All About Christmas

December 10, 2015 by

Happy Thursday friends! I thought I would break things up with some fun Christmas facts about me and my family, as well as some of our traditions. I would love to hear you answer some of these!

1.) Real of fake tree? We have a fake tree, and I always had a fake one growing up due to owning cats + having allergies to lots of things. Plus, our last fake tree lasted I want to say 6 or 7 years so it ended up being way cheaper than buying real every year.

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2.) Christmas morning breakfast? It depends. for a few years I made a special danish thing, but last year I didn’t since I had a three month old, so not sure what will happen this year! Sometimes we just eat leftovers from Christmas eve. Smile

3.) Favorite Christmas Album? Definitely the Carpenters. I grew up listening to it over and over so it just means Christmas to me to hear it!

4.) Where do you spend Christmas? We spend it with my side of the family. Bobby’s family all gets together at Thanksgiving but not really at Christmas so it just makes more sense. We spend Christmas eve with my parents, and on Christmas day we all go to my cousin’s house (everyone used to come to my parent’s house.) n61700476_30279142_1481

5.) Favorite Christmas movie: This one is tough! The Santa Clause, Elf, and Christmas with the Kranks are all up there. OH! and Home Alone. Gah this is too hard!

6.) What’s on your wish list: A new lens for my camera.

7.) Any traditions? I usually make snicker cookies on Christmas eve, and we always read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas as well as the Christmas story from the Bible.

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8.) Stockings, yes or no? My parents always have a stocking for us, but last year and this year Bobby and I aren’t doing stockings because we would rather use that money to travel than on trinkets we don’t really need.

9.) Do you put up outside lights? Yes! It makes me sad that it seems less and less people do this. Growing up we would drive around on Christmas eve and look at the lights. Now we are hard pressed to find hardly any in our neighborhood.

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10.) Do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Growing up we opened presents from my grandparents on Christmas eve, and then gifts from my parents and Santa Christmas morning. My parents also used to let us open one gift from them on Christmas eve. Now we just do everything Christmas morning.

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I can’t wait to see how our traditions evolve as Emma Kate gets old enough to understand Christmas!

QOTD: Answer one of the above questions in a comment!

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Cheers To

December 17, 2014 by

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I am big on tradition and doing fun and special holiday themed things with my family. I am so glad that in the age of smart phones, we have an easy way to capture and upload our favorite memories for all to see, and well…not to mention I am totally obsessed with Instagram. During Christmas and New Years, a lot of people say “cheers” to many different things. What if I told you that you could win prizes just for sharing your #CheersTo moments? unnamed (2)

This holiday season, Zevia is spreading the holiday cheer! Follow Zevia & share the little moments that mean the most to you on Instagram or Twitter with #CheersTo for a chance to win prizes now through December 31, 2014. Be sure to follow along on their Instagram & Twitter feeds for the daily winners!

For example, moments like ….

-your child participating in a Christmas program at school

-decorating your tree with loved ones

-shopping for and wrapping those special gifts

-baking with your friends

-giving back, volunteering at a soup kitchen or toy drive this holiday season.

Zevia wants to see your moments! Simply post to Twitter or Instagram, use the hashtag #CheersTo, tag @Zevia on twitter or @ZeviaLife on Instagram,and you can win one of many many prizes!

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Did you know that Zevia is also great in a cocktail or mocktail? (Perfect for saying “cheers to” those special moments!” So far, my favorite is Black Cherry and rum with some ice. Cheers!

Cheers to

 

QOTD: What special moment has already happened for you this year that you could share in this contest?

 

Disclosure: I was provided with product from Zevia. However, I have been drinking Zevia for years and love all the flavors!

 

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Valentine’s Day as a Kid

February 14, 2014 by

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

The other day, Jen and I were talking about Valentine’s Day, and how as a kid it’s a lot of fun at school parties etc. Then it’s also fun when you are dating, but it seems after you get married (at least in our cases) it just isn’t that important. Bobby always tells me not to get him anything because it’s a holiday for the ladies. We go to dinner, but never on the actual day, way to crowded. Oh, and roses, I would KILL him if he paid for overpriced roses on Valentines day. That’s just how we roll.

