I’ve got nothing. Nothing funny, nothing inspiring, nothing new and exciting, nothing serious and holy, nothing. It’s 6:30 am on the Monday before Christmas. I haven’t wrapped one gift yet. My house is as decorated as it’s going to get for Christmas and you have permission to let yours be as well. We are hosting two family gatherings this week and it’s one of the highlights of the year for me. I feel like the house is happy to get used and abused~that’s what it’s for. I’m not the most organized hostess, but I truly LOVE having people over.
This week I’ll clean a little, do a few crafts with the boys, wash sheets, wrap some gifts and remind myself that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.
We might make these later this week.
And we are for sure making these.
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Thank you for the gentle reminder to not get so caught up on things being totally “perfect” for the holidays, but just to enjoy the ride! :) Merry Christmas!
Hope you have a wonderful time with your family. I too am ready to begin the best part of the holidays – spending time with the ones I love!
Yep, I’m in the same place. The house is as “done” as it will get, no presents are wrapped {I’m not even finished shopping!} and I can’t wait for Christmas.
Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Enjoy yourself…and those boys. Merry Christmas!
Your week sounds like my week. Have fun.
LOVE the tin cans!
Love those crafts. Enjoy! Merry Christmas, Nester. You make blogland fabulous and fun.
Gotta stop sometime, right? I am taking a snow/vacation day from work and I’m thinking I will get a head start on my cleaning for our Christmas Eve family get together; wrap up those last gifts and make sure I have a final food shopping list.
Merry Christmas to the ONE who got me excited about decorating my once barren home. :)
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
P.S. Where did you get the pillow? I adore it and need at least one.
woo hoo! Christmas is coming =) doesn’t it feel great to take a break from decorating (or sewing)?! ohh yes.
Hi there!
Those crafts look so fun! I hope you and your family have a wonderful time together. We are currently living far away from extended family, but are looking forward to hosting other family-less friends at our home on Christmas day. ;)
I have so enjoyed reading your blog these past several months. My nest thanks you!!
You are cordially invited to my very first linky party (this Wed) highlighting Family Christmas Traditions!! Have a fabulous day!
What cute crafts for the kids! I will have to try them with my little guy!
Have a Merry Christmas!
My little guy is a bit robot obsessed at the moment. Thanks for the ideas! And have a fantastic, relaxing week. :)
Kids and relatives don’t remember the details…They WILL remember time shared and love! You seem to have that covered. Merry Christmas!
I’m catching up on blogs this morning. ‘Cause that’s Christmas-y and all. And I’m letting my kids run around the house and watch TV. ‘Cause we love spending time together and crafting and such. Umhum. That’s what we’re up to this week!
Hi! I’m outta Christmas ideas already. Is that bad? I just posted a plain old, do it every day kinda post. I’m not out of cheer, just out of decorating mode. I’m done, too. It’s all she’s gonna get. Tonight’s post will be my last for a few days -
Merry Christmas, my dear friend!
Hugs,
Gina
Merry Christmas! Have a fun week enjoying your boys and your family get togethers. I love those crafts! My grand kids will, too!
my appologies…it would probably help if I linked my OWN website properly! HA! ;)
My house is also as done as it’s gonna get, and I’m happy with it, even though I didn’t even get out a single Dickens Village house this year. The projects are adorable. Thanks for sharing those. Merry Christmas.
i love the can robots! my boys have a robot theme in there playroom…i might try this with them over the christmas break…thanks for the link
Enjoy your week with your family & have too much fun! :) A very Merry Christmas to you!!!
Blessings,
Stacey
Thanks for the ideas! My guys will love making them :)
Nester! It’s you again! I missed you last week–although, with over 1000 homes to visit, you could never have written a post. Still, every day I would click over to your little nest, hoping to hear from you. So even if you have nothing, I’m still glad to hear your voice. And I’m happy to have your permission just to BE this week.
God bless you and yours.
