Traditions and Crafts

One of the best things about the Holidays are the traditions you can plan with your family.  Yes, I said "plan" - traditions don't just happen, you have to make them happen.  Blog land has been busy with Advent ideas and yes, I got overwhelmed with them all trying to figure out what to do and how to make it happen.  I finally decided instead of trying to do it this year, I'll plan it for next year - get everything made and ready to go so that on Dec. 1, 2011, I can be ready to enjoy that part of the season with my boys.  I think Josh will enjoy it a little more next year anyway.  So what do I plan on doing with my boys?  A few different things!

1) 25 days of Books.  I saw this idea on several sites that all led me back to The Picky Apple

The concept is easy, gather up children's book (the goal is to have 24 so you can start on December 1st) and read one book each day with your child.  If you have less than 24 books to start with, just start later in the month.  Once you gather the books, wrap them all individually and put them in a basket.  You can either let your child chose randomly OR put a number tag on them to do a countdown.  I like the tag idea so I can pick which books belong to which day.  (And put "The Night Before Christmas" as # 24!)  I've been scouring blogs looking for ideas for Children's book to start adding to my collection.  Obviously, as they kids get older the books will change some but it is something that we can do for years!  So yes, we will be adding this to our Christmas Countdown next year.

2) Christmas Countdown Lessons.  I follow two different blogs that are using books to do activities for the Christmas Countdowns. First, one of my new favorite sites, Musings of Me, not only is posting her daily Advent ideas but also tons of teaching ideas too.  The link will take her to her sight, not a specific post just keep scrolling down and back to see all of the ideas.  I know that besides the books she uses and ideas she gives I will be picking up one of these :

A Little People's Nativity Set to use with our Advent.  Musing's of Me often focuses on the Christian aspect of teaching which I love!!  She is also doing something called "Elf on the Shelf" - I had read a lot about this on Blogs and find it fun - I plan on getting the set and using it next year as well.
Than, Oopsey Daisy, another favorite of mine is doing this:

A book advent (to you sense the theme I'm following?).  She also uses books and activities that go with the book each day. She always has such cute, easy crafts to do too.  One of her posts is for a countdown Santa - it is SOOO cute.  The kids glue cotton balls on for Santa's beard - one for each day until Christmas.  I might try to whip that one up this weekend at least and do it for fun.  Josh likes to glue things - like his lips, his tongue, his fingers and his brothers head LOLOLOLOL

Another I really like that incorporates Christ into our Daily countdown is from Life at Sonic Speed and is called "The Jesus Tree.

The idea is to have a tree where each day you place an ornament with a name of Jesus on it.  As you can see from the picture, she chose clear bulbs, filled them with that red packing confetti and just put in a printed name.  On another blog which you can reach from her post I saw this idea too - just with scrapbook paper

My goal has always been to have some sort of tree in each room of our home.  So, I think I might check the day after Christmas and see if I can get a nice, small tree for our dining room and we'll make that our Jesus Tree.  That way, each night at dinner, we can pull a bulb and have some conversation around that name of Jesus. 

One last thought I have is packing two shoe boxes next year as a family - teaching my boys about giving back to others.  My church does them but I think it would be nice for them to learn about this concept at home too. 

There are a few other ideas that I've posted in my Too Cute Not To Toot posts on Tuesdays.  The advent bags with an activity in it for each day along with a small treat and/or some other countdown blocks.  I've already decided that next year, instead of designing Christmas "lessons" like we do the rest of the year - we will focus on our Book Advents, Elf on the Shelf, and Countdown bags/activities.  That way, we can all count down to a great Christmas :-)  We will incorporate making cookies, hopefully taking some to the neighbors unless we eat them all, going on Light Hunts and sending thank yous for the best displays we find.  And of course, teach the reason for Christmas - Jesus Christ Himself.  Musings of Me also has an activity book based on the Christmas story that I plan on using as well.  We will be busy next December!!

