Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #30 Take Pictures

           

           This task might seem frivolous to some, but believe me, it can seriously be your friend next year. Every year since we moved in the house, I go around and I take pictures of all my decorations I have and what I did with them. Above are the same piece of furniture, and what I have done for 3 years. While it's not the same way twice, it gives me ideas for next year. It also reminds me what I have, because I don't know about you, but every year when I open those totes again, there are items I had forgotten I owned. I also have some other organizing plans, but that is for another post. My decorations will be up for at least another week. There was only once I ever tore down early and it was my first Christmas away from my family. I got emotional on boxing day and just tore it all down. I get way too much enjoyment out of organizing now to do that. 

          K, Luv Ya, Bye

         Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #29 Put Away What's Under the Tree

         

          There is definite potential that I just opened myself up to major judgement, but this is what my main living area looked like at it's worst over Christmas. While it's improved, my goal today is to get all the Christmas gifts out from under the tree.

          I don't know about you, but I am SO bad for leaving them there too long. The sooner they're put away, the sooner there's some normalcy in my house again. Today Cale is back to work and Jake is back to the sitter. My hope is Brock will take a good nap, and I can tackle this (some one doesn't like to nap when big brother is home). That said m new couch is coming today too, and will require some attention. It will take me, probably a couple weeks to get back to normal.

         As the New Year comes, don't you find your To-Do list doubles? The New year brings new beginnings, and you may not make a resolution, but it definitely has a feeling of new starts. For me, I just want to organize every inch of my home...I do in fact have a problem yes 

         K, Luv Ya, Bye

         Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #28 Boxing Day

            I will likely hit up some after Christmas sales, I typically do. That said tomorrow is not the day I will venture the stores...I would like to this week though. The key to boxing day sales is knowing what you want and planning accordingly. Hitting the first day of boxing day sales is much like Black Friday (see black Friday post). But if you go a little later, it is still important to have some vision for what you're after.

             I truly believe in shopping all year, and have gone on boxing day for Christmas gifts the following year. Unless something jumps out at me, this isn't how I typically operate though. 

             My planned stores? Michaels, Canadian tire, kent, home depot, home hardware, and eventually Walmart. I would like to pop in to the dollar store too, just to see if I can get a couple more of an item I got this year, but that's not for the sale...

Michaels, I'm looking for greenery, garlands, pics and wreaths. I freaking love wreaths and own one ( I have many more doors). All the others, lights are on my radar, but from what I understand, they'll be harder to find this year. All of them I'm looking for decorations, but they would REALLY have to pop at me. Walmart it will be mostly wrapping paper and totes. 

           These are things I'm interested in, but we'll see how much I achieve (I will do a haul post).

           K, Luv Ya,  Bye 

           Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #27 Christmas Eve

             The planning is done. We're here. Parts of today have gone slow and some has flown. Brock is in bed, and shortly Jake will be too. Cale and I plan to watch a movie together and call it a night. We have been trying to make the best of today, but there is definitely a bit of a damper without the rest of the family. Part of me is very sad. Partly because I'm struggling to try and give Brock a first Christmas that sort of resembles Jake's, and that's almost impossible. None the less, we are provided our boys with the best Christmas we can. 

           We made a toast at dinner, we're missing our family this year, so we can be together again next year. If you are with family or no, I hope you're like us and trying to make the best of this Christmas.

          K, Luv Ya,  Bye 

          Nancy,Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #26 The last Minute stuff

             If I'm being honest, I prefer Christmas Eve to Christmas day. That's when there's anticipation, the Family is (typically) arriving. If you go for a drive there is a quiet calm that only happens once a year, and the kids are trying to spot Santa in the sky. There is a magic to Christmas eve.

               This is why I'm on fire today. I'm doing as much as I can today, so I can enjoy tomorrow. There will still be some parental duties after the kids go to sleep tomorrow night, but I'm trying to keep it as minimal as possible. So the grocery stash I've been working on is no longer in its designated spot, it's all in the kitchen. The cookies are thawing on a tray in the kitchen. Gifts are migrating to the tree, and the prep for the departure of the Elf is underway. 

            K, Luv Ya, Bye 

            Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

  

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #25 The Last Grocery Trip

             Ok, the last big grocery trip, I actually planned it out so it could potentially be the last big one of 2020. I also have to stress big, because  Cale is at the store right now...partly working partly picking up the couple things I noticed after my trip.

            I hate crowds, I did before covid...so much worse now. That's part of the reason I start shopping early. My last big grocery trip typically happens on the last day both Cale and I have off. I'm up usually at 6 hitting the store at 7. There will be the odd thing I need between now and the new year, but I have 3-4 dinners covered by leftovers and when I plan my weekly menu, there are typically 4 meals planned, 2 leftover nights and a pizza night...taking us to 2021 isn't that complicated. 

        K, Luv Ya,Bye 

        Nancy,Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #24 Lights

          Christmas light viewing is an annual tradition for us. Truth be told, we have gone to our local display and done many a drive. I always put this post the last weekend before Christmas because typically that is when the most people have their lights up. This year, I don't know that it's the case. In November, we were driving around saying there were more lights in our area than there are typically around the last weekend before Christmas. The pandemic has changed things, and looking at the positive, people have slowed down, and are able to enjoy this season more.

