Kelle, Author at Enjoying the Small Things

Yeah, No.

December 6, 2011 By Kelle

FYI, we left the North Pole signs up. And the twinkly lights. And maybe I’ve been wearing my HoHo jammies more often than not. Which leads to funny HoHo comments from the three boys in this house.

Speaking of turning something completely sweet and innocent into something completely inappropriate, there’s the whole “Yeah, No” bit Nella does now. Leave it to Christmas to deliver the heart-warming gift of speech to our girl–little brain synapses just firing, firing, firing every day. She knows words, she wants to use them, she wants to know more words. No matter how much we go about this with the whole “we treat her just like we treat our other kids,” there is the subconscious awareness–the “don’t get your hopes up” part I don’t even realize exists until she soars so noticeably, so victoriously that it all unleashes–gratitude and the glorious celebration of milestones. I’ve told myself that she IS going to speak well but if she doesn’t, we’ll communicate with the more powerful language of eyes and heart and soul because a mama’s love is fierce and, dammit, I’ll talk to my daughter telepathically if I have to. But turns out, Sister’s gonna be a mad talker.

She detects the slightest voice inflection that suggests a question. And she answers “yeah” or “no” to everyone, even if they aren’t talking to her. I yelled to Brett from the kitchen the other day, “Should I make a salad?” And she turned her head and snapped, “Yeah.” It’s funny–even funnier when we ask her questions like, “Hey Nella, want a beer?”
Yeah.

Thankfully, she has the important things figured out. Like liking Christmas and not wanting to go to bed. The proof lies HERE.

*****

We applauded other milestones this weekend as well, joining members of our village to celebrate more life–little life.

The first year of sweet Kinsley who Lainey has adopted as her second little sister.

And precious Baby Kade’s baptism on the beach Saturday morning.

I love raising kids with mamas I love–all doing it together, weaving stories we will tell thirty years from now when our babies who are pals are grown-up, sprinkled around the country, making their very big mark on the world.

I’m so glad they’re still little now.

*****

I am loving watching my girls play together. Like really play–passing crayons back and forth, taking turns, big sister hands assisting little sister hands with dressing a doll or coloring a page. And their spats? It thrills me. They both have vibrant spirits, manifested not only in sweet, gentle gestures but sometimes in colorful outbursts. I am constantly reminded…they are different; they are the same. Just like the rest of us.

Those shirts? What does it mean? Why, I thought you’d never ask. Rhyme and Reason has created a 3:21 collection of men’s, women’s and kids’ t-shirts. Three copies of that magical 21st chromosome, cleverly displayed in a subtle yet powerful message. Five dollars from every shirt sold will benefit the NDSS. And, from now until the end of the year, use code NDSS25, and you’ll get 25% off your order, free shipping and 10% will be donated to the NDSS–applies to any item other than NDSS signature t-shirts.

There’s a lot of love in that little logo.

Brett’s shirt, My shirt, Girls’ Shirts

Share the love, share the message.

*****

The rest of this weekend went something like…

We graduated to a big girl carseat.

We practiced our Superman swing.

We turned the dial up on Christmas and nearly blew the speakers.

Why yes, those are elf slippers.

My friend Wylie told me she read that studies show the more gawdy the Christmas decorations on the outside of a house, the more problems that dwell on the inside. So I’m all “Dude, tone it down” this weekend as Brett rigged a rainbow display on yet another tree, because our house right now is one inflated Baby Jesus away from a hot mess of problems.

Perhaps Bonnie Raitt said it best though: let’s give ’em something to talk about.

*****

Brett took these as we were running out the door to a birthday party. My chickies.

I paid him back–tit for tat.

*****

Every Scrap Countz owl hat giveaway winner:

Comment #372, Hidalina: One of my favorite post Kelle…..Not only you made those little girls a night to always remember and talk about for life…you also made my day…i felt part of the party the cool thing I was in my jammy when I read and was drinking coffee too!!!! Definitely a white xmas Florida style!

Congratulations, Hidalina! Please send your contact info with the subject OWL HAT WINNER to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net.

*****

I’m so happy to have Jessica Clough, Independent Scentsy Consultant, back again as a sponsor this month. This is Jessica’s six month sponsoring, and I’m so proud of how her business has grown. If you’ve ordered Scentsy products from her, you know her follow through is incredible and her communication with customers re: new products and specials is impressive. I’ve turned several friends on to Scentsy now, and they too love the selection of warmers and scents (currently burning Whiteout and Cozy Fireside and moving on to Festival of Trees).

