Day 15 - Good-bye Buddy!

Maybe Buddy should stay away from the gift wrap section at the North Pole.

It's hard to believe it's time to say good-bye to him again, but Buddy has to go help Santa and we will be heading off on our Christmas adventures as well.

Merry Christmas to each of you!  

Thanks for reading.

Day 14

Uh oh.  

Stuck.

Day 13

All these late night shenanigans require a little caffeine fix.

Day 12

Out for a drive.

Day 11

Buddy got the kids a little week before Christmas gift.

He had to break it in with the guys first though.

Day 10

Syrup,

the 4th food group.

Best shared with a friend.

Day 9

On your mark, get set, GO!

Day 8 - SPOILER ALERT

If you're thinking that Buddy is quite the little rascal with all his antics, please stop reading now.

Truth be told, he has a bit of help with his nightly activities.  

I know.  

Hard to believe that any sane adult would have the sort of time during the holidays to be creating fake elf mischief scenarios in the middle of the night.

Last night however, he had help from Sofi.  

Here he is, stuck up in an oven mitt.

He also managed to make a mess with his marshmallows.

Yesterday Cate asked me if Buddy cleans up his stuff every day or if I do.  

I'm happy to report that today it's gonna be on Sofi.   

Day 7

Buddy built himself a little friend last night.

(He felt it was worth a mention that stacking marshmallows is 

SIGNIFICANTLY HARDER than it looks.)

Day 6

Awwww.   

Buddy left our sick girl a little message.

Day 5

The lack of snow didn't stop Buddy from a little late night sledding!

Day 4

Keepin' fit through the holiday season.

Day 3

He's always been so friendly to the rest of us...

Day 2

I guess Buddy's a bit hungry after his journey...

Buddy Returns

Apparently it's a crazy year at the North Pole so Buddy was not able to get away until today.

(He's quite high up in the elf ranks you know.)

But now he's back, exhausted, but here.

He brought the kids a little treat to apologize for being so tardy.

I wish I looked so bright eyed when I'm tired.

Wrapping Gifts

Do you like to wrap? 

Me, not so much.  

I mean if it were one or two items it'd be kinda fun, but at 

Christmas when there's a big pile, it's really not my thing.

So I try to keep it simple.

Here's my wrapping advice:

The Supplies

I love short rolls of wrap...so much easier to manoeuvre and cut.

String is less work than ribbon.

Ikea tags are adorable!

Always use transparent wrapping tape!!!

The Gifts

Use a box for items that are a tricky shape.

If you can't find a box, wrap the item in tissue first to give it softer sides.

ALWAYS remove price tags including the sticky residue they often leave behind!!

Including a gift receipt is kind if it is an item that might not fit.

The Goal

Don't go overboard.  

Remember all this is gonna end up in the garbage so aim for pretty but not over the top.

DIY Scarf Inspiration

Besides the marshmallows strung about my house, Anthropologie also inspired a little DIY.

I saw this scarf there.

It was $68.

But I love it!  

Mixing fabric seems to be the newest thing in infinity scarves.

So pretty.

However, not having $68 handy, I thought I'd try to make one.

A friend and I shared the cost of a plaid scarf at Target and split it in half.  Then I got some half price wool from Michael's and knitted up a section, sewed both pieces together, and ta da.

Dual texture infinity for less than $15.

UPDATE:
If you (like my kids) were expecting Buddy to appear today, please know that he was held up at the North Pole and will not be appearing until next week.
 He sent his apologies along with a little treat.

Decorating Inspiration

Have you been to Anthropologie?  

They opened in Winnipeg in October.  If you haven't been, you have to go.

It's gorgeous.

What I love about Anthropologie is that as lovely as their products are, 

their decor is equally worth the visit.

I was inspired by their marshmallows.

They had them sprinkled everywhere.  

Minis.

Big guys.

And my favourite, tied to items with candy cane striped twine.

They were just so sqeezeably adorable!  

So I had to have some too.  

What could be easier?

Or cheaper?

Or more cozy, comfy, sweet than a marshmallow cinched at his waist by some twine?

Go buy yourself a bag!  (or two)

Decorating for Christmas

Do you find it overwhelming?  

Adding a whole load of Christmas decorations to your house in a season when your spaces are already more crowded than usual?

Even if you don't have a bunch of bins worth, it can be tricky to add Christmas in and amongst your regular stuff.

So here's my number one, most important holiday decorating tip.

Don't add.

REPLACE.

Try to keep the same general plan that you normally have in your rooms, but replace your every day items with Christmas decor.

On the walls,

on your shelves,

in vases,

on side tables,

and coffee tables.

There are so many simple ways to make a big impact.

Change up a blanket.

Use some red balls.

Trade a plant for a tree.

All those items you remove can get stored in the bins you took your Christmas decorations out of.

When it's time to take down, just switch it all back.

Happy Decorating!