The Meaning of Christmas...Cards

We had a quick chat about Christmas cards the other day at work and it was interesting to see that there were mixed opinions. A few that said, it wasn't their thing and others who said they liked them. I for one am in the camp of loving them. Ok fine I was probably the most vocal about loving Christmas cards, but there's a reason why. In the Green household (ie: my small family of 3), Christmas cards are kind of a big deal. Sadly I can't take any credit for it because Matt is the brain child behind it all and since we seem to always out do ourselves every year based on people's reactions, I'll continue to let him have this one. While we're not a family to follow traditions, our Christmas cards are one that we're known for and while they can be somewhat offensive to some, our cards have one purpose: Bringing joy to our friends!

It all started back in 2010 when my husband, the man with the driest sense of humor, decided that we were going to super impose ourselves onto another family's Christmas card to bring the gift of laughter to our loved ones. What started off as an experiment, and meant to be only a one time thing, has evolved into this conversational piece during the holiday season that has people asking us to include them on our mailing list and saying things like, "I can't wait to see your holiday card this year!" 

2010 Christmas Card

One year we placed our faces over the nativity scene, myself as Mary and Matt as Joseph. And when Liam was born we upped our game. Taking on those awful 80s photos headfirst and posing for family portraits in ugly Christmas sweaters a la Awkward Family Photos. As you can imagine, the woman at the Target portrait shop was having fun with our request.

2013 Christmas Card

Poor Liam was born into this tradition and until he's 18, or finally realizes what kind of embarrassment we are as parents, he's kind of stuck with it. Since the first card, we've evolved our approach, tackling on current events. Taking the most buzz worthy moments of the year and placing ourselves in those memorable events. With 2016 being focused on politics you can imagine that we had to follow the biggest news of all and Liam had no issues nailing this facial expression on the first try.

2016 Christmas Card | Card design via Minted

So you see, while Christmas cards are a great way to wish your friends and families a happy holiday, we see it as something a little more. While we would love to provide gifts to many of our friends, the closest we can get to it is the gift of laughter. It's a gift of small monetary value, but our offering behind it is whole hearted.

Happy Holidays to all!

Guilty

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I love being in my thirties. Maybe it's because I'm a recovering fat kid or maybe it's because I feel like I haven't reached my peak yet. Whatever it is I'm really loving this age. However, what comes with this age is a lot more life challenges. This whole adulting thing can be exhausting and un-expected. So while I am loving 35, I'm feeling super guilty for being happy at this age when some around me are not.

It's hard to articulate the shit that goes down when you get older. No one ever wants to admit  to things like divorces, miscarriages, depression and other life issues. They're not fun, they are really scary, but reality is that it happens. Sadly, what comes with growing older is being surrounded by stories like these and not knowing what causes them or how they can be avoided. When I hear these type of stories the first thing I ask myself is, "Was there a sign?".  While I'm not experiencing this first hand, mentally I'm trying to cope with this not for myself, but as sympathy for my friends.

2016 for us has been no walk in the park. Unfortunately we were impacted by work layoffs, not once, but twice this year which always bring stress into a family dynamic. We were lucky to bounce right back from it without feeling too phased, but this issue seems so small compared to others that can cause more damage. I'm still super content and feel good about the positive things happening in my life, but in my gut I'm feeling effects from the things friends and family are going through right now.

It's hard to tell someone, "I know how you feel" because truthfully I have no clue and I can't be that person that tries to compare my issues with something much greater. But, what I can do is listen. I'm not the best at advice and end up rambling nonsense just so it feels like it offers value. But listening I'm good at and listening I'll do.

So my kind reminder to everyone. If a loved one is going through personal challenges, listen. Have empathy and don't feel like you have to know all the answers. Sometimes listening is more valuable than anything else. If you're like me and feel guilty for things going great right now, appreciate those things. Embrace them. I'd like to think that feeling guilty is somewhat of a good thing because it's awareness that what you have is good and knowledge that things can change at any moment.

my village

I'm fresh off of a Mexican vacation and very late in saying my thanks, but good thing being thankful isn't limited to just one day a year.  This past month and this season I'm very (very) appreciative for the people in my life.  All of them.  Obviously my family and friends mean the world to me, but it goes without saying that all you readers of my blog, the Facebook friends that I haven't talked to in months, LinkedIn acquaintances that I met at networking events and even those that I merely know through mutual friends - you are part of my village.  While I hope to one day repay my debt for all the kindness and favors that have been thrown my way, for now I hope you accept my gratitude for being a part of my life.

image via etsy

cosmic kids yoga

Liam is a natural yogi.  He started yoga as part of his daycare's curriculum and he enjoys it so much that we try to practice together.  Our flow isn't anything like what you would expect from an adult class, but I must say that he's pretty stellar with his sun salutations and tries really hard to perfect his frog pose.  Since he really does enjoy yoga, I searched high and low on the YouTubes to find a toddler yoga video that keeps him engaged, has him practicing poses and offers something for us to do together.  After trying a ton of duds, I finally gave in to the many Cosmic Kids Yoga videos and we haven't turned back since.

ghosts of halloween's past

Happy Halloween!!!! In light of Liam and Matt's costumes this year, I've decided to back in time to showcase some of our favorite homemade costumes...

Marty McFly & Doc Brown

adler planetarium

It's no secret that Chicago winters are brutal and while we all suffer through it in our own painful way, I have to say that it's pretty rough with a toddler.  In fact, we dread rainy and freezing days because the chances of running around at the park or playing soccer on the field is non-existent.  So, now comes the time where we resort to all indoor activities and I have to say that one of my favorites by far is the Adler Planetarium.

teddy bear picnic at emerald city theater company

Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending a Teddy Bear Picnic at the Emerald City Theater Company for a two-year-old's birthday party.  We drive by this place weekly and I automatically assumed that it was out of Liam's age range, but alas I was mistaken and we participated in a fantastic morning of adventures with a family bears who welcomed us to their picnic.