I also have to thank Jessica and the readers who purchased products through her last month. Jessica donated all of her own profits from that basket party last month to the NDSS–a whopping $1100! Thank you Jessica, and welcome back!

Make your home smell good too!

*****

If the holidays aren’t about smells, then they’re about gettin’ your eatin’ on. I received a box from new sponsor I Dream of Toffee last week and, within two days, my generous selection of homemade carmel corns and toffee was almost gone. If you’re headed to a holiday party or need a gift for a teacher, friend, boss, etc. I Dream of Toffee is a great gift with a homemade touch. A small family company, I Dream of Toffee offers popcorn, brittles, toffee and several gift packages such as their gourmet popcorn sampler.

My favorite was the Sweet & Spicy Corn–an interesting combination of buttery and sweet with almonds and a nice hot kick to it.

Support a great small business and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time. One commenter will be randomly selected from this post to win a $30 gift certificate, courtesy of I Dream of Toffee.

*****

Am I tired? Yeah.
Of twinkly, holiday-inspired things? No. Never.
We just spent our evening trudging through a Christmas farm–in our pajamas. There were about a hundred billion lights. Inflatable penguins, tractor-driving Santas, singing angels and musical reindeer. Talk about problems.

The joy continues.

I spy with my little eye, a shiny hidden moon.

Party at the North Pole

December 3, 2011 By Kelle

It was magical. More than I ever could have imagined. I cried last night watching all these wide-eyed little girls take it all in, and then I cried all over again this morning looking back at it all. Because I’m kind of a crier…and I’m okay with it.

It really felt like the North Pole.

I took a few pictures during the day before the girls got there…

…but the magic unfolded about a billion fold once the stars came out.

And then little girls, dressed in their jammies, began to arrive and the rest was history.
It all started with the Reindeer Food Bar–a buffet of reindeer treats for the girls to choose from to make their own special blends for Christmas Eve (a tradition–you sprinkle it in your driveway Christmas Eve to lure the reindeer, and then they have something to munch on while Santa’s in your house). Oats and raisins, bread crumbs and cocoa…and special ingredients like glitter and flying powder.

And then a letter from Santa. He told the girls he had lost some things in our neighborhood and needed some help finding them.

The girls were happy to help, eagerly assembling into a long train. They set out with flashlights, scouring trees and lawns and sidewalks for Santa’s cocoa mug, his pocketwatch, Rudolf’s collar, Mrs. Clause’s cookie sprinkles and a long list of other lost goods. Santa’s so irresponsible.

Found his cocoa mug!

And that pocketwatch.

Somewhere between the end of our driveway and the first lost treasure, the crowd errupted into excited squeals. They spotted an elf, running fast across the street, diving into bushes with a jingle. My cheeks were aching–I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t stand it. I wasn’t sure how the elf would go over–there was the small chance of the Traumatic Christmas Party Bust of 2012 that sent kids screaming and crying back home–but I couldn’t have asked for a better response. They went bananas–the lose-your-breath kind. They smiled, they pointed, they excitedly screamed. I teared up when I saw one of the girls run, beaming, to her mom. “I saw him! I saw him! I saw a real elf! I really did.” I knew they’d probably never forget that moment. We never saw that elf’s face, but he was with us, zig-zagging quickly a couple driveways ahead and suddenly disappearing.

We returned home for milk & cookies.

There was music playing, mamas smiling, little girls trading cookies, and the entire time, I kept thinking…today is absolutely my favorite day.

It’s not a Christmas party until someone reads “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…” (thank you, Dad, for adding so much magic to our party).

And the girls each brought a gift to exchange.

Party favors: Homemade Pillow Spray. I found several recipes online and ended up using water, 12-15 drops each of Spearmint (I liked it better than the peppermint) and Eucalyptus essential oils and a tiny bit of alcohol (vodka works) to keep the water and oil from separating. I found the spritzer bottles in the travel sized toiletries at Walmart.

We finished the night shimmying and shakin’ our groove thang to Christmas carols in the driveway. Past our bedtime, just the way it’s supposed to go.

I’ve been smiling ever since.

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” ~Albert Einstein

Friday Photo Dump:

Chris Schuette CD winners:

#33, Alisha: Oh man, those kissy sisters are too cute! What gorgeous little ladies. I love love love the photos.

