One Man's Trash - Vintage Christmas Decor

Aaahhh, yes, it's definitely that time again.  Oh, how I love Christmas!  And my love of all things vintage has certainly found it's way into my holiday decor.  You might remember that I posted a lengthy entry last Christmas about some of my favorite vintage Christmas decorations.  If you missed it, you can check it out here. And now it's time to add to that just a bit more.  

I may have also mentioned before that each year in October, Nashville hosts it's biggest and best flea market of the year, and we are always there.  This year was no exception.  And I was delighted to find so many vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations there once again.  I could have filled an entire truck load, but sadly we are running out of storage space for all my Christmas wares, so I try to limit myself to only my absolute favorites. 

So without further ado, let me show you my mini haul.

Let's start first with my stuffed Santa.  I LOVE him!  He is vintage at it's finest.  Although for some silly reason, John is a little frightened by him.  Sounds like maybe someone has been naughty is all I can think.  Santa and I, however, are on excellent terms, and I have displayed him high atop my living room bookcase for all to see.  In any case, this little jewel rang in for around $10. 

And then there are the Santa mugs.  It is not uncommon to find these old mugs in flea markets, and especially at this time of year.  Aren't they adorable?  Also not uncommon is to see the winking Santa depicted on a mug.  Although I am just now realizing as a look at this photo that I seem to have scored one of each Santa mug- one with both eyes open, one completely blinking, and one with a wink. Sweet!  Each of these came from a different vendor, and I paid between $1- $2 for each. 

And I'm not 100% sure what this Santa was supposed to be, but I really like it.  It's like a big weeble, and it does open, although it's not a nesting doll.  In any case, I loved the vintage look of this fellow and brought him home for $4.

And drumroll please....  The best is always saved for last.  Check out these awesome Shiny Brites. When I found the vendor selling these, I had never seen anything like it.  It was literally tables and tables upon more tables FULL of shiny brite ornaments.  Most were loose, so you could pick your own favorites without having to buy a full set of any one kind.  As you can see, this wasn't the original box for these ornaments, but I did mix and match them quite a bit so I was just glad this vendor had any box that (mostly) fit them.  I did find one that declares the favorite greeting "Merry Christmas", and quite a few donning snowflakes and candy canes, along with a couple of snazzy bells.  SCORE!  I can't quite remember the cost on these.  I know the vendor priced them individually but gave you a deal if you bought them by the dozen.  A dozen Shiny Brites?  Don't mind if I do!

So there it is, folks.  Another successful pick from the Nashville flea market.  And this one is right in time for this loveliest of all seasons!  I hope your Christmas decorating is going well, and that your holiday home is both shiny and brite!

Endless Hope, Relentless Joy Started with a Baby Boy

A few years back, I was all too happy to embrace the skinny tree trend.  Sadly, though, it doesn't leave a whole lotta room for the abundance of ornaments I have collected over the years.  You may remember this little box from this previous post.  It's basically an old Coke crate screwed to the wall to create a handy little display box.  It usually houses tiny toys.  They now have been retired until next year, and a collection of ornaments take their place:

Just a few months back, I found this typewriter at a yard sale.  Howard cleaned up the keys and I promptly displayed it.

I dug out an old Christmas stationery set, and Charlotte went about making out a list for herself, while Emma dictated hers to Charlotte.  I displayed it in my newfound typewriter:

It seemed like I had a bunch of Christmas odds and ends leftover to decorate my mantel.  That would never do!  So, I took to Pinterest for some ideas.  Now, I see why everyone loves a chalkboard.  I made this chalkboard out of a picture frame.  (Directions in that same post--you may have noticed as the toy box.) When I decided to use it in my Christmas decorating, I knew just what I wanted on it, as we had been listening to Christmas music for days and days.  Here is the song (in case you're wondering):

It is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs because of this very verse:

100 Things to Do This Winter

I know, I know, we're jumping the gun again here. Winter doesn't technically start until December 21 (and runs through March 20 for those of you keeping track). BUT we've already had our first snow, and I don't know about you, but the Walkush household is already in full Christmas mode. So, it seems as though Winter is upon us. Let's just say we're getting a head start on these fun activities.

But for those of you who might be squeezing the last drops of fun out of Fall, pop over to our 100 Things to Do This Fall List (or pin it for next Fall). And don't forget we also have an awesome 100 Things to Do This Summer List and 100 Things to Do This Spring List - so check those out too.

Today's list is 100 things you might want to consider doing with your family this Winter. Some are activities the kids can do by themselves, and some they might need help with. And some are all for you!

And to show you that these are activities that we Harris Sisters endorse, I have included links and photos of our own experiences with many of these suggestions. Enjoy!

