Beautiful Things

I love reusable shopping bags, but not particularly the bright green ones or the ones that advertise the name of a grocery store chain. So I was thrilled when I recently discovered B. Happybags. These bags are chic and roomy– perfect for groceries or anything else you need to tote around.

I ordered some of these for Christmas gifts and I was very pleased with the look and quality. Who says reusable shopping bags have to be boring?  B.Happybags  are 100% upholstery-weight cotton and are available in a ton of pretty fabrics—from florals to paisleys to geometric and animal prints.

You can order one online at www.bhappybags.com.

January can be a surprisingly easy time on the wallet. Okay, so even though those Christmas credit card bills are still pouring in, you can get some great deals during the month of January.

The winter clothes go on clearance, to make way for the spring fashions which will be on the shelves later this month. There are always January white sales—the perfect time to buy sheets, towels and bedding. And all those toys that didn’t sell at Christmas time—buy them now on sale and put them away for next year. And don’t forget to scour Target, Walmart and all the department stores for slashed prices on Christmas wrapping paper and décor—sometimes at up to 90% off the original price!

It kind of takes the edge off of shopping when you come away with a great bargain.

Happy January to you!

Ah, my favorite part of the Christmas season is upon us. With the stress of Christmas day officially over, we now have a full week off with the kids. No school. No work obligations. Just 7 free days. I love it. It’s a great wind-down time for my family.

My kids slept in this morning. It was nice to not have to wake them up for school. Everyone’s in a better mood when they wake up on their own. I don’t miss the running around, looking for their book bags and homework and uniforms and chowing down a rushed breakfast before the bus comes at 7:30. Nope, we’re just taking it easy today.

Of course our week is filling up fast already. The Christmas break week is a time to reconnect with our other friends who are also off this week. So Monday through Wednesday is already booked, and Thursday looks promising as well. So much for lazy days, but it’s still fun.

My household has become bombarded with electronics. This Christmas alone, we received a new LCD TV, a Nintendo DS and an Ipod Nano. No wonder everyone is in their own little corner with their own little electronic item half the time.

I propose today is an unplugged day. That’s right. I’m unplugging it all, even the stuff that doesn’t have plugs! No TV. No IPod. No Ninetndo. No Wii either, even though we just got Rock Band, and after I’m done posting this blog, no computer for the rest of the day either.  None of it, for one full day.

What will we do? We can go to the museum. We can do arts ands crafts or color. We can bake. We can play with the non-electronic toys my kids got from Santa. We can read.

Surely my family can go 24 hours without any electronics, right?

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Last night my 5 year old son started laughing about something silly he said. It was one of those hysterical laughs, which makes everyone else in the room laugh as well, and he kept repeating what he was laughing about and then bursting out in laughter all over again. It was a cycle and it was fun to watch—and laugh along with. Nothing is better than a child’s laughter.

It’s no myth that laughter is the best medicine. We all need a good laugh every now and again. It feels great and it lets out a ton of stress. I’ll take a bout of laughter like we had last night any time. In fact, my jaws still hurt from it!

In the midst of winter, it’s easy to forget that spring is really just around the corner. It’s even easier to forget that you can bring a taste of spring into your home with some fresh flowers. A breath of spring, really.

I buy fresh flowers every week. I have to, for my sanity. I take in the smell of them and it makes me happier. Besides the gorgeous color, which every home needs a little more of, the fresh flowers make me feel closer to nature. Bringing a little of the outdoors in, if you will.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, either. I am perfectly happy picking up a cellophane-wrapped bunch of flowers on my way out of Costco.  If you need some perking up this winter, you should do it too.

Here is my Christmas card to you, filled with some of my favorite quotes about Christmas:

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.  -W.T. Ellis

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  -Janice Maeditere

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.  -Burton Hillis

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  -Norman Vincent PealeAnd finally:

There has been only one Christmas, the rest are anniversaries.  `W.J. Cameron

May your Christmas Day be merry and bright, and filled with wonderful moments that build a lifetime of memories!

The most wonderful day — and night– of the year. I love Christmas Eve.

We’ll hang out at home most of the day. The kids are off from school and we’ll do some cooking and baking. Then we’ll go to 4:00 mass. I love the vigil masses. Years from now, when my kids are older, we’ll go to midnight mass. I love the magic of midnight mass- it is so beautiful–  but my kids are just too young to stay up for it. So it’s 4:00 mass this year, and there will be a packed crowd in a church that rarely sees its pews filled.

After mass we’ll come home and have a nice dinner and watch Christmas movies. Last year we went out to dinner on Christmas Eve, spur of the moment. It was unique and fun- we were the only ones in the restaurant!

We’ll write a note to Santa, and leave him some milk and cookies—and some lettuce and carrots for Rudolph and the other reindeer. Sometimes we toss a handful of reindeer food out into the yard—it’s oatmeal mixed with glitter and it sparkles if there’s snow on the ground.

 And later, when my kids are tucked in their beds, on the only night of the year they eagerly go up to their beds, I’ll take a minute and cherish the quiet magic of Christmas Eve.

I’m lucky to live less than an hour away from what I consider to be the most beautiful Christmas lights display on the  East Coast. Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, PA, has an absolutely gorgeous Christmas display. Of course, this place is pretty gorgeous year round.  

Its 1050 acres of gardens house over 11,000 plants. Huge green houses, a children’s garden, and at Christmas time huge poinsettias and a gorgeous lights display. For entertainment, they also feature ice skating shows at their outdoor wonderland.

So, what’s my idea of a perfect family day during the holiday season? A stop at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, to check out the gauge Christmas train display (and also Ann Wyeth’s antique doll collection) and then a trek few miles up the road to Longwood Gardens.