Tag Archives: holidays

As you may recall from Part 1, we picked out our Christmas tree last weekend. Now we get to share with you all of our decorations! AND we made a fun video for Trent’s first Christmas tree that’s at the end of this post, so be sure to check that out and tell us what you think!

We are Disney super fans, no doubt about it. Walt Disney World is our home away from home, so of course we HAVE to have Disney Christmas decorations. We moved into our house December 18th, 2009, so it was too close to Christmas to decorate or get a tree, but in 2010, we decided it was time to do things right. So we took a long weekend trip to Disney World for the sole purpose of buying Christmas ornaments and decorations. Now THAT is an obsession dedication. So here is our decorated tree in all it’s Disney glory.

Isn’t she purty?

One of my favorite ornaments we bought during that first ornament shopping spree was one that fit us perfectly…no really, it’s like they made it just for us. #kindacreepy

Yes, that is Mickey (Brett) with a camera strapped around his neck and Minnie (me) looking all cute and stuff with a souvenir balloon. Was I right or what? Ok, well Minnie may be cuter, but that is definitely Brett with the camera. We saw it and just HAD to get it.

Starting with 2011, we decided that our tradition would be to get a new Disney ornament for our tree…whether it be by going to Disney World or buying it from the Disney Store online (I can get sucked into that website for hours looking at all the park merchandise and items for your home…anyone need Mickey salt & pepper shakers? They have everything!). Last year’s ornament was from the Nightmare Before Christmas (an all-time favorite movie of ours…I even dressed up as Sally one year for Halloween).

This year’s ornament was super special. We bought it while we were in Disney World at the beginning of the year while I was still pregnant.

We took a risk by getting a boy’s baby’s first Christmas ornament with his name written on it because hey, you never know until the baby arrives just how accurate those ultrasounds actually are. Thank goodness ours was accurate! I love this ornament so much and can’t wait to take a photo of him on Christmas morning to put in it and then look back after all the years to see what my sweet boy looked like on his first Christmas.

We have several unique Disney ornaments, larger ones or ones with characters…and then “filler” ornaments, little Mickey heads or balls with glitter Mickey heads on them. Mickey overload = never a bad thing.

Oh, and if the ornaments weren’t enough, we also have Disney stockings and a tree skirt, all embroidered with our names…because we’re cheesy like that (no Mickey Mouse pun intended). Trent’s embroidered stocking is on it’s way from the Disney Store!

We also have the cutest Disney milk & cookies for Santa platter and cup.

I promise this post isn’t sponsored by Disney lol. We are just love all things Disney THAT much!

We want to start creating more videos for you guys (and us), and we also want to capture Trent’s “firsts” if we can, so we made a time lapse video of us setting up Trent’s first Christmas tree this year!

While you watch:

-How funny is the cat making his appearance towards the end? He’s so dang nosy. Most visitors don’t think we even have a cat because he hides, so here’s our proof!

-That is THE fastest I’ve ever seen Brett vacuum/clean.

-Our technical difficulty was that the tree was too tall and we knew the tree topper wouldn’t fit, so we had to bring it back outside to saw more off the bottom.

 

 

Stay tuned for more video shenanigans! Do your decorations or tree ornaments stick to a theme? Or is it more anything-goes?

 

 

 

Thanksgiving was a little early this year, but that didn’t stop us from getting our Christmas tree last weekend!

Last year, we went to the church near our house to get our tree from the boy scouts that are set up there. This year, they sent us a $5 off coupon to go back…score!

We debated on whether this would be too early and if the tree would start to die before Christmas, but we figured having it at home sooner where it can be properly watered was better than letting it sit out on the lot any longer.

We ventured out and walked around the maze of trees. It smelled so divine out there…as much as it would be a money-saver to buy an artificial tree that can be reused every year, the lovely scent that fills the house from a Christmas tree makes it worth every penny.

 

 

Since this is Trent’s first Christmas tree, we had to find the perfect one and it had to get Trent’s approval. He put the trees to the test….here he is testing the height.

 

 

On the hunt for the perfect tree!

