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favorite.tradition.
As the big day approaches, we continue to check major milestones off of our “must do” list for the season. Of all the traditions, one of the simplest but most special is our annual Christmas light hunt.
It really is as simple as it sounds. We pick a day on the calendar, wait until dark, get our comfy PJs and some hot chocolate, possibly make a quick detour at Starbucks, and put on some of our favorite Christmas tunes, and drive around the streets, neighborhoods, and towns near our house for a night of Christmas joy.
Tonight, we sampled new music from Ed Sheehan and Elton John, timeless favorites like The Carpenters and Neil Diamonds Christmas Album, some 98 Degrees, Mariah Carey, Polar Express, Ben Rector, and more. We do our best to sing along to every song we know by heart, and muddle through the ones we don’t with gusto.
It did seem that more houses were “dark” this year than usual, and our hope is this is a temporary malady caused by the strains of the past two years. Even though some homes weren’t fully in the spirit, we did catch a full light-show spectacular at one home that included a radio station tuned to the lights, with lights timed to TSO, Alan Jackson’s ‘Let it Be Christmas,’ and more.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, our beloved Chocolate Lab, Brody, turned 13 today. We celebrated him with a birthday serenade, silly pictures, and special dog bone treats to help him ring in the new big year. Our other dog, Milo, also has a big day coming up, turning just 14 in a few short weeks.
Even though dog years has our dogs pegged as “seniors,” they still provide us with lots of fun and enjoyment. We are thankful for the years we have gotten to spend with them, and are hopeful that we still have some years left before they leave us.
With only 48 hours until Santa starts his special flight, we pray that everyone stays safe, healthy, and gets the chance to enjoy this Christmas with full hearts.
jess.
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5 more sleeps.
So at this point in the year, things are wrapping up (no pun intended) quickly, and the excitement and anticipation of Christmas has taken full-on hold of the house. Morning calendar movements and chocolate calendars, Charlie the Elf hiding spots, Christmas movies and even board games have pretty well taken over daily life at this point.
In addition to the usual fun, we had the chance to visit Dutch Wonderland, a kids theme park designed for the very small and the small at heart crowd, complete with festive lights and a very cold afternoon and evening. Those two elements helped to reinforce the season nicely, as the so-far mild December weather has been a bit of a damper on the usual chill Christmas air.
Can you believe it is only 5 sleeps until Christmas morning? Each night, as the kids fall asleep, I try to think back to my childhood, and reminisce about that feeling, that special childhood excitement that comes at this time of year. Is it just about the prospect of gifts? Is the the cookies? The songs? Candy canes? Outings? Clearly, the season of Christmas is all of these things and more, wrapped up in a shiny, twinkling package that can be just as exciting for adults as for those precious children currently snuggled in their beds.
Earlier in the season, we made a short-list of “must see” movies this year, and it had the usual suspects, like The Santa Claus, Home Alone, Elf, A Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown, The Grinch, and the Polar Express, but has also expanded now to the likes of “Christmas Chronicles” and “all Hallmark movies” (which is a big number). While Cameron and Autumn will sit some, the movie watching is definitely more geared towards the older girls, who loves to stay up after the little ones go to bed and hang with mommy & daddy to watch a show or movie.
We have gotten through most of the movies on our list, but Charlie Brown, The Star, Home Alone 2, and maybe even Miracle on 34th Street still beg of our time. What Christmas classics does your family have on their must see list, and to that end, which ones have you saved for the final run-up to Christmas?
In spite of all the bad news in the world at this juncture, our goal with this blog is to stay positive, light, informative, and hopeful. We are hopeful that this post finds you well, not too stressed, and exciting for the final few days of this joyous season.
Wishing you and yours a joyous Christmas season.
jess.
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the christmas show
We started going to the Christmas Show at the American Music Theater in Lancaster about 10 years ago. Our first show was just Tom & I, before kids, and an instant tradition was born. I still remember telling him after the show that this was something I wanted to do every year, and that I couldn’t wait to get to do this with our “future” kids.
Flash forward ten years, and this weekend we toted 4 kids, including two very active under four year-olds, to enjoy what has become one of our favorite traditions. While COVID changed our plans last year, this annual constant in our schedule has been such a fun event. For those of you who haven’t attended, people come from all over the mid-Atlantic to see the show. Broadway style song and dance, classic Christmas costumes, a usual fun spin on Santa’s visit, and even some North Pole fun with elves (and this year Penguins?) makes for enjoyment for all.
As any parent knows, shows like this can produce some anxiety filled moments for parents. In an audience filled with lots of “kidless” theater-goers, we have come to roll with the punches and come prepped with snacks, end-row seats, and emergency exit strategies. Cameron was our biggest concern this year, as a 2 hour show is a loooong time to sit still for an active toddler. He did as well as can be expected, alternating between my lap and sampling the various snacks strewn across our row. The big girls really seemed into the show this year, as I caught them mouthing along to songs they knew and clapping with authority after songs.
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away. Crossing this tradition off of our list is one more sign that before long, Santa will be taking flight and beautiful presents wrapped in paper and bows will make it to our home. With all the hustle and bustle in life, especially during the holidays, it is more important than ever to take time to enjoy the little moments we collect along this journey, and days like today included many of those moments that add to our Christmas story, which we continue to write one day at a time.
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red.white.and glitter
So I am absolutely loving the new nails today! Bright, seasonal red flanked by festive patterns makes for a super cute, super fun pop of holiday magic.