#221, Melissa: Never, ever, ever enough kisses in a home. Way to go Hamptons…kiss away, kiss away, kiss away all!

#4, Courtney: Aw, I love that you commented about loving that picture so much your heart hurts. I tell my lidos tht as I’m rocking them to bed some nights . . .’i love you all the way to the moon and back 600 million times, I love you do much my heart hurts so good with love’.

#181, Meredith: Love the bit about the eggs and red glitter…so my world right now!!

#71, Jen: Maybe I’m immature, but your comment when Nella was showing Laynie her food made me laugh out loud. They are SO cute

#267, Sara: Love your blog; have been distracted with life and haven’t read in a while! So refreshing to be back! Love the “sea food” pic 🙂

#153, Kathleen: Reading your blog makes me want to live in Florida. Thanks for sharing.

#11, Katy: This post made me laugh. Thank you it was very much needed today. Love the pictures. 🙂

#241, Susan: What a special treat to be able to savor those moments with your girls! I also love to find new musicians. Thanks!

#43, Michelle: How cute! I love Florida in winter for the simple fact that days like that can still happen. Nothing beats a cold beach day playing in the sand. And the kissing pictures are the cutest!!

Congratulations, Winners. Please e-mail your contact info with subject CD GIVEAWAY WINNER to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net.

Returning sponsor, Every Scrap Countz (maker of those adorable crocheted headbands) has something new in her shop, and we are loving it, especially since it comes at an appropriate time when our temperatures are finally dropping enough to allow cute head wear.

Enter the owl hat.

Lord have mercy, I love my girls in hats, and this one is especially lovely with its colors, its braided ties and those cute pointy ears.

Use Code KELLE for 15% off, and one comment will be randomly selected from this post to win a free owl hat, courtesy of Every Scrap Countz.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

ADDENDUM: Party Details if you’d like to recreate some magic.

Invite—I designed it and had it printed at WHCC. Girls were asked to bring a flashlight and a $10 gift to exchange.

Milk Bottles–Starbucks Bottled Coffee drinks like this one. Available at grocery stores. I just saved the bottles, removed labels (use a little Goof Off), and washed.

Retro Straws–my favorite Etsy party novelty shop, Hey Yo Yo. I order stuff from them for all my parties. Their shop is loaded with inexpensive adorable retro treats.

Christmas Baker’s Twine–It’s actually fine yarn. You can get a huge skein at Joanns that will last for 10 years.

Red labels on Milk Bottles and Reindeer Food Jars: THESE ONES from Martha Stewart Crafts (available at Michaels and Joanns).

Invite, Signs and Food Tags–I designed and printed myself. If anyone can tell me how to share printables and where to put them, I’d be happy to share.

Party Favors–Pillow Mist made with travel size mister bottles I bought at Walmart (in trial sized toiletry section). I mixed water with 10 drops each of spearmint and eucalyptus essential oils, plus about a teaspoon of vodka (to keep the water and oil from separating). I also found peppermint lipgloss in Target dollar section.

Peppermint “Red Carpet” leading into house–one roll of Christmas wrapping paper, secured to cement with duct tape

Christmas decor–Small Christmas village trees (I got mine for 79 cents a piece at Walmart), tealights, wood slabs (Brett cut from a fallen branch), a bag of fake snow, leftover white “fur” fabric from Lainey’s ballet recital costume, paper snowflakes we cut out ourselves (free!). The rest was pulled from Christmas decorations in our attic.

Santa Hats–Oriental Trading.

Reindeer Food–We used disposable bread tins, measuring cups and the following choices: oats, raisins, bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, cocoa, flying powder (flour), red and silver glitter. The girls created their concoctions in Ball jam jars.

Scavenger Hunt–Santa left the following things along a path in our neighborhood: his sleigh key, a cocoa cup, Rudolf’s collar, Mrs. Clause’s cookie sprinkles, a large candy cane, his white glove, his hat, special greens the reindeer eat (a bunch of parsley), an ornament, his driver’s license, his pocket watch

Food: Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies and my favorite candy cane cookies. And milk. Easy and inexpensive.

Elf: Talk to Santa. He controls them, and I have nothing to do with it.

The rest of it? When in doubt, hang more white lights. And then more. And then one more strand.
The key to the ambience at any party lies in a simple recipe: low lighting, candles and music. Crank up those Christmas carols, Baby.

Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Future

December 2, 2011 By Kelle

This post is another Hallmark sponsored post. I am being paid by Hallmark to write it, but all writing, ideas and opinions are mine. Thankfully, Hallmark and I share the same idea–that little moments are to be celebrated and that good people, good efforts and good intentions deserve a spotlight. See Hallmark Life is a Special Occasion for more details, like them on Facebook, and/or sign up for their e-mail messages HERE.

Call me crazy, but I swear I remember my nursery from when I was a baby. It was yellow–or so I’ve been told. On the wall across from the crib, there was a framed picture of a Precious Moments character who was looking up at a hill with three crosses. Or maybe I made that up. Somehow though, whether created from stories and pictures passed down or drawn from near dormant infant subconsciousness, I’ve built up this memory of standing in my crib and scanning that sunny little nursery with the Precious Moments frame.

The older I get, the more faded my past grows–the depth of time between now and then slowly dissolving details that were once clear. Like classmates’ names, birthday parties, a vivid layout of our tri-level home on Horseshoe Drive.

But there are some memories that stand solid–so precious, they have withstood the test of time, seared with the same magic and awe that accompanied them many years ago.

I remember every Christmas.

I’m so glad I remember Christmas. And knowing just how much work my mom and dad put into those memories, I bet they’re glad I remember Christmas too.

Christmas circa 1984. Dude, my mom and dad were stylin’. I want my dad’s sweater…and my mom’s shoes.

I laugh about flying my holiday freak flag and yes, I enjoy every flap and furl of its flamboyant presence, but there’s a reason for all of this, you know.

I am writing their books. And while they might not remember the pink walls of their nursery or the framed art that hangs across from the crib, I will make sure they’ll remember the magic and wonder of traditions that draw us closer–a time of year that finishes the common stitches of our everyday memories with fine handiwork and colorful thread that won’t be forgotten.

Christmas, 2010

What do I remember about my Christmas past? Well if ordinary memories hold the real past of my childhood, then December opened the wardrobe door to a magical other world. The very essence of childhood–a sense of wonder, imagination, the innocent belief in possibility, creativity–so many of the things that gradually wane with age–it was at its peak this time of year.

I realize now how little money we had–a pastor’s salary plus some piano lesson income–but my childhood mind says we were rich. At Christmas, there were lights, candles, twinkly things, sparkly things, magical things, music–always music. There was a purpose for everything–the extra effort to add cherry poinsettia leaves to cinnamon rolls, the last-minute plans to call kids to the car to go survey light displays, the new pajamas, the gifts my mom stayed up many a nights to sew, craft, create.

Christmas, 2009

Having kids now, I realize just how much work it must have been. Hauling gifts and kids to the car, driving through blizzards to meet up with family, making gifts, hiding gifts, and the deliberate effort of creating what they wanted us to feel–that it was special. That our little minds and memories were worth the work.

Christmas, 2009

Christmas, 2010

We started a new tradition this week–late night wagon walks before bed, through the neighborhood to see the lights. I tucked a blanket around Lainey last night, cleaned up one spilled mug of cocoa and poured another, turned up the volume on my phone as loud as it would go so the Carpenters could come with us, and we walked through the darkness, searching for a good glowing display.

It was special–not just for her, but for me. It’s ink on the pages of her book, and I felt satisfied–a bit like after I write something I feel is good and meaningful.

There’s a reason I remember childhood Christmases so vividly and a value to them as well. Not only do those storybook memories hold the broken ones together–like the year my parents separated or the times things didn’t make so much sense–but they carved deep grooves in my character. They etched the great worth of tradition, imagination and the wonder of childhood.

Christmas, 2010

I have big shoes to fill; my parents set the bar high. But Sister loves a challenge.

Tonight, a new annual tradition begins. A few of Lainey’s friends will be arriving in their pajamas for a night at the North Pole.

Last night, past midnight, as I craned my neck on an eight-foot ladder to staple another strand of lights to the ceiling, I ignored my exhaustion and focused on the prize–my girl’s happiness and her sweet memories in years to come.

You are the author of their storybook, writing memories and elements of their character every day. Make it meaningful. Give them wonder.

What is your most magical, meaningful childhood holiday memory? Hallmark and I would love to know. Please share!

*Friday photo dump coming later this weekend.

This is the last Hallmark sponsored Life is an Occasion post. I have so enjoyed this opportunity and partnering with Hallmark for such an important cause–embracing every opportunity to make life grand. Read all ten Hallmark posts here.