|| Friday started like every Black Friday should. In my pjs, on the couch, with a hot cup of coffee, my laptop, and a leftover piece of apple pie. I scored some great deals on all my favorite shops and crossed a lot of people of my list from the comfort of my living room. I like to get a good chunk of my shopping done before December hits, but also love the energy of a few good Christmas shopping days, too.
|| Then, we decorated our Christmas trees. It was a cold and drizzly day and we spent most of it tucked inside our house. We all had a part - Beau was our setup man, I fluffed and fluffed, and the kids unwrapped every ornament we own. They were by far the most interested they had ever been and it was so sweet to see their smiles when they found a familiar favorite, or ask questions about the story behind one. We have collected SO many ornaments over the years and each and every one tells a story. Cruz took a special liking to a collection of penguin ornaments Beau collected as a kid, and Mila loved all the ones that played music for her. And while I will have quite the mess to clean up come New Years Day with all the unorganized unwrapping, it was well worth it giving them the room to explore it on their own.
|| We almost skipped out on this year's Holiday Hoopla. It was rainy and drizzly when we left the house, and decided we'd go grab something to eat and either hit Main Street or skip it and snuggle in for a movie instead. But there's just something about downtown at Christmas that makes you feel like you're stepping right into a Hallmark movie. The windows were dressed up especially pretty this year, the twinkly lights reflected on the wet streets, and the kids' eyes sparkled as they leaped over puzzles and giggled their way down the sidewalk. There was a buzz in the air and a magical anticipation that something big was going to happen that night.
|| Our favorite street side booth was open at Wilbos, and we decided to camp out there for a good part of our evening. Planted right across the street from the charming Black Hawk Hotel and Oster Regent, this little burger and drink lab makes me feel like I'm in New York City. And because we just couldn't give up prime seating like this on Holiday Hoopla night, I dashed into Peekaboo and purchased a $7 puzzle game to keep us busy and entertained. It worked like a dream! These kind of nights are my favorite - it felt like we were a thousand miles away in our own downtown.
|| By the time we made our way to see how Santa would surprise us this year, the rain had stopped and the temps were in the upper forties. The crowds were noticeably smaller this year and the kids could actually move! We found Jordan and Kelli and all made our predictions of how Santa would arrive. And it was Beau whose prediction was on point. As the kids anxiously awaited their turn to bump the giant clear beach balls back in the air, Beau said, "I'll bet Santa's going to show up in a big one of those."
Nailed it!
|| It was probably my favorite Holiday Hoopla to date. Don't get me wrong, I was thoroughly impressed with Santa scaling down the side of a building or flying in on a helicopter, but this whole snow globe and snowflake parade was right up my alley. There was choreographed music, sweet little kids dressed like elves, and snow machines everywhere, including from our very own Buddy the Elf. And as the kids looked to the sky and squinted as blankets of Buddy's snow chilled all their faces, it reminded me of Disney. And if that didn't do it, the march down Main Street, across busy 1st Street, and the impressive fireworks show would have convinced me otherwise. There was even a train just as the finale hit. Welcome, Christmas - the most wonderful time of the year!
|| We ended our Friday night with our first cups of cocoa from the cocoa bar, bags of popped popcorn, and the Christmas Chronicles. What a fun night.
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