There is just so much I would love to post about when it comes to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, if I hadn’t been so busy soaking up every minute of it I might have been smart about it and posted throughout the two weeks.
But I didn’t.
I let it all collect in my brain and now I have to sort it out and decide what’s worth telling, how to even describe it and make sure it’s not just a rehash of what you already read on ctvolympics.ca. Or nbc.com if you’re in the States. Continue reading
Today was Valentines Day as well as Chinese New Year and Day 3 of the Olympics. Poor Vancouver, walking through the mall I can tell the stores are having complete marketing overload. Good thing red is the colour of all three events.
We celebrated with John’s sister Janna, sister Adrianne, her husband Gordie and our nephew with some Chinese food from Mr. Ho’s at our place. Add a bowl full of chocolates, some egg tarts and Chinese tea and I think we had the holidays covered.
John took care of ordering and picking up the Chinese food. He also gave me a hilarious card, the orchids you see below and helped clean up the house. What more could a girl ask for on Valentines Day?
Maybe a gold medal. Continue reading
Okay, it’s time. I’ve had a week since New Year’s Eve to think about what my resolutions will be this year. I’ve checked out some of the articles online about how to choose good resolutions (not too broad, reasonably attainable, measurable, etc.) and I think I am ready.
The key here this year is no more sweeping statements about pursuing my dreams and traveling more and getting in shape. I can use those statements as categories for the practical steps I will plan to take in my life. But they themselves make lousy resolutions. Continue reading
I wrote this post before Christmas and ended up posting on the website I worked for but originally intended to put a version of it on my own blog as well. I used Skype to spend Christmas morning with my family in Texas and it completely changed the experience from two years ago so I think these ideas are worth sharing. Continue reading
We just flew in this afternoon and made our way home, only for poor John to turn around and head back out again for a week of conference with university students. Not the most ideal follow-up to ten days with his entire family living under one roof (which includes one four month old now) but it’s an annual reality for him as long as he stays in the job he’s chosen. So far I have escaped the post-Christmas conference that, incidentally, also claims our New Years Eve. But if I move in the direction I think I will in my job, this time next year I may be dragging my tired self along with him. Continue reading
Wrapping ideas with personality!
Week 6: Create a Family Tradition
I had a good conversation with my friend Claire the other day about remembering to incorporate activities that John and I want to do, not just the ones we’ve “always done”. It is easy, especially when faraway family necessitates spending the holidays in someone else’s home each year, to forgot that the two of us are a family too.
The day is coming when we’ll be able to wake up Christmas morning in our own house and shape the day together, but for now we take part in what our extended families do, and we have to be intentional in defining our little family in these years. Continue reading
Last year's baking with my sisters-in-law
Week 7 is all about organizing your family calendar. This isn’t really a big deal for us at this stage – no kids programs to attend or family to host. We know when we’re flying to Alberta to spend the holidays with John’s family and we know when we’re coming back. Once at home our schedule is sort of determine by the majority!
But how we spend our time – where we spend it and with whom is still something to put thought into. Simplemom says.
“list three to five words that describe your ideal holiday season for this year. Be careful to appropriately define the word ideal. I don’t mean ‘magazine picture-perfect.’ I mean, what’s best for everyone in your family, in your current situation.”
My words are: family-oriented, minimal materialism, focused on Jesus, restful, warm.
I also enjoyed simplemom‘s suggestion to make a list of things you’d like to do as a family over the holidays that are not calendar items. Just fun stuff you’d like to incorporate.
My list includes:
What are the words you want to describe your ideal Christmas? What’s on your list of activities for the holidays?
Opening our decorations
I am almost caught up with Simple Mom! Next year maybe I’ll be talking about each week while it is still that many weeks before Christmas.
To update you on how I’m doing with the first 4 weeks before I launch into the next…
I found a photo card I loved but they don’t deliver to Canada so I tried seeing what I could print at a Kodak kiosk and the experience was less than helpful so we went back to the drawing board and John designed a card in Photoshop that looks similar to the one I wanted online. So no, I didn’t get them ordered, but hopefully will have them printed by the end of the week.
On to Week 8, the only one I’ll talk about today because it comes with pictures.
8 Weeks Till Christmas: Brainstorm Decorating Ideas.
A couple of the points simplemom gives include taking an inventory of what you have, hunting the sales well before the holidays and embracing a simple look. Last year after Christmas I bought several items at Superstore, Ikea and other locations that then went unopened in my 2 green tubs of holiday decorations (see image above). Not only did I get an incredible price but I also avoid getting sucked into whatever trends they roll out at full price this year and getting out the decorations is like unwrapping early Christmas presents.
I agree with simplemom, the stores design their displays to entice you to buy what you don’t need and expect it to look at good in your own house. But it never does because you don’t have a room full of the other 150 matching items you would need to complete the look. And now you regret your impulse buy and the random mix of decorations you’ve accumulated.
If I good give any good advice about decorating on a budget, some related to simplemom’s thoughts and some of my own, I might offer the following:
My red and brown look
1. Decide on a look or style and stick with it (yes, year after year unless you are independently wealthy). You’ll be less likely to buy impulse junk you’ll throw away and it will take less money and effort to create a cohesive decor.