I'm working on my Craft/Lesson plan calendar now.  Deciding what crafts I need to focus on each month so that I can accomplish the ones that I want and need to do.  Now that I have the basic calendar laid out, I'm going to be going through all of the saved craft ideas I  have and picking out the ones I truly want to make first and go from there.  I could make a craft every day all year long, I think, but obviously, that isn't possible :-)

On a separate note - I've really enjoyed decorating my porch for the seasons lately so I have a new past time - keeping it decorated.  Not 100% sure what I will do Jan-March yet due to all of the snow that tends to pile up around here - I may try to pick up some white lights at those after Christmas sales again and maybe just do something with white lights this year.  It sure is nice to have that welcoming entry way though!  Be watching soon, there is a "show us your front door" post coming - I need to finish mine up!!

One last note for my loyal readers who make it this far in a post, (and I know there are a few of you!) My husband lost his job yesterday.  We are very thankful for the second job he has held all year as he has been able to go full time doing that - it is not the permanent solution at this point, not that it couldn't be but being self-employed has pros and cons - but we know that this is God's plan; we had actually been praying specifically about his job and what better answer than to not have it?  We knew that he would lose it eventually but did not expect it to happen yesterday.  And yes, we were on "vacation" this week (at home though).

We hope you are enjoying the true Christmas season and making time for family!

"Cup of Joe" cookies

Don't those look yummy?? They are :-)

Here's a recipe for you!

INGREDIENTS

1roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1/3 cup Hershey’s® baking cocoa

1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso coffee powder or granules

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup Hershey’s® mini chips semi-sweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1  Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F.
2  In large bowl, mix cocoa, espresso powder and cream with wooden spoon until well blended. Crumble cookie dough into cocoa mixture; stir until well blended.
3 Shape dough into 30 balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten balls into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Press thumb into center of each round to make indentation. Fill each indention with 1/2 teaspoon of the chocolate chips.
4  Bake 9 to 13 minutes or until edges of cookies are set. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes; remove to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes
 
These were very tasty!
 
A couple of things I learned when making these, though.
 
1) I refrigerated the dough once I had it mixed up - it was REALLY sticky.  It was much easier to work with cold.
2.) Don't press the cookies too thin, they still spread some and will get REALLY thin.
3.) I dipped the glass and my thumb in sugar so the dough didn't stick when I was pressing into it.
4) You won't eat just one :-) LOL

Weekly Song - I Heard the Bells

I've been waiting for this week, for this song!  I love Christmas music . . wait.  I love GOOD Christmas Music.  There are some songs out there that seriously need to get thrown out of this universe.  I heard this song a few years ago and fell in love with it.  It is an old classic Christmas Hymn but there is just something about the arrangement that Casting Crowns does that just makes it a whole new song.  It is "I heard the Bells".  It has taken the first place on my play list this week!

Too Cute Not to Toot!!

YEAH!  Christmas crafts galore :-)  This first one that I am posting is one I actually want to make.  It is cheap and easy to do and I have a few dark corners in my home that need something pretty. 

Check out this great idea for Christmas decor at Arts and Crap. 

She gives a great (and humorous) tutorial for the silver ornaments.  They are so unique!

Here is a simple craft to do using terra cotta pots!!!  I can see this going in my bathroom.  (It just matches so well!)  I'm also thinking that this would make a GREAT addition to my porch - The pots are made to go outside so they should hold up well.  I might have to price these at Walmart and see what I can get. . ..

See it all here!!

Over at Lemon Tree Creations is a cute idea for making Twine Trees without using up those expensive Styrofoam comes (you just keep reusing the same one for your molds and than go from there!).

See the full tutorial here!

Oopsey-daisy offers up a recipe and patterns to make gingerbread houses.  I love the idea that they save all their stale candy throughout the year to use on the houses instead of buying new since you really don't end up eating it once it is "glued" to the house!  (But . . . . who actually has stale candy? LOL)

Click Here!

Over at House of Hepworths, I saw these really cute Nutcrackers.  Now really, Nutcrackers are not anything I decorate with but they are so creative.  Even if you aren't into decorating with them - click on the link above to see the "before" photos - this is the after.  I'm just amazed at what she did with something from the Dollar Store!

There are a ton of Advent Calendar Ideas in blog land and I've posted quite a few of them in various "too Cute Not to Toot!" posts.  This one is a little different - it is the 12 days of Christmas with 12 different things to do.  This strikes me as something to do for couples without kids to eat all the candy in the advent calendars OR to a family with Teenagers - what a great way to get them involved in some things as a family!

Click Here!

