After Christmas Clean Up

Merry week after Christmas to you.  How are you spending this week?  As is my normal practice, I’m all over after-Christmas clean up.

I’m always anxious to clean my house and put Christmas décor away, but this year it seems really fitting because our temps are in the 70s and spring cannot be far away.

I know.

I’m decorating for spring on December 26^th.

But the skies are blue, our doors are open and one naughty cat is outside.

We had a week or two of pretty chilly weather and we cozied up to the fireplace and sparkly lights every evening and early morning.

Now cozy seems like a thing of the past.

Early Monday morning, I started taking everything apart, vacuuming furniture, and cleaning up sparkles from every decoration and Christmas card we received.

I may never get the sparkles off my cheeks and nose.

The house was a mess. Here’s the before and after of the family room.

But I kept after it and by around one o’clock I was finished and ready to sit down to my computer.

And get out for a bike ride.

Ditch the Alcohol

The most wonderful long weekend full of friends and food and games and really, really good wine made me feel so spoiled and special.

But it’s time to get back to reality. I’m ditching the alcohol. I won’t bore you with a Dry January (nor am I suggesting January will be dry), but time to slow down a bit.

DF Denisse brought me tons of lemons from her neighborhood. It is easy to turn sparkling water into a special drink with citrus. So easy and it is helping me not miss the wine I have been treating myself to.

Denisse also brought us these flowers on Christmas day.  Can you see why I’m so ready for spring around here?

Christmas Cake

Our dear neighbors Gary and Suzanne hosted Christmas Eve Italian dinner and our son Ryan brought us a gorgeous strawberry sheet cake.

If you are a Phoenix local and want to check them out, their Instagram is bakingbatchesaz and their email is Bakingbatches211@gmail.com.

I can highly recommend them!

Wrap Up

I am overflowing with blessings this season and I’m praying you are too.  Thank you for taking this journey with me and I’m looking forward to shaking things up soon for 2023.