5 Things to Do Now To Prepare for the Holiday Season

The older I get, the more I realize how quickly time flies. It's relentless. And I don't want to waste it. I shared most of these tips a few years ago, but I think they're worth repeating. You're welcome? No, I mean, you're welcome. :)

Here are some practical tips for getting in gear for the busiest time of the year, with less stress and lots more joy. I'll start with the simple, mindless tasks, ha ha, and move on from there. A little preparation really does go a long way, especially during the holidays.

1. Clean your candle holders, vases and other glass/ crystal
These items gather dust like the Boss, and just about every solid surface in our home displays two or three (or twelve) candles and other glass goodies during the holidays. To make them sparkle again, carefully place them on the top rack in the dishwasher and run them through a gentle cycle. Of course, make sure that they're dishwasher-friendly! Lots are! This is one of the easiest things to tackle ahead of time, and nothing twinkles quite like spot-free glass and crystal accessories. Plus, when you're elbow deep in tangled strings of lights and pine needles have found their way to every crevice, it feels so good to have this part already done.

This is also a great time to take inventory of candles, such as tea lights, tapers and pillars. Many are already on sale, and I've found that if I wait for those After-Holiday sales, it's pretty slim picking. Hot pink nativity candle, anyone? Yeah, me either.

2. Vacuum the corners of your ceilings and above door jambs
Not very glamorous, I know, but the holiday season gets so busy and hectic so quickly- no matter how hard I try to not let it!- and this is one thing I don't want to have to deal with during all that chaos. Dangling cobwebs were fine for Halloween. Not so much for Christmas.
Perfectly cleaned homes aren't necessary for friendly get-togethers and meals. We're human, and we have busy lives! Nobody should be judging you, but cobwebs are, well, gross. If you're a regular ceiling corner-vacuumer, then I suppose you've got this covered already.  But I'm not so much anymore, until the thought of some poor guest looking up to find Charlotte and her family perched on my ceiling gives me just enough incentive to do it.
And once that chore is complete, then I can go make a mess in the kitchen with this cutie!

3. Decide on your recipes now and purchase as many ingredients as possible ahead of time (and stick to that list!)
So many recipes for cookies, tarts & pies, rolls & bread, plus festive main course meals, so little time! Pinterest never fails to tempt me with about 1,2000 new treats to try by the time we sit down to Christmas dinner, but choose I must! I have found it best (and less stressful) to plan meals, parties, and even gifts around our favorite standbys, and limit the newbies. 
Of course I love to try new recipes, but I can't reinvent the cookie sheet every night! One or two new recipes throughout November and December is a good goal. Besides, in our family, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without our annual Chocolate Spiders or Chocolate-Dipped Mexican Wedding Cakes! 

4. Plant your Paperwhites & other indoor blooms
Okay, so technically these should have been planted last week to ensure blooms for Christmas, but I actually plant mine for New Year's, so phew! I'm safe. There are several varieties of plants and flowers on the shelves now- I swoon over Paperwhites so they're always my first choice- and most require at least 5-6 weeks to sprout and bloom. Plant them now, follow the directions given, and enjoy fresh, fragrant flowers throughout the season.

These Paperwhites are from WalMart and cost around $5. All in one kits like this are available at home improvement stores, some drug stores, and other discount stores.

 Cranberries make great holiday decorating accents!

5. Decide what's most important to you and your family, make your plans, and mark your calendars

A little chaos at Christmas time can be exciting and fun; too much, and your body, mind and spirit suffer. Nobody wants to feel overwhelmed and overextended during this most Joyous of Seasons!
Decembers are especially crazy for us because we have two birthdays (the 12th and 15th) thrown in there! Good intentions aren't going to make things go smoothly...we need a plan! And I'm not talking just about attending or hosting parties. We mark our calendars for our annual Family Cookie-Decorating Day, special shopping trips with each of our children, and fun outings like ice skating or skiing. There's time for spontaneous things, too, but without a basic plan, I feel frazzled and unproductive, and those things that we enjoy feel more like boxes to be checked rather than memories in the making.
 
