'Tis The Season

'Tis the season to decorate!

ignore the laundry drying in the far right picture....not particularly festive.

I had way too much fun with the heart-shaped bokeh trick!

And since we are the proud owners of a toddler, we get to decorate and re-decorate and RE-decorate some more! What started as a fairly good-looking Christmas tree full of (mostly plastic) ornaments, has turned into a tree that is pretty much bare from about 3 ft down with occasional random 'ornaments' (such as a spoon, or maybe a plastic horse!) stuck in it's branches.  :)

'Tis also the season for stockings hung by the chimney with care...

My stocking growing up said "Cristy" (much of my family still calls me this), and so when Eddie and I ordered our stockings, I felt the need to keep with tradition.)

This is the 6th Christmas for Eddie's and I's stockings....we have had every intention of getting Julian's purchased for the last two Christmases, and by the time I remember, she's done taking orders for the year and I've missed my opportunity! Well, not this year folks - we finally have our matching set and they look mighty handsome on our mantel! I am excited for the many many years of gifts and goodies Julian will receive in his!



It is also season for....spending way too much time on Pinterest looking up Christmas ornament crafts that you really don't have time to make. I did manage to finish these cute little yarn wreaths, though in an effort to populate our branches with ornaments that Julian could not destruct (or hurt himself with.) I think they came out fairly cute and colorful...even if I got too lazy to put the adornments on them that I had planned. The best part was - it got rid of some the excess yarn that I seem to keep collecting!

On that note, I've also been making some headway on my crocheted gifts this year....still have a few to go, and will finally have time to devote to it :)

'Tis the season also for BAKING, and while I'm not much of a baker, it is officially way funner to do it with a toddler. I'm not even being sarcastic. It's just good fun and Julian really got a kick out of helping!

He took his shaker job VERY seriously and enjoyed sneaking a taste here and there!

Tada!! Delicious.

And of course, you can't forget THIS guy. 'Tis the season for...Santa!





No forced smiles here...Julian was more than content to sit on Santa's lap, talking to him softly as I snapped a few pictures. I still am not entirely sure what all he told him (Eddie took video, but unfortunately it didn't record properly.) I did catch him telling Santa that he wanted a toy kitchen (he's wanted one pretty hardcore ever since seeing a VERY pink Disney princess version at Target one day.) He really enjoyed his visit with Santa and I think he is going to be one excited kid on Christmas morning. I'm not sure he fully understands what it all means, and I'm REALLY sure we're still going to be hearing about Santa and presents well into Spring (the poor kid asks to go trick-or-treating at least twice a week), but I am more than excited this year for all the things he is able to enjoy and all the traditions we will finally be starting. :)

More posts to come, but I truly hope you are all enjoying the holiday season as it makes it's way to us! For whatever reason, this year seems so much less stressful than others have been. If you don't count the fact that we are non-stop sick around here (apparently all I wanted for Christmas was a sinus rinse, two rounds of antibiotics, a months worth of Nasonex and very little sleep!) it has otherwise been a pretty fun, relaxed holiday season so far.   :)