It seems to be the time in blogland to post a tour of your home all dolled up for the holidays.
Our house is not anywhere close to clean and I am still decking the halls a bit, so I will do a more thorough tour later this week.
For now, here is a peek at our tree and the playroom…
home is…there’s no place like home for the holidays.
*linking up with…
![[image2.png]](https://i0.wp.com/lh4.ggpht.com/-jK5xdKpLTeA/Tuko3GraDPI/AAAAAAAARFU/41Qw_TWsxWI/s1600/image2.png)
Wow.
It’s amazing how a shower, putting on “real” clothes, getting out of the house, and watching your kiddo learn something new can change your mindset.
The little guy had his last swim lesson of the current session last night. We couldn’t miss it.
This summer, we realized that our little guy LOVES the water.
He has excelled in his swim lesson this fall. By the second class the instructor said he was ready for the next level.
By then end of the class yesterday she said he was almost ready to skip level.
His stroke is strong, he is confident, and he LOVES the water.
I grew up spending the summer at the pool.
Swim team early in the morning, pool all day, and when I was in high school I lifeguarded as a summer job.
I am thrilled to see his confidence.
I needed that yesterday.
This morning I am sitting here watching the sun stream in through our windows.
Sun.
In December.
In Portland, Oregon.
I am listening to my kids play together in the other room while the Christmas lights glow and Christmas music plays in the background.
This is more like it.
home is…a new day.
Sorry I’ve been away for almost a week. I have sat down and wanted to write a post, but for many reasons I only get a few sentences in and then I stop.
I’m still sick.
Yes.
I was sick before we left to go to Colorado for Thanksgiving.
Sick the entire week of Thanksgiving.
Sick when we got back.
And, I’m still sick.
Every time I feel like I’m feeling better I push a little bit too much and then I feel worse the next day (and the next and the next).
We got a new camera. A little point and shoot Nikon. I have used it to take most of my photos lately and I can’t figure out how to load them on to my computer. There is no USB cord in the box and my laptop doesn’t have a place to put a memory card. UGH!
I have photos of all our christmas decorating…lots of projects from Pinterest.
I have photos of a new breakfast hit at our house…and I want to share the recipe with you all!
Anyway, although I am still sick I am trying to deck our halls and make it fun for the kids this time of year.
I will admit they have watched a lot of this…
Baby girl just asked me if she can watch a “Narnie Bown” show. I need to get her on video saying that…it’s adorable!
Well, gonna try to rest today.
The little guy is staying home from school, we’re gonna watch some “Narnie Bown”, maybe some Polar Express, and keep decking the halls.
I’m not gonna let being sick turn me into Scrooge!
home is…the most wonderful time of the year!
We were first in line for an impromptu visit to see Santa this morning.
The little guy was very skeptical that the big guy would even show up until this happened…
home is…the magic of santa.
Checking it twice…
This morning I am making a list of all the things I need (want) to get done before Christmas!
We had a wonderful time in Colorado despite the fact that the majority of us were sick the entire time.
I lost my voice the day after we got there and didn’t get it back until the day after we left.
Oh well.
I wanted a “do 0ver”, but the most important thing was spending time with family and that is what we did.
The kids played, we saw deer and elk, and there was even a 10 minute snowstorm the night before we left!
So, now we are moving on…
Our lights are up outside.
I just ordered our holiday cards.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
home is…going home and coming home.
I’ve been doing instead of dreaming around here lately.
Well, to be honest, I am still dreaming of a craft room where I can accomplish all my doing, but the dining room table is working out for now.
I’ve been using my sewing machine, and I am addicted!
Between finding new ideas on Pinterest and trying them out on my machine I am having a blast.
Here is my latest project.
Meet Colton…
and Cadence…
…the dolls.
My mom used to make handmade dolls when I was little. She made them for my sister and I. Made them for gifts. And, even made life sized dolls that were used as “gag” gifts for 40th birthdays, etc.
I wanted to be able to do this for my kids, too.
And, I can!
I found this pattern and tutorial online, and tweaked it a bit.
{There were quite a few ideas and patterns on Pinterest and etsy, as well}
I plan to make lots more of these dolls in the future.
