Christmas Traditions

You all know I love traditions, and Christmas is a time filled with traditions.  Since my G-man was born, there are a few traditions that I stick with each year so he can grow up to remember those special moments from his childhood.  I admit, I enjoy them, too.  I hold so many special Christmas memories of when I was a little girl close to my heart, so I hope to pass the same things down to my children.

Picture with Santa.

{2008}

I can still remember every detail of this day.  He was a tired little boy, only a few months old, but he was a trooper and held out for Santa.

{2009}

Not too sure about this Santa guy, mom.

{2010}

Christmas pjs.

{2008}

Gray with his Bella.

{2009}

{2010}

Gray likes to wear his potty training seat as a hat with his pjs.

LSU tree.

This year, I put the tree up in Grayson's room so he could enjoy it.  He absolutely loves having a "missmiss tree" in there.

Every year, I add a few more LSU ornaments {they aren't hard to come by around here}.  I also added some other sentimental ornaments this year that make it more special.  It also means so much to see the tree "grow" with each year.  Each ornament has a fond memory.  The polka dot dog came from our trip to Seaside last Christmas.  The topper is actually a knit hat that Jamie's brother had handmade for his first winter.  I also included all his picture frame ornaments, which are fun {please excuse the empty frame in the middle...it's new and I'm slacking a bit}.

Elf on the Shelf.

It seems that the Elf on the Shelf has been a big hit and a fun addition to Christmas traditions.  Grayson is a little young to understand, but this elf has still been spotted around our house.  That sneaky little elf.

This elf likes to live dangerously.

And it seems that little elf did his job by telling Santa what everyone wanted.  If only he could help me wrap all this...

Merry Christmas Eve!  What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: For the Gadget-lover

Hopefully, you have found the perfect presents for your loved ones by now.  But if you're like me, then you may still have a few people left on your list.  Gadgets are always good go-to last-minute gifts.  I chose a few that are quite popular this year.  Maybe Santa will bring you a nice gadget!  

{Marshall headphones}

Besides looking cool, these headphones will serve up some sound and are only $100.

{iPad}

I can't mention gadgets without mentioning the iPad.  It's a must, people.

{Jambox by Jawbone}

This is something for that person who has everything.  The Jambox is a portable wireless speaker that's supposed to deliver the loudest sound out of the smallest speaker.

{Cricut}

This one is for the crafty and creative.  You can make just about anything with this personal cutter! 

{Apple TV}

Leave it to Mac to appear twice on my list.  As I always say, once you go Mac, you never go back.  The new Apple TV is small in size and inexpensive {only $99}.  You can rent movies straight from your TV and stream photos and music from your computer.  Genius.

{Sprocket Rocket}

I'm pretty sure Santa is going to bring me this one.  I'm really excited about the Mint Robot floor cleaner.  You've heard of the automatic vacuum, but this one mops and sweeps, and it's only $200.  It will surely become my new best friend.

{iPod nano watch}

Need I say more?

If 3D is your thing, then this 50-inch 3D TV by Samsung {$2300} will be right up your alley.

Happy last-minute shopping!

The Snowglobe

We had so much fun painting my belly the night before Grayson was born, we just had to do it again this pregnancy.  All you need is paint, a willing and talented husband, and a big ole' belly {one with a baby works best}.  In keeping with a Christmas theme, we decided on a snowglobe.

Start with a cirle...

add a Christmas tree...

throw in some snow...

and a few finishing touches.

Merry Christmas from my belly to yours!

Christmas Past

I am so thrilled, excited, stressed, and ready for Christmas!  I'm just about finished with all my shopping.  Now, I just need a little elf or two to come wrap all the presents!  It's going to be so much fun this year opening gifts with Grayson since he's definitely at a fun age and enjoys getting gifts.  It should be quite interesting.  I look forward to many more Christmases to come with Grayson as he gets older and truly understands Christmas, but I also enjoyed it when he wasn't such a big boy.

He doesn't know how much he melts my heart.

12 Days of Christmas

Jamie and I are so excited about the holidays this year, we decided to do something a little special.  We're going to call it "The Twelve Days of Christmas."  Counting down the days of Christmas, we are going to do something for these next 12 days {actually less now, but who's counting?} that puts us in the Christmas spirit.  I hope to carry this tradition on for many Christmases to come.

12 Days of Christmas Countdown!

Day 12:  Take picture with Santa.

Day 11:  Write Santa a Christmas list.

Day 10:  Bake Christmas cookies.

Day 9:  Look at Christmas lights.

Day 8:  Pajama night.

Day 7:  Christmas movie marathon {with a little hot chocolate}.

Day 6:  Gift-wrapping fun.

Day 5:  Gingerbread house-making party.

Day 4:  Read a meaningful Christmas story.

Day 3:  See a Christmas play or movie.

Day 2:  Attend Christmas church service.

Day 1:  Celebrate Jesus' birthday!

Although they may or may not be done in this particular order, the important thing is that we do them as a family.  Enjoy time with your family and don't forget what we are really celebrating this time of year...the birth of our Jesus Christ.  

Happy holidays, my friends.  Let the countdown begin!

Christmas in NY

We are finally back home.  The trip was filled with non-stop fun.  We were fortunate enough to go with a great group of friends, who also happen to be coworkers of Jamie.  Works out very nicely!  So, let's start from the beginning...

