Just A Lil' Christmas Decor...

Every year I tell myself I am going to go shopping after Christmas and get my Christmas decor for the next year.

And every year the After-Christmas decor goes on sale for 60-75% off, and I find myself either

A. not wanting to spend the money because I feel like I have done nothing BUT spend money on Christmas

or

B. I ask myself, "Where on earth am I going to store all this extra Christmas stuff?"

or

C. I get there too late and everything is picked over.

Well, let me tell you....this year I WILL be buying some Christmas decor after the season. I realized, while trying to decorate this year, that I don't have that much Christmas stuff....

So, until next year.... here is a peek into this year's Christmas decorating..(I know, it's pitiful)....

Instead of a wreath, I put this Santa on my front door. My mom gave him to me when I was first married. She used to keep him on her front door. Now that my mom is no longer here, I keep up the tradition with Santa on my front door. He's a nice alternative to a wreath....this decoration will probably never change!

I saw this on another blog (can't remember which one since I read sooo many)...this is a fruit dish I had in my cabinets. I just filled them with ornaments I already had, and wrapped some garland (I already had) around it. The table runner is some extra fabric I bought a few years ago. I planned on using it to make a dress for my girls, but never got around to it. So I just folded it and laid it on the table...WA LA.. it's a table runner....

Another idea taken from a blog....it's a cupcake stand with ornaments on it....simple...and very cheap to make....(I already had the cupcake stand and ornmanets..)

Our skinny tree. Every year we go out and buy a glorious, fat, $80 tree....but not this year. We went to Lowe's and bought a $30 tree....not a fat, full tree this year, but we have an extra $50 in our pockets and the kids don't know the difference...

A fuzzy glimpse of our mantle...I'm trying really hard to use the natural light in my pics...but they are just too fuzzy...but nonetheless, this is my mantel this year..

Here is a non-fuzzy glimpse of my mantel. The tree on the left was another hand-me-down from my sweet mom, so I feel the need to display it every year, even though it is something you would see back in the 80's. The stars came from the Dollar Tree this year, the stocking hangers from Wal-Mart, the poinsettias from Michael's last year, and I have NO clue where the Santa came from....he just appeared...

Here is Faith's stocking. My sweet neighbor's mother in law made this for Faith...I just LOVE it...I'm glad my girls have stockings like these...they will have these the rest of their lives, and they will always have that timeless look.

Brooke's stocking. Another timeless one.

These are my candle holders that stay up all year long...I bought little mini-ornaments and put in the bottoms. I think they look cute!

This is where I display all my Christmas cards I get from friends and family. My kids have a hay-day with the cards, taking them out of their holders and scattering them all over the place...so I have given up and just started stacking them inside the mailbox. My girls love to take them out and look at all the pictures....


So, there you have it....my inexpensive (lack of) Christmas decor. I PROMISE to have more fun stuff next year.....Can't wait to see the after Christmas deals I come across!!

The Elf On The Shelf

Do you have an Elf on The Shelf???

Well, if you don't, then you should. They are the best!

Elf on The Shelf is a little stuffed elf that comes with a book. The book tells children that the little elf is Santa's helper. He watches them during the day, and at night he reports back to Santa to tell him if the boys/girls have been good that day. In the morning the kids find him in a new spot in the house where he stays all day until he "reports" back to Santa....

My girls LOVE the Elf on The Shelf....I wish I had a bunch of pictures, but I keep forgetting to take a new picture each day of the Elf....but I can tell you, this morning he is sitting in our Christmas tree, yesterday he was sitting in our chandelier, the day before that he was sitting on the shoulders of a Santa doll we have. Last weekend, he got into the cereal and poured it all over the counter....he must have tried to make some breakfast...

If you don't have an Elf on The Shelf this year, and you have small children... I highly recommend getting one!!!

Halloween Snack and Decorating Ideas....

Hi Blog Readers...

If you are anything like me, you spend all of your time picking up toys and getting things in order AND/OR cleaning your house. By the time the picking up is done, there's no time to actually clean it...and vice versa...

But today, I made a point to stay home and get some much needed toilet scrubbing, vacuuming and dusting done....and can breathe a sigh of relief that my house is officially clean...

for today, anyway....

So, I finished up a morning of chores, and now I am sitting down with my laptop...with Halloween on my mind. I have loved the Halloween season since I was a little girl....

I wish I had the time to decorate something like this

Or do my yard like this...

I'd even settle for one cute little table in my house that looked like this..

Even these are cute, but I wouldn't know where to put them...

Faith's class assigns one child to bring snack for the entire class, for the entire week. This works out nicely because I only have to think about sending in snack once every 18 weeks for her. I used to do that with my class when I taught, and it worked out great. Faith's week to take snack is coming up, so I am trying to come up with some cute snack ideas to send in. I found a few snacks like this...

and this..

..and I wish I had the time to make something fun like this...

...even these are cute and would work...

I will keep you posted on what I decide to send in for snack week....and if you have cute ideas or websites you can refer me to, PLEASE do....I am definitely NO Betty Crocker and need your help! Snack week is the week of the 19th!!!

Okay, my blog surfing time is up....until next time....