♥A Christmas Home Tour ~ Our Family Room♥

I think it's time for a little tour around our home. It's Christmas time and I so love to decorate for this season. I start thinking about it in January. I jot notes here and there all year and look for little 'treasures' that will make our home comfy cozy for Christmas. 

I think that since I work full time (I'm a fourth grade classroom teacher) deciding to go 'all out' with decorating for Christmas is even more important to me. I really want our home to look and feel like when it was magical with two little girls. 

Well those girls are now 20 and 16 but I love the feel of our home and Christmas and I always want it this way. 

Being a very busy teacher I'll be going one little room at a time. If you'd like more of a quick view just hop on over to insta and you can see more there! 

On to our family room... 

This room is wonderful in the summer when the screen in porch is open and the outside feels like it's inside. 

This room is wonderful in the fall because it is filled with huge windows that go up in the ceiling and down to the floor. It overlooks the most beautiful fall tree.

But this room is magical at Christmas time.

I love it best when all four of us are in here - it is dark outside - and oh so cold outside so the fireplace feels just right. 

I love it when we are watching a Christmas movie and when we have a treat or tea or even dinner. 

It's not often enough (we are a TV on only on Friday and Saturday family ~ always have been). I think it makes it even more special when we are in here on weekend nights. 

This year I kept a few things the same (books, books, books - I didn't take picture of those) and I changed a few things too (Mary, Joseph & Jesus on the mantle) 

I love to post our home at Christmastime especially, so that when I go back I can picture the memories (and remember how I decorated) 

I decided to leave the couch off white (I changed it to bright white last Christmas) because I love this area rug in here and I thought the beige would match better. It also makes it more warm and cozy feelings. 

I wrote about this artificial tree back here and still adore it's shape, needles, everything! I keep it really simple with felt garland and candy canes. 

I collect antique Christmas books and love this pile on the coffee table so much. 

 

Glass bowl filled with sugared apples is a cozy and elegant look. 

Here are the manger statues I found at a thrift store - rescued them for a few dollars! The star is oh so pretty - I bought it in a bookstore on Nantucket last Christmas. 

Oh, and I do like to post little things on Instagram. I made a reel of the family room. Oh so fun! 

College of the Holy Cross ~ Lessons and Carols

A very special night 

Anna plays in the Holy Cross orchestra and this year, her junior year, we brought my parents. We made it a special overnight in our favorite Inn, dinner out, their Christmas present. 

It couldn't have been a better night. 

Relaxing, 

Spiritual, 

Yummy, 

Holy, 

Loving, 

Christmas... 

Here is how it all happened: 

I raced out of school just as my class left and we left home at 3:45. We picked my parents up at the Inn by 5:00 and then enjoyed a wonderful Italian dinner at Volturno. 

We headed to the college in time to get to the church just the way I love it: quiet, beautiful, and the best seats! 

The music is so amazing I have tears in my eyes the entire time and it was such a precious gift to have my parents right there experiencing it with us. 

There were times when I turned and looked at Scott, wondering how we got so blessed to be Anna's parents. So much goodness in our hearts in those moments. We were grateful. 

Beaming proud of our little girl, the violist since she was five years old 💞 

All of those years ago when she put her bow on strings I had no idea that moments like this would come. God has used her playing, that viola, the teachers along the way, to raise our daughter and let music fill her soul like nothing else could. 

I am so glad that we get to experience it all now. Thank you Anna. 

Here is the recording of that amazing event: 

2022 is here (her sophomore year) 

Oh, and I do like to post little things on Instagram. {mostly just pictures from around our home} but if you want to see a little bit more of Lessons and Carols just click on my stories "Christmas" and there is more in there. 

2013 ~ North Pole Party

2023 Thoughts ~ this was ten years ago. Magic. I loved it. And just wanted to post it again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

After all of the glitter was swept away, the "flying powder" vacuumed up, and the signs came down I looked at the pictures that had recorded the magic for this night. And I cried.

You think it, plan it, dream it, shop for it and pull it all together. And then you "do" the party. It doesn't leave much time for soaking it in. But when I looked at the pictures I was able to see the joy. From the smallest six year old to the one who'll turn eleven in a few weeks, there was magic.

This North Pole party was simple really. Nighttime, lights and children just a few days before Christmas. Well, that's magic for sure.

