lately and slowing down the Christmas season

Sigh. My poor blog. I have been so absent from this space lately, both physically, as is evidenced by lack of posts, and mentally - I just haven't had the mental space to even think about blogging or my blog in general. It's hard to put into words what been keeping me so busy. I guess it can be summed up in one word...life. Life is just busy busy right now and so full and theres still so many things I want to do that I can't fit in. Blogging just hasn't been a priority for me right now, and to be honest, I've been okay with that. But don't worry little blog, I still love you.

You know what else I love? Instagram. It's such a good way to share little snippets of our life and have them there as a record for later when I've nearly forgotten about what we were up to at a certain point in our lives. It's faster than blogging and admittedly a lot less work. And you can print out little books with all your pictures and captions, thereby using Instagram as a journal of sorts. I use chatbooks and have loved it so far. I even made a few custom books for family members as Christmas gifts this year. So I guess my point is that even when this space is looking pretty bleak I usually take time once or twice a day to post on my IG account, so be sure to follow along with me @lifealaskanstyle.

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Yesterday was Christmas Sunday, and it was so full and yet so laid back and relaxed and warm and cozy. We all dressed up and went to church, then headed downtown for brunch afterwards at the Valley Hotel (our favorite breakfast place by far in Palmer). Then we walked just down the street to Vagabond Blues for vanilla chai (me), green tea (Steve), hot cocoa (Riggs) and cookies/treats all around.

When we got home the kids went right down for their naps and Steve and I watched a movie together. I wrapped presents while we watched and am now pretty much done with presents, other than edible presents, which I'll be baking tomorrow. As soon as the kids woke up we got them dressed again and piled into the truck to head back to church for the Christmas program and yummy treats afterwards.

Yesterday was special because it really truly felt like Christmas, maybe for the first time this year. I've always loved Christmas so much, but it's been hard for me to adjust to being the main source of all the magic. I'm the one (well, technically me and Steve, but let's be real...mostly me haha) doing the decorating, and planning the fun Christmas outings, picking out the presents and then wrapping them with care, and teaching Riggs about what Christmas is all about. I don't get to be the one on the other end of that anymore, and it's definitely much more stressful and less fun than I imagined. It's a lot of work, even with the simplest of Christmas traditions and I'm still getting used to my changing role, nearly three years into parenting.

Yesterday was one of those days that made me realize what really makes Christmas so magical, it's about sacrifice and love for our family and friends. Jesus' life on earth was the perfect example of that, the example that we strive to imitate in our own lives. It's only by God's grace that we can even attempt to love those around us in the way we should, putting others before ourselves.

Baking cookies with our kids, despite the mess we know we'll be cleaning up after. Staying up late getting ready to host our friends for Christmas parties. Wrapping presents during nap time, and then rewrapping them after the baby rips the paper off five minutes after they wake up from their nap. Putting in extra time at Church to prepare for a special Christmas service. Baking hundreds of cookies for friends and neighbors. Spending half the day in the kitchen on Christmas day making that amazing Christmas feast for family and friends. The list goes on and on and on. Throughout it all, trying to remember the reason we're spending so much time making this season special.

Yesterday was winter solstice, and I thought a lot about it for some reason. This winter hasn't been ideal, and it's hard for me to get fully into the Christmas spirit when there's no snow. But I realized that snow or no snow, winter is a reminder of the amazing rhythm of God's creation. I love this quote..."the countryside sleeps in winter and within it lies all the potential of spring, summer and autumn." Instead of rushing around trying to decorate our houses perfectly, trying to get just the right gifts for everyone on our lists, trying to make every last party, trying to host the perfect party, we should be taking time this season, time to reflect and prepare for the year ahead of us.

"This is the solstice, the still point of the sun
it's cusp and midnight, the year's threshold
and unlocking, where the past
lets go of and becomes the future;
the place of caught breath..."
Margaret Atwood

I hope all of you have a magical Christmas week and take time to acknowledge and enjoy all the beautiful things God had graced you with in this life. Take an extra moment at each Christmas gathering to look around at friends and family and relish the time you have with them. Watch your children's faces as they experience all the magic of Christmas and let their joy and wonder seep deeply into your heart. Enjoy a plate of cookies cross-legged in front of your brightly lit tree.

weekending

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve! We are so excited over here!

Steve has been home since Thursday and we have been in full Holiday festivities mode together as a family, it's been great. We've gone to Christmas parties and pageants and are looking forward to the candlelight caroling service tonight at church!

