birthday girl, I was

So this weekend was my B-day.  I'm getting old.  But, I don't feel old.  I still feel like I'm in my early 20's, yet I am much, much closer to the 40's.  I guess it's true what they say- your as young as you feel.  I truly want to believe it.  So let me dream on!

I'm sure you are dying to know what I got as gifts, right?  (yea, right!)

Well, let me share with you anyway.

First off there is no party, without...

PARTY HATS!

and CARDS!

Now for those big item gifts...

a brand new BED!

a fully loaded CELL PHONE!

the most lovely BOUQUET OF FLOWERS!

a brand new fancy CAR! and lots of lots of LOVE!

Ahem, I think some little ones have been listening and paying close attention to my conversations about needing a new bed and wanting a new iPhone.  Now what about the car?  No idea.  Maybe my little guy thought it would be pretty cool to drive something else rather than a mini-van.  Ha!

I loved my gifts.  This is the first time my little guy takes the time to make such beautiful gifts for me. (Spunky nena tried, but it was a bit difficult without mami's help.  She did pick a lot of those lovely flowers/weeds/leaves you see.) They are truly special gifts.  The best! 

Note: All photos, with the exception of the last one, were taken my my little guy.  Not bad, huh?


Now, just in case you are wondering here are some photos of how we ended up decorating our Thanksgiving table this year.  

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my in laws.  So the table decorating was a team work.  I just added the finishing touches.  The  napkin rings/place cards and the Gratitude tree (I used the same idea as our valentine heart tree.) 

The kids helped me make them.  It was pretty easy, I just drew one leaf and then used that as a stencil to draw the rest.  We then colored the edge of each leaf and I then colored the veins.  Finally for the napkin rings/place cards I added each person's name with a bronze marker (mi name didn't fit- too long!)  For the Gratitude tree, we got a branch from our the back yard, and hung the leaves.  Before that though, each guest would write something they were grateful for this year. 

Simple, yet meaningful.  Just like our dinner.



Well then, now I am off to rest on my brand new bed, but not before I make a phone call on my fully loaded new phone and admire my beautiful bouquet.

Here is to a great week everyone!

thanksgiving roundup

Now please don't tell me Thanksgiving is, um, this Thursday!...It is?!!!  Well, good thing I've been collecting some photo inspiration around Pinterest, to help me decorate our table this year. 

Want to see?

I would like to...

fancy tree brach; classy pumpkins; simple branch; green & brown; how about some pine cones; outdoor beauty; for the kids

 veggie wrapped; tissue paper calm; acorns and nuts; pumpkin piece; nice little gourds

pear for one; chocolate lover; elegant in black; felt fun

And...

give thanks; gather; thankful, thanks

  Fall leaf garland I made using the same concept as my Halloween garland (here).

It is all in the colors.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It is almost here :: Ya casi esta aqui

I'm sure you are thinking Thanksgiving!  And yes, you are right it is almost here, but I'm talking about my Birthday.  Another year of wisdom added to my life, right? Anywho, we'll talk about that on another occasion for now I want to share this mini project I worked on recently, and when I say simple, I mean super duper simple.

Me imagino que has de estar pensando Día de Gracias!  Y tienes razón, ya casi esta aquí, pero yo estoy hablando de mi cumpleaños.  Otro año mas de sabiduría ¿que no?  Pero bueno, hablaremos de esto en otra ocasión, ahorita quiero compartir con contiguo este sencillo mini proyecto que termine hace poco.  Y cuando digo sencillo, hablo en serio.   

My mother-in-law gave me this.  More like she asked, "Would you have any use for this?"  Of course!  Right?  I mean, she always finds this great stuff around her house she no longer wants and well, being the crafty person that I am, I usually say, "Yes, give it to me!  I'll figure something out." 

