The Naples Boat Parade is one of our favorite yearly traditions. Sylvie's friend Koa's grandparents have a house in Naples that they invite everyone to for Christmas music and homemade tamales and lots of other yummy food. This year there was even one boat in the parade with a menorah, a Christmas tree and a peace sign. It's like they knew I was coming! [Check out Boat Parade pictures 2008 and 2007.]
Instead of a traditional gift exchange with girlfriends this year, we did a "favorite things" party. Each person chooses one of their favorite things that costs $6 or less and buys five of them, then there is an exchange and everyone leaves with five of their friends' favorite things. It was so much fun to learn about some of my friends' favorite things (and drink mimosas and eat the world's best bacon)! Some of the "favorite things" were nail polish, Golden Spoon gift cards, wine, Caldrea cleaner, Coffee Bean gift cards, champagne, earrings, and gingerbread house kits. Read about Denise's fabulous gingerbread gift and check out pictures of the party over on Denise's blog.
When I was struggling to come up with a favorite thing to share at the party, Denise sent me a picture from somewhere in blogland of homemade caramel sauce tied up with an apple. It was exactly the kind of cute and inexpensive gift that's perfect for neighbors and co-workers, so we copied it using Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce. This sauce is YUM. Be sure to eat it with apples because that way it's healthy. We tied ours up with these printable gift tags. [Homemade gifts weren't happening this year, but if they were I love this hot chocolate on a stick.]
The girls and I joined Besta for the children's Christmas performance at her church. The kids put on such a great show! The theme song is still firmly stuck in my head.
But I think our favorite Christmas performance this year was the fabulous rendition of "Let it Snow" by Daddy's 2nd graders! Sylvie had so much fun visiting Thomas' school. Although she was too shy to say hello to any of his fellow teachers and did a lot of hiding behind legs, she was totally assertive and engaged with his students. 2nd graders can be pretty in your face but she didn't seem to mind at all. She took a seat at a desk right in the middle of them and joined them on their Christmas tree puppet project. And when Thomas asked her to come to the front of the classroom to be his helper, she stood up there and said things like, "I like how this table is sitting quietly." When the school day was over and I was ready to leave, Sylvie wouldn't hear of it so she stayed with her Daddy while Nora and I went home. I think we may have a future teacher on our hands.
Remember how we were deckin' the halls last year?
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