grace and light has moved

Won't you join me in my new space?   www.graceandlight.typepad.com

FEBRUARY, ALREADY?

This calendar page is designed to print at 3 inches x 4 inches or to be used in digital scrapbooking or other digital  projects. To download, click on the image above.  Then right click and save the image to your computer.

I am sharing each month's calendar page for 2013 at the beginning of the given month.  To see all of the calendar pages (and other freebies) that I have shared, go to the "freebies" section of my blog.  

If you would like the entire 2013 calendar now (in both JPEG and PDF formats) you may purchase it through my shop. 

Moustache Black Mustache Brown Kraft Paper Gift by Buttonlandia

Moustache Black Mustache Brown Kraft Paper Gift by Buttonlandia (clipped to polyvore.com)

HELLO 2013!

This calendar page is designed to print at 3 inches x 4 inches or to be used in digital scrapbooking or other digital  projects. To download, click on the image above.  Then right click and save the image to your computer.

I am sharing each month's calendar page for 2013 at the beginning of the given month.  To see all of the calendar pages (and other freebies) that I have shared, go to the "freebies" section of my blog.  

If you would like the entire 2013 calendar now (in both JPEG and PDF formats) you may purchase it through my shop. 

25 HOLIDAY PHOTO IDEAS

Because you are short on ideas for a holiday card photo.  Because you are creating a December Daily or other holiday scrapbook.  Because you want to remember this holiday season. Because grandma and grandpa will love to see them.  Because sometimes we need to be reminded to record the little moments in life.

Take photographs:

1. With Santa
2. Bundled up (rosy cheeks, running noses and all)
3. Under the Christmas tree
4. With their stockings
5. With their pile of wrapped gifts
6. With their pile of unwrapped gifts 
7. Playing/buried in the wrapping paper, after gifts have been opened
8. Kissing someone under the mistletoe
9. Wearing a Santa hat, reindeer antlers or elf ears
   
10. With twinkling lights in the background
11. All wrapped up in twinkling lights
12. Playing with the nativity set 
13. Hanging ornaments
14. Placing the topper on the tree
15. Wrapped up in garland or ribbon, with bows on their heads
16. Baking or frosting cookies
17. Drinking hot cocoa
18. Walking into or out of church
19. In their holiiday finery
20. Making snow  angels
21. Around your house
22. Building a snowman or fort
23. Eating a candy cane
24. Wearing Christmas pajamas
25. Tucked in bed on Christmas Eve

Even if you don't manage to get your holiday photo in the mail until January (if at all).  Even if your holiday scrapbook is left half completed.  Even if your photos don't make it to your blog or into the mail for grandma and grandpa.  I promise you that you won't regret taking photos this Christmas season.  A day will come when the memories are fading and you will thank yourself for taking the time to record this season.  

A DIFFERENT ELF ON OUR SHELF

If you regularly peruse the land of mama blogs, wile away the hours on Pinterest or walk the aisles of Target, you have surely seen the Elf on the Shelf.  

(Just in case you don’t know about this friendly little elf or want to learn more, check out the Elf on the Shelf website.)
 

I love this idea, but decided to take my own spin on it.  

Here is our elf:

Okay, so he's not really an elf, but he did travel from the North Pole and will keep tabs on our house (with daily reports back to Santa) in just the same way that an elf would.

Why will this (yet to be named) snowman visit our house instead of the ubiquitous elf?

Because $30 seems like a slightly ridiculous amount of money to spend on a book and figurine, because I like to do things my own way, because I would rather not have my child (and future children) spy "his elf" at a friend's house or in a store aisle, and because it seemed like a lot more fun to make up our own story and put our own spin on this tradition.

Sam is really too little to understand anything about the Elf on the Shelf, but I am anxious to start some family traditions with our very first family Christmas.  And even though Sam won’t be cognizant of the meaning behind our snowman, this year, I would venture to guess that when he is three, four, or five  years old he will enjoy seeing photos of his baby self  hanging out with our snowman.

Also, I think that starting this tradition this year will provide for some good adult amusement.  

Do you have an Elf on your shelf?  Do the adults in your house find it just as fun as the kids?

Note: Our Snowman came from Walmart and cost $0.97. I am looking forward to spending my $29 savings on Christmas gifts!   

FALL FAMILY FUN LIST - UPDATE

Fall is in full swing and some mornings it is really starting to feel more like winter.  I figured it was time to check in on our Fall Family Fun List and see how we were doing.
- - - - - - - 

Host a football party.  We didn't host the big party that we originally intended, but we have had various family members join us to watch a few games.  

Go out with the mister to celebrate the anniversary of our first date and our engagement.  

Take a walk and have a picnic in our old neighborhood.   Hmm.  It's getting colder all the time.  We better do this soon!

Complete Christmas shopping by December 15th.  With a month to go, I have 80-90% of my shopping complete.  This one should be crossed off with no problem!

Create a fun holiday card and/or letter that we can incorporate into our family Project Life album.  (And get them in the mail by December 20th.)  My brain is still scheming up ideas.  

Take Sam to see Santa Claus.

Scream my way through a haunted house with the mister.  Oops.  We missed this one.  Somehow, Halloween totally sneaked up on me.  

Wine tasting with my girlfriends.  This was in the works and then fell through.  I am going to a wine and cheese night with the mister and some church friends this weekend, though.  And I am way excited about it!  

Movie date nights on the couch - after Sam goes to bed.  Accomplished!
Introduce Sam to snow.

Visit my mom.

Take more family photos - either take them ourselves or have them taken professionally - or both!   

Make Sam's playroom more play-friendly and also cuter.  Slowly, slowly...

Go out for breakfast.

Spend lots of time at the library.

Drive around to look at Christmas lights.