Friday Faves

Friday Favorites from the most wonderful time of the year...

 1. 


I put together Parker's teacher gifts this week, and I adore them! He has six different teachers at his preschool that we wanted to buy for, so I wanted to keep the price for each one reasonable. I was so excited to see the Spode Christmas Tree oven mitts on sale at Kohl's for half of what I normally see them going for! You can still find them on sale here. I own two of the Spode Christmas tree mitts and love, love, love them. For the presents, I combined the oven mitts with bamboo kitchen utensils from Target. They come in packs of three, which worked out perfectly since I needed six (I purchased two packs and used the utensils as singles). I'm hoping the teachers enjoy the mitts just as much as I do!



2. 

Speaking of teachers, we are so thankful for them! Parker's preschool is outdoor based and nontraditional (so we don't get very many papers or projects sent home), but my Mama heart was so happy to get these yesterday!


Here's more from this little guy (Q&A idea swiped from Little Baby Garvin because I thought it was so adorable!)

1. What is on your Christmas list? 
My Christmas list is, I need a big bed and a red dinosaur, I really been wanting that red dinosaur. And a twenty-four-hour clock.

2. What is the best part about Christmas?
Track 18 (which is Frosty the Snowman on the Michael Bublé Christmas CD we have been listening to in the car).

3. Where does Santa live?
In the North Pole.

4. What are the names of Santa's reindeer?
Red nose reindeer. 

5. What do you think Santa's favorite food is?
Chocolate. Chocolate cookies.

6. What will Santa bring Mommy and Daddy for Christmas?
You want an Apple watch!

3.
We've been keeping up with our advent calendar for daily holiday related activities...


Most of these were just saved from last year, so I'm planning on storing them and reusing for as many years as I can!


Since the Q-tip painting was such a hit, we painted more paper Christmas trees but this time with pom poms and clothespins (which made bigger "ornaments").



 4.

 

Each December, I usually display the Christmas cards we receive by pinning them on ribbon that's either wrapped around our staircase or framing a window, but this year I was feeling more minimalist. I blame The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - it's a must-read if you haven't already, and will inspire you to have the cleanest most organized home possible.


Anyway, instead of making a big display, I've been doing what I usually wait until January to do: I've been hole punching our cards as we receive them, and binding them with loose-leaf rings to make a book. Our card goes in the front as the cover. I've been doing this for years now, and I love bringing the books out each December and looking back on years past. Of course each year my stash gets a bit bigger so I'm not sure how sustainable it is, however it's working for now!


I also have a book going just for Parker. Each December, I add our Christmas card from that year, with the idea being that he'll one day have a collection of all our cards. The first card in the book is the one we sent out when I was pregnant, and this year he's just obsessed with it and how he was "in Mommy's tummy!"



5.
Yesterday I wrote about the Ornament Swap party I attended for Junior League. We played Secret Santa style, and you know the gift you brought is a good one when it's stolen the maximum number of times!


My gift was this ornament from Nordstrom, mostly because "y'all" is officially part of my vocabulary now that I'm a Southerner ;) It was stolen in the game the very last time from my Provisional Chair (who has been an amazing help to me with the league this year), so today I ordered her one of her own as a holiday gift. Order here through Ebates right now and you'll get 6% cash back on all Nordstrom items! (On a side note, tons of our Christmas shopping was done via Ebates this year and I feel so efficient! Instead of a random site getting the commission for advertising, it all comes back to me - score!).

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back


Wishing you all the coffee with extra whip this Friday!





18 comments

  1. I love Parker's answers! Great oven mitt, I'm going to see if my Kohl's has them today. Have a Merry Christmas Mandy & Family! xoxo!

    Cari in NH

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    Replies
    1. I just adore the Spode Christmas Tree pattern! :) Happy holidays to YOU!

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  2. I love the gifts you put together for your little guy's teachers! I just might have to steal this for next year ;) And what a great idea to put your cards together like that. Have a great weekend! Beautifully Candid

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  3. That Southern Christmas ornament is so cute! We moved down South a couple years ago, and y'all is definitely in my vocabulary now, too :) What a great idea to put all the Christmas cards in a binder. I have all of our in elastic-banded stacks, but this would be so much more fun to look at each year!

    Meg, Borrowed Heaven

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  4. I collect the Spode dishes & love the mitt! I'm sure they all loved their gifts. Your advent calendar is so cute & I love that ornament!!
    Kelsey
    www.thepeacockroost.com

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    Replies
    1. I'm officially OBSESSED with the Spode design now - I've added serving trays, dip dishes, salt and pepper shakers... but I want it all!! :)

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  5. Thanks for sharing how you organize your cards...those are some great ideas! Also, I love the teacher gift you put together. And so sweet of you to buy another ornament for the Provisional Chair! Have a festive weekend!

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  6. I love using ebates. We got a lot of money back when we were doing our kitchen renovation. Love that sweater at the end. So stinking cute. And the handmade ornaments are just darling. Seriously so much good stuff here. Have a great weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Awwww, thanks so much!! And YAY for Ebates checks ;)

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  7. The teacher gifts are just the cutest! And I started doing the same thing with our Christmas cards last year, too. I love it so much!

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  8. I swear you must be the best mommy ever!!!! Parker and your hubby are very lucky boys!

    Melissa

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  9. Your teacher gifts are awesome, but did I read that right? SIX pre-school teachers? WOW! Merry Christmas!

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    Replies
    1. I included the specials teachers, too, who push in for Art, Spanish etc. :) So many educators caring for our sweet guy!

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  10. That's a great idea for teacher gifts! We went with ornaments from a local gift shop. They were so much more affordable than Hallmark! I absolutely love that idea for the Christmas Cards. I have never thought of that! Have a great weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Ornaments are always a win in my book! Also, I'm obsessed with our Christmas card books - I just love flipping through the old ones :)

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  11. Add a cookie mix to that gift and to me, it's perfection!

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    Replies
    1. Stephanie, what a fabulous idea!! I wish I had thought of that... next year ;)

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