This year I finished my Daily December on the 28th of December, which I credit to two things-setting up my foundation pages ahead of time. (not something I’ve done frequently) and making it a priority each weekend, even though there was loads else to do for the holiday. Looking at it gave me such pleasure, it was self-motivating. I had Book Club at my house on the 14th, and it was completed though the 12th. They were so excited to see it, and it helped give me a mid-month boost! Now, pour yourself a hot drink of some kind, because a ton of photos are coming at you.

this is the opener, really. just some cute stuff in a 2×2 protector.

Day 1- The image is a phone background my daughter Alex made to give away on her blog. Here’s the actual background page, if you’re interested in your own holiday phone wallpapers.

My sister and I went to a wreath making class at a nursery located somewhere between us.

I’m often at a loss early in the month, before I’m doing too much holiday stuff, but I thought I’d point out the flavor switch from pumpkin and all of the holiday magazines that I love so much.

Using Ali’s idea of the list of five things using the tags, I made a list of my 5 favorite Christmas movies- it went along with the theme of Let’s Stay Home and the story of the 5th, which was me staying in with Alex to watch a holiday movie and play her holiday movie bingo while having hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun!

close up of back of tags

day 5

I cut down another 2×2 page for Day 6- I loved using the avery tabs on these smaller pages. I can see me doing this a lot, even in other albums.

Day 7 I was at work all day, but when I came home, the house looked so pretty all lit up, I ran across the street and took a pic!

I saved a snapchat from Alyssa, who is away at college, and put that on this page, too.

Huge fan of anything clear, so I loved the Most Wonderful Time of the Year overlay.

craziness at work.

another clear overlay

concert at the Marine Corps Museum. Journaling is in that tiny envelope.

Day 11- lunch at the boss’ house. Day 12- made these adorable candy cane spoons for my hot chocolate bar.

back of 12 and 13

Book Club at my house!

Day 15- a trip to the vet and some random comments about holiday decor and other stuff/

Day 16 continued the observations and a felt envelope from the Target Dollar Shop

I made the girls write what they really wanted for Christmas in there. (intangible or extravagant)

This was the day before my brunch so I all I did was go to work and prep for the brunch.

my brunch and a trip to see ZooLights with Mark A.

In the flip up journaling, I note how I failed to take ANY photos of my brunch once again. One day I’ll do it.

This was the day Alyssa came home and we went to the Capitol Christmas Tree and a party in the neighborhood.

This day was all about Star Wars. I included a print out of the tickets from my Apple wallet, because who knows how long that method of payment will be around. I also used pics of us in the theater and images from the web for my 2×2 squares.

detail of the tab

The other thing I did was go to my friend Susan’s tea- it was beautiful as always, and I managed to get pics of hers! She is planning to move this year, so it was a little bittersweet.

Day 21 is just 2 3×4 photos on a little strip- it’s the back, too.

I love seeing all of the edges that don’t line up!

My friend Robin suggested that we trade some pages for our albums. I was a little late getting mine to her, but the one on the right here is one of hers to me. I bought a couple of golden books and used a page from one for the left hand page. I particularly love the pocket with all of the Christmas stamps- so cute!

This is the back of that page from Robin.

Girls making cookies on the 22nd.

23 included a pizza dinner at Pattie’s, a mad paint party to finish the Christmas cards (they were scratch offs!), a gingerbread house, Tony coming home and a bag with a reindeer poking out. I thought he was so cute.

see? so cute!

There’s my boy!

24 included finally mailing cards and a trip to church. It continued to be unseasonably warm, so I put in the weather from the North Pole that day. (great idea from the Facebook group)

I always include a copy of the card in my album, although it usually shows up before Christmas Eve!

This pic was a crazy one from a photo booth they had at church!

This is the other page from Robin. She used so much confetti! I love it!

She included this quote from Luke/A Charlie Brown Christmas, which was perfect for Christmas Eve (and I had already listed it as my favorite Christmas movie back on Day 5!)

And this is a pic of us before we went to church.

Christmas morning and really bad lighting on this particular page.

loved this tag my friend Susan sent me, so I slid it in on Christmas Day.

The back of the tag is the journaling I did, to include listing all of the pics I used for the 25th.

Whole family at my sister’s with Christmas crackers after dinner.

This is the closing page to my album. Debating adding something like, until next year, but I think it is probably finished.

 

If you stuck with this post this long, you are either family or one of my scrapbooking friends. I really do love this project. This is my 8th book, so I feel like it’s kind of fun to look back through them. I wish I had been doing this when my kids were little, but older kids make things a different kind of special.