The Vaulted Files: Christmas Wreath Storage Solution

Tags

Christmas decorations, holiday clutter, wreath storage

I originally wrote this in early 2014 before my unintended sabbatical from blogging here.  Back to work, now…

So, there I was, packing away all the Christmas décor after Epiphany this year when it dawned on me that I now had sixteen – no, make that seventeen – Christmas wreaths hung in and on my home. I have to admit, I choked a little on the thought of buying enough boxes in which to store them. Where were all the boxes going to go?

One of the things we lucked into when we built our house is a closet in the garage, where Dom decided all of our holiday décor could live. And it just so happens that there is a lot of tall wall space in this closet. I wanted hooks for my wreaths. But, really – seventeen of them?

And that’s when this idea sprang to life. Home Depot, or any home store, has the brackets that hold closet shelves and rods, right? You know – these things…

They cost under $4 each.  And voila! They also hold about three wreaths (four, if you don’t mind smushing them on there.) The hook part that would hold the rod holds one of the wreaths so you can make sure the others don’t come sliding off of the bracket. I bought about six of these and placed them strategically on my wall so the wreaths can hang in the closet and I never have to worry about their bows getting all wonky from storage.

Now, go… be free and hang your wreaths! 😉

 

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Hey, It’s Okay…

In a bout of ragged wits-endedness, I flopped down with my Google Reader to try to catch up on everyone I have missed for the past, oh-I-don’t-know, five weeks?  (Who’s counting?)  I didn’t realize how absolutely defeated I felt until I pulled myself away from dishes and laundry and cheer-challenged family members and sank into my iPad for the first time in Way Too Long.

Not too far into my Reader I saw Shell’s post titled Hey, It’s Okay, so I checked in on her world.  I like checking in with Shell.  She brings perspective to me far more than she knows.  And she offered Airing My Dirty Laundry’s linky-loo opportunity (I’m so bad with the internet terms!) to share my own “Hey, It’s Okay” post.

So I am.  Right now.   These are things that have turned me on my ear in the last seven days.  Things I’m dealing with.  It’s all good.  I am woman.  Hear me roar.

Hey, it’s okay…

To serve canned tomato soup and boxed mac-n-cheese for dinner.

To make your child do his science fair project on his own.  And it’s also okay if said project looks like he did it All. By. Himself.

To use your car’s seat heater in 60-degree weather.  Just because you CAN!!

To tell your son that you won’t tuck him in or kiss him goodnight until he clears his floor of all the Legos so that you don’t sprain an ankle tripping over a plastic Hogwarts.

It’s also okay if your son merely scoops all the Legos to one side of the room, clearing you a runway of sorts to his bed.

If you haven’t finished (or started) the book you want to write.

If your grandmother announces in shock when she sees you on Thanksgiving that “You’re a redhead!” even if you have had black hair all your life until your four-year romance with permanent hair dyes.  And it is also perfectly okay if you immediately return home to dye your hair black again, and wear solid black to work the next day in order to detract from the hair.  Your coworkers will keep mum because they know what is good for them.

To secretly long for payday so you can buy that holiday bottle of Bailey’s Irish Crème.  The same bottle you plan to drink without sharing.

If you make a muffaletta cheese ball that suffices by itself as two of your lunches.  Whatevs.

If you set out your Christmas tree and your Advent wreath on the same day.

If you check your daughter out at 1pm on a Monday because she’s “sick” even if you aren’t entirely convinced that she is, in fact, sick.  Sometimes we just need to be taken away from the stress.

If, after rolling your eyes, you realize that – holy crap! – your daughter might actually be sick, what with all that coughing she’s been doing since 1pm.

If you’ve committed yourself to saccharin-free, dye-free, preservative-free homeopathic medicines, only to go running to the pharmacy for Children’s Motrin and Delsym when fever and coughs put up a bigger fight than you expected.  Do what works and let it go.

If you buy everyone gift cards for Christmas.  Better yet, buy them all at Kroger when you run in for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s! (makin’ a list…checkin’ it twice…)

If you can’t hold out on seeing the new Twilight movie just because you haven’t been able to get the book from the library yet.

If you want to take two vacation days so you can have your own Twilight marathon for the sole purpose of comparing the significant differences between the books and the movies.  (Not sayin’ I’m gonna…just, you know…to each his own.)

If your now-public food-and-habit chemical-free lifestyle change that so rocked your world is considered by acquaintances as your “special diet” and they wonder ALOUD if you are “still on it.”

If you move bunny rabbits from the warmth of your only empty bedroom to the starkness of the garage.  They really don’t care.  You’ll actually be happier.  And your carpet will be cleaner.

If your vegetable garden looks like crap at the end of November but still manages to produce veggies.  We call that Lagniappe.

If iTunes is acting wonky.  Another update is just around the corner.

If you don’t take out ALL the Christmas decorations this year, knowing what a pain it is to repack everything in January. Set out only that which you truly enjoy.  It’s cool.