Friday Steve and I were feeling a little stir crazy around the house. We've really been wanting to see the Hobbit but didn't want to drive all the way into town and find a baby sitter for Riggs last minute, so we just decided to try going with him. I honestly had no idea how it would go, since he won't even sit and watch a movie at home. But it was his nap time, so I was hoping he'd sleep for most of the movie.

He actually did amazing! We grabbed him a booster and he sat on it for about the first hour, actually watching! We were cracking up as he laughed and said things (very loudly) like "oh, no!" when there was fighting. I was worried he'd be scared but he wasn't at all. He thought it was hilarious and he loved all the scenery shots in the movie. He got a little antsy after the first hour so I stood with him in the hallway/entrance and he got sleepy then slept the last hour+ of the movie. Despite how well he did, I think I'd like to go see it again with just Steve. I was watching Riggs so closely I missed a few things in the movie!

Saturday and Sunday we had snow non-stop, it was like a beautiful winter wonderland the entire weekend! And the temperature was pretty mild too, so we were outside quite a bit, going on snowmachine rides and skis around the neighborhood.

Monday it cooled back off and today it's just downright freezing, perfect for spending the days inside baking wrapping presents and baking yummy Christmas treats. We made fudge and Riggs loved 'helping' and licking out the pan. We also made spice cookies, Steve's favorite. I'm trying to get the energy up today to make sugar cookies, we'll see if it actually happens!

Riggs is very excited for Christmas and we are too! I can't wait to have my family over tomorrow for presents and yummy food and just some good old gabbing. I also told Steve this morning that I'm a little sad, since once tomorrow is past, it will be a whole year until it's Christmas again! It's come up so quickly this year and I was so sick for so long that I feel like I haven't gotten to soak it in as much as I usually do.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas day, and remember to spend a some time thinking about the real meaning behind our celebrations. xoxo

a few of my favorite things

I was digging through my Pinterest Christmas board this morning looking for the instructions to some salt dough ornaments I pinned over a year ago and I got so distracted looking at all the pretty pins. People, I just love Christmas. It's truly a magical time of year to really soak up the blessings in our lives and celebrate the precious gift of life we've been given.

I thought I'd share some ideas that I just love so much and can't wait to add as new traditions in our home. Most of them are kid-centered, I just I think Christmas just becomes even more special once you have your own kids to celebrate with!

1 | Christmas Card Collection

As Christmas cards come in from family and friends, punch a hole in the corner and use a big ring to hold them together. Then store them near your favorite gathering spot, whether it's on the kitchen table or the coffee table.

I love this idea as I'm always struggling for new ideas to display all the photo cards we get. Last year I attached them to ribbons and hung them on the wall, which worked ok but we have put our tree in a different spot this year and so I don't think that will work for us this time.

How do you display all the gorgeous photo cards you get?






2 | A Family Christmas Album

Purchase a big scrapbook and fill it with photos, recipes, and other keepsakes from each year. Keep it out from Thanksgiving to New Year and enjoy looking back at all those special memories.

Joanna posted this idea on her blog and I just love it! What a fun way to spend those cozy evenings sandwiched between the twinkling Christmas tree and the fire.

On a side note, this is the second Christmas idea/tradition that involves a coffee table. I guess I really need to find one for our space!

3 | Stationary from Santa Claus 

Purchase some official stationary from Santa Claus to leave special messages and add a little extra magic to Christmas for your kids.

We never did the whole 'Santa' things as kids, but I have always loved Santa. I still believed in him even though my parents always told me he wasn't real and we didn't get any gifts from him. I remember playing out in the back yard and looking up into the stars to watch for Rudolph :)

I would love to leave notes for Riggs from Santa, and will probably get some of this paper as soon as he's old enough to understand a little better. 

4 | Christmas Morning Style

I love the ideas listed here for how to dress both comfy and cute on Christmas morning. Especially as I get older and am included in more pictures, I want to look somewhat nice/put together even first thing in the morning.

I think both of these outfits are pretty realistic as far as something I'd wear, although most of the price tags are pretty steep for PJs ;) 

What does your family wear Christmas morning? Do you have any traditions about special Christmas PJs?

5 | Christmas List Ornament

Make a miniature version of your children's Christmas lists or letters to Santa and stash them away inside a clear ornament with the year painted on the outside.

Definitely doing this one, I just love it!