1. Play Christmas Music

2. Wrap Christmas Presents (Need help? Try our blue, red and green, or neutral free Christmas printables.)

3. Have a Christmas Movie Marathon

4. Catch Snowflakes on Your Tongue

5. Go Through Your Old Toys and Collect Any You Can Donate

6. Go for a Sleigh Ride or a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride

7. Make Christmas Goodies

8. Make Homemade Christmas Ornaments

9. Make Snow Cream

10. Blow Bubbles Outside on a Very Cold Day to See if They Will Freeze

11. Make a Gingerbread House

12. Make Magic Reindeer Food

13. Drive Around the Neighborhood and Look at Christmas Lights

14. Write a Parody of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas That Includes the Year’s Most Memorable Events

15. Go Caroling

16. Make a Special Christmas Day Breakfast

17. Make Mulled Cider or Wassail

18. Play Shadow Puppets

19. Read Red Ranger Came Calling

20. Have a Snowball Fight

21. Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater

22. Read How Murray Saved Christmas

23. Make a Snow Fort

24. Make Gingerbread Pancakes

25. Play 20 Questions

26. Fold and Cut Paper Snowflakes

27. Make Soup

28. Go Sledding

29. Bake Cookies

30. Research, Create, and Play a Game of Christmas Trivia

31. Fly Paper Airplanes

32. Make Hot Cocoa

33. Donate Food to a Local Food Bank

34. Track Santa’s Progress on NORAD

35. Leave Cookies and Milk for Santa

36. Visit Friends and Family Members on Christmas Day

37. Play with Your New Toys

38. Go Ice Skating

39. Tell Jokes

40. Make a Fort Out of Pillows and Blankets

41. Read a Book by the Fire 

42. Make Snow Angels

43. Make Fondue

44. Go Snow Tubing

45. Put Food Coloring and Water in Spray Bottles and Use It to “Paint” Snow

46. Make Homemade Shrinky Dinks  

47. Take Photos of Trees Covered in Snow and Icicles 

48. Take a Long Bubble Bath

49. Build a Snowman

50. Assemble a Jigsaw Puzzle

51. Visit a Local Monument or Historical Site

52. Start Planning Your Family’s Summer Vacation

53. Make Goodies for a New Year’s Party

54. Watch the Ball Drop and Count Down to the New Year

55. Sing Auld Lang Syne

56. Eat Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens for Luck on New Year’s Day

57. Make New Year’s Resolutions

58. Go Through Photo Albums and Remember the Year’s Best (and Maybe Worst) Times

59. Give Yourself a New Year’s Makeover

60. Celebrate the New Year with a Sparkling Cider or Milkshake Toast

61. Blow Party Horns, Throw Confetti, and Maybe Set Off Any Remaining Summer Fireworks

62. Buy Girl Scout Cookies While They’re Available

63. Watch Groundhog Day (the movie) on Groundhog Day

64. Watch Punxsatawney Phil to See Whether We’ll Have an Early Spring!

65. Make Goodies for a Super Bowl Party

66. Watch the Super Bowl, the Half Time Show, or at Least the Commercials

67. Order Takeout to Celebrate Chinese New Year (Don’t Forget the Fortune Cookies!)

68. Sort the Messages in a Bag of Conversation Hearts. Look for Unique Ones.

69. Decorate for Valentine’s Day

70. Make a Heart Shaped Pizza for Valentine’s Day Dinner

71. Make Valentine’s Day Ice Cream Floats with Strawberry Soda and Vanilla Ice Cream

72. Give (Chocolate) Hugs and Kisses to Your Favorite Person

73. Learn How to Say “I Love You” in Different Languages

74. Make Homemade Valentines

75. Visit an Indoor Bounce House

76. Make a Meal from Another Country or Culture

77. Make Marshmallow Shooters

78. Eat King Cake on Fat Tuesday

79. OR Celebrate National Pancake Day with IHOP 

80. Go to a Planetarium

81. Play a Game of Dominoes or Set Them Up in a Row and Knock Them Down 

82. Celebrate Leap Year (If It’s the Year for One) or Learn About When We’ll Have the Next One

83. Have a Bubble Gum Blowing Contest

84. Complete a Word Search

85. Make Popcorn and Try Different Toppings

86. Have a Family Game Night

87. Have a Family Slumber Party (Drag Out the Inflatable Air Mattresses for Mom and Dad!)

88. Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday on March 2nd

89. March Is National Reading Month – Celebrate by Reading Some of The Harris Sisters’ Must-Read Books 

90. Celebrate National Grammar Day on March 4th

91. Play a Game of Checkers or Chess

92. Set Your Clocks Forward for Daylight Saving Time

93. Eat Pie on National Pie Day on March 14th

94. Practice Knitting or Crocheting (or Learn How)

95. Wear Green for St. Patrick’s Day

96. Eat Skittles for a St. Patrick’s Day Snack

97. Look for Four Leaf Clovers!

98. Mix Sprite and Lime Sherbet for a St. Patrick’s Day Treat

99. Eat an Entire Meal Made of Green Food

100. Eat Lucky Charms on St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast

This post contains affiliate links.