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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
New Years Fun and Games :)
This was taken from How Does She.....Enjoy-Have Fun!:)
My New Years Resolution is #1: START EXERCISING AGAIN...sigh.....
1. Guessing the resolutions
Make each of your guests write down resolutions, each on its own slip of paper. Pull one slip of paper out of a basket at a time and read it out loud. Everyone has to write down who they think made each resolution. At the end of the readings, the person who guessed the most correctly wins a prize. Read some of the wrong guesses out loud for fun!
2. 2 resolutions and one lie
Have everyone tell the group 2 of their real resolutions and 1 fake resolution. Everyone has to guess which is the fake resolution.
3. New Year’s Eve Scramble
Write a bunch of different words on a piece of paper that have to do with New Year’s Eve and scramble the letters. The person who guesses the most words correctly wins a prize.
4. Word guessing
Write down 100 words on index cards such as stare, grin, blink, giggle, laugh, plate, shoelace, thread or any word you like.
Stack the cards and put them in the center of the room. Divide the players into 2 teams and seat them opposite each other. Set the timer or stopwatch for one minute. Have the first player from Team One draw a card from the pile and give clues to the word to his/her teammates before the timer ends the play.
So, if the word is “laugh”, the team member might say, “What you do if someone tells you a joke?” Players from
Team One try to guess the word; if they are successful before the time is up, they get a point. If the timer runs out and the word is not guessed, the other team gets a bonus point. Take turns until all the cards are exhausted, and then add up points to see who wins.
5. Fun photos
Take the picture of each of your guests with the digital camera. Have them make a funny face and be sure to tell them there is a prize for the best face. After all the pictures have been taken, download them to your computer or laptop and ask everyone to gather around the monitor. The winner will be judged on the greatest laughter.
6. Celebrity hunt
Everyone writes the name of a celebrity, famous person or character on a piece of paper and then they stick to the forehead of the player on their left (use tape or office Post-It notes). Make sure they don’t see the name. Now the game starts. Everyone else can see your forehead. The objective is to work out who you are. Going around the table, each payer takes a turn to ask the party questions about who they are – answers can be YES or NO only. If you get a YES you may continue asking, if you get a NO play moves on to the left. Last person to guess their name is the loser.
7. Naming of Candy
For this you need: About 6 different candies that have given names like M&M’s, Crunch, Wrigley’s, etc. 1 Die (or 2 dice if the crowd is very large) Everyone is seated on the floor in a circle. Packaged candy bars or candy are placed in the middle of the circle. The game starts by everyone saying their own name. If you already know each other, makeup an animal name or famous person name or something to make it harder. The leader then makes sure that everyone knows what candy is in the middle. Someone begins by rolling the dice. If they roll a 6, they can take one of the candies in the middle. The die continues to go quickly around the circle while people keep picking up candy. When all of the candies are taken, people then can get other people’s candy. In order to get their candy, they must state the person’s first name and the name of the candy they hold. The person who rolls a 6 and matches the name of the candy and the person takes the other’s candy. If they forget either name, they miss their turn and the dice goes to the next person and they continue to roll. (One person can get more than one candy and people can hide the candy behind their back). This is a great way of getting to know people’s name and how to get your favorite candies!
8. Have a huge indoor treasure hunt with clues
The kids will have a blast following the clues to get their treasure. If it is warm where you live, send them outside for parts of it.
9. Create your own time capsule
Put anything you want to remember along with your resolutions in a container and then hide it till next year.
10. Necklaces made of yarn
The players try to win as many yarn necklaces as they can. He/she who has the most at the end wins a prize. Give each player a necklace. The idea is to get the other players to say “No”. Try to make your friends say, “No”. If your friend says it, then you get their necklace. This game is played during the entire party.
11. Word game
Whoever creates the most words out of the letters in Happy New Year, wins!
12. Guess how many in objects in a jar
Fill a clear glass or plastic jar (with a secure lid) with a known quantity (yes, you have to count them!) of candy, marbles, pennies, tiny toy cars or some other item that ties in with the theme of your party. Decorate the jar and lid with stickers and a bow and place on the arrival activity table. Provide slips of paper for guests to write their names and their “guess” and a small basket or box to collect the entries. At the end of the party award the jar of goodies to the child with the closest guess.
13. Scavenger hunt
Some ideas: a party hat, streamers, noise makers, plastic champagne glass, a clock, Happy New Year card, Happy New Year balloon, drink stirrers, coasters, chocolate coins, a calendar, or silver bells to ring in the New Year.
14. Match the country with how they say, “Happy New Year”.
A free printable game from HowDoesShe - This is suited more for older kids or adults.
15. For more printable games see this site: Party Supply Hut
Some ideas were taken from The Holiday Spot
My New Years Resolution is #1: START EXERCISING AGAIN...sigh.....
1. Guessing the resolutions
Make each of your guests write down resolutions, each on its own slip of paper. Pull one slip of paper out of a basket at a time and read it out loud. Everyone has to write down who they think made each resolution. At the end of the readings, the person who guessed the most correctly wins a prize. Read some of the wrong guesses out loud for fun!
2. 2 resolutions and one lie
Have everyone tell the group 2 of their real resolutions and 1 fake resolution. Everyone has to guess which is the fake resolution.
3. New Year’s Eve Scramble
Write a bunch of different words on a piece of paper that have to do with New Year’s Eve and scramble the letters. The person who guesses the most words correctly wins a prize.
4. Word guessing
Write down 100 words on index cards such as stare, grin, blink, giggle, laugh, plate, shoelace, thread or any word you like.
Stack the cards and put them in the center of the room. Divide the players into 2 teams and seat them opposite each other. Set the timer or stopwatch for one minute. Have the first player from Team One draw a card from the pile and give clues to the word to his/her teammates before the timer ends the play.
