That's a Wrap

Every year we say we are going to simplify and cut back when it comes to our gift giving. It's a telling sign that you have what you want and need when it's difficult to come up with much for your Christmas wish list. I thought Judy had a great idea when she gave us a family gift. (The chocolate covered strawberries and box of treats were very much enjoyed! Thanks!) I think it's a tradition we should consider adopting. Instead of trying to figure out what to give each person individually, then resorting to a swap of gift cards, we should give a meaningful gift the family can enjoy together.

Elizabeth was true to the idea of making this a simpler, put your heart into it, DIY Christmas. I enjoyed talking to her for the months leading up to Christmas. She would be excited about a project she was working on. She would want to share the details of what she making or doing, but she also wanted every gift to be a surprise revealed on Christmas so we could enjoy the reveal together.

I loved everything she made me. My favorite is a necklace with a nest with two eggs and a bird charm. I meant to wear it when we had our family pics taken. It will always remind me of my two baby chicks and of the time I had watching the nest on our front porch this past year. The throw she made me keeps me warm and feels like a hug from her when I use it. Unfortunately Lucy confused the pom poms on it with her rope and has chewed a few. It may now only be used under adult supervision. Lucy also got a hold of one of my dryer balls, which do really help my laundry dry quicker and more evenly. That silly dog.

Elizabeth gave Chad a gift of pre-packaged date nights. There were several gifts designed to take the, "I don't know. What do you want to do?" out of date night. Some of the gifts were for an evening at home and some of the gifts were for an out of the house adventure. It simplified date nights and the only question that needed to be answered was, "Are we staying in or going out?"

It must have been the year of the homemade Gator themed wall-clock. Elizabeth made one for Matt and so did my brother Kris' wife Susann. Now he has one for home and one for the office.

Elizabeth made homemade gifts for everyone, but her creativity didn't stop there. Her wrapping of each gift was a present in and of itself. I had a hard time opening them. Each gift was creatively and uniquely wrapped. She must have spent hours designing the packaging then wrapping gifts. The details were remarkable. She combined homemade papers, ribbons, tags and bows with other accents. It was fun to look under the tree and look at all the different ways she had wrapped each present. She made everything look like it was done by a pro. It must have been the love she put into each gift.

I like Chad and Elizabeth's Christmas tree. The ornaments are meaningful and each has a story or memory to share. They have a tradition of getting a new ornament each year and this year they were looking for one with a cactus for some reason.

Months of prep and work over in a few moments! and that's a wrap.