HoHoHo

Posted: November 26, 2010 at 3:12 pm

Now that Thanksgiving has officially ended, I am in full blown Christmas mode. I absolutely love this time of year! In fact, I think I prefer the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas over the actual holiday days themselves. I look forward to the holiday parties with friends, the traditional events with family, and just the cheerier mood of many people. Plus, its less hectic than how we spend our holidays bustling from my family’s time together to Peter’s family. Then again, I love that our days are so filled with loved ones. I don’t think I would have it any other way. 🙂 Yesterday was perfect…and today continues to make my heart flutter with holiday cheer.

The day started off nicely with Makenzie actually sleeping in for a change. I needed it too. Apparently the day after holidays, birthday parties, weddings, etc leave me hurting…badly. So I had to forego my original plan of starting the day with a kickbox DVD and got in a different workout instead. Tree decorating!!!

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All while listening to Pandora’s Christmas Radio. I adore Mariah Carey Christmas music and now Michael Buble’s versions of songs as well.

While decorating the tree, Peter snapped a shot that had me feeling like the jolly old guy Santa…

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…so I spent another good chunk of the morning finishing up organizing toys for Braedon and Makenzie’s playroom. It’s a lot of work sorting through what deserves to stay out when you have to make room for baby and toddler stuff!

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It feels so good to finish! I still have quite a bit to do for their bedrooms though. The midwife sparked a fire under me after saying they mainly hope to get me to Christmas with all of the Braxton Hicks contractions I have been feeling. Now, resting most of the remainder of the day sounds like a plan. Questions for you --

What is your favorite holiday? Like I said above, I love the whole season! For the meaning of the holiday, Christmas certainly wins in my book. As far as how we spend the day? I think I prefer Thanksgiving because it purely focuses on time spent with family without all the “what gifts did I get” hoopla. Plus, the food rocks!

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My Thanksgiving Lunch plate of ham, sweet potato, squash, and green bean casseroles. I love my Thanksgiving casseroles!!!! It is my favorite meal…so whoever asked that for the Q + A series. There’s your answer – Thanksgiving meal!

Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament? I have two. A “Peace Angel” that we got as the first one in a special tradition we started last year. Also, a special ornament my parents gave me that used to hang on their tree…with a picture of me on my first Christmas.

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39 Comments to “HoHoHo”
  1. I love how organized all your baby/toddler stuff is! Its motivating me to get M’s stuff in order 🙂

  2. Angela says:

    I remember when I was younger, we had this really pretty blown glass, elongated ball ornament that hung on the tree and I absolutely loved it! One year my mum accidentally dropped it and it smashed, and I cried for ages! I don’t know why I was so upset, but I guess I just really liked it! All your decorating is making me want to do some too! 🙂

  3. I love love LOVE this time of the year too.. nothing beats it!

  4. chelsey says:

    I, like you, love the time in between thanksgiving and christmas the most – people are friendlier, more giving, and overall in a better mood!! 🙂

  5. I’m finally allowing myself to listen to Christmas music today! It’s been taunting me for about a week now!

  6. I agree with you – the time prior to Christmas is better than the holidays themselves – there is this feeling of cheer in the air, and you have something great to look forward to. I am enjoying it!

  7. Lisa says:

    That looks so fun! Your house looks beautiful! It looks so homey and cozy!

  8. Tatianna says:

    I totally agree – the month of decorating for Christmas is just as special as Christmas itself! I do draw the line at tree decorating before December first though 😛

    That picture of Makenzie with the tree is absolutely precious. Just looking at the festive pictures is getting me into the spirit!

  9. Dorry says:

    I love the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, too! I love the festive feeling with Christmas lights and warm drinks, scarves, hats, etc. Christmas and Easter hold a very special place in my heart. I love Christmas for the chilly weather and Easter for the start of springtime.

    We have ornaments from our childhood that make me SO nostalgic! And now Billy and I are starting our own collection which is fun, too.

  10. Katie says:

    My favorite holiday by FAR is the 4th of July! I love fireworks and I love summertime. I don’t like winter very much, but I also love NewYear’s Eve. Christmas is ok. I hate Halloween and Thanksgiving.

  11. Camille says:

    I love your tree. It looks absolutely lovely!

  12. I loveee November and December!! I am with you on the time span between the two holidays (and the few days before thanksgiving day). It is an unexplainable wonderful feeling, full of days baking, cooking, listening to great music, and being with loved ones! LOVE IT !!

  13. the saddest thing in the world is that i don’t feel like decorating a tree! i just feel like sleeping the world away 🙂

  14. Green bean casserole rocks.

    I can’t pick just one favorite holiday, though.

  15. I’m slowly starting to get into the Christmas season- I’m easing my way into it. As in, I bought my christmas cards. he he he

    But the tree looks good! Enjoy your weekend!

    • Tina says:

      My mind literally flips a switch to Christmas mode after Thanksgiving. I woke up wanting Christmas music and decorations this morning.

  16. I also prefer the time BETWEEN the holidays better! Its just so much fun!

  17. yay for full blown Christmas mode!! M looks adorable and your cute little belly made my day:) I love all holiday food:) Your tree is making me want to get one today!!

  18. lindsay says:

    we do that too! I love decorating the tree the day after thanksgiving, NOT A DAY before!
    Little M is so precious. What great memories being made.

