More Christmas Decorating

I've got a few recipe blogs in the works for this week, so y'all will definitely want to stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I thought I would share the rest of my Christmas decorations. We'll start in the kitchen. Last year, I did a tabletop arrangement that looked like this. I loved that arrangement, but wanted to try something new this year. I have some blue Christmas placemats that don't really go with any of my other kitchen Christmas decor. Why I bought them, who knows. I have really good intentions when it comes to Christmas decorating, but my decorations don't tend to mesh really well. My wreath had blue and silver balls with a blue and silver bow. Very pretty, but just didn't quite look right with our house. So, I updated it this year and arranged the balls in a white dish with some of the ribbon from the wreath. Check it out:

I have lots of M&M's tins from the 90's. I collected them for a few years and then I think they stopped making them. I put them up on my hutch.
Sticking with the blue & white, I put some poinsettias in a cute blue and silver basket.
In the living room, I put our new Little People Nativity on my end table:
SO CUTE! Next year, I'll let Joseph play with it and he can learn about the Christmas story.
Michael said that he thought it was sad that the only Nativity we have is Fisher Price, but I informed him that we DO have another Nativity scene...a snowman one. :)


Michael's end table:
The shelves:


See...a snowman Nativity.


I had to get another stocking holder this year as we have exceeded the number of letters in "Peace." Yes, our animals have stockings.

I thought this turned out really nice considering our shelves are only partly finished.

In other news...WOW has it ever been a day!!! Joseph has been crazy clingy for a few days now and I've tried to take it in stride and do as much as I can while holding him. I've had to devote a lot more time than usual to him as he was a pretty independent baby prior to this week. He's breaking through another tooth and he's due for a growth spurt. I had only been getting him to take one nap a day, but it was still for a couple hours, so I was able to get stuff done and recharge. However, it got worse. I guess it started last night. Joseph woke up at 1, which is not unusual. I was actually still up (because I'm stupid) and just went and fed him. No biggie, right...I mean he always just goes back to sleep no problem. Wrong. I put him down and he started screaming. I comforted him and then left the room...more crying. I tried again...more crying. I about lost it and sent Michael in and went to bed. The next thing I knew it was 5:30 so I guess Michael got him to go back down. I got up and fed Joseph, but again, he wouldn't go back to sleep although he was obviously still sleepy. He would go to sleep fine on me, but as soon as I put him down....he was crying again. So, exhausted, I brought him to bed with us, where he slept until Daysie woke him up at 8:30. Not too bad. Well, he took MAYBE 2-30 minute naps today and cried way more and only wanted me to hold him and it drove me to the brink. So, I did some google-ing and found out that this is perfectly normal at this age and that it WILL pass. I know I should try to enjoy it because it won't be long until he won't want me to hold him at all, but it's still hard when I really want to be productive and toting him around all day is exhausting. I can handle it when he takes his naps, but this non-napping day has about done me in. To make matters worse, Michael is going out of town this week. I just ask that the good Lord gives me strength and patience.