So, if the word is “laugh”, the team member might say, “What you do if someone tells you a joke?” Players from
Team One try to guess the word; if they are successful before the time is up, they get a point. If the timer runs out and the word is not guessed, the other team gets a bonus point. Take turns until all the cards are exhausted, and then add up points to see who wins.
5. Fun photos
Take the picture of each of your guests with the digital camera. Have them make a funny face and be sure to tell them there is a prize for the best face. After all the pictures have been taken, download them to your computer or laptop and ask everyone to gather around the monitor. The winner will be judged on the greatest laughter.
6. Celebrity hunt
Everyone writes the name of a celebrity, famous person or character on a piece of paper and then they stick to the forehead of the player on their left (use tape or office Post-It notes). Make sure they don’t see the name. Now the game starts. Everyone else can see your forehead. The objective is to work out who you are. Going around the table, each payer takes a turn to ask the party questions about who they are – answers can be YES or NO only. If you get a YES you may continue asking, if you get a NO play moves on to the left. Last person to guess their name is the loser.
7. Naming of Candy
For this you need: About 6 different candies that have given names like M&M’s, Crunch, Wrigley’s, etc. 1 Die (or 2 dice if the crowd is very large) Everyone is seated on the floor in a circle. Packaged candy bars or candy are placed in the middle of the circle. The game starts by everyone saying their own name. If you already know each other, makeup an animal name or famous person name or something to make it harder. The leader then makes sure that everyone knows what candy is in the middle. Someone begins by rolling the dice. If they roll a 6, they can take one of the candies in the middle. The die continues to go quickly around the circle while people keep picking up candy. When all of the candies are taken, people then can get other people’s candy. In order to get their candy, they must state the person’s first name and the name of the candy they hold. The person who rolls a 6 and matches the name of the candy and the person takes the other’s candy. If they forget either name, they miss their turn and the dice goes to the next person and they continue to roll. (One person can get more than one candy and people can hide the candy behind their back). This is a great way of getting to know people’s name and how to get your favorite candies!
8. Have a huge indoor treasure hunt with clues
The kids will have a blast following the clues to get their treasure. If it is warm where you live, send them outside for parts of it.
9. Create your own time capsule
Put anything you want to remember along with your resolutions in a container and then hide it till next year.
10. Necklaces made of yarn
The players try to win as many yarn necklaces as they can. He/she who has the most at the end wins a prize. Give each player a necklace. The idea is to get the other players to say “No”. Try to make your friends say, “No”. If your friend says it, then you get their necklace. This game is played during the entire party.
11. Word game
Whoever creates the most words out of the letters in Happy New Year, wins!
12. Guess how many in objects in a jar
Fill a clear glass or plastic jar (with a secure lid) with a known quantity (yes, you have to count them!) of candy, marbles, pennies, tiny toy cars or some other item that ties in with the theme of your party. Decorate the jar and lid with stickers and a bow and place on the arrival activity table. Provide slips of paper for guests to write their names and their “guess” and a small basket or box to collect the entries. At the end of the party award the jar of goodies to the child with the closest guess.
13. Scavenger hunt
Some ideas: a party hat, streamers, noise makers, plastic champagne glass, a clock, Happy New Year card, Happy New Year balloon, drink stirrers, coasters, chocolate coins, a calendar, or silver bells to ring in the New Year.
14. Match the country with how they say, “Happy New Year”.
A free printable game from HowDoesShe - This is suited more for older kids or adults.
15. For more printable games see this site: Party Supply Hut
Some ideas were taken from The Holiday Spot
Whew......Settling Down Finally....
and not just the kids either....LOLOL;)
WE had a WONDERFUL Christmas!!!! WE woke up bright and early at 8!!! I think thats the earliest time we have ever been up here for Christmas morning...LOLOL I awoke to my alarm, and I was in bed just wondering, and maybee a bit hoping that MAYBEE I would get to sleep in a bit-but sure enough-there comes a knock...knock on the wall-Little Flamingo letting us know she was ready.....LOLOL Too funny-so no sleep ins here....We get the video camera ready and camera and tell everyone they could come out....and out springs giggles, ooohs, awhhhs, wonderful smiles, and laughter.....
Dh was so nice and bought some cinnamon rolls so I didnt have to bake them on Christmas morning-which made it alot nicer-for me;) Then I put in a ham and some cheesy potatoes, bread etc, for lunch and it was just pure joy all day:)Wonderful smells, wonderful laughter, and wonderful smiles all around. The only thing missing was family...:( But we did get some very nice phone calls and it was so nice to hear how everyone was enjoying their Christmas.
I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas too. We are sure blessed here. Christmas is a time when I stop and reflect on what blessings we all have. and It brings tears to my eyes looking at my healthy, happy children, my dear dh who would do anything and does for his family, Papa and Nana and Grami who give of themselves so unselfishly to us all throughout the year, Brothers and Sisters who are near and far, but who give of their love so greatly it is felt no matter where they are. I love you all so very much and am truly greatful you all are apart of our little family:)That we are lucky to have such a wonderful loving relationship with all of you-others are not so lucky. I pray that all families ard the world will come to understand the true happiness that comes from having close families. Its a blessing that I hold so dear to my heart.
------whew-okay wiping tears...time to change the subject...:)
Things are slowly winding down here. Presents are slowly making their way down to bedrooms. The kids are still in high spirits enjoying everything still. Dh had to go back to work today. He will be off on Wed till Mon but Flamingo shed a couple tears not wanting Daddy to go to work today. So hard for Dh I am sure.