 

 

He even tested the branches and needles to make sure they would hold our Disney Christmas ornaments!

 

 

After we chose one, the boy scouts brought it over to get trimmed on the bottom and to saw off the bottom layer (this creates a fresh cut to help the tree better absorb water and stay fresh longer once it’s in the tree stand).

 

 

While that was getting done, Trent and I sat by the fire and watched someone else get their 12 foot tree.

 

 

That sure was one big darn tree and she said it takes her HOURS and HOURS to decorate it and that she needs a ladder to do it! Sure makes me thankful that it only takes us an hour or two, although maybe we’ll get a tree that size if our next house has high ceilings. But that means another trip to Disney to buy more ornaments!

This post is part 1 because I want to have another post of us decorating the tree, along with some up-close photos of our Disney ornaments! We get a new ornament each year and this year’s ornament was extra special.

Do you get a real tree or use an artificial one? Have you set it up and decorated yet?

 

Ok, now that it’s after Thanksgiving and the Black Friday craziness has hopefully settled down, I can talk about Christmas without being chastised. Since I just ordered Trent’s Christmas stocking from the Disney Store (an embroidered Mickey one!), I just started thinking about what I’m going to put into his and Brett’s stockings, and what they might put into mine.

I’ll never forget the first couple of years Brett and I were together. He insisted that all throughout his years growing up, his parents would put things like movies and video games in his stockings each year. So I went along with it and also included the standard toiletry items, such as razors, shaving cream, shampoo, etc. Looking back, I can’t believe how much money I spent on his stocking stuffers! I also can’t believe how expensive razors are either…but I’ll save that rant for another time lol. It was only after a few years that I brought it up while talking to his mom and sister that we determined his memory must have been a little fuzzy because they insisted they always got stockings full of candy and low-cost trinkets…you know, stocking stuffers!

Well, I don’t want to put nothing but candy and worthless stuff in their stockings (Trent can’t even have candy anyway!) but I also don’t want to spend a lot of money on stocking stuffers and would rather save that money for under-the-tree gifts. I’m trying to at least be a little frugal during this tough economy, but also want to be creative and give small items that can be useful and enjoyed.

Here are some ideas I’ve considered for good stocking stuffers, for them and whoever you may need them for:

 

Adults:

Magazine Subscriptions - Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! You could buy the current issue of a magazine, then stick a little certificate telling them they’ll also be getting a subscription in the mail for the next however many months! They get to read something now and for several months after! Magazines are becoming less popular due to the increasing popularity of eReaders or digital magazines, but it’s still fun to get the actual magazine to read and you can score some pretty cheap magazine subscriptions.

Travel-sized toiletries - Give little bottles of their favorite brands of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shaving cream, soap…pretty much anything in bins at Target or Walmart. Or you could give them brands they’ve never tried before! I’ve used coupons that were allowed on travel sized items to score super cheap or almost free travel sized items in the past.

Small picture frames - Maybe you could even put a family photo in it too!

Mini candles and tea lights or warmer scents

Pens and stationary

Trials for services (like Netflix or Hulu) - These are free or you could pay for one month of the cheapest service, which is usually no more than $10. Just make sure you remember to cancel if you don’t want to continue the service.

Low cost gift cards - As in $5 or less to places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, iTunes…anywhere they could use a gift card to pick out small items or download a few songs. I bought Brett a gift card to get his car washed last year that was used pretty quickly.

Gum and candy - Ok, I can’t deny it, these can be good stocking fillers…but in moderation!

 

Teenagers:

Magazine Subscriptions - Same as above. I noticed my niece has a few magazines on her wish list this year too, such as Seventeen and Teen Vogue, so that could turn into a good gift. Boys may like Sports Illustrated or MAD.

Travel-sized toiletries - Same as above.

Perfume/cologne samples - Or any other samples you receive in the mail. You can get little “try-me” sizes of perfumes/colognes at stores or requesting them online.

Fashion jewelry - Mostly for girls, but places like Target and Kohls offer lower cost costume jewelry, like colorful rings and earrings. You could also add sunglasses or accessories.

