Five Question Friday

Since my hubby insists on watching EVERY bowl football game out there, I am left with some spare time. Therefore, I blog. :)

1. How long does your Christmas tree stay up? We have a tradition of having Brett's family over for breakfast on New Years Day so I like to keep the tree up for that. I hope we'll take it down on Sunday or Monday afterward. I'm so thankful that Brett is off on Monday!

2. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve? Well, I did.....we were going to spend the holiday with our holiday friends, Rachelle, James & baby Sophia but I'm just not up to it. I am pretty sure I have some sort of bronchial virus going on and I'm pretty beat. So alas, we will ring the new year in alone...if I even end up staying up which seems unlikely.

3. Do you have any New Year's resolutions? I am going to copy my friend Brianne's idea from last year and do one resolution a month! I think that seems very feasible for me...I have a LOT of lifestyle modifications that I want to implement now that I am a SAHM. :) I get overwhelmed by the BIG picture though and too many goals stress me out. One at a time....I can handle. :)

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve when you were younger? I don't really remember!

5. What was the best way you've ever spent New Year's Eve? Oh man....4 or 5 years ago we got a hotel room downtown at the hotel where we spent our wedding night, The Paramount. We had tickets to see Pink Martini, one of my favorite groups to watch live. We walked from our hotel to the concert, which was FABULOUS! Then we had Chinese take out delivered to our room and we rang in the new year. It was my absolute favorite New Years. Another memorable New Years was spend with our neighbors and one too many bottles of Asti champagne. Most of our newlywed New Years were spent in our apartment. We would fire up a duraflame log, spread out some blankets on the ground, and watch the new year's eve specials on TV. Those were just as memorable. :) I'm pretty easy to please. :)

SICK!

The day after Christmas I woke up with an icky head cold that migrated into a chest cold. :( I am totally having a pity party for myself. I hate being sick, hate not having the energy to take as good of care of my daughter and my home as I'd like to but I am thankful that my parents are still here. I'm praying they get snowed in tomorrow and have to stay another week or so. I could get used to being so well taken care of.

Anyways, being sick explains my lack of blogging for sure. At this rate, I'll see you in 2011. :) Happy New Year everyone!!

Emersyn's Third Christmas

Say cheeeeeese!!

We had SUCH a wonderful Christmas this year!! The only thing missing of course was my sweet Gigi but I know she got to go to a much better party then we did. :)

Christmas Eve we went to my church for a candlelight service. It was so fun to see all the candles lit and start off our celebration by focusing on the real reason for the season.

After service we went over to some family friends' (the Meichtry's) for dinner. I didn't bring my camera, lame. We had a great dinner and Ems totally rocked her Christmas dress from last year with a long sleeved tshirt and leggings.

I'm hoping she can wear this years Christmas dress again too....they are just too stinkin' cute to be work just once, ya know?

Anyways, at the Christmas Eve dinner/party Santa made an appearance. Now I understand why most of my friends with toddler's didn't even attempt to get a picture with Santa....Emersyn refused to take a picture with him and screamed in terror. Such a turkey. It was really cute though, our friends had their youngest son (whose wedding Emersyn is going to be in next summer) dress up just for the three kids who were there, two of them being babies. I thought Ems would really dig it, considering she was TOTALLY into the Santa checker at Winco but maybe seeing Santa ringing up groceries just made him seem less intimidating. ;)

We had a great white elephant gift exchange where I scored a Pink Martini Christmas CD and Brett got a dollar store air horn and box of Gobstoppers. As you can see, Brett wasn't as fortunate as I. :)

I am so grateful for the Meichtry's and how they welcome us into their family each year. We are so blessed to have them in our lives!!!

Christmas morning started out with Brett, Ems and I all opening our stockings just from each other.

Aren't these jammies just TOO cute?!?! I got them on clearance at Target last year for $3. I broke my tradition of red and white striped jammies that I had for the past two years but it was worth it. Felt silly to buy other jammies when these were so darn cute!!