The day after Christmas we all bundles up to go see Avatar-WOW!!!!! WHAT a movie!!!-I think thats my favorite movie right now, tomorrow, and forever-SOOO GOOD!!!!But be prepared-its a 3 Hr movie!!LOLOL Monkey Boy didnt even need to get up to use the restroom once!!!!He's getting to be such a big boy :( I HATE it!!!!LOLOLOL
We also stopped off at Walmart to get a light bulb for Flamingos Candy Gourmet maker-can you guess what we will be doing today......?LOLOL Stinger also got some supplies for his new fish tank-and a couple of new fish-he has 4 now :)Flamingo also got a fish and is useing his old tank. It has pink pebbles-go figure....LOLOL Monkey Boy is jealous-but I still think he is a little young to have that much responsibility. His time will come-but I want to be sure he can handle the food-not dump it all in there-kwim? and the cleaning etc. It gets kinda tricky here in Utah as the water gets REALLY cold....so you have to watch it if you dont have a heater-Stinger does, but Flamingo is having to swap water, check temp etc...so its quiet a responsibility.
Well I better go get some lunch for the kiddoes. Christmas pics coming soon :)
WE had a WONDERFUL Christmas!!!! WE woke up bright and early at 8!!! I think thats the earliest time we have ever been up here for Christmas morning...LOLOL I awoke to my alarm, and I was in bed just wondering, and maybee a bit hoping that MAYBEE I would get to sleep in a bit-but sure enough-there comes a knock...knock on the wall-Little Flamingo letting us know she was ready.....LOLOL Too funny-so no sleep ins here....We get the video camera ready and camera and tell everyone they could come out....and out springs giggles, ooohs, awhhhs, wonderful smiles, and laughter.....
Dh was so nice and bought some cinnamon rolls so I didnt have to bake them on Christmas morning-which made it alot nicer-for me;) Then I put in a ham and some cheesy potatoes, bread etc, for lunch and it was just pure joy all day:)Wonderful smells, wonderful laughter, and wonderful smiles all around. The only thing missing was family...:( But we did get some very nice phone calls and it was so nice to hear how everyone was enjoying their Christmas.
I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas too. We are sure blessed here. Christmas is a time when I stop and reflect on what blessings we all have. and It brings tears to my eyes looking at my healthy, happy children, my dear dh who would do anything and does for his family, Papa and Nana and Grami who give of themselves so unselfishly to us all throughout the year, Brothers and Sisters who are near and far, but who give of their love so greatly it is felt no matter where they are. I love you all so very much and am truly greatful you all are apart of our little family:)That we are lucky to have such a wonderful loving relationship with all of you-others are not so lucky. I pray that all families ard the world will come to understand the true happiness that comes from having close families. Its a blessing that I hold so dear to my heart.
------whew-okay wiping tears...time to change the subject...:)
Things are slowly winding down here. Presents are slowly making their way down to bedrooms. The kids are still in high spirits enjoying everything still. Dh had to go back to work today. He will be off on Wed till Mon but Flamingo shed a couple tears not wanting Daddy to go to work today. So hard for Dh I am sure.
The day after Christmas we all bundles up to go see Avatar-WOW!!!!! WHAT a movie!!!-I think thats my favorite movie right now, tomorrow, and forever-SOOO GOOD!!!!But be prepared-its a 3 Hr movie!!LOLOL Monkey Boy didnt even need to get up to use the restroom once!!!!He's getting to be such a big boy :( I HATE it!!!!LOLOLOL
We also stopped off at Walmart to get a light bulb for Flamingos Candy Gourmet maker-can you guess what we will be doing today......?LOLOL Stinger also got some supplies for his new fish tank-and a couple of new fish-he has 4 now :)Flamingo also got a fish and is useing his old tank. It has pink pebbles-go figure....LOLOL Monkey Boy is jealous-but I still think he is a little young to have that much responsibility. His time will come-but I want to be sure he can handle the food-not dump it all in there-kwim? and the cleaning etc. It gets kinda tricky here in Utah as the water gets REALLY cold....so you have to watch it if you dont have a heater-Stinger does, but Flamingo is having to swap water, check temp etc...so its quiet a responsibility.
Well I better go get some lunch for the kiddoes. Christmas pics coming soon :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
4 More Sleeps To Go...........
WEll I got a list from CindysPorch- last minute preps on Christmas and boy-there are some things on there that yep-sure enough-we always seam to forget ard here-LOLOL, so maybee we will get lucky this year with this reminder :)
A dozen tips for the next few days…
1) Mark the date on the calendar when you have to take the
turkey out of the freezer.(we do Ham here)
2) Check your calendar for important dates over the next two
weeks.
3) Pay your monthly bills now and get them out of the way.
4) Enjoy a cup of tea and few minutes of quiet.
5) Remember to water the Christmas tree. And while you are at
it, water the rest of the houseplants too.
6) Go for an evening walk. Enjoy the neighborhood lights.
7) Go to bed at a reasonable time.
8) Play a board or card game with your family.
9) Read the instructions NOW for any gifts that you plan on
getting your husband to assemble on Christmas Eve.
10) Check that you have the right batteries for anything that may
need batteries on Christmas morning.we ALWAYS forget this one!!!LOLOL
11) Double check your holiday meal plans, your shopping list, and
the stuff in your fridge and pantry. You don't want to run out of
sour cream at 2:00 on December 25th!
12) Take care of you. Enjoy a hot shower or bath on those days
when you feel like you are running ragged.
A dozen tips for the next few days…
1) Mark the date on the calendar when you have to take the
turkey out of the freezer.(we do Ham here)
2) Check your calendar for important dates over the next two
weeks.
3) Pay your monthly bills now and get them out of the way.
4) Enjoy a cup of tea and few minutes of quiet.
5) Remember to water the Christmas tree. And while you are at
it, water the rest of the houseplants too.
6) Go for an evening walk. Enjoy the neighborhood lights.