Fun socks - I love fuzzy colorful socks!

Makeup/lip balm and hair accessories - Girls love that stuffɉ۪nuff said.

Low cost gift cards - Same as above

Gum and candy - Same as above

 

Kids:

Magazine Subscriptions - Kids may not understand the concept of getting a “subscription” which may make it better to include the current issue, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be excited to receive “Presents” in the mail every month! I look forward to getting Trent activity magazines, Disney Junior or other educational/fun magazines in a few years.

Coloring Books, Crayons and Other Small Art Supplies

Travel games - These are usually hanging up in the game section and can include travel Scrabble, Connect Four and Pictionary.

Small Stuffed Animals

Play Jewelry

Girly hair accessories

Gum and candy - Same as above

 

Babies:

Rattles and Other Small Toys - Think travel toys, toys for the diaper bag, blocks, finger puppets, etc. Just don’t include anything too small that they can choke on!

Bath toys - Little squirter toys and duckies.

Mini-books - Can be found in the baby book section at most stores.

Socks or slippers

Headbands or Hats

Teether toys

Small stuffed animals - Again, not too small!

 

One of my favorite things to do is just roam around Target (can you tell I love Tar-Jay?) and just look around. They always have interesting items hidden throughout the shelves, and I especially love coming across a Clearance end cap…jackpot! Just look for little items but keep the individual prices low so that the cost doesn’t creep up on you when everything is added together! Happy shopping!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Trent’s first Thanksgiving started out with a little photo shoot. We took his 5 month photos (which he turned on the 18th and I’ll have that post up this weekend!) and couldn’t resist taking photos of him in his Turkey Day outfit. It’s cute from the front (above) and the back…

 

 

We got that cute Carters outfit at the baby shower many months ago and we’ve been looking forward to him wearing it (and hoping he didn’t outgrow it by now!).

Speaking of cute outfits, I had my first taste of trying to find Trent the perfect outfit for a wedding we’re attending this weekend. The other night, we went to Kohl’s and Target looking for specific items. I was thinking he could wear dress pants with a button down shirt, suspenders and a fedora hat. Wouldn’t that be so cute? Well, I couldn’t find any of that, so I went to TJ Maxx the next day and then the mall the day after that. I haven’t been to the mall in a very long time and ended up going to Gymboree, The Children’s Place, Gap Kids, JCPenney and Macy’s. I went into Macy’s fully expecting to walk right back out due to high prices, but I was shocked at the good deals I was finding. I ended up getting a 3 piece outfit with a little vest. I could NOT find baby suspenders anywhere! We tried the outfit on him when I got home and it is so.friggin.cute! I can’t wait to share it with you all. I went through all that to get him an outfit and yet I am going to be wearing a dress I’ve had for over a year. I guess that’s the life of a new mommy, huh?

Back to today.

After our photoshoot, we headed over to enjoy our feast with friends and family.

 

 

It was a turkey massacre!

 

 

An Auntie Jane photobomb!

 

 

Poor kid! He can never say he’s not loved!

 

 

 

After dinner, my nephew temporarily lost his mind and decided to jump in the pool. The pool with 56 degree water.

 

 

He immediately regretted it.

 

 

Of course, Lily has to do EVERYTHING Aiden does, so she jumped in too. They ended up jumping in several times as if it was the middle of summer again. All that turkey and cold water = passing out on the couch.

 

 

Our little party animal never wants to sleep…instead, he enjoyed some cartoons with his cousin.

 

 

Just look at that belly…you’d think he was full of turkey!

 

 

But nope, just milk…for now! Next month, we plan on introducing solid food. We’ll be making our own baby food and I’m super excited about it. We’re not necessarily the best eaters, but not the worst either, so it makes me happy to start him out with pureed veggies and fruits and other good-for-him foods. He must know it’s almost time for big people food, because this week we noticed this…

 

 

Oh boy, are we in for it now! Time to put those teething toys to good use! He’s actually been pretty good about it, but I know it’s just the beginning of the teething journey, so I’m not betting anything at this point.

