That's a wrap

With Christmas just around the corner, it feels good to have most of my gifts purchased and wrapped.

This year I have all the presents in a basket on top of an old-fashioned sled underneath the Christmas tree.

The wrapping paper is from Home Goods. 

I thought this gray and white herringbone pattern was cute and would look nice accented with some bright red ribbon.

The gift tags also are from Home Goods. 

Love that place!

I've seen so many great wrapping ideas for presents on Pinterest this season.

Here are a few favorites:

Speaking of wrapping, Destiny USA (the premier Shopping Center in Upstate New York) asked me to participate in their holiday campaign called "Unwrap Your Memories" by sharing a holiday memory.

It is hard to choose one memory as every Christmas with my family has something memorable and special about it. But, there is one memory and childhood tradition that sticks out in my mind.

Every Christmas Eve when my siblings and I were little, my parents had a plan of getting us kids to bed early so that the adults would have some peace and quiet.

The plan consisted of one of the adults at the holiday party sneaking outside with a mounted deer head that my dad had hanging in the garage. 

They would put the deer head up to the window from outside and our parents who were inside with us would exclaim "Look! One of Santa's reindeer is outside. You better get to bed if you want Santa to leave presents". 

 Upon seeing this moving "reindeer" head out of our living room window, the three of us would scream and book it upstairs and jump under the covers as fast as we could.

It was scarring and hilarious all at the same time.

Thanks mom and dad for the memories haha!

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory or tradition?

- Caitlin