  19. Astrid says:

    I love the time between Thanksgiving and Jan 6 so much. Jan 6th is 3 kings day, which we celebrate in Puerto Rico. I just love the anticipation of getting and giving presents, I love the decorations, I love the music, the food, and family time. I would say I love the snowy winters, but in Texas it isn’t like that.
    By the way, my boyfriend is not going to be a fan of you. You have inspired me to turn on the Pandora christmas station. Christmas music is one of my favorite genres, so this may be playing non stop.

    • Tina says:

      Haha! Tell him to feel free to send me hate mail. I’m in such a good mood this time of year nothing will bring it down.

  20. You were a busy bee!!! I hope to get our tree and decorations up tomorrow. The plan was today, but I’m aching after a run. So it can wait. My mom started buying ornaments each Christmas when we were born, so they are all very special to me. Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. I love love love buying special gifts for my family.

  21. Becca says:

    Oh, I WISH we could’ve put up our tree and stuff today!! We started doing that several years ago, using Black Friday as our Christmas decorating day, and I LOVE it. Despite having to lug boxes of tree (fake tree–saves money and effort) and deco upstairs. But we couldn’t this year because we’re getting new carpet put in next week. Plus I worked all day, and my sister went out BF shopping last night/this morning. So the tree will have to wait. And I don’t know when it’ll get put up, because our schedules are so busy now that we’re rarely ever home together with enough time or energy. 🙁
    But it looks like your day was spent well! I love the anticipation of Christmas, and spending a day with family (we do our BIG family Christmas with Mom’s side!). I have one gift already paid for (waiting for it to arrive!), and I’m working on ideas for the other three. I’m excited to have J with us for Christmas!! I mean, they celebrate Christmas in Germany, too, but this year will be extra fun for us having another person. You know what I mean? 🙂

    • Becca says:

      OH! And I love opening my grandparents’ gifts—my grandmother on Dad’s side started sending us Barbie ornaments each year, and since she died, Grandpa has found another style to give to us, since we’re too old for Barbie. LOL! But I love getting his package, because it’s fun to go through it and sort out whose is whose—he sends them all together in one big box, and we lay them out in front of the tree. It’s fun. We KNOW that one of the boxes holds an ornament, but there is usually at least one more box for each of us girls, and at least one gift for Mom and Dad, plus cards for each of us 🙂

  22. Melie says:

    Your Christmas tree looks lovely! I will not get into Christmas/holiday mood until I join my family for the winter break back in Greece. Or at least until I book my tickets 🙂

  23. Ah Christmas tree! I am so jealous! Every time there is a new season/holiday I always think that THIS one is my favorite. I think I just love them all!

  24. How precious is the picture of you and M putting ornaments on your tree. So cute.
    I am in full fledged Christmas mode now too! We would have put the tree up today, but we had another Thanksgiving dinner today with Shane’s family 🙂

  25. sophia says:

    I think I love Thanksgiving the most, too, because it is like Christmas, minus all the fuss about gifts and cards. I hate fretting about what to get for everyone, and making sure I don’t miss out people. It just gives me a lot of stress…I prefer Thanskgiving, where all I have to worry about is making good food, and spending time with my loved ones. 🙂

  26. Leashieloo says:

    My favorite holiday is also the season of Thankgsiving up until Christmas, I love the food, decorations, and overall merriment. Your tree looks awesome, by the way. I can’t wait to get mine up!

  27. jen says:

    Thanksgiving and Christmas = favorite time of year! I love everything about it and I am so excited it’s here 🙂

    We are doing tree and house decorating today!

    Jen

  28. emily says:

    Beautiful Christmas tree!

    I love the fall holidays…Thanksgiving and Christmas!
    I am like you…I love seeing my family, going to parties, decorating, shopping, and wrapping gifts….oh, and christmas plays at church (the kids are super adorable)!

    My favorite ornament is a small sock monkey because it reminds me of my larger sock monkey I received from a special lady when I was 12 years old in the hospital when I had liver failure.

    Happy Holidays! xoxo

  29. My favorite holiday is handsdown Christmas! I’ve been listening to Christmas songs all week! While I’m sad that I’ll be spending Christmas away from my family this year, I am thankful for the fact that I’ll be spending it with my friends, who in reality feel like family too 🙂 Your tree is so pretty!

  30. Yay for the Christmas spirit! I, too, am full swing into Christmas mode now. I love how all the stores are getting ready and have decorations out. It just makes everything a bit better, don’t you think?
    Your pictures are precious!

  31. I love love love that ornament with you on your first Christmas! Super cool. Your playroom looks great! Doesn’t it feel so good to be organized?

    • Tina says:

      I love love love organization! It drives me crazy when things are scattered all over the place. I think I have passed it on to M. She is already a neat freak about certain things.

  32. […] The movie may only be 7 years old and not quite a classic, but it has quickly become my favorite. ‘Twas the perfect way to end a day of tree decorating and toy organizing. […]

  33. Advent is the best time of year. I feel connected and renewed more so than at Easter time. I kind of get all weepy and nostalgic. I love this time of year.

    My mother started a tradition of giving ornaments each year with a theme (each person has a theme). I receive mice, and more recently things in the gingerbread/candy cane theme. My son is starting a collection of elves. My favorite ornament isn’t an ornament though. It is the 4 piece nativity that my son painted for me when he was two. I am weepy thinking about it. 🙂

  34. We are getting a tree today and you just got me so excited!!

  35. Anna says:

    I think Christmas is my favorite holiday partly due to the fact that it is one of the few times that my entire immediate family gets together. We seldom celebrate on December 25th any more but it is the quality time together and remembering the “reason for the season” 🙂

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