7) Go to bed at a reasonable time.
8) Play a board or card game with your family.
9) Read the instructions NOW for any gifts that you plan on
getting your husband to assemble on Christmas Eve.
10) Check that you have the right batteries for anything that may
need batteries on Christmas morning.we ALWAYS forget this one!!!LOLOL
11) Double check your holiday meal plans, your shopping list, and
the stuff in your fridge and pantry. You don't want to run out of
sour cream at 2:00 on December 25th!
12) Take care of you. Enjoy a hot shower or bath on those days
when you feel like you are running ragged.
More Christmas Joy...sigh...
Well I got all my other packages ready to send-I know they will be late, but better late right? Critters also need some dog chow etc...So Stinger and I load up into the car with so called packages and wrrrrrrr...wwrrrrrrrrr..and MORE WRRRRRRrrrrrrrrr....Car wont start......UGH!!!!For Cryin out loud!LOLOLOL. Its wrrrring...not clicking and its just acting liek "sheesh-Im cold and I need to warm up...."(me and my car expertise again)...LOLOL, but thats what it sounds like....
So I guess we wont be going anywhere today....hopefully its not a bad fix or too much $$$$-as Christmas has us to our limits right now...sigh...what a way to crash on my Christmas joy-eh? Of all the nerve!!LOLOL
O-well....we have a back up for so called reasons, but its only for emergencies and this is no emergency. So dh will look at it tom. I told him there was no reason to turn ard and come home as packages can wait....he said I could jump it, but I REALLY didnt want to mess with it-yep-my car expertise again)and plus I had alot of stop and go stops to make and I could just see me getting stranded somewhere....sigh...so I passed until hubby is home....
Fa...La....La.......
Well I think to pick my spirits up I will wrap a couple of Christmas presents and bake some kind of goodie. Tonight Im watching The Nutcracker-the GOOD one-with that reallly good Tchikofskie guy-that one is the best-in my opinion. With some hot cocoa-after I put the kiddoes to bed-sounds like pure Heaven......eh? I watched an off shoot with Flamingo this weekend and can you say DISSAPONTMENT!BLAH.....watching the good one reminds me of getting all dresssed up in our Sunday best in England and going to the big fancy playhouses to watch The Nutcracker-I will remember that always-GREAT memories Dad and Mom:)Anyway-thats probably why my eyes tear up when Im watching it even as dh and Stinger are rolling their eyes-LOLOL-I remeber as a child all the great memories as a child and I get to feeling so happy inside :)Im a BIG sap when it comes to stuff like that. I get the same thing when I watch Fiddler On the Roof from the guys ard here. Thank goodness Ive got a little girl who can relate to all this sappy wonderful girly stuff!!LOLOLOL-poor thing ;).....LOLOL
So I guess we wont be going anywhere today....hopefully its not a bad fix or too much $$$$-as Christmas has us to our limits right now...sigh...what a way to crash on my Christmas joy-eh? Of all the nerve!!LOLOL
O-well....we have a back up for so called reasons, but its only for emergencies and this is no emergency. So dh will look at it tom. I told him there was no reason to turn ard and come home as packages can wait....he said I could jump it, but I REALLY didnt want to mess with it-yep-my car expertise again)and plus I had alot of stop and go stops to make and I could just see me getting stranded somewhere....sigh...so I passed until hubby is home....
Fa...La....La.......
Well I think to pick my spirits up I will wrap a couple of Christmas presents and bake some kind of goodie. Tonight Im watching The Nutcracker-the GOOD one-with that reallly good Tchikofskie guy-that one is the best-in my opinion. With some hot cocoa-after I put the kiddoes to bed-sounds like pure Heaven......eh? I watched an off shoot with Flamingo this weekend and can you say DISSAPONTMENT!BLAH.....watching the good one reminds me of getting all dresssed up in our Sunday best in England and going to the big fancy playhouses to watch The Nutcracker-I will remember that always-GREAT memories Dad and Mom:)Anyway-thats probably why my eyes tear up when Im watching it even as dh and Stinger are rolling their eyes-LOLOL-I remeber as a child all the great memories as a child and I get to feeling so happy inside :)Im a BIG sap when it comes to stuff like that. I get the same thing when I watch Fiddler On the Roof from the guys ard here. Thank goodness Ive got a little girl who can relate to all this sappy wonderful girly stuff!!LOLOLOL-poor thing ;).....LOLOL
History of the Candy Cane
-------oh Im thinking good ideas for next Christmas...hmmmmmmmm-eh:)
The origin of the candy cane goes back over 350 years, when candy-makers both professional and amateur were making hard sugar sticks. The original candy was straight and completely white in color.
Birth of the Candy Cane
Around the seventeenth century, European-Christians began to adopt the use of Christmas trees as part of their Christmas celebrations. They made special decorations for their trees from foods like cookies and sugar-stick candy. The first historical reference to the familiar cane shape goes back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, bent the sugar-sticks into canes to represent a shepherd's staff. The all-white candy canes were given out to children during the long-winded nativity services.
The clergymen's custom of handing out candy canes during Christmas services spread throughout Europe and later to America. The canes were still white, but sometimes the candy-makers would add sugar-roses to decorate the canes further.
The first historical reference to the candy cane being in America goes back to 1847, when a German immigrant called August Imgard decorated the Christmas tree in his Wooster, Ohio home with candy canes.
The Stripes
About fifty years later the first red-and-white striped candy canes appeared. No one knows who exactly invented the stripes, but Christmas cards prior to the year 1900 showed only all-white candy canes. Christmas cards after 1900 showed illustrations of striped candy canes. Around the same time, candy-makers added peppermint and wintergreen flavors to their candy canes and those flavors then became the traditional favorites.
