It All Started with a Picture

I've been struggling to come up with a fun and unique birthday party theme for my littlest pipsqueak's 2nd birthday.  Until today!!! While perusing my favorite blog I came up on this...

Oh yes an OREO CAKE!!!  It had me from the word Oreo...the sparklers just made me love it more.  Anyone who knows me and my littlest love know that we would take a cookie over a piece of cake any ole day.  

One guess what the theme will be!?!  Time to get planning!!

Wish me luck!!  xoxo

NYE Game Night Prep

Every year we host a NYE game night.  This year is no different, except that we are two kids less, so I want to do something that will be fun for the kids and adults early on in the night...then the littles can snuggle in with a movie and the adults can play silly games like Cards Against Humanity!

I'm thinking lots of black and gold...maybe some gold glitter...I think we will probably need a little Game Night greeting at the door as well.

Ok so what am I thinking game-wise for parents and kids alike??!!  Minute to Win It games.  I'm thinking maybe a like a jingle bell rock...how many jingle bells can they shake out of tissue box.  I'm definitely going with a "snow throw"  I think the parents will be way competitive with one another and someone will get a marshmallow to the face!  The kiss countdown just sounds like a good idea because who doesn't love chocolate!?!

I might come up with a fun craft projects for the littles to do as well since there will only be two of them big enough to play games and want to hang out.  Pinterest is chalk full of ideas so I need to hop to Thursday will be here before we know it!

I'm really looking forward to this party, I have been in a grinchy mood lately and I really need more fun to pull me out of it and bring some happy back to this face!

Now I'm about to settle down for a long winter's nap...ha ha who am I kidding tomorrow is Monday and it's back to the grind!!

xoxo

A Little Snow From the North Pole

Our much anticipated annual Christmas light viewing had finally arrived...and so did the snow!  By the mid afternoon yesterday the flakes started falling.

We could hardly believe nearly 6 inches had accumulated, but then we realized it had been snowing for nearly 7 hours!!  It doesn't get any more magical than snow and Christmas lights.  Hopefully we will find time to drive through the parade of lights before Christmas wraps up!

xoxo

Barnes & Noble and Christmas Tree Hunting

Ethan's school hosted a book fair night at Barnes & Noble tonight.  Just as soon as we hit the bookstore, we headed straight upstairs to the story time area.  The Westergard Librarian was going to do a special Christmas story hour.  I was in awe of how nicely it was all put together and the amount of people that showed up.  It was the highlight of our day!

The Westergard Wildcat was present at tonight's festivities.  We managed to snap a quick picture with him before the story time and choir performance.  I didn't get to see the Honor Choir kids perform but I did hear it and they sounded amazing!

We grabbed dinner at Wendy's afterwards.  The kids were over the moon because the kids meal prize was Christmas themed.  We came home with 2 gingerbread houses and a nutcracker to color and decorate.  Wendy's is always a favorite of mine!

We ended our evening at Home Depot hunting for the perfect Christmas Tree!

After we got home the pipsqueaks got all snuggled into their jammies.  It's nearly impossible to get them to settle down after such a fun evening.  They finally fell silent and little heads hit the pillows.  So much more fun awaits us!

xoxo

Behave Or Else...

We had a simple day yesterday seeing as I had to be in Minden for court at 8:45 a.m. and Trevor has to be at work by 7:30.  The "bad guys" in the house seemed to have kidnapped Olaf and left a note telling the pipsqueaks to behave or else...

After our crazy morning and then a basketball game last night I couldn't be happier to be home and look forward to a more normal day today!

xoxo

The Angel Tree

Since we have already done a gazillion Christmas themed activities, I decided it was time to do something for others.  I picked three names off the "Giving Tree" at Ethan's school, one for each boy.

Ethan has a 9 year old girl which he picked out a Monster High doll for. Carter has a 5 year old boy who wanted Minions...perfect because Carter loves Minions! Daxton has a 1 year old boy who wanted learning toys...we know all about 1 year olds and learning toys!

Trevor wrapped them all up and now we just have to drop them off in the office on Friday!

xoxo

Breakfast with Olaf & Santa

This year we aren't trying to overspend on our Christmas fun so we planned out some big things and some low key things.  The majority of the time we will be doing fun things at home and free things around town, which is just fine by me.  On Sunday, Olaf brought us donuts from the North Pole and set it all up complete with Santa!

