christmas

Count Down To Christmas: Marine Corps Christmas Ornaments

December 2, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

USMC Christmas Ornaments

I love the holiday season and everything about it including Christmas carols, outdoor light displays, making candy, baking cookies, and especially my Marine Corps Christmas Ornaments.

To me, Christmas trees are a journey through life and memories of family and friends. Every year I open our ornament box and it’s a journey through our family history. It’s more than just commercialism and buying gifts. It’s preserving memories.

I Love Christmas Tree Ornaments

My Christmas tree is a memory tree, each ornament has a meaning or is significant. The tradition is each year I buy a Christmas ornament for each one of my kids which represents their life for that year. The promise is when each of them gets married and starts a family their box of ornaments will go with them to start their own family tree.

For instance, when my daughter played softball, it was a softball athlete ornament. When we took a ski trip to Colorado it was a skiing ornament from the resort. You get the picture.

Marine Moms are very sentimental and I would have to say every Marine Mom in the country has at LEAST one Marine Corps Christmas Ornament on their tree. In fact, I know some Marine Moms who decorate patriotic Christmas trees in a with red, white and blue ornaments and accents.

Our tradition is to open the ornaments first on Christmas Eve and although my boys don’t like to be Motards with a lot of Marine Corps paraphernalia. But they do like and appreciate their Marine Corps Christmas ornaments and look forward to them every year. This ornament is the first one I gave to my oldest son his first year in the Corps.

I’ve started shopping for this years, but I can’t spoil the surprise for my boys my posting it here. So for those Marine Mom’s looking for Marine or military holiday decorations or themed Christmas tree ornaments here are a few selections.

Marine Corps Ornaments on Amazon

I like Amazon, it’s fast, reliable, and if there are any shipping issues it’s taken care of promptly. They also have the biggest selection and have just about EVERYTHING! How do you like to decorate your tree, is it thematic, color coordinated, or a memory tree?

Cohen Christmas Version of Hallelujah

December 1, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Leonard Cohen Christmas Hallelujah

Welcome to my 25-day countdown to Christmas. I kick it off with Leonard Cohen Christmas version of Hallelujah and I hope I will be able to post every day during the month of December and throughout the holiday. I even downloaded the Cloverton version of the Christmas Leonard Cohen mp3 classic.

As you can see, I’m very addicted to Christmas songs and carols and love this version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. It is similar to the Easter version I posted earlier this year. I absolutely love this melody and I’m so glad Christ is playing a central role in the song during cover versions.

Pretty Floral Piano Music Tote Bags
by Music4LifeLLC

Hallelujah Christmas [Accompaniment/Performance Track]Hal Leonard Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen arranged for piano, vocal and guitar

I do have a rule for Christmas music, it can’t be played until December 1st, I don’t like going into a store around Halloween and hearing Holiday music, I want to enjoy the fall holidays, celebrate Thanksgiving and then jump into December with gusto. My Pandora list is set on Classic Christmas music and I take out my piano sheet music to get ready for Advent services on Wednesday night.

Piano Music Tote Bags for Piano Players
by Music4LifeLLC

With that being said, I kick off the Christmas season today, December 1st with this version of Hallelujah for Christmas. Enjoy

Cloverton Christmas Christmas Hallelujah

If you want to play or sing the Cloverton Christmas Christmas Hallelujah song here are some options. I’m sure it’s going to be a very popular Christmas choral piece with many choirs.

Hallelujah Christmas [Accompaniment/Performance Track]A Hallelujah Christmas (Cloverton Inspired) for solo and band. Leonard Cohen Parady A Hallelujah Christmas (Cloverton Inspired) for solo FULL ORCHESTRA. Leonard Cohen A Leonard Cohen Christmas

Terminal Lance: Dueling Knife Hands

January 21, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

I rocked this past Christmas! Yup, got the perfect gifts for my Marines, “Terminal Lance” a comic for Marines, written by a United States Marine. It just so happened my Lance Corporal son opened his Knifehand comic before his brother, the Corporal. What ensued was quite the scene.

United States Marine opens Christmas gift — “This is Awesome”

As David opened his present a smirk came across his face. He immediately covered the title and began to tease and taunt his older Marine brother. “You won’t guess what I got, and you can’t have it! It’s awesome!” (said with great possessiveness and gloating)

“You don’t get one. You’re no longer a Lance, so you’re no longer part of the underground” The taunting continues, remember these are men (did I just say that of my sons??) and they are quibbling like six year olds.

After about 30 minutes the Marine Corporal got to his copy of “Knife Hands, Terminal Lance” under the tree.

You can pretty much get the gist of the conversation just by the expression on his face. “I do so rank! I have my own copy of Terminal Lance, so there! HA!”