After we opened our stockings, (which by the way I totally scored...I had gotten Brett like two small things because I didn't think we were doing gifts at all and he like packed my stocking with GREAT things) we headed over to Brett's parents house!

Emersyn just LOVES this high chair from Uncle Brock and Auntie Bree.

Cousins

New baby doll!!

First sushi set! I guess we're going to have to take her to sushi so she knows what the heck this is! :)

Emersyn is very serious about her motherly duties. :)

We opened gifts and then had a late brunch complete with homemade cinnamon rolls from Brett's mom. They were so yummy.

We headed home around 1:30 and Ems took a fantastic nap. My brother and his wife arrived and it was time to open presents round two!

As you can see, Emersyn was REALLY excited about her "tangle free" shampoo. My mom asked me for ideas for her stocking and I said shampoo, baby wash, toothbrush...I love the practical stocking stuffers. :) She also got a raincoat from my mom in her stocking, SO stinkin' cute!!

Emersyn's first Dyson. She LOVES this thing, it's hilarious. I asked her to smile and say cheese for this picture and this is the face I got. P.S. Those are her second Christmas pj's....$5 from Gymboree last year. I'm obsessed with Christmas clearance. :)

This year's Christmas dinner was the best ever. For one, all the food was homemade except for the green bean casserole which is pretty much out of a can. And for two, all the food was served HOT and fresh at the same time, a major accomplishment thankyouverymuch! I was so proud. We had communion before dinner and dedicated our dinner to Gigi's memory. I got a little choked up, okay a LOT choked up saying the Christmas blessing because I am so grateful for my family and my home. Then we enjoyed an incredible HoneyBaked Ham, turkey breast, cranberries, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and rolls. Delish.

Ems lickin' the mashed potato bowl.

My mom and dad.

Our dessert was flown in from New York on the Wednesday before Christmas. My parents LOVE this cheesecake and splurge on it every year. I am not a huge cheesecake fan but this stuff is pretty good. Super rich but good.

We sang "happy birthday" to Jesus before dessert. Ems loved it.

One of my favorite Christmas memories from this year was all of us sitting around the table, singing "away in a manger" with Emersyn. At first just her and I were singing it, complete with all the hand motions. Then Brett suggested we all jump in and it was just so precious. We sang it at least ten times. In the middle of singing at one point, Emersyn exclaimed "this is my FAVORITE song!!!!" excitedly. It was just so so special and I will remember that moment forever. Christmas through the eyes of a child makes everything to magical and special.

We got some great gifts this Christmas but the memories we made were far more valuable then anything that was wrapped or purchased. I can't wait for Christmas next year. Thank you Lord for my sweet sweet family. :)

Guest Blogger!!

When Dara emailed me to see if I would be interested in being a guest blogger I ecstatically jumped for joy thought to myself, sounds like fun! :)

Check out my little *interview* at her blog, Happy Wills Family. I simply adore Dara's dry wit and humor and know that we have the potential to share some laughs once we *finally* get together sometime next year!!!! :) P.S. When you are done reading my post, scroll down to look at her ADORABLE daughters! She is one blessed mama!!!

Wordless Wednesday- Christmas Sunday

Surprise!!!!

Last week Brett informed me that I was going to be going on a surprise date on Monday night! I was very excited...I love surprises and love dates...what could be more fun??

Yesterday I waited to take a shower until the evening so I could be nice and freshly ready for our date. :) Emersyn and MiMi got ready with me too....MiMi and Grandpa were going to take Ems to dinner while Brett and I were out.

While we were getting ready Emersyn decided she needed a little boost so she sipped on MiMi's decaf macchiato.....I love her naughty face!!!

Three generations!!

All ready to go on our date!!

We went to leave and I realized that my parents didn't take the diaper bag when they left. I was slightly panicked because they didn't have wipes, a bib, etc. I also realized that Brett had let Emersyn take my PURSE with my WALLET in the car with her and I was NOT happy!! Brett assured me that I didn't need my purse or my wallet but I was not pleased. I don't like not having my purse!

