Jay's 1st Christmas & Fun with our Phones!

Whew!

The craziness of the holiday season is over and I survived! Which means I should be around on here and Twitter a bit more!

Anyways, onto Christmas!!!!

Christmas Eve started off with me going into work at 830am to finish processing our shipment (which I finished by 1130am - it was a Christmas miracle considering we've been trying to get through it for weeks now!). I took my lunch break and then returned around noon to finish out til 230pm when it was my time to go home.

Merry Christmas!!!

I did a few last minute errands, such as stopping at Barnes & Noble and getting Jay a board book of The Night Before Christmas since I realized we didn't have it and stopping at Sam's to get some beverages for the weekend since we were pretty much out.

I got home around 330pm, Josh had fed Jay and I quickly gave him a bath and got him dressed up for the Candles and Carols service at church at 5pm. I was aiming to leave around 430pm and we met that goal and arrived at church with about 15 minutes to spare, sitting with my family.

Jay did pretty good during the hour long service (since there was no child care that night) - he sang along with the congregation as we sang Christmas carols (which had us cracking up) and didn't want to stop "singing" during the scripture reading so we had to take him out for a few minutes, lol... he did fine the rest of the service though.

Afterwards we went to my aunts for Christmas dinner - she had a trio of singing Wise Men mice that sang "We Three Kings" which Jay really enjoyed! Jay ate a little bit of Christmas dinner with us, which included my mom's Shepherd's Pie dish which he seemed to like. We exchanged presents with my aunt, uncle and cousins - Jay got super excited over his playmats my aunt got him, as well as the Curious George movie on DVD. He also got a Wiggles DVD and a Playskol Giggle Cow bouncing toy.

 

Posing with Grandpap

Picture time with mommy!

OMG!!! Playmats!!!

It's George, mommy!!!!

Then we went over to my parents house and exchanged gifts with them. Jay got some Thomas and Friends bath toys, a fishing pole and plastic magnetic fish for it for the bath tub, a Thomas hoodie for this spring, a wooden puzzle, a Lego CD player for his room (so he can fall asleep to something other than Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Rockabye Baby, lol...), a new crib toy to play with, a musical, light-up snail toy, some VeggieTales DVDs, and oh geez, I can't remember what else... he got so much! My parents got hubby some Cowboys floormats for his car and a Starbucks gift card, among other little stuff. We also got the Fast Five DVD, Super Mario Bros All-Stars for the Wii (yay!), these really neat Wizard of Oz nutcracker ornaments among other things that aren't coming to mind right now (oops!).

Watching Grandpap and Grammie's train under the tree

Playing with a toy, with a bow that stayed on his head for awhile, lol...

Thomas bath toy

More toys!

Our tree & presents waiting for Jay

We went home, got Jay to bed, and then I finished cleaning up the house and we put together Jay's walker/ride-along toy. Hubby had a drink, I had a glass of wine and we hung out on the couch in the family room watching 24 Hours of A Christmas Story - we got through 2 viewings before we both fell asleep on the couch, waking up at 7am and moving to the bed, lol...

Jay woke us up around 1030am. Hubby got his camera ready while I changed Jay into his Christmas outfit for the day and we brought him out. He seemed a little unphased at first by the presents and walker under the tree... I started opening presents for him - 1st one was the Chica plush from Sprout's Sunny Side Up Show. He seemed to like her, despite acting confused as to why she was there and not on TV, lol... he got excited about the Super Why DVD, ripping it out of my hand when I showed it to him, lol... and he LOVES his talking Super Why doll! He also got really excited when we were opening stocking presents and got to the box of Aquafresh training toothpaste with the Nerdle Gurdle characters he sees on the commercial that Sprouts plays everynight around bedtime, lol... like he carried the toothpaste box all over the house, lol... he has yet to play much with his walker, but he has discovered it and checked out the stuff on it that moves and makes noise! He likes his Leapfrog My Own Leaptop laptop too, despite him only really banging on the keyboard and opening and closing the lid, lol...

It's Chica! From the Sunny Side Up Show on Sprout!

Playing with Super Why while mommy opens up the Leapfrog Leaptop

Hubby and I exchanged presents too - I got him a "Geek Dad" t-shirt from Think Geek (we said it was from Jay though), $20 in Starbucks giftcards, a $20 giftcard to the Dallas Cowboys official store, Firefly the complete series on Blu-Ray, Willy Wonka DVD, Cowboys plug and play speakers, Clue card game, some pens for writing, and a candy cane with Hersey Kisses in it. He got me the Harry Potter 8-disc DVD box set, a WoW hearthstone keychain I saw on Pinterest and wanted, and a wi-fi blu-ray player for the family room! Sweet!

