December is here. It is hard to believe. No snow. No cold weather. It is almost like a long long fall around here. But the date is here for sure. MT have told me over and over. He can not wait to go down tomorrow to find the Advent calendar I made a couple years ago (thanks to a blog post from Stacy. Thank you Stacy! This has been a favorite of ours, I have even made a few gifts like this to friends and family too. So fun!).

In this calendar we each day have a snippet of the Christmas story on one tag and on the other tag there is a Today sentement and the a couple of things we are going to do. Mostly these are things that we are going to do together.

On December 1st we are going to church for Sunday School on a Thursday and later we are going to find some thin sheets of paper and make snow flakes to put up in our kitchen window to give this not-so-ready-for-the-season-to-begin-house a flying start I guess that it is MT that is going to do the major part of the snow flake creation as I plan to read out loud to him from one of the last chapters of Harry Potter and the prisoner from Azkaban.

My orginal plan was to start reading one of our favorite Advent book as soon as Dec. 1st rolled around, but we just can not put down the Harry Potter book right now, we (as in MT, I have already read it three times since the book was published) need to know how it will end! And then we can find the Advent book and use the Sunday (that is my one weekend off before New Years weekend) to read us up a few chapters, no worries if we miss a day or two.

I know MT love this calendar. But he also loves to get a little something too, so every day later in the day (after school) he is going to find a bag hidden somewhere in the house (he has to work some, don’t you think) for him to find and once in a while there are going to be candy or a little gift in there, most days there are going to be a figure from our nativity and there might also be something he need to finish the task of the day. I hope that he will find it just as fun as he has found it earlier year. And this way I don’t have to have it all planned out from the start of the month, and can make it happen as we go along.

I have also my December Daily to work on and take photos for. I’m sure I’m going to fall behind, but last year I almost got it finished (still have a few pages to get in place, but are planning to finish that up while I go along with the other album for this December), so I have big hopes for this year too. I know I will fall behind, though, that is just what I tend to do, at least when it comes to blogging about it. But I will embrace that and be joyfully happy for every word and every photo that get put in the album on this busy season. Wish me luck will you?

And if you are doing December Daily as well (I know a lot are doing that!) please do not be shy putting a link to your blog or photos here, there are always so much inspiration in looking how others are celebrating the season and documenting their every day at this time of the year.

I feel almost ready to welcome the season right now. Snow or no snow!

Since last year I’ve been following Ali’s blog and especially her project December Daily. This year I promised my self to play along and document our Advent and Christmas season, I even made an album in July (!) for it – and you know what? I’m doing it, slowly (but steadily) it is taking form. I’m printing my images at home and almost everyday has a digital element of some kind.

I started the album on the 1st Sunday of Advent and it’s going through to Jan 1st. So by the end of it it’ll contain more than a month of memories. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up during the holidays, at least to put a few words down somewhere so I have a story to go with the photos. The days are busy with work and living, so we’ll see what happens – but so far I have a few things to show from the four first days of December (click images for credits and more info):

I plan on taking photos of the actual album as well, as soon as I can get around to that I’m also getting back to that gingerbread cookie recipe in it’s own post (with translation to English as well and maybe even some US measurements if I can manage ).

A few things from TODAY:

1. got to bed to late
2. but managed to get out of bed in time
3. fought computer issues at work
4. really frustrated about that – hoping everything runs smoothly tomorrow
5. had an advent/christmas devotion at a nursing home
6. MT came by and we both went home for some dinner
7. and some muffins making
8. we’ve decided that muffins makes as good a christmas cookies as any
9. and MT loved to have a taste before we put them in the freezer
10. I loved the tasting as well…
11. we are reading Julemysteriet by Jostein Gaarder
12. finally MT is old enough to understand most of the story
13. and he loves it
14. talked to my mom
15. and made a blog post
16. hoping to get to bead early (earlier….) – already missed that one, but now this is going to publish
17. must make the card to go in the advent calendar first, though

See you around. Have a sweet Advent

A busy start to the Advent season. But a GOOD start.

I’ve been creating a few project over the last days. I’ve loved it, but my kitchen is messy and my laundry pile is high – so I guess I’d better spend the day taking care of a few things here at home (as well as preparing the many services with children and youths leading up to Christmas). My life is never boring and always filled with things to take care off. But sometimes (like now) I take time to sit down with a coffee and blog a little It’s nice to put a few words out there and it helps me documenting my days – and thoughts – as well.

