gifts galore

The amazingly gifted Jen at Tatertots & Jello is hosting a handmade gift giving party as part of the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash going on this week (hosted by Jerri at Simply Sweet Home).

Boy oh boy has it been one thing after the next around here, I'm going to guess that this is probably the same in your house as well with getting ready for the holidays and trying to enjoy the fun of it all! My intentions of creating some handmade gifts this year hasn't quite panned out as planned. But, instead of beating myself up about it...I'm moving on and letting it go!

However, I do have some last minute fun gifts YOU could make if you're looking for something to give your friends, family, co-workers or children's teachers. (For some of you this may be a repeat, so please forgive me!)

Covered Post-It Note Holder w/mini pen
I would whip up a little tutorial on how to make these, but you can find an easy-to-follow one HERE. That's where I went to get my inspiration!

Pull Up Candy Bar
Need a fun way to hide a gift card? Place a gift card on top of the candy bar and when they pull the candy bar up, surprise...a gift card is also revealed! Although, the design is something I came up with, there is a fabulous step-by-step tutorial found HERE.

Magnetic List Pad
These are so fun to make. You can purchase these note pads at any office supply store (i.e. Staples) and they will cut them in half for you ($2.00/cut...I think they can cut half of the package at a time). There is a large magnet on the back so that you are able to hang it on your fridge. The decorating possibilities are endless!

Altered Stars
I found some not so "decorator friendly" stars at The Dollar Tree and covered them with some fun patterned paper to give them a whole new look! Now, I would be happy to have them in my house on any wall and would be proud to give these as a gift.

And, in other news...

I was hoping that I would have my 2009 neighbor gift idea done for today's post to share with in the linky party, but what do you know? Not going to happen. I'll be back SOON to share lots, lots more!

Next stop in the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash is to head on over to A Baby Changes Everything on Tuesday to show off your beautifully decorated Christmas trees! And, don't forget...there are lots and lots of prizes for this week's event, so head on over to Simply Sweet Home for all the details.

swamped!

I'll be back soon...I promise!

goodies abound!

I'm not really here.

Sunday is our wedding anniversary, so we packed up the kids to Grammy & Papa's for Friday night and it will be just the hubby and me until we pick up the kids on Saturday night.

But, thanks to auto-post...

I wanted to share this cookie recipe in case you're looking for something yummy to bake...it is the holidays after all! Which means lots and lots of baking!

I was invited to a cookie exchange last Thursday and my contribution was to bring 4 dozen Snickerdoodles (+ I made a couple dozen more for Ryan -- they're his favorite!). I ended up going with simple ~ simple, but a classic.

After leaving the party, I took home 4 dozen of a variety of what everyone else brought. YUM! After some nibbles on this and that, they went straight to the freezer for all of the holiday party fun. I get the variety of goodies without doing all the work! Nothing better than that!

Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles
{via Allrecipes.com}

This is only one container I brought home. The caramel bars and 7-layer bars are in another container! Oh, and there was even peppermint fudge! Oh my!

Hope you're enjoying all of the baking this season brings!

candy cane Christmas

We have really been enjoying our 25 Days of Christmas activities. The kids are SO EXCITED each day to eat their chocolate candy from our Hershey Kiss Countdown we made on Day 1. Why wouldn't they?? It's chocolate!! Mikayla asks at least twice a day to move baby Jesus a little bit closer to December 25th. And revealing the activity for the day is always anticipated. Earlier in the week, I shared some of the activities we had done over last weekend, so go take a peek if you want to see what else we've been up to!

On Day 8 (Tuesday) of our Christmas countdown, we had a little bit of fun with candy canes!

Activity of the Day:
Make candy cane ice cream and enjoy it
while reading "The Candymaker's Gift".

After bath time, each of the kids were given a candy cane, a Ziploc bag, and a hammer (kid toys worked well!).
Then it was time to whack away!

Next...stir up some vanilla ice cream to get it nice and soft. As Mikayla said, "Like a milkshake!" Happy faces -- they love ice cream!!

Time to pour in the crushed candy canes...

{Notice the mess of candy canes everywhere!? That's my boy!}

READY TO EAT!!

While the kids ate their yummy candy cane ice cream, I read "The Candymaker's Gift" to them.

This is such a great book! I purchased it at our MOPS Bazaar at the beginning of November. The authors were the ones selling the books, so they even signed the inside for Mikayla & Austin. It was so special to be able to read this to them for the first time. The story is about the legend of the candy cane and shares about the true meaning of Christmas and how much Jesus loves and cares for us.

Good to the last drop...wouldn't you say?!

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On Day 9 (Wednesday) we had the special treat of going to visit Kim, Kenneth, Elizabeth, and Bradley. Our activity for the day was to create a gingerbread house with the Caldwell family. All four kids did surprisingly well sharing and enjoyed being together.

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For more Countdown to Christmas activities, go visit Liz @ Sugarplum Creations.



P.S. I'm so happy to share that last year's neighbor Christmas gift was featured on Tip Junkie yesterday!

babies here, there, and everywhere!

