That little ELF!

I am new to Elf on the shelf. Last year after Christmas I scored a box set of Elf at Target. Originally this can cost $29.99 and I think I paid $15?! So I have the elf, now what? I searched on Pinterest for tons of fun ideas and finally today I came across a 25 day Elf on the shelf calendar. All of the hard work is done for me. All I need to do is purchase a few items and I am set. Since my little guy is two and a half I really think he will enjoy it. I can picture it now- Kaden waking up and finding that little elf! Woohoo I'm excited already!!!

Elfie arrived! He brought a little note & snow donuts!

Elfie gets into mischief! 

So many cute ideas for this little Elf. My son already knows that Elfie is watching but also the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus birth. Elfie can teach us that we should not be naughty but each boy and girl needs to have good behavior all year round!

Beautiful Advent Calendars

I searched and searched for our advent calendar online. I found my perfect winter wonderland advent calendar but I was hoping for a cheaper price, then I waited too long and they were sold out. So I was back to drawing board and was still able to find a personalized one.

Found this beauty at Pottery Barn Kids online (Purchased it hours before it sold out)

My hubby's creative grandma made this stunning piece of work

So now I have two advent calendars. One is filled and the other is not. I could not imagine finding 25 little trinkets to fill it with. Maybe next year I will be creative with what I can fill it with. For those of you that wonder when is the best time to purchase an advent calendar I would say the best time is October or early November. If you snooze then you lose! Nobody wants to be on the losing side. I have found cute advent ideas on Pinterest using paper bags and little boxes. What are some of your favorites?

Christmas decor for the little ones

Happy decorating!! Day after Thanksgiving and we are ready to decorate the home. This year I purchased a 4 foot tree for my son's room. Yes he is only two and a half but I thought it would be special to have some holiday cheer in his room.



Cute little tree and picked out the tree skirt from Michael's



Shatter proof ornaments, instead of hooks I used ribbon.

Kaden enjoyed putting up the ornaments! He kept saying "oh mommy it is Christmas!!! It is beautiful!" I love seeing the Christmas joy on his face.

(Jeans- Gap Skinnies, Shirt- Janie & Jack Christmas Collection and Sweater- Ralph Lauren)

It's starting to look like Christmas

Don't you just love the cold crisp air? Rain boots, umbrellas, jackets and scarves?! I am loving the cool weather in Southern California. Reminds me of the weather in Europe (we traveled there in late October through November in 2009). 

I am ready for Christmas, well mentally I am! I have a fun 24 days of Elf on the shelf planned out and I think I am more excited than Kaden will be. I have pre purchased our 8 foot noble fir tree which I am thrilled to decorate. Along with a fresh tree we also have two "fake" trees. One will go in Kaden's room which I will let him decorate it on his own (hope all goes well). 

Drum roll please... Here is my latest addition to our annual Christmas decor...

Isn't it super cute? I am debating on whether or not to place "goodies" in each pouch. I love that it is large and it will be personalized. The quality I am sure is perfect which will last for years to come. Silver bells are ringing... Have a holly jolly Christmas! Are you making any additions to your Christmas decor? Is anyone ready? 

Ready for the Holidays?!

Thanksgiving is around the corner which only means one thing- Christmas will be here very fast. My hubby is ready to pull out all of the holiday decor and I am still enjoying my pumpkins! Now that my son is two and a half I am ready to start two new traditions in our home. I will share one and the other will be saved for the next blog. In order to start one tradition I need an Advent Calendar. I have to say that I am very particular about this calendar and I want it to be of good quality so that it will last me for years. The one that my parents have I remember it since I was ten I think. Every year my mom brings it out and on occasion I add a piece or two to the tree. It is really cute and I have not seen one like it recently. So the search is on and if you come across a super cute Advent Calendar please let me know. Oh and I am trying to stay under $100 on one (there has to be a budget for this). I don't have time to make it because with all honesty there is less than a month left till December 1st. Are you starting any new traditions? 