Terminal Lance is a mature comic written by Lance Corporal Maximilian Uriarte, USMC to poke fun at the various absurdities in the Marine Corps. Both my sons love this comic and my youngest had me send his the weekly editions during boot camp.

Each comic is accompanied by an essay that explains the back story. If you’re a Marine Mom I caution, before you head to the Terminal Lance site, you may not want to read the essays. They may render you blind. But it’s Marine, adult, male humor, and not meant for Mom’s. I made this mistake last summer as I read one particular essay and immediately had a visual image of my youngest son I did NOT want in my brain.

I do read the website, and the Facebook page, because, in a way it’s how I understand my boys. I learn a little of the lingo, a little Marine culture, and thus feel as though I share a part of their lives.

MCRD San Diego at graduation and I’ve watched many YouTube videos with several drill instructors getting in a boot’s face with several knife-hands.

Terminal Lance Sample Comics

Marines Engage In Reckless Behavior Due To Lack Of Safety Brief (duffelblog.com)
Just don’t call him Mad Dog (utsandiego.com)
Required Reading for Marines

Don’t forget to visit my CafePress Marine and Military store if you are looking for custom Marine Corps gifts. Just click on the image below and it will take you right there.

Christmas Family Games on the 9th Day of Christmas

January 2, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Playing Christmas Family Games Brings Back my Childhood

Talk about getting excited? While having our second Christmas at my in-laws I spotted a favorite childhood game in the cabinet. Mattels “Tip It!“!

Tip it board game — Matell Tip It, Vintage Game with circus man

Oh, how I remember this game and how this wobbly little circus man on top made me laugh. Everyone in the room thought I was slightly crazy, and I thank them for not laughing at me. They even indulged me with a game!

While I remember playing the game, I couldn’t remember how to set it up or the rules. So, for those who have forgotten. The short stick goes under the yellow base, place the yellow coins on the pegs and then the long stick in the middle hole.

Vintage Mattel Tip It Game

Don’t forget the little black gravity ring that slides onto the stick. This is VERY important! If you leave it off the result is a very difficult game with a very wobbly man on top. Slide the doughnut closer to the base and it’s a little easier. Note where our gravity doughnut is placed? Last, balance the nose of the little man on the top of the stick.

Now comes the playing. After selecting who goes first (person who spins red first) spin the spinner and remove the appropriate coin from the peg without the little man falling off the top. One by one each person is eliminated as the circus man tips off his perch. Seems there is always one color which doesn’t get selected and the tower becomes heavy on one side. Then players start praying “Noooo not blue!” because you just know you’re going to TIP IT!

You can still buy Mattels Tip It from Amazon and although it more modernized, and harder with more pegs. The little man has been replaced, which is disappointing, but I’m sure it will result in the same feeling of silly laughter.

I read the directions online and they have changed a little, but feel free to make up your own “house rules”, kinda like UNO, which we also played.

Who won? My son David who was home on leave from the Marine Corp. He also won three games of UNO, and two out of three games of the card game speed.

Humanity Hates the Holidays (80 White Cards, 30 Black Cards) – The Adult Card Game For Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Kwanza Christmas Trivia Christmas Charades Board Game Pass The Ugly Sweater Card Game

8th Day of Christmas

January 1, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Vintage Christmas Santa Claus

Santa Claus has his busy night on December 25th, but it doesn’t mean he goes away for another year. In many homes, he lives in the hearts and minds of those that keep the spirit of giving in their hearts.

I love to relive childhood memories and although my kids have grown beyond Santa it brings a smile to my face to remember those days when I did believe. My Godmother gave me a vintage Christmas Santa Claus (the same one pictured below) and it is over 50 years old.

Ironically my husband received the same Santa. His sister though this was a scary Santa and was afraid of him sitting on the couch. My husband thinks he looks mean, but I loved his real feel Santa beard and always had him propped

This is just one more thing we have in common.

I won’t say how old my husband is, but he just had a milestone birthday and I did call the Santa vintage. Better term than “old” I think don’t you? All I will say is sometime in the 1960’s “Vintage Santa” graced our households and Christmas trees.

Christmas Family Traditions

What are some of your favorite holiday Christmas traditions?

Do you cook special food on Christmas Eve?

Are Christmas cookies part of your families holiday tradition?

How about when you open presents? Do you wear Santa Hats like we do?

Maybe you have an Elf on the Shelf tradition?

Tell me your Holiday Christmas Traditions, I’ll include them in a list.

Elf on The Shelf Plush Dolls, One Set (Boy and Girl)Elf on the Shelf:A Christmas Tradition (blue-eyed boy scout elf)

Fun Christmas Family Games

Our traditions include the children’s’ program at the children’s’ Christmas Eve service, cinnamon rolls, and opening presents ONE at a TIME with the Santa hat. Stayed tuned for more of our Christmas traditions as we expand our family.