Thoughts for 2011~

Each Christmas, I write a letter to my son capturing the highlights (and low-lights) of our year.  I have them saved in a special box for him to read when he gets older (which will be here in the blink of an eye, I'm sure).

Anyway, each year I include a quote, song and word of the year, also.  This year's song is Hello World, by Lady Antebellum, quote:  "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" (love this),  and our family's word of the year was PERSEVERANCE.  I simply love that word!  It means so much:  never giving up, moving forward with strength, overcoming obstacles...and so much more.  As we approach this new year, we are taking on a great adventure as a family:  we are moving!  Our home~sweet~home officially goes on the market on Monday, January 2nd.

Happy New Year everyone!  I wish you all health, happiness, and perseverance for 2012!!  Now, I search for my word of 2012...  xo Sarah

homemade gifts...

We're busy little elves, working on handmade gifts for our son's Godparents & Grandparents - oh what fun!!

We're making a couple different kinds of gifts ~ painted flower pots, ornaments out of pipe cleaners & painted paper towel rolls, but this one is my favorite...  a plain ornament with a child's hand print on it.  Simply, paint your child's hand with white paint, and have them grab the ornament.  After the white paint dries, paint on a scarf, eyes, nose, and hat on each snowman.  We have one for our tree, too!  

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all!

~Sarah

simple...

Simple~ that's my motto for this Christmas.  Our decorations are simple & meaningful...things that have special meaning to us, or have been passed down to us from our parents or grandparents, friends or loved ones.  Our wreaths are simply decorated with reminders of God's simple gifts to us - seashells.  They remind us of our favorite place on earth ~ Cape Cod ~ and look lovely on our doors.  Our gifts are wrapped in white butcher paper, tied with a ribbon, and under our tree waiting for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day visits with family and friends. 

My grandfather used to always say the simple things in life are the most important.  Amen!
~Sarah

It's beginning to look a lot like....

It's looking like Christmas, but it doesn't feel like Christmas.  We're also not complaining about the weather!

I'm sharing a couple of our decorations with you...

First of all, our nativity set sits in our dining room on the side board.  Above it, are our 4 vintage ornaments from my husbands grandma.  They are from the mid 1930's!  I love them all, and am so glad that we can hang up a bit of memorabilia for such a special season. 

Next, is a photo of my grandpa.  He used to dress up as Santa at our annual family Christmas party every year.  He is still Santa in my heart!  

This week, I'll share with you the handmade stockings that my grandma made for each of us.  A tradition that someday, I will have to pass down to future generations.  

Enjoy each day of the upcoming season!  ~Sarah

Elf

 The house is decorated for Christmas, our tree is up, our stockings are hung by the fireplace, our green balsam wreaths are decorated with starfish & sand dollars, and we are ready for Santa!  Our elf, Popcorn, made his appearance this year just before Thanksgiving.  He even visited with us at the Cape when we stayed there over night last week.  Christmas is so full of magic and believing!  I love witnessing all of it through the eyes of my five year old!!

Elf
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feeling blessed...

     Today, I'm feeling blessed for the wonderful time spent with family over the last few days!  Fourteen cousins kept each other busy, busy, busy playing football, video games, tag, board games, and watching the Macy's parade together.  They're ages range from 28 down to 5 (my son being the youngest), and oh what fun they had together!  We all sat down to an abundant Thanksgiving meal together, and traveled home today.

     When we got home, we unpacked the car, picked up our dog from the kennel, and started bringing our Christmas boxes up from the basement - let the decorating begin!  Tomorrow we will head out to a tree farm together to cut down our Christmas tree - what a wonderful time of the year! 

Peace, hope & love, Sarah

Hello Monday...

Hello short work week, and Thanksgiving plans,

Hello to laying out clothes to pack, for our weekend away with family.

Hello to the boxes that fill our den, 

to begin packing our home...a daunting task, with a positive end in sight.

Hello to Christmas packages already wrapped with butcher paper & twine,

stacked high in our dining room, awaiting the arrival of our Christmas tree.  

So much to be thankful for...we are truly blessed, and surrounded by love!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Goodnight Monday! xo Sarah

thankful for...

I am thankful for...

1. Fridays!
2. my 2 guys
3. family & friends 
4. my cozy home
5. our church & strong faith
6. perseverance
7. ............(I'll add to my list in other posts...stay tuned)

xo~ Sarah

busy making soups & sauces...

My husband has been a busy man in the kitchen lately!  Our soups & sauces for family and friends has been very successful over the last few months.  This past summer, we hosted a home party for people to taste-test our products.  We just finished delivering our second round of soups & sauces, and have had a few friends request our soups on a weekly basis!  It's a win~win...My husband is happy cooking, and our friends & family are happy to have home-cooked meals readily available for their families.

Do what you love, love what you do!! xoxo

only in New England...

Well, we've survived another prank from Mother Nature...a Nor'Easter hit us pretty hard on Saturday night, our town is still about 50% without power, trees and power lines are down all over, but we're hardy New Englanders - pulling together to help one another out. 
I'll be at my mom & dad's tomorrow helping my dad take down the tree that was planted when I was born.  The mighty crab apple tree finally met its match with this storm - time for it to come down. 
I can't tell you how happy I am to have a five year old in our home...my son puts a smile on my face no matter what is going on around us.  We trudged through the snow all day on Sunday, made snowmen, dug out the cars & driveway, played on the snowy swingset, and had a few snowball fights.  We even created a "snowpumpkin" for our front stairs.  Hopefully this isn't a sign that we're in for a tough winter!! ;)

jazz up traditional mac & cheese

Put your mac & cheese in a baking dish, throw in some delicious mix~ins:  1/2 cup chopped bacon, blanched broccoli florets, or diced ham. Top with cracker crumb topping, or 1/2 cracker crumbs & 1/2 french fried onions.
If making for immediate service, bake uncovered at 375* for 25 minutes.  Enjoy!!

Pumpkin...

Pumpkin bread wrapped in parchment paper, pumpkin soup in a hollowed out pumpkin bowl, pumpkin seeds dressed up with cinnamon & salt, and pumpkin cookies with cream cheese spread.  Sweet tastes of fall!!  What's your favorite fall food?