Christmas Around the Hauck Nest

Not to sound like a broken record...but we are now just two days out

from Christmas!  Of course we have been keeping busy doing all the

holiday things (Wild Lights, Conservatory, Christmas jammies,

baking cookies etc.) But, I did want to take a second to focus on our

holiday décor this year :) I think if we had a theme it would be

toddler friendly but still fun with a little bit of vintage nostalgia?! 

I'm sure that's a theme.

Read on for some more snippets.

 

Max painted this reindeer from the dollar spot

at the beginning of the holiday season.

He sat alone on the wall until I went on an

elf-like bender and decorated the space underneath

with garlands galore!

 

*Sad story, we no longer have a mantel so I'm having

to make due with blank wall space. So far so good :)

I also didn't have space to put up the traditional

nativity scene so we are making due with this

miniature version.

If you've sat on our couch, you know I love some

throw pillows.  Do these donuts count as such? 

Max and my parents picked them up at a gem

of a store called "Five Below" last year.

I wasn't going to put them out...but they make me laugh,

and Max loves them, so in the end they won me over.

Shout out to any newlyweds (looking at you

Becky and Candice) - I started filling out this

Christmas book the first year Rob and I were married.

We are five pages deep and I LOVE looking

back on it every year. The concept is simple -

you fill out one spread per year - there is also

space to adhere your Christmas card (if you

don't send Christmas cards, I'm not sure we can be friends).

You fill in the highlights from the past year and

it serves as a nice little holiday scrapbook.

Very easy. LOVE it.

Ceramic Christmas trees are also my jam.

While I only have two they are front and center

where I an appreciate them - and Max can turn the on!

He loves to turn on all the trees every morning.

Like mother, like son.

We do have some pitiful (fake) garland on the railing

by our front door.  I say pitiful because we got it from

Hobby Lobby the first year we were married and

every year we drag it out and I'm like, "man

we need to spruce this up" -but so far this has not

happened. I also like to tie vintage Christmas

postcards to it (to hide some of the more bedraggled limbs).

My vintage thermos collection!

(kept out all year because I got lazy).

Wouldn't these be so cute with some fresh

pine cuttings coming out of the top?  That was my

intention but I never got around to it.

 



Max made this "ginger man house" from a

toy in his kid meal from Wendy's :) 

I love how he says "ginger man" instead of

gingerbread man. And I love the haphazard

placement of all the stickers!

The card wall!  Dare I say, the best part of Christmas?

I'm happy to report it's even more full

than when I took the picture.  I got like six more cards today.

I run to the mailbox like a crazy person every day

and then shuffle through all the junk mail to find the cards.

I promptly put them on the wall and shake my head with glee!

 



Our tree full of Shiny Bright ornaments (at the top)

and homemade/meaningful ornaments at the bottom.

We bought our first official artificial tree

last year (from Target) and we started an new tradition.

When we take it down for the year, I write

a little note on the outside of the box for Rob

to find the next year when he's putting it back up.

 

Of course I was going to find some way to work

in my love for essential oils in this post ;)

My mom made us Christmas Spirit Hand Soap

using the Christmas Spirit and Orange

essential oils.  I'm not even kidding when I say,

I wash my hands like 15 times a day (#momlife) -

and it never dries them out!

I have now replaced all of our household soaps

with essential oil soaps.

As previously mentioned - we don't have a mantel

(or a fireplace) to hang our stockings on - so we make

due by stringing them on the railing in our kitchen. 

They face out toward the family room :)

The stockings are just from Target....

the real heirlooms are Mim's house!

I just threw these letters (found at a flea market)

in here because they are red and green.

I don't actually decorate my bathroom for the holidays,

but I might :)

 

My new favorite ornament... a NARWHAL

from Crate and Barrel. Thanks Papa Rob!

A new tree (for Max). Thanks Mim!

A collection of Christmas artwork....

all done by our little Picasso :) A late

edition Santa on a paper plate came home

with him last night but I had already snapped

this picture...so use your imagination!

No Christmas decorating post would be complete

without a highlighting my favorite ornament

(and Max's too ...but everything's his favorite lately)...

the hot pink, glittered ball!

I stole this (yep, I did) - right off my parents tree

many years ago now ...and so far it's remained with me!

There is no special story behind it - except that I love it.

 

Well, that's how the Hauck's nest got fluffed for Christmas.

Don't go thinking that everything around here is perfect.

I assure you - it's not. There are toddler messes

behind each and every photo I shared... I'm just choosing

to focus on what I like to see. Thanks for letting me share.

I hope your houses are filled with family, love,

and lots of messes too :)

xoxo