My neighbor Sherrie texted me to see if I could stop by and pick up a cheeseball that she had made for us. Her cheeseballs should be sold at a store...they are amazing and I could pretty much eat one by myself for dinner (notthatI'veeverdonethatbefore). Anyways. I was about to text her to see if we could just get it the next morning since I was on my way out the door for a date but Brett said we could just stop and get it. At that point I knew she must be in on the surprise. Maybe I was supposed to go to her house and she would give me a clue as to what was next on our date?

Brett pulled up to Sherrie's house and I saw her spying on me from her side window. That little stinker! She opened the door and I was greeted by several of my best friends and my mom and a family friend, there to surprise me!!! I was in shock and totally confused....Sherrie didn't really know any of them and I couldn't figure out how on earth she pulled it together. It was a surprise party to celebrate my promotion as a SAHM. I could have just cried but I was in too much shock.

I had SUCH a fun night. Sherrie had incredible appetizers, different friends brought desserts, a couple friends got me gifts....I felt so celebrated and loved. I've never had a friend throw me a party other then my baby shower, but never ever a surprise party. Everyone knows just how much this promotion means to me and I was so so happy to celebrate with my besties. A couple gals weren't able to be there but considering it was the week of Christmas, I was so grateful that people took time out of their crazy weeks to celebrate something so special with me. We had SO much fun chatting and laughing. It was seriously one of the best nights of my life. I'm getting misty eyed just thinking about it. :)

Sherrie, me, Audrey, Vanessa, Rachelle and Caitlin
(Amancia, Julie and my mom not pictured)

Sherrie, you are so the sister I never had. I am so so so happy that you guys took a chance and invited us over for dinner almost 4 years ago now as our neighbors. Who knew when we moved into our house that I would find a friend for life just two doors down. *sniff sniff*

My mom also helped with the party and I'm so blessed that she is so happy for me as well.

Life is good. God is good. I'm so unworthy and can never repay my friends enough for their support and love but I finally now have the time to try. :)

P.S. I'd like to give a shout out to the Instagram app on my phone that is not only blemish hiding but also slimming, lol. :)

Happy Tuesday. :)

Christmas Card 2010

Charming Gift Wrap Christmas 5x7 folded card

Create beautiful photo Christmas cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

SAHM- Day One :)

So this is what it feels like to be a SAHM, huh? :)

Not really though....I am normally off on Fridays so today isn't terribly unusual for me. I did have somewhat of an epiphany though and thought I would share it, as I know you are all on the edge of your seat, waiting to hear all the new found wisdom that I am sure to obtain through staying home.

Right? :)

Poor Ems has been running a low grade fever since last night. Back when she was teething it was almost a relief to just blame everything on that. But now that she's got a full mouth of teeth (and has for a looooong time), that is no longer an excuse which leads to a stressed out mommy at times. I tend to read too many tragic blogs and think that every little sickness is a possibly something much more then it is. Fear is something I have to pray through daily, even hourly sometimes.

She hasn't had much of an appetite so after not eating a whole lot for lunch, I gave her a bath and put her down for a nap. She fought it and I went back to her room and rocked her several times and finally had to let her just fuss for about ten minutes and then she passed out. She woke up after sleeping only 30 min or so which is very unusual for her, she naps for at LEAST 90 minutes usually. I went upstairs and she seemed disoriented but one of her binkys had fallen out of her crib (yes one...she needs at least two to sleep, lately it's been four, ha ha, I know she's crazy, we'redealingwithitaftertheholidays) so I gave it back to her and told her to lay back down and covered her up with a blanket. She started to fuss again so I headed back downstairs and prayed that she would feel better and I totally felt the need to just stop and sit on the top stair.

I sat on the top stair and just prayed for my daughter. The multi-tasker in me was dying just sitting there, thinking of all the dishes I could be washing, laundry I could be folding, Facebook stalking internet browsing I could be enjoying, etc....

