'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

We had such a wonderful holiday! We spent Christmas Eve this year with my mom aka Mimi aka Grandma Margie. Earlier in the week, Kelly and I had watched Giada's Home for the Holidays on Food Network (huge nerds). Love Giada, but how does she stay so super skinny making all that food!?! I prefer a chubby chef. Skinny chefs can't be trusted...right? Well, we decided that we would be serving Giada's Ministrone soup. It was delish and made the house smell amazing. We served it with bread, wine, and some Applewood smoked cheddar cheese.

Jude and his Mimi

I love traditions! I am very sentimental and love anything I can plan or organize. So, I am always starting new traditions for our family. This year, I decided to start a tradition for Jude where he makes ornaments to give to loved ones. I bought some glass ball ornaments, white paint, and an orange paint pen. And on Christmas Eve, we put Jude's handprints on the ornaments and made little snowmen out of his finger prints. Needless to say dipping Jude's hands in paint and trying to get him to grab the ball proved to be challenging. The white paint everywhere was enough to give my "neat freak" husband heart palpitations. But, I think they turned out cute! They weren't perfect, but the imperfections and smears is what gives the ornaments character and heart. ;)

We continued the tradition of letting Jude open 1 present on Christmas Eve. He opened a present from Mimi. The gift was a couple books and a Mickey Mouse. Jude is currently under the mouse's spell. He is obsessed with Mick-ky (how he pronounces it)

Finally, what would Christmas Eve be without cookies for Santa? I would like to say that I am a master baker, but I am clearly not. I tried to use some cookie cutters and they turned into big blobs! But, I semi-redeemed myself by using the cookie cutter to sculpt said blobs.

Blobby mess

Semi-redemption, that's a snowman people ;)

All and all, we had a wonderful Christmas Eve filled with laughter, chaos and love. I wouldn't have it any other way! Next post~ Christmas!