My Favorite Things - Week 3

High Heeled Housewife

It's time for week 3 of the My Favorite Things Challenge!  Here's this week's challenge: This week, instead of dreading doing your household chores, focus on your favorite household chore. 

I have thought about this one for a little while and it is sooo much easier to think of the chore that is my least favorite but that isn't the point is it?  LOL  When I first read the list of items for this challenge, one thing had popped into my mind instantly and it is what I keep coming back to so that must be my favorite household chore.  What is it?  Without out a doubt, it is organizing.  I wasn't sure if this was really a "chore" but for me, it really is.  I spend hours organizing things to make sure that everything has a home!  This year, this was my huge home goal - to organize my entire house but cleaning out every single room, only keeping what I love, and giving everything that I didn't love away.  It gives me a true sense of satisfaction to see a finished room.  My bins are all labeled and numbered and the list of all the items in each bin is in my Control Journal so I can always look before I go buy something new!! 

Birthday Name Banner

What is better than to see your name strung across a room?  I think we all like see our names posted in honor whether we admit it or not!

I had fun creating this banner for Josh's 2nd birthday!

I used a foam star to trace star patterns onto scrapbook paper

Than I used a class to trace a circle to stick on top of the star.

Using my Sizzix, I cut out all the letters for Joshua's name from more scrapbook paper

I used Mod-podge to attach the letters to another circle made from more scrapbook paper.

Than I used glitter glue on the letters to make them sparkle

And here is the final product

As you can see, I punched holes in the star and used twine to string it up.  I placed a dot of hot glue on the twine to hold the star in place.

I also hot glued buttons and ribbon on each star to add to it.

I might not have a mantel but I have a great entertainment center :-)

I found this great idea at Oopsey Daisy, one of my favorite crafters.  For her full tutorial click here

More Holiday Plans and Cleaning Ideas

I had planned to post some pictures of the rest of my holiday decorating but haven't uploaded anything yet :-)  Darryl and I are enjoying our va(stay)cation without the kidlets so I'm not really pushing to do a whole lot.  My living room is almost completely decorated with the exception of wrapping the large pictures.  Right now my table is covered with scarpbooking stuff (since the kids are gone) so I have no room to wrap :-)  I'll do that Tuesday or Wednesday.  

Instead, I found this neat blog that has some more very interesting ideas for deep cleaning your house AND preparing for Christmas throughout the year.  I thought I would share this with you before the new year comes - I'm thinking of integrating these ideas into my Deep Cleaning plans I already have.

Rocking Granola has some interesting ideas!

She gives a couple of ideas that caught my attention.  1) A weekly room deep cleaning - this is similar to what I already have in place but I like that "to do" lists she has listed for each room 2) Holiday Plan for each week - what to buy, lists to make, freezer meals to make etc.  3) Plan a Rudolph Day each month (such as the 25th of each month) to work specifically on things for Christmas.  I had never thought of this - it could be things like making gifts, planning baking, making master grocery lists - anything.  It might also be fun to have a holiday search and find for the kids.  Maybe have 12 little holiday decorations of some sort and on the 25th of each month, hide one of them.  Who ever finds it first over the course of the next months, gets a special treat.  Maybe a piece to a puzzle or something even that we can "build" throughout the year . .. just thinking out loud right now!

The site that "Rockin' Granola" recommends using is Organized Christmas.  I had not seen this site before but I already like it.  Who doesn't want an organized Christmas?  I'm hopeful that they will have a 2011 plan so I can incorporate this into my Holiday Journal as well. 

My holiday plan has gone very well this year - I never felt overwhelmed with decorating; I was able to clean things out, and actually enjoy the process.  There are a few things I need to work on for next year.  One big one is how to store things from the time I decorated for fall until Christmas.  All of my regular decor and fall decor is currently all mixed up so it will make for a little more work when I take down the Christmas stuff.  I already know that I need a few extra bins to put regular decor in so the fall decor bins will be empty when it is time to pack that stuff away!  Also, I need to plan baking and holiday means much earlier and make lists of supplies I can buy earlier so I don't end up with a family eating spaghetti several times a week so I can get the stuff I need for all the "fun stuff" LOL  I also need to put "write the Christmas letter" and "get the Christmas picture" earlier - that is on this next weeks list and I usually like to have it done by Thanksgiving so they can go in the mail!  Lessons learned, right?

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!!!