A few weeks ago I saw Stacy Julian’s idea for a simple, but cute,  advent calendar (look down for the bonus project). I wanted to make my own and told my mom to bring my Grandma’s sewing machine so I could have a go on it. I decided to make a few gifts as well, so I started with those. It was so fun bringing out my Grandma’s old Singer and it’s amazing it still works like a charm. I’m not as good a sewer (by any means) as her, but this project is pretty forgiving when it comes to messing it up. It kind of adds interest. Anyhow, here is my go with the gift projects:

When I finished these I took some time to stitch together a few for my self, but I haven’t gotten around to finish more than one each day (until today, but it’s still a work in progress..). On the back I’ve made a pocket to hold a few cards with 1) the Christmas story 2) Today’s things to do. MT finds this each morning and reads what the cards say, first the story part and then the other with the things to do. So far he’s liked it a lot and he hasn’t even complained once about not getting a gift calendar like he got last year. I’m so glad about that since I felt all the gifts (even though some pretty small) took too much away from the season and the joy of the gifts on Christmas Eve itself. I plan on using this calendar each year – only changing the cards on the back – I like it and it’s also easy to bring along if we are going places in December.

I’ve also started my version of December Daily inspired by Ali Edwards. I’ve made a few new beginner mistakes (like making way to complicated pages – so next year there will be no snowflakes; even though they are seriously cute, but the decorating is a bit too…though). And since I print from home it’s a good idea to have page sizes that have easily room for a 8×8 or 11×8,5 or a 11×5 or … (you get the idea). Next year!!

I started the album on November 29th as in the first Sunday of Advent. So far I’ve finished through December 3rd and are going hybrid on this project. I’ve never been a paper scrapper, so this is a lot of new stuff for me – but I’m starting to get the hang of it. And it’s nothing like looking thought my album and feeling good about all the stuff captured from each day. Now I’ll never forget how this season felt. I’m running out of time right now, but I’ll make a post with the digital elements as soon as possible – maybe I even can get around to do a bit of photo-shot of the album as well?!

I love this season, but I wish for an extra hour now and then. And for documenting reasons here are few things from TODAY:

1. it’s snowing
2. the snow is wet
3. making the roads all slippery
4. the tractor haven’t been her shoveling the snow away yet (he came at 3 pm)
5. I almost did not come up to the house again after driving MT to school this morning
6. I need to order new winter tires soon
7. there is a man working in the cellar
8. he’s making a lot of noise
9. but it’s good he’s doing this job, makes the cellar (and the house) free of house fungus
10. I’m now going to clean out all the milk cartons on my counter before anyone comes to count them (and then figure out how long they have stood there….)
11. I haven’t been sick after taking the swine flue vaccine last Friday (neither has MT), but my arm is sore and I miss sleeping on my left side…
12. then I only have to wait for the photos to upload and then this post is published
13. sadly that took all day
14. I’m running behind on my uploading habits
15. my bed is calling, I’m trying to not listen…. as also is a habit of mine
16. I didn’t cross everything out of my list today
17. but I did a few
18. thanks for reading

See you around!

- and this post by Janet Phillips of the Daily Digi to take a change on getting this busy season documented in real time (more or less). I can’t wait to start adding photos – to the pages.

Yesterday I proceeded to work some more on the front page. I found some photos from last December and made a collage of a few of my favorites, as the thunderstorm approached I sat down and tried my best to make a front page with real glue, scissors and papers (I’m used to go all digital) – and found that I wasn’t happy with the result at all (bummer!) – but I love the collage!

This morning I’ve figured out a different approach – I think I’m starting to get it together (so far only in my imagination). The original collage for the front will now end up making the back side beautiful. And then I will use only one photo at the front, layered with different papers and whatever I can find. I have good hopes for this image, it makes me smile just looking at it:

I guess there will be more changes when December rolls around (or rather late November when Advent season is starting). This is going to be both fun and challenging, hopefully I can pull it off even thought it’s a really busy time and I’m at a new place. Make it simple is what I’m trying to live after. I wonder if I can do that

Happy Monday, people!

I’ve had family services both this last weekend and the week before and there is lot’s to think about for the services to come. Today, tomorrow and Wednesday is filled with Christmas play with children from kindergarten and school. It is fun (more fun than I remembered) and today went so nice (even thought I were so tired!) – but it leaves me with a messy house and a kid that feel slightly neglected. Thankfully the weekend we’re going away – together – to visit my great friend that I don’t see often enough(!) I look forward to it and to spend some time Christmas shopping in our capital, Oslo (I haven’t been there for years).

Anyhow, this is just a small pop in to make sure you know I’m alive and enjoying the season, even though the days have their challenges. So before I go for some sleep I want to ask you this: What do you do when your kid struggles with the pain of death?!? MT is there at the moment and I have tried about everything I know to help him tackle it. This is gigantic thoughts for a 5 yr old, so I see why he’s struggling so hard – and I don’t want him to just swipe it under the rug and pretend it doesn’t bother him – but I’m looking for a way to make this a tiny bit easier on him!

Hopefully I’ll be back in a few days, there is more to the story with MT and I have lots of photos from our first 8th days of December. I’m keeping a journal of our days and I’m planning to make scrap pages from them as well, as a kind of December Daily by Ali. If I ever get around to it

Take care!!