Christmas is in The Air!

 Christmas Advent Calendar

Ahh! Can you smell it? Christmas is in the air! I have been working on a BUNCH of Christmas stuff, mostly because it is one of my most favorite holidays EVER! I forgot to take pictures during the process of making this cute Advent Calendar, but I did take after pictures.  This calendar starts on Dec. 1^st and there is 24 days of fun, but easy things to do to count down to Christmas. 

Here is the list:

Take photos for Christmas cards

Buy a new Christmas CD and listen to it

Drive around and look at Christmas lights

Go to Temple Square to see the lights (if you live/visit Utah)

Build a snowman

Make paper snowflakes

Make a treat and take it to a friend

Wrap Christmas gifts

Make hot chocolate and stir with candy canes

Have a campout in front of the Christmas tree

Watch a Christmas movie and have popcorn

Make a new Christmas decoration

Make the house smell like Christmas

Go visit Santa Clause

Do service for someone that needs it.

Take gifts to teachers and friends

Make cookie and write letters to Santa

Read “The Night Before Christmas”

Call grandma and grandpa and sing your favorite Christmas song

Color Christmas pictures

Read a Christmas book

Make Christmas cards

Go out for a Christmas treat

Read a story or watch a movie about the birth of  baby Jesus

Do something nice for someone

 Here are the items you will need to do the project:

2-12x12 papers (to be the background)

Assorted Christmas paper to make the pockets (I used 4 double sided prints)

Scraps of coordinating paper to decorate with.

Stickers/cutouts/ribbons to decorate

Numbers 1-24

                                 Ribbon (to hang project)

                                 24 tags

 Here is the HOW-TO:

You will need 24 pockets (12 on each 12x12 paper, 4 across and 3 down), cut to be 2 ½ x 3 ¾ inches. Number and decorate each pocket. Then you can attach them to the 12x12 paper. I glued mine, but if you have one of those fancy paper sewing machines, you could stitch the papers on, that would be cute! Then each pocket needs a tag with one of the items from the list above. Then use some ribbon or scrap paper to attach the 2 12x12 papers together, but leave a little gap, about 1 inch or so. Last use some ribbon to hang the calendar. Your kids will have so much fun doing this. My kiddos are so excited to start ours! 

Halloween Is Coming!

I have been working on this craft for a while, and I am happy to report that I have FINALLY got it finished! I have seen a bunch of different Halloween trees but, this is the version of mine. 

You will need:

Sticks/branches

Black spray paint Matte Finish

Orange glitter

Purple lights (I used a strand of 100 lights found at Target for only $3.50)

Bucket or something cute to stand your tree in.

Rocks/gravel

1.  You will need to take your branches and make sure there are no leaves on them and make sure that the wood is dry before you paint.

2.  Start spraying your branches with spray paint, but before it dries, make sure you sprinkle with the glitter so it will stick. Let it dry for a day or so.

3.  Wrap the lights around the branches.  

4.  Take your cute bucket or container (I found mine at Target in the dollar item section, only it wasn't a dollar, it was $2.50) Okay, so here is where I got creative. The rocks weren't holding the branches up like I wanted them to, so, I found out that a roll of toilet paper fit perfectly in the bottom of my container, and I stuck the branches through the roll, THEN put the rocks in to balance. Worked like a charm!! :}

 I had my kiddos help me make some ornaments out of  left over toilet paper rolls or you could use a paper towel roll too. I just halved the rolls and covered with some construction paper and Modge Podge. Then used Halloween stickers or my imagination to come up with some interesting decorations. 

 Decorate however you like, just have fun with it!

Fun Idea for Halloween Time

(pictured Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Around here, we usually have a fun Halloween tradition to "BOO" another family. Well, this year someone beat us to it. And, they had found an easy way to print off your own, rather than take theirs and get copies of it. I know all to well, that if I probably have to go to a copy shop, it won't get done. So you can go here and get your own copy, as well as some ideas of what gift to give with your "BOO'S". 

Happy Haunting!

Quiet time Lace-ups

My sister gave me some lace up cards for my daughter. It came in a big box and the cards are about the size of a lined piece of paper. So when it comes to space in my church bag those are the first to take out. I was going through a craft bin in my basement and found some wooden hearts. Light bulb! 

I pulled out my dremel and made holes all around the boarder. Then I found some nylon twine type stuff in our garage and cut a few pieces and melted the ends so they wont fray. I painted the hearts and then sprayed them with the cool gloss finish. Ta Da!!! Now we have some lace up shapes for church or for long car rides. I can't wait to do other shapes, or I might mod podge a picture of a temple, the Prophet, or Jesus onto the hearts. The possibilities are endless! Hope this inspires you, or gets the wheels turning in your pretty little head!
Later,

FUN Friday!