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roses are great any other day of the year for this girl.

But back to being a kid, my family always did a great job of making it special for me. My mom would make us pink heart shaped pancakes in the morning, and have a little goody bag for us of candy, and usually a CD or DVD. She would cut our sandwiches with heart shaped cookie cutters, put special treats in our lunches, and when we would come home at night, my dad would give my sister and I each a box of heart shaped chocolates. Every year.

At school we would have parties and make mailboxes out of shoe boxes, and then go around the room handing out our Valentines to our classmates. We were hopped up on sugar all day, and it would continue when we got home an had more candy from our parents.

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Who needs Valentine’s Day when you have Mardi Gras?

I miss those fun days, and can’t wait to celebrate with my future kids and let them know how much they are loved, like my parents always showed me.

QOTD: What did you do as a kid for Valentine’s Day? What do you do now? Any traditions?

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Christmas Survey

December 16, 2011 by

 

Good morning! I have another busy weekend ahead, more wedding fun is just around the corner. I am heading to the gym to get in a workout before the madness begins. But first, I saw this fun Christmas survey on Julie’s blog and since I am pretty obsessed with Christmas, I wanted to join in on the fun!

Christmas Survey Time! If you want to join in the fun answer one, some, or all the questions in the comments section!

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Christmas 2010

Eggnog or hot chocolate?

Both! Probably lean more towards Eggnong since it’s a seasonal treat.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Growing up they were not wrapped, there was just a pile each for my sister and I. Don’t know what I will do when I have kids. Good question!

Colored lights on tree/house or white?

White lights on the tree, mixture outside (not all in one strand but a different color for the trees, bushes, etc.)

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Do you hang mistletoe?

Growing up there was some at my grandparents house (where we spend Christmas eve and Christmas) but we never had any at our house I don’t think.

When do you hang your decorations up?

Growing up it was day after Thanksgiving, since I have been married it’s the weekend before Thanksgiving.

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What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Tough! I make a cream cheese danish for Christmas morning breakfast that’s great!

Favorite holiday memory as a child?

I have two. 1.) our neighborhood used to put out luminaries all along the streets in front of the houses on Christmas eve. It was the most BEATIFUL thing. When we would get home from my grandparents Christmas eve we would go for a walk and it was so beautiful. 2.) Dancing around the living room to Christmas music with my sister all day Christmas eve while the adults cooked. My grandparents have a huge living room with a HUGE sectional couch (like twice the length of a normal one) and we would pretend we were ballerinas and dance to the Christmas music around and around the couch for hours, getting excited about opening gifts!

What is on your Christmas wish list?

An iPod nano for when I run! (Check out my Favorite things of 2011 post)

Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve?

Growing up, we would open gifts from my grandparents Christmas eve at their house and then back home one from my parents (Pajamas)

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How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

No particular theme, we get a new ornament anytime we go somewhere so we have a bunch! We put on Christmas music and a fire. It’s one of my favorite days of the year, decorating for Christmas!

Snow? Love it or dread it?

Living in the south my whole life, I know I would hate it. I love when we get one snowfall every year or two, it’s just enough!

Real tree or fake tree?

We had cats, so always fake. I’m pretty indifferent.

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Christmas 2006

Do you remember your favorite gift?

I don’t know if it’s my favorite but I was REALLY into American Girl doll’s as a tween and so getting my dolls and outfits/furniture etc was always a favorite.

What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?

Celebrating the true reason for it all, Jesus’ birth. He is the reason for the season, and I really try to focus more on that than the other commercialized things.  Also, spending time with my family, our traditions.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

My mom makes amazing pralines at Christmas time, I eat about a million. Seriously.

What is your favorite tradition?

