merry musings

Today's topic...

Christmas Musings!

(anything else you want to share)

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Now that our friends and family should have received our Christmas card in the mail, I'll share it with blog world to send greetings your way too!

created at shutterfly

 Thanks so much to those of you that linked-up to the fun and those that took time to comment and read through the 12 Days of Christmas! What fun it was!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!
May it be a blessed one.

Rejoice with great joy!
Nehemiah 12:43

christmas spending savvy

Today's topic...

Thrifty Christmas Tips!

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If you've read my blog for long, you know that I'm all about being thrifty and saving money! Our budget is our friend.  And that fact doesn't change around the holidays!

A few things that keeps us budget-focused during the holidays...

-First things first...create a Christmas spending budget and stick to it.  (We go as far as setting a specific amount we're spending for each person.)

-Pay with cash.  (If you've budgeted for an item, you can easily pay cash for it.  If you pay with cash, you won't feel the expense after Christmas, too.) 

-Keep a record of every gift you buy so you see how much you have left to spend on someone.  It helps you stay focused when you shop and allows you to easily see how much you can still spend.

-Go in together with someone on a gift that may be too much to spend.

-Make a gift.  Handmade is always cherished!

-Buy in groups.  For example, Old Navy recently had a buy one, get one free sale on sweaters...there you can get a better deal on an item, plus you will have an item for two people on your list.  Or many times Bath and Body Works offers deals when you buy three or more of something.  If it would be a nice gift for more than one person on your list, go ahead and buy three of them (as long as you have a recipient in mind).

-Hunt for deals.  If you've vowed to be more crafty with next year's gifts...hit up the day after Christmas sales for 50% off items.

-Host a Christmas party together with a friend or another couple.

-If you can't afford it...don't buy it.

And really...remember things are just things.  Giving should be joyful, not a budget burden.  The real gift of Christmas is that God's love was given to us in a manger.  His love and grace are ours for the taking and giving.  Share that priceless message with someone this Christmas.  It's absolutely free.  How much better does that get?

What are your thrifty holiday tips?

Link up your Christmas musings (anything else you have on your heart/mind) tomorrow for our final day of the 12 Days of Christmas link-up!

decking the halls

Today's topic...

Your Christmas Decorations!

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our tree!

my grandma made our pretty tree skirt

the stockings were hung...by the tv with care (we don't have a chimney)

end table

this arrangement was made by some of the ladies at our church

foyer (the runner matches our tree skirt and was also made by my grandma)

this arrangement was also made by some of the ladies at our church; this is the first time we've used the lantern (love how it looks with ornaments inside it!)

kitchen

and another pretty arrangement from church (we have a bazaar each year)

hubby picked this beautiful poinsettia up for me the day after Thanksgiving and the sled was picked up the day after Christmas at a sale...love it!

above our cabinets in the kitchen (pretty plate was given to us from my mother-in-law)

took this pic before December...we change his heart each day in December

arrangement walking into eat-in area of our kitchen

even the bathroom gets decked for the season!

extra bedroom

christmas decor in the master

Can't wait to see your decor!

Tomorrow...we're getting thrifty! Share your money-saving tips for Christmas.

ribbons and paper and bows, oh my

Today's topic...

Wrapping Tips!

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First off, let me just say, I love to wrap.   If I could make a living out of it, I would.  It's just so fun to me.  It's like artwork.

Some of my tips....

-Recycle bags and bows from previous years.  This way, have lots to choose from and mix and match each year.  (This is also helpful on the budget.)

-Create your own tags from pretty card stock.

-Create personalized wrapping paper.  You can buy brown paper wrapping paper or plain white wrapper paper.  If you have kiddos, they can draw on it or using paint, you could have them add their hand prints (turn into reindeer) or fingerprints (make into snowmen).  If you don't have kiddos, you could glue black and white photos onto the paper or even use stamps to add pizazz.

-Use tissue paper to wrap. Lay a couple layers of tissue paper (different colors and/or patterns work well) flat.  Sit the item in the middle of the paper.  Bring up all sides and gather it at the top. Use a ribbon to secure the tissue paper at the top.  This works great for small trinkets!

