Category Archives: Christmas

Christmas Baking Day 2010

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Christmas Baking Day! It’s one of my favorite days of the year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to spend the entire day creating yummy things to give to my friends, family and co-workers. It fills my soul. Like seriously. Today is Christmas Baking Day for 2010. I’ve already made a double batch of waffle sticks so that I can freeze some and give some to my friend Katie B’s family. Now I begin the real cooking. I thought I’d share what I plan on making today. We’ll see if it all gets done!

My recipes:

Bloggy Friends’ recipes I want to try:

I’ll check in with you at the end of the day and let you know how it went!

I am seriously all smiles as I’m pulling my apron out. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Linked to Saturday Stumbles.

Works For Me Wednesday: OCC Box

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You heard me talk about my Operation Christmas Child birthday party over and over again last month. We had such an AWESOME time that we are already planning to do it again. That’s right! Mark your calendars for next November 12th. We’re gonna party again. This time we WILL make at least 100 boxes! (We only made it to 89 this year.)

Since I KNOW I will be filing many many boxes next year, I’m already working on collecting things. I’m cutting out coupons for toothbrushes and toothpaste that I know I won’t use and watching for sales so I can get them for free. I’m watching the sales at Walmart to see when I can get clothes for almost nothing. (I got some cute shirts today for $3 each.) I’m snagging those Happy Meal toys that never got opened and putting them to the side. I’m collecting all the samples I can find that are able to go in the boxes. (Remember, no liquids.)

In order to keep all these things in one place, I started the OCC Box. Right now it is literally sitting in our living room. I’ve been tossing things into it as I find them. It looks rather empty now (although there are some things in the car I haven’t gotten into the box yet), but I’m pretty sure that by next November, it will be full.

My OCC box works for me!

If you weren’t able to make a box for Operation Christmas Child, you can still build one online. Go here and fill a box so that a special child can have a very merry Christmas.

Also, my bloggy friend over at 4tunate.com is in the running for the best video in the Operation Christmas Child contest. Go here to vote for her video! Do it today as the deadline is approaching!

Linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Seeing Santa 2010

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I took the Princess to see Santa today. I take her every year so this is not earth shattering. However, this year was different. Somehow, I knew that this year, she was doing it for me. She didn’t need to see Santa. She had already written him a letter. More importantly (and I think she’s realized this), she had told her dad and I what she really wanted for Christmas. She had her bases covered. She didn’t need to see Santa, but somehow she knew that I needed her picture with Santa. I’ve always taken my baby girl to see Santa.

As we were standing in line, she whispered to me about the fact that she always got her picture taken with “her Santa.” She knew there were other Santas at other malls. That these couldn’t all be the real Santa. He must still be at the North Pole. I think she whispered because there were small ones about. She didn’t want to ruin the magic for them. I wonder if she even realized she whispered.

We stood in line… For almost an hour. She didn’t complain. She didn’t whine. She let me take her picture. She smiled at me when asked. She smiled at the babies in front of us and those behind us. She didn’t comment that she was one of the oldest kids in line. She didn’t fuss that she was tired. She let me put a bit of lipstick on her and comb her hair when it was close to her turn.

Then, she went and sat on the same Santa’s lap that she’s sat on every year of her life. She smiled prettily at my iPhone. She smiled prettily at the camera. She talked to Santa for a bit. And then she was done. Our turn was over in minutes, many fewer minutes than we had spent standing in line. Patiently standing in line.

She smiled at me as I paid for the pictures and held my hand as we walked through the mall. “Momma, I want to buy you a Christmas present this year,” she said. Little did she know that she’d already given me my most precious one.

And here it is (after a trip back to the mall to get it on the empty USB drive they gave me originally), the “official” Santa picture.

Christmas Cards: Which To Choose?

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The time has come to upload photos and make a Christmas card. I know, most of you are thinking, “Um, Kathy, I’ve already mailed mine and you’re just now uploading?” Why, yes, yes I am. And, this is early for me. My theory is that if I get them postmarked by December 24th, I’ve gotten them out before Christmas. So, that’s always my goal. In fact, I’m a week early this year. Seriously.

Every since we had the Princess, she has been on our Christmas card. Shocker there, right. We have another tradition. Our picture from our annual Disney trip is always on the card too. Yes, we go to Disney EVERY year. It’s a tradition! This is last year’s card. Notice that the family is in the middle and then there is more of our cutest member. I like that. More of her and less of us.

This year, I’m going with a new company. I’m going to use Shutterfly. I’m very excited about the different designs they have. They have LOTS of multiple picture ones to choose from. This is this year’s Disney picture.

It will be surrounded by the Princess of course. Which one of these CHRISTMAS CARDS do you think this picture will look best on?


I’m leaning toward the last one. In fact, I’ve already started the project for it. It’s SO EASY to upload pictures to Shutterfly and start a project. I did it in minutes! Love that!

Shutterfly has cards for just about any occasion. I’ve already started looking at moving cards since we’re going to be moving into our permanent home in February. I need to remember to put that in the budget. They’re adorable! SO MANY different ideas. I could spend hours just clicking around the site.