At 1130am Jay got hungry and was yelling for his "ba ba ba ba ba!" in the kitchen so we got him fed and his Uncle Ethan came over around noon, after church, despite the rest of the family not showing up til 2. We watched A Christmas Story and I went to go get cleaned up and ready around 1pm.

Snuggling on mommy

My in-laws all were here by 2, as planned, and we got the food warming up (as my mother-in-law cooked it the night before). Just before 3 we decided we'd open up presents, however Jay took a light nap in my arms (it was naptime after all!). He got the whole Rock and Roll Elmo set, although his favorite still is the Cookie Monster keyboard (he loved playing with that one at his cousin's 1st birthday last fall). We also got Cowboys and Aliens on Blu-Ray, Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii, I got a $50 Visa giftcard, hubby got a $50 Starbucks giftcard (lol... he now has $80 in Starbucks giftcards!), and he got a really neat 3 volume collection of Civil War books. One of hubby's brothers got me a fleece throw, hubby a White Sox ornament, lanyard and beer coozy, and Jay a White Sox teddy bear (ewwww - I'm a Cubs fan, hubby and I agreed we weren't going to promote baseball in our house due to the Cubs/Sox rivalry, lol...).

Dinner was eventful - Jay vomited up his cereal and milk after eating a piece of turkey (he's puked several times after eating dinner this week - we thought it was a stomach bug, but it seemed he was over it by now... guess not!). Then, after dinner, Jay had a massive blow-out in his pants, going up his back and down his legs... it was really gross and he went onto outfit #3 for the day!

He went down for a longer nap though and hubby and I ended up passing out on the couch while my sister-

in-law started playing her Skyrim game downstairs (she got it for PS3 for Christmas but since their TVs aren't working she's planning on leaving it here and playing during their weekly Monday night visits - hubby has since started playing as well, lol...) and some of his brothers sat around chatting with my his parents. My in-laws left around 1030pm, I gave Jay another bath since he pooped and puked all over himself and got him to bed around midnight before cleaning up the house again and relaxing myself.

Completely out of it, leg dangling out of the crib, lol...

Passed out, snuggling with Super Why

Jay seemed a bit snuggly today and they didn't need me for my on-call, so we napped and snuggled and hung out today, taking it easy. I think Jay was glad to be back on his normal schedule - too much excitement for him the past few days we think! Hubby had the night off though so we relaxed, his parents stopped over for a bit since they were in town (they're usually over on Mondays anyway), bringing Chinese food with and we ended up watching Jay's new Winnie the Pooh DVD before it was time for him to go to bed.

Home for the Holidays

A friend on Facebook just posted this tonight.

Granted, we're Verizon users (although my only complaint re: my time with T-Mobile was their lack of coverage outside major cities), but this is a really neat flash mob that was recently done at the big mall in the Chicago suburbs that we visit several times a year (Woodfield, in Schaumburg, which is like an hour away), so it was neat seeing this done there!

Enjoy!

The Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 7

Day 7

How You Celebrate the Holidays

Let me just start by saying that I originally had this post all set to go, but accidently opened it here in Blogger, hit a key and then quickly ctrl-z'd it to remove it... and my entire post was gone and wouldn't show up again. I quickly exited out of it before it could save the empty post... but no such luck! Booo!

Anyways, we start off celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve with my family. At 5pm our church has an hourlong Candles and Carols service that we attend with my family before joining them back at either my parent's house or my aunt's house for dinner and presents. We start off with our meal - usually some Shepherd's Pie among other side dishes and top it off with some dessert such as Christmas cookies, pie or cheesecake. Then we sit and open up gifts with them (we open the ones from them, they open the ones from us). Usually we squeeze in a screening of 24 Hours of A Christmas Story before heading home for the night, where hubby and I get a full screening of it in before bed.

Christmas Day we wake up at a decent hour, exchange our gifts, watch another showing of A Christmas Story and get ready to go visit my in-laws. We usually watch A Christmas Story at least once while waiting for the rest of the family to show until my father-in-law decides it's time for us to watch something else. We open up gifts while we wait for dinner to finish cooking and eat around late afternoon/early evening. We usually end the day after dinner by doing either watching a new DVD or playing a new video game together.