Thank you girls who came for giving my two girls the sweetest party ever. For you know that you brought the fun, the joy, the laughter. And I'm so glad you believe... in the magic of Christmas.

Repost 2013 ~ just because I wanted to see it again

2023 Thoughts ~

I remember those December Irish Step dancing Christmas parties. At the time I wasn't a classroom teacher, I was a full-time stay-at-home mama. And I loved every moment of it. Those days worries were making sure dinner was ready early enough and making sure she ate enough before a special night like this. 

Today's worries are junior year high school with college knocking at the door worries. They are bigger and sometimes the same. I still try to 'get enough food in that little girl of ours'. 

I am so grateful for the memories like this night and grateful that there are a million more to come! 

Here is the post from December 2013... 

Some days when the calendar is crowded and there seems to be an "event" every single night I feel well, full.

But then the next morning I come downstairs and look at the pictures I snapped from the night before and I feel like I could cry.

Their "things" that's what Christmas is all about.

And oh did she warm my heart at her Irish Step Christmas Party.

(Most of the fun is giggling with your friends while waiting to dance) 

(Oh dear, may she always have that Christmas sparkle in her eyes) 

Delightful

Darling

Dancer

Baby take a bow!

Holy Cross Fall Orchestra Concert

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot to post this concert. It was the week before Thanksgiving. I was in the middle of 

• parent / teacher conference week at my school (my oh my!)
• prepping for hosting Thanksgiving the next week
• decorating for Christmas

So it was quite a week!!! But somehow we made it up to Holy Cross to soak in glorious music and see our daughter play her viola on that stage. 

It ended up being a marvelous night (exhausting) but marvelous. 

So proud of you Anna for continuing to bless the world with your heart for music.  

And here are the other concerts she was in at Holy Cross: 

Freshman fall concert

Freshman winter concert

Freshman spring concert

Sophomore fall concert

Sophomore Lessons and Carols Christmas concert

Sophomore spring concert 

Advent ~ First Sunday

"Advent is not only a time of preparation but also of interior reflection where we can ask ourselves, 'how can we prepare a welcoming heart for the Lord.' " ~ Pope Francis

I'm Catholic. Raised Catholic, my faith and my deep love of being Catholic has grown and grown since I can remember.  

I love the liturgical seasons of the Church and advent is by far my favorite. 

There is something about stopping to reflect for four straight weeks in a row that pulls at my heart. 

The longer dark nights, the quiet, being introspective, it calls to me each year. 

I think that is one of biggest reasons that I decorate our whole home by Thanksgiving. It gives me a chance to 'do Advent well'. 

Tonight we lit the first of four advent candles. Lit in the darkness, hope for our souls. 

In our reading and reflection we began to talk about what we can give God for Christmas. 

This Christmas I would like to work on one thing each week for Advent. 

This week for me it will be to remind myself that Jesus in near and that I am safe. When anxiety swirls around because this particular week has things that will make me feel unsafe, anxious, and out of control.

Instead of letting my emotions rise up and come out in ways that are sinful and unholy, I will simply remind myself that I am safe. That Jesus is near. I will pray the Memorare Prayer: 

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, 

that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, 

implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.  

I will think through my blessings and even simple things like what I hear, see, smell, feel in a moment. I will breath and not Try Try Try so hard to muster my way through anxiety filled moments. Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden light. He asks us to give up our problems, to lay them down not struggle and struggle and try so much! We are not called to fight our way through things but to realize that God is walking along side us and that just by recognizing that we are moving toward holiness. 

I am so grateful for this Advent season. 

"Let us cultivate His expectations without letting ourselves be distracted by so many pointless things and without complaining all the time, but keeping our hearts alert, that is, eager for Him, awake and ready, impatient to meet Him." Pope Francis 

~ My instagram account is here in case you ever want to visit me there ~ Instagram for me is just one cozy little vignette at a time in our home ~ This blog for me is different ~ The words are longer, deeper and I've been writing here since 2010 ~ I like my pictures here better. They are bigger than little square or reels on Instagram ~ But Instagram can be fun, so just in case you want to pop over, I'm here ~ 

Other posts you might like: 

Advent December 2020

Starting Advent 2020

Advent Weekending 2016