Look for them in my future monthly giveaways and possibly at colton+cadence.
On a side note , the first version of the Cadence doll went missing after only 24 hours. She is either hiding in the house somewhere, or somewhere in the SW Portland area. So, I quickly made a second version…with yarn pigtails.
home is…handmade.
*Today I am linking up with Today’s Creative Blog
I have been up before 5 am the last 4 mornings.
On Friday, the little guy complained that his ear hurt, so off to urgent care we went. He has an ear infection. His first.
On Saturday, baby girl started coughing.
On Sunday, baby girl woke up at 4:30 am with a coughing fit.
On Monday, baby girl woke up a little after 4 am with a coughing fit.
On Tuesday, baby girl woke up at 4:19 am with a coughing fit.
Today, baby girl woke up at 4:42 am with a coughing fit.
We get a snack, snuggle a bit, then the little guy comes downstairs (this morning at 5:20 am), we eat some breakfast, then another breakfast, then a snack.
Baby girl hasn’t lost her appetite.
Yesterday, we were able to do a lot of crafts. It was fun.
The little guy took a nap. He never does that. I think the early mornings are catching up to him.
I know they are catching up to me.
He had a bit of cabin fever yesterday afternoon, so we took a drive to get gas, and stopped in at Target to get a treat at the dollar bins.
I didn’t even stay up to watch Parenthood last night! I DVR’d it, so hopefully I can watch it after Modern Family tonight.
I can’t workout when the kids are sick since they can’t go to the childcare at the club. That’s a bummer.
Well, enough random.
On to the winner…
Thank you all for the comments and giveaway entries!
I hope you will all enjoy following my blog via e-mail or Facebook.
I also promise that I will have some fun stuff coming up with colton+cadence in 2012.
I used random.org to pick a winner…
That would make this comment from Cindy A. the winner!
Thanks for tweeting, Cindy!
Please contact me at homeis@stephanytaddeo.com so I can get your information and get a package to you!
******
And, keep coming back…I will be posting the December giveaway in just a couple of weeks!
That was fun!
home is…early mornings, lazy days at home, and a winner of my first giveaway.
I’m not listening to Christmas music, yet.
That will come the day after Thanksgiving.
However, I am beginning to deck our halls.
I know. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet.
We’re going to visit family the week of Thanksgiving this year.
That is the week that I normally drag the bins down from the attic and get our Christmas on.
We usually go to cut our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and decorate it over the weekend.
It will be a little different this year.
We’ll be cutting a tree a week later, and recovering from a week of travel and family activity.
So, I want to have the house decorated so we can fully enjoy the Christmas spirit for as long as possible.
Anyway, I started working on a few of the decorations today.
I got this idea from Pinterest.
Source: rachelsimonsen.typepad.com via Stephany on Pinterest
And, I made lots and lots of paper garland to put on our tree.
I’ve got presents to make, family ornaments to make, and some other fun projects.
See why I could use a craft room?!
Remember that today is the last day to enter {my first} november blog giveaway!
And, stay tuned…you might find some of the above mentioned projects in the December giveaway.
home is…getting my craft on and decking the halls.
*today I am linking up with Today’s Creative Blog and Tatertots and Jello
I dream of a place for all of my stuff where I could also have a place to work.
And, leave my mess behind a closed door.
I was able to transform the closet under our stairs into a place to store my craft stuff, but it also houses a bunch of craft stuff for the kids, and various other things.
I peruse Pinterest and countless blogs and am so jealous of the craft spaces that some of those women have.
Do you know what I would be able to accomplish with this?!
Source: theivycottageblog.blogspot.com via Stephany on Pinterest
I would absolutely LOVE this!
Source: sewmanyways.blogspot.com via Stephany on Pinterest
And, I would love do this with our dining room, but then we would’t have anyplace to eat as we do not have a breakfast nook in our kitchen!
Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Stephany on Pinterest
There’s nothing wrong with eating in front of the TV on fold out tray tables every night, right?!
I really still love the idea of a creative cottage out back…replacing the dog runs with a big old shed for all my stuff.
There is one more day to enter to win {my first} november blog giveaway!
And, I am already putting together {my second} giveaway for December…stay tuned!
home is…there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, right?
stephany taddeo 