Holiday Expectations
The other day I was disappointed because tickets to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer were sold out. Tragic, right? Then we didn’t go to the tree lighting ceremony or the Christmas parade because it was pouring down rain. Gasp! And I was thinking, “man, our kids are really missing out on all of the holiday fun this year.” I was on a slippery slope to wondering if my kids were going to need therapy because we weren’t maxed out on holly jolliness this year. Yes, looking back, I can see how that attitude was a bit pathetic. Here’s the kicker. My kids didn’t ask to go to see Rudolph or the parade.…
Sweet Potato Bread Knots
I firmly believe that everyone needs a go-to dish or side they can prepare that makes them look like a rock star. And this go-to item needs to look like you spent hours doing something complicated and all Martha Stewart-y, when in reality, it was really pretty easy. Not that you’d ever let anyone know. This, my friends, is one of those items. Now, you know I love my carbs and I really think these are my favorite type of dinner roll. They are crazy delicious. Now, if you are a sweet potato hater, don’t worry. These rolls have an incredible flavor, but don’t taste like you’re biting straight into a sweet potato.…
Cookie Cutter Stencils and Embellishing a Brown Bag
I thought I’d share a fun trick for embellishing a plain brown gift bag. My secret is using cookie cutters as a stencil. I will confess… my cookie cutters see far more use outside of the kitchen than in it. These are the supplies I gathered to embellish gift bags for my children’s teachers. Ignore the snowflake cookie cutter. I was considering using it for my stencil, but switched to the tree. I insert a small cutting board inside the brown bag so that I don’t cut through it. I then trace the shape of the cookie cutter with a pencil on the brown bag. After that, it’s pretty easy to…
Santa Belt Nails
Even if you don’t have an Ugly Sweater Party to go to, I’m sure you’ll attend some sort of holiday shin-dig this year. The Christmas bling does not need to be restricted to your gorgeous abode. Oh, no. It’s time to glam up those finger and toenails with a little Santa Belt Bling! And as my Christmas gift to you, I have spared you pictures of my toes. You’re welcome. They are currently sporting the same look as my 7-year-old daughter’s toes though! All you have to do is paint your toe or fingernails red. Let them dry thoroughly. Then you need to use some scotch tape to mark off…
Jazzing Up a Fake Wreath
The house we are renting has a double front door. Cool, right? I have been very proud of myself for resisting the temptation to paint those things. Anyway, I don’t have two wreaths, let alone two matching wreaths, so I was on a mission to somehow dress up those front doors this holiday season. My first inclination was to buy a fresh wreath. Well, they were more than I wanted to spend. Big, surprise. Then I saw a fake wreath at Target and they wanted $25. For a fake wreath! Sheesh. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and their Christmas stuff was 50% off. I found a fake wreath for $5.00, originally…
Using Contact Paper to Make a Deer Silhouette
I’ve fallen for the animal silhouette fad – especially around the holidays. I can’t help it! I have not fallen for the vinyl cutting machines, like the Cricut, which would make creating a silhouette so much easier. I just haven’t been able to stomach the price tag on those puppies. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have one, but then I’d be afraid to waste the vinyl, so then it wouldn’t get used like it should. It’s a vicious cycle, people! It’s often these moments of cheapness frugality that lead me to get a little desperate creative. So, I came home from preschool drop-off last week, did my happy dance…
Holiday Footprint Art
My most treasured piece of holiday decor is not the tree topper or the ornaments from when I was a baby. Nope, not even close. It’s actually this piece of footprint artwork my daughter made when she was 5. Mistletoes? It doesn’t get any cuter than that. And you know I’m a sucker for hand and footprint art. There’s something so compelling to me, as a mother, to have a snapshot in time of their little feet – especially on canvas. If you are looking for a homemade gift idea this year. I thought you might like that one. It’s as simple as letting your child paint the background and…
Potting Shed, Part 1
We spent Thanksgiving in Oregon visiting family and friends. It was so much fun to visit and catch up. Except for that part where we all got sick – that I can do without next time. One of the perks of the trip (besides not having to cook for 10 days straight) was seeing the projects that my dad and stepmom had been working on over the summer. Holy cowbells! They’ve been busy little bees. The most impressive project was the potting shed. Isn’t she charming? Don’t you just want to sit there on that blue chair and watch someone else plant flowers and pull weeds? Oh, wait. That’s might just…
Santa Belt Magnets
Last year I got on a magnet kick. Don’t ask me why. Sometimes you just get a wild idea and before you know it, your fingers are covered in Mod Podge and you forgot to start dinner. Am I right, or am I right? The result was a whole bunch of these ridiculously cute Santa Belt magnets. Don’t worry. No humans starved during the making of these magnets. We totally had cereal for dinner that night. Problem solved! Here’s what you need to make them: wood discs of some sort, magnets, glue, small paint brush, Mod Podge, tape, craft paint and rhinestones or gems. You may want to sand the wood…
The Redeye
We spent 10 days celebrating Thanksgiving in Oregon. We saw clouds on approximately all 10 of those days. In Oregon’s defense, the sun did peek out once or twice. We drove 700 miles and had 4 Thanksgiving Dinners. Not to diminish the importance and joy of celebrating Thanksgiving with family, but one of my favorite dinners was our Friends Thanksgiving. Friendsgiving? I was thrilled that we could continue the tradition this year. It’s a great way to celebrate with those people that are not family by birth, but family by choice. Our dance card felt very full while we were there. It was a mad dash of visiting as many…
