Category Archives: Holiday Fun

Dec 11 2012
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Fun for Couples, Holiday Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 78: Cards Glorious Cards.

Much earlier this year, I designed a holiday card and tonight the hubs and I addressed and signed them. I found this activity quite fun while the hubs viewed it more as a chore. (Though I think even he will admit that, ultimately, he had fun).

Addressing things and writing by hand too much can cause me to cramp up or get sore, so we made it in to an assembly line of sorts. I wrote the name of the addressee, a little greeting and my signature while he did his signature, the return stamp and the actual addresses. Doing it this way allowed us to actually do it together and it also means that they really are from both of us!

Our hope is that our holiday card will help spread some of the joy that we’ve been lucky enough to experience in the last year and that I am trying to create every day.

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Dec 10 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Guilty Pleasures, Holiday Fun, Reader Suggested Fun

Day 77: Christkindlmarket

It’s Guilty Pleasure Monday and the fun is a reader suggested activity! My friend Sarah suggested I meet her at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. Conveniently located right near her work, Sarah has been more than once, so she showed me where to find the nesting dolls, indoor ornament stores and nutella crepes. I, unfortunately, came full from lunch so did not get to sample the crepes but I did makes some purchases while moseying around catching up with my friend.

Both of my purchases were unique for me; a bird ornament with a feather actually coming out the tail and a Tibetan Singing Bowl. The bowls caught my attention just by being gold and shiny. I thought, “what cute little bowls to put jewelry or something in.” The man working the booth (Tibetan?) told me that they sing and then demonstrated. With a wooden stick he circled the outside of the bowl creating a lovely, pure note. He mentioned they are used in meditation and yoga rooms and are meant to calm. The first time I tried it, it didn’t totally work for me, but I wanted it anyway. He wrapped it up and gave me some notes on my technique. (Obviously I practiced as soon as I got home and I am happy to report I can create the tone almost as well as this man. And it is quite soothing).

Most of the booths contain ornaments and other items handcrafted in other countries. (Hence why there are Tibetan Singing Bowls in a holiday market). Many of them are from Germany and the rest of Europe. You can also get cuckoo clocks, beer steins and many a wooden toy. I highly recommend checking this market out. It’s even worth a special trip to loop if you don’t regularly go there.

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Dec 08 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Holiday Fun

Day 75: Set the Table

Tonight, the hubs and I are hosting some of our friends for a holiday dinner party and game night. It will be casual, but, just for fun, I decided to set the table. I like how full and festive it looks with all the dishes, decor and the gift bag “place cards.” They also have a tasty holiday treat inside!

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Dec 02 2012
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Friends and Family, Games, Holiday Fun

Day 69: White Elephant

Driving back from Iowa in time to work at noon was not so fun. Going to a white elephant party after work, however, was super fun. White elephant can be done many ways but, the way I have always played (and the way we played last night) the rules are:

  • Bring anything you own that is funny, unwanted, used, dorky, etc.
  • Wrap it but do not put any kind of tag on it.
  • At the party, put all the presents in one place. Then everyone draws a number.
  • The person who drew number one gets to pick a present and open it.
  • The person who drew number two can steal from number one or open a new present and so on until the last person goes.
  • A present cannot be stolen more than two or three times (depending on how many people you have).
  • If your present is stolen you may either open a new one or steal a different one.
  • This goes on until all presents have been opened, at which point the person who drew number one gets to make one last steal if he/she desires, ending the game.

 

We did this with seven people so it did not take that long. (I started this as a tradition for my extended family on my mom’s side with about 20 people and that takes a while). I gave a martini glass picture frame with picture of Elphie’s face in it (somehow the hubs ended up with this, so watch out family) and I got two books that are going straight to the garage sale pile. The game was definitely fun but seeing friends was better. These are friends that we, unfortunately, do not see too often but with whom we can always pick right back up.

Side note: I do not have any pictures from tonight because I totally forgot about writing the blog while I was there. This has happened before and I think it is because I am enjoying myself so much I’m not thinking about writing about it later. This is good but now I’m sad that I don’t have any photos to share. I’m looking for a happy medium between being conscious of documenting these events and just have fun.

Nov 25 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Holiday Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 62: Christmas Decorating Mania

Today has been the dedicated Christmas Decorating Day on the calendar for a few weeks now. In preparation, I shopped for some new items and ornaments and made a Christmas music playlist (favorite albums this year include Lady Antebellum’s On This Winter’s Night and a compilation called Holiday’s Rule featuring Fun., Rufus Wainwright, and The Shins). My plan: wreath, tree, other decor.

Wreath: very simple. We saved ours (fake) from last year in a wreath box.

Wreath and jingle bell holder both from Target.

Tree: The hubs put it together (fake and pre-lit) and that was, and probably forever will be, his contribution. Well other than putting the star on top and tolerating the Christmas music playing while he was watching the Bears. I fluffed the tree because it was looking a little skimpy but then I got started on the ornaments with bulbs trying to space them out and not have too many of the same color/shine next to each other. Then I just added ornaments all over. I love a totally FULL tree. This year, I also purchased a tree skirt meant for a mini tree, but I thought it would be perfect to just cover the plastic stem on our tree but not take up too much space beyond that (nor be too tempting for a certain puppy to eat).

Tree from Target. Topper from Macy’s. Ornaments from Target, West Elm, Foursided, Pottery Barn, home (Mom).

One Special Ornament: I bought a dog ornament that I thought looked a lot like Elphie, but just to take it to the next level, I colored on it with a permanent marker to add her black markings.

Upper Left: Before. Upper Right: After. Lower Level: Compare the two! Ornament from Pottery Barn.

Other Decor: This year, I took some advice from Young House Love’s book and put all of my decor items on a table together and then tried different combinations all over the house. This was so helpful in getting me out of the mind set that certain items “belong” in certain spaces.

Side Table. All items except the snow globe (Target) from Foursided. That candle smells like mistletoe!
 

Console Table. Reindeer card holder from Target.

Dining Table. Mercury votive holders from West Elm, mercury glass trees from Target, and Santa from Foursided in our usual bowl centerpiece surrounded by glass balls from Mom.

Bar Top. Santa from Foursided. Pine cone from Pottery Barn. The wine chiller is filled with fake cranberries from Target, a glass ornament from Mom, and wine corks.

Bathroom Shelf. Santa’s boots candle holders (I honestly do not remember where I got these. I’ve had them for so long) and December activity card from Walgreens.

Finally, I hung three larger ornaments on doorknobs throughout the house (all from Foursided) and then collapsed on the couch. I should have been taking more breaks because my feet are quite sore now, but I plan on resting, watching the Giants game, and admiring my decor from the couch for the rest of the night!

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