Reflections on Our Traditions
Being together, sharing with friends and family, and enjoying the spirit of the season were the most important to us. Shopping and gift-giving were not front and center, but enjoying the time with our most essential traditions was a perfect way to spend our holiday.
1. Outside
Our roof is always lined with white and red net lights on the landscaping. The front flower bed changes yearly, but I always have a theme of red, white, and different colors of greens. The front door has a wreath, plaid, a festively printed welcome mat, and lanterns full of gleeful balls and bells.
2. Inside
The tree is always overdone with multitudes of ornaments, ribbons, and fronds. The soldiers from our nutcracker collection were in unexpected spots around the house. This year I didn’t pull much more out, except for one special “Dancing Santa” that has his place of honor. This time will be used for kicking back (with Christmas cookies) and watching a few of our beloved holiday movies. Elf is always a favorite, although Home Alone is a close runner-up.
3. Cooking
Although we weren’t home a lot, we still had roasted turkey, Grandma Della’s cornbread dressing, Aunt Jan’s squash casserole, and the standard vegetable, green beans. We made George Washington’s eggnog (and let it get stronger and stronger over the period). One of my favorite holiday traditions is making cookies. We always make plenty to eat ourselves. It’s just expected..ginger cookies, peppermint bark, Grandma Joyce’s peanut butter cookies, Grandma Elaine’s star-shaped sugar cookies with red sprinkles, and nutter butter acorns are just a few in the yearly repertoire.
4. Events
Don’t forget the Christmas music and parade! We drove to River Oaks to view the spectacular lights with eggnog in hand. Yes, this we do every year! We went to the stunning Botanical Gardens’ light display for the second time. This is one of our new traditions! This year we’ll go to the Heritage Society’s candlelight event at the park and Zoo Lights. Both Grandmothers were visited, and we enjoyed connecting with close friends. Of course, there’s the last-minute shopping, the first shared cups of seasonal coffee, and plenty of holiday music. Don’t forget Dewberry farms…we make the yearly trek to Pattison to pick and cut our tree. There are so many great pleasures close by.
Although our traditions are simple, it is something we all look forward to and enjoy being together. Love and happy holidays to you and yours, no matter if you’re running like crazy or taking some time in front of the tv with some great cookies.
Christmas Clean Up
It’s time to take down all the Christmas decorations, but I have the same problem each year…Where do I put them all?? My closets are already packed! I know I need to be brutal and clean them all out to get organized, as there’s so much wasted space in each.
1. Shelving
We’ve gotten good at embracing change this year, so why not continue that and do it to the closet?! I’ll start by removing the ubiquitous single rod with the shelf on top. Instead, I’ll add more shelves that are closer together so I can get more in the space.
2. Doors
Also, I’ll take advantage of the backside of the door. I love the gift wrap stations, so it’s a simple way to make one, as I don’t have space for a desk.
3. Organization System
I want everything to be organized by color or size so it can be found easily next year. I also want all of the buckets and baskets to look uniform. Having an organized closet that looks great is a real treat, and it’ll make life so much easier having everything all in one place.
My only question is, why did it take me so long to do this??
Work Holiday Festivities
The holiday season is busy enough, so I let the party planning committee take over at the office. Gone are the days of finding the perfect activities to keep everyone entertained since my team is perfect for the task! A Very Coton House Christmas!! We love getting to celebrate the holiday season- family style! We brought our ugliest sweaters, played games, and ate way too many sweets.
I’m doing what makes me happy and attending events hosted by industry partners and organizations I am a member of. It’s been a busy season, so here are a few events that I attended!
- Houston Symphony League Holiday Party
- Tenfold Coffee Company (Not an event, but I enjoy good coffee)
- Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Santa’s Workshop
- Fidelity Title Holiday Client Appreciation Luncheon at Wearhouse 72
- The Heart Guild Holiday Event at Zadok Jewelers
- GHBA Custom Builders Council Holiday Party
- Dinner with my friend Maureen Catherwood with Scott Group Studios at Johnathan’s the Rub
- River Oaks Networking Holiday Meeting
We’re wrapping up the year and ready to start new projects after the holidays. In the meantime, enjoy time off with your favorite people and make some memories together!