Christmas Rewind 2025

 

 

A Christmas Rewind Post

  Irvine Park Christmas Village

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

One balmy December evening my husband and I, oh and the copper dog too, we ventured to Irvine Park Christmas Village.

It is so fun to walk. This evening was warm and so many families were out and about. It was great fun to sing along with the Christmas music playing along the displays and with the other people walking along too. 

 

 

 

There is an area that has rock formations. The water continues to drip and slowly freezes along the rock formations creating a unique display of natures beauty.

 

 

Me and the copper dog.

 

 

I always love how they decorate this area.

 

 

And now for a little Christmas rewind at my parents.

My sister helps my mom put up her Christmas Village each year.

This year we arrived two days before my sister and her husband.

If you look below, I played a little trick on my sister. She had the wolves in the woods. I moved them to the farmyard. And can you believe she noticed RIGHT AWAY!!

"Who was messing with my Christmas Village."

Yes, the family shenanigans began.  

 

 

My mom's new ornament for 2026.

 

 

 Season's Greetings

It is the little things in life that mean the most.

 ♥

Carla

 

Crafting and Making and Designing

 Hello Friends, it is a crafting, making and designing post.

I wanted to make some garlands for our home for the holiday. I wanted something simple and old fashioned. I decided on paper-chains and dried oranges. 

The fragrance of the oranges drying in the oven adds to the fragrances of the holiday season.

I had some old sheet music I purchased at a library sale. I used the old sheet music to create my paper-chain and snowflake.  

 

A few weeks back I mentioned my husband designed and made a new coat rack for us. He asked me what I would like for a design. I asked for oak trees, leaves and acorns.

 

Have you been up to any crafting, making or designing?

 

Joy List Monday

 Joy List Monday

♥ a weekly reminder ♥

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the little beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day 

 

 

♥ cookies and more cookies

 ♥ Christmas cards and letters from family and friends

♥ Christmas movies and music

 

 

♥ a white Christmas

 ♥ Christmas tea with friends

 ♥ a Christmas ham from my husband's company he works for

 

 

 ♥ surprise Christmas packages

♥  belly laughs with family

  ♥ time with family and friends

 

Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile. 

♥ 

Carla 

And Then in a Twinkling

 

Our greenhouse, taking a winter nap.

 

Happy Christmas week my friends.

 We have snow.√

We are decorated.√

We have good eats.√

We have presents for all.√  Even Ernie, but it looks like he has sneaked a bit of his Christmas gift.

 

 

 

The true meaning of Christmas cannot be purchased or packed.

 For Christmas brings goodness redemption and light.

 

Ernie has sneaked a bit of his Christmas gift.

 

And helps reconnect us to all that is right.

 

 

Open your heart and be of good cheer, for now, in a twinkling... it is Christmas my dear!

 Merry Christmas my dear friends.

 ♥

Carla 

quotes by Patrick Regan 

Snow, snow, snow and it is the Hodgepodge

 

It is going to be a white Christmas. 

Snow, snow, snow, we are getting more snow. 

Now before I go shovel, it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over?  

 

I do not struggle with commercialization of the holiday season. We have a Christmas account, and that is what we can spend. We are careful to not go over budget. I would not be honest if I said, sometimes that can be difficult.

We do a daily Advent reading, that really helps keep everything in focus.

 

  2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? 

 

I want to read a few of our Christmas books that we would read aloud to the boys when they were little. I asked my husband if he would mind if we read a couple of our favorites aloud to each other, he said "that would be fun." 

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December do you send cards to mark the occasion?  

Yes, we still send out Christmas cards. We create a Christmas photo card and I write a newsletter sharing a bit of the year with everyone.

I love receiving Christmas cards and letters. I hope the price of stamps does not make the tradition fade away.

 

4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? What's your favorite?  

It is taking all the decorations down and taking down the Christmas tree.  We wait until after New Year to take it all down, it is just so pretty and I love all the twinkle. 

I love to decorate the Christmas tree. 

