Blogmas Day 19: Recap of Christmas 2015 Photos

BLOGMAS 2016 PROMPTS

Day 1 - The Christmas Tag 
Day 2 - Christmas Movies on the Must Watch List
Day 3 - Christmas Wishlist
Day 4 - Christmas Playlist
Day 5 - Pictures and Memories of Christmas Past
Day 6 - Pot Simmer Recipes
Day 7 - Cookies to be Baked (can be a recipe you make every year, or some you want to try)
Day 8 - Favorite Family Christmas Recipe
Day 9 - How do you decorate?
Day 10 - Real Tree or Artificial Tree
Day 11 - Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Day 12 - Quiet Christmas or Family Filled Loud Party Christmas?
Day 13 - Christmas Cards (do you send them, show us your favorites this year, or tells your favorite cards to send whether vintage, or bright and colorful)
Day 14 - Advent Calendar
Day 15 - Christmas Party Food Ideas
Day 16 - Winter Tag
Day 17 - Christmas Wishes
Day 18 - Homemade or Store Bought (What are you giving this year)
Day 19 - Recap of Christmas 2015 in pictures
Day 20 -  Christmas Decorations Reveal (show us your tree, your home decor, your mantle, anything you want)
Day 21 - Holiday Family Traditions
Day 22 - Preparing for the big day (show us your wrapping skills, are you making lists, getting the house ready for guests?)
Day 23 - Post whatever you wish
Day 24 - Christmas Eve (Are you opening presents tonight, is this your big celebration, what are you doing)
Day 25 - Christmas Day 

I'm joining in with my Friend Sandra from the blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for the Blogmas of Christmas this season. You can check her out here and come play along! Here's day 19:

Day 19- Recap of Christmas 2015 photos

Several of these are repeats from the pictures of memories past post - but here's a few more too. I have photos from Christmas with my Dad & step Mom and Christmas with my Mom, but they're not uploaded conveniently now - so that's why I just keep posting from Xmas with the in-laws last year. 

The grown ups sitting around and chatting at my in-law's house early Christmas AM...while the kiddos were passing out presents to their designated piles from under the tree. 

All 7 grand kiddos posing on Grandpa & Grandma's staircase.

Annie and her buddy cousin Maddy.

They always love the little goofy gifts we find. That year each of the younger grandkids got a nose warmer of different farm animals. Annie wearing a doggie.

Little cousin Gracie helping Grandma open gifts. 

Christmas Eve night at our house and getting tables set for Christmas day dinner. 

Christmas Card Swap 2016

My dear friend Amy over at the blog Love Made My Home organized a Christmas card swap again this year. It's so fun as it's all random and you never know whom you may be matched up with for a swap. Last year I swapped with a lovely Friend in Australia that I hadn't even known before that time. And due to that swap we still visit each other blogs! 

This year was really neat as Amy, completely by accident, ended up matching with me a lovely Lady named Patsy...whom I had just started getting to know and become Friends with before the holiday season. We share a mutual love of cooking, vintage finds, and card making. When we found out we were paired together we were tickled and communicated about it back and forth. We both agreed that we were okay with sending a little more than a card, as I really wanted to send her some of my homemade sugared pecans and some little extras. And she was SO generous and sent me a lovely box full of goodies!! I took some photos of just some of it to give give you an idea:

She sent me a whole lovely bundle of paper crafting goodies! Papers in different sizes, stickers, card pieces, and even more stamps than you see here! She even sent me some neat card layouts from classes she goes to about card making. Completely above and beyond.....but so fun!! ;) 

Here's the lovely Christmas card she made me for me and then SENT ME THE STAMP she used to make it too!! 

And the inside - so lovely! I think I've made another forever Friend. 

** I forgot to mention that Patsy is from the blog Teas and T's.

Thank you Amy for doing this for us each year! xoxo

Happy Homemaker Monday

Happy Monday Friends! 

It was a fun weekend here filled with another family game night gathering with relatives on Friday. And my Hubby and I went to the MN Vikings game in the new stadium yesterday. I'm not a Vikes fan as I'm true to my Packers, but it was fun to enjoy his excitement even if it was a crappy game and the Vikes lost (Sshhh - I'm secretly happy about loss - tee hee). The stadium was very impressive!

