Holiday Stress Buster

I need to be able to relax and enjoy the holidays as much as possible, how is that achieved one might ask... plan ahead!

Every year we send out Christmas cards or letters... but why does that have to been done in December?

It doesn't!

I have always bought my Christmas cards on sale after the holidays for the next year, I fully encourage you to do the same this year! It is so much easier to think of things to say when you are not rushing to beat the deadline for the post. Even if you start by addressing the envelopes you will be amazed how relieved you are come December. As letters go - to keep a running tab of events and anecdotes you would like to include will ensure you don't miss something important.

Calgary Outdoor Skating

I just loved the outdoor skating rink in our community as a child, mostly to watch all the other children skate - I was awful, I'll admit it! But I did love it. I have a very fond childhood memory of our whole family going out to this skating rink and skating around one Christmas eve. It was so magical all lite up, a slight chill in the air knowing Santa was coming that night. I will surely treasure that happy day!



Family Fun Calgary has a great list of the outdoor skating rinks in and around Calgary. So I encourage you to take a look at their website and find a rink near you; make some magical memories for your children!

Rustic Christmas Shopping

I Love a good old country Christmas! Most of my decorating runs wild with this theme... it just seems to be what I am attracted to! Whether it's rusting metal stars or hand-carved wooden snowmen, I am weak and buy them all! I recently have found an amazing store - Cozy Cottage Interiors In here I am like a kid in a candy store, Eyes wide practically drooling!!! I could honestly spend hours just looking at everything and dreaming of ways I could incorporate it into my own home...



The website doesn't do this place any justice you just have to visit it to believe it!

Happy Shopping!

Shooting Stars!

Our community this year is having a Christmas light competition which has me totally consumed! I know we will not win... we simply cannot compete with the huge houses on the lake, they have so much more house to light up...
However I can give it my best shot and hope they forget - wishful thinking on my part but I can hope!

Anyways, I was going through my Martha Stewart magazines and found an article on these beautiful outdoor shooting stars... When I tried to look for them on the site so I could feature them for you all, I found better... INSTRUCTIONS!!! Go Martha!



Aren't they beautiful!!!

Eye Catcher

Each week I am going to devote a post to an "Eye Catcher" something cute that has caught my eye...
This week


Our then kitten, Ginny caught climbing the Christmas tree!

A Christmas pick-me-up

To give your house that glorious spicy aroma that permeates most homes during the holiday season, follow these simple steps:
Put 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks
A couple of cloves
Orange slices (optional)
into a pot of water and bring to a boil... that's it!
Then while your house is filled with that lovely scent, grab a book and curl up on the couch for some much needed quiet time!

* As we are heading into September and the inevitably transition into autumn this practise will become much more accepted by your friends and family!

When is it too early to decorate?

Well if you are reading this blog you are obviously in love with Christmas as much as I am... which also means you have probably already started thinking and maybe even talking about the upcoming holidays.
Really what is wrong with spreading a little Christmas cheer in... oh, I don't know... AUGUST!
I can tell you with certainty - thinking, talking even planning is totally acceptable! It's the decorating that needs to wait! At least until after Halloween :)
To make sure I have enough time for everything I have created a schedule...

November 7 - We are going to put up the outdoor decorations (Our neighbours on both sides are great friends of ours [SO LUCKY!!!] so we are going to make a day of it, all our husbands up there on the roof while us wives "direct" and then have a big dinner to celebrate the the beautiful lights & hard work!)
November 8 - I will start to pull out the indoor Christmas decorations...
November 11 - The tree will go up and so will the rest up the decorations!

Here is our house last Christmas, this year expect bigger and better things!


It may seem a bit early for most but I like to be a part of both sets of parents decorating too... and there are only so many weekends!