I’m over on Every Day Cheer today sharing some of my favorite Christmas music! Head over there to see more!
I can’t wait to share about our weekend trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express. Come back tomorrow!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s full of expectation and hope. As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re seeing more and more signs of Christmas. Lights on the trees, wreaths on the doors, and exciting reminders that December 25 is quicky approaching.
If I’m being honest, my favorite thing about Christmas is the anticipation of it. In fact, I go into a little bit of a post-Christmas funk on Christmas Day. I don’t even wait for the day to end before my funk begins, but I just get so sad that Christmas is over before it’s even over. I love the anticipation of Christmas that we get to experience in November and December.
But I wanted to toss out a gentle little reminder today. And it’s as much of a reminder for me as it is for you. And some of you may not even need it. But it’s the pep talk I need.
As you’re scrolling through Pinterest and you see that Christmas Bucket List that excites you? Go ahead and pin it, but don’t hold yourself or your family to someone else’s bucket list standard. Who says you even need a bucket list?
As you’re scrolling through Instagram and seeing what someone else’s Elf on the Shelf did last night, try to remember that your children probably have no idea what that person’s elf did and your children probably don’t care. If the Elf is your thing, then go all out and do it how you want to do it. If you’ve not introduced an Elf to your kids and don’t plan to, don’t feel guilty about it or feel critical about the Elf.
If you have a themed tree or you have a tree full of handmade ornaments, enjoy the tree that you have and the love and fun that went into putting it up.
If you haven’t hung your curtains or finished decorating your house, go ahead and open your doors and invite your friends in. Cook or order pizza and let go of perfection.
If you don’t want to print those printables or work on all of those handmade crafts, don’t do those things.
When I think of Christmas and how to be intentional, I just want my kids to enjoy it. I want a quiet December that’s free from obligation and full of love. And if I get myself hung up on a bucket list or having the perfect home, my kids won’t enjoy it. They’ll remember that their Christmas included a stressed-out mommy. And I know that my attitude toward the season and how we prepare for Christmas will affect how they feel about it most of all.
So we’re going to pop some popcorn and watch some Christmas movies. We may string the popcorn and hang it on the tree, but we may just eat it and not worry about that bucket list item. We may make some salt dough ornaments, but if we never get around to it, I may just do it in January to save for next Christmas.
We’re going to wrap some gifts for Angel Tree kiddos and we’re going to shop for our family members. If we don’t get the top item from the many gift guides, that’s okay.
If our biggest Christmas tradition ends up being sipping hot chocolate in our jammies and driving around looking at lights, my kids will remember that and the time we spent together.
So, this Christmas, I’m committing to being there for my family. I’m committing to not comparing our traditions to other families’ traditions. I’m committing to opening my doors to friends and family whether I’m “ready” for them or not. And I’m committing to slowing down and keeping the calendar clear so that our family is actually together this Christmas.
I know that a stressed-out mommy can steal the joy from my kids’ Christmas, and I’m committing to going with the flow this year. I’m choosing purpose over perfection.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Aladdin PMI, but as always, all pins and opinions are my own.
I’m still a little bit in shock that Thanksgiving is next week. The time has just flown by and the holiday season is rushing toward us! I’ve never hosted Thanksgiving at my own home. We’ve either driven to my parents’ house far away to celebrate or across town to celebrate with Todd’s parents.
We wake up early to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade. We slowly eat a breakfast casserole and sip our coffee. And then the food prep begins. So whether we’re staying in town and driving across town with our food or we’re spending Thanksgiving far away, there are some important traditions that stay the same.
One thing that is always consistent with Thanksgiving for me, though, is the food! I love my side dishes and casseroles. And even though I’ve never hosted, I always fix a couple of my favorite side dishes to bring to someone else’s house to celebrate. I would think it’s a challenge to take a turkey to someone’s home, but I can take a corn casserole or sweet potato casserole.
