Merry Christmas! {plus My Favorite Christmastime Posts}

Merry Christmas!

We sent out our Christmas cards last week — so I figured it was safe to share them on the blog now 🙂

We actually just took this picture a few weeks ago — right by the swingset in our backyard! It was a random warm, sunny, December day, so I quickly put a few benches and decorations on the fence. Then I called my sister (who lives down the road) and she came and used my phone to snap a few pictures. Simon was just waking up from his nap and not happy to be getting his picture taken — but 4 out of 5 smiles isn’t bad.

I was thrilled with the cards we printed from Minted.com (the calendars look great too, but I can’t share those on the blog yet!)

I also took advantage of the free address printing option Minted was offering this year, so I didn’t even have to address any of my cards! Score!

The back of the card says:

Nora (4 Years)

Nora started 3-school this fall, and is in the children’s choir at church.

She loves riding her bike, playing dress-up, singing, dancing, doing crafts, playing doctor, and baking with mom.

She recently celebrated her 4th birthday with a Cinderella party.

Simon (21 months)

Simon is full of energy — he runs, jumps, and climbs on everything!

He loves riding on his scooter, swinging, playing with trucks, pretending to cook, and trying to keep up with his big sister.

Simon will turn 2 in March.

James (5 months)

James joined our family almost 2 weeks “late” on July 14.

He is rolling, cooing, grabbing his feet, and trying really hard to crawl.

He is such a happy baby and well-l0ved by his older siblings!

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Our Christmas Cards from Previous Years:

2014 Christmas Card + Baby Announcement

2013 Thanksgiving Card

2012 Christmas Card

2011 Christmas/New Year’s Card + Nora’s Birth Announcement

2010 Christmas Card + We Moved Announcement (plus, all previous year’s cards)

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My Favorite Christmastime Posts from the Archives:

Since I’ll be taking a little blogging break  until the New Year, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Christmastime posts from the archives — in case you’re looking for some Christmas inspiration!

This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas posts — I wrote it on Christmas Eve right after we had moved into our farmhouse. It’s a play on the “Twas The Night Before Christmas” poem!

Here’s a bunch of creative ideas to repurpose old holiday cards.

A humorous plea to all those well-meaning relatives who insist on buying our kids boatloads of toys every year!

10 Tips to Simplify Holiday Entertaining

A word of encouragement to those of you who might not be having a simple or stress-free holiday season.

A practical post on how I get cash back for all my holiday online shopping.

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Clutter-Free Gift Series:

Over the past 5+ years, I’ve written countless posts on clutter-free gift giving. If you’re still looking for a gift for someone on your list, I’m positive one of my clutter-free ideas will work.

Here’s a link to ALL my posts about clutter-free gifts.

A few more ideas:

Creative ways to give cash.

Creative ways to give gift cards.

Creative ways to give food gifts.

Creative ways to give acts of service gifts.

Creative ways to give experience gifts.

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My Favorite Holiday Recipes:

In case you’re still looking for the perfect recipe, I’ve shared a few of my favorite holiday dishes below.

And if you’re attending a potluck-style party, here are a few of my tips for bringing a dish to pass.

• 4-Layer Caramel Peanut Butter Fudge
• Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Cake
• Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallows
• Chocolate Pretzel Bites
• Cheesecake (5 different varieties)
• Cheesecake Fudge Brownies
• Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes
• Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
• Cornbread (semi-homemade)
• Corn Candy Mix
• Homemade Hot Fudge
• Pecan Lemon Bars
• Sausage Stuffing
• Simple Holiday Punch
• Sweet Potatoes

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Merry Christmas!

We’ll see you back here after the New Year!

Love, the Dekkers