For example, I love the woodsy/winter cabin look and very little green – mostly reds, browns, creams, tans and golds. So I resist the temptation to buy one-offs and instead go for items like pine cones, a felt tree skirt with trees on it and knit stripped stockings in red, brown and cream.
Just because Ikea tried to say black and orange makes nice Christmas 2008 decoration colours doesn’t mean all the people who bought them don’t seriously regret their decision now (unless their decorations have always been those colours in which case they were actually following the rules).
My 2008 craft from Martha Stewart
2. If you like to create homemade decorations, don’t overwhelm yourself, choose one per year. Craft supplies are pricy and add up if you’re trying to create five things you saw on marthastewart.com.
Decide on a craft that’s doable (and of course matching the theme you’re building) and you won’t end up opening that box of decorations the next year and wondering why you spray painted the nativity gold and spent a fortune on supplies for handmade Disney princess ornaments.
For example, in keeping with my woodsy theme, last year I made homemade bird ornaments our of cinnamon, craft glue and an assortment of glitter and beads in red, brown and metallic.
This year I’d like to continue the theme and maybe create something for the table that carries the birds, pine cones and colours into other rooms.
Stockings, wreath, nativity grouped on the mantle
3. If you don’t have much to spend and you want to keep things simple but more put together than a dorm room, group items together in vignettes.
I actually have very view Christmas decorations (only 2 Rubbermade tubs full including towels, napkins and candles) but I avoid making it look sparse by not spreading them out around the house.
Over the years, yes, I hope to collect and make enough to make each room equally festive, but for now, I focus on two locations: the fireplace and the dining room table.
I have towels in the kitchen and pinecones and candles in the guest bathroom but be careful, a lone decoration can easily look cheap, wrong in scale and ineffective in creating atmosphere.
Our Asian ornament
4. Consider incorporating a family tradition into your decorations. Infusing meaning into the decor not only allows your family to be involved but it also gives purpose to your purchases.
For example, John and I liked my parents’ tradition of purchasing an ornament each year to commemorate something unique about the year, like a vacation or a city we lived in or a child being born. Their tree is covered with ornaments from all over the world and has been a conversation piece my whole life.
We started our first year of marriage and our unique collection includes an ornament received as a wedding present, one from Asia, Paris and the (Red) campaign. It is becoming a conversation piece and holds memories for us both.
Along with the childhood ornaments we brought into the marriage, I know the biggest part of our Christmas decorating will be the most special.
So I don’t plan to purchase anymore decorations before Christmas but I will continue the tradition of making a craft and then I’ll cash in on huge sales after the holidays. Below are some more shots of my decorations this year.
Stocking hangers
Pine cones and red candles make the bathroom festive too!
Olive wood nativity (Israel), gift from Mom Dad B
Macbook box makes a great elevation for a tree stand
Work gift last year, sparkly pear!
This year's ornament: We loved Paris
Merry Christmas!
Before the day is over I just wanted to post and give my respect to all those who have served. I know no better, or more Canadian, way to do this…
Image by Alana Elliott
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
- Lt. Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)
Christmas 2008 at our place
So far I have figured out our Christmas budget, and how much we can spend on each person, and have figured out what mailings we’ll do and to whom. As far as setting up the mailing, we have our addresses in place and have designed our photo card we just need to print them. I’m hoping to handle that this weekend so we can get our cards and Christmas letters ready to go by the end of next week.
Onward and upward.
Week 10 of Simple Mom’s 12 Weeks to a Peaceful Christmas is all about starting your Christmas shopping. I’ll admit I have been on the fence about this one. I know in theory that finishing my shopping before the holiday season is suppose to help me save money, be less stressed and enjoy Christmas. But I enjoy being out among people this time of year, drinking an egg nog latte and feeling the collective cheer. I’m concerned that I’ll miss out on the fun if I skip the holiday shopping.
However, it is true that being in stores with the music playing, the beautiful displays and a festive mood in the air makes spending too much money seem like it might not be that big of a deal. This year we’re serious about not overspending (and following our budget more closely in general) so I’m willing to try staying out of the stores this year. I won’t know until I try.
That being said, I have made a list of everyone we want to buy for and a gift idea in the agreed upon price range. Now my goal is to purchase whatever I can online and whatever is left before December.
Still playing catch-up with Simple Mom’s weekly plan so I’ll do a second one this week again.
Week 9′s assignment is to make plans to give back. Well I know right away what we’ll be doing this year. I’m a huge fan of charity:water and all that they do and have already set up a mycharity:water campaign to raise money for wells. I’ll be talking about it a lot this Christmas because I am trying to raise $500 in place of receiving gifts, cards, baked goods or anything that costs $$!
I support charity:water because 100% of public donations directly fund water projects in developing nations. I love being able to make the campaign my own instead of just sending in a cheque. So visit my Christmas Water campaign page, sign up to follow me, donate, help me get this campaign off the ground and give back this Christmas. I’ll post more on that soon.
Follow charity:water on Twitter
Follow Scott Harrison on Twitter
As long as I do get those photo cards printed this weekend, some online shopping and some promotion of my charity:water campaign I’m on track. How are you guys doing with your Christmas plans? What’s causing you stress already and how are you trying to tackle that?