But I felt like the Lord was saying, "THIS is your new job. Just sit and pray and intercede for your daughter. It's not about how clean your house is. It's not about how domestic you are or are not. It's about you investing in your child and one of the ways you can do that is by praying for her when she doesn't feel well and just BEING her mom and being still."

In a way I feel almost relieved. I really do believe that being Emersyn's mom is my new *job*. And there will be days when being Brett's wife is my *job* and supporting the two of them must be at the top of my to-do list each day.

Emersyn is sleeping soundly, bless her heart. It's such an honor to be her mother and have the opportunity to raise her. Yay. :)

Happy Friday!

Today

Today I dropped Emersyn off at her Nana's for the last time because I HAVE to. The next time I drop her off it will be to go on a date with Brett, or to run some errands, or to do some real estate related work that I enjoy, or etc......surreal.

Today as I drove away from Nana's house, I recounted the many days of me crying the entire way to work as I left my precious girl with someone.

Today as I drove away I thought of all the nights that I would get home from work and just hold my baby and cry because I missed her so much and struggled with leaving her. Did she know I was her mother, not just her caregiver?? Were we bonded the way we were supposed to be?

Today I think about all the things that I say I never have time for, like working out, laundry, bible study, and more and think, will I NOW finally have the time?? What if I fail?? What if working was a crutch and now that I'm not working and have no excuse, I STILL don't find time to workout, do laundry, etc. I will though. I know myself and I know that I can be driven when I want to be.

Today I think about how every single night when I pray with Emersyn how I would ask for Daddy to get a promotion so that Mommy could stay home with her baby and God answered my prayers.

Today I think about how my heart literally ached every time I drove by a park on a sunny day on my way to work and saw all the moms with their kids, appearing to have no schedule, no where to be at any certain time and I was so envious.

Today I think about how sick in my stomach I would get when a friend would announce that she was able to quit her job and stay home with her child(ren). Not that I was bitter, I am always truly happy for anyone that can stay home full time, but anytime I heard such news it pretty much always ruined my day.

Today I am so thankful for this incredible job that I have had over the last three years. I work with wonderful people and The Standard is the best employer I could ever recommend. Working away from Emersyn was hard, yes, but at least I had such a great place to be while I was gone from her.

Today I am thankful for the endless miracles that God has performed in my life. My marriage, my daughter, our home...all stories of God's provision and mercy.

Today I am thankful to have been a working mom for some of Emersyn's life. I have an appreciation for working women that is only obtained by being one. I'm thankful for the several counselling sessions that I participated in so that I could get a better perspective on working and balancing motherhood. Redefining my expectations in life has been the key to my happiness and peace.

Today I am thankful for the friends that have supported me as a working mama by watching Emersyn, making me dinners and listening to me vent my frustrations. And for my friends that are still workin' mama's, you have my word that I will lift up those same prayers to the Lord that I used to pray for myself. God is good.

Today I am thankful for peace and trust in God's plan. Several months before Brett got promoted, I had told the Lord that I truly accepted His plan for my life and if working part time was going to be my *thing* , I was happy and content. It could always be worse. My daughter is healthy and happy. There's nothing that can take away the joy that comes from knowing that. Not working, not financial problems, nothing.

Today is an exciting day. I can only imagine what tomorrow brings. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Staying Home Continued....

On Thursday I am headed into the land of the unknown. I'm sure ya'all are sick of me talking about quitting my job but it's really on my mind lately for obvious reasons. It is TOTALLY uncharted territory for me. So today, I'm gonna talk it out.....

Pros of ME being a workin' mama:

*Extra money, or in our case, money to pay our bills. I have never worked so that we could have a lavish lifestyle. It was purely a monetary need. Brett made X amount each month and our monthly obligations equalled more then X, therefore I worked.

*Mommy time. I never feel stressed out like I need more time for me. I never dread going to the grocery store because I can mostly go by myself whenever I want, either on my way too work or my way home from work. I get to interact with adults 4 days a week and I think it makes for good balance.

