{ Kicking off the Christmas season }

 

Hello sweet friends, welcome back to my blog.

Come on in out of the cold, I have hot coffee and tea, and even have a few donuts in the kitchen.  If you prefer a cookie instead, I have a jar full just waiting to be dug into.

Well, hello....it's been a while since I've sat down and actually wrote a proper blog post.  Life has been, well, life, I guess.  Either we are busy, or sick or something is happening to keep us sometimes away from the things we would rather be doing......like sharing post with you on a pretty regular basis.

I know, I've been continuing on with my Happy Homemaker Monday, but that's not the same, I love opening up a favorite blog, and seeing a regular post, just talking about the day, or fun activities they've been indulging in, sharing a recipe, or a homemaking tip.  You know, those kind of posts that bring a warm fuzzy feeling to our lives.

So, here I am.  Aside from a lingering cough, we are all so much better.  What a blessing it is to get back to feeling normal.

 

I gave my computer desk a good clean and set this beautiful plant on it.  I always make myself get the house clean and tidy before I start decorating.  Anyone else?

 

First let's set the scene and then I'll show you what I've been doing around here. I haven't done all the decorations, but I think for the most part I have up what I'm going to get up this year. The outside decorations are not all up, save for the lights which my sweet husband hung last weekend. 

 

This weekend, we will be putting up some garland around the porch columns, and some sparkly trees we have. Oh and our Nativity scene which we always make sure to have up each year.  But then that will be it. 

OK enough babbling, press play on the video below and just enjoy the ambience of a medieval Christmas scene.

 

One of the first things I always put up, are my Christmas pillows, and they only come out for the month of December, then are packed away until the following year. 

 

 I love how they look though, I think even if you don't do anything else but put up some sweet Christmas pillows, it already gives the whole room a cozy feel. 

 

 

On my coffee table, I try to put a book that goes with the season.  This year I chose The Christmas Journey by Donna Van Liere.  It's the story of Joseph and Mary and their journey to deliver Jesus.   It's a story we all know very well and it's just perfect for this season.

Of course a candle is always lit near by.  I just adore candles, and I do think I probably have way more than I need, but some are gifts, and I don't ever burn them until they're done.  My candles seem to last for years so I've started rotating them, some for specific times of year, or I'll switch from the bedroom to the living room, or kitchen.

 

Next thing I put up, is my village.  That always has to be up even in those years that I don't quite feel like decorating as much.

It's a bit strange really, because the past 2 years I've been so eager to decorate and welcome in Christmas, and then this year I've been dragging my feet, almost forcing myself to get it done.

I don't think I've ever decorated this late, and I know that sounds so crazy considering it's just the 2nd of December, but usually when I'm in the mood, everything is up even before Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

This year we are sticking with just one tree.  I love the real trees, and it's my favorite thing to do every year, going to pick out the real tree, but I just don't think it's a must right now.  It's not an expense that I can justify this year, and that's ok.

So, we are sticking with our artificial white tree,  very simple decorations, actually in this picture below, I hadn't even put all the decorations on the tree.  I'll have to take another photo to show you now that it's complete.

 

The mantel is also going to be switched out.  I put up the colored lights because it's what I had on hand, but I prefer white, so I pulled out my white lights from one of the Christmas boxes, and I'll switch those out later today.

It still looks pretty and festive, but I just love white lights.

 

This year I have also put up our train set.  I think the last time I had it up was back in  Idaho, so 6 or 7 years ago.  My word, I didn't even realize it was that long ago.  It does need batteries, and I'll get those tomorrow, so for now it's just sitting in front of the tree, not working, but it's still pretty.

Tomorrow, Curt and I plan on getting some Christmas shopping done for the babies in the family.  We are not exchanging gifts this year, just going to get something for our kids, and then something for Dalton and Eva, my niece's littles.  

Also getting something for Elliott and Kaia and then some stocking stuffers.  So not much, but enough to still make it feel like Christmas without going all crazy and spending a ton of money.  

I will be planning our meal for Christmas Eve, and will of course share that here as well.  If you've followed me for years you know we celebrate on the 24th, and usually we do a bunch of different things on the table, just a ton of finger foods.  This year however, we are going to rather do a dinner with the traditional Portuguese Bacalhau (cod fish), and I'll also do a Turkey for those that don't enjoy the fish.

I guess we are going to aim for a much quieter, subdued and simple Christmas celebration, instead of the usual one, tons of food and tons of gifts and all that faff.  It is what it is.

So, I hope you'll come along as we move through this month, shop, plan food, watch movies and listen to Christmasy music and so on.  I really was hoping to get Blogmas done this year but, I'm not quite sure yet if I can commit to it, and I would hate to start and then not continue, so we will see.  

I may do a slightly different Blogmas and just post something Christmas related as I have time, or when I can.  Maybe I'll do that instead.

Right now, I need to get some laundry started, and grab some leftovers for lunch, then I'll most likely be watching the World Cup game between Brazil and Cameroon.

I hope you all have the most wonderful of Fridays, and a blessed weekend.  I don't know if I'll post again this weekend, but I'll certainly try, maybe I'll do a gift ideas for the littles.  ♥