 

5. Let's do a little holiday this or that? 

shopping or wrapping  .. wrapping
baking or decorating .. decorating
eggnog or wassail .. eggnog
real tree or artificial .. real tree
turkey or ham .. turkey
white lights or colored lights .. colored lights
ugly sweaters or matching pjs .. matching pj's
peppermint or cinnamon .. peppermint
presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day .. Christmas Day 

 

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 

Darkness Falls

Stars Appear

Evening Angels 

Gather Here

 

Happy December and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Our Christmas cactus is starting to deck the halls, we have a lot of buds on our cactus this season, that always makes me smile.

It is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)

I think having the 'holiday spirit' is different for everyone. For me, I get excited for the first day of Advent. This will be year six that my husband and I do a daily Advent reading together. It brings the season all together for me, I am already at a 10!  

 

2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why.  

 I do enjoy the movie Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I laugh every year at Cousin Eddie and many family jokes have come from that movie. 

 

 3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition? 

 I do like gingerbread. 

We have created gingerbread houses in the past, but it is not on our calendar for this season. 

 

4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-

sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy?

 What say me... from Northern Wisconsin...

sprinkles

lightning bugs

soda

tennis shoes

sub

highway

frosting

gravy

 

 5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood. 

 

My sister and I went over to my grandparents to help my grandma decorate for Christmas. Our grandparents lived just over a mile from our family farm. During the winter we could cross country ski our farm fields to get to their house. 

A note to my dear readers, my grandpa had a glass eye. 

My sister and I were busy helping my grandma decorate for Christmas. We took a break for lunch. We were enjoying chicken soup and crackers. My grandpa had a "splash" in his soup. His glass eye had popped out and landed in his soup!

We laughed and laughed and laughed. 

And of course the saying "there is an eye in my soup became our joke."

 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.   

 

Family traditions are the glue of the generations. 

Making Chex Mix is just one of the Christmas traditions we have here at this house.  

My boys have already asked, Mom will you have this and this at Christmas.

 ♥

 

It is Winter and it is the Hodgepodge

 

While walking in a Christmas Village, our Ernie made friends with the light up dog.

We laughed as Ernie was bound to meet this fella, I was just happy he did not steal his candy-cane bone you see in the snow. 

It is Wednesday, that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? I have said game changer, utilize and period. I don't think I overuse any that I have mentioned. How many did you have to look up? I am not familiar with skibidi. Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? I would choose skibidi, because it is not really a word. Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. I am a bit surprised "word salad" is not on the list. 

 2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

Chicken Noodle.. I make it homemade, broth too!

 3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

I do not mind winter. It is a time for me to rest for the busy garden season ahead. 

We enjoy going for winter hikes, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

 

 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

I like the color. And yes you would find browns in our home and outside of our home. Our outdoor furniture is a shade of brown. You will find this color in my wardrobe.

We probably will add something of this color to our home. And I am sure I will to my wardrobe.

 

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

Mocha 

 

 

 

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

Chill out ... that is what we are doing in January. We do not have any BIG plans or entertaining we are doing in the month of January. We are working on a few projects that are leftover from 2024, organizing and cleaning, taking our time doing it.

 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A few more photos from the Prairie Farm Christmas Village we visited.

 

That little bit of snow you see has melted. We have NO snow here in Northwest Wisconsin, bare ground.

 

In Memory of the three fallen police officers who were murdered in 2023 in our village and neighboring rural community.

♥

Carla

 

Holly Jolly Christmas

 

Each December our little Village has a Christmas parade. It is always well attended and full of creative floats.

 

 

I love all the creativity.

 

 

I love all the twinkle lights!

 

 

Our friend Larry.. see his smile. He loves driving in the parade. 

 

 

Our local garbage service .. I liked Oscar the Grouch waving out from the garbage can.

 

 

Here comes my favorite float of the night. The Cameron Fire Department had HUGE blow ups. Well as you can see they are getting away. No worries, people jumped up to help hold the extra ropes so Santa and his Elf would not move around so much.

 

 And who is last to come.. Santa..riding on a firetruck.

 

 To finish the night Santa sits for you to come visit and receive a bag full of treats.