*Time management. Sometimes I feel like I do a little better when I only have short amounts of time to work with. This could just be because that's all I'm used to. Like in the mornings I usually have a two hour window to work with to either clean, play with E, run an errand, etc.

Cons of ME being a workin' mama:

*Childcare. Oh man, this has been a thorn in my side for the past two years. I am fortunate that my mother-in-law has been able to watch Emersyn for most of her life. But there have been times when we have had disagreements about how Emersyn should be raised, etc. and it make for an awkward relationship. Sometimes these disagreements have resulted in me finding other care for Emersyn until they could be resolved. Free childcare isn't always *free*. :) There have been times when I have arranged for other people to watch E and for the most part, it was great, but ultimately I always have that pit in my stomach, hoping that she's okay. In the last few months I have been SO blessed to have some friends watch her (thank you Brianne, Caitlin, Amancia & Jonette) and I never ever worried when Ems was with them.

*Balance. Even though I have worked, I have still tried to make Emersyn's life a fun one. We go on playdates often and I sometimes find myself a little run down. I don't have enough time to hang out with everyone I would like to AND take care of my home AND invest in my daughter AND invest in myself.

*Guilt. Guilt over not being the one taking care of Emersyn day in and day out. Guilt over doing things for myself on my days off. Guilt over not preparing enough healthy meals and snacks for her. Guilt for having to leave her at other people's homes. Guilt for having to focus on house stuff during the day when Emersyn wants to play and I know our time together is so precious. Guilt over not having time to work out because I put Emersyn and our home first. Guilt over leaving her on a beautiful sunny day, knowing that if she were with me we could go outside and enjoy the weather and each other. Guilt over being slightly unsure of Emersyn's schedule because I'm not the one that enforces it each day. Get the picture? :)

Things I worry think about in regards to staying home FULL time:

*What if I get bored?? Right now things like laundry and dishes almost feel like I'm playing "house". When I do it day in and day out, will I hate it??

*What if I get really uptight and forget how to relax and constantly find myself cleaning and tidying up behind Emersyn as she plays and totally stifle her?

*What if I get frustrated with her over not getting a *break* from her like I'm used to four days a week now?

*Everyone tells me how angelic Emersyn is....when I'm not around!!! What if being with me MORE makes Emersyn naughtier?!?!

*Is it okay to sit and watch a tv show during the day? Or is that lazy? What's lazy and what's relaxing and what's *enough* in regards to household chores? <--actually regarding the chores aspect, I am going to be making a weekly chore chart kind of thing so that I can check something off a list and feel like I did what I needed to that day.

*I slightly fear that I'm going to feel guilty over not working. Even on my days off now, I always report to Brett everything I did or didn't do that day and I know that's 100% my own guilt. He could care less. But it's not my job to entertain Emersyn 24/7. There will be days when we don't do a whole lot and that's okay. But that's TOTALLY not my style. I am an on the go kinda girl and that role is going to be transitioning.

*Speaking of transitioning, I have always worked during our marriage and when I was at the peak of my real estate career, I often worked from home and had a much higher stress job then Brett. Now Brett often works from home in the evenings and has a higher stress job and I'm finding that it's my role in life to be the supporter, not be the one supported. This too is a transition.....and something I will re-learn. Life's always changing, isn't it??

Okay. I think that's it for now. Thanks for letting me get all that off my chest. Keep in mind, I'm not TRULY worried about anything. I know that as I seek the Lord each day, He will be faithful to guide me and direct my path. I am so thankful for that. At the end of the day, I just want my daughter and husband to be happy and healthy. I'm going to do everything in my power to assure that happens each day. I'll keep ya'all posted....it's sure to be interesting. :)

Miscellany Monday

{1} This is my LAST Miscellany Monday post as a workin' woman. SO surreal, do you even understand!?!?!?

