this could take all day

December 18

Making sugar cookies! This isn't my favorite Christmas activity, but I love eating the darn things so much that I couldn't resist taking on this project. (Plus, we had to have some fun things to leave out for Santa.)

Daisy helped out with the first batch, which was a lesson in patience for me. Toddlers don't quite understand how to arrange the cookie cutters in order to maximize the rolled-out dough, instead choosing to place the cookie cutter right in the middle and go to town. Lots of re-rolls were necessary.

I decided to make a second batch during naptime, and since Darin got off work early he was able to snap some pictures. Daisy woke up and wanted to help again, and luckily I was almost done this time!

The spread and the girls at camp's Christmas party. We had fun eating good food, chatting with friends, and laughing at the white-elephant gifts. And Daisy chased her new friend Rosie around all night. (Poor Daisy freaked out: 'my fiend, my fiend go!?" when Rosie took a bathroom break.)

December 17

All ready for a full morning at MOPs: adopt-a-family gift, ornament for exchange, craft supplies, steering-team-favorites gift (think Oprah's favorite things) and volunteer gifts. It was an awesome morning and despite toting along my camera I didn't take a single picture.

December 16

All dressed up and ready to go to a Christmas party. Had a great time with a great group of friends eating, laughing, exchanging re-gifts white-elephant style, attempting rock band, playing catch fraise, and enjoying yummy spiked egg nog. One of my favorite December memories so far this year.

December 14

I know it's pretty silly to put lights on our house, as very few people will ever see them. But they make me so very happy to drive home to. And my smart hubby hooked them up to our light-sensitive walkway lights, so I don't even have to remember to turn them on!

And our tree looks so lovely there in the window too.

(I freaked Darin out a big when I pulled up from being gone and din't come in right away, but instead took a few moments to enjoy the lights and snap some pictures.)

December 13

Darin fashioned a little TJ fence to keep our little guy from nibbling on our tree or on our presents. He's a little troublemaker.

Had a great evening with a bunch of fun ladies: our MOPS steering team. Good fun, gift exchange, presents, and yummy candy cane martinis. Happy Holidays indeed!

December 11

Dani's stocking arrived in the mail and I love seeing them all lined up this way.

My Grandma made stockings for all my cousins and aunts/uncles with our names and year of birth. My mom has found someone who knit the other three for Darin and the girls as they joined our family. Definitely heirlooms. (Although funny to see how much smaller mine is!)

Christmas Crafts

Wow, is the internet ever a delightful wealth of inspiration this time of year. I wish I had an unlimited budget and plenty of free time and everyone on my list would be getting something homemade. However, we are all limited so I picked a few favorites to attempt.

I took this simple idea, added some pink pins instead, and created this pretty thing. I made it for an ornament exchange, but wouldn't mind if I come back home with it!

I also took this tutorial for reverse-applique and attempted a couple matching shirts for my girls. Just don't look too closely as I haven't been sewing for long and the straight line is somehow elusive to me. Oh yeah, and the back of Dani's shirt has some nice holes in it where I accidently sewed it to the front.

But from far away, they're pretty darn cute.

One Pretty Thing is pretty much my favorite crafty site as she does all the rounding-up for me.

Here are some more crafts I've bookmarked:

I've always wanted to host a ornament party where girls bring a box full of plain ornaments and go home with gorgeous ones. These glittery ornament balls would definitely be a part.

I need me a "Merry Christmas" banner and this one is perfect.

My snowglobe broke this year :(. This waterless one would be a fun replacement.

Got some old paperback books lying around? Turn them into gorgeous trees. Or turn your child's favorite book into a keepsake ornament. (Mmmm...add this one to the ornament party as well!) Or make some adorable mini wreaths.

These felt trees are beautiful.

Some easy countdown blocks. These would be a great MOPs craft for next year!

Another glass ornament. This one takes some acrylic paint.

And here are some ideas to try with your kiddos.

Beaded star ornaments.

Next year I am so gonna save toilet paper rolls and make this nativity!

We always buy clearance bows after Christmas, and we've got lots. I think Daisy would love to make this wreath. Maybe tomorrow?

Candy canes with adorable packaging!

A wreath made with marshmallows? Brilliant!

Leaving some cookies for Santa? How about some reindeer food too? Recipe and printable card!

