I'll be real honest here: This post has more to do with decorating for Christmas than being a mom.
But I'll tell you, all the fun of getting ready for Christmas is 1,000 times more fun when you have a wee one! Henry LOVES Christmas lights. Kid started at them like he was in a trance.
About the Christmas tree:
We I got rid of Kirk's fake tree last year. It was from the days with his ex-fiance. After Christmas was over, I pulled that thing straight to the curb with a "Free!" sign. Then watched a dog pee on it. And smiled a little.
Anyway, so we're going to get a real tree this year. They're insanely expensive in Dallas (no pine forests near by...) but we don't want to get a nice fake one until we're in a home we own - which will be early in 2015. This is just a really long way of saying our tree didn't go up, but we did lots of other fun things to prepare for Henry's first Christmas!
For example, our Christmas cards came in the mail.
B Loved Boston had a post about these last week, which reminded me I needed to get on it. So I did. Thanks Biana!
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We've got engagement photos, wedding photos and maternity photos all represented with a few Henry shots for the 2014 card! Ummm, because between 2013-2014 we accomplished all these things. |
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Then Saturday afternoon, I was on a mission to find Henry some Christmas jammies. I had checked out Target on Friday afternoon, and they were already sold out of EVERYTHING. I bought the last hat and set of mittens! I texted one of my good friends who is Texas born and raised with a "What in the actual heck is going on here?" She smartly replied that "Texans get scared when they hear 70 degrees in the forecast, and run out and buy up all the warm clothes." Ahhhh, so next year I'll get Henry ready for fall in July or August so that I actually have some selection.
Finally found these cute jammies at Carters. They were the last pair in his size.
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Christmas jammies! |
Then on Saturday night, we got wild and crazy! We opened up a bottle of wine, cut up some cheese and crackers, and pulled out the non-Christmas tree decorations. We have the holiday place mats, the wreaths and the stockings out.
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Yes, that's a Santa playing the bagpipes. My husband is Scottish. And weird. |
That's how we spent our Saturday! I can't wait to get the tree up. I'm pushing for next weekend. Henry loved sitting in his bouncer and watching all this madness, especially when my husband attempted to untangle several strands of lights...
Are you a "progressive" and like to decorate early, or more of a "traditionalist" and wait until after Thanksgiving?
*Sorry for the mediocre photos! With the daylight gone at 5:30, it's all fake light. Boo.
I love putting up decorations and I long for a real tree, but I hate the mess so we stick to our tiny fake tree that looks like it belonged to Charlie Brown. Kids in festive jammies are adorable, just adorable :)
ReplyDeleteThe mess is a real struggle! I've forgotten about that... But the smell is so wonderful! Now I just need to remember to water the dang thing... Ha!
DeleteI love your christmas cards! I have never had a real christmas tree. I don't wait until after thanksgiving persay (australian....) but I always wait till the 1st of December because that's when my mum did it!
ReplyDeleteFake Christmas trees are always pretty and perfectly shaped... Plus, no mess! But we used to go and actually cut down our Christmas tree at a tree farm, so I'll always be partial to real trees :)
DeleteLooooove your Christmas card! Too cute!
ReplyDeleteAlso, his Christmas jammies are so perfect! They were meant to be if they were the last in his size :) I love them!
We pulled out our Christmas tree yesterday (minus the ornaments, I'm waiting another week to hang those.... hopefully the newness of the tree will die down and Mia won't touch it? We'll see!) and Mia screamed and squealed when we plugged in the lights! Way too cute!!
Thanks! Oh, is this Mia's first tree as a grabbing, walking, touch everything and put it in her mouth kiddo?! I want to know how it goes. I have so many special glass ornaments, I'm terrified for next year!
DeleteLOVE your Christmas cards! I can't wait to send ours out! Eeek!
ReplyDeleteWe put our decorations up last weekend. We're not around much during the holidays (always traveling), so for us, we put them up so we at least get to enjoy them a little bit. Otherwise, we might not get to enjoy them at all!
I'm glad Henry is already enjoying the Christmas decorations. Christmas was such a magical time for me as a kid and I hope my kids see it as magical, too. Love those Christmas Jammies! ;) Now you just need to get you and Kirk a matching set!
Oh girl, we're not even going anywhere until the week of Christmas, but those things need to shine for as long as possible! If I could find hubs and myself matching jammies (in tall sizes... ha!) I would totally do it and blast social media with pics! Alas, Henry will steal the show this Christmas ;)
DeleteLove the card! Super cute.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brianne! It was super easy to do on Shutterfly. I totally recommend them - we got them made, printed and delivered in under a week!
DeleteI'm one of those crazy people who decorates for every holiday so Thanksgiving décor stays up until December 1st then the Christmas excitement begins! Your story about that old tree is hilarious btw..just in case no one else has told you that yet. haha! Cute jammies too! Can't wait to see the photos of Henry wearing them! xx
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh, tell me more about these Thanksgiving decorations! What do you use? General fall stuff, or do you go all out with pilgrims and turkeys?! I still have my fall wreath on the front door so people don't think I'm insane, but that will get switched out the day after Thanksgiving.
DeleteLove the cards! I went out and picked up a few decorations this weekend and I'm SO excited! I decorate early - if we want for Thanksgiving it's only 4 weeks to appreciate my favorite decorations of the year!
ReplyDeleteI'm liking where your head is at! Four weeks is clearly NOT enough time to enjoy things so magical and sparkly!
DeleteLove the Christmas cards! I'm finally ordering ours today (so behind)! I didn't get any decorations up like I wanted to this weekend, but hope to break them out soon. We're contemplating a fake tree this year after always getting a real one. Ours always die before Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAnd all the needles fall off, right?! Yup, been there! Fake is much easier as long as you have somewhere to store it. We just want to make sure we get the right size for when we purchase our home... Don't want it busting through the roof or the little dwarf tree in the corner, ya know?!
DeleteI'm cracking up at the Scottish Santa! My husband has a weird thing for nutcrackers. We have a variety that unfortunately must be pulled out with the rest of the decorations. They're growing on me. I guess. We wait until Thanksgiving to decorate. The grocery store near our house sells trees for around $30-$50, I think. Are they way less expensive up North? I guess I never thought about it...
ReplyDeleteWhy are men into such weird Christmas stuff?! Maybe this is the way they feel about all the glitter... Hmmmm...
Delete$30-50?! Holy cow, maybe we'll come to your neck of the woods. I saw them for sale last year in Dallas for over $100. Yuck!
I was about to say.......dang you got a lot accomplished in one year! Definitely smiled right along with you thinking about that tree getting what it deserved ;-) I totally feel you on getting crazy on a weekend night by cracking open a bottle of wine and decorating except for me for the next few months it will be packing instead of decorating. Can't wait to see your tree up!!!
ReplyDeleteGirl, I make moves, take names and kick a$$ the whole time! So does the hubs. Which is prob why we got pregs nine months after we got engaged. Oopsies! :D
DeleteYou know that tree just had to go. Had. To. Go.
Thanks Ali! For the compliment and the award ;)
ReplyDeleteTotally a traditionalist! Ain't no Christmas decorations going up around here until after Thanksgiving. ;p I AM super excited about planning our first Christmas cards together as a married couple, though! Love how many huge life moments you have on yours!
ReplyDeletexox
giedre
Hahaha! I used to be that way, too. But then the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just seemed so short it was hardly worth all the effort of decorating. Planning Christmas cards was super fun, so have a blast with it!
DeleteExcited by the essayist's capacity to write in this brilliant way.
ReplyDeleteViatical settlement