{2} This weekend we got a lot accomplished around our house, though there is still lots to be done in a way. One of the things we did was reorganize our bathroom. My husband is a master reorganizer. Like for reals. I took one look at the jam packed cabinets in our bathroom

and nearly blacked out. Brett took one look and built a shelf, consolidated the stuff into one cupboard and did it all in under an hour I might add. I really really really like him. And not just because he knows how to rearrange and organize. :)

{3} I overcame a personal obstacle this weekend. I untangled a fierce pile of necklaces. You know how when you don't have your jewelry properly organized and all the necklaces get tangled up and you just want to throw them all away because there is just NO way you can get them all untangled?? Yeah...that WAS me. Normally this is an annual tradition for Brett to do since patience is much more his thing than mine. But I decided to tackle it and 8 necklaces later, they are all nice and organized in my jewelry box and there were no casualties in my quest to untangle. I wasn't even tempted to get out the scissors. :)

{4} We're having an awfully cute couple over for dinner tonight! Sarah and Wiley are fellow "The Sing Off" enthusiasts and we're going to eat homemade sloppy joes and watch this delightful show. Fun times!!

{5} Yesterday I took a two hour nap, although I didn't sleep for the entire time at all. I cozied up on the couch, Brett played his PS3, and Emersyn took a nap too. It was glorious but I gotta say, taking a nap really cramps my style. I always wake up with that stinky-sock taste in my mouth (or rather what I imagine a stinky sock tastes like) and even when you brush your teeth it doesn't go away. I also had a dull headache AND it threw off the whole evening! But I did enjoy the cozy warmth and the sweet glow of nothing but the Christmas tree lights on in the downstairs.

{6} I didn't blog yesterday, my first day *off* since October.

{7} My parents get here on Saturday, whoo hoo whoo hoo!!!!

$50 worth of groceries for FREE

The loot. :)

Being frugal appears to be a full time job from what I see on various blogs. I have never had the time nor patience to pursue such frugal living. However, since I am headed into the world of one income living, I need to be better about taking the time to get good deals.

I saw this deal on a friends Facebook page:

$50 worth of FREE groceries delivered for FREE at Safeway.com

Too good to be true?

So I set forth to follow the simple instructions. The only thing is, the selection of groceries isn't *that* exciting. It only works out to be a good deal if you do the BOGO deals.

So here's what I got.....

Oscar Mayer Bacon Center Cut Smokehouse Thick Sliced......$7.69 x2 = $15.38
3lbs Ranchers Reserve Beef Chuck Pot Roast Boneless...........$14.37 x2=$28.74
Safeway Rice Crispy Cereal..........................................................$3.29 x2= $6.58

Grand Total........................................................................................................$50.70

Promo Code CJSAVINGS................................................................. $15.00 credit & Free Shipping
ShopatHome.com cash back..............................................................$9 PLUS $5 if it's your first time signing up!!! (Click on the ShopatHome.com link to sign up and give me a free credit of $5 pleaseandthankyou)
Buy One Get One Free Savings............................................................$25.35

Are you totally confused yet and/or slightly dizzy? I am....

Okay, so here's the math...

$50.70
-$15.00
-$14 (Shop at Home Cash Back)
-$25.35 (BOGO savings)
-----------------------------------
Grand Total of +3.65

I MADE $3.65 on this transaction!!! What the heck??!?!

Disclaimer to my husband...I might just get a little obsessed with this frugal living thing.

Now, the bottom line is the bacon was NOT a good deal, I mean over $7 for bacon in general is highway robbery. But it was free. There weren't a lot of things to choose from but I am stoked about the roasts and stoked about the bacon too really, we found a yummy way to cook it (recipe here) when we went on our Sunriver vacation and it will be great when we have friends or family over for breakfast.

I didn't *need* rice crispies but Emersyn likes them and I might make some rice crispy treats while my family is in town for the holidays since they are so yummy.

AND the groceries are being delivered for free. Crazy, huh?