Mi suegra me regalos esto.  Bueno, en verdad me pregunto si podría usarlo para algo.  Y yo le dije, "¡Claro que si!"  Digo, siempre suele encontrar cosas en su casa que ya no quiere y sabiendo que me gusta tanto todo lo de las manualidades me lo pasa a mi, y yo normalmente les encuentro nuevo uso.   

And so I took it all apart and sat there staring at it, figuring out what I could make out of it.  Oh, many things came to mind, but the more and the more I thought about it, something told me I needed to just let it be.  So I did.  I spruced it up:  I cleaned it, pulled all the rusted pins out, turned all the faded leaves around, added a new bow, re-pinned each piece to the hay wreath and listo! Perfect for Thanksgiving.

Entonces lo desbarate todito y me le quede viéndolo, pensando en que podía hacer con el.  Y después de pensar en un montón de maneras de como re-usarlo, entre mas la pensaba, mas me decía algo que tenia que dejarlo tal y como era.  Y eso fue lo que hice.  Lo limpie, le saque todos los alfileres oxidados, voltee todas las hojas descoloridas, añadí un moño nuevo, y volví a sostener cada pieza con alfileres.  ¡Y listo!   Perfecto para el Día de Gracias. 

I love it!  (Thought I'm not totally in love with the new bow.  It just might need to change in the near future.) How about you?

¡Me encanta!(Solo que todavía no estoy muy segura si me gusta el moño que le pues, creo que tendré que cambiarlo pronto.)  ¿Que tal a ti te gusta?

***

By the way I've added new items to my shop.  Perfect for Christmas gifts.  Take a look on my side bar. 

Antes de que se me olvide, he añadido nuevas cosas en mi tiendita de Etsy.  Perfectos para Navidad.  Pasa a ver en la columna del alado.   

celebrations :: celebraciones

(The Rosca- kings bread, I baked this year :: La rosca que hice este año.)

Celebrations and traditions play a great part in our home. With every year that has passed since R and I got married (and especially since our kids were born) we have learned to combine our traditions and create new ones. The winter holiday's are a great example.
Las celebraciones y tradiciones toman una gran parte en nuestra casa. Desde que R y yo nos casamos (y en especial desde que los nenes nacieron) hemos aprendido a combinar nuestras tradiciones y crear nuevas. Los días festivos de fin de año son un buen ejemplo.

For R, Thanksgiving is his favorite Holiday. He loves that family gets together, no presents, no fuss, just the wonderful gathering and visiting of far away family. Though I do love Thanksgiving (and agree with R), I on the other hand prefer Christmas. To me Christmas is all of what R describes and more.
El día festivo favorito de R es Thanksgiving- Día de Gracias. Lo que mas le gusta es que toda la familia se junta, vemos a parientes que viven lejos, convivimos y sobretodo no tiene nada que ver con los regalos. A mi tambien me gusta, pero para mi el dia festivo que mas me gusta y disfruto es la Navidad. Por lo mismas razones a las cuales a R le gusta Thanksgiving y mas.

When I was a child, Christmas was the holiday where we traveled to visit family. It was the time we got together, shared stories and exchanged gifts. It was the time we always spent together, no matter what. It was the time where we would dress up during Christmas eve, have a huge dinner (and if we were vising family in Mexico-break a piñata and attended posadas) and then waited impatiently (and very tired) for midnight to arrive so we could go to the Misa de Gallo- midnight mass. And if we were lucky enough to stay awake on the drive back home, then we could open our gifts (even the ones Santa had dropped off while we were gone). And that was not the end of it, oh no! after Christmas came the Dia de los Reyes Magos- the twelfth day of Christmas or Kings Day. Where we would celebrate their arrival to see baby Jesus in the manger. We would make a Rosca, eat, sing and sometimes leave a shoe out to see what the wise men would leave us. The Christmas tree went up after the 12th of December and didn't come down until after the 6th of January. Ah, yes the memories...
Cuendo era niña durante el tiempo de Navidad era cuando viajavamos a visitar a la familia. El tiempo de compartir risas, historias y claro regalos. El tiempo cuando todos nos juntabamov pasara lo quepasara. Era el timepo donde nos vestiamos con nuestros mejores trajes y cenabamos una rica cena en noche buena (y si hivamos a Mexico- rompiamos piñatas y asistiamos posadas). Donde con ansias (y super cansados) esperabamos que llegaran las doce de la noche para ir a misa de gallo. Y si aguantavamos despiertos el regreso a casa, podiamos abrir lor regalos que nos esperaban (incluyendo los que dejo Santa). Y ahi no terminaba la celebracion, claro que no! Pues despues llegaba el Dia de los Reyes magos, donde comiamos una rica roca, cantabamos, celebravamos y de vez en cuando dejabamos un sapato debajo del arbol para ver si los Reyes nos dejaban algo. Decorabamos el arbol y las casa despues del dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe (el doce de Diciembre) y no lo guardavamos hasta despues de el dia de los Reyes. Hay que lindos recuerdos...