Furthermore, I'm finding that I need to be super specific about the times I devote to sewing for my shop, Rose & Ruffle, during the holiday rush (thank you, by the way!!!) because I just won't stop until every last order is finished. That can mean I'm tempted to pass on something we might do as a family- which is a horrible feeling-, and that I never have enough time to make special things for Isabelle and the boys. Those things are integral to my daily joy, so I need a plan!

In our family, one of our most important and cherished tradition is the Prayer Basket. Each night during December we gather around the tree and take turns pulling out a name from the basket. Then we pray together for that person, family, school, or country, etc. Someone who didn't get to draw a name chooses a song to sing, and that's how we end our family time together, right before the youngest heads off to bed. I'll admit, over the years this has been much less of a nightly routine because of everyone's differing schedules now that they're older- and most of them go to bed later than I do!, but it's worth hanging onto, so we make an effort to practice this act whenever we can. It's my absolute most favorite thing to do each year. 

One thing I will add, something that I am still learning: make some time for yourself. It doesn't have to be costly or time-consuming or a big deal in any way, but we Moms are in charge of pretty much all the details of our family's activities, and that can take its toll. A little time away helps me recharge and reset.

 

Taking the time to plan and prepare ahead of time helps me enjoy this special time so much more. I hope it helps you, too!

Graduation Weekend!

The words still sound a little funny in my head, and maybe they taste a bit sour too: I am the mother of a high school graduate.

I AM THE MOTHER OF A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE.

Not sure how I feel about all this, and in some ways, it's harder than I thought it would be. But our weekend was a great one! I'm very thankful.

The weather was just perfect, gorgeous and sunny, not overly humid or thick. I know there's absolutely nothing you can do about weather except to make the most if it when it isn't agreeable, and to be exceedingly grateful when it is. The plan for the ceremony was for me to arrive early, save a row of seats, and then all the guys would join us. Well, Isabelle and I were there nearly an hour early and it was already PACKED. We had to park far away, so it took a bit to walk down to the school, and by the time we made it inside, I got a little panicky because so many seats were already filled or reserved. Ethan's girlfriend actually had saved us an entire row since she'd been there with the NHS helping to set up, and I was really glad for it!

The ceremony was great but it was SO long. Too long. Over two hours, and this is a small school. Barely a hundred seniors graduating. There were two speeches that were 25 minutes long! 25 minutes!!! Several others were almost as long winded- and they were good, they really were, but they should have been condensed. I'd been worried about how Levi would handle it, and he was a champ. I was super proud of him. There were kids melting down all around us, which should have been a sign to the speakers, haha, but he held it together so, so well. I did end up taking him into the hallway to cradle him in my arms as they finished up with the diplomas, and it was utter chaos as soon as everyone started filing out into the hall where we were. I hate crowds, like really hate crowds, and all I wanted was a family picture...but I couldn't find my family, so my heart was already pounding and anxious at this point.

I'm going to call this a successful shot, though I wish my husband had gotten the memo that the graduate is supposed to be front and center.

I'm including this one because I think one day I will look back on it and smile and not notice all my flaws as much as I do right now. Plus I'm all puffy from crying. I mean, I'm not crying, you're crying.

By the time we returned home, it was still nice and sunny, but the wind had picked up and had blown away nearly every sign I'd put up (when it was perfectly still earlier in the morning). I tried to handle it all with grace, but I've got to be honest and say that my nerves were shot and I was getting close to losing my mind a couple of times. I did the best I could, and everyone was really kind to say afterwards that they had a great time and that it all looked so festive.