Christmas is the Season

2012 holds a different Christmas for my family. This year my grandma passed away. She was a key person in our family and since Grandpa passed away over 5 years ago it was a tough holiday season then and it is very tough this year. My mom's family tries to get together around the holidays and it is usually for New Years. This year I am hosting my mom's family for a Christmas celebration. We love having people in our home. At first I was a little apprehensive because having a gathering more than 20 people worries me. God knows that this gathering will be a great time to enjoy each other. It will not be a sit down dinner which helps me. Each family will bring something which helps me greatly.

We will be having a FIESTA! In Mexico there is a week long party- for one week each night there is a "posada". I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Mary and Joseph making the trek to Bethlehem. I am going to share the Christmas story that day and serve plenty words of encouragement from God's word. Looking forward to our fun filled day!

Get carded

The holiday season is in full swing and I am excited to receive our first Christmas
Card for the 2012 season. Last week I was thinking of purchasing a metal card holder to place on a wall. I came across one of the best ways to display cards. It will have to wait for a couple more weeks, I have some important things to do before I can re create this beauty. The search is over and I cannot wait to get my crafty skills out!

Prep for Thanksgiving

This year I am not hosting Thanksgiving because my hubby has to work :( I am still bummed about it but slowly have to come to terms with it.

Anyways I enjoy writing out to do lists and the menu all for Thanksgiving dinner. My mom is making the turkey and her delicious mashed potatoes. That leaves me with salad, rolls, green beans, corn, and dessert. Since my dad was diagnosed with diabetes last month I have begun to search for a sugar free dessert that all of us will enjoy. Any great recipes?

I recently came across some new recipes for side dishes which are prefect for Thanksgiving. We love everything traditional which I truly enjoy. So here they are: stuffing (we usually don't eat stuffing but this year i want to make some), glazed carrots (they looked delicious on television), and green bean casserole (a must have at every table). This year Kaden will be enjoying a turkey dinner. I'm excited to see him eat. Last year he had yams (maybe I will make it again and top the yams off with the tutti frutti marshmallows). I will post pics of all of my creations. I am going to cook everything at my home then head over to my parents.

As you begin to write out your list for dinner and all of the cleaning you need to do, please do not forget the meaning. This is a time we can share all that we are thankful for and also share the blessings with others. Invite others to your home and you will have a very blessed time.

A recipe tradition

Yesterday I attended a mommy group that meets twice a month. The groups meets at a local church and this session we were to bring our favorite dish along with the recipe to share. Plus an meal planning ideas we had were welcome.

During our conversation a woman from the group shared a beautiful tradition. She said that her grandma would jot down what people were doing- sights, sounds, smells (painting a picture for whoever would be making that recipe later on. Isn't that beautiful to pass down or reminisce about Thanksgiving 10 years ago?! I am going to start this. I will compile some of our favorite dishes in a book along with a photo & I cannot forget to jot down some some special memories.

Let the holidays arrive!!

Christmas Eve at home

This is our first Christmas with our handsome little boy! We are so excited to spend this holiday with him. Poor thing he either is teething severely or has a cold. So, we are at home relaxing! I just had to post his picture with Santa. I took him really early so that we could beat the crowds and so thankful I did. He cried at the end but I got the cutest shot of the two. After his photo a little boy saw him and said..."LOOK mom it's a baby Santa!!!" Our son will not be happy with us when he gets older. I'm sure he will say "what were you thinking???" Have a Merry Christmas Eve!

A White Christmas

The Christmas spirit is in full swing in the Staudt Home. I am very blessed to have a hubby that has a passion for decorating for the holidays. We have two themes in our home! Since our formal living room and formal dining are separate from the kitchen, bedrooms, family room, etc... we were able to pull off the two themes.

I love the white theme with accents of Tiffany blue(my favorite) and splashes of silver and brown. I loved decorating this tree!

Our fireplace cannot be complete without our Pottery Barn stockings! Kaden's stocking is so big that this year I won't be filling it up. Matt loves to find treats in the stocking so I have purchased red licorice, gummy bears, socks, and a shirt. I know he won't be reading this so I am free to write this!

In the formal dining I choose to use my silver chargers along with white napkins trimmed with silver, the little Christmas trees are silver and actually are place cards holders. To add color I added red berry napkin rings and red candles.

Tomorrow I will post pictures of our Nativity scene along with tree #2!