One of my favorite Christmas activities is wrapping the presents! I know there are others out there that enjoy it as much as I do...right? Every year I use brown kraft paper for my gifts! I just love the way my gifts look under the tree! I try to mix up the bows and gift tags each year, but I LOVE how the gifts are looking this year...I may just stick with this for a while!





My gift wrapping is SUPER simple. I used fabric instead of ribbon...I really don't know why I didn't think of this sooner! Two yards only cost me about $2 and I have plenty for all of my gifts. I also picked up a white paint pen. I hate buying gift tags or stickers...i really just haven't found any that I love. I used the paint pen to label the presents this year. I tried to use different lettering, and make it look festive and fun! I don't know how long I will be able to use this kraft paper, but for now I am sticking with it!

Happy Wrapping!

December has been busy, but I am not complaining! We have had a lot of fun, and there is so much more to come! We have already managed to mark off a few activities from my list...with the help of two of our favorite people!

We kicked off our holiday activities a couple of weeks ago with our First Annual Deck the Halls Christmas Extravaganza! It was work, but it was a lot of fun! We started the day at our house. Val and I decorated the inside, while the boys hung up lights outside. Our outdoor decorations are pretty simple (just two strands of lights).





Then it was on to Josh and Val's house!

It was a fun day of decorating! However, I have added a few more things! I did just get this AMAZING wreath that is now decorating my front door! If you are reading from Pennsylvania, check out Henry's Tree Farm...and be sure to like them on Facebook!



You can see some Christmas decorations from last year by clicking the links below.

Christmas Tree Stand

Snow Globes


-Britt

Who is ready for the holidays?! This girl is! I am really in the holiday spirit, and have been putting together a list of fun activities that I want to do this year. I AM SO EXCITED!



 We are kicking off my list of holiday excitement with The First Annual Deck the Halls Christmas Extravaganza! Doesn't it sound exciting!? On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we are going to spend the whole day decking the halls walls (we don't have any halls in our house) and drinking hot chocolate. This is an idea that my cousin Val and I came up with, and the boys are pretty stinkin' excited about it (don't let them tell you otherwise)! We are going to start the day at our house! While Dane and Josh put up the outdoor lights, Val and I are going to decorate the inside and make lunch. Once we are done with our house, we will move on to theirs! Doesn't it sound awesome?! I imagine that the day will also include Elf playing on a loop! I will be sure to document this day, and share all of the fun details with you.

Can you tell that I am excited about Christmas decorations! I really don't like to put stuff up before Thanksgiving, but it takes a lot of self control to keep myself from doing it! I am glad that my neighbors are not followers of the rule...I am happy to just gaze out the windows at their lights! I am ready for the day that the whole neighborhood will be sparkling with Christmas lights. I am hoping that Dane and I can drive around town, look at the lights, and listen to Christmas music! Who wants to join us?

Can you imagine the ZOO decorated for Christmas?! I have wanted to go to Wild Lights at the St. Louis Zoo for several years...this year I AM GOING! I am probably imagining it as something much more spectacular than it actually is, but I don't care. I love the zoo when it is 110º out...and I am sure I will love it just as much when it is only 30º and transformed into a winter wonderland!

All of my other free time will probably be spent with family...and shopping! What kind of awesome things do you have planned for the season?

Hot cocoa, cozy slippers, the smell of spruce, and CHRISTMAS MUSIC! It is that time of year again! Dane has even been enjoying the festive tunes. I have not started decorating...but that will start soon enough! Of course, I will be decorating with all of my favorite Christmas music playing in the background. Here is a list of all of my favorite holiday songs. I have put a lot of thought into this list, and I hope you enjoy it...while sipping a big cup of hot chocolate!

Baby it's Cold Outside - Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas - Michael Bublé

Believe - Josh Groban

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Christina Perri

Hairy Christmas - Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas (This album is

awesome...and the only reason my sweet husband is letting me listen to Christmas music this early! But seriously, check it out!)

Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

Silent Night - Lady Antebellum

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Michael Bublé (Yes, he made the list

twice...really his whole album should be on this list!)

Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith

Run Run Rudolph - Luke Bryan

White Christmas - The Drifters

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Christmas music always gets me in the festive mood! What are your favorite songs for the holiday season?

I was looking forward to putting up my Christmas tree up all week. I didn't want to do it before Thanksgiving, but I had every intention of putting it up after work on Saturday. I love our Christmas tree! You can check out last year's post about it here. Anyway...I was especially excited about it this year, because I was finally going to get to put the tree stand to use! So, after work I got home and found that Dane had already gotten the tree out of the closet...and then I looked at base of the tree. 

Talk about trying to fit a square hexagon in a round hole...I was momentarily devastated! The base was slightly more than a half an inch larger than the hole that my dad had cut. (Word of advice...measure your tree before you cut the log!) Luckily, the plastic, hexagon piece came off with some serious force. However, the bottom was then much smaller than the hole...but that was something I knew I could fix! 

I cut up some newspaper, rolled it up, and secured it with a rubberband. This took a while because I had to add more newspaper a couple of times and I had to adjust the hole in the center, but it eventually worked. 

There you have it...snug as a bug! It does wiggle a little, but it is not going to tip! I will probably find something more durable before we have little kiddos running around! 

For now I am thrilled with the final look! Not only does it look great, it also lifts the tree up so it is taller and presents actually fit under it! 

I wasn't sure I was going to get to put it up on Saturday at first...so glad I did! What do you think? I still have an extra stump if anyone is interested...and it already has a hole cut in it!