Gingbread House Tradition

I was saying yesterday how much fun I had shopping for decorations for our annual Gingerbread House get together.

I highly suggest you start a tradition like this of your own. We always have ours the Saturday after Thanksgiving, that way it is not too busy into the holiday season yet, it is on the same day every year so participants remember to keep their calendar free for the day. Everybody who participates not only ends up with a great centerpiece type decoration for their house to last the whole holiday season but the memories we create last a lifetime. I really get the feeling that EVERYBODY looks forward to it every year. One of my major motivators was that I also wanted a family get together to celebrate the holiday where the center of the action wasn't about gifts at all, but being together as a family.

Other reasons why I love our tradition is because it's a day fun for everyone. The kids don't have to be all dressed up and uncomfortable and nobody has to worry about buying the perfect gift. We all bring a finger food to share so I don't even have to fight with my kids to eat their veggies like at usual family gatherings. We usually have everybody put their houses together before they get to the event because we found that they last better when they get to set for a day or so before decorating them. We all bring enough decorations for our own houses and a little extra to share in case somebody just loves our idea but doesn't have any for their house. My event started out with just the immediate family but within a few years we were enjoying it so much that I now borrow the local fire department so we can invite all we want. Last year we probably had 50 people.


It turns out that the people you figure won't enjoy it so much...the dads or the not so crafty, tend to get really into it and create some of the most beautiful houses.  


Today I went all out on decorations so that when the little kids walk in they will feel like it's magical.
I can't wait to see the look on their faces....and their houses too of course.

Who knew???

Just when I think the day is going to be a total loss it turned out to be a really great one....  My first mistake was staying up really late last night playing around on my facebook page. Why is it when PJ(my husband)is home and wants to stay up late I can't keep my eyes open, but when he leaves town I stay up half the night playing on the darn computer?  So I figured I'd sleep in for a change...which for me is maybe 9 a.m.  Don't ya know it, but my #1 daughters alarm clock (you know the one she has to put on the dresser across the room or else she won't get up anyway)starts ringing...and guess what....she doesn't get up for it!!!  Finally she turns it off just in time for it to go off for the 2nd time... and guess what...she doesn't get up for it again!!  Guess who is awake now???  So much for sleeping in.

So now I'm assuming that because I'm so tired I'll be a lump on the couch watching the t.v. all day. Turns out,  not only did I clean the bathtub and sink, get my #2 daughter to address and fill out her Confirmation invitations, take a walk, volunteer 4 hrs at school, buy $80 worth of furniture I didn't need to support someone else's kids band trip, but I also spent three quality time hours with my Mom at The Christmas Tree Shops picking out lots of decorations for the upcoming Gingerbread Decoration day I sponsor for the extended family and friends.  To top it all off my #1 daughter is helping me start this blog, which I(believe it or not) had a really strong yurning to do earlier today but she had no idea I was toying with the notion.  We had a great time doing it and we laughed a lot..... and to me that is the biggest accomplishment of the day!!!