-Wrap in a gift itself.  You could wrap in a tote bag, basket, or even a Rubbermaid container.

-Attach a trinket to the bow.  A small toy works great for kiddos or you could attach an ornament to packages for adults.

 So what are your favorite wrapping tips?

Tomorrow we're decking the halls!! Link-up your holiday decor!

Dear Santa...

Today's topic...

Letters to Santa...YOUR Christmas Wish List!

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Dear Santa,

I really have done my best to be good this year.  Yes, I whine occasionally.  And sometimes I get a little stubborn.  But overall, I think you would consider me on the "nice" list, right?! I have divided my list into my "for real" items and my "get real" items.  Any and all of the below items would be more than wonderful to see under the tree.  If you need other ideas...my hubby and mom know me really well.  I'm sure they could help you out.

My For Real list...

KitchenAid Mixer

(I should have kept this on my wedding registry list.)

via

Gift Cards

(You know this girl loves to shop. Among my favorites are Gap, Ann Taylor Loft, Target, iTunes, and TJ Maxx.)

via

Answered prayers

(However, I know I can't have my way all the time.)

via

Vera Bradley

(Basically anything from Vera.)

via

and

A New Brown Coat

 (Isn't this North Face one nice?)

via

And just in case you're feeling extra generous this year...

 My Get Real list...

A new car (or SUV),

A garage for our house,

A truck to give to my deserving hubby,

and last but not least,

world peace.

 Love,
Your Favorite
(Cait)

Looking forward to reading your letters to Santa!

Link up your wrapping tips for tomorrow (Day 9).

yuletide entertainment

Today's topic...

Favorite Christmas Movies and Music!

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{My favorite Christmas Songs}

1.  Mary Did you Know?
2.  Oh Holy Night
3.  Jingle Bell Rock
4.  Baby It's Cold Outside
5.  Relient K's I Celebrate the Day
(check number 5 out below!)

And almost any other Christmas song....

Seriously.  I'm a little crazy about Christmas music.

{Favorite Christmas Movies}

1.  Elf

2.  Santa Clause 1, 2, and 3

3.  Home Alone 1 and 2

4.  Sappy Hallmark Holiday movies

5.  The Holiday

6.  Family Stone

lots others I'm sure that I'm blanking on right now...

Again, I'm a sucker for Christmas movies, just like Christma music! 

And just for fun since this is one of those weeks where I need a good laugh...and maybe you do too....

Click here for a little "Elf" humor!

Oh, and tomorrow...get excited...it's your Christmas wish list and letters to Santa!

Gettin' Crafty on Day 6

Today's topic...

Christmas Crafts and DIY!

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I haven't been too, too crafty myself this holiday season.  When I share my decorations on Day 10, you'll see more of my DIY decorating ideas...as I feel most decorations have a little DIY spin on them since YOU choose where and how to use them! (One of my favorites being using ball ornaments in various glass containers to decorate.)  So I thought today I would share some of my favorite DIY internet finds from 3 of my favorite magazines...

{Country Living}

framed Christmas paper as ornaments

I made my own rendition of this to hold our Christmas cards

how cute is the idea of a photo wreath?

spray paint? check!

{Real Simple}

guests can write a holiday message to apply to the wreath or it could even be filled with favorite bible verses, memories from the year, etc. Oh...or what about cut pieces from the fronts of Christmas cards to adorn this wreath?!

{Southern Living}

deck the stairs! (use nice paper and yarn. simple.)

I can't wait to see your craft and DIY ideas for the holidays!

Tomorrow...

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
tomorrow's the time to share your favorite songs and movies,
yay!"

Munching Around the Christmas Tree

Today's topic...

Holiday Recipes 
and/or 
Entertaining Ideas!

**This link-up will be open until tomorrow at 11:59 pm due to me messing up the posting time.  Oops! Sorry for any inconvenience! Day 6 will also be posted tomorrow to link-up as well.**

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I'm going to share one of my new faves with you....

