Tag Archives: Christmas

From our home to yours

Posted on by

Hunkering down with new toys

We’re having fun with family in town, visiting relatives and friends who have come home for the holidays, hosting family and friends at our home, not to mention playing with new toys (Santa brought me Copic Markers!!!) It’s been a whirlwind of activity, and so there hasn’t been too much time to write.

See my kids personalities shining through

Just a sincere thank you to our friends and family for visiting “So This is Julie” this year. It’s been fun sharing parts of our life with you. We hope you’ve had a wonderful 2009 and look forward to sharing more home, crafting, food and party ideas in 2010!

2009 highlights

Little Man’s
-learned his ABC’s and can count up to 20 fairly well by himself
-started going to “Tiny School” (once a week program)
-took a memorable plane ride to California
-was ring bearer when his aunt got married

Daughter’s
-lost her first tooth right before school started
-learned how to ride a two-wheeler, finally
-took a trip to California
-started second grade

Husband’s
-sister got married in October
-being introduced to the cheese counter at Whole Foods (we love Joanna)
-losing some weight
-getting braces for 18 months
-teaching Abby to ride her bike

Julie’s
-started this blog and has made some cyber-friends
-seeing some icons: Martha Stewart and David Foster (now I just have to meet Oprah)
-visited family in California
-started exercising…again, but actually enjoying it
-got a new bike and will be gearing up for a “century ride” in September ’10

Cookie Exchange

Posted on by

Another year of over indulging. Another year of amazing cookies, and a little, just a little, unspoken competition. More cameraderie, I’d like to think. Another year of seeing our friend’s children grow a few more inches. Another year of welcoming new friends into our lives. Another year of opening our home to loved ones, another year of laughing and catching up on all that has happened.

We paid tribute to John Hughes, writer, director of movies that define moments of high school in the 80s: Ferris Buehler’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He holds a special place with some of us because we graduated from the same high school he attended, Glenbrook North High School.

So, our friends brought their best cookies. We tried to name them accordingly, too, (i.e. Cookies-when-you’re-“Home Alone”, or “Ferris’s thumbprint cookies”, Sloane’s Sugar Cookies, Blaine’s Butterscotch shortbread, Abe Froman cookie) Still, it was a Christmas cookie swap, so if the creative mood didn’t strike them, it was okay.

After sharing two dozen to sample, we swapped six dozen (plus some leftovers) more. Seventeen households/families… it was quite a party! We recognized the best theme-related, best tasting, best decorated, best-in-show, and best haiku.

See some pictures here taken by my brother-in-law and my pictures below. If you roll your cursor over the pictures, you should be able to see their names. Want recipes? Let me know. Enjoy!

Christmas Card Display idea

Posted on by

Christmas Card Display Idea

Maybe you tape cards to the back of the door. Maybe you string them up along the top of the wall, or maybe line the cards up along your fireplace mantle. Here is a fun way to display your holiday greeting cards if you want to try something new.

Supplies: 2 x 4 ceiling tile, fabric, ribbon, light duty staple gun, picture screw hooks, heavy twine or rope, push pins

Make sure you have enough fabric to cover your board. Place your fabric on the floor, right side down, and then the ceiling tile, also right side down. Wrap the fabric around the edges, and staple to the board. Turn right side up, and place ribbon horizontally and vertically to make board look like a present. I also stapled these to the board.  On the back side, I screwed hooks into the board a few inches in from the edges and then strung twine through them to create a hanger. I loved how it turned out last year.

Christmas Card Display Idea

Christmas 2008 Card Gallery

Christmas Banner Idea

Posted on by

This is one of my favorite projects to come home with Abby. She was a mere four-years old when she made this, and I hang this up every year.

Preschool Christmas Project

Supplies:

canvas or burlap material (approx. 15″ x 19″), red and green tempera paint, sponge brushes (optional), permanent marker, dowel rod (3/16″ x 18″), hot glue gun or craft glue, 1/4″ ribbon (20″ to 21″)

Take your child’s hand and paint it green or dip in green paint that has been poured onto a paper plate. Stamp six handprints in a pyramid form, reloading paint on the hand as needed. Then have your child dip or paint one finger with red paint and “dot” the top of the third finger of each handprint. Let dry. Draw a little tree base and add your artist’s name and year, too.

After your banner is dry, place the dowel rod at the top of the banner and fold over the top 1/2″ inch (or whatever is appropriate) so that the dowel rod is within a “casing”. Using a hot glue gun or craft glue, glue down the canvas to secure the casing. If using craft glue, you may want to use clips or clamps to hold down the canvas as it’s drying. Tie your ribbon to the dowel rod on both ends, hang and enjoy!

Christmas Thoughts

Posted on by

Front Porch with Christmas Lights

Thank you everyone for the kind words, thoughts and prayers as my family is dealing with the loss of my aunt. Another relative is very ill, so my parents and brother flew out earlier this week to California to be with our family. It’s been a stressful and teary two weeks, but I still want to make this a special Christmas for my kids, my family. I’m usually so happy and excited to get our home ready for the holidays, for guests, to celebrate… but I’m “blah” right now. Even Christmas songs on the radio aren’t getting me in the mood as they usually do. I mean, I’m still doing stuff. Just with a bit of a heavy heart – I set out to decorate our home (Father-in-law strung the lights outside), started addressing the Christmas cards, got some cookie dough in the refrigerator.

Christmas Tree at Night

I think in a little time I’ll find the Christmas spirit…

Kids under the Christmas Tree

Related Posts with Thumbnails