Pinterest Challenge

I've been looking through my boards, getting inspiration and deciding what else I want to make.  Well, that isn't true, I find lots that I want to make but I have to pick what I have the supplies for or that I can get supplies for easily.  Michael's and Hobby Lobby are  40 minutes away so making a "quick" trip to get any supplies doesn't happen.  I should also add that with Christmas and an upcoming birthday party, I haven't had time to focus on my little projects/challenge. 

I have not forgotten about my plan to start the quiet books either - but this was not the time of the year to start a big process like a quiet book.  My goal this month is to lay out some more pages and make a list of any needed supplies so that I can everything I need to get started in January.

So, what project did I put together this week?  I worked on this idea from Design Sponge for creating a Calendar.

I've tried starting journals but I don't always do great with that idea; I do try to journal within my Bible Study journal but I'm not always consistant with that either so when I saw this idea for a perpetual calendar, I really fell in love the idea.  I love that after several years, I will be able to see what I did on that same day in previously years.  Just one simple sentence on each day - a pretty easy task. 

This time of year, it is hard to find a fruit basket like shown in the picture so I went digging to find the perfect "holder".  I figure that throughout the year(s), if I find a pretty basket that works better, I can always change out the basket.  I went to the dollar store and picked up a pack of large index cards and then cut them in half.  Instead of postcards, I am going to pick out 12 photos from recent photo shoots and use those to separate the months; eventually I would like to get some postcards or other pretty scenic pictures only so that I don't have to replace photos every year :-)  I also am taking the easy way out and am writing the dates on the cards as I go through 2012.  So, this is my simple version of this great calender :-)   I will post a picture later, probably in another post, because I haven't ordered my photos - I'm waiting until I get the latest pictures from a recent photo shoot !!

I also wanted to share this idea from I love it All for another great journaling idea for 2012.

I'm tossing around ideas of how to make one of these little books to use throughout this next year too.  I don't know if mine will be nearly as elaborate as this book but I think to just incorporate the idea into a special journal - what a treasure for my kids to look at one day. 

One last idea that I like as well and I think I want to work on this coming year are Life Story Binders for each of the boys from All Things Simple.  I like what I see so far but also need to spend time looking at it more closely and decide if it is something that I can keep up with.

So yes, this week's challenge post is more some ideas that I'm looking at incorporating as 2012 starts - I'll have to share what I actually do and how the process works once January is under way!

Too Cute Not To Toot

Welcome to another week!  I've been looking at ideas since I posted the last "Too Cute not to Toot" mostly because so many of them I hope to use next year, or in years to come, and just dont' have time to print the ideas right now (too busy printing OTHER stuff!) so I want to be able to come back here after Christmas, print what I love, and put it in my December binder for next year!

If you have read my advent posts, you know that we are reading books as part of our daily activities so I am looking this year at book ideas for next year since some of our books will be too young for the boys next year.  I saw this post over at Home School Creations and really love that she created printables to go with a specific book.  I will be printing these and picking up the book!

The Monogrammed Ornaments from Confessions of a Homeschooler would make a great craft for kids but they are also a great, simple gift idea.  They could be used as gift tags on gifts for family or even given to neighbors with those trays of cookies!

A Pumpkin and a Princess shares a simple tutorial for making these fabric trees.  Just think of the endless ways you could make them to fit any decor you use in your home.

These fingerprint snowmen are adorable from I HEART Crafty Things and, to make it better, the craft idea goes along with a book they read.  Not that it wouldn't fit just about any book with snow in it but it gives another book idea too!

This was just an idea I saw out on a blog that I thought some of my Photographer friends might like.  It's how to take a Santa photo without Santa.  The idea comes from The Idea Room.

Lines Across My Face is doing quite a few Ornament Posts - this is my favorite so far.  These are fabric Lollipops and they would be fun for older kids to make and hang on the tree.

Over at Creations by Kara, you can snag some adorable Christmas gift tags by just hitting print :-)

This idea for a Name Of Jesus Tree is one that I found last year but have tucked away for future use with the boys.  I wanted to share this idea from KoJo Designs, though, because she shares a great tutorial on how to create the ornaments with your kids AND gives the list of names that they decided to use as well.

Ok, I love this idea from The Well Rounded Mama for a Santa Photo Booth.  I think this would make a great addition to a future birthday party for Nate (who was born on Dec 22nd!)

Sassy Sites is one of my favorite blogs - she shares tons of ideas and I wanted to link up with her recent posts that shares TONS of printables - so head to her blog and start downloading :-)

Here is another link up to Sassy Sites - this one is for TONS of sweets ideas!  I wish I had time to click on all of the links this moment - I will be going back and checking out all of the ideas later!

This is the last link back to Sassy Sites . .. well at least for today . . .but how could I NOT link back to 400 kids craft ideas????  I can't wait to start digging through the links and finding great ideas to use in future years!

This next idea came round about from searching Pinterest - I found an idea that linked me back to Secrets of a Super Mommy and then I found this  idea.  I love birthdays and look forward to future birthdays with my boys when I can do this birthday board with them!

Also from Secrets of a Super Mommy is this birthday pillowcase which goes with the board idea above.