Christmas 2012

Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap  —  December 28, 2012 — 7 Comments

Jack’s first Christmas was pretty dang awesome.

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Nick took the whole week off from work so we had lots of time to relax as a family, even with all the hustle and bustle. We even snuck in a date night-Jack stayed with Grandma and Grandpa for a few hours while we went to a friend’s wedding in New Orleans. We spent the next few days shuttling back and forth between my family and Nick’s. We’re very lucky that even though we met in Baton Rouge our folks live only about half an hour apart from one another in St. Tammany Parish.

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Puppy love. This happens at least once a day.

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We were so humbled by the generosity of our families. Jack got more gifts than we know what to do with. Seriously, see below. Those are just the toys and books-he also got lots of cute clothes and useful gear. We even had to leave a few toys at my mom’s because there just wasn’t any more room in the car. I picked out a few toys that I think he’ll be able to play with the easiest right now and put the rest away to bring out a few at a time over the next few months. Friends of mine with older kids emphasize that toy rotation is key to keeping your sanity (and your home from looking like Babies R Us).

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Jack wasn’t the only one who got some awesome stuff. Not pictured, because we were out of room in the car, is the new TV my parents got us for our front room. I’ve been really wanting to replace the big, heavy one that I worried might topple over on Jack someday, and since it is one of only two TVs that we actually use we’re excited to upgrade it. I also am now wearing my great-grandmother’s gold wedding band, a gift from my dad’s cousin Judy. I am really loving how understated and classic it is on my right hand.

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I am usually not huge on bling so it’s surprising that I received two jewelry gifts this year and love them both. Nick got me these diamond stud earrings. They were smaller than he’d expected when he ordered them and he was really worried I wouldn’t like them, but I actually think they’re perfect. I’ve been lamenting how hard it is to wear jewelry of any sort now that Jack’s so grabby and these are perfect to just leave in my ears day in and day out. Gotta love low-maintenance beauty.

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This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve received in a long time. Nick’s mom noticed me admiring a vintage birdcage in this blog post back in November and remembered seeing a similar one at the thrift store where she volunteers, so she snagged it for me! As soon as we walked in their house on Christmas Day I made a beeline for it and said, “Oh, I love this! Did you get it for Christmas?” Then she said, “No, it’s for you!” I was so excited! It’s actually perfectly functional, with a working door and a tray that pulls out for cleaning, but I think I’ll forego getting a pet bird and just let it sit around looking pretty (and maybe getting filled with various seasonal whatnots). I’ve got the perfect spot for it in mind, but I need to move some things around first.

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I also got some stainless steel cookware from my PawPaw. Holla! Now we can stop being poisoned by the scratched up nonstick we’ve destroyed with our careless cooking habits. This stuff is supposed to be virtually indestructible-much better suited to our lifestyle!

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I got Nick this personalized keychain from Etsy. It says ” DAD EST 6.29.12.” He liked it.

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I also got him this shaving gift set, also from Etsy. He is famously hard to shop for and I’m pretty proud of how I did this year.

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We’re back home now and working little by little on cleaning up, getting things organized, and enjoying Nick’s last vacation day of the year. I’ve got a project for this weekend that I am soooo excited about. I can’t wait to hopefully post about it next week! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and that your weekend is just as wonderful!

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Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap

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7 responses to Christmas 2012

  1. Sounds like the perfect first Christmas for your little family. Love reading all about it. Thanks for sharing!

  2. Those pics of Jack are so adorable! I;m glad he enjoyed his first Christmas. Happy New Year!

  3. Janet (Country Mouse) December 28, 2012 at 11:09 am

    I love all of your photos. Jack is Mr. Personality. As a retired elementary teacher, I heartily approve of the book choices. I always found it difficult to get through The Giving Tree without getting a little weepy, but it was worth it. Have a wonderful New Year!!!

    • Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap January 3, 2013 at 2:34 pm

      He is definitely full of personality! I am a big reader, so I was excited about the books!

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  1. Mirror Mirror on the Wall | Living Well on the Cheap - January 10, 2013

    [...] ps If you’re just reading this post and wondering where I got the stuff above, you can read about the desk here, here, and here and the birdcage here.  [...]

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