Holiday Traditions

This week, Zoe had her first “homework” assignment. It was a collage of our family holiday traditions. Since it was her very first project of {transitional} kindergarten, I helped a lot. Okay, I may have done most of it. Whatever. She’s 5.

As we were talking about it, I realized that when she thinks “Holidays” she thinks solely of presents – not of the zillion other things we do each year to “make memories.” Which would lead me to think I’m a horrible failure of a mother, if it wasn’t for the fact that she this is only her 5^th December and probably really only the 3^rd one she has any comprehension of.

And let’s be honest, December hasn’t really a shining month for me in the past… maybe it’s better she doesn’t remember much.

A few years ago in a desperate attempt to fight my December demons, I signed up for a scrapbook “challenge” of sorts - Journal Your Christmas – as a way to “take back December!” The thing is, I don’t really scrapbook. And I get a little OCD about crafting. But a store I had never seen before, Paper Source, had just opened by me and I needed an excuse to buy all that paper and to heat-emboss EVERYTHING IN SIGHT. Amazingly, I actually got the book done {sometime in February}.But now every year, I know it’s the Holidays when I start getting my daily “prompts” from Shimelle.

But, if I learned one thing about myself, it's that I’m a really crappy scrapbooker. So how excited was I to hear about her Instagram photo version this year! That I can totally do.

The first assignment was all about “first signs” of the holidays in your area. How do you know when the Holidays are here. It was fitting that this prompt came in as I was at Disneyland, for a Holiday visit that has become a bit of a tradition for us.

As Zoe and I sat and chose pictures to use, her beginning to understand the concept of “tradition” – she chose the picture I took this past weekend of Sleeping Beauty’s castle all lit up for the holidays.  

It was the same picture as I used for the first day of my challenge – first signs.

Because in Southern California THAT’S how we know the holidays are here. This is our Winter Wonderland. 

I got the moves like Martha

Last week Jason was out of town amazing the dad-blogging world with his thoughts at the interactive conference, South by Southwest in Austin, Tx. And me? Home with the kids. But it wasn't all bad because I was able to do things like watch hours on end of E! News and Bravo shows. Late one night, I forced myself to stay awake to watch What What Happens Live when joining Bravo Andy in the studio was none other than the OG domestic godess and my crafty idol, Martha Stewart. 

I love Martha for many reasons. She's a cold hearted bitch, but MAN she can bake a cake or glitter an egg like it's nobodies business. At one point during the show, Martha demonstrated this amazing one move t-shirt fold. It was like laundry folding magic and I was determined to learn how to be a t-shirt folding magician also. 

Eat that, Martha. 

*oh, PS. I called myself a reluctant housewife, but you all know I'm not a real "housewife" but more of a parttime work at home mom that really hates things like laundry and cooking. Also? I said that this was a new series. Don't hold me to that. 

**PPS: Thanks, Maria for helping me with this today!