lists.... Lists.... LISTS!

Yes I LOVE lists.... that is NO surprise to most... there are LISTS everywhere! :) But I only LOVE them, when I get to actually "CHECK" something off! It is a visual thing for me... gotta know I'm makin' progress... :)

Today, as I was reviewing my "lists" for the month of February, I remembered something that my 8 year old said to me this year... and of course I just HAD to do it, but it was a "last" minute thing, and when the "remembering" came back to me today, I decided I better ACT on it! (It's gettin kinda scary that if I don't WRITE things down, when the "THOUGHT" hits, sometimes it is gone forever...never to be "THOUGHT" of again....) So, (because I was driving) I pulled over into a parking lot, opened my 2010 calendar (good thing I had it! :) ) and starting "JOTTING" my "LISTS".....
(don't worry, I just transferred it over to my 2011 planner :))

When my oldest daughter got married, for their first Christmas, I wasn't really sure what to do for them.... A few weeks before Christmas an idea came to me to do a "BOX" filled with her FAVORITE things. Being that this was her first year not only away from home, but she was preparing to move "far" from home. They were going to be moving out of state and she was really having a hard time. So, I thought that "maybe" it would help her to feel a little bit of "HOME" on Christmas morning and to take with her. I decided to do the "BEST" I could for her husband as well.

So I found a good sturdy "box"... (I used boxes from the reams of paper from my work... they are VERY useful boxes!) The next year... I decided to do it again... and now~ A traditions has been born... I have done it every year since. I tried to make "note" of things that she and he would mention through the year that they liked.... like, "hot chocolate mixes", "OREO cookies", "SALSA" (homemade of course), and "CHIPS" (he has a favorite brand), etc... she loves "JELLY-BELLY Jelly Beans", NEW socks, Homemade Strawberry jam, Anita Stansfield & Nicholas Sparks books, they both LOVE Disney Movies, word search books... etc... So, I would just keep the list from the previous year and add to it... sometimes they would mention things that they were in need of like "flashlights", dish rags, q-tips.... sometimes silly things, sometimes their favorite "junk foods", even things that they could do together.... or even things you just don't think about until you "need" it... so I would add them to my list. I think that they have enjoyed it. One year, they both love "lap blankets" so I made them each a "lap blanket" out of fabric that was completely their personalities. It has always been something that I look forward to doing for them. I wondered if my son-in-law thought we were "CRaZy" for the "WEIRD" gift... a box of "stuff"... but, I think overall he either "tolerates" us or he really likes it. I'm going with he "LIKES" it... :)

Well, this past Christmas I had to add 2 more "My Favorite Things" boxes for my son and his wife... as I was making my list and reviewing it, asking my other children to help me because I started too late and needed them to help by listening when either of them would mention something that they liked or needed and my 8 year old said, "Mom, why don't I get a box of my favorite things?".... I didn't have a answer other than... "well, because you still live at home" and she said "Well, I still have favorite things.".... She was right. So, I immediately started to prep "My Favorite Things" boxes for ALL of the kids...

This year, I had them all save their "favorite things" gift for the last - and they opened them together. I think that this is now becoming a family tradition. I LOVE doing "My Favorite Things"... I think it is going to be MY new favorite part of Christmas... (or at least running a close race with the stocking... Not everything "fits" into the stocking...) I found it interesting that this year they were "asking" for things in their "favorite things box"... like the homemade salsa, jam and even bottled peaches! (I just gave them a case of bottled peaches and told them they have to return the jars if they want them refilled the next year. :)) OH and HOME-GROWN and MADE pickles! Trevor LOVED my pickles this year! FUNNY BOY!!! This works really well with my "homemade" Christmas!

Today, I picked up these boxes at IKEA for next year... ($7.99 for 2 - DEAL!) I'm so EXCITED! Blue for the boys... Red for the girls... I think I'm going to "collect" the boxes back every year so I can just break them down and re-use them.... good idea don't you think? :)

I think I'm going to make a large ribbon for each that has their name on it and another one that says "MY FAVORITE THINGS".

EWE!!!! I'm so excited! If I keep my LIST handy... I'll be able to easily CHECK things off it this month! YEAH!!!

I'm so GLAD that this THOUGHT hit me today! It's going to be a great "MY FAVORITE THINGS" year!

What would your "favorite things" box contain... if you had a "favorite things" box... ???

OH... I think I'll have to "hint" for a FAVORITE THINGS BOX!
:)

Oh! Don't forget to read the next post... there is a SNOWBALL fight going on! and I KNOW you want to be part of it... HURRY!!!! The fight is about to start!