I love the change in winter, when the nature table changes from yellows and oranges to wintery blues and Christmas colors. I love bringing out the Christmas decorations and adding to them a little bit every year.
(This gorgeous Father Winter is by Tansydolls).
I recently finished Ellie’s “Winter playmat” and couldn’t wait till Christmas to give it to her. Months ago, I had bartered with another amazing crafter for her wooden Inuit set. I made her several playmats in exchange for these beautiful toys. I love that about the online community I am a part of, that trading for goods is something that’s done often. (Her etsy store is here, if you’d like to check out more of her beautiful toys).

I’m loving all this peg doll love. I’m getting so many orders and painting during Ellie’s nap time has become quite meditative. Thank you to everyone who have bought peg dolls. I’m thrilled so many people like them.

The Advent calendar from last year is finally hung up and getting used! Every morning, Ellie finds the next ornament and hangs it up on a button. And then we sing the song, “Five gold rings, four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree…”. It’s been a hit so far!

Christmas lights are hung and the holiday cards are starting to trickle in. They are a joy to receive.

This year we decided to have the “Christmas book gnome” bring Ellie a book every night before Christmas. He leaves it in this basket under the tree. (Being a preschool teacher for so many years, I have a stockpile of winter/Christmas books and I thought, what fun to wrap each one for her this year). Next year, we will only get one new Christmas book to add to the basket, maybe on the first of December.

WInter means soups, stews and more soups! This is one of Jeff’s homemade leftover turkey vegetable soup. It was delicious! I love this time of year when new recipes can be tried out to warm us up.

Our orange tree is ripe with fruit and our neighbor’s mandarin tree is plentiful too. The smell of citrus is always a wintery smell for me and even more so since living in a house with an orange tree.

We have our record player crooning Tony Bennett and The Carpenters throughout the day and Vince Guarldi in the evenings. Our days have been nice, with bits of holiday fun thrown into our every day routine. Ellie and I are taking a dance class together (more like a music and movement class), with friends and we’re enjoying taking night walks with the flashlight after dinner too (especially since this little one’s bedtime keeps getting later and later…). It’s supposed to rain again later this week, so we’re gearing up for the cooler weather. There may just be some puddle jumping in our future.
Happy week to you!!