You can see the poor dog-eared corner because it kept blowing over, and some of the other things wouldn't stay in place, but I thought this simple table looked nice. He received a lot of recognition and awards this year, and I didn't even include any from years' past. I'm really proud of him- he's such a wonderful guy, he really is! The grey book on the left was a real labor of love, partly because I can be indecisive but mostly because I just wanted it to be perfect. It's a photo book from Shutterfly filled with special moments and memories, and I hope it encourages him and reminds him of how much we love him when he leaves in the fall.

This party will definitely go down as the one least photographed, ha! I was too busy hosting and chatting and just having fun, so that's the best reason, right?

It got so hot, and since the weather looked good, we decided we wouldn't set up the big tent we'd purchased, so the table was for sure a hot spot. We told everyone to feel free to move their chairs to the shade, and they did. :)

A Week in the Life of Us

Sometimes I like to post a Day in the Life, but then I got thinking that one day I would love to be able to look back and have some more specific details about our family life as a whole at this stage of life. You know, before BIG changes happen later this year. #idontwannatalkaboutit

Our mornings are fairly routine. When Caleb was around four months old, and still not sleeping, Bill started leaving for work around 4:20 AM. It allows him to avoid most traffic delays for the commute, and he is always available to watch a game after school. And help out with dinner! That's huge. I admit, this schedule is wearing on us both now, but it still works. Especially since this little guy still wakes up between 4 and 5 most mornings before I put him back to sleep.

So anyway, I'm used to tackling the morning routine solo. Lots of times, monkey boy is hollering (in the funny "come get me!" way) by 6:30, and one of the boys runs upstairs to get him. I think they really like that, too.

Three out of four boys are usually in a good mood early in the morning. Any guesses? ha ha ha

One or two school mornings each week, I make pancakes. Other mornings are toast and eggs or something quick, but it's usually hot. We love our big carb-fest breakfasts over the weekend, too. Which, when coupled with the cruddy weather, that makes me want to eat comfort food and NOT go for a run in the freezing cold, has proven detrimental to my swimsuit shopping endeavors for our big trip. Yikes!!!

Wednesday mornings are busy- everyone except Ethan piles in the van for the various drop-offs. Isabelle goes in early to help out in the elementary school on Wednesdays. I bring the younger boys in on Fridays, too.

Then it's play time. Or destroy the house time. I throw in another load of laundry, clean up (yeah, that doesn't usually go far with the tornado running loose), and get ready for the day. Honestly, once or twice a week, we aren't dressed before ten. I'm okay with it. :) If Levi is still playing happily at this point, then I get some sewing done.

Most Tuesdays, we're getting groceries. I just noticed that he's in pajamas, so this must have been coming home from drop-offs because I have never brought him out in jammies. I know some Mamas do, and that's fine, but it isn't for me.

Thursday mornings are for Story Time at the library. Love our Thursday mornings!

Handsome boy finally figured out the rocking chair hoist, ha ha

It's so fun up here, Mom!!

Our life consists of lots of appointments, too. Levi's well check was early last week, and Caleb's was this week. Everyone says Caleb looks like me, my Dad especially. This was a no make-up, pull my hair back, rush out the door morning for me, and it was pouring...I think it shows, ha

We try to get outside every morning, but the weather lately has been so bad. Sometimes we just play chase around the house to get wiggles out. Then it's lunch time around noon, a quick change into pajama pants, two stories, and hopefully a good long nap. Levi generally always chooses the same few stories, and they're mostly the same ones from this post. :)

Nap time = work time for me

Bill usually gets the boys from school. Ethan comes home early, works on his last homeschool class, and heads to work on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Jonah usually rushes upstairs as soon as he hears Levi waking up. :)