On Christmas eve we sit by the fire and my dad read’s The Night Before Christmas and the Christmas Story out of the Bible. always a special time to me. We take pictures every year as well so we have one from every year with my sister and I in our new PJ’s on the couch with my dad while he reads. Also I enjoy going to Church on Christmas eve. It puts things in perspective and is a good time to be thankful and reflective before the Christmas day madness.

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What tops your tree?

Always been a star. Bobby broke ours this year so I had to buy a new one.

Do you prefer giving or receiving?

Giving! I put a LOT of thought into gifts, and get SO excited when they open them. It’s so fun for me!

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Oh Holy Night and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Candy canes, yuck or yum?

just ok, but I love peppermint fudge, bark, ice cream.

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Favorite Christmas movie?

The Santa Clause and Home Alone.

What do you leave for Santa?

We always left cookies an milk, nothing now though

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

Growing up we would have to wait at the top of the stairs until we were told we could come down. My sister and I would sit on the top step SO excited thinking about all of the toys we were about to get. My mom would video tape us coming down and into the living room. We sat by the fire and opened stockings first, then gifts, while Christmas music played in the background. Then we would eat breakfast afterwards.

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Christmas 2005

Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?

Either. It depends I guess on what I’m looking for.

Christmas letter or Christmas card?

Christmas card. Some (NOT ALL so please don’t get offended) people use the Christmas letter as an attention getting brag fest and that always drove me nuts. There is a way to do it well and tastefully, but some people just don’t get it. (Who has seen the Christmas letter episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. Love.)

*Side note, Christmas day is also very special in my family because it is also my mom’s birthday! On Christmas night after all the hoopla we sing happy birthday to her and she opens her gifts.

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QOTD: Ok so answer one, some, or all these questions in the comments section!

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Thanksgiving Traditions

November 23, 2011 by

 

Happy Thanksgiving eve! It’s almost turkey time, yummy! This year is going to be a little different for us. What am I saying, every year is a little different for us! We typically do the traditions and seeing lots of family over Christmas, so the past few years Thanksgiving has been much more low key. I used to go with Bobby and his family to see their extended family, but due to some…family issues surrounding his father’s death, we don’t speak to that side of the family anymore. We since have seen Bobby’s mom and her side of the family, and last year, were with my parents.

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Once again this year will be different. My parents are going to Houston to visit my sister and her husband. Unfortunately for us, they have two enormous dogs, so we cannot take ours, and I refuse to board my babies. Someone please tell me I am not crazy for not wanting to board them…I would be miserable and worrying about them the whole time. They have never been boarded and are used to having free reign of the house, and are used to be being home with them all day.

Anyway, the girl who dog sits for me when my parents cannot is not returning my calls or texts so I assume she is out of town. Bobby’s mom and her husband have a playoff football game (her husband coaches a high school team) on Friday so they can’t come see us like we thought would happen.

So for the first time ever it will be just me and Bobby and the girls.

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It will still be a lot of fun as long as you give us some turkey, mom!

But, no worries, we have laid out some fun plans so we won’t be bored and lonely! So, here is our tentative schedule:

Thursday morning we plan to run a turkey trot 5k (don’t worry, I WILL be DVRing the Thanksgiving Day parade, I CANNOT miss it!) We ordered turkey from honey baked ham, and I will be cooking some sides and a pumpkin pie to go with it, so we will of course, eat, nap, and watch football. Then, we may hit up some stores for black Friday sales that night (our outlet mall opens at 10 pm) and then sleep in on Friday, maybe go see Breaking Dawn (eeekkk! Scream like a little girl!)

Friday we will hang outdoor Christmas lights and the LSU game comes on after lunch. Then Saturday afternoon we will drive to my parents and see them once they get back from Texas. There will be more eating and football watching.  I am kind of excited about doing something new and different, and at least I will get to see family on Saturday. I will be sure to take pictures though to post about our first “family Thanksgiving” with just our little family.

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My hair was so short a year ago!

QOTD: Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions with family? What will you be doing?

*Enter my Gymboss interval timer giveaway!

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