Fill in the Blank Friday

I am totally addicted to daily blogging!! I was putting a load of laundry in tonight and realized I hadn't posted yet today....just didn't feel right. So here you go..... :)

1. I wish my Gigi was coming into town next week with my parents to celebrate the holidays with us. I know this is a melancholy sort of wish but it's the first thing that came to mind. I would have said I wish that Brett would get promoted but that wish came true already. :)

2. Yesterday I attempted to take pictures of two sweet toddlers by the downtown Hillsboro Christmas tree but the weather did NOT cooperate.

3. Today I will watch the Apprentice with my husband and enjoy some peppermint ice cream that my neighbor delivered from the store. Love it when I get a text, "need anything from the store?" It's like a free delivery service. :)

4. Tomorrow I will head to Michaels or Craft Warehouse for some supplies for a project I want to create. I will also finish all the laundry, enjoy my husband and daughter, and be thankful for a chill weekend.

5. Maybe my husband will get to enjoy more homemade dinners and lunches since his wife is only 4 work days away from becoming a stay at home mama. Okay, this isn't a maybe...this is a for sure thing. :)

6. Someday I can't wait to have my kids in matching Christmas pajamas. Maybe Brett and I will match too. :)

7. I love watching my daughter experience new things, like today when she fully discovered the magic that is Chuck E. Cheese. When we pulled into the parking lot she yelled, "hi piggie!!!" when she saw the Chuck E. Cheese sign. We're still working on animal recognition. :)

Tree

Our Tree - 2010

I.love.my.Christmas.tree.

When Brett and I first got married, we had real trees for the first two years along with the nasty real spiders that accompany them. (Ew) When we moved into our house though, we decided to purchase a fake tree and looked for a fairly narrow one considering our downstairs is small quaint.

We had hodge podge dollar store ornaments for awhile along with the leftover silver bulbs from our wedding reception but finally, about 3 or 4 years ago, we decided to bite the bullet and get *real* ornaments. Our tree colors are different shades of green, red and gold. It's stunning if I may say so myself. We bought ornaments from Target, Lowe's and Home Goods. I have slowly added to my collection through the years, including this set that I found a couple weeks ago:

I love these green disco balls!! They totally add a great sparkle to my tree!!

Other ornaments:

Love these snowflakes...they come in a ten pack for $1 at Target. They add a lot of charm for not a lot of money.

I got these red mini-disco balls the year after we decided on our theme and I love them too! Anything sparkly looks great on a tree in my opinion. I need to remember to keep these red ones out...they will be perfect for Emersyn's second annual Valentine's Playdate (on Valentine's Day this year...save the date mama's!!!!)

I made the mistake of showing Emersyn how these bells ring so now she thinks they are hers. Almost every day she takes the six bells off the tree and hoards them around in her shopping cart.

Our other ornaments weren't anything special, therefore didn't receive photographs. They are just a mixture of reds and greens and mostly round bulbs, some flat matte, some shiny, some glittery, etc.

Along with the beautiful decorative bulbs, our tree has started to collect the sweet sentimental ornaments.

My grandma sent this to me when Emersyn was born...such a thoughtful gift!

This is Emersyn's official 2010 ornament. We saw it and of course had to get it. Now when Emersyn sees them at Starbucks she screams "MINE". Lovely. :)

This was Emersyn's official 2009 ornament....she was rockin' the Shrek teeth big time last Christmas so this was an appropriate ornament for sure.

How adorable is this/she?? I love these red PBK ornaments and kind of want to get another one. We'll see...I think a tree full of these frames would be beautiful someday.

My mother-in-law picked this ornament up at Target and gave it to me. I just love it; goes perfect with my tree and features the first letter of my favorite girls name. :)

My mom gave me all my yearly ornaments when I got married and hopefully someday we'll have another tree that I can put those ornaments on. I would love a tree for our modest entry way...we'll see. :)

I'd love to see all of your trees too, post pics!!!

Speaking of beautiful trees, this is Ems and her bestie Ems playing peek-a-boo in front of my friend Caitlin's beautiful spider infested REAL tree! Thanks for hanging out with Emersyn today...I LOVE her french braid!!!! :)