So, tell me… Have you already sent out your Christmas cards? Or, are you like me and wait until you’ve got the best pictures of the year to put in them? Which one of these cards do you think I should use? Did you find a different one on Shutterfly that’s better? Did I miss one?

My Birthday – Operation Christmas Child Style

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If you’ve been visiting The House of Hills at all this month, you know two things – 1) I’m participating in the 30 Day Giving Challenge 2) I wanted an Operation Christmas Child Birthday party.

I first brought up the idea of my special birthday party at the end of October. It came to me as I was thinking of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to give and not receive. What started as a tiny idea soon blossomed as I realized my church was asking us to fill boxes as a congregation. It was perfect! I could take boxes right to church the Sunday after my party.

Then, I had to figure out how I wanted to accomplish this task. I’d heard of playgroups getting together where everyone brings multiples of a few items and they all share. But, this was going to be bigger. I wanted to do 100 boxes. Yep, the goal was 100. So, I talked to everyone who would typically buy me a birthday present and told them that I wanted cash instead. Yes, you have to understand that I’m direct like that. It’s something I would do. Then, I used that cash to buy things for the boxes in bulk from Oriental Trading Company and Discount School Supply. It was much cheaper per unit that way.

Yesterday, we set up a packing station in our living room. People grabbed a shoebox and went down the line grabbing one (or two) of everything there. We had…

  • Coloring books (Thanks Princess)
  • Crayons (Thanks Mom)
  • Watercolors (Thanks Dad)
  • Stickers (Thanks Jenni A.)
  • Notepads (Thanks Lois)
  • Bouncy Balls (Thanks Sue)
  • Mini Plush Animals (Thanks Sweetie)
  • Fun Bands (Thanks Danielle)
  • Small Slinkies (Thanks Misty)
  • Toothbrushes (Donation from North Georgia Smiles Dentistry)
  • Toothpaste (Thanks Dan)
  • Candy (Thanks LOTS of people)
  • Playdoh (Thanks Debbie)

Once the guests had one (or two) of everything we provided, they finished packing the boxes with stuff they had brought with them. It was so fun to watch everyone trying to cram as much as they could into a shoebox! Hysterical. We did learn that if you removed the packaging from items, you could fit them in better. We ended up with four trash bags of packaging. Good grief! We had people bring things from Legos to stuffed animals to stamp sets to…well, you name it, and it probably went in a box. It was GREAT fun.

The final step was to go to the note writing table. Each box we packed had a personal note inside. I LOVE that. I love that some child, somewhere in the world, will know that someone is thinking of him and praying for him. The best notes were the ones the kids wrote. Why? Because those were the most true and heartfelt ones of all. It was AWESOME to watch all the kids that came over get into the process. It was amazing to see families working together to do something for someone they will never met. Tears to my eyes AWESOME friends.

The final step was to tag the box with the appropriate age and gender of the recipient, put a rubber band around it, and stack it. Both My Sweetie and I tweeted as the pile grew. It was so exciting to see the pile getting bigger and bigger. I was thrilled with how many folks came by and how much support we had. The final tally was 89 boxes! That’s right! We packed 89 boxes. It wasn’t the 100 I was going for, but we got REALLY close. I was thrilled to fill the van today and bring them in to church.

What an amazing birthday this was. I got to see friends and family. I got to have good food. Yes, I cooked. And, it was good. And, I will be posting recipes later. I got to give, give, give, give until my heart wanted to burst. I got to listen to Christmas music all day. I got to do all my favorite things. However, the thing I loved the most was watching my precious girl get into the giving spirit. I loved watching her blossom as a hostess and organizer. She was integral in the set up. She was integral in the packing process. And, she was integral in letting folks know what they were supposed to do. It was like having a mini-me standing there at the assembly line explaining the process to people as they came in. What a joy it brings to a mother’s heart to watch her child give all day long. There wasn’t an “I want” in the day. Well, except when she wanted the second cupcake, which I let her have.

So, all in all friend, it was an AMAZING day. I was dog tired at the end of it, but I can’t wait to do it again. In fact, the House of Hills is already making lists and figuring out how we can do it bigger and better next year. Thanks to all my friends and family who gave. Thanks to all my friends who came. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us and sent us fun Facebook and Twitter messages. Thanks especially to My Sweetie and My Princess who helped me have what I really wanted for my birthday.

Operation Christmas Child Party Is Here!

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If you’re heading over to the House of Hills today, we can’t wait to see you. If you’re not, we’ll miss you. I could not be more excited about today. Today we will pack 100 Operation Christmas Child boxes. 100!!!! Friends are coming from far and near to give to this amazing cause. In honor of the day, I wanted to share some posts from around the blogosphere to get you in the mood for filling a box. Even if you can’t come to my party, take an hour this week to shop and fill a box. You’ll be so glad you did.

Operation Christmas Child : OhAmanda

Pack a Shoebox, Impact a Life : 4tunate

How to Pack a Shoebox on a Budget : Mummy Deals

Our Family Shoebox Tradition : 24/7 Moms

Operation Christmas Child : Impress Your Kids

Now, don’t you want to go pack a box! You know you do! Pack a box and make a difference in a life.