Tuesday afternoon is our only true nightmarish day in terms of schedule conflicts and such. Usually it looks a little different each week in terms of who's picking up who, waiting around, bringing this one there, etc... We need to get the boys at the high school, then drive over to Isabelle's school- just two minutes up the road- and wait for her, then drop her off at piano lessons, drive Jonah over to his work, and then pick Isabelle up at four. This past week, Bill brought the boys home and then Jonah and I picked up Isabelle, I did the drop-offs, and headed to JoAnn's to get buttons for the vest I'm making for Ethan. And since I was close to the grocery store, I grabbed a couple things I couldn't find at WalMart from earlier in the day (getting stuff for the trip). Momlife, right?? Lots of times, Ethan is able to bring Jonah home from work because their schedules align. Hooray!!! But not this past week. It was me. HA

We try to get outside again after nap, or at least in the sun room because it almost feels like being outside. The problem with that is, when there's no sun, that room stays quite cold. So again, the weather lately... :(

These pics are from last year. This boy is still obsessed with rocks. And water! ha ha ha

The day that teased us into thinking spring had finally sprung. It snowed for the next two days after. Levi, still obsessed with rocks and water :)

I start dinner around four- or Bill does! He is a great cook!- and usually there is quite a show going on outside my kitchen window. I never get tired of watching them!

We eat dinner around 5:15. I cannot wait until we can go outside and play after dinner, too, but not yet. Soon I hope!! Once or twice, we need to go pick up Jonah from driver's ed around this time. His class times are different, so we get four more drop offs and pick ups each week. We are SO lucky. :)

I'm a planner. We were going through a trial run of what to pack after dinner and someone really wanted to help. He spotted these sandals and was OBSESSED. I couldn't get over how cute those little feet looked!! He also noticed that clothes were new to him- he didn't recognize them and wanted to try them on. Exhibit A: this romper. I was pretty impressed that he even noticed!

Then it's bath time. Every single night. I cannot remember the last time he didn't take a bath, it's such an integral part of our routine.

Telling stories :)

 He looks so little in that big tub, but I know he's changing so much every day!

Isabelle asks to read a story to him often. It doesn't always happen, but many times it does. Look at them, all snuggly and draped over each other. All the heart eyes! (This was from that one really nice afternoon we had, ha ha! Levi wears fleece jammies every night, though Isabelle has been obsessed with this set I got her for the trip, haha.)

Levi does a great job at night now. He likes to say goodnight to the kitties when they're around, on our way to his room, and he insists on giving Isabelle a kiss on one cheek, then saying "uh side" and kissing her other cheek. I do not know where he gets this stuff from!! Then he waves like crazy, saying "bye bye bye bye bye" fifty times. I lay him down and he acts all crazy like he's too wired to calm down, but as soon as I blow him a kiss and say "Goodnight, llama llama," he gets quiet. So funny.

There was a 5th and 6th grade school dance for this one on Friday night, and she really wanted to go with some of her best friends, and it was only an hour and a half, so we let her go. Isn't her hair gorgeous?! I admit, I was a little worried about it when she was younger- so lightweight and uncontrollable, but now it's just beautiful. She asked me to curl it.

See? She was happy.

I thought she was going to wear a different dress, but she wanted to wear her Easter one, the one I made for her. So sweet. I have some cute pictures of her and her friends, but you know me, I don't share those ones.

After Isabelle was picked up, I had to drop off the last packages for Rose and Ruffle before putting the shop in vacation mode afterwards, and I brought Jonah and Caleb with me. We checked out some stuff at TJMaxx and then I realized the van needed gas, so I took advantage of having someone else to pump for me. I told them I'd get them a cold drink or something for tagging along- apparently boys can't handle shopping in more than five minute sprints, and then they act ALL kinds of bored while waiting to be done in the store. Why did I even reward them, ha ha

Saturday mornings are nice. Jonah and Ethan leave for work pretty early, but it's a slow start to the weekend.

Of course there's lots of fun with all these siblings around!

An ice storm and feeling yucky kept us at home on Sunday. Daddy made homemade play dough and Levi was happy for a full hour!

These are older pics, but this it what you'll find Isabelle doing at any given time of day: reading

 Or drawing :)