The 12th Day of Christmas

Due to the Ontario Ice Storm, we didn't have internet until late Christmas Eve.  Well by then my Christmas activities were in full swing, and blogging didn't really seem to matter.  

For the 12th Day of Christmas, I just want to say that I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas an spent some quality time with your family.  I know I did, and we aren't done yet!  We are leaving for another Christmas event in about 2 minutes!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Our family pic from last year, since this year's pictures have yet to be looked at!

 

The 11th Day of Christmas: A Non-Parade Party

The last Sunday before Christmas is supposed to be our town's Santa Clause parade.  Because our house is right on the parade route, everyone comes over to watch the parade followed by a party.  However, for the first time ever, due to the ice storm, the parade was cancelled.  Sad face.

 

We decided to still have some people over as I had baked cookies and made chili and I didn't want to eat it all myself.

 Oh and we wear Christmas sweaters.  And no I don't have a picture of me in my awesome  t-shirt and turtleneck.

 

 We didn't have any power for about 4 hours of the party, but that was fine. 

Here is my dad's float, that him, my uncle and Ryan spent all day Saturday working on.  And now nobody will ever see it.  Except for all of you.

Oh well, there's always next year.

The 10th Day of Christmas: The day the power went out

On the 10th day of Christmas we had an ice storm.

The 10th day was actually yesterday.  We were actually better off than a lot of people, but we still lost power for about 5 hours.  The Santa Clause parade was cancelled, but we had a party anyways.

And this morning, Internet was still down, which is why I unfortunately cannot share pictures of the crazy ice covered trees and a group of people heating up my house with body heat.

This picture however did come out of the storm.  It's in Kingston, which is about 4 hours from us.  Our streets weren't actually this icy, but it's still pretty funny!

{via}

The 9th Day of Christmas: Traditional Christmas Day

We are getting pretty close to Christmas because I'm actually posting about Christmas day today!  The most magical day of the year!  

Last year Ryan woke me up bright and early and said "It's Christmas, get up!" and I had to tell him to go back to sleep.  We don't even have any kids, so I can't imagine what it would be like if we did!  I have a feeling that this house will be the opposite of my house growing up where every Christmas we had to wait for my dad to get ready, and comb his hair (the only day of the year he does that), and make the coffee....

So now that I'm married, Christmas morning has changed a little bit of course.  Ryan and I get up, make some coffee and open our presents.  

Once we are done, we head down to my parents house.  They live about a 30 second drive from us, so we just stay in our pajamas.  My brother and sister both still live at home, so they just open their stockings before we get there and then we join them for the rest of the gifts.  I may have said it before, but my mom is a little out of hand with Christmas.  Most people probably think it's ridiculous.  The gift opening takes awhile because we all try to soak it in.  

Oliver's First Christmas

My family also still has Christmas with all my cousins and aunts and uncles.  We alternate between families for Christmas and Boxing Day.  So this year, my dad's family is getting together on Christmas Day.  Every other year, when we are with them for Boxing Day, the whole fam jam goes up to the cottage.  We love cottage Christmas!  This year Christmas is out at my Aunt and Uncle's Mill for the first time.  The Mill is very cozy in the winter, so I'm looking forward to it.

Cottage Christmas

Boxing Day this year, we go to my other Grandma's house.  Her house is like home for all of us, and we are all so comfortable there.   

And then it's over.  And we are all so sad.  As a kid, you are so focused on the gifts.  Now it's about so much more than that.  It's the whole feeling of Christmas that I love.  My mom was always obsessed with Christmas, and I'm starting to understand why.  I don't know whether it's because it's the one time of year where even as an adult you feel the magic?  There are so many people in the world for whom Christmas may not be a happy time.  So I feel so very fortunate to have the life I have and my family surrounding me this time of year.

The 8th Day of Christmas: Traditional Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve celebrations actually begin on December 23rd typically.  Since Ryan and I have been together, we have done his family Christmas on Christmas Eve.  This actually works out really well because every Christmas we have is on a different day, which means only 1 turkey dinner each day and we really get to enjoy the family that we are spending time with that day, without having to worry about heading to a different house.

