Here's the little book I told you

about earlier...

 I started with a little hard-bound children's book that was about little cats... 

And decorated it with lots of layers on the front...

 You'll see that I left some of them visible throughout --

 I enjoyed the little class I took over at Big Picture Classes because they gave photo ideas as well as the basic layouts to guide the outcome.... I think it's available again this year...

 I used supplies I had on hand...

[including some of my wrapping paper that I LOVED.]

 And I included a favorite quote I saw around facebook and pinterest...

Y'all know I enjoy decorating 

so it's fun to have a little record of where I put things each year 

since I always end up changing it all up!

And of course, I adapted it to meet the happenings in our lives...

[Love the little AUbie sticker that I put a Santa hat on!]

 It's fun to record some of the special treats we have too!

[Snowman marshmallows were an idea from pinterest!]

 I also made a point to snap a photo while we were out shopping.

Notice - I kept the cats on the stair case...

[Side Note: we were both SO SICK during this time... 

We were doing good to just be out and about - ha.]

 We loved being with our mothers last year.

My mother-in-law knits the most beautiful Christmas stockings

and my mama always loved to pull together baked goodies for those she loved...

 LOVE that our church has started having our Christmas Eve Service 

at a local baseball stadium so that all the campuses 

[and anyone in the community] can celebrate our Savior's Birth together!

Last year I added another idea from pinterest to our stair way -

I think those plain little stockings with initials looked pretty cute.

 We so love just being with our boys... 

These days we tend to stuff the stocking with few packages to open -- 

Being together is the best present of all!

[Can you say gift cards, anyone? ha.]

 And of course we get together with extended family too.

[I have other layouts in my chronological albums

 that have more photos of these gatherings.]

 And I love this photo of the youngest on the day after Christmas - 

Just sitting in the living room, calmly reading a new book with the tiny dog on his lap and the aftermath of Christmas strewn all around him...

-- Hope this gives you some ideas for Christmas layouts as well as 

how to use a regular book for a mini album.

It's something I'm enjoying more and more these days --