6 | Year in Review

I pinned this quite a while ago and forgot about it until I saw that Kenzie from The Ashcraft Bunch had made an adorable version of this for her own Christmas cards this year!

I just love this as a way of keeping friends and family up to date on what's been going on in your life without having to sit down and write out a long letter.

So cute!

oh Christmas tree!

Saturday we went out in the new snow to pick a tree. It was fun tromping around the yard and through the woods to look for the 'perfect' tree. Steve found one that would work, and cut it down and hauled it to the garage to thaw out.

Sunday after church and a (failed) Santa attempt, we came home and set it up and started decorating. We had Riggs play in his room while we put up the tree so he would be surprised. When he came out of his room his smile was soooo big. He just loved it! 

He was very gentle and listened well as we decorated it together while Steve watched football. He loved looking at all the ornaments as I took them out of the packages. He was our tinsel expert and put up nearly all the tinsel on the bottom half of the tree....

All of our ornaments are so special to me, as they were all given to me by friends and family who are dear to my heart. My dad's parents have always gotten us an ornament every year since we were born, and have done the same for Riggs since he was born. I loved looking at each ornament and remembering all the times I've put them up since I was a very little girl.

And it was so special and a little emotional to see Riggs' growing collection too. I just love Christmas and all the memories it brings!

It really feels like Christmas now in our house, and I'm feeling very, very blessed this Christmas. I can't wait to start the cookie baking, then it will both feel and smell (and taste!) very much like my very favorite time of year.

6 gift ideas for toddlers

I've been scouring my brain trying to think of good gifts to get for Riggs this year, both for Christmas and for his birthday in January. There are quite a few factors that go into picking out gifts for children, especially toddlers. Of course I want him to like whatever gifts he gets, but I also want them to educational in some way, aesthetically pleasing to the entire family, as well as something that I consider to be a good investment. I don't want to feel like I'm just throwing away money on a plastic toy he'll play with once or twice and then permanently discard.

I've found that with nearly all purchases for our family and our home, I'd rather spend a little bit more money to get a quality item that will stand the test of time, and I feel like toys are no different. Riggs is at a hard age for toys, I think. He's outgrown most of the toys he has (which isn't many, about 8-10 things at most) and so we spend nearly all our time reading his books or playing with his train - the only two things he hasn't outgrown (and hopefully won't for a long time). When making his 'wish list', I tried to think of things that will not only last a while for him, but for future siblings as well, since some of these items are definitely an investment.

one | wooden play kitchen

I think play kitchens are often thought of as girls toys, but Riggs LOVES helping me in the kitchen and any time he's been around a play kitchen he loved it. I'm considering getting this as a joint Christmas/birthday gift, since it's the last year I can really do it (I don't think it's fair when a child's older to combine gifts for holidays/birthdays, unless they're old enough to really understand if they really want a more expensive gift).

two | cut&peel fruit set/kitchen utensils/fresh fish food set/homemade pizza play kit

All of these choices are great accessories to go along with the kitchen. It would be a great way to still give him a gift on his birthday that tied into the kitchen.

three | Rocker Board

These are amazing toys that last for years and years. This is probably the highest on our list of things we want for Riggs. They have them in stock in our local Waldorf school, and that saves a lot on shipping them. Visit the link above to learn more about these awesome toys.

four | My First Zoo & Photo Safari Duplo sets

Riggs has really been showing an interest in Duplos lately and he has none, so I thought this would be a great gift for him. I really prefer toys that go together, like trains sets, kitchen stuff, and things like legos and playmobil. It makes it really easy for family members to purchase gifts as well as long as they know the general 'play set' your child would like more pieces to.

five | books

Riggs just loves reading. We literally read at least 10-20 book every day, usually multiple times. On top of that, he looks at his books by himself many times a day. Books are always a great gift for him. Some of my choices:

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

The Little Island

any Berenstain Bears books

any Little Critter books

six | art supplies

Riggs is definitely getting more into coloring and painting, so I thought some art supplies would be a perfect gift to grow into for him.

Felt Crayon Roll

Stockmar crayon sets

crayon sharpener

blank paper

So there you have it, Riggs' Christmas and birthday wish list. He'll be two in January, and I know some of these gifts might seem a little old for him, but like I said, I want them to be things he can grow into, rather than things he grows out of too quickly. Any other great ideas are welcome here!