Sweet Secrets of the Candy Cane
There are many other legends and beliefs surrounding the humble candy cane. Many of them depict the candy cane as a secret symbol for Christianity used during the times when Christian were living under more oppressive circumstances. It was said that the cane was shaped like a "J" for Jesus. The red-and-white stripes represented Christ's blood and purity. The three red stripes symbolized the Holy Trinity. The hardness of the candy represented the Church's foundation on solid rock and the peppermint flavor represented the use of hyssop, an herb referred to in the Old Testament. There is no historical evidence to support these claims, quite the contrary, but they are lovely thoughts.
Gregory Keller
A Catholic priest called Gregory Keller invented a machine to automate candy cane production during the 1950's.
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We had a wonderful weekend. Every day it looked as though it was going to snow ard here, but it never did. In the morning it was beautiful though all the same. The frost has been making every tree, every image outside just breathtaking. Everything is covered with a frost-which makes it more beautiful than the snow-if that's possible:)
We made Gingerbread houses on Saturday. They were ALOT of fun-the kids really enjoyed tasting as they created. So much more fun than those boxes you can buy which are sooo hard you cant even bite into them. With graham crackers they have been nibling away-which makes it soo much more worth it. I used a special homemade icing called Royal icing which was absolutely perfect-as it set up really quick.
So everyone is just waiting ard for Santa here...LOLOL Kids are going coo-koo....They only go to school until Tuesday this week. yeah.....sigh...LOLOL-j/k:)Ive got jammies to wrap for Christmas Eve openings and Dh's gift to finish up. Ive got to send off some late gifts as well-sorry Grami its going to be late...THEN I AM DONE!:)All shopping is done...phew...
Flamingo woke me up at 4:00 AM this morning. She had been sick in bed. So a change of sheets was in order :(Poor thing :(I hope its just a case of too many Christmas goodies in the tummy *crossing fingers* but she has had an upset stomach and not been feeling too well-but no fever. She headed off to school though as she is working on a Christmas project and doesn't want to miss anything in class...sigh...so we shall see if I get a call to come and pick her up. I told her if she feels at all bad or wants to come home to just give me a call...so we shall see....
I cant believe we've got only 4 more days-WHOOT!!!! Im getting so excited!! :)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Christmas Wrappings-Reuseable, Adoreable and Green!
Okay-I have to admit-dh and I are up to way early hours in the morning wrapping on Christmas Eve. I tend to really like this time-we put in a Christmas movie and just go to wrapping down in the den...after Im sure the kids are asleep...LOLOL, but its a fun relaxing time for me-not for some, but I really like this time....
But I am not against saving an hour or too trying out this idea for a couple of the gifts-maybee the gifts from Santa etc...
This was again taken from How Does She-Can you tell how much I just love this sight???!!!!LOLOOL
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Christmas Wrapping – Reusable, Adorable and Green!
I always enjoyed it when our Christmas presents were wrapped and everyone took turns to open one present at a time. This seemed to make Christmas last longer rather than just having all the presents under the tree unwrapped. But it certainly takes more time as a parent, especially a procrastinating parent as I am.
A few Christmas Eve’s ago, late at night, I was at my Mom’s house trying to wrap presents after our two kids were in bed to be ready for Christmas morning. As I am all tangled in tape and paper I look over and see my sister-in-law (who had just hauled in her presents not five minutes prior) just finishing all her wrapping. HOW?!? Fabric Christmas bags. GENIUS!!! She had some that were passed down to her from her childhood. Think of the memories just these bags alone held. I have been hooked ever since. We put our bags out on Christmas Eve and by morning Santa does his magic (in 10 minutes instead of hours) and they are filled with presents! No plastic bags full of ripped wrapping paper – just fold up the fabric and you’re ready for next year!
My kids now get excited just seeing these bags come out of storage!
I know a tutorial is not necessary, but I’ll explain. I just cut the fabric in two pieces, put right (print) sides together, and sewed three sides. I didn’t even hem the top because once you tie it with ribbon and it bunches over, you can’t even see the top. (If you use material that frayes you would want to hem.)
You can make them to match your holiday decor and put presents out as you buy them, if want presents under the tree. Or you can use themes your kids are into just like the wrapping paper. Christmas fabric always goes on sale after Christmas so you can stock up for next year!
But I am not against saving an hour or too trying out this idea for a couple of the gifts-maybee the gifts from Santa etc...
This was again taken from How Does She-Can you tell how much I just love this sight???!!!!LOLOOL
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Christmas Wrapping – Reusable, Adorable and Green!
I always enjoyed it when our Christmas presents were wrapped and everyone took turns to open one present at a time. This seemed to make Christmas last longer rather than just having all the presents under the tree unwrapped. But it certainly takes more time as a parent, especially a procrastinating parent as I am.
A few Christmas Eve’s ago, late at night, I was at my Mom’s house trying to wrap presents after our two kids were in bed to be ready for Christmas morning. As I am all tangled in tape and paper I look over and see my sister-in-law (who had just hauled in her presents not five minutes prior) just finishing all her wrapping. HOW?!? Fabric Christmas bags. GENIUS!!! She had some that were passed down to her from her childhood. Think of the memories just these bags alone held. I have been hooked ever since. We put our bags out on Christmas Eve and by morning Santa does his magic (in 10 minutes instead of hours) and they are filled with presents! No plastic bags full of ripped wrapping paper – just fold up the fabric and you’re ready for next year!
My kids now get excited just seeing these bags come out of storage!
I know a tutorial is not necessary, but I’ll explain. I just cut the fabric in two pieces, put right (print) sides together, and sewed three sides. I didn’t even hem the top because once you tie it with ribbon and it bunches over, you can’t even see the top. (If you use material that frayes you would want to hem.)
