouldn’t attack me afterward.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

  • the hills are alive

    It is really hard to come up with an opening sentence while listening to the Von Trapps. Crazy thing is, I don’t think I ever saw the original Sound of Music. Bits and pieces here and there, but not the entire movie. I really need to find one of those kid dog whistles.

    We had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Since the boys were out of school, Steve and I left them with Mawmaw and hightailed it to New Orleans. Don’t go feeling sorry for them. It was only one night, and I’m pretty sure they had more fun than we did.

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    Or maybe not. At least we made it home with our kidneys.

    {A tale of two kidneys- When SK was a teenager word spread around town that he woke up in New Orleans in a tub full of ice. Story goes that there was a note next to him explaining that one of his kidneys had been taken and that he should dial 911 immediately. Of course none of it was true, but it went so far that the local paper had to print a article explaining it was an urban legend. Years later when SK and I started dating one of my aunts pulled me to the side and said, “You know that is the boy who had his kidney stolen?” It was the first I’d heard of it, and he explained later. But I checked him for scars, just to be sure.}

    We spent the rest of the break with our families, watching parades, eating pecan pie and playing football. Oh, and my mom’s Thanksgiving centerpiece caught on fire and almost burned the house down. Dried leaves and candles don’t mix, y’all.

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    And watching football. When I was in high school, our football team won the state championship three years in a row. Last year, they won again. I had spirit finger flashbacks watching Kailey cheer in that game. Such a fun thing to experience. This year’s south state championship game was the day after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, they lost the game and I lost my voice from yelling so much. My kids were super bummed and they don’t even go there.

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    Graham came back and told his sweet teacher that he went to see his granddaughter cheer. She figured it out, but I bet there are some pretty confused four year olds in his class.

    The next day, we got our tree and have been making the place festive this week. At one point, I was covered in more glitter than a drag queen on Bourbon Street.

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    Only five ornaments have shattered so far. It probably doesn’t help that we’ve been rocking around the tree to the Billie Holiday holiday station on Pandora. There is probably a good chance NBC will pick it up for next year’s live performance.

    I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!


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