Growing up

I've done it. I've reached the age and time in my life where I get excited for gifts like hand mixers =-)
We stopped over at my grandparents house last night to visit and exchange gifts. We won't be seeing them this year beacuse we're going to be with Nick's family. That's weird in and of itself, since I've been seeing them every Christmas since they've been back from Africa. It was a great time to chat about what's going on, hear some stories, and just be together.
So my first official gift this season was a hand mixer. Nick got me one last year for $5 at a drugstore.....and it was a piece of junk. Already broken and in the trash a month or 2 ago. I was so excited to open the mixer and can't wait to use it...it even comes in a cool storage box =) As I set it under the tree, I thought how funny it is that I'm THIS excited for a hand mixer! I guess it's really a sign of growing up....
thanks again gram and gramp for the gift!

Tradition

Christmas always sneaks up on me. I can't believe that in a few days, it'll be here!! Even though this is my second Christmas married, there have been some "firsts" this Christmas season that I've enjoyed and wonder if they will become a tradition.

-Making holly berry cookies. Found the recipe and had to try....Nick and I got to make them together which was fun. My love language is quality time so doing little things together means a lot to me. Very cute cookie- I'll post some pictures when I can.

-Wrapping gifts by the fire. Ahhh so warm and cozy!

-Making Chai tea mix from scratch. So easy, fun and good! A great gift for friends!

-Extensive decorating around our house- last year at the apartment there wasn't much room for any decorations. This year with a mantle, more room, and a house for lights outside, we've had a lot of fun!

-Shoveling our own driveway. At the apartment, our landlord would plow with his truck- we never had to worry about snow removal. And with the massive amount of snow we got this past weekend, we've definitely been doing our share of shovelling! I don't know if this is classified as "fun" but adventurous to say the least. White Christmas, here we come. =)

I'm excited to see how each year will be shaped by old traditions from both of our family's and new traditions that we begin together.

Early Birds

When is too early to start celebrating Christmas? Isn't there some unspoken rule out there somewhere that you shouldn't start decorating until after you take down your Thanksgiving/Fall decor?? Or is that just how I was raised?

These rhetorical/not so rhetorical questions are a result of the recent happenings this past week at 5 Prospect.

-Christmas music is officially playing on 2 radio stations. 98.3 is all day. 100.9 is only after 4pm each day. But seriously, who would listen THIS early?? My answer to that question would be "only Christmas fanatics". Well, I'm pretty sure all of you who read this blog know that my wonderfully amazing husband is indeed a Christmas fanatic. So yes, friends, Christmas music has been playing at my house- I've just been trying to avoid it as much as possible! It's too weird still for me to listen to it.....once Thanksgiving is here, thats a different story..... =)

-Secondly, as I worked hard last night, Nick found icicle lights in the basement and then proceeded to put them up outside! I had no idea until later when I asked him what he was hammering outside and he kept skirting around the issue. He is so funny. So we went outside in the rain for the first ever "Lighting of the Christmas lights" at the Marchese home- for some reason I pictured it happening on a pretty snowy evening, but oh well. It is what it is.

Well back to focusing on Thanksgiving for now, and watching Nick get more and more excited for his favorite time of year....