These okra print gift tags are lovely. And Daisy is really good at stamping, she could probably manage these.

a small venture

 (This post will be at the top all week. Scroll now for new posts.)

In the sidebar there on the left are two photo albums. One called "Gift Card Purses" and the other "Gift Card Envelopes". If you are planning to give gift cards to anyone this Christmas, read on and then click on over!

You see, we're making some of those Gift Card Purses and MOPS next week and while I was designing all the kits, I had a crazy idea to make some myself to sell to friends and family. When my friends saw what I was doing they were excited, and told me I had to make some more "manly" envelopes as well. So I put a quick design together for those.

And then I sold a whole bunch. Which was really awesome because it helped us with the Christmas budget this month! A friend invited me to sell some more at a retirement home her Grandmother lives at,and since my inventory was low I spent a weekend making a bunch more.

Unfortunately, the retirees were sweet and lovely and didn't buy much. So now I've got this inventory. Why not throw them up here and offer them to you my dear sweet readers?

Purses are $4 each, 2 for $7 or 3 for $10.

Envelopes are $2 each or 3 for $5.

Shipping is $1.00 total. Order as many as you like, shipping will only be $1.00.

I don't have a fancy shop setup, so I can take a paypal payment or a personal check. Over there on the right, under my picture, is a "email me" button. Just click that and let me know which one(s) you'd like, where to ship them, and how you'd like to pay, and we'll make it happen.

And just for fun, to see if you've read this far, leave a comment letting me know your favorite design (purse or envelope) and on Sunday I'll draw a winner to receive a free gift card purse! (Winner's choice based on the inventory at the time.)

Thanks for indulging me!
 

December 7

 

 

Daisy made a little paper horn in Sunday School and ran around the house today shouting: "Jesus is Born!" She'd get mad at me if I didn't follow it up with a loud "whoo-hoo!" 

December 6

 

 

 

Daisy and Darin putting up some outdoor lights. God bless 'em.

 

Our poor chipmunk boy.

 

 

And time for Daisy to share some love with our patient. Hopefully he'll be back up for some holiday fun next weekend!
 

 

December 5

 

Dani does her best to help cheer up Darin. Poor guy had an awful reaction to his pain meds and had to cut them out. Hopefully he'll be back to normal soon!

  

Could she be any cuter?

 
 

 

We helped our little buddy MJ celebrate her first birthday. Daisy was very into helping MJ open her presents, so it bodes well for Christmas morning!

 

Daisy and Darin put the rest of the ornaments on the tree. Back there she's playing with an ornament I got way back when I was a baby. Made me smile on the inside.

 

 Before dinner Daisy was flipping through her Bible book, so I took the opportunity to read her a few pages of the Christmas story. I LOVE these times together.

the camp auction

Every year around late November the camp staff box up the unclaimed lost and found and prepare it for donation. And every year before its sent off, we all are invited to rummage through and take what we can use. Last year Darin did some rummaging and found a few keepers, but this year, in order to keep things a little more fair and a lot more fun, the bosses decided to do an auction.

Basically, it ran like this: anything you wanted got thrown in a bin. Most bidding prices started at 25 cents and depending on how many people were interested in the item, prices went up from there.

But the best part? All monies collected for the stuff is heading straight to World Concern and the people they serve. It made it a lot easier to keep upping the offer in a bidding war, that's for sure!

And check out all the great stuff we came home with! For $15 we got shirts and sweatshirts, flat irons (yup, a pair), hats, swimsuits, a pair of kids keens, and an overnight bag.

 

A majority of the lost & found items were in kids sizes, so most of this stuff is for my nieces and nephews. (I hope they don't mind wearing used stuff, but seriously, a Roxy sweatshirt? A Billabong sweatshirt? Good stuff here people. For $15! That went to charity!!)

But I have to say I'm pretty stoked about the hat and flat iron I scored. Not too shabby a deal for me either!

 

Of course, it wasn't an i-pod shuffle found in the pocket of a jacket "purchased" for $7 (happened to Allison, lucky girl), but I'm pretty happy. Can't wait for next year already!

Rethinking the holidays: Thanksgiving

 

Whew, did you miss me? I had a post all planned out for Wednesday and then Darin got off work at 2:30 and we decided to pack up and head north that evening, rather than wait for Thursday. So we spent a few hours gathering stuff, feeding ourselves and the kiddos, and getting them in their PJs for the trip. We swung by Darin's brother's on the way north to pick up a couch (ah...the things you get called on to do when you have a truck!) and Daisy enjoyed running around their house for 10 minutes straight. We finally arrived around 10pm (Daisy passed out in the car around 9:30) and got ourselves all settled in bed.