Overall, it was a pretty relaxed holiday, as it usually is. Tomorrow, we’ll be staying warm and cozy at home. Brett has a photoshoot for a 3 month old. He took her newborn photos, so it will be fun to see how much she has grown!

Are you braving the cold/crowds/craziness for Black Friday? Good luck if you are! I just bought my first Christmas deal online a few minutes ago, so let the fun begin!

 

 

 

Ok, time to play a little catch-up…

I’m a little late with this, but it’s time for wrap-up of our Halloween events! We’ve just been so so busy…fairs, festivals, Halloween parties, birthday parties…oh my!

I have so many photos I want to share too (thanks to Mr. Photographer!) so let’s get this started! First order of business…our costumes! We were a family of pirates!

As I mentioned HERE, we had several ideas that we liked, but ultimately decided to be pirates after succumbing to the cuteness of this baby pirate costume!

He’s standing on his own! Well, at least thanks to the help of Photoshop haha. How funny is that photo?! He looks like he’s about to topple forward. My hand is behind him grasping his costume, which is why it kind of looks like it’s being pulled back, but I want to take a photo of his costume like this every year and we didn’t want my arm in the photo!

We thought it was a good choice because Brett and I can reuse our costumes in the future at Disney World since Brett’s costume was basically Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean. Plus Brett already had the pirate hat from buying it at Disney a few years ago, which worked out perfectly since the hat that came with his costume was a dud.

On the Saturday before Halloween we went to Brett’s mom’s annual Halloween party. This year’s party was extra special because our friends got married there right before the party!

Everything was so beautiful…the hand-fasting ceremony was in the front yard…

the food was inside the house…

and the party was in the backyard…

and Trent was the perfect little pirate ring bearer!

I was nervous about how he would do during the ceremony…I was scared he would get bored and start whining, but he did so well and was quiet the entire time!

After the ceremony, we chowed down on some greek food and Halloween-themed desserts. Brett made sugar cookie monster fingers, bat brains (green rice krispy treats), and vampire-bitten cupcakes with blood (strawberry) filling.

The house is always decorated to the max.

I loved that the wedding and Halloween party were combined. How else could you get a photo of bride and groom during their first slow dance with an adult sock monkey looking on in the background??

Trent loved the sock monkey and would stare at him whenever they were in the same room.

It was such a fun night. Trent got scared a couple of times with all the spooky shenanigans and people in costumes, but he quickly got used to it and sat outside with me dancing to the music for quite a while. He probably had the most fun when he was dancing with me, his Nana and Auntie Jessi to Gangnam Style! I switched the lyrics around a little and kept singing “Heeeyy sexy baby!”

Trent was a little party animal before getting his jammies on and sleeping in his pack n play before heading home. It was definitely helpful that his bed time is typically pretty late anyway.

For Halloween, Brett cut this awesome pumpkin to go on our front porch alongside Trent’s pumpkin.

We bundled up to quickly go outside and take a look once Brett was finished and Trent was fascinated by it.

On Halloween night, we all put on our costumes and sat outside to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters!

Trent was Mr. Talkative to all the little kids that came up for candy. While they were standing in front of him, he would reach out and make noises. After a little while, we headed back inside for our bedtime routine while Brett continued to wait for any more trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that many this year. Most families tend to get in the car and drive to other neighborhoods where the houses are closer together…add to that the fact that Halloween was on a Wednesday and that equals too much leftover candy at our house. :( Oh well, more Reese’s for me!

This led us to discussing future Halloween plans. Brett loves decorating the house and wants to lead the way to get more houses in our neighborhood to decorate. But if you decorate your house, then you pretty much have to pass out candy. However, I want to take Trent trick-or-treating and want Brett to come too. We’ll be going to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in the future too where they pass out tons of candy, so maybe that could be considered our trick-or-treating. So my question is: how do you do both without splitting up the parents? Does anyone else have this dilemma? We didn’t come to a conclusion, so I’d love to hear your experiences or suggestions in the comments!

 

In case you missed it, check out Trent’s Fall photos and his first pumpkin painting!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween!

 

xoxo

Lynn

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