Homemade Christmas 2012

This year I decided to make it a homemade Christmas.  For years I have been wanting to really do this, dig in, find lots of ideas, and then actually do it.  I felt that we accomplished a lot of what I had planned to do and it was so fun crafting with the kids, making projects with Trent and staying up late working like one of Santa's elves!  I hope that everyone that received one of our homemade with love gifts, enjoys them as much as we enjoyed making them!

I found this printable on the internet and had it printed as a picture.  Then I put it in a frame and gave to family and friends.

The boys drew pictures and Penny scribbled on some paper or I traced her hand and then modge podge the pictures onto small white tiles to make coasters.  We then added felt to the bottom and gave them many clear coats of paint.  Wrapped with festive Christmas fabric bows and sent them on their way.

 

I modge podged a picture frame with wrapping paper and added a bow.

Hand painted R2D2 ornament for Charlie

Hand painted Boba Fett ornament for Tommy

The Symbols of Christmas tin

Altoid tins decorated with felt and filled with homemade magnets

Magnets made from clear stones, pictures from magazines glued to stones and then magnet glued on the back.

Hand painted train ornament for a friend

Notepad made from clear picture frame, sheet music printed from the internet that was put inside the frame and a post it glued to the front.  I ran out of time and next time would add more embellishment.

Homemade candy cane playdough in spaghetti sauce jars that we have been saving, wrapped in festive fabric and a cookie cutter tied to the top.

 

 

Goodbye June

I can barely  believe that June is almost but a memory!  I feel like summer has just started and yet we are already at the midway point.  June has been a whirlwind of fun, work, challanges and much growth.  We started the month off with Trent graduating from college with a degree in business management.  I have been so excited for him and proud of this huge accomplishment.  However, he hasn't been able to enjoy some the well deserved "down" time from not having to write papers, study for tests or attend his weekly classes, because he has been traveling for work most of the month.  Literally home for a night or two, only to pack up and leave again.  It has been exhausting, for both of us.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel and in a few short days we leave for our annual lake vacation, as a family, together!  We are all very excited and counting down the days.

But despite our crazy schedule, we also had a lot of fun to the beginning of our summer.

Tommy at "his" VBS camp. 

Crafts on the back porch

They love projects.

We have laughed a lot.

And spent some learning and trying new things.

Planted a garden.

And made homemade ice cream in a bag.

Charlie said it was the best ice cream he has ever had!

We made lots of fun, cold, treats.

And some pretty precious moments.

We have spent lots of time at the play ground

and have had some great laughs.

.

We have learned about money

and played a lot of games.

Made some smoothies

and learned about giving.

Had a fairy visit, or two

 

and read a bunch of books.

And that is just a bit of our fun, crazy, month called June.

St. Patricks Day 2011

We don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day per se but we had a lot of fun this year with all things Leprechaun and rainbows.  We made some rainbow cupcakes that were awesome!  The boys LOVED these and they were a lot of fun to make, time consuming, but still a lot of fun.   The white frosting was the clouds and the gold sprinkles the are the "gold" at the end of the rainbow.

We also made pots of gold for Miss. S and her family and our cousins.  These were so easy to make, baby food jars for the pots, cotton balls for the clouds, gold foiled Hersey Kisses for the gold and rainbow ribbon.  The kids had fun putting them together and it was another way for them to practice giving.

Mr. Leperchaun also paid us a visit.  I told the boys that he might come and turn their dinner green so they better keep a look out for him. They were both very excited at the possibility. I cooked dinner while they played their Wii game, the perfect opportunity to make the magic happen.  Perhaps I over did it a little much ;)  With spatula in hand I chased the little green man out of our house scolding him for turning the boys' milk and the butter on their toast green.  Charlie thought it was a hoot, Tommy was reduced to tears.  He didn't want his food green (I obliged him and made new toast and poured new milk) and he was scared that there had been a small green, fast man in our house....ooops, bad Mommy!

It was all made good though as Tommy remembered that Mr. Leprechaun left money on Miss S's stairs.  He told me to tell the Leprechaun that he was sorry for not eating his food and to leave money on our stairs "bill money (dollar bills)".  6:30am sharp....we heard the joyful squeals of little boys finding coin money on the stairs.  Tommy told me over breakfast this morning that I am not to scare Mr. Leprechaun away next year, but that he wants to say "hi" to him. 

It was really a fun day!  I hear that in some parts of the country Mr. Leprechaun even used some people's toilets but didn't flush.  I think next year we might have green pee....lol