December's Daily Highlights

 Wrapping up my December with a quick sentence or two each day touching on some highlights of the month. You'll notice my step count is missing from a lot of this month; I took off my band to charge it one night and never put it on again (BUT I definitely will for January!).  We had a wonderful month and wrapped it up with lots of holiday cheer and some relaxing days at home after. 

1.  I put on a Christmas-y outfit since I was heading out to do a bit of shopping as soon as Evan and I finished up his schoolwork.  I watched the Diane Sawyer Love Actually interviews while eating lunch and wrapping gifts in the afternoon; it was such a great look back!  7,374 steps



2. I was up and dressed bright and early on Friday since I had to take Alec to school, Evan and I worked on schooling and I did some food prep for dinner before picking up Alec around lunch and heading to meet his new dermatologist.  Basically we found out that if you have eczema on your hands you should avoid all food prep and try not to wash your hands an over abundance of times-- LOL! (not the greatest info for a guy in culinary).  A pathetic 3,327 steps.


3. I watched a few Christmas movies in the morning and worked on my nails but as soon as my husband came home around lunch we headed out to drop Evan at a friend's house and go Christmas shopping in Manchester; we didn't end up getting anything but had a lovely late lunch at Artisanal Burger.  I forgot to wear my step tracker... but I'm betting it wasn't much.



4. I spent my morning working on some cards and then Evan suggested a hike in the afternoon so my husband and I piled in the car with Evan and we took off to Wallum Lake to explore the cedar swamp and coffeehouse loop trails.  We finished our evening with a rousing card game between myself, my mother in law, Alec and Ian (Alec won!). 11,749 steps






The beavers have built a dam and flooded this entire area


5. Evan and I tackled his schoolwork and mailed off all the Christmas packages to family that needed to be mailed before heading for our semi-annual dentist appointment.


6. As soon as Evan was done with school we went to walk along the airline trails and take a few pictures for my monthly style post.  After dinner my husband and I went out and finished up all the Christmas shopping (somehow I managed to injure my foot walking today and I was limping by the time we finished our shopping).  




7. Evan and I met up with my mom at a local place called New York Pizza for lunch.  We had a delicious meal of wraps and pizzas and got all caught up on all the family news.  I came home and spent the rest of the dreary, rainy day working on the blog/reading blogs.



8. Evan and I were out of the house nice and early to meet up with some friends for a hike around Bigelow; we hiked and talked and chatted for nearly 2 hours!  It was beautiful and I managed the whole hike with just a sweatshirt & scarf; I even found time in the day to squeeze in making a batch of Butterfinger Christmas crack. 



Lots of water everywhere after all of yesterday's rains. 





9. Evan and I made it through every single subject then cleaned the house before Alec came home from school on his 1/2 day; I decided to spend my afternoon wrapping, crafting, and reading.




10. I have no idea how I spent my morning but I do remember going grocery shopping in the afternoon. I wore my new sweater with the fun little back bling. 



11. My husband and I slept in and then watched over an hour of TV in bed on Sunday before getting up to start the pot roast in the crock pot.  It was wonderful! We spent part of our afternoon in the RZR and it began snowing while we were out. We played cards with my mother in law and ate a delicious dinner.



12. Alec had a 2 hour delay due to the snow so we enjoyed a quieter, later, lazier start to our week since Evan and I didn't start school until Alec had left.  My foot is still hurting but I talked Evan into a short hike with our snow boots and cameras! 













Spent my afternoon with an ice cream sundae and a good book


13. We woke to ice coating the whole lake today; too cold for hiking for us today.  After school with Evan I worked on my blog and finished wrapping some more gifts (seems like a couple of them trickle in each day).  I got my nails ready for our first Christmas party this weekend.




14. After a quick morning of school with Evan I decided to try making some s'mores Christmas crack; you can't really see (or taste!) the marshmallows but the family gobbled them up anyway.