Antipasto Cheese Ball
 (adapted from a Nabisco recipe)

What You Need:

*2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
{I use one low fat and one regular to cut calories}
*3/4 cup chopped Pepperoni
{I use turkey pepperoni to cut calories here, too}
*1/2 cup Kraft 100% Three Cheese Blend
2 Tbsp. chopped basil
3 Tbsp. chopped roasted red peppers

Crackers to dip (i.e. Ritz or Club Crackers)

You may also choose to add 1/4 cup chopped black olives (the recipe calls for this, but I forgot it when I made it the first time, and it turned out lovely without it..so I stuck with that version of this recipe)

How to Make It:

*Let cream cheese soften
*Mix all ingredients until well blended.
(Nice clean hands work best to "smoosh" it all together.)
*Roll into ball and cover in plastic wrap.
*Refrigerate about 1 hour to firm up before serving.

This makes a great appetizer for holiday functions!

Extra thoughts:  
-Place onto a small cutting board and use a decorative holiday cheese spreader for serving.  
-You can also form this into a "wreath" shape and garnish with roasted red peppers on top as well as parsley leaves to give it a more decorative look.  
-Finally, if you wish to plan ahead, you can store this in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

I can't wait to read your favorite holiday recipes and entertaining ideas!

Tomorrow...Christmas DIY! Need some last minute decorating and/or gift ideas? We're talking crafts, ladies!

Day 4!

Today's topic...

Christmas Memories!

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Oh my, I know there are far too many to count.  So I'll share with you some precious memories through pictures.  (Although, I'm thinking that possible some of the sweetest memories might not have even been captured on camera.)

(And let me get this off my chest too...I'm really a little mad at myself for picking this topic.  How in the world do you choose your favorite Christmas memories to share? Oh my...they are all my favorite.  So to make this a little easier...you're seeing a pic or two from each Christmas folder on my computer. I didn't dig into years before college. This just isn't a topic for someone indecisive like me.)  Okay now that that's said...let's begin.

Let's go from oldest to newest....

My grandpa always likes us to read some devotional he has picked out for Christmas Eve. (This Christmas included braces for me...yep, I waited to have them in college.  Gross.)

Christmas in our apartment with my college roomies...love them and don't see them often enough now!

My precious childhood friend, Megan, is a Christmas baby and shares her birthday with Jesus...this was taken right before her surprise bday party one year! Another sweet friend I don't see often enough now!

Some of us "college kids" from church...snow tubing was a part of our winter break one year...so fun! (This was pre-relationship for Justin and me...I was still in denial.  Silly girl.)

I may have been near peeing my pants in this picture from laughing so hard.

Justin's first journey with us to pick out our family tree...our first Christmas as a couple (we never dated through a Christmas...we were engaged here!)

Stockings from Santa on Christmas morning are spectacular no matter how old you are!

Our first married Christmas (2008)

Justin played Santa at our Children's Christmas program at church our first Christmas...funny part is that he may have been one of the skinniest guys in church at the time, hence the square-ish look from his pillow-formed belly. ;)

We traveled with my parents to donate collected items from our church to a Methodist Mission center

While we were there, we had the joy of watching all these donated gifts from the surrounding area be opened by gobs and gobs of excited children....so awesome.

At the annual "Christmas Carol" (our second married Christmas-2009)

our precious nephew (center), our twin nieces, and their cousins on last Christmas (2009)...love the matching clothes!

Christmas Eve night in my childhood home's newly expanded room....yep, it was unfinished...obviously that didn't stop us :)

Boone's first Christmas (2009) He's a Christmas puppy...Dec. 18th

We always pose for a pic with a gift at my grandparents'...my aunt is a fancy wrapper (as in paper and bows and gifts) as you can see

This year

Our little downtown has a tree lighting ceremony each December...we stopped by quickly last night!

Tonight is tree searching time and dinner out with the fam! Whoo hoo! 

I can't wait for even more Christmas memories this year! What are some of your favorite Christmas memories?

Get your stomachs and party-selves ready for tomorrow...we'll talk Christmas Recipes and/or Entertaining Ideas!