Our tree is up, frosted (flocked), lit, and now decorated. I usually love to switch up our tree decorations, except for the family and kid keepsake ornaments. The green Christmas ball I’m holding is actually about 3 times the size of a normal glass ornament, and it’s sparkle helps provide a beautiful reflection when up against the white bulbs currently filling the spaces of the Fraser fir we now posess.
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December.1st
December. It has been a long year, but we have made it to the final chapter. And what a grand chapter it is shaping up to be.
We started off the 1st day of December with the theatrical production of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, the Musical. We typically enjoy these shows with the kids regardless of the show quality, as just time spend with our kids makes events worthwhile. We, however, were blown away by the show. The acting, singing, costumes, puppeteering, and overall adherence to the original movie was nothing short of spectacular.
The kids had fun taking turns sharing our laps and were enthralled throughout the performance. The show wrapped up with Rudolph flying through the air and the entire crowd and cast doing a Rudolph singalong.
We have lots of fun plans for the upcoming month, so keep tuning in and I will keep you updated on all the latest happenings.
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inspire.play.room.
Christmas decor carries on into a playful, bright playroom for the kiddos.
My style tendencies lean more towards eclectic purchasing, meaning I like to find individual pillows, blankets, and other items from various retailers, rather than finding a uniform set of items sold together. Blending different items into a seamless room tends to give a soft, cohesive flow without feeling disjointed or forced either.
The above pillows were found at Target (of course), complemented with Ikea bookcases, an artificial tree from Target that was green prior to us flocking it in the driveway, and books from various retailers collected over the years.
The bean bag chair is a comfy blue chair that appears red with the addition of a festive red fleece blanket and chunky gray knitted topper.
Subtlety is a difficult process – how do you make a space feel rich and full, without overcrowding it or without leaving it empty and sterile. The addition of a nutcracker at the top of the bookcase by a simple, festive wreath help to define the upper part of the room without overdoing the “knick-knack” style that harkens to an underwhelming yesteryear style.
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deck the house. the beach house.
A getaway weekend to the beach. Windy and cold, even some Grinch! The girls had some extra time off school, and we took advantage with a getaway to the beach house. We usually try for a getaway around Thanksgiving, and this year we were blessed with cold but sunny days to enjoy some Christmas spirit.
Yesterday we spent some time decorating the tree, putting out some decor, and then took a trip down to see the Winterfest lights, a nice 3/4 mile stroll through thousands of lights to really kick things off.
Today, we had a nice, low-key day with a trip to the Inlet and beach where we enjoyed some snacks and played frisbee. We wrapped up the day with a stop at the park and baking Christmas cookies (Sand Tarts / Butter Cookies) to give to the neighbors in our community. The girls always love helping with cookies, especially with decorating the sand-tarts with colorful sprinkles.
Matching jammies, as always, brought to you by Pat-Pat, my go-to for matchy match.
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easy.trees-y.
The special events just keep coming. Can you believe is is already time for chilly nights, biting wind, and Christmas lights. We braved the chilly weather yesterday and found the perfect tree. These adorable, puffer north face jackets kept us toasty warm despite the biting wind, I highly recommend them!
Tractor rides out to the farm, visits with Santa, and hot chocolate were all parts that accompanied the day. The farm we go to has been in operation for nearly 300 years, and is one we have visited off and on for at least the past 15 years. There was concern this year when the property went up for sale that the beloved tradition for many would be in danger, but it seems as if the new owners plan to carry on the legacy. Crisis. Averted.
Check in to my Instagram page @fashionmeetsjess soon to see some video compilations of the fun, from fake tree sawing to real tractor riding – it’s all in there! As we speak, snow is lightly falling back home for what should be a minor dusting, but is yet another example of Christmas taking hold this year.
until next time. jess.
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Tis’ the Season…to decorate
A tiny glimpse into the glory that is Christmas decorating season, an absolute favorite of mine. Throughout this past weekend our garage was loaded up with at least 20 large tubs of holiday decor, plus some reindeer, throw pillows, blankets and a whole lot of artificial trees.
The kiddos and I blasted some Christmas music, broke out some hot chocolate and got to work sprucing the place up.
We flocked this beautiful tree outside this afternoon. If you are looking for that classy, white frosted look pick up some flocking powder (amazon -24.99 dollars) and simply add it to any artificial or real pine tree. It took us about 15 minutes to complete (I can’t promise it won’t be a bit messy and you may have some kiddos that look a bit snow tinged when done, but its well worth it).
With only a few finishing touches left to go and the “real” tree to be found and placed (Friday), the home is feeling all decked to the halls.
** This amazing illuminated, canvas, Santa photo was purchased from Kirklands and is one of many various images you can buy. They are so cute and easy to use with a simple switch of a side button. I have this one currently hanging in Autumns bedroom, Santas workshop in Camerons and a Christmas train and fireplace in Natalie and Savannahs room.
Stay tuned for more of the finished home/holiday decor. and check out my instagram for a short (pretty awesome) little reel of our completed master bedroom.
Love , Jess
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Christmas Wishes
It is the most wonderful time of the year!
Anyone else have their kiddos wish lists yet?
Autumn is ready, along with her older sisters and brother, for Santa to make his approach. Our lists are consumed by all things unicorn, lots of barbies and LOL dolls. Isn’t it amazing, as a momma, getting to relive these special moments through your child’s eyes?
I just love the moments of coming together, sitting down at the table and compiling a list of all the “wishes and wants” of these precious little babies. To watch the excitement in their eyes as they pay careful attention not to forget any details.
As we await Thanksgiving evening, the night so anticipated, the night our beloved Elf Charlie makes his yearly debut, we hold on to our letters anxiously, in hopes Charlie will deliver them to Santa.
