holidays
Yarn and Felt Holiday Wreath
I’m already looking forward to summer. I know, I know…it’s not even technically winter yet. It’s just that we have almost reached the milestone where I can press pause on the constant paranoia of drowning and simply enjoy our days at the pool. It’s liberating when your children learn how to swim. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be vigilant, but I think I can step it down a notch and at least let my eagle eye blink every now and then. 😉 All of that was a roundabout way of saying, do not throw away those worn out pool noodles. They make excellent wreath forms. Since I’m dispensing advice today, I will add…
No Sew Holiday Pillow
I can’t think of a sad story that starts with “I went to TJ MAXX/HomeGoods.” Can you? That’s how this story starts. I went to my local TJ MAXX/HomeGoods store and found an over-sized Christmas dish towel for $2.99. I wasn’t looking for it per se, but I find it hard not to walk down every single aisle when I go in that store. Don’t judge. Now, when I commit to something, I really commit to it. I’m not going to go halfway…I don’t want to be a slacker or anything. So, I’m committed to avoiding the trouble with my sewing machine and the mess I made of the bobbins.…
Candy Cane Advent Calendar
Of all the ideas I’ve dreamed up that my husband has built for me, the giant chalkboard is still one of my favorites. Plus, it’s not just a chalkboard, it’s a magnetic chalkboard. It’s constructed out of sheet metal with a wood frame. I got the impression when I went to the sheet metal manufacturing place to buy this randomly-sized piece of sheet metal that they don’t get many walk-ins. And the walk-ins they do get must be a certain type because the only thing the man who helped me said was, “you must be using this to homeschool your children.” Ah, no. Can’t a girl just want a giant magnetic chalkboard? However, I took…
Mason Jar Snow Globes
I have been meaning to make snow globes for years, people. YEARS. I have the fake snow in my craft bins to prove it. Except, I wanted to make a lot of snow globes. That type of commitment makes me commitment-phobic about the permanence of such a gesture. Did that sentence make sense? Imagine being inside my brain… So the kids and I decided to make dry snow globes. Well, I decided, but they happily went along with the idea. This idea is not new or unique and you can find how-to posts all over the ol’ Internet. Basically, it boils down to this. Hot glue a fake tree to the lid…
Christmas Countdown Lunch Notes: Free Printable
Ho, ho, ho! Tis the season where your kids ask every 5 minutes how many days until Christmas! Before you can reply for the umpteenth time, one of them will volunteer a response. Then they argue about whether or not that is correct or not. Then mommy yells at patiently instructs them to stop yelling at each other. Ahem. I’m only guessing that happens at…other people’s houses? Surely not at mine. Out of all that fa-la-la and holly-jolly came these printable Christmas countdown lunch notes created by me just for you. To simplify the printing process, I left the number off of the printable. (I’m still loving my new Epson printer, by the…
What I’m Making for FriendsGiving
I am especially thankful this year. For reasons this mostly introverted personality still can’t quite fathom, we have been embraced by so many big-hearted people in Georgia. I don’t necessarily walk around under a cloud of warm fuzzies, so I think that says a lot more about them than me. When you move someplace new, without a support network, it can be overwhelming. To find people who have your back if you are running late for the bus stop or who will watch your kids when you are in the hospital or who make you laugh on a daily basis – well, it’s my idea of hitting the lottery. I’m…
All I Want For Christmas
It’s a slippery slope, but I feel compelled to violate my “one holiday at a time” rule today. It’s for a good reason though. You see, for the last 5 years, I’ve been telling my son that the “J” initial on his Christmas stocking is just a super fancy “T” with a curve at the bottom. That’s right. The poor kid doesn’t have his own Christmas stocking. I’ve been putting his stocking stuffers into my husband’s stocking, which means that my husband’s stocking stuffers just lie around willy nilly. In the grand scheme of all of the injustices in the world, I realize this one doesn’t even rate. However, my son is in…
Thanksgiving Cards – Free Printable
You may not be old enough to remember this, but people, millions of people across this country, used to pay their bills by mailing in a paper check in a paper envelope with a stamp you actually had to lick. This was before Al Gore invented the Internet. A few things have changed since then, like online bill-pay. I’m glad I’m not an envelope salesperson. By my own calculations, we have had the same box of 500 #10 letter-size envelopes for over 15 years. We’ve moved that box of envelopes 8 times in 15 years. The ridiculousness of that statement is almost too much to wrap my mind around. Now you know…
Cinnamon Broomsticks
I don’t know how I’ve lived my entire life without knowing about cinnamon broomsticks. Am I late to the game or do they not have them in the Pacific Northwest? Or the Midwest? Or anywhere else that I’ve lived? Are these a Southern thing? So many questions, so few answers. To make up for lost time, I bought 4 broomsticks. I thought that showed restraint. Then my local Kroger sold out of them and I regretted not buying more. But, last weekend I saw two new boxes arrive! I may or may not have called dibs. A friend told me about these seasonal creations. I didn’t quite understand what a cinnamon…
Cardboard Pumpkin Art
Our AC was replaced this summer. This happened in August in Georgia and I may or may not have professed my undying love for the AC installer man. Despite that awkward exchange, he was super nice and made the GIGANTIC box that the AC unit came in into a fort for my kids. Of course, they loved it and played with it for a few days before they moved on to other things. Here’s the embarrassing part. It’s October and that box is still sitting in the basement. Every time I get on the bike or treadmill (which is 5 days a week), I spend 30 minutes thinking that I need…
