resolutions

Do you make New Year's resolutions?  I do, despite sometimes abandoning them mid-January.  If I can make it to February, I rate it as a success!  This year is no different.  I have all sorts of resolutions in mind, but they have very little to do with New Years.  I've had them in mind for a while, or I've already been working on them.  But since I'm in a sharing mood, I thought I'd share a few of them here.

1.  Use more patience when dealing with the littles. 
This one is a work in progress.  I try every day to use more patience, and some days are good, and some days are stunningly bad.  When you have a 3 year old that is supremely stubborn about potty training, and a 1 year old that is teething and annoying to the 3 year old, then patience can be hard to manage.
2.  Start an Etsy shop.
I have so many ideas pinballing around in my head to sell on etsy, but I have been really procrastinating.  Moving, having Brian work long days, and just being scared about it have been hampering me.  But I truly hope to start one this Spring.  I WILL start one this Spring.  Despite moving again in March.  But I WILL!  Right?  ...right?...
3.  Be brave.
This goes hand in hand with the above resolution, but I really need to lose some fear if I'm going to stretch my wings.  It is so hard to go outside my comfort zone, and so instinctual to just not.  So I'm gonna try and step outside that comfort zone, try new things, and see where it takes me.
4.  Maintain an exercise schedule. 
Oh, I am so bad about this one.  I will go strong for a while, and then sort of peter out.  The last contact I made with my treadmill was last week when I ran into it.  Hard.  I have a nice bruise on my leg from it.  So yeah.  Exercise.  Man, I really hate this one.  It's not even about losing weight, it's about having energy to keep up with the littles!  Of course losing weight would be a bonus...

I have a few others I've been working on, but you get the picture.  How about you?  Do you have any resolutions?  Rowan's resolutions are to taste each donut in the box, apparently.  She was successful this morning.

recycling Christmas cards

I thought I'd share a quick little tip on recycling Christmas cards into pretty gift tags for next year.  Every year when I go to pack away our wrapping paper and bows, I take all the Christmas cards we get and decide if there are any that could be cut into gift tags.

And then I get to cutting out pieces in all shapes and sizes.

And then I tuck them away with the paper, ribbons and bows for next year.  That way when I go to wrap my presents, I have pretty and unique tags!  I write on the back of the picture, or on the side if there is space, and then I punch a hole and attach with ribbon, or just tape it to the present! 

Easy! 

a day of comfort and joy

Pajamas, presents, good cheer, and love.  Christmas 2011.  It was one for the books.

the night before Christmas

Stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Cookies and milk were left for Santa.

Littles were so excited it was hard to convince them to fall asleep.  But once they were asleep, Santa and his elves got to work setting up.

They were up late.  But oh boy, was it worth it!

last push

Yep, it's almost upon us.  Christmas, if you didn't guess.  And we have been busy.  Almost as busy as you, I suspect.  We're so busy we've been using child labor.

We give them cookie breaks, so don't worry.

And now we're mostly ready.  I just need to wrap all 1001 presents before Sunday morning.  Because I procrastinate.  And how do you procrastinate wrapping presents?  Well, if you're a real procrastinator pro like I am, then you spend a day or so organizing a proper wrapping area.  It's so nice, I don't want to mess it up by wrapping. 

I had to give up using my treadmill to set up in this space.  Which was a big sacrifice since I, um, use it so often.  But!  See?  I had the bright idea to use a tension rod to put the ribbon up!

So now it's easier to pick out the pretty ribbon you want without making a huge mess.

And I set up a little caddy with extra ribbons, scissors, tape, gift tags, pens and heavy duty tape for the big boxes.  And a few baubles to pretty up a package or two.

And I tucked a bin full of gift bags under the desk I'm using as a gift wrap station.

And I of course strung lights.  Now it feels like a dorm room in our bedroom.

Now I'm all ready to wrap!  I'm getting to it.

I hope you all have a very Blessed Christmas!  Enjoy your friends and families, your food and drink, and all your gifts.  You can bet I'll be doing all of that here, too.  And remembering the Greatest Gift of all.

Merry Christmas!  xoxo, Ruthie

festive

These week's You Capture theme is festive!  I actually had a hard time with this because I haven't been taking that many pictures lately.  I've been baking, cooking, cleaning, and shopping for late minute gifts, so photography has been low on the list.  But we did go out over the weekend to look at some of our town's lights and to ride on the little train that goes around the shopping village near us.

 And anything festive at Christmas has to involve some cookies!

 {almond brittle cookies}

 {grinch cookies}

{hello dolly bars}