Hey, it really IS okay.  Thanks.  I feel better.  😉

Day194: Merry Christmas to You!

Settling in at the end of the day,
fire roaring,
dogs snoring.
Kids smiling,
hubby whiling.
Wrapping gathered,
Cold weathered,
Settling in at the end of the day.

Merry Christmas, y’all. 😉

Day 193: Goodbye, Advent – Hello, Christmas!

Tags

Advent calendar, Advent traditions, Advent wreath, Christmas breakfast, Christmas traditions

In the spirit of change, we started two new traditions this year:

1)      December 23 evening meal was held by candlelight alone.  “Caveman style,” as the kids called it.  We lit the Advent wreath, turned out all the other lights and feasted on spaghetti together.  Victoria pointed out that fire was the only kind of light Jesus had, too, so we were remembering his birth in a special way by not using any electricity to light our dining room.  Have I mentioned that Vic amazes me?

After dinner, we turned on all the interior Christmas lights, turned out the lamps, and watched It’s A Wonderful Life together.  This is a tradition usually reserved for me and Dom alone, but the kids have slowly grown into non-animated movies, and I figured it was time to bring them into the tradition.  Vic fell asleep before the movie was over, but Aaron got the full experience of George Bailey’s awakening. 

2)      Christmas Eve morning (today) we had a special breakfast together around the Advent wreath.  We made organic pancakes, and we were joined by Martin, our elf.  This breakfast was different from all others only in that it was not rushed, and I stayed at the table long after everyone else trickled away, reading the O Antiphons and humming O Come, Emmanuel to myself. 

We hung the Bethlehem Star on the Advent calendar to signify the holiest of nights, and we made plans to light the Advent wreath one more time this evening before tucking it away for the next year. 

The Bethlehem Star, by the way, was constructed from plain paper by my mom, who measured, folded and protracted until she was certain each angle was perfect and each crease permanent.  I spray painted it gold and hot glued a hook to the top back.  I hope to find some way of fortifying it for future use. 

As we have removed a star from the calendar each day of Advent to mark the countdown to Christmas Eve, the kids have placed the stars on the Advent wreath.  This provided a little extra decoration for the table, and gave us a sure and certain place to store our stars.  I am not certain how to best store the calendar once we take it down – that is still a work in progress.  And yes, I will also post instructions on how to make the calendar yourself (soon) so you can be ready for next year!

So, that has been our Advent in a nutshell.  It’s been a wonderful four weeks.  I hope your Advent has been wonderful too! Merry Christmas!!

Day 192: The Spirit of Christmas

Tags

Christmas Spirit

I am in love with this time of year!  Despite our 70+ degree days this week, the Christmas spirit is present in our hearts and in our homes, and it fills me with an incredible happiness. As I visited with our dentist yesterday during the kids’ appointment, he asked if we were ready for Christmas Day.  I offered an enthusiastic “YES!” followed by, “but I’m not ready for it to all end.”  He said I was the first person he’d heard say that, and that it was refreshing to hear.

It’s true.  I’m not ready for it to end.  We don’t get enough of this Christmas Spirit, if you ask me.  We follow too closely to the suggestion of popular culture which gears us up for this amazing holiday, and then snatches it away on December 26 before we have had any time for it to really sink in.  As for me and my house, we will celebrate Christmas right into January, just as the Church celebrates the Christmas Season (which lasts until January 6, by the way). I will continue to enjoy my Christmas lights long after Wal Mart has packed theirs away.  I will still be singing O Come All Ye Faithful while Home Depot sets out grills and patio furniture. 

This week right before Christmas is the week that every year I wish would last three times as long as it does.  This is when it all comes together…the anticipation, the relaxation, the merriment.  The shopping is done, the parties are abounding, and with the exception of my cluttered kitchen, life seems picture-perfect – “Just like a picture print by Currier and Ives…these wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives…”

God bless us, everyone!

Day 183: The Wheels Keep Turning

I’ve been out of touch for a couple of days, but I haven’t been too far away.  We have three parties scheduled this week: one that I’m decorating, one that I’m hosting, and one to which I am bringing a cheese ball.

You would LOVE this cheese ball.

For the decorating, I get a chance to be creative – resulting in my hands hurting from an hour of making paper cutouts.   But the decorations are as cute as I wanted them to be, so it’s all worth it.  Plus, I get to step back into my role as cake decorator (I do this on very limited occasions when I consider the event too special to trust to anyone else’s cakes.  I’m a wee bit territorial like that!)  Some people – um, that would be Jessica – are special enough to warrant the extra work.  Suffice it to say that this will be a rockin’ baby shower!

For the party I’m hosting, I have scheduled a carpet cleaning for tomorrow afternoon, amid the cake decorating and party-favor-fashioning.  I will face myself in the mirror tomorrow and wonder what the hell I was thinking when I scheduled this.  But then evening will come too soon, and by then I hope to have clean, dry, fresh-smelling carpets ready for Thursday’s party. 

And then I’ll make the cheese ball. 

