Preparing for the Holidays ~ Traveling Tote #5

Leave a comment below to be entered in the giveaway!

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

Wow Us Wednesday

Erie Canal Museum - The Gingerbread Houses

The Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse hosts a Gingerbread House display each year.  Participants are sponsored by local businesses and the gingerbread houses are showcased behind glass in this room:

My favorite was this depiction of the NY State Fair - they highlighted the favorite aspects of the Fair, the butter sculpture, the milk bar, the livestock, culinary competitions and the sand sculpture. The Ferris Wheel is made of gingerbread!:

This was the "happiest" house, decorated to perfection!:

The train leaving the station was a unique display:

And this baker created a display that depicts the elephant exhibit at the local Zoo

The "Octagon House" is in the rear and elves are sleeping in a tent in the foreground:

This weathered and dilapidated lighthouse was amazing!:

This is a yearly event held at the museum - It's always a fun way to spend an hour during the holidays!

Candy Pizza.....

What a surprise it will be to open a pizza box and find a Candy Pizza, rather than a cheese pizza!!

Gather together a variety of chocolate, or chocolate buttons....

...and then gather some M&Ms, nuts, mini chocolate candies, sprinkles, etc....

Cover the bottom of a round pan with waxed paper or parchment.  I put 2 cross-cross strips so i can lift it out of pan easily....

Melt the chocolate in the microwave.  I mix dark, milk and white chocolates for a delicious flavor.  Pour it into the pan and immediately decorate with your candies...

....then drizzle with melted peppermint chocolate and add some sprinkles!

Wrap the pizza in plastic wrap and place it into a pizza box!  Won't my neighbor be surprised to see this sweet surprise inside a pizza box?

An inexpensive way to gift wrap....

These are quick and easy to make!  

Get a few large tin cans from a local school or restaurant and spray paint it.

Drill a hole in each side for ribbon or jute, to create a handle....

Paint a wooden character and glue on the front:

And finally, fill it with a sweet present!

Sharing with Hope Studios

Christmas Table Setting Ideas, from year's past....

I am trying to decide how I will set the table for Christmas Dinner this year, so I looked through some old photos of past settings I used during December.

We have an intimate Christmas Eve dinner and a crowd on Christmas Day!

This was last year....can you see the Christmas Crackers on each plate?

Never again!!  What a mess of confetti everywhere - but it sure was fun!!  This is what my pretty table looked like after dinner!!

I am stumped, but thinking I might go with a green cream and white setting, maybe something woodsy?  

Do you plan your table settings ahead of time?

What's Black, White and Red?

My table!

This is an informal luncheon table set with enamel from Pottery Barn and MacKenzie-Childs!

I made silverware "pockets" out of wired burlap ribbon and wired checked ribbon:

The centerpiece is a sleigh I hand painted last year, filled with a candle wrapped in the same burlap ribbon, and some greens:

Candy cane stitched napkins are tucked into glasses:

The red Pottery Barn enamel bowls ....

....are placed on Pottery Barn star dishes...

...on top of M-C enamel dinner dishes...

...on top of PB enamel chargers!

A perfect setting for salad and quesadillas!

HERE are the directions to make the "pockets":

Sharing with TT