Ornament Show and Tell & RAK Roundup

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... At least IN our house. Outside it's still 65 and rainy, and that does not feel like Christmas. But, walk in my front door and it's cozy, and warm, and cherry and merry. Ahhhh, I love it.

With that said, my friend Sarah over at Our Journey is hosting an Ornament Show and Tell and I couldn't pass this up.

Ornaments are a big deal in my family. It is tradition to receive a new ornament every year at Christmas. When I go home to my parents I love gazing at their tree, spotting all the ornaments I collected before venturing off on my own. Each ornament holds a special meaning: graduation, a sports accomplishment, an ornament to mark a trip we'd taken... I've taken that tradition and implemented it in my own little family. I get little goosebumps as I look at the ornaments I've received that now adorn my tree in my home. There are so many favorites of mine, it was hard impossible to narrow down a single favorite.

I love this ornament. We received it from my mother in law, and it's a beautiful reminder of what The Season is really about.

Family is priority, and here a few of my favorite ornaments from our family.

Upper left: The cake topper from our wedding cake. 

Upper right: Marcus' first Christmas (I hope to have one with his photo in it soon).

Lower left: To commemorate our first Christmas as a married couple.

Lower right: To celebrate the anticipated arrival of our little monkey.

Home sweet home. We miss the Midwest something fierce. These ornaments help bring a little bit of home to our house during the holidays.

Upper left: An actual light bulb from the famous Plaza Lighting in Kansas City.

Upper center: If I click my heels three times... "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

Upper right: Though our favorite football team isn't doing very well this season we still love them.

Lower left: We love our Royals!

Lower center: A tag describing the Plaza Light bulb, and year the bulb was received.

Lower right: Another Plaza Light.

Some of our travels...

Upper left: Lake Tahoe (2011).

Center left: USS Arizona Memorial, Oahu, Hawaii (2012).

Lower left: Hawaii, Hawaii (2012).

Upper right: St. Thomas USVI (2010, our honeymoon!).

Center right: Cabo San Lucas (2008).

Lower right: Vegas, baby (2010)!

Representing our teams. Go State!

And, every tree needs a "husband section."

These are not necessarily my favorite ornaments, but they do reflect the good humor and fun that my husband displays on a daily basis.

The Christmas Story leg is front and center on our tree. We had quite the discussion about the placement of that one...

The Family Guy ornaments are a few of the first ornaments I ever gave Scott. Even though they aren't so pretty they hold a little bit of sentiment for both of us.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this... No tree of mine is complete without a butterfly.

What are some of your favorite ornaments? 
Please leave me a comment if you have your own Show and Tell, I want to see them! If you aren't a blogger you can still join in the fun - just post a few pics of your favorite ornaments of Facebook and let me know, I'd love to see what is hanging on your tree. Don't forget to swing by Our Journey, check out Sarah's ornaments and share yours with her, too!

*****

Be Kind. Be Generous. Be Thankful.
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Roundup

Friday, November 23
I crashed a wedding! Ok, I didn't really crash a wedding. But, I did crash a wedding registry. I went to an online registry, typed in a few random letters, and a few names popped up. Some random couple is one registry item richer.
I can't even begin to explain how giddy I was when I did this! :)

Saturday, November 24
We were super busy Saturday, but I took a minute to register as a guaranteed organ, tissue and eye donor. If you haven't done so, and would like to, it was super easy and took me less than two minutes to complete the form. Click here to become an organ donor today.

Sunday, November 25
It's never easy for me to donate blood. I have the world's worst veins. But, I signed up to give to the Red Cross. I filled out the required paperwork, had the awful iron test (where the end of your finger is pricked - terrible, right?!), and waited my turn. When my number was up and I was all prepped to go. The nurse checked my left arm, then my right arm, and shook her head. There was no way she was even going to try and tackle sticking me with a needle. I begged to try the top of my hands, even the top of my feet. But, to no avail. I left feeling a bit defeated. If your veins are better suited for giving blood please check this site to find a blood drive near you.

Monday, November 26
I noticed I had several coats and jackets in my closet that hadn't been worn in quite some time. Those coats made their way to a coat drive that was held in a nearby community. There may be a coat drive in your community, visit One Warm Coat to find a place to donate your gently used coats.







Because I wasn't able to give blood on the 25th I felt I needed to do a double RAK. I purchased a fresh meal for a homeless man who can often be found at a bus stop I pass frequently. Something as simple as a sandwich, fresh fruit, and chocolate bar seemed to make his evening.

Tuesday, November 27
While doing a little Christmas shopping for my monkey it really struck me how fortunate we are. My little man will have plenty under the Christmas tree. Unfortunately, Santa may not find his way to all the little munchkins out there. To make sure Santa is able to find a few more kiddos this year I made a donation to Toys for Tots as I was checking out with my big guy's gifts.

Wednesday, November 28
In high school I remember how exciting it was to go prom dress shopping with my mom. It was such a mother/daughter bonding moment that I looked forward to each year. After a bit of research I found there  are organizations in the LA area that collect gently worn formal dresses. I rummaged through my closet and found some formal dresses that I will no longer wear or need and I sent them to the Cinderella Project with hopes that another girl will have her moment and feel just like a princess. To find a dress drive near you click here.

Thursday, November 29
Things got busy around the house, and before I knew it the day had slipped away (the Holiday season is officially upon us)! I took a few minutes online to find several ways to give back.
~With a few simple clicks, and just a few minutes of my time to watch a few advertisements, I was able to provide almost three weeks worth of clean water to those in poverty - and it didn't cost me a dime. Click For Your Charity will allow you to do the same.
~To keep the ball rolling I went to The Hunger Site where one simple click provided food for the hungry world wide, and also helped with relief efforts that are still ongoing due to Hurricane Sandy.
~Because I couldn't stop there I made my way over to Ripple where with three simple clicks I was able to provide access to clean water, help a village to feed itself, and gave two days of access to education. Ripple has also pair with Google as a search engine. Every time I use Ripple for an online search a donation is made.

Friday, November 30
I wanted to do something for the men and women who serve our country, but there is a budget that needed to be adhered to. With a bit of searching I found Operation Shoebox; currently our servicemen and servicewomen are in need of travel-size hygiene products. Easy enough! I rounded up some products and sent them to those good men and women who are keeping us safe. Some of those who will receive the products are away from their families this Holiday season so that we may be with those dear to us. For that I am forever grateful and thankful.