Giveaway Time

Who doesn't love a giveaway right?  We haven't had one in a while around here so I thought I'd do a very quick one today while so many of us are still snowed in.  With the upcoming holidays there is going to be a lot of baking going on around here and my girls love to have aprons to wear for every occasion.

This giveaway is only going to be live for about 24 hours so I'm going to make it a simple one.  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here on the blog telling me what you and your little ones love to bake during the holidays.  Easy as pie right?

Comments will be closed at 2pm Central time tomorrow and winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator shortly after.


Comments are closed!  Congratulations Kim T.  Now your little one can have a holiday apron while you're making your "cookies and pies".  


Good luck everyone!

Winter in nature

It is still very much a winter wonderland outside today. There is just something about the simple beauty of this season that really warms my heart, especially with snow all around. The drawing inward that happens during this season is very welcome after a busy and outward pulling Autumn. (even though I know it isn't quite winter just yet, shhh...) Days spent cuddled up with a cup of cocoa watching the snow fall outside are always some of my favorite of the year. Everyone is pulled together and as a result so many lovely memories are created that can last a lifetime.

While normally watching the snow fall outdoors from indoors would make up the majority of our Winter weather activities, especially for Mama, this year we're really making the effort to get out in it and enjoy.  Embracing the cold days ahead, and the beauty that they bring.  Everything is so different than it was just a few short weeks ago.  There is a newness to everything once the snow begins to fall.  The sights and smells are all different and an experience to behold.

While it seems to be a bit contradictory the cold air breathes new life into everyone and everyone out to experience it.  So today I encourage you to explore your new surroundings today and soak up everything nature has to offer you.

Snow Days

The days before the predicted snow fall were filled with much looking out windows and wishing on stars for the two littlest members of the house.  When the first rogue flakes began to fall the excitement could no longer be contained.  At the first sign of a slight dusting of snow on the ground they exclaimed "Oh Mama!  Look at all the snow, it's everywhere!" and I couldn't help but laugh just a bit.  I hadn't realized they wouldn't remember well what a proper snowfall looked like.  It didn't matter to them that it wouldn't even count as snow to most people, to them it was wonderful.

The next morning when I woke to their screams I knew they had seen the snow that had fallen overnight. They rushed out in their jammies for the first taste of snow for the season and since then they have been out in it just as much as Mama will allow.  Within minutes of coming inside and with cheeks still pink from the cold they are begging to go out again, determined to soak up every bit of winter fun they can.  

Truth be told I don't even mind the endless drying of gloves and puddles of water on the floor.  Watching their sheer joy at something as simple as a small snowfall makes every bit of it worth while. 

Saint Nicholas

 Today I woke to the children screaming in joy. Today was Saint Nicholas day AND there was snow outside. What more could two little girls need to make a wonderfully perfect day? We always look forward to celebrating Saint Nicholas together. It's a simple celebration centered around doing good for others and looking outside ourselves so it rings true with the ideals we try nurture in our girls.

 Today while they did receive a small gift from Saint Nicholas we will be focusing on the ways we will be helping others this season. Our normal trip out to collect and deliver supplies will have to wait until the weather clears a bit but that doesn't stop us from gathering supplies at home and preparing for several other service acts we will be a part of in the next several weeks. We might even trudge through the snow to take some goodies to a neighbor this afternoon. I don't think I'll have too hard of a time convincing the girls to go back out.

 

I feel I need a bit of a disclaimer for this post.  I didn't let them play outside all morning in just their jammies.  These pictures were within minutes of waking and they had been waiting all night in anticipation for the snow to fall.  There was to be no stopping the excitment.  I did, however, insist they put on boots before heading out. 

Christmas Dolly

The rapidly dropping temperature outside really has us all getting excited for Christmas. One of the decorations my girls loved seeing again was a little Christmas doll that I made for us last year. She lives in our book basket and is perfect for snuggling up with while reading some of our favorite Christmas stories on these blustery days.

Those moments snuggled under a warm blanket together are some of my favorite moments during this time of year.  It seems as if everything slows down just a bit during that brief moment.  Those moments are what inspired this little set of holiday themed dolls.  

 

They're just so sweet and ready to be cuddled.  It's hard to pick a favorite out of these gals.  Can you tell I'm a fan of my Bit of Whimsy doll patterns yet?  I can't help it.  I have a few more custom cuties to share too.  That's the problem with this time of year, so much crafting going on that can't be shared because I don't want to ruin the surprise for the recipient.  I don't mind looking at the dolls though so you'll just have to bear with me for a bit.  

December Simplicity

Our tree went up this weekend, and it is always one of my very favorite parts of the holiday.  I love going through each ornament and remembering why it is special to us.  Everyone is bursting with excitement over decorating and the holiday ahead.  This year was no exception, and we were all very enamored with our tree once it was complete.  But then something changed.

I sat back to admire the festive decorations around us and I could already feel the urgency beginning to take over.  The list of projects not yet completed (or even started) began to cause a bit of panic as I looked at the days remaining on the calendar.  How could it possibly all be finished in time?  How exhausting were these next few weeks going to be?

Then I stopped.  Not this year, I told myself.

This year I'm not going to waste one minute worrying about creating the perfect holiday for everyone.  This year there will be invitations and orders that will simply have to be politely declined.  Often in an effort to create a sense of simplicity and magic for the holidays I end up creating a lot of exactly the opposite for myself and miss out on some the the real magic of the holiday.   This year we have really tried to focus on the beauty in simplicity and it has been wonderful for our family.  Yet, somehow the holidays always seem and exception to this rule.  This year we are really putting those ideas to the test and striving for a beautiful and simple holiday together.

The to-do list was quietly pushed aside, gifts yet to be made put on the back burner for another year, and all the expectations that put so much pressure on our time and ability to remain in good cheer this holiday season were hushed.  The mama-made stockings and new advent calendar that rolled over from last year's list?  They're not going to be ready this year either.  And you know what, that's completely okay - perfect even.

Instead we will sit here in the glow of our perfectly imperfect Christmas tree (failing branches and missing garland anyone?), and know that for us, and for this moment in time, all is as it should be.

Military Dolls

I have such a soft spot in my heart for these four little guys.

 

I realize not every branch of the military is represented in these dolls.  I promise it's merely due to the availability of fabrics locally and has nothing to do with any rivalry or preference on our part.  I wanted to make sure there was an option for anyone so I added in the little red, white, and blue guy in the last picture to fill in that space.

While the days of deployments are long behind our family, those that are still serving (and the families supporting them) are always in our thoughts and prayers.