Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Baby's First Christmas

Having children in your family on Christmas is something I have never encountered until this year and I can't imagine a holiday without them. What's more exciting than arriving with armloads (or in our case, a rubbermaid container) full of gifts just for the little ones? Nothing beats it. From spending Christmas Eve with C's nephews to Christmas day with my nephew and Godson - what more could anyone ask for than the joy of the holiday season with those it's all about - family.

Many months ago my girlfriend Michele told me about a gift she gave her nephew for his first Christmas. It was a Radio Flyer Walker Wagon. What a gift! I ordered mine back in October. It's great - a small-scale wagon, designed for a newly-walking toddler. I even had it personalized with his name and baseball and of course some Red Sox sprinkled throughout. And I couldn't have given it to him at a better time. He just started taking his first steps a week or so ago.

By end of day yesterday, he was walking it clear across the family room and back with such joy! Here are some photos:

Here's the wagon I gave Baby Anthony for Christmas. Complete with personalization



Getting a little help from Grandpa


Catherine, Anthony and Baby Anthony


After running around pushing the cart, Baby Anthony got the right idea - hitch a ride

Monday, December 18, 2006

Oh Christmas Tree




Now any of you who remember last Christmas remember the importance of the Christmas tree in what was then my budding new relationship. C and I went to pick out our first tree. It was a chilly Dec. night, there were flurries in the air, Christmas music piped in throughout the tree lot and it was simply romantic (no gagging - I deserved this moment). We looked at many a tree and then came across "the one." He turned to me and asked me what I thought of it. I looked at the tree sitting there all full and perfect and before I could even say a word, tears began to stream down my face. And what did C do? He took me in his arms - pulled me close and said "well I guess this is the one."


That was last year. And this year I present to all of you - our first tree in our new home! Isn't she great?

In the Home Stretch

One week until Christmas. I can't believe it and I can't believe how every year when you think you're all done shopping and sending Christmas cards - you realize you aren't. Or worse, people ask you to pick up small things for them. But after this weekend, I'm in the homestretch. Just need a couple more stocking stuffers, two more gift bags (I miscalculated) and a grab gift for Christmas dinner. Not so bad. I even managed to get all my cards in the mail yesterday. Shocking since I bought them weeks ago, but only broke the seal on the package Sunday morning :-)

Speaking of home stretches, C is putting the final color on the walls of our bedroom this week. Yippee! We hope to hear from the carpet place today and have that installed by week's end (fingers crossed). Course this means I really need to get back on my game and get some serious packing done this week.

Let the games begin!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

For Those Who Haven't Seen It...

Ok, for those of you I have yet to share this with. Here is my favorite picture of my nephew in his Halloween costume (a fireman!). Figured I should share this before inundating all of you with pictures from his first Christmas - just over a week away! I can't wait!



Friday, December 15, 2006

Thank God It's Friday!

Thank God it's Friday - I never, EVER, thought it would get here. What a week. I took the day off Monday to make a major dent in my packing and purging in advance of moving. My girlfriend from college was on vacation so together we spent nine hours getting rid of everything I had that honestly I didn't need. The worst part was when I moved last time (three years ago) I did everything in two weeks. Packed a seven room apartment, plus a basement, and since I didn't get any time off from work at that time basically everything was thrown into boxes and transferred here. While it worked at the time, it totally came back to bite me in the ass on Monday. Because you can't exactly toss boxes you haven't opened in three years without going through them first. All I can say is thank God they make shredders.

Not only that, but everyone who knows me knows I'm totally camera happy and that was pretty evident as well. I actually have one giant rubbermaid container full of loose pictures and more than 10 photo albums. Totally out of control - but looking forward to going through those as a winter project after all the moving is over and done with.

So while the bulk of my day was spent doing all this, I did manage to pack all my stemware. Now I know I'm the quintessential entertainer so I expected to have more wine glasses than the average gal, but who knew I also had nearly 20 martini glasses, will I ever use these? Will they fit in the hutch in my new dining room with my other stemware and china? I guess I won't know until I make the attempt. Luckily we have a closet with shelves in the dining room which could be a very nice home for all the glasses otherwise - poor C, as much as I know I'm not bringing a lot of stuff, it's pretty evident I have a lot more than I thought I did. At least on that end.

Monday passes, I survive, am relieved and made some super progress - thanks Jenn! Tuesday night I had my work Christmas party - and I'm pooped but have a great time nonetheless. And the following night had a birthday party dinner with my family for Cat's 30th in Dedham. Let's just say last night there was no way I was up for anything, including the laundry that really had to be done. I came home, went to Craig's, took a shower and indulged in my TV and some catching up on my magazine reading.

Relaxing? yes, but with work this week - we have the biggest issue in the history of the magazine - I'm totally spent. Just have to get through today and working at the store tonight and I'm home free! Can't wait until Sunday, I plan on being totally lazy - which is always the plan, but instead of getting ansy as I usually do and taking on a big project, I have to use all my power to make sure I rest - after that only four more days to finish up our January issue at work pick up some last minute Christmas gifts. I can't believe Christmas is just over a week away!

That's my update - now to blowdry this hair and get to work!
L

Thursday, December 07, 2006

PS3 Mania Hits Home

My boyfriend is a lucky guy. He’s getting PS3 for Christmas but man does he need to thank me. With two weeks to go before Christmas I finally bit the bullet and hopped onto an eBay auction along with throngs of others all on the same quest – to own one of the 200,000 to 300,000 PS3 systems released in the U.S. prior to Christmas.

Now normally I’m the type of person who would wait a few months until all the hype faded, but I totally fell into the game on this one. After all, how else does one get their hands on something which is like gold thanks to the fact the demand for the original estimated 400,000 units for U.S. retailers could not be met due to production issues?

Innocently enough, I went to eBay just to see what was out there. Next thing I know I was possessed by what goes on there and I knew I had to get one and no matter what I would win it.

My strategy: search through the PS3 listings to see which auctions were coming to a close and lo and behold, I found one that no one seemed to be onto. Seriously I was the only one who bid on it. I kept thinking something had to be wrong here. The price was still under $650 and no one was interested? What was the issue here?

I checked the feedback on the seller, no issues. I simply couldn’t figure it out and I’m such a skeptic it was very hard for me to determine what the problem could be.

That being said, I placed my first bid - $621. Boy did I think it was a lock! Up until two hours before the online auction closed I was still the only bidder. It was a pretty good deal too. Came with a game, a movie and an extra controller – what more could a girl want than an expensive piece of gaming equipment for her beau with all the trimmings?

Then, with 15 minutes to go, those who obviously spend their days and nights watching for online auctions to close jumped in and started raising the bar. I was addicted, and just kept bidding. They outbid me by $10, I outbid them by $20. It was thrilling. Like the time I hit on a slot machine in Niagara Falls and then felt like it was “my machine” and it was going to pay me again. And would you believe it actually did? What can I say, at times I have a lucky star or like to think I do.

So there I was, outbid at five minutes to go, significantly over the maximum price I was willing to pay for the machine. I pondered what to do. I polled my co-workers, I polled my friends, I even did a little soul searching and then I did it - I pulled the trigger. With less than a minute to go, it was all mine! Sure I spent a little more than I should have or even wanted to, but at the end of the day it was a good experience and I finally have that perfect something to give the technology lover in my life for Christmas.