Five on Friday -- 89 Days until Christmas

Did the title of this post freak you out just a little?  Well, it made my pulse accelerate.  Y'all...there are less than 3 months until Christmas!  But I'm not sweating it as much this year.  I have help.  No, I didn't hire a nanny or a personal assistant.  But I did subscribe to an amazing website that I'm sharing with all of you today.  Are you ready?

source

Available as an eBook, 100 Days To Christmas is so much more than just tinsel and "Deck The Halls".  This is not a sponsored post, just me telling you I have fallen in love.  Between now and Christmas, we also have Fall, Halloween, Election Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving, and more.  This book is a great way to simplify your life for the next three months and make these holidays memorable, special, and meaningful. 



Moving on, today's Five on Friday is mostly a list for myself.  The past few assignments from 100 Days have included ideas on crafts and DIY gift ideas to give and receive throughout the holiday season.  Here are five projects I hope to accomplish in the Morris household.  If you are really lucky, I'll even blog about them.  (How lucky do you feel right now?)

One: Scary Halloween House

Yesterday, out of the blue, Rob asked me if we could trick-or-treat at our house this year.  You should know we have gone to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's house for the past 4+ years.  Before waiting for my affirmation, he added, "and can we make our house really scary?"  Sure, my favorite child.  Anything for you.  So I am looking for some ideas like these:



via Pinterest


via Pinterest

via Pinterest

Two: Thankful for Family (Thanksgiving Keepsakes)

Now that Will is here, I have used (more times than not) the excuse that this is the last time we will ever all be this age.  Anything involving baby things, family pictures, etc., will always be complete.  There will never again be a time when I say "Oh, that was before ___ was born."  So my keepsakes are that much more important to preserve moments in time.  Therefore, I want to capture their "littleness"  (it could be a real word) in as creative/lasting a way as possible. 


via Pinterest

I love this! via Pinterest

Three: Fall is the Apple of My Eye

In school, Rob's class has been studying Johnny Appleseed.  And I have apparently been late to the game the past few seasons.  Either that, or apple orchid farmers have rolled out an amazing new marketing plan.  Nevertheless, I have heard so much about apple harvesting in the past few days, that I am going to try some new apple recipes with the family.  I'll start with an apple crisp, then I'll hop over to Mix and Match Mama's website where I'll dig and play around with all of her fabulous posts.  Shay has a whole section dedicated to fall recipes. 

Four: Gifting is about thoughtfulness, not price tags!

I am constantly on the lookout for amazing bargains and great deals.  But more so that sales, I'm sifting through my dusty brain for ideas on handmade gifts.  Once again, Pinterest has some great ideas.  In the past, I have pinned recipes for homemade salt scrubs, DIY coasters, ornaments, jewelry, and more.  Since many family members read my blog, I'm not sharing exactly what I'm planning this year.  But trust me, it's a great one!  I definitely will be making additional quantities to keep for myself.


Five: Christmas Cards...society's newest status symbol?

I'm not sure exactly when or why, but lately it seems like more and more Christmas cards are not sent to tell loved ones "Happy birth of Jesus," but to say "look at my beautiful family.  Aren't we special?" I get it, Christmas cards are a great time to share family portraits with others.  And if you are sharing family portraits all while wishing genuine holiday cheer to others, then please continue.  But you shouldn't have to go bankrupt in doing so.  Ever so often during the month of December, I will receive a card in the mail sans portrait, hand-signed, by a loved one who had no idea just how much I needed to hear from him/her.  That is the meaning behind sending cards.  With that said, I do enjoy sharing pictures of the kids.  Many of our cards go to family members we don't get to visit very often.  So while I will be genuinely wishing cheer to my loved ones, I am going to be thrifty by ordering from the ever-affordable Allie Logan Designs.  She can design anything you like, and include any message.  Just don't ask her to inscribe "Aren't we special?"

A Tale of Four Trees (Christmas Open House)

Ever have those moments when you literally become the paradox of which you complain?  I didn't put out all of my Christmas decorations that I have used in the past.  In fact, someone just starting out could go into my attic and have a full house of cheer using only my leftovers.  I say I didn't put out all of my Christmas decor this year because I am too busy with more kids than arms.  However, I may have lost steam after decorating Christmas Tree number...wait for it...four!  Mid-way through number three, I began questioning my sanity. Nevertheless, I love my trees.  And for the sake of over sharing, I thought I would let you see all of my Christmas decorations. 

First up, our "family" tree.  As an aside, I should warn you that I let the older kids help me decorate as much as possible.  So if you see clumps of ornaments or bare spots, that is probably the culprit.  Actually, the bare spots may be on account of my dividing ornaments among a whopping 4 trees....nah, let's blame the kids! This is the tree with the most heart.  Here you will find laminated hand prints, dated snowmen, and general mismatched glory! 