So how have we done it? How have we combined our traditions? Here are some ways:
Como celebramos? Como hemos combinado nuestras tradiciones? Aqui comparto unas cuantas maneras:

* We definitely celebrate Thanksgiving the traditional way- turkey and all! This is the time we travel, mostly to see R's family who lives a lot closer than mine. And that is okay with me, since (like I mentioned before) Christmas is the holiday I most connect with my family.
Para empezar definitivamente celebramos Thanksgiving (Dia de Gracias) la manera tradicional de por aca- con pavo y toda la cosa! Este tambien es en el dia festivo en el cuan viajamos a visitar a la familia de R, pues vivien mas cerca. Y la verdad que no tego problema con esto, pues como les havia dicho antes el dia festivo mas importante para mi es Navidad.
* We decorate and put our Christmas tree up way before the 12th of December. Yup, right after Thanksgiving (I can't help it, I looooove to decorate!) and we don't take it down until after the 6th. (There are plenty of neighbors that think we're a bit crazy, since most of the homes around us take theirs down right after New Years.)
Decoramos el arbol y la casa mucho antes del 12 de Diciembre. Sip, exactamente despues de celebrar Thanksgiving. Lo siento, pero a mi me encanta decorar! Y no lo volvemos a guardar todo hasta despues del dia de los Reyes. (Hay muchos vecinos por aca que se les hace raro, pues casi todos guardan sus decoracions desupues de que pasa el año nuevo.)
* We follow an advent calendar. And we read lots and lots of Christmas books (both in English and in Spanish).
Seguimos un calendario de adviento. Y leemos muchos pero muchos libros de Navidad en ambos idiomas.
* We sing to both Christmas carols and Villancicos (Spanish Christmas carols).
Cantamos Christmas Carols (canciones navideñas en Ingles) y villancicos.
* For the past two years I have made tamales (all by my self- that is a lot of work) for
Christmas eve.
Los ultimos dos años he echo tamales (solita- hijole, como dan trabajo!) para noche buena. Pues por donde vivo es muy dificil encontrar unos buenos tamales. Les cuento que no vivo en una area muy diversa que digamos.
* And because R usually works late on Christmas eve (and it is very cold where we live) we go to Christmas mass on Christmas day. On Christmas Eve we go to bed early, wake up early the next day and sing Happy Birthday and Las Mañanitas to baby Jesus. Then we open gifts, get ready and head out to church.
Y porque R usualmente tiene que trabajar en noche buena ( y tambien hace mucho frio donde vivimos), mejor vamos a misa el dia de Navidad y no en noche buena. En noche buena nos vamos a dormir temprano y nos depertamos a primera hora el dia siguiente para cantarle Happy Birthday y las mañanitas el niñito Jesus. Y duespues abrir los regalos, nos alistamos y nos vamos a misa.
* Because we both grew up getting way to many gifts and because we really want to focus on what the true meaning of Chrismas is, we only buy a gift for each child and each other and ask Santa to only give the kids one as well. (They get more than plenty from family and friends- though this is something we are constantly working on. We are trying to come up with a better plan so the kids don't get so much. There really is just no need.)
Porque de niños los dos R y yo, recibimos mas regalos de los necesario, y porque quermos enfocarnos mas que nada en el significado verdadero de Navidad, solo les compramos un relalo a cada nene de parte de nosotros, y Santa tmabien solo les trea uno a cada uno. (La verdad que con todo lo que reciben de familia y amigos es mas que suficiente. Todavia seguimos buscando la mejor manera para que los nenes no reciban tantod, pues la verdad no necesitan tantos.)
* On Jan. the 6th I bake a Rosca, make hot cohocolate abuelita (a traditional Mexican hot chocolate, made with a chocolate bar, cinnamon stick and milk. Yum!) and invite family and friends to join us in the celebrations.
El 6 de Enero preparo una Rosca y chocolate abuelita e invitamos a familia y amigos a celebrar con cosotros.