You can make them to match your holiday decor and put presents out as you buy them, if want presents under the tree. Or you can use themes your kids are into just like the wrapping paper. Christmas fabric always goes on sale after Christmas so you can stock up for next year!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Baking and More Baking....
Well we just got done making some favorite treats here. Wreaths, rice crispie treats with red and green sprinkles, and puppy chow. Im making peanut butter cookies tonight later....for Dh, which are his favorite. He's not too into all the Christmas goodies-he asked me to make plain old peanut butter cookies-but no surprise there-he lives off the stuff...LOLOL. The kiddoes were all soo funny-they were in heaven trying and sampling the bowls that we were mixing etc...LOLOL-bunches of fun. They especially liked the wreaths as they could get their hands all sticky-all except Stinger that is. He went downstairs and came up with a pair of silicone gloves on.....LOLOL Then he had fun along with the other two sillies......LOLOLOL Flamingo and Monkey Boy are driving me crazy-they are just bounding with uncontroleable happiness lately...Giggling and laughing AAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL day long....-Its nice that they are so excited, but its enough to drive ya batty too....LOLOL.
Anyway-here are some pics of our tasties...
Anyway-here are some pics of our tasties...
The Invisible Woman-Video
Okay-so I think Ive posted this before, but a dear friend posted the video of this and it was too touching not to share-live. It brought tears to my eyes-Enjoy:)Sooo been there.....
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A Cute Homemade Christmas Idea For Hubby
Just when I thought I had all my gifts planned....LOLOL-Look what I found over at How Does She..
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hello!! I am delighted to be guest posting here today! My name is Cher and I am the author of Love, Actually…a fun little blog devoted to creative romance ideas on a budget. You’ll find all sorts of fun ideas (from simple to extravagant), free downloads, and great giveaways on my blog… I hope you’ll stop by and come back again and again!
Here’s another homemade Christmas gift. For the love in your life who has everything, this ought to be something different….and fun.
Enroll him (or her) in the Date of the Month Club!
(I first heard about this idea from a reader’s idea on lovingyou.com){the membership “brochure”}
Here’s the jist: You’ve enrolled them in this club, which has lots of great “membership benefits”.
You can present this to him anyway you’d like. In a binder with plastic sleeves, in a box, in a folder, or in a 12×12 scrapbook pocket page like I did.
{ A closer look }
So, in case the pictures aren’t self-explanatory enough, allow me to explain.
Monthly Date Calendar:
Give your hubby a list of 12+ dates on a card or a full size page (depending on how you are presenting it). The more he can choose from, the better. Keep in mind, these don’t all have to be fancy dates from my blog. Guys like simple dates, too…like, throwing a frisbee at the park. Put some of his interests in there as dates with you. Then, provide him another sheet which has each month of the next year listed. He will choose which date he wants for which month. Then, it’s up to you keep that card and plan those dates each month (Hence, “date of the month club”).
Romance Reward Tickets:
These are “love coupons” of sorts…the trick is actually honoring them when he/she decides to use them throughout the year–no backing out! And, make sure you really personalize them.
Here are the tickets I used:
(I put two of each in the package)
*
Breakfast in Bed - hot & ready, or however you like it!
*
Mental Health Day – Need a break from the daily grind? Play hookie and we’ll have some real fun…anything you want to do!
*
Sick Day - Redeem this for some pure pampering on a day you aren’t feeling too hot… I’ll make you feel better.
*
Treat Ticket - Your craving is my command!
*
Massage of Your Choice – Where does it hurt? Let me rub it better.
Vacation Packages for Two:
Give him at least 2 options…but only give him as many as you can handle having to plan throughout the year! (make sure he knows these are not REAL getaways…otherwise what’s the need for a homemade Christmas?)
My package included a trip to Las Vegas and one to a romantic bed and breakfast suite–he gets to choose the suite theme.
Hershey Hugs & Kisses:
Redeemable for the real thing….(prepare to receive these after he/she has just made you mad)
Once it’s all set, wrap it up and put it under the tree!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay-so Ive got to get busy-I know dh will just LUV this!!!!! :) Get Hoppin!! Im having fun choosing and dowloading dif fonts-whoot!!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hello!! I am delighted to be guest posting here today! My name is Cher and I am the author of Love, Actually…a fun little blog devoted to creative romance ideas on a budget. You’ll find all sorts of fun ideas (from simple to extravagant), free downloads, and great giveaways on my blog… I hope you’ll stop by and come back again and again!
Here’s another homemade Christmas gift. For the love in your life who has everything, this ought to be something different….and fun.
Enroll him (or her) in the Date of the Month Club!
(I first heard about this idea from a reader’s idea on lovingyou.com){the membership “brochure”}
Here’s the jist: You’ve enrolled them in this club, which has lots of great “membership benefits”.
You can present this to him anyway you’d like. In a binder with plastic sleeves, in a box, in a folder, or in a 12×12 scrapbook pocket page like I did.
{ A closer look }
So, in case the pictures aren’t self-explanatory enough, allow me to explain.
Monthly Date Calendar:
Give your hubby a list of 12+ dates on a card or a full size page (depending on how you are presenting it). The more he can choose from, the better. Keep in mind, these don’t all have to be fancy dates from my blog. Guys like simple dates, too…like, throwing a frisbee at the park. Put some of his interests in there as dates with you. Then, provide him another sheet which has each month of the next year listed. He will choose which date he wants for which month. Then, it’s up to you keep that card and plan those dates each month (Hence, “date of the month club”).
Romance Reward Tickets:
These are “love coupons” of sorts…the trick is actually honoring them when he/she decides to use them throughout the year–no backing out! And, make sure you really personalize them.
Here are the tickets I used:
(I put two of each in the package)
*
Breakfast in Bed - hot & ready, or however you like it!