I love Family fun magazine! They have such great ideas!
*sigh* …my dining room table is covered with finished and unfinished crafts, the house is very simply decorated this year…(got rid of many decorations this summer)..not sure hubs was so happy, but life is simpler now. No need to scurry to clean up, no visitors this year….wow! I am really on vacation!!
Many Blessings at Christmas, from my mountain top to your home….Hugs and Smiles Gl♥ria
Wow! I feel vindicated! I got only 3 of our five trees up this year and I’ve been feeling guilty about it. I am way behind on baking, but suddenly I feel okay with that, too. : ) Just gonna enjoy the season and love my family and that should be enough. : )
Me three. Yesterday at church in the middle of the beautiful hymns I caught myself thinking, “I’m officially Christmased out.” I have let myself get down because of all the stuff and forgotten to take time to remember the baby born so long ago. Don’t you think that’s the adversary trying to get us to forget Him with all the to-dos? I think he’s doing a great job of it…but my presents ARE wrapped already. Sorry :). Love the post today. So needed.
Awesome. No gifts wrapped here yet, either. Can’t tell you how much your ‘perfect’ perspective helps calm my anxiety! Merry Christmas to you!
It’s good to feel “done”.
and we have made similar can robots for the boys, they loved it!
Thank you thank you thank you. :) I saw your post pop up on my Dashboard, and I thought, “I really really want to see what she has to say today, but I am just going to feel bad that I am soooo far behind right now and she is just perfection.” ;) I have only wrapped a couple of gifts and I have 3 left to MAKE. :s I better get started. :) Merry Christmas!!!
You have summed up exactly how I feel today! Hope that you enjoy your week & your family gatherings…I agree, they are why we have our homes & I love the atmosphere when the best decorations in the house are the people!
I also <3 Family Fun magazine…I had seen those robot cans a while back & have been saving cans!
Have fun this week & have a blessed Christmas!
Love the craft ideas! Might just save my sanity during Christmas break! The cornstarch one brought up a viral warning on my comp, so be careful! Thanks for getting me into the spirit of decorating my home this year :) Merry, merry Christmas to you and yours!
Im in the same boat — and Im letting other things go-so I can enjoy the break,kids,reason for the season.My family will love their gifts -even if Im shipping them late and I will be a happier mom and wife because Im not trying to be perfect. Enjoy the slower pace!
I love your attitude! Just sit back and enjoy the season. I will take some cues from you and do the same. Merry Christmas!!!!
Haven’t bought a gift yet…. expect for the Micky D’s gift certificates Santa handed out to my kids at the neighbors party Saturday. We are scaling back this year, and with older kids ( 13-19) they like gift cards, movies and such, all pretty easy.
Thanks to you and Boo Mama for inspiring me last year to decorate for the holidays again…. the garland I “nested together ” hasn’t dared to fall off the mantle either :D Merry Christmas
I love wrapping gifts – too bad I can’t come lend a hand.
Doesn’t matter how you live your life or what you do, everyone is perfect about something, sometime. I’ve found the more you strive for perfection at Christmas, the farther it flees from your fingertips so good attitude!
You’re in the same place I am — perhaps, ahead of me. I was supposed to get my tree this weekend but NJ got walloped by the blizzard and those plans were thwarted. I am not done shopping. I have wrapped to stocking stuffers.
I have come to the conclusion that the best preparation for Christmas Day happens in our hearts and the best holiday decorations are the family and friends that surround us.
Merry Christmas! Please tell us where you got that pillow!
I had two family events at my house this weekend and I found myself quoting you several times. Everyone LOVED the swag I made last Christmas with your instructions to use what I already have. I twisted three old garlands, added some other old stuff and a few magnolia leaves and VOILA a beautiful and stunning addition to my mantel. I also shared the “shop the house” motto and showed examples in my house. You were a hit at the party with my picky decorating relatives. Have a wonderful and relaxing (yeah right) Christmas. God Bless.
