Mandala Monday and T time and Christmas house tour

HELLO!! HELLO!!! Wow, I've missed blogging and missed you!! How are you? I'm doing good, had a nice quiet week and got ready for Christmas, it's the most ready I've been in years. YAY!!

As you can see above it SNOWED and SNOWED for 5 days, Sam was very happy! He started his fort and had helpers each day working on it. Look at little Colt in there and of course Sienna loves the snow too. Fast forward to this weekend and it's been raining heavily and flooding and muddy, yuck!

 

I have a full post for you today, sorry to be gone so long,  I needed the break and know you understand. Promise to back in full blogging after the holidays. For today I have my mandala to share and a T time post which includes sharing my trees and decorations with you. Posting it all early while I have time and can squeeze in all the fun into one post, YAY!!! Are you ready....

here is my first warm up mandala, it's been too long and I loved making one again. Dawn, I can't thank you enough for inspiring me to do these,  so much fun! I have another one for you...

Look how pretty and festive and Christmasy this is, so fun making a Christmas one! I admit to wanting to leave this one on the table, kept looking at it and feeling happy each time!! I love to that it's all the mini goodies for this one, I love mini anything. Not sure what I will have next time.

Hoping I can keep these up during the cold months, have a couple ideas to try, wish me luck.

 

My T Time on Tuesday post is next! Elizabeth come then if you'd like and be surprised :)

Look what we had on a cold snowy night, root beer floats!! Finally, I got to have one, have been craving them for like a month now. It was so good, Rich and I had them again 2 nights later, YUM!

 

We have been busy and lazy around here, the day's have been cloudy and dark which makes taking pictures hard. Finally the sun came out and I got some pictures around the house to share.

Starting in the living room and my banner wall which I shared a few weeks ago. Now that the tree is there and my blanket/snowman on the couch I love it and it feels cozy and just right. I love my tree more each day, so happy we bought a real one this year, I didn't realize how much I missed them. Seriously might keep this tree up till it falls over, lol. This year I put a few presents under it just to look more festive and fun. The kids are happy about that, I only put the extended family ones there.

Here are the stockings, we have no mantel so on the closet they go. I bought these years ago not thinking how hard it would be to fill these huge stockings, uuuugggg. Lesson learned but they are so soft and the kids love them and that's what matters too. I must say too stockings are mine and the girls favorite thing, I get it from my mom I think. The girls love looking in theirs and go real slow and enjoy each little thing I put in there. Sadly, the last couple years it's not been much. I never know what to put in Sam's, what do you give a boy?? When he was little it was Pokémon cards and matchbox cars, this year I have a toothbrush and chocolate, lol. Rich is easy though, he loves it all!

My wreath wall, love that I did this. The white one on the right is new. I used yarn and embroidery hoop for this one. Will do this next year too and add more homemade ones to it. On the table are glitter cone trees Rich made for me 3 years ago, love them. I change this table up each year.

Here are my holiday singers and dancers!! LOVE THEM!

moving into the kitchen, I bought a tablecloth, first time ever!

Look how clean my table is, only my bible and Christmas cards are on it, YAY!! I kinda like it this clean and everyone loves the tablecloth, might have to keep doing this. In the middle of the table you can see two more trees, Elizabeth, I told you trees are my favorite too. In the middle is a vase with ornaments in it, this is such an easy way to decorate and use all colors/sizes of ornaments. Click to see better. Now for the other side of the table....

On this side is the card Susan sent me, love to keep it close by! Thanks again Susan!

Then I have a little candle and mini snow globe. I switch things up on this table every year too. I have to say nothing is the same each year, some years I take out everything and others I just get a few out. This year is just a few things, easy to clean up and simple and cozy I think.

On my stand is a few favorites, my art from Susan. The little holiday cans were gifts from my sister last year. The middle shelf has holiday pictures and beaded garland in a jar, simple and pretty. The bottom is SUBWAY ART offered free years ago from Becky Higgins I think?? The big Santa cookie jar, I have about 5/6 but only took this one out. He's so cute! Usually I have fake snow cloths on these shelves and lots of decorations. I like this and don't like this but leaving it just as it is. NO STRESS!

this is my little ledge above the sink, the one thing I do take out each year is the picture on the right. It was a gift from Kristin in 4th grade, love it and need it where I can see it daily. Click to see better.

This is how the ledge looked at first, couldn't decide what to do. I love and always have my ornaments hanging above the ledge though, during the year I change what's up there.

here is the top of my computer stand. very simple, usually I put my village up here. The snow globe is from Renee when she was about 8 and told Rich to buy it for me. I do put this out each year.

My nativity is on the tv stand, each year it's somewhere different.

here is a favorite too, this is Sam at 5 and Ryan at almost 2.

I again filled jars with ornaments, it's so easy to do.

 

Hope you enjoyed the tour ! I like that it's pretty simple this year, will be easy to clean up too.

 

Here is a peek at what else has been going on....

soup buffet and Live Nativity at our church, love that we do this

the kids Christmas program at church, so cute!

Rich and kids made these cuties today!! Sam's is the one that crashed, sad face here.

 

Did you hang in there for this looooong post. Sorry to photo overload, that's what happens when you take a computer break. Remind me not to do that again, too much at one time to share. Thank you if you hung in there till the end!! Hope you are all enjoying the season as I am.

Thank you Elizabeth for sharing your Tuesday's with us, love seeing what everyone's up too.

 

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone and thank you for your visits and comments, they make my day and inspire me to keep sharing. Will be back after Christmas to share again and hope to have some PL to share too. The pages are done but no pictures of them yet. I also bought my 2014 album.

 

Nancy, it was good to see you today!! Will be at the same place as you each day at 6am this week!