15. Evan and I skipped school entirely; we headed into Worcester and went hiking for an hour at Moore state park and even with the snow flurries it wasn't all that cold. That night after Alec's friend went home I took the younger boys out to dinner at Point Breeze (since Ian and my husband were eating at Texas Roadhouse with all the guys from work). 











I got the lobster stuffed haddock with maple butternut squash (I was so good!)


16. I dropped my car off in the morning for them to install my (much delayed!) heated seat chip so I'll finally have heated seats this winter. 


17. I woke up early to go grocery shopping right when the store opened and then helped/watched Alec make up some croissant dough for our party on Sunday.  I spent the afternoon hiking our RZR trail with my husband cutting trees that had fallen in Friday's rain storm.

18. We woke up and got ready for our party; though Alec elected to stay home since he's fighting off a  head cold.  We put his croissant dough in the freezer for next weekend.  We had a fun morning at the party and then spent our afternoon watching TV; my husband and I finished up 1833.





19. Alec woke up feeling better and headed off to school while Evan and I tackled Evan's work and went on a hike before we started cleaning the house. I ended the night getting my nails ready for Christmas!

We've been getting lots of rain lately and all the ponds and rivers are really full.


Plus we still have ice and snow in some areas

Red Glitter French tips with holly berries and leaves

20. Tuesday found us tackling some more schoolwork, some more cleaning, and hiking at Old Furnace. We stopped by my mom's house after hiking and I picked up all the candy and saran wrap to make our Christmas eve games (one for kids and one for adults).








21. After finishing Evan's schoolwork we loaded up the car to drop stuff off at my mom's (the candy ball games, the gifts I have for that side of the family Christmas eve, some selling project foods from Alec's school that came in, etc) and talked my mom into heading out on a walk with us.  We walked the river trail for over an hour! 



22. With Evan's "official" winter break starting yesterday I had a morning free to go run errands and stopped by the library to pick up a few more books then I spent my afternoon putting the boys' new headboards together; we bought 3 the same so it went pretty easy once I got the first one done.






23. We woke to a raging rain/ thunderstorm on Friday; I offered to drive Alec for his 1/2 day of school since our power kept flickering on and off all morning and I knew there must be lots of debris and tree damage (We did have to dodge a trampoline in the road as well as a few branches and garbage cans).  By the end of the day the wind had taken down our new solar panels!  





24. My husband, oldest son, and his parents spent most of the day trying to move and dismantle the solar panel stand while Alec and I worked on food prep for Christmas eve and Christmas day.  We headed to my mom's in the evening for a celebration with my family. 

Our tree all ready for Christmas morning

I wore this most of the day

Changing into my fancier "holiday" sweater just before leaving


Poor Ian was wiped out after working in the cold air all day














25. It was a very Merry Christmas for our family; we started out opening gifts with the boys, then enjoyed a delicious brunch with my husband's side of the family, we went to my mother in law's for an amazing dinner and ended our night with a rousing card game. 














Alec read 2 of his new books Christmas day!

26. I spent a quiet day at home cleaning and organizing our gifts, our fridge, the laundry, etc.  I did do my nails after dinner-- a pretty star pattern to ring in the new year.



27. Another quiet day at home cleaning, working on the blog, reading, and relaxing. 


28. I started my morning cleaning and organizing the pantry, fridge, and freezer and made up a huge salad and some quiche for the week. While Evan and I went hiking I started defrosting the chest freezer and then finished cleaning it out after lunch. Our hike was lovely!










29. After a quick grocery run and some morning chores I talked the boys into hiking.  It was in the mid 40's/low 50's and so nice!! We went to lunch at New York Pizza Company and then ended our afternoon playing Uno. 







We thought these icicles growing "up" off the rock were so neat!


30. My husband and I started the day with breakfast out at Bill's then he headed to work.  I started taking down Christmas decorations in the basement and then after lunch my husband came home early so we went hiking for a few hours at Mashamoquet.  