 

Thanksgiving was delightful. Full of family, and laughter, and delicious food. I spent some time in the last week thinking about the holiday and ways to express our gratitude for our many blessings. Its important to me to teach gratitude to my children, but also to help them understand the source of our blessings and the One to whom we owe all our thanks.

 

I culled some ideas for traditions to add to our celebration and thought I would share them here with you.

 

Instead of doing a traditional "what I'm thankful for" share around the table, why not ask your friends and family members to bring an object (or several) that represents what they are thankful for. I think this would be an especially meaningful exercise with children. When I suggested this to my family this weekend, though, they all laughed asking how we could possibly get any more things on our table. So, perhaps if we do this activity it would happen in the living room before or after the meal.

 

I found a website with some nice Thanksgiving prayers. Wouldn't it be great to memorize a short one as a family in the days leading up to Thanksgiving?

 

How about sharing some time together before Thanksgiving in making a centerpiece? 

 

One of the best ways to show our gratitude to God is in giving back to those less fortunate. Our church has dedicated this weekend to 20+ projects in our community. Although we aren't participating this year, we are missing it and know we'll plan ahead in order to join up again next year. hcc roadtrip

 

Or what if you worked with your kids to clear out their old toys and donate them in preparation for the new ones to arrive under the Christmas tree?

 

How about learning a verse to a Thanksgiving hymn? My personal favorite is For the Beauty of the Earth and we sang that at our wedding. Plunk out some notes on the piano and have fun!

 

And lastly, why not spend some time on Thanksgiving in the beauty of God's creation? This is a tradition we attempted to start this year. Unfortunately our toddler was running on less-than-ideal sleep and was a less-than-pleasant hiking companion. So, we took a short stroll along Centennial Trail, and called that good.

 

 

 

 

 

 Any traditions you can share?

 

rethinking the holidays: Christmas gifts

Are you thinking about Christmas yet? I sure am, and have been for a few weeks now. And I think I'm gonna change a few things up this year so I thought I'd share them here with you.

  
  
(Image from 2007)  

"Gifts" is my language of love, and I absolutely adore the Christmas excuse to find just the right gift for my loved ones. Unfortunately, my budget isn't unlimited and I don't want my kids thinking this holiday is just about getting stuff, so I've gotta find a way to keep track of what I'm doing. I've found some ideas floating around online about setting your gift limit based on a few categories, and I'm totally onboard with that plan, so here's what Darin & I have come up with.

Our 5 categories:

• a big "want" from Santa
• something to read
• new pajamas
• an ornament
• something special from Mama & Papa

Here's where I am so far in the shopping:

Daisy:

• This kitchen (purchased used on Craigslist this summer. I've got a great story to tell about this in another post.)
• need to find a book (any suggestionf for a two-year-old?)
• will purchase pajamas during a black-friday sale (likely at Kohls)
• ornament purchased in Leavenworth (a princess tiara with her name on it)
• an apron, oven mit & hotpad already purchased

Dani:

• Gonna share the kitchen with her sister someday (Santa plans to make note that the gift is for both girls)
• need to find a good board book (what's at the top of your list lately?)
• Gran gave us some Christmas pajamas for her
• ornament purchased in Leavenworth
• a cool "taggies" toy (purchased at a conseignment sale)

(image from 2008) 

Growing up, Santa would always bring Darin & his siblings an unwrapped gift. So last year, when we got Daisy the table & chairs it was a perfect way to incorporate this tradition into our family. Now that we're giving the girls a big play kitchen this year, I'm extra glad for the no-wrapping gift from Santa.

I have always treasured the experience of opening my box of Christmas ornaments and remembering each one. As I got older my Mom set aside all my ornaments and so I had a decent collection when I wanted to begin decorating my own tree. Each year Darin & I buy each other ornaments and I love going through them each year, remembering the "wheres" and "whys" of each choice. That's why I wanted to include our girls in on the tradition. They get a special ornament every year from us, and any others they receive along the years will also be added to their collections. And they'll have a nice full box or ornaments to decorate their own tree someday when they decide to leave me.