 

 

 Merry Christmas!!

 

Counting Down to Christmas and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends, it is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

1. What's one task you'd like a little Christmas elf to sneak in and take care of tonite? 

 I wanted to do more Christmas baking than I will actually have time to do. I had a few new cookie recipes I wanted to try, but if that elf does not show up, I do not think I will have time to get to those extra cookies. 

2. What's your biggest challenge during the holidays? 

I always want to do more... but we only have so many hours in a day and weeks in December. 

3. Are you a cookie baker this time of year? If your year had to be summed up in the shape of a cookie cutter what shape would it be? 

I am a cookie baker this time of year. I will be baking up my boys favorite this weekend. If my year had to be summed up in a shape of a cookie cutter what shape would it be? 

A Raised Bed,  we built my dream garden this October. We built 12 raised beds. I have always wanted a raised bed garden, I am so excited for spring and the 2025 garden season.

4. Santa likes milk with his cookies. Do you like milk? What kind of milk is on tap in your house? (whole, 2%, skim, almond, oat, etc). What's the last thing you made that called for milk?  

I do like milk. Whole milk here at our house. Milk in my oatmeal for my breakfast.. add a few walnuts and craisins. Yum!

5. Share one favorite line from a Christmas carol or holiday tune? 

At this time, I have been humming this one all day long...

 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

One of my boys favorite Christmas books when they were little. 

 

It is a $5.00 Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends,

It is Wednesday, at that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun!

 

Before we get started, last week Joyce asked about our favorite Christmas movie. I wanted to share the above book I checked out at the library. A few of the titles that make the list surprised me.

 

 1. What's the best $5 gift to give someone? 

Making plans to meet for coffee, your treat.. most coffee around my neck of the woods costs just about $5.00.

Coffee + Time with a Friend = BEST GIFT

2. What's your favorite way to relax/unwind during the busy holiday season?  

We like to sit and admire our tree. Usually in the evening, with our fireplace crackling, a few candles glowing and our tree twinkling. We will talk about our day/evening and usually start to reminisce too.  

3. How do you feel about gingerbread? Love it or no thanks? Are gingerbread houses a part of your holiday tradition? If you said yes, how does that look? Do you like ginger flavor in other kinds of dishes?  

I love gingerbread cookies.  

We have done gingerbread houses. They are not part of our yearly holiday tradition. We will not be creating one this year.

I do like ginger in other dishes, it is a favorite spice of mine.

 4. December 5th is National Blue Jeans Day...will you be celebrating? Do you have a favorite brand? A favorite pair? Do you have a hard time parting with a favorite pair of jeans? Blue jeans-joggers-leggings-yoga pants...which one do you wear most often?

 Will I be celebrating, yes. 

I wear blue jeans just about every day, in the summer I wear blue jean shorts. 

I wear a few different brands.

I do have a favorite pair of blue jean shorts. 

Yes, I have a hard time parting with a favorite pair. My favorite garden jeans are so soft from years of wear, but soon I know holes will appear in places that will not look good.  

Blue jeans are what a wear most.. love them.

 5. As we head into this holiday season what's your biggest priority or goal for the end of the year? 

I started a Bible study at the start of the year.. only a few weeks left and I am right on track to finish strong.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 ♪♫♪  For we need a little music, need a little laughter, need a little singing, ringing through the rafters ~

And we need a little snappy Happy Ever After,

Need a little Christmas NOW!   ♪♫♪

 Jerry Herman

 

 

If Ornaments Could Talk

 

Hello Friends, for our family, unwrapping each ornament and sharing the memory behind it makes decorating our Christmas tree a family tradition that we try to do together each year.

 

 

Homemade ornaments always bring back memories of school days.

 

 

Three Cheers ... for favorite sports teams.

 

 

Ornaments passed down from generations.

Ornaments rescued from a trash can. 

Oh this little angel could share a story, she was destined for the trash can at a place of employment years ago, I scooped her up and brought her home with me.

 

 

Ornaments that are gifted to us from friends and family, they all tell a story.

♥

Carla