I'm surrounded by the sweetness of babies!!

My good friend, Kim, had her sweet baby boy a month ago and he is the cutest little thing! I love when I get to hold him and he snuggles up to me and I breathe in that wonderful baby smell. Can you say BABY FEVER!?

I wanted to give Kim a gift that she could use and appreciate. And since I knew that she was set to go with so many things already (this is her third), I designed her baby announcements and put them together for her to be able to send out to her family and friends. This was my gift to her and her family.

I've already posted Bradley's announcement on my HB Creative Design site, but I just had to show off his cuteness here, too! I just love that wrinkly little forehead.


Kim is also on the MOPS leadership team and all of us on the team decided to pitch in to bless her (and Bradley) with diapers!! {Yes, I took a picture of diaper boxes.} Although I didn't wrap them up, I couldn't resist adding some ribbon and a cute gift tag. Sometimes the thoughtfulness can come through in the presentation of a gift...even with diapers!

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Just last Sunday I went to a friend's baby shower who will be expecting her 2nd little girl sometime in the next month...she hopes sooner than later! (Right, Ang?) I wanted to do something different and unique for her since she had been blessed with so many girly things already. I bugged her a little to find out what colors the new baby's room would be, and even tracked down the bedding online that she'll be using in her room. I took the printed copy of the bedding with me to the scrapbook store to find just the right colors!

Here's what I came up with! (By the way...I was able to see Jolie's new room that awaits her and oh my goodness -- it's CUTE! Great job decorating, Angie!! I love it!)

Of course, to finish off the gift I had to do a little wrapping to match. Don't you just love this polka dotted paper!? I found it in the Christmas stash at 50% off at Michaels Crafts, but I have a feeling it will be used for anything but Christmas!

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One of the greatest blessings after you have just had a baby are all the meals that you are blessed with! I love being able to help out a friend (or even an acquaintance) who has a newborn, just to make their day a little less stressful and for her not have to worry about preparing dinner for the family. I was able to bless a mom and her family awhile back (a gal from my MOPS small group) with a meal, but it was just one of those weeks that was crazy busy when it was my night to bring the meal. So, instead of making a home cooked meal like I wanted to, I grabbed a frozen lasagna, bagged salad, and some bread from the store. I wrapped it up with some ribbon and attached a little note with my blessings. I'm a strong believer that it's the thought and care that counts...even if there's no time for a home cooked meal!

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And speaking of babies...I just got word Wednesday evening that one of my best friends from college had her FOURTH little baby on Wednesday, one day past his due date. Sweet baby Levi is finally here and I just can't wait to meet him!


**Don't forget! Today is the LAST DAY to link up to our Christmas-themed decor monthly craft challenge. I'll be randomly choosing a winner from the participants and someone will receive a fun little gift from me! Head on over to see all of the craftiness of the season or link up a creation that you have been working on!

getting in the Christmas spirit!

So much to talk about, so little time!! We've been having lots of fun around here with our Countdown to Christmas activities! The days until Christmas arrives are flying by and we're just trying to soak in all the JOY of the season!

December 3rd - Visit with Santa!
We bundled up to watch Santa pull on up to our local library in a fire truck. After he arrived, they lit up the giant tree outside with lights and then we waited in {a very long} line to catch a glimpse of Jolly Old St. Nick. Mikayla told Santa she would like princess dolls and Austin is hoping for a race car...Lightning McQueen to be exact. Surprise, surprise! We had a great time as a family and got home just in time to tuck the kids into their warm beds. After the chilly evening, we were definitely thankful for a nice, warm house to come home to.

December 4th - Christmas movie with popcorn!
After the kids got squeaky clean in the bath tub, we popped some popcorn and they got to watch Santa Buddies, a new Christmas movie featuring their newest favorite obsession...dogs! I found some fun Christmas popcorn boxes that the kids had their popcorn in...just to make it a little more festive.

December 5th - "Welcome Home"
Grammy & Papa!
We picked my mom and dad up from the airport...flying in from Alaska to their winter home for the next 3 months...just a short 15-minute drive away! The kids hadn't seen Papa since last February (except for Webcam), and the last time they saw Grammy was in September when she was here for a short visit, so they were excited! For Saturday's activity, I had the kids make signs to welcome them home...with Christmas colors and stickers, of course!
{I didn't even notice that the sign was upside down when I took the picture...nice.}

December 6th - Christmas tree hunting!
Whose idea was it anyway to go out in FREEZING temperatures to find a tree! Oh, yes, that would be my crazy tradition I wanted to do this year. Sunday was really the only day we could do it, so just before dusk, we headed out in the FREEZING temperatures to find "the tree". The little farm we visited was great and we will be back next year. This is our best tree yet and it smells so fresh! Austin wasn't the happiest of children (as evident in the pictures below), but we all survived...and even came home with a candy cane. Chocolate milk was promised for when we got home!

