We’ve had a little change of plans this Christmas.
Plan A was all about escaping to the tropics!
It’s so hard to get away without my son missing out on school, so we either had Christmas, spring break, or summer to choose from.
Well, I waited too long for the Christmas time slot. I started looking up prices and things in November. Whoops! Not traveling for leisure reasons for 13 years is showing. I’d forgotten you need to plan a good year ahead if you wish to take off for Christmas. Boo.
Unless you don’t mind paying top dollar that is. And I mind.
We considered Mexico, but same deal. Expensive for what’s left. We just didn’t plan right.
I was kinda sad at first, but then I got to thinking about all the things we love about Christmas when at home.
The first thing my son said was, “But what about the cats?”
Awww.. indeed. 🙂
So, that was that. I tucked away the brochures and closed down all the flight and accommodation websites I’d been head banging over, and decided to accept a few online invites for Christmas instead. And just stay home.
Santa’s Junk Workshop and the cat elves are in full swing! In my photo studio. But it isn’t very photogenic at the moment.
I’m pulling out junk from my storage area and making more junk. What exactly I don’t know yet but lots of experimenting is going on.
Even kindling is getting a 2nd look. Nothing, and I mean nothing is being overlooked.
So what else did I say yes to you ask? Ohhhh… when I decide to do Christmas, I don’t mess around…
I’m joining forces with 12 Days of Christmas again, from Dec 1st thru Dec 13, where I along with these other fab blogs will be throwing up a new post every day for 12 days, ending with a link party on the 13th.
You caught that, right? 13 straight days of blogging… maybe I should book Hawaii in January to rest up! 🙂
(12 Days of Christmas 2012 is HERE. See 12 Days on Pinterest HERE)
The Christmas Junkers United Team and some of the 12 Days of Christmas gang are teaming up to bring you a super cool Christmas junk project, a new pin board to swoon over and a junk link party so we can pin your stuff! Whoohoo! That’s Dec 2nd.
Because you can never have enough Christmas junk.
And I’m part of a Christmas home tour of 25 amazing awesome blogs. My day is Dec 10th.
No problem here. None at all. This will be a breeze!
(jotting down a nap schedule in the planner…)
So as you can see, I’m yanking out all my junk and trying to figure out what new things I can do with it all.
The house is a little (lot) upside down right now, and if I get a little quieter on the blog this week, n worries. I’m either working on 12 projects plus a full home tour all at the same time or having a nap due to working on 12 projects plus a full home tour all at the same time.
Nooooo. Problem.
My voice did NOT quiver one bit. Nope. None. …much…
Good thing I hired those cat elves… wait… bird watching and chair rolling?!
Must be break time. I’m taking a nap!
It sure ain’t Hawaii, but it is home. 🙂
Have you ever gone away during Christmas? How did you find it
?
Looking forward to the Christmas decorations and to your home tour. I’ll be on a flight that day but will find a way to pop in. Robert and I were just saying that it’s been years since we’ve had a warm holiday. We usually alternate Christmases between both countries. This year should have been a Vancouver Christmas but next year is my mother’s 80th on Dec 26th and she wants a party, so two English Christmases in a row for us. I guess it’s not quite like going on a holiday because it’s home/home either way, but the special memories are there and friends I love are around us and, for the record, I think that beats a suntan any day. 🙂 Kinda. Incidentally, I had the same problems with Chloe, but pulled her out of school for weeks or even months at a time for travel. The older she got and further into high school, the more difficult it was to make up for the curriculum, and, while it certainly was work for both of us, missed school work was easily substituted in a variety of ways. You might have better luck with Easter, but either way, they have us moms at their mercy for school break times.
Yeah, it wasn’t so bad when spring break was 2 weeks long, but at only 1 week, that’s pretty tight!
love your kitty, such pretty markings.
Take your cue from the cat elves and be sure to take a nap! Looking forward to seeing the Christmas decor…but most importantly enjoy the creative process and get enough rest!
PS I wish I could get my cat to pose for the camera!
Enjoy home, the company of those cared about and while your son is home. Kids grow up fast enough and think you would be losing the shared warmth of holiday traditions together. Mine are in far off places with working schedules bypassing what once was for holidays. Even the family arguments have become funny stories. One lives in Hawaii….you could go visit him.
In the company of strangers when you lovingly join the Christmas spirit isn’t the same. I might consider going someplace in the UK or Germany with history of the holiday to delve into. But doesn’t match with your wanting to find a warm destination. Just keep reminding yourself that we are close to 3 mos away from March.
Always a junker, the most memorable Christmas for the kids was when I saved the Sunday comics for months and wrapped all their presents in it. They still talk about this simple surrounding. A struggling, working family, always finding ways to get by but enjoy. Never know what those 12 days of Christmas will bring you at home.