          On the other hand, I know it's harder for some this year, and more lonely. I know we're missing our typical visits because the provincial boarders are closed, but that's mild in comparison to what some people are experiencing. Though this post is about lights, maybe you can think of a way to bring a little light to some one. If it's safe, set another place at your dinner table, bring some cookies, drop off a card. They don't seem like much, but could be the highlight this season. 

          K, Luv ya, Bye

          Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post # 23 The Sanity basket

          As you can see, the pic for this post, is a screen cap from Pintrest. The Christmas morning Sanity basket is not a concept I came up with, but I discovered it, and it's one worth adopting into your yearly planning. In a nutshell it's a basket of items that you might need on Christmas morning to open gifts, and make things work, but it's already compiled for you, so you don't have to go running.

          Here are some things I put in ours:

           *scissors 

           *tape

           *batteries 

           *garbage bags

           *utility knife 

           *can opener 

            I can be front and center for all the action. I can also make magic happen when I get a special toy going. 

          K, Luv Ya, Bye 

          Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post # 22 Movie night

         Family movie night is a pretty typical Christmas tradition. We have a little man who seriously loves the grinch, so we chose the Benedict Cumberbatch version, seriously cute. In our matching pj's we all snuggled up.

          Cale and I attempted our typical feature of White Christmas, but we were both falling asleep. Tonight we're trying the new Christmas Chronicles movie...both of us were falling asleep this afternoon...so we'll see.

          K,Luv Ya, Bye

          Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

          

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #21 Baking

           Jake and I tackled the baking over the weekend. We made our sugar cookies and made sure we put some in the freezer for Santa. Over the years I have reduced how much baking I do, mostly because I'm no baker. But these came out great, and we had a lot of fun. So much so, we want to do more.

            To make it more of a fun activity and not a headache I made the dough by myself, and had it ready. This left the job of the cookie cutter to Jake, who favors the Christmas tree cutter. Then we decorated the cookies. I had bought a shaker of about 6 different sprinkles and put a little of each in an ice cube tray. I bought our frosting and made a little bit of green. I gave the tray to Jake and spread the icing on for him, then he just went to town. He wasn't as into decorating, but we kept everything simple and brief, that was key.

        This weekend we want to make gingerbread cookies, wish us luck.

        K,Luv Ya, Bye 

        Nancy,Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #20 Wrapping

         

          I have always enjoyed wrapping, and in my earlier years with this blog series, it may have been that little task I would place about mid December. This was back when I would take about 4 gifts to ns in November, and have maybe 6 more to wrap before Christmas. Now I have 5 gifts for one kid...times have changed. 

          Because I would like to continue enjoying wrapping, I place it on my to do list early. That way if I only do a couple and get too tired (last 2 years) or I'm too sore on the floor (3 years ago), it's not a one shot deal. I still have time. Truth be told, my wrapping started a while ago. Jake wanted to wrap his gift for his dad and for his brother, and I just did mine for Cale then. About a week ago, when I sent all th gifts we were sending, I wrapped then those too, and making that work got tedious. The other day Brock was down for a nap, so I figured let's get his done. I got through them so quick I did Jake's too. 

          Cale is the only one who has wrapping left. Poor guy could just do it when I go to bed at night, but he falls asleep as it is, probably best he doesn't with a pair of scissors in his hand...

         K, Luv Ya, Bye 

         Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #19 Cards

           A friend posted a question on Facebook recently asking if Christmas cards are antiquated, and honestly, they probably are. None the less, I enjoy sending them and receiving them. If ever there was a year they were needed, I would say it's this one. Much like gifts, send them early, multiple reasons why. 

           Selfishly, you could get one back. To make sure it gets there. If you send to someone who likes to include their cards in decorations.  The list goes on. 

          K,Luv Ya, Bye 

          Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #18 Sending Gifts

          I have a couple friends who are postal workers. They have said that there were times in the beginning of all this covid stuff, that it seemed like Christmas it was so busy. My logic was, if it was like that then...what would Christmas be like? 

           So today we sent off our gifts. We expected to have to do this for one gift, but because of covid, we had to send along other gifts as well, which was a little sad. We also received one of our boxes too, because everyone had the same idea in our families. The hope has always been this is just a precaution, but it's looking more and more necessary. 

          K, Luv Ya, Bye 

          Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #17 Finish shopping

           Yes, you read that right, especially if you are ordering online. Yesterdat was actually this biggest online shopping day of the year! That said yesterday we ordered another gift each for the boys. Jake's may not be here until Christmas Eve...

           This may sound like it's super early to some, but let me tell you this. I dated a man who told me he finished shopping on Christmas eve. I married a man who shopped the weekend before Christmas. I'm looking down the barrel of 10 years with him, and he has been done shopping for about a week. He sees the upside, and odds are you will too.

            K, Luv Ya, Bye 

            Nancy,Cale, Jake,Brock and Alice