December 7th - Decorate the tree
and listen to Christmas music!
Mikayla really got into the tree decorating this year. While Ryan and I did the lights, the kids danced around to Christmas music. We then let the kids open up their ornament boxes to see their special ornaments that they have collected so far. I loved seeing their faces light up with excitement. I must admit I was a little on edge that they might break something, but super glue only had to come out once...so far. I compromised this year and decorated it the way I wanted, but also let the kids put up their ornaments (near the bottom of course). I love how they hang them all in one place. Last year, we put up all the "special memories" ornaments and used colored lights on our tree, but thought I would change it up this year. Everything I used for the tree, I already had in my Christmas boxes! Gotta love those after Christmas sales!

Hope you are enjoying all of the festivities that Christmas brings! Remember to spend time with the ones you love...

it's a Christmas bash!

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home is holding a Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash coming up next week! She was so SWEET to ask if I'd like to join in the fun and of course I said yes! The event will run all week long December 14th-18th with amazing inspiration and there will even be lots of prizes!

Here's the schedule of events for the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash:

Monday, Dec. 14 - Homemade Gifts - The best Christmas gifts come from the heart. Whether you sew, bake, paint, or glue, a homemade gift is always special and unique to those who recieve it. Come join us over at Tater Tots and Jello and share something that you've made, or share something that someone made for you.

Tuesday, Dec. 15 - Christmas Trees - It's so amazing to see all the different decorating styles people have out there. And we can't wait to see yours! Share some photos of your Christmas tree. Do you have a special theme? A favorite ornament? Post your link at A Baby Changes Everything.

Wednesday, Dec. 16 - Christmas Crafts - Christmas is a wonderful time for crafty people to show off their skills. Do you make your own Christmas decorations? Ornaments? Cards? Scrapbooks? Gingerbread Houses? Something else? Come on over to Blue Eyed Blessings and share your creations with us!

Thursday, Dec. 17 - Christmas Recipes - Food and the Holidays go hand in hand. Come and share your favorite Christmas recipes over at Simply Sweet Home. Whether it's an appetizer, a dessert, a drink, a side, or the main course, I'm sure we'll all be hungry for seconds!

Friday, Dec. 18 - Christmas Memories & Traditions - We all have our favorite Christmas stories, from the sweet and sentimental to the unforgettably funny. Tell us your favorite Christmas memory. Or tell us about a favorite Christmas Tradition that your family has. Then link up over at Tidy Mom.

For all the details, visit HERE. And while you're there, grab a button to help spread the word by placing it in your side bar or write a post about it. Everyone who has the HBCB button in their sidebar will be eligible for additional entries in all of this month's giveaways!

dear Santa...

{These are the tags that will come out of the advent calendar pockets each day...don't worry they're leftover gift tags I had made last year, but never used. There were exactly 25 of them, so what can I say? It was meant to be! I just added the numbers to each tag and an activity on the back.}

For Day 2 of our Advent activities (on Wednesday), our activity for the day was to write a letter to Santa and to make some Santa crafts. We had so much fun!! Austin is now at the age where he can actually DO the projects with us...without making too much of a mess!

**Disclaimer: Neither of these projects are from my own imagination! I like to borrow ideas and then tweak them if I need to. Follow the links to find the inspiration behind each of these projects.

SANTA PROJECT #1
~ Handprint Santa ~

Supplies needed:
white craft paint, paint brush, paper plate,
glue, misc. colored scraps of paper,
(not pictured: googly eyes)
circle punches (optional)

I had the kids paint each other's hands. They got a kick out of this!
Austin kept saying, "It tickles!"
I was impressed how well Austin painted Sissy's hand.
We used this as our card to Santa, so I folded a piece of green paper in half, so the handprint could be on the outside and the letter on the inside, like a greeting card. (Just make sure you have the handprint going the correct way. Austin's card ended up backwards...oops!)

The kids got to use my circle punches to punch out the pink cheeks, red nose, and black mouth. They loved using them! The original directions suggest using paint and your finger tips to make the circles.
Place the googly eyes on top of the handprint (upside down) and glue the cut out circles to make a face. Hand draw and cut out a Santa's hat and place a white circle on the tip of the hat.
Inside is each of their cards they "wrote" a letter to Santa (this year they just told me what they wanted to say since we're not quite in the writing stage yet).
I found a Santa letter template HERE that was pretty cute and decided to use that.
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SANTA PROJECT #2
~ Cotton Ball Santa ~

Supplies needed:
cotton balls, red (or pink) pom poms, googly eyes,
glue, scissors, red marker, red craft foam (or paper),
flesh-toned paper, and paper plates

Cut out a circle to fit inside the middle of a paper plate (turned over). The original directions say to paint the paper plate, but I decided to avoid the mess!
Glue cotton balls along the entire rim of the paper plate, but leave room at the top for a hat.
Place googly eyes, a pom pom nose, and a cotton ball mustache to make a face. Draw in a red line for the mouth. Leave room to place a hat cut out of red craft foam (or paper) and place a cotton ball on the tip of the hat.
For more fun Christmas craft activities, visit Liz @ Sugarplum Creations. If you have something to share, go link up and spread the inspiration to create something as we Countdown to Christmas!