 

Of course, the 5 categories does not include stocking stuffers. This is a tradition in my family and one that still baffles my dear husband. He says he would rather receive 1 big present that 5 small ones, but I think he'll catch on one of these days.

As a kid we were always allowed to open our stockings first thing. Each stocking was filled with little trinkets and special things to keep us entertained as we waited for Mom & Dad to get up, the orange rolls to be baked and eaten, and the "real" present opening to begin. I loved the magic of leaving your stocking out with the cookies & milk and coming to the living room in the morning seeing it overflowing.

What are your thoughts about gift giving this year? What are your traditions you can't wait to pass along to your kids? 

saying yes, Part 2

Puddle jumping!

Yes, it was dark and pouring and in the middle of the Costco parking lot. But we had our boots and our hoods on. And we held hands, found the best puddles we could, counted to three, and jumped.

It was utterly delightful. The giggles from my kid made my insides smile, and the grins from passersby was a wonderful bonus. Hopefully we reminded them to cut loose a little too.

Any yes plans for your today?

(Here'sthe original post if you're new here.)

the winner

I wore the black dress. And I loved it!

  

And I never got a full-length shot of me in it, so you'll have to take my word for it that I was workin' that dress.

What fun to have an excuse to get all dressed up and have somone take a family shot for my Christmas card. (This isn't it.) Oh, how I love my sweet family.

 

More wedding photos and stories to come...

matchy-matchy

Packing their Christmas dresses up for them to wear to a wedding this weekend.

 

Walking by these little matching piles has made me smile all day long. Love being the mama of two delightful and adorable little girls.

Now if only I had the cash required to dress them alike every day...

well, that was no help!

But an awful lot of fun.

The winner here on the blog was the black one. Over on facebook the votes swung for the burgundy.

I think I might have to let the hubby decide, since he's gonna be my date and all. (Or...hmmmm...try to talk him into letting me keep both. Although, I'd still have to pick one for the wedding.)

Come back later in November to see the final decision.

And thanks to your suggestions...I'm now onto jewelery!

time for a vote!

We've got a wedding to attend in November. A wedding in chilly Leavenworth. A wedding where I will be bringing my nursing baby and my extra baby weight too.

And I've got nothing to wear.

So I appealed to some friends on Facebook and they sent me in the direction of Target for a nice and inexpensive wrap dress. Add some boots and some tights and I'll be good to go.

Last night while Darin & Daisy carved on some pumpkins, Dani and I hit the local T-jay to try some things on. And then I came home with two dresses.

What would I do without you internet friends to help me decided these things? Which one to keep and which one to return?

Black Merona Dress

PROS:

• wrap style for nursing
• great stretchy fabric
• has this cool under layer that sucks in my fat
• my bust is super busty
• warm, but not too warm

CONS:

• I've never worn a black dress to a wedding, is this okay?
• Low-cut, makes me nervous

 

Burgundy Merona Ruffle Wrap Sweater Dress

PROS:

• a real wrap, so should be easy peasy for nursing
• love, love, love the color
• nice and toasty
• ruffles are fun!

CONS:

• can't quite figure out how to wrap the extra extra long strings
• might be too warm if the church or reception hall are well heated
• once again, low cut makes me nervous

  

I paired both of these with boots, but also have some black heels if you think that would be better.

Okay, I'm counting on you. Tell me which dress I should wear to the wedding. Comment away! 

saying yes

So many times a day I find myself saying "no" to my eldest child. Way more times than I want to. Telling her "no" to bad behaviors. Telling her "no" when she asks for things she can't have. Telling her "no" when she wants to do something that we don't have the time, space, or energy to do. That no word is heard way too often around here.

Recently I was challenged by this blogger about my use of the word no and have been trying to take a pause before it comes out of my mouth. Take a pause and ask myself if I could really say yes?

Last night the question (acutally, more of a request) from Daisy was: "Mama, take off yo cyoes and take a baff wif me." (Take off your clothes and take a bath with me.)

I took a pause.

And then I said, "sure". And the smile on her face was all the reward I needed.

It was fun to sit in our way-too-tiny and way-cooler-than-I-normally-enjoy bath and play with her. Splash around. Wash her hair. It was a good mother/daughter moment. And I was glad for the chance to say yes.

Today I wasn't so good at saying it.

Gonna try again tomorrow...

I would love to hear some of your "saying yes" stories in the comments to inspire me.