*
Mental Health Day – Need a break from the daily grind? Play hookie and we’ll have some real fun…anything you want to do!
*
Sick Day - Redeem this for some pure pampering on a day you aren’t feeling too hot… I’ll make you feel better.
*
Treat Ticket - Your craving is my command!
*
Massage of Your Choice – Where does it hurt? Let me rub it better.
Vacation Packages for Two:
Give him at least 2 options…but only give him as many as you can handle having to plan throughout the year! (make sure he knows these are not REAL getaways…otherwise what’s the need for a homemade Christmas?)
My package included a trip to Las Vegas and one to a romantic bed and breakfast suite–he gets to choose the suite theme.
Hershey Hugs & Kisses:
Redeemable for the real thing….(prepare to receive these after he/she has just made you mad)
Once it’s all set, wrap it up and put it under the tree!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay-so Ive got to get busy-I know dh will just LUV this!!!!! :) Get Hoppin!! Im having fun choosing and dowloading dif fonts-whoot!!
Santas Message to Monkey Boy
This was just adoreable-make one for your kids too :)
http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/af5eaea5c4376d7804ffdb17e556ff45
http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/af5eaea5c4376d7804ffdb17e556ff45
Simplifying Christmas Day11-Simple Recipes
Oh...my favorite topic right now;)!!!!!!
At our house we are busy coated with powdered sugar, chocolate and all the goodies....LOLOL -Its Cookie/Goodie time!!!
I found this recipe abt 2 years ago-and BOY-has it helped immensley with cookie preparing and all that ..-LOLOL If any of you have stood by the stove cooking reg fudge -you will LOVE this one!!!
Microwave Fudge-this is Dh's favorite at Christmas Time :)
ingredients:
1 Cup Semi-sweet choc chips
1/2 C Butter
1/4 C moo
3C powdered Sugar
1tsp vanila
nuts-optional
directions:
-melt choc chips and butter and moo in microwave bowl(1-1/2 min)
-add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on med for abt 2-3 min until completely smooth.Note-stir in powdered sugar a little before you beat it with mixer-ask me how I found this lovely gem out!LOLOLOL
-cover and put in fridge to harden.
Nanas' Holly Wreaths
Okay I have lost this exact recipe(MOM!!!!!!-I need this one too)-but its exactly like you would make rice crispie treats-I know all you out there know this recipe-but for the life of me I cant really remember the quantities..LOLOL)-but you use corn flakes and food coloring to die them green-you then shape them into wreaths and put little red hots on them-this was an all time favorite growing up-and my kids just adore them!!:)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Simplifying Christmas Day10-Homeschooling During Hectic Times
Well this topic needs no explaining does it-LOLOL
It is hard lets just say it....LOLOLOL
For the past 3 years I have done alot of unit studies ard Christmas time, alot of lapbooks, alot of crosswords, brain teasers-you name it....but as is usually the case, my effort isnt much appreciated. Well I wouldnt say it is not appreciated, just that my student(Stinger) isn't interested-LOLOL
Being an Aspie-he HTES routine changes-and this goes with new school ideas, or fun activities. He might LOVE the activity, but it gets him all flustered and he is anxious to get back to our reg studies after the fun-LOLOL:"When are we going to do school Mom?" LOLOL-Thats a frequent thing I hear when I do a craft or anything different ard here...
SO..........this year I am not printing out dozens of worksheets-maybee a few..okay...LOLOL, but nothing like I usually do....I think he will like that better.
I just usually tend to forget that what is exciting and looked forward to by other children just does not have the same effect with him....I forget that.... alot.
So we wont be starting anything until next week-I figure he can help me bake some cookies etc too-because as you know its COOKIE/GOODIE time ard here :)Speaking of-MOM!!!!!! Ive lost your Toffee recipe!!!! Could you email me????Christmas just isnt Christmas without your Toffee-which is my all time favorite-when it comes out okay that is...LOLOL
Monday, December 14, 2009
Don't Forget Santas Reindeer!!!!
This idea from How Does She sight was just toooo cute not to share-we will be making these fur sure....
All you need is:
Your kids to help!
Water
Bowls
Cups
Carrots or Apples (whatever your reindeer like to eat)
and Cold weather (o ya we already have that!)
1. Cut up your carrots or apples
2. Place a cup in the center of your bowl. Fill the cup up with water. This helps so that the cup doens’t float up!
3. Place your carrots around the cup.
4. Pour water into the bowl. About 3/4 full.
5. Set outside to freeze
6. When frozen bring them in and run under warm water long enough to losen the bowl and cup from the ice.
7. Run warm water over the ring to soften any sharp ice edges. Ya those are my dirty dishes in the back ground!
8. Tie a ribbon
9. Hang
We made enough for all the reindeer to have one while Santa is inside! We just hope the ‘reindeer’ remember to ‘eat’ the wreaths on Christmas eve!
Here is another idea for a winter wreath.
Same process as above, but I used a bunt pan and added cranberries and a branch off our Christmas tree.
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Sooo cute-eh?
Blessings-Whats Good Abt Home...
I just loved this little note I received from Econobusters this morning-made me stop and think how truly blessed I am....
There is a crackling fire in the woodstove this morning and I have on my favorite red sweater.
There are walls that keep out summer’s heat and winter’s cold wind. I listen to rain on a good roof.
There are warm blankets on all the beds. We are not cold.
There is comfort.
There is food in the pantry and I am not hungry. My children do not cry of hunger in the night.
There is bread in my kitchen and butter and jam to spread on it. There is clean water to drink.
There is a bowl filled with fresh fruit on the table.
There is plenty.
There are trees outside my windows I can trust for shade in the heat of summer.
There is sunshine streaming in to light the rooms and sky I can see from every window.
There are windows to open to let in the fresh air.
