dec. daily {no.7} toys in every store

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and I'm coupon clipping big time. Although our budget is thanking us for not splurging on airfare this season (we've opted to visit Jeff's parents in January...tickets are half the price!), I am still attempting to stick to a savvy spending plan. Here's how:
*Start out with X dollars to spend on Christmas
*Divide X by all the peeps who need gift-giving
*Make list of what to give to each, and how much we can spend {and stick to it of course}
*Clip coupons galore
*Compare, compare, compare
*Buy everything on sale
*Pay with cash
*And most importantly, I have a few handmade gifts up my sleeve this year. :)
Am hoping to wrap up all of the Christmas shopping by the end of the week.

i never knew

dec. daily {no. 4} Light of the world

"And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid."

The best+brightest item on our advent agenda: Cozy up on the couch and read Luke chapter 2 family style. Pause to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

It's no Bethlehem star, but this lovely little chandie is gracing our dining room table and illuminating our nativity scene this season. An early Christmas gift from my sil--she knows my girly style all too well.

P.S. If you're feeling a bit behind the times these days and still in need of a quick advent calendar--download this one. It's simple and darling!

dec. daily {no. 3} : merry + bright

Suddenly, our new little place is beginning to feel a little like Christmas and a lot like home. Am completely charmed by our beautiful Be Merry paper banner from this dear girl.

dec. daily {no. 2} : happiness is

Watching our kiddo's face light up with the Christmas tree. I never imagined how wonderful it would be to watch him discover the world.

dec. daily {no.1} : diy stockings

Welcome blessed December. It was a light speed year, but nevertheless, I am glad to see you've rolled around again. Christmastime is here. It's officially the hap-happiest season of all. Time to trim our trees and prepare our hearts for Christ's coming. Our halls are decked and our Advent calendar is chock full of ideas to make the season bright. Am feeling a little extra merry this year at the thought of sharing the wonderment with Graham, forging new family traditions as a threesome, and (hip-hip) the prospect of enjoying a white Christmas once again as a Minnesotan. Speaking of traditions--last year, I loved every minute of sharing my December Dailies. And so, I am delighted to bring you a whole 'nother round. First up, the big reveal of my DIY stockings. I had high hopes of knitting up something truly heirloom-worthy, but my needles (and knitting aptitude) froze and fell short after the first row. Yarn aside, these are my wool felt renditions. I must say, it's the thought that counts. My lovely SIL Jenny came to spend a weekend with us in November, and we cranked out our handmade stockings like nobody's business. I am so grateful to her for inspiring + motivating me to get these made. Now all I have to do is sit back and scheme about how I will stuff them.

dinner : inspired

Am always eager to try new recipes that are both simple and scrumptious. Let me tell you, I have high standards when it comes to both categories, so finding dishes that truly fit the bill is quite a delight. While home visiting last weekend, I swiped my mom's December Real Simple for a little eye candy on our drive home. I flipped to this Cuban Braised Beef recipe yesterday and flipped my crock pot on this morning. Tonight our tastebuds gave this quickie dish rave reviews. In fact, 5 stars, to be exact. Con mucho gusto, am adding it to my permanent recipe records. So if you're feeling a little pressed for time between now and Dec. 25, give this a try. I highly recommend. And its red+green color scheme is a little pre-Christmas bonus. :)

family photos

Last weekend, we headed to the great outdoors for a few quick family photos. Hard to believe we were worried about it getting too dark at 4pm! Winter, grrr. But lucky us the lighting turned out perfect and it wasn't too cold to plant Mr. G. in the grass for 15 minutes. I love an easy peasy photo shoot. The tricky part will be narrowing it down for our Christmas cards! Here's a sneak peak:By the way, I've been lazy...Graham is 7 1/2 months already and I haven't shared any pics of him or highlighted his big milestones. And so far it's been a big month for this big baby boy...
These days, he's:
*Sleeping through the night (for 2 straight weeks!) Hoping this time it's for real. If so, it would be nothing short of a pre-Christmas miracle.
*Rocking the solids and has the proper poos to prove it. (We are still loving our baby-led weaning and cloth dipes!)
*Lunging forward and getting up on all 4s. I am so not ready to childproof. Am crossing my fingers that the crawling will wait 'til after the Christmas tree comes down.
*Saying "dadadadadadadadadaa." It's the best thing yet. But I must admit, I am green with envy and find myself responding "mamamama" every chance I get. :) Our sweet little bean has finally added a word to his growling and spitting repertoire!We are heading to my parents' tomorrow for a big turkey bash. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Will be back on Friday to share my latest Christmas craft.

diy button ponytail holder

This little craft is a one minute wonder!! I'm not even kidding, from start--to finish--to snug in your pretty locks, this is a true quickie. Now that I am back at work and barely finding enough time to keep the floors clean and the socks folded, I am embracing instant crafts like this. Plus, not a day goes by without my hair winding up in a pony. Imagine that! Now I can sport my usual 'do with a bit of flair.
Ready, get set, go:
1. Gather up your goodies: you'll need a small scrap of your favorite fabric, an elastic ponytail holder and a metal button covering kit (any size will do--I chose a 1" diameter)
2. Following your kit instructions, trim fabric to size, place over button, press, and ta-da! You've created your custom look.3. Take your pony holder and loop+swoop it through the eye of the button. I found that using an old pony with over-stretched elastic was the perfect trick to easily advance it through the button. Of course your results will depend on the size of buttons and elastics you use, but you get the idea!
4. Admire your darling finished product, tie back your hair, and go greet the day!

a toy for the boy

'Tis the season for holiday list making and gift giving. We're attempting to stick to a slim budget this year, but want to invest in one nice toy for Mr. G. Since he'll be right around the standing age come Dec. 25, I would love for him to have a little walker. This one is awesome because it has a wagon and seat so he can cart around his favorite little stuffed friends.

All of the early bird shopping this year really prompted Jeff and I to have a conversation about being mindful of the toys we bring into our home over the years. In an age of consumerism and a nation of abundance (despite the recession, wouldn't you say that we're still doing pretty well for ourselves?) it's easy to get swept up in crazy Christmas spending and blur the lines between wants and needs. Of course we want to give generously to Graham, and in so doing, nurture a spirit of generosity and gratefulness in him, but I digress. Instead of quantity, we want to try to choose quality toys. Things that are great quality and can withstand years of bangs and busyness. Things that he can learn to value and take care of (and not throw away). Things that a Grandpa Graham could reuse and share with his grandkids. We want to get back to the basics and invest in toys that are simple, solid, and natural. Things that will spark his curiosity and challenge his big imagination. By the way, I LOVE the fact that wooden toys are making a comeback!