Post Christmas Contentment

 Not long after the Christmas dinner was consumed, a tiny little hand slipped into mine and guided me over to the foyer.  Once there, the tiny little finger pointed to the floor and I did my best to follow instructions.  Not an easy task right after eating that large meal, I might add.

 There we waited with train cars in hand...

as the daddy and uncle learned the true meaning of "some assembly required."

Thomas the Train and his wooden railway were quite the hit once we were able to start playing.

It seems those tiny little hands are just the right size to carry three train cars at once all around the house.

 In this week between Christmas and New Year's, the foyer has taken on a new look.  One we haven't seen around here for quite a few years.

So, we are enjoying the world of choo choo trains, Hot Wheel cars and Toy Story characters with fond recollections of our own boys playing with similar toys.

Even though he is drawn to "things that go", I was holding him in the kitchen one day when the tiny finger pointed to the vintage baking display and one by one the pieces were taken to the family room floor where he amused himself (and his grandma) by baking Christmas treats and pouring us each a cup of Christmas tea.

Soon life will return to normal and playtime will be over.

Until then I plan to enjoy every moment.

I do hope that you all are enjoying your holidays and just as soon as I'm done playing, I'll be back to visiting your blogs.  

Until then,

Happy, Happy New Year!! 

Wishing You a Joyful Christmas

 

 With the prospect of a white Christmas not even a remote possibility, I made the decision to create my own little snow scene on the kitchen counter.  Mini carnations will stand in for snowballs as that seems to be more in line with our predicted 75 degree weather.

As we move nearer to Christmas day, I want to take a moment to remember you, my blog friends.

 May your holiday celebration bring you JOY.

It brings me JOY to share life's journey with you.

Thank you for your visits.

From my happy home, I wish you a

Merry Christmas.

Small Things

 

 

Sometimes that old junk I collect comes in handy for creating little Christmas vignettes around the house.    Several years ago I purchased this handmade card here. Once I received it, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it, so I started sifting through the contents of my vintage bin.  I was pleased to discover this little snowman and tiny candy canes.   They seemed meant to be together.

 I debated throwing the snowman on the right into the trash because, in truth, he is missing a chunk of his chubby little tummy.  Something about his hat and cheery scarf keep me from resorting to such drastic measures.  I think his bright red nose and cute little smile endear me as well.  I think I'll find a tiny sprig of holly to fill up the hole.  He can have new life as a vase.  A true trash to treasure story :).

 Through the years I have found it hard to pass up some of these old relics from the past.

  Our local Value Village has an entire wall of bagged up treasures.  Sometimes they look like the contents of somebody's junk drawer, but once in a while there is an old vintage item to be found.  That was the case recently with this wee collection of angels complete with candles and Christmas tree.

They turned out to be a bonus since what I really wanted out of the bag was...

 

 This wee little Santa mug.  

He just seemed lonely in there all by himself.

I'm quite sure he is now smiling under all of that facial hair.

Glad to be reunited with members of his family tree, no doubt. 

Last month I was feeling quite ahead of the game by getting my napkins folded while the boys were engrossed in the football game.

Since then I've been on the hunt for something to tuck inside.

Hoping for something besides candy canes, I was happy to find these little Santas... Godiva Santas.  Mmmmm.

He looks a bit like he is tucked into bed.  Perhaps resting up for the big night ;D. 

Hang in there Santa.  It won't be long now.

Cookie Baking Fun

 

 While banging candy canes with a meat mallet this afternoon, it occurred to me that   ♪thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump... look at Frosty go.  Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump... over the hills of snow♫ is an ideal tune to go along with this job.  With Anne Murray crooning from the CD player, I found myself singing and thumping the mallet to the beat.  Who knew crushing candy canes could be so much fun.

 Once pulverized they were added to the cookie baking line-up.

 Measure, mix, roll.

Sing, dance and stroll...

♫ ♪ ♫

 

 right over to the oven just in time to pull out a nice warm tray of Christmas cookies.

Yummy!!

At this time of year when there seems to be no end to the to do list,

I'm thankful for Christmas music and all of it's variations.

Today was a day for peppy, upbeat selections.

Sure does help the energy levels remain high and the mood remain cheery. :D.

 

Monthly Motivation - A Great Gift

 

 Back here I shared with you my motivation for getting serious about regular exercise.

I'm pleased to report that since that time I have been successful at making exercise a top priority.  I strive for 4 workouts per week. 

The other day while following along with the DVD, the instructor made a simple statement that really hit home with me.

She said "it's a great gift to move your body."  See what I mean, simple.  Although as I thought about it I really appreciated her words in a way I might not have several years ago.

Recently while visiting my father-in-law we were shocked by the physical change in him.  It had been awhile since we last saw him and at that time he was noticing some mysterious changes to his health.  Now watching him shuffle very slowly with his walker I could only think how frustrating this must be for a man who once ran a company and traveled the world.  I'm sure the greatest gift he could receive would be the gift of moving his body the way he once did.  

I also think of my sister.  In the blink of an eye a stroke took away the ability to move one side of her body.  I know, without a doubt, she would consider it a very great gift to be able to move her body once again.

Even though I have now made exercise a priority, I sometimes find I need a boost to my motivation level.

That simple thought... it's a great gift to move your body... is all it takes to put things into perspective for me.  It's kind of become my mantra. 

As we enter into the gift giving season I thought I'd share this thought with you.  Perhaps in this busy season it will provide just the motivation you might be looking for.

A great gift to give yourself.

Bringing Joy to my Little World

 

 One night last week I curled up in bed with Peanut and enjoyed a little escape from reality in the form of a Hallmark channel Christmas movie.  Even better because I had recorded it and could zoom through the commercials.  I think if I couldn't watch tv this way I would have given up on it entirely by now.  Mostly because I detest being inundated with commercials advertising drugs and all of their numerous, disturbing side effects.  It kind of spoils the entertainment factor to keep hearing these gross details.  Ugh! 

Prior to the Hallmark movie, I had been tuning in to the world news reports each evening to fill the quiet hours while Brett was away on business.  I find it a fine line between being informed and being overwhelmed when it comes to the news.  Lately it has seemed particularly overwhelming.  Which is why I've decided to lay off the news for the rest of the year.  It seems to come at us constantly now and, while it's good to be informed, there isn't much that I can do to change it.  So, instead, I'm focusing on bringing joy to my little world.  My own little way of spreading cheer to all who visit here during this holiday season.

 

Today was a day for morphing the turkey carcass into turkey broth.

How nice it will be to have in the freezer for future soup making on some of the cold, busy days leading up to Christmas.

As it simmered away all afternoon,  I worked on decking the halls.

 

As I unwrapped my collection of vintage decor, I couldn't help but think how many of these pieces have been around for a lot of years.  Each one of those years came filled with good times and bad times, peaceful times and times of unrest.  But, through it all, we are given the opportunity to choose to be joyful and spread cheer.

We may not be able to bring peace to the world, but creating a joy-filled peaceful home might be a good place to start.

 ~ Let There Be Peace on Earth 

and Let it Begin with Me ~