SHE Does Casino Christmas

Christmas is so hectic in my house, and to add fuel to fire my mom, sister and I all have birthdays in the week leading up to Christmas! My dad has never been a fan of December – I wonder why?!? ($$$I think I know$$$)

Growing up we always called it our 90mph Christmas and it seemed so fitting. I thought there’s no way it could get any busier. I was wrong. I then grew up and got married. So now I have Christmas parties with work and friends, and a whole other family to celebrate with. It may be crazy, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Between all of my family events and all of Hubs family events we about cover the spectrum of things to do. We have a variety of gift exchanges, normal gift swaps where everyone gets everyone a gift, and then my favorite – Casino Christmas!

We do Casino Christmas with my mom’s sisters and their spouses and kids. We start around dinner time and don’t usually go to bed until around 3 or 4 in the morning! Dad has a roulette table he pulls out. It’s a $20 buy in, second place gets their money back and first place wins the pot. I won last year and I’m ready to defend my title this year! After we wrap up roulette we head to the table for blackjack. Is gambling for Christmas a sin? I don’t know, but it’s done with family and so many laughs are had and memories made. At the end of the day that is all that matters!

Are you looking for a new tradition to spice things up? Casino Christmas is definitely the way to go!

 Let me know if you try it out and how it went. I’d love to hear about it!

xo Courtney

read more

Traditions of the Season

image via Pinterest

Hey Y'all!

Hope you are all in the Christmas spirit.  The little ones are surely getting excited about Santa and you may even have gifts under your tree.  We don't yet, but they are coming soon.

Every family has traditions that make their holiday season sparkle. I have always tried to make sure we did Christmas activities each year to make special memories that would hopefully become a tradition Brittney would carry on in her family.  We go to a Christmas movie, have hot chocolate with 83 marshmallows, the Christmas program at our church or live Nativity scenes. We have seen the Rockettes and been to the symphony and to many Nut Cracker ballet performances.  I always want to squeeze as much Christmas into the season as we can.  It goes so quickly, I want to be sure we all enjoy it and not just get through it.  How do you celebrate?

Here are a few of my favorite Christmas season must have activities:

Cookie baking~ we talked about that on Monday. I only make these certain items at Christmas so they stay special treats. Brittney and I have fun baking and Mike enjoys tasting.

Christmas movies~ there are so many funny ones! I love Christmas with the Kranks and The Family Stone.  Brittney had a great list yesterday.  Hope you were able to see it. I am looking forward to seeing them all this year.

image via Pinterest

Christmas PJ's ~ gotta have new PJ's for Christmas morning pictures. This was generally the gift you opened on Christmas eve when I was little.

image via Pinterest

Christmas Eve Candle light service ~ there is nothing more heart warming than this service. Our church has a lovely service and it is such a precious time of singing and worship, all the lights are low and we have our candles... Really feeling the sweet spirit of the Lord and celebrating the real Reason for Season.


 

image via Pinterest

Seafood Christmas eve dinner ~ we do a low country boil and fried shrimp with all the trimmings on Christmas Eve.  It is delish!!






 

image via Pinterest

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ As the little ones get older, it is a little more of a challenge to keep the excitement. We started this when Brittney was in late elementary school.  On the 13th of December, she got a small gift.  It was hidden somewhere in the house and had a little poem attached.  It might be a movie, or a book, a can of popcorn or chap stick. She got another one every day leading up to Christmas morning.  The items were little things she might get in her stocking.  It was really sweet. She had fun finding the items each day, especially when the elf delivering them might have been a little late dropping the gift off... oops:)   Sometimes there would be a little "job" attached to the gift... share this with a friend or make a card for a grandparent. It would be easy to do for multiple children too ~  The gifts were hidden in different areas of the house, or on a Christmas tree.  So the hunt is part of the fun.   She tried to find them without it being obvious that she was searching for her gift each day. (We started this before the "Elf on the Shelf" came out.) Lots of fun!


We love to celebrate and try to have the best holiday season we can.  How do you make the season special for your family?  SHE shares with her friends and we would love to hear from you.

Have a great week friends!  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

     xoxo,

                    Amy

 

read more

Holly Jolly SHE: Traditions

 I was discussing traditions with Courtney, my fellow SHE, and was stuck because I couldn't think of any traditions my family has. In the past couple of years my family has changed a lot. I moved to Chattanooga and started my own 'family' with my boyfriend and our two dogs. Both my parents are recently remarried and our holidays are unlike they've ever been before! I'm not complaining, my family has grown by leaps and bounds and I've experienced more love than I ever dreamed possible! 

I started thinking though, I was so wrong. We have had many traditions and we still do all of them in Memphis, I just haven't brought them to Chattanooga yet! This year I'm going to start some of my favorites here and add some new ones… here's a few of my favorites. 

1. The Christmas Pickle. Each year my mom would hide a pickle ornament in the tree. The first person to find the ornament would be the first one to open presents Christmas morning! Ornaments are big in our family, ever year my dad gives us a new ornament. It's so exciting seeing which one he picks out for each of us. 

2. Christmas Pajamas. My mom picks out pajamas for all of us to wear so we're matching on Christmas morning! It's fun and makes for the cutest photos. 

3. Advent Calendars. Anything filled with chocolate is a yes in my book! Opening these up everyday was the best part of the countdown! I've seen grow up versions with bottles of wine instead of Chocolate, that might be worth a try. :)

4. Saint Nick. This one is coming up!! December 6th is his feast day, so the night before you leave your shoes out by the door and he fills them up with goodies (--think candy, stickers or 'coupons')

What other traditions should I add this year?! I am excited because it is the first Christmas RJ will be spending with me in Memphis! Have a happy Thursday! XO

read more