Christmas Wishes

 

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Gingerbread Pancakes

 

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Awesomeness.

 

Cool or Creepy?

 

In addition to my pillow addiction, I have a nutcracker addiction. 

It started with a few, and then turned into a few more...

And then somehow, our home became a refuge for damaged and unwanted nutcrackers.

We now have over 50 of them.

 

Some of them are really nice.

Others are in rough shape.

My children have named some of them.

There's the "General"

"The one with the cold"

and the "Get off my grass!" nutcracker.

There's the golfer, the skier, and the toymaker.

There's the "one with the muppet nose"

And the super tall skinny one.

They are kind of fun to pull out at Christmas.

 

 But when we ammassed a large group of them together, we started to wonder:
Are they cool?

Or are they creepy?

 

Around the House {Christmas Decorations-Part 2}

Hello.

My name is Kathy and I have a pillow addiction.

I have Halloween pillows, Christmas Pillows, Easter pillows, and summer pillows--in addition to our regular, everyday pillows.

The pillow covers on my bed were a thrift shop find.  They are hand-pieced, and hand-quilted.  They were $3 for the pair.{!}  I ask you, how could I just leave them there?

The kids have Christmas pillowcases...and a couple of throw pillows for their beds.

  On a completely unrelated topic, we inherited this super bold blue paint when we moved in.  The color is starting to grow on me, but it is in my girls' room, and doesn't go with anything they have.  I haven't decided on a new color yet, or if I should paint it the same neutral light-greige that is in the rest of the house.  What do you think?

And pillows are on every sofa and chair.

I also have a garland,wreath-and-light addiction at Christmas time.

 

 

I am hopeless.

What are your decorating addictions?

 

Around the House {Christmas Decorations-Part 1}

We're getting ready for Christmas around the house. 

Since moving to the new house, we've had to figure out how to decorate it for Christmas.

There's jingle bells on the door,

 and garland on the banister,

 

and space for a 2nd tree!

I just found this Angry Bird Pig in my tree.  What good helpers I have. :)

 Here's the fireplace in the family room.

 

and our Santa nutcrackers. 

 

 Merry Christmas!

The Perfect Christmas Tree!

One family tradition of ours that I love is finding and cutting our own Christmas tree.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we head up into the mountains to find the perfect tree.

We look all around, and see deer prints, rabbit prints, and...bigfoot prints?!

When we find the perfect tree, and everyone agrees, we tag it and cut it down.

 We haul it to the car, and tie it on top.

 Sometimes it is too tall and we have to trim a little off, and sometimes there are a few holes, but once it is decorated, it is always the perfect tree.

December Visiting Teaching Message

The message this month is centered on the importance of Visiting Teaching.

 

 

Here are a few quotes from the message:

 

"Visiting Teaching gives women the opportunity to watch over, strengthen, and teach one another--it is truly a work of salvation.  Through Visiting Teaching, sisters minister in behalf of the Savior and help prepare women for the blessings of eternal life."

 

"You are going to save souls," said President Kimball to Visiting Teachers, "and who can tell but that many of the fine active people in the church today are active today because you gave them a new outlook, a new vision."

"When the prophet Joseph Smith orgainized the Relief Society, he said that the women were not only to look after the poor but also to save souls."

I have a testimony that Visiting Teaching can save souls, and that it is so important--more important than we sometimes think.  I'm so grateful that the messages this year have focused on the importance of Visiting Teaching and watching out for our sisters.

If you would like to put together your own Life Savers Visiting Teaching message, you will need some paper, 4" or 5" width gift bags (I used these vellum bags from Wal-Mart), some Life Savers, and some twine or ribbon.

First, gather your supplies and print the message, and the label.

Cut your messages to size with the bag, then fill the bag, place it on the message and fold over the top till it reaches the Life Savers.  Staple it closed, tape the label on, then embellish with a string or ribbon.  Super easy.

Also, if you are feeling fancy, you can trim the corners.  This is one of my favorite tools...the corner adorner.  It was only a few dollars, and it rounds the corners of your paper.  I use it all the time.

Happy Visiting Teaching

&

Merry Christmas!