Out of the mouths of babes….Your son is already figuring out reasons to “not go there”. Grasping with those happy cats as an excuse? We all know that in a pinch, they can take care of themselves quite well with enough food, water and litter boxes at hand.
Meant to add that I want to know why your grass is still green.
Haha! I live in the Bahamas of Canada, in British Columbia on the west (wet) coast. Our grass is green year around. We have 4 seasons, but they are all mild and rainy year around. We PAY for our green, big time. 🙂
I wish we lived in the Bahamas, even of Canada!! We are in Alberta and
there is a TON of snow. It also happens to be -31 today. I don’t think we will see green grass EVER again!!!
Your site is great.
My post left out a lot. My son isn’t well travelled. I haven’t been able to until now, so I want to show him a little of what’s out there before he leaves home. Our spring breaks are only 1 week long… too short! Summer it is… 🙂
I only dream of going away for the holidays….. I know I could never do it. Skipping out on all of the family get togethers would be impossible … I LOVE THEM TOO MUCH! But I do see a January or February retreat as doable … some place very warm and SUNNY ♥ Looking forward to all of your unique decor ideas!!!
I wish I had the Jan/Feb option! I would soooo prefer that!
Well, you’re certainly going to be a busy gal! Better you than me! ha ha! But I certainly will be enjoying all the fruits of your labor with these fun parties and what are sure to be some awesome posts! Can’t wait to see all of the holiday goodness!
So excited for the 12 days of Christmas! I had not heard of it before now but will definitely be checking it out.
I was in Austrailia one year at Christmas time and really didn’t enjoy it as much. Something didn’t sit right with being in shorts and going Christmas shopping. Not saying I need snow, probably won’t get any here in my part of B.C. anyways but for us it is about being with friends and family so unless we could transport everybody…maybe once we win the lottery. Hope yours will be wonderful no matter where you spend it.
Yes – come to Hawaii! You can stay with me – really!
Christmas isn’t Christmas without the purry furry babies.. 🙂
ooohhhhh Donna! Yikes..I hope you get your projects done, because it looks like a lot is going on. However, I can look at your fur babies all day! When they say cats rule..it means cats RULE. When I am gone, I HAVE to have someone come in and talk to my cat at least once a day , besides feed and potty clean after her! An easy paid job for my friends, but I think to myself..hmmm cats DO rule don’t they? Maybe a dog can be taken to a friends’ house, but not a cat! Love your fur babies..oh I already said that! ha
looking forward to your post! i have 4 cats and 2 dogs and it’s hard to leave even for a weekend.
when my 4 kids were young we went to yosemite and stayed at the wawona hotel. yosemite in winter is my favorite time of the year there. not many people and the snow it just breath taking. the hotel was built in 1876. wawona was having an old fashioned christmas. on the grounds is an area of buildings to look like yosemite in 1915. we went christmas caroling in the evening and park employees were dressed in clothing from that period they would come out of the buildings thanking us. we went to the barn afterwards and hung up the old fashion christmas ornaments on the tree that we had made earlier in the day and had cider and cookies and sang more. i think there was a wagon ride in there sometime too. we came home christmas eve it was magical. yosemite is a special place for my family on my 20th wedding anniversary my husband and i with our children there renewed on wedding vows in the chapel. i even have a slate from the roof when they redid the roof of the chapel. that was my favorite christmas with my family i wish i had taken photos.
Donna – I am tired just reading your blog today. Take a nap! If a warm vacation is what you are looking for, you and your son are always welcome at my home in Florida!
We took the kids one year to the Bahamas and the Atlantis resort. We went after Christmas before New Years. We all decided it was the worst vacation we ever had, the most expensive and that we would never travel over the Holidays again. And we haven’t. My kids just like staying home especially around Christmas. We left the day after and that was just too soon for them. It didn’t give them any time to enjoy their gifts or extended family get togethers.
I made a twig garland as you showed recently, and I absolutely love it. It inspired me to pick up a wreath in the thrift store and I’m going to make it coordinate with it with the twigs and pine cones. Luckily I have pine cones right on my property. And plenty of twigs from our trees. I’ll add some christmas balls when it gets closer to Christmas to make it more festive. The garland could stay up all year round – it’s so “country”. Love it!
Oh cool! So glad you love it Lucie! I adore mine! I agree, they just look rustic and can stay up all the time. 🙂
Went to Florida for two Christmases as husband has to be there for work…spent a couple of days before Christmas at Universal studios. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Christmas time is pure magic. But nothing beats home.
Your Christmas will be rich with friends. I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve, as well as the other blogs, in your 12 days of Christmas, plus your home decorated again this year. And of course looking forward to our junk party as well.
Going away at Christmas is over-rated anyway! We are the lucky ones to have a White Christmas, so why go somewhere where it’s green?…just wouldn’t be the same. At least not for me. Home, family and friends, I couldn’t imagine a Christmas anywhere else!
your cats are so adorable & your son is so cute when he consider about the cats…
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