So back to December 23rd.  My church holds a Christmas Eve service on that day (as well as 3 on Christmas eve), so generally we try to make it to that service.  This church service is a production.  With lots of music and performances, a bit of a sermon and it ends with some carolling.  As this is obviously the reason for the season, this service is very important to me and I would never miss my Christmas Eve service!

Then Christmas Eve we head over to Ryan's parents house some time in the afternoon.  It's just the 6 of us there (plus one German Shepherd and one cat who hates the German Shepherd).  We try to get out for a family walk.  We eat a nice dinner.  We open our gifts.  And the most important tradition of all, we watch Garfield Christmas and we laugh.  Garfield never gets old!

When making snow angels, watch out for mitten grabbing dogs

I have been a part of this family for almost 5 years now, but it kind of feels like I have been doing this forever.  Compared to the next two days of Christmas, this day is just calm and relaxing.  Not that I would trade in the madness that is the remainder of my family Christmas', but it's nice to have a bit of both.

Oh but then we usually join in on the madness anyways.  My family all gets together on Christmas Eve, as they have done every year since I was little.  We usually head to that party for about an hour or so before we go home and wait for Santa. 

The 7th Day of Christmas: Things My Mom Told Me

I was a very inquisitive child.  I think that this may have challenged my mother a little bit as she needed an answer for everything. 

I was just thinking about this time when I wanted a new game for a children's video game system that I had.  We went to the store and I was told by the employee there that they didn't have any and only Santa could get those games.  My mom doesn't remember this, so I'm not sure whether I was wanting to buy the game myself and she was getting it for me for Christmas, but clearly she had a discussion with this employee to deter me from wanting the game.  But it wasn't til recently that I thought about this again and realized that this was kind of strange.  

My mom always wrapped my Santa presents in a different paper then the presents from her and my dad.  One year (when I was still quite young) she wrapped them in the same paper.  I caught onto that.  I also had talked with my friends and realized that Santa didn't wrap everyone else's presents.  So she told me that Santa doesn't have time to wrap and after Santa had delivered the presents she had to go downstairs and wrap them all.

These things kept me believing in Santa for a long time.  Part of that was because I was the oldest child, I think that this kind of extends your childhood a bit because you don't have any older siblings who know what is actually going on.  But I love that I was able to believe in magic for so long.

Then Harry Potter came along and I started believing in magic again....

Images via Pinterest

The 6th Day of Christmas: A Workout

Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean you can totally forget about working out!  I know it's a busy time, but with all the desserts, carbs and snacks, the odd workout is more important than ever.  

I love TABATA workouts because they make me work HARD and I feel awesome afterwards.  You work as hard as possible for 20 seconds, followed by a 10 second rest.  Repeat 8 times.  Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.  You can either do entire circuits of the same exercise, or do 8 circuits of each exercise on after the other.  Don't forget to warm up and cool down.  I use this online tabata timer to help me out. 

I actually did this workout on Sunday and felt really good about it.  I tried to make it a full body workout which was good because even though it only had a few arm exercises, my arms were killing me on Monday!  I chose to do an entire circuit of each exercise before moving on to the next.

Disclaimer: I'm not a personal trainer or a doctor.  This is just a workout that I enjoy.  If you don't generally workout or are pregnant, this probably isn't for you.

Note: For the lunges, do 4 rounds with right leg and then 4 rounds with left leg
For an extra challenge, I held 5 pound weights for half of the jumping jack rounds.  That might be the reason for the sore arms!

The 5th Day of Christmas: Christmas Dinner Necessities

On the 5th day of Christmas I'm talking about food.  What else is new?

Christmas Dinner.  It's a pretty important meal, and there are a few things that you want to make sure you have or else there will be a family riot.

Turkey and Potatoes.  These are the obvious necessities.  

Stuffing.  Now here is where a real riot would happen.  Stuffing is the reason why everybody loves this meal, because who doesn't want to stuff their face with an entire loaf of seasoned bread.  There is a reason why it's called "stuffing" and it has nothing to do with putting it in a turkeys bum.

Cranberries.  These never used to make an appearance at our dinners, now I couldn't get by without them.  There's no need for gravy on turkey when you have delicious, sugary cranberry!