(Now remember that these traditions of ours are ever changing, some we have celebrated since we got married, others we have just included. That is the beauty of making our own traditions- we can barrow a little bit from here and a little bit from there!)
(Recuerden que nuestras tradiciones cambian constantemente. Algunas las hemos celebradod desde el dia que nos casamos y otras apenas las empezamos a incluir. Eso es lo bonito de crear nuestras propias tradiciones- podemos tomar las que nos gustan y dejar las que no tanto.)

(Stirring the hot chocolate with the molinillo. :: Batiendo el chocolate

abuelita. Note: photo taken by my sweet friend Molly.)

And so there you have it...a little bit of how we celebrate. I really would love to tell you more, but don't want to bore you with a HUGE post. So I figured, later this year as the holidays approach a can share a little bit more. (I know, I know we have a long time till they get here, but hey, I can't help it I love the winter holidays). And in case you are wonering, it has been very hard for us to get together with my family since I've been married and live completely on the opposite side of the country. Plus R's schedule rarely allows us to travel during that time of year. In fact, the one year that R finally was able to get time off for Christmas to spend it with my family, I got pregnant and had A that November. There went those plans (but happy little me had a beautiful baby girl to make up for it!) So my one wish for this year is to be able to celebrate Christmas with them. I know the kids would love it and it would make me very, very happy!
Y estas ha sido poco de como celebramos. Me gustaria contarles mas detalladamente, pero no quisiera aburrirlos con tan grande post. Esque creo que mejor sera que mientras se ballan acercando los dias festivos (si ya se falta mucho!) ire compartiendo con ustedes. Y por si querian saber, se nos ha echo muy dificil poder celebrar con mi lado de la familia (cual me pone muy triste cuando se hacercan los dias festivos) pero es muy dificil cuando vivimos en lados contrarios del paiz. Y con al horario de R, es muy difil poder viajar durante esa temporada. Con decirles que el año que por fin le dieron vacciones navideñas a R , e ivamos a pasarnosla con mi familia...sali embarazada! Si y di a luz ese Noviembre! Fuera con los planes de viaje, jaja. Gracias a Dios que tenia una linda bebe entre mis brazos para hacerme sentir mejor!!! Ea que unos de mis deseos este año, es poder pasarnos la navidada con mis papas y hemanas. Se que a los nenes les encantaria y a mi me haria super feliz!

...and I was trying to make my post short! Hahaha! (Sorry.)
...segun yo estaba tratando de escribir esto post corto. Jajaja! (Perdon.)

a little bit of everything...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know we did. We were surrounded by loved ones and great food. And guess what? It just so happens that the day of Thanksgiving was also my B-day, yes, my B-day! And because it landed on the same day, we decided it would be nice to wait and officially celebrate until Saturday. (Of course, I did get lots of wonderful calls from family and friends wishing me the best and some even sang to me Las Mañanitas, a traditional Mexican Birthday song, that I love.)
Espero todos hayan pasado un lindo Día de Gracias. Nosotros si pasamos un lindo dia con familia y mucha, mucha comida. También ese día fue mi cumple, pero decidimos no celebrarlo hasta el sábado. (Claro que recibí muchísimas lindas llamadas de familia y amigos, y algunos hasta me cantaron las mañanitas!)