See??? It’s all about schedules.  Heh heh heh…

Day 178: Santa’s Elf Needs a Break!

Yesterday was a coveted day off from work…a day I usually spend with my mom doing our last minute Christmas shopping, which this year in my case was everything I was unable to buy on-line.  We spent ALL DAY rummaging through department stores until we were both ready to drop.  Then the concert, then home late to bed, then up again to go back to work…

And I haven’t stopped since.  The last little chore I thought I would tackle tonight was the wrapping of some of the gifts purchased yesterday.  Boxes, tissue paper and bows littered the entire den while I whittled my presents into picturesque displays.  Crumpled price tags were on the floor beneath the coffee table, as were bits of wrapping paper – sort of like the paper scraps that result from cutting out snowflakes.   Oh, and Mason was laying there too.

As I picked up my mess and put all my supplies away, I saw what I thought were cardboard scraps laying on the carpet just beside where I had been kneeling.  I scooped it up and instantly realized it was not of my making.  Mason had thrown up.  And there I was, holding it in my bare hand. 

At this point, it’s just too bad I’ve sworn off medication.

Day 177: The Wizards of Winter

Tags

concerts, TSO

Today we have been gearing up for the evening… the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. Dom and I have made a point of attending each year, this being our fourth. THIS year, Aaron wanted to go with us, so I promised him long ago that it was a done deal.

Please keep in mind that I made this promise months before I found out it was scheduled for a school night!

Victoria announced immediately that she was not interested in attending. She has always had an aversion to loud gatherings, and I find myself wondering if this was long ago an indicator of ADHD.

At any rate, Dom, Aaron and I are here to enjoy the sights and sounds of TSO. As we left the restaurant a little while ago, I asked Aaron if he was ready to rock.

“Yes, I AM ready to rock!!” he responded.

Bring it on!!

Day 175: The Better Christmas List

Tags

Christmas shopping, gift lists

You know if I find something that keeps me more organized, I’m going to tell you all about it.  Last year I downloaded the Better Christmas List from the AppStore for iPhone.  I don’t know if this app is available for other phone brands, but if you can get your hands on this app, you simply must!!  Here’s the skinny on how to play Santa:

The app allows you to create groups of people and set budgets per group.  Assign specific gifts to each person, noting how much each item costs and where to purchase it.  Mark each item as not-yet-purchased, purchased, wrapped, or mailed.  The app generates a budget tracker, tickler for how many gifts you have bought and still need to buy, and gift listing by store.  And don’t worry about prying eyes…you can password protect the whole thing.  When Christmas is over, you can archive the entire season for later reference. 

I have recommended this app to several people.  It’s $1.99 and worth even more.  Trust me.

Day 173: If Time Is On My Side, Why Am I Running Late?

My car (AKA “The Cherry Bomb”) is having issues.  I’m not exactly sure what is up, but I feel it has something to do with my battery.  When I first noticed the problem, my car had trouble idling at red lights near the beginning of each trip.  Then, I noticed that sometimes as I started the car – say, every fifth time – the battery would spaz for just a second…long enough for my clock to reset to midnight.  Do you know how disconcerting it is to head home right at dusk and your car clock tell you it’s 7am?  The kids, like me, are clock watchers. They do not like having the wrong time displayed in the mornings, and I hear their protests from the backseat.  But I explain to them that it is a real pain in the rear-end to have to reset the clock, only to have it spaz out again two days later.  So I have left it reading the wrong time.  Why waste energy, right?

To add insult to injury, I lost my watch.  The watch that was my grandmother’s.  The watch that I have been missing for four days now.  The watch that I still search my wrist for at least twenty times a day.  The watch that will probably turn up five years from now in the bottom of an obscure mixing bowl in my pantry, or in the detergent drawer under my washing machine.  Weird stuff happens like that sometimes. 

Yesterday I went shopping during my lunch hour.  Shopping is fun for eleven months out of the year.  It just happens to suck during December for obvious reasons.  Between browsing for gifts and waiting in lines, and being on a bit of a time constraint, I kept checking my watch – er, my bare wrist – and wondering if I needed to be heading back to the office.  By the time I left the second store, I was hungry and entirely convinced that I had already spent my hour.  I scanned the shopping center for any sign of a clock, to no avail.  

And then I got it.  This is my one chance to be free of the clock.  I am so schedule-oriented that I am ALWAYS aware of the time.  And time always moves faster than I want it to.  So there I stood on a sunny sidewalk in the middle of a strip mall, realizing that time was not going to stand still for me, and I might as well just get done what needed doing.  I walked to Subway and bought myself a sandwich and headed back to work, clueless of the time on everyone else’s clocks.  And as it turned out, I was only about ten minutes late.  Not too shabby.

Granted, I could have looked at my phone to see what time it was, but I rather like the freedom that a lost watch and spastic car battery have given me.  I think I will bask in my ability to be “timeless” for a while now.  Simply put, I will get where I’m going when I get there.  I feel led to flit about and enjoy the season…

…while I’m shopping for a new watch.  😉