Preparing for the Holidays ~ Traveling Tote #5

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My Traveling Tote is settling in for a long winter's night!

Most often, once the weather gets cold, my tote sits in the great room filled with throws.  I am always cold, so this is my "go to" every night as I watch TV!

In November I worked in Albany for a few days and filled my tote with my computer, magazines and a shawl...



...  after work I took a short drive up to Saratoga Springs to walk the shops in town.  My goal was to begin my Christmas shopping.  Saratoga Olive Oil Company has some fabulous oils to taste and I treated myself to a bottle of Garlic Oil....

...and next door was the Savory Pantry, where I picked up some tasty treats for Christmas hostess gifts:

We almost always celebrate my birthday during the first weekend in December. We headed out on a foggy morning:

 This year my daughter, Caitlin, planned the day and we went to Rochester to see "The Christmas Carol".

  After the play we had an early dinner at The Gate House.  

  The following day John, Mom and I celebrated my birthday by having dinner at Santangelo's and the window in our booth was decorated in a Grinch theme:

There are so many events going on in December and there are some I always like to attend. 

These are a few that have become a yearly tradition:

We went to the Erie Canal Museum to see the Gingerbread House Displays:

The Everson Museum holds the Festival of Trees, all the trees are donated to the museum and sold as a fundraiser:

We shopped for the "perfect poinsettia" at Hafner's Garden Center:

And walked around to see the perfectly decorated trees - it is truly a decorator's dream !

            We also saw Lights on the Lake in Syracuse, a drive thru winter wonderland of lights along the Lake:

My large tote carried presents for girlfriends at an annual luncheon to celebrate the holidays:

And a few days later the smaller tote held a hostess gift for breakfast with another girlfriend:

I wrapped for hours one day and my tote held all the rolls of paper:

Over three hours of wrapping!

We shopped at Wegman's for my yearly "Girlfriend's Happy Hour" which I host every December in my home:

And how can you "prepare for the holidays" without a trip to see Santa?

It's a busy time of year, but Christmas is about sharing and spending time with family and friends. It’s about creating happy memories with those you love. Many of these yearly traditions are what I look forward to and it certainly keeps my spirit alive!


I wish you a blessed holiday season. May this Christmas bring you comfort, joy, peace and happiness to last throughout the coming year!


A special treat for one of my readers:

GIVEAWAY !

Leave me a comment ( an email addy, too, if you don't have a blog) below for a chance to win a MacKenzie-Childs Flower Market soap dish, Balsam scented soap from the Adirondacks and a mini soap from Cape Cod, all items purchased on my recent travels with my Traveling Tote!

A winner will be picked on Dec 27th!!

Visit my other Traveling Tote friends to see how they "prepare for the holidays":

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 

Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss CC @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Samantha with Christabel @ Samantha Stone



To read about how the Traveling Tote Series began, go HERE

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