Black Friday

Sydney and I decided that we would start our day together on a fun shopping adventure.  Oakridge Centre, the mall right beside her preschool, was opening at 7:00am for Black Friday today, the first time ever that this tradition has crossed the border into Canada!

So we hauled ourselves out of bed at 6:30am, put on our clothes, jumped in the car and headed straight there after a quick pit stop at Cobs bakery for croissants, breakfast on on the run!

We had such fun shopping together!  I finally got around to using the Crate and Barrel gift card that my friend Brandie sent me for my birthday and picked up some fun items at great prices.

By the time I dropped Syd at school at 8:45am the trunk of my car was nicely packed with bags.  It was a fun morning shopping together!

I am officially finished my Christmas shopping for this year, right on schedule as my goal is always to be done by the end of November.  It felt fitting when I arrived home today to find our first Christmas gift from one of Paul's colleagues, a beautiful box of the most decadent baked treats from Butter bakery awaiting us!

Syd was pretty thrilled to see that the lobby in Paul's building was decked out for Christmas already!

Today at school Sydney's class had their annual Hanukkah party together.  The kids ate latkes and sugar cookies and together we all sang songs and celebrated together before lighting the menorah.  Such a special time together, I was choking tears back thinking that this will be my last year celebrating together in this precious classroom with Jen and Carmen!

The kids brought home some very special presents, a handmade and painted menorah that they had built  and painted in class, a beautiful Hanukkah card and a loot bag filled with goodies from their teachers.

We have had a wonderful couple of nights celebrating the second and third night of Hanukkah at home as well.  Sydney is saying the blessing for the candles all on her own this year, it's amazing!  She got a very sweet ladybug purse with matching scrunchie and a fairy princess for her gifts the past couple of nights, both handmade items that I picked up at the Circle Craft fair this year.

Yesterday we met up with my brother for lunch downtown to deliver Christmas gifts for himself and his girlfriend Stephanie.  After lunch I decided to take Syd to the German Christmas market that's happening downtown.  What a lovely market filled with the most beautiful Christmas ornaments and gifts, amazing food and activities and a giant carousel which Sydney absolutely loved riding on!

Last night I met up with my friend Sarah and six other Moms for dinner at Vinoteca restaurant, a fun new wine bar in Kits.  We had a fun visit together and I enjoyed meeting some new Moms as well!  Had a yummy veal marsala for dinner, couldn't resist taking a picture!

We have a packed fun filled weekend ahead of us, three parties, book club, a craft fair and Disney on Ice.  Looking forward to seeing my feet hit the ground sometime late Sunday night!