The flight.  As you know, I am terrified of flying.  Terrified.  I'm just one of those paranoid people who think that everything that could go wrong on the plane, will.  I hate taking off, I'm a little better during the flight, and I'm even better as we land.  I brought one of Grayson's little tractors with me and held gripped it during all of the flights, which put me a little more at ease.  It was so hard leaving Gray.  I cried the night before, and I woke up crying the day we left.  It's incredibly hard for us to be away from him for that long.  Four nights is a long time without my baby.  Knowing he was in good hands certainly helped, and it definitely makes it exciting to come back home to reality.  We brought G-man back a toy airplane that makes real noises and lights up.  When I say he hasn't put that toy down, I mean it.  He even slept with it last night.  Oh, the little things.

So, I'm 7 and a half months pregnant.  You might think that it would slow me down, but not this girl.  I am proud to say, I kept up with the group {in high heels all the while}, and had a blast doing it.  We ended up getting a driver to drive us around in a very luxurious Cadillac Escalade the whole time we were there.  He also happened to be a driver to celebrities.  It's nice knowing people who know people!  We always luck out like that.  He has recently been Reggie Bush's driver, just to give you an idea.  His name was Vaughn and he was as cool as a fan.  FYI, getting a driver is the way to go.  He drove us wherever we wanted, and would wait on us the whole time.  Talk about feeling like a celebrity!

Vaughn!  The best {and fastest} driver in NYC!

We didn't actually get to do very much sight-seeing, but we did do a lot.  Another very special part of the trip I will always hold dear to me was that we decided on the baby's name while we were there.  I can't wait to share it with you, but you'll have wait for that post!  Like I'm just going to tell you right now!  Come on;)

A few scenes from NY.

{our hotel}

We are very fortunate to be able to do things like this, and we enjoyed every New York minute of it.  But as I said, we are thrilled to be back home as a family.  Being so far away definitely puts things in perspective as to what is really important in life.  So, until next time, goodbye New York.  Hello home sweet home.

Colorful Christmas

Hello from NYC!  We arrived yesterday {safely and soundly} and have been thoroughly enjoying the city!  It even started snowing last night as we walked the busy streets.  I'm in our hotel room while the hubby is off doing a little work, so I just had to catch up on my blogs while I have some free time.  I'll be a busy little shopping bee in just a few hours!

If you are the not-so-traditional-Christmas kind of person, then this post is for you.  I came across these colorful Christmas photos and they make me happy.  These beautiful, inspirational photos sure do make me feel cozy in this big city far from home {and my G-man whom I miss tremendously!}

Feeling blue yet?  Images from Southern Living.

A really fun Christmas tree that I saw from Tobi Fairley just for the kids...

This is the tree she put up in her daughter's playroom.  First of all, I can't get over the adorable playroom!  What little girl wouldn't die over this?  I love the black and white damask with the pops of hot pink.  The monogrammed pillow is the perfect touch!

The tree is filled with these colorful sock monkeys.  What a great idea!  I'm in love.

Beautiful wrapping paper to match in Tiffany blue.  So sweet and girly!

Now I can't wait to put up my baby girl's Christmas tree next year!  This has really inspired me.  Which reminds me...I have to put up Gray's LSU tree when we get back home!  

Lots to do, places to go, and people to see!  I can't wait to share all my NY pictures.  I feel like such the tourist with my camera...oh well!

Ways to Display Christmas Cards

If you're like me, you love getting Christmas cards.  Even more, I love having them out to look at each day.  Usually, mine get taped up on my glass kitchen cabinets.  But this year, I'd like to do something different with them.  So, I searched for some creative and unique ideas.  Some people really impress me!

{bhg}

These are hung on pretty ribbon.  Very easy and looks nice, too.

Or simply hang them on a piece of chain.  So cute!

This one is my favorite.  Tie a ribbon to each card and hang from a tree.

Or if you have a nice-sized bulletin board, this is a wonderful look.

These were put in a clear glass jar.  How easy can you get?

{bhg}

Jane from Dinks came up with this DIY Christmas card display with an old frame, ribbon, and clothespins.  I think it's pretty brilliant. 

How do you display your Christmas cards?  Please share!

Festive Holiday Treats

Homemade candy has been a tradition for us every year around this time.  Jamie's family has the best recipe for homemade pralines, and we love making them as much as eating them.  Today, we made our first batch of the year.  Now, understand that this batch came out looking very ugly.  Jamie was a little embarassed that you had to see them.  It can take a few times to get the pralines looking pretty, but they sure taste good no matter what.

Here's what you'll need:

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1/2 stick of butter

vanilla

pecans

5 oz evaporated milk

not pictured: wax paper and candy thermometer

And of course, it's always nice to have a little helper in the kitchen.  This is what my "helper" does.

Boil sugar, brown sugar, and evaporated milk until it gets to "soft ball" stage on the thermometer.  Stir rapidly and continuously.  Take off heat, add butter, a capful of vanilla, and pecans.  Stir and spoon quickly onto wax paper.

As I said, not so pretty, but you get the idea.

In the mood for a festive holiday drink?  

Try this recipe a good friend gave us this year for mulled wine.  I got to have one little sip {wish I could have had more}, and trust me, it's delish!  It will go perfectly with your yummy batch of homemade pralines, and is wonderful on those cold nights by the fire {I'm just taking a guess on that one}.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c of water

6 oz frozen concentrated cranberry juice

3 T honey

8 cinnamon sticks, broken

6 whole cloves

4 cardomom pods, opened

2 c dry red wine

1 c cranberry liquer or creme de cassis

Heat water, concentrate, cinnamon cloves, and cardamom to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and smimmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in wine and liquer.  Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Enjoy!

Note:  It was brought to my attention that our last name was misspelled on our Christmas card, so please ignore that!  It has been taken care of.  Thanks mom!