A literal wolf den where back in 1742 Israel Putnam shot and killed Connecticut's last known wolf



31. We spent our morning taking down all the rest of the Christmas decorations then Alec headed out to cook lunch/dessert with his friend (she had colored his hair at school a month or so back in exchange for a cooking day with Alec) and Ian headed out to work with grandfather.  It was a rainy, cloudy day and I was happy to spend my afternoon blogging and reading and cleaning out some of my crafting supplies and organizing my storage room.  





How did you year wrap up?

Linking up with: Spread the Kindness, First Friday Favorites, 







Comments

  1. Such a festive and cozy month! I think I have the same blinged up sweater only in pink!

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  2. Love all the pictures from your hikes. Such beautiful scenery! Your outfits were all so pretty. I'm glad you guys had a good Christmas with several celebrations with loved ones.

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  3. Your month looked amazing - love this post! Your hiking pics are stunning as usual and your cards are so creative! Your Christmas festivities looked like a blast!

    Lisa
    Lisa’s Two Cents

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  4. Joanne, that blingy sweater looks so good on you! And I love all the festive nail looks, perfect for the holidays. Of course the snow pictures are my favorites, you live in such a beautiful place! Happy New Year my friend!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. Aw, thank you! We're getting some snow right now... but it's not sticking to the warm wet ground yet.

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  5. I love your Christmas nails, your outfits, and the wooded areas around your home or where you hiked. It's so beautiful, especially that barn looking building, and the snowy lake. Those Saran wrapped gifts are fun! We did that one year and my boys got a huge kick out of the fun of opening those gifts.

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  6. What a month! I love all of the festive Christmas nails! So pretty!

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    1. Thanks! I've been having lots of fun with my nails.

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  7. Great wrap up of your month! Love the snow pictures of your hike, just beautiful! And all the holiday nails, so cute!

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  8. Sounds like an awesome month filled with good memories, beautiful views and lots of family time!

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  9. Love the scenery. The holiday nails are so fun.

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  10. The only thing I remembered was the heating seats, lol. I want those too. But lovely walks and nails! And good food! Love that lobster stuffed something!

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    1. They are SO nice! Now.. if only the chip for my heated steering wheel would come in I'll be all set to face winter.

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  11. Gosh, you really live in a beautiful area. Even with the snow and ice, haha.
    And your nails!! I really need to work on mine one of these days,
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  12. December looks like it was a good month! All the best for 2023.

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  13. My hands are awful right now. Years ago, when I worked at a restaurant for a few weeks, washing my hands so much made them really dry & I didn't know anything about eczema at the time & never had any trouble with again it until recently. All you holiday nails looked awesome. Happy Holidays! Karen

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    Replies
    1. Oh that is tough; the good news is his new prescription is working so well!

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  14. What a great month December was for you. I love all of your outfits and your pretty nails. x

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  15. I always love your nature photos. You have such a gift. Happy New Year.

    Patty
    Goodbetterbestfood.blogspot.com

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  16. Hard to imagine so many great hikes - even in December! Hiking weather (for me!) is about five months away - lol! Such a pretty bracelet!

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    1. I couldn't believe how mild our weather has been! Even in January I had a few days where I went without a coat.

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  17. That was such well done wrap! You are looking awesome and happy! I am sorry about the solar panels. Yikes. Glad you got lots of family time in around Christmas and was outdoors at lot! I especially loved seeing my blog's image on your laptop screen!! Happy NY ...from #weekendcoffeeshare Denyse.

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  18. December looked like a good month. I LOVE your festive nails!

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  19. I loved all the snow pictures: we are still hoping we will get some this year. Love all of your pretty tops. You had a busy month!
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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  20. I enjoyed all the beautiful photos from your hike.
    Your outfits and nails are so pretty!

    Happy 2023, Joanne!

