Getting in the Spirit

I am currently sitting at my computer (obviously) drinking a cup of Santa's Secret tea (from David's Tea) while Elf is playing in the background and my oldest is reading a Christmas book to brother and sister. There is a pine scented candle burning in the kitchen and if everything plays out well today then the smell of freshly baked sugar cookies will also be wafting from that general direction.

These Fruits & Passion candles are amazing.

The Christmas books and movies have been in heavy rotation already...

... and we have been enjoying some lovely Christmas themed bath goodies (melting snowman bath melt anyone?). 

Some of our LUSH goodies. Missing are the melting snowman and snow cake soap.

Make no doubt too that the Christmas music has been in full swing as well, from both iTunes and my own fingers. I have been playing like a fiend from my new Muppets Christmas Carol piano book.

Am I in the spirit? Hell yeah!!!

There should be no question now as to where we stand in the whole Christmas thing. We are soooooo totally Christmas people. Everything about the whole holiday gets me giddy. The sights, the sounds, the smells. We also observe both the secular and spiritual aspects of Christmas. Family traditions play heavily into our celebrations from the beginning of Advent to Epiphany. 

Speaking of Advent, we started our Advent calendar and so far the boys are loving it which actually surprises me as marzipan isn't often a kiddie flavour. I had secretly hoped they wouldn't like it so I could enjoy a fine chocolate every morning with my coffee but no biggie, I enjoy seeing them enjoy. The calendar we have also goes from 1-24 so I made up a little countdown so now every time I am asked how long until Christmas I direct them to the countdown. 

The marzipan Advent Calendar from Niederegger in Germany 

and that box of nougat didn't even last a day.

So what it looks like my 5 yo could have made it. That is about as artsy with markers as I can get.

The Santa letters are written and waiting to be mailed. It was pretty fun actually. I made up a little template for each of them to fill out. Tomorrow we shall go to the post office to stamp it and mail it and then await anxiously for a response from the man in red. 

Last night the Christmas tree came out. Every year there is a debate on whether to get a real tree or use the el fakeo we already have. Since I had a bee in my bonnet to do the tree last night (heaven only knows why)  Daddy won by default and el fakeo is in prime living room real estate. We don't have a fancy tree or ornaments but they are all special. Each ornament was either a gift or bought very specifically. This year I am so jazzed about the Starbucks ornaments I got. 

I love my Twilight Ornament (L), the Elvis for Daddy (middle) and one of the Starbucks ornaments (R).

While I have chipped away at the decorating block in the sense of having the tree and some garlands up we still have lots to do. I haven't even put up my village yet!!! This is the first time the tree is up before the village. I'm just having trouble figuring out where to put the dang thing. I keep thinking on the top of the piano as that is really the only spot it can go, I'm just procrastinating on taking off everything that is already on the piano. 

Seeings as how I still have an ever growing list of holiday preparations and my five year old has tired of reading and wants to bake I shall close this post now and get my heiny into the kitchen.