Okay, okay, okay! I totally know that it isn't Friday, but with school starting, my days have been a little off.  So, I am posting today to let you know what me and my little one did on Friday for a little fun. It wasn't much, but it got us out of the house, just for a little while. We walked our 1st grader to school, then we are lucky enough to have a park right by our school, and so we went there after and played. With school being in the park was deserted so, we had the park basically to ourselves. It was great!! Then we came home and did a little house work and went to lunch...HIS CHOICE! Off we went to Carl's Jr. to get his fave kids meal (chicken stars...WITH ketchup). 


It was great to spend a little one on one time with my preschooler before he goes back to school after Labor Day! Like I said, it doesn't take much, but some time with a  little one is FUN!!

F*U*N FRIDAY!!

So, I am really excited to post today! With all of the hustle and bustle of getting ready to go back to school (HOORAY!) my daughter and I decided to go get pedicures. Well, then I remembered seeing something a while back about doing a fun group pedicure.  If you have one of those small plastic pools (you know the kind that you get at the grocery store that gets a hole in it after the 3rd time you've used it), fill it with semi-warm water and have the kiddos soak their feet, and wash with a good smelling soap. Then pat them dry and rub some smelly lotion on. Then, take a cotton ball with nail polish remover on it, and rub it on the bare toenails (a little trick I learned to get the polish to stick better). Last, paint and *decorate your toes! And the best part is: not having to worry about the paint spilling on your carpet or table! 

*HINT: You can use acrylic paint to decorate, just make sure you use a top coat to seal it.

Fun Friday!!

Ok! I know this is supposed to be fun FRIDAY, and today is Saturday, but I was busy yesterday. Yesterday was my daughters 13TH birthday (heaven HELP me!), and she was at Girls Camp. So, being the wonderful thoughtful mother I am, I grabbed my boys and headed to the mountains to visit "sissy" for her birthday! We had made cookies the night before for all of the girls and the leaders that were up there. It was a 2 hour drive, but my boys were so good driving up there (even though we got a little lost) and they loved running around the mountains, seeing all of the beautiful wildflowers and we even got to see a deer. So, for a fun Friday, take your kids to the mountains and enjoy mother nature! (she seems to be in a better mood than in the spring, so take advantage!)

A "COOL" Car Seat...

I have seen a few of these around and after trying to get my daughter in a hot car after church on Sunday, this is a must have! I followed the tutorial over at eighteen25, but I added a few embellishments for fun! Plus I didn't do the rice flap.  I used the ribbon to tie around the head rest, to keep it from falling down.
Here is the super cute fabric flower I used to disguise the velcro that secures the cover together.

 They are supper easy to make.
1. Trace circles on the wrong side of the fabric you wish to use.
2. Cut out the circles and then cut the circles in half.
3. Fold the half circles in half.
4. Sew along the open edge.
5. Turn right side out.
6. Hand sew a running stitch along the bottom opening.
7. Chain all the "petals" together (using the chain stitch) and then secure the ends together to close the circle.
8. Hot glue a button to the center to hide the opening.
9. Hand stitch onto the cover.

I can't wait to use this!  Hopefully it will make the ride home a bit smoother :)  I think the next time I make one for my niece or nephews I will add pipping or ric rac to the edges, just to spruce it up a bit. Here is the finished project in my daughters seat...

Hope this will save a few little bums from being burnt.  Happy Sewing!!!

Indoor Frisbee!!!

I have decided to start making a box of things to do on rainy days for my little girl.  Just incase our summer is as wet as our spring has been.  First on my list was an indoor frisbee.  I thought I saw how to make this over at one of my favorite blogs, but I couldn't find it.  So, I decided to make it from my memory and cross my fingers that it works!  I sew by the seat of my pants, sorry I don't know all of the technical terms.

What you will need...
a bowl and plate to trace circles
leftover fabric (I used two coordinating fabrics)
an old towel you wouldn't mind cutting up
sewing machine
ric rac (optional)
thread and scissors

Simple, simple.
First thing, cut out the fabric.
Trace the plate onto the fabric with a pencil or pen and then cut out.  Do the same with the towel.  (On my next one I will cut out the towel circle a little bit smaller that the fabric circles.)

Now I pinned the ric rac onto the right side of the dotted fabric, close to the edge.  Don't let the top of the ric rac go off of the fabric. Sew it as close as you can to the edge.  Now put the other piece of fabric, right sides together, on top of the fabric circle with the ric rac.  Then, put the towel circle on top of the other circles.  Sew a 1/4 of an inch around the edge leaving a two inch opening so you can turn it right sides out.  Once you have it right sides out sew along the edge to close up the hole.  I went around the circle a total of three times.  Just to make it a little bit stronger.  Here is the finished project...

  It actually works!!! My little girl had a fun time throwing this around with her dad last night, while it rained. (It took me a whoppin' 30 minutes to make this) Hope it works for you.  If you have any tips or tricks to make this better leave a comment.  Or send us a picture of one you have made.

Happy Sewing!