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  21. Loved your outfits and Christmas nail art Jo - and the snow always amazes me because we have nothing like that where I am. Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy new year! I can't imagine no snow.. having grown up here it's just always been a huge part of our winter. (One I'm not entirely sure I'd miss...but maybe?)

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  22. Looks like it was an amazing December (apart from the solar panels. Wow it must have been such a strong wind!) All the photos from your hikes look spectacular. I love all the different nail styles for the holiday season they look so pretty. I used to have really bad eczema on my hands too. It made life tricky because I was always washing my hands at preschool. The doctor used to prescribe cortisone cream and that helped. But the downside was that it thinned my skin. I ended up getting my eczema all sorted when I went and saw a dermatologist and she prescribed me a cream that the pharmacist made up. I have absolutely no idea what ingredients were in it. It smelled awful but it did the trick!
    Ruth@playwokeatrepeat

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    1. Yes! He's gone through so many cortisone creams.. but this new prescription seems to be doing the trick of clearing it up and keeping it away.

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  23. What a great but busy month! I like all the cute knits you have - the one with the bling on the back is so special! And I'm glad you had a good Christmas with family. So sad to see the solar panels though, must have been a very bad storm!

    I do love your nails too - my sister and I did stick on nails for Christmas but they just kept falling off, haha! Back to bare nails for now.

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    1. Thank you! I do have lots and lots of knits. I had to try a few brands of nail wraps before I found a brand that sticks well-- I can easily go 7 days without having to bother with my nails at all.

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  24. Love your nails! So much good stuff here and I think it's so great that you are documenting it for your family and for you.

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  25. What pretty cards and nails! Love all the natural scenery and your outfits too.

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  26. I love the idea of a few sentences each day! Great way to really look back on the month. Thanks for joining the link up. I love all your festive nails. I got a Mischief Managed tumbler mug from my nieces and love it! My hubby gets me a Harry Potter mug every year for Christmas and I now have about 5 or 6. Yay for a fellow Harry Potter mug gal!

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  27. I love all your sweaters/tops, your festive nails, and your hiking pictures. Maybe I need to drag my family out for a forest walk tomorrow afternoon! You're inspiring me.

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    1. Thank you! I try to drag my boys out for a hike anytime it's dry and warm (enough!) for one.

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  28. Plenty happening in December. Love your outfits, love your nails, but mostly I love the scenery pics - especially the snow ones!

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  29. What a delightful December you've had, except for the storm damage. I hope your solar panels are fixed. Thank you for your weekend coffee share. Happy 2023 to you and your family!

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    1. We're keeping our fingers crossed but so far it seems like our insurance will cover the majority of it.

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  30. Such a great look back at December! But sorry about the solar panels!!
    You got some great outfits here and gorgeous nails!! And LOVE your cards! The snowy photos look absolutely amazing!!

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  31. Aw, Happy New Year Joanne! It looks like you guys had a lovely Christmas. x

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  32. I love that you shared your daily steps. Your cards are always so pretty! I love Wheel of Fortune. If we are home, I will watch it. I've always loved that show.

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    1. I've been watching that and Celebrity Jeopardy on Hulu in the afternoons... while trying to blog at the same time.

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  33. Okay, I've seen that bow back sweater a few times now, and it looks just beautiful on you! I'm so glad December was a beautiful, cozy, and productive month for you and your family! <3

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  34. Love your holiday nails! Those winter snowy hike pics are beautiful! Hope you had a great weekend!

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  35. Oh my goodness..I need to be able to comment next to each photo...haha. LOVe your outfits..and love your nail colors. I did a few for Christmas and New Years. That bracelet is so pretty. I have similar storage containers that I used to separate photos. I love them. Now I just need to buy a label maker. It's on my list. I always love your food and outdoor photos. Sounds like you had a great holiday season.

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    1. We really did have a wonderful holiday season! I have a label maker but didn't think to use it to label our photo bins (i just wrote on them with permanent marker but not I am really wishing I had thought of using my label maker.

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