25 things to do this December

I can't believe it's already been December for five whole days! This month is already getting away from me and I feel like it just got here. Christmas is far and away my most favorite holiday of the year, and there are so many ways I want to celebrate this year. I thought I'd share my list here and hopefully inspire some Christmas cheer for all of you as well!

1 make cinnamon rolls
2 Christmas crafts with Riggs
3 go skiing as a family
4 go on a Christmas date with Steve
5 make a type of cookie I've never made before
6 take Riggs to see Santa
7 read lots of Christmas books
8 go sledding
9 put up a wreath
10 send out Christmas cards to family and friends
11 sing Christmas carols
12 donate to a local charity
13 decorate a tree in the yard for the birds
14 drive around in the dark looking at lights
15 visit the reindeer farm's Christmas festival
16 attend a candlelight Christmas church service
17 spend a day sewing
18 start (and finish) a new book
19 write a letter to Santa with Riggs
20 make a snowman
21 finish my Christmas quilt
22 horse drawn carriage ride
23 take lots of pictures
24 put out milk and cookies for Santa
25 spend Christmas day with family

So there's my list! What are you making sure not to miss this Holiday season? We watched the lighting of the tree in NY last night and will definitely be watching the Sound of Music tonight. There's just something about TV specials this time of year I love too:)

24 Children's Book to Read in December

Last year as I was scrolling through Pinterest one night before bed, I found an idea that I just loved and couldn't wait to add to our yearly Christmas traditions. I knew it wouldn't work too well right away, since Riggs was under a year and wasn't really too interested in opening presents yet. 

This year I'm so excited to begin this new tradition, and I hope Riggs will enjoy it as much as I think he will! I've been collecting books to use for this project and have quite a nice pile going already. I try to get books out and put them away according to the season, for example if the book is about winter, we keep it in a box until it's actually winter. There are many books that don't really fit into the seasonal criteria, and we keep those out year round (Goodnight Moon, Nobunny's Perfect, etc). 

I think a Christmas Book Countdown is a perfect way to introduce new Christmas books every year, and to increase excitement for them and for the time of year. Also I would have loved opening a present every day, even if it was a book I had already read last year. Some of the books I've collected (and still have from when I was little) are too wordy for Riggs' attention span, so they'll have to wait for later years. I've included 24 books in this list that we'll be reading this year, books that are perfect for toddlers from about 1.5 to 3.

1. My First Christmas by Tommie Depaola - This book is a great introduction into the Christmas season with simple illustrations and words that are easy for a little one to understand and follow.

2. The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree by Stan Berenstain - I love the Berenstein bear books so much, and this one is a classic. I loved it when I was a kid and I know Riggs will love it too. 

3. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Collen Monroe - This is a beautifully illustrated and written story about a tree that hopes to get picked every year. We decorate our tree right after Thanksgiving so I wanted to include a few books about the Christmas tree early on in the month.

4. Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck - This is a great introduction to the real meaning behind Christmas for toddlers. 

5. The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougherty - I saw this book for the first time this year and added it to our collection. The story and illustrations are very cute and I think little kids like to hear about other kids(/elves lol) being too little to do certain things just like them.

6. The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia M. Scarry - This was probably my sisters and I's very favorite Christmas book when we were growing up. I have so many memories of reading it and I'm pretty sure we wore out the scratch and sniff patches with in a year or two.

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess - Everybody loves this book and I want to read it to Riggs a few times before watching the old version of the movie with him.

8. A Christmas Goodnight by Nola Buck - This is a sweet story in which the character says goodnight to each of the pieces of the Nativity. It's nice to have a bedtime themed book to include in our normal bedtime routine. 

9. Merry Christmas, Little Critter by Mercer Mayer - Riggs LOVES the Little Critter books so this was a must. I actually got a copy at Target that included stickers too.

10. Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren - This is a beautifully illustrated story by the same author who wrote the Tomten books, which we already love. 

11. Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell - Another Nativity story that's sweet and simple.

12. The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett - Jan Brett was (and still is) my favorite author of Children's books and her Christmas books are all so good. 

13. Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant - This book includes many old fashioned Christmas traditions that are fun to read about, and it's by the same author of another book we already love, When I was Young in the Mountains. 

14. Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder - I love all books by Wilder and this is just another that I hope Riggs will love too.

15. If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff - I actually read If You Give a Moose a Muffin first, when I was little, but I've grown too love this book too. It's a playful story and I think Riggs will like it, although I don't think he'll fully understand what 'going to the movies' means yet, since he's never been.