Corn.  Because you need to at least pretend that you are caring about your health by eating vegetables.

Turnip.  Make sure it's filled with brown sugar, or it's not worth it.

Buns.  To soak up all that gravy obviously.

Cabbage Salad.  Made by Grandma or somebody who makes it just like Grandma.

Apple Pie.  For some people it may be pumpkin I suppose, or maybe even cherry cheesecake.  For me, my Christmas dinner needs to be completed with some delicious homemade apple pie.

That was delicious!  Come back tomorrow to work off some of that food!

The 4th Day of Christmas: Oh Christmas Tree

It's official, our Christmas Tree is up!  That means it's really Christmas!

Saturday was full of Christmas activities.  We started out the day by getting up bright and early and heading to a big mall that's about an hour and a half away to finish up our Christmas shopping.  We wanted to be there at 9 to beat the Christmas rush, and we did it!

When we got home, I wrapped a whole bunch of gifts while watching The Santa Clause 2 and 3.  Because this involved bags, Pipsi tried to help.

Then it was tree time.  We picked up a Christmas tree earlier in the week.  Someday I can't wait to go to a tree farm and cut down our own tree, but for now, we just pick one up at the grocery store.  Unfortunately they are already wrapped and so we can't really get a good look at it before buying it.  Which is why this may be the ugliest tree I have ever had...but what can you do.

Ryan set it up and then he watched Home Alone while Pipsi and I decorated the tree.  Ok while I decorated the tree an Pipsi tried to climb the tree.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

The 3rd Day of Christmas: Christmas Music

I love, love, love Christmas music!  Now, if it starts November 1, that is a holiday violation, too early.  However the end of November is perfectly acceptable.  Here are 8 of my favourites (because I couldn't narrow it down any more).

Lady Antebellum -On This Winter's Night - This is definitely one of my favourites off their album

Michael Buble - White Christmas

Trans Siberian Orchestra - Carol of the Bells

Lady Antebellum - Silver Bells

Jessica Simpson - Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)

Martina McBride - O Holy Night

Faith Hill - Where are you Christmas

Jessica Simpson - The Christmas Song

The 2nd Day of Christmas: My Wishlist

I know everybody is done buying for me, so don't worry family, if you didn't get me these things I won't be upset!  But here are 12 of the items on my wishlist this year.

1. Allegiant - Veronica Roth
2. A New Purse - I have asked for a colourful purse that I can use in winter and summer, because I'm terrible at switching my purses for the season 

3. Gymboss Timer
4. DSLR Camera Strap from Etsy
5. A GPS
6. Canada Olympic Sweater
7. Phase 10 - love this game, Ryan hates games so he's probably hoping that I don't get this
8. Jewellery - Like this necklace
9. Ikea Hemnes 3 Drawer Chest
10. Bath & Bodyworks Soap
11. Dante's Peak on DVD - one of my all time favourite movies!
12. Nicholas Sparks - The Longest Ride

Oh and of course I wouldn't be upset with anything from Lululemon!  Or Lemonlulu as my grandma likes to call it!

What Christmas Means to Me

I'm going to do a little Christmas series over the next 12 days leading up to Christmas.  This is a pretty huge commitment for me, so hopefully it works out.  So on the first day of Christmas, I'm telling you about what Christmas means to me.

Christmas means family.  That's what I love most about this season, despite how busy it is, it's a time of year when we make time for each other.  We run around like crazy trying to prepare, cram a ton of different activities into a short time frame, and we enjoy every second of it.

It's not about the gifts, it's about the giving.  I heard this year that just buying something for somebody boosts your happiness level, regardless of the cost of it, whether it is $5 or $100.  And I think that's true.  As a kid you just wanted gifts.  Now I love buying gifts and watching people open them.  I love getting somebody something that they really wanted, or getting something that they didn't ask for, but love. 

There's just something about this time of year that is magical and makes me feel so much joy.  The snow doesn't even bother me.  This may be because it's the beginning of the season and I'm not sick of it yet, but every time it snows it's just bring us that much closer to a white Christmas. 

Every year, I love the Christmas season more and more.  I hope that never changes.