Chrismas Recap {Show Me Christmas}

Link up with Becky @ From Mrs to Mama and Aly @ Analyze This to show a recap of your Christmas festivities!

After going to bed at 3am Christmas morning after I finally finished wrapping all the gifts (don't get me wrong, I love wrapping but until 3am next year is NOT happening!), I was not going to get up early! No way Jose!

The lovely tree with my handywork of decorations and all the wrapping. I'm pretty sure the tree decided it wanted to be crooked this year. That's okay, it gives it more character!


After opening presents and having the traditional eggs, bacon, bagels and fruit breakfast, it was over to the bro's casa for more gifts. To say the kids are spoiled is an understatement. My entire backseat had 2 black garbage bags and two shopper totes FILLED with gifts. But when you think about it, there are three uncles and an aunt that have gifts for the kids plus Grammy spoils them. They didn't even finish opening their gifts because it was too much overload for the 5 yr old and 2 yr old. My goddaughter Sara was overjoyed that I found her the mini ladybug pillow pet to match her bigger pillow pet. She got me three charms for my Pandora bracelet to represent her & her siblings. One of my favorite gifts was the scrapbook my SIL made me from our Disney vacation! It was hysterical to relive some of the memories:



Went home and exchanged gifts with the boyfriend before I went to my aunt & uncle's house. He was excited for his new wallet, NJ Devils sweatshirt, sweater, cologne and Darth Vader gumball machine. So what did he get me? Since my Pandora bracelet is filled, he got me a necklace with my birthstone charm and two other charms. It was the last gift I opened and I was having a heart attack while opening it because this was COMPLETELY different from our first Christmas. He also gave me the two Victoria Secret perfumes in the set below. Heavenly Shine smells so good and I am obsessed. The Burt's Bee was from my friend Amanda!


Then we went over to my aunt & uncle's house...aka their brand new house which is massive. The boyfriend came and I thought he'd want to hit his head in a wall after spending the time with the family because of all the screaming but he had fun. He's a brave soul!

Mom & Emmy


My godchild & I


And the loot?! What did I get? The coveted Christmas present of 2011 goes to my brother Brian for giving me FABULOUS beauty. OMG I also died of excitement when I took it out. New favorite bag!


And got some other things like The Help on DVD, gold studded earrings for my second hole (which seems to always get infected), money, gift card to Vera Bradley store, charms for my Pandora bracelet, etc. I am just so in love with that MK bag my next mission is to find the matching wallet!

How was your Christmas?!

Show Me Christmas - Holiday Decor

I am taking a break from writing my final paper on the student I tutor (hello extra money!) and the IEP I have to hand in on Thursday. These two things are the only thing that stand in my way of being done with graduate school.

Link up with Becky @ From Mrs to Mama and Aly @ Analyze This to show your Christmas decorations (inside/outside)

My house isn't even really DECORATED for Christmas yet! My brother put up the lights and reindeer outside the weekend after Thanksgiving because it was warm out. No one else really likes to decorate like me so it becomes my responsibility! Trust me, if I didn't do it, we probably wouldn't even celebrate Christmas, ha!

I'll share this year's pictures when I actually finish decorating (just took all the boxes down yesterday). But we pretty much decorate the same year after year (some people might find it boring but I like it. Tradition!) Here's how I decorate my house :) (side note: I cannot wait until I have my own place because I'll probably got ape-sh*t crazy with the decorations since I love Christmas):

The couch in the living room with the Christmas throw (a gift one year to my mom from my brother & SIL) and all the teddy bears. We have been using these bears since I can remember. I love still having part of my childhood up there! There are also miscellaneous knicknacks on the end tables.


We usually have a candy cane that my grandma made hanging above our piano. I'll try to get a better picture once I decorate. Plus on the display on the wall, there are Christmas plates and other decorations.

My mom was a huge Raggedy Ann & Andy fan growing up so we have a Christmas version which you can see in the back on the right on the picture. This was me Christmas morning last year after staying up half the night finishing wrapping. :)


About 8 years ago, my mom bought an artificial tree by Martha Stewart from K-Mart. It revolves which is a cute feature! But this year we're getting a real tree and I think I want to do colored lights. The ornaments are a collection of home-made ones, ornaments passed down and new ones my mom buys each year.


I can't believe I don't have any pictures of the snowmen that we put up in the kitchen or the fireplace in the family room. Geez, the link up this week is reminding me to take better pictures and decorate more!