16. Duck and Goose It's Time for Christmas by Tad Hills - Duck and Goose are Riggs' favorite, so I've been planning on getting this book nearly all year. I'm sure he's going to love it!

17. Merry Christmas, Curious George by H.A. Ray - Everybody loves Curious George (especially Riggs) so I thought this was a great one to include on the list. I think it would work for all ages too, it's such a classic!

18. Little Critter's The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore/Mercer Mayer - I bought pretty much every Little Critter Christmas book I found, since Riggs loves them so much. The illustrations are so cute and full of personality and detail. Riggs loves to look for mouse and 'itsy-bitsy' in all the books.

19. Santa's Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki - I love this book! Santa goes for a walk in the woods to get in shape for Christmas deliveries, but ends up falling asleep. When he wakes up, he tells the animals a story about the true meaning of Christmas. 

20. Santa Claus is Coming to Town by J. Fred Koots (Steven Kellogg) - This is a classic and a must for every Christmas book collection!

21. The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer - This book isn't really about Christmas, but I wanted to include all sorts of books and this one was perfect to read on Winter Solstice. It's a little old for Riggs but he usually likes books about the seasons.

22. The Christmas Owl by Angela Muse - A sweet book about an injured Barred owl. Any child who loves owls will love this book!

23. The Night Tree by Eve Bunting - This book is so beautiful, I just love it! I think we might go decorate a tree in the yard for the animals after reading the book this year.

24. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore/Jan Brett - I love this version of the classic Christmas Poem and figured Riggs would enjoy hearing it more than once. 

So there you have it, our Christmas Countdown picks for 2013. Please share any of your favorite Christmas books for kids that I haven't included in the list!

Hanna Andersson + tinyprints

I don't know about you, but I love Hanna Andersson pajamas, they are by far my favorite for Riggs. I went online last week to order him some winter pjs, and was so excited to see that Hanna Andersson had partnered with tinyprints for a holiday special. 

It's pretty simple - spend $75 at Hanna Andersson (easy to do since one set of pjs is about $30-$40) and get a coupon for 25% off tinyprints plus free shipping. That is a great deal, and you have plenty of time to order your prints too, the coupon is good until Dec 31. PLUS you can get an extra 15% off (I think) when you use my referral information, here.

Here's what I ordered:

1 | 2 | 3

I ordered them in size 3, because I want them to fit next year too. They are pretty big on him right now, but not ridiculous. The fabric is such high quality that it doesn't sag at all despite being a full size too big, and that's why I love it!

I was already planning on ordering our Christmas cards through tinyprints and now I'm even more excited about doing so (saving money is always good ha). I've picked out three favorites, but it's kind of hard to know for sure until I can see how our picture will look on them, and we haven't done family pictures yet. I'm kind of hoping to do them in the snow. We'll see...

Here's my top three:

ONE | i love the idea of people being able to hang it on their tree!

TWO | i love the pinecones and the simplicity

THREE | how cute is this one? and hello, glitter!

Which one do you like best?

[this post was not sponsored or influenced by either company mentioned and all opinions are based on my own experiences]

Homer trip recap

I'm stopping by to share some pictures from our long weekend in Homer to spend Christmas with Steve's family there.  It was so much fun to see his family get to know Riggs a little better, and to just relax in the seaside town that we both love.  Plus it snowed nearly three (3!) feet while we were there.

Riggs became a stair climbing expert while we were there.  We don't have stairs so he's not used to them at all, but as soon as he saw the staircase at Grandma Dotti's house, he just climbed right up, no problem!  Steve kept a close eye on him, and he couldn't quite figure out how to go back down, but he still had a blast trying (lol).

we visited Santa at the Library

Riggs loved his cousins kitchen, and he especially loved playing there with her

Riggs got to chill in the Ergo while we went out to enjoy the new snow

did I mention snow?

Riggs loved to rock in front of the fire

he was very impressed with the tree and the pile of presents from Santa that was taller than him

"Please can I have some eggnog?!"

Morgan trying to show Riggs how to open his present

wouldn't be Christmas without a little grumpiness

beautiful drive home in the blizzard

Riggs practiced his driving skills with daddy ;)

Now I'm off to go bake some cookies for my family's Christmas celebration at my house this weekend. Hope you have a fantastic Friday and a family/friend filled weekend :)