I'm going to take a little time off from creating (why, oh why, did I wait until last minute?) and wrapping Christmas presents to do a little writing. I have wassel boiling on the stove, Polar Express playing on ABC Family, my tree is lit, and my husband is sitting happily on the couch. Things have really shaped up this Christmas season and we only have 4 days to go! How are your holidays coming together this year? I hope everyone is enjoying the season. I'm a real (chest)nut when it comes to Christmas. I believe in giving Thanksgiving the month it deserves, and I really try to hold out until December 1 to start putting up decorations. This also happens to be one of the longest weeks of the year for me. We wait all year for the Season, and that last week is like molasses; especially when the neighbors have their Christmas lights and yard decorations on display the second the porch light goes out on Halloween. I have twelve (yes, TWELVE) bins of Christmas decorations. Every year, I think, "No more," and then it never fails, I add at least one more bin to the stack. (We can always put more boards down in the attic, right?) It usually takes me two to three days to get everything how I want it inside. I turn this place into Santa's Workshop, complete with Snowman Island in the kitchen. It is my goal and DREAM to be on a Christmas home tour one day. It WILL happen. That's why I need every one of those twelve bins. However, it isn't complete without the tree. I insist that we have a real tree. Every year my mom tries to get me on the artificial tree train, but I can't bring myself to do it. What other time do you get to have a real tree in your house? I've heard that putting sugar in the water helps keep it alive; and though I'm not sure if it's true, I do it every year anyway. My favorite tree is the Douglas Fir. It's limbs aren't the strongest, but it has the softest needles. Our tree has really held up well this year. Above you see a picture of one of my favorite ornaments. My parents started a tradition that I've carried on of buying a new ornament every year. I have my Baby's First Christmas ornament all the way up to.... well, this year. Will thinks we'll run out of space soon, so starting next year, we are going to pass this tradition on to Baby and only buy her ornaments from here on out. I think it's a great idea. Something else I love: Christmas carols. My favorite: "Sleigh Ride," by Johnny Mathis. I love all of the "old" Christmas music. There are songs that I enjoy by current artists, but it's artists like Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and Nat King Cole that really get me in the spirit. I force Will to listen to them all month. He can be a little Grinch-y at first, but then he gets into it. I think it will be a whole different story next year when Baby arrives. He will officially be Santa for the first time and it will be all downhill from there, I'm sure. Favorite Christmas movie? By far, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I saw it in the movie theater in the fourth grade with Dani Perroni and loved it every since. "Why is the floor all wet, MAR-go???" "I don't KNOW, TODD!" (Just one of the millions of favorite quotes from that movie.) However, the best time I spend watching a Christmas movie over the holidays is "Christmas Story" with my dad every Christmas Eve. We start at 7:00 and watch it AT LEAST four, five, six times before it's all over with. (We do have to sleep somewhere in that 24 hour run.) That is a Christmas tradition that I will remember for a lifetime. I am so excited to see what traditions Baby Girl brings our way. Though I have many, many more traditions that I enjoy during this time of year, as I'm sure you have with your own families, it would take quite a while to get through them all. I'll leave you here with a little stocking stuffer of my own: my wassel recipe. I hope you enjoy the rest of your holidays. God bless!
Ashley's Wassel Recipe:
10 cups of water
2 cups of cranberry juice
1 1/4 cup of pineapple juice
4 packets of apple cider
half a lemon (squeeze out juice, then add lemon, rind and all)
half an orange (same as above)
15-20 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
Healthy sprinkles of ginger, nutmeg, all spice, and ground cinnamon
Bring to a boil on the stove and your home will fill with the smell of deliciousness.
"Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."
--The Polar Express
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