November is usually the start of the holidays for us. We used to wait until almost Thanksgiving, but since having kids, it's necessary to start much earlier! I'm sure my husband would agree ;)
With that, I'm leaving you with my most favorite things about the month of November.
Christmas movies! If it were my choice, we would watch them all day everyday. The music, the happy endings, and how they make you feel all fluttery inside. Some of our favorites are Home alone 1 & 2, the Grinch, Christmas Story, Elf, Miracle on 34th street, and Christmas with the Kranks.
Starbucks holiday drinks and the red cups! Pretty much, it's Christmas in a cup!
Traditions: we love traditions that start in November! One we started three years ago was hosting Thanksgiving at our house. It's nice to have the girls at home and be able to cook for everyone. A new tradition we started this year was inviting our family with Turkey Tickets. Each person must fill out their ticket with "thankful for's" as a ticket into Thanksgiving.
Fall crafts! The girls and I try to make some sort of craft for the grandparents fridge that we pull off Pinterest.
Making our Christmas Cards. I have way too much fun using the following sites to help me design our cards, www.minted.com, www.tinyprints.com, or www.peartree.com. There are so many fun choices!
Baking! The girls and I love baking pumpkin breads, muffins, and cookies in Nov. I actually made my own cinnamon frosting for cupcakes this year and it was perfect! Way better than store bought.
My hunny's birthday. Derik has a birthday every Nov.4th, and this year we are celebrating it with a Broncos game (another Nov favorite) and decorate your own cookies party ;)
Zoie's half birthday! This will be a new tradition, but life is too short to not celebrate a little 1/2 birthday right?!
Decorating for Christmas! My all time favorite! We do our Christmas decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving, but don't turn on our tree lights and outside lights until the day after Thanksgiving . I had to compromise with Derik a little. Some of our favorite decor ideas are red outside lights, a green tree and a fancy white tree, stockings hung, bells hung, all of our childhood ornaments and the girls ornaments on the trees, and candles everywhere that smell like Christmas, whatever Christmas smells like :)
Christmas shopping! We used to do the get up at 2 am Black Friday thing, but since they now open stores on Thanksgiving, we wait until mid day Friday to go venture out, this way the girls can join us too! We make lists and try to knock it out in one day.
Making the girls Christmas lists. I have so much fun picking out what toys to put on the girls lists to each grandparent! We go spend a day browsing the aisles at Toys R us, and deciding what would benefit Zoie in her therapy sessions, and now, what will Ivie enjoy while sitting up and playing? Our parents are pretty good about getting the girls what we have on the lists :)
Going to be at 8:00. :) truly, this is an amazing thing that happens in our house In Nov! With the time change, the girls are usually in bed by 7 or 730 in the Winter, so you better believe, I take full advantage and catch up on my reading, blogging, and sleeping!
(We do secretly hate all time changes though!)
When I was growing up, we of course celebrated the holidays, but I don't remember many traditions except for the few that were based right around Christmas Day. Don't get me wrong, my parents were wonderful and I had a blessed childhood that was filled with so much love, but I have learned, or I should say, Derik, Zoie, and my sweet Ivie have taught me to celebrate life; celebrate life every single day. Have fun, especially with the little things, because Afterall, the little things are what add up to the big things. So, I may go overboard at enjoying our November in the Cissell Home, but at least I can confidently say, I enjoy every little detail and piece of it. It's so important to me that my family does too!
I look forward to sharing a few of our favorite things in Dec too ;)
I remember when you were born, 4 very short years ago. School wasn't even in your dad and I's minds. It's almost as if we forgot that when you have a child, part of them growing up is sending them off to school. You would think this would have crossed my mind being an Elementary Ed Grad, but we were so caught up in the now, and making sure we took our lives day by day, that no, school never came up. We decided to keep you home for your first year of preschool, due to your Cystic Fibrosis and learning delays. We wanted to strengthen your immune system an extra year, keep working on home therapies to help your brain development, speech, and muscle movement. You also had a very special friend at home to learn and grow with you; your baby sister Ivie. The last year you two have taught each other so much, she has pushed you, and you have pushed her. I'm so thankful we kept you home for that extra year! We have found a great preschool for you! It's called the Monroe Ear...
All of your favorites are similiar to mine!!!
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