Christmas post #28, Pick your Events

        Now is a really good time to figure out all your local events you would like to hit up this year. In the last week or so the signs or events on facebook have basically exploded. I know we have our big Christmas sale this weekend, and our local Santa Claus parade. Next week our local big lights display will start up, there are craft fairs, tree lightings, concerts, plays, TONS of local events for everyone, and no mere mortal could go to them all.

        So today's assignment is to pick and choose the ones that appeal to you and your family, and what's more, have a battle plan. I'm taking an 8 month old to his first parade, so I have this WELL thought out on how to handle him if he doesn't handle it well. I also have something up my sleeve to try and settle him down if we need to. This is probably WAY over preparing, because Jake is typically pretty chill and if you have something cool for him to loo at (or just different), he's all in. But y'know, just in case.

        K, Luv Ya, Bye!

        Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice

Christmas Post #27, Christmas Lights

Last Year's Lights 

       

        Can I be totally honest with you? Decorating has begun in my house. Once Remembrance day is all wrapped up, I decorate, and I decorate, and I decorate until my house is Christmas ready. I love doing this and while my method does not fit everyone, it's something I enjoy. While I'm decorating, feel free to have fun and do the same, but if you would rather wait, I would still recommend doing one part now. The lights.


        Okay, hear me out. I know in my neighborhood, the lights begin to appear the day after Remembrance day, lit up and all. Now even I MIGHT wait a couple days before turning the lights on (maybe), but I DEFINITELY want to get them up. Why? Winter. It's getting colder and colder, and Cale gets up on the roof. This guy rarely wears a jacket, even in the winter, so for him to come off the roof complaining about the cold, it's cold up there. So yes, we get the lights up as early as possible. I also have hot chocolate and soup going in my slow cookers for when he comes down. So while you might want to hold off on the tree and the trimmings, the lights, that's a good job for asap.

       There is your assignment!

       K, Luv Ya, Bye!

       Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice

Christmas post #26, Remembrance Day

       

          In the beginning of this series, I promised to recognize, and show respect to the holidays leading up to Christmas. Today is actually the last one, so I post today about Remembrance day. Remembrance Day originated after World War 1, it is celebrated on the 11th day, of the 11th month, on the 11th hour, when hostilities ceased. Since then it has grown, including those who have fought and been injured, and those we were lucky enough to see come home.

         Growing up, it was taught that Remembrance Day was sacred, and we should consider ourselves lucky to live in the country we do, with the freedoms we have. Though as a child, I didn't actually wrap my head around these teachings, it was a moment a year I HAD to be quiet (which if you know me now, you can imagine how hard that would have been for me as a child).

        It's in the last few years I have actually come to appreciate the holiday itself, and have found myself searching around 10 am every year for our local broadcaster to show the local ceremonies. In a few years when Jake is older, I'd like to attend them, but for now, we have our private moment of silence as a family.

        I encourage you to do the same at 11 o'clock this morning.

        Lest We Forget

        Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice

Christmas Post #25, Plan parties

       

Last New year's eve, I was rather pregnant 

          If you'll be a host or a guest, it's time to plan for Holiday parties, this includes New Years Eve.

          You might need to take into consideration child care, and for New Years Eve you'll want to get on it early, because sitters book up. If the kids are coming along, you need to prepare for yourself and for them to be comfortable and happy through the events you plan to attend. Also consider if there is something you might need to bring, or a host gift.

         If you are hosting, I'm not a party planner, but now would be the time to plan it all out. Figure out the things you might need to buy, like paper products, or linens, or something specific to your party. You know what your goal is, but doing it all rushed and at the last minute, just sucks.

         Before I sign off, I would like to mention we're two days away from Remembrance Day and encourage you to take part. There are events near you that are open to the public, or if you're like me, I like to watch the local events on TV. This is something I started doing in probably the last 5 years, and it can be a moving experience.

        K, Luv Ya, Bye!

        Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice

Christmas Post #24, Groceries, Again!

           About a month ago, I asked you to start on your groceries for Christmas. When we made the list we broke it up into 3 parts, and your assignment was to start knocking the non-perishables off the list. By now, you probably have a decent sized dent in those, time to add a little more, we're going to get started on Frozen.