I'm getting to this late as I was busy around the house this AM, and then my son only had one final this morning and came home when he was done. So I made some semi-homemade chicken noodle soup (with thick Amish noodles - yum!) to have when he got home. I didn't end up making it last week. I enjoyed lunch and a visit with my sweet Boy - who is rapidly becoming a young man...and then he had to head back up to school for hockey practice and he'll bring his sister home after his practice & school is done. Have I mentioned how much I'm loving that he has his license?? Lol  He really has matured so much over the past year. When he isn't busy getting good grades and playing hockey for his college prep school, he works on the side for his Dad. Plus, he's had a steady girlfriend for a while now (& even bought her a nice gift for Christmas!). Where does the time go??? ::sigh:: 

Okay, thanks for sidetrack now on to this big Christmas week! ...

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

Much warmer than it was - 20's today and sunny.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

An English muffin with jam and coffee. And obviously chicken soup for lunch! Lol

RIGHT NOW I AM:

I keep taking breaks from this post - throwing in next load of laundry, let Ruby outside etc. Just busy work around home today. I'm listening to Christmas music and finishing my scoop in my weekly planner and working on my grocery shopping list for later in the week.   

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

Sun is out now and it's much warmer today than it's been lately. It's in the 20's today and those temps are supposed to stick around a bit (20's and 30's), yay! Beats that slap you in the face below zero cold! Looks like some snow mid-week (a few inches) and more on Christmas day. A lovely white Christmas ahead! There's still several inches of snow on the ground already from last week.  I'm looking outside my dining room windows and the snow is sparkly out on our deck.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE:

Pretty clean and tidy, although still need to load dishes from lunchtime. I'm sitting at my dining room table and enjoying the sunshine streaming in through the deck doors.  

ON TODAY'S TO DO LIST:

A fun busy week ahead filled with last minute Christmas bustle. A shopping outing with my Mom for last filler gifts, baking cookies with Annie when she's off school by Wednesday this week, other holiday errands, Christmas gathering with Friends, grocery shopping, and then the big holiday weekend Friday - Sunday is Christmas with all of our various family members! Merry Christmas, yay!!!

 

CURRENTLY READING:

Currently reading a fun Debbie Macomber book called Dashing Through the Snow.

ON THE TV TODAY:

Loved the final Holiday Baking Championship and I love that it's the first time a home baker won and not a pro! Watched Survivor finale. SNL shows. Christmas specials and Hallmark movies. There's an America's Got Talent Christmas special tonight! Cooking shows and HGTV.

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

MONDAY: leftover tacos from weekend

TUESDAY: leftover chicken noodle soup - clean out fridge. Easy night as son has a hockey game

WEDNESDAY: Rigatoni pasta, garlic bread, salad  

THURSDAY: Christmas gathering with Friends - unsure of menu yet

FRIDAY: Christmas exchange with my Dad & step-Mom at our house. Going easy with pizza from favorite pizza place, veggie tray, holiday cookies and other baked desserts  

SATURDAY(Christmas Eve): early afternoon Christmas exchange with my Mom and have a snack, go to mass as a family with her then drive and look at Christmas lights and then bring her home after. Have something easy to eat that night and we do our family Christmas with just us and our kiddos...then hubby and I put on music in the kitchen and cook and prep things for Christmas day while we visit and nibble (& I have some wine or a holiday hot toddy). ;) 

 SUNDAY(Christmas Day): we spend with all of my Hubby's family. Very early AM my BIL & SIL and their 5 kids, my Hubby & I and our 2 kids all gather at my FIL and MIL's house. My FIL will go get my MIL from facility for the day to spend with us. We all head over in our pj's and my SIL will bring some little trays of egg bake and I'll bring some fruit and some mini-pancakes in various kinds (blueberry, strawberry, chocolate chip & plain) that can be dipped in syrup. We'll open all our gifts together. Then later in the afternoon they'll all come to our house, as well as my Hubby's extended relatives, and we'll have Christmas dinner here and then do the door prize game (takes several hours and is FULL of laughs!). After that we put out the dessert table and coffee and end with sweets and visits before folks head home with their leftovers.  