So on Saturday my hubby did it all! As part of my gift, he took care of the little ones, cleaned house (kitchen included), made me breakfast and a cheesecake from scratch! My favorite. (It was so yummy there is none left and it is barely Monday!) Then we dropped off the little ones with the grandparents and headed out on a date. We rarely have time for those, so this was a treat in deed.
El Sabado como parte de mi regalo de cumple, mi esposo se dedico a todo. Cuidar a los nenes por completo, limpiar casa, cosina, hacerme un delicioso desayuno y hasta preparme un riquisimo pastel de queso (cheesecake), que es mi favorito! Le salio buenisimo! Mas tarde dejamos a los nenes con los grandparents ( abuelos) y mi esposo y yo salimos en un date. Casi nunca tenemos tiempo de salir solos, esque fue algo como regalo para los dos.

I love birthdays like this.
Me encantan cumplaños a si.

(Thank you Honey.)


On another note. Today we started decorating for Christmas. My favorite Holiday of all. I have so many wonderful childhood memories attached to this holiday. And no, non of them are about the gifts I got (wich were plenty), but of family gatherings, train trips to visit family far away (yes back in the day there where trains still being used in Mexico for travel afar), piñatas being broken, posadas sang, attending the midnight service all tired and full, but thankful to be there... and so much, much more.
Cambiando el tema, hoy empesamos a decorar la casa para Navidad. La Navidad es mi dia Festivo favorito. Tengo muchos lindos recuerdos de viajes en tren para ir a visitar familia (en Mexico todovia se uso el tren de pasajeros hasta hace poco), romper piñatas, celebrar posadas, asistir a la misa del gallo...y mucho mucho mas.

Now my one and only wish is that when my little ones become adults, they remember the special things they did, the people they spend time with and the reason we celebrate Christmas to begin with, instead off what gifts they did or did not get. It is why I believe less is more. The less toys they get, the more they will enjoy the ones they do get. And instead of focusing on what toys they will get, I try for us to focus on the things we are making to prepare ourselves for baby Jesus birthday. I know this can be hard even for me. It can be so easy to get cought up in the buy this, buy that craze, that I often have to STOP and say, "hey, that is not what I want Christmas to be all about!" No!
Espero que cuando mis nenes lleguen a ser adultos, en ves de recordar que regalos recibieron, recuerden esas cosas especiales que hicieron, la gente que los quiere, y la razón por la cual celebramos la Navidad. Por eso creo que es mejor recibir menos regalos que de mas. A si podrán disfrutar mas esos pocos que reciban, y a la vez podrán enfocarse mas las preparaciones para la celebración del Nacimiento del Niñito Jesús. Se que esto puede ser difícil hasta para mi. Es fácil perderse uno en la locura de la temporada de estar comprando esto y lo otro, que seguido tengo que parar y recordar y decirme a mi misma, "Hey, esto no es de lo que quiero que se trate la Navidad!" No!

So I am excited to say that today I finished our Advent Calendar (with a little help of Ri and A). I can't wait to show it to you. And if the pictures I took turn out half decent ( I took them at night), I might even post a tutorial.
Es que les tengo que contar que hoy terminamos de hacer nuestro calendario de Adviento. Pronto se los enseñare, y si mis fotos salieron bien (pues las tome de noche) hasta les pondre un "tutorial" de como lo hicimos.

I have plenty on my list of things to do before Christmas arrives. I see a lot of gift making and lost of baking (I just love, love to bake during this time of year) my way.
Tengo mucho por hace antes de que llegue la Navidad. Muchos regalos por hacer y muchas galletitas por hornear (como me encanta cosinar en esta temoporada).

What are you doing to prep for Christmas?
Que tal tu? Como te estas preparando para la Navidad?