This is also the tree where I did the most experimenting with poly deco-mesh.  I made the tree topper from scratch by arranging decorative sticks above the bow.  All were 50% at Hobby Lobby.  Is there any place else to shop for craft goods?  If it's not on sale this week, just wait and go back next week!  Love and holla!

In the foyer, I put up a smaller tree that actually belongs to my brother, Mark.  If I'm gonna store it, I think I get full rights to use it.  Mark, if you are reading this, please don't go all Grinch and steal the tree!  I like this tree because it has a random collection of large ornaments, some cool thrift store finds, and most of my "pretty ones".

Caroline's pink tree looks pretty much just like it did last year, with the exception of a new Hello Kitty ornament on there somewhere.

Rob's tree got a boost.  It's only a 3-foot tree, so I put it up on a chest (normally housed in my foyer, by the way.)  I also technically moved his tree out of his room.  Rob's room is the only room at the top of our staircase.  So by putting this tree at the top of the stairs, when it is lit it lights up the whole stairwell so lovely.

One of my favorite details of his tree is shown below.  On the right is a hand painted wooden ornament my dad made for me when I was a baby.  Then when Rob was a baby I went to Christmas Village (a humongous arts-and-crafts show in Birmingham) and saw a vendor selling these little hand-painted ornaments.  So Rob got one to match mine.  Love!

Moving into the kitchen, I have a little display of Christmas plates and a cookie jar over on one of my counters. 

 

Then on my buffet, a collection of decorative trees (yep, more trees) and a picture frame with no picture.  That's extremely typical for my house...

 

Not pictured when I took these shots was the addition of the family gingerbread house:

  

Still in the kitchen, I have a wine tower which usually also holds my cookbooks.  They have been replaced by a nutcracker display and the whole "look" was made a little more festive:

Moving into the living room, I have still more nutcrackers watching the family activities from their home on a side table.  If you look closely, you will see Sherlock Holmes, a rock star, Big Al, an Army soldier, and a chef -- he is our new 2012 addition.

Last but not least, my mantle.  I didn't put a wreath on this mirror which I usually do.  I think I was secretly hoping for a festive family monogram which I have seen all over blogland, but I never got around to purchasing.  I still need to hang my stockings ("...with care/ In hopes that St. Nick soon would be [here]".)

Can you tell I love nutcrackers?

 

Surprisingly, neither older child has messed with my stuffed snowman and Santa this year!  I think the addition of the Fisher Price nativity (as Rob says "Jesus scene") has helped them leave my decor alone!

 

That's all for this holiday home tour!  I'm linking with Kelly, The Nester, and  Thrifty Sarah.  And, yes, I am a little late for all of these link-ups.  But my heart has been so heavy and yet my plate so full this last week, that I really have neglected my blog.  I am still praying for Connecticut, and I'm praying for the peace that Christ's birth brought the world will once again settle into all our lives.

Merry CHRISTmas,

Happy Easter! (A Recap in Pictures)

We had a lovely Easter weekend!  On Saturday we went to lunch hosted by Jonathan and Laura in their new house!  Laura really went all out, too!  She was quite the happy, newlywed hostess!  We had a spiral ham, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, green beans, and a terrific Easter chocolate cake made especially by you-know-who!  (That would be ME for those of you who lean towards the slow side.)

Think Rob loved my cake?

Saturday afternoon turned out to be a great, lazy afternoon at home with the kiddos.  Bobby went to the ballpark to coach, but when he got home we geared up for the next morning.

Sunday morning we woke up to find that the Easter Bunny had paid our house a visit!  The kids were super excited!  We went to early church which is a change for us.  We are usually an 11:00 AM service kind of family.  So hustling and bustling on Sunday morning took some getting used to.  But thanks to Bobby's steadfast ways, we were on time!

I was so excited to see on Twitter and other social media how many people were mentioning Christ's rising from the dead on Easter morning.  I really worry that today's society is doing everything in its power to shove Christianity into a closet or allow it to collect dust high upon a shelf.  Every single holiday has gone so commercial!  I have to admit that I lead a lot of commercialism in our home, too.  It is a struggle for me to raise good Christian children; I struggle with setting an example for them first and foremost.   But on Easter Sunday, I tried to mention Christ plenty of times more than eggs, bunnies, cake, etc.

After church we headed to my mom's for lunch.  Oh...my...goodness she made an Easter staple for us.  I was not raised on hams and gravies.  For every holiday we had some derivative of this:

 ...pictured above is the results of a two-day cooking event...homemade lasagna with secret family-recipe sauce and all the works! It's wonderful! We had a plethora of desserts to sample, then it was on to a very exciting egg hunt for the kids!

Well, it's time for a few "shots" and then we will call this day done!

I love this woman!

I love this man!

Me and my sister-from-another-mister!

This is real life on film...sometimes you just have to put the camera down!

Happy Easter, everyone!  This holiday is a wrap!