holidays
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…
Halloween Built-Ins
I have been waiting for days for the light to be bright enough to take pictures of the little makeover our built-ins received for Halloween. Have I mentioned patience is not one of my virtues? At the rate I was going it was going to be Easter before I showed you the Halloween shelves. And, well, that wouldn’t be quite right would it? So instead of grainy and dim, let’s call these photos moody and Halloween-esque. 🙂 Decorating mainly with stuff I already had forced me to get creative – especially since I don’t own an abundance of seasonal decorating items. Me and clutter are not friends. If you’ve known me for…
Halloween Ceramic Crocks
I had an epiphany tonight while sitting on the floor with a skein of yarn in one hand and a hot glue gun in the other. It struck me that I do indeed have an approach or methodology to decorating my home. I call it Hail Mary Decorating. That’s right, folks. Hail Mary Decorating. It is the not-at-all scientific way of throwing something together, setting it up on a wish and a prayer and hoping that it works. Sometimes it does. Other times? Not so much. I’m sure someone at HGTV just dropped everything to call me about this decorating methodology. While I sit here waiting for the call to go through, let’s…
Halloween Book Covers
Fair warning! If you say BOO to Halloween or cute black kittens, just step away from the computer now. The following images may be disturbing. See? I told you. The horror! A cute black kitten with a bright pink stuffed animal collar. It’s the least offensive thing she’s been dressed up in. So far. The cat’s name? Salsa. That’s definitely an omen. An omen that mommy is a pushover. Anyway, let’s get back to the point of this post! It’s now October and I’m doing a little bit of Halloween decorating. I didn’t do this sort of thing before I had kids, but they LOVE this holiday. What’s not to love…
Paper Pumpkins
Human beings are full of contradictions. Okay, me. I’m full of contradictions. For instance, decorating with pumpkins makes me immensely happy. Smelling pumpkin-y things? Can’t get enough. Eat pumpkin-flavored food? Gag me now. I’m super mature for my age too. These paper pumpkins fall into the “can’t get enough” category. I made this orange pumpkin a couple of years ago. He’s a little banged up and misshapen, but we all get that way from time to time. This paper pumpkin craft is easy and cheap – my two requirements for crafting. Here’s what you need: paper, scissors and a glue gun. I’ve done this craft with tape, but the glue…