          With the non-perishables I told you to keep them separate from your everyday groceries so you knew they were specifically for Christmas. You may not have the option with the freezer items. Last year was my first Christmas having a chest freezer, and we actually have a small one. Prior to that I had been using fridge freezers and once upon a time, apartment fridge freezers. Christmas co-mingles the day to day food. For that reason I just keep a sharpie marker handy, if it's for Christmas, it gets a big C on it.

        Just a couple things to add. I'm still trying to wipe out my non perishable list first, if I have nothing left on it at all ( unlikely) it feels like a win to me. Another thing when it comes to frozen, I tend to pick up fewer items on that list per week than I did the previous list. I do this because the frozen list, is typically a more expensive list. With the non perishables I got 4 different things one week, and didn't break $10. This is the list with meat, and pricier appetizers. Now if bumping the budget up a little more doesn't bug you, awesome, but this is generally what I do.

         Before I close I want to mention in four days is Remembrance Day. While I know there are times where the world is seeming like a rather dark place, I still truly believe we're lucky to live where we are, and how we do. So please remember to wear your poppy with pride and take those few moments of silence on the 11th.

        K, Luv Ya, Bye!

        Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice

Christmas Post # 23, Christmas Card List

     

         Can you believe we're roughly  at the halfway point of this series? A lot of our earlier posts were more setting the stage, preparing the home, or organizing. While you'll still get that in many posts, there will be a lot more of actually getting ready for Christmas itself in this half of the series, so lets jump into it.
I feel like the Christmas card is a dying tradition, and it sucks that it is. I enjoy sending and receiving the cards, and I include the ones we get in my decorating. It's not something I'm ready to give up on quite yet though. It's a little early to start sending so that's not today's assignment. Your assignment is to get your list together and update your addresses.
          Well really, that's part 1, part 2, decide on your cards. If you're some one who gets a card printed, you'll want to get on that like now. If you're some one who makes them...NOW. If you're some one like me who picks some pretty ones, I'm still placing it as part of the assignment. I was really bad last year, and was NOT prepared for when it came time to send our cards. As a result the night we sat down to do them Cale had to drive to the store and send me pics of the selection they had...it was annoying and stressful. That's why this year, I'm getting the cards early too.
         One last thing. In less than a week, we will be celebrating a frequently overlooked Holiday, which is seriously a shame. Remembrance day is our chance, and only for a moment each year to show the gratitude to people who fought, and in several cases gave their lives so we could live the lives we live. I'm not going to lie, sometimes times are tough, but at the end of the day if I look around, I know how truly blessed I am to have the life I have, and it didn't come for free. If you haven't gotten your poppy yet, please do, and don't forget to remember on the 11th.
         K, Luv ya, Bye!

         Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice

Christmas Post #22, But FIRST!

     

       

      So there is without a doubt a Christmas related assignment today, but before I dive into it, let me start off by saying there is one more Holiday before Christmas. It doesn't take much effort or time, but is without a doubt a day we should ALL recognize, I mean of course Remembrance Day. It's only 9 days away, so while your out and about, pick yourself up a poppy, it is the very least you can do.

         Now when it comes to your Christmas assignment, it's a pretty fun assignment today, you need to gather your movies, music and books. I have a ridiculous amount of Christmas movies, so I need to get started on them early if I plan on seeing them all, and there are several I want to introduce Jake to. Music, I know I might have a cd or two (yes I use a cd player and everything), but I also need to decide if I want another play list, or maybe a kids specific one for Jake. I added books this year too because we read to Jake each night, so I would like to have Christmas themed books for him as well. Jake technically got his first Christmas gift last year, my uncle gave us a cd I had as a kid (yup cd), and a book of like 9 Christmas stories. I also have 2 myself. I know a lot of people also like doing a "Christmas story a day" if that is something you might be interested in. I might do it in a year or two I don't know, but I don't feel like Jake is old enough for it to be a big deal. I may even just get a new one each year, I'm totally okay with repeating some of them...or in my case all of them. The other thing too is you may want to schedule out certain stories. I know Twas the night before Christmas is a staple for Christmas eve, but I also recall my mom reading the nativity story to me. Whatever you feel fits best for your family, figure it out for you.

         K, Luv Ya, Bye!
         Nancy, Cale, Jake and Alice