**Christmas menu: honey baked ham with crunchy sweet glaze crusted on top and with it on the side mustards and this year I'm also going to make an apple raisin sauce/compote for those that might like that. Cheesy potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli salad, calico beans, fruit salad, corn, relish trays and dinner rolls.  My Hubby's Aunt will bring one pan of the cheesy potatoes and I do the other. My SIL will bring the sweet potatoes and fruit salad. And my MOm will bring the corn. I will do the rest of the food listed. 

Desserts: My SIL will bring a kiddo dessert (brownies?) 

My Hubby's Aunt will be bringing a no-bake peppermint cheesecake 

I will be making pecan pie (with ice cream), my Gram's cut-out cookies, almond bars, and maybe hot cocoa cookies 

WHAT I AM CREATING AT THE MOMENT:

I'm working on a wreath for my daughter's room that will match her new bedspread. I'll share in the near future. 

NEW RECIPE I WANT TO TRY THIS WEEK:

If I make hot cocoa cookies for Christmas- they will be new.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

I think this is great advice for this time of year when things get so busy. It could help you knock off more on your busy list!

FROM THE CAMERA:

My daughter's Christmas concert - she's in the front in the Santa hat on the left. ;) 

New US Bank Vikings stadium - huge and impressive!

A Boy and his Bro ready to cheer on their favorite team.

Go Colts! (oops did I say that out loud?? haha!) We had great seats - 4 rows up only!!

Some of these cold winter days you just need to lounge on the couch...

...and eat warm chicken noodle soup!

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Merry Christmas to you All my dear Friends!! 

More fun vintage pictures above. And of course the real reason for the season below:

I'm linking with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Scraptastic Saturday: Miniature Christmas Magic

Good morning and happy Saturday Friends! 

It's snowy here in my northwoods today. We got a couple of inches overnight and now the sun is trying to come out a bit. But don't let it fool you! With the windchill here today it feels like about 20 below zero! Hope you're staying nice and cozy. ;)  

I wanted to share a "little" miniature fun with you today. Why is it that miniature anything just equals magic? Especially with kiddos. It just seems to easily spark imagination.  Pretending you were shrunk to miniature size and jumping in that doll house, or fairy garden, or other magical place. It's a love that my Annie and I share. Well I found some fun Christmas miniatures and surprised her with a new decoration in my dining room cupboard the other day. 

I found some neat miniature items on Etsy, but you can find adorable fairyland kinds of miniatures in so many places these days. Craft stores, garden centers, and gift stores. I took the wagon and carefully set the little potted tree in the back, and then carefully stacked the presents in front of it. I then topped it with this sweet little fairy Santa hat and then poured some fake snow over all. And added a few fun snowballs too!

I had some cotton (fake snow) batting and placed that in my teacup and draped it over the sides. I did add a little piece of cardboard on the top of the teacup first - for stability for the wagon.

And placed that sweet magical teacup in my dining room hutch among my other teacups and dishes. 

And then found some miniature lights to top of the tree - because what's a Christmas tree without lights? 

And sometimes I catch Annie just gazing at it. I think she imagines she's pulling that wagon on a snowy cloud with a fairy by her side. Do you feel the magic? 

I'm linking with Andrea of Scrapality for Scraptastic Saturday.

Five on Friday: Pretty Christmas Images

I know it's late - but we had a fun game night gathering here with some relatives and I was busy all day preparing for that, running errands, baking, and then I went and visited my MIL. So this is when I'm getting some time for myself. I'm beat, but thought I'd share some fun Christmas images I happen to have "collected" on my computer for the season and thought I could share with you in a fast post. Most of them are fun vintage images! I love the for the season. Plus, these images just make me happy. I hope you enjoy them too. ;) xo 

ONE

SANTA!

TWO

COZY!

THREE

PRETTY!

FOUR

FUN!

FIVE

MARY ENGELBREIT

Holiday blessings for the weekend ahead Friends! I plan to be back tomorrow with blogmas (& maybe something else fun too if I get time).