First of all, I love your toile sofa! Second, thanks for the permission to relax and accept that it can’t all get done. My house is as decorated as it’s going to get too. Hope you enjoy your parties and have a very Merry Christmas. –Delores
The cans are so cute. I love the couch also. I enjoyed looking around at your blog. Have a great Christmas. Doylene
Hello!
First time to stop by :)
Merry Christmas!
Adorable projects you are showing~~~
So nice to meet you,
Kay Ellen
Love the ‘tude. Sounds like mine about now, only we’re in the midst of Move #19. Thanks for sharing. Love your site, sweetz.
Mele kalikimaka from the Honolulu airport, en route home from Guam to St. Louis for Christmas… and the move!
Now those cornstarch clay figures are just too cute. I might have to try that one!
Since the next few days are going to be crazy I want to wish you all a early Merry Christmas.. thanks for letting me view your life and visiting mine.
Cathy
I’m so with you this year…. Sometimes a break from all the craziness of Christmas helps savor it the following year – that’s what i’m telling myself! LOL.
Take it in stride so you don’t fizzle out. Cute crafts for the kids! Have a Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! I have a question about painting my breakfast table and could not find your contact info so I am putting it here. :-) If you get a minute and can answer I would soooooo appreciate it. I have a table with what I am assuming is a laminate top, I would like to paint it but am not sure how to approach the top. Thanks!
Merry Christmas Nester! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog this year and being inspired to attempt things instead of letting fear keep me from them…decorating, and many other things!
I have enjoyed your recent posts about the season! I am also on the path of as decorated as I will get, simply baking and cleaning to prepare for family this week, but I haven’t had a hint of stress yet!
I wanted to let you know I am hosting a giveaway that starts today and ends on Monday the 28th. Come and enter!
Again, Merry Christmas!
Hey there Nester-
My limited budget and my traveling made it difficult for me to decorate for Christmas. But I just did an Holiday Tour of the White House Christmas on my blog. I was invited yesterday because of my job.
Please go check out my pictures on my blog!
hey nester. i posted playroom pictures on my blog today. i just have to tell you how much i love you! the curtains i’m putting up in my home are un-sewn with frayed edges showing. ah. people think i’m a decorating genious which is so funny :) because all i’ve done is hammer fabric into my wall with tacs that cost a dime a piece. i really appreciate you though. you probably don’t realize how much of an encouragement your blog is, but i hear you and the ol’ flylady reminding me all the time-it does not have to be perfect. our new home is filling up with things i am trying out that may or may not work. i hope you and your family have a wonderful, fun-filled Christmas. thank you for all you do!
I absolutely love visitors, too. Merry Christmas!
Enjoy your holidays, that’s what it is all about! Thanks for being a true decorating inspiration.
Hey Nester: I love the photo at the top of this post.
Any chance you can tell me where the pillow came from? I love it!
I just want you to know that your attitude about what is “beautiful” completely changed my way of looking at things this year! Now when I do something, if it isn’t quite “Martha Stewart” dead on…I just smile and breathe a HUGE sigh of relief as I think or say…”it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful”…thank you for this marvelous gift in my life…you truly touched my very tired soul! May you continue to touch and bless us in the coming year, and be touched and blessed by our marvelous, heavenly gift, our Saviour, Jesus Christ!
This doesn’t seem to have happened to anyone else – or maybe I’m the only person who clicked on the link below the tin can photos, but malware tried to take over my computer when I did. Maybe something’s happened to the computer where the information is stored since the link was created, but thought I should pass on the info to all. I’d wanted to save those instructions since I knew those creatures would be fun to make with my grandson – AFTER Christmas. :-)
Marty
Oooh, we made the tin can robots for Christmas gifts last year. We have our own set and always keep some supplies on hand to bless kids who stop by. It’s one of our all time favorite crafts!! Family Fun magazine is awesome! Merry Christmas!!