Currently... Happy about December

December - it's my favorite month of the year (though summer is my favorite season.)  It's the annual deadline for all projects.  Time to start thinking of new goals.  Time to take an honest look at yourself.  Time for reflection of who you are and who you want to be as you improve.  And it's time for cookies and hot chocolate and celebration and festivities.  And it's Christmas! What else can you want in a month?

So I'm currently...

Setting up my new calendar date book.  It's my annual search, but I think I'm going with the same that I had last year, a customizable, add your own cover and pages option, M by Staples.  It worked for me. There was enough space in each date box for my variable schedule (I don't like the ones with the time printed already) and to scribble notes. There are blank pages (removable) for notes and lists.  I think I'm going to stick a clear pocket (from my scrapbook supply stash) on the inside cover for the cards, stamps, and receipts I collect between the pages.  This may be a record for having a datebook before Dec. 31.

Thinking about Christmas cards. Not that I've bought any, made any, or selected the requisite family photo.  Just thinking it would've been nice to have put them in the mail today.

Flipping through cookie cookbooks.  We have an annual cookie exchange and, although we host, I still get anxious about what we're going to share as our contribution.  Chocolate chip is off limits because another family always brings those (yummy!)  And we have to make enough for everyone to take some home so they can't be too complicated.  It's a lot of thought, so I need to start thinking, baking, and having the family vote on our favorite.

Thinking about decorations. I love Christmas decorations. The lights, the sparkles, the rich reds and earthy greens and royal purples, shimmery silver and gold.  Fluttery angels, shiny gift wrap. Snow covered everything.  The tall, pine-y smelling, decorated trees.  And if I had the budget, I would hire someone to come and beautifully decorate my house for the holidays, or at least, come and take it all down (I am the slackermomof4, after all.)  I will get my decorations up (hint: cookie exchange party is always a good motivator), but it may be Valentine's Day by the time they're all packed away.

Shopping for new poinsettias. I have a friend who has kept poinsettias year round. Inspired, I intended to do the same (despite my notorious black thumb.) I researched poinsettia care, moved them to a more temperate part of my house, rotated them through the house depending on the sunlight, watered them, pruned falling leaves.  And though a bit scraggly, my poinsettia lasted until... October. Then it died! What? What plant lasts 10 months and then just dries up and dies two months before it's grand showing? Ugh.  So, now, I need a new poinsettia. And might as well get a new Christmas cactus while I'm at it.


What are your December preparations?

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O Christmas Tree! How to Decorate & Make it Beautiful

We've been snowed in for the past two days.  Okay, "snowed in" isn't a true description because we actually left the house both days. But school has been cancelled for the past two days.  It's enough to drive one just a wee bit house crazy.

The kids and I baked - and ate - cookies: sugar and oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cranberry.  When I make oatmeal cookies, I have the tendency to kinda throw all kinds of ingredients in them, except raisins because I really don't like raisins in my desserts.  Today, we had fudge brownies.  Our outing was to the gym because, really, sitting in the house eating sweets for two days really is not a good plan. Luckily, it looks like there will be school tomorrow.

Some of the time has been productive - we put up our Christmas tree and most (maybe, all?) of our Christmas decorations.  I used a few tips from decorator, Wanda Alexander, of Panache Interiors.

• Put the lights on in sections - think of filling in one side, or one square area, of the tree, rather than wrapping the lights around it, like I usually do.  This will make taking them off easier come January when the branches have dried and the lights are tangled in there.
• Use lots and lots of ornaments - as many as you've got - to fill in the tree
• With kids and pets in the house, use the long ornament hooks and wrap it around the tree branch, rather than just hang it on, to secure it. You know, just in case a candy-cane happy kid happens to bump into the tree.
• When taking down the tree, carefully and neatly put everything away to make it easier for next year.

Take a look at her tree.

Note the ladder and many many boxes of ornaments.
This is serious work, here.

  

It's packed with ornaments with a pretty angel on top.

Ta da!

We have glass ornaments, even a couple crystal ones, but with a house full of kids, most of our ornaments are kid focused.  There's the ornaments from their first Christmases and little felt ones they made in school.  Barbie graces our tree, as well as Charlie Brown.  We have angels and ornaments from various vacations.  Our angel is from a long ago trip to Martha's Vineyard, our last summer before we had a kid.  I don't know why they were selling Christmas ornaments in MV in July, but anyway, that's where she came from and is one of my favorite ornaments.  Each year, the kids have a good time, pulling out their favorites, looking for their own personal ornaments, excited to put up their special ones on the tree.  It's one of those great occasions of the season, reliving the memories of where the ornaments came from or the class in which they were made.

What are the favorite ornaments on your tree?

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