Olaf went all out and set it up pretty...complete with my unused Christmas dishes!!  I mean what is breakfast with Santa if not on Christmas tree plates?!  I figure since they are out we better use them the rest of the month.

xoxo

A Magical Hometown Christmas Parade

After their initial disbelief, the pipsqueaks were ecstatic to be going to a Christmas parade in their own hometown!  There are number of holiday events going on around town this time of year, but we have an age range to play to these days.  So, the Sparks Hometown Christmas parade was free and well worth it, in my opinion.

Trevor totally out did himself setting up the most fantastically elaborate display for the pipsqueaks to wake up to.  They loved seeing Olaf in his own parade on our mantle.

Before the parade, Ethan and I attended Westergard's annual Santaland where Ethan picked out gifts for Carter and Daxton.  Then we picked up the rest of the gang and headed to Rosie's Cafe for brunch before the parade.

SIXTEEN MORE DAYS y'all!!

xoxo

Hometown Christmas {Christmas Tree Lighting 2015 Edition}

One of our favorite memories from Christmas time last year was the Christmas Tree Lighting in Victorian Square.  We are trying to save money by taking advantage of the fun and free things right here in our hometown!

Like last year, Olaf left us a clue as to what our holiday fun would be tonight.  Now, if I do say so myself, Trevor completely outdid himself getting us all prepped and ready...hot coco, coffee, and candy canes!!  Thank goodness for such an awesome husband!

While we patiently waited we enjoyed the candy canes Trevor packed us.

After dancing to Christmas music and counting down with Mayor Martini the lights on the Victorian Square tree came on!

I'm so excited it's Christmas time once again!!  All the shenanigans take planning, but it's all worth it, seeing the magic on their faces every morning!

xoxo

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas Lean Your Ear This Way...

I'd venture to say that one of the many highlights of Christmas time for the pipsqueaks is writing their letters to Santa.  Year after year they meticulously pick stickers, stamps and colorful tidbits to add to those little requests.  I kid you not when I say these things are among my favorite keepsakes to reread year after year.  The boys often fall asleep discussing what they wrote to Santa the year before or what they forgot to tell him in this year's note.  Sooooo, yesterday Olaf pulled out all the writing supplies, the boys carefully crafted their lists and voila we had our 2015 letters to Santa!!

They personalized each line with what they wanted Santa to bring them.  When we told them we were going to drop them in the Santa Mail and the Believe-O-Meter would go up they were super excited.  They did their best to make sure Santa knew they've been good all year.  A magical memory for sure!

Like last year, the kids took turns dropping their letter into the big red mail box.

Here they are happy as clams to be celebrating the holiday season!

So, at the end of the day our letters to Santa and an evening full of fun Christmas memories ran us a grand total of ZERO dollars!!  Not too shabby!

xoxo

A Mickey Christmas

Y'all know I love a good theme.  What better way to spend our second day of December than doing a Mickey Mouse Christmas?!  Olaf really out did himself by whipping up these really cute Mickey Santa shirts.  It doesn't get any cuter than Santa Mickey!

We had so much fun watching Christmas the House of Mouse.  Mickey's Christmas Carol is our favorite!  I love that this year Carter is really excited and starting to understand more about the season!  Daxton will get there soon and it will be even more fun!!

A very Merry Christmas to y'all!!

 - xo

He's Back {2015}

Our super fun elf, Olaf, is back again for the holiday season!!!  He flew in last night and worked his little elfin fingers to the bone preparing an awesome snow themed breakfast...this is our 3rd snowflake breakfast with Olaf!

Olaf dazzled the pipsqueaks with the snowballs (powdered donuts) & North Pole berries plus hot coco in those giant Frosty mugs!

To say the boys were excited would be an understatement.  They looked high and low for that sneaky elf on their way to breakfast.  They were thrilled with they say Olaf wrote them individual notes!!

This morning was definitely a fun way to kick off December and our school day!  The kids read and reread the Elf on the Shelf book and watched The Elf Story 4 times tonight!!  We haven't quite pulled out the decorations yet...but that is coming!!  Decorations or not the Christmas season has officially commenced in The Nook!!

xo