A Disney Princess Christmas

Some friends of ours host an all girls Christmas party every year with a different Disney princess theme. This year was the grand finale and all the princesses were represented. This is a Grandmother, Daughter and Granddaughter team and it is held at the Granddaughter's apartment. I just wanted to share how cute they do it up. It is so girly and again, different every year.

 This is the bathroom. Too cute!

 We've been attending this Disney princess Christmas party since the girls were little.

Unrelated but I thought cute. My oldest fell asleep in pillow laden play area they made for my two year old last night. We left her there all night to sleep by the Christmas tree.
Linking to How Sweet the Sound, Bargain Hunting with Laurie, The Tablescaper, and Between Naps on the Porch, My Romantic Home

More Christmas Pics

Here are some pictures of my den. My hubs who does most of the decorating, did up a patriotic tree for us in the den this year. I love it. Our den is in tans blues and reds so it is perfect. I collect snowmen as well and here is how he displayed them. I am a beloved Peanuts fan and have a scene of them too. My kids love all the little characters straight out of the Christmas special.

This week I want to spend time getting the house organized and spiffed up so next week we can bake to our hearts content. Today I am starting in my room. Dusting and putting away sordid Christmas stuff. This room is least likely to be destroyed by the kids so I am starting here and then onto the dining room and front room for some spiffing up. I feel energized and wonderful when my house is in order so I want that good mojo around here for the holidays. Off to clean. Enjoying everyone's snowy pics. It was 84 here yesterday so not very Christmasy but pleasant for sure.
Linking to The House in the Roses and The Nesting Place and Between Naps on the Porch and for Rednesday at Sue Loves Cherries

Walk Thru Bethlehem

Every year our church does a wonderful outreach to the community called "Walk thru Bethlehem". It is for one weekend in December and attracts thousands of visitors. It is a wonderful depiction of the real story of Christmas. You walk thru Bethlehem just as you would have at the time of the birth of Christ. Roman soldiers  are ordering you to pay your taxes and villagers act and talk in the context of the time.

The tour takes months and hundreds of volunteers complete with a camel.

King Herod. He addresses the crowd about the news he hears of the coming birth of a new King.

Innkeepers telling us they have no room at their inn and how they had to turn down a woman about to give birth.

The cutest little actor.

After the tour thru Bethlehem you go into the auditorium for the story of the birth. Above is the Angel of the Lord.

The three Wisemen.

Mary, Joseph and a real baby Jesus. It was moving and helps us to remember and celebrate the real story of Christmas.

Linking to http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/ for Seasonal Sundays. Also linking withBargain Hunting with Laurie.

Frugal Challenge Update

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping except for all the gift cards I need to get for the older kids in the family. Our Vons has a special spend $150 in GCs get $15 off your next shopping order so I am going to buy all my cards in one trip to get the $15. I am also heading today to see my hubby who is working out of town. He's only a couple of hours away but it is his birthday and I want to spend it with him so he's not alone for it. Instead of going out and because I am taking our two year old with me, I decided to make a picnic dinner of oven fried chicken, potato salad and fruit with a crusty loaf of bread for dinner. We will take it to a lovely park near his hotel and let our little one run around while we relax and eat. It is warm here in SoCal so we can do this lest anyone think we'd be sitting in the snow. This will save us the money from dinner and keep the two year old busy as well. I hate taking little ones out and then they get restless and one of you has to take her out. Not fun when there are only two of you. Plus we just don't want to spend the money. Have a good day and let me know what you are doing to save money. Linking with Frugal Makes Cents for this challenge.

My Christmas Dining Room

We finally went to get out tree over the weekend and it is up and beautiful. I love a real tree. My family won't let me buy an artificial one for our main tree so we go to the same lot in downtown run by the same family and it is small and quaint with hay on the ground and their kids and their friends load the tree for you. We even ran into some family there. Love the tradition. Can you tell? Well this is the dining room at Christmas.

My dry sink which is my favorite piece of furniture. The rest of the house is a mix of whatever family was passin' on and thrifty finds.

 This is a miniature dry sink that I bought for my two yr. old and she uses it to store all her little dishes. I don't keep much in the house that can't be touched.

Loved this little saying. It's so true. We need to keep Christmas light and let go what we can't get done so we aren't stressed out.

We put our tree in an old galvanized tub. Fits perfectly after my hubby trimmed down the base a little.

 Wow I must have the camera on the wrong setting here.

I do!!
Linking with Dittle Dattle and Between Naps on the Porch.Also Bobby Pins Boardwalk and Savvy Southern Style. Linking with Hooked on Houses