Linked to Saturday Stumbles.


Are You Coming?

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Are you coming? Are you coming? Are you coming to my party?? If you’re in the North Metro Atlanta area, feel free to come on by. We’ve got 100 boxes to pack people. That’s A LOT of boxes. The Princess has packed 2, so we’ve got 98 more to go.

Seriously friends, I’m not really sure how many people are coming to my house tomorrow. It may be 10. It may be 50. It may be more. You know what…I’m not really worried about it. The most amazing thing has happened in preparing for this party. The entire focus of the House of Hills has been on other people. All month long!!  I LOVE THAT! You know what else…I’ve gotten comments from friends far and near about what a great idea it is and how they want to take part – either with me or at their own home. That means their focus has been on others too. I LOVE THAT!

Friends, that is what the 30 Day Giving Challenge is all about. It’s about focusing on giving to others rather than our own personal wants. Yes wants, because truly I have everything I need. Really, I do. I am so thrilled, honored, humbled, and honestly tear filled to be a part of this 30 Day Giving Challenge. It’s changing us at the House of Hills. It’s changing us for the better.

If you have NO IDEA what I’m talking about. Here’s a copy of the email invite I sent out to my friends.

 

You are invited to my BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Saturday, November 13, 2010
Drop In Between 10 and 3

Snacks, Cupcakes, and Boxes

 

It’s an Operation Christmas Child Party!!!!

I have 100 Operation Christmas Child boxes to fill.

That’s what I want for my birthday – to fill those boxes. Will you help?

 

I have some items to pack in the boxes that people have donated.

Look HERE to see what has already been purchased for the boxes.

We will also provide the labels to go on the boxes and note cards for

writing notes to the receiving children.

 

Determine how many boxes you want to fill, have some fun shopping,

and bring all the box contents to my house on November 13th.

Also bring $7 to cover the mailing of each box.

 

To learn more about Operation Christmas Child go HERE.

For a great list of what to put in the boxes go HERE.

 

This is a family event. Bring the kids, bring your spouse,
bring your small group, bring whomever.

 

Come on over to the House of Hills to celebrate me by giving to children on the other side of the world.
It would make me so happy.

 

So, are you coming? Are you coming?

Since thinking about others is a finer thing, I’ve linked with Finer Things Friday.

Happy Birthday to ME!

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Next month is my birthday month. Whoop! Whoop! Yes, I still celebrate my birthday. I’ve got one more year until 40. I might stop celebrating then, but I doubt it. I’m an extrovert. I enjoy a good party – especially when I’m surrounded by my people.

Not only is next month my birthday month, it’s also the month of the 30 Day Giving Challenge, in which I am participating. I love to give, and on my birthday is no exception.

So, I’m having a PARTY, but I’m GIVING MY PRESENTS AWAY!!

On Saturday, November 13th, the House of Hills is opening its doors to anyone and everyone who wants to come over and help us give. We’re going to unlock the door at 10 and lock it again at 3. We’re going to have food. We’re going to have cupcakes. We’re going to have me walking around in a crazy birthday hat. But, most importantly, we’re going to have boxes. Lots and lots of boxes.

WE WILL HAVE 100 OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD BOXES THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.

That’s right. I’m getting 100 of them. Why 100? Well, it’s a big number and therefore a challenge. I think we can do it. I really think we can.

If you are unfamiliar with the Operation Christmas Child program, be sure to go read about it here. In a nutshell, it allows those of us with plenty to give to those with little. It allows us to make a child’s Christmas that much brighter. It allows us to make a difference. It allows us to serve those in need.

So, are you coming to my party? If you’re in town, you should come on over. Really, you should.

Instead of bringing me a present (’cause you know you were going to get me a present), bring items to pack into an Operation Christmas Child box and $7 per box for shipping. They’ve provided a GREAT LIST of what to put in the boxes. When you get to the house, you can pack your box, hang out for a bit, and then leave the box with us. We’ll get them all to a drop location.

We have many things that have been given to me in bulk to go in the boxes.

  • The boxes themselves from Operation Christmas Child
  • Toothbrushes and Toothpaste from my awesome co-worker Deb who is working with her dentist
  • Plush animals from My Sweetie
  • Mini coloring books from The Princess
  • Baggies of hard candy from my family and my mom (Updated 10.29.10)
  • Boxes of crayons from my mom (Updated 10.29.10)
  • Watercolors from my dad (Updated 11.01.10)
  • Bouncy Balls from my co-worker, Sue (Updated 11.01.10)
  • Mini-slinkies from co-worker and blogger, Misty (Updated 11.01.10)
  • Fun Bands from blogger, Mom With A Minivan (Updated 11.01.10)
  • Small notepads from my co-worker, Lois (Updated 11.01.10)

So, how do you want to help me celebrate my birthday? Do you want to send me something to put in the boxes? Do you want to send some money to cover the cost of shipping?

Even better, do you want to come party with me and pack a box or two?

Come on over and celebrate me by giving to those who need a gift oh so much more.