I went to the mall to see a movie with my friends!

He said

The big event this week was Danielle’s (early) Christmas present. Danielle has not liked our dining room set for some time for a myriad of reasons wanting to update it. We both love Midcentury Modern style and that would be what we would look to replace it with. As Danielle is often scoping Facebook Marketplace for deals, and dining sets would be on her radar. Emelia had picked up on this and pulled me aside to say that’s what she’d like to give Danielle for Christmas. As I knew Danielle would love that idea, I was onboard. The only trouble was how do we surprise her and make sure we get the exact style that she would love, that would still be useful for with the daycare in the house.

Unfortunately, we ended up having to spoil the surprise and bring Danielle along in the journey. Anyone who knows Danielle knows that taking away her having to open a gift in front of others was like an added gift to her as it is one of her least favourite things to do in life. So it was win-win all the way around. The chairs were easy as we found a good deal on Amazon for a set of six Eames-styled chairs for a very good deal. We all began scoping Facebook Marketplace for a table and low & behold she found something she loved early this week. It was a set that included a table, sideboard and six chairs.

Before we knew it, we were loading up the truck Wednesday evening after we got Emelia from gymnastics. Danielle wasn’t sure she wanted to add the sideboard but after some convincing by me, she agreed to give it a try and see if she liked it. The chairs were easy—we could either sell them and recoup some of the cost of the set or keep them in case we one day do want to use them. We opted to store them for now. The sideboard… well that is still in the room right now, so I think it’s a keeper. Not to mention it gives us more storage. While it’s a bummer that she got her present a month early and there is no surprise under the tree, I think Danielle is really happy. Especially since we were able to quickly sell our old set to help offset the cost of the new one.

On Saturday while Danielle & I were going through the morning paces at a leisurely pace because I was working the close shift, while Danielle was mulling over what to do with Emelia through the day, Emelia came bounding downstairs to proclaim she had her day all mapped out. She’d had so many requests for activities to do that she actually had to say no to one because it wouldn’t for into her busy schedule. The most important request was that her besties Olivia and Kathleen wanted to know if Emelia wanted to go to the mall to see Frozen 2 with them at the movie theatre. She was over the moon at the request.

She’s gotten to the age where she wants to go and hang out with friends at the mall. And she’s reached the place where she doesn’t want to do that with Mom or Dad cause that’s not cool. And as much as a lot of what we’ve talked about the last few weeks is her independence and growing up means she’s getting older, I am really relishing these moments of letting her have her own space. It gives Danielle & I time to be who we are together. And, quite frankly it takes the pressure off having to map out and create an entertaining day – hour-by-hour – for Emelia (which if I am being honest is often Danielle’s stress).

Emelia got picked up and dropped off at the mall and away they went to spend their afternoon. She had spending money to shop of course, and I even got a call when she wanted to check a Christmas gift idea for Danielle. And much later in the afternoon, she stopped by the store after the movie to tell me how her day was going and I got to see Danielle for a bit as she was the taxi for all the kids to get to their homes. This is definitely not the first time she’s spent the afternoon with her friends at the mall, and I am certain it is not the last—it’s a right of passage for kids her age.

She said

As the holidays grow closer, the busier life seems to get for us. So, if life is busy why not throw even more things on our plates? This week was already going to be a busy one, full of sports, work, appointments, holiday prep—so we added into that furniture shopping on Facebook Marketplace, picking up said furniture, and then selling or old dining room set. On top of all of that… Organizing it all.

When John and Emelia approached me about the idea that Christmas might come earlier for me I was thrilled. I am beyond practical to a fault and that doesn’t stop when it comes to gifts, at least gifts for me. I am the person that is thrilled to kitchen gadgets and things for the house that make my life easier. This year my goal has been wanting to replace the dining room set that I haven’t loved since, well the day we bought it. John and I love mid-century modern design and I wanted more storage and a cleaner less cluttered mess.

So in searching for furniture and my obsession with Facebook Marketplace I had started seeing the style of Eames chairs I have wanted for sale, I had been showing both John and Emelia and this shifted the conversation to my gift. Needless to say I am thrilled, the set was an incredible deal, we found the chairs on Black Friday sale and the set we have is a solid wood set from the 1950s. The set was an incredible deal, the family selling it was downsizing and needed it gone fast. The room has been transformed, I have a ton of extra storage to clear even more of the daycare clutter behind closed doors and I am one happy mama.

The rest of the week we had to deal with more appointments for Emelia with more to come this coming week. This coming week is going to be another busy one, starting tomorrow with Emelia’s holiday dance for her acro and ballet. This time of year is busy but all the right kind of busy. I am almost done everything and hoping by this coming weekend that I will be sitting back all done and just enjoying the rest of the month until Christmas morning.