This year will be a little different though as we need to set Jay's presents out after he goes to bed (we plan on putting together his push/ride walker toy and sticking a bow on it for him so he sees it right away when bring him into the room. And with my in-laws, since most of the family lives in town now it's been requested that my mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law come into to town and we have the food and gifts at one of our houses. Originally we discussed hosting it here, as with Jay, it makes the most sense (his toys will all be here, as is his high chair and the house is already baby-proofed) although one of hubby's brother's is wanting it to be at his house... it hasn't been decided yet but we're hoping for our house this year, as Jay will be bigger next year and understand a little better about not falling down or climbing up stairs or putting his fingers in light sockets... plus we can just bring a booster seat for him to sit in instead of hauling the whole high chair over there. Plus, our house is all decorated for the holidays and not a crazy bachelor pad, party house.

How do you guys celebrate the holidays?

The Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 6

Day 6

Christmas Dessert/Treat Recipe

One of my absolute favorite Christmas Cookies are the Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss ones! I first had

them when I was really little and we were visiting my dad's parents in Pennsylvania - I was drawn to them because of the Hershey Kiss on top.

Sure, you can buy an easy kit at Sam's Club or Walmart, but I use my mom's recipe to make mine =)

Keep in mind, the recipe I'm about to post makes 48 cookies, so unless you're sharing them or want a big butt for the holidays, I suggest maybe cutting the ingredients in half.


What you need:

• 1.5 cups of flour
• 1/3 cup of gran. sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 tbsp milk
• 3/4 creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Package of Hershey Kisses

What to do:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a smaller bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mix shortening and peanut butter, then add both sugars and beat til fluffy. Then add the egg, milk and vanilla
3. Add flour in 1/2 cup increments, beating after each addition
4. Batter will become stiff
5. Place batter on plate, divide into 4 parts then divide those 4 parts into another 4 parts. Make 3 balls from each little section
6. Place balls on cookie sheet (you should be able to get 24 per sheet)
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown
8. Immediately press Hershey Kiss into center of cookie
9. With a spatula, place cookies on cooling rack

Just make sure that when serving these you don't give to anyone with a peanut butter allergy, as you can't really tell they're made with peanut butter until you bite in!

Hubby doesn't like peanut butter so I'm glad Jay does as I'm sure he'll enjoy these as like I do! He's a little too young to help me bake Christmas cookies this year, but hopefully next year he can at least help me mix/beat stuff and do frosting and sprinkles!

I'm excited to bake Christmas cookies this year, as I didn't last year due to being pregnant and having gestational diabetes, restricting me from eating the majority of the holiday goodies! And of course you can't bake Christmas cookies and NOT eat them, so I figured I'd be good and just not bake any last year... but you can beat I am this year!

In addition to these, I'll also be making holiday shaped sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles as well as gingerbread cookies (which I skimped on this year and bought a Betty Crocker mix as last time I did it from scratch they were waaaay too thick and kept falling apart!). There's also a yummy coconut cookie bar recipe I have, and the 1st year I made them they turned out perfect, but the last time I made them... they didn't turn out right at all so I think I'll let my mom make those!

The Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 4

Day 4

Favorite Holiday Movies/TV Specials

I LOVE the Christmas movies!

As I mentioned earlier this week, our favorite is:

A Christmas Story!

Unless you've been living under a rock, this gem takes place in the 1930s/40s (as the year isn't actually said) and follows 10 year old Ralphie and his family as all he wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB Gun despite everyone telling him "You'll shoot your eye out!" There's also various other hijinks that are just downright funny and hilarious, but the film is still quite sweet! While it wasn't a hit during its initial release, it gained classic status over the years and while we make a point to catch 24 Hours of A Christmas Story every year, one year hubby wanted to watch it early so we sought out a copy on DVD for own.

Other favorites include Elf (Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, seeking out his birth father and spreading Christmas cheer wherever he goes!) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (where the Griswold's try to have a fun old-fashioned family Christmas with Cousin Eddie and all!).

As far as the animated Christmas specials go...

My favorite is the original Boris Karloff version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

I *hated* the live-action Jim Carrey massacre of it - waaay too much focus on Cindy Lou and the sappy backstory... just give me the original animated version please!

I also scored a great deal last year on Amazon, getting the Original Christmas Classic Collection. Granted, only 4 of them are worth watching (Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), but it's still a great set to have since they don't replay these nearly as much as they did on TV when I was a kid (Frosty was my favorite back then!). I love the claymation though and was sooo excited last year when Community did their Christmas episode all in claymation, giving a nod to all the great Christmas classics!

I can't wait to watch these classic Christmas specials with Jay over the years - I really hope he enjoys them like I did as a kid (and still do to this day!)

We did add 2 new Christmas specials to our collection this year just for Jay:

 

Elmo's Christmas Countdown, where Elmo and Abby help Stiller the Elf (voiced by Ben Stiller, lol...) save Christmas with the help of other celebrity guest - I got this one during Border's GoB sale last summer for just $8! And the VeggieTales' The Toy That Saved Christmas which I haven't seen in years but couldn't pass up.when I saw it in the $5 bin at Walmart recently.

The Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 3

Day 3

Holiday Decor!

This is our 1st year being in a house, so I am beyond excited to get to decorate it for Christmas this year and even spent some monies at Hobby Lobby recently to get some stuff to add since we have more space this year!

Let's start with our tree:

I bought this 6.5ft pre-lit tree from Walmart when I was in college for $30 one of our 1st years in the apartment - I couldn't go without having a tree! Last year we pulled (read: cut) all the pre-lit lights off it as too many had burned out and just bought 2 strands to put on. It's easier this way since all we have to do is replace a strand rather than waste time if some lights burn out.

I decided to keep it simple this year and just put up the fun ornaments, only higher up so Jay can't pull them off. Normally I have blue and gold shatterproof balls I put up as well as some silver garland, but not this year... maybe next year when he's bigger!

My parents have a pool going on who's going knock it over first - Jay or Tiger! So far Tiger's only climbed up in it once. Jay crawled over to it and touched the bottom but didn't seem to have much of an interest!

And the ornaments:

I have the entire Puppy Love series, aside from the new one for this year

The rest of our ornaments

Jay's 1st ornaments:
Elmo with a present tree
A snowman with Jay's name on it (well, "Jay" since we'll never find anything that says "Jaydran")
Guess How Much I Love You bunnies with book replica
Baby's 1st Christmas 2011 picture ornament

Our Dallas Cowboys' ornament that my mom gave hubby for Christmas one year

Our 1st Christmas as a married couple Precious Moments ornament

The nest I made in Sunday School when I was really little and always paired them with the doves. When I moved out, my mom decided just to give me the doves to go with the nest. I always enjoy finding the perfect spot for these guys each year!

My little mouse. I've had this one FOREVER and remember sneaking it off the tree once when I was little and sleeping with it, I loved it so much!

My ballerina angel. I've had this one since I was a kid too! Sadly, her arm broke off a few years ago =(

This is a new one for this year.
It's 2 big stockings with a smaller 2011 one and says up top "...and baby makes three!"

Our star!
It's glitter, which I *hate* but doesn't seem to get all over everything.
(Thank God! I *hate* glitter - as we said in art school, glitter is the herpes of arts and crafts!)
We got this baby at Hobby Lobby a few years ago!

The rest of the decor:

Our fireplace and mantle!
So glad we got this in time for the holidays! I LOVE having a mantle to decorate! And everything on it is new!
Jingle Bell tree - Target
Medium size Nutcracker - Hobby Lobby
Nativity Scene - Hobby Lobby
Dallas Cowboys Snowman Family
And the stockings I picked up at Bed Bath and Beyond and Hobby Lobby on clearance after Christmas last year. Jay's is the one in the center, obviously.

Corner end table decorations
Snowman I took from the "give away" table in our old apartment complex
Partylite Holly Lites Aroma Melt Warmer (with Gingerbread scent from Yankee Candle)
Nativity snowglobe

My Partylite set with Poinsetta and candycanes with Iced Snowberries tealights from Partylite

Holiday Eeyore, Pooh and Tigger keeping the loveseat warm (with Tiger in her usual spot)

Samantha's all decked out in her Christmas story outfit!

I got this guy from Hobby Lobby - I *had* to get one of these countdown things!

Advent calendar
Finding one without Santa plastered all over it was hard!

My new Yankee Candle Gingerbread jar with decorative top
I have a friend who sells PartyLite another who manages the Yankee Candle store at the mall. My Yankee Candle friend has "shop with my discount" sales several times a year and since PartyLite doesn't have just a straight Gingerbread scent I stocked up at Yankee since she gets 50% off wax! I've already burned 1/4th of this jar though and it's not even December yet! Definitely thinking I should have picked up 2!

At my kitchen sink I have the Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel moisturizing anti-bacterial hand soap with a holiday-themed holder

Holiday potholders (Gingerbread house and Gingerbread man) and red and green Christmas light hand towels, all from Target!

Next to my upstairs bathroom sink - Yankee Gingerbread tart and tealight in my bathroom aroma warmer (from PartyLite) and Bath and Body Works Iced Gingerbread moisturizing anti-bacterial hand soap (which smells sooooo good!)

The wreath on our front door that my mom gave me years ago.

The lights on the house!
We still have to put the ones in the front bush, as the outlet needs worked on there.
These are blue, twinkling icicle lights. Sadly though, none of our neighbors have lights up yet!

How do you decorate for the holidays???