new year, new look, new title, new post . . . finally

First off, let me say that you have all impressed/overwhelmed me with your new year blogging enthusiasm. I can't believe the amounts of writing some of you have under your belt in just this very first month of our new year. I feel the pressure to blog escalate as each of your lovely, charming posts appear in my reader. Have you no sympathy for those of us deflated-from-the-holidays lazies?! Overachievers.

Well, lest you are led to believe that I have no ambition for the new year, I present my 2011 commemorative post.

Let us begin with a quick 2010 at a glance (It was, after all, about as big a year as they come in the Error household). Our top ten in chronological order:

1. January 10- We get our first look at baby Error, and find out It's A BOY!

2. February 11- We beat the valentine crowds and do the "La Caille" fine dining experience. (Yes, food makes the top ten--especially when it's fancy, and especially when you're pregnant.)

3. April 22- Jared graduates with a BS in Exercise Science from BYU! 

4. May 17- At 8 months pregnant and swollen everywhere but my eyelashes, we celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary at the scenic "Roof Restaurant." Perfect place to celebrate: overlooking the place where it all began. Best. Food. Ever. 

5. May 24- Arriving exactly one week later, and exactly 4 weeks early, Sweet Baby Granty J. Error is born. Best day of the year, hands down. Maybe best day ever.

6. And with that early arrival, I complete my first year of teaching. Only a week and a half earlier than planned. Not bad.

7. July 25- Grant receives a name and a blessing.

8. August 2-6- We conquer Disneyland with a 2 1/2 month old.

9. September 7- Jared ROCKS his Dental Admission Test

10. December- Jared gets his first acceptance letter to dental school!

Whew! With a year like that, one might be tempted to sit back and relax a while, but alas, there is no rest for the weary. 2011 promises first steps for Granty, a half marathon for me, and a new white coat for Jared. Stay tuned for more on these stories!

-2 days

I have a sister-in-law who LOVES holiday/seasonal decor. This is the DIY gift I'll be giving her this year. With the help of my Cricut, this gift was easy, and cost very little to make. I think it turned out kind of cute.

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, NOW 3 More Days till Christmas!

I know that's a cheap move for a holiday countdown, but give me a break. Jared has forgiven me for the same negligence I've given the sock advent calendar, so I'm sure you all (you same three) can find it in your hearts, too. This holiday ambition sure can get the best of you sometimes. The good news is I've caught up on the calendar, and just about all my other projects, too. More importantly, and most needed however, we had our first annual Error Christmas Devotional.

Of course I bit off more than I could chew that day and was super frazzled with preparations to make the night perfect. I MAY have even been so distracted with it all that I was a little grumpy before we actually got started. And MAYBE the over-the-top efforts weren't actually worth it because it didn't turn out perfect anyway and I just ended up grumpy. But although we MIGHT not have had the "special dinner" till 8:00 (and it MIGHT have been a little over-cooked and MIGHT have set off the smoke detector), and we MIGHT have put Grant to bed before we even started, I managed to regain my perspective, accept it for what it was, and have a really special night with Jared.

We started with a prayer and Christmas song, and then I shared this talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. His message focused on the simplicity and humility of the first Christmas, and on the perspective of the Savior's earthly parents the night of his birth--perspective I have new appreciation for as a new mother myself. It's so humbling, and almost unbelievable to remember the lowly circumstances to which the Savior of the world was born. It's a great reminder to us of what we should be focusing on during this time. I'm so grateful for the Savior, and so happy that when He comes again it will be in all His glory. We looked at different art depictions of the first Christmas, sang more songs, and then Jared shared a message about the different symbols of Christmas. We talked about the gifts we wanted to give the Savior this year, wrote them down, and put them in a specially wrapped box under the tree. It was just the two of us, but turned out to be a really great dose of true Christmas spirit for us. We definitely hope to keep this tradition.

-9 Days: Pretty Packaging

There's something about a good wrap job that makes a present seem more special. Okay, maybe that's just the effect I'm hoping for to redeem my gifts. Seriously though, it seems like the simplest of gifts can make a big impact when they are presented in a thoughtful, creative way. Here are a few examples of easy ways to jazz up your wrapping.

Did you know that paper curls just like ribbon? Use some colorful scrapbook paper to create an adornment reminiscent of formal dance up-dos. The fuller, the better.

Give a brown lunch bag new life and decorate with a fabric ribbon and paper tag. Perfect for smaller gifts.

I love the personalized touch of monograms. I tied this paper ornament with orange embroidery floss to match the wrapping paper. If you don't want to cut the letters, you can hand-write them, or type and print.

You can find these cute snowflake embellishments at Target. They come in a pack of 5 for $1!

This is one of my favorites. I did the snowflake and lettering on my Cricut, but you could easily make a snowflake the old fashioned way. I wrapped a turquoise ribbon around the gift, and glued this paper embellishment right on top. I love the color combo. The black and white paper is fun because you can add so many different accent colors to it.

Okay, now I am sounding really nerdy; I better just end this. For some ideas from an actual expert, click here. Look how easy this one would be:

10 MORE DAYS!

We are almost in single digits, people. Just a report on the Pecan Dippers: So easy, and so good. I'm going to have to give some of those other recipes a whirl.

Additionally, I discovered that no child is too young to take part in and enjoy a little holiday cookie baking. I put Granty in the Bjorn while I kneaded the dough and did other prep work. Let's just say I never knew making cookies could be so comical.  I thought he might be slightly amused at what I was doing, so I strapped him on to watch the show. Boy, did I ever underestimate the entertainment value of crushing pecans. For some reason, Grant found me banging the wooden spoon on the bag of pecans simply hilarious. It seriously made him belly laugh--which made me belly laugh. It was so cute, I about couldn't handle it. I couldn't figure it out at the time, but now that I think about a disheveled lady with a baby strapped to the front of her, banging on the counter rhythmically with a wooden spoon, it is pretty funny. Wish I could have recorded it to share, but I'm sure you can see it all in your mind's eye.

-11 Days: Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

I feel like that's all I write about these days. This is the recipe I am preparing for our Relief Society cookie exchange tomorrow--Pecan Dippers. These ones in particular piqued my interest because they are made with store-bought dough. In fact, I stumbled across an entire article of cookie recipes using prepared cookie dough. Hope these turn out alright. But either way, I will still come home with an assorted plate of deliciousness to enjoy. Win-win.

-12 Days

I know I am behind. The countdown is getting the best of me, but I will come out triumphant in the end. For day -12 (yesterday) I give to you cute tags my paper-expert friend, Lyndsey, posted about on her stationery blog.  This seems only appropriate since most of yesterday my living room was littered with wrapping paper. Grant and I had a blast listening to Christmas music, and he crumpled paper while I wrapped presents. I've gotten the basic wrapping done as a "blank canvas" of sorts. Now I can begin beautifying. These tags or something similar would really add that special touch to any holiday gift, don't you think? Lyndsey has compiled tons of great ideas. Check her out.