And when we celebrate at my in-laws’ home, I always get to bring leftovers home with me! Aren’t leftovers the best? Reheated turkey and dressing and sweet potato casserole? Oh my! The Aladdin food storage containers are perfect for leftovers. They are insulated and can go straight from the refrigerator to the microwave.
I’ve been pinning so amazing recipes as inspiration for some of the side dishes I may prepare for Thanksgiving this year over on Aladdin’s Thanksgiving board on Pinterest. These are perfect for making, taking and sharing, and then for bringing home later when you have leftovers. I’ve shared a round-up of some of my favorites.
For more Thanksgiving inspiration and comprehensive round-up of fantastic Thanksgiving recipes, follow Aladdin’s Thanksgiving Pinterest Board.
You can also receive 30% off Aladdin food storage containers and all other items in the Aladdin shop, by entering the code “TURKEYANDTUMBLER.”
This is a great time to stock up on food storage containers and those adorable mason jar tumblers for stocking stuffers!
What are your favorite side dishes to take to someone else’s home for Thanksgiving?
I turned 32 last Tuesday, and Todd and I celebrated with a quick 3-day trip to New York City. I was invited by Dr. Smith’s to represent them at the Biggest Baby Shower in NYC and talk to new moms about Dr. Smith’s. I was so excited to be invited, but because I’m pregnant and it was my birthday, I asked if Todd could come with me on this trip.
The night before we left for the trip, I was packing our suitcase and folding some laundry and feeling a little sad that I wouldn’t be with my boys on my birthday. And then they asked me to come to the kitchen where they had cupcakes and homemade cards. It was really my favorite thing about my birthday!
Some sweet friends took care of the boys and Boudreaux, and we felt so great knowing that they were in good, loving hands.
We flew out of Columbia early on November 11 and we were in NYC by 9:00 a.m. It was Veteran’s Day, so we ran into some heavy traffic because of the Veteran’s Day parade, but we also got to enjoy the parade and see most of it. We walked and walked and walked and ended up sitting on the steps at the NY Public Library to watch the parade.
We walked some more and shopped and stopped to eat lunch in Rockefeller Center. Then we took a cab to One World Trade Center to go to the 9/11 Memorial. The building was just beautiful and the memorial was incredibly moving. It still takes my breath away and stuns me that this ever even happened.
We walked back to the hotel after visiting the memorial. The city was just so beautiful on the days we were there!
We had my birthday dinner at The Simone on the Upper East Side. It was one of my all time favorite dining experiences. The restaurant was small– only 11 tables– and charming. The servers were attentive and formal, but friendly. It was very nice, but not at all stuffy. The food was absolutely perfect. Todd and I were both in heaven. I highly recommend it for your next trip to NYC.
The next day, we decided to take a cab to FAO Schwarz to grab some surprises to bring home for the boys. I go to FAO Schwarz almost every time we go to NYC because it just makes me feel so happy and like a kid. And I just love to look!
Then we went to Central Park to spend the day just enjoying being outside. We walked all over the park and then we made our way to Shake Shack on Columbus for lunch. It was everything we hoped it would be! Maybe the best burger ever. We walked and walked and walked and just loved seeing every day people. Moms pushing strollers. Kids on the playground. Couples meeting for lunch on their lunch break. And when I just didn’t think that James Walker and I could take anymore walking, we walked back.
I spent that night working at the Biggest Baby Shower for Dr. Smith’s, and then Todd met me (and my friends from Dr. Smith’s) at The Cafeteria for supper. The mac n cheese was amazing!
The next morning we slept in and then had a couple of hours to get some breakfast before catching our flight back to Columbia. We ended up at Markt for French toast and berries. The food was perfection. The atmosphere was super low key. We just kind of stumbled upon it when looking for a great spot for breakfast and the food was worth it. I guess I have a lot of pictures of food. Food and selfies!
We took a cab to the airport and were ready to get home to see our boys. It was a fast trip and a really fun trip. I love being in New York close to the holidays, and loved a chance to get away before our newest baby boy arrives.