There is goodness.
There is quiet here in the country. I can hear birds chattering. I sing while I work.
There is a son at the piano plinking out a tune and singing and another son whistling in the hall.
There is happiness and security in this family.
There is joy.
There is my good husband here who brings me steaming coffee every morning.
There is the good man who loves us and shows us by praying and sitting down to supper with us.
There is Daddy who is happy to come home every night after work.
There is work.
There are books of all sorts here—books of stories, of poetry, of pictures.
There are Bibles that we can read freely. There are newspapers, magazines, internet.
There are desks for the children with textbooks full of information.
There is light.
There is a cellar to shelter us from storms, a garage to protect our car. There is safety.
There is a lock on the front door that we don’t need. There is law. There is security.
There are no threats—no soldiers with guns in our street. There is peace.
There is freedom.
There are things for the grandchildren to play with when they visit—dolls and tea dishes.
There are happy shouts when they race in through the back door and open a drawer full of toy cars.
There is commotion. There is laughter. There is love.
There is family.
There are uncommon treasures—every day. There are riches.
There are voices we love. There are prayers. There is hope. There is beauty.
There is rest and strength. There is home.
There are blessings because—
There is God.
What’s Good About Home! Elece Hollis 2009
Elece Hollis and her husband Ron live in Oklahoma. Elece homeschools her three teenagers and has four married children and sixteen grands. She enjoys homemaking and freelance writing.
There is a crackling fire in the woodstove this morning and I have on my favorite red sweater.
There are walls that keep out summer’s heat and winter’s cold wind. I listen to rain on a good roof.
There are warm blankets on all the beds. We are not cold.
There is comfort.
There is food in the pantry and I am not hungry. My children do not cry of hunger in the night.
There is bread in my kitchen and butter and jam to spread on it. There is clean water to drink.
There is a bowl filled with fresh fruit on the table.
There is plenty.
There are trees outside my windows I can trust for shade in the heat of summer.
There is sunshine streaming in to light the rooms and sky I can see from every window.
There are windows to open to let in the fresh air.
There is goodness.
There is quiet here in the country. I can hear birds chattering. I sing while I work.
There is a son at the piano plinking out a tune and singing and another son whistling in the hall.
There is happiness and security in this family.
There is joy.
There is my good husband here who brings me steaming coffee every morning.
There is the good man who loves us and shows us by praying and sitting down to supper with us.
There is Daddy who is happy to come home every night after work.
There is work.
There are books of all sorts here—books of stories, of poetry, of pictures.
There are Bibles that we can read freely. There are newspapers, magazines, internet.
There are desks for the children with textbooks full of information.
There is light.
There is a cellar to shelter us from storms, a garage to protect our car. There is safety.
There is a lock on the front door that we don’t need. There is law. There is security.
There are no threats—no soldiers with guns in our street. There is peace.
There is freedom.
There are things for the grandchildren to play with when they visit—dolls and tea dishes.
There are happy shouts when they race in through the back door and open a drawer full of toy cars.
There is commotion. There is laughter. There is love.
There is family.
There are uncommon treasures—every day. There are riches.
There are voices we love. There are prayers. There is hope. There is beauty.
There is rest and strength. There is home.
There are blessings because—
There is God.
What’s Good About Home! Elece Hollis 2009
Elece Hollis and her husband Ron live in Oklahoma. Elece homeschools her three teenagers and has four married children and sixteen grands. She enjoys homemaking and freelance writing.
Winter Wonderland Weekend :)
We got pounded with snow this weekend-and boy!! Did we have fun playing!!
First we witnessed a sheep parade right out our front window. The sheep herders are trying to find grazing land for the poor dears-yeah...good luck!LOLOL They went right down the street-it was crazy cool!
We saw some quail in the back trying to find any grub they could.
We made a Frosty out back-that was super fun, and had some fun snowball fights as well...LOLOL
Stinger was in heaven-shoveling-He LUVS this!!LOLOL
Came inside and warmed up with some hot chocolate-Yum!:P
Snuggled up with some great movies in the den-the new Harry Potter, and Terminator.
Read some fun Christmas stories under a warm blanket.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend. Monkey boy though was kinda sick on Friday and Saturday-he was puking all over...sigh...I have NO idea what that was about. But he was misereable for 2 days-but as you can see he was right as rain pretty quick..
This weekend was our planned grocery shopping-we only made it to Brigham though-we decided Logan would be too bad going through the canyon...So Sams will have to wait a bit...till the snow calms down...hopefully that will happen
But I did manage to pick up some stocking goodies, but still have some WalMart kids gift shopping to do....
Heres some pics we took of our fun this weekend-Enjoy!:)
First we witnessed a sheep parade right out our front window. The sheep herders are trying to find grazing land for the poor dears-yeah...good luck!LOLOL They went right down the street-it was crazy cool!
We saw some quail in the back trying to find any grub they could.
We made a Frosty out back-that was super fun, and had some fun snowball fights as well...LOLOL
Stinger was in heaven-shoveling-He LUVS this!!LOLOL
Came inside and warmed up with some hot chocolate-Yum!:P
Snuggled up with some great movies in the den-the new Harry Potter, and Terminator.
Read some fun Christmas stories under a warm blanket.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend. Monkey boy though was kinda sick on Friday and Saturday-he was puking all over...sigh...I have NO idea what that was about. But he was misereable for 2 days-but as you can see he was right as rain pretty quick..
This weekend was our planned grocery shopping-we only made it to Brigham though-we decided Logan would be too bad going through the canyon...So Sams will have to wait a bit...till the snow calms down...hopefully that will happen
But I did manage to pick up some stocking goodies, but still have some WalMart kids gift shopping to do....
Heres some pics we took of our fun this weekend-Enjoy!:)
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