12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 4

Blog Challenge... Oops I started on day 4

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditionsDay 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & TricksDay 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've receivedDay 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday seasonDay 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show SpecialDay 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)Day 8: Least favorite thing about the HolidaysDay 9: Favorite Holiday recipeDay 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/CarolesDay 11: New Year ResolutionsDay 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outside)Day 13: Favorite Cookie RecipeDay 14: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience
** Ok, This is something that I really have a hard time with. Budget... not just Christmas. I have troubles keeping a budget when I go to the grocery store or the amount of times I should be going to Starbucks. Here is my attempt to give the best advice that I can give. **
Craft or Photo's: This year I have decided that we are going to get family photos done at Lake Tahoe this weekend and they will be the family gifts this year. The last few years we have gotten everyone in the family their gift and in the end Ian and I never exchanged gifts really for each other. This year I really want to make it about are little family of three this year and give a little something to each family member. Like the framed family photo and something to put into their stocking. 
If you want to give everyone in the family a gift then. What is your total budget amount of xmas shopping? Then pick an amount that you will spend on everyone. And... Stick with that amount. Remember Christmas is about spending time as a family and not the presents you give or receive. Like my grandma says every year to me, just donate food or toys or clothing to a food bank as a gift to me. That is what Christmas is all about. 

Wordless Wednesday

The Drive to work

My Front Yard

Another shot of the front yard

Temp this morning.

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Transition to the Toddler Bed

My child loves her crib. I mean loves it. She would love to play in there with bert and ernie and monkey. She would actually get upset if you took her out of crib too soon. She liked to lay there for additional 15 minutes after she had woken up from her nap and in the morning. If you grabbed her out too early she would be so cranky.

I've been thinking about when the right time would be to take the front piece off her crib and let her be able to get in and out of bed on her own. I was scared she would freak and refuse to sleep in her bed with it being "The Crib". I thought it would be easier for potty training, and after 4 months of her second birthday I knew is was time for me and I hoped that she would follow. She never tried to crawl out of her crib, she just loved being in there. So, I never pushed her to go to the toddler bed.

She fell out of bed once or twice the first night, and then we had no issues. She now will open her door in the mornings come in are room and tell us to "wake up mommy and daddy." If not that she will knock on her door in the morning and say help me please. Or, she will call us.

She love's being able to get in and out of bed. It's such a relief. Now since she is able to be mobile in her room at night and in the morning. I wanted to really make sure that she couldn't get into anything. One morning, I woke up and she had pulled out every single one of the wipes out of the container. 

When did you decide to make the transition to the toddler bed. 

Crib with front Piece off

Mackenna showing off Bert.

She really wants you to meet bert

Another view.

Another View

Her room again.

Closet. Removed the doors. 

Showing off in her toddler bed. 

sorry for the crummy photos, I couldn't find my camera, I had to use my phone. : )

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Sounds of Morning

The sounds of my morning. I love the fact that I no longer wake up before anyone in the house is even thinking of waking up. I used to leave the house with Ian still snoring as I'm getting dressed and slip out the front door. I no longer wake up to the most annoying sound ever... the alarm clock. 

Now I wake up to the shower curtain scraping across the shower rod. (I don't care how ghetto it is I'm going to replace my decorative metal shower hooks with ghetto plastic rings.) I can't stand that horrid in the morning. I usually look at the clock now and see either 5am or 5:15am, when ever Ian finally decides to get out of bed. 

I hear everything in the morning he does. Sometimes I sit and think in bed, dear god I was never that loud in the morning, what is his issue. I hear the sink go on in the morning and not just turned on a little bit, the sink is turned on full blast. I can either hear him shaving, trimming his face, or hear him banging the damn sonic care toothbrush on the edge of the sink. Then the door flies open and the lights get flicked on in the room. Then there is the banging of the dresser drawers. The flop on the bed to for him to put his socks on. 

I know its coming then... he will wake me up in a minute. I either get my feet tickled or I know you will get mad, but it's time to wake up. Then I either raise up or not move and then I get a kiss. I hear him storm out bang around in the kitchen and the front door closes.

Some morning's he is really gone right away, other's he comes back in and asks... have you seen this? or he forgot something, or his lunch is sitting on the counter. 

This is when I usually go and take my shower... and then I hear my little mini me in her room. She now knocks on her own door, won't open it, but knocks for you to let her out. It's so funny to me.

I'm getting used to this 8-5 thing....

What do you hear in the morning?

How was your weekend?

Baking... Tis the Season

Since it was snowing out I thought making sugar cookies would be fun to make. They were so good and Mackenna had a lot of fun frosting and the sprinkles.... were a hit with her. I think this evening I will make the christmas cupcakes. I can't help it. Im already in the christmas spirit.

We got another foot of snow last night and its still snowing outside. I think today im going to break out the paints and sneak out on Mack's nap and head down the hill to go see Harry Porter. I hope the movie is awesome because I will be driving in a storm to see it. : )

What are you doing this sunday?

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Playing in the Snow

We played in the snow for an hour this morning. Mackenna loves snow. I was starting to get cold but Mackenna wanted to still play outside. I took her for a sled ride down the street. I think she ate about 4 cups of snow. What a great start to a Saturday. We going to spend the rest of the day cleaning up the house, baking sugar cookies and painting. 

Eat your heart out

I woke up this morning....

Mt backyard this morning.

My Front yard this morning...

And.. for kicks I had egg nog coffee this morning..

So far 9 inches of snow of the expected 3 feet of snow till Sunday. I will update later with some more 

photos of the snow. I'm so excited that we might take the snowmobile down the street. haha! enjoy

and no drooling on my blog. 

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